OpenBrIM Release 3.230904

• Nested Subfolders: Introducing the ability to create nested subfolders directly from the new project screen. Now you can structure your projects with multiple levels of subfolders, making project management more intuitive and efficient.

• Project Name: We've implemented a project name uniqueness check within the respective folders.

• Midas Export: This update addresses the reported issues related to Springs and boundary condition data in Midas exports.

• Maximum Rebar Stress: You can utilize the section editor menu to visualize the maximum rebar stress under a given axial force and moment.

OpenBrIM Release 3.230919

• RSA: Improved the user interface for response spectrum. RSA analysis results are now displayed separately when executed during the construction stage.

• Max Tensile Rebar Stress: Resolved a convergence issue that occurred when computing the maximum tensile rebar stress under specific axial force and moment conditions, particularly when the moment value approached zero.

• Save/Load Filter Criteria: Users now have the capability to save and load their filter criteria for FEA results. Even when the spreadsheet undergoes changes, filter settings remain intact, ensuring that users encounter the same filter configuration when they revisit the same spreadsheet.

• Input Validation: To address the issue of the project appearing empty and the 3D geometry not displaying upon the project's initial opening due to invalid inputs, we have implemented a solution. Now, we attempt to compile the project and create a 3D view when users first open it, even if input validation is unsuccessful.

• Workspace administrators can now access all snapshots without requiring specific project access.

• Export Enhancements: Midas/Larsa 4D export bug fixes
  
  

   

OpenBrIM Release 3.230929

• Doc View: The Documents View now also displays reports from compiled projects. This gives users the option to view certain reports that do not require finite element analysis results, such as quantity reports and input reports, without having to run the design.

• Spreadsheet Read-only Parameter: Spreadsheets can now display a read-only parameter, with its initial use case being the referencing of objects inherently designated as read-only.

• Time graphs: The Docgraph Paramml object now offers support for time graphs.

• Spreadsheet Cell Action: The "Set to Current Selection" spreadsheet cell action will only be active when there is at least one selected object. It has been enhanced with a type check to ensure the correct object selection for the chosen parameter and prevent any errors.

• Introducing an Edit Cell Action for all spreadsheets to allow modification of selected multi-cells.

• Section Editor: The "Edit Properties" feature for tendon and rebar layout didn't properly update the Section Editor view. To view the updated parameter, it was necessary to reopen the editor. Additionally, the update to the tendon layout user interface changes "Strand Count" to "Strands per Tendon."

• Design Button: When the confirmation dialog for design is closed by clicking the X button in the top right corner, the design button remains disabled. This issue has been fixed.

• Delete Project: Deleted projects are automatically removed from the project list, without necessitating a webpage refresh from the user.

• Animation For Mode Shapes: Introduces an option to either animate or not animate the modal shape, rather than animating it by default.

• Section Editor Undo: The section editor now responds to Ctrl+Z for undo actions.

OpenBrIM Release 3.231010

• Stage Treeview: The ability to open the stage tree view, which shows the order of stages and activities at each stage, can now be accessed from the workflow tree.

• DGN Export: The CAD container offsets were not exported to the DGN file, but this issue has now been fixed.

• Copy-pasting from the clipboard: A bug fix has been introduced for the following case: when copying and pasting from the clipboard, referencing object parameters are computed for each parameter of the object, resulting in duplicate objects within the referencing objects.

• Import Section View: The ability to visualize sections in the import screen. Bug fix for scroll.

• ParamML New Functionality: Introduces an automated method for generating station-dependent sections, which can reduce the complexity of PARAMML code.

• Opacity Reset All: The opacity reset all functionality has been introduced to return the user to the project's original, unmodified settings after the user overrides the opacity for individual objects.

OpenBrIM Release 3.231012

• Data Export: Introducing the capability to export scatter graph data to Excel and copy data to the clipboard. This new feature proves useful for exporting interaction diagram points in code check reports.

• ParamML: Option to create a femesh with bidirectional felines. This new feature empowers library object authors to utilize femesh with two-directional felines.

• Duplicate section: Bug fix for the duplicate section cell action: It now accurately duplicates parameters and rebar line layouts.

OpenBrIM Release 3.231015

• UI Freeze: Introduced enhancements to improve the user experience with large projects to reduce the occurrence of UI freezes during frequent data saving.

We have introduced a timer setting UI to allow users to determine save and compile frequencies. Users can utilize the clock icon below to modify the settings.

Open

The default save timer value has been adjusted from 2 seconds to 10 seconds, and the compile timer delay is now set to 5 seconds.

Open

The project's save status can now be monitored from the menu bar, in addition to receiving notifications. A cloud icon indicates that there is no unsaved data, while a spinner icon signifies the presence of unsaved data, and users are advised not to close the browser.

After the user completes actions such as adding or deleting objects or modifying parameters, and avoids introducing these types of actions for a specified period (save timer), the project stabilizes in a steady state, at which point saving can occur. However, due to these actions, saving might not occur for an extended period. Additionally, a new feature has been introduced to ensure data loss prevention by automatically saving the project every two minutes, even when frequent timer resets occur due to various actions.

• ParamML: The FEmesh object can now gather input data for element end releases to generate mesh output with end releases.

• Circular Rebar: Support for the number of rebars and for the number of rebars per row has been deprecated in the rebar circular layout UI to simplify input complexity.

OpenBrIM Release 3.231018

• Compilation Issue on Chrome Version 117-118: This OpenBrIM version fixes a problem that is displayed as an 'unknown operator' issue on users' screens when compiling projects with Chrome versions 117 and 118. We believe this issue is something that Chromium needs to address, but we have come up with a solution so that we don't have to wait for the next Chrome release.

