IES VisualAnalysis User's Guide
Feature Friday
IES produced a series of videos in 2017 under the banner "Feature Friday" to demonstrate various features in VisualAnalysis.
Did you know...In VisualAnalysis you can minipulate model data using a spreadsheet? Importing and Exporting model data to a spreadsheet is quick, easy, and can provide you with an alternate way to setup your model allowing you to Model, Load, Analyze, Design, Report, and Succeed.
Today, we wanted to share with you a few Quick Tips for Modeling in VisualAnalysis that will improve your efficiency, allowing you to Model, Load, Analyze, Design, Report, and Succeed.
In VA17, we have made it easier than ever to define, manage, and use Custom Materials throughout the program. With just a few clicks you can add custom materials to your project allowing you to Model, Load, Analyze, Design, Report, and Succeed.
In VA17, we have given you more control over the Optimization of Member Design Groups. Very quickly you can now see optimized design checks for a wide range of database or parametric shapes, allowing you to Model, Load, Analyze, Design, Report, and Succeed
In VA17, we have added the ability to quickly generate Live Load Reduction load combinations using the Load Case Manager. The reduced load combinations can then be leveraged in the member design groups to get design checks that adhere to the reduced loads, allowing you to Model, Load, Analyze, Design, Report, and Succeed.
In VA17, we have expanded the Pattern Load feature to include all service case load types, not just Live Loads. Pattern loads can be helpful when investigating the effects of loads throughout your structure that need to be positioned or arranged in various ways to capture worst case load effects, allowing you to Model, Load, Analyze, Design, Report, and Succeed.
In VA17, we have added the Steel Joist Institute’s Virtual Joist Girder shapes to our Shape Database. SJI’s Virtual Joist Girders are intended to be used in a FEA analysis as custom wide-flange beams that are sized using Steel Design Code Checks. The resulting shapes and their equivalent section properties are then used by the designer to specify actual Joist Girder design requirements per conventional SJI Joist Girder nomenclature, allowing you to Model, Load, Analyze, Design, Report, and Succeed.
In VA17, we have added a new ASCE Load Helper utility that is designed to assist you in creating custom Dead and Live Loads that can be used throughout your model to apply loads to nodes, members, plates, and areas. The loads will be saved in your Custom data folder allowing you to reuse them from project to project so you can Model, Load, Analyze, Design, Report, and Succeed.
In VA17, we’ve added a new Check Level feature to the member design groups. The goal behind the Check Level setting is to give you more control over the level of detail and how many design checks are done for each Member Design Group, allowing you to Model, Load, Analyze, Design, Report, and Succeed.
Another feature that has been expanded in VA17 is the ability to take greater control of Area Sub-meshes, allowing you to Model, Load, Analyze, Design, Report, and Succeed.
In VA17, we’ve given you more control over automatic plate meshes allowing you to easily refine an automatic mesh with just a few settings and get meaningful results quickly, allowing you to Model, Load, Analyze, Design, Report, and Succeed.
In VA17, we’ve made big improvements to the design of Concrete Plates by providing you with more flexibility with regards to rebar placement, better control over the rebar orientation within the slab, clarifying Minimum Steel Code Checks, and removing the restriction that plate local x-axes align. The design checks are now more accurate and optimizing the slab reinforcement is easier than ever.
New in VA17, we have added the ability to perform a Second-Order Analysis on models that contain Tension-Only and Compression-Only members. This will allow you to design according the AISC Direct Analysis method or consider P-Delta effects in projects that contain Tension-Only bracing allowing you to Model, Load, Analyze, Design, Report, and Succeed.
Parallel Processing is another performance enhancements made in VA17. By leveraging the multiple processors of your CPU, we can split tasks into several parts the can all execute simultaneously, enhancing performance and allowing you to Model, Load, Analyze, Design, Report, and Succeed.
One of several performance enhancement made in VA17, Multiple Threading will help you to Model, Load, Analyze, Design, Report, and Succeed.
A quick overview of automatic combined members in VA17.