STAAD Pro Macros

Manipulating the software - through the API

A SHORT INTRODUCTION

What is an API ?

Application Programming Interface are the set of contructs that allow control of the core engine - in this case the STAAD Pro Software.

Never saw an option for API in STAAD ?

Trust me .... its there,

Have a look at the ->All Programs->Bentley Engineering->STAAD Pro V8i (or your version) and you will find a file called OpenSTAAD Reference Documentation

What is OpenSTAAD ?

"OpenSTAAD is a library of exposed functions allowing engineers access to STAAD.Pro’s internal functions and routines as well as its graphical commands."

Functions, routines, commands ..???

This is what programming is made of, apparently its more than just mouse clicks.


To learn programming, head over to:

Language, Platform ?

  • Built on ATL COM and COM+ standards
  • Language: C, C++, VB, VBA, FORTRAN, Java, Delphi, C#
  • MS Windows, atleast upto Win - 7

What all can this API do ?

  • STAAD File Input and Output (I/O)
  • Structure Geometry
  • Member Specifications
  • Properties
  • Loads
  • Output Results
    • Nodes
    • Beams
    • Plates
    • Solids
  • STAAD Pre-Processor
  • STAAD Post-Processor
  • Creating Dialog Boxes and Menu Items

Refer code samples in the repository - 1

Step 1: Initializing OpenSTAAD Library


'Initialize the STAAD Appplication Object
Set objOpenSTAAD1 = GetObject( , "StaadPro.OpenSTAAD")

Or

'Initialize the STAAD results object
Set objSTAADResults = CreateObject("OpenSTAAD.Output.1")


Work on the former, if you want to work on the model and the latter if you just want to work on the results.


Step 2: Now do what the API lets you do


For example,

 'Retrieve the Filename of the currently open staad file with full path
 bIncludePath = True
 objOpenSTAAD1.GetSTAADFile strFileName, bIncludePath


Points to observe:

  • objOpenSTAAD1 is the name of Application object we created previously.
  • GetSTAADFile is the name of OpenSTAAD function
  • VBA is case-sensitive, so the function name, should appear as it is.
  • strFileName & bIncludePath are variable names, that store the filename and function options

Root Functions


  • Analyze
  • CloseSTAADFile
  • GetBaseUnit
  • GetInputUnitForForce
  • ShowApplication
  • UpdateStructure


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Geometry Functions


  • Geometry.AddBeam
  • Geometry.AddMultipleBeams
  • Geometry.AddMultipleNodes
  • Geometry.AddMultiplePlates
  • Geometry.DeleteBeam
  • Geometry.DeletePlate


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View Functions


  • View.CreateNewViewForSelections
  • View.HideAllMembers
  • View.HideEntity
  • View.HideMember
  • View.HidePlate
  • View.HideSolid


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Properties Functions


  • Property.AssignBeamProperty
  • Property.AssignBetaAngle
  • Property.AssignPlateThickness
  • Property.CreateBeamPropertyFromTable
  • Property.CreateMemberCompressionSpec
  • Property.CreateMemberPartialReleaseSpec


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Loads Functions


  • Load.AddElementPressure
  • Load.AddLoadAndFactorToCombination
  • Load.AddMemberConcForce
  • Load.AddMemberUniformMoment
  • Load.AddStrainLoad
  • Load.GetActiveLoad


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Supports Functions


  • Support.AssignSupportToNode
  • Support.CreateSupportFixed
  • Support.GetSupportCount
  • Support.GetSupportNodes
  • Support.GetSupportType


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Command Functions


  • Command.CreateSteelDesignCommand
  • Command.PerformAnalysis
  • Command.PerformPDeltaAnalysisConverge
  • Command.PerformPDeltaAnalysisNoConverge

Output Results Functions


  • Output.GetAllPlateCenterForces
  • Output.GetAllPlateCenterMoments
  • Output.GetAllPlateCenterStressesAndMoments
  • Output.GetAllSolildNormalStresses
  • Output.GetIntermediateMemberForcesAtDistance
  • Output.GetMemberEndForces


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Results Table Functions


  • Table.AddTable
  • Table.CreateReport
  • Table.DeleteTable


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You can even link other applications


Create a handle for an MS Excel spreadsheet, allowing to use Excel data, or send data to Excel.



 'Initialize the Excel Object
 Set EX1 = CreateObject ( "Excel.Application")

Final Comments

  • OpenSTAAD API is quite exhaustive
  • Can be used to automate repititive tasks
  • Can be used to pipe data in or out from other applications. Examples of piping from Excel and AUTOCAD are shown in the documentation

References