• ParamML: Introduced a function(getSecPtCoordsFromVaryingSecList) that provides the point coordinates for both solid and cut-out shapes based on the station from varying section list

• Firewall: When real-time communication to http://aeclive.com is turned off due to firewall settings, the real-time communication link fails. OpenBrIM will now turn off live communication and proceed by displaying the following warning message, instead of staying on the login screen: 'Changes won't transfer to other users collaborating on the same project instantly, but all changes will still be saved in the cloud.

OpenBrIM Release 3.231103

Google Cloud: The autoscaling settings for Google Cloud have been adjusted to enhance their alignment with user request patterns.

Default Values for New Bridge Component Instances: When defining new result extraction cases, the default value was set to auto-generated wind load result extraction cases, as our approach involved using the last object defined by the user for new instances. However, this proved to be unhelpful for users, as they had to manually remove these cases from the list. Therefore, starting from now, auto-generated cases will no longer be considered as default values for the next instance.

Section Editor: Improvements have been implemented for the section editor, addressing issues related to undo/redo functionality, section movement, snap orthogonal behavior, and ensuring that the '3 dot' button is consistently drawn on top of the shapes within the section. The circular rebar line layout parameters have been updated to support half circles. An 'Unlock Movement' button has been introduced to prevent unintended section movements, and a 'Snap Ortho' button has also been added.

Composite Section: The section shape material assignment and section material assignment processes have been improved to reduce the likelihood of errors for users. As a result, users will now receive more warning messages, and the composite section's read-only parameters will be displayed in the spreadsheet.

LandXML Alignment Import: Bentley ORD output export for the Land XML file contained unnecessary or incorrect spaces and newline characters. We have updated our file reading method to handle these characters and remove them from the file first, addressing the issue caused by Bentley's Land XML output.

Live Load Vehicle Positions: The issue of the critical LL vehicle position not being displayed when the FEA spreadsheet is first opened has been fixed, and the problem of retrieving incorrect rows for LL vehicle positions when the filter is applied to the spreadsheet has also been resolved.

Flexural Capacity/Max Tensile Rebar Stress/Interaction Diagram/Moment Curvature Tools: Improves handling of a geometric scenario where two shapes sharing an edge have the same material.

Tendon Load Computation: Locating finite elements for tendon loads did not function correctly in some edge cases. Therefore, it has been enhanced to address this issue, along with adjustments made to tendon load calculations.

OpenBrIM Release 3.231108

Design: This enhancement streamlines the design iteration process. When your project data is updated, it invalidates your previous analysis and design results. However, we have introduced several options to facilitate easy access to your old data:

1. Show Previous FEA and Design Results: This option allows you to view the FEA (Finite Element Analysis) results and design checks that were previously extracted.

2. Use Previous FEA Results And Rerun Design: Choose this option when your previously extracted FEA results are still valid, and you want to rerun design checks based on the changes you've made to the design inputs.

3. Extract FEA Results And Rerun Design: Select this option when you've made changes that affect the previously extracted FEA results and design checks, necessitating a fresh analysis and design run.

FEA Overrides: The analysis engine will now apply an FEA override only when it results in an actual change to a parameter value. This change helps eliminate unnecessary override or load distribution stage generation.

IFC Export: Addresses a unit conversion problem when exporting IFC files to Revit
Enhancements to Object Naming for Generative Objects: Previously, the naming process prevented users from generating more than one bridge within a single OpenBrIM project.

Section Editor: Introduces offset and snap features for easier placement of rebar line layouts or tendons on shapes with sloping edges

Section Analysis: Introduce cache max limit for section analysis and strip computation to solve memory related crash.

ParamML: New capability to override z coordinates with values specific to each station for mesh.

OpenBrIM Release 3.231114

Spreadsheet: In certain instances, the "Set to Obj" cell action was triggered when we gathered a list, leading users to utilize it for the lists.

Rendering: Inputting specific latitude values resulted in rendering problems for WEBGL.

Section Editor: The section editor's tendon layout menu now shows stress and total area information whenever the user inputs parameters, providing insights into how strand count, strand type, and force value affect these values.

Voronoi: The Voronoi algorithm has been enhanced to address certain edge cases.

ParamML: Capability to override object parameters for FEMeshRegion.

OpenBrIM Release 3.231210

Faster FEComposite Live Load Result Extraction: Introduced a cache for live load coefficients in fecomposite, significantly improving efficiency when extracting results using different vehicles for the same live load coefficients. This enhancement has reduced the result extraction time for a load rating model with 17 live load cases by 15 times, from 15 minutes to just 1 minute.

Eigenvalue Sparse Solver:

• We have detected an issue that occurs during eigenvalue analysis when the sparse solver is used to extract more than 10 modes. This problem was most noticeable in the result spreadsheet, where visibility of modes beyond the 10th was impaired.

• To better inform users, we have improved our warning messages, providing a clearer indication of this problem. In the past, results were still produced despite the issue, leading to users receiving outputs from the solver that lacked meaningful data.

• A new approach has been implemented to address this challenge. When the solver initially encounters a failure, it now undergoes additional iterative trials. These trials involve modifying the tolerance and iteration settings to facilitate better convergence and more accurate results.

DXF Import: Introduced the capability to import DXF files as CAD objects.

Voronoi: Enhanced issue detection in Voronoi diagrams through the implementation of a total area ratio calculation method. The algorithm allows for a 4% error tolerance in total area and iterates over five variations of rounding digits to achieve convergence.

