SXF Format

When a SXF file is selected, the program checks that the file contains data in the correct format, and imports the data. The SXF ASCII data file is built up from the following types of lines:

Heading

• this defines the type of data which follows.

Comment lines

• all lines commencing with // are comment lines.

Units (optional)

• the units for the data contained in the file may be specified. A single unit of length is required for the coordinates of the joints.

• If the units are omitted, the program will assume that the units are the same as those currently selected in Autodesk Structural Bridge Design when the file is read in.

Data

• the content of the data is described in detail in the section below.

Numeric data must be separated by either spaces (including TABs) or the format list specifier (there cannot be a mixture in a single line of data). Examples of valid and invalid syntax are as follows:

9.5     636.0     530.0      54.0      45.0    -> valid
9.5  636.0  530.0  54.0  45.0                  -> valid
9.5,636.0,530.0,54.0,45.0                      -> valid
9.5 , 636.0 , 530.0 , 54.0 , 45.0              -> valid
9.5 , 636.0 , 530.0   54.0   45.0              -> not valid

Headings, sub-headings and keywords (e.g. 'units' 'name' etc) may be either upper case or lower case, but units are case sensitive and use standard notation. Hence 'mm' and 'kN' are both valid but ''MM' and KN' are not.

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