Nodes

Nodes are the fundamental building blocks of any structural model. Think of them as the "joints" or "points" that define where structural members connect and where the structure interacts with the world.

What are Nodes?

In structural analysis, a node is simply a point in 3D space defined by X, Y, and Z coordinates. While members (beams, columns, braces) carry loads between points, nodes are those points themselves.

Nodes serve several critical purposes:

  • Connection points — Where two or more members meet and transfer forces between each other
  • Support locations — Where the structure connects to the ground or other fixed points (foundations, walls, etc.)
  • Load application points — Where point loads and moments are applied to the structure
  • Result locations — Where displacements, reactions, and other results are calculated

Every member in your model connects two nodes — a start node and an end node. Without nodes, members would have nowhere to begin or end.

Creating Nodes

Nodes are created automatically when you:

  • Click in Draw mode
  • Import geometry
  • Split members
  • Intersect members
  • Use Copy, Extrude, or Mirror tools

Node Properties

Select a node to view/edit its properties:

Position

  • X, Y, Z: Coordinates in the global system

Support Conditions

Each node has 6 degrees of freedom (DOFs):

  • DX, DY, DZ: Translations in X, Y, Z
  • RX, RY, RZ: Rotations about X, Y, Z

Common support types:

  • Free: No restraints (all DOFs free)
  • Pinned: Translations restrained, rotations free
  • Fixed: All DOFs restrained
  • Roller: One translation restrained

Quick Support Assignment

The Properties panel provides preset support icons for quick assignment:

  • Fixed (FFFFFF) — All 6 DOFs restrained
  • Pinned (FFFRRR) — Translations fixed, all rotations free
  • Roller variants — One translation free, others fixed

Click on any icon to apply that support condition to selected nodes. You can also toggle individual DOFs using the 6-character code (F = Fixed, R = Released).

Nodes Table

Click the Nodes button in the ribbon to open the Nodes table. This provides a spreadsheet view of all nodes in your model where you can:

  • Set support conditions in bulk
  • Export node data

Node Labels

Toggle node labels in the Display panel (left sidebar). Right-click the Labels button to choose what to display: node IDs, member IDs, section IDs, or section names.