CivilFEM Import Utility

 

 

This utility allows importing geometry of other programs: DXF geometry files, LiDAR, SAP 2000 (release 7,10), Robot Millenium 97. Each program has a tab in the Import Utility, with the same idea: to select input files previously generated with the program and to generate an output file for CivilFEM.

 

1.    DXF. Alter selecting the DXF geometry file, CivilFEM will read the existent layers in the model and will allow the selection of those layers that are to be imported:

 

 

The entities that will be read from the DXF file are the following: 3DFACE, ARC, CIRCLE, LINE, LWPOLYLINE, POINT, POLYLINE (POLYFACE MESH, 3D POLYLINE, 3D POLYGON MESH), SOLID, TEXT, TRACE.

 

2.    LiDAR. In first place, the LiDAR geometry file to be imported must be selected. Then, it is possible to specify a coordinates range to be used to import just part of the model. LiDAR files may contain a great amount of information that is not always necessary for the model generation. It is possible to the downsample the resolution of the model by using just one point for each n points of the original model:

 

 

 

3.    SAP 2000 (version 7.10). For this program it is necessary to generate several input files based on geometry we want to export. To do it, in SAP 2000, it is necessary to open the menu: "Display > Show Import Tables > Geometry Data " and generate a file for nodes, another file for beams, and so on. In the corresponding tab of "CivilFEM Import Utility" the created files will be selected:

 

 

4.    Robot Millenium 97. For this program it is necessary to generate only one input file with geometry that will be exported. To do this, in Robot Millenium, the file must be saved in text format, with extension "*.STR" (instead of the extension "*.RTD" of Robot). In the corresponding tab of "CivilFEM Import Utility" the created file must be selected:

 

 

Once the importing options have been specified, a name for the Output file (that will be generated for ANSYS) must be selected, and will be created by clicking the "Generate Output File" button. This file can be run in ANSYS. If the importing utility has been launched from inside ANSYS (Civil Preprocessor > Utilities > Import from…)  the "Run" button will be shown to allow the model to be created directly (it is recommended to have previously executed ~CFCLEAR command):

 

The utility keeps the last files paths, to make it more comfortable. You can erase these paths by pressing the button "Clear File Names".  The “View" buttons are for viewing the respective input/output files.