Siemens Simcenter FEMAP 2306.0

Rotor Dynamics (SOL 414) - New for version 2306!
Added support for Rotor Dynamics for Nastran solvers (SOL 414). The Rotor Dynamics SOL 414 has 5 new analysis types:
- SOL 414, 101 - Maneuvers a linear static analysis with rotational forces.
- SOL 414,103 - an Eigenvalue analysis that computes modes of the system at rest.
- SOL 414, 110 - a Complex Modal analysis for finding critical speeds and analyzing stability of the rotating system.
- SOL 414, 111 - a Harmonic analysis for frequency dependent excitation.
- SOL 414, 129 - Transient analysis.
Gear/Bearing/Fourier Elements and Element Property Types - New for version 2306!
To support Rotor Dynamics (SOL 414), new Element and Element Property types are added. The Gear element is used for connecting rotors. This property is written out to the GEAR card. The new Fourier element couples a node on the 3D portion of the model to a target node on the 2D Fourier axisymmetric portion of the model. The Fourier property maps to the FOU3 card. Finally, the new Bearing element supports the Nastran PBEAR2 property type. You can define Bearings with constant stiffness/mass/damping matrices, or stiffness/mass/damping matrix with rotation-speed/time/frequency dependent values.
Rotor Dynamics (SOL 414) Entities - New for version 2306!
In addition to the new properties, there are 3 new entity types available for Rotor Dynamics (SOL 414). The Model Info tree has a new Rotor Dynamics branch containing the 3 new entity types: XY Plot Definitions, Bearing Speed, and Rotation Speed.
The XY Plot Definition entity is used to create a Nastran OUTMGT entry which allows you to generate Nodal, Elemental, and/or Advanced XY Plots for various types of Rotor Dynamics analysis runs. These XY Plots appear as Femap functions which can be plotted in the Charting Pane after Results are loaded.
The Bearing Speed entity maps to a Nastran SPEBE2 entry, and allows you to select the Rotors (or table) that Simcenter Nastran uses to retrieve the correct speed for Bearing elements. Bearing elements are dependent on Rotor speed.
The Rotational Speed entitiy is used to specify Rotation Speeds in 3 different forms: As Individual rotation speeds that writes to a Nastran OMEGA entry. As a Linear Sweep with equally spaced speeds that writes to a Nastran OMEGA1 entry. Finally, as a Logarithmic Sweep that writes to a Nastran OMEGA2 entry.
Rotor Dynamics Options and Rotor Assembly Selection - New for version 2306!
There is a new Nastran Rotor Dynamics Options dialog for the Rotor Dynamics solution parameters needed for the Nastran ROTORD entry. You can specify the Modeling of the Rotor Speed as either Constant, Linear, or a Function of a Sweeping Parameter (either Rotor Speed, Frequency and Time for SOL 414, 110 111 and 129 respectively).
Nastran ROTORD supports up to 10 Rotors which you enter in the new Rotor Modeling Assembly Selection dialog. These Rotor Speeds can have either a Constant Multiplier or a Multiplier defined by a Sweeping Parameter.
Rotor Dynamics Analysis Results - New for version 2306!
Results Data for Rotor Dynamics is stored to a file written in the HDF5 format, which is specific to Siemens products (the SCD5). For Femap version 2306, Femap is able to interact with the SCD5 file generated by SOL 414 to create both Output Sets & Vectors and Femap Functions for use in Postprocessing.
Geometry Interfaces
Updated Geometry Interfaces for importing different geometry formats from different CAD systems. Added support for CATIA V6, Inventor 2023, Rhino 7, and a new feGeometryInterface object for programmatic access to the capabilities of the File → Import → Geometry and File → Export →
Geometry commands.
All geometry interfaces have been updated with a common Read Options dialog. The new Read Options dialog offers appropriate options for supported geometry applications. Also, the new dialog continues to support Read Options from previous versions of Femap via the Alternative Interface… button.
ABAQUS Enhancement for Connections
Enhanced support for ABAQUS in order to export Connections. Specifically, or exporting and importing *CONTACT PAIR, *TIE, *SHELL TO SOLID COUPLING keywords.
Two new options, Adjust and Position Tolderance are added to the Define Connection Property dialog on the ABAQUS tab. They are located in the Other parameters section.
