Hi,
I’m new to FEM-Design but have worked with similar FEM software in Grasshopper. I’m a bit stuck with my current workflow and need help getting the correct values from the analysis.
I have colleagues who set up the FEM model in FEM-Design, and I need to post-process this model. More specifically, I need to analyze the resultant normal force, N, and the resultant shear force, V.
The model seems quite complex, which is why I, for now, want to limit the analysis as much as possible (running only one load combination and only looking at N and V of the shell elements, but with the shell ID’s).
I’m not sure if I should use the Live Link components instead? Last time I ran an analysis, it crashed. Before that, it took ~30 minutes.
Running the whole model with all load combinations and only NodalDisplacement as result type took 3 hours.
Any advice would be great. Thanks!
Best regards,
Christian
FEMDesign_to_GH.gh (19.8 KB)
Hi @ChristianDegn !
This would also happen without using the API, right?
A time consuming part of your process, it is definitely reading the ShellResults as they are probably a large amount of data.
If you can use LiveLink (which is the recomended if you do not need to perform iterative analysis) you can read results for only a specific element (and not the entire model)
There is also an option to get results for only the center of the elements which will decrease the number of output massively.
Let me know If I can help you further 
PS: Welcome in the community
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Hi @MarcoPelle
Thank you for your quick response and the welcome! 
I hope to spend more time here. 
I’ve tried to set up a LiveLink connection instead, but I’m having trouble getting any results from it.
What is the method of retrieving results from a FEM model? Is it “just” retrieving the results, which means the saved model must have been analyzed and saved, or is it performing a fresh analysis from an already defined FEM model?
Depending on how it works, I suspect I’m missing a link in my script, or maybe the model from my colleague has not been calculated yet.
As mentioned before, I need to post-process some values from a calculation, which is why I need the values of V and N to match the values in the PDF report from the same FEM model.
Thank you in advance! I can’t wait to utilize the integration of Grasshopper and C# in FEM Design. 
A small addition - does the file I read need to be a .str or .strFEM file? I’m looking for a workflow similar to this, but the component Model.ReadResult has been replaced, right?
If you want to read the results, you need to received a file with results. A file has results when an .strFEM exist.
i.e.
model.str
model.strFEM (the one that contains results)
We have deleted Model.ReadResults( we need to update the doc page) but yo can achieve the same using Application.Run.
Will Application.Run run the analysis again, or is it used to retrieve results from a .strFEM model?
I have a .strFEM file (around 8 GB in size), but I still have trouble retrieving the results. Am I missing something?
If Analysis is not set, the component will only read the results.
Regarding the .strFEM file. You do not have to specify that file as FilePath. Just reference the normal .str file.
8GB of results might be a lot to handle for Grasshopper but if you do not have rush, it will work out! 
If you can not get the results, can you try with a load combination without any “scandinavian letters”?
Thanks!
I agree, 8 GB seems a bit extreme. Unfortunately, I’m not doing the actual FEM analysis, but just help with the post-processing.
I have linked to the .str file, and the .strFEM file is in the same directory. I have selected the LoadCombination “Dom. egenlast” without any luck.
There are still scandinavian letters in the file name, but the model seems to load just fine. 
Any ideas?
I need to debug to see what it might be wrong.
Is there anyway for you to share the file with me?
You can send me an email with a share link maybe. Not sure where it is the issue.
can you maybe replicate the issue with a smaller model?
i.e. just one slab with the same load combination name?
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Hi Marco,
The file you sent me with the results in it works great! The issue must have been some missing results in the file itself. I will re-run the analysis in the other files, and hopefully that will fix the issue.
Thank you for your help!
Best regards,
Christian
Hi Christian,
Based on my expereience the gap between the words in the load combination’s name is not always working well.
I had the same issue where it would not read the results for my load combinations, but as soon as I removed any gap between the words in the load combinations the results would show.
See the example below:
Maybe it helps you
2 Likes
thanks @AndreiM for your feedback!
In our backend, there is a Regex that might have some room for improvement. Having a simple case/combo name definitely helps but I understand that there should not be any constraint in specifying those.
The good news is thay we will need to refactor our result reader this year and we can make it state of the art (at least that’s the goal) 
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Hi Andrei,
That’s a good point! I didn’t consider that. It’s always good behaviour to avoid blank spaces in the names. 
Thank you for your input!
