Exchanging Data in MD Adams MD Adams products import and export modeling data in many different formats so you can exchange modeling data with other MD Adams products, as well as other software manufacturer’s products. This entries in this section of the table of contents explain how to import and export modeling data in MD Adams products and the optional module, Adams/Exchange. The dialog boxes shown are Adams/View dialog boxes. The available options may change depending on the MD Adams product you are using. Adams/View 2 Supported File Formats for Import and/or Export The following table shows the formats that Adams/View, Adams/Exchange, and Adams/Durability support. The only formats that require an additional product are: • STEP, IGES, DXF, DWG, and Parasolid - Require Adams/Exchange • RPC III and DAC - Require Adams/Durability You can import all other formats using standard Adams/View. 3 Comparison of MD Adams File Formats File format: Description: Can be: Imported Exported Adams/Solver dataset (.adm) Describes a model using Adams/Solver Data Language (ADL) statements. Yes Yes Adams/Solver analysis files (.req, .res, .gra) Set of three Adams/Solver analysis files: request, results, and graphics. You can import the entire set or just a single analysis file. Yes Yes Adams/View command file (.cmd) Set of Adams/View commands. You can use command files to automate the creation of a model or the investigation of simulation results. Yes Yes Test data Numerical results generated from an external program. Yes No Numeric data Numerical results generated during an Adams/View session. No Yes CAD files Requires Adams/Exchange. Model geometry. You can import and export the following formats: STEP, IGES, DXF, DWG, and Parasolid. Yes Yes Stereolithography and render files Polygonal representation of surfaces. Yes No Wavefront files Set of output files that contain a description of the model graphics and motion data. Yes Yes FEA loads Complete load histories. No Yes Spreadsheet Simulation results in a spreadsheet format. No Yes Shell Geometry representations. Yes (Adams/ PostProcessor) Yes Adams/ PostProcessor All the files required to view the results of simulations in a stand-alone version of Adams/PostProcessor. No Yes RPC III and DAC Requires Adams/Durability. For more information, Adams/Durability online help. MTS Systems Corporation's RPC III and nCode's DAC files that let you interface with durability test machines and fatigue life calculation programs. Yes Yes Adams/View 4 The advantages and disadvantages of the different MD Adams file formats in which you can save or export your modeling data are listed in the table below. 5 Adams/View 6 Format: Advantages: Disadvantages: Upward Compatibility: Adams/Solver dataset • Creates a model definition for Adams/Solver analysis. • Uses standard MD Adams data language (ADL) commands. • ASCII format that is easy to read and portable to different computer platforms. • Enables you to build and investigate the results of the analysis on a different platform from your analysis. • Provides a standardized format and allows extensive comments. • Saves ADL for a single model only. • Doesn't contain Adams/View environment information (modeling entity color, size, and visibility attributes). • Doesn't save all types of geometry, such as polylines, revolutions, extrusions, ellipsoids, links, and toruses. • Upwardly compatible with MD Adams for two major releases. For example, files created in version 7.0 are compatible with versions 8 and 9. • Files created in a Beta version are never compatible with the final version. Adams/View modeling database (binary) • Restores an Adams/View session exactly as it was when you saved the file. • Saves an entire database with multiple models, analysis cases, and simulation results. • Provides unified, precise storage and fast read/write capability. • The file size can be large. • You have to load the binary file into the product to debug your mode. • Interface customization is lost between versions. Before upgrading, export the customization content as text files (macros, dialog boxes, menus, and so on) and then import the files into Adams. • Files created in a beta version are never compatible with the final version. 7 Adams/View command • Defines a single model. • Allows reading and writing of file since it is in text format. • Enables transferring of data to different computer systems. • Saves all types of geometry, such as polylines, and links. • Reads slower than binary. • Contains only a single model definition, with no simulation data. • Doesn't contain Adams/View environment information (view layouts, menu definitions, and so on). • Upwardly compatible with Adams for two major releases. For example, files created in version 7.0 are compatible with versions 8 and 9. • Files created in a beta version are never compatible with the final version. Format: Advantages: Disadvantages: Upward Compatibility: Adams/View 8 Comparison of CAD File Formats The following compares the different CAD file formats for importing geometry using Adams/Exchange or Adams/View. 9 Adams/View 10 The file format: Has the advantages/disadvantages: IGES • When exporting geometry from a CAD program, the shapes are represented by triangles and rectangles. You can adjust the tolerance on the approximated shape when importing in Adams/View. • Volume information is not supported in Adams/Exchange if the geometry is imported as a polygon or if the original shape is not a solid. Therefore, Adams/View cannot calculate the mass properties of the imported shape. You have to define them manually. • Color information is retained. • To import shells as solids, be sure to set the options Solids instead of Polygons and turn off Consolidate to shells. Also the originals have to be solid to be imported as solid. If something goes wrong during the import process, approximation will be tried and the imported shape will be represented by polygons. Note that if you import the geometry as a solid, Adams/View can calculate mass properties. Render • Volume information is supported in Adams/Exchange, within the given tolerance in the shape. Adams products, therefore, can calculate mass properties. • Each render file can contain many shapes, but when you import it, Adams/Exchange attaches all its geometry to only one part. • Color information is retained. • Importing your geometry as Stereolithography (STL) or render geometry is more reliable than using other CAD formats, such as IGES or STEP. • File format is very simple. • The files are much larger than IGES and DXF files. • Because the surfaces have been represented as polygons, you cannot change the accuracy of the surface representations in Adams/View. You must specify the accuracy when you create the files in your CAD program. 11 STEP • Adams/Exchange supports STEP AP203 and AP214. Note, however, as stated in the ITI PDELIB manual: It is important to realize that AP 214 is still at the "Committee Draft" stage of its development and as such is a continuously changing and evolving beast. While it is our intent to update this subsystem as necessary, no guarantees are expressed or implied. i.e. use at your own risk! • Adams/Exchange does not support conformance class 5, which contains faceted B-rep shape representation. ITI explains that faceted B-rep shape representation takes up too much memory to exchange, and most vendors do not support it. • Volume information is supported in Adams/Exchange, within the given tolerance in the shape. Adams products, therefore, can calculate mass properties. You may find a small difference between the mass properties calculated in Pro/ENGINEER and those calculated in MD Adams. • Each STEP file can contain many shapes, but when you import it, Adams/Exchange attaches all its geometry to only one part. • Color information is not retained. Stereolithography • When exporting geometry from a CAD program, shapes are represented by triangles. Most CAD programs support the ability to specify a tolerance, and, therefore, the number of triangles. • Volume information of solid bodies is supported in Adams/View, within the given tolerance in the shape. Using that shape, Adams products can calculate mass properties. Volume information of thin-walled bodies is not supported, so no mass properties can be calculated for it. • Only one body for each STL file. • Color information is not retained. Parasolid • Currently, Adams/Exchange supports Parasolid version 14.0. • Using Parasolid files, you can import the whole model while you can only import part by part using STEP, IGES, STL, DWG, and DXF. The file format: Has the advantages/disadvantages: Adams/View 12 Exporting Data Defining a Geometric Spline You can export data defining a geometric spline element (for example, a spline that you created by following a point during an animation. Learn about Creating Trace Spline). To export the data: 1. Right-click the spline geometry, point to its geometry name, and then select Modify. 2. To the right of the Values text box, click the More button . 3. The Location Table appears. 4. Use the Write button to export the data. Learn about writing data from the Location Table. 13 Import Dialog Box Import Dialog Box Imports modeling data in a wide variety of formats so you can exchange modeling data among different MD Adams products, as well as with other software manufacturer’s products. Adams/View 14 Import - Adams/View Command Files Imports a command file into Adams/View so that Adams/View executes the commands stored in the command file. Learn about: • Sources of Command Files • Command File Format • Ensuring Upward Compatibility of Command Files • Reading Command Files Tip: You can also use Tools -> Read Command File to import a command file, and set the options using Settings -> Command File. For the option: Do the following: File Type Set it to Adams/View Command File. File to Read Enter the name of the command file that you want to import. You do not need to enter the file extension .cmd since Adams/View assumes that it is the file extension. Echo Commands Select to display the commands that Adams/View executes as it imports the file. Update Screen Display the results of the commands in the main window. If you do not select Update Screen, Adams/View displays the results when it finishes reading the command file. Display Model Upon Completion Display the final results of the import. On Error Set what Adams/View does when it encounters an error. 