# 7.3. Finite Element Model Parameters

This section is referenced in the following other sections

- Simulation Setup: Assemblies and Mesh Groups
- Simulation Setup: Finite element model
- Simulation Setup: Specifying the Mesh

## 7.3.1. Finite Element Model

Scope

  Sierra

Summary

  Describes the location and type of the input stream used for defining a geometry model for the enclosing region.

    begin Finite Element Model Finite-Element-Model-Name

       Alias DatabaseName As InternalName

       Component Separator Character {=} Separator

       Create {edgeset | elemset | faceset | nodeset | sideset | surface} NewSurfaceName Add SurfaceName...

       Coordinate System {=} {axisymmetric | barycentric | cartesian | cyclidic | cylindrical | polar | quadriplanar | skew | spherical | toroidal | trilinear}

       Database Name {=} StreamName

       Database Type {=} {catalyst | catalyst_exodus | cgns | dof | dof_exodus | exodus | exodusii | exonull | generated | genesis | null | parallel_exodus | textmesh}

       Decomposition Method {=} {block | cyclic | external | geom_kway | hsfc | kway | kway_geom | linear | map | metis_sfc | random | rcb | rib | variable}

       Omit Assembly AssemblyList...

       Omit Block BlockList...

       Omit Volume VolumeList...

       Time Scale Factor {=} Scale

       Use Generic Names

       Use Material MaterialName For VolumeList...

       begin Assembly Assembly_Name
       end

       begin Block Blockname
       end

       begin Parameters For Block Blockname
       end

       begin Parameters For Phase Phase Name
       end

       begin Parameters For Surface Surface_Name
       end

    end Finite Element Model Finite-Element-Model-Name

### 7.3.1.1. Line Commands

###### Alias

Syntax

  Alias DatabaseName As InternalName

Summary

  Name the database entity “DatabaseName” as “InternalName”

Description

  This “InternalName” may then be referenced in the data file in addition to the original name.

Parameter | Value | Default
--- | --- | ---
DatabaseName | string | –
InternalName | string | –

###### Component Separator Character

Syntax

  Component Separator Character {=} Separator

Summary

  The separator is the single character used to separate the output variable basename (e.g. “stress”) from the suffices (e.g. “xx”, “yy”) when displaying the names of the individual variable components. For example, the default separator is “_”, which results in names similar to “stress_xx”, “stress_yy”, … “stress_zx”. To eliminate the separator, specify an empty string (“”) or NONE.

Parameter | Value | Default
--- | --- | ---
{=} | {= | is} | –
Separator | string | –

###### Create

Syntax

  Create {edgeset | elemset | faceset | nodeset | sideset | surface} NewSurfaceName Add SurfaceName…

Summary

  Create a new set (node, edge, face, element, side/surface) as the union of two or more existing sets. The sets must exist in the mesh database or have been created by a previous CREATE command.

Parameter | Value | Default
--- | --- | ---
GroupType | {edgeset | elemset | faceset | nodeset | sideset | surface} | –
NewSurfaceName | string | –
SurfaceName | string… | –

###### Coordinate System

Syntax

  Coordinate System {=} {axisymmetric | barycentric | cartesian | cyclidic | cylindrical | polar | quadriplanar | skew | spherical | toroidal | trilinear}

Summary

  The interpretation of the geometry data stored in this database. Optional. Defaults to Cartesian.

Parameter | Value | Default
--- | --- | ---
{=} | {= | are | is} | –
CoordinateSystem | {axisymmetric | barycentric | cartesian | cyclidic | cylindrical | polar | quadriplanar | skew | spherical | toroidal | trilinear} | –

###### Database Name

Syntax

  Database Name {=} StreamName

Summary

  The base name of the database containing the output results. If the filename begins with the ‘/’ character, it is an absolute path; otherwise, the path to the current directory will be prepended to the name. If this line is omitted, then a filename will be created from the basename of the input file with a “.g” suffix appended.

Parameter | Value | Default
--- | --- | ---
{=} | {= | are | is} | –
StreamName | string | –

###### Database Type

Syntax

  Database Type {=} {catalyst | catalyst_exodus | cgns | dof | dof_exodus | exodus | exodusii | exonull | generated | genesis | null | parallel_exodus | textmesh}

Summary

  The database type/format used for the mesh.