You can now toggle between on/off the Adjust parameter and set it to Yes or No. This option is activated if Connect Type is 0..Contact (i.e. *CONTACT PAIR). It is also activated when Connect Type is 1..Glued, and Enable Shell to Solid Coupling is turned off (i.e. *TIE). All options in the Other section are turned off when Connect Type is 1..Glued and Enable Shell to Solid Coupling is turned on.
In the case where Connect Type is 0..Contact (i.e. *CONTACT PAIR), the Position Tolerance option is activated only if Adjust is set to Yes or No. If Connect Type is 1..Glued and Enable Shell to Solid Coupling is turned off, you can turn on Adjust and Position Tolerance independently of each other. Export Abaqus input files with *TIE keyword along with *CONTACT PAIR, TIED, and import the Abaqus *SHELL TO SOLID COUPLING keyword. It is important to ensure the first surface in the data line is an edge-based surface name and the second surface is an element based solid surface name.
Teamcenter Integration
A new option, available in the Sign In To Teamcenter dialog, allows you to specify multiple Teamcenter server environments via the Edit Teamcenter Server Environments dialog. Add, remove and reorder Server Environments using the controls in the dialog.
Body Loads
Added support for Simcenter Nastran applied force direction from a Rotational Acceleration Body load. Added options when defining the Body Load to control which direction you want. A rotational acceleration setting, Direction of Applied Force is available in the Create Body Loads dialog (Model → Load → Body…). This setting has two options: Same as Acceleration and Opposite to Acceleration.
Multi Step Analysis Options
Updated control options for both Multi-Step Nonlinear Kinematic Analysis and Multi-Step Structural Analysis. The Multi-Step Global Control Options dialog box is replaced with the Strategy Parameters (NLCNTLG) dialog box, and the Multi-Step Control Options dialog box is replaced with the Strategy Parameters (NLCNTL2) dialog box.
API
New and updated API Objects and Attributes
- Added a new feGeometryInterface object to the API commands. It provides programmatic access to the capabilities of the File → Import → Geometry and File → Export → Geometry commands.
- Added NasMsNLKGlobalKINI, NasMsNLKGlobalFHMETH, fhpost, NasBulkFHPOSTVal, NasBulkFHPNST, NasBulkFHPNSTVal, NasBulkDFREQ, NasBulkDFREQVal, NasBulkRDMTRAK, NasBulkRDMTRAKVal, NasAppSpecUseRelativeMethod, NasAppSpecCID, NasAppSpecDir, vNasRotorRegionSelection, NasRotorRegionSelection, vNasRotorSpeedMultiplier, NasRotorSpeedMultiplier, vNasRotorSpeedMultiplierFn, NasRotorSpeedMultiplierFn, NasMsnlkCnt2PRDR, NasMsnlkCnt2PRDE, NasMsnlkCnt2ISTO, NasMsnlkCnt2IRDY, NasMsnlkCnt2BALF, NasMsnlkCnt2IA4, NasMsnlkCnt2IA12, NasCaseFHAROn, NasCaseFHAR, NasCaseFHACOn, and NasCaseFHAC Properties to the AnalysisMgr Object to support Rotor Dynamics (SOL 414) analysis.
- Added PutOUTMGTSetID, GetOUTMGTSet, ClearOUTMGTSet, PutOUTMGTSet, PutOMEGASetID, GetOMEGASet, ClearOMEGASet, and PutOMEGASet Methods to the AnalysisMgr Object to support Rotor Dynamics (SOL 414) analysis.
- Updated the feProp and feElem objects with property values associated with the Rotor Dynamics (SOL 414) Gear and Bearing elements.
- Updated the API Window so that closing a macro with the "x" on the tab, the Close command or the Close All command initializes the new macro with the standard Femap startup macro.
- Enhanced the API Programming pane to automatically create the default Femap starting script in a new window anytime you close the initial windows. Previously a default script was created, however it did not automatically setup to connect to Femap.
- Updated the Data Surface object and added an AutoEvaluate( ) method that can be used in place of Evaluate( ) and does not require any arguments. Also, Evaluate( ) can now be called with the either or both of the geomID and eDataType arguments set to zero to use the values of those options stored in the Data Surface.
