Risa Tips & Tricks: How to Use Our Structural Analysis Software

April 22, 2026

RISA-3D to RISAConnection: Making the Link Work

RISAConnection is designed to work directly with your RISAFloor and RISA-3D models, not as a separate “export‑and‑forget” tool. When the integration is set up correctly, RISAConnection can read your geometry, member sizes, connection rules, design method, and load combinations, then send connection results back into RISAFloor and RISA-3D for review. This article walks through how the integration behaves, what you can and cannot change in RISAConnection, and how to work with grouped connections efficiently. 1. What Actually Comes into RISAConnection When you integrate from RISAFloor or RISA-3D, RISAConnection creates a .rcn file with the same file name as your model in the same folder. You’ll see that the project is populated with all valid connections—only connection types that RISAConnection can design will be brought in. Data that is integrated: Geometry and member sizes Connection Rules from RISAFloor / RISA-3D (including bolted vs. welded settings) Design Method (ASD or LRFD) Applicable Seismic Design Rules from RISA-3D (for seismic connection types) Load combinations that have the “Connection” check‑box enabled in the RISAFloor / RISA-3D Load Combinations spreadsheet If a connection type or configuration is not supported by RISAConnection, it will not be added to the .rcn project and a warning will be…

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April 13, 2011

How Do I Change the Member Type in RISA-3D?

In RISA-3D, there are many different applications that require you to...

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April 06, 2011

What are the Unbalanced Forces on Beams?

V-Brace frames in RISA-3D seismic design have unbalanced forces shown on...

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March 31, 2011

How RISA-3D Handles Single Angles

The bending and axial code checks for single angles differ somewhat from...

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March 30, 2011

How to Apply the Seismic Provisions in RISA-3D

The Seismic Provisions in RISA-3D will check various design and code check...

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March 30, 2011

What Are the Seismic Design Rules in RISA-3D

The Seismic Design rules can be found in RISA-3D on the Data Entry toolbar...

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March 16, 2011

Using Transient Loads to Verify Applied Area Loads in RISA-3D

When a model is solved that contains Member Area Loads, the program...

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March 09, 2011

How Do I Investigate My RISA-3D Model Using the Deflected Shape?

When your RISA-3D model is not behaving as you anticipated, one of the...

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March 03, 2011

How to Use Seismic Factors in Load Combinations in RISA-3D

RISA-3D now has the ability to define the seismic parameters Rho, Omega...

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February 28, 2011

How To Generate Seismic Loads Automatically in RISA-3D

Applying seismic loads to structures with rigid diaphragms can be done...

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