Multiframe 17.00 V8i ReadMe 16 September 2013 This ReadMe file describes the changes in the release of Multiframe 17.00 V8i. System Requirements: 32-bit versions will run on Windows XP/Vista/7, and 64-bit versions will run on Windows 7 64-bit. Contents Multiframe... 2 Auto-generate Patch Stiffeners... 2 Auto-generate Patch Hot Spots... 4 RealDWG... 6 Import Construction Lines... 7 Bug fixes and minor changes... 10 Changes from 16.01 to 17.00... 10 Problem Reports... 11 Page 1
Multiframe The following features have been modified or added to Multiframe in this release. Auto-generate Patch Stiffeners Multiframe supports patch stiffeners to be auto-generated. Patch stiffeners will be defined by its in-plane design members. Auto-generate Patch Stiffeners command is available from the Geometry menu or from the right click shortcut menu. Select patch in which stiffeners will be generated in the Frame window, and mouse right click Choose Auto-generate Patch Stiffeners A dialog box will appear with a field for the number of stiffeners, stiffener types, direction & section orientations etc. Page 2
Click OK and will get patch stiffeners Page 3
Auto-generate Patch Hot Spots Multiframe supports patch hot spots to be auto-generated. Patch hot spots will be defined by patch corners, opening corners, constraint points and patch internal points. Auto-generate Patch Hot Spots command is available from the Geometry menu or from the right click shortcut menu. Select patch in which hot spots will be generated in the Frame window, and mouse right click Choose Auto-generate Patch Hot Spots A dialog box will appear with a field for type of hot spots, generate button & a list of hot spots etc. Page 4
Select hot spot types, click generate button and will get hot spot list Multiframe allows uses to add or delete a hot spot from the above dialog. Click Add button, and will come up with a dialog window with fields for label, ratio, coordinates etc. Click OK button and hot spot will be added into the list. Page 5
RealDWG Multiframe can read in 2D and 3D DWG-DXF files. This means you can create the geometry for a frame in a CAD program and then save it in DWG-DXF format to be read into Multiframe. When reading a DWG-DXF file as a background, construction lines or a model, Multiframe will extract all of the LINE, LINE3D and POLYLINE entities from the file and store each line segment as a Multiframe construction line or member. Lines that are within 0.2 inches (5mm) of each other will be connected together. To import a DWG-DXF file (*.dwg or *.dxf) Choose Background DWG-DXF from the Import sub menu, or Choose Construct line DWG-DXF from the Import sub menu, or Choose Model DWG-DXF from the Import sub menu If a frame is already open within Multiframe you will be asked if you wish to append the DWG-DXF file to the existing frame. You may also be prompted to save the existing frame. Select the file to be imported using the Open File dialog. Upon choosing a file, the DWG-DXF Import Options dialog will be displayed Set the XYZ orientation of the data in the file You can use the radio buttons in the middle of the dialog to specify the orientation of the points in the file relative to the Multiframe coordinate system. Set the units of the data in the file Click on the radio button corresponding to the units of the data in the file Optionally set the arc segment length If you are importing arcs from the file, these will be stored as line segments with bulge factors. Optionally save the configuration You can use the Add button at the bottom left of the dialog to add a configuration and save the setting for future usage. For example, if you frequently import from AutoCAD, you might like to set up a configuration named AutoCAD to save your import settings. Click OK to import the data Page 6
When Multiframe imports a DWG-DXF file as model, each line in the file is used to specify a member in the frame. A common problem of importing models from CAD programs is that the each line in the DWG-DXF file does not represent a member but rather a number of members. A typical example is a column in a multi-storey building that is often represented as a single line spaning the height of the building. When this occurs it is necessary for the user to subdivide members in the model to ensure intersecting members are connected at a joint. This is readily done in Multiframe using the Intersect Member command. When importing DWG-DXF files as a model, new members imported from the file will be labelled using the drawing layer from which the member originated. When Multiframe imports a DWG-DXF file as construction lines, each line in the file is used to store a construction lines. An arc will be store as multi-line segments with bulge factors. Import Construction Lines Multiframe can read in 2D and 3D DWG-DXF files as construction lines. This means you can create the geometry for a frame in a CAD program and then save it in DWG- DXF format to be read into Multiframe. When reading a DWG-DXF file as construction lines, Multiframe will extract all of the LINE, LINE3D, ARC and POLYLINE entities from the file and store each line segment as a Multiframe construction line. In order to create patches based on construction lines, it will be automatically broken into 3 pieces of construction lines if a construction line is closed. Multiframe allows users to create members and patches based on construction lines. To import a DWG-DXF file (*.dwg or *.dxf) as construction lines Choose Construct line DWG-DXF from the Import sub menu If a frame already has construction lines you will be asked if you wish to delete or append the DWG-DXF file to the existing construction line list. Select the file to be imported using the Open File dialog. Upon choosing a file, the DWG-DXF Import Options dialog will be displayed Set the XYZ orientation of the data in the file Page 7
You can use the radio buttons in the middle of the dialog to specify the orientation of the points in the file relative to the Multiframe coordinate system. Set the units of the data in the file Click on the radio button corresponding to the units of the data in the file Optionally set the arc segment length If you are importing arcs from the file, these will be stored as line segments with bulge factors. Optionally save the configuration You can use the Add button at the bottom left of the dialog to add a configuration and save the setting for future usage. For example, if you frequently import from AutoCAD, you might like to set up a configuration named AutoCAD to save your import settings. Click OK to import the data To create patches, select construction lines and mouse right click, Page 8
Select Auto-generate Patches command and will get: In a similar way, users can generate members based on construction line selection. Page 9
Bug fixes and minor changes Changes from 16.01 to 17.00 Member and Align to Patch command has been improved where section properties are not defined completely LRFD2005/10: effective section properties not calculated for non-compact HSS sections LRFD2010: Lambda not calculated correctly for unstiffened sections LRFD2005/10: Sway frame setting not saved properly LRFD2005/10: Flexural Torsional Bucking capacity check does not used column segments LRFD2010: Minor Axis Shear for unsymmetrical sections not calculated Bug 6363: Patch flip z-axis should reverse side nodes. Bug 6450: Wrong reaction results in sloped load panel model; Bug 6486: Add non-standard section cause material crash in Multiframe; Bug 6487: Multiframe didn t support newer format of SDNF; Bug 6663: In result table, absolute rows shouldn t show negative values; Bug 6842: Re-analyse command didn t work after reading a Multiframe model; Bug 6883: Multiframe does not display self-weight for combined load in load case window; Bug 6884: Multiframe open PDF Error when clicking help question mark icon; Bug 6955: Load panel loads weren t included into member transverse loading check for AS4600/AISI; Bug 6956: Self-weight loads weren't included into member transverse load checking for AS4600/AISI; A random duplicated node was added in Multiframe when creating or generating models with graphic geometric commands; Bug 7119: Tee section is not supported for bending in AS4100. Page 10
Problem Reports We greatly appreciate any bug reports or suggestions you may have. Please report any bugs or anomalies you find to: Fax: +61 8 9335 1526 Email: support@formsys.com Page 11