The Model Explorer window appears by default on the left side of the ETABS window. Use the Options menu > Show Model Explorer command to hide or display the Model Explorer window.
The Model Explorer Window provides quick access to:
many forms used to define and assign properties or review model geometry, among other tasks (Model tab)
options and check boxes that control how the model displays and what displays on it in the active window (Display tab)
data tables of model analysis input and output (Tables tab)
printed output (Reports tab)
detailed drawings (Detailing tab)
The Model Explorer window displays in hierarchical (tree) format using multiple tabs. The tabs have nodes. In some cases, sub-nodes are used. Expand the nodes until the "+" turns to a "-" to expose various items in the model. Right clicking on an item may display a drop-down menu of options.
For example, right clicking the Properties node displays, among others, the Material sub-node. When that sub-node is clicked, the various material definitions are displayed; right click on a definition, and the drop-down menu includes options to add a copy of the definition, delete the definition, modify/show the definition, select or deselect the definition where it is used in the model and show or hide the members to which the material has been assigned; if a frame object was selected before the original node was clicked, the definition can be assigned to the selected frame object (note that these options are not available for an Auto Select definition).
Model
tab - Lists nodes for the various information sources and components
of the model, including the Project (Project
Information and Design
Preferences), Structural Layout (stories
and grids),
Properties (materials,
frame
sections, tendon
sections, slab
sections, deck
sections, wall
sections, link
properties, reinforcing
bar sizes, restraints, spring properties, diaphragms,
hinge
properties, panel
zones), Structural Objects (the objects added by story to
the model by default or by using the Draw menu), any Groups
that have been defined, the Loads defined for the model (Functions,
Load Patterns,
Shell Uniform
Load Sets, Load
Cases, Load
Combos), Named Output Items, and Named Plots. Default definitions
for many of these items are provided when the model is first started.
Right clicking the Model node > Hide Unused
Items command will limit the display in the Model Explorer
to those items that have been applied to the model (i.e., for example,
default definitions that have not been assigned to an object will
not be shown on the Model tab). Right clicking the Model
node > Show All Objects command reverses the Hide
Unused Items command. Additional commands displayed by right
clicking the Model node include Save,
Save As, Lock/Unlock
Model, Show All Objects, Invert
Visibility of Objects, Restore
Visibility of Previous Selection, Set Load Cases to
Run, and Run
Analysis.
Display tab - Provides access to the various features used to display the model in the ETABS window(s). Separate nodes are available for different views. Some nodes have options that affect the display one at a time; other nodes have check boxes that can be used to select multiple items to be displayed at the same time. The options available include those on the Set View Options form. If an analysis has been run and results are available, clicking an item (e.g., Shell Stresses/Forces) will display those results on the model.
Tables
tab - Lists the tables of input and output data associated with the
model file. Right clicking a node (i.e., the name preceded by a "+"
or a "-," such as Project Settings) will display a
Show Tables option; selecting that option
will display the Tables window
along the bottom of the ETABS window. Right clicking the primary Table
node displays a list of commands that includes the Modify Table Options form. Use that form
to tailor the display of data in the table to specific data types,
such as, for example, displaying only Dead and Live Load cases, or
displaying all load cases, including Modal cases.
Clicking items of a sub-node may display a drop-down menu of options
to show the Table for that data, or export it to Excel or Access.
Close the data tables by clicking the X in the upper far right-hand
corner of the table display.
Right clicking Table Sets > Add New Table
Set will access the Choose Tables form. Use that form to select
a set of tables that are given a specified name that subsequently
can be easily recalled using the Table Tab >
Table Sets command and right clicking the {Table Set Name} > Show Tables command .
Reports
tab - Lists Project report subnodes. Right clicking on the Report
node itself displays the Add
New User Report and Add New From
XML Contents File commands. The Add New
User Report command displays the User
Report form, which can be used to select the items to be included
in the report. The Add New From XML Contents
File command displays the Report XML
Contents File form, which can be used to select a "preformatted"
file that has been previously
defined to specify what will be included in the file.
Right clicking on a subnode displays a menu of commands to show or
refresh the selected report; print the report or export it to Word;
or create an XML contents file based on the formatting of the selected
report. When creating an XML contents file, the Report
XML Contents File form displays; use the form to specify the
path and filename for saving the format file.
If the Show/Refresh Report command is selected, the Report Viewer opens and displays in a
window adjacent to the Model Explorer. Clicking an item on the Report
tab will display that item (i.e., report section or table) in the
Report Viewer.
Detailing tab - Lists the same commands and provides access to the same items as on the Detailing menu. Please refer to the topics in the Detailing book of the TOC for more information.