đź“‘ Getting Started With MasterSeries
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Getting Started With MasterSeries

 The Main MasterSeries Start-Up Screen

Start MasterSeries by selecting it from the Windows Start menu or by double-clicking the desktop icon. The Start-Up screen appears.

Based on the functionalities, the Start-Up screen can be divided into three regions. 

Blue Box: The left side of the screen is the Main Menu (#1) and gives you access to the available MasterSeries programs, BIM and import functionalities, and other licensing and customisation options. 

Maroon Box: The middle top Recent Files field (#2) provides quick access to the recently used MasterSeries models. The icon, at the beginning of each line, shows the associated MasterSeries program. 

Green Box: The top right Announcement field (#3) contains the latest MasterSeries news.

Purple Box: The bottom right is the Learning Centre (#4)

The Programs menu contains all of the available programs divided into three fields: 

  •  The Integrated Analysis & Design field contains those programs which can be used to create a 2D or 3D structural model with analysis and design. The Integrated analysis & design programs’ capabilities can be extended with add-on modules. 
  • Standalone field contains those programs which can be used independently such as Masonry, Connection etc. 
  • Beam Designers field collects all of the easy to use and quick beam designer solutions.

The Import menu collects all of the BIM and import possibilities. By selecting one of the import function, the selected file will be imported and opened as a new MasterFrame native model.

The Utilities menu provides access to many useful utilities including Open Library (Steel Sections database), Preferences, and Zip & Email to compress MasterSeries files for e-mail (for example to send us your files for technical support purposes).

The Resource menu: Much of the MasterSeries Help and Learning System are accessed via this menu. Here you can also check for available software updates and set the frequency of the automatic checks.

The Licence menu provides access to the main license information such as the version number of MasterSeries you are using, the date of the program, who the software is licensed to, the Licence serial number currently being used and the available programs and modules. But, here you can add further modules to your MasterSeries suite or, if you are using cloud licensing, check out a license to your local computer and check the actual license usage info.


Logging on to a Network Dongle, SoftLock or Cloud Licence

If you are using a Network Dongle, SoftLock, or Cloud and have both PowerPad and other MasterSeries modules, then the licence manager screen will appear before the main MasterSeries Start-Up screen. There you can select which type of seat(s) you wish to use on the network dongle. The option you choose will depend on the configuration of your programs and the programs you wish to access in this session.

Log in PowerPad Only: PowerPad is a set of MasterSeries programs and also describes a type of seat. Once you log on using this option you have access to only the programs included in PowerPad and are occupying a PowerPad seat. As an example, if you have two copies of PowerPad on your dongle then you have two PowerPad seats. 

Log in MasterSeries Only: Your Network Dongle is configured to allow different Engineers to use Modules at the same time. If you have 3 copies of MasterFrame, 1 Masonry & 1 Retaining Wall Design, then 5 Engineers can use the system at the same time. 

Log in both MasterSeries and PowerPad: Use this option if you wish to use the facilities of a MasterSeries full version program while also using a component of PowerPad. An example of this might be if you needed to use the MasterFrame 1500 member space frame analysis program (main MasterSeries program) and wanted to carry out integrated connection design, where you only have the MasterKey Connections program as part of PowerPad. This option also gives you the ability to export results to Microsoft Word from any MasterSeries full version program. 

Select the desired option and then click on Start Now.


Customising Your MasterSeries System 

Preferences options may be accessed from the Utilities menu on the MasterSeries Start-up screen.

General tab

Checkbox function, in the Automation field, indicates which version of MS Word for PowerPad documents and MS Excel for the Calculation Wizard are being used. 

MasterSeries drafting and detailing programs export information to AutoCAD, during which process MasterSeries can load AutoCAD automatically. In order to do this, the user must initially use the Reset AutoCAD Directory function to select the directory where AutoCAD is currently installed. 

In the Automatic Data File BackUp field, we can turn on/off the auto backup function. If it is on then MasterSeries automatically create backups from the model files according to the selected frequency. Backup files will be deleted automatically after the selected days.

MasterFrame tab 

MasterFrame uses context sensitive custom cursors. In older monitors with slow refresh rates they may appear to flicker, therefore you have the option to turn them off and use the default Windows cursor.

 Select to view and print particular member material properties in the MasterFrame data file. 

Specify which MasterFrame analysis licence to check for. This can be useful for speeding up log on to MasterFrame on a Network dongle by specifying tocheck only for the licence on the MasterFrame version you have. Mouse movement sensitivity for the new MasterSeries graphics can be modified to increase/reduce speed. 

Design Codes tab

 In the Default Design Code and Settings field, select the default Design Code (only licensed design codes will be active). Change values that appear in the load factor spin button in the load combination form. The default sign convention of drawing bending moments on the tension side of the beam and shear force may be reversed.

 Maximum Service Case Load Factor determines which load cases will be used as a ULS and which as an SLS. So, those load cases which contain lower load factor then the set limit will be selected as SLS and which have higher will be ULS. 

