VisualDesign 5.1 Upgrade Sale

Here are the top 5 reasons to get rid of VisualDesign 4 in your office, or to supplement it with VisualDesign 5.1 in a side-by-side installation.

5. Support for New Specifications
Our latest offering supports the newest versions, updates, errata, and the like from AISC, ACI, NDS, and AISI. We are also supporting additional portions of these codes, such as Mexican and Canadian light-gauge codes, and providing enhancements to match IBC provisions. If you still use the older versions of ACI or similar, you may keep using your older VisualAnalysis installation side-by-side. You do not have to make the transition all at once.

4. Better Deflection Checking
Because service conditions often control the design, and because deflection checking is not as simple as L/360, we have extended our capabilities. For wood and steel design we now support the IBC 2003 categories of deflection checks based on the load types. We are also offering a column drift check for these modules.

3. More Flexibility
The new design software now enables a uniform and simple method for extending your designs to custom shapes in the Shape Database. You may also define default settings for many of the design parameters, switch among ASD/LRFD "on the fly", and control the design in new ways. The steel design is also up to 75% faster, allowing you more time to explore options.

2. Much More Comprehensive
Version 5.1 now offers additional capabilities so you don't have to check as much by hand, or try to "fool" the software. For example, concrete wall design now offers a single-layer of reinforcement, steel design will check St. Venant torsional shear stress, and you can create multiple load combination 'sets' to check each design group with a different set of load cases, if necessary. (This is most useful in mixed-material projects, steel uses one set of load combinations and concrete uses another.)

1. Get 10 Tools for 10 Bucks in our 10^th year!
That's right, upgrade to VisualDesign 5.1 in before July 31st and save a bundle. We are including the VisualTools upgrade for just $10 with every VisualDesign 5.1 upgrade. Get the latest versions of these tools for just $10:

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Ask Dr. Dan: Wood Design

A Customer Asks:
"Why can't I get unity checks for Wood Design?"

Caution: Theory Zone Ahead!

Dr. Dan Replies:
Almost always the answer to this question is that the shape type and material type have not been "coordinated". As you know there are major shape categories in the current NDS specification:

The current IES database includes shapes in each of these categories that you may select from.

With the exception of Engineered Wood, the NDS supplement contains design information for each of the shape categories in separate tables. Each table has its own set of data that may not be consistent with other tables. In VisualDesign we handle this inconsistency by including different material categories, one for each of the NDS supplement tables:

Obviously the material category and shape categories must be coordinated to get a meaningful design.

If the material and shape coordination is not done, you will not get unity check values in VisualDesign. If you see the solid line member in your Design View that indicates "Not Checked" you can double click on the member and get a design report. At the bottom of the design report you will see a message like the following:

***Note: A dimension wood shape does not have dimension wood material properties

When you go to the design inspector and set the Design As categories for both Shape and Material to be coordinated as the table above indicates and then select "Design Selected Group" you will get proper unity check values. In the case of obtaining unity check values only, you must see that the shape and material type are coordinates in your Model View as well.

As a final comment on this topic, consider the case where you want to add your own special wood shapes to be designed. Remember that the coordination above must exist for the added shape you plan on using. To do this use, first use the Shape Database Editor supplied in the IES program group. Once you've entered the basic geometric properties you must "Add Support for Property Set" by selecting the added shape and using the Right-Mouse click. You can look at the current shapes to see which property sets need to be selected. For example, for a "new" dimension lumber shape you'll need to add support for both "Rectangle" and "Dimension Sawn Wood".

Once you've got the shape database updated with the new shape, you'll need to run the Material Database Editor supplied if you have special design values to use. Once you've entered a new material, you must "Add Support for Material Set". Again look at other materials already in the database to see which sets to enter data for. Once both shape and materials are set, VisualDesign should handle your new wood member.

In summary, designing or getting unity checks for wood members can appear to be complicated on the surface. If you remember that the shape and materials need to be coordinated, the design will go along smoothly with no surprises.

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Subscription Service Clarified

The IES Subscription Service is a tool you can use to:

1. Save Money

2. Organize Your Budget

3. Stay Current

4. Support IES

Save Money
By purchasing the upgrade plan you lock in today's prices and also get a discount of up to 25%.

Organize Your Budget
With known annual payments for 3 to 5 years, you can take the guesswork out of upgrading IES software.

Stay Current
Don't miss our next big innovation! Work efficiently with new features as soon as they become available.

Support IES
By purchasing your subscription, you help us smooth out the boom-bust software cycles and lower our costs for upgrade mailings. All of this will help us deliver higher quality software in a timely fashion at the lowest possible prices.

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