You use the External Data feature to import data from one or more external source files and apply the data in a Mechanical analysis system. This feature supports text (.txt) files. It also supports Hierarchical Data Format (HDF) Version 5 (.hdf5/.h5) files from within the Mechanical application only.
You access the External Data feature from Workbench or Mechanical using different methods. See below for more information.
Supported Analysis Types
This feature is only supported for the following analysis types:
Coupled Field Transient: Supports Imported Body Temperature (Thermal Condition) and Imported Temperature.
Explicit Dynamics: Currently, the Explicit Dynamics system and the LS-DYNA ACT extension provide limited support for the Workbench External Data system.
Modal: Supports Imported Body Temperature.
Static Structural/Transient Structural: These analysis types do not support the use of the Rigid Dynamics solver for External Data import.
Note: The surface pressures and line loads calculated in a Hydrodynamic Diffraction analysis or a time domain Hydrodynamic Response analysis can be transferred to panel and beam elements in a Static Structural analysis using the Hydrodynamic Pressure Mapping ACT extension, through a link on the Workbench Project Schematic page. See The Hydrodynamic Pressure Add-on for more information.
Accessing External Data
Choose a subsection topic based on how you want to use External Data: