View and Select

Various options available under the View & Select tab are explain in detail.

View Elements

Click “View Elements”, a page named “View Elements” would pop up. It provides tick option for different objects. Tick any object off or on to deactivate or activate in view.

It provides view option for all Superstructure elements like Beams, Columns, Supported Columns, Braces, Walls and Slabs. Substructure element list includes Pedestals, different types of footings, soil support, soil overburden, water-level etc. “Loads” includes different types of loads and Reaction. “Others” option covers Nodes, Regions, Grids, Construction Objects etc.

This page gives three options- Mode, View, Label.

a. Mode:

Either user can view the object as Wire frame Model or as solid Model. Default option is “Solid. Use slide button to switch.

b. View:

Tick off or on any object to display or remove from display.  The picture below shows same model used above, keeping beams and soil support off.

c. Label:

Tick any Label on or off as per your requirement. The snap below shows Pedestal labels.

SFA is providing two types of labels- ID and Name. Click on the Properties to expand. Tick Id, to display id through Label option. Tick “Name” to display the object name. You can tick both to display both name and id through label option.

Use “Close “button to close this pop-up page.

 

View Manager-

BY default, only one view window is shown by program. This window is called main view. By default, full view is shown in main view.

User may need to view only the selected members and needs multiple views from different angles. View Manager provides these options

a. View All / View Selected:

By default, full view is provided. Select some elements and click “View Selected” to get the view of selected elements only. Click “Full View” to get back all elements in view. In the snap below, right part shows full view, where left part shows selected members only

b. New View:

Open a new View Window by click this button. Up to four view windows can be handled by SFA at a time

c. Arrange / Inline Option:

For multiple view windows, either they can be placed together in the view area, or they can be kept as a tab and at a time one tab remain current or active tab. Click “Inline” to put the views as multiple tabs and a time only one tab would remain active. Click arrange button if you want to see all views together- they would be docked inside the view area.  Right part of the snap below shows Arranged view and left part shows Inline view

 

Selection Manager

This option provides different tools for selection.

a. Filter:

Select the model and click “Filter” option. A table would be expanded showing different objects – these objects can be selected or unselected by clicking the tick button. In the snap below, all objects are selected except pedestals

 

b. Select:

Click Select to expand a list of objects. Click any object type to get it selected. In the snap below, mat is selected. “Select” provides option to select the whole superstructure or substructure in a single shot.

c. Inverse:

If superstructure is selected, then clicking “Inverse” you can unselect superstructure and select substructure and vice versa. In the snap below, we can see, at left side, superstructure is selected by "Superstructure” option. By clicking “Inverse”. Superstructure is unselected and substructure is selected at right

d. Clear- Clears all selections.

Tools

These icons provide option to activate different views like top view, front elevational view etc. Isometric, Top, Bottom, and four elevation views (Front, Back, Right and Left) are available

Different options in View Window- AT top right corner of the view window, different icons are available-

Isometric View- Click this icon to return to isometric view (if the current view is other that isometric view)

Magnifying Glass- Click this icon to active magnifying glass and investigate any part locally

Zoom- Click this button to activate zoom option- use mouse cursor to zoom out/ zoom in.

Pan- Use this option to pan.

Rotate- rotate the structure in view using it.

Zoom Fit- Use it to zoom and fit inside the view window.

Select Structure- This option is for selection of the whole structure in a single click, first activate this option by clicking on “Select Structure” icon (It would become red). Next click on any member and the whole structure would be selected in one shot

Select Level- For selecting all members present in any level, this option useful. Is for selection of an entire level, first activate this option by clicking on “Select Level” icon (It would become red). Next click on any member at the level and all members at this level would be selected in one shot

 

Snap Grid Points- While using the graphical interface for some selection, creation or alignment, if you want SFA to help you pick up  closest grid points when you keep the cursor and click, (not the exact coordinate where you have clicked) then keep this button on. The feature is same with snap/ grid facility at any CAD software

Sync- When multiply views are activated through “Arrange” button in “View Manager” (already explained above), then you can investigate different view angle at different view windows. (as shown in the picture below). If the sync option is kept on, then rotating or panning at any view would automatically sync all view to the active view window

Rotational View Cursor- At bottom right corner, a box shape tool is available. Left click the mouse and rotate the structure using mouse. When the structure is rotated, axis system is also rotated, which stays at bottom left corner

Show Axis - click the icon and in the view window, all members would be shown with its’ local axis system. There is a slide button beside Show Axis icon. By default, the option remains “All”. Slide it to right and the option would be “Selected now. If “Selected” is taken, then clicking axis system icon, you would be able to see local axis system of the selected members only.

Show Metadata - click the icon and in the view window, all members would be shown with its’ start and end nodes (start node as green and end node as pink as shown in the snap below). There is a slide button beside Show Metadata icon. By default, the option remains “All”. Slide it to right and the option would be “Selected now. If “Selected” is taken, then clicking Show Metadata icon, you would be able to see start and end identification system of the selected members only

Show Releases - click the icon and in the view window, all members would be shown with its’ start, and end releases and supports with releases (if any). Click the slide button beside Show Releases icon. By default, the option remains “All”. Slide it to right and the option would be “Selected now. If “Selected” is taken, then clicking “Show Releases” icon, you would be able to see release for the selected members only.

Note- it cannot be viewed in physical members. You need to go to “Meshing” and activate “Analytical 2D” view to get the releases displayed over model in view window (Please fere the snap below).

Windows

Properties, Output, Commands, Project Explorer and Message center- these five tabs/forms can be switched off or on using this option

Layout

Restore Default / Set as Default- Properties, Output, Commands, Project Explorer and Message center- these five tabs/forms are available in the screen, by default docked at different places- Output, Commands, and Message center remains at bottom of the screen in tabbed form ; Project Explorer  and Properties remain docked at right edge of the screen. User may drag them and realign. If needed, the new arrangement can be set as default by user by clicking “Set as Default”. If any change is done and user wants to return to default, that is possible by clicking “Restore Default”, option.

Sync-  already explained above

Level Indicator

Click on “Level Indicator. One option would be available to switch on or off level indicator.