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Recommend shape properties software
3

Recommend shape properties software

Recommend shape properties software

(OP)
I was planning on buying IES' ShapeBuilder software but they don't allow first time buyers to pay by purchase order (only way I'll be able to pay).  Oh well, their loss of money.  Anyway I really liked the capabilities of that program and was wondering if anyone could recommend an equivalent program.

RE: Recommend shape properties software

RISA has their Section program.

www.risatech.com

RE: Recommend shape properties software

STAAD has something called Sectionwizard (www.reiworld.com) and I think there is one offered by Enercalc.

RE: Recommend shape properties software

2
If you have full blown AutoCAD, you can use it.

RE: Recommend shape properties software

ChipB, I wasn't aware that you can compute section properties in AutoCAD.  How is it done?

RE: Recommend shape properties software

Draw the section in Autocad, change it to a region, do a massprop command on it, note the nuetral axis coordinates. Move the region's neutral axis to 0,0, and do another massprop on it.  It'll kick it out for you.

RE: Recommend shape properties software

AutoCadd does do what ChipB says, but it takes longer to build your shape, figure out the centroid, and move it over to the 0,0 point than it does in some of the other software, also, the other software is much less expensive (assuming you don't already have Autocadd) and gives you more output values to work with.

RE: Recommend shape properties software

(OP)
Thanks for everyone's help.  I'll look into your suggestions.

RE: Recommend shape properties software

A nice Excel spreadsheet is available free at http://yakpol.net/ which calculates section properties.  The section can be defined by 2 or 3 different methods.

RE: Recommend shape properties software

ChipB,
Your suggestion shows a quick and handy solution. But please tell how to change the neutral axis to 0,0?
Thanks.

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