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 create triangular/quadrilateral plate using OpenSTAAD (VBA and python)

Solution:

You may use function AddPlate or CreatePlate

AddPlate adds a plate with specified existing nodes in current model, and returns the plate number ID automatically assigned with.

CreatePlate creates a plate with specified existing nodes in current model and with specified plate number

Parameter:

AddPlate

[Input]   nNodeA: Number ID of end node (nodeA) for plate connectivity.

[Input]   nNodeB : Number ID of end node (nodeB) for plate connectivity.

[Input]   nNodeC : Number ID of end node (nodeC) for plate connectivity.

[Input]   nNodeD: (Optional) Number ID of end node (nodeD) for plate connectivity. To add triangular plate, the value of this parameter will be 0

[Return Value] node: Plate number ID to be assigned to the newly created plate

CreatePlate

[Input] nPlateNo: Plate number ID

[Input]   nNodeA: Number ID of end node (nodeA) for plate connectivity.

[Input]   nNodeB               : Number ID of end node (nodeB) for plate connectivity.

[Input]   nNodeC : Number ID of end node (nodeC) for plate connectivity.

[Input]   nNodeD: (Optional) Number ID of end node (nodeD) for plate connectivity. To create triangular plate, the value of this parameter will be 0

Sample VBA syntax AddPlate (To create triangular plate):

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

Dim nNodeA(1) As Long

Dim nNodeB(1) As Long

Dim nNodeC(1) As Long

Dim nNodeD(1) As Long

Dim plate(1) As Long

 

 

nNodeA(0) = 1

nNodeB(0) = 2

nNodeC(0) = 3

nNodeD(0) = 0

 

nNodeA(1) = 2

nNodeB(1) = 5

nNodeC(1) = 6

nNodeD(1) = 0

 

For i = 0 To 1

    plate(i) = objOpenSTAAD.Geometry.AddPlate(nNodeA(i), nNodeB(i), nNodeC(i), nNodeD(i))

Next i

Output:

Sample VBA syntax CreatePlate (To create quadrilateral plate):

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

Dim nNodeA(1) As Long

Dim nNodeB(1) As Long

Dim nNodeC(1) As Long

Dim nNodeD(1) As Long

Dim nPlateNo(1) As Long

 

nNodeA(0) = 1

nNodeB(0) = 2

nNodeC(0) = 3

nNodeD(0) = 4

nPlateNo(0) = 1

 

nNodeA(1) = 2

nNodeB(1) = 5

nNodeC(1) = 6

nNodeD(1) = 3

nPlateNo(1) = 2

 

For i = 0 To 1

    objOpenSTAAD.Geometry.CreatePlate nPlateNo(i), nNodeA(i), nNodeB(i), nNodeC(i), nNodeD(i)

Next i

Output:

Sample python script:

communities.bentley.com/.../addplate.py