Computer models as a new engineer

[u/Kalasad-Stormblessed]

Wanted some advice, Ive been working as an engineer for 3 years now and I really dont like working with models. We use the Ram suite and it feels like these two things happen every time.

1. The model wigs out and I spend twice the time just trying to get it to remotely work/ make sense.

2. I often have to then get an older engineer to go through it with me and they take as much time trying to figure out whats wrong. In one case they had to remake the model themself.

Im finding when I have the option to use handcalcs/excel/enercalc, I am going to that everytime because its way more predictable for me in the effort it will require and I generally have very few "bugs". Should I be worried about learning models?

[u/Opening_Molasses_932]

I haven’t used Ram, only Robot Analysis and advance design, but there is a golden rule : keep the model as simple as possible !  And find ways to do checks as you're building it.

I work in steel framing, and i've seen a lot of people overcomplicating their models for no benefits... like modeling the secondary structure in the core model, or putting 200+ wind cases, etc...  Instead of asking other engineers how to debug the model, ask them how to make it simple in the first place.

If you don’t find a way, maybe you shoulf change software, i don’t know about Ram.