A model consists of structural objects, loads and finite elements. This chapter summarizes the definition ways, the properties and the features of the structural objects.

Depending on the current FEM-Design Module (license you have), the available Object types are different. Although the structural objects are real 3 dimensional objects, they are 1D members and 2D planar elements (because of the finite element method) having sectional (thickness, profile etc.) and material properties. So, they can be defined as lines or regions. Some elements like point supports can be defined as points.

Type	Icon	Modules where available	Definition mode	Position	Material	Profile	Load- bearing
Soil			Region	Horizontal	Arbitrary	-	Arbitrary
Borehole			Point	-	-	-	-
Isolated foundation			Regular shape/Solid	Horizontal	Concrete	Arbitrary	Arbitrary
Wall foundation			Line	Horizontal	Concrete	Arbitrary	Arbitrary
Foundation slab			Region	Horizontal	Concrete	Arbitrary	Arbitrary
Beam			Line	Horizontal Arbitrary	Arbitrary	Arbitrary	Arbitrary
Column			Point Point/Line	Vertical	Arbitrary	Arbitrary	(Support) Arbitrary
Truss member			Line	Arbitrary	Arbitrary	Arbitrary	Axial
Intermediate section			Point	-	Arbitrary	Arbitrary	-
Apex			Line	Vertical / Horizontal	Timber	Rectangle	Arbitrary
Column corbel			Point	Horizontal	Arbitrary	Arbitrary	Arbitrary
Wall corbel			Line	Horizontal	Arbitrary	Arbitrary	Arbitrary
Plate			Region	Horizontal Arbitrary	Arbitrary	Constant / variable thickness	Vertical Axial
Wall
Profiled panel
Timber panel
Point support
Line support
Surface support (group)
Point-point connection
Line-line connection
Fictitious bar
Shell model
Fictitious shell

		Line Region Line	Vertical	Arbitrary	Constant/ variable thickness	(Support) Planar Arbitrary
Profiled panel		Line/Region	Vertical/Horizontal	Concrete	Constant	Arbitrary
Timber panel		Line/Region	Vertical/Horizontal	Timber	Constant	Arbitrary
Point support		Point	Vertical Arbitrary	-	-	-
Line support		Line	Vertical Arbitrary	-	-	-
Surface support (group)		Region	Vertical Arbitrary	-	-	-
Point-point connection		Line	Horizontal Arbitrary	-	-	-
Line-line connection		Lines	Horizontal Arbitrary	-	-	-
Fictitious bar		Line	Horizontal Arbitrary	-	-	-
Shell model		Regions	Arbitrary	Steel	Constant/ variable web height	Arbitrary
Fictitious shell		Regions	Arbitrary	-	-	-

Table: Structural Objects and their main properties

The commands for defining structural objects can be started from the  Tabmenu. Each command has a Tool palette with the customizable element properties (cross-sections, materials, stiffness values etc.) and the definition tools of the element geometry and position (direction).

Properties

Tool palette contains all customizable structural properties. The main properties can be set directly in the tool palette and all properties can be set in the dialog opens by clicking on the Default settings button. The settings dialog and fields keep the last set property values by element types (beams, columns, plates etc.)

Figure: Setting part of Tool palette

Cross-sections

FEM-Design offers the possibility to add any cross-section type/shape (Section) to beams, columns and truss members.

    To avoid design failures of concrete, steel and timber bars (section type and material do not fit), the program checks the section type - material compatibility while setting the properties. The program sends an error message when it finds incompatibility definition at closing the settings dialog. But, the so-called General material (defined by the user) can be added to each section types.

The Section tabpage of the settings dialog contains predefined cross-sections. Unique profiles and shapes can be define by their parameters (parametric shapes) in New> Size or with the  FEM-Design Section Editor. The following table sums the available cross-section types.

