User Interface Overview

1.Templates

This section includes a list of predefined templates that are specific to the particular program from which you accessed the Report Generator. Click on an item in the list and it will populate the Report Contents pane with applicable report items.

2.Report Contents

The Report Contents contains a list of output items. These items can be dragged across to the Report Layout area to be included in the final report.

3.Item Manipulation

Report items can be manipulated in the following ways:

Add                    Add an item from the Report Contents pane to the Report Layout

Remove          Remove an item from the Report Layout

Up                    Move the selected item order upwards in the Report Layout

Down                    Move the selected item order downwards in the Report Layout

Alternatively, you can make use of the click and drag functionality.

4.Report Layout

The Report Layout box will allow you to order individual elements of the report. You can also include or exclude items by checking/unchecking its corresponding checkbox. This can be useful if you want to quickly generate variations of a report without deleting items.

5.Title and Description

Clicking on an item will display its title and description. If you provide a custom title and/or description for the Report Layout items, then they will also be displayed here.

6.Options, Saving Layouts and Printer Set Up

Options:-

Most report items come with an associated set of options. This can be related to aspects such as which loadcases or members to print. To set these features, simply click the Options button and fill out the dialogue box that opens.

Save:-

If you want to save a specific Report Layout, click this button. Once saved, you’ll be able to access it from the Saved Templates area. Upon saving a layout as a template, any items specific to the file will be removed, for example, loadcases, members, nodes etc.

Print Settings:-

You can edit the print output options from this area. Simply click the button and the print overlay will be display. Note that you are required to set the print output the first time you attempt to print. Subsequent printing will make use of the same settings unless you choose to review them.

7.Printing

The first time you attempt to print your report, you will be required to set the print output (the “Set Up”). Once this is done, the button text will change to “Generate” indicating that click it will result in the generation and printing of the report.

8.Saved Templates

This area will display all of your saved Report Layouts. Simply click the Load button for it to populate the Report Layout area. Report items will have retained their specific settings/options (excluding file specific items like loadcases), not just the order of their output.

Several Output Wizards have been added to the report generator to aid in setting up diagrams for any number of members with any number of load cases.

Member diagram wizard: create diagrams for any number of members with any number of load cases

          Internal forces wizard: export internal forces for multiple members with any number of load cases

          Graphical output wizard: allows you to very quickly produce potentially 100s of diagrams based on the set of graphical output options,           for each selected load           case and each selected snapshot

          Graphical output Member diagrams added to report generator.