978x

2016-06-15

Programming of Grasshopper Plug-in for Data Exchange Between RSTAB and Grasshopper

The aim of this project was to develop a tool for the Grasshopper plugin Rhinoceros (Rhino), which sends data to RSTAB via the RS‑COM interface.

This tool allows for transferring nodes, lines, materials, cross‑sections, supports, and loads defined in Rhino or Grasshopper into RSTAB which performs the calculation. The results are then exported via the RS-COM interface, the deformed structure and force distributions are displayed in Rhino, and the ultimate limit state timber design is performed to display loads of the designed structure.

Within the scope of this bachelor thesis, the fundamental feasibility of the data transfer using RS‑COM was successfully examined and thus a basis for further development was created.

Author	Soenke Kientopf
University	HafenCity University Hamburg (HCU), Germany, Institute of Facade Systems and Building Envelopes

Within the scope of this bachelor thesis, the fundamental feasibility of the data transfer using RS‑COM was successfully examined and thus a basis for further development was created.

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FAQ

FAQ 005026 | How can I create a member eccentricity using the COM interface?

Length: 00:00:58 min

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[EN] FAQ 004961 | How can I use the COM interface to delete all nodes or members in a model ...

Length: 00:00:33 min

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[EN] FAQ 004903 | How can I edit the list of parameters using the COM interface?

Length: 00:00:40 min

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FAQ 004888 | How can I use the "Connect Lines or Members" function via the COM interface ...

Length: 00:00:28 min

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[EN] FAQ 004771 | Is it possible to create visibilities using the COM interface?

Length: 00:01:15 min

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[EN] FAQ 004773 | What are the StandardID and AnnexID of various National Annexes for processing ...

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[EN] FAQ 004715 | How can I select objects via the COM interface?

Length: 00:00:37 min

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FAQ 004691 | How can I create visibilities via the COM interface?

Length: 00:00:39 min

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[EN] FAQ 004629 | Where can I find the RF‑COM/RS COM add-on module?

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Diagram of Components for Distance Calculation

If you read out the results of a surface by means of the COM interface, you get a one-dimensional field with all results at the FE nodes or grid points. To get the results on the edge of a surface or along a line within the surfaces, you have to filter out the results in the area of the line. The following article describes a function for this step.

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When editing elements via the COM interface, selecting elements is often a problem because it cannot be carried out visually via the work window. The selection can be particularly difficult for models that have been created via the program interface and are then to be modified using a separate program. Apart from the exception, when the selection was made previously via RFEM, there are several alternatives for programming.

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RF-COM/RS-COM is a programmable interface that allows the user to expand the main programs RFEM and RSTAB with customized input macros or post‑processing programs. A tool to copy and move selected guidelines in RFEM will be developed in this article. It is also possible to copy or move the guidelines to another work plane. VBA in Excel will be used as the programming environment.

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Product Features

Use the "Independent mesh preferred" option in the FE mesh settings to create an independent FE mesh for the integrated objects. This allows you to generate a significantly more detailed and precise FE mesh for individual objects that are integrated into one another.