The graphics engine allows you to select entities by moving the mouse anywhere along the entity of interest. For lines and surfaces, it is much easier to work when you are zoomed in on a particular area, as you are not required to have a pick handle on the screen in order to pick the entity.

Another key feature in the graphics engine is the method by which nodes are selected. To select a node, select the element to which the node of interest is attached. BasicFEA selects the node closest to the point where the element was selected. The benefit of this feature is that it allows you to create zero length elements between two coincident nodes in a mesh.

For nodes that are not attached to any elements, BasicFEA allows you to select the node by picking the "node sphere" on the screen.

 

See Also:

Input Controls