Show Forces/Stresses - Frames/Cables

Form: Member Force Diagram for Frames, Diagrams for Frame Object

Use the Display menu > Show Forces/Stresses > Frames/Cables command to display column, beam, brace, or cable forces directly on the SAP2000 model.

Define an analysis case (or use the default DEAD or MODAL cases) and run an analysis.
Click the Display menu > Show Forces/Stress > Frames/Cables command to display the Member Force Diagram for Frames form. Use the form to specify the parameters for the display.

Case/Combo Name drop-down list. Choose the Analysis Case or Combination to be displayed.
Multivalued Options. The type of analysis case/combination determines the option(s) available:

For multi-mode cases, choose the mode number for which results are to be shown.
For multi-step cases, choose the step number, time step, or frequency step; choose Envelope to view the maximum and/or minimum results over all steps.

Component options. Specify which component of force is to be displayed. Only one component can be displayed at a time.
Scaling options. Select the Auto option to have SAP2000 automatically determine a scaling factor. Select the Scale Factor option to specify a scale factor.

SAP2000 calculates the scale factor as a multiple of the default font size. The advantage to determining the scale factor as a multiple of the default font size is that the default font size is limited by a specified minimum and maximum size that is specified using the Option menu > Preference > Dimensions/Tolerances command. This helps keep the automatically determined scale factor within a reasonable range most of the time. If the automatic scale factor seems to cause a display problem, use the Scale Factor option and specify a factor.

Fill diagram, Show Values on Diagram and Show Deformed Shape check boxes. Use these options to display the force diagrams filled with no text values, unfilled with no text values, unfilled with text values and on a deformed shape.

To display force diagrams filled with no text values, check the Fill Diagram check box. Note that if the Show Values on Diagram check box is checked, uncheck it first before checking the Fill Diagram check box.
To display force diagrams unfilled with text values, check the Show Values on Diagram check box. Note that if the Fill Diagram check box is checked, uncheck it first before checking the Show Values on Diagram check box.
To display force diagrams unfilled with no text values, uncheck both the Fill Diagram and Show Values on Diagram check boxes.
Check the Show Deformed Shape check box to show the model as a deformed shape.

With forces displayed on the model, note the following:

Use the left and right arrow keys on the status bar to quickly display forces for other single-step analysis cases, or other steps in the current analysis case.
Multi-valued cases and combinations plot a range of values.
For frame elements, exact force values are plotted at all output station locations. Those exact force values are then connected by straight-line segments to complete the force diagram.
Right click on a frame element to pop up a detailed frame force window (i.e., Diagrams for Frame Object form). Use the drop-down lists and buttons on that form to display available Cases and Items/components of force, and to move to specified locations on the object to view forces at that point (i,e., I-End and J-End buttons to display forces at End Length Offsets; Scroll for Values and Show Max options to allow values to appear as the mouse moves over the graphic or to display maximum forces along the object; Location edit box to specify a specific location on the object).

Example: Use of this command is demonstrated in Problem I, Problem J, and Problem R.