BL Card

The BL card is used to connect two points to form a line, which is then subdivided into wire segments.

On the Construct tab, in the Wires group, click the  Line (BL) icon.



Figure 1. The BL - Specify a wire element dialog.

Parameters:

Start point of wire
The start point of the wire (previously defined with the DP card).
End point of wire
The end point of the wire (previously defined with the DP card).
Set wire radius
Select the Set wire radius check box to override the radius set at the previous IP card for the current wire. This setting does not affect segments created after this card. Both radii values are in metre and are affected by the SF card scaling factor. If only the start radius is specified, the wire will have a constant radius.
Radius at start point of wire
The radius of the wire at the start point.
Radius of end point of wire
The radius of the wire at the end point.
The points have to be defined by a DP card, prior to using this card. The wire radius is set by an IP card preceding the BL card, but can be set locally.
Tip: Create a tapered wire by using different radii values for the start point and end point.


Figure 2. Sketch illustrating the use of the BL card.

Examples of BL Card Usage

  • The BL card can be used to create segmented wires. The radius is specified with an IP card.


    Figure 3. Example of a segmented wire created with the BL card.
  • The BL card can be used to create a tapered and segmented wire:


    Figure 4. Example of a tapered radius created with the BL card.