Progress
As part of the release of FEBio2 a new file format for the input files is planned. This new format defines the Geometry in terms of named element sets, where an element set groups elements of the same type and material. Multiple named element sets can be defined. The structure is very similar to the Abaqus format in terms of element definitions. For example:
<Elements type="hex8" mat="1" name="Part01"> <elem id="1">1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8</elem> <elem id="2">9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16</elem> </Elements> <Elements type="quad4" mat="2" name="Part02"> <elem id="3">17,18,19,20</elem> </Elements>
A similar structure can be added for surfaces and node sets. A specific case study might be helpful in determining the specifics of this capability.
-- ["aerdemir"] DateTime(2013-12-20T09:20:59Z) This is great initiative. Will it be possible to add the same element(node/surface) to different sets? Will set information be available in the output file? We will provide a test problem.
I've implemented support for surfaces in the new FEBio file format. Users defines surfaces in the Geometry section of the input file. These surfaces can be used in the contact and surface_load sections of the input file to define the contacting or loaded surfaces. For example:
<Geometry>
<Elements type="hex8" name="Part01">
...
</Elements>
<Surface name="surface01">
...
</Surface>
<Surface name="surface02">
...
</Surface>
</Geometry>
<Contact>
<contact type="sliding_with_gaps">
<laugon>0</laugon>
<penalty>1</penalty>
<surface type="master" set="surface01"/>
<surface type="slave" set="surface02"/>
</contact>
</Contact>This example defines two surfaces through the "surface" elements. Each surface defines a name which will be used to reference back to this surface. In the contact definition the master and slave surfaces are then defined using the "set" attribute which references the previously defined surfaces using the name.