User Interface

The main features of the user interface are listed below.

Once a type of structure is selected from the start panel, a module-specific interface opens.

A. Title bar
The title bar displays the project name and structure calculation data.
B. Drawing area
The drawing area is the display and editing area of the structure. Above the drawing area,
an array of menus, lists, and toolbars facilitates the design phase. The toolbar along the
right side of the interface contains the most commonly used tools.
C. Layouts
 Layouts are a system of dialogs, viewers, and tables that are used to perform specific
operations. They facilitate consecutive operations while you define, calculate, and design
a structure.
D. Object Inspector
The Object Inspector contains the list of the objects that you can select, view, or edit in
the structure.
E. Views
A set of buttons that control the views and display properties of a structure. The viewed
elements include node/bar numbers, panel numbers, support symbols, section shapes,
load symbols and values, as well as structure deformations for a given load case.
F. Quick launch buttons
The bottom of the interface presents information for quick reference, such as the names
of active editing fields, cursor co-ordinates, and units. Several quick launch buttons are
found here such as Display, Snap Settings, and the Graphical selection Filter.

Menu and Toolbars

While some contents of the text menu and toolbars for each module vary, main options are
always available regardless of which module is active.

Text menu

Click a text command to open a corresponding detailed submenu, open a relevant dialog, or
execute a command.

Toolbar

For most layouts, there are two toolbars. A horizontal set of tools below the text menu, and a
vertical set of tools to the right of the graphic editor. The tools to the right are the most common
commands for the current layout. Click the desired command icon to open a corresponding
detailed submenu, open a relevant dialog, or execute a command.

Note: Menus are adjusted to successive modules (structure definition, results preview, and
design). The menu that is currently presented on the screen corresponds to the active
(highlighted) viewer, table or graphic editor. Click a viewer or table to change the menu.

Context menus
Right-click in the graphic editor or a table to open an additional context menu containing
frequently used commands. Like other menus and toolbars, the context menu varies in each
layout, table, and viewer.

The context menu that opens while working in the viewer of the Start layout is shown here as an
example. This is context menu displays when no object is highlighted. If any object is
highlighted (but not selected) in the structure view, then the context menu looks slightly different
(see context menu for objects highlighted in the view).

Customization of menus and toolbars

Adjust the text menu, context menus, and toolbars by selecting Tools > Customize. Dialogs for
modifying menus and toolbars will open.

ustomize Menu dialog

Access
Click Tools Customize Customize menu

Use this dialog to set up your workspace in a way that is more convenient for you.
A menu tree is displayed in the dialog box. The green dot indicates options currently available
from the menu. The red dot indicates those which are currently unavailable. By selecting the
appropriate option, you can change the color of the dot and therefore add or delete the menu
option. A green dot with a letter M indicates that the option cannot be deleted.

You can also change a current menu variant or define a new one using this dialog.

Toolbars
Access

Click Tools Customize Show Toolbars

Use this dialog to select the toolbars which you want to display.

Select a toolbar from the list to display it, or deselect it if you want to hide it.
Note: Toolbars are not saved in the job file. This means that if you set the toolbars in the layout
and quit Robot, you return to the initial toolbar settings. To save the user-defined toolbars, click
Tools Customize Save Job Layouts.

Toolbar Configuration
Access

Click Tools Customize Customize Toolbars.

Use this dialog to customize the toolbars in the application.

Select a view from the list of available views, and then select the buttons that you want to add to
your toolbar.

To add a button to a toolbar, click the selected object and drag it to the toolbar of your choice.

Categories
List of menu commands that open the submenu, combo boxes, and toolbars defined in
Robot. For each category, buttons defined previously are displayed in the Buttons area.

To define a new button for the selected category, click Other.

Buttons
List of buttons that are available from the selected category.
Description
Displays information on the selected button.
Note: You cannot edit descriptions.
Other
Opens the Definition of a New Button dialog which allows you to create a new button.
Delete
Removes the selected button from the category and the corresponding toolbar.

New Button Selection dialog

Access

Click Tools Customize Customize menu, and then click Other in the
Customize Toolbars dialog.

Use this dialog to add new buttons to your toolbars.

To add a new button to the highlighted category, select a button, and then click Add.
Commands
List of commands for the selected category.

