Expression Parameter Reference

The below provides further information on using parameter expressions in the IDEA StatiCa developer tab. More general information on using parameters can be found here.

Introduction

This page provides a comprehensive list of the operations and functions available within the developer tab parameter functionality.

On top of the standard functions that you would expect when using formulas or expressions, several special functions are provided to extend functionality specific to IDEA StatiCa applications. These include functions that can reference existing member geometric properties, project setting values, and forces in a given connection, as well as inputting and converting units.

All together they provide for a very powerful way of driving designs in a parametric fashion.

Note

Write function names exactly as documented on this page. While some functions tolerate different casing, several (for example CheckFormCode, RoundWithOffset and the string functions) are case-sensitive. String arguments which represent enumeration values (for example 'Node' in CheckForcesIn or 'I' in CheckFormCode) are also case-sensitive.

Operators

Standard operators

Expression	Description	Example Input	Example Output
+	addition	2.3 + 2	4.3
-	subtraction	2.3 - 2	0.3
*	multiplication	2.5*3.1	7.75
/	division	5/4	1.25
%	remainder (modulo) division	9 % 4	1

Logical

Below is a list of the standard logical operators available.

Expression	Description	Example Input	Example Output
or, ||	Condition testing based on or	true || true, true or false	true, true
and, &&	Condition testing based on and	true && true, true and false	true, false

Relational

Below is a list of the standard relational operators available.

Expression	Description	Example Input	Example Output
n = x, n == x	n is equal to x	5 == 5	True
n != x	n does not equal x	3 != 5	True
n < x < j	x is within bounds of n and j	3 < 4 < 5	True
n < x	n is less than x	3 < 4	True
n <= x	n is less than or equal to x	3 <= 4, 3 <= 3	True
x > n	x is greater than n	4 > 3	True
x >= n	x is greater than or equal to n	4 >= 3, 3 >= 3	True

Unary

Expression	Description	Example Input	Example Output
!, not	reverse the meaning or logic of a given condition or object	!true, not true	False
-	numeric negation symbol	(given x=5) -x	-5
~	Bitwise not

Standard functions

Math functions

Below is a list of the standard math functions available.

Expression	Description	Example Input	Result
Abs()	Returns the absolute value of a specified number.	Abs(-1)	1
Acos()	Returns the angle (in radians) whose cosine is the specified number.	Acos(1)	0
Asin()	Returns the angle (in radians) whose sine is the specified number.	Asin(0)	0
Atan()	Returns the angle (in radians) whose tangent is the specified number.	Atan(0)	0
Ceiling()	Returns the smallest integer greater than or equal to the specified number.	Ceiling(1.5)	2
Cos()	Returns the cosine of the specified angle (in radians).	Cos(0)	1
Exp()	Returns e raised to the specified power.	Exp(0)	1
Floor()	Returns the largest integer less than or equal to the specified number.	Floor(1.5)	1
IEEERemainder()	Returns the remainder resulting from the division of a specified number by another specified number.	IEEERemainder(3, 2)	-1
Log()	Returns the logarithm of a specified number in a specified base. Log(value, base)	Log(100, 10)	2
Log10()	Returns the base 10 logarithm of a specified number.	Log10(100)	2
Max()	Returns the larger of two specified numbers.	Max(1, 2)	2
Min()	Returns the smaller of two numbers.	Min(1, 2)	1
Pow()	Returns a specified number raised to the specified power.	Pow(3, 2)	9
Round()	Rounds a value to the nearest integer (0) or specified number of decimal places (>0).	Round(3.222, 2)	3.22
Sign()	Returns a value indicating the sign of a number.	Sign(-10)	-1
Sin()	Returns the sine of the specified angle (in radians).	Sin(0)	0
Sqrt()	Returns the square root of a specified number.	Sqrt(4)	2
Tan()	Returns the tangent of the specified angle (in radians).	Tan(0)	0
Truncate()	Calculates the integral part of a number.	Truncate(1.7)	1

Rounding functions

In addition to the standard Round(), Ceiling(), Floor() and Truncate() functions, a special rounding function is provided for rounding to a given step size. This is particularly useful for rounding calculated dimensions (plate sizes, bolt spacings) to practical fabrication values.

