The View/Update Spread Footing dialog box is made-up of three tabs that display information and allow for user input along with a display screen where a visual representation of the footing is drawn.

The first tab, Design, lists criteria used to create a design and gives a summary of the design. For foundations that fail the design process, the dialog box opens with this tab on top. The reason for the design failure is displayed in the "Results" section of the dialog box rather than a summary of the design.

The View Results button can be used to obtain a more detailed report of the design. This is the same report available by issuing the Reports > Spread Footing Design command.

The second tab, Results, provides the engineer with tools for modifying the dimensions or steel reinforcement for the current design. Once a design has been modified, the Redesign button becomes available and the stoplight turns to yellow, indicating that the information displayed in the dialog box does not yet reflect a valid design. Clicking the Redesign button will reanalyze and design the footing.

The third tab, Material Properties, provides the engineer with a means for modifying material properties on the foundation. As with the Results tab, any modification to data on this page will cause the Redesign button to become available and the stoplight to turn yellow.

Once the engineer has arrived at an appropriate design, the Update Database button can be used to save the current foundation. Update Database saves the dimensions, reinforcement, material properties, and the design. Issuing the update database command marks the foundation as “User Defined”. Until the design is cleared using the Process > Clear Design command, the Foundation program will not design the foundation again. Changes to criteria will be checked but the design will not be over-ridden.

Clicking the Close button closes the dialog box. If changes have been made to the design but Update Database has not been issued, the changes will be abandoned.