Form: Frame Load Assignment - Point
Assign point loads to frame objects as follows:
Select the frame object(s) to which point loads are to be assigned.
Click the Assign menu > Frame Loads > Point command to access the Frame Load Assignment - Point form.
Use the following drop-down lists, options, and edit boxes to specify the parameters for the load:
Load Pattern Name drop-down list. Select the name of a defined load pattern to which the specified point loads are to be assigned. Note that the Define menu > Load Patterns command is used to define load patterns.
Load Type and Direction options and drop-down list. Specify whether the loads are point loads or point moments. Also specify the direction of the load using the drop-down list. Note that the Gravity direction is downward in the negative global Z direction. Defining the direction as Gravity rather than Global-Z allows gravity loads to be input using positive signs (or more likely, no sign) rather than negative signs.
Distance and Load edit boxes. Specify up to four point loads acting on the frame object by indicating a location and a load for the point load. The data for the first point load is input in the first set of Distance and Load edit boxes, the data for the second point load is entered in the second set of Distance and Load edit boxes, and so on.
The distance to the point load is always measured from the i-end of the frame object. Specify an absolute distance or a relative distance.
Relative Distance from End I option. The relative distance is equal to the distance from the left end of the frame object to the point where the load intensity is specified divided by the length of the frame object. The relative distance is never larger than 1.0.
Absolute Distance from End I option. An absolute distance is the actual distance from the left end of the frame object to the point where the load intensity is specified.
To specify more than four point loads, simply specify the first four point loads and click the Apply button to assign them, then reselect the frame object and click the Assign menu > Frame Loads > Point command to again access the Frame Load Assignment - Point form and specify additional point loads.
Options
Add to Existing Loads: Adds the specified point loads to the frame object. If one or more point load assignments have already been made at the same location on the frame object, this option increases the total point load on the joint object at that location, assuming a positive load is being specified.
Replace Existing Load: Replaces the currently specified point load, if any, with the new point load assignment. If no assignments exist, the new assignment is still made. This is the default option. Note that only the loads in the load pattern specified above are replaced.
Delete Existing Loads: Deletes any and all point load assignments made to the selected frame object(s). When this option is selected, the items in the Load Type and Direction area and the Direction and Loads edit boxes are ignored when the Apply button is clicked. Note that only the loads in the load pattern that is specified above are deleted.
Note that the default option is Replace and that the program defaults to this every time the form is opened.
Click the Apply button to complete the assignment.
When the Apply button is used, the Frame Load Assignment - Point form will remain open until it is closed by clicking the Close button. This allows selection of another frame object(s), to which another assignments can be made.<="">
If only one assignment is being made to only one set of selected objects, the OK button can be used to both apply the assignment and close the form.
See Also