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. There are two file transfer methods available for most of the CAD products, as follows:

For associativity between the original CAD model and the analysis model, use the Push workflow (native CAD translator). However, if you encounter any problematic features that result in meshing difficulty, try the Pull workflow using Inventor Server for CAD translation.

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. Product add-ins for transferring models into Simulation Mechanical (Push workflow) are NOT installed automatically for these products. You must manually launch a CAD configuration program. Please see the CAD Setup and Troubleshooting page for more information.
  2. Simulation Mechanical can import Inventor surfaces, solids, and 3D sketches (which are imported as wireframes, suitable for line elements). For more information, see the section, Import 3D Sketches from Autodesk Inventor Files, on the Import CAD Wireframe Files page.
  3. You have to push models from Autodesk SimStudio Tools into Simulation Mechanical. You cannot pull SimStudio Tools models into Simulation Mechanical using the Open dialog box. Additionally, you can push any CAD-based model from Simulation Mechanical into SimStudio Tools for geometry repair or modification. Click Tools Edit SimStudio Tools to do so. This capability exists regardless of the source of the original CAD model.
  4. When pushing a model from either Creo 1 or Creo 2 into Simulation Mechanical, the native CAD translator is always used. When pulling a Creo 1 or Creo 2 model into Simulation Mechanical, Autodesk Inventor Server is always used for CAD translation. The native CAD translator option is not available for the Pull workflow. Therefore, your model translation results may differ somewhat depending upon which workflow you use.

    For associativity between the original CAD model and the analysis model, use the Push workflow. However, if you encounter any problematic features that result in meshing difficulty, try the Pull workflow.

  5. 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.
  6. 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 box. See the Surface Splitting page 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, or 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

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.

Import files using Autodesk SimStudio Tools

The Simulation Mechanical installation includes Autodesk SimStudio Tools for creation, modification, and repair of CAD solid or surface models. Two file transfer workflows are supported, as follows:

Note: SimStudio Tools files cannot currently be pulled into Simulation Mechanical using the Open dialog box.

Material properties defined in SimStudio Tools are transferred to Simulation Mechanical and assigned to the FEA parts. Additional material properties may need to be specified within Simulation Mechanical, such as thermal properties, depending upon the analysis type and material model selected.

For more information, consult the SimStudio Platform Help.

Import files using Pro/ENGINEER or Creo Parametric

After installing the software, there will be an Autodesk Simulation Mechanical pull-down menu or ribbon tab in the Pro/ENGINEER or Creo user interface. The following commands will be available within this menu or ribbon tab:

Datum points defined in Pro/ENGINEER or Creo Parametric are transferred to Simulation Mechanical as construction vertices. The mesh will place nodes at the construction vertices (see the Construction Vertices -Seed Points page). Similarly, part colors and part names defined in Pro/E or Creo are transferred to Simulation Mechanical. However, material data is not transferred. You must define the material properties within Simulation Mechanical.

You can choose not to import datum points or part names, and you can choose to assign part colors based on the default Simulation Mechanical color palette. See the Global CAD Import Options Section on the CAD Import Tab page for more information.

Note: If the Autodesk Simulation menu does not appear, see CAD Setup and Troubleshooting 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

After installing the software, there will be an Autodesk Simulation Mechanical ribbon tab in the SolidWorks user interface. The following commands will be available within this ribbon tab:

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

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
Autodesk SimStudio Tools 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