Form: Set Output Colors
Click the Options menu > Graphics Colors > Output command to access the Set Output Colors form. Use the form to set the display colors for various output items. Click in a color box to access the Color form and change the color.
Contours color boxes: Specify the display of maximum to minimum shell stress contours using a range of colors from blue (maximum) to magenta (minimum).
Steel Ratios color boxes: Specify the colors for frame elements when results for the Steel Frame Design or the Composite Beam Design postprocessor are displayed on the model. Also specify the range of values to which the colors apply. Note the following about the steel ratios:
The five values used to define the stress ranges must always be input in increasing numerical order. The largest value defining the range can be larger or smaller than 1.0.
If the Design Procedure assigned to a frame element(s) does not match the design postprocessor currently displaying the results, the frame element(s) is shown in a color that is opposite of the background color. Right click on a line object to see its Design Procedure.
If the Design Procedure assigned to a frame element(s) matches the design postprocessor currently displaying results (i.e., "the Correct Design Procedure") but the frame element(s) has not been designed, the frame element(s) is displayed in the "Not Yet Designed" color.
In some cases a frame element with the correct Design Procedure may not have a stress ratio calculated when it is run through the design postprocessor. One example where this will happen is in the Steel Frame Design postprocessor when the axial stress for the element exceeds the Euler buckling stress. In such cases, the element is displayed in the color associated with the highest range of stress values (i.e., the color of the fifth box down, counting from the top).
Transparency drop-down list: Use the drop-down list to control how transparent or opaque the various objects will be in the display. Transparency values may range from 0 to 1. A value of 0 means that the object is completely opaque. A value of 1 means that the object is completely transparent. The default value is 0.5, which is typically appropriate. Setting the value to 0 (opaque) may be helpful to eliminate from view items occurring behind the objects to be displayed.
Diagram Fill color boxes: Use these color boxes to specify the colors used for filling force diagrams for frame elements. Use the three color boxes to specify colors for positive values, negative values and the range of values. The positive and negative colors are based on the sign of the output force value (axial force, shear, torsion or moment). The range color is used when plotting the results of multi-valued load combinations.
For Device Type options and drop-down list: Specify if the colors are for screen display, output to a non-color printer or output to a color printer.
Color Printer (graphics) check box. When this check box is unchecked and the color printer option has been selected, the output will not print in color.
Reset Defaults button: This button resets the colors to the built-in ETABS default colors. The Reset Defaults button not only resets the colors for the currently chosen device type, it resets the colors for all three device types, regardless of which one is currently chosen.
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