Dlubal API (gRPC)

Yes, the API allows you to open and modify existing files just as easily as creating new ones. You can use scripts to specifically target and swap materials, adjust load magnitudes, or extract results from models you have already modeled manually in the graphical interface.

No, you do not need a computer science degree to use the API effectively. Thanks to the high-level Python and C# libraries provided by Dlubal, you can use simple, structural-engineering-focused commands that hide the complex communication logic happening in the background.

Yes, it is specifically designed for parametric tasks that are too tedious for manual modeling. You can use mathematical functions to define node coordinates and surface geometries, allowing you to run iterative loops that automatically find the most efficient shape based on the resulting utilization ratios.

Directly so, as the API supports non-linear material models and provides full access to the design add-ons for international standards. This allows you to programmatically verify that your custom-optimized structures still comply strictly with safety requirements like Eurocode 3 or AISC.

The Dlubal MCP Server is an upcoming AI-driven middleware that uses the Model Context Protocol to link RFEM/RSTAB with external applications. It creates a seamless pipeline where you can control complex structural analysis via conversational AI and custom automated tools.

Yes, you can start automating immediately using free, open-source environments like Visual Studio Code. Because the API connects directly to your existing RFEM or RSTAB installation, you don't need to invest in expensive proprietary development tools to build custom scripts that handle your routine design tasks.

The API increases your efficiency because...

• You save time – Automate model creation, load allocation, and result evaluation, significantly shortening your design process.

• You reduce costs – Fewer manual steps mean fewer engineering hours and lower project costs.

• You have full adaptability – Design calculations, reports, and workflows exactly according to your project or company specifications without being limited by UI restrictions.

• It is seamlessly integrated – The API links RFEM, RSTAB & Co. bidirectionally with BIM and CAD tools, prevents media breaks, and ensures consistent data.

• You have comprehensive data access – Access an extensive range of model objects and results, filter them specifically, and process them further to make data-based decisions.

• It unleashes innovation potential – Develop new apps, prototypes, and AI workflows (for example, with the AI assistant Mia) without reinventing the wheel.

• It has high performance – Thanks to gRPC technology, data exchange is up to 10 times faster than with classic SOAP/REST services.

To use the Dlubal API, you need a valid license (full or trial version) of a supported Dlubal main program (currently RFEM 6 and RSTAB 9, in the future also RSECTION, RWIND, and Geo-Zone Tool) and a personal API key. You can easily generate this API key via your Dlubal Extranet account under “API & Cloud → API II → My API Keys”:

• Dlubal Extranet | My API Keys

An API subscription is not mandatory – you can start directly with the free API subscription “Free” and get to know and use the API without obligation.

Yes, but it requires a simple workaround. Since the RFEM Python API expects inputs in meters, the best practice is to define your imperial dimensions at the start of your script and apply a conversion factor.

See how to handle unit conversion in Python: FAQ | Imperial Units in the Python API