CYPE 3D

In the 2015.f version, checking bars is an analysis option, and so, users can analyse the structure with or without checking bars. In previous versions, when the job was analysed, bars were checked and users did not have the option to analyse to simply obtain forces.

As of the 2015.f version, results which depend on bars having been checked will not be available if the option “Check bars” has not been activated. By including this option, the use of the program has been optimised especially in the early design stages of the structure where users do not wish to check sections but rather know how the structure behaves and how the forces are distributed.

As of previous versions, users can create windows to work with all the structure in 3D, part of the structure in 3D included in an orthogonal parallelepiped defined by its diagonal, or in 2D corresponding to selected planes.

As of the 2015.f version, users can create 3D windows of a selection of elements (Window > Open new > 3D view of a selection of elements). Upon selecting this option, users can select nodes, bars and shells; one element at a time or using a capture window. As well as selected bars, the following elements will also appear in 3D windows created in this manner:

• Bars, even though they have not been selected, whose initial or final node also belong to the selected bars.
• Bars which have been introduced in the 3D window.

As occurs in any 3D or 2D window, bars that are introduced in 3D windows of a selection of elements generate intermediate nodes at intersection points with other bars only if the option: “Generate nodes at intersection points” (Bar menu); even if these bars are not included in the window.

3D windows created using a selection of elements allows users to work in an isolated manner on part of the structure without having to view the complete structure.

In previous versions, integration strips defined on shells to consult forces could not be represented on drawings neither was a reference or information on the width of each strip available.

As of the 2015.f version, the integration strips can be added in the shell drawings. These integration strips will appear with their reference in the strip editing window, on drawings and in tooltips. Furthermore, information regarding the width of each strip has been added in the forces report.

The following options have been included in the View options section in the Drawing preferences dialogue box (Job > Drawing preferences):

• Display element information
  Activates and deactivated the tooltip which appears providing information on the element, associated with the active option, on which the cursor is placed (e.g. “Describe section” in the Bar menu).
• Display texts on the elements
  Activates and deactivates texts being drawn on-screen over the elements.
• Display the local axes of the elements
  Activates and deactivates the local axes of the elements being drawn on-screen.

Until the 2015.f version, the local axes of the bars or shells, the indicative texts on the elements and information tooltips on bars with specific program options, appeared automatically without the option to hide them. Occasionally, due to overlapping, these items hindered the view of the structure. As of the 2015.f version, users can activate and deactivate these views and so improve their perception of the structure.

The force viewing tools available in earlier versions of CYPE 3D (Analyse > Forces, Envelopes, Forces at a point and Envelopes at a point) have been unified in a single option (Analyse > Forces) and opens the Forces dialogue box.

The new “Forces” dialogue box allows users to consult force diagrams and envelopes at the selected point and to view the maximum and minimum forces of bars. Values can be displayed at the selected point by moving the cursor along the bar. The “Selected bars only” and “Consult values” options must be selected beforehand.

This window also allows users to assign the scale the force diagrams are to be represented in and select the loadcase or loadcase combination for which the forces are to be displayed.

For users, this represents a substantial improvement regarding the time required to use the option, since there is no need to change tools depending on which type of consultation is to be done.