Software Comparison
Comparison
The following table compares the features of spMats 8.5x and its predecessors spMats and pcaMats.
| FEATURE | pcaMats v6.10 | pcaMats v6.5x | spMats v7.0x | spMats v7.5x | spMats v8.1x | spMats v8.5x |
| General | ||||||
| Operating System | Microsoft Windows 98 or above | Microsoft Windows 98 or above | Microsoft Windows XP and Vista | Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7 | Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 | Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 |
| 64-Bit Solver Support | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Evaluation Version | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Electronic Documentation |
Help file (.HLP) Manual file (.PDF) |
Help file (.HLP) Manual file (.PDF) |
Help file (.HLP) Manual file (.PDF) accessible directly from the program |
Help file (.CHM) Manual file (.PDF) accessible directly from the program |
Context sensitive manual file (.PDF) accessible directly from the program | Context sensitive manual file (.PDF) accessible directly from the program |
| Printed Documentation | On demand | On demand | On demand | On demand | On demand | On demand |
| Data File Format |
pcaMats (.MA6) format Input/Output (large size) |
pcaMats (.MA6) format Input/Output (large size) |
pcaMats (.MA6) format Input/Output (large size) |
spMats (.MA7) format, Input/Output (large size) |
spMats (.MA8) format, Input only (small size) |
spMats (.MA8) format, Input only (small size) |
| Data Import | PCA-Mats (.MAT) file | PCA-Mats (.MAT) file | PCA-Mats (.MAT) file |
pcaMats (.MA6), and PCA-Mats (.MAT) file |
spMats (.MA7),
pcaMats (.MA6), and PCA-Mats (.MAT) file |
spMats (.MA7),
pcaMats (.MA6), and PCA-Mats (.MAT) file |
| Export to DXF | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Export to CTI File | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Data Import from Text Files | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Keyboard Shortcuts | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| On-line Checking for Program Updates | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Signature for Improved Security | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Modeling and Calculation | ||||||
| Capacity |
10,000 nodes 9,900 elements |
10,000 nodes 9,900 elements |
10,000 nodes 9,900 elements |
10,000 nodes 9,900 elements |
65,025 nodes 64,516 elements |
65,025 nodes 64,516 elements |
| Basic Load Cases | 6 (A through F) | 6 (A through F) | 6 (A through F) | 6 (A through F) | 26 (A through Z) | 26 (A through Z) |
| Spreadsheet (grid) control for load and load combination input | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Calculated Reactions | Springs and Piles | Springs and Piles | Springs and Piles | Springs and Piles | Restraints, Soil, Spring, Piles, and Slaved Nodes | Restraints, Soil, Spring, Piles, and Slaved Nodes |
| Equilibrium Check w.r.t. Center of Gravity | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Solver Message Display | After solution | After solution | After solution | After solution | During and after solution | During and after solution |
| Code/Standard |
ACI 318-02 CSA A23.3-94 |
ACI 318-05 CSA A23.3-04 ACI 318-02 CSA A23.3-94 |
ACI 318-08 ACI 318-05 CSA A23.3-04 ACI 318-02 CSA A23.3-94 |
ACI 318-11 ACI 318-08 ACI 318-05 CSA A23.3-04 ACI 318-02 CSA A23.3-94 |
ACI 318-14 CSA A23.3-14 ACI 318-11 ACI 318-08 ACI 318-05 CSA A23.3-04 ACI 318-02 CSA A23.3-94 |
ACI 318-14 CSA A23.3-14 ACI 318-11 ACI 318-08 ACI 318-05 CSA A23.3-04 ACI 318-02 CSA A23.3-94 |
| Metric Units | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| US Customary Units | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Default Definitions and Assignments | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Columns | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Piles | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pile Embedment | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Punching Shear Check | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Visualization and Reporting | ||||||
| Geometry View - 3D | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Geometry View - 2D | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Geometry View - Columns and Piles in 3D View | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Geometry View - Columns and Piles in 2D | Symbolic only in their respective views | Symbolic and to scale including load assignment and contour map views | Symbolic and to scale including load assignment and contour map views | Symbolic and to scale including load assignment and contour map views | Symbolic and to scale including load assignment and contour map views | Symbolic and to scale including load assignment and contour map views |
| Display Settings via Pop-up Menu | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Annotation for Subsets of Nodes Assigned with Loads, Piles, and Restraints | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Geometry View - Thickness Boundary Lines | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Zoom In / Zoom Out | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Geometry Panning | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Geometry Rotating | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Text Results - View | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Text Results - Print | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Text Results - Print Highlighted Selection | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Text Results - Copy To Clipboard | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Text Results - Save to file | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Contour Maps - View | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Contour Maps - Print | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Contour Maps - Printout Annotations | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Contour Maps - Print Preview | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Contour Maps - Copy to Clipboard | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |