JuliaFEM.jl/src/io

I/O Module - Mesh Import/Export

Purpose: Read and write mesh files from various FEM software packages.

Supported Formats

Abaqus (.inp)

Status: ✅ Active
Files:

• AbaqusReader.jl - Main reader with keyword parsing
• abaqus_reader.jl - Simplified reader
• abaqus_download.jl - Download example meshes
• keyword_register.jl - Keyword parsing system

Use: mesh = read_abaqus("model.inp")

Code Aster (.med, .rmed)

Status: ⚠️ Requires HDF5 (weak dependency)
Files:

• AsterReader.jl - Main Aster reader
• aster_reader.jl - Simplified reader
• read_aster_mesh.jl - HDF5-based mesh reading (NOT included - needs HDF5.jl)
• read_aster_results.jl - HDF5-based results reading (NOT included)

Strategy: Implement as weak dependency - only load if HDF5.jl available

Gmsh (.msh)

Status: ✅ Active
Files:

• gmsh_reader.jl - Gmsh mesh file parser

Use: mesh = read_gmsh("mesh.msh")

File Organization

Core Readers

• io.jl - Common I/O utilities
• gmsh_reader.jl - Gmsh format
• abaqus_reader.jl - Simple Abaqus reader
• aster_reader.jl - Simple Aster reader (no HDF5)

Legacy Vendor Package Infrastructure

• AbaqusReader.jl - Full Abaqus reader (from vendor package)
• AsterReader.jl - Full Aster reader (from vendor package)
• keyword_register.jl - Keyword parsing system
• parse_mesh.jl - Generic mesh parsing
• parse_model.jl - Model structure parsing
• create_surface_elements.jl - Surface element extraction

Disabled (Require HDF5)

• read_aster_mesh.jl - ❌ Commented out (needs HDF5.jl)
• read_aster_results.jl - ❌ Commented out (needs HDF5.jl)

Design Philosophy

Weak Dependencies

For optional formats requiring heavy dependencies (HDF5):

# In Project.toml
[extras]
HDF5 = "..."

# In src/io/
if isdefined(Main, :HDF5)
    include("read_aster_mesh.jl")
end

Two-Tier Strategy

1. Simple readers - Basic functionality, minimal dependencies
2. Full readers - Complete keyword support, complex features

Users can choose based on needs.

Future Work

Export Formats

• VTK/VTU for visualization
• Exodus II for multi-physics
• JSON for web applications

Import Enhancements

• NASTRAN (.bdf, .nas)
• ANSYS (.cdb)
• CalculiX (.inp)

Consolidation

• Unify simple vs full reader approaches
• Document which reader to use when
• Benchmarks for large meshes

Usage Examples

using JuliaFEM

# Abaqus
mesh = read_abaqus("cantilever.inp")

# Gmsh (if gmsh_jll available)
mesh = read_gmsh("geometry.msh")

# Aster (if HDF5 available)
mesh = read_aster("model.med")

Dependencies

Required:

• None (pure Julia)

Optional:

• gmsh_jll - For Gmsh API access
• HDF5.jl - For Code Aster .med files
• Downloads.jl - For downloading example meshes

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Maintainer: JuliaFEM Team
Last Updated: November 21, 2025