Import CAD Solid Models with CAD Application

To read CAD solid models from CAD packages, Simulation Mechanical connects with the CAD application, transfers the model data, and saves it to the Simulation Mechanical .fem file.

Supported CAD solid modelers are as follows. The latest versions tested are listed in the parentheses. Older versions may work properly but are not guaranteed. (If an older or newer version does not work, save the CAD model to a neutral file format -- such as .SAT, .IGS, or .STP -- and open the neutral file with Simulation Mechanical.)

Notes:

  1. Creo Parametric v2 files are also supported, but they must be pulled in using the Simulation Mechanical, file Open dialog box. Pushing from Creo 2 is not currently supported.
  2. When these solid modeling applications are installed on the same workstation as Simulation Mechanical, you have a choice of two CAD translator options. Click the Options button from the Simulation Mechanical, file Open dialog box. On the Options tab, select one of the following two Import Method options:
    • Native Translator: When using the native CAD translators, material data is imported and surface associativity of loads and constraints is supported.(See the Associativity between CAD and Simulation Mechanical topic below.)
    • Autodesk Inventor Server: This is the translator that is used for supported formats when the native application is not installed on the simulation workstation.
  3. Rhinoceros version 5 CAD files are also supported, but they must be pulled into Simulation Mechanical using the Open dialog box. Autodesk Inventor Server performs the CAD translation for models from this version of Rhinoceros.

When importing the file into Simulation Mechanical, you may be prompted with the Surface Splitting dialog. See the page Surface Splitting for details.

In normal cases, the CAD model will be sent to the first session of Simulation Mechanical, replacing any model currently in the software. However, if the first session of Simulation Mechanical is meshing or analyzing the model, a new session with be opened, and the CAD model will be transferred to the new session.

Import files using Simulation Mechanical with CAD package installed

Use one of the following procedures:

  1. Click Open.
  2. Set the Files of type to the appropriate setting (SolidWorks part, Pro/ENGINEER part, and so on).
  3. Click Options to set any available options to use when opening the file.
  4. The CAD program opens the selected file in silent mode and transfers the parts to Simulation Mechanical.

After the file imports correctly, the Model Mesh Settings dialog box displays.

OR

  • You can drag and drop the CAD file into an open Simulation Mechanical window.

Import files using Autodesk Inventor

  1. After installing the software, there is a Simulation tab on the Inventor ribbon with a Simulation Mechanical 20xx panel.
  2. Click Launch Active Model to transfer the model into the FEA Editor environment.

If you choose to import work points defined in Inventor (see Import Work Points), the work points are transferred to Simulation Mechanical as construction vertices. The mesh will place nodes at the construction vertices. (See Construction Vertices -Seed Points). Note that Inventor always has invisible work points at the origin, but invisible work points are not imported.

Note: Simulation Mechanical does not delete work points due to existing model updates. For example, import an Inventor model and choose to import work points. Then, modify the Inventor model - add new work points, delete some existing work points - and export to Simulation Mechanical. Choose not to import work points. While the new work points do not import, the original work points remain. To delete the original work points, set the selection select to Construction Objects and select the appropriate work points to delete.

The following material properties defined in Inventor are transferred to Simulation Mechanical and assigned to the parts. Note that additional material properties may need to be entered in Simulation Mechanical to perform that analysis.

  • Mass density
  • Modulus of elasticity
  • Poisson's ratio
  • Thermal expansion coefficient
  • Yield strength
  • Ultimate tensile strength
  • Thermal conductivity
  • Specific Heat

Import files using Autodesk Inventor Fusion

The Simulation Mechanical 2014 installation includes Inventor® Fusion® 2013 for CAD creation and modification of CAD solid or surface models. After installing the software, there is a Simulation panel on the Home tab of the Fusion ribbon. Select Simulation Mechanical to transfer the CAD model into the FEA Editor environment.

Material properties defined in Fusion are transferred to Simulation Mechanical Mechanical and assigned to the FEA parts. Note that additional material properties may need to be specified within Simulation Mechanical.

For more information, search on Inventor Fusion 2013.

Import files using Pro/ENGINEER

  1. After installing the software, there will be an Autodesk Simulation pull-down menu in the Pro/ENGINEER pull-down menus.
  2. Select the Simplify Model command in the Autodesk Simulation pull-down menu to suppress some of the complex features in the model (fillets, dimensions, and so on) if appropriate.
  3. Select the Start Simulation command in the Autodesk Simulation pull-down menu to transport the model into the FEA Editor environment.

Datum points defined in Pro/ENGINEER are transferred to Simulation Mechanical as construction vertices. The mesh will place nodes at the construction vertices. (See Construction Vertices -Seed Points in the section Meshing Overview: Meshing CAD Solid Models.)

