Excitation force
Use the Excitation force tool to change the specific force multiplier functions in time.
When you select the Excitation force tool from the panel, a new dialogue window opens. This dialogue window has multiple tabs.
Diagrams
In the Diagrams tab, you can define excitation force multiplication functions in time and magnitude.
List of diagrams
In the top left is a list with all inserted diagrams. Below that list you have 3 buttons:
- New - add a new diagram
- Delete - delete an existing diagram
- Modify - modify an existing diagram
When you select New or Modify, a new dialogue window opens.
- Name - add or change the name of the diagram
Excitation force multiplier data
In the middle of the left hand side, you can see a table with the time and force multiplication factor values for each diagram you select from the top list. You can enter new values or change existing values.
- t - add or change time value
- Factor - add or change the load multiplication factor
Import/Export excitation force multiplier data
When you click Import/Export> button in the bottom of the excitation force multiplier table, a new menu opens.
- Save - save the time-multiplication factor table to a file to use later
- Load - load the time-multiplication factor table from a file
- Copy table - copy the time-multiplication factor table to the clipboard
- Paste table - paste the time-multiplication factor table from the clipboard
Generate time steps for excitation force multiplier data
When you click the Generate steps button (marked with asterisk *) in the bottom of the excitation force multiplier table, a new dialogue window opens, where you can generate time steps for the excitation force multiplier table.
- Δ t - time step size
- Number of steps - number of time steps
Excitation force multiplier diagram graph
On the right hand side, you can see the excitation force multiplier diagram graph that was generated from the table. Below the graph you have 5 buttons:
- < - use the Left button to move left on the graph
- < > - use the Zoom in button to zoom into the left side of the graph
- >< - use the Zoom out button to move zoom out of the graph
- |< >| - use the Zoom all button to fit entire graph on the window
- > - use the Right button to move right on the graph
Combinations
In the Combinations tab, you can combine the excitation force multiplier diagrams (defined at Diagrams tab) and load cases involved with given multiplication factors.
- Name - add or change the name of the combination
- dt - numerical integration time step
- Factor - set the multiplication factor for each excitation force diagram and load case
- Diagram - select a suitable diagram from the dropdown menu
- Load case - select a load case from the dropdown menu to use with excitation force diagram
Add to documentation
You can add all the relevant seismic load data to the documentation by using the button Add to documentation.