MASTERSERIES POWERPAD STUDENT EDITION

Dear Engineering Student,

Thank you for Downloading your free Student Version of the MasterSeries. While your software downloads,
please read through this document. The document is a PDF file and we recommend you print it or save a
copy locally.
This document will give you Guidance on
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Installation
Starting the MasterSeries
Sample output
Sharing PowerPad Student Edition
Whats included
Demonstration Videos
Use and Technical Support
Restrictions
Updating the Software
Trouble Shooting

Enjoy, MasterSeries

Civil & Structural Computer Services Ltd. 1 Circular Road, Newtownabbey, Co. Antrim, BT37 0RA, United Kingdom
free@masterseries.com, +44 (0) 28 9036 5950, http://www.masterseries.com, Registration No. NI 19163, VAT No. 422 2750 83

1) INSTALLATION
Installation is very straight forward with all the default settings being the normal values. Just run the
downloaded file in the normal way.
The installation may install several additional drivers such as the C++, SQL, BREVE, .Net
Framework and Direct X runtime files. These are all automatically configured with
simple Yes, Next or Continue responses accepting the terms.

2) STARTING THE MASTERSERIES

Launch the MasterSeries by selecting the icon and
Select Student mode.

The first time you run the MasterSeries you

will be asked to confirm your Name, email
& University. This is then embedded in the
software are and appears on all output as
shown below.
It also allows us to notify you of aany
updates.

3) SAMPLE OUTPUT
The 2 links below provide some sample output from the student version.
Steel & Concrete Frame Link
Masonry, Retaining Walls, Composite Beams & Pile Caps Link

4) SHARING
Please feel free to share the PowerPad Student Edition with your fellow students.

5) WHATS INCLUDED
MasterSeries PowerPad Student Edition
MasterSeries PowerPad Plus is a suite of 19 different MasterSeries modules with limitations as listed below.
1 MasterFrame

100 member 3D analysis with full MasterFrame advanced features (haunches,

p-, notional loads, torsion etc.)

2,3,4 MasterKey Steel I, Hollow and

Angle, Channel and Tee Section Design

Fully featured steel design of frames with up to 100 members (inc. torsion) to BS
& EuroCodes

5,6,7 MasterKey Concrete Beams,

Columns and Pads Design

Fully featured concrete design of frames with up to 100 members (inc. torsion)
to BS & EuroCodes

8 MasterPort Lite

Fully featured 15 member elastic-plastic analysis using MasterPort Lite

Typical 3 bay portal frame to BS & EuroCodes

9 MasterBeam Steel Beam Designer

3 Span Continuous Beams. Analysis, and Design to BS & EuroCodes

Simpler approach than MasterKey Steel (items 2, 3 & 4), which can design,
beams & columns etc. in any 3D structure or grillage.

10 MasterBeam Concrete Beam

Designer

3 Span Continuous Beams. Analysis, Design, Drafting and Scheduling to BS &

EuroCodes.
Simpler approach than MasterKey Concrete Beams, (item 5), which can
design beams in any 3D structure or grillage.

11 MasterBeam Timber Beam Designer

Element design and 3 Span Continuous Beams to BS & EuroCodes

Fully featured Timber design of frames with up to 100 members to BS &
EuroCodes

12 MasterKey Pile Cap Designer

Limited to 2 pile, pile Caps to BS & EuroCodes

13 MasterKey Masonry Design

Design of standard un-reinforced masonry panels and masonry columns to BS

& EuroCodes

14 MasterKey Moment Connections

Design connections and export graphics without limitations, however printing

of results is limited to connections with an applied moment of up to 300 kNm
and applied axial and shear forces of up to 300 kN

15 MasterKey Simple Connections

Design connections and export graphics without limitations, however printing

of results is limited to connections with an applied shear force of up to 300 kN
to BS & EuroCodes

16 MasterBeam Composite Design

Design of composite secondary beams and primary beams with one or two
transverse beams at mid or third points to BS & EuroCodes

17 MasterKey Retaining Walls

Standard Reinforced Concrete and Un-reinforced Concrete/Masonry

Retaining Walls to BS & EuroCodes

18 MasterKey Concrete Slab Design

Fully featured, unlimited version design of simple one-way and two-way

spanning slab panels using the BS8110 tables and coefficients to BS &
EuroCodes

19 MasterSeries Office Tools

(Calculation Wizard)

NOT available in the Student Version

Student only EXTRAS

MasterCAD BIM

Extra, only in the student version only of PowerPad.

