5/22/2012Page 1

API Programming in Femap

2015 SDA FemapSymposium

Eric Gustafson/ eric@structures.aero

SDA Femap SymposiumApril 14, 2015Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, National Air and Space MuseumChantilly, VA

5/22/2012Page 2

Agenda

How can the Femap API be used? Hello World Objects available to the API Linking to Femap API Programming Interfaces The type library Example API script Data types Arrays Results browsing object Custom user dialogs What does SDA use the Femap API for? Good references Parting tips

5/22/2012Page 3Page 3

How can the Femap API be used?

• Automate or simplify redundant process steps

• Create or edit model entities (node, elements, properties, etc)

• Combine Femap commands to create new ones

• Extract or create model results

• Custom standalone programs and add-ins

• Excel

– exchanging info to and from worksheets

• Word

– for reporting

– grab data and pictures

5/22/2012Page 4

Hello World

API reference manual

Sub Main

Dim App As femap.model

Set App = feFemap()

App.feAppMessage(FCM_NORMAL,"

Hello World")

End Sub

Press F1 with the cursor in the feAppMessagemethod text to bring up the help info

5/22/2012Page 5Page 5

Objects available through the API

API programming elements fall under one of three categories

1. Application object– Global properties and constants– Methods and utilities

• Checking coincident nodes• Locking Femap window

2. Entity objects– Model entities such as nodes, points, properties, output, etc

3. Tool objects– Assist the creation and editing of entity objects– Data Table– Sets– Results Browsing object– Etc…

Objects need to be declared and initialized (will cover later)

5/22/2012Page 6Page 6

Linking to Femap

Sub Main

Dim App As femap.model

Set App = feFemap()

End Sub

Sub Main

Dim App As femap.model

Set App = CreateObject(“femap.model”)

app.feAppVisible(True)

End Sub

Sub Main

Dim App As femap.model

Set App = GetObject(,“femap.model”)

End Sub

COM/OLE

Femap

Create a new Femap session

Connect to active model

Connect to active model in first opened instance of Femap

Interface Connection Syntax Comments

5/22/2012Page 7

API Programming Interfaces

API Programming Window

Calling scripts

5/22/2012Page 8

The Type Library

Advantages Can view Femap API

objects outside of Femap (object browser)

Popup tool tips will be visible while programming

Note: Must retain .tlb file or

update .tlb reference when updating Femap versions

If not using the type library, cannot use the Dim

App As femap.model

syntax. Must use Dim App

As object instead.

5/22/2012Page 9

Example – Group nodes using global coordinate system

Goal• Group all nodes that reference the global coordinate system

Why• Some programs have strict guidelines for organization of Nastran decks

Will demonstrate use of • Select dialog• Sets• Looping through set IDs• Reading object properties• Creating a new database object (a group)• Printing text to the message window

5/22/2012Page 10

Declare and initialize node object

Declare and initialize set to store list of selected nodes

Declare and initialize set to store IDs of nodes referencing global csys

Declare and initialize group to store node IDs

Dim nd As femap.Node

Set nd = App.feNode

Dim nodesSelected As femap.Set

Set nodesSelected= App.feSet

Dim nodesInGlobal As femap.Set

Set nodesInGlobal = App.feSet

Dim gr As femap.Group

Set gr = App.feGroup

rc=nodesSelected.Select(FT_NODE, True, "Select Nodes to Check Csys" )

If rc <> FE_OK Then Exit Sub

While nodesSelected.Next()

nd.Get( nodesSelected.CurrentID )

If (nd.defCSys = 0) Or (nd.outCSys = 0) Then nodesInGlobal.Add( nd.ID )

Wend

If nodesInGlobal.Count > 0 Then

gr.SetAdd ( FT_NODE, nodesInGlobal.ID )

gr.title = Str$(nodesInGlobal.Count) + " node(s) referencing global csys"

gr.Put(gr.NextEmptyID) App.feAppMessage (FCM_ERROR,

Str$(nodesInGlobal.Count) + " nodes found to reference the global csys")

Else

App.feAppMessage (FCM_NORMAL, "No selected nodes reference the

global csys")

End If

Example – Group nodes using global coordinate system

5/22/2012Page 11

Use the select method of the set object to open a dialog for the user to select nodes to check

Dim nd As femap.Node

Set nd = App.feNode

Dim nodesSelected As femap.Set

Set nodesSelected= App.feSet

Dim nodesInGlobal As femap.Set

Set nodesInGlobal = App.feSet

Dim gr As femap.Group

Set gr = App.feGroup

rc=nodesSelected.Select(FT_NODE, True, "Select Nodes to Check Csys" )

If rc <> FE_OK Then Exit Sub

While nodesSelected.Next()

nd.Get( nodesSelected.CurrentID )

If (nd.defCSys = 0) Or (nd.outCSys = 0) Then nodesInGlobal.Add( nd.ID )

Wend

If nodesInGlobal.Count > 0 Then

gr.SetAdd ( FT_NODE, nodesInGlobal.ID )

gr.title = Str$(nodesInGlobal.Count) + " node(s) referencing global csys"

gr.Put(gr.NextEmptyID) App.feAppMessage (FCM_ERROR,

Str$(nodesInGlobal.Count) + " nodes found to reference the global csys")

Else

App.feAppMessage (FCM_NORMAL, "No selected nodes reference the

global csys")

End If

Using set.next() method in a while loop steps through all IDs

Adds current node to set if conditional statement checking the node reference is true