15 Import Dialog Box Import - Adams/Solver Dataset Imports datasets that you created for Adams/Solver into Adams/View. When you import an Adams/Solver dataset, Adams/View creates a new model using the model description defined in the dataset. It makes the model part of the current modeling database. To display the model, see Displaying Models in the Database. Note: If Adams/View encounters special characters in the file, such as <CTRL m>, it cancels the operation. Special characters can appear in files that have been transferred between different computer systems (for example, from Windows NT to UNIX). If Adams/View cancels the operation, edit the file to remove the special characters and import the file into Adams/View again. For the option: Do the following: File Type Set it to Adams/Solver Dataset. File to Read Enter the name of the dataset that you want to import. You do not need to enter the file extension .adm, since Adams/View assumes that this is the file extension. Model to Create Enter the name of the model you want to create from the dataset. Set Default Units Set the default units for the model. For more information, see Units Dialog Box. Display Model Upon Completion Display the final results of the import. Adams/View 16 Import - Adams/Solver Analysis Files Imports Adams/Solver analysis files, which are a set of output files that Adams/Solver generates during a single simulation. The files include: • Graphics • Request • Results You can import multiple files if you associate and store the files with a model. Adams/View reads and creates all analyses under the specified model. If you do not provide a model name, Adams/View reads each analysis into its own model. For request files, when you specify multiple files, the Request IDs button only displays the requests from the first file listed. The list of IDs will, however, be applied to all files. If you select to associate the files with a particular simulation, you can only import one set of output files generated from the same Adams/Solver simulation. Adams/View uses the time-date stamp placed at the beginning of each output file to determine if the files were generated by the same simulation run. If you have very large request files that you want to import, Adams/View lets you read in only a subset of the request file to conserve memory use. You can specify to read in only the request IDs in which you are interested and skip time steps. Note that this is only available when reading in a single request file, not when reading in an entire set of analysis files. Note: Importing an entire set of analysis files works even if you have only one of the three files included in the analysis set as explained below. If Adams/View cannot find any of the three files, it issues a message. The most common reasons that Adams/View cannot find one or more of the files are that the path to the files is incorrect or you do not have permission to read the file. You can either: • Import the files again using the correct path name. • Move the files into the directory from which you are running Adams/View and check the file permission. Then, import the files again. You do not need to specify the file locations. 17 Import Dialog Box For the option: Do the following: File Type • To import sets of analysis files, select Adams/Solver Analysis Files. • To import individual analysis files one at a time, select Graphics, Request, or Results. Note: When you import only a graphics file, you can select to display the graphics and choose to store the data on your disk drive and not in the MD Adams modeling database. Then when Adams/View or Adams/PostProcessor animates the model, it references the data on disk. By saving the data on disk and not in the Adams database you can save substantial amounts of memory, especially if the files are large (containing 20,000 output steps or more). Note that storing the data on disk results in slightly longer animation time. File(s) to Read Enter the base name of the file or set of files. You do not need to enter their extension. Model/Analysis Enter either the model or analysis name under which you want to store the analysis files in the modeling database. You can enter multiple files if you select to store them under a model. View (Adams/PostProcessor only) Enter the viewport in which to display the data. Display Model After Completion (Graphics file only) Select if you want to display the final results of the import. Keep Results Data On Disk Select if you want to avoid reading the entire contents of the graphics, request, or results data (XML only) into the database. MD Adams/View references the data only when needed for animations or xy plotting. Storing the data on disk reduces the memory footprint and improves performance for very large simulations, for example, those containing durability results. Learn more about storing results files in XML format. If you selected to import a request file, the following two options appear: Request IDs Enter the IDs of the requests in which you are interested and want read into the Adams/View database. Select the More tool to select from a list of all the requests and their IDs in the specified request file. Time Step Skip Enter whether or not to skip time steps by specifying a pattern of time steps to skip. If you have a large request file with unnecessarily fine time resolution, this can significantly reduce the amount of memory used to store the data. For example, enter 1 to have Adams/View store only the following time steps in the database: 1st, 3rd, 5th, and so on. Enter 2 to store only the 1st, 4th, 7th, and so on. Adams/View 18 Import - Test Data You can import test data, such as the results of hardware prototype testing, calculations, or simulations performed by other software or earlier sessions. When you import test data, you can compare it with MD Adams simulation results or use the data in the definition of your model. For example, you might want to import the results from physical tests of a mechanical system and compare them to the results of simulations in MD Adams of the same mechanical system to evaluate the accuracy of a model or to help you improve your model. Learn about test data file format. For the option: Do the following: File Type Set it to Test Data. File to Read Enter the name of the file that you want to import. Create Splines/ Create Measures Select whether you want to import the data as splines or as measures. Time Column Index For measures only, specify which column in the data file contains the x-axis data. Enter the column number. MD Adams uses all other columns as the y-axis data. Independent Column Index For splines only, enter the column number to specify which column in the file to use for the independent data (X parameter) in the MD Adams spline. The columns are numbered sequentially from left to right starting with 1, 2, 3, and so on. If you specify an independent data index for splines, MD Adams does not create a spline for the column of the file with that index. Instead, that column of data is used as the x data for all splines. If you do not include an independent column index, then the series of numbers 1, 2, 3, and so on is used for the x data of all splines. 19 Import Dialog Box Units Specify the unit category to be applied to the dependent data for the spline. You can provide a unit category for each dependent column in the file. Once MD Adams assigns the units to the spline, it performs automatic unit conversions based on the current default units specified (Settings -> Units). For example, if you import test data and assign the unit category of length, and then you change the length unit from millimeter to meter, Adams/View automatically converts the test data by 0.001. Note that you should take care to ensure the current units in MD Adams are set to the appropriate units for the data in the file before importing the file. If the MD Adams default units are millimeter, and you are importing data in inches, the data in the file will be interpreted as millimeters. The units field is optional. If you omit it, MD Adams assigns no_units to the imported data, and performs no automatic unit conversion. Model Name/ Analysis Name Specify the name of the model or, for measures, the name of the analysis in which you want to store the data. Select: • Model Name and then enter the name of the model in the text box next next to the pull-down menu. • Analysis Name and then enter the name of the simulation in the text box next to the pull-down menu. You can only store measures under simulation results. (Not available if you are importing the data as a spline.) Names in File Specify how to define the names of the splines or measures • If there are textual column headers in the file, select Names in File. MD Adams uses the column header text as the names of each spline. • If there are no textual column headers, do not select Names in File. MD Adams automatically generates names for the splines (for example, SPLINE_1, SPLINE_2, and so on). For the option: Do the following: Adams/View 20 Import - STEP, IGES, DXF/DWG When you import CAD geometry, Adams/Exchange reads the CAD file and converts the geometry into a set of MD Adams geometric elements. By importing geometry from standard CAD packages you can reduce the need to recreate geometry primitives within MD Adams, and you can enhance your ability to realistically view the behavior of complicated mechanical systems. Be sure that the model into which you want to import the geometry is currently open and displayed in MD Adams. You can associate the geometry that you import with an existing part or create a new part with which to associate it. For the option: Do the following: File Type Set it to the type of geometry that you want to import. File to Read Enter the name of the file that you want to import. Part Name Enter the name of the part with which you want to associate the imported geometry. Tolerance Enter the tolerance for the geometry. The tolerance value is the measure of the midpoint chordal distance from the approximated