StrucLink

A bidirectional data exchange solution between

ProStructures and STAAD.Pro

Updated February 9, 2011

 Table of contents
1 Overview ......................................................................................................................................3

1. New features in StrucLink............................................................................................................4

2.1 Changes for StrucLink on ProStructures (ProSteel) side .............................................................4

2.2 Changes for StrucLink on STAAD.Pro side: ..................................................................................5

2. Installation ...................................................................................................................................6

3.1 Installation of StrucLink for ProStructures before SELECTseries 2 ..............................................6

3.2 Installation of StrucLink for ProStructures SELECTseries 2..........................................................6

3.3 Installation of StrucLink for ProStructures SELECTseries 3 and above ........................................7

3.4 Installation of StrucLink for STAAD.Pro .......................................................................................8

3.5 Important Notes regarding Installation and UnInstallation ......................................................11

3. Analysis lines in ProStructures...................................................................................................12

4.1 Handling multiple members between the same node ..............................................................14

4. Using StrucLink ..........................................................................................................................16

5.1 Exporting model data from ProStructures ................................................................................16

5.2 Editing Mapping Databases .......................................................................................................20

5.3 Importing model data into ProStructures .................................................................................22

5.4 Exporting model data from STAAD.Pro .....................................................................................25

5.4.1 Preventing collinear members from being exported as one physical member ........................28

5.4.2 Include member offset while exporting ....................................................................................29

5.5 Importing model data into STAAD.Pro ......................................................................................30

6 Conventions and Limitations .....................................................................................................37

6.1 Import to / Export from STAAD.Pro...........................................................................................37

6.2 Import to / Export from ProStructures ......................................................................................38

6.3 Section Naming Convention ......................................................................................................39

7 Working with Analysis Effective Line in ProStructures ..............................................................41

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 2 of 48

1. Overview
StrucLink is a program which provides a bidirectional model data exchange solution between
ProStructures V8i and STAAD.Pro V8i. Using StrucLink you may export ProStructures model data
into STAAD.Pro, perform analysis and design in STAAD.Pro and bring the final results back into
ProStructures. The data exchange can originate either from STAAD.Pro V8i or from ProStructures
V8i.

StrucLink has two distinct modules ‐ one works on the ProStructures side and the other on the
STAAD.Pro side. (See the Installation Section for more details.)

StrucLink uses a set of database files with .struclink extension to store the model data and Change
Management information.

Note: It is not necessary to have ProStructures V8i and STAAD.Pro V8i installed on the
same machine.
While transferring a ProStructures model into STAAD.Pro, you need to first create the Exchange
File (typically named <model Name>.StrucLink), and then transfer this file to the machine that is
running STAAD.Pro V8i. Using the StrucLink for STAAD.Pro facility, you can then import the model
data into a blank STAAD.Pro model. Model data can be similarly transferred from STAAD.Pro to
the Exchange File by using StrucLink for STAAD.Pro and then from the Exchange File to
ProStructures using StrucLink.

Note that multiple round‐tripping operations between STAAD.Pro and ProStructures are possible
using these tools. While importing model data from the Exchange File into a pre‐existing
STAAD.Pro model, an entity‐by‐entity comparison is performed and the STAAD.Pro model is
updated accordingly. While exporting model data from STAAD.Pro into an existing Exchange File,
the changes to the previous model data are marked. When this Exchange File is imported into an
existing ProStructures model, these changes (Added, Deleted, Modified, or Unchanged) can be
previewed before performing the actual operation.
2. New features in StrucLink
This section lists new and updated features of StrucLink including Revision History.

2.1 Changes for StrucLink on ProStructures (ProSteel) side

1. A separate installer has been implemented for StrucLink in ProStructures SS3.
2. A dialog box has been provided to accept the path of the shape and material files. See section
5.1.
3. An option called “Ignore Length Less Than” has been provided in ProStructures SS3. When
selected the export operation ignores entities with length less than the specified value.
4. An option called “Check assignment” has been provided in ProStructures SS3. When checked,
the export operation from ProStructures checks whether the selected entities match “Allowed
Assignment” list. See section 5.1.
5. An option called “Use as Filter” has been incorporated in ProStructures SS3. When checked,
only entities in the “Allowed Assignment” list are transferred to the exchange table. See
section 5.1.
6. ProStructures now checks for database versions of Exchange, Shape and Material databases.
Older version databases are not allowed.
7. Starting ProSteel version SS3 Concrete shapes (kCircularType, kRectangularType and
kUserDefinedType only) and other materials can now be exchanged between ProStructures
SS3 and STAAD.Pro. Please note that the user must have ProConcrete license in order to
properly exchange concrete shapes between STAAD.Pro and ProStructures.
8. An earlier issue regarding Member Offsets has been corrected.
9. An earlier issue regarding orientation of the members (Beta Angle) has been corrected.
10. Support of 64 bit version of AutoCAD has been incorporated in Struclink for ProStructures SS3.
11. Extension of Exchange database changed to .struclink starting ProStructures SS2.
12. Canadian section table names changed in ProStructures V8i (SS2) for AutoCAD Update 1
(version 08.11.02.29), ProStructures V8i (SS2) for AutoCAD Update 2 (version 08.11.02.33) and
ProStructures SS3.

