Navigation:  Calculation Modules > Analysis > ENERCALC 3D > Terms and Conventions

The convention for commands in this documentation is Main Menu > Sub-Menu.  For example, Create > Line Loads means the Line Loads command from the Create item in the main ribbon.

 

Model View:  A window in the program that contains the graphical display of the model.

 

Report View:  A window in the program that contains the text or graphical report.

 

Structural Command:  A command in the program that affects the results for a model.

 

Member:  A beam or frame element.  It also refers to a truss when the element has full moment releases at two ends.  The term “beam element”, “frame element” and “member” are used interchangeably in this program.

 

Shell: a four-node shell finite element.  It includes membrane action and plate bending action.  It is sometimes called a plate.

 

Brick: an eight-node solid finite element.

 

Entity: A node, member, shell or brick.

 

Element:  A member or finite element (shell or brick).

 

Object:  A node or finite element (shell or brick) or its dependent.

 

Dependent:  A structural entity whose existence depends upon the existence of another structural entity.  For example, a support is a dependent of a node; a moment release is a dependent of a member (beam element).  All loads are dependents of nodes or members or finite elements.

 

Parent:  A structural entity which may have dependents.  Nodes and elements may be parents.  For example, a node may be a parent of a support or a member.  A member may be a parent of a moment release.

 

Distance List:  A comma separated list that specifies multiple distances.  For example, a distance list of “12,2@14,3@10” will generate distances of 12, 14, 14, 10, 10, and 10 in length units.

 

Orphaned Node:  A node that is not connected to any elements.

 

DOFs:  Degrees of freedom.

 

64-bit floating point (double precision):  The solver that uses 64-bit (8 bytes) floating-point arithmetic.  The 64-bit floating point (double precision) is the standard solver in almost all structural analysis programs.

 

128-bit floating point (quad precision):  The solver that uses 128-bit (16 bytes) floating-point arithmetic.  The 128-bit floating point (quad precision) is extremely accurate and is uniquely available in ENERCALC 3D.