Structural Design
User Guide
SDNF Export/Import : Export to SDNF
Click Target Information to display the Export Target Information window which contains information about the 3D steel detailing package to which the SDNF file is being transferred.
The interface requires at least two external mapping tables for each Target Package in order to check that the Target Package can accept the data. It also may use the Profile Orientation and/or the Unicode mapping tables if necessary. The mapping tables are for the Profiles, Materials and for mapping the Profile Orientations between AVEVA E3D™ and the neutral file. The Unicode mapping table is to translate AVEVA E3D™ Unicode strings into ASCII strings. The file arrangement on the system and required format is explained. Refer to Customise SDNF for further information. The interface also needs to know where the external mapping files are located on the computer network. For this, internal mapping tables are required. The configuration and location of files is explained. Refer to Internal Mapping Files for further information.
The current file settings are indicated on the Export Target Information window. Changing the Target Package by using the Target Package drop-down list on the right-hand side of the window may cause the text to change giving the full path names of the respective files. Do not be concerned that the path name may be truncated by the insertion of the ellipsis (…): it is modified only for display purposes on the window.
The system also checks that these files are compatible with the Target Package by checking only the identification line at the top of each mapping table. The format of the mapping files is detailed. Refer to External Mapping Files for further information.
The two main options are, Auto and Manual which are activated by selecting the appropriate option button.
Auto causes the interface to select automatically the mapping tables for the Target Package indicated by the Target Package drop-down list on the right hand side of the window, according to the system configuration files. The files selected are dependent upon how you have configured the internal mapping files.
Manual activates other option buttons, which are greyed out for the Auto option. Selecting this option changes the display of the window. For example:
You can select the file type using the Profiles, Materials, Orient'n or Unicode radio buttons and input the full path name of the file in the data entry area. You can also include system environment variables in the path name as long as they are in the proper AVEVA E3D™ format, for example, %ENVVAR% being the AVEVA E3D™ representation of the ENVVAR environment variable.
Press Enter, the interface checks for the existence of the file and compatibility with the Target Package indicated by the Package drop-down list.
You can choose by hand which mapping file to use either by inputting its name in the text data entry field, or by using the Browse option to display a File Browser. You can use this browser to search for the relevant mapping file.
Once you have input all the correct data on the Export Target Information window, click OK and the interface variables are updated. Click Cancel to close the window, leaving the original interface variables unchanged.
Click Export Information to display the Export Information window which contains information about the export process.
You can either type the full path name of the output file, or click Browse to display a File Browser. The interface checks that the file exists and if it does, you are asked whether to overwrite it. If the file does exist and you want to overwrite it, the file mode beside Browse changes from WRITE to OVERWRITE. The output file is rechecked for write/overwrite status during the actual Export process because you can perform Exports repeatedly without changing the output file name.
Selecting the information to be contained in Packet 00 is performed by navigating to, or below, the relevant AVEVA E3D™ SITE, ZONE or STRU element which contains the required header information. Open the Members list window on the main Export window. When at, or below, the correct element, click Use CE on this window, the source text indicates from where the interface gets the information. If there is not enough space on the window the element's reference number is output rather than its name.
To view the information contained by the chosen header element, click Inspect to display the Export File Header Details window.
At first the entry fields are greyed out but you can read the contents. To modify the contents of the fields click Edit on the Export File Header Details window and the fields become active and allow you to input any revised data. Click Apply and the data is transferred back to the chosen header object, overwriting the original data. Click Cancel to leave all the data unchanged.
Using the toggles on the Export Information window, you can select whether to export Packet 10 (Straight), Packet 60 (Curved) or Packet 20 (Plates) with the option of their holes, Packet 22 (Holes). You cannot output Packet 40 (End Connections) without outputting either Packet 10 (Straight) or Packet 60 (Curved). If you want neither Packet 10 nor Packet 60, the sub-options, Members only and Members + End Connections are inactivated and greyed out. Similarly, one cannot output Packet 22 (Holes) without outputting Packet 20 (Plates). You are able to export Plates without their holes.
Once all the correct data has been input on the Export Information window, click OK and the interface variables are updated. Click Cancel to close the window, leaving the original interface variables unchanged.
Click Run Information to display the Export window which allows you to view the Log File after the export process is complete and select the Log File? check box.
The Test Run? option allows you to suppress the updating of all the Export flags, allowing you to check if Export of the model will be successful. You may find that the Profile or Material mapping files are not quite up to date which might cause a failure in the Export process. Therefore, you can select this option to define this as a test run.
After the Export process has completed, Test Run? is reset to false. You are then forced to state categorically each time the model is Exported that the run is a trial.
Once all the correct data has been input on the Run Information window, click OK and the interface variables are updated. Click Cancel to close the window, leaving the original interface variables unchanged.
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Add CE adds the current element to the list and implies all items below the current element in the database hierarchy. The WORL can not be added to the list.
The Add by Pick option allows you to select an item from the 3Dview. It is similar to other pick functions. Selecting this option brings up a Status window and puts you into a mode where an item from the 3D view can be picked. You can also pick a sequence of items in succession to add to the Export list. Press the ESC key when complete. If you do not want to continue, press the ESC key.