curve/surface to the true curve/surface: Schematic of the Tolerance Value Be careful when specifying the tolerance. You should have advanced knowledge of the units and size of the geometry in the CAD file before setting the tolerance. If you do not know the size of the geometry in the file, Adams/Exchange may translate the geometry so it is too coarse, or too fine. A tolerance that is too fine can potentially cause Adams/Exchange to use excessive computing power and memory. The tolerance reported in the log file is the tolerance of the data defined in the CAD file. This is the maximum tolerance available in the CAD file and is usually too fine for efficient translation to Adams/View. We recommend, therefore, that you try a tolerance several orders of magnitude greater then the tolerance specified in the CAD file. 21 Import Dialog Box Level Enter the level or levels to be translated in the CAD file for IGES, DXF, and DWG files. Levels let you associate geometry into a group. These groups can be manipulated as a single entity for purposes of visibility and color. The CAD program that generated the CAD file defines the levels and are labeled with integers greater than or equal to 0. Levels are typically used to organize data for viewing and are similar to layers. If you do not specify the levels you want translated, Adams/Exchange reads all levels. You can specify a single level or a range of levels. Separate the range with a comma (,). For example, enter 10, 15 to translate levels 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15. Scale Enter the factor by which you want to scale the size of the geometry created in Adams/Exchange. The default scale factor is 1.0, meaning that the geometry in Adams/Exchange will be the same size as the geometry in the CAD file. A scale factor less than 1.0 reduces the size of geometry and a scale factor greater than 1.0 increases the size of the geometry. For example, if you specify a scale factor of 0.5, Adams/Exchange translates a cylinder of length 2 meters and diameter of .5 meters to a length of 1 meter and diameter of .25 meters. Adams/Exchange also scales the distance from the geometry to the coordinate system specified in the Relative To text box according to the scale value. If the cylinder was located at 3, 2, 0 in the file, it would be located at 1.5, 1, 0 after it is translated to MD Adams. The orientation of the geometry is not effected by scale value. Create Select either: • Polygons to represent surfaces as polygons. Selecting Polygons allows for the quickest animations and rendering. • Solids to represent surfaces as solid representations. Selecting Solids allows for the greatest precision and mass property calculations. Blanked Entities Select to translate entities that are blanked (made not visible). Adams/Exchange translates the blanked entities and makes them invisible. If you do not select Blanked Entities, Adams/Exchange does not translate the blanked entities. Blanked entities are typically construction entities that are used in the definition of another geometric entity. For example, a line can be used as the center of rotation of another line in the definition of a cylinder. The center line and the sweep line rotated about the center line are both blanked because they are temporary entities used in the construction of the cylinder. Once you translate blanked entities to MD Adams, there is no distinction between construction entities and other geometry. You can change the visibility of the entities. For the option: Do the following: Adams/View 22 Location Specify the translational position where the geometry in the CAD file is to be located, relative to the MD Adams part coordinate system. These coordinates can be relative to any other coordinate system defined in the model. By default, you enter Cartesian (x,y,z) coordinates. You can change the convention for entering translational positions. Learn about Setting Default Coordinate System. Orientation Specify the angular position where the geometry in the CAD file is to be oriented relative to the MD Adams part coordinate system. These orientation coordinates can be relative to any other coordinate system defined in the model. Adams/View orients the coordinate system starting from the initial coordinate system and applying three successive rotations. By default, you supply body-fixed 313 angles. You can change the convention for entering orientation angles. Learn about Setting Default Coordinate System. Relative To Enter the coordinate system relative to which the translated geometry will be defined. The coordinates you specified in the Location and Orientation text boxes are relative to the coordinate system that you specify. You can specify a coordinate system, part, or model. Mesh Density Enter the density of the mesh in uv coordinates. Consolidate To Shells Set to import all the geometry as one shell. If you do not select Consolidate To Shells, Adams/Exchange imports the geometry as individual entities. We recommend that you select Consolidate To Shells to receive the best animation results. Display Summary Select to display a summary of the exporting in a message window. For the option: Do the following: 23 Import Dialog Box Import - Parasolid Imports Parasolid geometry. Requires Adams/Exchange. When you import Parasolid geometry, Adams/Exchange reads the file and converts the geometry into a set of MD Adams geometric elements. By importing geometry from standard CAD packages you can reduce the need to recreate geometry primitives within MD Adams, and you can enhance your ability to realistically view the behavior of complicated mechanical systems. Be sure that the model into which you want to import the geometry is currently open and displayed in MD Adams. You can associate the geometry that you import with an existing part or create a new part with which to associate it. For the option: Do the following: File Type Set to Parasolid. File to Read Enter the name of the file that you want to import. File Type Select the type of Parasolid file that you are importing. Model Name/Part Name Select whether or not you want to store the geometry under a model or part name in the modeling database and enter the name of the object in the text box. Adams/View 24 Import - Wavefront Files Lets you import Wavefront geometry (.obj) files to define polygon vertices and connectivity for all MD Adams graphics, except deformable geometry (springdampers, force/torque vectors, and multi-part outlines). When you import a Wavefront .obj file, MD Adams only interprets vertex, face, and group information. It ignores smoothing groups, textures, and material properties. You can associate the imported geometry with an entire model, single part, or marker. Each option is explained below: • Entire model - If you associate the contents of a Wavefront .obj with an entire model, MD Adams creates a new part for each unique group name in the .obj file. • Single part - If you associate the contents of a Wavefront .obj with a single MD Adams part, MD Adams creates a separate shell graphic object for each occurrence of a group in the .obj file. • Marker - If you associate the contents of a Wavefront .obj with a marker, MD Adams creates a separate shell graphic object for each occurrence of a group in the .obj file. These shells become the children of the part to which the marker belongs. The selected marker is the reference marker for the shells. Learn about Export - Wavefront. 25 Import Dialog Box For the option: Do the following: File Type Set to Wavefront. File to Read Enter the name of the Wavefront .obj file that you want to import. Part Name/ Model Name Set to whether you want to associate the geometry with a part or a model, and then enter the name of the part or model in the text box located next to the pull- down menu: • Model Name - If you select to associate the geometry with a model, Adams/View creates a new part for each unique group name that appears in the file. If the same group name appears more than once, Adams/View adds a separate shell geometric entity to the part with the same name as the group. It assigns names to the shell using the convention SHLx, where x is a unique integer. • Part Name - If you select to associate the geometry with a single part, Adams/View creates a new shell for each group that appears in the file. It assigns names to the shells using the convention group_name_x where x is a unique integer. • Marker Name - If you select to associate the geometry with a marker, Adams/View creates a new shell for each group that appears in the file. It assigns names to the shells using the convention group_name_x where x is a unique integer. The parts Adams/View creates are massless and editing their properties and then attaching them to your model could be cumbersome. Therefore, we suggest you use the Part Name option. See also Tips on Importing Wavefront Files. Scale Factor Enter the amount you want to scale the geometry in the Wavefront .obj file. Adams/View scales the geometry uniformly in the x, y, and z directions. Geometry Placed Set to define whether the coordinates in the Wavefront file are to be interpreted as relative to the part (relative_to_part) or relative to ground (relative_to_ground). By default, Adams/View writes Wavefront files with the coordinates relative to the part. Set Read Only Set if you want all shells that are created as a result of importing a WaveFront file to be tagged as read only. If you select read-only, Adams/View does not export the read-only shells, which protects your shell files from being overwritten. You cannot remove the read-only setting once Adams/View creates the shells. Adams/View 26 Import - Stereolithography and Render Files You can import both Stereolithography (SLA) and render geometry into MD Adams. As you import the SLA and render geometry, you associate the geometry with an existing part or you create a new part with which to associate it. Importing your geometry as SLA or render geometry is more reliable than using other CAD formats, such as IGES or STEP, and the file formats are very simple. There are, however, the following disadvantages: • The files are much larger than IGES and DXF files. • Because the surfaces have been represented as polygons, you cannot change the accuracy of the surface representations in Adams/View. You must specify the accuracy when you create the files in your CAD program. Note: Only ASCII .stl files (Stereolithography) are supported. Binary .stl files are not currently supported. For the option: Do the following: File Type Set it to Stereolithography or Render. File to Read Enter the name of the file that you want to import.. Part Name Enter the name of the part with which you want to associate the imported geometry. Scale Enter the factor by which you want to scale the size of the geometry created in MD Adams. The default scale factor is 1.0, meaning that the geometry in MD Adams will be the same size as the geometry in the SLA or render file. A scale factor less than 1.0 reduces the size of the geometry and a scale factor greater than 1.0 increases the size of the geometry. For example, if you specify a scale factor of 0.5, MD Adams translates a cylinder of length 2 meters and diameter .5 meters to a length of 1 meter and diameter of .25 meters. MD Adams also scales the distance from the geometry to the coordinate system specified in the Relative To text box according to the scale value. If the cylinder was located at 3, 2, 0 in the imported file, it would be located at 1.5, 1, 0 after it is translated to MD Adams. The orientation of the geometry is not affected by scale value. 