Parameter | Value | Default
--- | --- | ---
{=} | {= | are | is} | –
DatabaseTypes | {catalyst | catalyst_exodus | cgns | dof | dof_exodus | exodus | exodusii | exonull | generated | genesis | null | parallel_exodus | textmesh} | –

###### Decomposition Method

Syntax

  Decomposition Method {=} {block | cyclic | external | geom_kway | hsfc | kway | kway_geom | linear | map | metis_sfc | random | rcb | rib | variable}

Summary

  The decomposition algorithm to be used to partition elements to each processor in a parallel run.

Parameter | Value | Default
--- | --- | ---
{=} | {= | are | is} | –
Method | {block | cyclic | external | geom_kway | hsfc | kway | kway_geom | linear | map | metis_sfc | random | rcb | rib | variable} | –

###### Omit Assembly

Syntax

  Omit Assembly AssemblyList…

Summary

  Specifies that the element blocks that are in the assemblies in AssemblyList will be omitted from the analysis.

Description

  If an assembly is used to omit an element block, then it is illegal to refer to that element block later in the file. Any of the element blocks omitted will be removed from any assembly that contains them.

Parameter | Value | Default
--- | --- | ---
AssemblyList | string… | –

###### Omit Block

Syntax

  Omit Block BlockList…

Summary

  Specifies that the element blocks named in the blockList be omitted from the analysis.

Description

  If an element block is omitted, then it is illegal to refer to it later in the input file e.g an initial condition may not be specified on an omitted element block. The elements, faces, etc are never created and it is as if the omitted element blocks did not exist in the mesh file. If a surface is completely determined by the omitted element block, then it is illegal to specify boundary conditions on that surface. However, if the surface spans multiple element blocks, boundary conditions may be applied on the portion of the surface supported by the element blocks that are not omitted.

Parameter | Value | Default
--- | --- | ---
BlockList | string… | –

###### Omit Volume

Syntax

  Omit Volume VolumeList…

Summary

  Specifies that the volumes named in the volumeList be omitted from the analysis.

Description

  If a volume is omitted, then it is illegal to refer to it later in the input file e.g an initial condition may not be specified on an omitted volume. The elements, faces, etc are never created and it is as if the omitted volumes did not exist in the mesh file. If a surface is completely determined by the omitted volume, then it is illegal to specify boundary conditions on that surface. However, if the surface spans multiple volumes, boundary conditions may be applied on the portion of the surface supported by the volumes that are not omitted.

Parameter | Value | Default
--- | --- | ---
VolumeList | string… | –

###### Time Scale Factor

Syntax

  Time Scale Factor {=} Scale

Summary

  The scale factor to be applied to the times on the mesh database. If the scale factor is 20 and the times on the mesh database are 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, then the application will see the mesh times as 2, 4, 6.

Parameter | Value | Default
--- | --- | ---
{=} | {= | is} | –
Scale | real | –

###### Use Generic Names

Syntax

  Use Generic Names

Summary

  If this command is present then the name of all blocks and sets in the mesh will be of the form “type_”+id. For example, an element block with id=42 will be named “block_42”; a sideset with id 314 will be named “surface_314”. If there are any names in the mesh file, those names will be aliases for the blocks and sets. If this command is not present, then if a name is in the mesh file, it will be used as the name and the generic generated name will be an alias. This is used as a workaround in codes that do not correctly handle named blocks and sets or as a workaround in meshes which contain non-user-specified names.

###### Use Material

Syntax

  Use Material MaterialName For VolumeList…

Summary

  Associate the given volumes with the indicated material name.

Parameter | Value | Default
--- | --- | ---
MaterialName | string | –
VolumeList | string… | –

## 7.3.2. Coordinate System

Syntax

  Coordinate System {=} {axisymmetric | barycentric | cartesian | cyclidic | cylindrical | polar | quadriplanar | skew | spherical | toroidal | trilinear}

Summary

  The interpretation of the geometry data stored in this database. Optional. Defaults to Cartesian.

Parameter | Value | Default
--- | --- | ---
{=} | {= | are | is} | –
CoordinateSystem | {axisymmetric | barycentric | cartesian | cyclidic | cylindrical | polar | quadriplanar | skew | spherical | toroidal | trilinear} | –

## 7.3.3. Decomposition Method

Syntax

  Decomposition Method {=} {block | cyclic | external | geom_kway | hsfc | kway | kway_geom | linear | map | metis_sfc | random | rcb | rib | variable}

Summary

  The decomposition algorithm to be used to partition elements to each processor in a parallel run.

