Micro-Formian for the analysis and design of space frames.

The analysis and design of a triactive frame involves the generation of a large amount of information describing the structure, in the form of numerical data. The generation of the required data is time consuming and prone to error. The present work attempts to offer a convenient computer assisted method for automated data generation. Micro-Formian, the computer program written for this purpose, is based on the ideas of formex algebra, which have been expanded in order to make better use of the available technology. The main features of Micro-Formian are its user-friendliness, its portability and its power in the generation of data. The user friendliness is achieved by an on-screen manual and a continuous dialogue with the user. The data generation procedures are based on the principles of formex algebra and the concept of geometric potential. The portability is achieved by using ANSI standard Pascal and by expressing all the hardware dependent variables in a parametric form. The research is, in essence, an investigation, into the philosophy behind computer aided structural analysis, whereby it examines the practicality of an interactive computing system for the automatic handling of structural design. A new technique related to mesh generation is implemented in an attempt to investigate the degree of optimization that can be achieved through a semi-automated procedure