1.4.4. Executing SeaFEM solver
1.4.4.1. Automatically executing SeaFEM
SeaFEM solver can be comfortably started through Tdyn preprocessing environment Calculate menu. Once the analyzed problem is defined (i.e. the geometry is created) the boundary conditions assigned, and the mesh is generated, the Start button in the Calculate menu (or the Calculate icon) can be pressed.
Calculate > Calculate window
Then the calculation is started and creates a number of output files (see section Output files for a brief description of the files generated during the execution)
1.4.4.2. Manually executing SeaFEM
Sometimes it can be interesting to run the Tdyn executable (tdyn.exe) manually (without using the graphic user interface of the software) in order to run SeaFEM analysis. The necessary steps are described here.
From here in advance, the following notation will be employed for description purposes:
$gidpath : root directory of the installed program. It contains, among others, the gid.exe executable file called to run the GiD custom GUI.
$CompassFEM_version : CompassFEM problemtype version name.
$inputpath : directory that contains the input data file associated to the SeaFEM model under analysis.
$modelname : name of the input data file.
First, the input data file required by the Tdyn executable must be generated before execution. To this aim, the corresponding SeaFEM model must be loaded to the GiD custom interface.
Next, the input data file must be exported, assuming that the model setup has been finished successfully (applying material properties and boundary conditions) and that the mesh has been already generated. In order to export the input file, the following menu sequence must be used:
Files > Export > Calculation file…
By doing this, the user will be asked for a file name ($modelname) and location ($inputpath). By default, .dat extension will be used to export de input file. If desired, .flavia extension can be also specified for instance, trying to mimic the file name convention used when running SeaFEM solver automatically.
Before execution, you must ensure that the tdyn.exe process is able to find a password.txt file containing a valid tdyn password. You can create such a text file manually and copying the password inside. Alternatively, the password.txt file can be copied from the directory $gidpath\problemtypes\$CompassFEM_version\compassfem.gid, where it is automatically saved if tdyn passwords have been previously registered through the GiD custom GUI. For manual execution of the solver, the password file must be located either next to the tdyn.exe executable (this is on the previously mentioned $gidpath\problemtypes\$CompassFEM_version\compassfem.gid\exec directory) or next to the input file.
After exporting the input file and copying a valid password.txt file, everything is ready to launch tdyn.exe manually. To this aim, open a command shell and move to the location of the tdyn.exe executable. Such a location will be typically of the form:
$gidpath\problemtypes\$CompassFEM_version\compassfem.gid\exec
Note that tdyn.exe may be also executed from an arbitrary location if the directory path above is conveniently added to the environment system variable PATH.
Finally, launch tdyn by using the following command line:
C\:> tdyn.exe -name "$inputpath\$modelname" -SeaWaves
1.4.4.3. Output files generated during process execution
The output files described in the following section concern to the global analysis
Output files |
Description |
---|---|
ProblemName.flavia.inf |
Text file containing global information as well as process information |
ProblemName.flavia.out |
Text file containing iterations and convergence history. |
ProblemName.flavia.tim |
XML file that contains a timetable in XML format giving information on |
ProblemName.flavia.err |
Text file containing error messages |
ProblemName.flavia.res |
Main results file that contains all field valued results. |
ProblemName.flavia.ram.msh |
Mesh for structural analysis using Ram-Series. |
The output files described in the following section concern to the results of the mooring system.
Output files |
Description |
---|---|
MooringResults.msh |
Mesh file containing the nodes coordinates of the mooring |
ProblemName.MooringData.res |
Text file containing time evolution data of the tension |
MooringResults.res |
Text file that contains displacement results (components |
The output files described in the following section concern to time evolution results on bodies.
Results contained in these files can be visualized using the SeaFEM graphs utility in the SeaFEM Postprocess (see for instance section Results visualization)
Output files |
Description |
---|---|
ProblemName.BodyKinematics.res |
Text file containing time history data of body movements, |
ProblemName.BodyLoads.res |
Text file containing time history data of body loads and |
ProblemName.Outputs.res |
Text file containing time evolution data of the user defined |
MooringLoads.res |
Text file containing time evolution data of |
The output files described in the following section concern the body animation results
Results contained in these files can be used to setup body animations within the Postprocessor (see for instance section Results visualization).
Output files |
Description |
---|---|
ProblemName.BodyMovements_animations.res |
Text file containing time history data of the |
BodyMovements_animations_#.res |
# stands for an integer index that identifies |