Composites Link - Exporting Plies

You can export plies for analysis purposes to a Layup file.

  1. In the top bar, select Share > Export then Composites Plies and select options or enter values as required.

    For more information, see About Composites Link Export Plies

  2. Define the Selection to export.
    • Entire Stacking
    • Selected Groups. This option is advantageous for complex models with several surfaces. A typical example is that of a sandwich panel when the design model has separate ply groups to define skins above and below the core.
  3. Optional: Select Export Cores (If any core is used in the composites definition).
  4. Manage materials.
    1. Select materials from the list to exclude them.

      This list contains materials referenced by the selected plies. If one or more materials are selected, all plies referencing the selected materials are excluded from the export. This is useful to prevent the export of non-structural plies such as peel plies, which are of no interest for analysis.

    2. Select Rename to rename materials.

      This is useful when designers and analysts use different material names, principally because material names for analysis purposes may be restricted in length. The mapping between design and analysis names is included in a Rename file.

      • This is a spread sheet stored in CSV format (comma-separated variable).
      • 3DEXPERIENCE names are in column A, matching exported names in column B.
      • You may use the wildcard "\*" to specify 3DEXPERIENCE names.
      • The Rename file can be selected manually or by setting the SLTCompositesLinkMaterialRenameFile variable.
      • The name is displayed only if the file can be opened.
      • You can switch the renaming off, even if a Rename file is specified.

  5. Select a method to create elements on which the plies data are exported.

    For more information, see Mesh Options

    • Tessellation controlled by
      • Sag Value: Maximum distance between the tessellation and the geometry.
      • Step Value: Maximum size of the tessellation triangles.
      • Export Surface Offsets: The data can be offset using a rosette as a reference. The point of the offset definition is the origin of the rosette which must lie on the surface in question.
      • Only tessellate surface under plies
    • Mesh selection (Not available if no shell elements exist in the model), controlled by the Core Sample Dist and the Angle Tolerance.
    • External Mesh file, controlled by the Core Sample Dist and the Angle Tolerance.
  6. Manage the Fiber Angles options.

    For more information, see Fiber Angles Options

    • For Tessellation:
      • Regenerated (Theoretical)
      • Regenerated (Actual)
    • For Mesh Selection and External Mesh file
      • Core Sample (Theoretical)
      • Core Sample (Actual)
      • Regenerated (Theoretical)
      • Regenerated (Actual)
  7. Select the type of Export File from the list, and the corresponding options.

    For more information, see About Files Created by Composites Link