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Subject: Re: BASIC IMPROVEMENTS
Author: John Swanson
Date: 2001-01-31 13:51:00We have a APDL enhancement project open for 5.8, so your suggestions
are welcome.
Among the new features already planned are:
Functions to access the command line fields, so that quotes are not
needed around the
character variables.
Boolean functions AND, OR, XOR for bit manipulation
Regarding your requests:
1. The best you can do for now is to use macros, utilizing the _RETURN
at the
function return value, i.e.:
mfunct,arg1,arg2
value = _return
2. Currently there are following types of variables
a Double precision (used for integers, logicals, and floating
point values)
b. 8 character variables (stored in one 8 byte word)
c, Arrays (of double or character8)
d. Tables (of type double)
e. Strings (a special type of array)
There is some type checking, such as in the *IF, where doubles must
be
compared to doubles, and characters to characters.
3. It is currently possible to pass arrays as arguments into a macro,
but
there is no ARnn definition of a local array. As you point out,
arrays defined
within a macro are global.
4. The new Boolean functions may help with this need.
Thanks for your comments.
John Swanson
Swanson Analysis Services, Inc.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Siamak Komaie [SMTP:komaie_s@y...]
> Sent: Wednesday, January 31, 2001 12:47 PM
> To: xansys
> Subject: Re: [xansys] BASIC IMPROVEMENTS
> I would like to add some points as well. I really
> believe following improvements may help handling large
> models by APDL:
> 1-Allowing users to develope their own functions like
> e.g. nx(), arnode(), ndnext() ...
> 2-Variable declaration. Lots of mistakes are prevented
> this way. Like C language. Moreover, Type definition
> can be a good idea. I think all variable are
> considered as double precision values now.
> 3-Being able to define local array varibales in
> Macros.
> Presently local scalar variable can be deifined inside
> a macro (as the arguments) but array variables can not
> be passed to a macro. All arrays should be global
> variables which is not appropriate from programming
> point of view. Being able to use array variables as
> function arguments is very helpful too.
> 4-I have encountered some cases which I needed boolean
> operations for a logical *if. It would be a good idea
> to introduce it. In this case I was made to use nested
> *ifs that, of course, impose some overhead to the
> command interprator.
> I belive added to outstanding features of APDL moving
> it toward a structured type programming language is
> very useful. If I made any mistake in understanding
> present features of APDL, please let me know.
> --- Vincent RAILLARD
> wrote:
> > I've just find in the archive, a discussion about
> > the future of ANSYS
> > few weeks ago. I wonder if anyone else would like to
> > have the
> > following three basic improvements:
> > - being able to perform booleans such as
> > substraction without having
> > to unmesh a lot of attached volumes or area. For
> > example, if unmeshed
> > volume #1 as a meshed volume attached through area
> > #3, you can't
> > substract anything from volume #1 even if area #3
> > is not concern by
> > the boolean.
> > - having a picking entity like the PRO/E one. I hate
> > to have to guess
> > where the entity hot point may be in order to pick
> > what I want.
> > - being able to move keypoints of a curved line
> > without getting a
> > straight line as a result (ie, a hole in a plate
> > becomes a square
> > !!!)
> > As a conclusion, I'm sure it is important to improve
> > the
> > multi-physics, the solver speed, the meshing
> > accuracy but I'm also
> > sure that I can save a lot of time and hairs if my
> > three wishes are
> > fulfilled (ALADIN, help me).
> > Vincent RAILLARD
> > POMA-OTIS
> > Savoie Technolac BP 288
> > 73375 LE BOURGET DU LAC
> > Tel: 33 (0)4 79 26 49 27
> > Fax: 33 (0)4 79 26 49 01
> > Email: Vincent.Raillard@p...
> Dipl. Ing. S. Komaie
> Universitaet der Bundeswehr Muenchen
> Instituet fuer Wasserwesen
> Werner Heisenberg Weg 39
> 85577 Neubiberg
> Email:komaie_s@y...