In this page we explain how to model a double cantilever with the ends connected by a truss. You can also find this model among public projects in WeStatiX.
![](https://docs.westatix.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/image-76.png)
Start by clicking GEOMETRY.
Create nodes with coordinates:
- 1: ( 0 ; 0 ; 0.5 )
- 2: ( 0 ; 1 ; 0.5 )
- 3: ( 0 ; 1 ; 0 )
- 4: ( 0 ; 2 ; 0 )
![](https://docs.westatix.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/image-122-1024x294.png)
Create members. Progressively connect nodes 1 and 2, then 2 and 3 and finally 3 and 4.
![](https://docs.westatix.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/image-124-1024x292.png)
Go to PROPERTIES.
Define the material: fill in the Materials fields as follows.
![](https://docs.westatix.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/1-27.png)
Define also the parametric section.
![](https://docs.westatix.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/2-22-1024x531.png)
Now attribute the features to the various members by clicking on Member properties.
Assign section 1 to members 1 and 3 by filling in the fields as follows.
![](https://docs.westatix.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/3-16.png)
To insert the inner hinges, when you define member 2 releases the dry rotations in the start and end node.
Note that the local reference system of member 2 has been rotated by -90° by filling in the Rotation field.
![](https://docs.westatix.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/4-9-1024x690.png)
Impose external constraints by clicking on the CONSTRAINTS Tab and then blocking all degrees of freedom of nodes 1 and 4.
![](https://docs.westatix.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/image-130.png)
Here we report the summary table for the constraints.
![](https://docs.westatix.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/image-129-1024x388.png)
Finally, define the loads. Click ACTIONS.
To insert the concentrated load on node 2, press Nodal loads and then New.
Then fill in the Force Z field with the value -1.
![](https://docs.westatix.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/load1-1024x442.png)
To enter the concentrated load, specify its components on member 3 in Member loads. See how the fields in the figure below are filled in.
![](https://docs.westatix.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/load2.png)
Are you finished? Launch the analysis! Press CALCULATE and Start Calculation.
![](https://docs.westatix.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/image-133-1024x670.png)
All results will be available for you in seconds.
For this example we discussed them in our Verification manual, comparing them with the analytical solution. Check it out!
![](https://docs.westatix.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/image-134-1024x459.png)
If you are interested, you can find the results commented in our Validation Manual.