ANSYSimport

Imports ANSYS mesh and results data

This function reads the mesh data for all structural elements listed below, but includes corner nodes only (i.e. disregards any midside nodes). Both displacement- and stress results are imported. All data is returned in the "model" struct as explained below. The function is intended for further postprocessing FE results in Matlab.
Before using the function, the ANSYS model must be exported to a text file. Use the supplied "export.mac" to do this. In Workbench, add a "Commands (APDL)" block under "Solution" and paste in the macro contents. In Classic, run macro by clicking "File>Read input from..." and selecting the "export.mac" file. This will create the file "model.txt" located in the ANSYS working folder:
C:\...\ANSYS_WORK_DIR\JOBNAME_files\dp0\SYS\MECH\model.txt
where "ANSYS_WORK_DIR" and "JOBNAME" are names chosen by yourself.
Supported element types:
- SOLID187 (3D tetrahedral solid)
- SOLID186 (3D hexahedral solid)
- PLANE42, PLANE82, PLANE182, PLANE183 (2D 4/8-node quad/triangle)
- SHELL181, SHELL281, SHELL63 (3D 4/8-node shell)

INPUTS: path\filename of the ANSYS export file "model.txt" (string).

OUTPUTS:
model.filename = path + filename of the model file
model.raw = raw tables from ANSYS
.etlist = element type list: [type_no, ansys_name, internal_type]
.nlist = node list: [node_no, x, y, z]
.elist = element list: [elem_no, type_no, mat_no, node1, ..., node8, com_x, com_y, com_z]
.flist = face list: [node1, node2, node3, node4, elem_no, centr_x, centr_y, centr_z]
.stress = stress results: [node_no, Sx, Sy, Sz, Sxy, Syz, Sxz]
.disp = displacement results: [node_no, Ux, Uy, Uz, Usum]
model.surf = same as above, but containing surface nodes/elements only
.nlist = same as above, but containing surface nodes/elements only
.elist = same as above, but containing surface nodes/elements only
.flist = same as above, but containing surface nodes/elements only
.stress = same as above, but containing surface nodes/elements only
.disp = same as above, but containing surface nodes/elements only
model.surf.mapping = maps between names and indices for nodes, elements and faces
.node2ni = node_no (externally referenced number) -> node index in nlist
.elem2ei = elem_no -> element index in elist
.face2elem = face index -> element name
.ni2face = node index -> face index
.ni2ei = node index -> element index

There are two sub-structs in output model: "raw" and "surf". The first contains the raw reading of data from the ANSYS export (ETLIST, NLIST, ELIST, PRNSOL,S and PRNSOL,U). The second contains the same, but for a reduced surface model, which is "scooped-out" such that only the surface nodes/faces of the elements are included. This is expedient to reduce the computational load of plotting solid models (i.e. not plotting the internal nodes/elements)

EXAMPLES:
1) Planar model: mesh with node numbers and stress contours with deformed shape.
2) Solid model: showing a reduced (surface only) model.
3) Shell model: showing a 3D shell structure in deformed configuration.