Simplified Interface Top Menus

When the Simplified Interface is active then the following menus are available.

MasterPort Editor menu

MasterPort Post-analysis menu

MasterPort Steel design menu

MasterPort Editor Menu

The MasterPort Editor menu is a short menu with only a few items as most of the editing can be carried out using the tabs at the bottom of screen in the Simplified Interface.

The File menu

Create a new MasterPort file Open an existing MasterPort file Open a recent existing MasterPort file Save the existing MasterPort file Save the existing MasterPort file as a copy with a new filename Re-load the existing file as it was last saved - may undo most recent actions Fill in the Job and Project reference details Notes for the current project Analyse the frame Print the frame geometry as seen on the current screen Exit the MasterPort Editor Exit MasterPort completely Exit MasterSeries completely

 The Options menu

Reset all the design briefs for all the groups Use the current portal data as the default for a new portal frame Use the original program data for a new portal frame Re-set the current portal to the default portal data

 The Design Code menu

Reset all the design briefs for all the groups Use the current portal data as the default for a new portal frame Use the original program data for a new portal frame Re-set the current portal to the default portal data

 The Analyse, Dynamic and Help menus

1. Analyse the frame as an elastic or plastic frame.
2. Use Dynamic analysis on the portal frame.
3. The Help menu gives access to the relevant manuals and tutorials.
4. About MasterSeries gives details of the license, version number and access to remote support.

MasterPort  Post Analysis Menu

The post analysis menu gives access to various additional menus, including viewing and printing the datafile, examining the analysis output, selecting the type of design to be carried out, and exporting facilities.

The File menu

Create a new MasterPort file Open an existing MasterPort file Open a recent existing MasterPort file Save the existing MasterPort file Save the existing MasterPort file as a copy with a new filename Save the current frame to the MasterSeries Library Saves the current loadcases as the standard default cases Saves the frame in MasterFrame format - see explanation below Exit MasterPort completely Exit MasterSeries completely

When a frame is saved in MasterFrame format it takes the same filename as the current file. This new file can then be found as a MasterFrame file in the same directory that the MasterPort file was saved in. Some users like to save the frame in MasterFrame format so that they can use some of the facilities that are found in MasterFrame, but don't exist in MasterPort.

There are a couple of differences that occur when the frame is saved in MasterFrame. These include the 0/10/20 partial fixity option which is automatically applied in MasterPort. This option is not applied automatically in MasterFrame. Instead it is applied only as the 20 percent fixity. Therefore the 0 and 10 percent fixities need to be applied manually - see the MasterFrame manual for details on how to accomplish this.

The other main difference is that the design briefs are applied to individual members rather than the member groups as in MasterPort. Therefore additional design briefs need to be added for all the members in the MasterFrame version of the model.

The Data menu

View the data file for the frame, including node coordinates, loads, etc Print the data file, also option to export to Word Print the frame graphics as currently seen on screen Export the current frame graphics to Word

 Analyse - see the analyse item in the editor menu above.

The Output menu

View nodal deflections, member forces and support reaction Print selected deflections, forces and reactions in tabular format View, print, export member stresses Show internal members forces along length of a member View, print, export to Word frame deflections, forces and bending moments in graphical format

 The Design menu

Go into linked Steel Design of the frame Go into linked Concrete Design for the column bases Go into linked Connections Design of the joints Sort and/or delete the current steel design briefs Delete all the current concrete design briefs Delete all the current connection briefs

Drafting - use MasterCAD for Portal Frames to modify the graphical appearance of the portal frame and print/export GAs and sections to other drawing formats, eg, DXF. For further details see the drafting section below.

Dynamic - see the dynamic item in the editor menu above.

The Export menu

Export the portal frame in various formats capable of being interpreted by other specific software packages. The most common of these are the DXF, IFC and Revit Structure formats. See Exporting the Structure for further details on how to accomplish the exporting.

For details on exporting through Revit see 📑 BIM.

The Options menu

Delete any dynamic data previously applied Delete any MasterCAD data previously applied Speeds up analysis slightly Ignore any FE surfaces in the model Remesh any FE surfaces in the model

 Help - see the help item in the  editor menu above.

MasterPort Design Menus

Under the Design menu there are links to the steel, concrete and connections design for the model.

MasterPort steel design - for further details on the steel design menu for a portal frame see the📄 Steel Designmain menu section.

You can also link your portal frame model to the concrete design wherein the concrete pads to the columns can be designed and checked. For further information on the concrete design see the 📄 Pad Foundations.

You can also link your model to the connections design wherein the moment and simple connections can be designed and checked, for example, eaves connections, apex and baseplates. For further details on the connection design see 🔩 MasterKey Moment and Simple Connections.