UTILITY WRITE

  

The UTILITY WRITE command is used to write data to a file for further processing or to archive data from the database.

FEMGEN Command.                    

UTILITY WRITE Format [Filename]

This command enables the user to create an input file for a Finite Element Analysis program. It can also be used to create an archive file which will contain all information (in the form of commands) necessary for FEMGV to regenerate the current model (except the generated mesh). It may also be used to create a file of geometry data for input to a CAD program and also to create a file in either of the neutral formats described in Appendix A and Appendix B of the User Manual Appendices.

The user can optionally specify the name of the file to which the data is to be written. The default file name is `modelname.anl' except with the command UTILITY WRITE ARCHIVE when the default file name is `modelname.fga'

Note that file names may be installation dependent and that file extension defaults can be changed via the FEMGV Environment Variables (see Appendix A of the Installation and Customisation Guide) and Resources.

Format Part Comments

Program Creates an input file in the format required by the specified Finite Element Analysis program or in the specified CAD format.

ARCHIVE [ALL] or [`set'] Creates a file containing the FEMGEN commands necessary to re-generate the current model. If `set' has been specified then only the commands relating to this set are put in the file. See notes 1, 2 and 3 below.

NEUTRAL Creates a file in the FEMGEN neutral format described in Appendix A of the User Manual Appendices.

FEMVIEW Creates a file in the FEMVIEW neutral format described in Appendix B of the User Manual Appendices. This file is created from the FEMGEN mesh data and therefore there will be no results data.

Interfaces to many popular Finite Element Analysis programs are available with FEMGV . Details of the data that can be generated for a particular Finite Element Analysis program are given in a separate document. Users should contact their FEMGV distributor for further information.

Notes:

1.

Archiving a set
If a set name is specified, then all the parts in the set will be archived along with any additional information necessary to complete their definitions; this could include points, lines, transforms, shapes and coordinate systems on which the geometry in the set is dependent. Further sets will be included if they are used in load or constraint definitions and are not empty. Load, constraint and merge definitions are also included if some or all of the parts to which they refer are in the specified set. Material definitions, physical properties and coordinate systems are output if they are attached to all or part of the set.

2.

Archive for fast model regeneration
If the whole FEMGEN model is being archived for backup reasons or in order to compact the database then it is advisable to use the UTILITY WRITE GEOMETRY command at the model index level as this will create a file in the coded archive format which can be read more quickly by FEMGV.

3.

Mesh information When an archive file is read, it will be necessary to use MESH GENERATE to create the mesh. Note that offsets to node and element numbering (created with MESHING OPTIONS NODE or ELEMENT) are not transferred via the archive file.

Examples:

1.

UTILITY WRITE ABAQUS abaqus.inp

Creates a file called `abaqus.inp' containing an input deck for the finite element analysis program ABAQUS.

2.

UTILITY WRITE ASAS asas.inp

Creates a file called `asas.inp' containing an input deck for the finite element analysis program ASAS.

3.

UTILITY WRITE ARCHIVE wing.dat

Creates a file called `wing.dat' containing the FEMGEN commands necessary to regenerate the current model.

See also the following commands

'UTILITY READ BATCH'
'UTILITY READ VIEWDATA'
'UTILITY WRITE GEOMETRY'
'UTILITY READ GEOMETRY'

FEMVIEW Command        

UTILITY WRITE Mode [Filename]

This command allows model and results data for the current subset of a model to be written to an archive file for further processing. If no file name is specified and no archive file is already open then a file with the default name of 'fgvarc.fva' will be opened. Once an archive file has been opened then any subsequent UTILITY WRITE command in which no file name is specified will cause data to be appended to the existing archive file. The exception to this rule is the UTILITY WRITE DPL command, for which a new file is opened each time.

When using the ALL, EDGES, FACES or MESH options, the user will be prompted for a name to be used in the model header record in the file (see Appendix B of the User Manual Appendices); and if no model name is entered the current model name will be used.

Mode Comments

ALL Writes the nodal point coordinates, the element topology, material data, set definitions, transformation data, results local axis and systems data, nodal and multi-point constraints data, loading data and analysis results (if any) for the current subset of the model.

EDGES Writes the edges of the current subset of the model as a beam model. (See note 2).

FACES Writes the visible faces of the current subset of the model as a 2D model. (See note 3).

MESH Writes the nodal point coordinates, the element topology and material data for the current subset of the model.

RESULTS Writes the current attribute of results for the selected loadcase(s). (See note 4).

DPL Writes the current attribute of results in Discrete Point Load (DPL) format. Currently only nodal material independent results and element invariant results can be archived in DPL format. (See note 4).

Notes:

1.

Format of the output file
The format of the file produced by the UTILITY WRITE command is the standard FEMVIEW neutral file format as given in Appendix B of the User Manual Appendices. The exception is that when archiving results on a cross section view, or when archiving results using the command UTILITY WRITE DPL, the format of the file produced is not the standard neutral file format and is given in Appendix F.

2.

The EDGES command
When issuing the command UTILITY WRITE EDGES the current VIEW mode must be VIEW EDGES.

3.

The FACES command
When issuing the command UTILITY WRITE FACES the current VIEW mode must be VIEW FACES.

4.

Effect of VIEW mode when archiving results
When issuing the command UTILITY WRITE RESULTS or UTILITY WRITE DPL the program will be sensitive to the current VIEW mode, and only results for nodes that are visible, and elements that are at least partially visible will be archived.

See also the following commands

'VIEW EDGES'
'VIEW FACES'

MODEL INDEX command

               

UTILITY WRITE Mode Model_name [Filename]

Mode Comments

GEOMETRY Creates a `coded' archive file containing all the information about the requested model except the generated mesh. This file will contain FEMGEN commands in a coded form and can be read by FEMGV to recreate the model (See note 1).

VIEWDATA This command is currently not implemented

Notes:

1.

Use of the coded archive file
The user may write a coded archive file either for backup purposes or to achieve a compaction of the FEMGEN database file. When entities are deleted in FEMGEN the space in the model database file is not released for re-use and the size of the database will be greater than the optimum required. Where many deletions have occurred, this may adversely effect disk file resources and the performance of FEMGEN. A new compacted database can be achieved by archiving the model, deleting the database and then reading back the archive file. The FEMGEN commands in the coded archive file contain coded direct references between geometric entities rather than references by name. These coded references enable the file to be read and the FEMGEN model regenerated more quickly. A coded archive file should preferably be read at the model index level with the command UTILITY READ GEOMETRY as this allows additional controls to be applied to improve the speed of processing the file.

The user should not edit a coded archive file as this may destroy the validity of the direct references it contains.