Different modes can be used for displaying Analysis and Design results. This chapter summarizes the skills and settings of display results on the screen. Of course the result figures can be printed out or can be inserted to documents (see Documentation).

Display Techniques

Finishing analysis and design calculations, the results are available in the list of the   New result command. Just click the command icon and browse from the results available from previously done calculations.

Figure: Quick way for displaying results

Select a result data, then a display technique (Display options) for it, and finally, clicking OK displays the result figure based on the default or last-used settings of the applied display technique.

Display option	Available for
Display option	Bar elements	Planar elements
Graph
Contour Lines
Color Palette
Sections

Table: General display options

If display options are not available for the selected result data, it will be displayed in one way. Some result types have special display modes.

Table: Special display options

For bar elements, the currently displayed result (e.g. displacement, internal forces, utilization for RC/steel/timber design etc.) can be detailed by selected bar with the   Detailed result command.

The scale / color distribution of the current figure can be modified fast with Quick editing tools or with the   Display option.

Graph

By choosing Graph display option, the result values (e.g. displacement, internal forces etc.) will measured and displayed in their calculation point (finite element nodes).

Figure: Displacement of a slab in different views and display modes

Figure: Moment and shear diagrams of beam elements

The settings of the currently displayed graph can be modified with the  Display options tool.

Figure: Display settings of graphs (planar and linear)

The following options can be modified and set for a graph:

• Scale factor
  It sets the display scale of the graph (enlarge (>1) or reduce (<1)). Scaling value, which is the absolute or relative maximum of the current result type, helps you in setting the scale factor.
• Reset absolute vs. Reset relative
  Pressing the buttons fits the Scale factor to the absolute or relative maximum of the same type results on the current structure.
• Graph color
  The color of the result and the positive/negative values (available for bar elements only) can be set by clicking the “colored line” button and by browsing requested colors from a palette. The button shows the actual color set for the displayed graph.
• Step (available for bar elements only)
  It is the distances between the points in which you can ask and display numeric values.

Contour Lines

Contour lines are a set of color lines. Each line connects points having the same result value and displays them with one color. It is similar to the contours of a topographical map which connect contiguous points of the same altitude.

Figure: Contour lines

Contour lines display technique is developed to display results of plates, walls, shells etc. Two types of contour lines are available: “Continuous” and “Discrete”.

“Continuous”-type contour lines contain colored line by equal step, while lines can be defined in arbitrary distribution with the “Discrete”. You can define as many colors as you want for the contour lines.

Figure: Continuous and discrete contour lines

The distribution and color settings of the currently displayed contour lines can be modified with the  Display options tool:

• “Palette” settings
   Choose the required contour palette type: continuous or discrete.
   The active option displays the meanings of the color (palette symbol) on the screen next to the result. Size (%) defined the size of the palette symbol, if it is displayed on screen.
  
  In case of “Continuous” palette, Step sets the distance between the neighboring contour lines and so the color distribution.
  Pen width sets the thickness of the contour lines on the screen.
• “Value” settings
  
  Defining a color and a value in the available numeric field, the Insert option inserts a new line into the palette with the given color line and at the given value. This option is mainly developed to define the “Discrete” palette.
  
   Delete option can be used to remove the unnecessary color line and its value currently selected in the palette with its ◄ symbol. It is equivalent with the “drag and drop out” of the line with its ◄ symbol.
  
  Modify option moves the contour line, which is currently selected in the palette, to the given value and/or changes its color with a color set under the option.
• “View” settings
   Zoom functions to enlarge or reduce the range of the palette. The last status will be used for the palette symbol, if it is displayed by  .
• Reset absolute vs. Reset relative
  Pressing the buttons fits the top and bottom limits of the palette adjust to the absolute or relative maximum of the current result.

Color Palette

Color palette is a set of colored regions. Each colored regions are represent values in a given interval. It is similar to Contour line, but not only the region borders but their inner areas are colored.

Figure: Color palette used for displaying results for planar and bar elements

Color palette display technique is developed to display results of both planar and bar elements. Two types of color palettes are available: “Continuous” and “Discrete”.

“Continuous”-type contains colored zones by equal step, while the interval of the colored regions can be defined in arbitrary distribution with the “Discrete”. You can define as many colors as you want for the color palettes.

Figure: Continuous and discrete color palette for planar objects

The distribution and color settings of the currently displayed color palette can be modified with the  Display options tool:

• “Palette” settings
   Choose the required color palette type: continuous or discrete.
   The active option displays the meanings of the color (palette symbol) on the screen next to the result. Size (%) defined the size of the palette symbol, if it is displayed on screen.
  
