File Append dialog box

Solver Language	Displays the current solver environment. This is the environment that the data will be imported into.
Import Behavior	In the Simcenter Nastran, MSC Nastran, Abaqus, ANSYS, LS-DYNA, and Simcenter Samcef environments, controls how the software imports your data.Select Append to import a solver input data file into an existing FEM or Simulation file and append the solver data to the existing Pre/Post data. The solver input data file that you import must be complete and valid.Select Append Merge to import data from an incomplete solver data input file into an existing FEM or Simulation file and merge that data into the existing Pre/Post file. The solver data input file that you import does not need to be complete. For example, you can use this option to import elements from a Nastran input file into an existing FEM file.For more information, see Appending data from a solver input file to a FEM or Simulation file.
Merge Conflict Resolution OptionsAvailable when Import Behavior is set to Append Merge.
Element ConflictsNode ConflictsMaterial Conflicts****Physical Conflicts	Controls how the software handles conflicts between nodes, materials, and physical property data in the source solver input file and the destination FEM or Simulation file. For Nastran models, you can also control how the software handles conflicts between elements.Select Ignore File Data if you do not want to append an entity from the solver input file when it conflicts with an existing entity in the Pre/Post destination file. For example, if both the source solver input file and destination Pre/Post file have a material with an ID of 15, the software does not append the material from the solver input file.Note: You cannot use this option in the Simcenter Samcef environment.Select Modify Using File Data to replace the node, material, or physical property data in the Pre/Post destination file with the data from the source solver input file.Note: You cannot use this option in the Simcenter Samcef environment.In the Nastran environment, you can also use this option to replace element physical property data in the Pre/Post destination file with element physical property data from the source Nastran input file. For more information, see Managing element conflicts when appending a Nastran input file.Select Add File Data to specify a numerical offset to increment the label (ID) when conflicts occur. With this option, if the software detects a conflict between an entity in the source input file and the destination Pre/Post file, it uses the offset to change the ID of the entity in the source input file during the append. The software also updates any references to that entity in the source file. For example, if you append a CBAR element that originally references nodes 1 and 2, and those nodes are renumbered with an offset of 1000 because of a conflict, the software updates the CBAR element to reference nodes 1001 and 1002.
Label Offset
Nodes	Lets you specify a numerical offset to apply to the label (ID) of each imported node.
Elements	Lets you specify a numerical offset to apply to the label (ID) of each imported element.
Coordinate Systems	Lets you specify a numerical offset to apply to the label (ID) of each imported coordinate system.
Physical Properties	Lets you specify a numerical offset to apply to the label (ID) of each imported physical property table.
All Other Entities	Lets you specify a numerical offset to apply to the label (ID) of other imported entities.

Additional options available in the Simcenter Nastran and MSC Nastran environments

