software that calculates section properties

huangyhg

software that calculates section properties
i am using shape builder to calculate section properties of complex shapes.  however shape builder is limited to predrawn shapes and the program does not allow you to draw your own shapes.  does anybody know of a more flexible program.
thanks.
many fem software can calculate the section property
such as -algor  -ansys  -pro/e  etc.
and a simple way is use acad
when you draw a object , define it as "region"
and you can use query "mass property" to get it
good luck
arnie (visitor)11 jul 01 4:27
robot have a package called section definition which allows you to define any shape either from sticking sections from predefined databases together or by drawing free form contours and also thin walled sections.
the results can be exported in text file format so you are not limited to just using this package with the bigger robot system.
lina:
look in
draw the section in autocad.  convert the closed section to a region.  use the massprop command and pick on the region.  it will give the the moments of inertia, centroid, and area relative to the current ucs.  to find section properties move either the region or the ucs origin after the first massprop so that the centroid location is 0,0,0.  running the massprop a second time and you will get the true section propertis.
if you are doing fea, then the femap pre/post processing software has a nice utility built in for this.
qichen
i have been using autocad for 10 years.  i knew about the area and the perimeter but i never experienced mass property.  this is great.  thanks for a great tip. and thanks for eng-tips...
do you have contact information for the software you have listed
jae.
i will definitely check on this software.
if you use complex shapes with shape builder the presentation of the drawing is not good.  but the program is great in finding values .  
thanks
we are seriously looking at the risa shape program for just that reason, lina.   shapebuilder is quite versatile but sometimes rather cumbersome to "build" a section.  when clicking on a piece of your shape, the mouse always drags the piece to one side and you are continually undoing the drag.  otherwise, we like it.  the risa product is great because it takes your shape and automatically writes it into our risa analysis/design software packages.
lina, if you can describe your section by the node coordinates, then you can try the spreadsheet 'sectprop.xls' at
butelja
thanks for the tip.  however i have one question.
how do you find the center og gravity for the drawn shape in autocad.
thanks.
chandr (visitor)12 jul 01 23:22
try dwld prokon.  only the basic modules are fine.  after getting into the cross-section module, click examples.  the output of this module is quite nice.
butelja
i was able to find out how to calculate the center of gravity in autocad.  thanks ....
lina
the massprop command will give the x,y,z coordinates of the centroid, which is the same as the c.g.  a sample of the massprop command is shown below:
command: massprop
select objects: 1 found
select objects:
----------------   regions   ----------------
area:                    3.6740 sq in
perimeter:               22.2938 in
bounding box:         x: 0.0000  --  4.0000 in
                      y: 0.0000  --  4.0000 in
centroid:             x: 2.0000 in
                      y: 2.0000 in
moments of inertia:   x: 24.7033 sq in sq in
                      y: 17.8741 sq in sq in
product of inertia:  xy: 14.6959 sq in sq in
radii of gyration:    x: 2.5930 in
                      y: 2.2057 in
principal moments (sq in sq in) and x-y directions about centroid:
                      i: 10.0075 along [1.0000 0.0000]
                      j: 3.1783 along [0.0000 1.0000]
you can down load a free program at