Elements and attributes of XML files

Method attributes

Attribute	Mandatory	Type	Purpose
id	Yes	Text	Name for the method. This name must be unique within the module.
uiname	No	Text	Name for the method shown in the user interface. If not provided, the id value is used.
category	No	Text	Delimited text to categorize the method. The delimiter is the forward slash (/), and it cannot be used in the text of a category. Any other characters can be used for category names.
author	No	Text	Free text that indicates who created the method. This value is used for informational purposes only in the user interface and report.
docurl	No	URL	Location of HTML documentation. If the URL is not fully qualified, it is relative to the location of the module descriptor file to which it is prepended. The URL is passed to an internet browser. Format, white space, and escape characters are dictated by the browser.Example:If the method descriptor is C:/methods/, and the docurl for the method is html/-mymethod.html, the final URL passed to the browser is file:///C:/-methods/html/mymethod.html.
diagramurl	No	URL	Location of the graphic file that is used as the diagram for the method.For more information, see Diagrams for custom methods.
unitsystem	No	Text	If present, specifies the units for the method. If not present, the method uses the units of the part.**(kg)(mm)(mN)(radians)(C)Specifies metric units for the method.(lbf-sec^2/in)(in)(lbf)(radians)(F)Specifies imperial units for the method.(kg)(m)(N)(radians)(K)**Specifies the International System of units for the method.

Method elements

Element	Mandatory	Type	Purpose
description	No	Multiline text	Defines a short description of the method that appears in the Calculation - Method Selection dialog box. If left blank, a description of the method does not appear in the Calculation - Method Selection dialog box. The length of the description is not limited.
failmodes	Yes	Mode list	Lists the failure modes in the method.An error occurs if the method implementation pushes other failure modes to the output.An error does not occur if all failure modes are not complete for all output.Example:
input	Yes	Input options list	List of input parameters, tables, and groups for the method.
output	Yes	Parameter list	List of output parameters for the method.

Failure mode elements

Element	Mandatory	Type	Purpose
id	Yes	Text	Internal name for the failure mode. Method implementations use it as the key in the SetValue methods of the output API.
uiname	No	Text	Name for the failure mode in the user interface. If not provided, the id value is used.

Input option elements

Element	Mandatory	Type	Purpose
group	No	Group content	Lists the table and simple input parameters.
parameter	No	Parameter	Defines a simple input parameter for a method.
table	No	Table	Defines a table input parameter for a method.

Group attribute

Element	Mandatory	Type	Purpose
id	Yes	Text	The name of the group that is displayed in the user interface.

Group content option elements

Element	Mandatory	Type	Purpose
parameter	No	Parameter	Defines a simple input parameter for a method.
table	No	Table	Defines a table input parameter for a method.

Table attributes

Attribute	Mandatory	Type	Purpose
id	Yes	Text	Internal name for the table parameter. Use id as the key for retrieval within the method.
uiname	No	Text	Name for the table parameter shown in the user interface. If not provided, the id value is used.
sizeParameter	Yes	Text	Defines the name of a previously defined parameter of type size. The size of the table is determined by the adding the value for this parameter and the value for the sizeOffset parameter.
sizeOffset	No	Integer	See sizeParameter for usage information. If undefined, the value for the size offset defaults to zero.
column	Yes	Parameter list	A list of column descriptors in the form of a parameter descriptor.

Parameter attributes

Attribute	Mandatory	Type	Purpose
id	Yes	Text	Internal name for the parameter. Use id as the key for retrieval within the method.
uiname	No	Text	Name for the parameter shown in the user interface. If not provided, the id value is used.
type	Yes	Enum	Type of the parameter. Allowable values are as follows:scalarintegerbooltextlaminatesizeload_extractionfileValid combinations of input, column, and output parameters for a given type are shown in the following table.TypeInputColumnOutputscalarYesYesYesintegerYesYesYesboolYesYesYestextYesYesYeslaminateYesYesNosizeYesNoNoload_extractionYesNoNofileYesNoYes	Type	Input	Column	Output	scalar	Yes	Yes	Yes	integer	Yes	Yes	Yes	bool	Yes	Yes	Yes	text	Yes	Yes	Yes	laminate	Yes	Yes	No	size	Yes	No	No	load_extraction	Yes	No	No	file	Yes	No	Yes
Type	Input	Column	Output
scalar	Yes	Yes	Yes
integer	Yes	Yes	Yes
bool	Yes	Yes	Yes
text	Yes	Yes	Yes
laminate	Yes	Yes	No
size	Yes	No	No
load_extraction	Yes	No	No
file	Yes	No	Yes
ui	No	Enum	Controls which type of widget is used. Examples include a slider or text box for integer input, and a single- or multi-line text box for string input.
indexby	No	Enum	Output onlySpecifies the dimensionality of results. Allowable values are as follows:nonefailuremodefailuremode_loadcaseloadcaseNote: An output value is either a single value, a value per failure mode, or a value per failure mode and load case
optional	No	Boolean	If false, prevents the calculation from being solved when the value for the parameter is not set. Because the default value is false, every input parameter must be set for a calculation to be solved.
Attributes: Scalar parameters
measure	No	Text	Specifies the measure such as pressure, length, and so on following NX convention.
default	No	Double	Default value for scalar entries that do not match the filter. If this value is not specified, a quiet NaN is passed to the methods.
unit	Yes, if default is specified	Text	Specifies the unit type in which default is expressed in descriptor file.
Attributes: String parameters
values	No	Text	Input onlyLists all valid values for the input parameter. Implies a combo box user interface. Use a semicolon as the separator.
Attributes: Load extraction parameters
aggregation	Yes	Enum type	Input onlySpecifies the type of aggregation. Allowable values are as follows:methoduserNote: For method aggregation, the method performs the aggregation rather than the user.
measure	No	Text	Specifies the measure such as pressure, length, and so on following NX convention.
default	No	Double	Default value for load case entries that do not match the filter. If this value is not specified, a quiet NaN is passed to the methods.
unit	Yes, if default is specified	Text	Specifies the unit type in which default is expressed in descriptor file.
support	No	Enum type	Input onlyFor methods that perform the aggregation, specifies the support types that the method accepts. If not provided, then any is used as the default. Allowable values are as follows:nodeelementanyNote: any allows either nodes or element to be selected.
Attributes: File parameters
managed	No	Boolean	If you specify that the external file is managed, the software creates a copy of the external file in the directory that contains the Simulation file. Thus, if you move the Simulation file and the copy of the external file to another folder, links between the Simulation file and the copy of the external file are retained.To specify that the external file is managed, include the following attribute:managed="true"
filefilters	No	Text	Specifies the file extension options that you can use to filter the file types in the browse window.To filter the files so that only a single extension type appears, specify the following:filefilters=".extension"To filter the files so that multiple extension types appear in the type list, specify the following:filefilters=".extension1,*.extension2,...."
default	No	Text	Specifies the path to the folder whose files initially appear in the browse window. If filefilters is specified, only the files in the folder that have the selected extension initially appear in the browse window.

Learn more

Custom methods

Custom method example

Creating tables and groups

Interfacing with external files

Diagrams for custom methods

Specifying default values for parameters

Bulk processing of calculations

Interfacing with external post-processors

Quick links

Command reference

Pre/Post video examples

Bulk Entry Descriptions

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Margin of Safety methods documentation

Elements and attributes of XML files, Simcenter 3D 2021.1 Series

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