Units

BeamZ allow an end user to use his own unit system. Internally, BeamZ always use the Internal System Units (IS), but the end user can use any unit system he wants. That allows different users to work on the same structure, with their own unit system, and the system will convert the units automatically.

A user can create as many unit systems as he wants, and can use any unit system for any structure. The unit systems are defined in the user profile, and can be changed at any time. Of course, only one unit system can be defined as the default one, and this default unit system will be used for all new structures, as well as the existing ones. The unit system used for a structure is not saved with the structure. The International System of Units (IS) is the default unit system for every new user.

Define a unit system

This is done in the user profile. The user can define a unit system by giving it a name, and defining the units for each dimension. The user can also define the unit system as the default one, and can delete it if he wants to.

Choosing a unit system

When the user have multiple unit systems, he can choose the one he wants to use for his structure, and even change during the lifetime of the work on the structure. As BeamZ always use the IS internally, it’s just a matter of displaying the figures. In the structure editor, in Display options section, the user can choose the unit system he wants to use.

No matter the selected unit system, as it’s not saved with the structure, a structure is always opened with the user’s default unit system. The user can change the unit system at any time, and the structure will be displayed with the new unit system.

Display of units

When using a unit systen other than the IS, the software show the unit of the value you’re filling. When using the IS, the system doesn’t show the units. Here, the user use his own unit systems, and the software show the units in the structure editor.

If the user prefer to show the units, even with IS, it’s as simple as create a new unit system with the same units as the IS, and set it as the default one. The software will then show the units in the structure editor, even if the user is still using the default units from IS.

Here, the user use the IS, no units are shown.