Auto Plates

AutoPlates offers 3 different configurations, and sizes plates by length entered by the user and width calculated from the beam width and a specified edge offset. Minimum plates will project plates from one or more connecting beams to the far side of the main beam, Medium plates create the smallest possible rectangular plate on the main beam which still meets all child (connecting) plates, Maximum creates a rectangular plate on the main beam with a user specified length. AutoPlates can be linked to MidBolts or EndBolts.

Insertion

The first beam selected is the main, receiving beam. The script expects this beam to be continuous through the connection, with all other beams ending on one side.
Next select a set of beams to connect to the first beam. All beams need to have equal width and have 2 faces flush. These beams are referred to as child beams or connecting beams in the script and documentation.
Due to the infinite number of possible solutions no action is taken to stretch or cut any beams, the user must take care of this using standard HSB tools.
With the plate inserted, you can use the OPM to change plate thickness, select for surface or knife plates, and select for the Min., Med., or Max constructions.
To link the plates to MidBolts or EndBolts select the plate, Rt click > Custom > Link Bolts to Plates. Then select one or more of the bolt scripts to link. This only works between these 4 CraigCAD scripts, not any OOTB hardware or other routines from me such as ScrewSeries2.0.

This shows the function of the Min., Med., and Max. configurations--the geomtry of the beams in all 3 cases is identical. AutoPlates doesn't always come up with functional solutions, in situations where it falls through use PlateFromPline.

Mods

Altering insertion defaults is the only recommended user modification for the AutoPlates script.

As with all TSLs the default values for properties is easily altered. Here you will need to add a 4th arguement to the definition of stMnPltType in order to have a different plate type be inserted by default--- the definition which defaults to Min. would read:
PropString stNmPltType( 7, stArMnPltType, "Main Plate Type", 1)

Caveats

The script is useful in many situations, but it can fail to give useful results in some situations/geometries. In case you aren't able to get the result you need, use PlateFromPline.
Knife plates do not yet cut slots, although this function will be added in the future.
When you link bolts to plates or vice-versa, it might take some time for the change to be apparent. Call "HSB_RECALC" on the scripts to update them, or use the Custom area of the Context Menu and select "REFRESH".