Understand how to create and maintain stress analysis files and their relationships.
A part or assembly document can maintain one or more simulations. Each document can have any number of simulations. The simulation result files, which can be large, are maintained separately and link to the part or assembly document unless you specify otherwise.
Create and use analysis files
- Set up stress analysis information in a simulation.
- Save the part or assembly, which also saves the stress analysis information in the model file.
Understand file relationships
The save action saves all of the stress analysis information in the model file as well, and maintains file relationships. Stress analysis input and results information, including loads, constraints, and all results are also saved in separate files.
The simulation files are unique to a given model and simulation. Simulation files are stored in a dedicated folder of the same name as the model file. By default, OLE links are created to each of these files. You can turn off the links by changing the option.
Resolve missing files
If simulation files are relocated or missing when you first open a model, the Resolve Link dialog box displays. Either browse to the location of the simulation files, or choose to skip them.
If you skip the files, the Simulation environment can recompute the files, if necessary.
Understand file structure for Stress Analysis
The stress analysis operation creates files that contain the stress analysis information. The files live in the document hierarchy beneath the component.
- A folder with the same name as the assembly or part file.
- Within the document named folder, a folder (AIP) and subfolder (Stress Analysis).
- In the Stress Analysis folder, a GUID folder (unique identifier), to prevent naming collisions between assembly and part file names.
- In the GUID folder, a folder for the BREP files, and a folder for each simulation. If you rename a simulation, the folder renames accordingly. Illegal characters are changed to an underscore. Where naming collisions occur, one of the simulations receives an index number enclosed in parentheses.
Simulation file behaviors:
- Each of the target files (.msh, .res, and so on) is named using the <assembly name>_<file type>_GUID to ensure unique naming for archival purposes.
- If you move files without the appropriate document controls tools, a file resolution error occurs. The files rebuild in the expected folders.
- OLE links are created and updated during file save only.
- OLE links are deleted, per simulation, when the results are invalidated.
Files generated from running a simulation are saved to: \<file name>\AIP\FEA\