The Nastran Configuration File

Sample Configuration File

# #=Comment
# All name variables have following format: <<Name>>.

# ALL name variables MUST come before any other variable

# All fields must be integers or reals

# All cards with data repetition groups need to follow the format:
# {pram1,param2,param3,param4}
# For example, PCOMP,<<PID>>,Z0,NSM,SB,,TREF,GE,LAM,{,T,THETA,}

# TABLED1,TABLED2,TABLED3,PBUSH do not need any specific format. You only need 
# to add the card name. 

#########################################################################
# Input card definitions...

# Material Cards --------------------------------------------------------
# Linear isotropic material properties
MAT1,<<MID>>,E,G,NU,DENSITY,A,TREF,GE,ST,SC,SS,,

# Heat transfer material properties
MAT4,<<MID>>,K,CP,RHO,h,MU,HGEN,REFENTH,TCH,TDELTA,QLAT

# Orthotropic material properties for isoparametric shell elements
MAT8,<<MID>>,E1,E2,NU12,G12,G1Z,G2Z,RHO,A1,A2,TREF,XT,XC,YT,YC,S,GE,F12,STRN

# Property cards --------------------------------------------------------
# Thin shell element
PSHELL,<<ID>>,,THICKNESS,,,,,,,

# Beam element
PBEAM,<<ID>>,,AREA,I1,I2,I12,J

# Scalar elastic spring element
PELAS,<<ID>>,STIFFNESS,,

# Simple beam element
PBAR,<<ID>>,,AREA,I1,I2,J,,,,,,,,,,,,,

# Rod element
PROD,<<ID>>,,AREA,J,C,NSM

# Shear panel
PSHEAR,<<ID>>,,THICKNESS,NSM,,

# n-ply composite material laminate
PCOMP,<<PID>>,Z0,NSM,SB,,TREF,GE,LAM,{,T,THETA,}
# PBUSH
PBUSH
# CBUSH
# CBUSH,<<ID>>,PBUSHID,,,,,,,
CBUSH,<<ID>>,PBID,,,,,,,

# Load cards ------------------------------------------------------------
# Static concentrated force at a grid point
FORCE,<<SID>>,<<NODE>>,,SCALEFACTOR,F1,F2,F3

# Static concentrated force using magnitude and two grid points for
direction
FORCE1,<<SID>>,<<NODE>>,MAGNITUDE,,

# Static concentrated force using magnitude and four grid points for
direction
FORCE2,<<SID>>,<<NODE>>,MAGNITUDE,,,,

# Static concentrated moment at a grid point
MOMENT,<<SID>>,<<NODE>>,,SCALEFACTOR,M1,M2,M3

# Static concentrated moment using magnitude and two grid points for
direction
MOMENT1,<<SID>>,<<NODE>>,MAGNITUDE,,

# Static concentrated moment using magnitude and four grid points for
direction
MOMENT2,<<SID>>,<<NODE>>,MAGNITUDE,,,,

# Uniform static pressure load on a triangular or quadrilateral surface
PLOAD,<<SID>>,PRESSURE,,,,

# Uniform static pressure applied to CQUAD4, CSHEAR, or CTRIA3 twodimensional
elements
PLOAD2,<<SID>>,PRESSURE

# Pressure load on a face of a solid element
PLOAD4,<<SID>>,,PRESSURE

# Gravity load
GRAV,<<SID>>,,SCALEFACTOR,N1,N2,N3,

# Mesh cards ------------------------------------------------------------
# Location of geometric grid point
# This is commented out so as not to create so many parameters
#GRID,<<ID>>,,X1,X2,X3,,,


#########################################################################
# Everything below 'OUTPUT EXTRACTIONS' doesn't get read for input parsing
# Comment out any lines for which you do not want parameters created
# Nodal displacement and Element stress can potentially create a lot of
parameters
#########################################################################

OUTPUT EXTRACTIONS

Eigenvalues
Mass
Min/Max Nodal Displacement
Min/Max Element Stress
Min/Max Forces
#Nodal Displacement
#Element Stress
#Forces

The first portion of the configuration file (before the keyword Output Extractions) refers to the parsing of input files. Each line in this section can have multiple fields, which are delimited by commas. Each field corresponds to the respective field in the input file. (Nastran input file fields are either comma delimited or delimited by every 8 or 16 characters.)

The first field in each line is the most important one. It refers to the name of the card that will be extracted from the input file. This field must be spelled exactly like the card name in the input file. Other fields can be named independent from the input file.

To extract values from a specified card, simply add the name you want to give to that parameter in the position it appears in the input file. For example, if you want to extract thickness from a PSHELL card, use:

PSHELL,,,THICKNESS

This creates a parameter named THICKNESS_PSHELL with the value extracted from the input file. There are two extra commas between PSHELL and THICKNESS because THICKNESS appears as the fourth field in a Nastran PSHELL card.

If you want to extract information from the input file that should be part of the parameter name, enclose the field name in the configuration file within << and >>. For example, if you want to use the property id (second field) as part of the name for the PSHELL parameter:

PSHELL,<<ID>>,,THICKNESS

This creates a parameter named THICKNESS_PSHELL_<<ID>> where <<ID>> is the id value extracted from the input file.

You can create as many naming fields as you need; however, all naming fields must come before any other field extracted from the input file. For example:

Valid:

PSHELL,<<ID>>,<<ID2>>,THICKNESS

Invalid:

PSHELL,<<ID>>,,THICKNESS,<<ID2>>

The lines in the configuration file after the keyword Output Extractions represent the outputs that show up in the parameters list of the output tab. To prevent an output from being included, type a # before the output. Therefore, to prevent nodal displacements, element stresses, and element forces from appearing in the output parameters list, type # before these quantities; for example:

OUTPUT EXTRACTIONS

Eigenvalues
Mass
Min/Max Nodal Displacement
Min/Max Element Stress
Min/Max Forces
#Nodal Displacement
#Element Stress
#Forces

Uncomment these lines with caution, especially for large models. These lines will produce multiple output parameters for each and every element or node in the model. If an output quantity does not exist in the output file, you cannot select it from the component editor regardless of the configuration file settings.