The Shapes MDB (Shapes19.mdb) in the SS3 contains these changes, and it CANNOT be used
with earlier version of StrucLink for ProStructures. Also, the shapes mdb in earlier version
CANNOT be used with the new StrucLink for ProStructures

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 4 of 48

2.2 Changes for StrucLink on STAAD.Pro side:
All modifications are made in STAAD.Pro v8i Select Series 2 version.

1. Import and Export of Tapered tubes, Tapered I sections, Prismatic sections, etc. have been
incorporated. See section 5.5.
2. Compound sections such as Double Angle, Double Channel etc are now supported. See section
5.5.
3. A member attribute called STRUCLINK has been introduced. This attribute is used to identify
members such as Columns and Girders across which a physical member cannot continue.
When STRUCLINK attribute is set to “BREAK_MEMBER_ACROSS” members are not treated as
continuous physical members. See section 5.4.1.
4. During import of data from ProStructures, multiple members between the same nodes are
now allowed.
5. During import/export of data from ProStructures/STAAD.Pro, an option called Include
Member Offset” has been introduced. When checked, cutbacks /member offsets from
ProStructures/STAAD.Pro are considered in the model; otherwise these are ignored.
6. Creation of user‐defined Materials is now supported.
7. Canadian section table names changed in ProStructures V8i (SS2) for AutoCAD Update 1
(version 08.11.02.29), ProStructures V8i (SS2) for AutoCAD Update 2 (version 08.11.02.33) and
ProStructures SS3. As a result a new shapes mapping table is used. If you are using older
version of ProStructures, you must point the Shapes mapping database to Shapes19.MDB.
Otherwise you should point the shapes mapping database to Shapes19S3.MDB.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 5 of 48

3. Installation
StrucLink has two components – one works with the ProSteel and the other (StrucLink for
STAAD.Pro) works with STAAD.Pro.

3.1 Installation of StrucLink for ProStructures before SELECTseries 2

When StrucLink for ProSteel was first released, it was installed along with ProSteel/ProStructures.
The user could invoke this command by clicking the ConnectionCenter tool bar and then double‐
clicking the StrucLink icon inside the ConnectionCenter dialog box.

3.2 Installation of StrucLink for ProStructures SELECTseries 2

For SELECTseries 2, the installation tool functions in the form of a patch. It distinguishes different
AutoCAD versions, and the default installation directory is “C:\ProSteel
3D\ProStructures\V8i_S2\AutoCAD 20xx”, depending on the AutoCAD version being used.

The installation will patch installed ProStructures accordingly.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 6 of 48

3.3 Installation of StrucLink for ProStructures SELECTseries 3 and above
After ProStructures SELECTseries 2, the installation of StrucLink for ProStructures will have a
standalone installation package. This will provide the maximum flexibility when adding new
functionality/enhancements to StrucLink.

Note that StrucLink for ProStructures will be available as a standalone component dependent on
ProStructures SELECTSeries 3 and above via Bentley Select Server.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 7 of 48

3.4 Installation of StrucLink for STAAD.Pro
StrucLink for STAAD.Pro is available as a separate installation package in Bentley’s Select Server.
The module is listed as a dependent component to STAAD.Pro.

Starting STAAD.Pro SELECTSeries 2, StrucLink is also automatically installed with STAAD.Pro.

Specific version of StrucLink is designed to work with specific versions of STAAD.Pro. During
installation, StrucLink Installer checks the version of STAAD.Pro. If a newer version of StrucLink is
being installed with an older version of STAAD.Pro, the installation is aborted and the user is given
an error message. STAAD.Pro version number can be obtained by selecting Help ‐> About
STAAD.Pro … from STAAD.Pro pull down menu bar.

Also, note that you need Microsoft .Net 3.5 or higher installed in your machine to install StrucLink
for STAAD.Pro. The installer checks for the presence of .Net 3.5 and if needed prompts you to
download the component from Microsoft® web site.

