Robot - easier way of loading ACW (assign joint loads using local axes)

[ispiriev]

Hello,

I am a structural engineer in a company, which designs Artificial Climbing Structures (Climbing walls and Boulders). I want to ask for suggestions for an easier way of loading the structure. I shall describe in detail what we are trying to achieve and what are our hurdles.

We used to use SAP2000, and from some time now we are trying to move to Robot, but we are having difficulties finding an efficient way to load our structures. The best we could do is import geometry and loads in SAP2000 and export them to Robot using a combination of export files and tables (which we have to spend 2-3 hours preparing for Robot).

We have to define between 200 and 1000 load cases (depending on project size), which compose of 5 nodal forces with the same values. I have attached an image of our load patterns. So we have 5 forces, one bigger in the middle and 4 with smaller values. And they move from node to node (200 to 1000 nodes) in each loadcase.

When we use SAP2000 we can rename the nodes, which will be loaded with consequential numbers (like 1000to1500 for example). Then we open the load table and using excel can very quickly generate the loadcases (as we know how the nodes are ordered). Then we rotate the local coordinate systems of the nodes appropriately.

In Robot we define each node, click on the node, define the new case, click on the node and so on which is not very effective. Also we cannot rotate the local coordinate systems after the loads are assigned, as there are no local coordinate systems.

Could you suggest an easier way of loading our structures? The main problems we are facing are:

- we cannot change node names/numbers

- we cannot rotate node local coordinate systems

Can this be done either by standart robot functions, or by using additional tools, addins for Robot?

If you need any additional explanations, please ask and I shall try to explain my problems better.

Thank you very much!

[Rafal.Gaweda]

We have to define between 200 and 1000 load cases (depending on project size), which compose of 5 nodal forces with the same values. I have attached an image of our load patterns. So we have 5 forces, one bigger in the middle and 4 with smaller values. And they move from node to node (200 to 1000 nodes) in each loadcase.

What about automation of this process using Robot API?

There are some users doing similar things by API on this forum and not only on forum.

[Artur.Kosakowski]

Could you suggest an easier way of loading our structures? The main problems we are facing are:

- we cannot change node names/numbers

- we cannot rotate node local coordinate systems

You can renumber nodes and rotate direction of nodal laods:

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