Parameter | Value | Default
--- | --- | ---
{=} | {= | are | is} | –
Method | {block | cyclic | external | geom_kway | hsfc | kway | kway_geom | linear | map | metis_sfc | random | rcb | rib | variable} | –

## 7.3.4. Assembly

Scope

  Finite Element Model

Summary

  This Block allows the definition of an assembly in the input file.

    begin Assembly Assembly_Name

       Allow Missing Block Ids {=} {off | on}

       Assembly {=} AssemblyName...

       Block {=} BlockName...

       Block_Id List {=} BlockIndex...

       Nodeset {=} NodesetName...

       Nodeset_Id List {=} BlockIndex...

       Surface {=} SurfaceName...

       Surface_Id List {=} BlockIndex...

    end Assembly Assembly_Name

### 7.3.4.1. Line Commands

###### Allow Missing Block Ids

Syntax

  Allow Missing Block Ids {=} {off | on}

Summary

  Permits the ‘Block_Id List’ command to have invalid block identifiers. Invalid identifiers will not be reported.

Parameter | Value | Default
--- | --- | ---
{=} | {= | are | is} | –
AllowMissingBlockIds | {off | on} | –

###### Assembly

Syntax

  Assembly {=} AssemblyName…

Summary

  Assemblies that are to be added to an assembly.

Parameter | Value | Default
--- | --- | ---
{=} | {= | are | is} | –
AssemblyName | string… | –

###### Block

Syntax

  Block {=} BlockName…

Summary

  Blocks that are to be added to an assembly.

Parameter | Value | Default
--- | --- | ---
{=} | {= | are | is} | –
BlockName | string… | –

###### Block_Id List

Syntax

  Block_Id List {=} BlockIndex…

Summary

  Add list of block ids to assemblies using ID, FirstID:LastId, or FistID:LastID:Increment

Parameter | Value | Default
--- | --- | ---
{=} | {= | are | is} | –
BlockIndex | string… | –

###### Nodeset

Syntax

  Nodeset {=} NodesetName…

Summary

  Nodesets that are to be added to an assembly.

Parameter | Value | Default
--- | --- | ---
{=} | {= | are | is} | –
NodesetName | string… | –

###### Nodeset_Id List

Syntax

  Nodeset_Id List {=} BlockIndex…

Summary

  Add list of nodeset ids to assemblies using ID, FirstID:LastId, or FistID:LastID:Increment

Parameter | Value | Default
--- | --- | ---
{=} | {= | are | is} | –
BlockIndex | string… | –

###### Surface

Syntax

  Surface {=} SurfaceName…

Summary

  Surfaces that are to be added to an assembly.

Parameter | Value | Default
--- | --- | ---
{=} | {= | are | is} | –
SurfaceName | string… | –

###### Surface_Id List

Syntax

  Surface_Id List {=} BlockIndex…

Summary

  Add list of surface ids to assemblies using ID, FirstID:LastId, or FistID:LastID:Increment

Parameter | Value | Default
--- | --- | ---
{=} | {= | are | is} | –
BlockIndex | string… | –

## 7.3.5. Decomposition Method

Syntax

  Decomposition Method {=} {block | cyclic | external | geom_kway | hsfc | kway | kway_geom | linear | map | metis_sfc | random | rcb | rib | variable}

Summary

  The decomposition algorithm to be used to partition elements to each processor in a parallel run.

Parameter | Value | Default
--- | --- | ---
{=} | {= | are | is} | –
Method | {block | cyclic | external | geom_kway | hsfc | kway | kway_geom | linear | map | metis_sfc | random | rcb | rib | variable} | –

## 7.3.6. List Mesh Groups

Syntax

  List Mesh Groups [ Name… ]

Summary

  This command is deprecated and no longer has any effect. Mesh group summaries are always printed to the log file.

## 7.3.7. Material

Syntax

  Material MatName

Summary

  Associates this element block with its material properties.

Parameter | Value | Default
--- | --- | ---
MatName | string | –

## 7.3.8. Material =

Syntax

  Material = MatName

Summary

  Associates this element block with its material properties.

Parameter | Value | Default
--- | --- | ---
MatName | string | –

## 7.3.9. Mesh Group

Syntax

  Mesh Group name {=} Mesh_extent…

Summary

  Specifies a user selected grouping for mesh entities of the same type to be grouped under a single name alias. While defining a simulation model the alias can be used when referring to the entire collection of mesh entities. By default the group name ALL_BLOCKS is always supplied.

Parameter | Value | Default
--- | --- | ---
name | string | –
{=} | {= | are | is} | –
Mesh_extent | string… | all_blocks