Tools reference
Every tool of the Geometry and Loads windows: where it lives in the ribbon, its shortcut, what the status bar says when it is active, and the fields of its Databar. Generated from the program.
Select
Ribbon: Geometry › Selection. Shortcut: —. Tool key: select.
Status bar: Select: click or drag a box (left→right enclosed, right→left crossing)
Databar Selection:
| Field | Kind | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| (note) | note | Click to toggle, drag a box (left→right enclosed, right→left crossing), Shift-drag a line. |
| Joints (e.g. 1-5, 8) | text | |
| Members (e.g. 10-30) | text | |
| Keep previous selection | check box | |
| Include joints | check box | |
| Select by number (OK) | button | |
| Invert selection | button | |
| Select Special… | button |
Joint
Ribbon: Geometry › Joints. Shortcut: J. Tool key: joint.
Status bar: Joint: click on the working plane, a grid point or a point on a member
Databar Joint:
| Field | Kind | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| X Y Z [m] | three numbers | |
| OK: add joint(s) | button | |
| Delta X Y Z [m] | three numbers | |
| Generate (number of joints) | integer | |
| Zoom extents after adding | check box | |
| Working plane Z | number | |
| Grid snap [m] | number | |
| (note) | note | Click a joint to read its coordinates into the cells; OK with a Delta and a number adds a sequence. |
Member
Ribbon: Geometry › Members. Shortcut: M. Tool key: member.
Status bar: Member: click joints, grid points or points on members; right-click empty space to continue from the last joint
Databar Member:
| Field | Kind | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| OK: member from Start Joint to End Joint | button | |
| Method | list | |
| Number of Links | integer | |
| Start Joint (J1) | integer | |
| End Joint (J2) | integer | |
| Continue from last joint | check box | |
| 2D Patterns | list | |
| Eccentricity ratio | number | |
| Joints Only | check box | |
| Delta X [m] | number | |
| Delta Y [m] | number | |
| (note) | note | Section, material and type come from the Combo bar (Home tab); releases and gamma from their tools. A click on a member opens Subdivide Connecting Member. |
Member Release
Ribbon: Geometry › Members. Shortcut: —. Tool key: release.
Status bar: Member Release: click near a member end to toggle its release; box or OK releases both ends of the members; Ctrl removes
Databar Member Release:
| Field | Kind | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Release | list | Full Release |
| Mx (torsion) | check box | |
| My | check box | |
| Mz | check box | |
| Members (e.g. 10-30) | text | |
| OK: both ends of the typed members or the selection | button | |
| (note) | note | Click near a member end to toggle that end between fixed and this definition; Ctrl-click fixes it. Percent releases arrive with the solver's partial releases. |
Member Axis Orientation
Ribbon: Geometry › Members. Shortcut: —. Tool key: orient.
Status bar: Member Axis Orientation: set gamma (also the default for new members), click or box members, OK for a range; right-click → Rotate Member Axis…
Databar Member Axis Orientation:
| Field | Kind | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Angle gamma [°] | number | |
| Members (e.g. 10-30) | text | |
| OK: apply to the typed members or the selection | button | |
| (note) | note | The angle is also the default for new members. Click or box members to assign it; Ctrl resets to 0. Right-click → Rotate Member Axis… orients a local axis toward a point. |
Member Type
Ribbon: Geometry › Members. Shortcut: —. Tool key: mtype.
Status bar: Member Type: choose the type (also the Combo bar default), click or box members, OK for a range
Databar Member Type:
| Field | Kind | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Type | list | Beam, Truss |
| Members (e.g. 10-30) | text | |
| OK: apply to the typed members or the selection | button | |
| (note) | note | The type is also the Combo bar default. Cable, tension-only, compression-only and springs arrive with the solver. |
Generate Infill Beams
Ribbon: Geometry › Members. Shortcut: —. Tool key: infill.
