Import Structural Analysis Model

Details on Importing and Existing Structural Analysis Model

The Geometry Gym tools allow users to import an existing structural analysis model that has already been built from an external application. This might be helpful in a number of instances.

• Query analysis results for a certain element from an existing analysis model.

• Import a company standard template file to reference.

• Modify an existing Analysis model (limited functionality currently available)

• Import a model to provide an enhanced visual representation of the model using Rhino

Importing Data

Most of the structural plug-ins incorporate components to Import Data. This component can be found under the base plug-in tab and is called gg#ImportData. Depending on the application file type you are trying to import this component may work slightly different.

• API: If the application is supported by us through an API interface the program will be started automatically and the file imported.

• Text: If the file is supported through a text file interface typically you will have to read the file contents using a Read File grasshopper component and then provide the output into the Data component.

Import data component

The table below shows which programs support API or Text interfaces.

Program Interfaces and File formats

Program	API/Text	Text File	Text File Type
GSA	Yes	Yes	.gwa
SAP2000	Yes	Limited
Etabs	Yes	Limited
Robot	Yes	No
SpaceGass	Limited	Yes	.txt
Strand7	No	Yes	.txt
SCIA	No	Yes
Sofistik	No	Yes

Database Insert

When importing a model the user has an option to either Insert the imported data to the existing grasshopper GeometryGym database or simply Reference the data.

For example, if Database Insert is set to true and the imported file has 50 materials and 20 section types etc these will be imported and added/merged to any existing materials or sections already created from any ggCreateMaterial or ggCreateBeamProp components on the grasshopper canvas.

Use the ggModelDecompose component to keep track of the information in the Structural Database.

If the BakeModel component is then used to bake the structure the baked model will contain all combined Materials and Section Properties.

There are limitations to this. When importing information for some software information used in the definition of it may be lost this is typically the case for API applications where there may not be API calls allow access to certain information.

Therefore, sometimes it is better to use this as a reference only as explained below.

Setting the Database Insert parameter to false allows a user to reference information from an imported model such as properties, materials or load cases. You may want to use this information to assign an imported material property or a grasshopper defined load to a load case which may already be defined in a template file.

When importing models from a file, you will need to ensure that you have saved as (or exported) the correct file type from the source program. The table below explains which file format is required for each.