Expression	Description	Example Input	Example Output
RoundWithOffset(value, step)	Rounds a value to the nearest multiple of the given step. The step must be positive. The result is rounded to the same number of decimal places as the step.	RoundWithOffset(0.0762, 0.005)	0.075
	Rounds up when the value is closer to the upper multiple.	RoundWithOffset(0.0782, 0.005)	0.08
		RoundWithOffset(0.0682, 0.005)	0.07
	Values which are already a multiple of the step are unchanged.	RoundWithOffset(0.075, 0.005)	0.075

Tip

RoundWithOffset combines well with the project setting value functions. For example, RoundWithOffset([calculated_width], GetSettingValue('Units.EntityRounding.PlateDimensions')) rounds a calculated plate width to the project's plate dimension rounding setting.

Logical functions

Logical functions and operators can be used for providing outputs based on a given condition.

Expression	Description	Example Input	Example Output
in(check, p1, p2, p3, pn)	Returns whether an element (check) is in a set of values [p1,p2,p3,pn].	in(1 + 1, 1, 2, 3)	True
if(condition, value if true, value if false)	If function, returns a value based on a true/false condition.	if(3 % 2 = 1, 45, 55)	45
ifs(cond1, value1, cond2, value2, ..., default)	Evaluates a number of condition/value pairs in order and returns the value of the first true condition, or the default if none are true.	ifs([t] > 0.02, 0.008, [t] > 0.01, 0.006, 0.004)	0.006 (for t = 0.012)
?	Simplified condition syntax. condition ? value if true : value if false.	3 % 2 = 1 ? 45 : 55	45

String functions

Below are functions which can be used to create strings. These functions are commonly useful for creating more complex input types such as bolt spacing inputs, points and vectors.

Expression	Description	Example Input	Example Output
ToString(p1, p2, pn)	Converts an input to its string equivalent. When multiple inputs are provided, each is converted and the results are concatenated.	ToString(2.1578)	'2.1578'
Concat(p1, p2, pn)	Concatenates any number of inputs into one string output, evaluating each separated input to a string.	Concat('M', 20, ' ', '8.8')	'M20 8.8'
Join(delimiter, p1, p2, pn)	Concatenates multiple inputs (at least two) into one string, separated by the given delimiter.	Join(';', -0.02, 0.02, 0.04)	'-0.02;0.02;0.04'
Format(format string, p0, p1, pn)	Inserts the given values into a constant string format (uses .NET composite formatting).	Format('{0}*{1}', 0.75, 0.2)	'0.75*0.2'

Note

Numbers are always converted to strings using a decimal point (invariant culture), regardless of the regional settings of the PC.

Unit input and conversion functions

Remember that in the background all unitized values are stored in basic SI units. We provide a list of functions where the user can input a particular decimal unitized value in their selected unit. This will then be converted to the basic SI equivalent in the background.

Expression	Description	Example Input	Example Output
Length(length, lengthunit)	Allows input of a length in the specified unit. ('m', 'dm', 'cm', 'mm', 'in', 'ft')	Length(4/5, 'in')	0.02032 m
Area(area, areaunit)	Allows input of an area in the specified unit. ('m2', 'dm2', 'cm2', 'mm2', 'in2', 'ft2')	Area(200000, 'mm2')	0.2 m2
Force(force, forceunit)	Allows a force input in the specified force unit. ('N', 'kN', 'MN', 'daN', 'kp', 'lbf', 'kip')	Force(13.5, 'kp')	132.39 N
Stress(stress, stressunit)	Allows a stress input in the specified stress unit. ('Pa', 'kPa', 'MPa', 'N/mm2', 'N/m2', 'MN/m2', 'psi', 'ksi')	Stress(25, 'MPa')	25000000 Pa
Moment(moment, momentunit)	Allows a moment input in the specified moment unit. ('Nm', 'kNm', 'MNm', 'daNm', 'lbf.ft', 'kip.ft', 'kip.in')	Moment(34, 'lbf.ft')	46.098 Nm
Temp(temperature, temperatureunit)	Allows a temperature input in the specified temperature unit. ('K', '°C', '°F'). The aliases 'degC' and 'degF' are also accepted.	Temp(10, '°F')	260.93 K
Angle(angle, angleunit)	Allows an angle input in the specified angle unit. ('rad', 'mrad', '°', 'grad')	Angle(15, '°')	0.262 rad
Time(time, timeunit)	Allows a time input in the specified time unit. ('s', 'min.', 'h', 'd'). Note the trailing dot in 'min.'.	Time(5, 'd')	432000 s

Note

Unit signs are case-insensitive, e.g. Length(2, 'Ft') is also valid. For areas, the trailing '2' is optional — Area(200000, 'mm') is interpreted as mm2.

