Introduction to The Femap API

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92130 T 858.480.2000 F 858.792.8932 www.ata-e.

1 Introduction to The Femap API ATA Engineering, Inc Evening Creek Drive South Suite 250 San Diego, CA T F Prepared by: Kurt Knutson Manager of Software Services Date: June 23, 2015

2 FEMAP API Can Benefit Users with Simple to Advanced Needs Benefits of the API Include: Automate repetitive tasks Augment or customize existing modeling and postprocessing functionality Program complexity can range from simple utilities up to entire toolboxes to provide new capabilities Ability to interface with external software Office tools Presentation Outline: Introduction to the API what is it? How to get started ATA examples 2

3 ATA Uses Femap s API to Create New Tools for General & Industry-Specific Workflows Femap s Application Program Interface (API) allows users to customize and create Femap tools for their specific needs The API is an OLE/COM-based programming interface to FEMAP with hundreds of functions Codes calling these functions are written in programming languages such as Visual Basic, C++, or even Python Can automate manual and tedious processes in Femap Can interact with other software such as Excel or Matlab View FEMAP as a development platform where the out of the box functionality fits 95% of the users 95% of the way But different companies have different FEA needs & methods of doing analysis or specialized interests and requirements The API provides users with the flexibility to automate both routine and complex tasks and tailor the software to their specific needs 3

4 Introduction To The Femap API 4

5 Terminology, Definitions, & Common Questions What is an API? Application Programming Interface In Femap, we often call programs we create using the Femap API, API programs, API macros or just APIs for short. The Femap API Programming is the most common way we automate tasks in Femap. What is OLE/COM? OLE, Object Linking and Embedding: Microsoft's framework for a compound document technology. COM, Component Object Model: Microsoft's framework for developing and supporting program component objects. These frameworks allow programs to talk with each other and use each other s functions and capabilities. For example, we can use an Excel Visual Basic Macro to load data from Femap using the Femap API. 5

Programming Pane within Femap great for writing programs quickly You can also write

6 Terminology, Definitions, & Common Questions Where can I use the API? Use the API within Femap or through visual studio API can be accessed through the API Programming Pane within Femap great for writing programs quickly You can also write programs in Visual Studio lots of debugging tools and easy GUI construction You can do this with Visual Studio Express 6

7 Terminology, Definitions, & Common Questions What kind of programming is the API? API Programs are most often written in Visual Basic, not a proprietary command language The FEMAP API is object oriented, meaning interactions with the API are performed by querying and manipulating a series of objects Objects have properties and methods Properties describe things about the object, Car.color = red Element.topology = CQUAD4 Methods provide a way of interacting with an object Car.drive( 50, grocery store ) Surface.mesh() 7

8 Terminology, Definitions, & Common Questions How can the API and FEMAP interact? FEMAP API 1 Use API as an add-in API FEMAP 2 Run as two separate applications API FEMAP 3 Run FEMAP as an invisible server 4 Embed FEMAP components in API 8

Terminology, Definitions, & Common Questions Visual Basic for

Word or other Microsoft Office tools since they they can work with

Use EXCEL to Control FEMAP Renumber Entities: Nodes, Elements,

Extract Model Information: Mass, Volume, CG, Layer/Group/Color

9 Terminology, Definitions, & Common Questions Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) allows us to directly access Femap from Excel, Word or other Microsoft Office tools since they they can work with OLE and COM. Use EXCEL to Control FEMAP Renumber Entities: Nodes, Elements, Properties, Materials, etc. by layer, color, group, etc. Extract Model Information: Mass, Volume, CG, Layer/Group/Color Name, etc., to spreadsheets Output Model Information All Information Displayed in a Formatted Table Can Be Easily Transferred to a Stress Report 9

10 How To Get Started 10

$bar, HELP --> Help Topics Can also access pdf version in the Femap installation directory: {install}\pdf\api.$

11 Femap Help Has Full Documentation of Objects and Functions The FEMAP Help can be accessed in the top border menu bar, HELP --> Help Topics Can also access pdf version in the Femap installation directory: {install}\pdf\api.pdf 11