StrucLink for STAAD.Pro is installed under the existing STAAD.Pro installation folder in
STAAD\Plugins\StrucLink. For example, if you have STAAD.Pro installed in C:\SProV8i; StrucLink
for STAAD.Pro will be installed in:

C:\SProV8i\STAAD\Plugins\StrucLink

Data and Template files are installed in the Data folder under this same directory. In the above
example, StrucLinkExFile.struclink, Shapes19.mdb, Shapes19S3.mdb and Material.mdb will be
installed in

C:\SProV8i\STAAD\Plugins\StrucLink\Data

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 8 of 48

StrucLink for STAAD.Pro installer creates two menu items called Import using StrucLink and Export
using StrucLink located under STAAD.Pro menu system. These can be accessed by selecting
Tools ‐> User Tools option from STAAD.Pro drop down menu bar. These options are also available
from the File toolbar using the User Tools option.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 9 of 48

After installing StrucLink for STAAD.Pro you need to configure the settings for the first time. Use
either Import using StrucLink or Export using StrucLink options from STAAD.Pro. In StrucLink for
STAAD.Pro dialog box, select File ‐> Configure from dropdown menu to configure the application
settings.

In the Configure dialog box, select the Working Directory. This is where all the Exchange Files from
STAAD side will be created. Also, if you have Shapes19.mdb and Material.mdb located in a folder
other than the default folder, use Material and Shapes Data Directory edit box to specify that
folder. In both cases clicking on the ellipses (…) brings up a folder selection dialog box.

It is strongly recommended that you use separate folders for keeping STAAD.Pro models
(.std files) and the Exchange Files (.struclink files).

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 10 of 48

3.5 Important Notes regarding Installation and UnInstallation
a) During uninstallation of STAAD.Pro, please first uninstall StrucLink for STAAD.pro and then
STAAD.Pro. Otherwise it may be difficult to uninstall StrucLink after uninstalling STAAD.Pro

b) Canadian section table names changed in ProStructures V8i (SS2) for AutoCAD Update 1
(version 08.11.02.29), ProStructures V8i (SS2) for AutoCAD Update 2 (version 08.11.02.33)
and ProStructures SS3. As a result a new shapes mapping table is used. If you are using older
version of ProStructures, you must point the Shapes mapping database to Shapes19.MDB.
Otherwise you should point the shapes mapping database to Shapes19S3.MDB. Both
Shapes19.mdb and Shapes19S3.mdb are supplied with StrucLink.

c) If you are an existing user of StrucLink and you have mapped sections or materials between
ProStructures and STAAD.Pro, please first make a copy of your Shapes and Material databases
before installing newer version of STAAD.Pro or StrucLink. Bentley is working on a tool for you
to merge the custom mapping data with the standard ones. Until the tool is available these
databases need to be manually merged.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 11 of 48

4. Analysis lines in ProStructures
ProSteel component of ProStructures has two sets of lines for every object. The Drafting Line is
used for modeling purpose; while the Analysis Line is meant to represent an equivalent Structural
center line for the object.

Analysis Lines are automatically created for every ProSteel object. Drafting and Analysis Lines are
completely independent of each other. You may move the Analysis Line of the ProSteel object
without moving the object itself. To move the Analysis Line use the Shape Properties dialog box.
Select Analysis View node under General Data and enter the start and end coordinates of the
Analysis Line.

In ProSteel, the Analysis Lines can be viewed using Analysis effective Lines option from the
ProSteel 3D Viewtools toolbar. This view represents the structural model obtained in STAAD.Pro
once the model is exported. You must make sure that the lines in the Analysis effective Lines view
are properly connected. Alternatively, you may also use ps_analysis command in ProSteel before
exporting the model to automatically correct disjointed Analysis Lines. However, a visual check of
the Analysis view must be done to make sure that the model is structurally accurate.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 12 of 48

The following images show the location of Analysis Lines with respect to the physical start of
ProSteel objects. The purple line represents the analysis line in all three cases.

1. The insert Point is on the top of the shape.

2. The Insert Point is on the middle of the shape.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 13 of 48

 3. The Insert Point is on the bottom of the shape.

Note: Section 7 of this document explains the concept of Analysis Line is more details
and provides some tips about how to handle complex situations.

4.1 Handling multiple members between the same node

There are instances in which the user may have two shapes where the analysis lines coincide with
one another, but their real locations are not identical as indicated by the channels shown in the
image below:

From the perspective of STAAD.Pro, the analysis line for the two channels should be at the middle
of the supporting column, as shown by the dashed line.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 14 of 48

However, by default, when user creates those beams, the end points of the analysis lines of these
two shapes do not correctly connect to the supporting columns. Their location depends on how
user draws the shapes.

