46 Components Femap / NX Nastran software and their interactions.

files

Package Femap with NX Nastran includes a program Femap modeling and designs a
program of finite element analysis of structures NX Nastran.

Femap program is designed to prepare the full finite element models and analyzing
the results. It means there are geometric modeling facilities, including solid-state, and the
possibility of editing them. To construct a finite element model can be used tools
automatically generate meshes on geometric objects. import agents, export and
transform data provide the interaction of various applications of the finite element
analysis. The program has an extensive processing capability, a display and document
analysis results.

NX Nastran is a comprehensive program of finite element analysis, general purpose,

which includes the ability to perform analysis of statics and dynamics of structures, heat
transfer analysis, optimization and sensitivity analysis, decision aeroelastic problems.
Each type of analysis uses similar input files, making it easy to switch from one type of
analysis to another.

Femap is integrated program c program NX Nastran's integrated modeling

environment, the analysis and design of structures Femap with NX Nastran. Apart from
packet Femap with NX Nastran Analysis other applications can be installed, in
particular MSC Nastran or MD Nastran, which can also be combined in a single user
environment program c Femap. Such a method of configuration modeling and analysis
environment has its advantages, as it allows the user to independently select suitable
Nastran software version.

MSC Nastran and NX Nastran differ in detail, usually transparent to the end user.
The solutions obtained in the corresponding types of analysis of MSC Nastran and NX
Nastran (MSC Nastran is a subset of MD Nastran), in most cases, are identical, the
format of input and output text files, they also almost the same, so we will refer in what
follows, as a rule, their common name.

We must bear in mind that Femap software interface is still not possible to get access
to all of Nastran. On the other hand, not all the properties of the computational model,
generated by means of Femap, can be implemented in Nastran software.
Components Femap / NX Nastran software and their interactions. files 47

Many of the concepts related to the calculation model have different interpretations in
Femap and Nastran. In these programs, for example, the different elements are
constructed of two-dimensional coordinate system. The program Femap contact surfaces
are defined in terms of finite elements, Nastran - in terms of specific boundary conditions,
etc. The programs have different terms relating to the same object model... For example,
the term Constraint Equation ( The equation) used in Femap, and MPC - Multi Point
Constraint

(Multipoint binding) used in Nastran, represent the same thing. When analyzing
diagnostic messages Nastran program must take into account these differences, as is
necessary to make changes in the Femap model. Based on these factors, the study of
Femap with NX Nastran package should be separated action to build a computational
model and display the results performed in Femap program and analysis of the
computational model, performed in NX Nastran. Therefore, in presenting the material
where it is needed, reference numbers will be used either to Femap, or a Nastran.

structural analysis by finite element method procedure includes the following steps:

Development geometric structure model;

assignment of materials;
task types of finite elements and their properties (thickness, cross-sectional
geometric characteristics and others.);
the creation of the finite element mesh - or "manual" method, or automatically,
for example by dividing the geometric model;

validation grid finite element model;

job fixing the conditions of the finite element model;
creating conditions of loading finite element model;

choice of the type and parameters of the finite element analysis;

perform finite element analysis of the structure;
analysis of possible formal errors, their elimination, re-execution of the finite
element analysis;
analysis of the calculation results, identification of modeling errors, changes to
the model, re-execution of the finite element analysis;

processing and graphic design of the calculation results.

48 Components Femap / NX Nastran software and their interactions. files

In this sequence, in the ground and will address the challenges that must be resolved
to perform the analysis of structures using finite element method.

Package Femap with NX Nastran and its components can run on operating systems
Windows XP, 2007.

2.1. Configuring
After installing Femap with NX Nastran package requires a minimum operating system
and configure the package, in order to optimize the performance of programs.

2.1.1. Configuring Windows

Basic system requirements imposed during the analysis Nastran software. These
requirements are minimal - it takes about 256 MB of available memory for the normal
operation of the program. In solving problems of large dimension required memory size
will inevitably exceed available size, so it is advisable to install a large enough paging file
size. For Windows XP, this is done as follows:

1. On the menu Start run the command adjustment controlled panel

Lenia System.
2. In the dialog box, properties select a bookmark system Before-
additionally and section speed press Options.

3. On the Additionally press amend and You are a

abusive drives (except the system drive C) posting swap files, preferably of 2.0
GB or more. press OK the required number of times. Reboot the system. If the
computer program MD Nastran, then the union it in an integrated environment
Femap is performed setting the system variable MSCNAST_EXE. To do this:

1. On the menu Start run the command adjustment controlled panel

Lenia System.
2. In the dialog box, properties select a bookmark system Before-
additionally and click Environment Variables.
3. If the list System variables variable MSCNAST_
EXE not, press the button create and in the dialog box The new system variable
to specify the name of the variable,
Configuring 49

specifying in the field variable value path to the program execution

mdNastran.exe analysis, eg E: \ Program Files \ Nastran_10 \ bin \
mdNastran.exe. Then press
OK the required number of times.
4. If the list of system variable MSCNAST_EXE already have the
you should check its value and change it, if it differs from the desired path. On the
desktop it is desirable to create shortcuts to programs Femap and MD Nastran. To
configure the properties of a shortcut by right-clicking on the appropriate icon. In the
dialog box,

properties access to which is opened from the context menu on the tab Label you need
to install in the field Work folder the path to the user's home directory.