Type	Description	Section library	Compatible material
Standard steel profiles	Not editable, built-in steel profiles depending on the applied national code		Steel (or General)
Often used concrete profiles	Not editable, built-in square, rectangular and circular concrete profiles		Concrete (or General)
Often used timber profiles	Not editable, built-in square timber profiles		Timber (or General)
Common parametric concrete shapes	Predefined concrete shapes to create required profiles by defining the shape parameters		Concrete (or General)
Common parametric rolled steel shapes	Predefined rolled steel shapes to create required profiles by defining the shape parameters		Steel (or General)
Common parametric cold-formed steel shapes	Predefined cold-formed steel shapes to create required profiles by defining the shape parameters		Steel (or General)
Common parametric welded steel shapes	Predefined welded steel shapes to create required profiles by defining the shape parameters		Steel (or General)
Common parametric timber shapes	Predefined timber shapes to create required profiles by defining the shape parameters		Timber (or General)

Table: Section types

Defining a new (e.g. parametric) section in the settings dialog, the program calculates automatically the parameters need for later analysis and design. Each bar element has a local coordinate-system which y and z axes define the plane of its cross-section.

Parameter	Meaning	Example
A	Area
P	Perimeter
A/P	Area/Perimeter
Yg, Zg	Center of gravity
Ys, Zs	Shear center position
Iy, Iz	Moment of inertia
Wy, Wz	Section modulus
ez max, ey max	Maximum distance of extreme fiber
ez min, ey min	Minimum distance of extreme fiber
iy, iz	Radius of inertia
Sy, Sz	Maximum statical moment
It	Torsion moment of inertia
Wt	Torsion section modulus
Igamma	Warping parameter
Iyz	Centroidal product of inertia
z omega	Wagner warping parameter
alpha1, alpha2	Angle of principal direction
I1, I2	Principal moment of inertia
W1 min, W2 min	Principal minimum section modulus
W1 max, W2 max	Principal maximum section modulus
e2 max, e1 max	Maximum distance of extreme fiber
e2 min, e1 min	Minimum distance of extreme fiber
i1, i2	Radius of principal inertia
S1, S2	Principal maximum statical moment
So1, So2	Principal statical moment of half area
c1, c2	Plastic/elastic moment capacity
Rho 1, Rho 2	Principal shear factor
z2, z1	Wagner parameter

Table: Sectional characteristics

A cross-section is stored in the following tree structure: group > type > size. New library items can be defined or previous ones can be edited (renamed, modified or deleted) by the following settings options.

Figure: Section library structure

Cross-sections used in the project and defined as parametric profiles are grouped in Used sections library, but they are available only in the current project.

Figure: “Used sections” library

    You can Import and Export the Section Library to share the content of the Library.

Composite sections

Composite sections can be set for beams, columns and piles.

The available composite section types:

Click Default settings/Section tab/Composite/New to open the settings of Composite sections.

For the time being only above listed composite sections can be selected, there is no choice to create alternative section.

Materials

The Material tabpage of the settings dialog contains predefined materials according to the current national standard.

A model may include mixture of elements with different materials, and analysis can be done for the complete model, but design can be done for elements having proper materials.

Table: Available and design materials

Material library stores the available materials by material type groups. Materials used in the project are grouped in Used materials library, but they are available only in the current project.

Table: Material library

Above the standard materials, user can define concrete, steel, timber and general materials. The new materials are also stored in the Material library in the proper material type group. To define a new (e.g. concrete) material, select the required material group name (e.g. Concrete), click New and set the required material properties starting with the material name first.

Table: Material types

Concrete

For concrete structures, the partial safety factors γ_c and γ_S can be calculated automatically from Eurocode 2 reductions. Click Safety factor calculator next to the safety factors (Default settings > Material > Application data), check the required reduction box and press OK.

Figure: Safety factor calculator

In Material settings dialog different creep coefficients can be specified for Serviceability Limit State (SLS) and Ultimate Limit State (ULS). It has some consequences in load case calculation and results:

• All load cases are calculated twice (first with the SLS Creep coefficient, than with the ULS Creep coefficient.
• The displayed displacements are the results of the SLS calculation.
• The displayed internal forces, reactions are the results of the ULS calculation.

Figure: Setting of creep coefficients

For reinforced concrete structure the user has the possibility to reduce the element stiffness in order to model the cracking’s effect in eigenfrequency calculation.

