Units

You can work with imperial (kips, inches, etc.) or metric (KN, meters, etc.) units, or any combination of the two. The current units appropriate for each data item are shown at the tops of the data columns in the spreadsheets and with the plot of values in the model view.

You may save any of the units as the default setting so that when you start a new model that information is already there. To do this, simply enter the information that you want to save and check the Save as Defaults box and click OK.

To Change Units

Standard units systems are preset and may be specified by clicking the Standard Imperial and Standard Metric buttons.

3. If you do not wish to convert values already entered then clear the check box for Converting Existing Data.

Standard Imperial Units

This is the units system currently prevalent in the United States. 'Feet' are used for location entries such as point coordinates and load locations, and 'Inches' are used for section property entries such as area and moment of inertia. Force and weight units are in 'kips', where 1 kip = 1000 pounds. Stress units are in 'ksi' (kips per square inch).

Standard Metric Units

This units system uses 'Meters' for location entries and 'Centimeters' for section property entries. Force units are in 'kN' (kiloNewtons), where 1 KN = 1000 Newtons. Stress units are in 'MegaPascals' (MPa), where a MegaPascal is 1,000,000 Newtons per square meter. Weight units are in 'Kilograms' and thermal units are in 'Degrees centigrade.

Units Specifications

The following are the unit specifications and their applications: