The Drawing Board is the portion of the Bridge Design Window in which you create a by drawing and with your mouse. In the Drawing Board Mode, you can also edit the structural model by moving, adding, or deleting joints; by changing member properties; and by adding and deleting members.
Use the to return to the Drawing Board Mode after a .
The bridge , , , road surface, and high-water level are displayed on the Drawing Board at all times. (See Component Parts of a Truss Bridge for more information about these terms.) The size and position of these items is based on your selected site configuration.
The Drawing Board is covered by a . (You can't see it, but it's there.) When you draw joints to create your structural model, your mouse "snaps" to the grid line intersections, which are called . Joints can only be drawn at the snap points.
The drawing grid can be set to low, medium, or high resolution. Use the to switch between the three. It is generally easiest to create your structural model using the low-resolution grid, then switch to the medium- and high-resolution settings for editing.
Horizontal and vertical rulers are displayed on the left and bottom edges of the Drawing Board to help you accurately position joints in your structural model.
Symmetry Guides can be displayed on the Drawing Board to help you position joints, such that your structural model is .
A title block is displayed in the lower right-hand corner of the Drawing Board. The title block shows the name of the bridge design project, the name of the designer, and a project identification name or number.
When you start a new design, you may chose to display a truss template on the Drawing Board to help you determine an appropriate, stable configuration for your structural model.