For our users who have both CAESAR II 2016 and FEATools V2.0, there is a utility that allows FEATools to read the 2016 *.c2 file format.  Previously, FEATools V2.0 only worked with CAESAR II 2014, but now this tool can be used for both 2014 and 2016.  When FEATools V3.0 releases, this compatibility patch will not be necessary.  However during that interim period, how to download and install this hotfix is detailed below:

To download this hotfix:

1.  Visit https://smartsupport.intergraph.com/ and click View Downloads.
2. Then, select FEATools>Service Packs and Fixes> FEATools for CAESAR II.
3. Download and extract the FEATools 2.0, DLL Switcher Hotfix (FEAToolsV2_CII2016.zip), which includes a PDF file containing instructions for download and installation.

After you have downloaded FEAToolsV2_CII2016.zip, Here’s the rest of the instructions on how to install.

1. Unzip the zipped file to a new folder.  The folder will be named Update-FEATools-V2 for CII2016.
2. Inside this folder, copy the contents of the directory to C:\Program Files (x86)\PRG\ICAS2015.  You should copy and replace the following items:
   1. C2Zip_CIIV7.dll
   2. C2Zip_CIIV8.dll
   3. CII_Translate_CIIV7.dll
   4. CII_Translate_CIIV8.dll
   5. FEATools V2 + CAESAR II Switcher.bat
   6. ToolkitPro1640vc110U.dll
3. Make sure you are overwriting the contents of C:\Program Files (x86)\PRG\ICAS2015, and not just placing the folder in that directory!
4. To enable the switch for FEATools V2.0 to work with CAESAR II 2016, click on FEATools V2 + CAESAR II Switcher.bat.
5. You will be greeted with a windows command prompt that asks the following:
   1. Would you like to use FEATools V2.0 with CAESAR II 2014 or CAESAR II 2016? Select (8) for CAESAR II 2016 or (7) for CAESAR II 2014:
6. Press 8 on your keyboard to select 2016, and press enter.  The next prompt should read:
   1. You are now ready to use FEATools V2.0 with CAESAR II 2016.  Press any key to continue…
7. Press any key to close the command prompt.  That’s it!  Now when you open up FEATools V2.0, the program will be compatible with a CAESAR II 2016 file type.

Note:  The text of the FEATools CAESAR II Translator will still say 7.00 for the *.c2 file type selected.  However, the program will work with a CAESAR II 2016 filetype (which is version 8.00).

 Comments or concerns getting the compatibility patch to work?  Contact support.ecedesign.com for assistance.

Best Regards,

ECE has been engaging the CAESAR II Analysis Community on the Workflows with CAESAR II over the past few years.  In this blog post I would like to bring that information back to the industry, by detailing the most common issues that I have come across to date.  To assist my answers in this post I have utilized multiple common resources available to all CAESAR II users, most notably the guidance of the technical advisors of CAESAR II by ICAS, to get a larger perspective on the issues surrounding these questions and how we can better implement upcoming changes to the software.  The following are the top most common issues and responses to those issues:

Thanks,

-George

ECE has been engaging the Pressure Vessel Analysis Community on the Workflows with PV Elite over the past few years.  In this blog post I would like to bring that information back to the industry, by detailing the top issues that I have come across to date.  To assist my answers in this post I recently sat down with the technical director of PV Elite for Intergraph, to get a larger perspective on the issues surrounding these questions and how we can better implement upcoming changes to the software.  The following are the top issues and responses to those issues:

CAESAR II – Network Configuration for Multiple Users

For larger companies that have multiple CAESAR II users, dealing with differences in the user’s settings can be an issue.  Each user may have their own set of database settings for expansion joints, load cases, units, materials, and valves/flanges that are specified in the “caesar.cfg” on that user’s machine.  What often happens during the course of a project is that User A will change a property for a material type in the CAESAR II file and that property does not exist for User B in their material database.  When User B opens the CII File they get a nice error message that looks something like the below:

Basically, CAESAR II recognizes that there’s a difference between User A’s material input and what User B has in their material database, and is asking how to rectify the difference.  If we clicked “No” at this point, then we’ve just reverted the material properties back to what User B has in their default database, which may not be what was needed for the project.

The risk for potential issues is very high when a user selects this option and collaboration is seen as a negative.

Fortunately, there is a simple way to avoid these risks and share settings globally across one project.