The options in the BS 5950 Automation field, automatically change the beam and beam portion check to Axial with Moments when more critical and print both the Simplified and More Exact Checks.

In the Concrete Design field, you can change values that appear in Concrete Design Basic Data and Defaults form.

 In the Timber Design field, user defined timber grades can be added to EC and BS. 

The options in the Default Country for EuroCode National Application field can be used to check the used EuroCode parameters for each of the chapters. With the Add user defined country values ( ) option you can create a user defined NA as a copy of one of the previously created NA. 

When you create a EuroCode National Application user defined country set, the data is stored in a file C:\ProgramData\MasterSeries\ECConstants[YourCountryName].xml file, where [YourCountryName] is the name given to your set. The "C:\ProgramData\MasterSeries" is known as the MasterSeries common application folder and is shared by all MasterSeries year version installs on the same PC, hence all EuroCode National Application user defined country sets will be available in all year version of MasterSeries installed on the same PC. You can copy the EuroCode National Application country set "ECConstants[YourCountryName].xml" files from one PC to another but must be stored in the MasterSeries common application folder.

In most areas within the MasterSeries application where the design code can be selected there will also be a 'Country' drop list where your EuroCode National Application country set will be available for selection.

The 'Defaults' Euro norm values and the 'UK' National Application value are provided by default. These sets can not be changed or deleted, but can be copied to new user defined sets.


Steel Sections tab 

The steel sections database can be customised and new sections added if required. For details, see the manual document – “23 The Steel Sections and Open Library”. SC_ToDo

Company Logo tab 

The company logo, which appears in printed output and in PowerPad documents may be changed here.

  1.  Click on the Browse button and locate the directory and highlight the file name. 
  2. Click O.K 
  3.  Click on the Save new logo ( ) to change in the printed output 
  4. Select Change in PowerPad to update the logo in the PowerPad template file 

The logo is automatically resized to the appropriate dimensions in the company title block. You can also update your PowerPad title block so that PowerPad Word documents have your title block appearing at the top.

Colours tab 

MasterSeries uses a defaults colour set and colour schemes in various parts of the program. These can be modified in the Colours tab. 

To change the default colour: 

  1. . Drop the Colour in Graphics  list 
  2. Select one of the default colour set 
  3.  Choose an alternative colour from the colour palette area at the centre of the screen 

The default font styles and sizes used in the MasterFrame graphics area can also be set at the bottom of this drop list.

Saving and Retrieving Customisation Settings 

Once the system has been customised the settings must be saved. 

Selecting the Exit: Using Current Settings from the File menu, the current settings can be saved as the default settings. 

Selecting the Exit Using MasterSeries Default, the References dialogue will be closed without saving the settings. With the Reset to MasterSeries Defaults option, all of the settings can be reset to defaults.


Installing Your Company Title Block 

The Company Title Block information may have been installed during the installation of the main MasterSeries system. If your company name appears after Licensed To: in the Start-Up screen’s Licence menu then the company title block information has been installed. 

To install your company title block, you will have received a MSTitleBlock.txt file by email from C&CSC. Save the File to an accessible location on your PC. Then Start MasterSeries, and if requested, point to the saved location. You can also update the titlebloc when you get a new one by using the Copy Titleblock option in the Utilities menu. 

To change any title block information the user must contact with Civil and Structural Computer Services.

General File Management 

The File Selector is common to all MasterSeries Programs and appears each time a program is accessed. It allows you to view and select existing MasterSeries files or to start a new file.

The left side of the File Selector is a usual Windows file tree (#1) which can be used to navigate between the folders. By clicking with the right mouse button on one of the folders in the tree, the following functions will be available:

  •  Create a new folder inside the selected folder 
  •  Add the selected folder to Favourites to create a shortcut
  •  Copy selected folder to the clipboard 
  •  Paste the content of the clipboard to the selected folder 
  • Delete the selected folder

By clicking on the Star ( ) button on the top of the file selector tree, we can see the saved favourite folders. By selecting one of them, the file tree will immediately jump to there. By clicking the Star icon at the end of the line, we can remove or add each of them.

The table, on the right of the File Selector (#3), lists all the MasterFrame models contained in the selected folder.

Just like in any other table application; by clicking on the header, the content of the table can be ordered by name, modification date or size.

 Selecting one of the model files, it can be opened by clicking on the Open button or using the top tool bar’s functionalities (#2), it can be manipulated.

 View/hide the model preview window

 Rename the selected model file

 Copy the selected file(s) to clipboard

Paste the selected content of the clipboard to the actual folder

Zip the selected file(s) with all the additional files

Zip and attach to a blank email the selected file(s) with all the additional files

 Delete the selected file(s)

Multiple file selection is available to select the files while pressing the Ctrl button or using the range selection by selecting the first one then select the last one while pressing the Shift button. Or all the files can be selected/deselected by clicking in/out the checkbox on the top of the first column.

To create a new model file click on the New button on the bottom, then type the name (for example Tutor01-2) and click on the Create button