ConSteel help

SHORT GUIDE FOR STARTERS

1.1 INSTALLING THE SOFTWARE

In the followings we give those hardware and so ware requirements the ConSteel so ware cannot be run without, or their lack may result in a slow opera on::
Minimum hardware requirements:
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo or equivalent
Memory: 2 GB
HDD: 100 MB
Video-card: 128 MB non-integrated
Opera ng-system: MS Windows XP / Windows Vista / Windows 7 / Windows 8
Recommended hardware:
Processor: Intel Core i7 or equivalent
Memory: 4 GB
Video-card: 512 MB non-integrated
You will need to have administra ve or power user rights for the installa on. Without administra ve rights you cannot install the hard lock driver and those dll files, which are
indispensable for the system. You will have to set the language of setup. The ConSteel will use this language for the first me you start, but you may switch to another
language later. During installa on the instruc ons of the setup shall be followed step by step. The installing program will copy the elements of the so ware into the Directory
you have specified, then it will posi on the Menu of the program onto the selected place of the „START”-menu. Finally the install shield will place the star ng-icon onto the
desktop. The last step of the setup is the hard lock driver installa on. This has no progress signal, so you will have to wait while it finishes.
When running ConSteel for the first me a dialogue appears. If you would like to call for authoriza on click on Yes.

Then a dialogue appears which includes the most important informa on about the so ware key claim. These are the followings:
1. The so ware key is only appropriate for the computer, from which the claim will be sent.
2. The claiming process is going through e-mail, for this please give some personal data. The given data will only be used for the registra on of keys and to provide support.
3. A er giving the data an automa c e-mail is generated, the default mailing system is opened, and a file is enclosed to the mail (ConSteelKey0.bin). This file contains the
informa on needed for the genera on of the key.
4. In case you use Internet browser so ware for mailing, or the computer does not have any internet access, please send us the 'ConSteelKey0.bin' file to the
so key@consteel.hu. The file can be found in the Documents\ConSteel folder.

Please fill in the form and click on OK.

A er the email sent you would get a response email which will contain the so ware key file called 'ConSteelKey.bin'. Please copy this file to the Documents\ConSteel folder.
If the ConSteel key file is copied the program can be launched.

1.2 THE MAIN WINDOW

The main window consists of six separate parts containing different func onali es. The graphical window is the area for the 3D structural modeling; the menu contains some
important commands; the tabs lead the engineer through the steps of structural design from le to right; the side bar contains func ons of views and selec ons; the status
bar makes the drawing phases easy and the object and parameter tables at the right gives always sophis cated informa on about the model making fast modifica ons
possible.
Q: What's the difference between mechanical engineers
and civil engineers?
A: Mechanical engineers build weapons, civil engineers
build targets.
1.2.1 THE GRAPHICAL WINDOW

The structural model appears always in the graphical window. There are no other window opening op ons; however there are lots of viewing possibili es in this single
window. The graphical window helps the modeling by the global coordinate system (GCS) and a moveable, rotatable and size adjustable grid, which is the main area for
drawing. The coordinate system at the le bo om corner denotes always the unchangeable GCS; the origin of the user coordinate system (UCS) takes place at the middle
point of the grid which is always the plane “XY” of the UCS. The following moving possibili es should be used during the structural model manipula on:

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Move: by the middle mouse bu on or the arrow bu ons on the keyboard
Rotate: by the ALT+le mouse bu on, the center of rota on is always adap ng the actual model view
Scaling: by middle mouse bu on spin, the ”+” and ”-” bu ons on the keyboard or ALT+right mouse bu on
Window scaling: window drawing by the le mouse bu on while pressing SHIFT+ALT

1.2.2 THE MENU

In ConSteel 4.0 the menu does not contain many commands since the main func onality is placed to the structured tabs and side bars and the applicability and modeling
efficiency does not really need func on duplica on. However five important func on groups appears here: the F IL Ehandling, some EDITop ons (undo-redo), V IEWand
diagnos cs, OP T ION S(connected with saving, upda ng and language se ng) and HEL P.

