I am new to Autocad 2014. I am able to draw the basic structural steel model with the exact length and thickness then making it 3D using Extrude and PressPull commands, but am conflicted when using the Fillet command to give my steel models their proper bevel. Do you guys just use a random radius as long as it looks visually ok or how do you figure out what radius value to use when using the fillet command in AutoCad when you give your steel models like square tube, wide flange, or angle iron bevels according to length and width?Here are some screenshots of what I mean by bevel:http://imgur.com/a/BJeof
steelcad012014-08-16 23:22:45

I base my fillets on data found in
the Manual of Steel Construction by the ASIC.

Hello steelcad01, steel profiles have dimensions given by norms, american, euro,etc... and are really precise.The best for you would be to have complete librairies of this.If you are working in a normal company this should be available there at your hand.If you are lucky enough to have AutoCAD Mechanical you have the command AMSTEEL2D for all the profiles around the world.I have made a file of this with the original dynamic blocks from AutoCAD Mechanical 2012 ( OK for any AutoCAD 2010 ).Maybe I will be able to upload it next week or the other.An other option is to draw them with good 0,0 insertion point for them to be inserted.Draw them in regions for a good 3D direct use.Draw them with the colors and lines "by block" so that you will be abble to change the color and line type without having to explode the inserted blocks.You can have the profile dimensions in sites like : the engineering too box or others.Getting informations on norms is good also.Ask for more and tell us if you suceeded in having alrready made blocks.......Maybe you can find them right here in the site in the CAD Blocks library.

Or you can just find, download and install a nifty, free, program called Al's Steel Mill. 

uploads/175428/AMSTLSHAP2D.dwg
 
Steelcad01, see that file here and tell me if this helped or not.
Note :  the real AutoCAD Mechanical command is : AMSTLSHAP2D.
Do a a copy of the block that you want and open the properties palette to modify the "visibility" conformably to the size that you want ( not available on light release but I hope that it will work on your non Mechanical AutoCAD ), grip the dimensions on it and verify the correctness.
 
 
philippe JOSEPH2014-08-18 08:07:08

Where does the OP mention he has AutoCAD Mechanical?  I must have missed that.

John, I noticed that Steelcad01 mentionned AutoCAD and not AutoCAD Mechanical, that's why I did upload that file including that dynamic blocks that I hope will be modificable on his AutoCAD not Mechanical.Anyone that has also non Mechanical could tell us if this works with the "visibility" on the properties palette ?

There are some (wide flange and channel) structural steel dynamic blocks already included in plain AutoCAD on the Tool Palettes.  Maybe not all the sizes but the most commonly used.  There are no angles or tube shapes.