Strand7 Software:  In Detail:  Environment

The Strand7 environment

Data files The entire Strand7 data for a given model is stored in a single .ST7 file. This is a compact binary file that makes book-keeping, maintenance and model archiving easy. Strand7 results are also stored in single files - for example, linear static analysis results are stored in a single .LSA file. Strand7 result files are significantly smaller than those typically generated by other FEA software.

Multiple model processing Strand7 allows you to open multiple models simultaneously. You can exchange data graphically between models using cut-and-paste tools. You can solve more than one model at the same time, even while editing and post-processing other models.

Configuration Strand7 is highly user-configurable. For example, you can set a wide range of display options, such as colours, lighting and perspective. You can also configure file locations, which is useful in a networked environment --- you can keep model files on a shared network drive while keeping temporary files on a faster local PC drive.

Physical units Strand7 is fully units-aware. You can set and modify all the physical units used by Strand7. These units do not have to be consistent - should you so desire, you can mix metres and kilograms with feet and pounds. You can even solve the model in one set of units and then view and post-process the results in a completely different system - without re solving the model.

Context-sensitive help Press F1 at any time to view context-sensitive help. Strand7 has a comprehensive, hyperlinked on-line help system that includes tutorials, modelling techniques and theory.