OrcaFlex Manual - Orcina

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4.2.2 Script Files
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Automation, Batch Processing
OrcaFlex provides special facilities for running a series of variations on a base data file, using a script file. This
contains a sequence of commands to read a data file, make modifications to it, and run the modified file, storing the
results for later processing. The file can also include comments. The syntax for the instructions is described in the
next topic.
Script files can be written using any text editor. However, it is quite unusual to do this because there are very
productive facilities in the OrcaFlex spreadsheet for automatically generating script files for regular sets of cases.
A more recently introduced alternative to script files are text data files. These can be used to specify load case
variations. Once again, the OrcaFlex spreadsheet offers a facility to generate these text data files.
4.2.3 Script Syntax
An OrcaFlex batch script is made up of commands, which are obeyed sequentially, and comments, which are
ignored. A comment is a line that is either blank or on which the first non-blank characters are "//". A command can
be:
1. A directive followed by one or more arguments, optionally separated by white space (one or more spaces or
tabs). For example: load c:\temp\test.dat where load is the directive and c:\temp\test.dat is the
argument.
2. An assignment of the form VariableName=value, again with optional white space separators. For example:
Length = 55.0.
Note that:
� Directives, variable names, and model object names are all case independent.
� If your script includes a relative file name then it is taken to be relative to the directory from which the script
was loaded.
� File names, arguments, variables or values containing spaces or non-alphanumeric characters must be enclosed
in single or double quotes and they must not contain the same quote character as is used to enclose them. For
example '6" pipe' and "200' riser" are valid, but the following are not valid:
6 inch pipe – contains spaces, so needs to be enclosed in quotes;
6"pipe – contains a double quote, so needs to be enclosed in single quotes;
'6' pipe' – contains a single quote, so needs to be enclosed in double quotes instead of single.
4.2.4 Script Commands
The script commands are executed in the context of an active model. This can be either an OrcaFlex model
containing Vessels, Lines etc., or a Fatigue Analysis. The active model defaults, at the start of script execution to
being an OrcaFlex model. The active model can change due to a Load/LoadData command, or following a
NewModel/NewFatigue command. Some of the commands have different interpretations, depending on what type
of model is active, as described below.
The following batch script commands are currently available. You need to put quotes round file names or other
parameters that include spaces or non-alphanumeric characters.
Load
Opens the OrcaFlex file named . The file can be a data file, a simulation file or a fatigue analysis file.
LoadData
Opens the data from the OrcaFlex data file named .
RunStatics
Perform statics for the current model and save the resulting simulation to . After the file is saved the
model is reset.
RunDynamics
Run dynamics for the current model and save the resulting simulation to . After the file is saved the
model is reset.