Problem with importing a geometry from CATPart into mapdl

[JoseNogueron]

I recently tried to import a CATIA V5 .CATPart into ANSYS MAPDL using PyMAPDL.

When I use the CAT5IN command to import a CATIA V5 .CATPart, MAPDL reports no errors, yet no geometry is brought in (no volumes/areas/lines). Has anyone managed to import CATIA V5 files into MAPDL? Any tips or prerequisites?

These are the versions that I am using:

PyMAPDL: 0.70.2
MAPDL version: 23.2

ANSYS: 2023R2
CATIA: V5-6R2021

I don’t believe this is a licensing issue, as I can import a CATPart file directly in ANSYS APDL. I would appreciate any help regarding this issue. Below, you can find the code I am using. Thank you so much!

from ansys.mapdl.core import launch_mapdl, version as pymapdl_version

mapdl = launch_mapdl(run_location=r"C:\Users\u7260\Desktop\Workflow_BB\Prueba_Catia_Ansys", override=True)
mapdl.clear()

Versiones

print("PyMAPDL:", pymapdl_version)
print("MAPDL version:", mapdl.version)
print("Working dir:", mapdl.directory)

mapdl.prep7()
mapdl.cat5in(name="cylinder",extension="CATPart",entity="all",fmt=1)

3) Cuenta entidades

nvol = int(mapdl.get_value('VOLU', 0, 'COUNT'))
nare = int(mapdl.get_value('AREA', 0, 'COUNT'))
nlin = int(mapdl.get_value('LINE', 0, 'COUNT'))
nkpt = int(mapdl.get_value('KP', 0, 'COUNT'))
print("Conteo:", nvol, nare, nlin, nkpt)

4) Plotea lo que haya

if nvol > 0:
mapdl.vplot()
elif nare > 0:
mapdl.aplot()
elif nlin > 0:
mapdl.lplot()
else:
print("No geometry available.")

[mikerife]

@JoseNogueron What happens if you try fmt=0?

[JoseNogueron]

Hi @mikerife!
Thank you so much for the reply!
In this case, the same results are obtained and nothing can be observed!

[mikerife]

Hi @JoseNogueron never mind. Instead run the command via the non-interactive method. Like so:

with mapdl.non_interactive:
   mapdl.run("~cat5in,cylinder,CATPart,,all,0)

What happens then?
Mike

[JoseNogueron]

Apparently, there must be a problem in the sintaxis:

mapdl.run("~cat5in,cylinder,CATPart,,all,0)
^
SyntaxError: unterminated string literal (detected at line 15)

Thank you so much,
Jose

[mikerife]

@JoseNogueron Try to import one of the Catia 5 files from here (assuming you have a standard installation):
C:\Program Files\ANSYS Inc\v232\ansys\ac4\examples\catiav5
What happens then?

[JoseNogueron]

Yes! I have tried with a couple of them because I thought that maybe there was a problem in the geometrical file, but nothing is imported.
I tried also to import directly with ANSYS APDL without using pymapdl and it works perfectly.

I guess at the end, i will import the geometry as iges...

[mikerife]

Hi @JoseNogueron I just noticed that the closing " is missing in the mapdl.run command I posted earlier...let's correct that and try again.

with mapdl.non_interactive:
   mapdl.run("~cat5in,cylinder,CATPart,,all,0")

Please also copy one of the Ansys (well, Synopsys) supplied catpart files to the script folder and try to import it as a second test.

[JoseNogueron]

Hi @mikerife!
Now it works perfectly! I confirm that trying with different examples :)

I appreciate a lot your help! Thank you so much.