In this case the user needs to manually connect the beams to the columns within the Shape
Properties dialog:

After manually adjusting the analysis lines, they should appear as shown in the side view image
below:

This manual correction to the analysis lines must be made in the ProStructures model before
exporting the data to STAAD.Pro.
When StrucLink for STAAD.Pro imports the data, the program will calculate the proper offset from
the data provided.
When STAAD.Pro exports the data, it will also set the offset values for the two channel members,
and the analysis model will continue to be correctly maintained even after it is imported by
StrucLink for ProStructures.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 15 of 48

5. Using StrucLink
StrucLink is used to transfer model data between STAAD.Pro and ProStructures. This section
includes a step‐by‐step description of the Export and import process from and to both
applications.

5.1 Exporting model data from ProStructures

Follow the steps outlined below to export model data from ProStructures:

1. Save the current model in ProStructures

2. Select the Analysis Effective Lines icon from the ProStructures 3D Viewtools toolbar.

The Analysis Lines will be exported as structural members, so it is important to make sure that
the analysis lines are properly laid out. If needed, use the ps_analysis command to fix
improperly connected Analysis lines. You may also manually adjust the Analysis lines.
3. Click the Connection Center icon from the ProStructures 3D Elements toolbar.

4. Expand the StrucLink category, and then either double click the Start StrucLink item or select
Start StrucLink and then click the check (√ ) button.

The Analysis Link dialog appears.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 16 of 48

5. If the intent is to start exporting data to an empty Exchange File, then click Project > New
Exchange File. If the intent is to export (or re‐export) to an existing Exchange File, then skip
this step.
6. Keep the Analysis Lines Fix option set to UnConnected.
7. The Check Assignment option provides a way to instruct the program to read the Allowed
Assignments list, and only export those types of entities that are on the list.
8. Different options of the Analysis Link dialog box is explained below:

Exchange File: Contains the name of the Exchange (.struclink) file. Click on Load… button
to load the exchange file.
Shape mapping: Contains the shape mapping database name. It is advisable that you use
the same shape mapping database for STAAD.Pro and ProStructures. Click on Load…
button to select the shape mapping database (.mdb).

Note: Canadian section table names changed in ProStructures V8i (SS2) for AutoCAD
Update 1 (version 08.11.02.29), ProStructures V8i (SS2) for AutoCAD Update 2
(version 08.11.02.33) and ProStructures SS3.
The Shapes MDB (Shapes19.mdb) in the SS3 contains these changes, and it
CANNOT be used with earlier version of StrucLink for ProStructures. Also, the
shapes mdb in earlier version CANNOT be used with the new StrucLink for
ProStructures..

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 17 of 48

 Material mapping: Contains the material mapping database name. It is advisable that you
use the same material mapping database for STAAD.Pro and ProStructures. Click on
Load… button to select the material mapping file (.mdb).
Ignore length less than: You may opt to ignore members below a certain length while
transferring data for analysis. Provide the length in the text box.
Check Assignment: ProStructures allows you to “assign” types to all ProStructures
members. The assigned types may be Beam, Column, Purlin, Girt and so on. During
export process, you may create a set of assigned types by selecting Allowed
Assignments option from Tools menu in the Analysis Link dialog box (see below).

When Check Assignment option is unchecked, all selected shapes are transferred to
exchange database irrespective of their assignment. When it is checked, all selected
entities are compared against the current Allowed assignments set. . If any of the
selected entities has an assignment which is NOT in the Allowed Assignment list,
ProStructures pops up an error message during export.
Use as Filter: When this option is checked, only the entities which match the types listed
in the Allowed Assignment list are exported. When this option is not checked, all
selected entities are eligible for transfer to analysis model.
Analysis Line Fix: Since ProStructures deals with physical 3D shapes, the default “analysis
lines” for intersecting shapes may not intersect at a single point. This results in a
disjointed (and hence unstable) structure for analysis purposes. Using the Analysis Line
Fix option, analysis lines can be made to converge at single node to create a proper
structural model. Select None not to automatically fix the analysis lines, All to fix all
analysis lines or Unconnected to fix only the analysis lines that need fixing. Default is
Unconnected.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 18 of 48

9. Click Project > Export > Select All to export all entities in the ProStructures model.

Note: You may also select specific ProStructures objects to export by using Select On
Screen option.

10. Once the Exchange database name is selected, the Export dialog appears, and identifies the
ProStructures entities that are about to be exported.

11. Click OK to export the entities to the Exchange file. The Exchange file is now ready for
importing into STAAD.Pro.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 19 of 48

5.2 Editing Mapping Databases
StrucLink for ProStructures allows you to directly modify the mapping databases. This can be done
from the Export dialog by selecting Tools > Database Management.