- Added support fort writing PBUSH properties to Nastran with all zero stiffnesses. Model can then be hand edited later to update stiffness, but will run as-is just like the element wasn’t there. (ER#10755337)
Pre-Processing
- Enhanced modifying an RBE3 element. If editing the independent node list, the standard entity select will propagate with already selected nodes if they have the same weight and DOFs selected.
Meshing
- Updated the Mesh → Between and Mesh → Region commands to automatically delete the extra mid-face nodes that were previously created but were not referenced by any element.
- Updated the Mesh → Region command to allow area selection of nodes in the starting/ending regions. Previously, nodes had to be picked in a “path” order so area selection was not normally feasible. The new capability only works if all selected nodes are along one continuous path of element edges and only works for planar meshing (Tri/Quad), not solids.
- Updated the Mesh → Region command to automatically merge/connect the new region with the selected starting/ending region nodes. Previously, new duplicate nodes were created requiring a later merge.
Interfaces – Comma Separated
- Updated the detection code for reading comma-separated results files to better detect basic or extended table formats. If you attempted to create an extended format CSV file from Excel, extra commas were added to the lines which only have one field in the defined format (like the table type) and that caused the code to think it was the basic format.

Optimization
- Corrected issue which occurred when an optimization limit was created with an entity selection and selecting to create “More” limits then creating a Weight limit would write the previously selected entity IDs on the DRESP1 card of the weight type limit. (PR# 10760713)
Output and PostProcessing
- Corrected issue which prevented Von Mises Stress/Strain output on plate elements from being marked as "not linearly combinable" when recovered from a Nastran Random Vibrartion analysis. (PR#9452268)
- Corrected issue where deformed arrows are set to 0% of model size and this prevented valid labels being drawn. Workaround is to set deformation scale to 0.0001%.
- Corrected issue which sometimes caused deformed and contour vectors to be zeroed in the PostProcessing Toolbox if you chose complex magnitude or invariant vectors.
User Interface - General
- Corrected issue where picking plate element faces in normal picking (not front picking) only allowed one of a pair of coincident edges to be pickable. For example if element 10 and 11 shared a common edge, the edge from element 10 was pickable, but the edge from element 11 was not pickable. With the mouse over element 11, the element 10 edge would be picked.
- Corrected a problem that caused performance issues when using the Global Ply Manager and Ply Material Manager if they had a large number of entries and you pressed Ok to close the dialog (PR#10660440)
- Corrected a problem that caused an unnecessary message saying that it was not possible to compute the Explicit Time Step because needed material properties were not available. This happened when using the selector to choose Tet elements that referenced materials with no density when the Entity Editor was open. The message is no longer produced although the Explicit Time Step will still be 0.0 if density is 0.0. (PR#10703821)
- Enhanced the Model->Merge and Copy/Rotate/Reflect commands when using Offset Renumbering. Previously, the requested ID offset was updated if any entities existed in the destination ID range even if there were gaps in the IDs of the entities being copied that would have prevented any ID "collisions". Now, individual entities are checked, and the ID offset is only updated if the IDs are actually incompatible with the offset. (PR#10735075)
- Corrected a problem that left functions undeletable unless you did a File->Rebuild if you created them by copying a function that was already referenced from the Model Info tree context menu. The problem could also occur if you used the Function API object and saved a copy of a referenced function to a new ID.
- Corrected issues to ensure Functions were appropriately deletable if they had been referenced on Spring/Damper properties which were later modified or deleted.
- Corrected a problem that allowed the possible specification of rigid elements with no specified degrees of freedom.
- Corrected a problem that caused the reference to a Layer ID on Mesh Points to not be renumbered when Layers were renumbered. This caused the original Layer ID to be recreated. (PR#10637457)
- Corrected a problem with some message boxes that caused the highlighted default button to be different than the button that had focus when the message is initially displayed. Clicking on a
- Improved performance of dynamic rotation for models with an extremely large number of properties (such as a property per element).
Model Info Tree
- Corrected a number of problems that impacted the "Show/Hide Reverse", "Show SelectedOnly", "Show All", and "Hide All" blanking commands on the context menus of the Model Info tree if the branch of the tree you were updating contained more than the maximum number of displayed entites and therefore showed Next/Prev options.
