I need to extract the deformed geometry (deformation results of thermo-mechanical simulation) as a STP/STEP file to be used then in another software as an input data. How is it possible? what should I do?
I fear ParaView does not have a step writer. So you should choose another format from ParaView (see File / Save Data for available format), and find a converter if your other software does not support any of them.
I need STP/STEP file of the deformed geometry. can you help me and show me the procedure to get this file format? How Paraview can help me in this path?
I’m sorry but I cannot help more: its a ParaView forum thus I know about ParaView. So I can say that ParaView cannot write step files.
My knowledges on other mesh software is limited. Maybe ask the community of your other software? If it requires step files probably someone know how to convert your data into step
if i allow myself to jump into the conversation, I am pretty sure that there are other file formats, it is quite rare (never came across personally at least) to see that a deformed fem simulation requires a STEP file. STEP describes a ‘perfect’ geometry where in simulation one uses a mesh as it discretise it to solve the PDEs i would recheck if this is a real requirement. in case it is still the case, you need to have a look at codes for STEP reconstruction from point clouds (what a mesh is basically), extract the surface mesh and with it recontruct a ‘somewhat’ simil STEP to a mesh. some CAD software that does this but quite limited are salome-platform and freeCAD, but the mesh to CAD model is a hole can of worms and not something (in general) of the world of simulation (deformed result). the most simple and rought solution is to extract the surface mesh and import it in geo of salome, you will get a shell that can be exported into a step file (shell not a solid) but I really insist in checking again on the other software, step is not a classic file type for ‘deformed’ geometries.
Thank you so much for your nice explanation. Ansys Zemax asks for step file for optical simulation and so deformed geometry=original geometry + displacement should be saved in STEP format. I did not hear about Salome. would you please kindly provide a link to get familier with Salome?
quite strange if it does simulation with step files. neverheard about a code that does that outside of having it as input but meshing it interanlly. here you have https://www.salome-platform.org/
Paraview is for post-processing results not pre-processing geometry for FEA. So the typical flow would be to import the STEP geometry to Ansys, mesh the geometry, and then generate a model for analysis. The results would be output for that mesh.
You could possibly apply the calculated displacements to the original STEP geometry, with some kind of least squares fitting algorithm, in order to create a deformed shape but I cannot think of a single reason why you would want to do that.
you are absolutely right, Todd. As you well said, I am going to use ParaView as a postprocessing program to show the deformation (displacement) and also save it (original geometry + displacement) as a new STEP file. I need to import the output of Paraview (STEP file) into Ansys Zemax for next level of optical simulation. was my explanation clear?
Not really. You can’t generate a STEP file from Paraview.
It sounds like you need to import the Ansys mechanical FEA results into Ansys Zemax.
Thank you Todd. I understood that I can save a STL file of displaced mesh in Paraview and then using another CAD software such as Salome/FreeCAD etc. I should convert STL to STEP format.