27 Import Dialog Box Location Specify the translational position where the geometry in the file is to be located relative to the Adams/View part coordinate system. These coordinates can be relative to any other coordinate system defined in the model. By default, you enter Cartesian (x,y,z) coordinates. You can change the convention for entering translational positions. Learn about Setting Default Coordinate System. Orientation Specify the angular position where the geometry in the file is to be oriented relative to the Adams/View part coordinate system. These orientation coordinates can be relative to any other coordinate system defined in the model. Adams/View orients the coordinate system starting from the initial coordinate system and applying three successive rotations. By default, you supply body-fixed 313 angles. You can change the convention for entering orientation angles.Learn about Setting Default Coordinate System. Relative To Enter the coordinate system to which the translated geometry will be defined relative to. The coordinates you specified in the Location and Orientation text boxes are relative to the coordinate system that you specify. You can specify a coordinate system, part, or model. For the option: Do the following: Adams/View 28 Import - Shell Imports shell geometry to enhance animations. Note: In Adams/PostProcessor, you can specify whether or not you want Adams/PostProcessor to import triangular geometry into trimesh strips when you import CAD geometry. Trimesh strips display significantly faster than individual polygons, resulting in faster animations. Adams/PostProcessor automatically imports shell files (.shl , .slp, and .stl) as trimesh strips. For more information, see Preferences - Geometry. For the option: Do the following: File Name Enter the name of the file that you want to import. Shell Name Enter the name with which you want to associate the imported shell geometry. Reference Marker Enter the name of the marker to which the shell is paired. During animations, the shell geometry moves with the marker. Wireframe Only Set to import the shell geometry as wireframe. 29 Import Dialog Box Import - DAC or RPC III You can import test data in DAC or RPC III format. The steps involved in importing the data are essentially the same for both formats; however, it is important to remember that RPC III format supports multiple channels per file while DAC format only has one channel per file. Adams/View creates a DAC_FILE or RPC_FILE object below Root in the database after you successfully import these files. It only stores information about the imported file from the file header. It does not store time history data in the database. Adams/View also creates Result_Set_Component placeholders below the file object for each RPC III data channel or DAC file. For the option: Do the following: File Type Set it to DAC or RPC3. File to Read Enter the name of the file or files that you want to import. With DAC files, you may want to select multiple files because each file has only one result set. You can use Shift+click or Ctrl+click multiple selection techniques. RPC Object Name/DAC Object Name Enter the RPC or DAC objects that you want to import. Adams/View 30 Export Dialog Box Exports data from Adams/PostProcessor. You can export the following formats: • Numeric Data • Spreadsheet Data • Table • DAC/RPC (For Adams/Durability only; see the Adams/Durability online help.) • HTML Report 31 Export Dialog Box Export - Adams/Solver Dataset Exporting a model as an Adams/Solver dataset is a convenient method for transferring a model from one computer platform to another. When you export a model as an Adams/Solver dataset, Adams/View preserves the database names in your model by writing them as comments in the Adams/Solver dataset. This allows you to import the dataset at a later date and still have the original database names. Your model does not have to be complete to be exported as an Adams/Solver dataset. If you want to check your model for completeness and consistency, verify your model before exporting the dataset. Adams/View 32 33 Export Dialog Box For the option: Do the following: File Name Enter the name you want to assign to the dataset file. You do not need to enter the file extension .adm, because Adams/View assumes that is the file extension. If you want the file written to a directory other than the one from which you are running Adams/View, enter the path name in the File Name text box. To browse for the directory in which you want to export the command file, right-click the File Name text box, and then select Browse to display the File Selection dialog box. Model Name Enter the name of the model you want exported as a command file. Use Parasolid Select either: • As is - Adams/View exports any geometry that was imported from a Parasolid file out to a Parasolid file when it writes the command file. The command file references the newly created Parasolid file. All other geometry (for example, cylinder, shell, and spring-dampers) are defined using Adams/View command language and included in the command file. • Full - Adams/View exports all static geometry to Parasolid files instead of using Adams/View command language. This includes cylinders, shells, Parasolid, solids, and so on. It does not include dynamic outlines, spring-damper graphics, and graphic force vectors. These graphics continue to be defined in the Adams/View command language. Write to Window/Write to File Only To specify where the text of the dataset is to be written and displayed, select one of the following: • Write to Window - To display the dataset in an information window, as well as save it in a file. • Write to File Only - To only write the dataset to a file and not display it in an information window. Adams/View 34 Indent Spaces Enter the number of spaces used to indent the continuation line of a statement. The allowed values are between 0 and 4 spaces. (Five or more spaces make the subsequent text on the line a comment.) The default is 1 space. Adams/View does not indent the text for continuation lines of function expressions. It assumes that you will add any leading spaces that you want for indentation of functions. Any indentation Adams/View would enter would interfere with the indention used to show nesting of IFfunctions. Adams/View does, however, indent the argument list of a user function if it requires more than one line. Adams/View precedes the values of an argument that has multiple string values separated by colons with a comma and indents the values if you place them on a continuation line. This applies to the PART/EXACT and COUPLER/TYPE arguments. It does not apply to the REQUEST/TITLE argument, which doesn't allow embedded spaces. Instead, Adams/View precedes a REQUEST/TITLE argument with a comma. Decimal Places Enter the number of decimal places written after the decimal point for real numbers Zero Threshold Enter the threshold value for numbers being written to an Adams/Solver dataset. When Adams/View writes a number that has an absolute value smaller than the zero threshold value, it writes it as zero. The zero threshold value is independent of units. Significant Digits Control how many significant digits of a real number Adams/View retains during round off. The default is 10. The number you enter is distinct from the number of places actually printed for real numbers, which the Decimal Places value controls. Be sure to select Round Off Values so rounding off occurs. Scientific Notation Specify where the format for real numbers switches from a fixed point format to scientific notation. Enter the lower and upper power of 10. Separate the values with commas (,). The default values are -4 and 5, meaning that Adams/View writes any number less than or equal to 1.0E- 04 or greater than or equal to 1.0E+05 in scientific notation. For the option: Do the following: 35 Export Dialog Box As Found In Original File/ Put Markers Where Used/ Keep Markers with Parts Control the organization of the statements within the dataset by specifying one of the following: • As Found In Original File - Maintains the order of the statements in the original dataset when Adams/View writes the model back to an existing dataset. To indicate which statements came from the original dataset and which statements are new, Adams/View writes any new statements that you have added to the original model after all the original statements, and also labels both sections. • Put Markers Where Used - Writes the marker statements immediately after statements that depend on the markers. These include the statements: BEAM, BUSHING, FIELD, SFORCE, SPRINGDAMPER, VFORCE, VTORQUE, GFORCE, NFORCE, JOINT, JPRIM, REQUEST, MREQUEST, CVCV, and PTCV. If none of these types of statements use a marker, Adams/View writes the marker statement after the part statement to which it belongs. Adams/View writes graphic statements that