- Corrected a problem that caused Load Definitions to disappear from the Model Info tree if you renumbered Load Sets. The Load Definitions were not deleted, they simply were no longer included in the tree. This problem only occurred in V2301 and simply reloading the tree brought them back. (PR#10614667)
- Corrected a problem that prevented proper updating of the Entity Editor from the Model Info tree if you first loaded the Entity Editor with an entity then switched to a different model and clicked the "same" entity (same entity type and ID). Previously, as long as you switched entities everything updated properly, the problem occurred only if you immediately clicked the "same" entity.
Meshing
- Corrected a problem with the Mesh->Bodies command that did not allow Mesh Points to be honored if you chose the "All Geometry" mesh associativity option. This problem also impacted the mesh sizing around small holes and features and on surfaces with small radii of curvature.
Elements – Laminates
- Improved performance of dynamic rotation for models with an extremely large number of properties (such as a property per element).
Model Info Tree
- Corrected a number of problems that impacted the "Show/Hide Reverse", "Show SelectedOnly", "Show All", and "Hide All" blanking commands on the context menus of the Model Info tree if the branch of the tree you were updating contained more than the maximum number of displayed entites and therefore showed Next/Prev options.
- Corrected a problem that caused Load Definitions to disappear from the Model Info tree if you renumbered Load Sets. The Load Definitions were not deleted, they simply were no longer included in the tree. This problem only occurred in V2301 and simply reloading the tree brought them back. (PR#10614667)
- Corrected a problem that prevented proper updating of the Entity Editor from the Model Info tree if you first loaded the Entity Editor with an entity then switched to a different model and clicked the "same" entity (same entity type and ID). Previously, as long as you switched entities everything updated properly, the problem occurred only if you immediately clicked the "same" entity.
Meshing
- Corrected a problem with the Mesh->Bodies command that did not allow Mesh Points to be honored if you chose the "All Geometry" mesh associativity option. This problem also impacted the mesh sizing around small holes and features and on surfaces with small radii of curvature.
Elements – Laminates
- Corrected issue that caused performance issues when using the Global Ply Manager and Ply Material Manager if there were a large number of entries and you pressed Ok to close the dialog. (PR#10660440)
Interfaces – Nastran ( All Nastrans )
- Supported writing and reading Layup titles to Nastran files for laminate plates and solids. (ER#10622362)
- Corrected issue that prevented Invariants/Von Mises/etc from being computed in Nastran Result Sets that were read from OP2 files when that Result Set also contained results on Cohesive elements. (PR#10734192)
- Corrected issue with reading Nastran scalar point springs to ground (CELAS1/CDAMP1/CELAS3/ CDAMP3) … previously referenced an uninitialized degree of freedom variable.
- Corrected issue where if a Femap model filename contains an apostrophe “ ‘ “ Nastran job fails. (PR 10724856)
- Corrected issue where f06 file cannot be deleted when a Nastran analysis fails. (PR 10695216)
- Corrected issue where the Tools → Check → Sum Forces command gives incorrect (negative) results compared to Simcenter Nastran. Simcenter Nastran changed the direction of the applied force from a Rotational Acceleration Body load. The correction is due to this Simcenter Nastran convention change. (PR#10627578)
Interfaces - ABAQUS
- Corrected issue where Abaqus export does not write NSET/ELSET for all the Loads. Also, does not write CLOAD AND DLOAD cards for all the loads correctly. (PR 10651937)
- Corrected issue where Abaqus export does not write data lines for *BOUNDARY when same constraint set is used in consecutive cases/steps. (PR 10696329)
- Corrected issue where Abaqus export does not write correct NSET when a BC is applied on a curve or a surface. (PR 10671128)
API Programming
- Corrected issue which caused the API property DialogAutoSkipMsg to not work properly and still display questions/messages when they were not desired.
Import/Export
- Corrected issue which could occur if you exported a Femap Neutral File to a version prior to V2020.1 from Femap V2020.1 or greater and them model contained attached results. In some cases, when the Neutral File was imported, the results were corrupted and could be displayed incorrectly. This was cleaned up if you detached and reattached the results file, but in its initial state it could be incorrect. (PR#9960228)
- Corrected issue that could occur if you exported a Femap Neutral File to a version prior to V2020.1 from Femap V2020.1 or greater and them model contained attached results. In some cases, when the Neutral File was imported, the results were corrupted and could be displayed incorrectly. This was cleaned up if you detached and reattached the results file, but in its initial state it could be incorrect. (PR#9960228)