Autodesk Nastran is run by executing the file: Nastran.exe. The syntax for this along with the optional command line arguments are shown below:
NASTRAN [[d:][path]filename.INI] [[d:][path]filename.NAS] [[d:][path]filename.NDB] [directive = option]
The command line arguments are defined as follows:
| Command Line Argument | Definition |
|---|---|
| [d:][path]filename.INI | Model Initialization File specification. This file contains directives that configure Autodesk Nastran to run on your system. The default filename is Nastran.INI and need not be specified unless you plan on using multiple initialization files with different names. This file configures Autodesk Nastran to run on your system and contains primarily file and memory management directives. For details, see Section 2, Initialization. |
| [d:][path]filename.NAS | NASTRAN Model Input File specification. This file contains the NASTRAN Case Control commands and Bulk Data entries that define the input model. This file can also be specified in the Model Initialization File using the MODLINFILE directive. For details, see Section 2, Initialization. |
| [d:][path]filename.NDB | Model Database Identification File specification. This file contains the model database identification number that locates an existing model database generated by the Model Translator. This file can also be specified in the Model Initialization File using the DATABASE directive. For details, see Section 2, Initialization. |
| directive = option | Model Initialization directive or Model Parameter. For details, see Section 2, Initialization. |
Either a Model Input filename or a Model Database filename or both can be specified for the input model. The Model Input filename and the Database filename can be specified either on the command line or in the Model Initialization File. When a Model Input filename is specified in the Model Initialization File, any extension can be used. In the below example Nastran.INI is the Model Initialization File and filename.NAS is the NASTRAN Model Input file.
NASTRAN filename.NAS
File specifications and directives specified on the command line will override ones specified in the Model Initialization File. This allows you to configure the Model Initialization File with your default settings and change specific model dependent settings on the command line. For example, if the Model Initialization directive RAM was set to 100 megabytes in the Model Initialization File, it would be set to 200 megabytes using the Nastran command line below:
NASTRAN filename.NAS RAM=200