belong to a single part after the markers for that part, and writes graphic statements that connect one or more parts after all the part statements are written. It writes statements of the same type, such as JOINTs, JPRIMs, BUSHINGs, as a group, in order of ascending Adams IDs. • Keep Markers with Parts - Writes the markers that belong to a part as a group after the part to which they belong. In addition, Adams/View writes the graphic statements that belong to a single part after the marker statements for that part, and writes graphic statements that connect one or more parts after all the part statements. Adams/View also writes statements of the same type, such as JOINTs, JPRIMs, and BUSHINGs, as a group, in order of ascending Adams IDs. In general, Adams/View writes any statements that depend on other statements before the statements that depend on them. For example, it writes marker statements before the joint statements that use them, and writes joint statements before any coupler statements that connect them. Roundoff Values To control the numerical rounding of real numbers, select Roundoff Values to enable the rounding of real numbers. When you enable the rounding of numbers, Adams/View retains the numbers of places you enter in the Significant Digits text box. For the option: Do the following: Adams/View 36 Write Default Values Select to set whether or not arguments that have default values are written explicitly into the dataset. The default is to not write default values into the dataset. Multiple parameters/Line Select to write as many parameters and their values that fit within 80 columns for each line of the statement. For example: PART/1, QG = 0.5, 0, 0, REULER = 0D, 90D, 0D, MASS = 1.2 If you do not select Multiple Parameters/Line, Adams/View writes only one parameter and its values on each line of the statement. For example: PART/1 , QG = 0.5, 0, 0 , REULER = 0D, 90D, 0D , MASS = 1.2 Upper Case Text/ Lower Case Text, Mixed Case Text To control the case of the text of statement keywords and parameters, select one of the following: • Upper Case Text- Text for keywords and parameters in the dataset are written in uppercase letters (BEAM). Uppercase is the default. • Lower Case Text- Text for keywords and parameters in the dataset are written in lowercase (beam). • Mixed Case Text- Text for keywords and parameters in the dataset are written in initial case (Beam). The first character of each word is in uppercase, and the rest are in lowercase. Note that the text case control does not affect certain types of string- valued arguments. For a listing of the arguments to which the text case does not apply, see Arguments Not Affected by Case Control. Include Trailing Zeros Select Include Trailing Zeros to print all the digits after the decimal point whether they are zero or not. If you do not select Include Trailing Zeros, Adams/View drops any zeros at the end of the fractional part of the number leaving the last digit as a non-zero digit. Verify Model Select to verify the model before exporting For the option: Do the following: 37 Export Dialog Box Export - Adams/Solver Analysis Files Exports Adams/Solver analysis files, which are a set of output files that Adams/Solver generates during a single simulation. You can export them as a set or individually. The files include: • Graphics • Request • Results Adams/View exports only a set of output files generated from the same Adams/Solver simulation. For the option: Do the following: File Name Enter the name you want to assign to the analysis file or files. You do not need to enter the file extension, because Adams/View adds the extensions for you. If you want the file written to a directory other than the one from which you are running Adams/View, enter the path name in the File Name text box. To browse for the directory in which you want to export the command file, right-click the File Name text box, and then select Browse to display the File Selection dialog box. Analysis Name Enter the name of the simulation whose data you want to export. Adams/View 38 Export - Adams/View Command File When you export a model as a command file, Adams/View creates a file containing all the commands necessary to create the selected model. Exporting a model as an Adams/View command file is helpful when you want to move a model from one type of computer platform to another. Note that the order of commands in the command file may not be in the same order as you entered them in Adams/View. Saving a model as a command file does not save your simulation results or analysis files. To save your analysis files, set up Adams/View so that it saves the analysis files. For the option: Do the following: File Name Enter the name you want to assign to the command file. You do not need to enter the file extension .cmd, because Adams/View assumes that is the file extension. If you want the file written to a directory other than the one from which you are running Adams/View, enter the path name in the File Name text box. To browse for the directory in which you want to export the command file, right-click the File Name text box, and then select Browse to display the File Selection dialog box. Model Name Enter the name of the model you want exported as a command file. Use Parasolid Select either: • As is - Adams/View exports any geometry that was imported from a Parasolid file out to a Parasolid file when it writes the command file. The command file references the newly created Parasolid file. All other geometry (for example, cylinder, shell, and spring-dampers) are defined using Adams/View command language and included in the command file. • Full - Adams/View exports all static geometry to Parasolid files instead of using Adams/View command language. This includes cylinders, shells, Parasolid, solids, and so on. It does not include dynamic outlines, spring-damper graphics, and graphic force vectors. These graphics continue to be defined in the Adams/View command language. 39 Export Dialog Box Export - Numeric Test Data You can export the data that MD Adams generates during simulations for use in other applications. For the option: Do the following: File Type Set to Numeric Data. Result Set Comp. Name Enter the name of the results set component or components that you want to export. Sort By Set to either: • Value to sort the values in the result set by the magnitude. • Time (the default) to sort the values in the result set by the simulation time associated with the value. Order Specify the order in which you want the values listed in the file. Select either ascending or descending. File Name Specify the name of the file in which you want to save the data. If you want the file written to a directory other than the one from which you are running MD Adams, enter the path name. Above Value/ Below Value Enter limits of values to be exported: • Above Value to specify the highest value to be exported. • Below Value to specify the lowest value to be exported. Write to Terminal Select to display the data in an Adams Information window as well as save it in a file. If you do not select Write to Terminal, MD Adams only writes the data to a file. Adams/View 40 Export - CAD (IGES, STEP, DXG, DWG, and Parasolid) Exports CAD geometry using Adams/Exchange. It writes the geometric definition of an MD Adams model or part from to the specified CAD file format. You can then read the CAD file into a CAD program. You can export an entire model, an individual part of a model, or a model as it exists at a particular simulation time, which is helpful for transferring position data of an MD Adams model to a drafting program to prepare drawings of the mechanism at various states of operation. For the option: Do the following: File Type Set to type of geometry that you want to export (IGES, STEP, DXF, DWG, or Parasolid). File Name Enter the name of the file that you want to create. The file will contain the exported CAD geometry. You do not need to enter a file extension. Adams/Exchange automatically generates the appropriate extension for the type of geometry you are exporting. For example, if you are exporting IGES geometry, Adams/Exchange adds an .igs extension. File Type For Parasolid geometry only, set to the type of Parasolid geometry file to create. Part/Model/Analysis Name • Select the geometry that you want to export, and then enter the name of the geometry in the text box next to the pull-down menu. You can select: • Model Name - Lets you specify the Adams/View model to be written to the CAD file. Adams/Exchange places each rigid body in the model on a separate level. All geometry written to the IGES file is defined with respect to the global coordinate system of the Adams/View model. • Part Name - Lets you specify the Adams/View part to be written to the CAD file. Adams/Exchange writes all the geometry owned by the part to the CAD file. It defines all geometry in the CAD file with respect to the part coordinate system. • Analysis Name - Lets you export a model at a particular simulation frame (time) of a particular analysis. This is helpful for transferring position data of an Adams/View model to a drafting program to prepare drawings of the mechanism at various states of operation. Adams/Exchange writes all parts and geometry to the CAD file in the same relative position as they appear in a single frame display. 41 Export Dialog Box Export - Wavefront You can export Adams/View graphics and motion data to Wavefront to help you create animations in Wavefront Technologies advanced photorealistic rendering product, the Advanced Visualizer. You can also select to only export the model geometry, in which case Adams/View only creates object files. For the option: Do the following: File Type Set to Wavefront File. Model Name/ Analysis Name Select either depending on what information you want to export, and then enter the name of the model or analysis you want exported in the text box next to the pull-down menu: • If you select Model Name, you export only your model geometry. • If you select Analysis, you export all motion and geometry data. You can enter multiple models or simulations by separating the names with commas. Adams/View 42 Export - Shell You can export MD Adams geometry for use as shell geometry in other applications. For the option: Do the following: Shell Name Enter the name of the shell object that you want to export. File Name Enter the name of the file to which you want to export the geometry. 