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GWA import options

This dialog is accessed from the File > Import > Text (GWA file) menu command or from the Data explorer: Paste special command and specifies the options to be applied to the GWA import. Data is imported either from file or from the clipboard in text format, GWA syntax into the existing model. For details of the GWA syntax see GSA text (ASCII) file. Options that would invalidate existing analysis results are disabled.

The default behaviour for the importing of GWA data is that data records that are identified by record number (and often referred to by that number) such as nodes, elements and properties overwrite existing data; other data, such as constraints and loading, append to existing data.

Data options​

Data records relating to data options that are not checked will be ignored by the import.

Import mode​

The import mode setting only affects the handling of node, element, load case and analysis task and case numbering. Other imported data always overwrites existing data.

Import mode, overwrite – When overwrite is selected, imported nodes and elements overwrite original nodes and elements of the same number and imported loads are imported into their respective loading modules, with no adjustment to the load case numbers.

Import mode, append – When append is selected, imported nodes, elements and load case numbers are renumbered so as to follow on from the existing data. Items in the imported model are incremented by the highest number in the original model; gaps in item numbering in both the original and imported model are preserved. For example, model A has two nodes: 2 4, as does model B; model B is appended to model A to result in model A having 4 nodes: 2 4 6 8. References to the renumbered nodes and elements in the imported data are renumbered.

Note that the following data are overwritten, even when the import mode is set to Append:

  • All properties
  • Materials
  • Analysis cases
  • Combination cases
  • Existing data will be overwritten.