The Femap API Has Some Basic Objects and Syntax to Learn More Resources for Details Go to the Femap User Community Search posts for: Introduction to the Femap API For an entire presentation with

12 The Femap API Has Some Basic Objects and Syntax to Learn More Resources for Details Go to the Femap User Community Search posts for: Introduction to the Femap API For an entire presentation with syntax basics and details Three main types of objects: Application Object - Provides access to Femap GUI as well as all entity and tool objects Entity Objects Anything created and stored in the Femap database, elements, nodes, analysis sets, etc. Tool Objects A special class that provide functionality and are not stored in the database, Data Table, File Reader, Sets, Beam Calculator, etc. 12

$Femap Has a Wide Variety of Example API programs in Custom Tools These tools are frequently API programs with examples and source located at: {femap install}\api\ Study, try or debug and examples$

13 Femap Has a Wide Variety of Example API programs in Custom Tools These tools are frequently API programs with examples and source located at: {femap install}\api\ Study, try or debug and examples from here Place your own tools in this folder and they will Show up in your Femap session Add your own custom tools or tools directory here Add tools copies your tool to the Femap installation directory, Tools Directory lets you specify your own folder 13

14 Femap Has a Built In API Programming Pane Which Can Be Used to Edit or Debug Programs Beginning of the Program Create and Set a Femap Application Object End of the Program 14

Right click on the tool bar to customize

15 Make, Toolbars, Shortcuts or Icons to Execute API Commands You Like Create a new toolbar Add a user command And then go to add Keyboard Shortcut if you like Right click on the tool bar to customize change buttons Drop and Drag Commands to toolbar 15

16 ATA Examples These are available at: 16

17 Example API #1: Save and Load Element, Material, Property Colors Across Similar Models save_elem_color.bas.col (color file) load_elem_color.bas 18

18 Example API #2: Freebody Loads for Many Groups and Load Cases 20

19 Example API #3: Automate PPT Documentation Femap API FEM with Many CSYS User Inputs PPT with Pictures of Accelerometer Locations PPT of Accelerometer Data (optional) 22

20 Example API #4: Reflect Element Properties, Materials, and Coordinate Systems FEM with Multiple Properties and Specific Material Orientations Femap API User Inputs Filter on Element Types? Filter on Material Types? Reflect CS? Choose Reflection Plane Reflected Model 24

21 Example API #5: Write Groups to Nastran Files FEM with Many Groups Femap API - User Inputs.bdf Include Files for Each Group Example output for group export in FEMAP message window 26

22 Final Thoughts About the Femap API The easiest way to get started is to pick a simple task Formulate the path with manual operations Identify corresponding Femap API functions and methods Everything you need is in the documentation or examples Femap API code can be written within Femap or with external interfaces learning visual basic syntax is helpful to get started. Don t forget about debugging and test models Enjoy! 27

23 Appendix Using Python With Femap 1. Get the "win32com" module for your version of Python from Source Forge: With Python 2.6.6, we used build 216, so the download was pywin win32-py2.6.exe. Install it in your Python's ~\Lib\site-packages folder. 2. Use the win32com "makepy" script to translate the Femap TLB into a Python file 1. [Python_path]\Lib\site-packages\win32com\client\makepy.py -v -o PyFemap.py [Femap_path]\femap.tlb 3. Import "PyFemap.py" in every Python module that will call the API. You MUST use "early binding" to get Python to handle the Femap API -- API calls have many "output arguments" and Python cannot inherently handle those. 4. API "output arguments" become return values in Python. So, e.g., where "zoset" is an feoutputset object 1. VB code: iret = zoset.gettitlelist (0, 0, nsets, liids, lsnams) 2. Python code: iret, nsets, liids, lsnams = zoset.gettitlelist (0, 0) 28

Using the Femap API to Improve the Analysis Process Kurt Knutson / Manager of Software Services

Femap Symposium 2015 [San Diego] Co-Hosted with [ATA Engineering] Using the Femap API to Improve the Analysis Process Kurt Knutson / Manager of Software Services Femap Symposium Series 2015 February 24,