nTopology 3.43 is here! This release features our new blocks Import Table, Extract Column, and Scalar from Text to import any tabular data set to use in your workflow. Scroll down to read the applications and tips for the new blocks. As with every release, nTopology’s dedicated support team is ready to answer your questions. Please visit support.ntopology.com to gain access to helpful tutorials and support articles.
Import Table
- The Import Table block lets you import tabular data by a designated path. The file type must be a CSV using UTF-8 and UTF-16 encoding with a list separator of a comma. Tables consist of rows and column-oriented data stored and extracted as Text type.
- This block imports any tabular data set with an arbitrary number of columns. Some examples include:
- Users can use this block to store and extract design parameter sets
- Users can use this block to store and extract non-linear material.
- Block Name: Import Table
- Location: Utilities->Exchange
- Description: Imports a tabular data set as a Table.
- Path: System path of Table file.
- Include headers: Option to include the first row of the Table as column headers.
- Tips
- The imported CSV must be a rectangular MxN table.
- You can use the Include headers: input to choose whether to include headers. The input then makes the first row of the Table as column headers.
- You can access the header names in the properties of the Table as a Text list.
- The block will ignore duplicate and invalid (or empty) headers.
- You can extract Table columns into usable lists using the Extract Column block.
Extract Column
- The Extract Column block extracts a single column of data from a Table as a Text list.
- This block can be used to:
- Extract a column from a Table block as a text list based on the column header name input.
- Extract a column from a Table block as a text list based on the column index integer input.
- Block Name: Extract Column
- Location: Utilities->General
- Description: Extracts a single column of data from a Table as a Text list.
- Table: Table to get data from.
- <Table, Text overload> Header: Header name of the column to extract.
- <Table, Integer overload> Index: Index of the column to extract.
- Tips
- This block will extract the Table column as a Text list. A text list can be converted into a scalar list using the new Scalar from Text block.
Scalar from Text
- The Scalar from Text block converts a Text to a Scalar value.
- This block converts the Text list output from the Extract Column block to a scalar list.
- Block Name: Scalar from Text
- Location: Utilities->Conversion
- Description: Convert Text to a Scalar value. Values that cannot be converted will be shown as NaN.
- Text: Text to be converted to a scalar. Note that units are not recognized, and punctuation other than periods or letters are allowed. If using exponential notation, ensure no spaces exist before or after the letter ‘e’. Positive and negative exponents are allowed.
- Tips
- This block will process text lists into scalar lists.
- Units will not be recognized and cause conversion issues.
- No punctuation other than periods or letters is allowed.
- If using exponential notation, ensure no spaces exist before or after the letter ‘e’.
- Positive and negative exponents are allowed.
Block Updates
- The Topology Optimization block has been updated to enable probing the density values of elements after the optimization is complete. The desired locations can be identified by moving the probe across the threshold plots and pinning them through a right-click selection menu. This feature can determine the best combination of the threshold parameter and iteration to output the final optimized part.
- We added an optional input called Extrapolation to the Smoothen Body block. This input only applies if you provide an optional Domain and gives you more control over the smoothing region. Select Inside to fully constrain smoothing to within the Domain, and select Outside to extend the smoothing outside of the Domain.
- The Smoothen Body block in nTop 3.43 with Extrapolation: set to Outside. This is the default setting and will provide the same result as previous nTop versions.
- Extrapolation: set to Inside. Smoothing is limited to inside the bounding box only.