6.13.1.1. Supported External File Types

You can import the following finite element mesh files directly into Mechanical using the Workbench External Model system:

  • Mechanical APDL common database (.cdb)[4]

  • Workbench mesh data file (.acmo)

  • ABAQUS Input (.inp)[5]

  • NASTRAN Bulk Data (.bdf, .dat, .nas)

  • Fluent Input (.msh, .cas)

  • ICEM CFD Input (.uns)

  • LS-DYNA Input (.k and .key)[6]


[4] The Mechanical APDL application defines contact conditions as elements and writes this data as such to the Mechanical APDL .cdb file. Conversely, the Mechanical application does not consider contact conditions as a part of the geometry (defined through elements). Mechanical defines its own entity. Therefore, when you import Mechanical common data base (.cdb) files into Mechanical, the application:

  • Translates MAPDL contact elements to the equivalent Mechanical Connections entry.

  • Does not process components (as Named Selections) that include contact elements. Furthermore, if you have a .cdb files that contains only contact element-based components, the application does not transfer these components.

As a result, these process requirements can lead to differences in the number of elements displayed by each application as well as the absence of Named Selections specified in one application but not available in the other.

[5] Note the following Workbench support limitations when importing ABAQUS Input files:

  • Parts and Assemblies are not supported. That is:

    • Only the data from the very first *Instance command is read by External Model. All other data from any additional *Instance command is ignored.

    • The element and node sets, as well as the materials, that are associated with the first *Instance command are processed. Any data that follows the first *End Part or *End Instance commands is ignored.

  • Workbench does not support keywords that generate additional items, such as keyword *NGEN. The commands *NSET, *ELSET, and *NODAL THICKNESS are the only commands that support the Generation parameter.

  • Only the first load step of the ABAQUS file is read by External Model.

[6] Note the following Workbench support limitations when importing LS-DYNA Input files:

  • Workbench will generally only import mesh information. For a list of supported keywords, go to the List of LS-DYNA supported keywords

  • Workbench does not support the *INCLUDE feature of LS-DYNA, and will only read the file you supply as an input.