Section Definition In Json Format#

Format Description#

In this chapter the json format which is used for defining cross sections within the SOFiSTiK Grasshopper Toolkit is described in detail.

Section#

Name	Type	Structure	Description
Id	Integer	Item	Id of section
Name	Text	Item	Name of section
Unit	Text	Item	Unit of section in which 2d distances are measured. Available options are: “m”, “cm”, “mm”, “ft”, “in” If nothing is set the selected Length 3d unit is used
MaterialId	Integer	Item	Material number of section. Materials for different loops can be set separately
Points	Point	List	List of section points which make up the geometry of this section
Loops	Loop	List	List of section loops which define polygonal boundaries of this section
Circles	Circle	List	List of section circles defining circular boundaries of this section
ThinWalledSegments	ThinWalledSegment	List	List of thin walled segments defining thin walled section geometry
Variables	Text / Number	Map	Map of variable names and their initial values, this section is depending on
VariableDescriptions	Text / Text	Map	Optional map of variable names and a text describing their role inside the section. The extended text is separated by a “:” “<fullname>:<description>”
PointReinforcements	PointReinforcement	List	List of point reinforcements
LineReinforcements	LineReinforcement	List	List of line reinforcements
PerimeterReinforcements	PerimeterReinforcement	List	List of perimeter reinforcements
NonEffectiveZones	NonEffectiveZone	List	List of non effective zones

Point#

Name	Type	Structure	Description
Id	Text	Item	Identifier of section point
Coord	Text	List	List with two elements representing the Y, Z coordinates of a section point in two-dimensional space. Available options are: Expression depending on a set of variables: E.g. “0.5*W” Absolute value: E.g. 3.2
PointType	Text	Item	Type of point describing its role. For points defined in objects like section loops or reinforcements the PointType is given implicitly. Available options are: “ConstructionPoint”: default “StressPoint”
Reference	Text	List	List of reference point ids. Use up to three different reference points according to reference type.
ReferenceType	Text	Item	Type of reference specifying the frame of reference in which the coordinates are interpreted. Available options are: “euclidean”: If no reference points are given, the coordinates are relative to the origin (0, 0 : default). If one reference point is specified, the coordinates are relative to this point. If two reference points are given, the Y-coordinate will be relative to the first reference point, the Z-coordinate relative to the second one. “polar”: Two reference points need to be specified, with the coordinates being interpreted in a local frame whose origin is the first reference point, first axis is the line between first and second reference point and second axis is the line running through the first point and perpendicular to the first axis. “cy”: Three points need to be sepcified as reference points. No coordinates are necessary. The location of the point will be on a line between the first and second reference point with its Y-coordinate being equal to the Y-coordinate of the third reference point. “cz”: Similar to “cy”, but with the resulting point’s Z-coordinate being equal to the Z-coordinate of the third reference point.
R	Text	Item	Optional radius specified as expression or absolute value, creating a fillet at this section point. Only possible for section points being defined inside a section loop.
F	Text	Item	Equivalent to “R” but instead creating a chamfer at this section point. Use either “R” or “F”

Loop#

Name	Type	Structure	Description
Id	Text	Item	Identifier of section loop
MaterialId	Text	Item	Material number of section loop
ConstructionStage	Text	Item	Construction stage of section loop
Type	Text	Item	Type of section loop specifying if it is interpreted as an outer boundary or a inner boundary / hole. Inner boundaries can also be specified by setting the MaterialId to “0”. Available options are: “Outer” “Inner”
Points	Point	List	List of section points this section loop consists of

Circle#

Name	Type	Structure	Description
Id	Text	Item	Identifier of section circle
MaterialId	Text	Item	Material number of section circle
ConstructionStage	Text	Item	Construction stage of section circle
Type	Text	Item	Type of section circle specifying if it is interpreted as an outer boundary or a inner boundary / hole. Inner boundaries can also be specified by setting the MaterialId to “0”. Available options are: “Outer” “Inner”
Radius	Text	Item	Radius of circular element as expression or absolute value
Point	Point	Item	Section point where this section circle is located

ThinWalledSegment#

Name	Type	Structure	Description
Id	Text	Item	Identifier of thin walled segment
MaterialId	Text	Item	Material number of segment
ConstructionStage	Text	Item	Construction stage of segment
Type	Text	Item	Type of segment. Available options are: “PLAT”: default “WELD”
Thickness	Text	Item	Thickness of segment as expression or absolute value
PointStart	Point	Item	Section point where the start of this segment is located
PointEnd	Point	Item	Section point where the end of this segment is located

