You use the Step Manager to create, edit, and manipulate the analysis steps associated with the current model. To start the Step Manager, select Step
Manager from the main menu bar. Columns in the Step Manager dialog box display the following information about each step:
Name
The name of the step. Names of linear perturbation steps are indented relative to names of general steps.
Procedure
The analysis procedure that you selected for this step when the step was created. You can change the analysis procedure after creating a step. Click Replace to select a new procedure type for the selected step. The Procedure column also indicates whether thermal and soils steps assume steady-state or transient conditions or if neither is applicable.
Nlgeom
Whether the analysis step accounts for geometric nonlinearities. You use the Nlgeom button to control the Nlgeom setting for a particular step. Once you have set the Nlgeom option for a step, your setting remains in effect for all subsequent steps.
Time
The time period for the step. The default value for the time period is 1.0 time unit. Click Edit to display the step editor so that you can modify the time period.
You use the buttons across the bottom of the Step Manager dialog box to create a step that follows the selected step or to manipulate the selected step. You use the Dismiss button to close the Step Manager dialog box. You can perform the same tasks using the pull-down menus available from the Step menu, located in the main menu bar.
Warning: If you use the Step Manager or the Step menu to delete a step, objects associated with that step, such as prescribed conditions or output requests, are also deleted. If you use the Step Manager or the Step menu to replace a step, objects that are incompatible with the new analysis procedure are substituted with an equivalent object, if possible, or deleted.
