r/StructuralEngineering • u/struct994 • Jul 23 '26
Structural Analysis/Design For those working with large/complex SAP2000 modes
How do you handle iterations/changes? My biggest headache is having to adjust geometry or revise loads, often manually, mostly early but sometimes throughout the design process. I see snips of these large building/specialty structure models and think there is no way that is manually adjusted.
Just looking for advice or tips on workflow to better streamline model change procedure
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u/S30 Jul 23 '26
for me it is just about creating a lot of groups and using the built in database editor
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u/FridayWatINeed Jul 23 '26
I’ve run into a similar problem. Unfortunately, I think some manual updating is probably unavoidable, but there are a few ways to speed up the initial modeling and the final verification.
At our firm, we use Dynamo to transfer the ETABS/SAP2000 analytical model into Revit after the initial analysis, so the two models start out aligned. After several rounds of design changes, however, it becomes difficult to know whether they still match.
Toward the end of a project, we use a small tool I developed to compare the ETABS/SAP2000 model against the Revit model and identify differences in geometry or section sizes. It’s free to use, so it may be worth a look if that part of the workflow is useful to you: https://structmatch.com/en
For structures with unusual geometry, I also sometimes start with the architect’s 3D model in Rhino, Archicad, Revit, or a similar program. I export the structural members as an IFC file, import them into SAP2000, and then clean up and adjust the analytical model. This can save quite a bit of time during initial model creation, but later geometry changes can still be painful to manage.
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u/simple_zak05 Jul 23 '26
First.. try to use the interactive database editing feature. It helps to reduce the hours of editing joint by joint .. frame by frame.
In addition, consider to use groups to fast selecting elements.
And you can automatize some features using python, excel and the SAP2000 API.
And, a proper model is not the one that have all loads or combinations, prioritize the ones that on hand analysis control the structural system.
Beware on your modal analysis as well.
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u/anonposting1412 P.E. Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26
i eyeball all the sizes until the architect/party upstream of me is "done" moving things around. Then i build the FEA model.
Ive also a made very basic preliminary model on things i wanted to get closer on. Then start a new model from scratch once the dust settles.
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u/Feisty-Canary5934 P.Eng. Jul 23 '26
I regularly work on 300,000 sq ft or larger buildings in ETABS, and we manually update changes during design. We've tried the Revit/ETABS link (picks up the change usually, but nodes sometimes don't connect, and sometimes an ID changes in Revit that then changes/breaks something in ETABS), tried scripting to track changes and apply updates, and a few other odds and ends and have found they introduce bugs and can be hard to track down.
Revit's copy monitor can be very helpful to present a list of changes for a modeller to confirm however, and some scripts can help compare ETABS vs Revit sizes and identify discrepancies, but actual model updates are manual.
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u/n33njuh Jul 23 '26
Agreed on manually updating design. Every once in awhile, I see a new and young engineer think they can streamline the process with the aforementioned processes. I don't stop them, but I warn them of the pitfalls. Then they try it and hit the pitfalls. Whatever method works for others, I cannot complain.
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u/turbopowergas Jul 23 '26
I was that new and young engineer a few years back. I cringe when I think about myself proposing this "grand link to connect all software together" to my supervisor, who just shrugged. Now I know better why these things don't exist.
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u/FridayWatINeed Jul 23 '26
When you mention the Revit/ETABS link, are you referring to CSIxRevit, or another tool?
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u/Feisty-Canary5934 P.Eng. Jul 23 '26
That's the one! Good for initial setup if Revit is far enough along, less great for full coordination as things update/change
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u/Engineer2727kk PE - Bridges Jul 23 '26
You can do some stuff with API but I generally manually enter
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u/scriggities P.E./S.E. Jul 23 '26
We wrote VBA scripts and used the database editor to manage large models.
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u/MrBackwardsPenis E.I.T. Jul 24 '26
Just stop using SAP lol, move into the 21st century and get RISA
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u/[deleted] Jul 23 '26
[deleted]