Select a command to view its description. When the icon is added to the category, the
command is removed from the list of available commands and added to the appropriate
category.

Buttons
List of icons not used in other toolbars which can be defined for a selected category.
Note: You cannot define your own icons.
Description
Displays information on the selected command.
Note: You cannot edit descriptions.

Customizing the user-defined context menu

Access

Click Tools Customize Customize context menu.

Use this dialog to add new commands to the context menu.

The commands defined in the user's context menu are added after a separator, at the bottom of
the existing context menu.

To add a new command to the user's context menu:

1. Click in the left panel where the new command is to appear.

2. Select the desired command in the left panel.
3. Click >> to move the selected command to the context menu.

To create a submenu in the context menu:

1. Click Add submenu to create a submenu in the right panel. To change its name, click the
left mouse to type the new name.
2. Click the Empty menu option under the submenu.
3. Select the desired command in the left panel.
4. Click >> to move the command to the context menu.

Note: You can divide the commands in the user's context menu using a separator. Select a
separator from the left panel and click >> to add it to the right panel.

The bottom part of the dialog displays the description of the command selected in the left pane
Layouts
Layouts are a system of dialogs, viewers, and tables that are used to perform specific operations.
They facilitate consecutive operations while you define, calculate, and design a structure.

In order to maintain a consistent system of layouts, it is not possible to close the dialogs and
tables that automatically open when a layout is activated. When you close Robot, the current
layout is saved with the project, and it is restored when you reopen the software.

Define, calculate and design your structure using the consecutive layouts available the Layouts
drop-down list.

The Layouts list contains several types of layouts group under headings. Options found in the
structure Model group are shown in the image below. All other option groups are collapsed to
avoid an excessively long layout list.

The layout order and arrangement suggests the next intuitive, efficient design step. However, it is
not necessary to define a structure according to the layout order. Design may also be performed
without using the defined layouts.

The system of layouts allows to select the subsequent stages of creating structure model:

Model structure: definition of nodes, bars, panels, supports, loads which constitute the
structure model.
Results: presentation of results obtained in the structure analysis (diagrams for bars,
maps on slabs, detailed analysis etc.)
 Steel design: code verification of steel structure elements
Timber design: code verification of timber structure elements
RC design: required reinforcement calculation and generation of provided reinforcement
Additional modules (Section definition, Final drawings).

As an example of using layouts, this screen arrangement opens after choosing the Bars layout.
Please note, for better legibility, this image does not show the Object Inspector dialog.

The screen has three distinct parts:

The graphic viewer where the structure is defined.

The element dialog (in the example above, bar is displayed) defines respective objects.
An editable data table for the currently defined object (you can copy the contents of a
table to MS Excel).
Definition of a new layout
To define a new layout in the Results group
1. Select Window > Show the Active Layout Window.
2. In the viewer that appears to the left, expand the Results group.
3. Highlight the Results layout.
4. Right-click, and select Copy layout.
5. Double click the new layout to rename. Click Enter.
6. Expand the new layout.
7. Right-click any unwanted views in the layout and select Delete.
8. Right-click the new layout and select Add Views to choose new views for the layout.
9. Close the layouts viewer by turning off the Window > Show the Active Layout Window
option in the menu.

To save a new layout as a template

The new layout arrangement may be saved as template for the given structure type.

1. Navigate to the Start layout in the Structure model group.

2. Select Tools > Customize > Save layouts as template command.

The structure type will now contain the new layout whenever Robot is launch

Definition of a new layout

To define a new layout in the Results group
1. Select Window > Show the Active Layout Window.
2. In the viewer that appears to the left, expand the Results group.
3. Highlight the Results layout.
4. Right-click, and select Copy layout.
5. Double click the new layout to rename. Click Enter.
6. Expand the new layout.
7. Right-click any unwanted views in the layout and select Delete.
8. Right-click the new layout and select Add Views to choose new views for the layout.
9. Close the layouts viewer by turning off the Window > Show the Active Layout Window
option in the menu.
To save a new layout as a template
The new layout arrangement may be saved as template for the given structure type.

