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Nastran interface errors - NEI Nastran now Autodesk Nastran

Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2015 11:42 am
by stuartj
nastan41-errors-GiD 12.0.4.rar
GID errors with Natran4.1 interface and Autodesk Nastran
(2.96 KiB) Downloaded 744 times
NEI Nastran is now Autodesk Nastran

1) I am a new user of both GID and Autodesk Nastran.
2) I am attempting to use GID 12.4 with Nastran4.1 Professional interface and Autodesk Nastran
3) I am experiencing the following errors.
Initial loading of GID
Messages
This is the PORTABLE PROFESSIONAL Version.
Ready
Problems while checking actualizations.

a) Load Problemtype = data> Problemtype> Nastran4.1> Nastran
Message = "This is the professional version of Nastran interface"
No error messages apparent.

b) Try to set options for (NEI now Autodesk Nastran) via actions = Data> ProblemType> Executive control
Resulting error is attached : Nastran_Error_Log1.log

c) Try to set options via actions = Data> ProblemType> Case control
Resulting error is attached : Nastran_Error_Log2.log

d) Try to set options via actions = Data> ProblemType> Parameters
A Dialog box pops up without errors, but I have no way of knowing if they will function correctly

e) Try to set options via actions = Data> Analysis Design> Dynamics
Resulting error is attached : Nastran_Error_Log3.log


4) My questions are :
a) Is there an immediate work around to allow me to work with Autodesk Nastran. I don't have access to NEI Nastran
b) What is the likely timescale for solving the problem(s).I will work with you in any way I can.

Reference Data
My pc system is: Windows7-64, DellT7500,NVIDIA Quadro4000
GID, Nastran and ABAQUS Licences are USB based.

Re: Nastran interface errors - NEI Nastran now Autodesk Nast

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2015 8:20 am
by abelcs
Dear user,

Unfortunately, there are no plans to update the Nastran interface in short term.

We will try to have a look at these problems and see if we can fix them and come back to you.

ABEL

Re: Nastran interface errors - NEI Nastran now Autodesk Nast

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2015 12:06 pm
by stuartj
Hello Abel
Thank you for your reply. I would really appreciate anything that can be done to resolve this.
Let me know if I can supply any data to help you.
Kind Regards Stuart

Re: Nastran interface errors - NEI Nastran now Autodesk Nast

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2015 2:24 pm
by escolano
a) Don't worry about the message "Problems while checking actualizations".
It is only because your network is probably forbidding the access to our ftp, where a possible newer GiD versions is find.
You can disable it in Utilities->Preferences... Check updated version

b) About all other errors raised by the Nastran 4.1 problemtype: This problemtype is using a special trick to validate values of some of its fields (based on a special TKWIDGET field) and the Tcl procedure invoked to do this validation has an unexpected argument.

The error is only happening using the problemtype with GiD 12 versions and it could be easly fixed in GiD:
Edit the GiD file ...\scripts\DataWindows.tcl
and replace the line

Code: Select all

 if {[catch {set result [$GidData($TYPE,TKWIDGET,$idx) $Ev $GDN [list $TYPE] [list $GidData($TYPE,QUESTION,$idx)] {*}$args]} msg]} {
by

Code: Select all

if {[catch {set result [{*}$GidData($TYPE,TKWIDGET,$idx) $Ev $GDN [list $TYPE] [list $GidData($TYPE,QUESTION,$idx)] {*}$args]} msg]} {
(note the extra {*} command)

Next GiD 12.0.5 and 12.1.5d versions will include this fix. The problemtype Nastran 4.1 doesn't require any modification

Re: Nastran interface errors - NEI Nastran now Autodesk Nast

Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 11:25 am
by stuartj
Hello Escolano.
Very many thanks for your prompt reply.
1) Replacing the code within tcl script DataWindows.tcl has cured the errors a) to e). (excellent...)

2) In order to check functionality I attempted to work through the GID supplied Nastran dynamics tutorial "dinamicplate"

f) Tried to set options via actions = Data> Loads> Tables > create a new table "freq_var"
Resulting error is attached : Nastran_Error_Log5.log

g) Re-try to set options via actions = Data> Loads Tables>freq_var
Resulting error is attached : Nastran_Error_Log6.log

3) Carried out another check problem "platform1.gid "
Geometry is ref only to show an example of an error. This is part of a floor plate fabrication.
Which would have several lateral and longitudinal angle stiffeners welded underneath.

Assumptions for plate
Width=2475mm x Length=3343mm x t=15mm
Supported on 4 corners R1=fix_xyz R2=fix_yz R3=fix_z R4=fix_z
Applied UDL pressure load 3.932e-3 N/mm^2
Properties for plate element = Plate_12 with material = Steel_S275_NmmTonne

h) Tried to mesh via actions = Mesh> Generate Mesh> Size of Elements =180 >ok

Mesh is created: "Num. of Quadrilateral elements=133 Num. of nodes=160"
But resulting error : Info Window pops up with message "Warning: condition 'Normal-Surface-Load' has flag 'on face elements' and it is applied 'on body elements' for the entity 1"

Not sure what actions I can take to avoid this error.

Attached
for error 2) Nastran_Error_Log5.log, Nastran_Error_Log6.log and "dinamicplate.gid"
for error 3) "platform2.gid"

Kind Regards

Stuart

Re: Nastran interface errors - NEI Nastran now Autodesk Nast

Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2015 9:29 pm
by stuartj
Further to Autodesk Nastran Queries
Tried to use second order quadrilateral plate elements in Nastran interface.
Tried to export the calculation file:
Error message appears : Message in line number 4685. error: - NASTRAN Interface doesn't work with Triangular Quadratic Elements-Process finished with errors
Surely the interface can use (2d and solid) 2nd order quadrilateral or tetrahedral elements.

Kind Regards

Stuart

Re: Nastran interface errors - NEI Nastran now Autodesk Nast

Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 7:41 pm
by escolano
about the last reported bugs e) f), I have fixed the nastran 4.1 interface to avoid these bugs using GiD 12 (that uses the widget tablelist_tile instead of tablelist).

Update your current problemtype from the GiD menu: Data->Probletype->Internet retrieve...


about h) "Warning: condition 'Normal-Surface-Load' has flag 'on face elements' and it is applied 'on body elements' for the entity 1" is raised because this condition is declared as 'over face elements' and then is expected to be applied to the surfaces of the boundary of a volume, and then applied over some faces of the volumic elements (tetrahedra, hexahedra).
GiD don't expect it applied over an isolated surface and then attached over triangles or quadrilatrals, and then its shows the warning message.
It seems that in this case the load is written ok as a PLOAD4 item on the elements and then the warning could be ignored.

now I have changed the declaration 'on face elements' to 'on elements' to avoid the warning (old models must be 'transformed' to update this information)

Re: Nastran interface errors - NEI Nastran now Autodesk Nast

Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 7:48 pm
by escolano
About the message "NASTRAN Interface doesn't work with Triangular Quadratic Elements" when writting the calculation file, the nastran problemtype was made specially for NE/NASTRAN v8.2 and this version doesn't allow quadratic shell elements like CTRIA6 or CQUAD8.

Probably other versions of NASTRAN like MSC/NASTRAN or nowadays Autodest Nastran accept this type of elements.

This is not a bug, but a feature that could be implemented in future versions of the problemtype.