Tutorials

Build Truss

Data Table

Properties

bars

Equations

The data that save in "FileNeam.Tru" file

How to

• Add Joint
• Connect Bar to 2 joint
• Add Force to joint
• Add Support
• Delete Joint / Bar / Force / Support
• Move Joint
• Change Value of  E / F / A
• See Movements
• See Bar data result

Commands
 
 
 

File	Solve	Options	Help
New		data Table	Help contents
Open		Tool-bar	Help for mouse actions
Save As		Large Tool-bar	Equations
Exit		Status bar	About X-struct
		Progress bar
		Movement graph every solve
		Strain color every solve
		Properties

 

Build Truss
 

The main rules for building Truss are

• To build Truss you only need the mouse and the ToolBar (see ToolBar).
• Adding Bar is Always between 2 existing Joint
• Click on mouse left button on free work board Always will add Joint.
• Drag Joint is Always possible when mouse is on Joint.
• Adding Force / Support / bar is Always to a Joint with mouse right button. the element the is add to the Joint is according to the button that pressed in the Tool-Bar (see ToolBar).
• Movement is possible only to the Joint, all element moving respectively to the joint.
• The deleted element is the element that chosen (white color). to chosen element select from this menu : 
• If Joint is deleted all element that is connected to it are deleted.
• It is recommended to build Truss with Grid lines (see properties)
• when Joint is Select you can add element with KeyBoard Space button instead of mouse right button - it is very comfortable. (also moving joint with KeyBoard arrows).

Data table

The data in the tables with the yellow colors background (E, A, P) can be changed.

In order from Top Left.

• Bars E & A Value. (with ability to change all bars to identical value ).
• Force in bars. (with ability to change all force to identical value ).
• Force activated on the Joint  - Joint (index number of Joint) (furce direction).
• S matrix (more detail see Equations).
• K rigidity matrix (more detail see Equations).
• u- Joints movements.
• Q - directions matrix (more detail see Equations).

Properties

Property 1

Size of board - in pixels, little size will take less computer memory. some times if you already build Truss then you change the size to little one, the truss can be hidden in the area that be reduced, so be sure to change it at the beginning of work

Grid - select the size of the grid, the Joints move only on the grid.

Default values at adding - the value of the bars and force that will be add from now.

Relative length of bar - on the right select value , on the left see the relative length.

Property 2

Spectrum of strains can be relative to maximum strain in the Truss or relative to selected value.

Size of Joint can be change to 3 size.

Thickness of bars can be change to 3 size.

Multiply the movement at more exact value from the tool bar.

Convert Bars colors according to Pressing / Extending / non .

Clear the movement or grid lines from board.

bars

 Tool bar

From left

• New
• Open
• Save as
• Cut - the element that selected (white color)
• Add Bar (1 of 8 element that can be select , the next 7 line below).
• Static Support.
• Mobile Support to X.
• Mobile Support to Y.
• Force down - Y.
• Force up - Y.
• Force right - X.
• Force left - X.
• Select element to be Selected with the mouse (then can be deleted).
• Show Grid
• Show Bars colors according to Pressing / Extending / non (after solving).
• Solve.
• Select value to multiply the movements.
• Show / Hide Help for mouse actions.
• Hot spot to show properties.

Status bar

From left

• Spectrum of strains.
• Max Strain (and number of bar index).
• Size of board
• Size of Grid
• X position of the Joint
• Y position of the Joint

Progress bar show :

• Time Progress to Build rigidity matrix
• Time Progress to Solve the equation system of the Truss case.

Equations

Explanation about the calculations (in order) to solve Truss. (all in matrixes)
 

 The data that save in "FileNeam.Tru" file

The data that save in the file (ASCII) is :
Line 1 :  the Version number.
Line 2 :  empty place for information.
Line 3 :  properties - [Size of Board width (0 to 4), Size of Board height (0 to 4), Relative length (1 to 3), Size of Joint (1 to 3), Bar Thickness (1 to 3)]
Line 4 : [Number of free directions , Number of Joints , Number of Bars]
Line 5 to Line-(num of bars + 5) : matrix of the connections between Joints to Bars.
Line-(num of bars + 5) to Line-(num of bars + num of Joints + 5) : properties of joint [# if Joint is Enable # , the value of Force at x direction , the value of Force at y direction , type of support (0=non, 1=static, 2=mobile to y, 3=mobile to x) , position of X from the left work zone , work of Y from the top work zone].
Last line -1 : E value of the Bars.
Last line : A value of Bars.

this information can give the user ability to built complex Truss at another Software  for example at C++ and save it as "FileName.Tru" (in ASCII), then solve it in X-stract Truss Software

 Add Joint

Simply click on mouse left button on free work board zone.

Click (or make sure that it is pressed) "Bar" button at the Tool Bar.

Move the mouse upon the first Joint and click mouse right button.

Move the mouse to the second Joint (the second Bar edge will run after the mouse).

Click upon the second Joint.

Click 1 of the 4 button of force at the Tool Bar.

Move the mouse upon the Joint and click mouse right button.

(you can not add force if the Joint direction is not able to move to the force direction)

Click 1 of the 3 button of Support types at the Tool Bar.

Move the mouse upon the Joint and click mouse right button.

Select from the Tool Bar button "Select elements to delete" the element that you want to delete

Move the mouse upon the element (the element will change to white) and click the "Cut" button from the Tool bar (or "Delete" button at the KeyBoard).

Move the mouse upon the Joint and drag it with the mouse.
(or select the Joint (to white color) then move it with the Keyboard arrows)

Move the mouse upon the element and click the right mouse button
(to move on Bar element move on his number).

Make sure that in the menu Option -> Movement graph every solve is check

Make sure that the movement is multiply at the fit value (change value of multiply at the Tool bar).

To see result of data bar Make sure that the Truss is solved Move the mouse upon the Bar number, and you will see it as a "Tool Tip Text" - the data contains [Bar index , Bar Strain , Bar t force , A , E , L , dL the L change].

 Or go to Options -> Data Tables and see all matrix data.

File 

New

 Clears the work space and create a new document.

Open

Open X-stract Truss files with form "FileNeam.Tru"
when you open the file the software builds the Truss, then message box appear if you want to solve  the Truss , it's possible to continue building Truss without solving.
for more information about The data that save in the file

Save As

Save the Truss as "FileName.Tru".
it is recommended to save the Truss for safety during the work
for more information about The data that save in the file

Exit

Clears the work space and exit the Software.
 
 
 
 

Solve 

Solving a Truss
if n>m (number of free directions > number of bar) the Truss can't be solved, the Truss is not legal it is mechanism and Message Box will appear.

Options 

Data Table

Open The Data Table window. for more detail see Tutorials Data Table

Tool-bar

Show / Hide the the Tool-bar from the top zone. for more detail see Tutorials Bars

Large Tool-bar

If Tool-bar is on turn it to large / small Tool-bar.

Status bar

Show / Hide the the Status bar from the down zone. for more detail see Tutorials Bars

Progress bar

Show / Hide the the Status bar from the down zone only at solve time. the Progress bar show the time Progress of solving Truss case.
for more detail see Tutorials Bars

Movement graph every solve

Decide if movement will appear after solving Truss case.

Strain color every solve

Decide if strain color will appear on the bar after solving Truss case.

Properties

Show / Hide the Properties (1 or 2) at the Right zone of the board.

Help 

Help contents

Open this help internet document.

Help for mouse actions

Show / Hide the Help for mouse actions at the Top-Left zone of the board.

Equations

Open Equations window.  for more detail see Tutorials Equations

About X-struct

about X-strucr Software . for Software that not register how to register