RAMSS 3D Viewer FAQ

Why are my graphics chunky or blocky looking?

RAM Structural System used open GL based graphics. Many graphics adapters are set up for high performance, but reduced quality graphics which is preferred for high speed gaming, but not really necessary for engineering work. With these adapters there is usually a way to improve the quality but the program also has an option to override the graphics adapter and let the operating system handle the graphics in our 3D viewer. To use this option got to RAM Manager - Tools menu - Defaults Utility.. - (Last Option) 3D viewer - and set Smoothing = None.

This should eliminate the chunky type graphics or triangulated graphics you might see,.

The same tip can also fix problems where some element types (e.g.particularly the columns) are totallyinvisiblenotshowingupatall.

Why is it difficult to select a specific member in 3D? 

RAM Structural System performs best when the model is reasonably close to the world origin (0,0). When models are imported from Revit or dxf or ISM it is a good idea to check that the resulting model is close to (0,0), otherwise some things can become more difficult. Selecting a specific member for example can become harder, but more importantly, some of the calculations which are limited to a set number of significant digits could be compromised if the model is many miles from (0,0). A utility to Move a Model has been posted under the Ram Data Access area in cases where you need to move a model after the fact, but keep in mind, some information will be lost.

Why are some of the members not shown in the Design Module or 3D view?

Within each design module there is a tool called View - Non Pertinent Members that can be used to control how the other members that are not being designed in the current module should appear. The options are Normal (all members are drawn the same), Lines (single line mode for non-pertinent members) or Hide. Pick an option other than Hide to see all members.

The ability to turn off the display of member types or the decking is also possible through the View - Members dialog.

See above for another possible cause for members, usually columns. not showing on some computers. 

Finally, as with all graphics related issues, updating the graphics adapter driver is advised.

To identify what type of video card is installed in your computer, please follow these steps.

Windows XP

1. Go to the Start Menu and select Settings – Control Panel.
2. Double-click on Display.
3. There are several tabs in the Display Setting dialog box. Select the Settings tab,
4. On the Settings tab, click on the Advanced button.
5. Again there will be several tabs. Select the Adapter tab.

The name of the video card will be displayed on the Adapter tab. Please refer to the manufacturer of
that video card to download the latest drivers.

1. Windows 7
2. Go to the display settings (via control panel
3. Click Adjust resolution on the left
4. Click advanced Settings in the middle

The dialog that appears should have an Adapter Tab with information about the graphics adapter.

See Also

Product TechNotes and FAQs

Structural Product TechNotes And FAQs

External Links

Bentley Technical Support KnowledgeBase

Bentley LEARN Server

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