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Point Information Form

Form: Point Information

Use the Point Information form to review assignments, loads, and locations for the selected point
object in the Object Model or the Analysis Model, depending on which model is active when the
form is accessed. Note that the Analysis Model displays after an analysis has been run.

Access the Point Information form by moving the cursor onto the object as if to select it, and then
clicking the right mouse button rather than the left mouse button.

n Assignments Tab

n Loads Tab

n Location Tab

Line Information Form

Form: Line Information

Use the Line Information form to review assignments, loads, and locations for the selected line
object in the Object Model or the Analysis Model, depending on which model is active when the
form is accessed. Note that the Analysis Model displays after an analysis has been run.

Access the Line Information form by moving the cursor onto the object as if to select it, and then
clicking the right mouse button rather than the left mouse button.

n Assignments Tab

n Loads Tab

n Location Tab

n Design Tab - This tab identifies if Design Overwrites have been assigned to the selected
frame object. Click in the white cell associated with an item to access the {Type} Design
Overwrites for {Code} form for the type of design selected from the Design Procedure drop-
down list on the form.

See Also

Draw - Frame/Cable/Tendon

Area Information Form

Form: Area Information

Use the Area Information form to review assignments, loads, and locations for the selected area
object in the Object Model or the Analysis Model, depending on which model is active when the
form is accessed. Note that the Analysis Model displays after an analysis has been run.

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Access the Area Information form by moving the cursor onto the object as if to select it and then
clicking the right mouse button rather than the left mouse button.

n Assignments Tab

n Loads Tab

n Location Tab

Link Information Form

Form: Link Information

Use the Link Information form to review assignments, loads, and locations for the selected link
object in the Object Model or the Analysis Model, depending on which model is active when the
form is accessed. Note that the Analysis Model displays after an analysis has been run.

Access the Link Information form by moving the cursor onto the object as if to select it, and then
clicking the right mouse button rather than the left mouse button.

n Assignments Tab

n Loads Tab

n Location Tab

Solid Information Form

Form: Solid Information

Use the Solid Information form to review assignments, loads, and locations for the selected solid
object in the Object Model or the Analysis Model, depending on which model is active when the
form is accessed. Note that the Analysis Model displays after an analysis has been run.

Access the Solid Information form by moving the cursor onto the object as if to select it, and then
clicking the right mouse button rather than the left mouse button.

n Assignments Tab

n Loads Tab

n Location Tab

Calculator
Form: Calculator

Use the SAP2000 Calculator form to assist with mathematic operations in forms that accept generic
entry. That is, when a command accesses a form where values are added in edit boxes, use the
Calculator to calculate the values to be entered.

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Access the Calculator as follows:

Open a form that accepts generic entry. For example,

1. Select a frame object and click the Assign menu > Frame Loads > Distributed command to
access the Frame Distributed Loads form.

2. Click in the first Distance edit box in the Trapezoidal Loads area of the form.

3. To access the Calculator form, hold down the shift key and press the Enter key, or hold down
the shift key and click the left mouse button twice.

The Calculator also can be accessed by clicking the View menu > Calculator command on the
Interactive Database Editing form, or by right-clicking within any field (column) that expects
numeric entry on that form and selecting the Calculator option from the resulting drop-down list.

Areas on the Calculator Form

Calculate Formula

l Formula edit box. Type the desired formula directly into this edit box.

l Calculate button. Click this button after the formula has been entered in the Formula edit box.

l Result edit box. As the name implies, the calculated result is displayed in this edit box after
you click the Calculate button.

Note that the parenthetic information displayed in this area of the form identifies the units of
the value in the text box (i.e., the text box on the form that was open when the Calculator
was accessed) and, if appropriate, whether an angle is in degree or radians.

The form has the following menu items:

Command Action
View
Format Displays the Result Format area and Format drop-down list.
Select the desired format from the drop-down list (General,
Number, Percentage, or Scientific) for displaying the calculated
result. When available, use the Decimal places scroll buttons to
specify the number of decimal places to be used in displaying the
result. Check the Show 1000s separator check box to specify that
comma separators be used in larger numbers, such as 1,000 or
10,000.
Functions Displays the Insert Function In Formula area and the Type and
Function drop-down lists and the Insert button. Select the type of
mathematic function to use from the Type drop-down list (Basic
Math, Trigonometry, Length Conversion, Force Conversion, Term
Conversion, Angle Conversion, Hyperbolic Trigonometry). Note
that when a type is highlighted in the drop-down list, the display
box to the right provides a brief description of the format of the
result given the selected Type and Function. The options available
in the Function drop-down list vary depending on the type of
mathematic function selected in the Type drop-down list. Note that

