Error Reading the Above User Table... [I have an error and need Bentley expert to take a look]

Spring and End Support.zip

Good afternoon Bentley experts,

I have been reading this forum via google searches as I learn to use STAAD but ran into an error that no matter how much I google, I cannot figure it out.  Attached is the .zip file with my model.

My model is a 2-D, Plane model, of a tapered beam with three pinned supports and some springs attached to it.  I never made any user tables at all, though I did click on the user table button once and gave up trying to use that function

When I try to analyze my girder I get the frustrating error message of "**ERROR READING THE ABOVE USER TABLE #  1, section-name:,  CHECK THE NUMBER OR VALUES OF PARAMETERS ENTERED."  I have no idea what it is referring to as I never made or used a "user table #1".

///

What I have tried:

1.  Deleting any reference to user tables in the input file.  This only made things worse and generated more errors.

2.  Tried finding and editing the "upt1" file but there is no such file in my list of STAAD files.

3.  Made sure user table is called out before anything else.  I think it already is, but still, the error persists.

So, bottom line, I am completely stuck.

This is not the first time STAAD has given me frustrating errors.  It happens with any structural analysis program, but the most frustrating thing with STAAD is that it does not seem to thoroughly check and edit the input file prior to analysis...if at all.  It's almost as if it is writing stuff into the input file, but not deleting or editing it prior to analysis.  The GUI is just a façade for inputting items into this command prompt looking file, and then if something goes wrong, your GUI could be perfectly correct, but some bug was written into the input file.  Anyway, just complaining, but slowly figuring out what STAAD can and cannot do.

Thank you for your time.

Parents
  • Go to the input file and delete these lines:

    START USER TABLE

    TABLE 1

    UNIT FEET KIP

    END



    Answer Verified By: John Ola 

  • Modestas, thank you for the help.  That worked. 

    FYI...more for whoever runs across this on google...I actually tried what you said previously.  When I deleted the lines you mentioned, STAAD generated two additional errors.

    By comparing my STAAD input file with other ones that had no errors, I realized that not only do I have to delete the lines you mentioned but I also had to manually type in "PERFORM ANALYSIS" prior to "FINISH" in the input file.

    ///

    Again, it's pretty embarassing that for a professional grade structural engineering software, I click "Perform Analysis" and the program fails, gives me a cryptic error message which pretty much tells me that it does not like the "FINISH" command at the end of the input file, and the solution is to type in "PERFORM ANALYSIS" into its input file. 

    The only reason I caught that is because I realized how backward STAAD is and went back to "monkey see, monkey do" and compared my non-functional input file to one that worked to see what line of code is different.

    If you click "Perform Analysis" in a piece of software worth hundreds of dollars then the analysis should be performed, end of story.  Have a robust code checker built in to check that input file.

    I know there are people with legacy macros and all sorts of crazy stuff that write code into the input file.  Someday, STAAD will either have to cut them off and get away from 1990s style input files, or support them but have that code checker built in.

    It's not just STAAD, whenever I use most structural analysis software I always think "we have iPhones, we have 3-D...close to virtual reality first person shooters...but here I am using a piece of software with little tiny symbols and a command prompt input file looking thing straight out of 1999".  Holy cow, when will this really evolve, Microsoft Office products look and feel way better.

    Anyway, rant over.  Thank you for your help man; without your input I would be completely stuck.

  • Each and every model must have some specific input in order the program to be able to analyze that model - geometry, materials, loads, properties, etc. One of those requirements is the analysis type. It could be simple linear analysis (PERFORM ANALYSIS command) or a PDelta, Non Linear, Buckling or some other type of analysis. The user is responsible of entering the required analysis type in the same way like entering the correct sections or loadings. It is not necessary to enter this command directly into the input file - it can also be added from the GUI.

    I agree that sometimes the error's reported in the Output file are not quite self explanatory, but I can assure you that we put a lot of efforts an recourses in making STAAD.Pro a better product. If you are not using STAAD.Pro CONNECT Edition yet, I would recommend you to try it and I tink you will find some more useful features compared to STAAD.Pro V8i as well as a new - not so old fashioned - GUI.



Reply
  • Each and every model must have some specific input in order the program to be able to analyze that model - geometry, materials, loads, properties, etc. One of those requirements is the analysis type. It could be simple linear analysis (PERFORM ANALYSIS command) or a PDelta, Non Linear, Buckling or some other type of analysis. The user is responsible of entering the required analysis type in the same way like entering the correct sections or loadings. It is not necessary to enter this command directly into the input file - it can also be added from the GUI.

    I agree that sometimes the error's reported in the Output file are not quite self explanatory, but I can assure you that we put a lot of efforts an recourses in making STAAD.Pro a better product. If you are not using STAAD.Pro CONNECT Edition yet, I would recommend you to try it and I tink you will find some more useful features compared to STAAD.Pro V8i as well as a new - not so old fashioned - GUI.



Children
No Data