Select Shapes to edit the Shapes database or Material to select the Material table.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 20 of 48

 Warning: Be sure to save your changes before exiting, otherwise you will lose
any changes that were made.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 21 of 48

5.3 Importing model data into ProStructures
Model data can be imported into a blank ProStructures model or into an existing ProStructures
model. Follow the steps outlined below to import STAAD.Pro data into a ProStructures model:

1. If data needs to be imported into a blank ProStructures model, start the ProStructures model
first and save the blank model.
2. Click the Connection Center icon from the ProStructures 3D Elements toolbar.
3. Expand the StrucLink category, and then either double click the Start StrucLink item or select
Start StrucLink and then click the check (√ ) buƩon.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 22 of 48

4. The Analysis Link dialog appears. Click Project > Import.

5. Using the Open dialog, identify the Exchange File to import from.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 23 of 48

6. The Import dialog appears and shows how the ProStructures model will be affected. The green
rows indicate new additions to the existing model, red rows indicate entities that will be
deleted, and blue rows indicate entities that will undergo changes. All other entities will
remain unchanged.

Note: Clicking on data in the PS_Handle column of the Import table will
highlight the associated ProStructures objects on the screen.
7. Click OK to proceed with the import.
8. During the import process StrucLink will attempt to match the STAAD.Pro sections with
ProStructures sections. However, if it fails to find a matching ProStructures section in the mapping
database, StrucLink will prompt you to select a matching ProStructures section and save the data
in the mapping database. From that time onward the analysis section will be automatically
mapped to the ProStructures section you selected.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 24 of 48

5.4 Exporting model data from STAAD.Pro
Model data from STAAD.Pro can be exported to a blank Exchange File or to an existing Exchange
File using the ‘Export using StrucLink’ option from STAAD.Pro. Follow the steps outlined below to
export STAAD.Pro model data:

1. Select the Export using StrucLink option from the Tools > User Tools menu or from the User
Tools icon on the File toolbar.

2. Click the ‘…’ button at the end of the Select Exchange File input field in the StrucLink for
STAAD.Pro dialog. This opens a dialog that allows the user to browse to a location and name
the file.

To export to an empty Exchange File, select Use Blank… button. This will bring up the folder
selection dialog. Select the desired folder and click ‘OK’. The following dialog will be displayed
where the new exchange file name can be provided along with the unit system in which data
will be exported. By default, data gets exported in the current STAAD.Pro base unit.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 25 of 48

3. Click the green arrow on the toolbar to export the STAAD.Pro model data into the
Exchange File.
If data already exists in the Exchange File, the application offers option to merge the existing
STAAD.Pro model with the model data in the Exchange Table or to remove the ProStructures
model data from the Exchange Table.

Click ‘Yes’ to merge the STAAD.Pro model data with the existing ProStructures
model data.

Click ‘No’ to first delete all existing records from the Exchange File; effectively
starting from a blank Exchange File.

Click ‘Cancel’ to abort the operation.
During Import and Export operations, StrucLink for STAAD.Pro creates a set of Information,
Warning and Error messages. These are displayed at the bottom of the screen once the
Import/Export operation is complete. The “Error List” can be printed and used for
troubleshooting purposes if necessary.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 26 of 48

 Note: StrucLink for STAAD.Pro has been developed as a standalone application.
Closing STAAD.Pro will not automatically close StrucLink for STAAD.Pro. The
StrucLink for STAAD.Pro window must be closed separately.

Note: If StrucLink for STAAD.Pro is left open and STAAD.Pro is closed, then Import and
Export options will not work. StrucLink for STAAD.Pro must be closed before
reopening STAAD.Pro.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 27 of 48

5.4.1 Preventing collinear members from being exported as one physical member
StrucLink for STAAD.Pro automatically joins collinear members of same cross section and
orientation into one physical member. However, in some cases this does not reflect the physical
condition.

The horizontal members going across the highlighted column in the above image cannot be
contiguous across the column even if the horizontal members have the same section property
and orientation. In such cases you should use Add Member Attribute option to prevent these
members from forming a physical member. Right‐clicking on the selected member will pop up a
menu as shown above. Select Add Member Attribute option.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 28 of 48

 In the dialog box that appears (see above) select attribute as STRUCLINK and select value as
BREAK_MEMBER_ACROSS. Default value is USE_DEFAULT which causes all collinear members to
form a physical member where possible.