1. Navigate to the Start layout in the Structure model group.

2. Select Tools > Customize > Save layouts as template command.

The structure type will now contain the new layout whenever Robot is launch

Object Inspector - Objects

Use the Object Inspector tab to define, group, and perform global operations on selected
structure objects.

Access

Click Window Inspector Dialog Box

Click in the standard toolbar.

The Object Inspector contains two panels.

The top panel allows you to browse geometry objects, or groups.

The bottom panel displays the properties of the geometry objects or groups selected in the
top panel.

Geometry tab elements

Stories
Opens a menu with the following options:

Set active story: Displays the selected story only.

Filter structure stories: Displays the selected story and its related objects in the
drawing area. Other objects or stories are hidden. Deselect this option to restore
the whole structure.
Add story: Opens the Add Stories dialog which allows you to specify the new
story parameters.
Copy story: Opens the Copy Story dialog which allows you to duplicate the
selected story. Select Perform the operation on selected elements / objects if
you want to duplicate selected objects or elements only.
Copy contents of the story: Copies the contents of the story only. Contrarily to
the Copy Story option, this option does not create a new story with the copied
elements.
Delete story: Deletes the selected story and all its content.
 Set filters
Allows you to display or hide types of objects.
Filter by selection
Hides all objects that have not been selected.

Groups tab elements

This tab allows you to view and select custom groups of objects.

New folder
Creates a new folder in the Group folders directory.
Create a group out of the selection
Assigns selected elements to a group. If you select different types of elements, several
groups are created.
Refresh selection
Refreshes the content of the drawing area.
Settings
Specifies how elements should be added to the selected group.

Selection by folders : selects all subfolders and groups included in the current
folder.
Refresh only on request: selects all objects, unless the selection has been
refreshed with .
+ Union: adds elements from all the selected groups.
& Intersection: adds common elements of selected groups. For example, a
selection will include elements that belong to groups and previously selected
objects.
- Difference: removes objects from the selected groups.

Show active
Displays active groups in the drawing area.
Hide inactive
Hides inactive groups in the drawing area.
All active
Activates and shows all groups.
All inactive
Deactivates and hides all groups.
Undefined status
Indicates that the selected group contains both active and inactive elements.

Work with Objects

Use the Object Inspector to define, group, and perform global operations on selected structure
objects.

You can display the Object Inspector in either of the following ways:

Click Window Inspector Dialog Box

Click in the standard toolbar.

To display/hide specific types of objects

1. Go to the Geometry tab of the Object Inspector.
2. At the top of the panel, click (Set Filters).

The list of the available types of objects is displayed.

Note: By default, all types of objects are selected.

3. Deselect a type of object to hide it, or select it to make it visible in the drawing area.
4. Repeat these steps for each group that you want to hide or display.

Note: If at least on type of object is deselected, the color of the Set Filters icon changes
to red, indicating that the filter is active.

To edit objects properties

1. Go to the Geometry tab of the Object Inspector.
2. Browse to the object or category of objects that you want to edit.

The selected object is highlighted in the drawing area, and the Properties of the select
object or group of objects is displayed below the object inspector. The properties that can
be edited appear in blue.

Tip: If your structure has stories, you can browse to a story and select a category of
objects, such as beams for example. This allows you to modify the properties for all the
beams of that story.

3. Edit the properties as necessary, and then press Enter.

To set the active story

1. Go to the Geometry tab of the Object Inspector.
2. Navigate to the story that you want to work with.
3. Right-click on the story name, and then click Stories Set active story from the context
menu.
 The selected story and its related objects is displayed in the drawing area. Other objects
or stories are hidden.

Tip: Alternatively, double-click a story in the Object Inspector to set it as active.

To create groups of objects

1. In the drawing area, select the objects for which you want to create groups.
2. Go to the Groups tab of the Object Inspector.
3. Optionally, select the folder where you want to add the new groups.
4. Click .

The groups of objects are created.

When you select a group, all the objects that belong to this group are also selected.
Note: If the display does not update when you select a group, click and deselect the
Refresh only on request option.

To create a group folder

1. Go to the Groups tab of the Object Inspector.
2. Select the Groups folders directory.
3. Click .

A new folder is created.

4. Enter a name for the new folder, and then press Enter.

Tip: Click to assign a previously selected group of objects to the new folder.