Basic concept
User interface
Each module has a similar user interface and consists of the following parts:
Menu Bar
The Menu bar contains file operations (File), drawing (Draw), editing commands (Edit), assistant tools (Tools), settings (Settings), views (View), window-system (Window) and user-guides (Help).
Menu commands that have icons next to their names can be organized in Toolbars around the Application window. Some commands can be executed by hotkey displayed behind the command name.
Toolbars
The Menu bar commands can be grouped in toolbars with their icons and placed next to Application window.
By default, the Standard and the View toolbars are displayed and the other toolbars are hidden. If you right-click anywhere on the menu or on one of the displayed toolbars, a list appears, where toolbars can be set visible or hidden.
Customize… allows you to edit the command content of the toolbar, on which the right-click is used. A toolbar can be moved into new position by dragging it with its “thick vertical line” start.
Tabmenus
Tabmenus contain the main functionalities, and their order follows the recommended structural design workflow.
| Tabmenu | Function |
|---|---|
| Structure | Tools to define structure grid system, structural elements, supports, modeling tools and cover. |
| Loads | Tools to define load cases, loads, load combinations and load groups and construction stages. |
| Finite elements | Tools to define finite elements and finite element mesh. |
| Analysis | Tools to run analysis for the current project and to display results. |
| Foundation design | Tools to run automatic and manual design for foudatation elements and to display results. |
| RC design | Tools to run automatic and manual design for concrete elements and to display results. |
| Steel Design | Tools to run automatic and manual design for steel bars and to display results. |
| Timber Design | Tools to run automatic and manual design for timber elements and to display results. |
By default, Tabmenus have different Object layer settings to protect their elements. That means that e.g. structural elements (defined at Structure tab) are protected against load editing (Load tab) although they can be selected for load definition. The layers setting in different tabs can be customized (Status bar > Layers).
Status bar
The Status bar is situated under the Application window and separated into the following parts.
Co-ordinate box
It shows the exact coordinates of the crosshair cursor in the current co-ordinate system. Coordinates can be also given for point/direction definition in a dialog appears after clicking on the Co-ordinate box (see Entering Co-ordinates).
“Current layer” button
Clicking the button opens a dialog contains the layer-system of the current project. All layer operations like defining new, renaming, color-assignment, showing/hiding and deleting are available in the layer-system dialog. The “Current layer” button displays the name of the current drawing layer.
“Current style” button
This button shows the line type currently available for drawing lines, arc, circles, edges etc. (Draw menu). Clicking the button opens a dialog, where new line type can be defined or line types can be edited.
Point/Direction editor
Editor tools provide reference points and lines by using existing lines and points during element definition, drawing and editing.
Object snap tools
Here you can set the snapping distance and turn object snaps on and off.
“Current color” button
Here you can set the drawing color independently from the color of the current drawing layer. This color is used for numeric values on result figures too.
“OK” and “Cancel” buttons
These tools approve or reject the current operation.
Command line
Here you can directly communicate with the program for example by typing coordinate values in it. In the command line coordinates can be defined in several ways (see Entering Co-ordinates). Command line also displays additional messages to show the steps of the current command.