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when a function is highlighted in the drop-down list, the display

box to the right provides a brief description of the format of the
result given the selected Type and Function. Click the Insert
button to insert the function that displays in the Formula edit box
into the Calculate Formula area of the form.
Memory Displays the Memory area and the Memory 1, Memory 2, Recall 1
and Recall 2 buttons and two edit boxes. Enter a value or formula
in the edit box(es) and click the Memory 1 or Memory 2 button to
store a value that can be recalled during calculation of a result.
These buttons accomplish the same thing as the Options menu >
Set Calculator Memory command. Click the Recall Memory 1 or
Recall Memory 2 to access the stored value or formula. Note that
when the button is clicked, the value or formula transfers to the
Formula edit box in the Calculate Formula area of the form.
Show All The options on the View menu provide access to other calculator
functions. Use this command to show the additional functions.
Hide All The options on the View menu provide access to other calculator
functions. Use this command to hide the additional functions.
Always on When a checkmark precedes this option, the Calculator form will
Top always appear "on top of" any other forms in the active window.
This is the default. Clicking this command will allow the
Calculator form to display behind other open forms.
Edit
Undo Undoes the last opertion.
Clear Clears the formula entered in the Formula edit box.
Formula
Clear Clears the result in the Result edit box.
Result
Clear Clears any value or formula entered in the Memory 1 or Memory
Memory 2 edit boxes.
Clear All Clears all values on the form.
Copy Copies the value in the Result edit box to the Windows clipboard.
Result
Angles
Degrees Specifies that the values for angles display in degrees on the form.
Radians Specifies that the values for angles display in radians on the form.
Close
OK Accepts the entries on the form and closes the form.
Cancel Closes the form without accepting the entries.

Customize Toolbars
Toolbars can be customized to suit individual working preferences using any of the following
methods:

n Click and drag the handle of any toolbar to move it to another location on one of the four sides
of the SAP2000 windows, or to float over the display windows.

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n Click on the Add or Remove Buttons drop-down arrow at the right or bottom of a toolbar to
add or remove buttons.

n Right-click in the blank region of the toolbar or menu area to add and remove toolbars, or to
create customized toolbars by choosing individual options..

Nudge Feature
SAP2000 includes a nudge feature that can be used to modify the geometry of the model in a planar
view.

Use the nudge feature as follows:

1. Select the item(s) to be nudged.

2. Hold down the Ctrl key and then use the arrow keys on the keyboard to move the item in the
desired direction.

Note the following about the nudge feature:

n The nudge feature only works in a planar view.

n Any selected point, line or area object, as well as selected dimensions lines, can be nudged.

n The distance that an object(s) is nudged is specified as the Plan Nudge Value on the
Dimension/Tolerance Preferences form, which is accessed using the Option menu >
Preferences > Dimensions/Tolerances command.

n Similar to the Edit menu > Move command, when the nudge feature is used on an area object
without having selected the corner points of the object, the area object moves but the point
objects at the corners of the area object do not move. New point objects are created at the
corners of the area object in its new position if necessary. Any other objects that were
connected to the point objects at the corners of the area object in its original location remain
where they were; they do not move in any way. In other words, the area object is disconnected
from other objects when it is nudged.

n Similar to the Edit menu > Move command, when the nudge feature is used a line object
without having selected the end points of the object, the line object moves but the point objects
at the ends of the line object do not move. New point objects are created at the ends of the line
object in its new position if necessary. Any other objects that were connected to the point
objects at the ends of the line object in its original location remain where they were; they do
not move in any way. In other words, the line object is disconnected from other objects when
it is nudged.

n Similar to the Edit menu > Move command, when the nudge feature is used on a point object,
all of the objects connected to the point move too; they are either reoriented or resized, or both.
Unlike area and line objects, the point object does not disconnect from the objects to which it
is attached when it is nudged.

See Also

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Right Mouse Button

Drawing Controls

Snap To

Properties of Object Forms

When drawing objects, a floating Properties of Object form will pop up. Use the form to specify the
following for the object being drawn:

n For lines, the type of object: straight frame, curved frame, cable, tendon

n The section properties, which can be changed later using commands on the Define or Assign
menu

n When available, offsets of the drawn object from the clicked locations

n When available, drawing controls to simplify proper alignment of the object

n For some objects, moment releases, number of beams, spacing, orientation and the like

To change options in the form, click in the appropriate cell in the right-hand column of the form, and
enter the desired value or choose it from the drop-down list.

Move this form to a convenient location, or close it. To re-open the form, use the Options menu >
Show Floating Property Window command.

See Also

Show Floating Property Window

Draw Special Joint

Draw Frame/Cable/Tendon

Draw Poly Area

Draw Rectangular Area

Quick Draw Area

Quick Draw Braces

Quick Draw Frame/Cable/Tendon

Quick Draw Secondary Beams

Draw 1 Joint Link

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Draw 2 Joint Link Element

Right Mouse Button

The right mouse button has three uses in SAP2000:

n Right click in the menu/toolbar area to customize the menus and toolbars. See Customize
Toolbars for more information.

n Right click on an object in a display window to open a form with information about that
object. The type of information shown depends on what is being displayed in the window.

n Right click in the background (not on an object) of a display window to access a menu of
selected commands that includes the following:

¡ Edit Grid Data

¡ Edit Reference Line

¡ Create Reference Lines on Plan

¡ Plan Fine Grid Spacing

¡ Plan Nudge Value

¡ Lock OnScreen Grid System Edit - This is a toggle that locks or unlocks on-screen
editing of the grid system.

