XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX''"> 4.3 PATQ Translation from the Patran Neutral File to the VFINDAT File
The MSC Patran Thermal User’s Guide provides more complete information on the Patran Thermal program PATQ. This Guide is only concerned with the aspects of PATQ which relate to translating a neutral file to a VFINDAT file.
Spawning From Patran vs. Stand-Alone Execution
Typically, Patran Thermal jobs will be spawned directly from Patran, in which case the job control will have been defined based on the solution type and submit options selected in the Analysis form. There are occasions (for example, if the thermal solver resides on a different workstation or on a mainframe) where a stand-alone run is required. The following provides the steps in the translation program (PATQ) for a stand-alone run.
The translation process is fairly simple and PATQ is an interactive menu-driven program with prompts for user input when required. Many of the prompts have default values that will be used if just a carriage return is entered. PATQ also generates diagnostic error messages if it detects any problems with the neutral file data.
Step-by-Step Procedure (Stand-Alone Execution)
Translating a neutral file using PATQ is a fairly simple procedure. Bold text represents user input. Plain capitalized text is used to show computer response. Commands are entered by pressing the RETURN key. The following example details the steps needed to do the translation. These sessions were run on a VAX/VMS installation. If you have a different system, or have altered the standard installation, your sessions may be slightly different. Refer to the Operations Guide for your computer for the correct commands.
Note: | The steps below are automatically performed as a background job when Patran Thermal execution is spawned from Patran. |
There are many different options in the translation process and they cannot all be presented here. The above dialogue is typical of a PATQ translation. If errors are detected by PATQ, error messages will be written to the terminal screen.
Patran Thermal’s PATQ uses the default file name VFINDAT for the Viewfactor input data file. Viewfactor allows you to specify all relevant file names and so you may, at your discretion, change the name of the VFINDAT file created by PATQ. The new name must also be given in the VFCTL file (see
VFCTL, the Viewfactor Program Execution Control File, 85.