Status bar: Generate Infill Beams: select the members of an empty polygon, set the direction and number, click inside the polygon
Databar Generate Infill Beams:
| Field | Kind | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Direction | list | X, Y, Short, Long, Any |
| Joint I (Any) | integer | |
| Joint J (Any) | integer | |
| Number of beams | integer | |
| Spacing (blank = equal, or 3@2.5,2@2) | text | |
| Pin-pin | check box | |
| (note) | note | Select the members of an empty polygon, then click inside it. |
Support
Ribbon: Geometry › Supports. Shortcut: S. Tool key: support.
Status bar: Support: click a joint
Databar Support:
| Field | Kind | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Preset | list | Fixed, Pinned, Roller (Z), Custom |
| Restrained | six check boxes (Tx Ty Tz Rx Ry Rz) | |
| Joints (e.g. 1-5, 8) | text | |
| OK: apply to the typed joints or the selection | button | |
| (note) | note | Click a joint to toggle it between free and this definition; Ctrl-click frees it. |
Delete
Ribbon: Geometry › Modify. Shortcut: —. Tool key: delete.
Status bar: Delete: click a joint or member
Databar Delete:
| Field | Kind | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| (note) | note | Click a joint or member, or drag a box. |
Joint Load
Ribbon: Loads › Joint Loads. Shortcut: —. Tool key: nodal_load.
Status bar: Joint load: click joints or drag a box
Databar Joint load:
| Field | Kind | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Load case | list | D, L, W |
| Axis system | list | global, node |
| Fx Fy Fz Mx My Mz [N, N·m] | six numbers | |
| Mode | list | add, replace |
| Joints (e.g. 1-5, 8) | text | |
| OK: apply to the typed joints or the selection | button |
Member Load
Ribbon: Loads › Member Loads. Shortcut: —. Tool key: member_load.
Status bar: Member load: click members or drag a box
Databar Member load:
| Field | Kind | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Load case | list | D, L, W |
| Axis system | list | local, global, global projected |
| w at start [N/m] | three numbers | |
| w at end [N/m] | three numbers | |
| Start distance from I [m] | number | |
| End distance from J [m] | number | |
| Distributed torque [N·m/m] | number | |
| Mode | list | add, replace |
| Members (e.g. 10-30) | text | |
| OK: apply to the typed members or the selection | button |
Support Settlement
Ribbon: Loads › Joint Loads. Shortcut: —. Tool key: settlement.
Status bar: Support settlement: click restrained joints
Databar Support settlement:
| Field | Kind | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Load case | list | D, L, W |
| Δx Δy Δz [m], Rx Ry Rz [rad] | six numbers | |
| Mode | list | add, replace |
| Joints (e.g. 1-5, 8) | text | |
| OK: apply to the typed joints or the selection | button | |
| (note) | note | Only restrained DOFs can settle (support frame components). |
Concentrated Load
Ribbon: Loads › Member Loads. Shortcut: —. Tool key: point_load.
Status bar: Concentrated load: click members or drag a box
Databar Concentrated load:
| Field | Kind | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Load case | list | D, L, W |
| Location | number | |
| Location as fraction of L | check box | |
| Axis system | list | local, global |
| Fx Fy Fz [N] | three numbers | |
| Mx My Mz [N·m] | three numbers | |
| Mode | list | add, replace |
| Members (e.g. 10-30) | text | |
| OK: apply to the typed members or the selection | button |
Plane by 3 points
Ribbon: Geometry › Grids. Shortcut: —. Tool key: plane3.
Status bar: Working plane: pick three points (origin, X direction, a point in the plane)
Databar Working plane:
| Field | Kind | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| (note) | note | Pick three points: the origin, a point along the plane X direction, and a third point in the plane. Snapping applies. |
Move
Ribbon: Geometry › Modify. Shortcut: —. Tool key: move.
Status bar: Move: set the offset, select joints/members, Apply
Databar Move:
| Field | Kind | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| dx dy dz [m] | three numbers | |
| Apply to selection | button |
Rotate
Ribbon: Geometry › Modify. Shortcut: —. Tool key: rotate.
