Importing PATRAN neutral model files

Supported PATRAN Neutral files have the extension *.pat, or *.out. This help topic lists the supported PATRAN element types and how to pass thickness values to this product.

Supported PATRAN Element Types

The following PATRAN entities or element types can be read:

Solid	Shell	2D
TET (4 noded)	TRI (3 noded)	BAR
QUAD (4 noded)

Defining Element Property Data

The required element attributes can be passed in the second record of the Element Property Packet (04). These element properties can be set with the PFEG command in PATRAN. The following table summarizes the property data that the interface expects in each field.

Field	Property Data
1	not used
2	thickness
3	not used

Note: Element property data written by CAD systems will vary between systems. Contact your CAD supplier if you are not sure what fields contain what element property data (attributes).

Restrictions

Only models described in absolute coordinates can be read in.

Note: The Analysis Preference export option in PATRAN affects the output neutral file (*.out). Sometimes, if you use the MARC preference and import the neutral file, there will be no thicknesses assigned. Using the Abaqus preference to define the shell thickness results in correct importation of thickness.