  In case of “Continuous” palette, Step sets the interval of the colored zones and so the color distribution.
• “Value” settings
  Defining a color and a value in the available numeric field, the New option inserts a new colored zone into the palette with the given color line and at the given bottom value. This option is mainly developed to define the “Discrete” palette.
  Delete option can be used to remove the unnecessary colored zone and its value currently selected in the palette with its ◄ symbol of the bottom value. It is equivalent with the “drag and drop out” of the zone with the ◄ symbol.
  Modify option moves the colored zone, which is currently selected in the palette, to the position defined by the given bottom value and/or changes its color with a color set under the option.
• “View” settings
   Zoom functions to enlarge or reduce the range of the palette. The last status will be used for the palette symbol, if it is displayed by  .
   With Scale to view option turned ON, if User hides part of the structure, the palette will be rescaled automatically:
  

  If the result to be displayed needs wider scaling than the customized has, the program overwrites the scaling to the view.

• Reset absolute vs. Reset relative
  Pressing the buttons fits the top and bottom limits of the palette adjust to the absolute or relative maximum of the current result.

Color palette display mode also gives the possibility to show displacement (=deformed shape) of surface/bar elements simultaneously the displayed result shown by color palette.

Apply Deformed shape for the color palette of Mx' plate result (Analysis/ Plate internal forces). First display Mx' with Color palette, and then open the palette's setting with the  Display options tool. Open the Others tab of the color palette dialog, and mark the Display with the deformed shape checkbox.

Figure: Color palette result displayed with deformed shape (planar elements)

Deformed shape can be also shown together with a color palette result (My’) of bars.

Figure: Color palette result displayed with deformed shape (bar elements)

Option to hide finite elements for colour palette results

To hide the finite elements from the result, click on the   icon. In the pop-up window, Surface, colour palette click the Others tab and uncheck the box next to Show finite elements, then click ’OK’.

Picture No. 3. shows the result without the finite elements grids.

Sections

Results of planar objects, which are able to be shown with Graph mode, can be displayed in given section lines.

Figure: Result displayed in sections

Use the  Define tool to the position of a section line. Just give the start and end point of the new section. You can continuously define next points with   for further sections, such as you define a polyline; or stop the definition with the  mouse button or the   key.

After defining sections, the program fixes the section positions, so the next result - selected for displaying with Sections - will be displayed in the same section lines. For example, you can easily and fast check the same parts of a slab, wall etc. for different internal forces, loads or load combinations.

Display an analysis result (e.g. Mx’) and one of its derivatives in design (e.g. Required reinforcement, bottom, x') in the same section positions. Select the first result type with “Sections” display option, and define sections with their start and end points. Choosing the next result (e.g. Rqd. Reinforcement, bottom, x’) with   will be displayed in the same positions.

Figure: Section positions are stored for next results

To modify the color and hatch settings of the displayed sections, click  Display options and open the settings dialog with the   tool of the Section option.

Additional sections with the current settings can be added to the view with the  Define tool. Unnecessary sections can be removed with the  Delete section tool by just their selection.

• Scale factor
  It sets the display scale of the sections (enlarge (>1) or reduce (<1)). Scaling value, which is the absolute or relative maximum of the current result type, helps you in setting the scale factor.
• Reset absolute vs. Reset relative
  Pressing the buttons fits the Scale factor to the absolute or relative maximum of the same type results on the current structure.
• Positive/Negative values
  The color of the positive/negative values can be set by clicking the “colored line” button and by browsing requested colors from a palette. The buttons show the actual color.
• Step
  It is the distances between the points in which you can ask and display numeric values and the displayed hatch lines.
• Distribution
  The distribution of the displayed section results can be chosen. Besides the calculated distribution it can be linear or constant.

This function can be useful at checking the average in-plane shear force between profiled panels.

Figure: Section settings

Labelled sections

Labelled section is a special section with a name that can be used to list shell internal forces along it.

Naming

There are two ways, how to name a Labeled section

• manual - in the Name cell.
• automatic -  if Automatic name option is checked. In this case, a shell should be selected first and its name will be set for the labelled section. Prefix and/or postfix can also be appended to it.

Display displacements

Displacements can be displayed as graph, contour lines, colour palette or sections.

