Exporting Simulation Studies

You can export a simulation study to other FEA programs.

To export a simulation study:

  • Right-click the top study icon in the study tree and select Export.

The following table lists the supported FEA programs:

FEA Program File Extension
GEOSTAR GEO
ANSYS ANS (Prep 7 file)
ABAQUS INP
MSC NASTRAN DAT
PATRAN NEU (Neutral file)
I-DEAS UNV (Universal file)
Exodus TXT
Only the GEOSTAR translator is available with SOLIDWORKS Simulation Standard. All translators are provided with the SOLIDWORKS Simulation Professional and SOLIDWORKS Simulation Premium licenses. All translators remain in maintenance mode since the calendar year 2008.

The following table lists the simulation features that each FEA translator supports.

Feature GEOSTAR ANSYS NASTRAN ABAQUS PATRAN I-DEAS Exodus
Mesh              
Solid (linear and parabolic tetrahedral elements)













Shell (thick and thin elements)













Truss and Beam













Material Properties              
Linear Elastic Isotropic













Linear Elastic Orthotropic













Nonlinear Elastic













Plasticity - Von Mises













Plasticity - Tresca, Plasticity - Drucker Prager













Hyperelastic (Blatz Ko, Mooney Rivlin, and Ogden)













Viscoelastic













Nitinol













Interactions              
Contact













Bonded (edge to edge, surface to surface, node to surface)













Free













Virtual Wall













Connectors              
Pin





The translator supports only pin connectors you define with the 2018 and earlier releases.







Fixtures              
Fixed Geometry













Roller/Slider













Fixed Hinge













Elastic Support













Use reference geometry













On flat faces













On cylindrical faces













On spherical faces













Structural loads              

Force













Torque













Pressure













Gravity













Centrifugal













Prescribed Displacement













Remote load/mass













Thermal Loads              
Temperature













Convection













Heat Flux













Heat Power













Radiation (surface to ambient)