🧰 Utility
The utility components are not part of the structural calculation. They help you build, debug, exchange and extend a model.
Components in this tab
| Component | Nickname | Does |
|---|---|---|
| Deconstruct | Deconstruct | Explodes any Alpaca4d object into its fields. |
| Serialize | Serialize | Writes the model out as an OpenSees .tcl deck. |
| Deserialise | Deserialise | Reads a .tcl deck back into an Alpaca4d model. |
| Alpaca4D to FEM-Design | A4D_FD | Writes the model as a FEM-Design .struxml file. |
| Custom Code | Custom Code | Appends raw OpenSees commands to the deck. |
| Mesh Loft | Mesh Loft | Lofts a series of polylines into a mesh. |
| Mesh Series to Brick | Mesh Series to Brick | Turns a stack of meshes into hexahedra for brick elements. |
| Counter | Counter | A self-advancing integer, for animations. |
What they are for
Understanding the model. Deconstruct is the fastest way to find out what a component actually produced, and what properties an object carries.
Getting geometry in. Mesh Loft and Mesh Series to Brick exist because hexahedral meshing is the hard part of using SSP Brick.
Getting the model in and out. Serialize and Deserialise are a round trip between Grasshopper and plain OpenSees — hand a deck to a collaborator who does not use Rhino, or bring an existing model in. Alpaca4D to FEM-Design takes the model on to FEM-Design, to be designed there.
Going past what the components cover. Custom Code appends anything OpenSees understands. It bypasses Alpaca4d's checks, so it is powerful in both directions.