Tendon: Enhanced the tendon element finding algorithm for better boundary management. The spreadsheet now displays changes in tendon angle.

Tendon Layout - New Angle Parameter: Introduced an angle parameter for tendon layout to evaluate the horizontal and vertical force of the tendon for code check purposes.

Flexural Capacity Tools Update: Removed initial tendon strain settings. The system now automatically assigns these settings based on whether the tendon layout is bonded or unbonded.

Snapshot Saving Update: Resolved an issue where users could override the current state of the project by changing parameters in an old snapshot if they had the necessary permissions.

Section Editor:

• Introduced a new parameters spreadsheet and center coordinates UI. This feature enables horizontal movement of tendons.

• Enhanced functionality with the introduction of actions for Ctrl+Z (undo) and Ctrl+Y (redo).

• Fixed a bug where selecting a rebar line layout without a rebar profile caused issues.

• Resolved a problem that created a single point for the shape during the undo action.

Print Functionality Enhancements: Improvements made to the print features.

3D Operation Bug Fixes: Resolved bugs related to hide/isolate/show all/hide 3D operations.
Open Project View: Projects can now be sorted in the open project screen based on the last modified date and name.

Design Report Update:

• Resolved a critical issue in the evaluation process for displaying the DC ratio. Previously, expressions like iif(V_u .GT. 0.5phi_v(V_c + V_p) .OR. (T_u .GT. torsionLimit),1,0) were incorrectly split into left and right segments during evaluation, leading to errors. This code segment has been updated to activate correctly only when utilized as a design criterion.

• Implemented fixes for unit conversion and rounding issues, specifically for array types in the design report.

• Addressed a specific case where the iif statement incorrectly displayed NaN, ensuring accurate and reliable output in the design reports.

Lib Object Update: Corrected an oversight where inherited objects were ignored during updates to the latest version.

FEMesh: The object count limit for FEMesh has been increased by tenfold.

FEComposite Stress: Now consistently uses the same baseE for all computations. Applies the envelope and min/max values for the stress diagram.

CAD Dimensions - New Axis Parameter: Introduced an axis parameter in CADDDimension Line to display x and y distance values.

ParamML - New Functions

• Added a ParamML function (getSecPtCoordsFromVaryingSecList ) that returns shape coordinates for a given section input.

• Added a function (named momentCapacityWebWidth) that calculates the effective web width according to the AASHTO definition (5.7.3.3-3).

ParamML - Guard Logic Improvement: Addressed a long-standing issue with guard usage, spanning over five years. The previous approach erroneously identified only one guarded parameter to trigger an error. The logic has been updated to trigger an error when no parameters are found or when all parameters are guarded.

ParamML - Merge Nearest: The MergeNearest parameter can now be set to depend on the station. The system first checks for station dependency; if the parameter is dependent on the station, the node's local x-coordinate is used in the context. Previously, only point parameters were considered station-dependent; now, parameters of shapes and sections are also taken into account. Additionally, a more performance-efficient method for section offset has been introduced.

ParamML - New Cell Actions:

• Implemented CustomCellActions="['CADPolyDraw']" to facilitate the collection of 2D points from CAD.

• Added CustomCellActions="['CADRectDraw']" CADArgs="['Width','Depth']" to gather width, depth, and center point data of a rectangle from CAD.

Compiler:

• When a section is used to create a new section through special methods like FromLinearVariation or StationDepSectionData, the original section is now removed.

• Added TendonLayout and RebarLineLayout to the object types in the FEA compiler and enhanced the evaluation of parameters for all objects in the section.
  
  

OpenBrIM Release 3.231220

Performance Enhancement : Station-dependent parameters are now processed more quickly. In some projects, this has reduced compilation time from 70 seconds to 10 seconds.

Performance Enhancement in FEA Compilation: Significant improvements have been made to the FEA Assign End Sections. By filtering used sections first, the new code has dramatically increased efficiency. For instance, in a model with 1000 sections and 27,000 felines, the compilation time has been reduced from 30 seconds to just 5 seconds.

Flexural Capacity: The flexural capacity tool now better handles both unbonded and bonded tendons. Summing strains prior to using the 'getStress' function on the curve might not yield consistent results. Therefore, computing tendon stress by retrieving stress from the curve twice(with two different strains) is a more effective approach.

Spreadsheet Cell Action - Pick Object: The window pick feature has been enabled for improved user interaction. Users can now drop picked objects, enhancing functionality. Additionally, an option to retain previously selected objects has been introduced. We have also addressed and resolved the issue of objects being picked twice for a smoother experience.

Spreadsheet-Filter : Use GetViewValue instead of GetEditValue in order to ensure that spreadsheet view values are used for filter.

LARSA Export: Bug fix in tendon export.

Library:

• Ability to share library objects with other users for collaborative development.

• Users can now delete their own library objects while conducting a search.

ParamML - New Parameter: The newly added 'isPreCompile=0' parameter allows for the selective prevention of object compilation, especially beneficial for code check (design run) objects. This feature helps in reducing memory usage and speeding up compilation times by avoiding unnecessary compilations when the object does not have 3D, CAD, or FEA functionalities.

ParamML - New Cell Actions:

• Implemented CustomCellActions="['CadLineDraw ']" to facilitate the collection of 2D points from CAD.

• Added CustomCellActions="['CadCircleDraw ']" CADArgs="['Radius','Depth']" to gather radius, and center point data of a circle from CAD.

OpenBrIM Release 3.240103

Google Map Tiles Integration:

• Users can now utilize Google Map tiles as a background in their projects.

