SAP2000

Here's a thread for questions and suggestions specific to the Geometry Gym addon to interact with SAP2000 Structural Analysis. Note you can filter my blog for posts/examples specific to SAP 2000 using the tag cloud or this link here:

http://geometrygym.blogspot.com/search/label/SAP2000

First post relates to questions raised here: http://www.grasshopper3d.com/xn/detail/2985220:Comment:597170?xg_so...

SAP2000 uses slightly different terms to other structural analysis software (ie Load Patterns are equivalent to Load Cases in most other software). I am trying to do my best to ensure the GH plugin terminology matches, but still needs improving and this doesn't help with what connects to what. If you spot something you think can be improved, please let me know.

I've attached my subtle changes to your GH def. Note that at least one of the forces needs to be activated to true to get results to emit.

I had a request to report stress the other day, but when I went to check you can only extract the force using the API, so I need to find some time to do some additional coding to calculate these from the section properties. Axial force you might be able to quickly calculate from the force using GH components.

Note also I recently enabled the ability to nominate the SAP model units (ie Feet and kips) from a right click on the ssiBake button. This should be done prior to the first exchange to SAP, so either save, close and restart Rhino, or disable the solver prior to first opening the model to make the change.

Hope it helps, look forward to hearing more.

Cheers,

Jon

Attachments:

firstdef_forsimplecase_SAP.gh, 38 KB

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jon Mirtschin on July 11, 2017 at 4:54am

Hi Jeremy,

Usually the problem is that the version of my plugin installed is not compatible with the version of SAP installed (when it looks for library materials). Although certainly I can look at improving the error message.

Is it possible to confirm the version of SAP installed and the name of the plugin installer?

You can send this to me via email if you prefer.

Cheers,

Jon

Permalink Reply by Jeremy Thomas on July 11, 2017 at 1:08pm

Hi Jon,

Thanks for the reply. I'm running SAP2000 19 Student. My understanding is that the only difference between the student and full version is that I'm limited to 100 nodes in this version.

I initially downloaded the ggSAP2000v18 plug-in (that was before I got the SAP Student program) but then I downloaded the v19 one. I think it overwrote itself so I'm reasonably sure I'm running the matching versions.

However, these error messages are happening before I try to bake it into SAP. So would the possibility of an incorrect version of the plug-in effect this?

Regards,

Jeremy

Permalink Reply by Jon Mirtschin on July 12, 2017 at 4:35am

Can you please confirm the installation path then?

C:\Program Files\Computers and Structures\SAP2000 19

I could replicate this issue if the installation folder was different.

Cheers,

Jon

Permalink Reply by Jeremy Thomas on July 12, 2017 at 8:56am

Hi Jon,

This is the path on my computer.

C:\Program Files (x86)\Computers and Structures\SAP2000 19 Student

Thanks again for all your help in dealing with this issue.

Regards,

Jeremy

Permalink Reply by Jeremy Thomas on July 12, 2017 at 10:49am

I'm trying to model the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium (or at least a small part of it because my version of SAP only gives me 100 nodes). I've connected the center line of one of the frame arcs to a ggFP element and this is the result.

Permalink Reply by Jeremy Thomas on July 19, 2017 at 9:52am

Hi Jon,

Is there a simple way to orient beams along a curve so that the strong axis is perpendicular to the curve? I've been struggling with this for a couple of days now. I can get a set of parallel YZ planes, each oriented so that it is perpendicular to the tangent to the curve at division points but plugging this plane information into the "Orientation" and "Angle" inputs of the ggFrame element don't seem to be getting me what I'm looking for. I'm working on a model of a segment of the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium and I want the strong axis of the diagrid beams to be perpendicular to the curved arc frames.

Thanks,

Jeremy

Permalink Reply by Jon Mirtschin on July 19, 2017 at 11:03pm

Hi Jeremy,

If you have a plane, decompose it into it's axis vectors and wire the Y axis into the orientation input and you should get the result you desire. Let me know if not.

Cheers,

Jon

Permalink Reply by Jeremy Thomas on July 20, 2017 at 9:07am

Thanks Jon,

That worked like a charm!

Thanks so much for all of your help,

Jeremy

Permalink Reply by Jeremy Thomas on July 20, 2017 at 10:32am

Sorry Jon,

One last question or two (but no promises :P )...am I doing something wrong when I define my beams with the ggSAP elements? I've attached a screenshot for your reference. When I bake the model the supports and the lines for each beam are imported to SAP but when I click on each beam within SAP there is no Section Property associated with the line. Am I missing a step?

Secondly, when I save the model in SAP and go to open it again later it gives me an error message saying "An abnormal condition has occurred. The program needs to terminate." Is there something I should do to fix this or does the Grasshopper model need to be run each time I want to look at the SAP model?

Regards,

Jeremy

Permalink Reply by Jon Mirtschin on July 20, 2017 at 4:12pm

From the screen shot it looks fine, if you can post the definition (or email it to me) I can test here.

Also unusual about the saving of the model. Once the data is sent to SAP it should be no different to manually created (although the lack of a section profile might possibly be a cause). Any error messages listed in the rhino command prompt as the model is sent?

It might be something that CSI need to be contacted about (ie send them the file).

Cheers,

Jon

Permalink Reply by Jeremy Thomas on July 21, 2017 at 8:59am

Hi Jon,

Here's my file for the stadium roof I'm working on. Thanks for looking at it for me.

Jeremy

Attachments:

Stadium Roof - SAP2000.gh, 154 KB

Permalink Reply by Jeremy Thomas on July 31, 2017 at 8:21am

Hey Jon,

Sorry to continue to bombard you with questions about your SAP plug-in but have you had a chance to take a look at this? I've been on a holiday for the past several days so I haven't done any new work on it but I'm still having troubles with my model and baking in the beams to SAP/saving the model.

Thanks,

Jeremy