BIM exchange to Revit, IFC, DXF,

MasterFrame Finite Element

Extra, only in the student version only of PowerPad.

FEA plates, shear walls, transfer slabs, rafts,
With up to 300 shell elements.

6) DEMONSTRATION VIDEOS
Introduction to MasterSeries PowerPoint Presentation
PowerPad & PowerPad Plus
MasterFrame overview
MasterFrame, New Features
Portal Frame Analysis & Design
MasterKey Steel Frame Design
MasterBeam Composite Design
MasterKey Concrete Design
MasterKey: Moment & Simple Connections
MasterKey Retaining Walls
MasterKey: Masonry Design
MasterBeam: Steel, Concrete & Timber Beam Designers
Free Steel Beam Designer Webinar
Some of the features in the videos marked may not be included in PowerPad. Please refer to the price list,
above, for features & limits.
More Videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/MasterSeriesSoftware

7) USE AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT

The use of our free software is governed by our license agreement
As this is a free version, you have no right to technical support. However, we endeavor to help you where
possible, allowing for time and resource restraints. Please email all technical queries to free@masterseries.com
and will reply within 48 hours (usually a lot less).
Updates
You can update your version at any stage by re-downloading and installing the software over the top of the
existing version.

8) RESTRICTIONS
This is a special Student Version of PowerPadPlus. There are only 6 differences between this and the full Version
of PowerPad Plus.
1)
2)
3)
4)

For Educational Use Only statements on screen and all output. These cannot be removed.
You will NOT be able to export to Word or Excel.
You will NOT have access to the Calc-Wizard part of PowerPad as it requires word.
Data files are NOT compatible with the commercial version of PowerPad or the MasterSeries.

Extras only in student version

5) MasterCAD BIM for Revit, IFC & DXF integration
6) MasterFrame Finite Element Analysis with up to 100 shell elements.
See the table above for full spec of PowerPadPlus

9) UPDATING THE MASTERSERIES

Should you wish to update your version of the MasterSeries to the very latest version then you can do
so using the following link.
www.masterseries.com/public/DemoVersion/MasterSeries_Update_Eval.exe
Just run the file to install it over the top of your current MasterSeries. Just make sure you are not
running the MasterSeries when you run the update file.
We issue updates as required and issue our new version in April each year.

10)

TROUBLE SHOOTING

Download did not Start

The download is configured to start your download, and then 10 seconds later display this page.
However some PCs switch too quickly and the download is cancled. If this happens then you can
download the software directly from one of the 2 links below.
64Bit www.masterseries.com/public/DemoVersion/x64_MasterSeries_Setup_Eductional.exe
or
32Bit www.masterseries.com/public/DemoVersion/x86_MasterSeries_Setup_Eductional.exe

Software didnt install

The software will require administration rights during installation and this will usually be
automatically granted by the installer program.
If it fails to install then retry using a right mouse click on the installation file and select to
Run as Administrator.

Breve didnt install.

Dont worry. The MasterSeries is one big install file. Your Student PowerPad licence does not
cover wind analysis, so the Breve addin is NOT required.
I didnt get the Registration screen
This means the licence file did not install. We need to install it manually.
1) To Install, click on http://localhost:1947/_int_/devices.html
2) This will load the Sentinel Admin Control Center as below

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8)

(If the Sentinel Admin Control Center fails to load, then contact free@masterseries.com)
Select Update/Attach from the left Options menu
Select Choose file
Browse to C:\ProgramData\MasterSeries
Select ms2015-190.v2c and select Open
Select Apply File
You get a message Your update was applied successfully

Cant write to file error at start up.

Sometimes the permissions are locked down on the C:\ProgramData\MasterSeries Directory.
Please follow these steps
1. In Windows Explorer, right click on the C:\ProgramData\MasterSeries directory and select
Properties.
2. Select the Security tab
3. Click the Edit button
4. In the Group or user names list select Users
5. In the Permissions for Users check the box for Full control
6. Click the Apply button
Tip: Sometimes the C:\ProgramData directory is hidden but you can browse to
it by typing its path in the address bar of Windows Explorer. Shortcut: Browse
to Program Files, click on right of the url lino. You can then edit the url
replacing Program files with ProgramData.