[GiDlist] Some issues with BOOKS in materials

[Philippe Bouchilloux]

Hello:

I would like to report a series of issues that concern the use of BOOKS in
the materials file (GiD 7.2). I am using a materials file divided into
several BOOKS, and there are no materials outside of the BOOKS, i.e.:

BOOK: book1
NUMBER: 1 MATERIAL: material1
...
END MATERIAL
...
NUMBER: N1 MATERIAL: materialn1
...
END MATERIAL
BOOK: book2
NUMBER: N1+1 MATERIAL: materialn1+1
...
END MATERIAL
...
NUMBER: N1+N2 MATERIAL: materialn1+n2
...
END MATERIAL
BOOK: bookm
NUMBER: N1+N2+...+1 MATERIAL: materialn1+n2+...+1
...
END MATERIAL
...
NUMBER: N1+N2+...+NM MATERIAL: materialn1+n2+...+nm
...
END MATERIAL


0- I believe this is a correct material file definition, but let me know if
I messed up.


1- Using the "Import/Export" feature in the material window: the local
material data (model data) listed is exclusively the materials in the
current book. This is what we want. However, the global material list
(file data) is not properly sorted. Actually, no materials are shown in
the right hand side of the window. I believe the reason is the following:

In dataw.tcl, the initialization of the DataMaterials (the materials from
the file) is done via the DWReadMatfile procedure. This procedure does not
seem to be looking for BOOK information. Therefore, when the
UpdateMaterialsPrim procedure is called to sort and display the list of
materials that belong to $Book, the result comes empty.

At that point, it is clear that there is no possibility to import/export
material. If I try to export anyway, then the external material file is
replaced with the list of materials I have exported (all other materials
are lost, and of course, there is no BOOK information anymore).


2- Using the "delete material" command available in the material window
until all the materials of a BOOK have been deleted causes an error in GiD
(empty list). Although the BOOK entry remains in file.mat, it is not
possible to recover from this error unless the file.mat is manually edited
and a material is created for that book.

Note that if all the materials from all the books are deleted, then
file.mat is also deleted.

Maybe it would be useful to have a dummy material in each book. This dummy
material could serve as a template to create new materials and it would
prevent the book from being totally empty.


3- Additionally, would it be possible to consider implementing a "rename
material" feature?


Thanks a lot!

Philippe



Magsoft Corporation
Tel: 518-271-1352
Cell: 518-365-0421 (direct)
www.magsoft-flux.com

[Enrique Escolano]

The concept of BOOKS is added to GiD after create this Import/Export
materials window, and it is not been updated.

In some days this window will be updated, adding some tree structure to
support books.
We study also the suggested option to rename materials.

Thanks
Enrique Escolano

----- Original Message -----
From: "Philippe Bouchilloux" pb at magsoft-flux.com
To: "GiDList" gidlist at gatxan.cimne.upc.es
Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2003 3:55 PM
Subject: [GiDlist] Some issues with BOOKS in materials


Hello:

I would like to report a series of issues that concern the use of BOOKS in
the materials file (GiD 7.2). I am using a materials file divided into
several BOOKS, and there are no materials outside of the BOOKS, i.e.:

BOOK: book1
NUMBER: 1 MATERIAL: material1
...
END MATERIAL
...
NUMBER: N1 MATERIAL: materialn1
...
END MATERIAL
BOOK: book2
NUMBER: N1+1 MATERIAL: materialn1+1
...
END MATERIAL
...
NUMBER: N1+N2 MATERIAL: materialn1+n2
...
END MATERIAL
BOOK: bookm
NUMBER: N1+N2+...+1 MATERIAL: materialn1+n2+...+1
...
END MATERIAL
...
NUMBER: N1+N2+...+NM MATERIAL: materialn1+n2+...+nm
...
END MATERIAL


0- I believe this is a correct material file definition, but let me know
if
I messed up.


1- Using the "Import/Export" feature in the material window: the local
material data (model data) listed is exclusively the materials in the
current book. This is what we want. However, the global material list
(file data) is not properly sorted. Actually, no materials are shown in
the right hand side of the window. I believe the reason is the following:

In dataw.tcl, the initialization of the DataMaterials (the materials from
the file) is done via the DWReadMatfile procedure. This procedure does
not
seem to be looking for BOOK information. Therefore, when the
UpdateMaterialsPrim procedure is called to sort and display the list of
materials that belong to $Book, the result comes empty.

At that point, it is clear that there is no possibility to import/export
material. If I try to export anyway, then the external material file is
replaced with the list of materials I have exported (all other materials
are lost, and of course, there is no BOOK information anymore).


2- Using the "delete material" command available in the material window
until all the materials of a BOOK have been deleted causes an error in GiD
(empty list). Although the BOOK entry remains in file.mat, it is not
possible to recover from this error unless the file.mat is manually edited
and a material is created for that book.

Note that if all the materials from all the books are deleted, then
file.mat is also deleted.

Maybe it would be useful to have a dummy material in each book. This
dummy
material could serve as a template to create new materials and it would
prevent the book from being totally empty.


3- Additionally, would it be possible to consider implementing a "rename
material" feature?


Thanks a lot!

Philippe



Magsoft Corporation
Tel: 518-271-1352
Cell: 518-365-0421 (direct)
www.magsoft-flux.com


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