Background

ProTOp imports FEA models from external sources. Currently supported source models can be generated by

• PTC Creo® (FNF format)
• SolidWorks® (GEO and INP formats)
• Simulia® Abaqus (INP format)
• SIEMENS NX™ (DAT format)

When exporting into a particular format, these modelers may or may not support all features typically needed for a topology optimization job. In particular, the two most needed features are the possibilities to define

• multiple (separate) load cases and
• named load sets.

Namely, multiple load cases are of vital importance for successful optimization and named load sets are used by ProTOp to generate surfaces that can be used to configure the optimization model and to achieve certain special effects.

█ If a modeler supports the above features ...

All load cases and named load sets (including those intended for surface generation) should be packed into a single FEA model file.

█ If a modeler does NOT support the above features ...

In this case

• The first load case should be exported into the parent model file.
• Each additional load case should be exported into a separate child model file; this file has the same name as the parent file with an added extension _LC_i, with the i being the load case counter.
• Each load set intended for surface generation should be exported into a separate child model file; this file has the same name as the parent file with an added extension _EXPGEO_i, with the i being the load set counter.

IMPORTANT. Finite element mesh data in the parent and child files must be identical. Otherwise, the import will fail.

Example

To import a model with 2 load cases and 3 load sets for surface generation, the list of files might be as follows:

• Bracket.geo (parent file; contains first load case)
• Bracket_LC_2.geo (child file; second load case)
• Bracket_EXPGEO_1.geo (child file; first surface)
• Bracket_EXPGEO_2.geo (child file; second surface)
• Bracket_EXPGEO_3.geo (child file; third surface)