Status bar: Rotate: set angle/axis/centre, select, Apply
Databar Rotate:
| Field | Kind | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Angle [°] | number | |
| Axis | three numbers | |
| Centre | three numbers | |
| Apply to selection | button |
Scale
Ribbon: Geometry › Modify. Shortcut: —. Tool key: scale.
Status bar: Scale: set factor/centre, select, Apply
Databar Scale:
| Field | Kind | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Factor | number | |
| Centre | three numbers | |
| Apply to selection | button |
Mirror
Ribbon: Geometry › Modify. Shortcut: —. Tool key: mirror.
Status bar: Mirror: set the plane, select, Apply
Databar Mirror:
| Field | Kind | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Plane | list | yz, xz, xy |
| Point on plane | three numbers | |
| Apply to selection | button |
Clone
Ribbon: Geometry › Modify. Shortcut: —. Tool key: clone.
Status bar: Clone: set the array, select, Apply
Databar Clone objects:
| Field | Kind | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Array | list | linear, radial, mirror |
| Count | integer | |
| Spacing dx dy dz [m] | three numbers | |
| Angle [°] | number | |
| Centre / point on plane | three numbers | |
| Mirror plane | list | yz, xz, xy |
| Copy loads | check box | |
| Apply to selection | button |
Continuous Member
Ribbon: Geometry › Properties. Shortcut: —. Tool key: continuous.
Status bar: Continuous member: select a straight chain of members, Make continuous; or select physical members, Convert to analysis members
Databar Continuous member:
| Field | Kind | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Make continuous (merge selection) | button | |
| Convert to analysis members | button | |
| (note) | note | 0 physical members with joints along them |
Constraint
Ribbon: Geometry › Constraints. Shortcut: —. Tool key: constraint.
Status bar: Constraint: click the master joint, select the slaves, Apply
Databar Constraint:
| Field | Kind | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kind | list | diaphragm, rigid_body, rigid_link, equal_dof |
| Master joint | integer | |
| Diaphragm normal | three numbers | |
| Equal DOFs | six check boxes (Tx Ty Tz Rx Ry Rz) | |
| Apply to selected joints | button | |
| (note) | note | Diaphragm without a master: one is created at the centroid. |
Elastic Link
Ribbon: Geometry › Constraints. Shortcut: —. Tool key: link.
Status bar: Elastic link: click the two joints
Databar Elastic link:
| Field | Kind | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| k (kx ky kz krx kry krz) | six numbers | |
| Beta angle [°] | number | |
| (note) | note | Click the start joint, then the end joint. Coincident joints give a zero-length link. |
Assign Properties
Ribbon: Geometry › Properties. Shortcut: —. Tool key: assign.
Status bar: Assign: set the property, then click members (or drag a box)
Databar Assign properties:
| Field | Kind | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Property | list | |
| Section | list | |
| Material | list | |
| Member type | list | |
| Releases I (Tx Ty Tz Rx Ry Rz) | six check boxes (Tx Ty Tz Rx Ry Rz) | |
| Releases J | six check boxes (Tx Ty Tz Rx Ry Rz) | |
| Beta angle [°] | number | |
| Offset I [m] | three numbers | |
| Offset J [m] | three numbers | |
| Members (e.g. 10-30) | text | |
| OK: apply to the typed members or the selection | button |
Grid Definitions
Ribbon: Geometry › Grids. Shortcut: —. Tool key: grid_tool.
Status bar: Grid Definitions: drag a line of the current grid (Shift = shift the lines beyond too, Ctrl = copy; Ctrl-click = delete)
Databar Grid Definitions:
| Field | Kind | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| X increment [m] | number | |
| Y increment [m] | number | |
| Extend Grid Scope (joints beyond the grid follow too) | check box | |
| (note) | note | Drag a grid line of the current grid; Shift shifts the lines beyond it, Ctrl copies it; Ctrl-click deletes. Joints follow when the grid locks joints. |