• The Google Map background can be accessed under the '2D map' option located within the FEA (Finite Element Analysis) tab.

• In upcoming workflow releases, the Google Map background will be integrated directly into the bridge workflows, eliminating the need to add it from the FEA tab.

• For more information: https://openbrim.atlassian.net/l/cp/sS0aTJ54

Section Editor
Introduces dimensions, rebar, and tendon information for sections. Use the 'Dimension' button to activate this view.

FEComposite Performance: We've implemented a performance update to streamline the process of viewing FEComposite results with filtered rows. Previously, the method involved extracting and filtering results from all positions, which was time-consuming. Now, the system directly calculates the filtered rows. This enhancement significantly speeds up the display of FEComposite results, particularly in live load scenarios with filters.

Library Load Performance: Initial loading of project library objects now boasts a 10x speed improvement.

Larsa 4D Export: Station-dependent sections at section change locations are now named differently (previously, they had different keys but the same name). We do not export empty groups to the LARSA anymore.spring groups are correctly assigned in the LARSA export.

Point Load: Improved handling of coincident nodes in certain edge cases when creating a rotation matrix from FESurface for point loads.

OpenBrIM Release 3.240119

• Project Site UI: Extensive updates have been made to the project site UI. It is now possible to view alignment, project local origin, digital terrain model, and the 2D map area in the project site. Additionally, you can define the 2D map and project local origin within the project site UI.

• State Plane Coordinate Systems: It is now possible to select a geographic coordinate system for the project from the parameters UI, as shown below. For each state's local coordinate system, there needs to be a library object. Please contact the support team if you don't see what you are looking for. Geographic coordinate systems are crucial when importing alignment data or a digital terrain model in LandXML format. Based on the project's GCS, x-y values are transformed into latitude and longitude.

• Digital Terrain Model: The LandXML import feature for digital terrain models now accommodates larger files, thanks to a redesigned and enhanced data structure.

• Java 17 Compatibility: This release includes comprehensive changes to our server-side infrastructure to seamlessly integrate with Java 17.

• Project Name: This version introduces an illegal character check for project names. Changes the default new project name to include a timestamp. New project saving now occurs right after project opening, instead of waiting for the first save timer.

• ParamML PunchingPerimeter Function: There are improvements to the 'punching perimeter' parameter function.

• Measure Distance: A bug related to measuring distance has been fixed.

• Fecomposite Forces: Exclude elements that are not present in the final requested stage. This is particularly important when deconstructed elements are part of the fecomposite group, and the center of gravity calculation is based on the definition rather than the active element in that stage.

OpenBrIM Release 3.240123

• Updated messaging and enhanced 'confirm' & 'cancel' events for generative objects, providing users with clearer information.

• Improved library release process: Objects tagged with 'deprecatedTransition' will no longer be eligible for version updates. This tag is applied to objects that are deprecated but not yet removed from workflows.

• Introduced performance updates for vertical clearance checks.

OpenBrIM Release 3.240210

• Performance: Project saving now occurs in a worker thread, reducing the UI freeze time.

• DGN Export: The export functionality now addresses the maximum number of surfaces supported by MicroStation. We now divide our 3D representation into separate parts to overcome this limitation.

• Alignment Editor: The alignment editor UI has been improved to better visualize the entered inputs.

• Alignment PVI Support: Users can now enter PVI points in addition to PVC/PVT points when defining vertical profile.
  
  

• RSA&Eigenvalue Analysis: The dense eigen solver is disabled for small ones, due to unexpected results. We now use the one solver for all models eigenvalue analysis.

• Viewsite UI: It now supports x-y coordinate input in addition to latitude and longitude if a geographic coordinate system is assigned to the project.

• Moment Curvature Curve: Moment curvature curves can now be idealized according to Caltrans seismic design criteria.

• FEComposite Performance Update: FEComposite result extraction performance update for nested combinations.

• New ParamML function argument for section properties: A new argument has been implemented that offers the option to exclude shapes from section property(like intertia)calculations. This is in response to an AASHTO requirement which mandates calculating inertia based solely on rebars/tendons, without considering the concrete portion.

• Performance Update Spreadsheet: Performance improvement for copying and pasting data into spreadsheets for bulk editing scenarios, such as transferring information from Excel

• Deprecated Lib Objects: Do not display deprecated library objects in TreeView if the deprecated object does not exist in the project.

OpenBrIM Release 3.240227

• With the release of OpenBrIM version 3.240227, we now support the All-in-One Bridge Workflow.

• Section: Section Property Computation algorithm updates now enable better handling of thin members and sections with cutouts in composite sections. Display 'Calculating' during the calculation process in the spreadsheet to avoid user confusion.

• Map Tile: Map tile background now supports additional tile options, such as terrain and roadmap.

• Spreadsheet: Unnecessary name changes during the uniqueness check for FEA spreadsheet object names have been corrected. Now, assigning the same name via copy-paste or upon first entry will not trigger a replacement. Check object types when setting parameters from a spreadsheet.

• Design Lane Width: A warning is now shown if the design lane width exceeds the influence surface width.

• DGN Export: improved handling of larger models by dividing them into smaller pieces. Now supports geographic coordinate transformations and seed files.

• Global Line/Surface Load: Bug fix for global line load for some edge cases. Global surface load and global line load spreadsheet now supports equations.

• Improvements for Lib Author: Introduces a pull/push/branch concept for library authors. Introduces text search capability for library authors. Introduces debug view for clicked-line library authors. Introduced an 'Analyze Code' button to the library, enabling checks for unused parameters and their display using the code editor's decorator.

