joint properties

Joints have a large influence on the behaviour of the structure. The joints determine where and how the structure is supported. They also determine whether the members are connected rigidly or not.


simple support
The simplest form of support is locking the position and/or orientation of the joint: Blocking translation and rotation.

  Block Translation     Modify > Joint Properties > Block Translation  
Block movement of the joint due to deformation of the structure.
[default accelerator: none]
  Block Rotation     Modify > Joint Properties > Block Rotation  
Block rotation of the joint due to deformation of the structure.
[default accelerator: none]


The support conditions of a joint is visually indicated by geometry, roughly based on the classic symbols used in static analysis.

no support

locked translation
locked translation
locked rotation

rigid connection
Joints also determine whether it's members are connected rigidly. By default joints are set to "Rigid". To change this setting use Toggle Rigid Joint

  Toggle Rigid Joint     Modify > Joint Properties > Rigid  
Connect members rigidly to the joint.
[default accelerator: none]

This option is visually indicated as well:
- Rigid joints are cube shaped.
- Non-rigid joints, hinges, are sphere shaped.


default: rigid joint

non-rigid joint, hinge



advanced joint properties
The "Select and Modify"-tab of the Main Console allows modification of currently selected objects. Here a more complex setup of the support properties can be done.

The support conditions of the selected joints can be set using the "Joint Support Conditions"-page. This will become visible as soon as "Joint Creation" is selected in the "History"-page.

The History page shows the history of the selected items. Any modifiers (such as Move, Rotate and Scale) that were ever applied to the selected objects, will be listed in the history. The top items in the history are the 'youngest' and at the bottom is the 'oldest' history-event for the selected objects: Creation.

To change the support settings of the selected joints, click the checkboxes in the Blocking-section of the "Joint Support Conditions"-page.

The checkboxes on the left have the same functionality as the Block Translation and Block Rotation buttons on the toolbar. The checkboxes on the right switch blocking in either X, Y or Z direction.


These advanced settings are also displayed graphically

Translation in Z locked
Rotation locked

Translation in Z locked

Translation in Y and Z locked

Rotation round X-axis locked

Translation in Z locked
Rotation round X-axis locked

Translation in Y and Z locked
Rotation round X locked

Rotation locked

Translation in Y and Z locked
Rotation round X and Y locked

Translation in Y and Z locked
Rotation locked