PointReinforcement#

Name	Type	Structure	Description
Id	Text	Item	Identifier of reinforcement
Layer	Text	Item	Layer of reinforcement
MaterialId	Text	Item	Material number of reinforcement
Diameter	Text	Item	Diameter of reinforcement as expression or absolute value
TorsionalContribution	Text	Item	Optional torsional contribution. Available options are: “PASS”: default “ACTI” “ADDI” Please look up AQUA manual for further information.
Point	Point	Item	Section point where this reinforcement is located

LineReinforcement#

Name	Type	Structure	Description
Id	Text	Item	Identifier of reinforcement
Layer	Text	Item	Layer of reinforcement
MaterialId	Text	Item	Material number of reinforcement
Diameter	Text	Item	Diameter of reinforcement as expression or absolute value
TorsionalContribution	Text	Item	Optional torsional contribution. Available options are: “PASS”: default “ACTI” “ADDI” Please look up AQUA manual for further information.
Spacing	Text	Item	Minimal distance between each two single reinforcement bars as expression or absolute value
BarCount	Text	Item	Total amount of single reinforcement bars as expression or absolute value
BarDistribution	Text	Item	Optional manner in which bars are distributed along the line. Available options are: “EVEN”: default “FULL” “INS” “ADJA” “ADJE” “INSC” Please look up AQUA manual for further information.
PointStart	Point	Item	Section point where the start of this line reinforcement is located
PointEnd	Point	Item	Section point where the end of this line reinforcement is located

PerimeterReinforcement#

Name	Type	Structure	Description
Id	Text	Item	Identifier of reinforcement
Layer	Text	Item	Layer of reinforcement
MaterialId	Text	Item	Material number of reinforcement
Diameter	Text	Item	Diameter of reinforcement as expression or absolute value
TorsionalContribution	Text	Item	Optional torsional contribution. Available options are: “PASS”: default “ACTI” “ADDI” Please look up AQUA manual for further information.
Spacing	Text	Item	Minimal distance between each two single reinforcement bars as expression or absolute value
BarDistribution	Text	Item	Optional manner in which bars are distributed along the perimeter. Available options are: “EVEN”: default “FULL” “INS” “ADJA” “ADJE” “INSC” Please look up AQUA manual for further information.
Inset	Text	Item	Distance between the section loop and this reinforcement as expression or absolute value
LoopId	Text	Item	Identifier of section loop where this perimeter reinforcement is located

NonEffectiveZone#

Name	Type	Structure	Description
Id	Text	Item	Identifier of non effective zone
Type	Text	Item	Type of non effective zone. Detailed explanation can be found in the AQUA manual. Available options are a combination of: “N”: Normal force “Y”: Y-ordinate “Z”: Z-ordinate “-R”: Reinforcements “+R”: Reinforcements are active even if they are in a non effective part “V”: Without interpolated vertices
Thickness	Text	Item	Thickness of non effectife zone as expression or absolute value. If no thickness is specified the geometry of the zone will be a two dimensional bounding box according PointStart, PointEnd. If thickness has a value the geometry will be an aligned box from PointStart to PointEnd with given thickness
PointStart	Point	Item	Section point where the start of this zone is located
PointEnd	Point	Item	Section point where the end of this zone is located

Example Sections#

Example Solid Section#

Here is a small example defining a rectangular section in the json format described above.

