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Custom Tools
Version 11.1.1
Proprietary and Restricted Rights Notice
This software and related documentation are proprietary to Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc.
2014 Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Siemens and the Siemens logo are registered trademarks of Siemens AG. NX is a trademark or registered trademark
of Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and in other coun-
tries. All other trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks belong to their respective holders.
Siemens PLM
Web: http://www.femap.com
Customer Support
Web: http://support.ugs.com
The following copyright refers only to the bmp2raster.exe executable distributed with FEMAP:
NeuQuant Neural-Net Quantization Algorithm
Copyright (c) 1994 Anthony Dekker
NEUQUANT Neural-Net quantization algorithm by Anthony Dekker, 1994.
See "Kohonen neural networks for optimal colour quantization" in "Network: Computation in Neural Systems"
Vol. 5 (1994) pp 351-367 for a discussion of the algorithm.
See also http://members.ozemail.com.au/~dekker/NEUQUANT.HTML
Any party obtaining a copy of these files from the author, directly or indirectly, is granted, free of charge, a full and
unrestricted irrevocable, world-wide, paid up, royalty-free, nonexclusive right and license to deal in this software
and documentation files (the "Software"), including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, pub-
lish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons who receive copies from any
such party to do so, with the only requirement being that this copyright notice remain intact.
Conventions
This manual uses different fonts to highlight command names or input that you must type.
OK, Cancel Shows a command name or text that you will see in a
dialog box.
Throughout this manual, you will see references to Windows. Windows refers to Microsoft Windows XP, Win-
dows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 (32-bit and 64-bit versions). You will need one of these
operating environments to run FEMAP for the PC. This manual assumes that you are familiar with the general use
of the operating environment. If you are not, you can refer to the Windows Users Guide for additional assistance.
Similarly, throughout the manual all references to FEMAP, refer to the latest version of our software.
Table of Contents
This section introduces the API scripts contained within the API folder in FEMAP.
The Custom Tools toolbar can also be activated or deactivated through the Tools, Toolbars command. When the Customize
dialog box is activated, click the Toolbars tab, then click the check box for the Custom Tools menu.
1-4 Introduction
When the Custom Tools menu is selected, the newly added program file has been added to this menu. Note that all files
added to the Custom Tools menu are arranged by alphabetically.
2. Custom Tools > Data Table
This section provides an overview of the Data Table API scripts under the Custom Tools, Data Table toolbar menu.
2.2 AddNodesandDisplacementstoDataTable
This API .bas script populates the Data Table with the X, Y, and Z coordinates and displacements of selected nodes.
This section provides an overview of the API scripts used modify element property attributes, types and display
attributes under the Custom Tools, Element Update toolbar menu.
3-2 Custom Tools > Element Update
3.1 AlignSolidElemCsysToSurfaceTangents
This FEMAP API .bas script creates a Csys at the centroid of the selected element(s) aligned with the selected sur-
face U and V tangent directions at the projected element centroid. The Csys is used to create a Solid property with
its material angle aligned with the Csys.
3.12 RenumberNodesAndElements
This API .bas script renumbers all nodes and elements in the active model by the selected order and coordinate sys-
tem.
This section provides an overview of the Event Callback API scripts under the Custom Tools, Event Callbacks tool-
bar menu.
4.1 callback
This API .bas script checks for existence of variables (ITER, K, K1, K2, and PID) in the active FEMAP model file.
If these variables exist, an IF statement is run against K1 <= K <= K2. If the test passes and an active Analysis Set
exists in the FEMAP model, then the API script renames the active Analysis Set to the value of the callback
returned with the method App.feAppEventCallback (FEVENT_RESULTSEND, ).
4-2 Custom Tools > Event Callback
4.2 Startloop
This API .bas script checks for Shell properties in the active FEMAP model file, then prompts the user to enter a
starting value for the thickness of a selected Shell property, the ending value of the thickness and the number of
iterations from the stating to the ending value.
The API uses the App.feAppEventCallback (FEVENT_RESULTSEND,path) call modifies the name of the analy-
sis set and result set as it iterates from the Starting Thickness to the Ending Thickness.
5. Custom Tools > Examples
This Custom Tools API .bas scripts contain basic examples of using FEMAPs API to develop custom applications.
5-2 Custom Tools > Examples
These Custom Tools API scripts provide tools to automate FEMAP geometry creation and editing operations.
Resulting model with red surfaces indicating surfaces continuously tangent to the selected surface.
Free Edges of Sheets to Groups 7-3
7.8 SliceSolidsUpdateLayersAndGroups
This FEMAP API .bas script slices a selected solid with a user-specified plane, and assigns the resulting solids to
the selected solids layer and group(s)
After selecting the from and to coordinate systems are selected and the bracket is selected, the from and the
bracket are transformed as shown below.
