SeismoStruct Batch Facility

A special batch facility called SeismoBatch has been developed and introduced in SeismoStruct in order to facilitate the automatic execution of numerous analyses in sequence. SeismoBatch is accessed from the main menu (Tools > Open SeismoBatch...) or through the corresponding toolbar button .

The batch facility is organised in three modules; the first is used to select the working directory, where the SeismoStruct or XML input files are saved, the second is used to run. the analyses, while in the third module users may extract the analysis results that they need. Moving from one module to another can be done though the buttons of the menu at the left of the window.

Defining the Working Directory
Users may select the working directory from the corresponding folder browser and whether the input file is Standard SeismoStruct or XML file format. When clicking on the Search for SeismoStruct Project & Results files button, the program outputs the number of project/XML and results files found on the folder.

Running the Analyses
In this module users may select which of the analyses are to be carried out, this is done by checking or unchecking the checkboxes on the table, where a list of *.spf project files is shown. The program automatically selects all the projects, where a result file is not found. On the contrary, when a SeismoStruct results file exists, which means that the analysis has already been executed, the relevant entry is unchecked.
The option of simultaneously executing multiple analyses has been introduced in SeismoBatch 2016 in order to take full advantage of multi-core processors.

Extracting Results
Users may extract simultaneously and for all the selected analyses the analysis results that they need. The results will be stored in the output file name, which is a text-based file with results arranged in columns (one pair of data columns, e.g. time & displacement, for each of the analyses). The output file can be opened with any text editor or a spreadsheet application, such as Microsoft Excel.

Notes

  1. SeismoBatch has been designed as an independent application and can also be opened from the Windows Start menu without the need to open SeismoStruct.
  2. One very important feature of SeismoBatch is the ability to suppress the warning messages at the beginning of the analysis, in which way the execution is always carried out. This is of particular importance, when a large series of analysis is to be carried out without the presence of the user. Suppressing the warning messages can be done within the General tab of the Projects Settings of SeismoStruct.
  3. Even if the user chooses to display warning messages at the beginning of the analysis, these are automatically closed after 2 minutes, if there is no input by the user. This is particularly useful in SeismoBatch, since the sequence of the analyses does not stop if a warning message appears.
  4. The analyses carried out with the batch facility employ the SeismoStruct Engine, which is SeismoStruct's solver without the graphical environment. Consequently, the batch analyses run much faster than the ones carried out with SeismoStruct, because no time is spent on the graphical updating of the application and other Windows related functions.