Overview

The IDX Beam Analysis Tool provides complete analysis of deflection and stresses caused by direct forces on simply supported beams. Its intuitive interface enables immediate productivity, while more advanced features allow great flexibility in problem definition.

As a plug-in, available for AutoCAD, for TurboCAD Pro and now also for DoubleCAD XT v2 and DoubleCAD XT Pro v2, the Beam Analysis Tool facilitates best practices by saving the beam information and all analysis diagrams directly in the drawing file, alongside the beam. This is useful for collaboration, and also saves a great deal of time when plans change and analyses need to be updated. Further collaboration is supported by options to save beam analyses as XML files, or to publish configuration details and all diagrams as HTML files to post on an intranet or extranet. (See an example HTML page.)

The IDX Beam Analysis Tool is specifically designed for use by structural, mechanical, and civil engineers; architectural designers; designer/builders; general contractors; municipal planning departments; and students.

Why choose IDX Beam Analysis Tool?

• Provides fast, accurate calculations - beams, supports and loads are easy to define and revise, allowing for quick what-if analyses to find the right beam and support combination.
  
• Encourages best practices - beam analysis information is saved with the plan drawings, making critical load, support, and beam information available to all who need it. Information may also be shared without sending the complete drawing file by using HTML or XML formats.
  
• Simplifies analysis configuration - tabs allow for quick updates to units, loads, sections, supports, or diagram types.
  
• Speeds the learning process - Windows-style interface with tabs, selection buttons, drop downs, and easily modified parameters are well organized, with user-friendly graphical feedback.
  
• Facilitates change management - beam configuration can be reloaded from within the drawing when revisions are needed, so there is no searching for the previous data and no starting over from scratch.
  
• Accelerates ROI - time to productivity is minimal, producing quick return on investment.

Features

The IDX Beam Analysis Tool opens in its own window within the CAD application. The default settings use imperial units with a beam that is a W_10x19 Wide Flange Steel Section, 30 feet in length, with a 100 pound point load in the middle. It has a Fixed End support on the left and a Roller support on the right. From there you can change the length of the beam, add supports and loads (including torsion), and see all effects.

The next several pages include details about IDX Beam Analysis Tool.

Supported Platforms
The IDX Beam Analysis Tool is available as a plug-in for AutoCAD 2007, AutoCAD 2008, TurboCAD Pro v12-17, DoubleCAD XT v2, and DoubleCAD XT Pro v2. The tool requires a licensed copy of the base CAD platform running on a supported operating system. See AutoCAD, TurboCAD, or DoubleCAD system requirements for your version to determine support for Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 versions.

The IDX Beam Analysis Tool requires an additional 14 MB free disk space.

Known limitations:

At this time the versions running in AutoCAD are supported for the base version of AutoCAD, plus AutoCAD Mechanical, and AutoCAD Architecture. We do not specifically test for or support other editions of AutoCAD such as Civil3D or MEP.

The version running on TurboCAD Pro 14 through 17 can read/write and exchange intelligent beam objects in drawings saved as TCW v12, v14, v15, v16, v17, and DWG 2007 file formats. The TurboCAD Pro v12 edition of the product supports intelligent beam objects in only TCW v12 file format. All versions of the Beam Analysis Tool support the same intelligent beam object XML exchange format and write to the same HTML style pages.

Requirements

PC  :
AutoCAD 2007 & 2008 - TurboCAD Pro and DoubleCAD V2