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

July 30, 2026

Need Help with RISA? Here Are Your Go-To Resources

RISA supports you at every stage of your design process, from the first click in the program to the final design. Whether you need a quick answer or in-depth guidance, we offer a wide range of resources to help you work efficiently and with confidence. The RISA Help Files Get answers on all the behind-the-scenes technical information including analysis methods, variable definitions, and design assumptions. The help file provides transparency into the program methodology to make sure RISA engineers can feel confident in the results. The help file is available for each program in the RISA suite for tailored information. It can be accessed at risa.com/help or press F1 within the program for even easier access. Tips & Tricks Blog Explore modeling tips, troubleshooting ideas, and engineering insights on the RISA blog. Our blog articles are designed as quick reads to help engineers find answers fast. Start reading at blog.risa.com. The Video Library See the workflow in real time with the RISA video library at risa.com/videos. From quick clips showing a specific concept to full on-demand webinars, these videos help you understand workflows and seamlessly navigate the interface. Learning Paths Start exploring RISA with on-demand interactive training through our learning…

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Plates

July 07, 2020

Expanded Results for Contour Plots

Color contours and gradients can be very helpful to visualize the...

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April 01, 2020

Introducing RISA Live!

With many of us working from home, our support team wanted to be able to...

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June 07, 2018

Improved Automesh & Local Axis Settings

RISA-3D now includes improved behavior of the automesh feature as well as...

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January 15, 2015

Approximate Guidelines for Plate Meshing

It is important to submesh plate elements in your model in order to obtain...

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August 21, 2013

How can I transition a Plate Mesh from Round to Rectangular?

Transitioning plates from a circular (or elliptical) to a square (or...

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May 15, 2013

How can I find the deflection of plates?

Below is a model of a flat concrete slab made of plates. In order to...

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March 20, 2013

Plate Contours Compared to Spreadsheet Values

After solution in RISA-3D, you can use Results View Settings to view the...

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February 06, 2012

How do Plates and Walls interact with each other?

Below is a model of a concrete flat slab (represented by a plate) which is...

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