SIMPLE TRUSS SETUP WITH MDSOLIDS1. Open MDSolids program to get this screen. Clicking on the right tab, MDSolids Modules, will give the following screen, which shows the possible structural situations that can be modeled with MDSolids. Click on the Trusses icon or go to Modules ∧ Axial Structures ∧ Truss Analysis and Stresses to get the screen on the following page. 2. Click on New Truss to get the following box, which will define the grid spacing for the truss. Enter the necessary data: Spacing: X-Direction and Y-Direction Number of Spaces: And click OK. This sets up the grid lines as shown above. NOTE: The relative scale of the grid may not always appear “correct” based on the actual distances between the gridlines. Try adjusting the number of spaces to get a true ratio. 3. Click on Create and Members to begin drawing the elements. Click and hold down the left mouse button on the desired starting grid point and drag the mouse to the desired ending grid point and then release. Remember to draw each element individually. Complete the truss diagram as shown below. 4. Click on Create and Supports to add the supports. To create a pinned connection, drag the mouse first in the x- and then in the y-directions from the grid point where the support is located. To draw a roller, drag the mouse in the y-direction (up or down). 5. Click on Create and Loads to add loads, which on trusses always occur as point loads at joints. Using the left mouse button, click at the joint and drag in the direction of the load’s action and then release. This dialog box will appear, enter the Load Magnitude and click Enter Load. The completed truss diagram is as follows. 6. Click on Compute to have the program calculate the forces in the truss members and supports. The values of the force in the members is given on the diagram as well as the values of the support reactions. The diagram is color coded (on the computer screen and can be printed in color): Yellow = Compression, Blue = Tension, Violet = no force. 7. To print: Go to File ∧ Print. Enter a title for this analysis and click Next. This will give the printout shown on the following page. 8. The truss setup can be saved as follows: Go to File ∧ Save As, choose a destination Folder to Save In, type in the File Name, and click Save. NOTE: To re-open this file, you must have the Truss Module opened in MDSolids. The truss diagram can also be saved as a bitmap file (an image file) for placement in other programs, (Word, etc). Go to File ∧ Save Bitmap As, choose a destination Folder to Save In, type in the File Name, and click Save. NOTE: The program will automatically save the file in C://ProgramFiles/MDSolids – you may wish to save it in a more convenient folder.