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Labels and Display Methods : Display Methods

The Display Methods page of the Labels and Display Methods dialog box is where the form and colour of the various element types may be specified and where the drawing of unattached nodes may be specified.

Nodal Springs & Dampers may be drawn as follows:

  • Symbol
  • Coil
  • Off – nodal springs are not drawn

Nodal Masses may be drawn as follows:

  • Symbol
  • Weight
  • Off – nodal masses are not drawn

Section entities (beams) and bars may be drawn as follows:

  • Line
  • Section Outline – the edges of the section are drawn; the hidden lines are not removed
  • Section Filled – the faces of the section are drawn
  • Outline & Filled – the edges and faces of the section are drawn; only the faces are coloured according to the Colour Elements setting
  • Outline & Filled Background – the edges of the section are drawn; the faces are drawn in the background colour to simulate the removal of the hidden lines
  • Off – beams and bars are not drawn

An equivalent solid rectangular section is calculated for elements that have explicitly defined beam section properties. In this context bar refers to all generic bar elements.

Springs and damper entities may be drawn as follows:

  • Line
  • Coil
  • Off – 1D springs are not drawn

2D entities may be drawn as follows:

  • Outline
  • Outline & Filled
  • Outline, Filled & Thickness
  • Outline Edges
  • Outline Edges & Filled
  • Outline Edges, Filled & Thickness
  • Filled
  • Filled & Thickness
  • Off – 2D elements are not drawn

When the elements are drawn “filled” only the faces are coloured according to the Colour Elements setting.

When the thickness is drawn the top and bottom surfaces are drawn offset from the plane of the element by half the thickness.

3D entities may be drawn as follows:

  • Outline
  • Outline & Filled
  • Outline Edges
  • Outline Edges & Filled
  • Filled
  • Off – 3D elements are not drawn

Links, Cables and Spacers may be drawn as follows:

  • On
  • Off – links, cables, and spacers elements are not drawn

Soil zones and profiles may be drawn as follows:

  • Outline
  • Outline & Filled
  • Filled
  • Off – Soil zones and profiles are not drawn

Colour Entities​

The options are as follows:

  • By type – elements are drawn in their standard colour. Note that 2D elements are coloured differently on the top (positive z) and bottom (negative z) surfaces

  • By property - GSA assigns colours by dividing a colour spectrum into as many parts as there are properties in the model

  • By group - GSA assigns colours by dividing a colour spectrum into as many parts as there are groups in the model

  • By pool - GSA assigns colours by dividing a colour spectrum into as many parts as there are pools in the model

  • By material type - entities are coloured:

  • Steel - light blue

  • Concrete - green

  • FRP - magenta

  • Aluminium - light grey

  • Timber - brown

  • Glass - lilac

  • Fabric - dark grey

  • Rebar - dark blue

  • By material grade - GSA assigns colours by dividing a colour spectrum into as many parts as there are materials in the model

  • By initial stage - the program assigns colours by dividing a colour spectrum into as many parts as there are analysis stages in the model. An element is coloured according to the first analysis stage it appears in

Draw options​

  • Inactive elements - elements that are flagged as being dummy (non-analysed) elements and elements that are not included in the current stage are drawn as a wire-frame; otherwise such inactive elements are not drawn
  • Offset marks - lines are drawn from the node to the flexible part of the element for elements that are offset to represent the rigid arm of the offset
  • Load panel edges  - highlights beam elements that are identified as forming an edge to a load panel element. For loading to be transferred from a load panel to the surrounding beam elements the load panel must be completely bounded by beam elements
  • Current grid panels - draws panels on the current grid surface: an area bounded by beam, bar, strut, tie, or rod elements, some of which can be set to dummy; in the process of expanding grid loading valid panels are identified for the grid surface to which the load is applied
  • Nodes at shrunk position - shifts the position at which nodes are displayed to the average of half-way towards the shrunk end of attached elements; this is useful for identifying coincident nodes and their attachments (e.g. at joints or tied interfaces)
  • Member Mesh - displays the mesh of analysis elements that will be created when using the command Create Elements from Members
  • Highlight Edges - highlights the 1D entity ends and 2D entity edges that are not connected to another such entity

The Draw unattached nodes group of options is as follows.

  • Unused – draw dots at nodes that have not been referenced
  • Orientation – draw dots at nodes that have been referenced as orientation nodes (but not as an element topology)
  • Constrained – draw dots at nodes that have been referenced by a constraint, e.g. a Rigid Constraint, Joint, Constraint Equation or Tied Interface (but not as an element topology)

Reset Page​

Resets the display method settings to the default view settings.

Apply​

Applies the current settings to the image without exiting the dialog box.

See also: Graphic Settings dialog box