Knowledge base

The UI of the IDEA StatiCa Viewer tool

Steel

Connection

Viewer

v24.0

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IDEA StatiCa Viewer is a free cloud tool for sharing structural data among the designers involved in connection or anchoring design.

IDEA StatiCa Viewer is a tailor-made tool for visualizing the detailed connection arrangements in the 3D scene and sharing the model data among connection designers in different stages.

You can find even more comprehensive information about the possible workflows with the Viewer tool in this article.

How does it work?

The user can access the Viewer tool either through the URL viewer.ideastatica.com or directly through the button in the Checkbot app.

If the first option is used, the initial screen offers several options:

Drag and Drop – for already existing model files
Browse – for opening the project file from a hard drive
Sample project – for opening a Demo project file with different types of connections

After dropping the model onto the Internet browser window, the 3D scene shows all the components of the connection model. If the users want to share the link, export the model as a DWG or IFC, or simply browse through the detailed information about the model's components, they need to be signed in.

If the current IDEA account hasn't been created yet, it is sufficient to create a free Basic account according to this simple guided process.

The top ribbon offers several essential options

Exporting options in Viewer

Share: One of the easiest ways to share the model information is to use the URL link directly to the Viewer web page with the model already uploaded. This button copies the URL link, which will be stored on the cloud server permanently, so the link can be kept and referred to in the designers' communication for the whole length of the project.
Export to 3D DWG: Exports the 3D model in DWG file format with the solid 3D elements and breaks down all plates into separate 2D line blocks.
Export to IDEA StatiCa: This option creates and downloads the model in .ideaCon file format according to the current IDEA StatiCa version.
Export to IFC: Exports the 3D model in IFC (International Foundation Class) file format.
Explore in Connection library: This option launches the IDEA StatiCa Connection library web page and offers thousands of possible alternatives to the current arrangement.

Besides these options, the project parameters can be displayed by clicking the info button at the top of the browser window.

Additional model properties

The inclusion of parametric templates in the Connection Library represents a significant advancement in the design process for connection designers. This functionality simplifies the design process by providing:

Language selection: Two options are available – (EN) English and (CZ) Czech
Units: A switch between Metric and Imperial units is available
Sign in: Login notification.

The right Property panel

In the right part of the screen, a whole set of model parameters is stored. Besides information about the component materials and sizes, unique and important information about how the connection is loaded can be found under 'Load Effects'.

Detailed drawings of specific plates are displayed in an additional graphics window with the basic dimensions. For models with more complex plate shapes and overly dense dimension lines, there is an additional option to open the Zoomed vector drawing in a new subwindow.