STAAD.Pro Ideas Portal
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Many thanks for providing the clarity. The truth is that I cannot say that many have adopted the method used in the Physical Modeller to add info on objects, but wanted to share this as an idea. However, for what you are describing we already have a solution. That is by using Reference Load Cases. That is exactly the point of defining a collection of load objects that in their own right do not get solved, but they get a name and can be assigned a load category, which can be easily searched and used multiple times in the model in one or more primary load cases. This is your example that could be:-
********************************
DEFINE REFERENCE LOADS
LOAD R1 LOADTYPE Live TITLE V-100
* V-100
MEMBER LOAD
312 UNI GY -263.115 15 145
773 UNI GY -263.115 0 65
313 UNI GY -263.115 15 80
772 UNI GY -263.115 0 65
314 UNI GY -263.115 15 80
776 UNI GY -263.115 0 65
315 UNI GY -263.115 15 80
*
LOAD R2 LOADTYPE Live TITLE V-200
* V-200
MEMBER LOAD
232 235 241 UNI GY -146.667
*
LOAD R3 LOADTYPE Live TITLE V-300
* V-300
MEMBER LOAD
268 278 CON GY -657.5 21.24
267 277 CON GY -657.5 29.725
*
LOAD R4 LOADTYPE Live TITLE V-400
* V-400
MEMBER LOAD
188 190 CON GY -950
LOAD R5 LOADTYPE Live TITLE V-500
* V-500
211 214 CON GY -500 44
LOAD R6 LOADTYPE Live TITLE V-600
* V-600
MEMBER LOAD
132 133 136 139 CON GY -262.5
END DEFINE REFERENCE LOADS
**********************************
LOAD 1 VESSEL DEAD LOAD
**********************************
* V-100, V-200, V-300, V-400, V-500, V-600
REPEAT LOAD
1 1.0 2 1.0 3 1.0 4 1.0 5 1.0 6 1.0
I design process structures that can support a large number of different types of equipment. Often times I'll add comments to the .std file so I know which piece of equipment the loads are coming from. Here's an example:
****************************
LOAD 1 VESSEL DEAD LOAD
****************************
MEMBER LOAD
* V-100
312 UNI GY -263.115 15 145
773 UNI GY -263.115 0 65
313 UNI GY -263.115 15 80
772 UNI GY -263.115 0 65
314 UNI GY -263.115 15 80
776 UNI GY -263.115 0 65
315 UNI GY -263.115 15 80
* V-200
232 235 241 UNI GY -146.667
* V-300
268 278 CON GY -657.5 21.24
267 277 CON GY -657.5 29.725
* V-400
188 190 CON GY -950
* V-500
211 214 CON GY -500 44
* V-600
132 133 136 139 CON GY -262.5
The comments are tag numbers of the equipment. The problem is you can't see these in the GUI. Maybe you could add a command to enter a comment and the comments would be visible in the "Load & Definition" window.
Carlos mentioned that the physical modeler supports comments in the spreadsheet. True confession, I don't use the physical modeler. I won't get into why. That would be whole other thread. I tried it though to see what Carlos was talking about, but I did not see how to do it. I didn't bother looking in help. Maybe it's just in the latest version. I'm using 22.12.00.142.
Anyway, so to explain a little more why this would be handy. Let's say I find out that vessel V-600 weight increased to 2000 lbs. Right now, if I want to stay in the GUI, I have to hope I remember where in the structure that vessel is. If I'm lucking enough to remember. I have to then highlight each load until the one I'm looking for lights up. I can then edit it. It would be nice if I could just look through the loads and look for the comment "V-600". I would then change the load right after this.
Yes, I could have done this by just going to the editor but remember, I had to create these comments in the editior in the first place. This is kind of a pain because you've have to enter the loads in the GUI and then open the editor and add the comments, hoping you don't get off on the wrong line. It would be so much nicer if you could just enter the comments as you define loads in the GUI.
Thank you for posting this idea. It does seem to be a good idea., but perhaps needs a little more detail on the problem this would solve to make sure any solution delivers the necessary benefit needed. In the Physical model for example, the spreadsheet was designed so that any row could have comments added. However this capability has seen minimal adoption. I suspect because being able to attach a comment is not the problem. Perhaps you can mock up an example of how comments would be used to improve the way an engineer reviews a model.
I don't think doing it per your example is practical. I do think it's a generally good idea though in that it would be nice to be able to add comments to the loads. I know you can do this in the editor but you need to be able to add them in the GUI. An example is I model the loads from various equipment on the structure. It would be nice if I could have the equipment tag number show up along with the load.
for excemple, the name: UNI GY -10KN, can be modified to : The dead load of the machine -10kn