Geometry File

7/30/2019 Geometry File

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2.3.6 Geometry menu

Contains tools to create the geometry of the structure by adding and editing nodes, members,

plates and solids.

Geometry menu in the Modeling mode

Menu Item Description Shortcut

Nodes

Opens theNodes table, which is used todisplay a table of nodes with coordinates for

adding and editing nodes. The table may

also be used to highlight the node on the

graphical view of the structure.

Snap/Grid Node >Beam

Used to specify the grid and snap settings as

well as to create members by drawing on thegrid (snapping to grid points).

Opens theSnap Node/Beam dialog, which isused to specify the grid and snap settings as

well as to create members and nodes

automatically by snapping to grid points.

Snap/Grid Node

> Plate > Quad /

Triangle

There are two submenu items available

under the Plate option: Quad and Triangle.The Quadoption is used to generate

quadrilateral plate elements while the

Triangle option is used to generate triangular

plate elements.

Either option opens theSnap Node/Platedialog, which is used to specify the grid and

snap settings as well as to create plates and

nodes automatically by snapping to grid

points.

Snap/Grid Node

> Solid

Used to specify the grid and snap settings as

well as to create solid elements by drawingon the grid (snapping to grid points).

Opens theSnap Node/Solid dialog, which is

used to specify the grid and snap settings aswell as to create solid elements and nodes

automatically by snapping to grid points.

Insert Node

Used to insert nodes in an existing

member(s). The member is split into thecorresponding number of segments with

automatic generation of node numbers,

member numbers, member properties, and


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loads.

Geometry > Split Beam performs the same

function as inserting a node into a singlemember.

Add Beam > Select

New Member

Attributes

Opens theDefine Member Object Property

dialog, which is used to pre-define member

attributes such as properties, materials, betaangles, or release specifications. Members

which are then added to the model will have

these properties by default.

Add Beam > Add

Beam From Point to

Point

Used to create beams between two nodes.

Nodes may be existing or can be

dynamically generated at the time ofcreating the beam, similar to the way beams

are created using the Snap/Grid Beam tool.

When selected, the pointer changes to the Add

Beams cursor ( ). This used to specify the

start and end points of a new member by

clicking existing nodes or a place on a beam

where you would like to add a new node. The

tool remains active so that successive members

may be added.

Press the ESC key or select the Beams

cursor to stop adding new members.

Add Beams > Add

Beam From Mid-

Point

Used to add members between the midpoints

of two existing beams. Any new node(s)required at the mid-point of either of the

beams will automatically be generated.

This tool is contained on a fly-out toolbar on

theGeometry toolbar.

When selected, the pointer changes to the

dd Beams cursor ( ). This used tospecify the start and end points of a newmember by clicking existing beams. The tool

remains active so that successive members


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to specify the start and end points of a new

curved member by clicking existing nodes.

The tool remains active so that successive

curved members may be added.

Add Plate > Select

New Plate Attributes

Opens theDefine Plate Object Propertydialog, which is used to define the property,

material and releases to each new plate

element as it is created.

Add Plate > Quad

Used to add Quadrilateral plates. When

selected, the pointer changes to the

Quadrilateral Plate cursor ( ).

This tool is contained on a fly-out toolbar ontheGeometry toolbar.

To create new elements, simply click on the

existing nodes in the right sequence. A

rubber-banded area shows the boundary ofthe plate being generated.

Add Plate >Triangular

Used to add triangular plates. Whenselected, the pointer changes to Triangular

Plate cursor ( ).

This tool is contained on a fly-out toolbar on

theGeometry toolbar.

To create new elements, simply click on the

existing nodes in the right sequence. A

rubber-banded area shows the boundary ofthe plate being generated.

Add Solid

Used to add 8 node solid elements by

connecting existing nodes. When selected,

the pointer changes to the Add Solid cursor (

). To create new solid elements, simply

click on the existing nodes in the right

sequence. A rubber-banded area shows the

boundary of the element being generated.


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Shortcut: [Add 8-node Solid tool]

Solids shapes with different number ofnodes can be added using some of the toolscontained on the fly-out toolbar found on theGeometry toolbar.

Add Surface

Used to define a surface by interconnectingexistent nodes; mainly for modeling shear

walls. When selected, the pointer changes to

the Surface cursor( ). To create a new

Surface element, click on existing nodes in a

clockwise or counterclockwise order. The

last click of this operation must be on thefirst node in the sequence.

The Add Surface Openings tool can be used

to place openings within a previously

created surface element.

Create ColinearBeams

Used for scanning through a selected set of

points and creating collinear beams passing

through 3 or more points which lie along astraight line. If collinear nodes exist amongst

the nodes selected, STAAD.Pro will

automatically generate beams through thosenodes.

Before using the Create Collinear Beamstool, select the nodes through which the

beams will be created using theNodes

Cursor.

