SMATH - How to deal with variables?

[Pororo]

Hello! I am trying to learn SMATH since the standards used in our company uses SMATH. The problem I encountered with using this software is dealing with naming of the variables. My computations becomes untidy since my variables have long names and I don't know how to get around with them while being time-efficient.

Is there at least a way (or shortcut) to shift from text mode to "equation" mode without using a mouse? I'm planning to just use text mode to label my computations and use acronyms for my variables.

Or any suggestions regarding this?

ALSO, I can't seem to change Newton-ft to kips-ft even by manually clicking its units. Why is that?

SAMPLE OF MY COMPUTATIONS:

Kips-ft automatically changing to N-ft even after manual correction:

 

[IRstuff]

> Not sure what you're having issues with; every variable you define shows up in the dropdown, so of you type "bol" BoltShearASD shows up as the first item, and you can just tab to get it to transfer to the page

> As for N-ft, are you sure you're entering everything as a unit from the dropdown? Otherwise, you get a literal that looks like a unit, but isn't

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[jhardy1]

Whenever I am creating a worksheet to represent typical design code formulae, I will name my variables exactly as they are seen in the reference document, so that the whole expression replicates what is shown in the code or text book. This makes for very easy checking of the results.

As for units of kip.ft - as this is not a pre-defined unit in Smath, you need to define both the desired force and the length units - i.e. in the units placeholder (which will have default units of joules), type:

'kip * 'ft

This tells Smath to display the result in multiples of "kip times feet".

Alternatively, you can define your own variable; e.g.

kipft := 1 'kip * 1 'ft

And then you can just type kipft in the units placeholder whenever you want to display a moment or torque in units of kip*ft.

http://julianh72.blogspot.com

 

[Pororo]

@jhardy1

Whoa. The multiplication sign after kip changed the units to kip-ft. I thought I just have to click the blank "boxes" for the units to change them.

Thanks!

 

[jhardy1]

Smath doesn't have any default pre-defined units of moment / torque. (It has units for Energy, which are dimensionally equivalent to Moment, but most of us don't measure bending moments in joules!)

Where the unit doesn't exist as a pre-defined unit, you need to define it. You can do this by either multiplying / dividing the various component units into the units placeholder; e.g.:

'kip * 'ft

which Smath will display as "kip ft" (in blue non-italicised text, to make it clear it is the unit expression).

Alternatively, you can define a dummy variable as a unit; e.g.:

kipft := 1 'kip * 1 'ft

You can then type the name of your dummy variable into the dimensions placeholder - this will display as "kipft" in black italicised text (like a normal variable name) - not quite as clear as the normal blue italic unit definition, but it is still unambiguous on the page.

http://julianh72.blogspot.com