To build the model, you start by specifying the jobname and a title for your analysis. If you are running the program interactively and using its GUI, you also set preferences for the options you want to display. Then, you use the preprocessor (PREP7) to perform these tasks:
Define the element types.
If necessary, define element real constants.
Define material properties.
Define the model geometry.
Mesh the model.
These tasks are common to all analyses. The Modeling and Meshing Guide explains them in detail.