1. Select the type of displacement result (translational, rotational) you wish to be displayed.
2. Select the load case type and the load case.
3. Click in the display-style of the result under Display options.

The two result types:

Display Reaction and Connection Forces

Reaction and connection forces can be displayed in supports and connection objects by type, by component, with group resultants, with the combination of them or the resultants at the middle of the support/connection.

Figure: Reaction forces and moments in a Wall and Column support (Plate module)

Figure: Reultants of the line support group

The color of a reaction/connection force component is represented by the proper direction component (x’, y’ or z’) of the support’s/connection’s local coordinate system. The color of the local system axes (directions) can be set at Settings > All > Display > Local systems.

To check and modify the settings of the displayed reaction/connection results, click  Display options.

Figure: Display options of reactions and connection forces

Support/Connection types

First, choose from the available support/connection types (point/line/ surface) you would like to display. Of course, the results of all types can be displayed simultaneously.

Component

Choose component(s) (force/moment and directions) you would like to display in case of single/group support or connection.

Resultant

The force (F) and/or moment (M) resultant of group support reactions or connection forces can be displayed. Resultants appear with dashed lines on the screen

  Quick selection buttons let you hide all or show selected components on the screen.

Scale

It sets the display scale of the result diagrams (enlarge (>1) or reduce (<1)). The scaling value (shown in the grey fields), which is the absolute or relative maximum of the current result type, helps you in setting the scale factor. Pressing the Reset absolute or Reset relative buttons fits the Scale factor to the absolute or relative maximum of the same type results on the current project.

Distribution

Different displaying modes can be chosen for line reactions/connection forces:

• Original
  It displays the calculated result values.
• Linear
  It displays linear mean value of the result by support/connection element, which is calculated by the area-weight method.
• Constant
  It displays constant mean value of the result by support/connection element, which is calculated by the area-weight method.
• Constant by element
  To solve singularity peaks at line reactions and connections, the program calculates the average value (constant mean value) of the reaction and connection forces by element.

In this case, you can easily insert numeric values by the constant section (Numeric value > Find all local maximum/minimum).

Figure: Line reactions displayed with “Constant by element”

Figure: The theory of the average calculation by element (Constant by element)

The “uplifted” part of the support/connection is taken into account by displaying the distribution of line support reactions and connection forces.

Figure: Reaction distribution on ”Uplifted” connection

Bi-Directional Results

In some cases (e.g. initial forces, reinforcement results etc.) two result components can be displayed together, in one diagram. At these results, numerical values are also displayed besides the directions.

Figure: Required bottom reinforcement displayed with directions and numeric values

The color and text settings of the currently displayed bi-directional result can be modified with the  Display options tool.

Figure: Display settings of bi-directional results

Principal Directions

The direction of principal internal forces and stresses can be displayed in two ways:

• “One size”
  The symbols of the principal directions are shown with uniform-length lines. The symbol line of the first principal direction is longer than the second ones.
• “Proportional – scale”
  The length of a symbol line represents the size of the principal force/stress. The display scale factor can be customized according to the absolute/relative maximum of the result.
  The algebraically larger value will be the first principal value, by default indicated with green colour. The algebraically smaller value will be the second principal value, by default indicated with red colour.
   

Figure: One-sized or proportional-scaled principal results

The display type and the colors of the principal directions can be set and modified with the  Display options tool.

Arrows at the ends of the lines are indicating whether the principal stresses are tension (positive) or compression (negative).

Crack Width

Crack width results of RC slabs and bars can be displayed with crack lines. The lines represent the direction of the cracks, their pen width the size of the crack width and the color represents if the crack width exceeds the allowed crack width.

Figure: Crack width of RC slab

The length, width and color of the crack lines can be modified with the  Display options tool and the allowed crack width limit can be set in the Calculation parameters under RC design tab.

Figure: Display settings of crack width result

Design Utilization Results

Global Auto design and Check calculations give utilization results for planar and bar elements by the applied design type.

Utilization results are colored figures (color palette), and summarize the list of maximum utilizations by elements in a table dialog with the help of the Numeric value tool.

Read more about the utilization results by design type: RC design, Steel design and Timber design.

Figure: RC bar design and utilization result

Figure: RC punching design and utilization result

Detailed 1D Object Result

Detailed analytical results are available for one-dimensional analytical objects (e.g. bars, line support groups and connections) after clicking on  Detailed result tool and by selecting the object.

Figure: Detailed results on a line support and line connection

In Detailed result window the User can manage the results by selecting the object, the calculation and other - calculation dependent - options.