43 Export Dialog Box Export - FEA Loads Export FEA load information. Before exporting FEA load information, you must run a simulation of your model. Learn about: • About Exporting FEA Loads • Process for Exporting FEA Loads • Limitations for Exporting FEA Loads For the option: Do the following: File Type Set to FEA Loads. File Format Select the file format for the loads file that you want Adams/View to create. Inertia Clear the selection of this option if you would like to output external loads only. • When selected, Adams/View outputs inertia loads in addition to external loads. Inertia loads include linear acceleration, angular acceleration, and angular velocity of the part or flexible body. Reaction loads include applied and reaction forces acting on the body. • When cleared, Adams/View specifies a load imbalance for the body, and you must employ a technique, such as inertia relief in the finite element program, to recover the inertia loads based on external loads. File Name Enter the name of the file to be created. If you want the file written to a directory other than the one from which you are running Adams/View, enter the path name in the File Name text box. Analysis Enter the simulation containing the information you want to export. Loads on Rigid Body/ Loads on Flexible Body Select whether the body whose load information you want to export is a rigid or flexible body. Rigid Body FEA origin marker For a rigid body only, enter the marker to which all load information will be relative. The marker location and orientation must correspond to the origin of the part in the FEA program. Flexible Body Name For a flexible body only, enter the name of the flexible body. Adams/View assumes that its FEA origin is the same as it was when the flexible body was defined. Adams/View 44 You can skip the next two options in the following cases: • For flexible bodies because the node IDs at each load location are known. • For rigid bodies if the node IDs are not available. Then, the FEA input file will contain the locations (with respect to the FEA coordinate reference) and Adams ID label of the marker at each load location. You will need to edit the file, however, replacing these labels with the actual node IDs, once they are known. For the option: Do the following: 45 Export Dialog Box Add Load Points to Nodes Table Select to have Adams/View calculate the points on the part where forces are applied. Adams/View calculates the load points and places the points and their locations in the Nodes table of the File Export dialog box. The node coordinates are displayed relative to the FEA origin of the rigid or flexible body. You might need to resize the File Export dialog box to see all the point locations. Node_id/Scan file for IDs For rigid bodies only, assign node IDs to the load points Adams/View found, if desired. You can do one of the following: • Type in the node IDs in the Node Id column fields. • Select Scan file for IDs to have Adams/View read in a text file containing the node IDs. For more information using a text file, see Process for Exporting FEA Loads. Because the loads file is a text file, you can always add the node IDs to the file as you add the load case to your FEA dataset. Note: For flexible bodies, Adams/View automatically assigns node IDs to the load points based on the actual node IDs of the flexible body at these load locations. Output at times Do one of the following depending on the load information you want Adams/View to export: • To generate a complete loads history, leave the Output at times text box blank. Adams/View exports load information at every output step in the simulation. This is the default setting. • To generate only load information for certain output times, enter the desired output times, separated by commas (,) in the Output at times text box. Adams/View exports a single load case at the time closest to the requested time. For ABAQUS, ANSYS, and NASTRAN, you can also enter a tolerance (+ or - a value) for the output times. For example, if you requested output at time steps 2 and 5 with a tolerance of 0.1, Adams/View generates a load case for all output steps between 1.9 and 2.1 and 4.9 and 5.1. For DAC and RPC III, you can enter a start output time and an end output time. For the option: Do the following: Adams/View 46 Caution: Note that loads are output in the Adams/View modeling units. These units must be consistent with those specified in the finite element model or the results of the FE analysis that includes the MD Adams loads will be incorrect. After completing the Export FEA Loads dialog box, Adams/View displays the current modeling units and gives you a chance to modify them before continuing with the FEA loads export. 47 Export Dialog Box Export - Spreadsheet Data You can export an Adams/View result set to a file in spreadsheet format. By exporting the result set to a spreadsheet, you can view and manipulate the information in spreadsheet software packages including formatting it or performing additional calculations on it. Tabs separate the data in the exported file. For the option: Do the following: File Type Set to Spread Sheet. File Name Enter the name you want to assign to the spreadsheet file. By default, Adams creates the spreadsheet with a .tab extension. Result Set Name Enter the name of the results set that you want to export. Adams/View 48 Export - Adams/PostProcessor Files Exports data from Adams/View for use with a stand-alone version of Adams/PostProcessor. When you export Adams/PostProcessor files, Adams/View generates a command file (.cmd) and all required supporting files, including: • Dataset (.adm) file • Shell (.shl) files needed for geometry representation • Matrix (.mtx) files for use with the .adm file, if needed The command file also contains commands to read in the other files when you import the command file into Adams/PostProcessor. Adams/View names the command file ModelName_to_ppt.cmd, where ModelName is the name of the model. For example, if the model from which you are exporting data is suspension14, then the command file is suspension14_to_ppt.cmd. Note: The simulation results are not referenced in the command file. You must import the analysis files (graphics, request, and results files) separately into Adams/PostProcessor. For more information, see Import - Adams/Solver Analysis Files. For the option: Do the following: File Type Set to Adams/PostProcessor Files. Model Name Enter the name of the model from which you want the data exported. 49 Export Dialog Box Export - DAC or RPC III You can export either DAC or RPC III format request files from Adams/View after a simulation completes. This technique does not require you to set up requests before running the simulation. By definition, results output to an RPC III or DAC file must have constant time steps. If the results data being output includes non-constant time steps, Adams/View issues a warning, and the time axis of the data will be warped so that the time interval is constant. For the option: Do the following: File Type Set it to DAC or RPC3. File to Read Enter the name of the DAC or RPC III file that you want to export. Results Data Select the result set components you want to export. The result set components can come from results sets, measures, or requests. You can only have one result set per DAC file. To select the data, right-click the Result Data text box, point to Result_Set_Component, and then select Browse to display the Database Navigator. Adams/View 50 About Adams/Exchange Adams/Exchange supports four data exchange formats: • IGES • STEP • DXF/DWG • Parasolid The geometry translator underneath Adams/Exchange that supports IGES, STEP, and DXF/DWG is PDE/Lib. It was provided by International Technegroup Incorporated (ITI) of Milford, Ohio. You can contact them at 513-576-3900. ITI reserves all rights with respect to PDE/Lib. 51 About Adams/Exchange About Importing and Exporting CAD Data Using Adams/Exchange Adams/Exchange imports standard geometry files from any software package that supports IGES, STEP, DXF/DWG, and Parasolid file formats, and converts the data into a set of Adams/View geometry elements. These elements correspond to standard Adams/Solver GRAPHICS statements, polylines, or shells. You associate the geometry with any rigid body part of the Adams/View model before or after you run an Adams/View simulation. Adams/Exchange reduces the need to recreate geometry primitives within Adams/View and enhances your ability to realistically view the behavior of complicated mechanical systems. You can also use the imported geometry for model building in Adams/View and for locating parts, constraints, and forces based on the imported geometric data. For recommendations of the best ways to export data from the CAD packages so you can import it effectively into Adams, see Recommendations for Exporting CAD Data. About Exporting CAD Data Adams/Exchange exports the geometric definition of an MD Adams model from Adams/View to the geometry file format, whether IGES, STEP, DXF/DWG, or Parasolid. The geometry file can then be read into CAD or CAE software. Adams/View 52 About IGES Import and Export The Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES) was originally developed in 1979, by the National Bureau of Standards (NBS), to facilitate the transfer of geometry and annotations from one CAD/CAM system to another. IGES is the predominant format used for the transfer of geometry information. The IGES specification defines a structured hierarchical file format and the representation of a variety of entities within the format. The entity set includes: geometric, annotation, structure, associativity, property, and attribute entities. The next sections explain how Adams/Exchange works with IGES files. For a detailed explanation of the IGES entity types, please refer to The Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES) Version 5.0 manual. Linear Approximation Adams/View directly supports only a subset of the geometry encountered in the IGES file. Some of the unsupported IGES entities are approximated using a technique called linear approximation. Adams/Exchange translates the nonlinear entities (for example, surface, curve, and so on) it encounters in the IGES file to polylines. For IGES curves, surfaces, and annotation entities that are nonlinear in definition, linear approximation produces a piecewise linear string of points or polygons that approximates the geometry to within a specified tolerance. For more information, refer to the discussion of the tolerance option in Import - CAD. Unit Conversion Adams/Exchange automatically converts all coordinate data in the IGES file to the internal units (meters, kilograms, seconds) of Adams/View. Automatic Import of a CAD Mechanism Some CAD packages support the automatic transfer of a mechanism model that was developed using an integrated Adams interface to Adams/View. These packages include: • Mechanical Dynamics MECHANISM/Pro for PTC Pro/ENGINEER • Mechanical Dynamics Adams/MS Mechanisms for Bentley MicroStation • I-DEAS Mechanism Design for I-DEAS (embedded starting with MS7) • Unigraphics UG/Mechanisms (available as a macro/user function) • Adams/MechanismWorks for Solidworks (available with initial release) Manually Importing Assemblies The concept of assemblies within IGES only exists within the IGES CSG definition (Constructed Solid Geometry; entity type 184). Adams/Exchange explodes all of the instances of the assembly into individual Adams parts. 