1.2.3 THE TABS

The tabs contain systema cally all the ac ve – model crea ng and forming – func ons in a chronological order of the normal way of developing a structural model. The
GEOM ET RYtab holds all important CAD drawing and modifying func ons, dimensioning and measuring. On the ST RU C T U RAL M EM BERS tab the func ons connected with
cross-sec ons; structural columns, beams, slabs and walls; supports and connec ons are collected. All types of loading including load cases, load groups, load combina ons
and unique loads placed on the structure can be created on the L OADStab. The F IN IT E EL EM ENtab T contains func ons connected with finite element mesh genera on
and modifica on, and a model check op on indica ng the possible modeling mistakes. On the AN ALYSIStab the structural analysis types can be set and executed, the results
can be viewed and labeled in various forms. The STAN DARD RESISTANtab C Econtains the design op ons, and result viewing possibili es. The func ons on the
DOC U M EN TAT ION tab allow of the crea on of the flexible and detailed sta cal documenta on, and contain a model informa on tool.

1.2.4 THE SIDE BAR

The side bar contains the func ons of coordinate system se ngs, model viewing and selec on op ons. There are many op ons for moving the UCS and accordingly the grid,
adjus ng the range and par on of the grid. Beyond the usual model views (top view, front view, side view, perspec ve view, fit view) there are four visualizing op ons for the
objects used (structural members, supports, loads etc.) making the modeling more clear and unambiguous.

1.2.5 THE STATUS BAR

On the status bar the coordinates during drawing ac ons can be set manually by pressing the appropriate le er (“X, Y, Z” for coordinate axis, “a, b, L” for polar coordinates).
The coordinates can be set as global, local, absolute or rela ve values. The slide makes the refined sizing of the different objects possible by moving or clicking on it with the
right mouse bu on. The sophis cated visibility op ons can be applied to graphic symbols, coordinate systems, object names and labels se ng the valida on for all the tabs or
only for the current tab. A wide range of possibility exists for the defini on of drawing ac on points and snap points.

1.2.6 THE OBJECT AND PARAMETER TABLES

In the upper table all the created or used objects (materials, sec ons, loads members, supports etc.) appear in a structured arrangement. Mul ple selec ons of objects are
possible in this tree. In the lower table all the selected objects (and sub-object) appear, and a er expanding one object, all the parameters of it can be seen, and modified if
possible. In case of mul ple objects selec on only the iden cal parameters appear, however the different ones can also be changed to iden cal.

1.3 GENERAL STRUCTURE OF DIALOGUE WINDOWS

Several dialogue windows – especially the most important ones on the ST RU C T U RAL M EM BERS and L OADStabs – show same structure in order to make easy the
orienta on in the labyrinth of tools and func ons. The usual parts of these dialogues are described below:
1 – the method of placement (assign to element or draw)
2 – informa on extrac on from object has been placed earlier. All the parameters are set to the same as for the selected object
3 – coordinate systems in which the object is considered
4 – auxiliary drawing func ons if the placement is by drawing
5 – the main parameters of the object
6 – this field gives always informa on about the next required step of the placement

1.4 HOT KEYS

The hot keys can significantly speed up the modeling work. In ConSteel the following hot keys can be used:
CTRL+N: new model
CTRL+O: open model
CTRL+S: save model
CTRL+Z: undo last ac on
CTRL+Y: redo
CTRL+A: select all
CTRL+I: inverse selec on
CTRL+1: switch to XY view
CTRL+2: switch to XZ view
CTRL+3: switch to YZ view
CTRL+4: switch to XYZ view
ESC: unselect all or terminate (or abort) the last ac on
Delete: delete selected objects
F1: open Help system

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ConSteel help
X: manual defini on of X coordinate value
Y: manual defini on of Y coordinate value
Z: manual defini on of Z coordinate value
a: manual defini on of alpha polar coordinate value
b: manual defini on of beta polar coordinate value
L: manual defini on of length from the previous point in a defined direc on
R: switch between the global and last defined user coordinate system
Middle mouse bu on: move model
ALT+le mouse bu on: rotate model
ALT+right mouse bu on: sizing model
↑: move model up
↓: move model down
→: move model right
←: move model le
middle mouse bu on: scale model
+: scale up model
-: scale down model
SHIFT+le mouse bu on: unselect
SHIFT+ALT+le mouse bu on: window scale

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