Project and model property functions

Project and model property functions allow for the retrieval of values from the given model or project. These include retrieving information about the connection model (members and loading) as well as other user settings which can be used to drive further calculations.

Load effect functions

We provide a function which allows the user to retrieve the envelope of forces on a given member for all Active load effects in the project. This function can be very useful for making design decisions based on the enveloped load on a given member of the connection.

Expression	Description	Example Input	Example Output
GetLoadEffectEnvelope(Member, Action, Envelope, Position)	Allows retrieval of a given member force envelope for a given direction ('N', 'Vy', 'Vz', 'Mx', 'My', 'Mz') with an envelope option of ('Max', 'Min', 'Abs Max', 'Abs Min') at either ('Begin', 'End') of the member. If no Position parameter is provided, 'End' is used by default.	GetLoadEffectEnvelope('B', 'Vz', 'Abs Max', 'End')	17500 N
	Example where the default position 'End' is used.	GetLoadEffectEnvelope('B', 'Vz', 'Abs Max')	17500 N
	Example of getting minimum moment My.	GetLoadEffectEnvelope('B', 'My', 'Min')	120000 Nm
	Example of getting the maximum moment at the begin position of a continuous member.	GetLoadEffectEnvelope('C', 'My', 'Max', 'Begin')	35500 Nm

The Action, Envelope and Position arguments are case-insensitive (e.g. 'vz', 'min' are also accepted). The function throws an error when the member name is not found or when an invalid Action/Envelope/Position string is provided.

Note

When load in percentage is set to true the resulting force value is still retrieved. Force values are always updated when the percentage is changed.

Warning

Be careful when transferring templates with the Min and Max envelope setting. If the local coordinate system of a member changes, the positive and negative values may represent a different load direction on the connected member, which should be carefully considered.

Load position check functions

The CheckForcesIn(position, [member1, member2, ...]) function checks the 'Forces in' setting of members. It returns true only when all of the checked members have their forces applied in the given position.

Possible position values (case-sensitive):

• 'Node' — forces applied at the connection point (also accepts members set to 'Position' with a position value of 0, which is equivalent)
• 'Position' — forces applied at a user-defined position
• 'Bolts' — forces applied at the center of bolts
• 'SelectedMemberFace' — forces applied at the closest face of a user-selected member

The member list is optional. When omitted, the function checks the members mapped in the applied parametric template; if no template has been applied, it checks all members of the connection.

Description	Example Input	Example Output
Check a single member	CheckForcesIn('Node', 'C')	true
Check all (template) members	CheckForcesIn('Position')	false
Check multiple specific members	CheckForcesIn('SelectedMemberFace', 'M3', 'M4')	true

Tip

This function is useful for guarding template logic that is only valid for a certain position of internal forces, e.g. if(CheckForcesIn('Node'), [valueA], [valueB]).

Operation reference functions

Expression	Description	Example Input	Example Output
GetBoltDiameter('operation_name', index)	Allows retrieval of an operation's bolt type diameter. For operations which have more than one bolt input (e.g. cleats), the index parameter (0 = first, 1 = second) can be used. By default it is set at 0. The operation name is case-insensitive.	GetBoltDiameter('FP1', 0)	0.020 m
	Retrieves the first bolt type diameter of a given operation.	GetBoltDiameter('FP1')	0.020 m
	Retrieves the second defined bolt type diameter of a given operation.	GetBoltDiameter('CLEAT1', 1)	0.018 m
	Without arguments, retrieves the bolt diameter of the last operation containing bolts (kept for backward compatibility — prefer naming the operation explicitly).	GetBoltDiameter()	0.016 m

Only indexes 0 and 1 are supported. The function throws an error when the operation is not found, the operation has no bolts, or the index is out of range.

Project setting value functions

We provide a general GetSettingValue(setting) function that allows a selected output value of a project setting to be used within parameters. The setting path is case-insensitive. Design-related settings are read for the design code of the current project. Below are the currently available setting values that can be retrieved.