Figure: Stiffness reduction for reinforce concrete elements

In Material settings dialog the stiffness for stability analysis can be decreased. Taking a reduction factor into account is needed in those calculations where it is specified by the standards (e.g. at the cracked section analysis).

Figure: Reduction for stability analysis

Steel

For steel structures, the γ values (M0, M1 and M2) can be set.

Figure: Setting γ factors

Timber

For timber structures, the γ_M, Service class, the System strength factor and k_cr values can be set.

Figure: Timber material settings

The following table and figures summarize the calculation of Young moduli used in different analysis types for concrete, steel and timber materials.

Analysis type		Concrete	Steel	Timber
Load cases, Load group, 1st order load combination	ULS	Ecm(1+φu)	Ek	Eo,mean(1+kdef)
	SLS	Ecm(1+φs)
2nd order load combination, Imperfection calculation	ULS	Ecm(1+φu)∙1γcE		Eo,meanγM
	SLS	Ecm(1+φs)∙1γcE
Stability analysis		fstab∙Ecm		Eo,mean(1+kdef)
Eigenfrequency calculation Seismic analysis		fdin∙Ecm		Eo,mean

Table: Calculation of Young-moduli in different analysis types

The properties of the current (selected in the list) material can be edited with the Modify tool.

Customized material database can be shared between projects and users with the Export and Import tools. Click Export to save all materials of the current project in a named database file (.fdlmat). To load an exported material database to a project, just apply Import and browse for it.

Figure: Material export/import

    Just one click on Quantity estimation (Tools menu), and a fast process collects all structural elements of the current project with their applied materials, material qualities, identifiers, main geometric parameters (e.g. profiles), quantities etc.

    Modifying the national standard for a model the program shows a dialog where you can convert the material property of the structural elements and the reinforcing steel, so the materials will automatically change after switching the code.

Figure: Material conversion dialog

Information Pop-up

Moving the cursor over a structural object, an Information pop-up appears with its main properties. For example, the pop-up displays the ID, the material, the thickness, the alignment and orthotropic features for Plates.

Figure: Information pop-up example

   Information pop-up appears only for elements on visible layers and if there is not running command.

   Pop-up is enabled by default. To unable it, uncheck the Display information pop-up at Settings > All > Environment > General >View.

“Properties” Tool

       With the Properties tool of a tool palette, the properties of a selected object or objects can be inquired and edited in dialog format (similar to Default settings).

Figure: Modifying object properties (e.g. cross-section of a selected beam)

Modify properties by “Quick menu”

Alternative way of modifying object properties is to select any object by right click, or more objects of the same type by box, then click “Properties ” in the Quick menu to check/modify its/their properties. This function works for structural objects, loads or design elements.

“Pick properties” and “Copy properties”

With these functions the properties of an object can be copied to others of the same type, or picked to use as default. Both can be found in the Tools menu and in the toolbar as well.

To copy properties with the Copy properties ( ) function, first select the source object, then one or more objects to which the properties are to be applied.

Pick properties ( ), when used on an object (of the same type as in the active editing dialogue) will update the default settings for its type.

Pick properties can only be used when Define is selected in an editing window, otherwise it is disabled.

Copy and Pick properties work according to the following rules:

• Generally, the properties defined by the property dialogue will be picked or copied.
• They are only available in the 3D Structure and Plate modules.
• ID will not be copied.
• Load case of loads will not be copied.
• Varying shell thickness and surface load value will not be copied.

Numbering

Structural elements with an ‘Identifier (. position number)’ will have an automatically or manually assigned position number.

The position number will be 0 upon creating the object and will be automatically set to another value in the following cases:

• before creating a list
• using the Find tool
• before calculation

User can manually set position numbers by Tools/Numbering…  tool.

Use   for Manual position numbering

1. type required position number into the Position no. textbox
2. select option for handling position number conflicts
3. select object(s) to set position number for

  In case more objects are selected, the first one gets the position number typed by the user and for the next ones it is increased automatically.

