Often, software users will not realize the full extent of features available to them in a program. Our CS Director™ and CS Truss Studio™ both offer extensive options, including the ones discussed here.
You can create stack lists in both CS Director™ and CS Truss Studio™. From Layout, it is easier to view the order in which trusses will be stacked on the roof.
The process is as follows:
1. From the Output menu, select Stack List or click the image.
The Stack List dialog displays.
Note: In 2025.01, the Stack list and Release Groups dialogs were reorganized for a better user experience.
Benefits of subtotals in Stack Lists and Release Groups:
- You can click one or more trusses and drag them to the desired column.
- You can also use the arrows at the top of the dialog to move trusses.
Another way to select trusses to include in the stack list is to click an individual truss in layout or drag a line across multiple trusses, while the Stack List is open. The trusses are automatically added to the list of Stacked Trusses.
2. If desired, apply banding and create a banding note, which will appear in Director reports.
- Right-click the banded item in the Stacked Trusses list or click the Edit Banding Note icon on the toolbar.
The right-click menu displays. Select Edit Banding Note.
- Enter a label/note, and click OK.
The information you enter displays on Director reports.
When the Stack List / Release Groups dialog is open and trusses are selected, pressing Esc clears all selections. If no trusses are selected, pressing Esc closes the dialog.
Note: When the Stack List dialog is open, Truss Studio highlights trusses on the Layout that have already been moved to the Stacked Trusses list, using the Selected Truss/Member color specified in EnvData > Color Settings. Trusses return to their normal colors when the Stack List dialog is closed.
Click OK to save changes.
Benefits of the Stack List and Release Groups:
- You can now view truss subtotals, plies, and board footage for each section and collapsed layer in Release Groups; in Stack Lists, you can display truss subtotals and plies.
- Easily see the total quantity of Assigned vs. Unassigned trusses.
- In Sets, Release Groups, and Layers/levels, see the total quantities of collapsed lists. This may prevent trusses from accidentally being omitted from production lists.
- When reviewing quantity counts, some manufacturers focus on truss quantity and some on the number of plies; displaying both quantities is useful.
- If using Release Groups as production groups, having both truss quantity/plies and board footage helps identify when larger groups should be split into two groups or smaller groups should be combined.
Simpson Strong-Tie’s Component Solutions® Truss Studio™ and CS Director™ software solutions have the ability to support your projects. Contact your Simpson Strong-Tie Representative or email CSHelp@strongtie.com for more information.