Input File Units
Appears when File Type is set to ASCII or OP2 binary.
Default Unit System****Units (Force)(Length)(Mass)	Lets you specify the units used in the file you are importing.Note: This option does not control the unit system that this software uses when you examine the input file using this software.
Specify temperature units	Lets you specify the units used for temperature in the file you are importing.
Use solver file units if available	Select this option to have the software use the units specified in the Nastran input file as the unit system for the model. The software searches for the PARAM,UNITSYS bulk data entry in the input file.If the PARAM,UNITSYS entry is present, the software imports the file in the unit system specified by PARAM,UNITSYS.If the PARAM,UNITSYS entry is not present, the software imports the file in the unit system specified in the Default Units (Force)(Length)(Mass) list.
Use BTU as thermal energy unit	Lets you use BTUs as the units for temperature in the file that you are importing.
Input File
File Type	Lets you specify the type of file you are importing.Select ASCII to import a Nastran .dat file.Select OP2 binary to import a Nastran .op2 file.
File Name	Lets you specify the name of the file to import.
NASTRAN Version	Available when MSC Nastran is the specified solver and File Type is set to OP2 binary.Lets you specify MSC Nastran version that was used to create the selected input file. Select auto-detect to have the software automatically determine the version during the import process.
Selective Import
Non-Bulk Data Sections	Imports only selected sections such as the file management, executive control, and case control sections from the input file.
NASTRAN Statement Section File Management Section Executive Control Section Case Control	Lets you select the sections of the input file to import.
Sets	Imports sets.
Bulk Data Section	Imports the bulk data section of the input file.
Filter method	By card family: Select this option to import selected types of bulk data entries, such as Elements or Materials.By card name: Select this option to if you want to select the bulk data entries to import by name.Cards to import: Select the names of the bulk data entries that you want to import.Cards to exclude: Select the names of the bulk data entries that you do not want to import.Cards to process as user-defined text: Select the names of the bulk data entries that you want the software to process as either commented or commented User Defined Text.
General Options
Create new solution for imported data	Controls whether the software automatically creates a new solution using the imported data.
Auxiliary Input File	When you import an ASCII input file, use this option to specify the name of a second ASCII format file to import. The software includes the auxiliary input file with the primary input file. For example, if you have a group of parameters that you typically use for all analyses, you could save those parameters in a separate file. You could then use this option to include that parameter file each time you import a .dat file.
Create groups from include files	Controls whether the software creates a group of the nodes and/or elements contained in any files included in the imported input file with the Nastran INCLUDE statement.
Create groups from appended file	Controls whether the software creates a group of the nodes and/or elements contained in an appended file.
Processing Options
Data checking	Controls the level of checking that the software performs on the data that you are importing.Select Minimal to perform the lowest level of mesh validity checking. With this option, the software assumes that the input file is ready to solve, and it only performs minor checks during the import. The Minimal option offers the fastest import performance.Select Nominal to have the software check for basic issues with the input file. For example, the software checks to ensure that nodes and elements that are referenced by loads are included in the file. The Nominal option offers a balance between file validity checking and import performance.Select Extended to perform the highest level of mesh validity checking. The software checks for the existence of each node on every element that is included in the input file. In addition, the software checks each element for duplicate nodes. The Extended option can increase the processing time for importing an input file, particularly in larger models.Note: If you select any of the Selective Import options, the software performs Extended data checking.For more information, see Extended mesh validity checking during import (Nastran and ANSYS).
Output verbose messaging, up to	Controls whether the software uses verbose messaging during the import process. If you select this option, you can limit the number of messaging lines reported. The banner section of the import file indicates whether verbose messaging is turned on.
Data Compaction Options
Import 3D MOVs as field data	Control whether the software imports material orientation vectors for solid elements as node ID tables (spatial fields).Select this check box to import any material orientation vector data for solid elements as a single spatial field. After import, in the Mesh Associated Data dialog box, the Material Orientation Method option is set to Spatial Field.Clear this check box to import material orientation vector data for solid elements as physical property table data. In this software, there is a one to one relationship between physical property tables and mesh collectors. If your model contains a large number of material orientation vector physical property definitions, the software creates a large number of corresponding mesh collectors in the Simulation Navigator. This can make your model difficult to manage.Note: If a coordinate system is only used in a solver input file to provide the orientation for the 3D material orientation vector, the software does not import the coordinate system. This ensures that the software does not import numerous coordinate systems that are not required for the analysis.
Import selective loads as field data	Controls whether the software imports certain types of loads as field data. If you select this option, the software imports certain loads, such as Nastran PLOAD2 pressure loads, as spatial fields.When you import complex models with many different types of boundary conditions, selecting this option can improve performance and usability.
Import MPCs/MPCYs as Elements	Controls how the software imports multi-point constraints (MPCs)If you select this option, the software imports all individual MPCs as a constraint elements in the FEM file. The software includes these elements in the Summary of Bulk Data table that displays in the Information window.If you clear this option, the software imports each MPC as a separate MPC type of Manual Coupling constraint.This option can improve the import performance for models that contain a large number (greater than 10,000) multi-point constraints. However, these faster import times come at the expense of a more detailed representation of your input file in Pre/Post.Tip: Use the Number of MPCs for Element Creation customer default to specify the threshold number of multi-point constraints that a solver input file must contain before the software imports them constraint elements instead of individual MPC couplings
Element Associated Data
Physical Properties	Available when you are importing a Simcenter Nastran or MSC Nastran input file that contains elements that support defining physical property data as element-associated data.Controls whether the software imports existing physical property table data as element associated data for certain types of elements.Select All to import all physical properties as element-associated data. With this option, the software creates a separate mesh collector for each physical property table type. For example, if you import three different PSHELL entries, the software creates a single PSHELL mesh collector in the Simulation Navigator.Select None if you do not want to import physical property table data as element-associated data.Select Selective to import specific physical property types as element-associated data. Click to use the Element Associated Data Processing dialog box to control how the software places the data in mesh collectors.For more information, see Importing physical property data as element-associated data.
Coordinate System Data	Controls how the software imports coordinate system data for CBUSH, CBUSH1D, CTRIA3, CTRIA6, CTRIAR, CQUAD4, CQUAD8, and CQUADR elements.Select All to import all coordinate system data as element-associated data.Select None if you do not want to import coordinate system data as element-associated data. The software creates a coordinate system in Pre/Post for each coordinate system bulk data entry in your input file.Select Selective to import coordinate system data as element-associated data for the element types that you select.
DOF Components	Controls how the software imports the degree-of-freedom components for RBE2, CELAS2, and CDAMP2 elements.Select All to import all degree-of-freedom components as element-associated data.Select None if you do not want to import degree-of-freedom components as element-associated data.Select Selective to import degree-of-freedom components as element-associated data for the element types that you select.
Mass/Stiffness/Damping	Controls how the software imports mass, stiffness, and damping data for CONM2, CELAS2, and CDAMP2 elements.Select All to import all mass, stiffness, and damping data as element-associated data.Select None if you do not want to import mass, stiffness, and damping data as element-associated data.Select Selective to import mass, stiffness, and damping data as element-associated data for the element types that you select.
Enable element associated data compaction	Controls whether the software compacts element-associated data during the import process. When the software compacts element-associated data, it evaluates the input file to find the most common element-associated data and stores those properties as mesh-associated data.
Round Trip Options
Appears when File Type is set to ASCII or OP2 binary.
Create Round Trip Parameters modeling object (Nastran)	Select this option if you want the software to preserve the order and format of bulk data entries in the original file for later export. For more information, see Preserving the order and format of bulk data through the round-trip process.
Import unsupported cards as	Controls whether the software imports unsupported solver syntax as a commented or uncommented User Defined Text modeling object.Importing selected bulk data entries as uncommented User Defined Text can be helpful if you need to import an entry that is only partially supported for import (not all fields are supported). If you import the entry as uncommented User Defined Text, the software imports all fields.For example, you can use this option if your input file contains an element, such as the RTRPLT element, that is not supported by this software. If you import that element as an uncommented User Defined Text modeling object and then solve using this software, Nastran should solve the file and produce correct results.Note: Do not make modifications to the unsupported commands or bulk data entries. If you make changes to unsupported syntax, Nastran may fail to solve the file (with a FATAL error message) or may report incorrect results.
Use comment cards for entity names	Controls whether the software uses comment ($) lines in your input file to determine the names of imported entities, such as materials, physical properties, or meshes.

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File Append dialog box, Simcenter 3D 2021.1 Series

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