The 3D Drawing toolbar

The elements in the frame can be shown graphically in 3D giving a ‘real’ view of the structure. The frame elements can be coloured by material, for example, steel elements are shown in green, composite members in yellow, bracing members in blue, timber in brown and concrete in grey.

To further distinguish between section sizes, you can select to colour by section and then show the section key which will give a legend displaying the section sizes and their related colours used on the frame.

Show Section Outline adds lines at the edges of the sections to enhance their outline.

Concrete pads can be displayed where columns meet static supports. These will have a default size until the pads have been designed at which point they will display the actual design size for each pad.

The Draw Short option pulls the structural elements back from the nodes so you can see where an element starts and finishes and the extent of its continuity.

End Plates can be displayed when the frame elements are shown in 3D. These are shown at the ends of structural members and are set up in the MasterCAD module.