53 About Adams/Exchange There are three methods of importing assemblies into Adams/View from an IGES file. • Defining Levels Before Generating IGES File (this is the recommended method) • Generating Separate IGES File • Importing Assembly as One Part The different method are explained in the next sections. Defining Levels Before Generating IGES File Defining levels in the IGES file is the best method to import an assembly into Adams/View. When using this method, before importing the IGES file to Adams/View, place each part in the assembly that corresponds to an Adams/View part on a separate level. Refer to the CAD program that you are using to generate the IGES file for information on IGES levels. After you generate the IGES file with the parts separated by levels, import the file into Adams/View. Follow the instructions in Importing - CAD. or use the IGES FILE READ command once for each part in the model using the PART_NAME parameter and the LEVEL parameter to ensure that the geometry from the appropriate level is placed on the correct part. You might find it easier to use the IGES FILE READ command than using the dialog box explained in the earlier section because you can create a command file that repeats the IGES FILE READ command as necessary. For example, if you wanted to import an assembly of a pendulum, you first generate the IGES file with the ground part on level 1 and the pendulum on level 2. The complete geometric definition of the pendulum assembly exists in the IGES file but the levels identify the geometry on the ground part and the geometry on the pendulum part. Execute the following commands to read the IGES file and associate the desired geometry with the appropriate part: FILE GEOM READ TYPE=IGES FILE= "pendulum.igs" PART_NAME= /pend/ground LEVEL= 1 FILE GEOM READ TYPE=IGES FILE= "pendulum.igs" PART_NAME= /pend/mass LEVEL= 2 Generating Separate IGES File The second method to import an assembly is to generate a separate IGES file for each part in the assembly. For the previous example, you would generate two files: pendulum_ground.igs and pendulum_mass.igs. You would then execute the following commands to read the IGES files and transfer the geometry to the appropriate part: FILE GEOMETRY READ TYPE=IGES FILE= "pendulum_ground.igs" PART_NAME= /pend/ground FILE GEOMETRY READ TYPE=IGES FILE= "pendulum_mass.igs" PART_NAME= /pend/mass This method has the advantage of not requiring the existence of levels in the IGES file but does require that you create multiple IGES files. Importing Assembly as One Part The third method is to import the geometry for the entire assembly onto one part and then use Adams/View commands to move the geometry to the appropriate part. This method is tedious if the IGES file contains a large number of parts or a large number of geometric entities. Adams/View 54 IGES Input Log File Adams/Exchange generates a log file containing a list of any warnings or errors that may have occurred during the translation to Adams/View. Adams/Exchange creates the log file in the current directory and assigns it the same name as the IGES file with the extension .log. Imported Mass Properties Adams/Exchange does not support mass properties for IGES files if you import the geometry as a polygon or if the original shape is not solid. Imported Subfigures Adams/Exchange does not support subfigures. Therefore, Adams/Exchange does not translate any geometry defined as subfigures in an IGES file to Adams/View. Exported IGES Levels When Adams/Exchange exports geometry in IGES format, it places the geometry for each Adams/View part on a separate level within the IGES file. This provides for easier handling of geometry for individual parts after the IGES file has been written. Adams/Exchange uses the MD Adams ID of the part as the integer ID identifying the IGES level. It writes dynamic geometry (graphic spring dampers and outlines that span multiple parts) to a separate level with an integer ID that is equal to 1 greater than the highest MD Adams part ID. Exported Colors Adams/Exchange writes the colors of geometric entities in Adams/View to the IGES file. It supports any color defined within Adams/View. The RGB (red, green, blue) values are stored as entity number 314, Color Definition, in the IGES file. Note that not all IGES vendors support RGB color values. Exported Visibility Adams/Exchange translates invisible geometric objects to the IGES file as blanked entities. The visibility of the object as it appears in Adams/View determines how it is interpreted when written to the IGES file as shown in the table below. Adams/View visibility: IGES translation: On Normal Off Blanked No Opinion Normal 55 About Adams/Exchange Supported IGES Entities A summary of the supported IGES entities is shown in the table below. Note that the three-dimensional graphic icons representing Adams modeling elements (joints, and so on) are not translated to the IGES file. Adams/ View object: Entity type number: IGES entity: Import, export, or both: Arc 100 Circular arc Both Circle 100 Circular arc Both Graphic force 102 Composite curve Export Spline 102 Composite curve Export Outline 102 or 106 Composite curve or copious data Export Polyline 102 or 106 Composite curve or copious data Both Ellipse/nurbcurve 104 Ellipse/nurb_curve Both Block 106 Copious data Export Cylinder 106 Copious data Export Ellipsoid 106 Copious data Export Extrusion 106 Copious data Export Frustum 106 Copious data Export Link 106 Copious data Export Graphic spring damper 106 Copious data Export Revolution 106 Copious data Export Shell 106 Copious data Export Tire 106 Copious data Export Torus 106 Copious data Export Face (trimmed surf) 108:1 Plane Both Polyline 110:0 Line Both nurb_curve 112:0 Parametric spline curve Both nurb_surf 114:0 Parametric spline surface Both Marker 116 Point NS Adams/View 56 Polyline 116:0 Point Import nurb_surf 118 Ruled surface Import nurb_surf 120:0 Surface of revolution Import nurb_surf 122:0 Tabulated cylinder Import Explode 125:0 Flash entity Import Polyline 125:2 Polyline Import arc 125:3 Arc Import polyline 125:4 Polyline Import nurb_curve 126 Rational b-spline curve Import nurb_surf 128 Rational b-spline surface Import nurb_curve 130:0 Offset curve Import explode 132:0 Connect point entity Import nurb_surf 140:0 Offset surface Import Chain 141:0 Composite edge curve (boundary) Import Chain 142:0 Composite edge curve Import Face 143:0 Bounded surface Both Face 144:0 Trimmed parametric surface Both Solid 186:0 Manifold solid B- rep object Import Explode 202:0 Angular dimension Import Explode 204:0 Curve dimension Import Explode 206:0 Diameter dimension Import 106:11 and explode 208:0 Flag note Import Explode 210:0 General label Import Polyline 212 Polyline Import Polyline 214 Leader Import Explode 216 Linear dimension Import Explode 220:0 Point dimension Import Adams/ View object: Entity type number: IGES entity: Import, export, or both: 57 About Adams/Exchange Explode 222 Radius dimension Import Explode 228 General symbol Import 106 and explode 230 Sectioned area Import Explode 308:0 Subfigure definition Import Explode 320:0 Network subfigure definition Import Explode 408:0 Singular subfigure instance Import Explode 412:0 Rectangular array subfigure Import Explode 414:0 Circular array subfigure Import Explode 420:0 Network subfigure instance Import Adams/ View object: Entity type number: IGES entity: Import, export, or both: Adams/View 58 About STEP Import and Export STEP is officially known as ISO 10303 - Exchange of Product Model Data. A summary of STEP is provided in the ISO document, STEP Part 1: overview and fundamental principles. The following is a paragraph from the ISO document describing STEP format. The Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data (STEP) is a neutral mechanism capable of completely representing product data throughout the life cycle of a product (Neutral in this context indicates independence from any particular CAx software system). The completeness of this representation makes it suitable not only for neutral file exchange, but also as a basis for implementing and sharing product databases and archiving. There is an undeniable need to transfer product data in computer-readable form from one site to another. These sites may have one of a number of relationships between them (contractor and subcontractor, customer and supplier); the information invariably needs to iterate between the sites, retaining both data completeness and functionality, until it is ultimately archived. The most cost effective manner to encapsulate such information is in a neutral format, independent of any Computer-Aided (CAx) software system. Contact the U.S. Product Data Association (USPRO) for more information on STEP. Their address is P.O Box 3310, Gaithersberg, Maryland, 20885-3310. Their phone number is 