Draw Floor/Wall Objects

Use the Draw menu > Draw Floor/Wall Objects command or click one of the buttons shown in this topic to draw shell objects.

Set the View. Some drawing tools do not function in some views. The views that can be used with a particular tool are indicated by the parenthetic information in the command name. That is, the Draw Shells (Plan, Elev, 3D) command can be used in any view—Plan, Elevation or 3D—while the Draw Rectangular Shells (Plan, Elev) command can be used only in a Plan or Elevation view. If a particular button does not appear to function, try changing the View setting.

TIP: When in a Plan view, set the Similar To drop-down list on the right side of the Status bar to Similar Stories or All Stories to quickly add shell objects, such as walls, to multiple stories simultaneously. Conversely, to add shell objects to one story only, be sure to set this drop-down list to One Story. Note that the Similar Stories feature has no effect on the Draw Wall Openings option because it functions relative to a Wall object rather than a Story level.

Click the Draw menu > Draw Floor/Wall Objects command to display the list of subcommands. Click a subcommand or its associated toolbar button to display the Properties of Object form for the selected type of shell object in the lower left-hand corner of the window. Use the options on the Properties of Object form to specify properties and control placement of shell objects for efficient integration into the model.
Draw the specified shell object as follows:
- Click the Draw menu > Draw Floor/Wall Objects > Draw Floor/Wall (Plan, Elev, 3D) command or button .
- 1. Click on a grid intersection, a previously defined joint or any point in the plane.
  2. Click again on any number of other points either clockwise or counterclockwise, colinear or not, to draw the area object. Note that the Edit menu > Edit Shells > Remove Joints from Shells command can be used to remove joints from the edges of a shell object, and the Edit menu > Edit Shells > Divide Shells command can be used to add joints to the edges of shell objects.
  3. Return to the first point and double click on it to complete the shell object. Click the Select button or the Esc key on the keyboard to exit Draw mode.

- Click the Draw menu > Draw Floor/Wall Objects > Draw Rectangular Floor/Wall (Plan, Elev) command or button .
- 1. Left click once to define the position of one corner point of the shell.
  2. Drag the mouse and left click again to define the diagonally opposite corner point. Note that as the mouse is dragged, a dashed line is visible indicating the current extent of the shell object.

When using this command in an elevation view, if a shell object is drawn such that it crosses story levels, ETABS immediately breaks the object at the story levels. For example, if a shell object is drawn so that its top is at the 4th story level and its bottom is at the 2nd story level, ETABS immediately breaks the object into two objects with the break line at the 3rd story level.

- Click the Draw menu > Draw Floor/Wall Objects > Quick Draw Floor/Wall (Plan, Elev) command or button . This command works in two ways.
- - Click in any grid line space and a shell object is drawn in that grid line space.
  - Depress and hold down the left mouse button. While keeping the left button depressed, drag the mouse to "rubber band" a window around one or more grid line spaces. Then release the left mouse button. Shell objects are automatically placed in each grid line space included in the "rubber band" window.
- Click the Draw menu > Draw Floor/Wall Objects > Draw Walls (Plan) command or button. Note the options available in the Properties of Object form in the lower left-hand corner of the window. Adjust those options to optimize drawing of the wall.
- 1. Left click once at the beginning of the wall.
  2. Drag the mouse to the end of the wall and left click again. Note that as the mouse is dragged, a dashed line is visible indicating the current extent of the shell object (wall below).

To draw another wall adjacent to the first, move the mouse away from the ending point of the first wall and repeat Step b.

To continue in this drawing mode but at a new location in the model, double left click, or single left click and press the Enter key on the keyboard, at the end of a wall. Then move the mouse pointer to a new location and start to draw a new wall by repeating Steps a and b. To exit the drawing mode, press the Esc key on the keyboard.

Note that shell objects representing walls are broken at story levels. They also are broken at turns in developed elevations, that is, at locations where the plane displayed by the developed elevation changes.

- Click the Draw menu > Draw Floor/ Wall Objects > Quick Draw Walls (Plan) command or button . This command works in two ways.
- Click on any grid line and a wall is drawn on that grid line between the two adjacent intersecting grid lines from the same coordinate/grid system.
- Depress and hold down the left mouse button. While keeping the left button depressed, drag the mouse to "rubber band" a window around one or more grid line segments. Then release the left mouse button. Shell objects (walls below) are automatically placed at each grid line segment included in the "rubber band" window. The term grid line segment in this paragraph means that portion of a grid line that is between the two adjacent intersecting grid lines from the same coordinate/grid system.
- Click the Draw menu > Draw Floor/Wall Objects > Draw Wall Openings (Plan, Elev, 3D) command or button to add an opening, such as a window, in a wall.

1. 1. Set the View and draw a wall object in the model as described above.
  2. Click the Draw menu > Draw Floor/Wall Objects > Draw Wall Openings command or button .
  3. Left click anywhere on the wall object where the opening is to be drawn. Note that a thick, different colored line outlines the wall object and that the coordinates of the mouse pointer display as the mouse is moved within the wall object.
  4. Move the mouse pointer to locate the top left corner of the opening, using the coordinate display as a guide. Move the mouse pointer and click the lower right corner of the wall opening to draw the opening. A window object can be located anywhere within a wall object. Because wall objects cannot span from one Story level to another, wall openings cannot span from one Story level to another.

TIP: Use the Draw menu > Reshape Object command or the Reshape Object button to enable the reshaping mode and change the size of the window. Using the Zoom-In button before using the Reshape Object command can make it much easier to resize the window object.

Note: After drawing a window or door object (i.e., an opening) in a wall, use the Edit menu > Edit Shells > Divide Walls for Openings command to appropriately mesh the wall to incorporate the opening.

Exit any of the drawing tools by clicking the Select Pointer button or the Draw menu > Select Object command.