Profile Mapping

External Mapping Files Page 1 of 23
Bocad Steel Interface
Bocad Steel Interface : Export/Import : External Mapping Files
External Mapping Files

While setting up the Export or Import variables, the external mapping files are initially tested to see if they are
valid. At the top of each file is a check line indicating that the file is related to AVEVA Bocad Steel. The check
line must be of the form:
AVEVA BOCAD
Note: Tab characters are not permitted in the mapping files.
Comments may be included in the mapping files. They are indicated by a hash (#) character as the first
non-blank character on the line.
Blank lines are also permitted.
Error and Log File Messages
Suitable Mapping Table File specified in the mapping table is not found.
File not found
Not a suitable Mapping Table File The header may not be of the correct format.
- Is it empty? The header is incorrect.
Data Fields in Profile Mapping Files

Because in the base product element names cannot contain spaces, space-separated mapping files receive
special treatment to allow spaces in external Profile names. A description of the individual fields in the Profile
Mapping Files is given after this section.
The file format has four or five fields per line. Four fields are used for old format mapping files where the
AVEVA profile name is either the Catalogue or the Specification name. Five fields are for either the newer
format (version 2) or the Block format mapping files. These include both the AVEVA Catalogue™ and the
Specification name. Version 2 files are differentiated from the Block format files by having a different header
line which includes a single version number, rather than a description of the column widths. The Block format
file is recommended.
The fields are read in the following order.
1. The first, and possibly the second, fields are the AVEVA profile names (with no leading, trailing or
embedded spaces).
2. The right most field is the Profile shape code (with no leading, trailing or embedded spaces).
3. The penultimate field is the Steel Standard (with no leading, trailing or embedded spaces).
4. The remaining (second or third) field is the external profile name, once the leading and trailing spaces
have been removed.
Refer to External Mapping File Separator for further information on how you can specify which separator
which the application use to discriminate between fields.
CSV Format for Profile Mapping Files

You can also use Comma Separated Variable (CSV) format for the Profile mapping. In CSV format, the fields
are separated by commas rather than by spaces. This means, therefore, that the names of profiles must not
contain commas, but the external profile name can still contain spaces.
CSV format allows you to manage the mapping files in a spreadsheet program. If you are constructing a CSV
file by hand, you should be aware how a CSV file handles commas in fields. Again, CSV files, managed in a
spreadsheet program, can be converted easily to Block format.
Profile Mapping Files

This section describes the formats for the mapping files between catalogues and those of external 3D steel
https://help.aveva.com/AVEVA_Everything3D/2.1.0.22/BOCAD/BOCAD4.3.13.html 16/12/2019
detailing packages. The mapping files will indicate a correlation between the profile in AVEVA E3D 2.1™ and
its equivalent in the other system, to which, or from which, data are to be transferred. It is your responsibility to
make sure that any geometrical modelling required in either system is suitably reproduced in the other. The
mapping files supplied are modifiable and extensible by you.
Record Structure for Profile Mapping File

The mapping file consists of records of catalogue or specification profile name matched with the external
profile name and two other fields giving the origin and profile shape code as recognised by the external
package.
The profile names for the external package must be ascertained by you and matched correctly with the
equivalent name.
Steel Standard Field

Sometimes the project requires that the designer cannot mix profiles from more than one steel standard at the
same time. Therefore, we need to record the origin of the profile. This is done in the third field, the steel
standard field, which is currently codified as follows:
Country Code
America AME
Britain BRI
Canada CAN
Euronorm EUR
Germany GER
Japan JAP
If you want to include profiles or joints from another standard or country, you must add a new and unique
identifier.
Profile Shape Code Field

The Profile Type field defines exactly what shape the profile is. This is because there may be many
occurrences of the same profile name in the 3D steel detailing package, but used in different manners. For
example, only those T shapes which are derived from cutting up I shapes may be stored. This could be
recorded in the file as follows:
External Origin Shape Code Description
W21X44 W21X44 AME 1 I shape
WT10.5X22 W21X44 AME 10 Tee ex W21X44
The profile shape codes for the new AVEVA supplied catalogue are as follows:
Type Code Shape
1 I-shape (BEAM)
2 L-shape (ANG)
3 Z-shape
4 C shape (BSC)
5 FlatBar
6 Tube (TUBE)
7 Bar (TUBE)
8 RH-shape (BOX)
9 TC-Shape (BSC)
10 T-shape (TEE)
12
13 Cone
Extending the Profile Mapping File

To extend the facilities provided by the system, the ASCII file may be extended. Once you have found a
match between the base product catalogue profile name and the equivalent profile in AVEVA Bocad Steel, the
name match may be added to the file, along with the catalogue origin and profile shape code.
Sample Profile Mapping File

