STAAD(X) V8i

[Gumpmaster]

Has anyone been using the new STAAD(X) V8i program? What are your thoughts?

I've used it a couple of times. My impression is it's not ready for prime time use yet. It's as buggy as a cheap motel. I really like the interface and the overall concept though.

 

[structuresguy]

Is this different than STAAD.PRO V8i?

 

[Gumpmaster]

Yes, It is a totally different product line that's separate from Staad Pro. It was rolled out in November I believe. Eventually, it will replace Staad Pro.

It's based more on physical member modeling than the traditional Staad concept. For me (a younger engineer) it's a lot more intuitive. I think it has lots of promise. Too bad it has so many bugs. Also, I don't think they've implemented the full functionality of Staad Pro yet.

 

[dozer]

I found a Dec 15, 2008 announcement of the release of STAAD(X)V8i however, if you go to the Bentley web site and pull down the "products" tab then "All Products" its not listed there. STAAD(X).Tower is there but this is a different animal.

I had a chance to look at what I was told was a Beta version of STAAD(X) V8i. It wouldn't even read an .std file in correctly. All it brought in was the geometry, nothing else.

I searched their web site for STAAD(X) and couldn't find out what is going on. It looks like the folks at STAAD once again jumped the gun.

Based on past history, my guess when it finally is released it will be chock full of bugs and have reduced functionality from what STAAD.Pro currently does in some areas. And yet we keep buying this crap.

 

[structuresguy]

Interesting. Never heard of it, and I am long time staad power user. oh well.

I agree with "all the bugs" probale scenario. Staad is notorious for releasing additions to their software that don't work worth a darn. I limit my use of Staad these days to stick figure type problems (truss, 3D space truss, moment frames, etc), and maybe some plate analysis. But I use other software for designing floors, slabs, and shear walls.

 

[Gumpmaster]

You're right, it doesn't show up many places other than the announcement of its release.

If you'd like to check out the release, it's available on the SELECT downloads page. I think it was released on 15 December 2008.

While I'm at it, what would you like Bentley to include in their new version of STAAD? A wish list if you will.

1. Detailed steel design output, similar to what's available with the TRACK 2 command, but in the GUI. Better yet, steel design output that looks like RAM structural system or SAP or RISA.

2......

 

[structuresguy]

I would like to see

-Auto wind load generation similar to how ETABS calculates wind loads.

- improve shear wall design to make it work right, and have capabilities simlar to ETABS (uniform steel, C&T, or custom), and account for out of plane stiffening elements in the shear wall.

- improve floor design using composite deck and composite steel beams.

If it did these three things really well (at least as well as Etabs), I would be very happy. Right now I do some things in Staad, some in Etabs, some in RAM Advance (concrete wall, masonry wall, and tilt wall modules mainly), and even some things in Enercalc. If Staad worked better for building systems, I could use it more often.

 

[structuresguy]

Oh I forgot my biggest complaint about Staad: The user's manual.

THey need to ditch the stupid online help file system that they have been using for some time. And replace it with a proper manual with everything continuing from one page to teh next, and publish it in one PDF file.

And they need to develop good manuals for all the "new" features that they have added in the last couple versions. I still can't get a lot of features to work, such as the steel and concrete design modules (never can get anythign to work here), and physical members, etc...

I have the latest version, but still use it like I did 5 years ago, because most of the stuff they have added I either can't get it to work, or it simply doesn't do a good enough job for me to use it.

 

[subbu1985]

Totally agree with u structuresguy!!!

The user manuals are not even updated with the latest versions and still give the same old data...

Moreover much better clarity needs to be there for Steel & concrete design modules...
The concept of Interactive Steel (& Concrete) Design with all the physical members n all seems good n easy..
But we are unsure of both its working methodology & it's accuracy.. No proper supporting documents available for that too..

Ultimately it renders them kinda unusable...

 

[dozer]

Does anyone know why STAAD(X)v8i has disappeared from the Bentley web site?

And, yes, the user manual isn't great. My pet peeve is when you're in a dialogue box and you hit the help button within the box itself and it takes you to the "Welcome to STAAD.Pro" page. No not every command is this way, but enough to make it frustrating.

 

[Gumpmaster]

Two new things I would like to see in STAAD(X)

-Better analysis for curved members, I don't think you can get internal beam forces from curved beams right now.

-Design of curved members