• Performance: Updates to compile performance for larger models (x5 times faster)

• Docs: Added support for categorizing documents. Implemented ObjSync for document synchronization without requiring compilation.

• ParamML: Introduced the FEARUN parameter for result storage; it now supports multiple result storages for one model. For example, different units are active(different saveids are generated), utilizing the runID-saveID concepts, with saveID being the new addition.

• New UI: Launched a new UI to select all dependent objects and references. Expanded workflow tree to support multiple workflows.

• ParamML: Introduced a feresult extraction object to store the analysis results in input object. For example, one use case after running an analysis for superstructure node reactions can be stored as a load for the substructure design.

• Selection Box: Enhanced object search with strict type enforcement.

OpenBrIM Release 3.240306

Lib Authors: Support for multiple debug points and 'Analyze Code' now includes 'Design Run' for unused parameters checks

Memory usage optimization and performance update for FEA

• Await the writing of live load results to the IDB for every 100 coefficient cases.

• Introduced the ‘ConvertToNodeLoad' parameter for 'SurfaceLoad' and 'LineLoad'. If selected as 'yes', nodal loads are created during compilation; otherwise, a global load vector will be generated during analysis. The default setting is 'false’.

• Generate 'NodeLoad' data on the fly for spreadsheets and graphics

ParamML:

• Introduced a ParamML function named 'momentCapacityTensionArea' that returns the area of the section on the flexural tension side.

• Supports station dependency in three directions.

• Option to run hit-test locally.

• Introduced the 'DESIGNRUN' parameter for executing multiple designs using the same analysis

• DESIGNRUN and FEARUN parameters are used in object group and set based on Activation/Deactivation Impact parameter

Section Editor: If the material for rebars is null, display a red outer surface. Display rebars in the section editor.

Import UI: Ability to display section dimensions when the import UI is open.

Section Spreadsheet: Show computed section properties only when they have been computed. Prior to this commit, it was computing with a fast algorithm and reporting some values, then it was computing with a expensive algorithm and writing the final values. To decrease confusion, it will now show 'calculating' until the process is finalized.

Check OpenBrIM Library For Update UI:

The UI has been updated to now display the modified date for workflows, and it now supports multiple workflows to accommodate the new all-in-one bridge workflow type.

Plate Girder Spreadsheet: Spreadsheet cells supports parametric equations now.

OpenBrIM Release 3.240517

Rendering: Introduced new options to show a Basic FEM View (faster rendering) and a Detailed FEM View (slower rendering), catering to users who just want a general view of FEM and those with lower-performance graphics cards.

The main difference is that it will not show object properties such as displacement and coordinates per element, and it will not be possible to select individual FEA elements graphically.

UI Freeze: Eliminated behaviors that cause UI freezes or main thread blocks, significantly improving user experience. A new refresh button has been introduced to draw the FEA compilation results when the user wants to see them.

Section Analysis: Performance Update - When there are many rebars or when rebars are bundled, the mesh algorithm was taking too long to find the strips. We've now introduced an option to bypass meshing of rebar or tendon locations, and instead directly use their area and center point for computations. This enhancement has significantly improved the efficiency of pier/pier cap code checks—for example, reducing the computation time from 45 minutes to just 10 seconds in one example.

Introduces Federated Model Workflow: Introduces a federated model concept to view different project data in a single environment. This simplifies the process by removing all parametric computations and FEA, displaying only the output data, such as the 3D model. This makes it possible to view many projects in a single environment.

DGN Export: Introduced annotation scale option. Many updates to achieve the level of quality required by bridge owners, such as introducing seed file concepts.
Moment Curvature: Moment curvature now eliminates points if material strain limits are exceeded.

FEComposite: Compute feComposite using global node coordinates instead of local ones. In some cases, the local coordinates of the deck and girder differ, leading to incorrect computations. The tub girder workflow and using transverse cross slope caused this issue. Therefore, we are now using global coordinates for the computations.

Live Load Analysis: Introduced magnification factors for LL as a core feature, allowing any force type, such as FX, FY, FZ, MX, MY, and MZ, to be magnified separately to support LADOTD specifications.

Nonlinear Analysis: Introduces displacement tol in addition to force tolerance for nonlinear analysis

GCS: The map tile center is now using the project's geographic coordinate system (GCS) transformation instead of the Google Map Projection(mercator). We should always display x-y coordinates based on the GCS selected by the user, not based on Google Map Projection. This prevents issues when the user imports more than one alignment or uses a federated model.

Treeview UI: Added a new badge for workflow objects that are guarded in the source code.

Revision History UI: Introduce work log for Revision history, and button to see active work log.

CAD: Introduces overlay for cad.

Building: Introduces load types for buildings according to ACI/ASCE codes.

ParamML:

• Introduces CADPolylineDraw, CADPointDraw, and CADPointDrawSingle to ParamInfo.

• Introduces multi and single-draw capabilities to 'CADPolyDraw,' 'CADRectDraw,' 'CADCircleDraw,' and 'CADLineDraw.' Use commands like CADPolyDrawSingle for the single option. We started to show drawn objects temporarily(not creating cad object in the project) on CAD to give feedback to the user for multi-draw.

• Introduced “stationlabel” function.

• Bug fix for “value” function.

• Ability to open documents with cell action: Use ParamInfo Document parameter.

• introduced “forceGlobal” function.

• introduced developer console, a new method to interact and debug projects.