Figure: Detailed result window

The display type, colors and distribution mode of the detailed results can be set and modified with the  Display options tool.

Figure: Display result – display options

• Diagram type
  Common scale displays the same-type result diagrams (e.g. My, Mz and Mt are moment diagrams) in common scale. The program automatically sets the scale value to the absolute maximum of the current result.
  Scale by figures displays diagrams in their best scale. The scale values, the upper and bottom limits will be set by figure according to its own absolute maximum value (e.g. the scales of My and Mz differ from each other).
• Positive/Negative values
  The color of the positive/negative values can be set by clicking the “colored line” button and by browsing requested colors from a palette. The buttons show the actual color.
• Distribution
  The distribution of the selected result functions can be chosen (calculated, linear, constant or constant by element) for line support groups and connections.

The hatch line dense by the figures is the same with the “display steps” of the original bar result, on which the Detailed result tool was used.

Utilization results with detailed background calculation formulas (together with Eurocode references), figures and tables can be displayed by single elements or by design groups. Quick navigation is powered with zooming details. Read more about Detailed results by design type: RC design, Steel design, Timber design and Foundation design.

Figure: Detailed design result (RC bar design)

“Absolute” vs. “Relative” Maximum Value

The Absolute maximum and Relative maximum options of the display settings search the maximum values of a result component in all diagrams independently the negative and positive signs. Relative maximum finds the maximum value of the current diagram with its absolute value for the current load case/combination/group. Absolute maximum finds the maximum value of the same type results (e.g. shear force diagrams) with its absolute value for all load cases/combinations/groups.

Let’s see an example to understand the meaning of “absolute” and “relative” maximum values.

Let’s display the Tz shear force diagram of a frame structure in case of two different load combinations. The next table summarizes the positive and negative maximum values of both diagrams.

Table: Maximum values of the same-type result diagrams (Tz)

Figure: The values found by Reset absolute/relative

Automatic minimum and maximum numeric value display

The program is capable to show automatically the local or global minimum and/or maximum values of the displayed result. Automatically displayed values will be shown in blue, while values displayed by manual query remain black. It can be set to show the minimum and/or maximum values of all results across all visible objects, or local extreme values for visible each object.

Let’s display the my’ moment results of a 3 storey building. The next figures shows the difference between showing the automatic results (minumum and maximum) for all visible objects and values by object. On the right figure the „by object” option choosed so the the program shows the results of the minimum and maximum values of each plates. On the left figure the „for all visible objects” option choosed, the displayed results will be the extreme maximum and extreme minimum values of all 6 plates.

When in storey view, ‘All visible objects’ means the objects on that storey

This is also available for each result (even for analysis detailed results, as shown below) where minimum/maximum can be displayed by the Numeric value function.

The last selected display settings for display automatic values are applied for all the new results, until they are modified by the user.

These settings are kept for the results when

• they are added to the documentation,
• they are hidden then shown again,
• the model is recalculated (naturally, only the display settings stay the same – the actual numerical values will be refreshed according to the new results).

In many cases displaying local minimum/maximum numeric values gives too many values due to small, unimportant peaks. Filtering slide lets User decide on how big differences between result of neighbouring nodes he wants to consider as local minimum/maximum.

Style Templates

Display settings (scale, colors, steps etc.) can be stored in files (so-called styles) by display technique or by figure. The saving and the loading facilities can be reached at the  Display options tool. The styles are stored in files with different file extensions by display technique. The files can be swapped between users, so companies can create standard display setting for their own documentation style.

• Save as default
  It saves the current display settings as the default (without file name!) settings of the applied display technique. If you do not use a style (see later), the program always offer the last saved default settings when you apply the same technique inside one example or in further ones.

• Load default
  It restores the default display settings after any change.

• Save
  The color settings of the current dialog can be saved as a style in a template file. The file extension depends on the current display technique.

• Save with scale
  All display settings (scale, steps, colors etc.) of the current dialog can be saved as a named style in a template file.

• Load
  User-defined styles can be loaded from a file browser.

The following example helps in understanding the difference between Save and Save with scale after loading styles created by them. The color palette settings of an Mx internal force diagram was saved with Save and Save with scale. The figure shows the settings of My also displayed with color palette after loading (Load) the two saved styles. After loading “Save”-style, the palette contains the same colors but the scale is optimized for My values. Loading “Save with scale”-style results the same scale together with the same color information with Mx.

