ETABSharp

Problem

The ETABS COM API is powerful but painful to use directly. Methods accept ref arrays that the API populates, return integer codes instead of throwing exceptions, and provide no IntelliSense guidance. Every automation script requires the same verbose boilerplate.

Approach

ETABSharp wraps the raw COM API with:

• Strong typing — all outputs are typed records, not ref arrays
• Fluent access — navigate the API as etabs.Results.StoryDrifts() rather than assembling parameter arrays
• Proper error handling — exceptions with meaningful messages instead of ret != 0
• Async support — long-running operations (run analysis, get large result tables) are awaitable

The wrapper is deliberately thin — it maps 1:1 to ETABS API calls. No magic, no hidden abstraction. What ETABS does, ETABSSharp can do.

The AI / MCP layer

On top of the C# wrapper sits an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that exposes ETABS as a set of tools for AI assistants.

With ETABSSharp MCP configured in Claude Desktop or VS Code Copilot, you can:

• Query drift results in natural language: “Which stories exceed the 0.5% drift limit in EQ-X?”
• Modify the model: “Add a 200×200×10 HSS column to gridline C between levels 3 and 4”
• Run design checks: “Check all beams in the roof level for deflection under SLS loads”

The AI interprets the request, calls the appropriate ETABSSharp tool, and reasons over the structured results.

Status

ETABSharp is actively maintained and used in production structural work. The core API wrapper is stable. The MCP server is under development.

Get it

Install from NuGet:

dotnet add package ETABSharp