When a Geometry item is clicked, a brief explanation of that item appears at the bottom of the Joint Object Information form.
Object ID - Please refer to Labels and Unique Names for an explanation of the items that comprise the Object ID.
Global X - Identifies the global X coordinate of the joint object.
Global Y - Identifies the global Y coordinate of the joint object.
Global Z - Identifies the global Z coordinate of the joint object.
Note: See Reshaping Joint Objects for information about using these edit boxes to change the coordinates of the joint to reshape the object to which it may be attached.
Special Joint - Indicates if the joint is a special joint, which can be drawn using the Draw menu > Draw Joint Objects command, or specified here. ETABS removes joints that are not connected to other objects (e.g., at the ends of frame objects, etc.) or that are not being used in load assignments (i.e., joint loads were not assigned) unless the joint is designated to be a Special Joint. If the user selects a drawn joint (i.e., a Special Joint) and nothing is connected to the joint object or it is not used for load assignments, switching the Special Joint drop-down list to No will result in the deletion of the joint. This subtle feature is important when importing models as users may define model geometry using joints only and this data should not be deleted unless the user deletes it. Thus, all imported joints are designated to be Special Joints by default.
Connectivity - Identifies the frame objects and area objects connected to the joint object.
Access the Joint Information form by moving the cursor onto the object as if to select it, and then clicking the right mouse button rather than the left mouse button. Select the Geometry tab.