Example – Group nodes using global coordinate system

5/22/2012Page 12

Dim nd As femap.Node

Set nd = App.feNode

Dim nodesSelected As femap.Set

Set nodesSelected= App.feSet

Dim nodesInGlobal As femap.Set

Set nodesInGlobal = App.feSet

Dim gr As femap.Group

Set gr = App.feGroup

rc=nodesSelected.Select(FT_NODE, True, "Select Nodes to Check Csys" )

If rc <> FE_OK Then Exit Sub

While nodesSelected.Next()

nd.Get( nodesSelected.CurrentID )

If (nd.defCSys = 0) Or (nd.outCSys = 0) Then nodesInGlobal.Add( nd.ID )

Wend

If nodesInGlobal.Count > 0 Then

gr.SetAdd ( FT_NODE, nodesInGlobal.ID )

gr.title = Str$(nodesInGlobal.Count) + " node(s) referencing global csys"

gr.Put(gr.NextEmptyID) App.feAppMessage (FCM_ERROR,

Str$(nodesInGlobal.Count) + " nodes found to reference the global csys")

Else

App.feAppMessage (FCM_NORMAL, "No selected nodes reference the

global csys")

End If

Add all set IDs with nodes references global csys to new group (still in memory)

Put group to the model

Send text to the message window if no nodes meeting the condition were found

Example – Group nodes using global coordinate system

Single line

Single line

5/22/2012Page 13

Nodes 1-28 are defined with coordinate system 0, the rest are in coordinate system 3 (output and definition coordinate systems)

Example – Group nodes using global coordinate system

5/22/2012Page 14

Example – Group nodes using global coordinate system

5/22/2012Page 15Page 15

Data Types

Datatype Description Name Usage

INT4 4-byte integer

Long IDs

BOOL Single byte Boolean True/ False

REAL8 8-byte real Double Decimal numbers

VAR Variant Arrays

STRING Character string

String Text

• Use the right data type for your variable

Examples• Dim ID as long• Dim dMass as double

Cost commonly used datatypes

5/22/2012Page 16

Arrays

• For output, arrays must be passed as variant data type

Example• Dim vbase As Variant• Dim vdist As Variant• Dim dDist As Double• App.feMeasureDistance

BetweenNodes(1,2,0,0,0,vbase,vdist,dDist)

5/22/2012Page 17

Results Browsing Object

• Generally speaking, do not involve time-consuming loops to extract results• Use an RBO to place data in memory, perform operations on it, and then retrieve

data quickly

Setup

• Specify output set and vector

• Other recovery info

• Request envelope

• Set data needed

Populate

• Loads object with results data

Access

• Get individual values

• Get arrays of data

• Get min/max

5/22/2012Page 18

Custom User Dialogs Example

With the cursor in the dialog code, click on the “User Dialog” button

5/22/2012Page 19

What does SDA use the Femap API for?

Grouping- Check an entity’s group membership- Add group ID information to the Data

Table- Renumbering all entities in a group- Group entities that fail some modeling

practice check

Visibility/ Graphics- Show/ hide entities (solids, properties)- Render arrows for CBUSH released DOF

Mesh Editing- Split selected elements into new

property- Print out a list of independent or

dependent nodes on all selected RBEs

Mesh Editing (cont.)- Auto create and assign properties to

elements in each group- Update design changes as determined

from

Model checks- Check consistent PSHELL “extra” MIDs- Custom element quality checks

Laminates- Update one or more laminate property

value (failure theory, bondshr allowable, NSM, reference temp) at once for all selected laminate properties

Examples of scripts we’ve written in the past

5/22/2012Page 20

What does SDA use the Femap API for?

selected RBEs

- Update design changes as determined from

14,000+ orthogrid web and skin properties to update

“I ain’t updating this by hand”

5/22/2012Page 21

Good References

• API Reference Manual• API.pdf in the \pdf folder in the Femap install directory

• Learning from existing installed APIs under Custom Tools• Found under the \API folder in the Femap install directory• Source code can be viewed in Femap or a text editor• \pdf\CustomTools.pdf

• APIs occasionally posted to the Siemens Femap Blog• https://community.plm.automation.siemens.com/t5/Femap-Blog/bg-p/Femap-news

• Femap Symposium Presentations by Patrick Kriengsiri• Introduction to the Femap API (2014)• Advanced API programming (2014)• Advanced Post-Processing with the Femap API (2013)• http://www.femapsymposium.com/presentations-from-femap-2013.html• http://www.femapsymposium.com/presentations-from-femap-2014.html

5/22/2012Page 22

Parting Tips

• Start small• Use pseudocode• Examples can assist the learning process, can use the source code of

preinstalled API files• Learn the scripting in Femap first, then venture into interacting with Femap

from other programs• Where possible, use “helper” methods that push and pull larger amounts

of data to and from a model at a time to reduce overhead• If you don’t see a change immediately reflected in Femap, you may need to

rebuild or redraw• App.feViewRegenerate/ app.feViewRedraw• App.feFileRebuild

• Feel free to reach out to the SDA support team during the symposium or after at support@structures.aero

5/22/2012Page 23

API Programming in Femap

2015 SDA FemapSymposium

Eric GustafsonSenior Aerospace Stress Analyst/Femap Technical SupportStructural Design and Analysis, Incwww.structures.aero

46030 Manekin Plaza. Ste 120Sterling, VA 20166

Phone: (703) 657-0919Email: eric@structures.aero

SDA Femap SymposiumApril 14, 2015Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, National Air and Space MuseumChantilly, VA