5.4.2 Include member offset while exporting

A member offset exists if the start or end point of the member is not concurrent with the incident joint. It’s
inclusion in the model causes STAAD.Pro to consider the secondary forces, which are induced due to the
eccentricity of the member. By default such member offsets is ignored by StrucLink during export.
However, you may use the checkbox in the Export dialog box to export all the defined member
offsets to ProStructures.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 29 of 48

5.5 Importing model data into STAAD.Pro
Model data can be imported to a blank STAAD.Pro model or to an existing STAAD.Pro model.
Follow the steps outlined below to import ProSteel data into STAAD model:

1. Select Import using StrucLink option from Tools ‐> User Tools menu or from the User Tools
icon from the Files toolbar.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 30 of 48

2. In StrucLink for STAAD.Pro dialog box, select the Exchange File to import.

3. Click the green arrow on the toolbar to import the ProStructures model data from the
Exchange File into STAAD.Pro. During the Import operation StrucLink for STAAD.Pro will
attempt to match the ProStructures sections to known STAAD.Pro sections. If the sections
cannot be mapped, you will be prompted to select matching STAAD.Pro sections:

The missing ProStructures section is displayed for reference.

Select the appropriate country from the STAAD Shape Database dropdown list box.

Select the appropriate shape family from the STAAD Shape Table dropdown list
box.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 31 of 48


Select the individual shape from the STAAD Shape dropdown list box.
Note: This mapping will now be saved in shapes mapping database.
In the above example, all future references to ProStructures shape HE200B from database
DIN_HEB will be automatically mapped to STAAD.Pro shape HEA200A from the German
database.
In a case where the appropriate STAAD.Pro shape is uncertain, the ‘Cancel’ button may be
selected to abort the mapping operation. The application will post Warning messages
indicating that no Property has been assigned for the members having this shape. At that
time, the properties for this member will have to be assigned from within STAAD.Pro.
Note that unmatched ProSteel shapes can also be mapped to tapered tube, tapered I,
prismatic shapes, or double‐shapes (such as Double Angle). This is a recent modification in
StrucLink for STAAD.Pro.

In the dialog box above you may specify Double Angle, long leg back to back or Double Angle,
short leg back to back and provide a spacing value between the angles.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 32 of 48

 The dialog box above shows mapping of cold formed steel section.

The dialog box above shows mapping of prismatic shapes such as circular, rectangular and so
on.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 33 of 48

 The dialog box above shows mapping of tapered tube sections.

The dialog box above shows mapping of tapered I sections.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 34 of 48

4. In case the material of a member from ProStructures is not recognized in STAAD.Pro, you may
create a new material or use an existing STAAD.Pro material for mapping. StrucLink for
STAAD.Pro automatically prompts when it encounters an unknown material in the exchange
file:

To define a new material, provide the material name and properties as shown in the above
dialog box.

Note: Material name should be less than 36 characters. Space or special characters
such as punctuations are not accepted.

Note: StrucLink for STAAD.Pro has been developed as a standalone application.

Closing STAAD.Pro will not automatically close StrucLink for STAAD.Pro. The
StrucLink for STAAD.Pro window must be closed separately.

Note: If StrucLink for STAAD.Pro is left open and STAAD.Pro is closed, then Import and
Export options will not work. StrucLink for STAAD.Pro must be closed before
reopening STAAD.Pro. This is because StrucLink for STAAD.Pro works on the
currently open STAAD.Pro model

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 35 of 48

5.5.1 Including member offsets while importing
Similar to Section 5.4.2 above, offsets can be included while importing the ProStructure model
into STAAD.Pro.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 36 of 48

6. Conventions and Limitations
6.1 Import to / Export from STAAD.Pro
1. StrucLink automatically takes care of splitting and merging physical members into analytical
members and vice‐versa. For example, if a model is imported from ProSteel with a continuous
Girder beam supporting several cross‐beams, StrucLink will automatically split the Girder into
segments so that an analytical node is created at every intersection of the Girder and cross‐
beams. The application keeps track of how the analytical member segments are connected to
the original physical member. If one of the segments of the physical member is modified and
you attempt to export the model data back to the same Exchange File, the following results
are expected:

i. If a segment of the physical member is deleted in STAAD.Pro, the original ProSteel

entity will be deleted and new entities will be created with the remaining portions of
the physical member.
ii. If the cross‐section of one of the segments is altered, the application will determine
the segment with the maximum area and apply that section for the entire physical
member.
iii. If orientation of one of the segments of the physical members is altered, the original
ProSteel entity will be deleted and new entities will be created instead.
2. While exporting, StrucLink automatically forms Physical members from adjoining analytical
members with the same cross‐section and orientation. However, note that the STRUCLINK
attribute can be used to change this behavior while exporting. See section 5.4.1.

3. Plate and Solid elements are not considered during Import / Export.

4. The connection between a ProSteel object and STAAD object is maintained using ProSteel
handle and STAAD Member ID in the Exchange File. STAAD stores the member IDs in .uid file.
If this file is removed, any import operation will recreate the entire STAAD model rather than
updating it.

