PDA

View Full Version : Using Parametrics with ANSYS


May Kung
11-06-2004, 01:59 PM
We use OSD 12 here for our 3D/2D design and ANSYS for our FEA work. I recently had a request from an ANSYS user about using the Parametrics module to help with regenerating models for import into ANSYS.

I was thinking of a simple macro that would:

1. Pull parameter values from a parameter table.
2. Regen the 3D model in Modeling.
3. Save out a SAT (or IGES) file for ANSYS.
4. Loop to the next parameter value(s).
5. Regen.
6. Save.
7. Etc., etc., until all parameter values have looped.

Has anyone out there dabbled with this type of use model? Does anyone use ANSYS for their FEA needs?

MikeBoswell
02-01-2005, 04:52 AM
HI May,

I would like to consider doing the same thing here. Did you implement anything in regards to the model regen. How did you build the parameters table?

We have an installation of Ansys and usually manually modify the models in SD and export them as SAT over to Ansys.

Mikeb

May Kung
02-01-2005, 09:54 AM
Hi Mike,

I wrote a simple macro that did what I described in my earlier post.

The parameter table I built in a text editor:

type_1 type_2 type_3 type_4
dist1 2.4 3 3.5 5
dist3 0.75 1 1.25 0.5
rad5 0.19 0.25 0.375 0.125
rad9 3 2.5 2.5 3

(That's the format I used, at least; I can't find the actual one I used, though).

I did not figure out how to tell ANSYS the model was ready for loading and analysis, though. CoCreate support sent me some information on how to use DDE and write something in VBA to "supervise" between ANSYS and OSD. It looks fairly straightforward on the CoCreate side (provided I ever have enough time to do so). I am unsure about the ANSYS side, though; there is an ANSYS user here willing to help me tackle that part, but again, it's a time issue.

Apparently, there are off-the-shelf solutions to do this type of thing between SolidWorks and ANSYS, but I have not heard of these solutions working as well as advertised. Perhaps when ANSYS and OSD talk to each other more easily, this would become a much simpler bit of coding.

MikeBoswell
02-02-2005, 09:53 AM
Thanks,

So in your experience, does the SD parametric module allow your new geometry to be used to update the geometry in Ansys avoiding rebuilding the Ansys study? That is how pro/e and SolidWorks are suppose to behave w/ Ansys.

Mike

May Kung
02-02-2005, 10:37 AM
Thanks,

So in your experience, does the SD parametric module allow your new geometry to be used to update the geometry in Ansys avoiding rebuilding the Ansys study? That is how pro/e and SolidWorks are suppose to behave w/ Ansys.

Mike
I haven't used ANSYS, but according to the ANSYS user I talked to, classic ANSYS requires parameter assignation in ANSYS itself. AFAIK, there is no universal format to transfer parameters from CAD to FEA. WorkBench apparently lets you easily port files from other CAD packages for use in classic ANSYS, but again, I doubt the parameters themselves are passed (though I'd love to try it out and find out for sure; I suppose if I ever have a few free moments I can try it out myself).

Steve
10-10-2005, 11:28 AM
I believe May is correct.

My understanding is that most FEA systems, when they "solution drive", require a parameterized model in order to have parameters to drive during solution computation. All translators that I am aware of strip out parameters. Since Ansys doesn't integrate directly with CoCreate products, your only option is ACIS (SAT), which is what I use to get my models over into ANSYS. It comes in "dumb", and iterations of the geometry must be manually updated in ANSYS. However, if you have saved the your geometry to the same file, you can tell ANSYS to "update geometry" and it generally will do so without requiring a re-construction of the simulation. You may have to double-check that the faces you once referenced are still the ones being referenced, though.

Steve

clausb
10-11-2005, 05:51 AM
I believe May is correct.
Since Ansys doesn't integrate directly with CoCreate products

They do. Check out http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=ANSS&script=410&layout=6&item_id=755793 .

Claus

MikeBoswell
10-11-2005, 06:36 AM
I hit up the Ansys sales guy the other day on pricing. ~$2000 to turn on this functionality in Workbench. I will be looking into this further.

Thanks,

Mikeb

John Scheffel
10-11-2005, 09:26 AM
I hit up the Ansys sales guy the other day on pricing. ~$2000 to turn on this functionality in Workbench. I will be looking into this further.
If you do give it a try let us all know what you think about it. So far I haven't seen any demos or information from anyone who has tried it.

Steve
10-11-2005, 10:08 AM
I have a call in to Ansys to check on pricing. I know some of the translator options are exchangeable at no cost. Others cost more money. We just bought ANSYS DesignSpace with the SAT translator option to get our geometry into CoCreate. We'll see if there is a price difference to go with the direct integration route.

Steve

May Kung
10-13-2005, 09:05 AM
OK, we've done some testing internally here using OSD 13.20A and ANSYS Workbench 10. Geometry ports over nicely using the appropriate translator. However, if you create Parameters in OSD, ANSYS will not recognize those parameters in its Parameter Manager. It recognizes parameters from SolidWorks (and presumably Pro/E). ANSYS says this is because the API from CoCreate doesn't support it properly and they expect to have it work in future releases. *sigh*

At the very least, having easy geometry translations is lovely.

If you do get a timebomb license, make sure to install OSD first and then install ANSYS, or do a repair install of ANSYS. During install, ANSYS will ask which translators you wish to use. Make sure to select the CoCreate one.

An additional tab appears in OSD 13.20A under Applications>Modules, called "Add-ins". This will have a single tick box for ANSYS 10.

Within ANSYS Workbench, use the Import Geometry command and select the appropriate PKG file. Don't forget to run a Regenerate after loading.

Steve
10-13-2005, 03:21 PM
I just got an email reply from Bary Christenson at ANSYS. He says:

Hi Steve,

I’ve forwarded your e-mail on to our sales group and someone will be in contact with you soon. But to answer your question our policy is that, as long as you are on our maintenance and support program, you can exchange these products for other ANSYS products and receive full credit. Since the SAT and CoCreate interface products are the same price, there will be no extra charge.

Thanks for getting in contact with us.
Best regards,

Barry

Barry Christenson
Manager - Product Management
Phone: (724) 514-2958

25 Technology Drive, Canonsburg, PA 15317 USA

So, if I understand him correctly, if you have a .SAT translator to currently get your geometry into ANSYS, you could trade it in for a direct plugin to OSD.

But it sounds like from May's description that OSD parameters do not port over, which means you can't let ANSYS solution-drive your models by altering certain geometric parameters while tuning the part to certain structural or thermal characteristics.

Steve