User interface, input and modelling
Contents
- Refreshed user interface
- Apply button in relevant dialogs
- Views options in Filter mode
- Quick access to window arrangement
- Enhanced object labels
- Fade all others in a view
- Simplified Hide / Show workflow
- Save and select display status
- Separate layers for modeling tools
Refreshed user interface
The interface of the new FEM-Design 23 version has been further refined, becoming more unified and modern for easier use and understanding.
Apply button in relevant dialogs
The settings in the Change appearance, all Documentation dialogs and all result Display options can now be approved and previewed immediately using the Apply button, without closing the dialog box. This way, you can switch between several setting alternatives in fewer steps.
Views options in Filter mode
From now on, when selecting objects in Filter mode, zooming, viewpoint specification, and display mode functions work in the model space (see highlighted icons in the figure). This feature enables searching within complex and large projects while providing relevant and clear views.
Quick access to window arrangement
Window arrangement options are now available in the top right control of each window.
Enhanced object labels
The latest version of FEM-Design incorporates following new features in object labeling:
Default colors
At the object category level, you can specify the text and background colour for each label category. You can specify custom colours or use the current colours of the objects. In the latter case, the current colour comes from the object's layer colour, the settings of the Colour schema (Tools menu), or custom colours (Modify > Change appearance). The background colour of the label can also be turned off.
Rotate (labels) to screen plane
Labels can automatically rotate into the plane of the current view/screen.
Arrange labels
The label positions can now be automatically adjusted to avoid overlapping using the Arrange labels tool.
The following figure illustrates that the text and frame of the identification labels of bars get the object colours (“By object” value) assigned to cross-sectional dimensions (set by Colour schema), and the backgrounds have pale shade of the object colours ("Auto" value); while the labels of all supports have a specified red background with black text.
Fade all others in a view
It is now possible to quickly create a view, where only selected objects are highlighted. That can be done using the new option accessible from the right click menu: Fade all others. The new feature fades (with a fixed 90% transparency) all, but selected objects.
Simplified Hide / Show workflow
The Hide / Show dialog box has been simplified. From now on, if the Hide function is active, the objects selected by a Filter will be hidden. If the Show function is active, all other objects will be hidden except for those selected by the Filter.
Save and select display status
The transparency and visibility status of objects (shown/hidden) in a view can be now stored with a given name and can be loaded at any time with the new Save display status and Select display status commands. The Reset display status function of the latter command displays all visible objects with 0% transparency.
Separate layers for modeling tools
For more convenient handling of Modelling tool objects (Connections, Fictitious bars, Fictitious shells and Diaphragms), they are now placed on 4 separate Object layers.