5. User defined shapes are not supported at this point.

6. Compound/Built‐up sections are created in ProSteel by drawing individual components of the

section. On ProSteel side, StrucLink exports multiple analysis lines connected to the same set
of nodes. While importing into STAAD, StrucLink for STAAD.Pro allows multiple member
between the same nodes.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 37 of 48

 7. By default, ProSteel axis system differs from STAAD axis system. While in ProSteel the Z axis is
vertical (+ve Z points upward), STAAD.Pro uses Y axis as vertical unless a specific SET Z UP
command is used. StrucLink for STAAD.Pro automatically adjusts the node coordinates during
import and export.

Pro Steel Axis System Default STAAD.Pro Axis System

6.2 Import to / Export from ProStructures

1. While importing STAAD.Pro data to an existing ProSteel model, StrucLink considers the
Analysis Line as reference and places the modified objects after adjusting the offset between
Analysis Line and the center line of the object.

2. If an object is moved (one or both of the start and end point changed) in STAAD.Pro, it will be
deleted in ProSteel and a new object will be created with the Analysis Line considered as the
center line of the shape.

3. If a new member is created in STAAD.Pro, a new object will be created with the Analysis Line
considered as the center line of the shape.

4. During import, some Connection objects may not be automatically modified when a shape
changes. It is recommended that do the export and import before adding connections
between members.

5. Built‐up shapes, shapes from user provided tables, arc shapes and special (custom) objects
cannot be handled by StrucLink at this point.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 38 of 48

 6. While importing, StrucLink checks the PS_Handle values from the Exchange File (Exchange
table) and attempts to match with the objects in the existing ProSteel model. If such handles
are not found in the ProSteel model the corresponding objects will be ignored.

7. Dynamic bracing members are not supported by StrucLink.

8. To facilitate proper sectional orientation with regard to angles, the start coordinates and end
coordinates are reversed when imported from ProStructures and vice versa.

6.3 Section Naming Convention

This is section related to mapping of ProStructure sections with STAAD.Pro sections. For defining properties of
sections not included in STAAD.Pro built‐in tables, StrucLink follows the following nomenclature in the
Exchange database and Shape mapping database.

Sections from Built-in tables

Properties in these tables already have unique section names. So, these section names are directly referred.

Exceptions:

• When TUBE section is defined by providing WT, DT and TH, StrucLink uses the section name as
TUBE_WTxDTxTH
• When PIPE section is defined by providing OD, ID, the section name will be PIPE_ODxID

Double Profiles
The double profile sections have the following nomenclature,

• Double I Beam – [BaseSectionName]_[D]_SP[value]

• Double Channel Back to Back – [BaseSectionName]_[D]_SP[value]
• Double Channel Front to Front – [BaseSectionName]_[FR]_SP[value]
• Double Angle, Long leg back to back – [BaseSectionName]_[LD]_SP[value]
• Double Angle, Short leg back to back – [BaseSectionName]_[SD]_SP[value]

Prismatic sections
The prismatic sections are named as below,

• Rectangular – RECT_ZDxYD
• Circular – CIR_OD
• Tee – TEE_ZDxYDxZBxYB
• Trapezoidal – TRAP_ZDxYDxZB

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 39 of 48

Tapered Tube Sections
The tapered tube sections are named as below,

• Round - TAPTUBE_RND_D1xD2xTH
• HexaDecagonal - TAPTUBE_HXDEC_D1xD2xTH
• DoDecagonal - TAPTUBE_DODEC_D1xD2xTH
• Octagonal - TAPTUBE_OCT_D1xD2xTH
• Hexagonal - TAPTUBE_HEX_D1xD2xTH
• Square - TAPTUBE_SQR_D1xD2xTH

Currently no interface is provided to edit the section mapping tables in ‘StrucLink for STAAD.Pro’ application.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 40 of 48

7. Working with Analysis Line in ProStructures

When a model is transferred from ProStructures through Struclink to STAAD.Pro, nodes are not always
generated. Elements are not necessarily linked to one another inside the ProStructures model. It is
important to check the analysis lines first to ensure the model will be transferred correctly before
exporting it. This is generally seen in bracing elements and this document will be using bracing as an
example of what to look for and how to correct the disconnected elements.

It is important that the users familiarize themselves with Analysis Effective Lines tool and the ‘Analysis
View’ options.

The Analysis Effective Lines tool can be found in ProSteel in one of 3 ways.

First, if ribbons are used the tool is located in the ‘ProSteel Viewtools’ ribbon and looks like a line with
the endpoint visible.

If a toolbar is used then the icon is found on the toolbar with the same name and icon as the Ribbon.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 41 of 48

The final location for the Analysis Effective lines tool would be to go through the ProStructures drop
down menu and from the ‘Zoom/Views’ category select ‘Analysis Effective Lines’.

