Applies To
	Product(s):	STAAD.Pro
	Version(s):	All
	Environment:	N/A
	Area:	OpenSTAAD
	Subarea:	Geometry
	Original Author:	Bentley Technical Support Group, Shreyanka Bhattacharjee

Problem Description:

How to intersect members using OpenSTAAD function (VBA and python)

Solution:

IntersectBeams function is used to intersect members. GetIntersectBeamsCount can also be used along with this function

IntersectBeams: A function that takes a list of beam numbers and either identify those that would be split/connected due to overlapping each other and highlighting them on the model or simply performing the intersection routine and returning a list of members resulting from running the intersection routine that have been added to the model.

GetIntersectBeamsCount: Returns number of new beams that will be created if the specified list of beams are intersected. This method can be used to get the count of beams that can be used to define the size of output array while using the API IntersectBeams

Parameter:

IntersectBeams: 

[Input] Method: Pass 1 to highlight the member(s) or 2 to intersect the member(s)

[Input] BeamNosArray: Array of Beams numbers. If the array is either null or empty then all members in current model will be considered

[Input] Tolerance: Tolerance to be used for finding beam intersection, should not be negative value, meter for Metric and inch for English in Base Unit 

[Input] NewBeamNosArray: The ids of the beams that have been added, extract beam number ID only for method 2.

GetIntersectBeamsCount

[Input] BeamNosArray: Array of Beams numbers. If the array is either null or empty then all members in current model will be considered

[Input] Tolerance: Tolerance to be used for finding beam intersection, should not be negative value, meter for Metric and inch for English in Base Unit 

Sample VBA Syntax:

Set objOpenStaad = GetObject(, "StaadPro.OpenSTAAD")

    Dim beams() As Long

    Dim Tolerance As Double

    Dim method As Long

    ReDim beams(3) As Long

    Dim newBeamCount As Long

    Dim newBeams() As Long

 

    beams(0) = 1

    beams(1) = 2

    beams(2) = 3

    beams(3) = 4

   

    Tolerance = 0.01

    newBeamCount = objOpenStaad.Geometry.GetIntersectBeamsCount(beams, Tolerance)

    ReDim newBeams(newBeamCount - 1) As Long

    method = 1

    retval = objOpenStaad.Geometry.IntersectBeams(method, beams, Tolerance, newBeams)

Python syntax:

GetIntersectBeamsCount_IntersectBeams.py file is attached

communities.bentley.com/.../GetIntersectBeamsCount_5F00_IntersectBeams.py  communities.bentley.com/.../IntersectBeams.STD