A lesser known capability introduced in CAESAR II 2014 is to set an “Alternate CAESAR II Distributed Data Path” shown here:

Distributed Data Path is a networked System directory that multiple users can connect to.  By default a user’s System directory is located at “C:\ProgramData\Intergraph CAS\CAESAR II\7.00\System”.

Let’s walk through how to set up this option.  Before we begin, let’s understand a very important distinction with the caesar.cfg file.  There’s a caesar.cfg located in your “System directory”, as well as a caesar.cfg located in your current “data directory”.  When you first open up CAESAR II, the large CONFIGURE button on the Ribbon will allow you to modify attributes for both the System and Data Directory *.cfg files.  The System Data Directory is the one we want to move to the network.

If I were to go to my Piping Input Screen, and then choose configure, I’m only modifying configuration settings for the current data directory. This means that the following steps that we are about to take to modify the caesar.cfg will need to be done from the main screen, not the piping input screen.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, here’s what you need to do to set up a Networked Directory for your CAESAR II users:

1. Open CAESAR II, and click on Tools> Configuration/Setup > Database Definitions > Alternate CAESAR II Distributed Data
2. Click on the three ellipses.

3. Here I’ve placed a folder on the network titled “C2_Network_LOC”

4. Copy the System folder, located in C:\ProgramData\Intergraph CAS\CAESAR II\7.00\System to the …\C2_Network_LOC\   The full path to my new network system folder is now \\Instructor-pc\c\TRANSFER\C2_Network_LOC\System
5. Click on SAVE, located at the upper left hand corner of the Configuration editor.
6. Now we need to check to make sure we can read the new networked system directory. To do this, we will perform a check by renaming a networked data table that we can see.  Navigate to your new System folder located in …\C2_Network_LOC\System, and find “UMAT1.UMD”.  Copy this file, and rename it to “UMAT1_NET.UMD”.
7. Back in CAESAR II, open up the configuration editor again. Tools> Configuration/Setup > Database Definitions.
8. Find the value that says “User Material Database Filename” and choose the dropdown on the right hand side. You should see “UMAT1_NET.UMD” as a selection.

9. If you do not see UMAT1_NET.UMD, start over with step 1 and try again.
10. If you do see UMAT1_NET.UMD, then you are successful. A networked System directory has now been created.

On User B’s computer:

11. Open CAESAR II, and click on Tools> Configuration/Setup > Database Definitions > Alternate CAESAR II Distributed Data
12. Click on the three ellipses.

13. Open the directory in \\Instructor-pc\c\TRANSFER\C2_Network_LOC\ (which was created by User A).
14. Click on “User Material Database Filename” and verify that you can select UMAT1_NET.UMD. This computer is now connected to the networked material database.

Repeat these steps for any other computer you wish to connect to this same location.

Project Management Notes

Material File Updates

Some closing remarks on the behavior of CAESAR II in terms of project management.  If you go to Tools > Open System Folder, this will open up the Networked system directory that you have created.  No longer does this function send you to your local System directory while the Alternative Distributed Data Directory has been set.

Now that you can edit a material database that is shared with multiple users, there is an important final step to take when adding or modifying materials. The *.UMD file can be modified in CAESAR II to add new materials by accessing the Materials icon on the Home tab.  To learn how to do this, reference my earlier blog posts on the subject.

After you click “Save Material,” close the dialog, and then Close out CAESAR II entirely. Only then will a new UMAT1_NET.UMD file get generated with these new material properties.  If you do not take this step and close out of the program, other users will not receive the updated attributes you have inserted into the material database.

Change Management

Now that a caesar.cfg file exists that can be pinged by multiple users, here’s a quick tip on how to record changes that you’ve made to the caesar.cfg as you develop a baseline for attributes for a project.  The way that CAESAR II “saves” a new configuration file, is by opening it up and overwriting 97 rows of data to the file “caesar.cfg”.  If you place any data on the 98^th row, you can effectively add comments into the *.cfg file to help document your project.

Open up the caesar.cfg file located in your …\C2_Network_LOC\System directory.   Scroll down to the bottom of the .cfg itself.

On the 98^th row, you can add in your own comments to this file.  For example, the steps involved to create this post have been added as follows.  Each time you save changes to the *.cfg, these changes will not be overwritten.

Thank you,
George Montgomery, EIT
Analysis Application Engineer
ECE Design
www.ecedesign.com
www.cadworxblog.com
For Support: support@ecedesign.com