8. Custom Tools > Grouping
These Custom Tools API scripts provide tools to automate FEMAP Group rule modifications.
8.9 GroupRigidIndependentNodes
This FEMAP API .bas script appends to the active group, or creates a new group of independent node(s) on rigid
element(s) in the active FEMAP model file.
8.10 GroupSurfacesWithSelectedRadius
This FEMAP API .bas script creates a group of cylindrical surfaces with a user-specified radius.
This FEMAP API .bas script follows the NASA FEMCI (Finite Element Modeling Continuous Improvement)
guidelines for representing a composite honeycomb sandwich with a NASTRAN PSHELL. For further information
on this method, go to http://femci.gsfc.nasa.gov/hcplate/index.html.
9-2 Custom Tools > HoneyComb PSHELL > HoneyComb PShell Property
The resulting PSHELL property results as follows given the data entries in the snapshot of the dialog box:
9-4 Custom Tools > HoneyComb PSHELL > HoneyComb PShell Property
10. Custom Tools >
Import then Connect Startup
These Custom Tools API scripts provide tools to automate FEMAP load creation.
11-2 Custom Tools > Load Processing
These Custom Tools API scripts provide tools to automate FEMAP meshing.
12.1 Auto Boundary Faces With Poles, Auto Boundary Faces With
Poles
This FEMAP API .bas script finds all surfaces with poles and applies the feBoundaryFromSurfaces method to
those surfaces.
12-2 Custom Tools > Meshing
12.2 Auto Boundary Faces With Poles, Select Auto Boundary Faces
With Poles
This FEMAP API .bas script is similar to Custom Tools, Auto Boundary Faces With Poles, Auto Boundary Faces
With Poles, except that the user selects the surfaces to check for poles.
12.14 ShowBadTetras
This FEMAP API .bas script checks for element distortion using the API feCheckElemDistortion function for any
elements with a Jacobian at or above a value of 0.7. Any elements exceeding this limit are placed into a distorted
element group and the distorted element group is highlighted in the graphics pane.
12.19 Spider
This FEMAP API .bas script operates identically to the API script, Spider Nodes.
12-6 Custom Tools > Meshing
13. Custom Tools > Model Query
These Custom Tools API scripts provide tools to automate model display, output, Analysis Set editing and model
query and checking operations.
13.10 GroupShowAllConnectedElements
This FEMAP API .bas script prompts the user to select a single element. All elements sharing nodes with the
selected element and adjacent elements are placed into a new group, All Mesh Connected to Elem nnn, where nnn is
the ID of the selected element. Connected elements are highlighted using the feViewShow function.
13.12 LSDyna_Time_Step_Calculator
This FEMAP API .bas script calculates the minimum time step required for a LS Dyna analysis.
13-4 Custom Tools > Model Query
13.15 ShowConnectedElems
This FEMAP API .bas script is similar to the API script, GroupShowAllConnectedElements, except it only high-
lights the adjacent elements, and not all the elements connected. It also does not create a group of connected ele-
ments.
14. Custom Tools > Node Update
These Custom Tools API scripts provide tools to automate the creation and modification of nodes.
15.6 GROUP_POST_FNO
This API .BAS script allows selection of a particular group for post-processing, then creates a new model file with
only the entities in the group (along with any entities needed to make a valid model in a new model) and attaches a
FEMAP Neutral File Output (FNO) file with the selected output.
After the group is selected, a copy of that group is made for temporary use and the Group, Operations, Add
Related Entities is run on that group (this group is later deleted by the script). This group is used to create a valid
model in the new FEMAP model. A FEMAP Neutral Output (FNO) File is then created containing the output sets
and output vectors selected using the Select Output to Export dialog box. From there, the script creates a new
model file in FEMAP with only the entities from the selected group and then attaches the FNO file to allow for
post-processing on those entities in the group.
15.18 Sum Contact Grid Point Forces, Sum AdvNonlin Contact Force
This API .bas script list the sum of contact forces on selected surfaces for the active Advanced Nonlinear Output
Set.
15.19 Sum Contact Grid Point Forces, Sum AdvNonlin Contact GPF
15-4 Custom Tools > PostProcessing
On Connector
This API .bas script lists the sum of contact force on selected connectors for the active Advanced Nonlinear Output
Set.
15.20 Sum Contact Grid Point Forces, Sum Contact GPF On Connec-
tor
This API .bas script lists the sum of Grid Point Forces for the nodes on selected connectors for the active Advanced
Nonlinear Output Set. Force Balance must be part of the Output Requests for the Advanced Nonlinear Analysis
Set.
These API scripts automate the setting of surface on solids transparency and colors.
16-2 Custom Tools > Solid Connection Tools
These API scripts automate the generation of Analysis Sets and analyses.
17-2 Custom Tools > Standard Analysis
These API scripts automate the generation and contour plotting of model load and element thicknesses.
19-2 Custom Tools > Visualization