User Guide

RISA-3D User’s Guide
Version 5.0
14
“What’s This?”
“What’s This?” is a Help option that lets you point to an item in a dialog box and
find a brief definition of the item. Click the button on the right side of the
dialog title bar and the mouse cursor changes to allow you to then click on an item
in the dialog. A brief description of the item will be displayed. For toolbars you
may simply let your mouse hover over the button to display a description of the
button.
As you proceed through this tutorial, you may wish to review the help information
for any windows you have questions about.
What’s Ahead
In the tutorials we will be modeling this structure:
We’ll make use of both the spreadsheet and graphic drawing capabilities of RISA-
3D. In Tutorial 1 we will create a 2-D frame comprised of a concrete frame
supporting a wood truss. In Tutorial 2 we’ll “extrude” this into a 3D model, add
steel beams, girts and plates. Tutorial 3 will show how to define loads in the
model. Tutorial 4 will teach how to run static solutions and review the results.
Tutorial five will demonstrate dynamic analysis and seismic design.
This tutorial is intended to demonstrate the “real world” design process. This
means we won’t just enter the data once, solve the model and miraculously have a
completed design. Just as in the real world, we’ll enter the data, solve the model,
review results, go back and make changes, etc. Any program can look good for a
“one time through, no mistakes” data entry procedure; the real test is how easily
can you change your model!