OpenBrIM Release 3.240615

Pushover and Nonlinear Analysis Improvements

• A new spring type has been introduced that uses different nonlinear curves for different axial forces. This is new for pushover analysis and is intended to use moment-curvature results for hinges.

• It is now possible to draw base shear vs. displacement graphs for pushover analysis. Users can select specific cells from the analysis results and create graphs. This feature is currently only supported for pushover analysis, but it will be introduced for staged construction analysis as well.

• Support for cumulative incremental result extraction from pushover analysis within stages has been added.

• The stopping criteria for pushover analysis can now use a node group instead of a single node.

Report:
We've introduced new features to make preparing calculation packages easier:

• PDF Reports with Bookmarks: You can now save reports as PDFs with bookmarks for easy navigation.

• Improved Scaling: Fixed issues with scaling to ensure everything fits perfectly on the page.

• Standalone HTML Reports: Create a standalone HTML page for your project, which can serve as a comprehensive report.

• Batch Export: Export detailed reports in batches for greater efficiency.

Spreadsheet:

• Copying and pasting [obj1, obj2] (with spacing) was causing issues and not updating the referencing objects correctly.

Section Analysis

• In flexural capacity calculations, if we fail with the single strip rebars, we now try another solution by creating rebar strips.

• introduces cracked inertia to flexural capacity UI

FEComposite Stress Points

• Generation of stress points on sections is revisited. We now use convexhull to find points. Additionally, geometric update on FESurface elements that is used in composite section generation.

Rendering

• Cached DTM data, reducing rendering time from 6 seconds to just 200 milliseconds

ParamML

• The SetValueOf parameter is introduced in paraminfo, allowing you to write a parametric equation to compute the value of a cell with the cell action.

• Introduces a new variable called "ListDOF" to generate nonlinear springs in constraint points of FEMeshLine.

• Children only search for “exportval” instead of a global search, which has been introduced to correctly compute the distance to the parameter when there is more than one parameter with the same name in the project.

• Introduces the Display property to WorkflowItem to hide it from the user in the tree view.

• Added lineProjection() and pointProjection() to get with ground elevation from DTM

• Introduced the PointList parameter to CADDShape, allowing you to draw points more efficiently without repeats, making the compilation faster.

• introduced MomentPerCurvature unit.

• introduced EditMomentCurvature custom cell action

OpenBrIM Release 3.240827

Bridge Design Optimization

With the introduction of the optimization functionality in our platform, each design object now features an "Optimize" button, enabling you to iteratively refine your design parameters. For example, in steel I-girder bridges, you can efficiently optimize plate girder dimensions. The process begins with the configuration shown in the screenshot below, where you can adjust input parameters, the maximum DC ratio, and the objective function, as well as specify the number of valid scenarios you want to evaluate.

Key Features:

• Neural Network-Based Space Reduction:

  • After entering the input parameters, the system employs neural networks to eliminate non-promising combinations. This space reduction ensures that only the most viable options are evaluated, saving time and computational resources.

  • The optimization process is dynamic and continually improving. Each year, as the system learns from more data, the neural network becomes more proficient at finding the best solutions faster.

• Genetic Algorithm for Optimal Solutions:

  • Once the neural network has reduced the search space, the genetic algorithm takes over. This algorithm mimics the process of natural selection by focusing on the best alternatives.

  • Selection: The algorithm starts by selecting the best-performing solutions from the reduced set.

  • Crossover: It then combines these solutions in pairs, creating new potential solutions by mixing their characteristics. This crossover process helps explore new possibilities that weren't initially considered.

  • Mutation: Occasionally, the algorithm introduces small random changes (mutations) to the new solutions to explore even more of the design space.

  • Evaluation: Each new solution is evaluated against the objective function, which is to minimize the specified parameter, such as the area of the section in the case of plate girder dimensions.

  • Iteration: The process repeats, with the best solutions from one generation becoming the basis for the next, gradually honing in on the optimal design.

This hybrid approach of neural network-driven space reduction followed by genetic algorithm optimization allows our platform to deliver highly efficient and effective design solutions. The result is a significantly faster convergence to the best possible design, saving both time and resources.

Live Load Analysis
A new analysis type, influence line analysis, is now available. In addition to the current live load algorithm based on influence surface analysis in 3D, we now also support the option to use influence line analysis to better handle beam models. As is typical with the OpenBrIM approach, we started with the more advanced option before the simpler one ;)

IFC4.3 Export with AASHTO IDM parameters

Paramml improvement to support export to IFC 4.3 with AASHTO IDM parameters. IFCParam and IFCExport object types introduced for this purpose.

Mesh Improvement
Improvements to the FEMESH algorithm to support high-skew, wide bridges and nonprismatic variations

3D Rendering Improvement for High-Skew and Curved Bridge Alignments

• Addressed issues with mesh and 3D generation for bridge alignments with large skew and high curvature.

• Introduced and expanded the use of more complex alignment methods to improve accuracy and quality.

• Improved handling of challenging alignment scenarios for better visualization and modeling.

Report

PDF reports can now be exported with the code check object name, so the saved file will provide better information. Additionally, there is a performance update for image conversion.

CADD and DGN Export

Many ParamMLand CAD improvements to support 2D DGN export.

Illegal Character Handling
Implemented replacement for the double quote (") to prevent issues that previously caused OpenBrIM to fail when saving files.

All Type Bridge Workflow
Added the ability to assign a default workflow to the project for all bridge-type workflows. Shared objects between workflows will now be displayed with a special icon in the tree view.

ParamML

Resolved “input” ParamML function issue for projects with multiple workflows.

DocOptimize and OptimizeParam objects have been introduced to paramml for optimization purposes.

OpenBrIM Release 3.241022

Performance Enhancements

• Design Result Extraction Performance: Significant improvements have been made to result extraction times for influence surface-based live load (LL) analysis. For larger models, especially those with 7-10 spans and small influence surface spacing, result extraction times can now be up to 500 times faster. Smaller models can expect 2x to 3x performance improvements.

With the latest features, we aim to support the following use cases:

• Global Model Management: Engineers can now manage one global model, incorporating superstructure, substructure, and foundation components. This project can be referenced externally, enabling teams to collaborate more efficiently.

• Collaborative Design Workflows: Separate engineers can focus on specific design tasks such as plate girder design or pier cap design. Once their work is complete, they can push their updates back to the master model seamlessly.

• Real-Time Synchronization: Any changes made to the master model can be synced with just one click, ensuring that all engineers are working with the most up-to-date version of the project without disruptions to their workflow.

• Foundation and Pushover Models: From the global model, users can now generate local models such as foundation and pushover models. Analysis results such as bearing spring forces or pier column forces can be sent directly to local models, improving accuracy and communication between different aspects of the design process.

To support these use cases, the following parts of the software have been enhanced:

• External Project References: Added new concepts and synchronization methods for handling external project references, allowing users to work on separate design requirements while staying connected to the global model.

• Cross Project Data: Introduced the ability to transfer objects and FEA analysis results between user projects, enabling seamless collaboration and efficient data exchange across different project components.

• Spreadsheet: Object names starting with a number are now considered illegal. The spreadsheet now displays equations and external reference objects in distinct styles for better clarity. The new spreadsheet window can be used to copy parameters easily, as shown in the video below. Object name changes are now handled correctly during parameter copying.

• IFC 4.3 Export Improvements: Enhancements made to the IFC 4.3 export to support AASHTO IDM.

• DGN Export Improved dimension line handling in DGN exports.

• UI Behavior: The UI is now disabled when running the design to prevent accidental interactions.

• Staged Construction Analysi: Substage generation due to structural changes will not occur when running staged construction analysis if the change stage lacks an unbalanced load vector. This will prevent running empty stages in staged construction analysis for each load type, for short-term and long-term deck modulus of elasticity changes.

• Live Load Analysis - Lane Constraints: Lane constraints now collect inputs for restricted regions instead of valid regions, making it easier to specify locations where design lanes should not be placed, such as median locations.

• Analysis Window - Eigenvalue: Corrected an issue where the analysis window was reporting total mass in incorrect units. This doesn’t affect analysis results.

OpenBrIM Release 3.241031

• Quick Navigation to Passed and Failed Checks: You can now easily jump to all passed and failed equations in your design reports by clicking the 'Pass' and 'Fail' buttons.

• Dynamic Parameter Updates in Design Report: Parameters in the design report can now be updated. You can set new values or equations for parameters within the design report without affecting your project data and view the updated report to test your design ideas.

• Design Optimization Performance: Design optimization performance has been improved, and the genetic algorithm and neural network-based space reduction logic have been enhanced to support bridge engineering use cases

• Fecomposite Result Extraction: In some cases, the design result extraction failed to find results and reported 0 due to a performance update in previous versions. This issue is fixed in the current version.

• Result Extraction Memory Crash: Resolved the memory crash issue following the result extraction step in the design process. Now, a wait time of up to 50 seconds is implemented to allow Chrome's garbage collection to complete after result extraction, before starting the computation of summary report parameters.

• Wait screen: A new wait screen has been implemented for operations requiring user to wait.

OpenBrIM Release 3.241103

• WEBGL Rendering Performance: We've optimized WebGL rendering to enhance performance, particularly for users running Chrome with integrated Intel graphics (e.g., Intel Iris) instead of discrete NVIDIA/AMD GPUs. Using an integrated GPU can significantly impact the OpenBrIM experience, often introducing delays when rendering large bridge models and FEM. In some complex/large models, UI freezes of up to 20 seconds have been observed. This update reduces rendering time by up to 10x. For users with a discrete GPU, please refer to this page to learn how to activate the discrete GPU for OpenBrIM: Enhancing OpenBrIM Platform Performance.

• Rotation Center: Ability to change the rotation center after clicking on an object and set its center as the rotation point.
  
  

• Digital Terrain Model Render: Reorganized Digital Terrain Model drawing functions and fixed a bug where only the first part of the DTM was drawn when the file was initially downloaded.

• FEComposite Result: When combining results of stages, report the center of gravity (C.O.G.) of the elements found in the latest stage instead of the active elements from the first stage. This doesn’t change any computations; each stage result will still use its own C.O.G. This update only affects what will be reflected in the spreadsheet.

• Result Combination Logic: When load type based cumulative result extraction is performed for re-constructed elements, do not sum load-type results before deconstruction. These results were reported correctly in staged construction analysis; this change only affects how post-processing applies to cumulative result extraction for load-type results.

OpenBrIM Release 3.241106

• The result diagram color update issue caused by the latest WebGL performance(3.241103) update has been resolved.

• The "Copy Parameter" Spreadsheet Cell action now supports multiple cells.

OpenBrIM Release 3.241123

• Updated the force legends for better clarity, making it easier to interpret critical values at a glance.

• Revised the color scale to provide enhanced contrast and better distinguish between ranges of values.

• Deactivated smoothing for a more precise representation of results.

• Enhanced node size scaling during zoom to prevent oversized green dots from appearing disproportionately larger than the bridge when zoomed out. Added new user preferences, allowing customization of node sizes.