Description	Example Input	Example Output
Rounding settings
Setting for rounding of plate input dimensions	GetSettingValue('Units.EntityRounding.PlateDimensions')	0.005 m
Setting for rounding of plate thickness input	GetSettingValue('Units.EntityRounding.PlateThickness')	0.002 m
Setting for rounding of bolt spacing input	GetSettingValue('Units.EntityRounding.BoltSpacing')	0.005 m
Setting for rounding of weld size input	GetSettingValue('Units.EntityRounding.WeldSize')	0.001 m
Bolt detailing settings
Setting for end distance bolt diameter multiple	GetSettingValue('Design.Bolts.Detailing.End')	2.0
Setting for edge distance bolt diameter multiple	GetSettingValue('Design.Bolts.Detailing.Edge')	2.0
Setting for spacing bolt diameter multiple	GetSettingValue('Design.Bolts.Detailing.Spacing')	3.0
Setting for wall distance bolt diameter multiple	GetSettingValue('Design.Bolts.Detailing.Wall')	2.3
Component design settings
Target utilization of bolt design	GetSettingValue('Design.AutoDesign.Bolts.TargetUtilization')	0.9
Target utilization of weld design	GetSettingValue('Design.AutoDesign.Welds.TargetUtilization')	0.9
Overstrength factor for weld design	GetSettingValue('Design.AutoDesign.Welds.OverstrengthFactor')	1.4
General design settings
Beam resistance percentage	GetSettingValue('Design.General.ResistancePercentage')	0.4
Weld size specification method	GetSettingValue('Design.General.WeldSpecification')

The function throws an error when the path is not recognized or is not fully specified (e.g. GetSettingValue('Design.AutoDesign.Bolts') fails because it does not point to a single value).

Member property value functions

We provide a general GetValue(member, property, default) function that can be used to extract model properties from the connection model. This enables the extraction of member information such as cross-section information, member geometry, etc. Here member is the name of the associated member in the model and property is the path of the desired property which will be retrieved. The property path is case-insensitive.

The third parameter default is optional. When the property is not found:

• with a default provided, the default value is returned, e.g. GetValue('B', 'Css.R2', 50) returns 50;
• without a default, the string Property '<property>' not found is returned.

Properties whose value is an enumeration are returned as strings (e.g. GetValue('B', 'ForcesIn') returns 'Node').

In all examples below 'B' represents the Name of the referenced member in the connection.

Description	Example Input	Example Output
Member Properties	General relating properties of the member
Material Name	GetValue('B', 'MaterialName')
Is the bearing member	GetValue('B', 'IsBearingMember')
Length	GetValue('B', 'Length')
Support Code	GetValue('B', 'SupportCode')
Forces	GetValue('B', 'ForcesIn')	(Position, Node, Bolts, SelectedMemberFace)
Static behavior	GetValue('B', 'StaticBehavior')	(AllDirActive = N-Vy-Vz-Mx-My-Mz, DoNotActDirYRotZ = N-Vz-My, DoNotActDirZRotY = N-Vy-Mz, NoBending = N-Vy-Vz)
Member Cross-Section Bounds	Get the bounds of the given member's cross-section
Height	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.Bounds.Height')
Width	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.Bounds.Width')
Bottom	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.Bounds.Bottom')
Left	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.Bounds.Left')
Right	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.Bounds.Right')
Top	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.Bounds.Top')
Member Geometry	Properties of the given member
Angle Alpha	GetValue('B', 'AngleAlpha')
Angle Beta	GetValue('B', 'AngleBeta')
Rotation Rx	GetValue('B', 'RotationRx')
DirVect /X	GetValue('B', 'DirVectX')
DirVect /Y	GetValue('B', 'DirVectY')
DirVect /Z	GetValue('B', 'DirVectZ')
LCS Y Axis Vect /X	GetValue('B', 'LcsyVectX')
LCS Y Axis Vect /Y	GetValue('B', 'LcsyVectY')
LCS Y Axis Vect /Z	GetValue('B', 'LcsyVectZ')
LCS Z Axis Vect /X	GetValue('B', 'LcszVectX')
LCS Z Axis Vect /Y	GetValue('B', 'LcszVectY')
LCS Z Axis Vect /Z	GetValue('B', 'LcszVectZ')
Begin Offset X	GetValue('B', 'EccentricityBeginX')
Begin Offset Y	GetValue('B', 'EccentricityBeginY')
Begin Offset Z	GetValue('B', 'EccentricityBeginZ')
End Offset X	GetValue('B', 'EccentricityEndX')
End Offset Y	GetValue('B', 'EccentricityEndY')
End Offset Z	GetValue('B', 'EccentricityEndZ')
InsertPointOnRefLine	GetValue('B', 'InsertPointOnRefLine.X')
Theoretical Length Y	GetValue('B', 'TheoreticalLengthY')
Theoretical Length Z	GetValue('B', 'TheoreticalLengthZ')
Member CP position	Gets the point of connection of this segment to the joint
Connection Point - X	GetValue('B', 'ConnectionPoint.X')
Connection Point - Y	GetValue('B', 'ConnectionPoint.Y')
Connection Point - Z	GetValue('B', 'ConnectionPoint.Z')
Position On Ref Line - Gets the relative position of the ConnectionPoint on the ReferenceLine	GetValue('B', 'PositionOnRefLine')
Calculated Pin Position - Gets the position of the calculated pinned connection. The position is measured on the local X-axis of the beam. The calculation is done according to the sizes and positions of bolts on this member	GetValue('B', 'CalculatedPinPosition')
Member Bounding Box Geometry	Gets bounding box in the local coordinate system of the beam
Bounding Box in LCS - Height	GetValue('B', 'BoundingBoxInLcs.Height')
Bounding Box in LCS - Width	GetValue('B', 'BoundingBoxInLcs.Width')
Bounding Box in LCS - Length	GetValue('B', 'BoundingBoxInLcs.Length')

