The Structural Analysis Server
ThreeDFrame / ThreeDFEM is not a stand-alone structural analysis software.
ThreeDFrame / ThreeDFEM includes the Structural Analysis Server and converts
your Windows PC to a structural analysis and design platform for software developers and engineers.
The Structural Analysis Server opens up the structural kernel of ThreeDFrame / ThreeDFEM to other applications like
CAD software or spreadsheet programs. It serves these applications with the direct solution of
their specific structural systems. Possible applications are countless.
Expert developers can even make use of the Structural Analysis Server on a web service and serve their applications
independently of the operating system and device.
License Models
The user can chose between the license for ThreeFrame or ThreeDFEM and the license for ThreeDFrameServer.
A license for ThreeDFrameServer is cheaper than a license for ThreeDFrame or ThreeDFEM.
It is thought solely for users of a third party application.
A license for TwoDFrameServer ist cheaper than a license for ThreeDFrameServer.
It is thought solely for users of third party applications which solve two-dimensional problems (XZ-plane).
The user can upgrade to the license of ThreeDFrame or ThreeDFEM. The previously paid license is not lost.
Licenses are distributed per computer. Exception: Licenses for use with a web service for multiple clients
are distributed per ThreeDFrameServer-instance.
The Structural Analysis Server (ThreeDFrameServer/COM Component)
ThreeDFrame / ThreeDFEM is a Structural Analysis Server (COM Component).
Client programs, written with VBA, Visual Basic, Visual C#, Visual C++,
or any other automation-compatible programming language, can make use of the Structural Analysis Server.
Expert developers using a web service can even make use of the Structural Analysis Server independently of the platform
and programming language.
If a client program feeds the Structural Analysis Server with the structural model, it receives all the results
of the server's structural analysis and design.
All functions of the Structural Analysis Server can be used in demo mode.
The analysis results are returned for the first two frame elements or 35 finite elements.
Hence, the Structural Analysis Server can be tested easily, if it fits to your problem.
In academic / commercial mode all analysis results are returned.
Some Problems the Structural Analysis Server Solves
Scenario 1:
You've already written a CAD application which is doing excellent work when it comes to create
the drawings and computations for your specific problem domain.
However, whenever your users need to do the structural analysis and design, they have to
export data to another structural analysis software. There, they have to check
the data, do the structural analysis and design, and finally come back with some
imported result data to your CAD application.
Instead of shuffling data back and forth from your CAD application to another structural
analysis software, your CAD application can make direct use of the Structural Analysis Server,
which is doing all the necessary structural analysis and design, in the background.
Scenario 2:
You have programmed a spreadsheet to do some complicated design computations which are very
specific to your daily work and probably are not found in any commercial structural software.
However, to compute different systems, you have to enter internal forces and moments as input parameters.
You are getting the internal forces and moments from another structural analysis software.
Instead of switching between your spreadsheed and another structural analysis software,
you can make direct use of the Structural Analysis Server,
which is doing all the necessary structural analysis, in the background.
Scenario 3:
You are an expert developer and you are developing on an attractive platform. Unfortunately, there
is nearly no engineering software found on that platform.
On the world wide web, you want to make available a web service (e.g. with WCF and IIS)
for your application to solve the structural systems.
As a per-call service, the Structural Analysis Server can be economically scaled vertically as well as horizontally, depending
on your budget and the growing number of your users.
Prerequisite
Once you are familiar with a programming language (e.g. VBA) and FEM Scripts,
you are ready to make use of the Structural Analysis Server.
Working with the Structural Analysis Server is very much the same as working
with FEM scripts. If your software writes FEM Scripts, you are already very near to
make use of the Structural Analysis Server.