Form: Draw Beams/Lines
Toolbar button:
Use the Draw menu > Draw Beams/Lines command to add line objects in the model datum plane that can be assigned beam properties, end releases, line springs, or loads.
Click the Draw menu > Draw Beams/Lines command to access the floating Draw Beams/Lines form, which displays the parameters for the line to be added, including Type of Object (beam), Property (previously defined beam properties or None). There is also an edit box for Plan Offset Normal and a drop-down list for Line Drawing Type (Straight Line, Arc-3 Pts, Arc-Center & 2 Pts, Multilinear, Bezier, Spline).
If needed, modify the displayed data by selecting from the drop-down lists or by typing directly into the edit boxes before drawing lines. Use the Plan Offset Normal to locate the line a certain distance from where it is drawn; all points on the line are shifted by the offset amount to the left (looking along a line between the start and end points) if the value is positive, and to the right if negative. If the line object is being used for some reason other than defining a beam, such as for adding line springs or loads (Point Loads on Lines; Distributed Loads on Lines), select None from the Property drop-down list and then select the line object at a later time and use the Assign menu to assign the desired property.
To place a straight line object in the model, select Straight Line from the Line Drawing Type drop-down list and click on a grid intersection or at any other location on the datum plane to start the line; lines can only be drawn on the datum plane, so working in a plan view is usually best. Click again to end the line, or type the length and angle directly into the L,theta edit box that appears in the lower left-hand corner of the display when the mouse is moved and hit the Enter key. Each subsequent click will add another line object. Arcs and curves may be drawn similarly by selecting one of the other options from the Line Drawing Type drop-down list.
To stop drawing beams/lines without exiting the draw mode, double left click at the last end point or hit the Enter key or click the right mouse button. To exit the draw beam/line mode completely, click on the button 
or hit the Esc key to activate the select mode. Data associated with a line object can be reviewed and modified by right clicking on the line to access the {Type Line} Object Information form.
See Also