301-975-4658, their FAX number is 310-926-8730, and their e-mail is uspro@scra.org. Imported Mass Properties MD Adams calculates mass properties for parts using STEP geometry by multiplying the volume of the STEP geometry by the material density defined in the Adams part. Mass properties that are explicitly defined in Adams will continue to be used. Supported STEP Entities Adams/Exchange supports STEP applications protocols AP 203 and AP 214 for import and AP 203 for export. A summary of the supported STEP entities is provided in the table below. Note that the three- dimensional graphic icons representing Adams modeling elements (joints, and so on) are not translated to the STEP file. In addition, note that we do not support conformance class 5, which contains faceted B-rep shape representations. AP 214 is still in the committee-draft stages of its development and, therefore, we do not encourage its use. Adams/View object: STEP entity: Import, export or both: Arc step_circle Both Polyline step_cartesian_point Import Polyline step_line Both Polyline step_polyline Both Cone step_conical_surface Import 59 About Adams/Exchange Cylinder step_cylindrical_surface Import Ellipse step_ellipse Both Sphere step_spherical_surface Import Torus step_toroidal_surface Import nurb_curve step_bezier_curve Import nurb_curve step_b_spline_curve_with_knots Both nurb_curve step_offset_curve_2d Import nurb_curve step_offset_curve_3d Import nurb_curve step_parabola Import nurb_curve step_hyperbola Import nurb_curve step_quasi_uniform_curve Import nurb_curve step_rational_bezier_curve Import nurb_curve step_rational_b_spline_curve_with_knots Both nurb_curve step_rational_quasi_uniform_curve Import nurb_curve step_rational_uniform_curve Import nurb_curve step_trimmed_curve Import nurb_curve step_uniform_curve Import nurb_surf step_bezier_surface Import nurb_surf step_offset_surface Import nurb_surf step_b_spline_surface_with_knots Both nurb_surf step_quasi_uniform_surface Import nurb_surf step_rational_bezier_surface Import nurb_surf step_rational_b_spline_surface_with_knot s Both nurb_surf step_rational_quasi_uniform_surface Import nurb_surf step_rational_uniform_surface Import nurb_surf step_rectangular_trimmed_surface Import nurb_surf step_surface_of_linear_extrusion Import nurb_surf step_surface_of_revolution Import nurb_surf step_uniform_surface Import Solid step_brep_with_voids Both Adams/View object: STEP entity: Import, export or both: Adams/View 60 Solid step_manifold_solid_brep Both Chain step_composite_curve Both Face (trimmed surf) step_curve_bounded_surface Both Adams/View object: STEP entity: Import, export or both: 61 About Adams/Exchange About DXF/DWG Import and Export Adams/Exchange imports and exports geometry in DXF/DWG file format. A summary of the supported DXF/DWG entities is provided in the table below. Note that the three-dimensional graphic icons representing Adams modeling elements (joints, and so on) are not translated to the DXF/DWG file. Contact Autodesk, Inc. for more information on the DXF and DWG file formats. Their address is 111 McInnis Parkway, San Rafael, California, 94903. Their telephone number is 415-507-5000 and their FAX number is 415-507-5100. Autodesk has a web site at http://www.autodesk.com. Adams/View object: DXF/DWG entity: Import, export or both: Arc dxf_arc Both Circle dxf_circle Both Polyline dxf_2dpolyline Import Polyline dxf_3dpolyline Both Polyline dxf_line Both Polyline dxf_point Import Polyline dxf_polygon_mesh Import Ellipse dxf_ellipse Both nurb_curve dxf_bezier_bspline_curve Import nurb_curve dxf_bspline_curve Both nurb_curve dxf_spline Import nurb_curve dxf_spline_fit Import Shell dxf_3dface Import Shell dxf_polyface_mesh Import nurb_surf dxf_2dpolyline_ext Import nurb_surf dxf_3dface_ext Import nurb_surf dxf_3dpolyline_ext Import nurb_surf dxf_arc_ext Import nurb_surf dxf_bezier_bspline_curve_ext Import nurb_surf dxf_bezier_bspline_surf Import nurb_surf dxf_bezier_bspline_surf_ext Import nurb_surf dxf_bspline_curve_ext Import nurb_surf dxf_bspline_surf Import nurb_surf dxf_bspline_surf_ext Import nurb_surf dxf_circle_ext Import Adams/View 62 nurb_surf dxf_circle_ext Import nurb_surf dxf_ellipse_ext Import nurb_surf dxf_line_ext Import nurb_surf dxf_point_ext Import nurb_surf dxf_polyface_mesh_ext Import nurb_surf dxf_polygon_mesh_ext Import nurb_surf dxf_spline_ext Import nurb_surf dxf_spline_fit_ext Import Explode dxf_block Import Explode dxf_insert Import Chain dxf_curve_fit Both Adams/View object: DXF/DWG entity: Import, export or both: 63 Recommendations for Exporting CAD Data Recommendations for Exporting CAD Data The following sections provide recommendations for how you should export data from different CAD packages so you can best import them into MD Adams: • General Comments on Exporting • Table of Recommendations for Exporting CAD Data Adams/View 64 General Comments on Exporting For those CAD systems based on the Parasolids kernel, there are many benefits to transferring geometry in Parasolid files. Adams/View creates solid bodies from the Parasolids information that allows for further Boolean operations as well as the selection of geometric features such as the center of a circle. It is important that you export the version of the Parasolids file that Adams/View supports. In general, the simpler the representation of the geometric information the better. This is why we often recommend that you used Stereolithography over formats such as IGES and STEP. Other simple formats include render and shell files. Shell files are MD Adams-specfic so you will not find them as part of the standard CAD export formats. Please remember that some of these formats do not have colors. Successful transfer of IGES and STEP files from CAD systems to Adams/View depends on both systems. Some CAD systems export information that is easily processed by Adams/View while others CAD systems generate files that are difficult or impossible for Adams/View to import. We have taken this into consideration in the Recommendations for Exporting CAD Data. 65 Recommendations for Exporting CAD Data Recommendations for Exporting CAD Data The following table provides recommendations for the file formats in which you should export data from a CAD program so you can import it effectively into Adams. Please note that the recommendations are in order of preference. For a comparison of the different file formats, see Comparison of CAD File Formats. Adams/View 66 For the CAD package: Recommendations in order of preference: Comments: Unigraphics (UG) Export from UG/Mechanism or Scenario for Motion in these file formats in order of preference: • Parasolids • Stereolithography Or, export from UG in these file formats in order of preference: • Parasolids • Stereolithography • Exporting from the embedded motion products automates the geometry export/import process. Only three- dimensional solids are transferred. • Using Parasolids (without the embedded motion products) is convenient because one file contains all the geometry and Adams/Exchange creates a separate part for each solid. • Stereolithography is dependable but requires you to output each part separately. It only works on solid bodies. CATIA Export using CAT/ADAMS in these file formats in order of preference: • Quickshell • STEP • IGES Or, export from CATIA in these formats in order of preference: • Stereolithography • STEP • IGES • Exporting from the embedded motion product automates the geometry export/import process. It transfers two-dimensional and three- dimensional geometry. • IGES and STEP export is time consuming and Adams/Exchange can have difficulties reading the resulting files. I-DEAS Export using Mechanism Design or Mechanism Simulation export with shells. Or, export from I-DEAS in these formats in order of preference: • Stereolithography • IGES • Exporting from the embedded motion product automates the geometry export/import process. • IGES geometry transfer is without colors. • Stereolithography only works for a part, not an assembly. 67 Recommendations for Exporting CAD Data Pro/ENGINEER Export using MECHANISM/Pro in these formats in order of preference: • Render • Stereolithography Or, export from Pro/ENGINEER in these formats in order of preference: • Render • Stereolithography • IGES • Exporting from the embedded motion product automates the geometry export/import process. • Render files contain color, while Stereolithography files do not. Solidworks Export using Dynamic Designer with Shells (v2000) Or, export from Solidworks in these formats in order of preference: • Parasolid • Stereolithography • IGES • Exporting from the embedded motion product automates the geometry export/import process. • Using Parasolid is convenient because one file contains all the geometry and Adams/Exchange creates a separate part for each solid. • Stereolithography is dependable but requires you to output each part separately. It only works on solid bodies. For the CAD package: Recommendations in order of preference: Comments: Adams/View 68 SolidEdge Export using Dynamic Designer with Shells (v2000). Or, export from SolidEdge in these file formats in order of preference: • Parasolids • Stereolithography • IGES • Exporting from the embedded motion product automates the geometry export/import process. • Using Parasolid is convenient because one file contains all the geometry and Adams/Exchange creates a separate part for each solid. • Stereolithography is dependable but requires you to output each part separately. It only works on solid bodies. Mechanical Desktop Export using Dynamic Designer with Shells (v2000). Or, export from Mechanical Desktop in these file formats in order of preference: • IGES • Stereolithography • DXF • Exporting from the embedded motion product automates the geometry export/import process. • IGES transfers are complicated but are reasonably dependable. • Stereolithography exports are unpredictable because the model has to be in a particular quadrant before exporting. • DXF can be used to transfer two- dimensional information. Microstation Parasolid Using Parasolid is convenient because one file contains all the geometry and Adams/Exchange creates a separate part for each solid. For the CAD package: Recommendations in order of preference: Comments: