Voxel Link leverages the RAM Manager traffic lights each time its run to know when the analysis and design modules in RAM have been completed.

  • The GRAVITY lights include the BEAM design module and the COLUMN design module. Both modules must be green for the importer to run.
  • The LATERAL lights include the FRAME ANALYSIS and the FRAME STANDARD PROVISIONS (the basic lateral code check). However, the user can specify whether the LATERAL traffic lights determine if an import can be run. For example, early in design, there may not even be a lateral system yet but you need to produce drawings for preliminary structural depth coordination.  Rather than force the engineer to generate a make-shift lateral system, a setting was added to allow the LATERAL status lights to be ignored. Once the lateral system has been established, the setting should be turned off so Voxel Link can warn the user if all modules do not have green lights.

Unfortunately, the traffic lights do not tell the full story. It is very possible to have green traffic lights on the four modules and have invalid designs in both gravity modules and the lateral module.

Voxel Link scans each member as it's read from RAM to confirm there is a valid result (u/c < 1.0). Gravity beams look at design and deflection unity checks. Columns are examined for the gravity and lateral design unity check. Vertical brace frame unity checks are reviewed. If a unity check > 1.0 is found, the user is notified during an import session with a description of the error.

The user can either continue with the import or abort the import altogether. There is an input setting to suppress this notification prior to importing as well as an opportunity to suppress further reporting during a run. Regardless, a summary report of the invalid designs is provided at the conclusion of each run (only if some are found). This summary can be printed for RAM troubleshooting.