• Go to the menu Select. Here you can choose between Point Number, Line Number and Surface Number.
  Choose Line number.

• Enter the number ’21’ and hit OK.

• Diamonds will select the element.

• If you’re having trouble seeing or locating the element in a larger, complex structure, hit . This will hide all the element except for the selected element.

Note: it is also possible to show the point, line and surface numbers on the screen:

• Click on and go to the tab page “Geometry”.

• Again you can choose between Point Number, Line Number and Surface Number.
  Chech the option for for example the Line numbers.

• If the font size is too small or too big, you can change it on the right side.

Click on

Click on

• Default centered view
  • Click with right mouse button on the coordinate system XYZ in right bottom corner
• Centre the model
  • F12
• Moving the model (PAN)
  • Keep the scroll (wheel) of the mouse pressed and move the mouse
• Zoom in and out
  • Move the scroll (wheel) of the mouse
• 3D Rotate / 3D Orbit
  • Mouse
    • Keep the scroll (wheel) of the mouse and the SHIFT-button pressed. Move the mouse.
  • Sliders
    • Move the sliders on the right/under the model, to rotate the view of the 3D model.
• Model representation
  • On the right side of the Diamonds window:

Wireframe

Transparent surface

Non-transparent surface

Black-white solid

Color solid

Color solid +borders

• Size
  • The size of the font can be changed in the pallet on the right side. Note that you can also adjust the size of the symbols, the loads and the results.

Lines can be directly drawn on the screen. It is not required to draw point first. There are 2 main methods:

A. Directly on the screen (only in a 2D view):

• Click once to set the start point. The line will follow the cursor while you move.
• Click once more to set the end point.

B. Through coordinates in 2D/3D view:

• Enter 2 or 3 coordinates of the axes that you see on the right-hand side below, separated by a semi-colon.
  • E.g: Front view: XY plane => distance in x-direction; distance in y-direction
• Enter an @sign in front of the coordinates to use relative coordinates.
  • E.g: Top view: XZ plane => @distance in x- direction; distance in z- direction

• ENTER: End drawing of current line. You will be free to continue drawing elsewhere in the model.
• ESC: End drawing function

• 1 element
  • Click once on the element
• Multiple elements
  • Adding to the selection
    • Hold the SHIFT key down while clicking the other elements once.
  • Removing from the selection
    • Hold the SHIFT key down while clicking the selected elements once.
• Selection window
  • From left to right: only the elements which are completely within the selection window will be selected.

• • From right to left: all elements that are completely or partially in the selection window will be selected.

• Elements from the same design type
  • Hold the CTRL key down while clicking 1 element of this design type (either one)

Below you will find a list of all short keys available in Diamonds.
It is not possible to adjust the short keys or define short keys yourself. Suggestions for new short keys can be send to support@buildsoft.eu.

SHIFT	Aid when drawing lines under 0°, 90° and 45° Select additional elements Aid when using the rotation function
ALT + click on an element	Select elements of the same group Select plate borders together with plate, select plate edges with together with plate
CTRL + click on an element	Select all elements of the same design type
select element + DEL	Delete geometry elements or loads (depending on the configuration)
ENTER	Draw a new line (while in drawing function)
keep SPACE pressed in while selecting	Deactivate intelligent cursor
ESC	End the drawing function (in drawing function) Close the dialogs ,,,,,,

CTRL + A	Select all
CTRL + C	Copy data from tables Copy the drawing area to the clipboard
CTRL + N	New file
CTRL + O	Open file You could also use templates.
CTRL + P	Print screen
CTRL + Q	Close project
CTRL + R	Turn ruler on/off
CTRL + S	Save project
ALT + S	Save as
CTRL + Y	Redo
CTRL + Z	Undo The number of undo-operations can be set in the preferences.
CTRL + click on one point	Select all points
SHIFT + CTRL + DELETE	When you select a line: will remove the line but not the end points of the line When you select multiple intersecting lines: will remove the lines, but not the intersection point When you select a plate but not the borders: will remove the plate but not the borders

F1	Open Help
F2	Calculate concrete reinforcement quantities
F3	Steel and timber verification
F8	Export to BIM Expert
F9	Elastic analysis
F10	Zoom in (draw a selection box around the elements on which you want to zoom in)
F11	Zoom out
F12	Show everything as large as possible on the screen
SCROLL	Hold scroll down while moving mouse: pan Scroll: zoom in and out
SHIFT + SCROLL	Rotate (3D orbit)
Right mouse click in drawing area	Open Configuration settings
Right mouse click on	Centers the model on the screen with a standard orientation for the global coordinate system (= X-axis pointing to the right, Z-axis pointing out of the screen, Y-axis pointing upward). Available in Diamonds 2021 (or newer).
Double click in drawing area	Open Grid settings

a or A or CTRL + L	Draw a new line
d or D	Open divide lines dialogue
e or E	Open extrude dialogue
m or M	Open mirror dialogue
p or P	Open projection dialogue
r or R	Open rotation dialogue
t or T	Open translation dialogue

• Model creation
  • Draw directly on screen
  • Import a DXF-file
  • Import a BIM (Expert) model
• Assign sections and materials
• Generate slabs and plates
• From 2D to 3D
• Add supports & boundary conditions

2. Loads

• Definition of load groups
• Put loads on model
• Load combination generation ULS/SLS

3. Elastic analysis

• Mesh generation and mesh verification
• Elastic calculation
• Analyze & interpret elastic (detailed) results

4. Design

2D Plate to 3D Structure