- 3 min read

Functionality Improvements of the Structural Analytical Model

Improved Handling of the Structural Analytical Model

Improved, more intuitive analytical model exchange: better material mapping, automatic mapping of manufactured cross section profiles and ready-to-use databases available to download.

Open IFC Structural Project in Model Compare

As a further enhancement to bi-directional model sharing: you can import models in IFC Structural Analysis View (*.ifc) via Model Compare.

Note: Support for IFC Structural Analysis View is an experimental feature. To enable it, go to Options > Work Environment > More Options > Experimental Features.

Improved Model Check Results

If the Connection Range (virtual extension of the beam or column core) enables the core connectionbetween analytical members, then Structural Analytical Model Check will consider the elements to be connected thus the model to be continuous.

As a result, you will see and will have to deal with fewer errors resulting from the Break in Continuity type of check.

This means engineers have a greater control over the structural analytical model. Besides being able to define general adjustment rules in the Structural Analytical Model Generation Rules dialog to control the behavior of the analytical members, there is a way to control the members on the element/node level too.

Importing 1D Members with multiple eccentricity values

Structural analytical members can have different eccentricity values at the two ends of elements.

Structural analytical models as of SAF version 1.0.6 (not yet fully supported by Archicad) can handle multiple eccentricity values at each end of the 1D member. When you import such a model to Archicad 24, these extra eccentricity values are not handled directly. Instead, during the SAF import process, Archicad performs the conversion and assigns an average value where applicable. This means that Archicad reads the information contained by the SAF file and adapts to it. Archicad ensures that there is no loss of information during the import process.

Interoperability with Structural Analysis Format

Predefined Model Data for Structural Applications

To make it easier to optimize SAF Translator settings, you can now download predefined Profile and Material databases for specific structural applications (e.g. SCIA Engineer):

Improved Cross Section Handling

Several improvements make it much easier to import and export SAF Cross Sections, and map them to the correct Archicad Complex Profile.

Automatic Mapping of Manufactured SAF Cross Sections

For incoming, manufactured SAF profiles that are NOT mapped by name in the Profile Mapping list: you can now activate automatic mapping based on a default database, which contains more than 6000 SAF Cross Sections, mapped to Archicad Profile names.

Activate this checkbox in the Profile Mapping panel of the SAF Import Translator. The SAF import process will refer to a predefined list (an Excel file called “ExternalDB”) to map any manufactured Cross Section which is NOT mapped by name. This can save you a lot of time and effort compared to mapping by hand.

For each incoming SAF Cross Section mapped this way, the corresponding Complex Profile attribute is automatically created in Archicad, based on the Standard Steel Profile database.

You can copy, customize and extend the default database as needed.

Easier Import of SAF Parametric and Generic Cross Sections

As of Archicad 24 Update 2, Archicad recognizes eight common Parametric and Generic Cross Section shapes from SAF files (use Merge from File in the SAF Import Translator).

Map these parametric shapes as Custom Profiles, or use Attribute Manager to add them to the Project as Complex Profiles.

Usability Improvements in SAF Translators

Populate Material Mapping list with one click (SAF Translator for Export): new command adds all used Building Materials of the Project’s Load-Bearing Elements that have a Structural Member.