VII.4.2.2 Worksheet for Definition of databases and load cases

One or several worksheets defining databases and load cases can be defined in the workbook. However, only one such worksheet can be selected in “LcSelector” worksheet. The content of the worksheet must comply with certain conventions:

• The ten first lines are never taken into account.
• Otherwise each line defines a peculiar entity:
  • An elementary load case if the first column contains “LC_ELEM” keyword.
  • A load case combining linearly elementary load cases if the first column contains “LC_COMBILI” keyword.
  • A NastranDb database if the first column contains “NASTRANDB” keyword.
  • A SamcefDb database if the first column contains “SAMCEFDB” keyword.

  All the lines of which the first element does not contain one of these keywords are ignored.

• For valid lines (un-ignored ones), the second column corresponds to an identifier of the entity that is defined.
• The other columns contain information defining the object:
  • For NastranDb databases, several keywords allow to define the operations that are performed when a database is created:
    • The first keyword in the first column is “NASTRANDB" and is followed immediately by an identifier allowing to retrieve the entities and information associated to the database.
    • The keyword “GMSH” specifies that the value in the following column contains the name of a GMSH file in which the Nastran model is saved in GMSH format.
    • The “BDF” keyword specifies that the following column contains the name of a file from which the Nastran finite element model is read.
    • The “SESSION” keyword specifies that the columns that follow contain names of Patran Group session files containing the definition of Groups.
    • The “CLADB” keyword specifies that the columns that follow contain the sources in which information is read to build the ClaDB object in which compoiste entities are defined. Sources correspond to the names of NDF files in which composite databases are stored. If a cell contains the name of the NastranDb currently being defined, the composite entities defined in the corresponding finite element model are imported into the database. If the keyword is omitted, then the ClaDb is produced by extraction of the NastranDb database that is build.
  • For SamcefDb databases, several keywords allow to define the operations that are performed when a database is created:
    • The first keyword in the first column is “SAMCEFDB" and is followed immediately by an identifier allowing to retrieve the entities and information associated to the database.
    • The keyword “GMSH” specifies that the value in the following column contains the name of a GMSH file in which the Nastran model is saved in GMSH format.
    • The “DAT” keyword specifies that the following column contains the name of a Samcef Bacon “banque” file from which the Samcef finite element model is read.
    • The “SESSION” keyword specifies that the columns that follow contain names of Patran Group session files containing the definition of Groups.
    • The “GROUPDAT” keyword specifies that the columns that follow contain names of a Samcef Bacon “banque” files from which the definition of Groups shall be read.
    • The “CLADB” keyword specifies that the column that follows contains the name of the NDF file from which a ClaDb composite database is read. If the keyword is omitted, then the ClaDb is produced by extraction of the SamcefDb database that is build.

    The “SESSION” and “GROUPDAT” keywords are the only ones that may be followed by several columns.

  • For elementary load cases, one provides:
    • In the first column, the keyword “LC_ELEM” followed in the second column by the name of the load case. This is the name by which the load case shall be referred to in the rest of the worksheet.
    • In the third column, one gives the name of the database associated to the load case. This corresponds to the database that shall be used for all the post-processing operations of this load case Results. The choice of the associated database can be superseded by defining parameter “FEMDB” at load cases selection level. (See section VII.4.2.3.)
    • The fourth column contains a keyword corresponding to the type of Result file that shall be accessed. Presently, Only two values are allowed:
      • Columns 4 may contain the keyword “XDB”. Then, an XDB attachment to a NastranDb database is defined and...
      • In column 5, one provides the access path to the XDB file.
      • In column 6, one provides the name of the load case in the XDB file. This name does not necessarily correspond to the “FeResPost” name specified on the second column.
      • Finally, the identification of the subcase is provided in column 7.
      • Columns 4 may contain the keyword “DESFAC”. Then, a DESFAC attachment to a SamcefDb database is defined and...
      • In column 5, one provides the access path to the DES file.
      • In column 6, one provides the access path to the FAC file.
      • In column 7, one provides the name of the load case in the DES/FAC file. (Default name generated by FeResPost when the file is attached.) This name does not necessarily correspond to the “FeResPost” name specified on the second column.
      • Finally, the identification of the subcase is provided in column 8.

      Note that XDB files must be attached to NastranDb databases, and DESFAC files to SamcefDb databases.

  • For combined load cases, one provides:
    • In the first column, the keyword “LC_COMBILI’ followed in the second column by the name of the load case. This is the name by which the load case shall be referred to in the rest of the project.
    • In the third column, the number of elementary load cases used in the linear combination.
    • The following columns define pairs of real and string values corresponding to the factors and names of elementary load cases used for the linear combination of Results. These load cases must have been defined on “LC_ELEM” lines.