Windows toolbar

Show or hide the properties list

 

The properties view pane is a vital part of the interface. It displays a list of all the settings that can be changed of the selected entity. In the picture below, an empty property pane is shown. It will be automatically populated when an entity is selected.

 

 

There are too many properties in CivilFEM to list here. Instead, properties for different entities of the model are documented in the relevant manual section.

 

There are many kinds of properties, including number fields, text fields, dropdown lists and clickable links. Properties are organized in categories that can be expanded and collapsed with the + button. The property name appears in the left column, and the editable value appears in the right column.

 

Whenever something in the project is clicked or selected, its properties are displayed in the Properties Bar. For example, selecting objects in the Entities viewbar or clicking items in the Groups view shows the relevant properties in the Properties Bar.

 

Moreover, all properties also have a description that provides additional information about what the property is used for. This is displayed in a panel at the bottom of the Properties viewbar. It is worth keeping an eye on this since it can contain useful hints and tips. This description appears in the bottom part of this viewbar.

 

Show or hide the output window

 

The output window displays every completed operation and both errors and warnings.

 

 

Output window has two informative tabs: output and error list.

 

 

Show or hide the list with the parameters used in the model

 

 

 

This dockable window allows the user to establish a new parameter linked to a value. Besides, a value can also be defined by a formula.

 

Parameters can be assigned a specific unit. CivilFEM will take care of the conversion for the user.

 

The parameter list toolbar has several commands:

 

 

For instance:

 

 

If the user wants to create an extruded body, it is possible to define the height by defining a Length parameter.

 

 

Shows or hides the containers with the the model entities

 

 

The model entities dockable window allows the user to see all created entities.

 

"All" button    is selected by default, so the whole group of entities are shown.

 

On the other hand, if user only wants to visualize a particular group, top buttons are available to be used.

 

When the user clicks on any of these buttons, only that group will be shown on the entities window pane.

 

Moreover, this option is useful if the user has sorted the elements in different groups instead of using the group that CivilFEM establishes by default.

 

On the other hand, the internal entity tab works as follows:

 

 

Nevertheless, manual selection is also possible. User may use the "Ctrl" and "Shift" keyboard keys in order to create a selection.

 

Show or hide the command line

 

 

Command line allows the execution of individual commands.

 

The main difference between the command line and the script editor is that the command line is not able to execute a whole set of commands, just like the script editor can. Only single line commands can be executed.

 

On the other hand, command line is capable of executing the "run" command, linked to the script editor line numbers.

 

 

 

This means that CivilFEM will execute lines from the 12th to the 25th of the code present in the Script Editor.

 

Moreover, it is also possible to recall commands which has been previously executed, using the upper arrow key.

 

Show or hide the script editor

 

Tab 1 – Editor: Here you can write, open, save, and run your Python scripts. It includes a toolbar with editing, execution, and help actions.

 

 

1) New Document (Ctrl + N): Creates a new document and clears the current editor content.

 

2) Open Document (Ctrl + O): Opens a .py file and loads it into the editor. If there are unsaved changes, prompts confirmation before replacing.

 

3) Save Document (Ctrl + S): Saves the current document. If never saved before, opens a Save dialog.

 

4) Save Document As: Opens a Save As dialog to store a copy with a new name/location.

 

5) Undo (Ctrl + Z): Undoes the last edit action.

 

6) Redo (Ctrl + Y): Redoes the previously undone action. Depends on Undo history.

 

7) Run Script (F5): Executes the editor content with the configured Python interpreter.

 

8) Stop Script (Shift + F5): Stops the currently running script. Enabled only while a script is running.

 

9) Toggle Comment (Ctrl + Q): Comments/Uncomments the selected lines (using `#`).

 

10) Search and Replace (Ctrl + F): Opens the Search and Replace panel.

 

11) Script Help: Displays the script editor help/documentation.

 

 

Quick tips (Tab 1)

 

- Save frequently (Save) and use Save As for versioning.

- Before using Open, save your changes to avoid data loss.

- If the script hangs, use Stop Script and check resources.

- It is not advisable that the user deletes the first command line of the Script editor (# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-)

 

 

Tab 2 – Watcher: Allows you to view in real time the values of variables defined in Python’s global pool during execution.

 

 

 

- Variable table: Lists each global variable name and value.

- Reload/Refresh variables button: Updates the view and reloads the variable values

  - Warnings/Limitations: Update reflects only the current state in memory; complex variables may be shown in truncated form.

  - Typical error messages: “No active execution context. Run a script before reloading.

 

Quick tips (Tab 2)

 

- Use Reload after each run to get updated values.

- If a variable does not appear, make sure it is in the global scope.

- For large structures, consider printing to the console for detailed inspection.

 

Code Autocompletion

 

 

The script editor provides code autocompletion to help you write Python commands faster and more accurately.

To activate autocompletion, press Ctrl + Space while typing in the editor. A popup window will appear showing a list of available Python commands, functions, and symbols that match the current context.

You can navigate through the list using the keyboard or mouse. As you select an option, a tooltip is displayed showing the corresponding help information for that command, including its description and usage details.

 

This feature reduces typing effort, helps prevent syntax errors, and allows quick access to command documentation directly while writing scripts.

 

 

 

Show or hide the groups view

 

 

The main use of the group selection dockable pane is showing a structured view of the existing groups in the model.

 

Groups view can be used for quickly selecting groups of entities (elements, materials, etc). This allows quick interaction with a large set of entities in the model.

 

If the user wants to create a group:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shows or hides the View utils window. This window will list all the pre-defined Views and Clipping planes (they cannot be deleted) and the ones defined by user.

 

 

See User View.

See Clipping plane.