To set position number of component objects, like edge connections, corbels, post-tensioned cables, punching regions, the Select component (…)  auxiliary option has to be checked.

Objects with manually set position number can be highlighted by checking the last option of the tool window.

The position number can be reset to zero by choosing Reset   option then selecting one or more objects.

Automatic numbering   sets position number automatically for all objects in the database except the ones with manually set position number.

The option to Lock numbering can be accessed by clicking its icon   in the same Tool window.

When the numbering of a selected object type is locked, the position number of individual elements will remain the same. The maximum position number is saved for all IDs, so position numbers less than that will not be used in the future, even if some items are deleted.

This means all the element types with their numbering locked will retain their original ID, even after refreshing the numbering (either manually, or automatically).

Display Settings of Structural Elements

The display properties of the structural elements can be set at the Settings > All… > Display.

The available options depend on the current FEM-Design module.

Figure: Settings options affect on the appearance of the structural elements

• Drawing elements

With the Show end points of line option you can show (or hide) the insertion points of planar structural objects, their holes and bar objects (beams, columns etc.). These points are visible in all display modes, but the Wireframe mode without displaying the elements’ thickness gives the clearest appearance of them.

Figure: Insertion points displayed in Wireframe mode

       By showing the insertion points you can also detect the unnecessary (for example accidentally) defined points, which may cause “too refined” finite element mesh in planar structural elements. The unnecessary points can be deleted with editing tools (Edit menu) which can be applied for region elements (such as plate, wall regions etc.). For example, stretch the unnecessary points outside the host region, and then cut the stretched region part(s) with the Split tool of the Modify region (Edit menu) or with the Hole tool of the structural planar object.

Figure: Unnecessary definition points detected visually

With the Fill-up with color option the planar objects (plate, wall, drawing regions) can be displayed with their reference plane as colored surface or with their contour lines only. Applying the fill colors is useful to display holes/openings clearly. The filling color of an element is the default color of the Object layer includes the element. It can modified at the layer settings by element types (Plate, Wall etc.) or with the Color option of the Change properties tool (Edit > Properties) by elements (independently from their types).

Figure: Planar objects displayed with their colored surface or without it in Wireframe mode

• Structure and load labels

Information of structural elements (such as ID, position number, material properties, section names etc.) and load (such as intensity, Comment etc.) can be displayed on the screen by element types in Wireframe display mode.

Figure: Info labels displayed on screen by element types

• Storey

In this section the User can select how the objects can be displayed within the storey.

Every object is displayed which is in the plane of the storey or if it is crossing the range of the storey above or below according to the setting.

To display one of the defined storeys click on the    ikon in the Toolbar, then choose the storey you wish to be displayed:

The pictures below show the whole structure and how its displayed parts depend on the selected option in Settings/Display/Storey dialog.

• Display local system

The local co-ordinate system of the structural elements can be displayed with the Display local system option by element types. The size of the local system symbol can be set at the Size option. The color of the local system axes can be set at Local systems setting. The default colors are: green for the local x’ axis, red for the local y’ axis and blue for the local z’ axis.

Figure: Local co-ordinate system displayed on screen by element types

• Special display settings of walls

With the Display wall base line option (3D Structure and Predesign modules only) the bottom end of the walls can be displayed as a hatched surface.

By inactivating the Display wall height option (Plate module only) only the reference support line (as hatched surface) can be displayed without showing the height-extension that is out from the plates’ calculation 2D plane.

Figure: Special display options of walls

• Special display settings of bar elements

The Display section shape option shows the applied section of the bar elements as a colored symbol in the middle of the bar reference lines. The size (Scale), the filling (Fill) and contour (Border) colors are customizable. Although, section shape symbols are visible in most of the different display modes, their “best” display mode is the Wireframe mode without displaying the elements’ thickness.

The Display connections option shows the end connection property (see Beam, Column or Fictitious bar connection settings) of the bar elements. Only the free end motion components can be displayed as arrows, where a simple arrow shows a motion component by its direction and a double-headed arrow shows the axis direction of a rotation component. The fix (rigid) end connection components are never displayed. The color of an end motion component equals with the color of the proper axis of the host bar element’s local system (see before, Display local system). The size of the symbols can be set at the Size option.