Note

GetValue is not limited to members. The object name is also searched among plates, operations and member properties of the connection, so properties of a named operation can be retrieved in the same way, e.g. GetValue('FP1', 'Thickness').

Member position functions

GetQuadrant{Axis1}{Axis2}(Member1, Member2)

The GetQuadrant function determines the quadrant position of a target structural member (Member2) relative to a source structural member (Member1) in a specified 2D plane of the source member's local coordinate system. The function returns the quadrant number 1–4.

Parameters

• Axis1 (char) – The first coordinate axis (either X, Y, or Z; must be uppercase).
• Axis2 (char) – The second coordinate axis (either X, Y, or Z; must be uppercase).
• Member1 (string) – The name of the reference structural member.
• Member2 (string) – The name of the structural member whose position is evaluated relative to Member1.

Description	Example Input	Example Output
Quadrant position of members in plane X & Z	GetQuadrantXZ('C', 'B')	4
Quadrant position of members in plane X & Y	GetQuadrantXY('C', 'B')	1
Reversing the member order changes the reference system	GetQuadrantXY('B', 'C')	2

Boundary cases (the target member lying exactly on an axis) are assigned as follows: positive first axis → quadrant 1, negative first axis → quadrant 2, positive second axis → quadrant 1, negative second axis → quadrant 4.

GetMembersAngle(Member1, Member2)

Calculates the angle between the given members in radians. The result is in the range 0 to π (0° to 180°).

Description	Example Input	Example Output
Angle between perpendicular members B and C	GetMembersAngle('C', 'B')	1.5708 (= 90°)
Angle between opposite members	GetMembersAngle('M3', 'M5')	3.1416 (= 180°)

If you want to see degree values, you can assign the Angle value type to the parameter.

Member cross-section property functions

Most cross-section properties of a related member can be retrieved with the general GetValue(member, property) function. For retrieving plate thickness another function is required, GetBeamPlateThickness(member, plateitem).

Description	Example Input	Example Output
Top Flange Thickness	GetBeamPlateThickness('B', 'TopFlange')	0.010 m
Bottom Flange Thickness	GetBeamPlateThickness('B', 'BottomFlange')	0.012 m
Web Thickness	GetBeamPlateThickness('B', 'Web')	0.005 m

Note

If the given plate item name is not found, the thickness of the first plate of the member is returned. The plate item name is case-insensitive.

Form code functions

There are two functions for working with the form code (profile type) of members in the project:

• GetCrossSectionFormCode(Member) returns the form code of a member's cross-section as a string.
• CheckFormCode(FormCode, [Member1, Member2, ...]) returns true when all of the checked members have the given form code. The member list is optional — when omitted, the function checks the members mapped in the applied parametric template, or all members of the connection if no template has been applied.