• Implemented a safeguard to prevent file or report names from being renamed with illegal characters.

• Activate/deactivate functionality has been improved to support both cases: activation/deactivation through the object group and cell action activate/deactivate.

• Modified the ParamML feline force extraction logic to always report internal force values instead of relying on element end forces.

OpenBrIM Release 3.241201

• Memory and Performance Improvement for Compilation: The compiler now leverages WeakRef maps to reduce the likelihood of memory crashes caused by Chrome's delayed garbage collection. This update also enhances performance, particularly for handling large models.

• Concurrent Force Result Extraction for Combinations: Introduces a concurrent force result extraction similar to live load cases for combinations.

• Inf Surface Based Live Load: Introduces a new parameter(bidirectional) for Live Load to extract the maximum braking forces bidirectionally from one-directional influence coefficients.

• ParamML:

  • Ability extract element end forces with forceExt function.

  • Introduce a new function polygonLineIntersect.

OpenBrIM Release 3.241210

• Concurrent Force Result Extraction Request: Introduces a new way to add concurrent force requests and view concurrent results in FEA result spreadsheets.

• Result Spreadsheet Added a min/max column to the results, supporting envelopes in the result spreadsheets. Resolved an issue where copy operations from the spreadsheet failed to function correctly when results were not fully loaded (e.g., live load).

• Memory Improvement for Compilation

OpenBrIM Release 3.241216

• Add UI for contour color customization in legend

• Enhance import functionality to support importing all Category Assets

• Deactivate Object: Fixed an issue where deactivating code check objects doesn't eliminate result extraction required for design. This issue was introduced in the November updates.

• ParamML: volumesurfareas, volumesurfperimeters, volumesideareas, volumesurfdims, volume, volumeextvectorlength core ParamML functions are introduced to support quantity takeoff from 3D objects. These functions take Volume or Line objects as input and compute surface areas, volume, length along alignment, and dimensions

OpenBrIM Release 3.241230

• DGN Export: Support for DGN Item types during export.

• Open Project View: Added the ability to add/remove users to multiple projects.

• Improved Backwards Compatibility Concept for Workflow Updates: The library author now has the option to modify project data to match new object input parameters.

• FENode Update: Introduced the MergeWithSpring parameter.

• Library Development: Introduced branch merge functionality.

• ParamML Update: Introduced the oncircle function.

• Memory Efficiency: Improve memory efficiency for external project sync and project save operations.

• Performance Improvement: Enhanced performance of the Concurrent Force spreadsheet.

• Influence Surface LL Lane Placement Improvement: Addressed an issue where Influence Surface LL results were affected for lanes larger than three when the influence surface spacing in the transverse direction was large.Improved the design lane transverse location-finding algorithm to evaluate all possible scenarios when the number of lanes exceeds three. Previously, the algorithm began with critical placements and attempted to fill the empty spots.If the first and second lane location selections ruled out the possibility of a full lane placement on the roadway, the results were lower than expected. Now, all options are thoroughly evaluated.

• Input Report Bug Fix: Resolved an issue where the material density unit did not display correctly in the project input report. This occurred because the imported parameter unit and the spreadsheet display units were different.

• Nonlinear Analysis Improvements: Enhanced nonlinear analysis within staged construction analysis.

OpenBrIM Release 3.250115

• Compile Optimization: Introduces a 3D compilation button alongside the existing FEM/Detailing compile options. This feature eliminates all point coordinate computations for 3D objects, significantly improving performance. For large projects, compile time for FEM-only operations has been reduced from ~40&50 seconds to 25&35 seconds. This enhancement provides users with a more efficient way to compile only the specific parts they are interested in.

   

• Memory Optimization: Optimize memory usage by 50–70% through efficient resource management and streamlined data structures.

• Design Summary Reports: Support scroll to failure for summary reports also.

• Concurrent Force/Displacement Result Extraction Request: : Introduce displacement extraction in addition to the concurrent force requests.

• ParamML: ToGlobal function now also considers offsets.

• IFC Export: Improved IFC export to support multiple objects from a single OpenBrIM object and the hierarchy of AASHTO IDM

OpenBrIM Release 3.250124

• Distance Measurement: Added support for alignment station, offset, and elevation differences. Improved snapping to 3D points with real-time feedback.

• Force-Moment-Stress Diagram: Introduced snapping functionality to display results visually.

• Result Diagrams: The ability to graphically display Min, Max, or both results has been introduced. Previously, only the critical absolute value was reported. Additionally, the graphical display now takes into account the incremental/cumulative and load type filter options selected for spreadsheet result reporting to ensure consistency.

• Library Update Notification: The 'Check OpenBrIM Library for Updates' button has been replaced with a notification system, as shown below, to inform users directly about library updates

• FELine with/without Section Offset: Enhanced FELine visual support for W/O section offset.

• Finite Element Local Axis Display: Added arrow indicators for local axis representation.

• Test System: Addressed memory leak issues.

• PDF Export: Handled file limits exceeding 32 MB

• IFC Export: Improved IFC export to support ifcPropertyPartCommon

OpenBrIM Release 3.250128

• Force-Moment-Stress Diagram: Introduced snapping functionality to visually display results, combined with previous tooltip messages.

• Live Load Analysis: The critical vehicle position-finding algorithm has been enhanced for two-truck cases with large influence coefficient spacing. Previously, in some scenarios, the algorithm failed to identify the two-truck case as critical when dealing with influence surfaces with large unit load spacing. The updated algorithm now reliably detects critical cases even under these conditions.