Ceiling beams: add, position, and customize

3CAD Next lets you generate and control ceiling beams on flat and sloped ceilings. You can create them automatically based on spacing, or place an exact quantity and fine‑tune their size, orientation, framing (eaves), labels, and positions. 

This article explains how beams are managed in 3CAD Next, how to add them to a flat or sloped ceiling, how to align them, and what each parameter does. 

For creating the flat ceiling itself, see Add a flat ceiling to a room.

For creating the sloped ceiling itself, see Add a sloped ceiling to a room.

Add beams: choose a generation mode

1. Select the ceiling.
    
2. Click the Catalog button.
    
3. Click Variants, then open the Beams tab. Here you find the Beams type selector.

The Beams type selector defines how beams are generated and distributed:

• No
  Disables and hides beams.
   
• Automatic
  Generates beams automatically. Control spacing with Distance between beams (mm). The total beam count is calculated from the ceiling size and this distance.
  
  
   
• Manual
  Lets you specify an exact Number of Beams. Spacing and layout are calculated symmetrically and automatically.
  
  

Depending on the selected alternative, different parameters and selector displays will appear, as illustrated below.

Beam model and core dimensions

• Beams Model:
   
  • Wood Beams: Wooden profile. When selected, a conditional control Beams Radius appears to round the beam profile corners (mm).
    
    
     
  • Industrial Beams: Industrial/I‑beam profile. When selected, a conditional control Metal Thickness appears to set the profile thickness (mm).
    
    
     
• Beams angle: Orientation relative to the ceiling layout. 
  
  
  
  Options:
  • 0 Degrees: Places the beams in their standard baseline orientation.
  • 90 Degrees: Rotates the beams by 90 degrees.
     
• Distance from ceiling: Sets the vertical distance between the beam and the ceiling (mm).
                
• Beam width (mm): Sets the beam’s cross‑section width.
   
• Beam height (mm): Sets the beam’s vertical depth (downward projection from the ceiling plane).
   

Eaves (outer framing/border)

Use Eaves Side? to add or remove an outer frame around the beams:

• No Eave: Beams only, no frame.
   
• Just Main Eave: Border on one side (the front).
   
• Main Eave Two Walls: Border on two opposite sides (each end of the beams).
   
• Full Eave: Border on all four sides.

When any option other than No Eave is selected, two conditional parameters appear and apply to the eave only:

• Width Main Eaves (mm): Frame thickness.
   
• Height Main Eaves (mm): Frame height (downward drop).

Visual aids and manual positioning

• Enable beam text: Displays labels on the 3D/elevation model:
   
  • Top 
    (large numbers): Beam sequence numbers (1, 2, 3…).
     
  • Bottom
    (smaller numbers): Exact position in millimeters from the starting wall to the center of each beam (500, 1500, 2500…).
     
• Enable beam positions: Unlocks a Beams custom position tab for full manual control.
  
  
  
  In this tab, you will find the following parameters:
   
  • Enable all positions: Expands the list to show all potential beam position fields (useful when you need more beams than the automatic layout provided).
     
  • Shift the beam’s initial position (mm): Offsets the entire set of beams as one block.
     
  • beam 1 position, beam 2 position, … (mm): Sets the exact center position for each beam.
    Depending on whether you chose automatic or manual positioning mode, you have:
     
    • Manual Mode: If the beam type is manual and positions are enabled, the edit fields will appear
      matching the exact quantity of entered beams.
       

    • Automatic Mode: By default, 8 position fields will appear, regardless of how many beams are
      actually in the scene. If you want to see and edit more positions, you must check the Enable all positions box.
       

      Note!

      • Remainder distribution: Any leftover measurement difference is automatically sent to the corners.
         
      • 0 reference: Distances are measured from the ceiling’s initial 0 point to the center of each beam.

Parallel beams (tie beams) on sloped ceilings

Use the Parallel beams tab to create horizontal tie beams spanning between sloped planes (collar ties/trusses). This feature is intended for sloped ceilings; first create the slope as described in Add a sloped ceiling to a room, then:

1. Within the ceiling variants, select the Parallel Beams tab.
    
2. Check Enable parallel beams. Additional parameters will appear.
    

3. Enter the height values that match exactly the sloped ceiling heights you set in the Ceiling Settings:
    

   • Initial height position parallel (mm): Corresponds to the low side’s height.
      

   • Final height position parallel (mm): Corresponds to the high side’s height.
      

     Important!

     These values must currently be entered manually to match your sloped ceiling settings.

   The parallel beams align into position. 
   
   
    

4. For a gable ceiling, repeat this step on both slopes.
   
   

    

Optional settings:

• Distance from initial point (mm): Vertical offset along the structure for the tie beams.

  Because the distance from the initial point does not change the angle between the sloped ceiling and the parallel beams, the length of the parallel beams is adjusted accordingly.

   

• Parallel beam ceiling (checkbox): Adds a vertical support at the ridge line where two sloped ceilings meet.