Figure: Special display options of bar elements

• Layer, color and pen width

All elements are placed (and grouped) on Object layers according to their type. So, for example, columns are on the “Columns” layer and the walls are on the “Walls” layer. The default color and pen width of elements’ contours/reference lines are represented by their host layers. For example, by default, walls are red, if the color of the “Walls” layer is also red.

Figure: Layer-system of structural objects

   The default color of an object can be modified independently from their types with the Color option of the Change properties tool (Edit > Properties).

Color schema

This feature lets the users to navigate a model easier, by allowing them to fully customize element colors. These options can be accessed through the Tools à Colors menu command, or by clicking on their icon ( ) in the toolbar.

Mode determines the attribute on which the color coding is based. When None is selected, the default colors for object types will be used.

For each object type, the following attributes are available:

The Manage button can be used to save a specified color coding system. These can be selected afterwards from the drop-down list to the left from the Manage button. Schema color is saved only for a given project.

Clicking the Apply button will apply the color code to the model. Enabling the Auto apply checkbox will apply any changes automatically.

 When a custom color scheme is in use, a legend window will be displayed. With the Position button, the placement of this window can be specified; it can even be hidden. By default, the legend is displayed in the bottom left corner of the screen.

Colors, borders, and their line types (with thickness) can be modified by clicking on the Edit palette button. In the dialog box, all parameters can be set for every value of the specified attribute (ID, Material or Thickness). It is possible to save these settings separately to be used in another color scheme.

The Settings button will allow you to save your color scheme to a file (*.cpal) or as default, or load another schema.

When a color scheme is saved, only the colors and their order will be stored, values need to be specified each time.

Pen (line weight) can use pixels as well as millimeters. A positive number means millimeters, while a negative one will give the line width in pixels. A line weight given in millimeters will remain the same in the documentation. When pen size is given in pixels, the line weight will remain the same on-screen, regardless of zoom level.

Geometry

The definition modes and the available shapes of structural elements’ reference line or reference plane depend on:

• the structural type: 1D Member or Planar Object, and
• the current FEM-Design module.

The Tool palette of a structural element contains only the available modes. The next table summarizes the geometry possibilities by structural elements.

Type	Modules where available	Definition mode	Geometry
Soil		Reference region	Rectangular
			Circular   Polygonal   Pick lines   Pick existing region
Borehole		Reference point	- (Insertion point)
Isolated foundation		Regular shape	Rectangular
			Circular   Polygonal   Pick lines   Pick existing region
		Reference solid	Pick existing solid
Wall foundation		Line	Straight line
			Arc by center, start and end points   Arc by 3 points   Arc by start, end point and tangent   Line by selection
Foundation  slab		Region	Rectangular
			Circular   Polygonal   Pick lines   Pick existing region
Column		Reference point	- (Insertion point)
		Reference line	Line by insertion point   Vertical line   Select axes   Select point   Line by selection
Truss member		Reference line	Straight line   Line by selection
Intermediate section		Reference point	- (Insertion point)
Apex		Reference beams	-
Column corbel		Reference point on a column	- (Insertion point)
Wall corbel		Reference line	Straight line   Arc by center, start and end points   Arc by 3 points   Arc by start, end point and tangent   Line by selection
Plate		Reference region	Rectangular   Circular   Polygonal   Pick lines   Pick existing region
Wall		Reference line	Straight line   Arc by center, start and end points   Arc by 3 points   Arc by start, end point and tangent   Line by selection
		Reference region	Rectangular   Circular   Polygonal   Pick lines   Pick existing region
		Reference region	Straight line   Arc by center, start and end points   Arc by 3 points   Arc by start, end point and tangent   Line by selection
Profiled plate		Reference region	Rectangular     Circular     Polygonal     Pick lines     Pick existing region
Profiled wall		Reference region	Straight line     Arc by center, start and end points     Arc by 3 points     Arc by start, end point and tangent     Line by selection
Timber panel		Reference region	Use as plate:     Rectangular     Circular     Polygonal     Pick lines     Pick existing region
		Reference region	Use as wall:     Straight line     Arc by center, start and end points     Arc by 3 points     Arc by start, end point and tangent     Line by selection
Point support		Reference point	- (Insertion point)
Line support		Reference line	Straight line   Arc by center, start and end points   Arc by 3 points   Arc by start, end point and tangent   Line by selection
Surface support		Reference region	Rectangular   Circular   Polygonal   Pick lines   Pick existing region
Point-point connection		Reference points	- (Insertion points)
Line-line connection		Reference lines	Straight line   Arc by center, start and end points   Arc by 3 points   Arc by start, end point and tangent   Line by selection
Fictitious bar		Reference line	Straight line   Arc by center, start and end points   Arc by 3 points   Arc by start, end point and tangent   Line by selection
Cover   Wall type		Reference line	Straight line   Arc by center, start and end points   Arc by 3 points   Arc by start, end point and tangent   Line by selection
Cover   Slab or roof type		Reference region	Rectangular   Circular   Polygonal   Pick lines   Pick existing region
Building cover		Reference plane shape	-

