Workshop can automatically generate pin jigs to assist with accurate setup of a plate or assembly of plates for attachment of internal structure. Pin jigs are a series of vertical pins each of which is at a height to just support the shape of the 3D assembly. The pins run in the direction of the vertical z axis of the assembly’s UCS.

Pin Jigs are most commonly used for assemblies of plates. You create a plate assembly by dragging the plates into the same folder in the Assembly window. See the Maxsurf user manual for information on creating and using the assembly tree.

You set the spacing of the pins in the jig using the Preferences item from the Edit menu. Workshop will automatically calculate the location and height of each pin. A table of heights for each of the pins can be viewed in the Pin Jig table in the Data window. This displays the data for the plate assembly currently being viewed in the Part window.

The pins can be displayed graphically by turning on the Plate Pin Jigs item in the Structure dialog.

Plate pin jigs can also be rendered when rendering is turned on in the perspective window.

The most commonly used view of the pin jig is the Pin Jig View described below.

Note that the pin jig table is a tool to check the correct shape of the plate or plate assembly.