Exporting SDNF

This command provides the capability to export the data from the neutral file format called as SDNF. SDNF supports the exchange of a steel structure data between two applications.

All information in the file is ASCII format and is structured into “packets” of information. Each packet of information in the file contains a specific type of information:

• Packet 00, Title Packet
• Packet 10, Linear Members
• Packet 20, Plates

Packet 10 contains the description of the structural framing in the structure. All information required to locate, orientate and describe a particular framing member is contained within this packet. This packet also identifies member end connections as released or fixed. For purposes of revision tracking, each member is also assigned an individual revision level.

Packet 20 contains plate information. Plates are located spatially by identifying the number of plate vertices and the co-ordinates of each vertex.

Exported SDNF file will be an ASCII (text) file of sequential organization. Maximum record length will be 132 characters. All records (except the fixed-format Packet identification records) are free formatted, with fields delimited by white space (blanks). Co-ordinate values are in the global Cartesian (X, Y, Z) system.

Format Specifiers:

FP - ASCII Floating value, e.g. “12.15” or “1” (decimal optional)

I - ASCII Integer value, e.g. “5” (range of value: +/- 2 billion)

Cnn - ASCII character value of 'nn' characters maximum
e.g., C10 - up to 10 ASCII characters including blanks character strings must be enclosed in double quotes (“example string”)

fixed - record must have exact content

With the exception of the fixed format records, the data may start in any column of the record. An example record follows each record format description, and is shown in italics.

Comment Cards:

Comment cards may be inserted anywhere in the input file, provided that the record begin with the “#” character in the first field.
Format: #comment
This is a comment record

Packet Details:

Title Packet:

This packet must be the first in the file.
Record 1: Packet Header
Format: fixed
Packet 00

Record 2: Engineering Firm Identification
Format: C80
“Name of Engineering Firm”

Record 3: Client Identification
Format: C80
“Name of Client”

Record 4: Structure ID
Format: C80
“Name of Structure”

Record 5: Project ID
Format: C80
“Name of Project”

Record 6: Date, Time of file creation
Format: C30; C30
“11/19/91” “13:12”

Record 7: Revision Number, Issue Code
Format: I; C64
18 “issue Code”

Record 8: Design Code
Format: C80
“Design Code Name”

Record 9: Number of Loading Records
Format: I
2

Record 10 on: 'n' Load Combination record, where 'n' is from Record 9
Loading #, Loading type (0 = load case, 1 = load combination), Description
Format: I; I; C64
1 1 “Live and Wind loads”

Linear Member Packet:

Record 1: Packet Header
Format: fixed
Packet 10

Record 2: Linear units, number of linear members
Format: C24; 1
“feet” 376

Record 3 on:
Each linear member is represented by 6 records which follow:
(total of 6*n records, where 'n' is number of members from Record 2 above)

Linear Member Record 1:
Member number, Cardinal Point, Status, Class, Type, Piece Mark, Revision Number
Format: I; I; I; I; C24; C24; I
22 8 0 1 “Beam” “B_101_FL1” 14

Linear Member Record 2:
Section Size, Grade, Rotation, Mirror X axis, Mirror Y axis
Format: C32; C24: FP, I, I
“W12x50” “A36” 90.0 0 0

Linear Member Record 3:
Orientation Vector; Start, End Co-ordinates; Start, End Cutbacks
Format: 3 FP; 3 FP; 3 FP; 2 FP
0 0 1.0 10 0 72.75 10 12.5 72.75 0 0

Linear Member Record 4.
X, Y Cross-section offsets
Format: 2FP
0 -.25

Linear Member Record 5:
X, Y, Z Offsets Start; X, Y, Z Offsets End
Format: 6 FP
0 0 0 0 0 -1.0

Linear member Record 6:
Releases - End 1 Tx, Ty, Tz, Rx, Ry, Rz; End 2 Tx, Ty, Tz, Rx, Ry, Rz
Format: 12 I
0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1

Plate Element Packet:

Record 1: Packet Header
Format: fixed
Packet 20

Record 2: linear units, thickness units, number of plates
Format: C24; C24: I
“feet” “inches” 121

Record 3 on:
Each plate is represented by a variable number of records which follow:

Plate Record 1: Plate number, Connect Point, Status, Class, Type
Format: I; I; I; I; C24
213 1 0 1 “Gusset

Note: Connect point refers to plate position relative to the plane defined by plate co-ordinates.

Connect point:
0 = by centre
1 = positive face
-1 = negative face

Plate Record 2: Piece Mark, Grade, thickness, number of vertices
Format: C24; C24; FP; I
“Plate GP_78” “A36” 1.125 6

The plate geometry is represented on 'n' records, where 'n' is the number of vertices from Plate Record 2 above. Each record contains the X, Y, Z co-ordinates of a vertex.

Plate Geometry Record: X, Y, Z co-ordinates
Format: 3FP
22.763 8.475 10

With your document open, click the SDNF Export button. The SDNF Export dialog box displays.

Fill in data as explained below.

File

Name: SDNF file saving location is specified here. You may type or click on browse to specify the location. If pointed to an existing SDNF file, it will be overridden with current SDNF export information otherwise give file name to create a new SDNF file.

Units: Unit of the exported data is selected here.

Project

This part of the dialog box, you can specify the project details. Here you can specify Company Name, Project Model, Project Name, Project Designation.

Rotation

Export Vector: If you select Export Vector, member orientation data is stored in vector format.

Export Angle: If you select Export Angle, member orientation data is stored in angle format.

Reference for Columns: If Export Angle is selected then this option gets highlighted. You can select either Y Axis or X Axis as the Reference for Column. Angle values are stored depending upon the Reference for Column selected.

Orientation

You can select Orientation either Start Point to End Point or End Point to Start Point to meet your design requirements.

Anchor Points

If you select option Swap Left and Right Slides, you can swap the Anchor Point of the shape to be exported.

File similar to this will be created at the path specified in the SDNF Export dialog box