> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.enercalc.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.enercalc.com/e3d-user-manual/introduction/toc161393724.md).

# Terms and Conventions

Understand the terms and conventions used throughout ENERCALC 3D, including members, shells, bricks, and degrees of freedom.

The convention for commands in this documentation is Main Menu > Sub-Menu. For example, Create > Line Loads means the Line Loads command from the Create item in the main ribbon.

**Model View:** A window in the program that contains the graphical display of the model.

**Report View:** A window in the program that contains the text or graphical report.

**Structural Command:** A command in the program that affects the results for a model.

**Member:** A beam or frame element. It also refers to a truss when the element has full moment releases at two ends. The term “beam element”, “frame element” and “member” are used interchangeably in this program.

**Shell**: a four-node shell finite element. It includes membrane action and plate bending action. It is sometimes called a plate.

**Brick**: an eight-node solid finite element.

**Entity:** A node, member, shell or brick.

**Element:** A member or finite element (shell or brick).

**Object:** A node or finite element (shell or brick) or its dependent.

**Dependent:** A structural entity whose existence depends upon the existence of another structural entity. For example, a support is a dependent of a node; a moment release is a dependent of a member (beam element). All loads are dependents of nodes or members or finite elements.

**Parent:** A structural entity which may have dependents. Nodes and elements may be parents. For example, a node may be a parent of a support or a member. A member may be a parent of a moment release.

**Distance List:** A comma separated list that specifies multiple distances. For example, a distance list of “12,2\@14,3\@10” will generate distances of 12, 14, 14, 10, 10, and 10 in length units.

**Orphaned Node:** A node that is not connected to any elements.

**DOFs:** Degrees of freedom.

**64-bit floating point (double precision):** The solver that uses 64-bit (8 bytes) floating-point arithmetic. The 64-bit floating point (double precision) is the standard solver in almost all structural analysis programs.

**128-bit floating point (quad precision):** The solver that uses 128-bit (16 bytes) floating-point arithmetic. The 128-bit floating point (quad precision) is extremely accurate and is uniquely available in ENERCALC 3D.


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