*EXPORT

*EXPORT, Matrix, Format, Fname, Val1, Val2, Val3
Exports a matrix to a file in the specified format.

APDL: Matrix Operations

Argument Descriptions

Matrix

Name of the matrix to export (must be a matrix previously created with *DMAT or *SMAT, or a vector previously created with *VEC).

Format

Format of the output file:

MMF --: Export the matrix in the Matrix Market Format.
SUB --: Export the matrix in the SUB file format.
HBMAT --: Export the matrix in the Harwell-Boeing file format.
MAT --: Export the matrix in a native format, to be re-imported using the *DMAT or *SMAT command.
EMAT --: Export the matrix to an existing EMAT file.
APDL --: Export the matrix to an APDL array parameter.
PS --: Export the matrix profile to a Postscript file.
DMIG --: Export the matrix in the DMIG file format.
CSV --: Export the matrix to an ASCII CSV (comma-separated values) file.

Fname

Name of the file (case-sensitive, 32-character maximum), or name of the array parameter if Format = APDL (no default).

Val1, Val2, Val3

Additional input. The meaning of Val1 through Val3 will vary depending on the specified Format. See table below for details.

Additional input for Format = SUB, HBMAT, EMAT, APDL, PS, DMIG, and CSV

Format Val1 Val2 Val3 Description

SUB

Matrix type:

STIFF - Stiffness (or conductivity) matrix

MASS - Mass (or specific heat) matrix

DAMP - Damping matrix

RHS - Load vector

Matrix containing the row information (see Notes). Not needed if the matrix was imported from an existing SUB or DMIG file.

WAIT

DONE

Identify matrix type to write and specify when to perform the export (see Notes).

HBMAT

File format:

ASCII

BINARY

Matrix type (optional; see Notes):

STIFF - Stiffness matrix

MASS - Mass matrix

DAMP - Damping matrix

(not used)

Identify the output format and matrix type to write (see Notes).

EMAT

Matrix type:

STIFF - Stiffness (or conductivity) matrix

MASS - Mass (or specific heat) matrix

DAMP - Damping matrix

STRESS - Stress-stiffness matrix

Element number

(not used)

Identify the matrix type and the element number.

APDL First column Last column (not used) Block of columns to export.

Color key:

BW - black and white (default)

COLOR - color

(not used)

Identify the output format.

DMIG

Matrix containing the row information (see Notes). Not needed if the matrix was imported from an existing SUB or DMIG file.

File format:

FREE - Free field format

LARGE - Large field format (default)

(not used)

The row information vector specifies the mapping between row number, node, and DOF number.

CSV Number of decimal places (default = 10) Delimiter character ( default=’,’). Use ‘S’ for space, ‘T’ for tab delimiter. (not used) Identify the accuracy and formatting.

Notes

Only sparse matrices can be exported to Postscript files. This option plots the matrix profile as a series of dots.

If you want to create a .sub file from several matrices, you need to set Val3 = WAIT for all matrices but the last, and Val3 = DONE for the last one. The export will be effective at the last *EXPORT command.

To create a .sub file or .dmig file from scratch, you must supply the row information array. (Specify this array in the Val2 field for .sub or in the Val1 field for .dmig.) This must be an m x 2 array, where m is the size of the matrix. The first column is the node number and the second column is the DOF number corresponding to each row of the matrix.

When exporting an HBMAT file in ASCII format, you can include the matrix type in the header of the file by specifying the matrix type in the Val2 field. The matrix type is not included in the header if Val2 is empty. If Val1 = BINARY, Val2 is not used.

The *EXPORT command is not applicable to sparse matrices initialized from .full files by means of the NOD2SOLV option on the *SMAT command (that is, *SMAT,,,IMPORT,FULL,,NOD2SOLV).

The .csv file format does not support sparse matrices.

Menu Paths

This command cannot be accessed from a menu.