Table: Structural Objects and their geometry definition

   Straight line

The steps of a straight line definition:

1. Define the start point of the line by giving coordinates or mouse-clicking.
2. Define the end point of the line by giving coordinates or mouse-clicking.

Figure: Some examples for defining structural objects with Straight line

Although Walls are planar objects with reference line, they are vertical and defined by their base reference line only in the  FEM-Design Plate and  3D Structure Modules. The final geometry of the reference region is set by the wall height. The next figure shows the differences of height measuring between the Plate and 3D Structure Modules. Of course, the height defines the position of reference region of curved Walls too.

Figure: Height direction of Walls in Plate and 3D Structure Modules

    In 3D Structure Module, the rectangle shape of the wall can be edited by the Modify region > Split region tool and other editing tools (Edit menu). Also the Hole tool of Wall tool palette can be used to edit the reference regions.

Figure: Some examples for additional editing of Wall region

  Arc by center, start and end points

The steps of an arc definition with its center, start and end points:

1. Define the center point of the arc by giving coordinates or   mouse-clicking.
2. Define the start point of the arc by giving coordinates or   mouse-clicking.
3. Set the drawing direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) with   mouse-clicking. Define the end point of the arc by giving coordinates or   mouse-clicking, or set the central angle (4.) by giving its value. Circle can be defined by angle 360°.

Figure: Some examples for defining structural objects with Arc by center, start and end points

Figure: Drawing direction and angle definition

  Arc by 3 points

The steps of an arc definition with its three points:

1. Define the start point of the arc by giving coordinates or   mouse-clicking.
2. Define the end point of the arc by giving coordinates or   mouse-clicking.
3. Define the third, peripheral point of the arc by giving coordinates or   mouse-clicking.

Figure: Some examples for defining structural objects with Arc by 3 points

  Arc by start, end point and tangent

The steps of an arc definition with its start, end point and tangent:

1. Define the start point of the arc by giving coordinates or   mouse-clicking.
2. Define the end point of the arc by giving coordinates or   mouse-clicking.
3. Set the tangent side with   mouse-clicking. Define the tangent direction from the start point with a third point (e.g. a point on a tangentially connected line) by giving coordinates or   mouse-clicking.

Figure: Some examples for defining structural objects with Arc by 3 points

Figure: Although same definition points are defined, the tangent side is different

  Line by selection

The step of a reference line (straight or arc) definition by selecting a previously defined line:

Select lines or region (drawing or structural object) edges define the requested shape of the reference line with one of the selection modes.

Figure: An example for defining Wall by selecting all lines

Figure: Defining Beams and Walls on Plate edges (1.) and Line supports on Wall edges (2.)

                    For Columns in FEM-Design 3D Modules, only vertical lines or edges can be selected.

