Lesson 25 Combining FEM Models

Transcription

1 Lesson 25 Combining FEM Models Purpose This lesson provides an overview of combining models Finite Elements Models with Femap Topics Femap Neutral files The Select Tool File, Merge command Femap 101 for Femap v11.1 Slide 25-1

2 Femap Neutral Files A Femap Neutral file (.neu file extension) is an ASCII version of a Femap model file: Save Neutral files with the command, File, Save, Femap Neutral: Entity Options specify what entity types you want to save into the Neutral file. Expand Geometric Loads and Constraints expands geometry-defined loads and constraints into mesh-based loads and constraints File Format options allow you to specify: Significant Digits Minimize File Size removes tab delimits in the file; turn off for editing and reading Version specifies the Femap version that this file will be written for. Entities not supported in the version specified are not written into the Neutral file. Note: The Femap Neutral file format is documented in the file femap\pdf\neutral.pdf. Femap 101 for Femap v11.1 Slide 25-2

3 Femap Neutral Files (continued) You cannot directly import or merge Femap binary.modfem files, however, you can import a Femap Neutral file into an active Femap model file Import Femap Neutral files with the command, File, Import, Femap Neutral: Entity Options specify what entity types you want to read from the Neutral file. Model Merge Options: ID Offset specifies the offset of the ID number of all entities in the Neutral file from the original ID. Note if duplicate entity ID(s) exist in the model file and the Neutral file, the duplicate ID will overwrite the original entity. Renumber Layers Renumber Load and Constraint Sets Always Create New Output Sets creates a new Output Set for every Output Set in the Neutral File, regardless of the option setting for ID Offset Femap 101 for Femap v11.1 Slide 25-3

4 Using the Select Tool for Merging Files Femap Neutral files can be generated using the Select tool: When a Selection List has been generated: Selector Action, Export Neutral can be used to generate a Femap Neutral file If a second Femap model file is active, you can use the Selector Action, Copy command, then the Selector Action, Paste command in the file you want to paste the selected objects into, where the Neutral File Read Options dialog box is presented. Femap 101 for Femap v11.1 Slide 25-4

5 Model, Merge Command Femap v11.1 added the command, Model, Merge that can be used when multiple Femap model files are opened in a single Femap session Execute the command from the model you want to merge entities into Select the From Model file that you want to merge from Select the Entity Type(s) and method of Entity Selection for merging into the active Femap model Entity Type(s) are limited to those types in the From Model Specify Renumbering and Duplicates Strategy Model Orientation option Option to Transform Merged Model upon import Femap 101 for Femap v11.1 Slide 25-5

6 Model Merge Manager Dialog Box Entity Selection By default, the first time the Model, Merge command is executed in a Femap model, the Entity Selection, All in Model radio button is automatically selected, resulting in the entire model, less geometry selected for merge from the From Model If the entire model is to be merged, no other entity selection action is required, otherwise, perform one or more of the following: Check and/or uncheck the Entity Type(s) to set the type of entities to be merged The All On and All Off buttons toggle on and off all Entity Types, but do not change the IDs of the entities to be merged Selecting the Entity Selection, None radio button, and then, clicking the Update All button, clears the list of Merge IDs. The From Model should be visible for this to work. Select a From Group or ID Range, then, click the Update All button to populate the Merge IDs Femap 101 for Femap v11.1 Slide 25-6

7 Model Merge Manager Dialog Box Specifying Entities to Merge using Entity Selection, Select To use Entity Selection, Select, the From Model (model that you are merging from) must be visible for selecting the entities that you need to merge: 1. Enable/Disable the Entity Types that will be merged into the active model 2. Click the Entity Selection, Select Entity radio button 3. Select the Entity Type for selection. Shift-click and Ctrl-click all available. 4. Click the Update Selected button. This will open the Entity Selection dialog box for the Entity Type selected. 5. If you want to only add the entities related to the selected entity(s), click the Add Referenced Entities button, otherwise the original set of Merge IDs will be merged. Femap 101 for Femap v11.1 Slide 25-7

8 Model Merge Manager Dialog Box Renumbering and Duplicates Strategy Options None no renumbering of entities occurs. When selected, it is recommended that you also enable the Overwrite Duplicates option along with clicking the Update Selected button to correctly populate the Renumbering column. Minimal Renumbering (default setting). Specifies that renumbering should occur using the lowest IDs possible. If unused IDs exist within the range of Current IDs, this renumbering strategy will use those IDs Block Renumbering - specifies that renumbering should be done using a block of IDs, based on the largest value for Current IDs. Offset Renumbering - specifies that renumbering should be done using the original Merge IDs plus a value specified using the Offset By field (replaces Renumber To field). Compress - specifies the Merge IDs should be compressed in an attempt to remove any gaps in the ID range of the From Model. Renumber To - specify a different starting ID other than the lowest available ID. If the specified ID is not available, the next available ID will be used instead. Overwrite Duplicates replaces existing entities with duplicate IDs and renumbers newly merged IDs that are non-duplicates of existing entities Femap 101 for Femap v11.1 Slide 25-8

9 Model Merge Manager Dialog Box Model Orientation Options Create Group for Merged Model creates a group containing all of the entities merged from the From Model into the active model. Create Parent CSys for Merged Model creates a parent Coordinate System(s) in the active model for the entities found in the From Model. The number of parent coordinate systems created varies from one to three and depends on how many of the Basic Coordinate systems are used in the From Model. Condense Transferred Groups - any groups brought into the active model from the From Model will be condensed into a single group. Limit Loads, Constraints and Contact to Merged Entities transfer only loads, boundary conditions, and connection entities from the From Model when the entities referenced by these entity types are also being merged into the active model. Turn off only when merging a model which is very similar or identical to the active model. Otherwise, loads, constraints, and/or contact entities may be applied to random entities in the active model. Transform Merged Model - entities from the From Model will be transformed using the From coordinate system found in the From Model to the To coordinate system Femap 101 for Femap v11.1 Slide 25-9