Any ideas on how to share/collaborate a FEM with a colleague?
Any ideas on how to share/collaborate a FEM with a colleague?
(OP)
My company uses Femap as our pre- and post-processor. Does anyone have any ideas or creative solutions for sharing a finite element model with a colleage? This is not something that can be divided into submodels. I have already considered and pitched working 2 shifts to management. They would prefer if 2 people could be optimizing at the same time during the day due to shop workload issues.





RE: Any ideas on how to share/collaborate a FEM with a colleague?
i think the only way would be to divide into two super-elements, you can divide the model at a reasonably arbitary boundary (section plane), maybe at a "convenient" set of nodes ??
if you Had to, work on different groups of nodes/elements, export the bdf for each then combine the two altered sets ... but i feel really dirty even suggesting that approach ...
you could check this horrible approach by keeping a master bdf and comparing both altered bdfs to it ... nodes elements should change in only one or the other of the altered bdfs, but not both.
but then that approach would probably double the amount of time to change the model ... but rationality was never a convincing argument with mgmt.
RE: Any ideas on how to share/collaborate a FEM with a colleague?
RE: Any ideas on how to share/collaborate a FEM with a colleague?
As far as sharing the data, you can start with edited geometry in the form of a PARASOLID or STEP file. Maybe there's a better solution depending on your CAD package. Both of you work independent on your half, then 2 Nastran input files could be read into the same FEMAP model for the analysis runs.
As you can see, I've got more questions than answers at this point. I'm mostly speculating and throwing out suggestions for a still unclear problem you're trying to solve. It is an interesting one though.
Regards,
Mark
Mark Lamping
CAE Technical Consultant
Siemens PLM Software
RE: Any ideas on how to share/collaborate a FEM with a colleague?
Thanks for your time.
RE: Any ideas on how to share/collaborate a FEM with a colleague?
RE: Any ideas on how to share/collaborate a FEM with a colleague?
Then, for example, 1 analyst uses only elements numbered 1 - 10 000, and the other uses elements numbered 20 000 to 30 000, such that there is no overlap.
Same for the nodes, except the common ones.
Then, you could export each of these halfs to 2 Nastran files, then, using a text editor, combine the Nastran files.
In theory, very doable, but you have to manipulate the Nastran text files.
You also have to each be working in consistent global coordinates, so you don't end up with an arm where your foot should be...
Once combined, you could import into a new Femap file and add loads, etc.
Hope it helps.
tg
RE: Any ideas on how to share/collaborate a FEM with a colleague?
Thank you both. I think those ideas are very workable solutions. I guess one bit of the puzzle that I have not mentioned is that one of the analysts is a very disorganized person, so I've been trying to avoid things that require work and rules and I know will be ignored. Again, thanks for all the comments and I think I've got a viable path forward that will hopefully minimize rework for all.
RE: Any ideas on how to share/collaborate a FEM with a colleague?
RE: Any ideas on how to share/collaborate a FEM with a colleague?
RE: Any ideas on how to share/collaborate a FEM with a colleague?
RE: Any ideas on how to share/collaborate a FEM with a colleague?
You mean there are people in Aerospace who avoid things that require work?
Sounds like some of my Rail people...
tg