Add Structure attempts to climb to the Structure owning the current element and add that to the Export list. A warning message displays if there isn't an owning Structure.
There is also a set of methods by which you can remove items from the Export list. These options work only on entries in the Export list, rather than in the model. As with adding to the Export list, when items are removed from the Export list, the highlight is removed from the item or items and they are returned to the default colours as defined by this interface.
Remove CE looks for the name of the current element in the list and removes it if present.
Remove by Pick allows you to select something from the 3D view and, if it is present in the Export list, the name is removed. As with the Add by Pick option, you can select a series of items to remove from the Export list until the ESC key is pressed.
Remove Selected is a means by which the item selected in the Export list is subsequently removed. Select the item first in the list, then click Remove Selected.
Clear just removes everything from the list.
Cancel closes the AVEVA SDNF Export window.
Export executes the Export process. As it proceeds you are kept informed of the progress by means of messages at the bottom of the main Model window as well as by forms and prompts.
Re-initialise reloads the files to save you having to rebuild the whole user interface from scratch.
Configure enables you to define run parameters, model parameters, display colours and environment parameters. Refer to System Configuration for further information.
Map Converter starts the tool that helps you rebuild Profile mapping files. Refer to AVEVA ABSI/SDNF Mapping File Converter for further information.
Exit command removes all forms and menus and global variables associated with the interface.
The General drop-down menu has one option, Highlight which displays the Highlighter window enabling you to identify new, changed and deleted items in the model. The Highlighter window has more relevance to the Import process and is described in detail. Refer to Highlight Changes in the Design for further information.
All reference data, such as any pre-existing reference model, is removed before exporting anything. Details about saving the reference model are available. Refer to Import from SDNF for further information.
In addition, there is an SDNF specific UDA, :SDNFEXCLUDE, attached to certain AVEVA E3D™ elements by which you can define whether the item is to be exported or not. Setting this logical flag to true excludes the item from the Export process. Refer to UDAs for further information.
Click Yes and the interface waits for another period of time. Click No to stop the interface where it is. Finally the system indicates its completion, whether successful or not. The completion message should be read in conjunction with the log file, if any errors are indicated.
On completion of the external program, the status file is inspected and, if the result is favourable, you are then asked whether or not to view the log file, if that option has been selected on the Run Information window.
To inspect the log file later, save it with the File > Save as option in the File Viewer window which opens a File Browser, or click Save as to the suggested filename. Either way, if the file already exists, you are asked whether to overwrite it. The log file window may then be closed, click Cancel.
If the Brief mode has been chosen on the Run Information window for displaying the log file, the window displaying the log file filters out all warning messages, leaving only the error messages. Saving the log file, however, all messages are retained in the file.
Panels in AVEVA E3D™ are to be transferred as Plates using Packet 20, inclusive of stiffeners, floor and toe plates. Bent plates are also transferred if they are expressed as their component flat plates. If Bent Plates are to be treated as Angle linear members then they should be modelled as such.
If the AVEVA E3D™ Penetration Application is used to generate Catalogue holes, the resultant holes, kicker plates and stiffeners are not exported because they are contained in a Catalogue definition. Some holes and negative primitives can be transferred from the model.
End connections and base plates are modelled in Design Catalogue items and transferred to the SDNF file using end coding information stored in the CTYA attribute of the Catalogue component. A mapping table is required to enable the information to be transferred in order that a corresponding entity can be created in the external 3D steel detailing package. Once the end has been detailed, the resultant geometry may be returned to Model as Plate members in Packet 20 for graphical and clash checks. In AVEVA E3D™ Joint selection is controlled by specification.
A test can be performed after installing the AVEVA SDNF product to make sure that the installation is complete and correct. All the required testing material can be found below the sub-folder SDNF\test\results\export in the user data folder.
When that is finished, bring the SITE into view by adjusting the view limits. Refer to Limits for further information.
If required, modify the 3D view. Refer to Views for further information.
The Export window allows you to export a steel structure to a SDNF file.
Select the Auto option button and select AVEVA from the list of Target Packages on the Target Package drop-down list on the right hand side of the window. The system automatically detects the Target Package's Profile mapping table and Material mapping table.
Select the profile mapping file for the old catalogue named Aveva_E3D1.1.map. located in the Blockmaps\Aveva folder.
In the output file name field, input SDNF-Test.sdn
Check that the SDNF file header (Packet 00) is coming from /SDNF-CONFIG-DEMO-SYSTEM. Use the navigator and browser if necessary.
Select which SDNF Packets to export: Packet 10 (Straight), Members + End Connections and Packet 20 (Plates).
Do not select the Test Run? check box as this is not a test run.
To add the SITE to be exported to SDNF, Select SITE /TEST-SDNF-INTERFACE in the Members list. Click Add CE, all the members in the 3D view change colour to indicate they are being exported.
When the process is complete, you are asked whether to inspect the log file. You can then save it with the File > Save as option on the SDNF File Viewer window to display a File Browser, or click Save as to the suggested filename. The log file window can then be closed, click Cancel.
Check the SDNF Output Files
