About Structural Display

You can set the structural model representation of structural objects.

Structural member settings focus mainly on shape, size, and orientation. When you create a new structural member, it derives its properties from the current member settings. For example, if member settings are currently set to ANSI standards, Pipe - Shapes ASTM shape type, and 2” shape size, then all new structural members you create have these settings by default.

Member settings are default values for new structural members. You can change these settings as needed.

You can edit individual structural members. Suppose you need several structural members with most of the same properties, but at slightly different sizes. You can specify the member settings, create the structural members, and edit individual members to change the size as needed.

The selected structural model representation applies to all structural objects in a drawing. You can change the way structural objects display to make it easier to select insertion points, measure distances, and so on.

The following list shows how a structural member is displayed in the drawing area when the different model types are set. The models in the list are shown in increasing level of complexity and detail.

Model Name Display Description
Line Model
This model is best for tasks that do not require extensive detail, such as creating a member. In line model, objects are represented as lines, and you can easily select insertion points for new objects.
Symbol Model
This model is best for quickly making small changes or additions to a large project.
Outline Model
This model is best for output files and measuring distances. Insertion points are not easy to see in this model, so it is not the recommended representation for creating objects.
Shape Model
This model displays objects at their original dimensions.