Note: If the Autodesk Simulation menu does not appear, see CAD Setup and Troubleshooting in the Simulation Mechanical Supplement of the Autodesk Installation and Licensing Guide for instructions.

Import files using Rhinoceros

  1. After installing the software, there will be an Autodesk Simulation pull-down menu in the Rhinoceros pull-down menus.
  2. Select the Start Simulation command in the Autodesk Simulation pull-down menu to transport the model into the FEA Editor environment.

Import files using SolidWorks

  1. After installing the software, there will be an Autodesk Simulation pull-down menu in the SolidWorks pull-down menus.
  2. Select the Simplify Model command in the Autodesk Simulation pull-down menu to suppress some of the complex features in the model (fillets, dimensions, and so on) if appropriate.
  3. Select the Start Simulation command in the Autodesk Simulation pull-down menu to transport the model into the FEA Editor environment.

Any material properties defined in SolidWorks will be transferred to Simulation Mechanical and assigned to the parts. Note that additional material properties may need to be entered in Simulation Mechanical to perform that analysis.

Assembly-level features are transferred to Simulation Mechanical. For example, drilling a hole through 2 parts in the assembly will be included in the transfer; the hole does not need to be put into each part separately.

Import files using SpaceClaim

  1. After installing the software, there will be an Autodesk Simulation Mesh tab in the SpaceClaim ribbon bar.
  2. Select the Autodesk Simulation: Start Simulation command to transport the model into the FEA Editor environment. Note that visible and invisible parts are transferred.
  • The following material properties defined in SpaceClaim will be transferred to Simulation Mechanical and assigned to the parts. Note that additional material properties may need to be entered in Simulation Mechanical to perform that analysis.
    • Mass density
    • Modulus of elasticity
    • Poisson's ratio
    • Thermal expansion coefficient
    • Ultimate tensile strength
    • Thermal conductivity
    • Specific Heat
Note: Models that contain the following characters, either in the name of the file or in any folder through the path to where the file is stored, may not transfer to Simulation Mechanical:
  • Equals sign =
  • Parentheses ( )

Associativity between CAD and Simulation Mechanical

Once you have meshed a CAD model, a connection will be created and maintained between the CAD model and the Simulation Mechanical model. If the CAD package and Simulation Mechanical remain opened and if the CAD model is revised, the Simulation Mechanical model will be automatically surface meshed with the previous meshing settings after the CAD model is transferred. (The previous mesh settings that are retained include the mesh size, refinement points, construction vertices, and so on.) If the CAD package or Simulation Mechanical is closed, then you will need to initiate the meshing process after the CAD model is transferred. (The same mesh settings are retained though.) The CAD packages which support associativity are as follows:

CAD Package Surface Associativity Edge Associativity
AutoCAD (.DWG and .DXF) No No
Autodesk Inventor Yes Yes
Autodesk Inventor Fusion Yes Yes
Creo Parametric Yes No
Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire Yes No
Rhinoceros Yes No
SolidWorks Yes No
SpaceClaim Yes No

For CAD applications that transfer material properties to Simulation Mechanical, use the Tools: Options: CAD Import tab, Global CAD Import Options to control whether the CAD materials remain associative with Simulation Mechanical when the CAD model is changed or not. For more information, see CAD Import Tab.

Note: The units of the CAD model are also transferred to Simulation Mechanical. In many cases, only the units of length are set in the CAD, so the other units (energy, time, temperature, and so on) are set in Simulation Mechanical. You can change these as needed by right-clicking on the Model Units entry in the tree view and choosing Edit: Current Modeling Units. If the units of length are changed in Simulation Mechanical and the CAD model is transferred again, the length units will be set back to the units in the CAD model. Thus, the length units are associative. (This is required since the original units are the dimensions of the model.) If any other unit is changed in Simulation Mechanical, it will not be changed if the CAD model is transferred again. Other units are not associative.

The CAD packages that support surface associativity will maintain surface based loads and surface based boundary conditions when a revised model is transferred to Simulation Mechanical. Packages that do not support surface associativity will need to have surface loads re-applied after a revised model is transferred. (The surface loads will be maintained in all cases if the model is simply remeshed.)

The CAD packages that support edge associativity will maintain edge loads and edge boundary conditions when a revised model is transferred to Simulation Mechanical. Packages that do not support edge associativity will need to have edge loads re-applied when a revised model is transferred. (The edge loads will be maintained in all cases if the model is simply remeshed.)

Nodal loads and boundary conditions are not associative with the CAD model and will need to be reapplied if a revised model is transferred to Simulation Mechanical. (The nodal loads will also need to be re-applied if the model is simply remeshed.)

Topics in this section
Parent topic: Open CAD Files