Integration of MSC/PATRAN with Sandia National Laboratory's EXODUS II Database System

This paper highlights the development, enhancement and use of the MSC/PATRAN "Preference" at Sandia. This preference integrates MSC/PATRAN with the EXODUS II database. The development of the preference demonstrates the flexibility of MSC/PATRAN's open architecture. There were some interesting challenges not normally encountered when integrating MSC/PATRAN with commercial FEA codes. Also, as the preference has been enhanced and upgraded through four MSC/PATRAN release cycles several development concepts have been discovered. Production use of the preference is now expanding at Sandia and other locations. Several examples will be presented of models developed at the labs. Finally, future development options will be outlined.