Text file format

Each data group in a SPACE GASS text file must be preceded by a title line. The title line describes the type of data in the lines to follow. For example, the node data would be preceded by "NODES". When reading text files the program uses only the first six characters of each title line, therefore when creating text files you can abbreviate title lines to their first six characters.

It is possible to repeat data throughout the data file. Single items or whole groups can be repeated. In such cases the last entry overrides any previous entries. For example, if node coordinates were entered at the top of the file and then updated at the end, the last group would override the first. This practice, however is not recommended.

Groups of data do not have to be input in any particular order. The program recognises the data types by their title lines rather than their order of appearance.

• Items within a line must be separated by commas.

• Lines can be continued on the next line if they end with the "&" character.

• The maximum length of a single line is 1024 characters.

• The maximum length of a set of continued lines is 4096 characters.

• Comment lines must begin with the "#" character.

• Blank lines are permitted anywhere in the file.

• Non-numeric items that contain commas must be enclosed in "quotes".

• Descriptive fields such as titles or notes can be split into multiple lines by the use of "||" wherever a new line is required. For example, the following text block:
  
  Area Loads: -0.8370135 kPa, Two-way
  Areas: Projected, Load Direction: Y
  Direction: Normal
  
  Could be represented in the text file as:
  
  Area Loads: -0.8370135 kPa, Two-way||Areas: Projected, Load Direction: Y||Direction: Normal
  

 Real numbers in SPACE GASS text files no longer need to contain a decimal point. Furthermore, all numbers in SPACE GASS text files can now be up to 15 digits long (they were previously limited to 10 digits).