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Model

Allows you to define the units to be used for the input and output data of the model. See Units for more information.

Allows you to enter descriptive information such as a title for the particular model being defined, the name of the designer and a job number.

Enter descriptive information such as company and designer name. This information displays when printing report and graphic output. Some information can also be saved using the ‘Set As Default’ icon. See Model Settings for more information.

Allows you to modify settings specific to the model which is currently open.

Designate the code standard to use for the analysis, input criterion for concrete and seismic analysis and adjust parameters used in the solution such as, mesh size, global axis control and processor utilization. Information can also be saved using the Set As Default button. See Model Settings for more information.

Draw Elements

Allows you to graphically draw members within your model. See Members for more information.

Designate general properties such as material and shape, and specify design parameters such as unbraced length. Then, draw the member in your model at the desired location.

Allows you to draw a polygon that will automatically submesh into smaller quadrilateral plate elements. See Submeshing Plates for more information.

Select a general material, thickness and maximum edge dimension to assign the plates. More advanced plate settings may also be selected. Then, draw the plates in your model at the desired locations.

Allows you to graphically draw plates in your model. See Plates for more information.

Select a general material and thickness to assign the plates. More advanced plate settings for end releases and plate formulation may also be selected. Then, draw the plates in your model at the desired locations.

Allows you to graphically draw wall panels in your model. See Wall Panels for more information.

Select a wall material and thickness. Wall design rules may also be selected. Then, draw walls in your model at the desired locations. Double-click the wall panel to modify openings and boundary conditions.

Allows you to extrude plate elements into solid elements. See Solids for more information.

Solids are created by extruding an existing plate element in any of the three global directions (X, Y, Z). Enter your extrude dimension and then apply to one or all selected plates.

Allows you to apply boundary conditions in your model. See Boundary Conditions for more information.

All models must be attached to some external point(s) of support. The support point(s) can be completely restrained or partially restrained, by using a Spring with a specified stiffness.

Allows you to generate compression-only springs in the vertical direction at all plate joints in the selected group of plates.

Designate a subgrade modulus to assign to the plates. Then, draw the springs in your model at the desired locations. See Generate Soil Springs for more information.

Allows you to automatically generate typical structures or portions of structures to start a new model or add to an existing model. See Generation for more information.

Enter specific geometric parameters based on the template. Specifying member or plate material properties is optional. When the member or plate option is unchecked, only joints will be generated.

Allows you add project grids to your model file.

Project grids are used as a reference to draw new elements in the model. Columns and walls are attached to project grids and move with the project grid. See Project Grid for more information.

Draw Loads

Allows you to graphically draw concentrated loads at nodal points.

Nodal loads may be applied at node locations only. If nodal load is being added to any member span location, a new node must be added to that location prior to applying nodal load. See Nodal Load for more information.

Allows you to graphically draw distributed loads in your model.

Click on the member or wall panel edge to apply a line load. The load can be applied to the entire length or partial length and can vary in magnitude from start to end. See Distributed Load for more information.

Allows you to graphically draw concentrated loads on member elements in your model.

point loads may be applied to a specific location along a member length or wall edge. A node is not required at the point of application. The point location may be entered in terms of length or as a percentage of the element length. See Point Loads for more information.

Allows you to create point loads based on a specific time step of a defined moving load pattern in your model.

Successive point loads are applied to the member at the specified increment and pattern designated in the Moving Loads spreadsheet. See Moving Loads for more information.

Allows you to graphically draw area loads in your model.

Click on points to define the area to apply the area load. Nodes are not required at the application point. The load direction determines how the load is distributed to supporting elements. See Area Loads for more information.

Allows you to graphically draw plate surface loads.

Apply surface loads to plates by entering in the load direction and magnitude. Apply the load to all selected plates or individually click on the plates in the model to apply the load to. See Surface Loads for more information.

Allows you to graphically draw wall surface loads.

Apply surface loads to wall panels by entering in the load direction and magnitude. Apply the load to all selected wall panels or individually click on the wall panels in the model to apply the load to. See the Wall Surface Load topic for more information.

Miscellaneous

These tools allow you to access load cases and combinations, and run a solution which will reveal errors if any, in a warning log.

Opens the Basic Load Cases spreadsheet.

The Basic Load Case spreadsheet groups and summarizes the loads applied to the model. See Basic Load Cases for more information.

Opens the Load Combinations spreadsheet.

The Load Combination Spreadsheet allows you to solve models for combined basic load cases with factors applied. See Load Combination for more information.

Opens the Warning Log spreadsheet if warnings are available after solution. See the Warning Log topic for more information.

Performs the analysis and design calculations to solve the current model file.

Solution options include single load combinations, all selected load combinations (batch), only the governing cases (envelope), designing connections via RISAConnection (if applicable) and/or performing a dynamic analysis. See Solution for more information.

Allows you to search for specific elements within the model.

Quick Find performs a quick search to find specific elements in your model by label and add them to the selection state. See Graphic Selection for more information.

Allows you to select items within the model based on specific criteria.

Select by Property selects or unselected elements based on various parameters for either nodes, members, plates, wall panels, solids, loads or coordinates. See Graphic Selection for more information.

Quick View

These tools can be used to change the graphical display of the model. You can use these icon to turn on member and node labels, and view color-coded properties and results. Additional view options can be specified in the View Settings on the ‘View’ ribbon.

Allows you to toggle through wireframe, color coded wireframe and rendering of model elements.

Rendering is dependent on material type. The color coding criteria can be set in the Model View Settings. By default, the elements are designated based on section set.

See Model View Settings for more information on rendering.

Toggles through the display of nodes and node labels.

Node labels and corresponding node locations can be seen in the Node Coordinates spreadsheet. You can also relabel all nodes from the Node Coordinates spreadsheet.

Allows you to toggle the boundary conditions.

Click to turn the graphical display of applied boundary conditions on or off.

Displays model reactions at nodes with boundary conditions.

View the model reactions for the specified load combination or enveloped solution. Display options include the global X, Y, Z directions as well as X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis moments.

Allows you to display member labels when viewing members in the wireframe.

Label options include member properties such as shape and material type, as well as design properties such as unbraced length.

Displays various member end parameters graphically.

Display options include member end offsets, end releases, connection rules, and I/J labels.

Allows you to toggle the display of the various member parameters using color coding options.

Displays the member force diagrams.

Click to turn on the graphical display of the member force diagrams. Display options include none, axial, shear, torque, and bending moment diagrams.

Allows you to toggle the display of plate labels.

View the plate labels as text. Other label display options include plate properties such as material, thickness and local axis.

Allows you to toggle the display of plate contours.

Use the Contour Legend in the top right of the Model View to view plate forces or stresses. See Plates for more information.

Allows you to toggle the display of solid labels.

View the solid labels as text. Other label display options include solid material type as well as identifiers such as label and number.

Allows you to toggle the display of solid stress contours.

Use the Contour Legend in the top right of the Model View, to view solid stresses. See Solids for more information.

Allows you to toggle the display of wall panel labels.

Allows you to toggle the display the wall panel force results as color contours.

Use the Contour Legend in the top right of the Model View to view wall panel forces and stresses. See Wall Panels for more information.

Toggles the display of diaphragms.

Allows you to measure the distance between two points.

Click on two points in the model to measure the distance. The measurement result is displayed in the bottom-left of the Properties Panel.