Multiframe Version 7.5 Arrives
Welcome to our latest edition of Multiframe news. This issue we outline the new functions in Multiframe version 7.5 and on page 3 we take a look at an interesting sculptural project analysed by long-time Multiframe user Duncan Bray.
Multiframe 7.5
As part of our accelerated program of development for Multiframe, we are pleased to announce the release of version 7.5 of the software. Subscribers to our Multiframe subscription program (see back page) will automatically be receiving this update over the next few weeks.
Development for this release has focused on more interaction with properties in the Frame window, new loading shapes which simplify the application of pressure loads, and additional data exchange and design capabilities.
Frame Window
The properties of items displayed as icons in the Frame window can now be edited by simply double clicking the mouse over the icon. Items such as joint springs, restraints and joint masses as well as member releases and member masses can all be edited in this manner. This provides a rapid shortcut for modifying frame properties graphically without having to cross check with tabular data.
Load Window
Numerous loading enhancements have been included in this release. Multiple self weight load cases can now be added to the frame and gravitational accelerations can now be specified for each direction. This may be useful when defining load cases based on inertia or seismic effects.
New Load Shapes
When adding a distributed load to a member, you can now specify the distribution or shape of the loading. The shape of the load may be specified as either uniform, linear, triangular or trilinear. The new trilinear option is a quick way to apply the loading pattern typically seen as a result of a panel load supported by a side beam.
Double Click Loads
The loads applied to a member in Multiframe can be edited by double clicking on the member in the Load Window. The dialog which appears in this case has now been enhanced to include pages for both force and thermal loads. In addition, loads can now be added using a new Add button in this dialog. The equivalent dialog for editing joint loads has also been enhanced in the same manner. These changes make it much easier to manage members with multiple loads.
Prescribed Displacement Loads
In response to numerous users' requests, the implementation of prescribed displacements has been changed so that they are now applied in the current load case rather than to all load cases. For this reason, application and display of prescribed displacements now occurs in the Load window rather than the Frame window.
Prescribed displacements act in the local coordinate system of the node to which they are applied. The properties of a prescribed displacement may be edited by double clicking on the icon representing the prescribed displacement.
Project Details
Another frequent user request has been for a simple method to record and print details of the project and designer with the frame. This can now be done using a new Properties command in the File menu.
As well as the project and designer information, the Properties dialog also contains two additional pages that display properties of the file and statistics about the frame. This dialog will automatically be displayed when saving a frame for the first time. It will also be displayed when an older file is saved to the new file format.
SpaceGass & Microstran Import & Export
Australian users of Multiframe will welcome a new capability to import and export data to and from SpaceGass and Microstran. These are two widely used programs in Australasia and this new capability allows you to read in frames from other designers who may be using those programs. It also allows you to save Multiframe files in those formats for others to read. For SpaceGass or Microstran users considering a switch to Multiframe, this also provides a way to protect your existing investment in project files from those programs. We will be adding import and export support for other commonly used programs in the future. If there is a particular program file format you would like us to support, please email us at support@formsys.com.
Import & Export
A DXF file may now be imported into Multiframe and appended to the frame currently open in the program. Previously only an entire frame could be imported. The imported structure will automatically connect to the existing structure at common joints while line segments corresponding to existing members will be ignored.
The exporting of DXF files has been modified such that only active members (i.e. not clipped or masked) are included in the exported data. In addition, nodes and members can now be labelled with their number and/or label. These will be written to the DXF file if they are visible within Multiframe. The Windows version of Multiframe now has an option in the Export menu to save a frame as a VRML file. This option is only available when the frame in rendered in the active window. VRML is a format used to view 3D models in an Internet web browser. You can also embed these models in web pages to provide online display of your projects.
Analysis Enhancements
The non-linear analysis engine has been improved and now models the P-Delta effect using a finite displacement formulation. This better represents the change in geometry of a member by accounting for the rotation of the member from its original position.
Support has also been added to model the axial shortening of a member due to flexure of the member. This non-linear effect may be included in an analysis by selecting the appropriate option in the non-linear analysis dialog.
The nomenclature used in Multiframe4D to describe the dynamic analyses and the associated load cases has been changed. A dynamic analysis to determine the mode shapes of a structure is now referred to as a Modal Analysis while Dynamic Load Cases have been renamed to Time History Load Cases.
