Running calculations
With a model open and RFEM connected, ask for the calculation in the same sentence as the result you want.
Calculate the model and give me the support reactions and the maximum bending moment, with the load case each value comes from.
Ask for the result, not just the run
"Calculate the model" gets you a calculation and little else. Naming the values you need gets you a calculation and an answer within the same request. All required RFEM script calls together cost a single 3-credit fee in addition to the chat price. Reading the results is part of that, and would cost nothing on its own.
Run the calculation, then give me the maximum deflection in the rafter
and the utilization of the columns, per load case.
From MCP 1.0.14, a calculation can target the intended model by its unique ID without enabling Python scripts. Creating a model does not calculate it.
What comes back
The values you asked for, with the load case they belong to. If a value cannot be read because the calculation did not produce it, you are told so rather than given a number from somewhere else.
A completed script does not automatically mean the solver succeeded. If its
output reports a failed calculation or invalid result values such as NaN, those
values cannot support a verification. A subsequent hand calculation remains a
separate estimate.
A model that has never been calculated still answers questions about its geometry. Make sure the result you are reading came from a calculation of the CURRENT state, especially after you changed a section or a load.
When it takes a while
A large model may take longer than the chat waits for one response. A timeout therefore does not mean RFEM stopped. When the MCP server supports execution status, the same operation can be queried by its ID. Do not run the script again to retrieve its result. Only a confirmed completion makes the result available for use.
With supported versions, CALC stores the operation ID before submission. The RFEM menu shows its status after a reload. Recovery queries the original operation without resubmitting a model change. Switching accounts or pairings, or clearing browser storage, can remove that association without stopping work in RFEM.
If nothing seems to happen at all, the connection rather than the calculation is usually the reason: RFEM troubleshooting lists every state and what it means.
Where to go next
- Reading results for getting the right load case out.
- Reports for turning the run into a document.