Question:
How can I display the local axis systems in RFEM and reverse the local axis z?
Answer:
Each surface has a local coordinate system (x, y, z) in RFEM.
The coordinates x and y lie in the surface; z is perpendicular to the surface. The top and bottom sides of a surface are determined by the direction of the z-axis.
The direction in which the local z-axis points is the bottom side of a surface. Normally, this local z-axis points downwards. Depending on the definition direction of the boundary lines and the order in which the lines were clicked, it may also be possible for the local z-axis to point upwards.
However, this can be corrected very easily. Please display the local surface coordinate systems first.
Proceed as follows:
Activate Project Navigator - Display on the left side of the screen.
Open the "Model" → "Surfaces" branch and activate the check box next to the "Surface Axis Systems x, y, z" entry.
To reverse the direction of the local z-axis, right-click the relevant surface and select "Reverse Local Axis System" in the shortcut menu.
It is not possible to rotate the local axes x, y. The direction of these axes depends directly on the global axis and the position of the surface. For example, if a surface is defined in the x, y plane, the local x-axis points in the direction of the global x-axis. If you incline this slab out of the plane, the local coordinate system rotates automatically.