Possible Form Codes (case-sensitive):

I U L

Z Rectangle Circle

Tee Flat Rod

Omega Compound General

Description	Example Input	Example Output
Get the form code of a member	GetCrossSectionFormCode('B')	'I'
Check all members in project for given form code	CheckFormCode('U')	false
Check only specific members	CheckFormCode('I', 'B', 'C')	true
Works with logical connectors	CheckFormCode('U', 'C') && CheckFormCode('I', 'M')	true
Combine with conditions	if(GetCrossSectionFormCode('B') == 'I', [valueA], [valueB])

Cross-section characteristics

Description	Example Input	Example Output
Type of cross-section	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.CrossSectionType')	RolledI
A - Area of Cross Section	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.CssCharact.A')
Av1 - Shear area Av1 (major principal axis)	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.CssCharact.Av1')
Av2 - Shear area Av2 (minor principal axis)	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.CssCharact.Av2')
Sx - The first moment of area related to the X axis	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.CssCharact.Sx')
Sy - The first moment of area related to the Y axis	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.CssCharact.Sy')
Ix - The second moment of area related to the X axis	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.CssCharact.Ix')
Iy - The second moment of area related to the Y axis	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.CssCharact.Iy')
I1 - The principal second moment of area related to the first principal axis	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.CssCharact.I1')
I2 - The principal second moment of area related to the second principal axis	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.CssCharact.I2')
Alpha - Gets the angle, in radians, between system and principal axes	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.CssCharact.Alpha')
It - Saint-Venant torsional constant	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.CssCharact.It')
Ixy - The product moment of area	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.CssCharact.Ixy')
Cgx - Gets the centre of gravity related to the X axis	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.CssCharact.Cgx')
Cgy - Gets the centre of gravity related to the Y axis	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.CssCharact.Cgy')
Wpl1 - Plastic modulus related to major principal axis	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.CssCharact.Wpl1')
Wpl2 - Plastic modulus related to minor principal axis	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.CssCharact.Wpl2')
Wel1 - Section modulus related to major principal axis	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.CssCharact.Wel1')
Wel2 - Section modulus related to minor principal axis	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.CssCharact.Wel2')
Iw - Warping Constant	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.CssCharact.Iw')
C - Torsion Constant	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.CssCharact.C')
Rgx - Gets the radius of gyration related to the X axis	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.CssCharact.Rgx')
Rgy - Gets the radius of gyration related to the Y axis	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.CssCharact.Rgy')
Rg1 - Gets the radius of gyration related to the first principal axis	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.CssCharact.Rg1')
Rg2 - Gets the radius of gyration related to the second principal axis	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.CssCharact.Rg2')
x0 - Shear centre distance from centroidal point in X direction	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.CssCharact.x0')
y0 - Shear centre distance from centroidal point in Y direction	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.CssCharact.y0')
Painting surface as surface of 1m long part of beam with that cross-section	GetValue('B', 'CrossSection.CssCharact.PaintingSurface')

Cross-section geometry components

Geometric properties of the cross-section shape components (e.g. fillet radii of rolled sections) can be accessed via the Css. prefix. The property is searched in the geometry of the cross-section components of the member. The optional default value of GetValue is useful here because the available properties differ per section shape.

Description	Example Input	Example Output
Fillet radius of a rolled section	GetValue('B', 'Css.R1')
Fillet radius with a fallback when the shape has no R2	GetValue('B', 'Css.R2', 0)

Member relating section material property functions

Material properties of a related member can be retrieved with the general GetValue(member, property) function.

Description	Example Input	Example Output
E - Young's modulus	GetValue('B', 'Material.E')
G - Shear modulus	GetValue('B', 'Material.G')
Poisson's ratio	GetValue('B', 'Material.Poissons')
Unit Mass	GetValue('B', 'Material.UnitMass')
Specific Heat capacity	GetValue('B', 'Material.SpecificHeat')
Thermal Expansion	GetValue('B', 'Material.ThermalExpansion')
Thermal Conductivity	GetValue('B', 'Material.ThermalConductivity')
Is Default Material	GetValue('B', 'Material.IsDefaultMaterial')

Advanced functions

The functions in this section produce complex model property values. They are primarily intended for use in parametric templates and should be assigned directly to the matching model property type.

ValueCount function

The ValueCount(value, count) function creates a value/count pair representing a repeated distance, equivalent to entering 0.06*3 in a spacing input in the UI. The count must be a positive number.

Expression	Description	Example Input
ValueCount(value, count)	Creates a repeated distance entry, e.g. three spacings of 60 mm.	ValueCount(0.06, 3)

ValueCount entries can be passed as row/column inputs into the bolt and anchor layout functions below.

