Substructure Generator

Intro

This plug-in is designed to seamlessly Create Sub Structure Model in Civil NX and Generate Detailed Report. By automating both geometry creation and documentation, it provides engineers with a highly efficient workflow.

Developed with

Benefits of this plugin

• Comprehensive Model Creation: Automatically generates a complete and ready-to-run 3D substructure model, including fully defined boundary conditions.
•  Automated Documentation: Generates a downloadable .xlsx Excel report containing all input summaries, calculated loads, and dynamically captured Midas Civil NX screenshots (e.g., BMD diagrams, displacement contours, and cross-section views).
•  Integrated Loading & Response Spectrum : Accurately applies static, moving, wind load and Seismic load as nodal load, and also generates a Response Spectrum function.
• Versatile Foundation Options: Supports inputs for both Open Foundation and Pile Foundation.
   

How to use this plugin?

The user interface is divided into 9 sequential tabs to guide you through the process:

1. Initial Data: Configures the starting point coordinates and material properties for the Pier Cap, Pier, and Footing.

   

    

2. Superstructure: Collects dimensions primarily used for Excel report generation and effective span for automatic wind load calculations. 

   

    

3. Pier & Pier Cap: Defines the physical dimensions, shapes (Circular/Rectangular), and element mesh lengths.

   

    

4. Foundation: Takes inputs for either Open Foundation or Pile Foundation, including dimensions, depths, mesh sizes, and soil properties (e.g., SBC, Subgrade Modulus).

   

    

5. Bearing: Configures bearing layouts (Both Side/Mid), distances, pedestal heights, and elastic link stiffness values.

   

    

6. Loading: Inputs for static loads (Self Weight, SIDL) which are applied as nodal loads at the bearing locations.

   

    

7. Moving Load: Inputs for maximum moving load reactions (Vertical, Longitudinal, Transverse), also applied as nodal loads.

   

    

8. Dynamic Load: Defines Wind Load parameters and Seismic Load data (Response Spectrum as per IS 1893).

   

    

9. Create Model: The final execution tab to generate the Midas Civil NX model and download the Excel report.

   

To save the current input in the plugin, click the "Download (.json)" button. This will download a JSON file containing all the current input settings.

To reuse the same input later, upload the downloaded JSON file using the Upload option and then click Apply. The plugin will restore all the saved input values automatically.

The Download and Upload options are available in all tabs of the plugin. The downloaded JSON file stores the data from all tabs, not just the currently active tab. Therefore, regardless of which tab you use to download or upload the JSON file, the complete set of plugin inputs will be saved and restored.
 

NOTE:

Before entering data, apply these settings to ensure images display correctly in the report:

1. In Civil NX Go to Display Option (Alt + E)
2. Navigate to the Draw tab and open "Hidden Option (Model)"
3. Enable "Plane Thickness" under the Thickness Option

Conclusion

With the Sub Structure Generator, you can quickly build detailed 3D substructure models while simultaneously generating comprehensive engineering reports.  This Plugin significantly cuts down on manual modeling and documentation time.