2.1.2. Configuring Femap / NX Nastran

Configuring environment Femap / NX Nastran after installation is usually not required. If
necessary, change existing installations can be performed command File Preferences,

which is discussed in Section 3.7.9. To increase the efficiency of Femap, you may need
to modify the settings used by the program for management of memory and temporary
files created during Femap works. Appointment required parameters is carried out on the
tab Database,

in this case, a dialog box shown in Fig. 2.1.

When this option is enabled Buckup before Save (immediate) ( Creating a backup
before saving) during instruction execution File Sav e in a file with the name of the
model, but with the extension *. bak
It will keep the previous version of the file *. modfem.
Enabling Delete Model Scratch File It requires the removal of a temporary copy of
the model file when the program terminates.
Option Preserve Next ID during Rebuild ( Save "next ID default after adjustment
model) is disabled, and after adjustment Femap model will use the lowest free number
when numbered objects.

In field Undo Levels ( retracement levels) indicates the number of teams, the action
of which can be reversed team Tools Undo.
Option Database Memory Limits sets the maximum size of memory that will use
Femap storage facilities and operations with them. If you need a large memory, the data
is read and written to disk.
50 Components Femap / NX Nastran software and their interactions. files

Fig. 2.1. Dialog box options control database

In field MAX Cached Label established Femap model object greatest number.

Field Block / Page ( The number of page blocks) specifies the page size in the
exchange with external memory. The default value of "4" was made on test results to
obtain the maximum performance when working with large databases under various
constraints on memory and controllers for various types of discs. You can try different
values in the range from 1 to 15 in order to optimize performance on your computer.

Temporary files that are created when working Femap, are placed in the directory
specified by the user's environment variable TEMP,
which by default is placed on the disk C. When working with large models it is advisable
to create on a different disk, which has a sufficiently large volume, and specify the path
in the field Scratch Directory.
Femap files and Nastran 51

2.2. Femap files and Nastran

Data exchange between programs Femap and Nastran made using files. work programs
of the sequence is controlled or automatically - in this case, the file operations are
hidden, either by the user, in this case, the user operates the file.

Program Femap and Nastran during create and use their own databases, which
have, respectively, expansion
* . modfem and *. DBALL, * .MASTER.
Femap database data, also known as the model file is in binary format and must be
maintained for the duration of the life of the object model. Femap program does not work
directly with the model file. All changes in the model are recorded in Scratch-file.
Changes to the model file only when you run the command File Save.

As shown in Scheme interaction Femap and Nastran (Fig. 2.2), the data in Femap
model file can be imported in the form of geometry ( Geometry), in the form of the
settlement program Nastran model ( Analysis Data), in the form of results ( Analysis
Results) and in the form of the neutral model database file ( Femap Neutral). Data from the
model file can be exported in three types: the geometry of the neutral file and in the form
of the calculation model.

Fig. 2.2. Scheme interaction Femap and Nastran programs

Neutral file ( Femap Neutral) It has a text format and is designed to save the current
state of the database or fragments Femap Femap model. Form neutral file
52 Components Femap / NX Nastran software and their interactions. files

can be selected from the compatibility conditions with previous versions of Femap
program. The data in the neutral file format can be imported, or in an empty model file or
added to an existing model.

File in the computational model has a text format and contains the information
needed to perform the analysis in NX Nastran. Line in the file recorded with the help of
teams of operators and NX Nastran. Bringing Femap model to Nastran format
computational model called translation model. File in the calculation model is an input file
for Nastran software. The input file can be imported into Femap model database, in this
case, are imported only calculation model data, but not Nastran team. The input file can
have any extension, as a rule, use one of the extensions

* . dat, * .nas or *. bdf.

Base Nastran data after performing analysis or destroyed, or, in some types of
analysis, is stored and can be used in repeated start (restart).

Nastran output of the program is the data in the form of results ( Analysis Result). These
data are in the form of several files with the same name that matches the name of the
input file, and different extensions:

* . f04 - file in text format, contains information

about the time the calculation steps performed procedures and resources used;

* . f06 - file in text format. This file is for You are a

Water intermediate process information solutions. It put an error message in the
process of solving some of calculation results;

* . op2 - file in binary format, contains the results of distribution

couple;

* . log - file in text format, the protocol contains processes

sa solutions;
* . pch - file in text format, contains the results of non-
which types of analysis in the input file format;
* . xdb - external database of the results of calculation, alternative to
va file *. op2.
If, for example, set the input file name panel.nas, then the result of the analysis will
be created files panel.f04, panel.f06, panel.op2 / panel.xdb, panel.log, panel.pch.
Femap files and Nastran 53

If for analysis, use the command File

Analyse or Model Analyse, Export and import of the necessary files automatically.
When manually import the results of the analysis indicate one of the files is with the
extension *. f06,
* . op2, * .xdb.
When you re-execute the analysis with the same file name input files the results of
previous tests renamed and receive an additional extension that indicates the previous
calculation of the number, for example panel.f06.1.