Version 18.0 Changes

After our sweeping rewrite in 17.0, we wanted to make the 18.0 upgrade less jolting. We had a number of building code and material specifications to update and we thought that would be enough. But we get challenged by some customer issues and intrigued by many suggestions and ended up adding over 100 major improvements. Your experience with this version should be faster, easier, and far more productive than in any previous release.

If you are upgrading from version 12.0 or prior, please read the upgrade notes from version 17.0!

Project Files: Version 18.0 saves files in a new format that is not readable in prior versions. If you accidentally overwrite an old project that you need in the older version, look in your History Projects folder.

Model

• Member length is displayed while sketching in graphics
• DWG import is now available for CAD file
• Restored Plane Frame structure type (removed in 17.0)
• Member trim command was added
• Member split at crossing areas and plates
• DXF Import: all members are 'aligned' same direction
• Create soil-spring supports on meshed areas [advanced level]
• Updated steel HSS sections in database
• Splitting members preserves naming scheme
• Ability to swap the ends of a tapered member
• Create tab parametric structures can generate auto-meshed areas
• Context-menu item for supporting selected area edges
• Nodes can be 'snapped' to align with areas
• Circular selection boundary with Shift+Drag
• Improved selection behavior after Generate Copies
• Name filters are more flexible
• Renaming now works with area objects
• Member offsets in global coordinates (e.g. for rotated shapes)
• Member element selection is easier with larger 'hit' area
• Reverse area (local axis, normal direction)

Load

• Add multiple-direction nodal loads in one step
• Factored loads graphics available in Result View
• Canadian NBC load combinations added
• Linear area loads 'within limits' option for controlling extent
• Area load generation has better warnings and behavior
• Strength-level deflection load combinations added
• Better scaling of load graphics
• Patterned load combinations improved for dead and vertical seismic

Analyze

• Factored load graphics in Result View
• Internal mechanism detection displayed as mode-shapes for unstable models
• Member normal stresses are available in Result View
• Analysis is automatic (changed in version 17), switch to Result View to see results

Design

• AISC 360-16 steel specification
• NDS 2018 wood specification with related shapes and materials
  Note: NDS 2012 was removed, use VA 17.0 if you NEED to use that version of the specification!
• ADM 2015 aluminum specification
• Design wood shapes that are wider than deep
• Smarter intermediate values in wood design report
• Steel: input for torsional unbraced length
• Steel: optional check for constrained axis flexural-torsional buckling (W shapes)
• ASD design groups do not check AISC Direct analysis results
• ASTM A1065 HSS shapes and materials
• Steel composite beam deflections use I_eff = 0.75 * I_transformed per AISC commentary
• Right-click to create design group for all ungrouped members
• Torsion limit added to generic stress checks
• More built-up wood shapes added to the shape database e.g. (5) 2x4

Report

• Plan Check member report table (concise structure, results, & design)
• Add Graphic View to report with a single click
• Support Extreme Reactions table is now available
• Graphic legends have 'numerical' range adjustment
• Springs show in color in Result View for tension/compression
• All possible tables in Modify tab (some are disabled)
• Result-views allow 'A'+click to select meshed plates in an area
• Easy ways to get a blank (new) report
• Table sort-arrows are not so ugly, invisible by default
• Hot-key "S" will convert fly-by text into a Sticky Note
• Added L/delta to displacement report tables
• Empty tables are shown grayed in the table selection tree
• Numerical precision button and units-drop down moved upper-right, above tool bar
  

Succeed! (Interface, Performance, Reliability)

• Graphic wire-frame on members for easier shape identification
• Project Manager: drop-lists are activated by clicking anywhere, not just on arrow
• Graphic nodal reactions pulled away from nodes for clarity
• Full File Path in graphic title block and report headers
• Print Preview is larger and more functional
• Improved IES notification messages (badge icon, persistence, less annoying)
• More preferences or automatic settings
  • Grid graphics on startup
  • Show View cube/cube axes
  • Show table column sort arrows
  • Graphics hardware peformance/stability option
  • DPI setting for graphic copy & paste
• Crash-prevention work, better diagnostics for IES engineers
• Better progress report and/or cancel for long processes
• Numerous performance boosts (10x => 10 times faster):
  • Faster FEA analysis (1.8x)
  • Recent file list updates in menu (minor delay on every change)
  • Temp file cleanup (slowed VA after hour of running)
  • Plate auto-meshing (21x)
  • Convert mesh to plates (275x)
  • Clipboard import (95x)
  • DXF import (10x)
  • Background restart is delayed in larger projects
  • Collection validation in large projects (10-20x boost)
  • Plate modifications (43x)
  • Check model for errors
  • Text in graphics
  • Grid drawing graphics (3x)
  • Slab design report (16x)
• Sticky Notes on/off option in Filter tab
• More shared code, internally, for easier maintenance
• Updated 3rd-party components for improved behavior and performance
• Updated Microsoft .NET framework for features and performance
• Additional automatic validation and unit-testing for reliability
• Cleaner user interface, improved panels, menus, colors & layout
• Improved behavior of crash-recovery projects
• Documentation updates and overhaul