• You open a Diamonds model and calculate it. That works fine the first time.
• You make some changes to the model (like changing the cross-sections) and try to calculate it again. Diamonds crashes and closes itself without an error or warning.
  Sometimes the crash happens after the first edit, sometimes after the second.

Solution

• Close Diamonds.
• Open Task Manager (CTRL + ALT + DEL or right mouse click on the Windows bar).
• Go to the tab page “Details”.
• Sort the list alphabetically by clicking on the column header “Name“.
• Find BuildSoft.Gateway.exe in the list. This is the calculation core of Diamonds. Select it and hit End Task. BuildSoft.Gateway.exe will disappear from the list.
  If you cannot find it, it was already closed. Skip this step.
• Do the steps in these two articles: article 1 & article 2.

Solution

The message above is a warning, not really an error. Normally Diamonds will continue the calculations. If you want to get rid of the message, install Diamonds 2024R01 or newer.

Followed by multiple similar messages for Vz, My, Mz.

Solution

This error is caused by in issue in the count of the combinations.

• Try to remove all combinations. Generate them again and run the calculation again.
  It is not possible to calculate the reinforcement only for an ULS FI combination.
  ULS FC, SLS CR/QP should always be present.
  If you want the loads in ULS FI to overpower those in ULS FC/SLS, then manually set the partial safety coefficient to a very low value for ULS FC/SLS.
• If that didn’t solve the issue, check the load groups . Remove empty load groups.
  Generate the combinations and run the calculation again.
• If that still didn’t solve the issue, use incompatible load groups instead of “multiple sub load cases”. You can easily switch between them.
  Generate the combiantions and run the calculation again.

Solution

• You’ve used a material in your model for which you forgot to define Poission’s ratio.

[EN]: ‘There are bars for which the code check did not succeed. Object reference not set to an instance of an object.’

[NL]: ‘Voor bepaalde staven kon de normcontrole niet uitgevoerd worden. De objectverwijzing is niet op een exemplaar van een object ingesteld.’

[FR]: ‘La vérification ne pourraît pas être exécuté pour certaines barres. De objectverwijzing is niet op een exemplaar van een object ingesteld.’

Possible cause 1

The design of custum cross-sections (also called combined sections or Section Utility profile) is only supported for Eurocode 3. If you select a different standard in combination with custom cross-section, you’ll get the error above.

The standard for steel design can be changed using the menu Analysis > Steel Design Code.

Possible cause 2

• Make sure a steel/timber standard is selected with ‘Anaysis’ -> ‘Steel standard’ and ‘Anaysis’ -> ‘Timber standard’

Solution

This error is caused by a bug in Diamonds 2023. It is solved in Diamonds 2023r01 (or newer).

[EN] The folder name is invalid at Borland.Delphi.TObjectHelper.Dispatch (Object Self, Object & Message) …
[NL] De map naam is ongeldig bij Borland.Delphi.TObjectHelper.Dispatch (Object Self, Object & Message) …
[FR] Le nom du dossier n’est pas valide à Borland.Delphi.TObjectHelper.Dispatch (Object Self, Object & Message) …

Solution

1. Close error message
2. Save Diamonds file
3. Close Diamonds
4. Open Diamonds + file again
5. Open Practical Reinforement Design – should now work without errors

[NL]: De objectverwijzing is niet op een exemplaar van een object ingesteld bij Dlg_ServerEvolution.TServerEvolutionForm.FormShow(Object Sender)

[FR]: La référence d’objet n’est pas définie à une instance d’un objet chez Dlg_ServerEvolution.TServerEvolutionForm.FormShow(Object Sender)

[ES]: Referencia a objeto no establecida como instancia de un objeto en Dlg_ServerEvolution.TServerEvolutionForm.FormShow(Object Sender)

Solution

The solution is the same as this problem.

Solution

• Select for example 1/4 of the structure.
  The choice to take 1/4 of the model depends on the size of the model and the number of combinations. For some models 1/3 will work, for other models you’ll need 1/5.
• Run the steel verification .
  By default, the steel verification runs for all combinations. But using the the filter, you can limit the number of combinations that is being verified. Make sure to set the filter not too strict.
  
• Hide the selection .
• Save the file .
• Select the next 1/4 of the structure. Run the steel verification .
• Hide the selection .
• Save the file .
• And so on until the entire structure is calculated.
• Use the button to make the entire structure visible again.

This error appears reagardless the project you’re trying to calculate.

Cause

This message is caused by a problem with WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation). Each time you hit calculate  or close Diamonds, Diamonds will verify (via WMI) if there are any other instances of Diamonds or the calculation core ( = BuildsoftServer.exe in Task Manager) open. The Diamonds error indicates something is wrong with WMI.

To test if something is wrong with WMI, you can try the following:

• Start > Run > enter wmimgmt.msc and it OK
  
• With the right mouse button, click on WMI Control (Local) and select Properties.
  
• A new dialog appears. If there is a problem, that dialog should say something in the trend of “Win32_Processor : WMI : classe non valide”
  
  

Since WMI is a Windows component, it’s hard for us to know what causes WMI to get corrupt. Our best guess is a Windows update.

Solution 1

Check if there are any new Windows updates and execute them.

Solution 2

Try to do a system restore.

Solution 3 (semi solution)

1. Open Task Manager and go to the tab page Details.
2. End ALL Diamonds.exe and BuildsoftServer.exe – instances (if they appear in the list).
3. Go to My Documents > Diamonds > {version you’re using}
4. Open the file Diamonds.ini with Notepad.
5. Search (CTRL + F) for[TGENERALPREFERENCES_PREF].
   If you cannot find it, go to the end of the document (CTRL + END) and paste [TGENERALPREFERENCES_PREF] in it.
6. Below [TGENERALPREFERENCES_PREF] paste RESTARTCALCCORE=0.
7. Close Diamonds.ini and save the changes.
8. Restart Diamonds and try to calculate.
9. Make sure to save your model before you try to close Diamonds. When you try to close Diamonds, you’ll still get an error and you’ll probably need the Task Manager to close Diamonds. Make sure to close the calculation core (BuildsoftServer.exe) as well (see step 1 & 2)! For that reason it’s a semi-solution.