Working with Labels

Dr. Frame2D supports both automatic labeling of maxima and minima, as well as arbitrary manual labeling via the Label Tool (). The figure below shows manually-applied displacement labels in the main view (one under the 21.0 k load and one at a joint), and two automatically-generated max-min labels on the moment diagram:

To create labels manually, use the label tool to click on the desired object:

Click on a point of the deflected shape to apply a displacement label
Click on a point of the underlying member on a auxiliary diagram to apply a moment or shear label. (Do not click on the plot line itself.)
Click on a plastic hinge to apply a plastic rotation tracking label.

To remove labels, select them and type the Delete/Backspace key. Note that you can remove both manually applied and automatic labels, but removing automatic labels is not recommended (the given member will no longer be able to automatically indicate maximum/minimum values).

Moving labels has two components: relocating where the label text appears; and relocating the reference point on the structure to which the label is attached.

An automatic label's reference point cannot be moved. Its text location can be repositioned by clicking and dragging with either the Label or Select Tool.
Labels applied to joints cannot have their reference points moved. Click and drag to reposition the label text.
The reference point of labels manually applied to members can be moved by clicking on the label and then dragging along the member. The text location of member labels can be repositioned arbitrarily by holding down the control key while clicking and dragging.

One can also use the member label inspection table for precise placement:

Most force and moment labels can be relocated individually by simply clicking and dragging with the Select (Arrow) Tool. This makes it straightforward to clean up the clutter in most figures.

Not all labels can be individually relocated. In particular, internal member reaction labels can only be moved via the label offset buttons.

In general:

A Label's value depends on the view of the structure it is associated with. In the main view labels will show displacements or plastic rotations, while in the aux view labels will show moments, shears, and evelope values as appropriate.
Label precision can be set in the Number Formatting dialog reached via the Options menu.

Displacement labels refer to vector quantities, and the following decomposition options are available:

Absolute displacement magnitude (this display option is used when the Vector Decomposition option is No Decomposition):

Absolute x-y displacement components (when the Vector Decomposition option is x-y Decomposition):
Longitudinal and transverse displacement components relative to a straight line connecting the member's end points in the deformed configuration (when the Vector Decomposition option is Axial-Shear):

Controlling Automatic Labeling

Automatic labeling is controlled by the commands in the Plots:Automatic Labels submenu.

The menu commands are relatively self-explanatory:

Choosing Label Global Maximum will cause the overall maximum value to be labeled automatically.
Label All Maxima causes maximum values for all members to be identified and labeled. For larger models, this can cause significant screen clutter.
Label All Maxima and Minima will lead to two labels for each member being shown, one for the maximum positive value and one for the most negative value.
Auto Labels Off hides all labels.
Each time Cycle Auto Label Setting is chosen, the automatic label setting will bump down to the next choice in the menu, wrapping at "Auto Labels Off". With the keyboard accelerator, this makes for a quick way to change the label setting.
When a member or set of members is selected, the menu items below the separator line become enabled, and one can apply similar label settings to individual members or sets of members accordingly.

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Using Dr. Frame2D