The ‘Analysis View’ option

This option is enabled from the ProSteel Global

Option in the ‘Options’ section. Enabling this
switch will display an additional area when looking
at part properties.

From the part properties, if ‘analysis view’ is

selected, the shape(s) will change from its current
form and display instead the analysis line for the
selected shape(s).

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 42 of 48

Understanding Analysis Lines

There are a couple of ways you can check to see if the analysis lines are disconnected or not. Before
doing so though a basic understanding of the analysis lines are in order. Analysis lines are present in
most of ProStructures Shape and Plate elements but are typically not shown. The purpose of the
analysis line is to allow for the transfer of elements from one program to another through various
neutral files or through the use of product specific applications such as Struclink.

In the case of Struclink, these analysis lines need to be connected in a way that will create the node
points that STAAD.Pro will use when importing the model. Since not all elements will be automatically
connected it is important to visually inspect and correct the model before exporting it.

When looking at the analysis lines the user will notice that they appear as various colors. Each color of
the line serves a unique purpose. The center of each analysis line will take on the color of the member in
question but the ends will provide useful information.

Using the picture above as an example and starting from the left the meaning of the colors are
as follows.:

Red – A disconnected end. This member is not connected at the end that is indicated by a red line.

Blue – In this case the original color of the member. The center part of the analysis line takes on the
color of the member it is coming from.

Green – The end is connected to another member.

Yellow – Any offset which may be occurring. The yellow line will travel from the center of the height of
the member to the insertion point.

Green Circle – A node has been created at this point and indicates where the supported member is
attached to the supporting member.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 43 of 48

Checking Analysis Lines

In order to check the analysis lines the user will have a few methods available to them.

One of the quickest ways to see if an individual member is connected or not is

to go to the PS_Properties and click on the ‘Analysis View’ section. The
member in question will change from its current state and display the analysis
line. For this to work however, the ‘Analysis View’ option needs to be enabled
in the ‘Global Options’.

This can be time consuming however if the user wishes to check the entire
model and not just a single member.

When checking multiple elements it is probably best to use the Analysis

Effective Lines tool mentioned above. This tool will allow the user to
select which ones should be displayed as analysis lines and will hide all
the unselected ProSteel elements at the same time.

To use this option simply select the appropriate icon and choose what should be shown as an analysis
line. Right‐click or enter when done. The selected items will
change, unselected ProSteel items will be hidden and a dialog
box will appear.

Some options are available on the Analysis View dialog box and
allow the user some display choices. At this point however all
of the selected elements should now be displayed as Analysis
lines and using the information above it should be easy to
determine which elements need to be connected and which do
not.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 44 of 48

Modifying Analysis Lines

For the purpose of explanation, bracing elements will be used in this section.

In this example a brace has been placed using the dynamic bracing tool from within ProSteel. The brace
itself consists of three angles and various plates.

The angles will be tied directly to the supporting members so that a node will be created when exported
to STAAD.Pro.

The first step is to start the Analysis Effective Lines tool and selected the appropriate elements. In this
case a window can be drawn around the area in question.

Once selected, hit enter and the dialog box appears. It should be noted that the refresh does not always
work and if any settings are changed at this point it may be
necessary to close the dialog box by clicking the check
mark and restart the process for the changes to take effect.

With the analysis lines showing, the indicated icon should

be pressed.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 45 of 48

The program will prompt the user to select the supported element, in this case the brace. Once this has
been done, by right‐clicking or pressing enter, the user will then be prompted to select the main
element, in this case the column.

The analysis line from the unconnected brace should have extended now, a yellow line showing the
offset from the end of the brace to the column.

A circle at the end will represent where the node/connection was

created. This node is what gets carried over to STAAD.Pro when using
StrucLink.

The process now needs to be repeated until all the elements are
connected.

This method should be done from the outside in. If elements are
unconnected in the center, begin by attaching the outside of the braces
to the columns and when done continue by connecting the disconnected
secondary elements to one another.

(Note the colors may not update until the Analysis tool is closed and then
reused.)

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 46 of 48

When connecting the secondary members to one another, at times the analysis line may be
connected to the wrong location and extend beyond the node point created to another
location.

This will most commonly occur while connecting secondary members in a brace and it is easy to
fix.

In this case it generally shoots past the generated node point to the main member at the other end of
the brace.

If this occurs it can be corrected by grabbling the grip point at the wrong location and dragging it up to
the node point that was created.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 47 of 48

If there are several supported members connecting to the same main member, all of the supported
members can be selected simultaneously during the first step. After right‐clicking (hitting enter) the
main member will attach everything initially selected to this element.

StrucLink User’s Guide Page 48 of 48