Scioly.org

Does anyone know of a good (easy to use and free) 2D (or 3D) frame (truss) design software? I am looking for something that would let students play around with different bracing designs first before building.

After some searching online, I found that this "Educational Version" seems to be decent and easy enough to figure out how to use:

http://www.risa.com/2deducational.html

I'd like to be able to figure out why using only X-braces as tension members and no horizontal braces as compression members (ladders) worked so well last year.

S4BB wrote:http://www.nexote.net/nexote/Structural ... 0Notebook/

I had forgotten about that one. Looks interesting. There is a 3D version too: http://www.nexote.net/nexote/3D%20Truss ... 0Notebook/ I'll have to give them a try.
Thanks!

Crtomir wrote:

S4BB wrote:http://www.nexote.net/nexote/Structural ... 0Notebook/

I had forgotten about that one. Looks interesting. There is a 3D version too: http://www.nexote.net/nexote/3D%20Truss ... 0Notebook/ I'll have to give them a try.
Thanks!

So, a question about using it- how do you save data? I assume it requires getting a username and password to log in?
I did a quick run-through, entering geometry/forces, etc., and got a forces diagram and table output, but then when I tried to save, couldn't....

Balsa Man wrote:

Crtomir wrote:

S4BB wrote:http://www.nexote.net/nexote/Structural ... 0Notebook/

I had forgotten about that one. Looks interesting. There is a 3D version too: http://www.nexote.net/nexote/3D%20Truss ... 0Notebook/ I'll have to give them a try.
Thanks!

So, a question about using it- how do you save data? I assume it requires getting a username and password to log in?
I did a quick run-through, entering geometry/forces, etc., and got a forces diagram and table output, but then when I tried to save, couldn't....

I'm not sure. I haven't gotten that far yet. It would definitely be more useful to be able to save your work and output tables to Excel or something.

For the 2D version, yes you sign up and it let's you save up to 10 files. The 3D version the last time I checked still did not allow you to save anything.

S4BB wrote:For the 2D version, yes you sign up and it let's you save up to 10 files. The 3D version the last time I checked still did not allow you to save anything.

So how do you get to the sign up page? I must be missing something obvious, but ....I can't find it.

Crtomir wrote:After some searching online, I found that this "Educational Version" seems to be decent and easy enough to figure out how to use:

http://www.risa.com/2deducational.html

I'd like to be able to figure out why using only X-braces as tension members and no horizontal braces as compression members (ladders) worked so well last year.

Me too!
I've played around with it some the last couple of days; enough to think it will provide a basis for figuring that out.

As I discussed last season, I've got a... solid handle on how a ladders and Xs bracing configuration works- how to calculate bracing intervals, and buckling strength, and have those calcs work (as in built tower weighs what the calcs say, and carries predicted load), but when we switched from ladders and Xs to all Xs for Nationals, had to just use/apply data from a couple of folk with...successful all Xs towers.