¡ Show Selection Only

¡ Invert View Selection

¡ Remove Selection from View

¡ Restore Previous Selection

¡ Show All

¡ Delete - Left click on an object to select it, then right click anywhere in the active
display window and select the Delete option to delete the selected object.

¡ Edit Dimension Preferences - This command accesses the form used to set the
dimension and tolerance preferences.

For all other mouse functions in SAP2000, use the left mouse button.

See Also

Show Tips at Startup

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Selection List
Form: Selection List

In SAP2000, click on objects with the left mouse button to select them, or with the right mouse
button to view information about them (see Area Information Form, Line Information Form, Link
Information Form, Point Information Form and Solid Information Form for examples of the forms
displayed when an object is "right clicked").

If multiple objects lie one on top of the other, the Selection List form appears when the objects are
selected by left clicking. When the Selection List form appears, highlight the name(s) of the object(s)
in the list to be selected. Use the Ctrl key while highlighting to pick multiple names.

See the topics in the Select book of this Help for information on the various selection options
available in SAP2000.

Sign Convention
Normal Axis 3

Local axis 3 is always normal to the plane of the shell element. This axis is directed towards
you when the path j1-j2-j3 appears counter-clockwise. For quadrilateral elements, the
element plane is defined by the vectors that connect the mid-points of the two pairs of
opposite sides.

Default Orientation

The default orientation of the local 1 and 2 axes is determined by the relationship between the
local 3 axis and the global Z axis:

n The local 3-2 plane is taken to be vertical, i.e., parallel to the Z axis

n The local 2 axis is taken to have an upward (+Z) sense unless the element is horizontal,
in which case the local 2 axis is taken along the global +Y direction

n The local 1 axis is horizontal, i.e., it lies in the X-Y plane

The element is considered to be horizontal if the sine of the angle between the local 3 axis
-3
and the Z axis is less than 10 .

The local 2 axis makes the same angle with the vertical axis as the local 3 axis makes with
the horizontal plane. This means that the local 2 axis points vertically upward for vertical
elements.

Element Coordinate Angle

The shell element coordinate angle, ang, is used to define element orientations that are
different from the default orientation. It is the angle through which the local 1 and 2 axes are
rotated about the positive local 3 axis from the default orientation. The rotation for a positive
angle value of ang appears counter-clockwise when the local +3 axis is pointing toward you.

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For horizontal elements, ang is the angle between the local 2 axis and the horizontal +Y axis.
Otherwise, ang is the angle between the local 2 axis and the vertical plane containing the
local 3 axis. The following figures provide examples.

See Also: Von Mises Stress

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Starting SAP2000 from the Command Line

It is possible to start SAP2000 from the command line. The full command line includes the path to
the SAP2000.exe program, the path to a SAP2000 data file plus four optional switches that control
what happens in the program after the data file ha been opened. An example of a full command line,
including all possible switches, is as follows:

C:\SAP2000\SAP2000.EXE C:\DATA\MYMODEL.SDB /R /D SCAO /C /K AO

Following are explanations of each of the items in the example command line:

Command Line Item Description

C:\SAP2000\SAP2000.EXE The path to the SAP2000.exe program.
C:\DATA\MYMODEL.SDB The path to the SAP2000 data file.

This item may have an extension of SDB, MDB, XLS,

$2K or S2K. If the extension is SDB, the file is
assumed to be a SAP2000 SDB file and the program
will attempt to open it. If the extension is MDB, the file
is assumed to be a Microsoft Access file and the
program will attempt to import it. If the extension is
XLS, the file is assumed to be a Microsoft Excel file
and the program will attempt to import it. If the
extension is $2K or S2K, the file is assumed to be a
SAP2000 text file and the program will attempt to
import it.
/R Pn Sn The /R switch runs the analysis automatically after the
data file has been successfully opened or imported.

The /R switch may be followed by Pn where n is 1 or 2.

P1 forces the analysis to be run in the same process as
SAP2000. P2 forces the analysis to run in a separate
process from SAP2000.

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The /R switch may also be followed by Sn where n is 1

or 2. S1 forces the analysis to use the standard solver.
S2 forces the analysis to use the advanced solver.
/D SCAO The /D switch alone automatically performs all possible
types of design after the data file has been opened or
imported and analysis results are available.

If the /D switch is followed by S, steel frame design is

performed. If it is followed by C, concrete frame design
is performed. If it is followed by A, aluminum frame
design is performed. If it is followed by O, coldformed
frame design is performed. Specifying /D or / D SCAO
starts all possible design.
/C The /C switch closes SAP2000 after the analysis has
been run and design has been completed.
/K AO The /K switch alone deletes the files created when the
analysis was run.

If the /K switch is followed by A, all analysis files

except the log and out files are deleted. If it is followed
by O, the log and output files are deleted.
Specifying /K or /K AO causes the same files to be
deleted.

The /K switch does not delete the Access database file

that may be specified to be automatically saved after the
analysis has been completed.

When a model is opened (or imported), run and designed from the command line, any Access
database file specified to be automatically saved after the analysis has been completed is not saved
until both the analysis and design have been completed. This allows the Access database file to
include both analysis and design results.

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