Custom Tools

There are different Custom Tools available which are specialised for Generative Design. Here is a short overview of the tools and how to use them.

1 How to get access to the Custom Tools
2 Import Loads from a table (Excel, csv)
3 Import (Adams Loads)
4 GD Optimisation Queue
5 Automatic Mesh to CAD

How to get access to the Custom Tools

To include Custom Tools in MSC Apex Generative Design open the Application Settings → Custom Tools and point to the appropriate folder of Custom Tools e.g. from MSC Apex. The Generative Design Tools are placed inside of the Interoperability Tools. If you don’t have access to these, please contact the support.

All tools specialized for MSC Apex GD can be found in the Interoperability Tools under Generative Design Tools.

Import Loads from a table (Excel, csv)

The Import Loads from csv tool enables the creation of several loads based on a csv table. This is especially useful to shorten the manual work time of creating large amounts of loads.

Following a short introduction how to use it:

Start the tool and click on the “choose file” button
In the now open window navigate to the load file you want to import (Note: the file must be a .csv and the table must be in a specific format). An example of a load file in the specific format is attached.

Name	XC	YC	ZC	FX	FY	FZ	MX	MY	MZ
Force 1	5	5	5	1	2	3	4	5	6
Force 2	-5	-5	-5	1	2	3	4	5	6
Force 3	10	10	10	1	2	3	4	5	6
Force 4	-10	-10	-10	1	2	3	4	5	6

XC, YC, ZC are the Points of Applications of the specific load (global coordinate points).
FX, FY, FC are the specific load values.
MX, MY, MZ are the specific moment values.

3. Click Apply: A dummy surface will be created and every load will be created as a remote load with the correct point of application and the surface as the target (since you can’t create a force without assigning it to a geometry)

4. Now you can go through the loads and simply assign them to the associated geometries

The best time is to use the tool is the beginning of a new project. Because the tool creates a dummy surface already existing geometries can interfere.

Import (Adams Loads)

With the import tool the process of importing a huge amount of loads that were calculated using Adams gets easier. Following a short introduction how to use it:

Start the tool and click on the “choose file” button
In the now open window navigate to the load file you want to import. (Note: the file has to be exported in the Abaqus format, choosable during the export in Adams) An example of a load file in the Abaqus format is attached.
Click Apply: A dummy surface with the name “Load Collector” will be created and every load will be created as a remote load with the correct point of application and the surface as the target (since you can’t create a force without assigning it to a geometry)
Now you can go through the loads and simply assign them to the associated geometries

The video shows the execution of the tool:

Example files:

GD Optimisation Queue

The Queue Tool can be used to simulate multiple optimisations sequentially, instead of starting every single simulation manually. Therefore, different Scenarios can be prepare and simulated with one click. Following, a short description on how to use the tool:

Start the tool.
The first field defines the Study which includes the to be calculated Scenarios. Per default it is filled with “GD Study 1”, if another Study hosts the Scenarios, simply change the name in the field. Be sure to type in the exact name of the Study.
Choose if the simulation is to be started in the Apex Generative Design GUI or if the Scenarios are to be exported and simulated in the Command Line.
Keep in mind that the Post-Processing window will be empty until the optimisation is finished.
If the Scenarios are exported and simulated in the Command Line, the option to reimport the results can be chosen.
The simulation in the Command Line is set to use the standard installation folder of the GD-Engine (Program Files/MSC.Software/MSC Apex Generative Design/…). If it is installed at another place the box “use own GD_Engine path“ needs to be checked and a path in the corresponding window needs to be defined.

Automatic Mesh to CAD

This tool automates the process of the NURBS creation and the following intersection with the Design Space to get back the functional surfaces. Therefore, three steps are necessary:

Select the result of your optimisation (faceted solid)
Select the Design Space
Define a NURBS Face Density between 1 and 10