Import, Export, Conversion and Interoperability

Export GeniE model to CAD system

There is no direct way to export GeniE to DWG file. As we know, GeniE indeed can export to CAD system with .SAT format. It is just that Autodesk Inventor is stuck with ACIS v7, while we continuously update ACIS, but it is unfortunately not possible to write out an older version.

Workaround: In some tools, i.e. Solidworks, it is possible to downgrade the SAT file to an earlier version. Maybe it is possible to download some trial of Solidworks to try it out.

It is also possible to export from GeniE to PDMS. However, please note that this will not include the beam section sizes and dimensions. The only information that is exported is the beam geometry, so the lines of the beam from node to node (without the actual beam section and thickness). If needed, manually add the actual beam section size and thickness in PDMS

The only file that should be exported to PDMS is the *.sdn file (in GeniE, use File > Export > CadCentre PDMS). There is possibility that the PDMS is not compatible with current GeniE version of SDNF export.

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Exporting models to SACS

Although it is possible to import models from SACS into GeniE, it is unfortunately not possible to export a model from GeniE to be imported into SACS. No such converter from GeniE to SACS exists.

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GeniE (All Versions): Why can my XML report not be opened in Excel?

Symptoms:

When creating a report in GeniE and saving this as an ExcelXML, an error will show up in Excel when opening the report:

Problems came up in the following areas during load:

Workbook Setting

Cause:

This is caused by a limitation in Excel combined with the report section names used by GeniE. The section names from the report in GeniE, preceded by the load case name, are being used to give the worksheets in Excel a name. However, the worksheet names in Excel have a maximum length. When this maximum length is surpassed, the name is cut off. As a result, some sheets may get the same name, because some GeniE result sections start with the same words:

  • Load Summary Conceptual
  • Load Summary Applied
  • Load Summary FEM Loads
  • Load Summary FEM Reactions
  • Load Summary FEM Differences
  • Load Details - Conceptual
  • Load Details - Applied

The effect of this is that Excel gives an error upon opening the XML.

Solution:

A workaround is to only include one of the sections at a time that are starting with the same words. One can then e.g. manually change the sheet name and copy the sheets into the same Excel document.

Shortening the load case names, which are used to preceed the worksheet name in Excel, may also help, but will in most cases not completely solve the problem, as some of the section names used in GeniE are simply too long to be displayed as a worksheet name in Excel.

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GeniE (V6.1-05 from All): How to import complex result cases into GeniE

If complex result-cases have to be imported into GeniE, they have to be converted into a static result-case at a specific phase angle.

This can be done by scanning the result-cases in Xtract/Framework to find out the worst phase angle.

Then in Prepost, create a new result-case which will contain the complex result-case at that specific phase angle.

Now import the updated results file into GeniE and code check the complex result-case at the specified phase angle.

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GeniE: SACS Converter soil layers

Question:

If a SACS PSI file contains more than one soil ID and the soil layers are different for soil curves with different soil ID, such as below, how does GeniE determine the soil layers and soil curves in the converted GeniE model?

PLGRUP  
PLGRUP PL1         152.40   3.5  21.0  8.00  33.5    28.5 
PLGRUP PL1         121.92   4.0  21.0  8.00  34.5    25.0 
PILE
PILE  101P201P PL1                                                  SOL1  
PILE  102P202P PL1                                                  SOL1  
PILE  111P211P PL2                                                  SOL2  
PILE  112P212P PL2                                                  SOL2

Answer:

GeniE assigns soil curves with different ID to pile with different diameters. In a converted GeniE model, the soil layers are determined based on the data of soil layers with the first soil ID in the PSI file. The data of soil curves is linearly interpolated for each soil layer. The linearly interpolated soil curves for all pile diameters are placed at the bottom of each soil layer.

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How to import external result into GeniE to do plate code check

To import an external result file into GeniE for a plate code check, follow these steps:

Prepare FE model:

Open an existing workspace XXX.gnx that includes the same mesh as result file. Alternatively, import T#.fem file into a new workspace (Make sure not to check the option Create analysis activity when importing T#.fem file).

Import external result file:

Ensure that the analysis activity only includes mesh activity before importing external result file. If the analysis activity includes the structural (Sestra) analysis activity, uncheck the option linear structural analysis.

Then import external result file into workspace ( File->Import-> External Results SIN file ) and check the option create load cases. Result cases matches with existing load cases. For result cases without match, load cases will be created with names <Analysis activity name>.loadCase(N).

Combined result cases can be defined with relevant load factor for further capacity check

Capacity Check:

Create a new capacity manager Select the current analysis activity and apply the relevant rule. Perform the plate code check or beam code check using the result cases

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Import ANSYS model to GeniE

There is a converter from ANSYS to Sesam (GeniE) which is part of our utility software called Prepost.

