User Guide

RISA-3D User’s Guide
Version 5.0
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This sketch shows what you’ll draw next; lines from A to B, then B to C, then C
to D and lastly from D to A:
To begin drawing the truss chord, move the mouse to the top of the left side
column at joint N2 (point A) at grid location (0,18.5,0) and click. Now move to
the right to the top of the right side column at joint N4 (point B), grid location
(21,18.5,0), and click again.
A new member should appear, and the mouse should still have a line connected to
it from the end point of the new member. This enables you to continue drawing
new members. The truss chords are being drawn with a different color because of
the different section set we are using.
Move up and to the left to grid location (18,22.5,0) (point C) and click again.
Now move left to grid location (3,22.5,0) (point D) and click again. Finally,
move down and to the left to grid location (0,18.5,0) (point A) and click once
more. “Pick up” your pencil by clicking the RIGHT mouse button. Click the
RIGHT mouse button again to stop drawing members.
The truss chord members are now defined. Next we’ll draw the web members.
We will use the NDS1 section set again, but will later change this assignment to
give the web members different properties from the truss chords.
Another way to get back to the Member Properties dialog box is to use a
specially tailored menu called the shortcut menu. This menu is accessed by
clicking the RIGHT mouse button where you are working. RISA-3D presents
you with a menu that is relevant to what you are currently doing.