ORION 18: HOW TO NAVIGATE THE ‘ANALYSIS MODEL AND RESULTS’ DISPLAY AREA.

The ‘Analysis Model and Results’ display area is where we demonstrate the analysis results and its effects on the 3D structure. This aids in visualisation of the effects of loading on the free body diagram (FBD) of the structural model.

In this tutorial, we will check for the effects such as sway, torsion and displacement on the structure. We will also learn to adjust the views of the structure and display the effects of our loading combination on the structural model, use the filter button to improve clarity and also display Frame element Results diagrams like shear force and bending moments.

Step 1

Firstly, we open the ‘Analysis Model and Results’ display area. To do this, Click ‘Run’, then ‘Building Analysis’. In the Building Analysis dialog box that appears, Click ‘Post-Analysis’, then ‘Model and Analysis Results Display’.

Step 2

Next, we learn to check for the effects of sway, torsion and displacement as well as get the different views.

To check for the effects, Click on ‘Animation’  under ‘Results’ at the top of the screen and observe the effects when the building moves.

To get different views of the resulting model, click on the 3D View icon under the ‘General’ tab in the menu bar.

Use combinations of the “blue boxes” and the “yellow arrows” to get the different views of the building. E.g. combining the highlighted box and arrow gives the following view.

Other combinations can also be tried out to see different views.

Step 3

Now, we will display the effects of our loading on the structure. To do so, click on the Loading Combination we chose. It can be seen at the bottom of the area titled ‘Loading’ on the right side of the screen. Different individual loads can also be clicked on to see their effects on the structure. The displacements on the 3D Free Body Diagram (as well as other effects) change as different loads are selected.

Step 4

We will now learn how to use the filter button. This functionality will help us get a better view of a particular element(s) by hiding others in the structure.

For example, let us view only the columns on the first storey. To do this, Click ‘Filter’ in the ‘General’ tab and make the selections as shown below in the ‘Filters’ dialog box.

Step 5

Next, we will see how we can display the different Frame Element Results Diagrams. To do this, Click the ‘Results’ tab at the top of the screen. Click ‘Diagrams’, then select which results diagram to be displayed [N (Axial Load), V2 (shear forces on local axis 2), V3 (shear forces on local axis 3), T (Torsion), M2 (Moment on local axis 2) or M3 (Moment on local axis 3)]

NB

1.       To find out Local Axis 1, 2, 3, see the diagrams in the Analysis Report Tutorial

2.       V2 and M3 are the equivalents for shear force and bending moments derived from typical manual structural analysis.

3.       For columns, N, M2 and M3 are axial load, Moment about the X-axis and Moment about the Y-axis respectively.

You can also try out the other features to view how they work. When in doubt, you can revert back to the original setting and pose the question to me in the comments section.

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