Importing hard points as selection recipes

If you have a third-party model that includes hard points, you can create an XML file that contains information about the following types of hard points:

• nodelabel

• position

• inspace

You can then import that XML file into a Pre/Post model. When you do that, you can either create a new single-label, coordinate, or attribute selection recipe for each hard point, or you can replace the information associated with an existing selection recipe of the same type and name.

XML file syntax

The hard point XML file uses a syntax similar to the following:

<hardpoints>  <Unit Length="mm"/>  <hardpoint name="FRONT_LEFT_BOLT">    <nodelabel label="121"/>  </hardpoint>  <hardpoint name="FRONT_RIGHT_BOLT">    <position tolerance="10" x="35" y="31" z="57"/>  </hardpoint>  <hardpoint name="REAR_LEFT_BOLT">    <inspace x="55" y="23" z="64"/>  </hardpoint></hardpoints>

The Unit element indicates the unit of measurement for the length values in the file, which must be one of the following values.

Unit	Description
m	Meter
mm	Millimeter
cm	Centimeter
in	Inch

The Unit element is required, even if the file includes only node labels. If the unit of measurement in the XML file differs from the unit used by the model, then the length values in the XML file are converted to the appropriate values in the selection recipes. For example, if you import the preceding sample file into a model that uses English units of measurement, then the tolerance value of 10 mm (tolerance="10") is converted to 0.393701 inches in the selection recipe.

For each hard point, the XML file must include the hard point name and type. The attributes vary, depending on the hard point type. For a nodelabel hard point, you must provide the label name. For a position or inspace hard point, you must provide the coordinates for the node or point. For a position hard point, you must also provide a tolerance (that is, the allowable distance from the coordinate to the node).

Selection recipe details

When you import a hard point XML file, the value for name for each hard point is typically used as the name of the selection recipe. However, if a selection recipe of the same name already exists, an incrementing number is typically added to the name of the selection recipe for the hard point. For example, if the model already includes a selection recipe named FRONT_LEFT_BOLT, and the XML file includes , then the selection recipe created for that hard point is named FRONT_LEFT_BOLT_1. (For more information about naming considerations, see Import options.)

The selection recipe always tries to select the appropriate node or point in the entire model rather than in a specific mesh, FEM component, or polygon body. Therefore, make sure that no label conflicts exist before you import the hard point XML file. For more information, see Resolve label conflicts in your assembly FEM files.

As shown in the following table, the type of selection recipe created varies, depending on the hard point type.

Hard point type	Selection recipe type	Notes
nodelabel	Single Label	If the value for label in the XML file does not match a node label in the model, the selection recipe is invalid and cannot be used.
position	Coordinate	The specified coordinate uses the work coordinate system for the model, but you can change that by editing the selection recipe.In the selection recipe, Resolve Preference is set to Closest Node. If you imported an XML file that was previously exported from a Pre/Post model, and if Resolve Preference was set to Lowest Label or Highest Label in the original selection recipe, then the imported selection recipe might select a different node than the one that was selected by the original selection recipe.If no node is detected within the specified tolerance, the selection recipe is invalid and cannot be used.
inspace	Attribute	The value for name is used for the point name, the selection recipe name, and the Name attribute within the selection recipe.If a point with that name does not exist, one is created.The specified point uses the absolute coordinate system of the current work part, but you can change that by editing the point in Pre/Post.An incrementing number is added to the point name only if a selection recipe of the same name already exists.For example, suppose the model includes an existing point named FRONT_LEFT_BOLT at the coordinate 0,0,0 but does not include any selection recipes, and the XML file includes the following hard point: When you import the XML file, the software creates a point named FRONT_LEFT_BOLT at the coordinate 55,23,64 and an attribute selection recipe named FRONT_LEFT_BOLT that has a Name attribute set to FRONT_LEFT_BOLT. Because the existing point at 0,0,0 and the new point at 55,23,64 have the same name, the selection recipe selects both points.If you subsequently export your selection recipes as hard points, this attribute selection recipe would not be exported because it selects two points. To ensure that you can successfully export the selection recipe, rename the point that you do not want to export so that the selection recipe selects only one point.

Import options

When you import a hard point XML file, you can specify how to handle the data:

• Add a new selection recipe for each hard point in the XML file.If a selection recipe with the same name as the hard point already exists, an incrementing number is added to the name of the selection recipe for the hard point. For example, if the model includes a selection recipe named FRONT_LEFT_BOLT, and the XML file includes , then the selection recipe created for that hard point is named FRONT_LEFT_BOLT_1.

• Replace the data associated with an existing selection recipe of the same type and name as the hard point in the XML file.For example, suppose the model includes a single-label selection recipe named FRONT_LEFT_BOLT for which the node label is set to 100, and the XML file includes the following data:    When you import the XML file, the node label for the existing FRONT_LEFT_BOLT selection recipe changes from 100 to 200.Note: If a selection recipe of the same type and name does not already exist, a new selection recipe is added. If the specified name is already used for a different type of selection recipe, an incrementing number is appended to the name of the selection recipe for the hard point.For example, suppose you import the preceding XML data, and a bounding volume selection recipe named FRONT_LEFT_BOLT already exists. Because of the difference in types, the data associated with the bounding volume selection recipe is not replaced, and the single-label selection recipe created for the hard point is named FRONT_LEFT_BOLT_1.

Where do I find it?

Application	Pre/Post
Prerequisite	A Simulation file or FEM file as the work part and displayed part
Command Finder	Import Hard Point

How do I

Import a hard point as a selection recipe

Export a selection recipe as a hard point

Learn more

Exporting selection recipes as hard points

Quick links

Command reference

Pre/Post video examples

Bulk Entry Descriptions

Simcenter 3D tutorials

Browse Simcenter 3D help by product area

Importing hard points as selection recipes, Simcenter 3D 2021.1 Series

© 2020 Siemens

window.mainLanguage="en_US"

window.delivId=""

window.projectId=""

MathJax.Hub.Config({ TeX: { extensions: ["autoload-all.js"] }, tex2jax: { displayMath: [ ] }, "SVG": { scale: 125 } });