Week 12 Challenge

CHALLENGE 12

OBJECTIVE:

To create a TCL command file for the following process.

• Identify similar components in the model which has the same surface count.
• Create weld and locators with respective components.
• Reading node coordinates from an external file.

PROCEDURE:

1.Identical Components:

This process will show identical or same surface count components. For this surface counts for each component were saved to a file and compare with user-selected components.

• Create a selection of all components in a model.
• Get surface count for each component by using the command “hm_marklength”.
• By using “*createmarkpanel” command, the target component selected by the user.
• The surface count for the target component was calculated by command.
• Using “lsearch” command value of the target component check with other all components in a list.
• Matched components list was saved in a separated variable.
• This variable contains a position of the matched components in the list.
• Mask all components.
• For each variable, a component was identified and unmasked.

TCL command:

*createmarkpanel - User interface gets input a component from the user.

Lappend - Add values in a list with space.

Lsearch - Search for a given value in a list. And return matched values ID.

Hm_marklength - Get no of marked items in mark ID.

Sample images:

2. Creating Connectors:

Connectors are 1D elements that made a connection between components in hypermesh model. Various connectors are available in Hypermesh which can be used for various applications. In this command, Weld and locator connectors are created between nodes.

• Initially, the component created on entity editor for weld and locators.
• Components assigned with different colors and names.
• Procedures are created for weld and locator.
• For weld, nodes are gotten as an input from the user by the command “*createmarkpanel”.
• Using the command “*rigidlinkinodecalandcreate” weld connections are made.
• An “if” condition was used to determine which axis the locator should be made.
• For each axis, different DOF will be selected in if condition.
• Node for source and target get as input from panel command.
• For locators, “*rigid” was used to create locators.

TCL Command:

*rigid - Create locators between selected nodes.

*createmarkpanel - Create a panel that can be used to select an entity.

Hm_getmark - Get marked entity’s ID.

Sample Images:

:

LOCATORS:

WELD:

File Parse:

In this process, an external file has been read data of node coordinates. Using this co-ordinates value temp nodes have been created in the model.

• The input file has been selected from the user on the file manager panel which opens by the command “tk_getOpenFile”.
• For the selected file, the File ID was created.
• Using this file ID, each line on the file was read.
• For co-ordinate values, temp nodes have been created by the command “*createentity node”.

TCL Command:

Open “Filename.extension” r - Opens a file and read lines.

Eof - End of file.

Lindex - Selects a particular value in a list.

*createentity - Create entities.

Sample Images:

WIDGET:

FILE SELECTOR:

TEMP NODES FOR VALUES ON DOCUMENT:

RESULT:

Final TCL commands are assigned to different keys on the keyboard. This command is checked for a component and results are verified.