Is Staad-Etc. Good?

[meca]

Can anybody provide any feedback on Staad-Etc. and whether it is a useful package? I am primarily interested in its capabilities for column baseplates and moment connections.

 

[lippie]

I use it for combined footings and base plates. It works well as a stand alone or with Pro.

 

[rmonterroso]

I am also using .etc as a general purpose design tool - concrete beams and columns, footings and combined footings. It's Ok.

The way the formula calculations are presented in detail is helpful for review of the design. I have used this as a starting point for writing my own spreadsheets to 'work back' into customs solutions I am looking for.