Importing Test Data for FE Mode Calibration

You can import experimental test data into the app, select a subset of the data for calibration, and describe each of the quantities.

The app supports import from Excel spreadsheets (.xls*), text files (.txt), or comma-separated value files (.csv).

Before you begin: You must have Microsoft Excel 2007 or later installed to import test data from an Excel spreadsheet.
See Also
About Test Data Import for Finite Element Models
  1. From the options at the top of the Calibration setup section, select FE mode .
  2. From the Calibration Tools section of the action bar, click Test Data .
  3. From the file selection dialog box that appears, do the following:
    1. Filter either for Excel files (*.xls;*.xlsx) or Text files (*.txt;*.csv).
    2. Select the test data file that you want to import, and click Open.
    The Material Test Data Import dialog box appears with your data displayed in a table.
  4. Optional: Enter a descriptive Name.
  5. If you imported data from a text file or a comma-separated values file, specify the types of Delimiters used between data entries.

    You can specify that tabs, spaces, semicolons, and commas are delimiters in the test data, and you can also select Other and specify your own custom delimiter.

    You can also select Treat Consecutive Delimiters As One to handle cases where multiple delimiters, such as spaces and commas, are present between data entries. For most situations, the best option is to select all the available delimiters and to treat consecutive delimiters as a single delimiter.

  6. From the data table, highlight the data you want to import. You can click-drag on a subset of the data or highlight the rows and columns that you want to include.
  7. Click Next.
    A plot of your test data appears in the panel, with the quantities and units describing the data in the lower half.
  8. From the column headings above the tabular data, specify the correct data type and units for each column of data you want to import.

    For example, your selections for hyperelastic data might include Time (s), Nominal Strain (%), and Nominal Stress (Pa).

    In a set of imported test data, you can use a label for one column of data only. For example, if you select Nominal Stress for one column of data, you cannot reuse Nominal Stress for another column in the same test data set.

    If you have more than one set of Nominal Stress data that you want to use in a given FE model during a calibration, you can import the other columns of Nominal Stress in different test data sets and attach them to the same FE model before running the calibration.

    Tip: Click Ignore in the column headings if you do not want to import a column of highlighted data.

  9. Click Next.
    A page appears with time and temperature options, along with calibration notes.
  10. Optional: If you did not specify Time as one of the columns in your test data, specify the Total time or Time interval for the data.
  11. Do one of the following:
    • Click Import to complete the import process and to keep the panel open for import of other data.
    • Click Close to import the selected test data and to close the panel.
    The app imports your test data and, if no material model has been selected, plots the response automatically.
  12. If you want to plot the response once a material model has been selected, click Evaluate .

    Note: Response plots for FE models take longer to generate than plots created using the built-in models in analytical or numerical execution modes. The larger the FE models are, the longer it takes to generate and plot the responses.