Selecting the Layout - Columns - Add On-Grid command causes the Add Column On-Grid Mode dialog box to appear. What you see in the Column Add On-Grid Mode dialog box will depend on the current material chosen from the Materials menu.

Columns can be added to each grid intersection in a selected area. After this operation, the window will be updated to show the added columns. The color of the column indicates the material in which it was modeled and its framing type. Default colors are set upon installation of the RAM Structural System Software or can be modified by the Options - Pen Color command.

If a column is laid down while 'Steel Joist' is the selected material, it will be treated as a Steel Column.

Orientation

There are several options for orientation of the column:

Parallel to X / Radial Grids: When the column is placed at a grid intersection, the column web will be oriented to be parallel to the X Grid (not the X axis) for orthogonal grid systems or parallel to the Radial Grid for radial grid systems. Thus, the column will be placed at whatever angle the grid is at. If the column is placed at a point that is not a grid intersection, the column web will default to be oriented with the Global X axis.

Perpendicular to X / Radial Grids: When the column is placed at a grid intersection, the column web will be oriented to be perpendicular to the X Grid (not the X axis) for orthogonal grid systems or perpendicular to the Radial Grid for radial grid systems. If the column is placed at a point that is not a grid intersection, the column web will default to be oriented with the Global X axis.

Web Vertical: The column will be oriented with its web parallel to the Global Y axis, regardless of the orientation of the grids in the grid system. The angle of this column is 90 degrees.

Web Horizontal: The column will be oriented with its web parallel to the Global X axis, regardless of the orientation of the grids in the grid system. The angle of this column is 0 degrees.

At an Angle: The column will be oriented with its web at the specified angle with respect to the Global X axis, regardless of the orientation of the grids in the grid system. The angle should be between 0 and 180 degrees, measured counter-clockwise between the Global X-Axis and the column web.

Framing

Columns may be assigned to be part of the Gravity Framing system or part of the Lateral load-resisting system. Steel Columns assigned to be Gravity can be designed in the RAM Steel Column Design module. Columns assigned to be Lateral are included in the analysis in RAM Frame. Note that Gravity members need not be modeled in Frame Only models.

Columns can be added in either Single mode or Fence mode.

In Single mode a single column can be placed at any node graphically by clicking on that point with the target cursor. A column can also be placed at any location, even if there is currently no node there, by entering the column coordinates directly into the Keyboard Mode Coordinate Entry dialog box. A warning will be given if an attempt is made to add a column at a location already occupied by a beam or wall span.

In Fence mode columns can be placed at every grid intersection in a given area by fencing the area. This mode can not be used to add columns to nodes that are not grid intersections use the Single mode for this purpose.

Return to the Add Column On-Grid Mode dialog box with the Right Mouse Button or the "D" key.

Return to the Layout - Column menu with the " M" key.

Clicking the Cancel button or selecting any other RAM Modeler Layout command will end the Layout - Columns - Add On-Grid command.