3 EDITING INPUT FILES

3.1 GENERAL INFORMATION

Z88 works with the following files:

(1) Input Files:

Z88I1.TXT (general structure data, coordinates, coincidence, material informations)
Z88I2.TXT
(boundary conditions, loads, constraints)
Z88I3.TXT
parameters for stress processor Z88D)
Z88I4.TXT
(parameters for the sparse matrix solvers Z88I1/Z88I2 and Z88I1/Z88PAR)
Z88I5.TXT (surface and pressure loads – if needed)
Z88NI.TXT
(input file for the mesh generator)

Produce these input files with your CAD program and the CAD converter Z88X or with a 3D CAD system creating COSMOS files and converting them with Z88G or with an editor (e.g. Notepad of Windows, Emacs, Joe at UNIX) or word processing program (e.g. Word for Windows at Windows). If using a word processor systems keep in mind to edit pure ASCII texts without any hidden control characters ... every word processing program has such an option. Why not using your own editor (if you do not want or cannot work with a CAD program) ?

So how you can work with the editor/word processor you are familiar with and used to.

Details to the input files see sections 3.2 pp.

(2) Output Files:

Z88O0.TXT (processed input data for documentation)
Z88O1.TXT (processed boundary conditions for documentation)
Z88O2.TXT (calculated displacements)
Z88O3.TXT (calculated stresses)
Z88O4.TXT (calculated nodal forces)

The files Z88O5.TXT and Z88O8.TXT are not regular Z88 output files, containing the coordinates of the stress points and the reduced stresses for use for the plot program Z88O internally. It is a pure ASCII file, so that advanced users can use it for own routines, if necessary.

(3) Binary Files:

These files are used internally and are not for editing. They serve the fast data interchange between Z88 modules.

Z88O1.BNY
Z88O3.BNY
Z88O4.BNY (only for internal communication of the sparse matrix solvers)

Why work with files? Is that not old-fashioned and does "interactive" working not do a better job? Z88 is designed as an open, transparent system according to the UNIX philosophy: Several, compact modules communicate via files together.

Downward compatibility:

Z88 files for V11.0 and V12.0 are okay for Z88 V13.0, if the the plate flag and the surface and pressure loads flag are supplied.

Rules for entering values:

There is no need for special rules or field divisions, only the usual C rules apply:

Integer numbers

Correct

1

345

55555

0

Wrong

1.

345.

55555E+0

no entry

Floating point numbers (Z88 uses internally double precision floating point numbers [Double])

Correct

1.

345

5.5555E+10

0

Wrong

1,

345,

O (letter O)

no entry

Z88 input files may have comments in every line if all corresponding data has been filled out before. Separate the last data and the comment at least by one blank. Lines in Z88 input files can include 250 bytes (really needed are noticeably less than 80). Blank lines and pure comment lines are not permitted.

Always check input files with Z88V before a Z88 run.