STAAD.Pro will automatically find the

nodes that are collinear and create beams

through them. Not all of the nodes need to

be collinear with each other. The followingfigure shows how six separate beams were

created from the nodes selected in theprevious figure.

A message will be displayed if the nocollinear nodes among the nodes selected

can be determined.


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Connect BeamsAlong > X Axis / Y

Axis / Z Axis

Used for automatically creating beams

connected between points which lie along an

imaginary straight line parallel to the

selected global axis. Members will only becreated from selected nodes.

This menu item contains a sub-menu list of

the global axis. The axis selected is that used

for detecting parallel, colinear nodes.

The program will automatically detect which

nodes are collinear and lie along the global

axis selected. Beams will be generated alongthe nodes that satisfy those requirements.

The following figure shows a group of nodesselected for this particular operation.

Create Infill Plates

Used to automatically generate plates from a

selection of beams bounding panels. Panelsbounded by beams on all sides are filled

with plates. Typically used for floor slabs,

this method significantly reduces themodeling time for generation of floor slabs

in multi-storied framed structures.

If no closed polygon can be found of the

enclosed shape is not planar, then an errormessage will be displayed.

Depending on the node order, some or

several plates may be facing oppositedirections. ThePlate Reference Point dialog

can be used to remedy this. This will orient

all the plates in the same direction. Also,

check for plates, whose boundary nodes donot align themselves with other connecting

plates. The Check Beam/Plate Connectivity

tool under the Tools menu can help identifythese problems.

Create Parametric

Models

Opens theGeometry | Parametric Modelspage, which is used to create and edit wall,

slab, and panel meshes.

Translational RepeatOpens theTranslational Repeat dialog,

which is used to copy (or repeat) the entire


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structure or a portion of the structure in a

linear direction. We may generate one or

several copies of the selected components.

Circular RepeatOpens the3D Circular dialog, which is usedto make copies of the entire structure or aportion of it in a circular direction.

Generated Surface

Mesh

Used to generate a either a polygonal orquadrilateral finite element mesh by

selecting boundary points from existing

nodes.

The polygon can be meshed into

quadrilateral or triangular elements. You

have control over parameters like number ofdivisions along each side of the polygon.

Polygonal holes can also be defined within

the surface during the meshing process forpolygonal meshing.

Generate Plate MeshUsed to generate a finite element mesh foran existing plate element.

Generate Slab/Wall

Connection

Used to select a wall which will have acommon boundary with a slab consisting of

a previously generated finite element mesh.

This tool allows the consideration of

boundary conditions at the interface of thepanel and any other panel on whose surface

one of its edge lies.

Move > (list)

Used for physically shifting the location of

either

a. the structure with respect to theorigin of the axis system (Origin)

b. existing nodes, beams, plates andsolids (model entities)

by a specified value in the global X, Y and Z

directions.

F2 (with

selection)

Rotate

OpensRotate dialog, which is used to rotate

the selected portions of the structure aboutthe specified axis through a specified

distance. The selected portions may be


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copied or moved.

Refer to the discussion on the Select menu

for details on the selection procedure.

Mirror

Opens theMirror dialog, which is used to

copy or move the entire structure or a

portion of it by "mirroring" about any plane

parallel to one of the three global Cartesianplanes.

Stretch Selected

Member

Opens theStretch Member(s) dialog, which

is used to increase the length of a member invarious ways. The benefit it offers is that a

member may be extended even if you do not

readily know the coordinates of its endsoints in its stretched condition. This is

useful in the case of members whose axis lie

at an inclination to the global planes.

Shortcut:

This menu item is only available when one

or more members are selected.

Intersect SelectedMembers> Highlight /

Intersect

Used to scan the model and locate members

which cross each other in space, but are notnecessarily connected to each other at the

intersection point. After detection, this

feature may then be used to split themembers at the intersection point so that

they now become attached.

Merge SelectedMembers

Opens theMerge Selected Beams dialog,

which is used to join two collinear beams

and replace them with one beam.

Merge Selected

NodesUsed to merge selected nodes.

Renumber > Nodes /

Members / Plates

/ Solids

Opens theRenumber dialog, which is usedto renumber selected entities starting with a

specified number. The numbering sequencecan be in an ascending or descending order

and the order can be sorted by some criteria

if needed.

Split BeamUsed to break a member into two or more

members. The member is split into the


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corresponding number of segments with

automatic generation of node and member

numbers, member properties and loads.

Functionally identical toGeometry > Insert

Node

Break Beams at

Selected Nodes

Splits a beam into separate beams at any

selected node(s) which are located along thatbeam. This is useful when some new nodes

are created on the line of the member and

you want to split the beams at these newly

created nodes.

Run StructureWizard

Opens theStructure Wizard window, which

offers a library of pre-defined structureprototypes, such as Pratt Truss, Northlight

Truss, Cylindrical Frame, etc. The Structure

Wizard may parametrically generate astructural model, and then transfer and

superimpose it on the current structure.

Geometry File

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