Estimated completion time → 20 minutes.

In this practical session, we create a PROCESS to,

• Run a software application
• Manipulate each User input into a form suitable to be input for a batch application
• Modify a batch input file to create a template with a delimited object reference (or DOR) as a placeholder for each input value.

• Start EASA, log in, and EASA→Set Mode→Author.
• Find our EASAP under EASA→Author→Applications→My EASAPs.
• Click on it.
• In the new page click on the EASAP Builder link.
• Double-click the atos.easa file to launch the Builder.

• We need to upload a few files required by the EASAP.
• Select the Files tab just above the Tree in EASAP Builder.
  • Click on the Browse button
    • Select the folder on the local machine computer with the downloaded and unzipped tutorial files.
      • Double-click input.txt
        • Click on the Upload button.

The input.txt file will be added to the list of current files shown below the Browse and Upload buttons.

input.txt contains responses to queries from the executable that would otherwise be typed at an interactive command prompt

• Upload the following files as well,
  • plate.txt → contains input data
  • femrctpl.exe → the executable
  • report.html

• Let's create a PROCESS for running the plate analysis software.
  • Click on the Tree
    • Right-click the PROCESSES branch
      • Select Child→Add PROCESS
        • Rename it runplate
          • Set,

• We need to manipulate each User input into the form required for replacement within the batch input file, plate.txt.
  • Material selection mat will specify a 'modulus of elasticity' and a 'Poisson ratio'
  • Length L will affect the length of each finite element for the moments and loads calculations

• Right-click runplate
  • Select Sibling→Add DATA PROCESSING
    • Create a MAP to associate a plate material with a modulus of elasticity, required by the plate analysis software.
      • Right-click SCALAR under the new DATA PROCESSING
        • Select Child→Add MAP
          • Rename it modulus
            • Set the parameters below,

Tip: Highlight the contents of the Choices: parameter of the TABBED PANE LIST→input→mat, type CTRL-c to copy the string, and then type CTRL-v to paste the string as the modulus→Inputs: parameter value.

• Let's create a similar MAP for the material’s Poisson ratio.
  • Right-click modulus
    • Select Copy
  • Right-click modulus
    • Select Paste (Sibling)
      • Rename the new MAP poisson
        • Set,

• Time to save our work, click Save.

• We need to translate the plate’s dimensions into a uniform element size that is expected in the input file:
  • → The plate is divided into 20 elements along its length.

• Create a COMPUTE to derive the width of these 20 elements based on the length L
  • Right-click poisson
    • Select Sibling→Add COMPUTE
      • Rename it dx
        • Set,

The next step for the runplate process is to add a REPLACEMENT object for its input file, plate.txt

• Right-click runplate
  • Select Child→Add REPLACEMENT
    • Using the choice list set:
      • File:→ plate.txt

The PROCESSES branch of the EASAP Tree should look like this,

• The order of execution within a PROCESS object is always,
  1. DATA PROCESSING objects,
  2. REPLACEMENT objects,
  3. Commands specified in the Run Using: parameter of the PROCESS object,
  4. The CLEAR FILESPACE object.

• The order of objects on the Tree within a PROCESS is not important.
• The order of execution of multiple PROCESS objects is based on their order on the Tree
  • → Execution order is from top to bottom.

• Save the EASAP.
  • Select replacement1
    • Click on the Open Template Editor button () in the toolbar.
      • → The Template Editor will start in a new window.

We will now go through the process of replacing fixed input values (text strings or numbers) with object references.

• On the third line of the file,
  • Highlight 0.5 and insert the DOR dx by double-clicking on dx in the DOR List.
    • Set its Units to ft in the toolbar.

Tip: If you encounter problems setting units of an object reference (DOR), ensure that the Unit Group: parameter has been set properly for the dx COMPUTE. If you need to go back and make a change in EASAP Builder keep the Template Editor open and just select File→Reload after saving your changes in the Builder.

• Still on the third line,
  • Highlight 1.5 and double-click on t
    • Set its Units to in
  • Next highlight 3500 and insert the object reference modulus
  • Highlight 0.2 and insert the object reference poisson
• On the sixth line below the word ‘LOADS’,
  • Replace 2.5 with the object reference Lu
    • Set its Units to kip/ft
• Save the file by clicking on the Save button ().

At this point the file will appear in the Template Editor as follows,

• Once the file looks correct,
  • Exit the Template Editor
    • Select File→Exit.

At this point, our EASAP will be ready for its first test run. Even though the OUTPUT branch is empty and nothing will be displayed on the results pages, we may still submit a test run and take a look at what is produced at this point.

• In the Builder,
  • Click on the Test Web Browser button () at the far left of the 2nd toolbar.
    • Once the EASAP window appears,
      • Click on the Submit EASAP button ().
        • → After a second or two, a pop-up window will appear when the EASAP has been submitted successfully.
          • Click OK on this pop-up window.
• Close the EASAP window and in a browser return to the EASA→Authoring→Testing page.

The page should look like:

• Locate the application that we just submitted in the testing table.
  • → It will probably be the only entry in the table.

If there aren't any rows in the table, click the browser refresh button.

• Look at the Status column for the recent run, it may show a variety of messages:
  • ‘Queued’ implies the job is waiting for some other jobs to finish before starting to run.
  • A percentage value implies the job is currently running.
  • ‘Completed’ implies the job is done.

Once the job has completed, examine some of the files produced by the test run.

• In the Files column for the EASAP run,
  • Click on the Browse Files button (}})
    • → A pop-up window should appear that will look like the following:

• Let’s check the delimited object reference replacements for the input file, plate.txt
  • Click on the link and the window’s display should look like the following,

If the file content shown above is missing or differes, there may be an error in the EASAP settings or in the template input file. We may attempt to fix these problems at this time or wait until Session 5, where we Test and debug an EASAP.

• After reviewing the file
  • Click on the Back button.

• Let’s look at the PLATE.OUT output file produced by the underlying software application.
  • Click on the link and the window’s display should look like the following,

If there is no PLATE.OUT link or the file content differs from what is shown above, there is an error in the EASAP settings or in the template input file. After reviewing the file, close the window.

• Let's review the values of data produced in the EASAP.
  • In the DORs column for the EASAP run,
    • Click on the View DOR Information button ()
      • → A new table will appear in your browser window that will look like the following,

We are now finished with Session 3. Let's continue with Session 4.

Introduction | Session 1 | Session 2 | Session 3 | Session 4 | Session 5