Figure: Save vs. Save with scale

Numeric Values

Tool Tip

Rolling your

Rolling your mouse over a result picture will display the numeric value in the current position and in the proper metrical unit as a tool tip. Tool tip works for all types of display techniques.

Figure: Numeric value displayed by tool tip

Value Labeling

Result diagrams can be completed by displaying the calculated numeric values. Use the  Numeric value tool to add labels to the currently displayed result figure.

Figure: Tool palettes of Numeric value

Depending on the currently displayed result figure and the object type – you would like to ask numeric values – the tool palette of Numeric value contains different definition tools. With the  Define tool, new value labels can be placed on the current figure.

The color of the numeric values can be set with the “Current color” button of the Status bar. Of course, you can place values with different colors on a result figure. For example the maximum values can be displayed in red while the others with black.

Set the text settings of the numeric values at  Default settings.

Figure: Numeric value settings

The next figures give examples for the tools of Numeric value.

Use  Select to place numeric values in clicking points of the displayed result. With   tool, result maximum, minimum and absolute maximum/minimum can be found for selected object(s). With   tool, all result limits (maximum and/or minimum) can be displayed for selected object(s).

Figure: Arbitrary and maximum values (bar displacement)

Figure: Arbitrary and maximum values (plate internal forces)

Figure: Display numeric values (with Select) on a Contour palette result

In case of bar displacement, points can be selected for displaying numeric values on bars (Original shape) or on the deformed shape of the bars.

Figure: Numeric values displayed on the original and deformed shapes

Bar displacement can be asked with its real size (Vector size) or by its component (parallel with the global/local x’/y’ or a given direction).

Figure: Numeric values by displacement component

The display settings of predefined numeric values can be modified by the  Properties tool.

The position of the text labels can be modified independently from their insertion (clicking) point with Move (Edit menu).

Editing Results

     The settings of the currently displayed result can be modified with the Display options tool any time. The content of the setting possibilities (colors, scale, palettes etc.) depends on the display technique used for the visible result.

Figure: Modifying diagram scale

Scale increases/decreases the scale (e.g. graph, section) or the step distribution (e.g. contour lines, color palette) of the currently displayed result figure with 10% percent. Use the “+” or “–“ key of the keyboard’s numeric pad as the fast key of Increase scale or Reduce scale.

The numeric values are refreshed automatically when the display options of a result are modified.

Figure: Modifying the text size of numeric values

Font size modifies the font size of the numeric values with 10% of the initial size.

Figure: Modifying the decimal numbers of numeric values

Browsing Results

A one-click browser (Quick selection) is developed for changing between result figures displayed earlier on the screen. By clicking on “▼” symbol next to   Select result, a list appears with titles of results displayed so far. Just click on the result you wish to display again. The content of the list can be organized with Select result: hide current figure or delete items.

Figure: Quick or dialog browsing among previously displayed results

Animation

    The currently displayed results can be animated with the Animate result tool. Not only for bar results (such as dynamic and stability results, displacement, internal force/stress diagrams etc.), but all result display types of planar elements (such as displacement, internal forces, RC results, utilizations etc.) can be animated. That means graph points are moving, the colors and color intervals are pulsing etc. Clicking Animate result starts the animation after some seconds (depending on the model size) by continuously displaying the linear interpolation statuses between the initial and the final states of the current result figure. Press any key or click by mouse the stop animation.

Figure: Animation of a frame displacement

Moving load results

Special results can be displayed for Moving loads, described below.

Moving load maximum

Moving load maximum is similar to Maximum of load combinations. It shows the maximum values of the selected result in all points of the model, under the effects of a Moving Load. User can change the Load combination and the Moving load of which results he or she wants to display.

Moving load influence line

The Moving load influence line shows how the value of the selected result changes in a user-defined point of an object, while the Vehicle moves along the path.

User can define it with the following steps:

The results are displayed similarly to the one in the figure below:

Since Moving loads are based on singular load cases, these result values are exact only in the Vehicle positions. The other points of the curve show approximate values. Accuracy can be increased by defining more Vehicle positions, however, it increases calculation time, too.

Moving load’s cases

Although Moving loads are based on singular load cases, they are managed differently than regular load cases. It is possible to create an animated result for a Moving load. The figure below shows the method:

The animation displays the changing of the selected result while the Vehicle moves along the path.

The next figure describes the new Moving load’s cases dialog:

Animate result button in the Moving load’s cases dialog has a different effect than the regular Animate result button in the Analysis and the Design tabs.