Bolt and anchor layout functions

These functions build a complete bolt or anchor layout value which can be assigned to the bolt/anchor grid model property of an operation (e.g. a base plate). Position values are entered in basic SI units (m) and lists are separated by the '#' marker string.

Bolts(BoltAssembly, PositionType, rows..., '#', cols..., ['#', negativeRows..., '#', negativeCols...])

Creates a rectangular bolt layout.

• BoltAssembly (string) – the name of the bolt assembly, e.g. 'M16 8.8'.
• PositionType (string) – how positions are measured. One of:
  • 'Rectangle' – distances related to the grid axis, asymmetrical
  • 'RectangleSymmetrical' – distances related to the grid axis, symmetrical
  • 'ToProfile' – distances related to the profile, asymmetrical
  • 'ToProfileSymmetrical' – distances related to the profile, symmetrical
  • 'TopOfSteel' – row distances related to the top of steel, column distances related to the axis
• rows / cols (numbers or ValueCount entries) – the row positions, then a '#' separator, then the column positions. For asymmetrical position types, two further optional '#'-separated groups define negative-direction rows and columns.

The row and column entries correspond one-to-one to what would be typed in the rows/columns fields of the bolt grid in the UI.

Example Input	Description
Bolts('M16 8.8', 'RectangleSymmetrical', 0.05, '#', 0.04, 0.08)	Symmetric layout with one row entry (50 mm) and two column entries (40 and 80 mm)
Bolts('M16 8.8', 'Rectangle', ValueCount(0.05, 2), '#', 0.04)	Layout using a repeated 50 mm row entry (equivalent to typing 50*2)

AnchorOrthogonal(Anchor, IsSymmetrical, rows..., '#', cols...)

Creates a rectangular (Cartesian) anchor layout related to the grid axis.

• Anchor (string) – the name of the anchor/bolt assembly, e.g. 'M16 8.8'.
• IsSymmetrical (bool) – true for a symmetrical layout, false for asymmetrical.
• rows / cols (numbers or ValueCount entries) – the row positions, then a '#' separator, then the column positions.

Example Input	Description
AnchorOrthogonal('M16 8.8', true, 0.05, 0.1, '#', 0.05, 0.1)	Symmetric anchor layout with row entries 50 and 100 mm and column entries 50 and 100 mm

AnchorPolar(Anchor, Length, Count, AnchorType, radii..., '#', angles...)

Creates a polar (circular) anchor layout.

• Anchor (string) – the name of the anchor/bolt assembly.
• Length (number) – the anchor length in m.
• Count (int) – the number of anchors.
• AnchorType (string) – one of 'Straight', 'WasherPlateCircular', 'WasherPlateRectangular'.
• radii / angles (numbers) – the radii of the anchor circles, then a '#' separator, then the angles.

Example Input	Description
AnchorPolar('M20 8.8', 0.35, 6, 'Straight', 0.2, '#', 0)	Six straight anchors of length 350 mm on a circle of radius 200 mm

Parametric cross-section functions

The following functions redefine the cross-section they are assigned to from basic dimensional parameters. They only take effect when the expression is assigned to a cross-section property item — evaluating them in a standalone parameter has no effect. All dimensions are entered in basic SI units (m).

Expression	Description
IProfile(width, height, flangeThickness, webThickness)	Creates a welded I-section.
UProfile(width, height, flangeThickness, webThickness, webRadius, flangeRadius)	Creates a channel (U) section.
LProfile(width, height, legThickness, legThickness2, webRadius, flangeRadius)	Creates an angle (L) section.
PProfile(width, height, thickness, radius)	Creates a rectangular hollow section (RHS).
OProfile(diameter, thickness)	Creates a circular hollow section.
PDProfile(diameter, thickness)	Creates a circular hollow (pipe) section.
CCProfile(width, height, thickness, lip)	Creates a cold-formed C section.
PLProfile(width, height)	Creates a rectangular plate section.

Example Input	Description
IProfile(0.2, 0.4, 0.012, 0.008)	Welded I-section 200 mm wide, 400 mm deep, with 12 mm flanges and an 8 mm web
PLProfile([width], [thickness])	Plate section driven by previously defined parameters

Further information

Further information on using expressions can be found on the NCalc wiki page.

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