Please refer to Sesam_Ansys.pdf (located in Prepost installation folder) document for Ansys (*.cdb) conversion. The conversion from Ansys to Sesam is explained in section 3.2. Basically, it only consists of a READ command to read in the Ansys file and a WRITE command to write out the Sesam FEM file. Below is the Prepost input example:

OPEN ..
READ ANSYS, ' ' FileName 0 1
WRITE FEM-FORMATTED, ' ' T1 1

Use Sesam Manager to create a job with a Prepost activity and start Prepost from there.

Please note that only older Ansys database versions are supported. Version 10 should work fine. There have been some updates for version 12 or 13, but not all options may be supported (refer to the attached document).

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Sesam Converters (All version): Merge FEM files into one, or Merge T1.FEM with L1.FEM file

Sesam Converters support to convert single #.FEM file, however some analysis will produce two FEM files (T1.FEM, L1.FEM), then it might be difficult to convert them in Sesam Converters directly.

For such cases, user might merge two (or more) FEM files into one file through below steps. Below example is the case that T1.FEM and L1.FEM file exist.

  1. Open L1.FEM
  2. Copy all data except below
  • Except IDENT, DATA, where located starting point
  • Except IEND, where the end of the file
  1. Open T1.FEM
  2. Paste all data into location before IEND
  3. Save it as new file (Merged_T1.FEM)

Then user can convert that Merged_T1.FEM using Sesam Converters.

For list of the supported element types for conversion, please refer to Technical Specification for Sesam Converters, and user manual of Sesam Converters. All these documents can be found in installation folder of Sesam Converters.

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Sesam Converters (All Versions): How to convert and import Nastran models

See the (also attached) chapters 2.9 and 3.9 for both overview and details about how to convert typical ship models in Nastran .bdf file format to Sesam T#.FEM files and import them into GeniE. Please see the attached document .

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Sesam Converters (All Versions): Separate load file (L#.FEM) is not supported

There is no support for conversion from/to a separate Sesam load file (L#.FEM). The workaround is to include all loads in the input file (T#.FEM file or .bdf) before conversion.

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Sesam Converters (All): Limitations to line loads on beams

This applies to conversion from Sesam to Nastran.

The beam element line loads defined on the Sesam BELOAD1 cards can have arbitrary end node offsets, but the similar Nastran PLOAD1 beam element line load can only have arbitrary end node offsets on node 2. Node 1 can't have a negative offset in element x-direction (overhang).

In version 2.1-02 and earlier any BELOAD1 card with partial loading are not converted and there are no warnings about this. Thus this load will be missing in the analysis.

In version 2.2-01 the Partially loaded cards are converted, but with a negative value for X1, which gives an error message in Nastran. Alternative workarounds are:

  • Manually edit X1 to zero. This will then omit the load outside end 1.
  • Manually divide the element in two and reverse the element at end 1 such that it has it's end 2 at the original position of end 1. Then the load has to be updated manually.

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Sesam: Documentation of interface file command TDNODE and TDLOAD

Background

Specification and explanation about certain commands in the interface files is not covered well enough in the current user documentation of the interface files. There are three different documents about the interface files, they can be downloaded from the My DNV Software portal.

TDNODE

TDNODE command is mentioned in the "Sesam Interface File" document on page 3-46, but it is unfortunately misspelled as TNODE. A more detailed description can be found below:

TDNODE is used for naming joints:

Example

TDNODE 4.00000000E+00 3.52000000E+02 1.03000000E+02 0.00000000E+00 Jt1

  • 1st entry is used for the number of total entries trailing so there are 4 entries in this card so 1st location is 4.0000000E00
  • 2nd entry (3.52) is the internal node number for this joint.
  • 3rd entry (1.03) is describing the dimensions of the joint name in the format more accurately described on page 3-46 in the document mentioned above.
  • 4th entry (0) is describing the dimensions of a description in the format more accurately described on page 3-46 in the document mentioned above. This is usually zero.

TDLOAD

The syntax for TDLOAD is very similar to TDNODE.

Example:

TDLOAD 4.00000000E+00 1.00000000E+00 1.10000000E+02 0.00000000E+00 Loadcase_1

The only difference is here that the 2nd entry (1.0) is the FEM loadcase number which the individual loads are referencing to.

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Sesam: Export/import of stiffness and mass matrices

This is a guide in how to export/import stiffness and mass matrices in Sesam, using Sestra and Presel. The attached .zip file contains a document that is outlining the procedure, along with relevant input files to set up this process using Sesam Manager. Please see the attached document.

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Staad Pro: Import to GeniE

To convert Staad model to GeniE, you need to use Staad2Sesam application: This application will convert Staad file to .js file and user can import the .js file into GeniE. Below is the link to Staad2Sesam software:

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Usfos (All Versions): Model Exporting from GeniE to Usfos: Short Elements

From Usfos Version 8.6 and above, Usfos will not accept elements shorter than L/D<0.5. Here L is the length of the element and D is the diameter of the cross-section. Usfos can accept these short elements at user' own risk by including 'Illegal' card. To check the distance between the nodes in GeniE, please click on Tools> Analsyis> Locate FE. Rest of the steps are shown in the attached image. Please see the attached document.

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