ANSYS 7.

0
CAD Geometry connections,
Geometry Plugins, and
Geometry Readers.
Classic ANSYS and Geometry Connection Products

! The connection products used with the classic

ANSYS interface consist of two types:

— Associative connections require the CAD tool be

run to export the geometry to Classic ANSYS.
The associative connections are for ProEngineer
and Unigraphics. These connections are
associative in one direction only, from the CAD
system to Classic ANSYS.

— Non-associative connections use the ANSYS

connection software to read a geometry file
independent of the CAD system. These
included ACIS(sat), Parasolid, CATIA4 and
CATIA5. With both CATIA 4 and CATIA 5 the
ANSYS connection product reads the CAD file
directly without the use of the CATIA program.
For SolidWorks, SolidEdge, Mechanical Desktop
and Autodesk Inventor, the geometry is saved in
the CAD program as either an ACIS(sat) or
Parasolid file. The ANSYS connection product
reads the ACIS(sat) or Parasolid file and loads
the geometry into ANSYS.

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The ANSYS 7.0 Workbench Interface

! If you currently have an ANSYS connection license for either

ProEngineer or Unigraphics, you can transfer parametric
geometry to the ANSYS Workbench interface.

! Run the CAD program and resume a part or assembly.

! Run the ANSYS Workbench interface and click on the

“Geometry” button at the upper left. You will then see the CAD
file name listed under the “Active CAD Files” section on the right
hand side of the menu.

Geometry button

Active CAD
File

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Bi-Directional Associativity

! The significant difference between the ANSYS

Classic interface and the ANSYS Workbench
Interface is that the connection is bi-directionally
associative with ANSYS Workbench. This
means that both the CAD system and ANSYS
Workbench have control over the feature
parameters and can drive geometric changes
both from the CAD system to Workbench and
the reverse.

! To get the ANSYS Workbench interface to

recognize CAD parameters, you need to
rename the parameters in the CAD system and
add a prefix that Workbench will recognize.
The prefix “DS” is used by default but you can
set it to be whatever you choose using the
Workbench Control Panel.

Named Parameters from

the CAD system.

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Workbench Interface CAD connections

! If you are currently using the ACIS(sat),

Parasolid, CATIA 4 or CATIA5 connection
with the classic ANSYS interface, you can
also bring geometry into the ANSYS
Workbench Interface.

! However, unlike the connections with

ProE and UG, no parameter information is
passed to the Workbench Interface. All
geometric changes must be done in the
CAD program.

! If you are using CATIA 5, SolidWorks,

SolidEdge, Mechanical Desktop, or
Autodesk Inventor but would like to have
an associative connection with the
ANSYS Workbench interface, you will
need a geometry “plugin” license. A
geometry Plugin is a direct link to the CAD
package's application programming
interface (API) that allows Workbench
Environment to read in all of the
geometry, attribute, and parameter
information.
Click on “More Files” to open a browse window.

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Summary Table

How do I use the various geometry connections, plugins, and readers?

Workbench
Geometry Parameter How to run this connection with
CAD System Release Transfer control? ANSYS/Workbench.
Run Proe2001, Run ANSYS
Interactive with the Workbench
ProE 2001 conproe yes interface, attach active CAD part.
Run UG18, Run ANSYS Interactive
with the Workbench interface,
UG v18 conug yes attach active CAD part.

SAT v8 consat no In the CAD program, save the

geometry as either a sat or
parasolid file. Run the ANSYS
Workbench Interface and browse to
Parasolid v14 conpara no the file to import it.

Run the ANSYS Workbench

Catia 4 v4 concatia no
Interface and browse to the CATIA
Catia 5 v5 concatv5 no file to import it.

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