1. Mesh file structure#

The Aster mesh file is read from the first line to the first occurrence of a line beginning with the word FIN **. This keyword is mandatory.

The Aster mesh file consists of a succession of independent mesh sub-files.

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FIN

The Aster mesh file is a file with format, in the sense of FORTRAN:

  • line length is limited to 80 characters (any information starting from column 81 is simply ignored);

  • the white character “” and the comma “,” are the only separators recognized,

  • the% character is a reserved character to indicate the beginning, until the end of the line, of a comment,

  • numerical data is interpreted in free format:

1 = 1. = 1.0 = 1.E+0 = .1E1 = 10.D-1

The mesh file must contain at least:

  • a sub-file of node coordinates COOR_2D or COOR_3D, defined by 2 or 3 real numbers in a single orthonormal coordinate system.

  • one sub-file per type of mesh used.

It may also contain, and this is recommended, a sub-file TITRE. It is almost essential to define, at the time of meshing, mesh group subfiles GROUP_MA and node group subfiles GROUP_NO .

Note that the assignment of a finite element type can only be done on a mesh (or exceptionally on a node for discrete elements) described in the mesh file. Loads or boundary conditions are affected on meshes or on nodes as appropriate.