Tips and Notes

Although this list is really just a compilation of commentary sprinkled throughout this user guide you should find such a summary a useful reference.

In addition to these tips and notes you might also want to check out the list of FAQ's in this user guide. For the most recent version of these tips and notes, visit our website: www.drframe.com.

Tips

• Almost all of Dr. Frame3D's command functionality as embodied in the menus is also available via quick keyboard commands. It's worth learning the ones you use frequently, and since most of them are simple toggles, you can always just start hitting keys and watch what happens. For those commands that involve scaling of some kind, usually there is a capital/lower-case increase/decrease mapping (e.g., 'r' will refine the background grid; 'R' (shift-r) will coarsen the grid). See the Quick Key summary page for a listing.
• When applying loads, supports, etc. to a model with displacements turned on, remember to click on the deformed member locations.
• It can be difficult to know precisely when the cursor is over a member or joint in 3D. Watch the Feedback Pane while rolling the mouse over objects to know exactly what type of object the cursor is over.
• Displacement plotting is most easily turned off and on by typing the 'u' key, or one can use the Modeling>Show Displaced Shape command.
• Scaling load combinations is most easily accomplished via the Load Combo Manager dialog: simply adjust the load factors proportionally until the desired moment values are observed. Press the Preview button to visualize the results without closing the dialog.
• To avoid having to deal with overlapping loads during the creation process, use special load combinations with single loads and load factors = 1.0. By default, the User/Custom settings are pre-defined in this manner.
• Change support type quickly by selecting an existing support with a different type of support tool. For example to change an existing Fixed Support to a Pinned Support click on the Fixed Support with the Pin Support Tool.
• Objects attached to joints behave differently than objects attached to members. To place an object at a member's end, create the object away from the end, and then drag it to the desired end location.

Notes

• The Comments... command under the Info menu brings up a dialog where one can store miscellaneous information about the structure and the problem being modeled.
• The point of application for each load tool is at the cross hairs of the cursor and NOT at the tip of the load cursor arrow.
• The Load Factor toggle only effects the currently edited load set. It does not remove the load factor from all visible load sets.