A New Interface Methodology for Microcomputer Based Structural Analysis Programs

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The widespread availability of micro-computers together with an increase in the awareness of structural engineers of the need to consider dynamic effects in the design of structures, has created a need for structural engineering software capable of modelling dynamic effects in buildings. The ETABS Program developed on a large mainframe can provide the modelling capability required by engineers. The first step to make ETABS available to the structural engineering community is to convert it from a large computer environmental to the personal computer, this has already been partially achieved. However, in the conversion, the original batch-type input definition method was retained. This type of problem definition approach is tedious and error prone. To make ETABS a practical tool with widespread use, the data input and data output process should be facilitated using the latest techniques of interactive computer graphics. The research proposed will apply a series computer graphics user-interface utilities that are currently under development to transform the data input and output process of ETABS from a batch mode to a fully interactive graphical procedure. The following objectives will guide the proposed research: 1. The resulting software should run in a PC-AT environment. 2. Both the input and output process will be through a menu- driven graphical interactive approach. 3. On-screen help information should be available. 4. The resulting software should be transportable to other engineering workstation configurations. 5. The pre- and post-processor tools developed should be applicable to similar batch oriented structural analysis programs. The PC-AT environment is proposed as the target hardware configuration to make the end product of this research available to as many engineers as possible.