Structural discipline provides a variety of element types, called either members or forms, to use in constructing a 3D Structural model. There are steel and concrete section members based on standard structural sections selected at placement time, Structural wall forms in linear, arc and curve configurations, Structural slabs, Decks and composite decks, Structural foundations, and free forms that can be promoted to be Structural elements. A typical Structural discipline member is created by dynamically placing linear segments, placing instances with defined lengths or by selecting a baseline element. Baseline elements can be linear elements, arcs, and bspline curves. During placement, a Structural section is applied to the member being placed. Structural discipline uses the same linear and curved baseline elements to create Structural walls. Slabs, foundations, and decks can be placed by both entering points or by selecting shapes.

• Intelligence of members and forms – Structural discipline members are intelligent, accurately defined components of structural design, such as the structural steel supports and girders that make up the framework of a building. These members represent 3D model geometry, and are intelligent because they have Structural Data assigned to them. Structural discipline can also apply Structural data to forms created in Structural discipline or by any of the Building Designer applications by Promoting them.
• Placement – You place structural forms by entering data points using AccuDraw, by entering fixed lengths, or by selecting elements from which members and forms are generated.
• Modification – Structural members are manipulatable and modifiable after they are placed. You can modify and update Structural attributes, and any kind of definition assigned to a member or form. You can manipulate forms by joining, applying cutbacks, modifying their ends or dynamically by dragging their edit handles. All these modifications also apply to the analytical member elements that are automatically generated as you place Structural members.
• Analytical data – All Structural members are paired with a parallel analytical element at placement time. The physical member and the analytical member coexist in the model, each having its own symbology. In addition to the elements' appearance, the physical and analytical members' labeling and annotations are separate from each other and defined by the user. Additional symbolic elements representing loads, moments, nodes, and constraints can be applied in the Analytical Model whose data is exported, in the correct format, to a variety of external analysis applications. Because analytical data is drawn at the same time as the physical members, it saves a tremendous amount of time and energy by not requiring recreation of models and data. The analytical data is manipulated separately from the physical members so that it makes sense to an analysis application. For example, intersections of beams may be drawn where the physical members do not intersect in the design because of support structures such as base plates and steel connections. But the analytical data is created to meet cleanly at the node. The external analysis application processes this information correctly and returns its analysis.