{"id":33716,"date":"2026-04-27T13:00:05","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T13:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/protasoftware.com\/technical-manuals\/structural-modelling\/working-with-planes\/"},"modified":"2026-06-19T12:37:45","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T12:37:45","slug":"working-with-planes","status":"publish","type":"wiki","link":"https:\/\/protasoftware.com\/wiki\/working-with-planes\/","title":{"rendered":"Working With Planes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Plane Properties<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b>
<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n <\/span><\/p>\n


\n <\/span>
\n <\/span><\/div>\n


\n <\/span><\/p>\n


\n
\n <\/span><\/div>\n


\n <\/span><\/p>\n


\n <\/span>Plane Definition<\/span><\/span>
\n
\n <\/span><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n
\n

"<\/span><\/span>Plane Properties<\/span><\/span><\/i>" will be loaded when the "<\/span><\/span>Plane Definition<\/span><\/span><\/i>" option in the "<\/span>Modelling<\/span><\/i>" ribbon is selected.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Planes are used to assist adjusting the levels of the members in Z direction.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Plane definition is a particularly efficient way of modeling structural members such as sloping slabs<\/span> (e.g. ramps)<\/span><\/i><\/b> that are not parallel to the plan level in the building.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/p>\n

To define a new Plane:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

1. Press \u201c<\/span><\/span>Plane Def<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>inition<\/span><\/span><\/i>\u201d button <\/span>in "<\/span>Modelling<\/span><\/i>" ribbon.
<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
2. The \u201cPlane Properties\u201d form will be loaded. You can change the label of the Plane member by using up and down arrow at the right of the \u201c<\/span><\/span>Plane No:<\/span><\/span><\/i>\u201d field.<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n


<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
3. There are five options to define the Plane member, namely, \u201c<\/span><\/span>Axis Region<\/span><\/span><\/i>\u201d, \u201cBeam Region\u201d, \u201cPick Points\u201d, \u201cPick Closed Slab Edge\u201d, and \u201c<\/span><\/span>Pick Axis<\/span><\/span><\/i>\u201d.
<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
    \n
  1. In order to get detailed information about these methods, you can watch this video :<\/span> <\/span>Slab Insertion Options<\/span><\/a>.
    <\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    4. After inserting the Plane member using one of the five methods mentioned above, coordinates of the three corner points of the plane member will be shown in <\/span><\/span>\u201cPoint: 1 "<\/span><\/span><\/i>, <\/span><\/span><\/span>\u201cPoint: 2 \u201d<\/span><\/span><\/i> and <\/span><\/span><\/span>\u201cPoint: 3\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/i> fields.
    <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
      \n
    1. "<\/span><\/span><\/span>Point: 1\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/i> will be assigned to the Left-Bottom corner of the plane by the program automatically. Starting from \u201cPoint: 1\u201d, other corner points of the plane will be determined in an counter-clock wise order. 
      <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    2. As it\u2019s known from the mathematics four points are necessary for the equation of a plane. 4<\/span><\/span>th<\/span><\/span><\/sup> <\/span><\/span><\/span>corner point is calculated internally and will not be shown in these fields.
      <\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      5.  When plane member is first defined, all the values in the \u201c<\/span><\/span>Z<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/i>\u201d fields will be zero. This means that plane is parallel to the storey level and at the same level.
      <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
        \n
      1. If you enter a positive value to the \u201cZ<\/b>\u201d field of a corner point related corner point will be raises by that amount relative to the storey level. <\/span>
        <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Editing an Existing Plane Member<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

        In order to edit an existing plane:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Select an existing plane.
          <\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        2. Right-click and select \u201c<\/span>Properties<\/span><\/i>\u201d.
          <\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        3. Modify the fields such as \u201c<\/span><\/span>Z<\/span><\/span><\/i>\u201d in the \u201c<\/span>Plane Properties<\/span><\/i>\u201d form.
          <\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        4. Press the "<\/span><\/span>Update<\/span><\/span><\/i>" button in the \u201c<\/span><\/span>Properties<\/span><\/span><\/i>\u201d form or Right-click and select \u201c<\/span><\/span>Update<\/span><\/span><\/i>\u201d option in the Shortcut Menu.<\/span><\/span>
          <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
          You can repeat this process on as many planes as you wish. One plane at a time can be edited by this method.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

          Move Members to Plane Definition<\/span><\/span>
          <\/span><\/h2>\n

          One of the most commonly used options in the Planes shortcut menu is \u201c<\/span><\/span>Move Members to Plane Definition<\/span><\/span><\/i>\u201d. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

          It is used after the level of the corner points of an existing plane have been adjusted by using \u201cZ\u201d fields.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
          <\/span><\/div>\n

          In order to use this option:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

            \n
          1. Select the Plane in which the level of the corner points have been adjusted.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
          2. Use \u201cMove Members to Plane Definition\u201d option in the shortcut menu by right-clicking in order to adjust all of the structural members contained or at the edge of the plane to the new plane level.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
            <\/div>\n
              \n<\/ol>\n
              \n
              \n \"Notes\"Users can refer to the example in<\/span><\/span> <\/span>How to model inclined \/ sloping slab<\/span><\/a> for steps to model slanting slabs using plane definition.<\/span><\/span>
              \n <\/span><\/div>\n


              \n <\/span><\/p>\n


              \n <\/span><\/p>\n

              \n <\/span>\"Warning\"
              \n <\/span><\/p>\n

              \n <\/span>Please note that if Plane Definition is applied around a wall, the <\/span>              Wall Model Type<\/span><\/a> should set to
              \n <\/span>FE Shell Model. <\/span><\/b>This is to ensure connected members are properly support by the wall. <\/span> <\/b><\/span><\/div>\n

              <\/span>\n <\/div>\n

              \n \n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
              \n \n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              Plane Properties Plane Definition "Plane Properties" will be loaded when the "Plane Definition" option in the "Modelling" ribbon is selected. Planes are used to assist…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_whitepaper_youtube_videos":"","_whitepaper_youtube_url":"","_whitepaper_youtube_thumbnail":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[185],"whitepaper_topic":[],"whitepaper_product":[],"whitepaper_type":[],"class_list":["post-33716","wiki","type-wiki","status-publish","hentry","category-structural-modelling"],"yoast_head":"\nWorking With Planes - Prota Software<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Plane Properties Plane Definition "Plane Properties" will be loaded when the "Plane Definition" option in the "Modelling"\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/protasoftware.com\/wiki\/working-with-planes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Prota Software\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Plane Properties Plane Definition "Plane Properties" will be loaded when the "Plane Definition" option in the "Modelling"\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/protasoftware.com\/wiki\/working-with-planes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Prota Software\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-06-19T12:37:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/desk.zoho.com\/DocsDisplay?zgId=672206093&mode=inline&blockId=kr8xq0bcc9c0966414f1da9c80fe5dd98aebd\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Prota Software\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/protasoftware.com\\\/wiki\\\/working-with-planes\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/protasoftware.com\\\/wiki\\\/working-with-planes\\\/\",\"name\":\"Working With Planes - 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