Bars

Bars are the fundamental structural elements in CalcSteel. Each bar connects two nodes and represents a steel member (beam, column, brace, etc.).

Creating Bars

Press L or select the Create Bar tool. Click to place the start node, then click again along an axis to place the end node. Smart snapping helps you align with existing nodes, midpoints, and grid lines.

Dividing Bars

Select one or more bars and use the Divide tool (D) to split them into equal segments. Intermediate nodes are automatically created.

Selecting Bars

Click a bar to select it. Use box-select (click and drag) for multiple bars. Hold Shift to toggle individual bars in/out of the selection. Press Tab to select connected bars (chain select).