ETABS, SAP2000 & SAFE API development
- ETABS
- SAP2000
- SAFE
- CSiCOL
Tools that build, edit, run and post-process CSI models, including plugins that run inside ETABS and SAP2000.
Custom software for structural engineers
Custom tools for ETABS, SAP2000, PERFORM-3D and midas, built by a structural engineer.
Stop re-entering model data and copying results into spreadsheets. I build scripts, plugins and desktop tools that handle modeling, results extraction, design checks and reporting — validated against your own example models.
- Feasibility reply before any quote
- NDA on request
- Projects run in English
Engineering-led
Automation shaped around structural analysis and design workflows
Analysis automation
Model preparation, batch runs, acceptance checks and reporting
CSI & MIDAS APIs
Plus OpenSees, Abaqus and Rhino/Grasshopper tooling
Python · C# · C++
From focused scripts to full desktop applications
The problem
Where engineering hours quietly disappear
Most of this work is predictable and rule-based — exactly what software does well.
By hand, on every project
- Rebuilding load patterns, load cases and combinations for every new model
- Copying story drifts, pier forces and modal results into Excel, then into the report
- Checking nonlinear time-history runs one ground motion at a time
- Office design checks living in one person’s spreadsheet
- In-house macros that stopped working after a software upgrade
With a tool built for your workflow
- Load setup generated from your office template, identical every time
- Results extracted and formatted into report-ready tables in one run
- Every ground motion processed, checked and summarized together
- Validated check logic the whole team can run
- Documented tools, ready to update for new software versions
Services
What I build
Software for the analysis and design programs your team already uses — from single-purpose scripts to plugins and desktop applications.
PERFORM-3D & nonlinear analysis automation
- PERFORM-3D
- OpenSees
- Abaqus
Model preparation, ground-motion batches and acceptance-criteria post-processing for performance-based design.
midas Gen & Gen NX automation
- MIDAS API
- MGT
- Grasshopper
Model generation, data exchange and results extraction for midas Gen and Gen NX, including links from Rhino/Grasshopper.
Engineering tools & report automation
- Desktop apps
- Sections
- Reports
Standalone calculators, P–M–M and moment–curvature tools, parametric workflows and automated calculation reports.
Typical automations
Examples of work that can be automated
Every tool is scoped to your workflow. These examples show the range, from model setup to the final report.
-
Step 1
Model
- Generate grids, stories, sections and load patterns from a spreadsheet template
- Batch-assign pier and spandrel labels, diaphragms and stiffness modifiers
- Build analysis models from Rhino/Grasshopper geometry
-
Step 2
Analyze
- Run design iterations and parameter studies without manual re-runs
- Select and scale ground-motion records to a target spectrum
- Organize PERFORM-3D or OpenSees time-history series
-
Step 3
Check
- Compare drifts, hinge rotations and strains with acceptance criteria for every record
- See exactly what changed between two model versions
- Compute P–M–M interaction and moment–curvature for complex sections
-
Step 4
Report
- Export formatted tables and plots to Excel, Word or PDF
- Assemble repeatable calculation-report sections from analysis results
- Summarize results consistently across towers, load cases and ground motions
Why an engineer
A developer who already speaks structural engineering
No translation layer
You don’t need to explain pier forces, drift limits or hinge rotations. Requirements stay short and precise.
Validated, not just running
Each tool is checked against example models and hand-verifiable results agreed at the start.
Built to be maintained
Readable code, documented assumptions and stated software versions, so tools survive the next upgrade.
Confidential by default
Your models stay private. A sanitized sample model is usually enough, and an NDA can be signed first.
Examples of what can be automated
- Ground motions
- Section analysis
- Response spectra
- Design reports
Focused modules can be combined into a workflow tailored to your models, checks and report format.
How it works
From a repetitive task to a validated tool
A written scope before any commitment, and results you can verify.
-
Share your workflow
The software and version, the steps you repeat and what the result should look like. Example files help.
-
Feasibility & scope
You receive feasibility notes, then a written proposal with deliverables, milestones, acceptance examples and price.
-
Build & validate
An early prototype confirms the direction. The finished tool is verified against the agreed examples.
-
Deliver & support
You receive the tool, user documentation and validation notes. Updates for new software versions can be arranged.
Typical deliverables
- Python scripts & packages
- Excel / VBA workbooks
- ETABS & SAP2000 plugins
- Windows desktop apps
- Grasshopper components
- Report templates
Engagement
Ways to work together
Start small with one tool, or build up your team’s automation over time.
Fixed-scope tool
A defined tool for a specific workflow, delivered in milestones and accepted against agreed example models.
Best forA clear, repeatable task
Script rescue & extension
Fix, document and extend existing macros and API scripts, including those broken by a software upgrade.
Best forTools your team already relies on
Ongoing development
A continuing arrangement for new tools, enhancements and version updates as your automation grows.
Best forTeams automating step by step
FAQ
Before you get in touch
Short answers about licenses, confidentiality, pricing and responsibility.
Ask about your projectIs this an official CSI or MIDAS service?
No. This is an independent development service, not affiliated with Computers and Structures, Inc. or MIDAS IT. You’ll need your own valid licenses for the software being automated.
Which software versions can you work with?
It depends on the interfaces each product and version provides — for example the CSI API for ETABS, SAP2000 and SAFE, or MIDAS API and MGT files for midas. Tell me your exact version and I’ll confirm what’s feasible before quoting.
Do I have to share project models?
No. A small sample model or a sanitized copy is usually enough to build and validate a tool, and an NDA can be signed before anything is shared.
What do I receive at the end of a project?
The agreed tool, user documentation and validation notes. Source-code delivery and intellectual-property terms are set out in the proposal before work starts.
How is a project priced?
Each project is quoted once the scope is clear. The proposal lists deliverables, milestones and price, so you know the full commitment before any work begins.
Who is responsible for the engineering results?
Software projects deliver tools, not design sign-off. Engineering decisions and responsibility stay with your engineer of record; validation against agreed examples gives you confidence in what the tool produces.
Can you fix or extend scripts someone else wrote?
Yes. The existing code is reviewed first so the effort can be estimated, then it can be repaired, documented and extended — including for a newer software version.
Where are you based, and how do we communicate?
New York, United States (Eastern Time), working with teams internationally. Projects run in English by email, with video calls when useful.
Start a conversation
Which part of your workflow should run itself?
Describe it in a few sentences. You’ll get a feasibility reply and clarifying questions before any quote.