Exporting  

This task shows you how to export fastening data in a neutral format file (.txt for example).

A .CATProduct document must be loaded.
You can also use the ABF_AllTypeFast_01.CATProduct document.

  1. Click Automotive BiW Fastening data export  in the Automotive BiW Fasteners toolbar.

    The Export dialog box opens.

    It shows:
    You can modify the path by clicking the Browse icon. The Select directory dialog box opens letting you choose the file.
    The dialog box enables you to customize the neutral file through several options:
    • Include additional information: the neutral file will start with the commented header block showing keywords description.
    • Include comments: glossary at the beginning of the neutral file
    • Unit: either millimeter or inch
    • Discretization:
      • Polyline with sag: segments are defined on the curve.
      • Polyline with step: equidistant points are created on the curve.
        The maximum sag and step values either are read on the curvebead if a curvebead's Discretization Method is defined or correspond to the value associated to the discretization in the Export dialog box.
      • Numerical value: for discretization, the value should be between 0.01 and 10 mm (depending on the chosen unit).
    • Real numbers precision: number of decimal digits of all the real numbers written in the neutral file and of the discretization values displayed in the dialog box above. This number is comprised between 0 and 10.
    • Scientific notation: it will be used in the neutral file (power of 10)

  2. Select one or more elements in the reference product to be included in the export file. They can be:

    • joints: the selected joint and all its children (joint bodies and joint elements if any) are highlighted in the specification tree

    • joint bodies: the selected joint body, its parent and children (joint and joint elements if any) are highlighted in the specification tree

    • joint elements: the selected joint elements and its parent (joint and joint body) are highlighted in the specification tree
    You can also select several elements from two sub-products. In this case, the File name field is grayed out. As many export files are created as there are sub-products. The name of each export file corresponds to the name of the sub-product.
    If no element is selected, the export applies to the whole active product.

  3. Click OK.

    The progress bar shows you the remaining exported percentage.

    A warning message is issued in case errors occur during the export process.
    Refer to Import for more information.

  4. Open the file as per the path indicated. Its name is the same as the reference products. You may change it if you wish.

    The format is tab separated text, allowing to open it in a spreadsheet application.
    The structure of the document is the following:
    • Comments
    • Header
    • Joined parts attributes
      • Path ID, JCPN, ZMATNAM, etc.
    • Joint attributes
      • Joint part
      • Joint body attributes
        • Zone attributes (ZNAM, Layer, etc.)
        • Joint element attributes (ID, Process Category, Process Type, Layer, K Flag, IF Flag, Reference Normal (W) and Tangent Vector (U) coordinates, etc.)
        • Curvilinear fasteners discretization attributes, in order: Point Count, location coordinates (LOCX, LOCY, LOCZ) on each discretization point, W Normal Vector Coordinates (WX, WY, WZ) on each discretization point, and U Tangent Vector coordinates (UX, UY, UZ) on each discretization point.
        • Projection fasteners attributes (ID, Projection Zone)
        • INFO attributes (only in long reports: Zone Path ID, Normal and projection point coordinates)
          Values and order of the projection info attributes depend on the thickness crossing computation. For further information, refer to the Ordering Thickness Crossing Criteria chapter.
        • INFO1 attribute (Length, Volume)
    One neutral file associated to the reference product is created. If the selected features belong to different products, there will be as many export files as there are different products.
    Click to open the file.
 
  Note: Elements are displayed in the same order as they appear in the specification tree.
 
 

The BiW Fasteners specifications are exported, except for their links to the 3D geometry. For instance, if the location method is Point on Surface, this specification will not be shown in the neutral file; only the coordinates of the point will be displayed. 

  
When using the export command only . (dot) and/or , (comma) can be used as decimal symbols.  
  • A single log file is issued per export.
  • If a fastener fails to generate complete BIW data, then the quantitative information about such fasteners being exported appears for each product level at the end of the error/warning XML log file.
  • Deactivated features are not exported; they appear in the log file.
  • On a Windows workstation, you cannot export a file if it is already open.
  • If some assemblies in the model are not-up-to date (which may cause failure of export for these assemblies), then the export process skips these assemblies and continues for the remaining assemblies. The export log file contains additional information about export failed assemblies.
  
When the option Tools > Options> Infrastructure > Product Structure > Cache Management is selected, that is, cache is made ON, the number of exported KO fasteners increases, which, however, are not the real KO fasteners. It is due to the fact that, computations of export cannot be performed or performed partially.

Note that when cache mode is selected, the option Tools > Options > Mechanical Design > Assembly Design > General > Automatic Switch to Design Mode comes into effect.

The following table summarizes the export behavior explanation for different user selected options:

Cache

Automatic Switch to Design Mode

Geometry of Part

Result

Cleared

 Not applicable Loaded

'Fastener Projection', 'Normal’ and ‘Discretization points’ computations are possible.

Selected

 Selected Partially loaded 'Fastener Projection' and 'Normal’ computations can be done which reduces the number of exported KO fasteners. In this case, ‘Discretization points’ still cannot be calculated which causes the export of curve bead fasteners KO.

Selected

 Cleared Not loaded Neither ‘Fastener Projection', 'Normal’ nor ‘Discretization points’ computations can be done which increases the number of exported KO fasteners.

This behavior is applicable to Flat Report also.