Source model preparation
For SolidWorks® Simulation users: GEO model considerations

In SolidWorks® Simulation a FEM model exported to GEO format can contain only one load case per one file. For this reason, to generate a complete optimization-ready FEM model with

arbitrary number of load cases, and/or
arbitrary number of surface regions

one needs to export several GEO files. ProTOp can then combine several GEO files into a single FEM model containing multiple load cases. In order to enable combining several GEO files into one model, the GEO files have to be named by using the special notation described below.

Naming of GEO files to get a single optimization model

In order to combine several GEO files into a single model, export several GEO files and name them by adhering to the following naming patterns:

anyname.geo - this should be the file containing the first load case; the anyname is arbitrary.
anyname_LC_i.geo - these should be the names of the files containing load cases 2, 3, ... (one load case per file); the i should be an arbitrary but unique mark; any number of these files is allowed.
anyname_EXPGEO_i.geo - these should be the names of the files containing loads applied to surfaces that we want to use by model configuration tools (one surface per file); the i should be an arbitrary but unique mark; any number of these files is allowed.

It is important to note that all loaded nodes within an *_EXPGEO_*.geo file are assumed to define a single surface region that may or may not be simply connected. This means that each such file defines exactly one surface region.

Another important issue is mesh consistency. Combining several GEO files into a single optimization model can only be done if the FE meshes in all GEO files are consistent. Inconsistent meshes will result in a failure.

NOTE. Because several GEO files have to be imported to build a complete optimization model, special attention is required to assure that the FE meshes in all GEO files are consistent.

Example

In order to prepare a model named Bracket, which contains 2 load cases and 3 surface regions, the exported GEO files might be named as follows:

Bracket.geo
Bracket_LC_2.geo
Bracket_EXPGEO_1.geo
Bracket_EXPGEO_2.geo
Bracket_EXPGEO_3.geo

Assuring FE mesh consistency across all GEO files

In order to assure that all GEO files of an optimization problem will have consistent FE meshes, the following procedure should be followed:

Create your model and define all loads that will appear either in any load case or in any configuration surface definition
Export one GEO file per load case and one GEO file per surface definition as follows:
- Use the Suppress option to suppress all loads that does not belong to the current load case or surface definition
- Export the GEO file; this file will contain loads belonging only to the current load case or surface definition
- Name the exported GEO file by using either the load case pattern _LC_ or the surface pattern _EXPGEO_

It is important to note, that an added/removed/changed load necessitates to export all the GEO files again, because such a change may cause remeshing of the model.

Note. To assure mesh consistency, all loads need to be defined prior beginning the export of individual GEO files and must not be changed during this process.

Limitations of the importer

This section explains which options are supported by ProTOp when importing from GEO files created by SolidWorks® Simulation. For easier reading, the figures are decorated by the following symbols, denoting whether a particular option is supported or not: