RAM DataAccess - Frame Reactions

Question

I am looking to create a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet that pulls reactions out of RAM Frame using DataAccess and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). Is there a sample VBA project or other guidance anywhere in the forums with code to read the lateral reactions (Major and Minor axis - shear, moment, and axial loads) for each load combination for a beam, a column, and a wall? With that, I would be able to manipulate this information within VBA as needed. 
 I am kind of new to programming with DataAccess and the 451 page Developer's Guide is a lot to wrap my head around. Any other resources/spreadsheets for DataAccess that anyone could suggest would also be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Eric Helmueller · Accepted Answer

This might be too much to cover in a forum post. If my comments below are not helpful, please submit a service request and mention this post. 
 
Reactions in RAM Frame are nodal reactions at the base of the structure. Based on your comments, it appears that you want the member forces at the ends of a member. Those can be found using the GetMemberForces method in the IForces2 interface. 
 
Load combination forces are not available directly. Below is a snippet of code that shows how that can be accomplished. Please note, the code below uses the GetLatBeamForcesLeftAt method, not the GetMemberForces method noted above. Declaration of variables have been omitted for clarity. 
 
 'Initialize Interfaces 
 Set IForces = RAMDataAcc1.GetDispInterfacePointerByEnum(IForces_INT) 
 Set ILoading1 = RAMDataAcc1.GetDispInterfacePointerByEnum(ILoading_INT) 
 ILoading1.GetNumAnalyzedFrameLoadCases lNumCases 
 Set ILoadCombinations = IModel.GetLoadCombinations(eComboType) 
 
 'for each combo 
 For i = 0 To ILoadCombinations.GetCount - 1 
 Set ILoadCombination = ILoadCombinations.GetAt(i) 
 dAxialCombo = 0 
 dMajMomentCombo = 0 
 dMinMomentCombo = 0 
 dMajShearCombo = 0 
 dMinShearCombo = 0 
 dTorsionCombo = 0 
 Set ILoadCombinationTerms = ILoadCombination.GetLoadCombinationTerms 
 
 'for each term 
 For j = 0 To ILoadCombinationTerms.GetCount - 1 
 Set ILoadCombinationTerm = ILoadCombinationTerms.GetAt(j) 
 Set ILoadCases = IModel.GetLoadCases(RAMFrameResultType) 
 Set ILoadCase = ILoadCases.Get(ILoadCombinationTerm.lLoadCaseID) 
 IForces.GetLatBeamForcesLeftAt lUID, ILoadCase.lAnalyzeNo, dLoc, dAxial, dMajMoment, dMinMoment, dMajShear, dMinShear, dTorsion 
 dAxialCombo = dAxialCombo + ILoadCombinationTerm.dFactor * dAxial 
 dMajMomentCombo = dMajMomentCombo + ILoadCombinationTerm.dFactor * dMajMoment 
 dMinMomentCombo = dMinMomentCombo + ILoadCombinationTerm.dFactor * dMinMoment 
 dMajShearCombo = dMajShearCombo + ILoadCombinationTerm.dFactor * dMajShear 
 dMinShearCombo = dMinShearCombo + ILoadCombinationTerm.dFactor * dMinShear 
 dTorsionCombo = dTorsionCombo + ILoadCombinationTerm.dFactor * dTorsion 
 Next 
 
 'print forces 
 Cells(lRow, 1) = ILoadCombination.lLabelNo 
 Cells(lRow, 2) = dLoc 
 Cells(lRow, 3) = dAxialCombo 
 Cells(lRow, 4) = dMajMomentCombo / 12 
 Cells(lRow, 5) = dMinMomentCombo / 12 
 Cells(lRow, 6) = dMajShearCombo 
 Cells(lRow, 7) = dMinShearCombo 
 Cells(lRow, 8) = dTorsionCombo / 12 
 lRow = lRow + 1 
 
 Next

Eric Helmueller · Answer

In the statement, 
 
Set ILoadCombinations = IModel.GetLoadCombinations(eComboType) 
 
The variable eComboType should be assigned the appropriate value. The IModel.GetLoadCombinations method description in the RAM DA Developer's Guide shows that this input argument is the COMBO_MATERIAL_TYPE enumerator. ANALYSIS_CUSTOM will get you the Frame Analysis combos. Search for COMBO_MATERIAL_TYPE in manual to see the complete list of values.

Eric Helmueller · Answer

You are passing in a couple of incorrect arguments. The DataAccess manual installs with the program in the manuals folder. The installation location is typically here: 
 C:\Program Files\Bentley\Engineering\RAM Structural System\manuals 
 1. The method takes a beam unique ID (always ends in 02 for a beam), but you appear to be passing in a beam label (member number you see in Modeler). 
 2. The method takes a load case index from the list of analyzed cases, but you are passing in a load case unique ID. 
 Also, I recommend that you include the Option Explicit declaration and declare all variables with the data type the DataAccess methods expect. Undeclared variables in VBA default to a variant data type. Many DataAccess methods will fail if you attempt to pass in a variant rather than the expected data type.

RAM DataAccess - Frame Reactions

Top Replies