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Stages and graphic views

Graphic Views can be set to display a specific stage. The stage is specified on the Lists toolbar for the Graphic view by first setting the Display option to Stages and then selecting the required stage in the Display list. The Stages display option is not offered when no stages are present in the model. The stage can also be set in the in the Graphic settings dialog box.

Setting the current stage to other than whole model has the following affect.

  • Elements not in the current stage are either not drawn or drawn in wire-frame style, depending on whether Draw inactive elements is set on the Display methods page of the Labels and Display methods dialog box.
  • Element properties, restraints, rigid constraints, joints and constraint equations displayed are those relating to the current stage.
  • When edges are highlighted the edge calculation is based on the elements that are active for the current stage.

The display of results is independent of the current stage. Results are produced by the analysis of a stage so it is the stage that relates to the analysis case that determines whether or not results are available for a node or element and the analysis stage properties are used in calculating beam stresses, etc.

The analysis stage in which an element first appears can be labelled by setting the Initial stage option on the On elements page of the Labels and display methods dialog box. Elements can be coloured according to the analysis stage in which they first appear by setting Colour elements > By initial stage on the Display methods page of the Labels and display methods dialog box.

References to element properties in the element list on the Lists toolbar (to identify elements with a specified property) are always interpreted as whole model element properties regardless of the current stage.