Skip to main content
The ETABS connector exports structural analysis elements from CSI ETABS, preserving level organization and analysis results.

​
Hierarchy

ETABS models are organized by File, Level, and Design Orientation: 
Root Collection
├── Etabs File
│   └── Level
│       └── Design Orientation
│           └── EtabsObject
├── Proxies: Section[]
├── Proxies: Material[]
└── Info: analysisResults (optional)
The hierarchy reflects ETABS’s organizational structure:
  • File - The ETABS file
  • Level - Building level/floor
  • Design Orientation - Design orientation (X, Y, etc.)

​
EtabsObject Structure

EtabsObject extends DataObject with these additional fields: 
{
  "id": "string",
  "speckle_type": "Objects.Data.DataObject:Objects.Data.EtabsObject",
  "applicationId": "string",
  "name": "string",
  "properties": {
    "string": "any value"
  },
  "displayValue": [
    "Base (geometry objects)"
  ],
  "units": "string",
  
  "__comment": "EtabsObject-specific fields",
  "type": "string"
}

​
Connector-Specific Fields

  • type - The element type name (e.g., “Frame”, “Area”, “Point”)

​
Properties

EtabsObject properties contain:
  • Assignments - Material, section, and property modifier assignments
  • Geometry properties - Element geometry data
  • Object ID properties - Label, level, and other identifier properties
{
  "properties": {
    "Assignments": {
      "Material": "Concrete",
      "Section": "W24x55",
      "Property Modifiers": {
        "Area": 1.0,
        "Moment of Inertia": 1.0
      }
    },
    "Geometry Properties": {
      "Length": 5.0,
      "Start Point": {"x": 0, "y": 0, "z": 0},
      "End Point": {"x": 5, "y": 0, "z": 0}
    },
    "Object ID Properties": {
      "Label": "Frame1",
      "Level": "Level 1",
      "Design Orientation": "X"
    }
  }
}

​
Proxies

ETABS models use specialized proxy types:

​
Section

Section proxies encode structural section definitions (e.g., W24x55, C10x20). Referenced by objects via applicationId.

​
Material

Material proxies encode material definitions. Material proxy object IDs point to section proxies, creating a material → section relationship.

​
RenderMaterial

Standard material assignments for visual representation.

​
Info Fields

​
analysisResults

Analysis results stored at the model level, including:
  • Base and joint reactions - Reaction forces at supports
  • Frame and story forces - Forces in frame elements and story levels
  • Story drifts - Lateral displacement data
{
  "analysisResults": {
    "Base Reactions": [
      {
        "Joint": "J1",
        "Fx": 1000.0,
        "Fy": 500.0,
        "Fz": 2000.0,
        "Mx": 0.0,
        "My": 0.0,
        "Mz": 0.0
      }
    ],
    "Frame Forces": [
      {
        "Frame": "Frame1",
        "Station": 0.0,
        "P": 1000.0,
        "V2": 500.0,
        "V3": 200.0,
        "T": 0.0,
        "M2": 100.0,
        "M3": 50.0
      }
    ],
    "Story Drifts": [
      {
        "Story": "Story1",
        "DriftX": 0.01,
        "DriftY": 0.005
      }
    ]
  }
}

​
Example: EtabsObject

{
  "id": "etabs-abc123...",
  "speckle_type": "Objects.Data.DataObject:Objects.Data.EtabsObject",
  "applicationId": "element-456",
  "name": "Frame - Frame1",
  "properties": {
    "Assignments": {
      "Material": "Steel",
      "Section": "W24x55",
      "Property Modifiers": {
        "Area": 1.0,
        "Moment of Inertia": 1.0
      }
    },
    "Geometry Properties": {
      "Length": 5.0,
      "Start Point": {"x": 0, "y": 0, "z": 0},
      "End Point": {"x": 5, "y": 0, "z": 0}
    },
    "Object ID Properties": {
      "Label": "Frame1",
      "Level": "Level 1",
      "Design Orientation": "X"
    }
  },
  "displayValue": [
    {
      "speckle_type": "Objects.Geometry.Line",
      "start": {"x": 0, "y": 0, "z": 0},
      "end": {"x": 5, "y": 0, "z": 0},
      "units": "meters"
    }
  ],
  "type": "Frame",
  "units": "meters"
}

​
Invariants and Caveats

  1. No nested DataObjects - EtabsObjects cannot contain other EtabsObjects as direct children
  2. Geometry in displayValue - All visual geometry is in displayValue
  3. Specialized proxies - ETABS uses Section and Material proxies, not just RenderMaterial
  4. Material → Section relationship - Material proxies reference section proxies
  5. Analysis results in Info - Model-level analysis data is in info.analysisResults
  6. Design orientation - Objects are organized by design orientation in addition to level
  • Section: Defines the structural cross-section (e.g., W24x55 wide flange, C10x20 channel)
  • Material: Defines the material properties (e.g., Steel A36, Concrete 3000psi). Material proxies reference section proxies to create material-section combinations.
Analysis results are stored in the Root Collection’s info.analysisResults field. This is model-level data, not per-object. Access it from the root collection object, not from individual EtabsObjects.