example-section-solid.json

{
    "Id": 1,
    "Name": "example-section-solid",
    "Unit": "m",
    "MaterialId": 1,
    "Points":
    [
      { "Id": "ORG", "Coord": [ 0.0, 0.0 ] },
      { "Id": "TOP", "Coord": [ 0.0, "-0.5*H" ] },
      { "Id": "BOT", "Coord": [ 0.0, "+0.5*H" ], "PointType": "StressPoint" }
    ],
    "Loops":
    [
      {
        "Id": "L1",
        "Points":
        [
          { "Id": "P1", "Coord": [ "+0.50*W", 0.0 ], "Reference": ["TOP"] },
          { "Id": "P2", "Coord": [ "+0.50*W", 0.0 ], "Reference": ["BOT"], "R": "RO" },
          { "Id": "P3", "Coord": [ "-0.50*W", 0.0 ], "Reference": ["BOT"], "F": "RO" },
          { "Id": "P4", "Coord": [ "-0.50*W", 0.0 ], "Reference": ["TOP"] }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "Circles":
    [
      {
        "Id": "C1",
        "Type": "Inner",
        "Point": { "Id": "PC1",  "Coord":  [ 0.0, 0.0 ], "Reference": [ "ORG" ] },
        "Radius": "RI"
      }
    ],
    "Variables": { "W": 4.0, "H": 3.0, "RI": 0.7, "RO": 0.5, "rfDia": 0.2, "rfSpace": 0.3, "rfInset": 0.5, "rfBDist": 1.0, "nfeY": 2.5, "nfeZ": 2.0 },
    "VariableDescriptions":
    {
      "W":       "Width:Width of Rectagngle",
      "H":       "Height:Height of Rectagnle",
      "RI":      "RadiusCircle:Radius of inner circular element",
      "RO":      "RadiusCorner:Radius at corner points",
      "rfDia":   "DiameterRf:Diameter of reinforcement",
      "rfSpace": "SpacingRf:Spacing of reinforcement",
      "rfInset": "InsetRf:Inset of reinforcement",
      "rfBDist": "BorderDistRf:Border distance of reinforcement",
      "nfeY":    "NeffY:Y coordinate of neff end point",
      "nfeZ":    "NeffZ:Z coordinate of neff end point"
    },
    "LineReinforcements":
    [
      {
        "Id": "RF1",
        "Layer": "1",
        "MaterialId": "2",
        "Diameter": "rfDia",
        "BarDistribution": "FULL",
        "Spacing": "rfSpace",
        "PointStart": { "Id": "RFP1", "Coord": [ "rfBDist", "+rfInset" ], "Reference": [ "P2", "P3" ], "ReferenceType": "Polar"},
        "PointEnd":   { "Id": "RFP2", "Coord": [ "rfBDist", "-rfInset" ], "Reference": [ "P3", "P2" ], "ReferenceType": "Polar"}
      }
    ],
    "NonEffectiveZones":
    [
      {
        "Id": "NF1",
        "PointStart": { "Id": "NFP1", "Coord": [ 0.0, 0.0 ] },
        "PointEnd":   { "Id": "NFP2", "Coord": [ "nfeY", "nfeZ" ] }
      }
    ]
}

../_images/gh_ref_section_solid_rhino.PNG — **Figure 1.** Overview solid section in Rhino#

Example Thin Walled Section#

And another example defining a thin walled section according predescribed json format.

example-section-thinWalled.json

{
    "Id": 2,
    "Name": "example-section-thinWalled",
    "Unit": "m",
    "MaterialId": 1,
    "ThinWalledSegments":
    [
      {
        "Id": "PTL",
        "Type": "PLAT",
        "PointStart": { "Id": "PTLStart", "Coord": [ 0.0, "+0.5*TH1" ] },
        "PointEnd":   { "Id": "PTLEnd",   "Coord": [ "-0.5*W", "+0.5*TH1" ] },
        "Thickness": "TH1"
      },
      {
        "Id": "PTR",
        "Type": "PLAT",
        "PointStart": { "Id": "PTRStart", "Coord": [ 0.0, "+0.5*TH1" ] },
        "PointEnd":   { "Id": "PTREnd",   "Coord": [ "+0.5*W", "+0.5*TH1" ] },
        "Thickness": "TH1"
      },
      {
        "Id": "PM",
        "Type": "PLAT",
        "PointStart": { "Id": "PMStart", "Coord": [ 0.0, "+TH1" ] },
        "PointEnd":   { "Id": "PMEnd",   "Coord": [ 0.0, "H" ] },
        "Thickness": "TH2"
      },
      {
        "Id": "WM",
        "Type": "WELD",
        "PointStart": { "Id": "WMStart", "Coord": [ 0.0, "+0.5*TH1" ] },
        "PointEnd":   { "Id": "WMEnd",   "Coord": [ 0.0, "+TH1" ] },
        "Thickness": "TH3"
      }
    ],
    "Variables": { "W": 4.0,  "H": 3.0, "TH1": 0.5, "TH2": 0.3, "TH3": 0.1, "rfDia": 0.1, "rfSpace": 0.3, "rfBDist": 0.5 },
    "VariableDescriptions":
    {
      "W":       "Width:Width of section",
      "H":       "Height:Height of section",
      "TH1":     "ThicknessTop:Thickness of top slab",
      "TH2":     "ThicknessMid:Thickness of vertical element",
      "TH3":     "ThicknessWeld:Thickness of weld",
      "rfDia":   "DiameterRf:Diameter of reinforcement",
      "rfSpace": "SpacingRf:Spacing of reinforcement",
      "rfBDist": "BorderDistRf:Border distance of reinforcement"
    },
    "LineReinforcements":
    [
      {
        "Id": "RF1",
        "Layer": "1",
        "MaterialId": "2",
        "Diameter": "rfDia",
        "BarDistribution": "FULL",
        "Spacing": "rfSpace",
        "PointStart": { "Id": "RFP1", "Coord": [ 0.0, "+TH1+rfBDist" ] },
        "PointEnd":   { "Id": "RFP2", "Coord": [ 0.0, "+H-rfBDist" ] }
      }
    ]
}

../_images/gh_ref_section_thinWalled_rhino.PNG — **Figure 2.** Overview thin walled section in Rhino#