You can import lines as beams, then convert the beams to walls using the "Extrude Lines to Areas" command. Set the delta z to the story height. This can be done for all walls at once, and would seem to be simpler than drawing 3D shapes in CAD.
I am not the program permits you to change the default units when opening the program. You might try saving an EDB file named DEFAULT in the program directory with the desired base units -- it will use this when you create a new file and choose "Default".
You can change the decimal places...
Use a membrane element and check the "Use Special One-Way Load Distribution" box in the Wall/Slab Section dialog. Make sure the program has chosen the correct direction -- there should be an arrow shown in the direction of the span.
When you print output data, there is an option to print "Envelopes Only." If you select only the design load combinations for the output, this will give you the envelope loads, both maximum and minimum, which are the same as those used internally by ETABS for design.
The results from a response spectrum analysis represent the maximum values at any time. The results for displacements of the points in the rigid diaphragm will have peak values that occur at different times, meaning that the deflected shape will appear to violate the rigid diaphragm constraint...
Now that ETABS and SAFE can work together well, I switch between the two programs often. The current version of SAFE has a number of keyboard shortcuts defined, whereas ETABS has a very limited number.
I have found it quite useful to have customized keyboard shortcuts in ETABS that match those...
When detailing columns as "members not designated as part of the lateral-force-resisting system" per ACI 318-02 (or -05) Section 21.11, the two possibilities are: (1) the forces under the design displacements are less than the member strengths, and (2) the forces under design displacements...