NZS3404
Design of steel structures to the New Zealand design code NZS3404 has been incorporated into the latest version of Steel Designer. Details of the implementation and scope of design to NZS3404 are contained in the manual and online help. The implementation of this design code includes the changes described in the draft of Amendment No. 1 to the standard.
Reporting Directly to Microsoft Word
The reporting capacity of Multiframe has been significantly enhanced by allowing the user to redirect output usually displayed in the Report Window directly to a Microsoft Word document.
This option can be selected via the preferences dialog and requires that either Microsoft Word 97 or 2000 be installed on your computer. Multiframe will automatically run Microsoft Word when it is required. This provides much faster reporting and also smooothly integrates with the preparation of design reports in Word.
New File Format
The format of Multiframe files (*.mfd) has been updated for this release of Multiframe. While we try and avoid such upgrades, the current file format has been around for over 3 years and needs to be revised in order to support new features both now and in the future.
To provide compatibility with older versions of Multiframe an option has been provided in the Export menu to save a frame in the old file format. This will also allow Macintosh users to read files from the new Windows version.
Multiframe User Case Study Duncan Bray & Associates
Multiframe has now been in use for over 10 years and has over 2000 users worldwide. However few of those users can claim to have used the software for as long as independent consultant Duncan Bray. He was one of the first 10 or so users of the program and from its humble early days, with a 2D only version running on a Mac Plus, Multiframe has formed one of the cornerstones of Duncan's structural design work.
His specialisation is in the area of large and unusual luxury housing structures, many of which can be seen along the coastal beaches of Sydney, Australia. His design projects tend to be one-off problems which require an individual solution. On occasion he also works on industrial projects such as a recent series of 40m span trusses for an industrial redevelopment in Botany Bay.
One of his more unusual recent projects involved the structural assessment of a sculpture in Newcastle, NSW. The sculpture, pictured below, is part of the Convict Lumber Yards - a highly significant heritage site for the city of Newcastle. The Yards site is nationally recognised as the earliest surviving example of a convict industrial site. Sites like this formed the basis of industrial expansion after the European settlement of Australia in the late 1700's and early 1800's. After a number of research and planning projects, including archaeological investigations in 1987, 1989 and 1992, the sculpture was commissioned as a visual representation of the overall structure of the original buildings.
For Duncan Bray, the project represented a interesting structural design problem, with a highly flexible and geometrically complex frame, and a supporting structure which was embedded below ground in the form of steel retaining walls. The location is frequently subject to significant wind gusts and with a span of 30m and the unusual cranked connections in the roof framing, a detailed 3D analysis was essential. Duncan also made use of Section Maker to determine properties for the custom fabricated triangular plate sections used in the structure. The final result was a geometrically interesting structure fabricated in high strength steel that will be a lasting part of the Newcastle streetscape.
Tips and Tricks
The animation command in Multiframe includes an option to save the animation to disk in a movie file. On Windows this file is in AVI format and on Macintosh it is in QuickTime format. Both movie types can be inserted into Microsoft Office documents allowing you to include the animation in your reports. These movies can also be inserted into web pages so that others can view them over the internet. Of course they can also be emailed to colleagues and played using standard multimedia player programs.
Multiframe Subscription Program
Our Multiframe subscription program automatically delivers new updates to Multiframe users as soon as new versions are released. New purchasers of Multiframe are automatically supplied with a one year subscription which gives them updates to programs free of charge for 12 months after purchase. After this period our subscription program will keep you up to date with the latest software versions.
The subscription lets you pay one annual fee for all of the programs you own and will normally give you two major upgrades as well as any minor updates during the year. Subscription fees are approximately 10% of the current retail price of each program.
Updates are delivered on CD as well as being available for immediate download from our web site. If you haven't already done so, please advise us of your email address so that we can notify you when updates are available for download.
User Manuals
In the Windows version of Multiframe, the complete user manual is available in the on-line help system which is activated from the Help menu. The index in the help system can be used to find every occurrence of any word in the manual.
The latest versions of user manuals are also available on the Multiframe CD in Adobe Acrobat pdf format. These files can be used for reference or for printing your own hard copy complete with original formatting and pictures.
The latest versions of user manuals are also available for download from our web site - these too are in Adobe Acrobat pdf format.