Figure: Column definitions by selecting vertical lines/edges

  Line by insertion point and height

As a simple definition of Columns in  3D Structure,  3D Frame and  PreDesign modules define the position of the Column with its insertion point and height. The positive or negative value of the Height sets the measuring direction of the height.

Figure: Column definition with one-click in 3D modules

  Select axes

This definition mode is for defining Columns in the intersections of selected axes.

Select axes with one of the selection modes.

Figure: An example for defining columns with selecting axes

  Vertical line

This is a special tool for defining Column with two points. FEM-Design Columns can be only vertical, so the second point is not needed to be on the column axis, because its vertical distance from the start (first) point defines the height of the column. This Column definition tool is useful, when you do not know the height value of the new column, but points and lines defines the column’s vertical extension (height) can be easily found. Use Object Snap tools to find point defines indirectly the column’s end point.

Figure: Examples for defining vertical columns with two points

  Rectangular

The steps of a rectangular region definition:

I. Rectangle’s edges parallel with the UCS:

1. Define the point of the first corner by giving coordinates or mouse-clicking.
2. Define the point of the end corner by giving coordinates or mouse-clicking.

Figure: Defining rectangular Plate and Surface support

II. Rectangle’s edges not parallel with UCS:

1. Click    one or two times to define the rectangle’s first edge’s direction
   1. If you click   one time, the direction is can be defined from the global coordinate system’s origin,
   2. If you click   one times, the direction is defined in an arbitrary direction.
2. Define the arbitrary direction of the rectangle’s one line.

1. Define the point of the first corner by giving coordinates or mouse-clicking.
2. Define the point of the end corner by giving coordinates or mouse-clicking.

Figure: Defining rectangular plate

    The geometry of rectangular regions as well as other (later mentioned) region shapes can be edited by the Modify region > Split region tool and other editing tools (Edit menu). Also the Hole tool of planar objects’ definition command can be used to edit the reference regions.

Figure: An edited rectangular Plate region

  Circular

The steps of a circular region definition:

1. Define the center point by giving coordinates or mouse-clicking.
2. Define the radius by giving its value or a point on the circle (with coordinates or mouse-clicking).

Figure: Defining circular Plate and Surface supports

  Polygonal

The steps of a polygonal region definition:

1. Define the points of the polygon vertexes by giving coordinates or   mouse-clicking.
2. Close the polygon with   mouse-clicking or   key.

Figure: Defining polygonal Plate and Surface support

 Pick lines

With this method, previously defined or imported (DWG/DXF) drawing elements can be used as sketches of structural region shapes. The step of definition:

Select a closed line defines the requested shape of the reference region with mouse-clicking.

Figure: Defining Plate and Surface support by using close contours

In case of line junctions, more than one line has to be selected to make clear the continuity of the requested closed contour.

Figure: Selection of more lines to define the right path for the closed shape

 Pick existing region

The step of a reference region definition by selecting a previously defined object or drawing region:

select the region(s) defines the requested shape of the reference region(s) with one of the selection modes.

Figure: An example for placing Surface support under a Plate by selecting its region

    With Pick existing region, shell (Plate) elements can be easily place on the entire surface or some surface components of a Solid body (Draw > Solid).

Figure: Defining shell (Plate) regions by picking the surface regions of a Solid body

Hole

       Holes, openings and cuttings can be added to reference regions (Plate, Wall and Surface support) with the Hole tool. The following geometries can be used for holes:

The steps of a hole definition:

1. Select the host region with mouse-clicking. Clicking a region places the UCS into the region plane, so giving hole coordinates needs only X and Y values from the UCS origin.
2. Define the geometry of the hole with one of the following geometry modes:

  Rectangular

  Circular

  Polygonal

  Pick lines

Figure: Examples for holes

Figure: Hole tool can be used to edit region geometries as cuttings

Holes can be easily copy inside a region or among regions with same reference plane position with the Copy command (Edit menu). It is recommended to display only the regions’ reference plane (inactive Display thickness option) to easily select the contour of the hole you would like to copy. To set the distances/new positions, the UCS has to be in the plane of the host region(s).

Figure: Copying holes in a Wall

Direction

Numerous