I. Converting Models to STAAD

STAAD.Pro includes tools to convert legacy file formats to STAAD input files.

Microstran Files

The following obects are converted:

Nodes
Members
Member Types
Materials
Sections Properties
Releases and Offsets
Supports
Control-Dependent
Load cases
Load combinations
Z-Up/X-Up/Y-Up - The Microstran model will be converted according to global axes convention in STAAD.Pro.

The following items are not converted:

Analysis options
Design
Member type: gap and fuse are not supported
Loading types not supported:
- Distributed (DIST)
- Trapezoidal moment (TRAP Moment)
- Triangular moment (TRI1 and TRI2 Moment)

The following objects are converted as described:

Joints - converted to nodes
Members including orientation (called beta angle in STAAD.Pro)
End offsets - offset 1 are start local offsets and offset 2 are end local offsets
Patches - converted to parametric models (including plate elements, nodes, and openings)
Linked joints - converted to control-dependant node relationships, including degrees of freedom
Restraints - including member releases
Sections - those sections not mapped to standard database sections are converted to UPT or prismatic sections
Materials - converted to isotropic material definitions
Springs
Load cases
- the self weight load case acceleration is converted to a self weight load case with corresponding factor
Load items - member loads, joint loads, and patch loads should be categorized separately
- Self weight
- Uniform loads
- Linear loads
- Concentrated loads
- Triangular loads and Tri-linear loads - converted to two or three trapezoidal loads, respectively
- Thermal loads

The following items are not converted: