3.7Process Menu

Process menu contains commands that enable you to create the model geometry, assign the physical properties to its members and joints, and apply some refinement to the model.

Joints

Allows you to define new joints or edit existing ones by inputting their labels and coordinates. Joints can also be input by generating multiple copies of already defined joints while incrementing their coordinates.

Fixities

Allows you to define supports by fixing the degrees of freedom of some already defined joints.

Inclined Supports

Allows you to define inclined supports by inputting the angle of inclination of already defined fixed joints (supports).

Spring Supports

Allows you to define elastic supports (springs) by inputting rotational and/or translational stiffnesses at already defined joints.

Members

Allows you to define new members, or edit existing ones. A member is defined by assigning to it a label, a start joint, and an end joint. You can also specify the member to be considered as a tension-only member. Members can also be input by generating multiple copies of already defined members while incrementing their start and/or end joints.

Member Types

Allows you to assign material properties, section properties, a nonprismatic member definition, and an orientation angle to the defined members.

Partial Releases

Allows you to define hinged or partially fixed member ends by assigning moment release coefficients to already defined members.

Shear Corrections

Allows you to assign section shape factors to already defined members to account for shear corrections in members such as shear walls and deep beams.

Rigid-end Offsets

Allows you to account for the finite width of a supporting member by inputting the half-width of the support that a member is framing into at either of its ends. If a member is specified to have a rigid-end offset, the portion of this member within the offset is considered to be infinitely stiff.

Rigid Diaphragms

Allows you to specify the horizontal members (beams) to be connected to a rigid diaphragm (slab) at any already input elevation (floor levels). Diaphragms are assumed to be infinitely stiff in the out-of-plane direction and flexible in the in-plane direction. Members attached to the same diaphragm will have the same horizontal displacement.

Member Group

Allows you to define member groups by inputting a member group label and selecting the members to be included in that group. The output results for each defined group represent the maximum values of each member in that group.