Output parameters

After the surface is generated and (if necessary) the smoothing and data reduction are finished, it can be saved to the output file(s) in various formats. The output is controlled by parameters which are described in this section.

Output parameters of Tosca Structure.smooth

Parameter

Value

Description

Supported by

TAe

GUI

TExt

TS.pre

TS.smooth

FORMAT

See the following table

Output file format; one or more FORMAT entries can be specified. In case that the isosurfaces for all iterations are calculated, one file for each iteration in each mentioned format (except VTFX) is saved; additionally, a VTXF file containing the isosurfaces for all iterations is generated.

x

x

x

-

OUTPUT_FILE

<name>

default:

<model>_smooth,

where <model> is the name of input model file without extension

In case of a single generated (iso)surface, the output file name for a format with extension <ext> is <name>.<ext>; in case of isosurfaces for all iterations, it is <name>_<NNN>.<ext>, where <NNN> is the number of the iteration (3 digits).

-

x

x

-

OUTPUT_SURFACE

original

new

both

default: both

Specifies what should be saved to the output files: the original surface (original), the surface generated by isocut (new), or the complete surface (both). The parameter has no influence for shell element models, and is ignored for the generation of slices.

-

x

x

-

VTF_ORIGINAL_MODEL

yes

no

default: no

If set to yes, the original FEM model will be saved to the VTFX output file (displayed semi-transparent) in addition to the (iso)surface

x

x

x

-

IGES_UNIT

in: inches

mm: millimeters

ft: feet

mi: miles

m: meters

km: kilometers

mil: mils

um: microns

cm: centimeters

uim: microinches

default: mm

Unit used for output in IGES format.

Note that the same unit is used in the case that the slices or border are generated and saved in IGES format.

x

x

-

-

Using FORMAT parameter, the user requests the saving of the generated surface(s) to various output formats that are intended to be used with following programs:

FORMAT parameter values for different applications

Program

FORMAT

parameter

File name, comments

Abaqus/CAE

inp

iges1

<name>.inp

<name>.igs (IGES using block 114)

CATIA

stl

iges3

obj

<name>.stl (STL as design draft)

<name>_3.igs (IGES using block 128)

<name>.obj (Wavefront .obj file)

GLView Inova

vtfx

<name>.vtfx

MEDINA

stl

<name>.stl

(using FEM formats is also possible)

MSC Nastran®

bdf

<name>.bdf

Patran

out

<name>.out (Patran neutral format)

Pro/E

iges1

<name>.igs (IGES using block 114)

Rapid Prototyping applications

stl

<name>.stl

Solid Works

iges2

<name>_2.igs (IGES with explicit point information)

Tosca Structure.view

vtfx

<name>.vtfx

NX

stl

<name>.stl

Graphic (animation) programs

obj

<name>.obj (Wavefront .obj file for 3D model exchange)

Other pre/postprocessors

See above

Use out, inp, bdf, cdb; see above for file names. Also supported by CATIA.

Tosca ANSA® environment

ONF

<name>.onf and <name>_groups.onf: needed to transfer the information from Tosca Structure.smooth to Tosca ANSA® environment, requested automatically