The actual shape code number is not critical: the combination of the shape code and the country code IS
critical. The combination of the shape and country codes enable us to identify exactly which AVEVA
Catalogue™ item is being used. The list of country codes has been extended for the new AVEVA structural
profile catalogue. This allows us to differentiate between the old and new catalogues, and the equivalent
shapes in each catalogue. This means that we can apply treatment, such as rotation or mirroring, to any
particular shape.
Below is a short extract of a Profile mapping file between the base product and AVEVA Bocad Steel.
AVEVA BOCAD 5 22 22 19 3 3
C10x15.3 AISC/C10x15.3 USC10*15.3 AME 4
C10x20 AISC/C10x20 USC10*20 AME 4
C12x20.7 AISC/C12x20.7 USC12*20.7 AME 4
C15x33.9 AISC/C15x33.9 USC15*33.9 AME 4
C3x4.1 AISC/C3x4.1 USC3*4.1 AME 4
This file has 5 columns consisting of the following:
• The AVEVA Catalogue™ element name
• The AVEVA Specification element name

• The name of the profile in the external application (for example: Bocad)
• The letter code for the Specification
• The Shape Code.
Note: The identification line at the top of the file which indicates the Target Package, for example: BOCAD. It
also indicates the version number of the mapping file structure for example: 2 (it is not complete in any
way).
Section Profiles sized by Design Parameters

To export or import a profile defined by design parameters to AVEVA Bocad Steel, you need to add a line at
the bottom of the mapping file as follows:
PDMS profile BOCAD profile name Standard Key Shape Code

names word
For example:
CATREF SPREF PRS@2@4@1@3 EUR 1
Where
PDMS profile name gives the Catalogue and Specification names of the profile used in PDMS.
BOCAD profile name is the name of the AVEVA Bocad Steel profile followed by design parameter numbers
prefixed by @ symbol
Standard Key word is the country code for the type of standard.
Shape Code is the profile number given by the table above.
If the profile name is not found earlier in the mapping file, the application will try to map the profile to the
PDMS profile finding the name that matches the prefix before the first @ in the name.
If a match is found, the order of the parameters will be used to set the corresponding design parameters in
PDMS.
Below is an extract of the mapping file for just parameterized profiles.
There are three formats for Profile mapping files, the first two formats may be space or comma separated.
And are indicated as such by setting the !!bocProfSep variable as !!bocSpaceSep or !!bocCommaSep.
The first has been described here, each line in the mapping file contains 4 fields - the AVEVA Catalogue™ or
specification profile name, the external profile name, the country code and the shape code. Interpretation of
the first field depends upon the !!bocProfMapRef variable as 'SPRE' or 'CATR'.
In this format, each line in the mapping file contains 5 fields - the AVEVA Catalogue™ profile name, - the
AVEVA specification profile name, the external profile name, the country code and the shape code. Which of
the AVEVA columns is picked also depends upon the !!SDNFProfMapRef variable. In order to distinguish this
file from the previous format, the header line has an additional "version" field.
For example:
AVEVA FRAMEWORKS 2
The third, and now preferred, format is the Block format, a space separated file that has been pre-processed
to facilitate more rapid parsing. Again, each record has 5 fields selectable according to the !!bocProfMapRef
variable. This file has a header with more fields describing the column sizes for the file.
For example
AVEVA FRAMEWORKS 5 19 19 16 3 3
This file type is indicated by setting the !!bocProfSep variable to be !!bocBlockSep, refer to AVEVA
ABSI/SDNF Mapping File Convertor for further information.
New profile catalogue elements sized by Design Parameters

Some additional design profiles are provided for PDMS as follows:
1. Design parameter controlled Z profile
2. Design parameter controlled solid circular bar profile
3. Design parameter controlled flat bar profile
4. Cone profile where thickness is perpendicular to surface.
5. Design parameter controlled flanged C profile.
These profiles may be optionally added to a catalogue by entering into Paragon and running the following
function in a command window:
!!boccatadespar()
Profile cannot be The profile is not in the Profile Mapping File.

mapped
Profile is not in The profile is in the Profile Mapping File but is not in any
the standard one of the set of standards.
Profile is not the default The profile is in the Profile Mapping File and is in one of
the set of standards, but not the default standard.
Multiply defined entries Either a profile to be mapped or a mapped profile

in Profile Table appears more than once in the Profile Mapping File.
AVEVA ABSI/SDNF Mapping File Convertor

This is a tool to format the profile mapping files shared by the SDNF and ABSI interfaces and the AVEVA
Bocad Steel from CSV files to a format for more streamlined use. It transforms input files, including formulaic
entries into a "block" format where we know how big each field is. This makes the reading of the files much
faster.
In order to speed up the interface the top line of the mapping file gives details of the field widths in the rest of
the file. For example:
COMMENT;CATREF;SPREF;EXTERNAL;STANDARD;SHAPE
#;EU_BF100x7;EU-BF100x7;;EU;21
;EU_CF_CHS101.6x2.0;EU-CF-CHS101.6x2.0;=CHS{1}*{2};EU;7
;EU_CF_CHS101.6x3.0;EU-CF-CHS101.6x3.0;EU-CF-CHS101.6x3.0;EU;7
Goes to
AVEVA BOCAD 5 19 19 19 3 2
EU_CF_CHS101.6x2.0 EU-CF-CHS101.6x2.0 CHS101.6*2.0 EU 7
EU_CF_CHS101.6x3.0 EU-CF-CHS101.6x3.0 EU-CF-CHS101.6x3.0 EU 7
The converter does run stand-alone from the AVEVA E3D 2.1™ install folder, but it is also accessible from the
Control menus on the Export and Import main dialogs for both SDNF and ABSI interfaces.
The format of the file is as follows…
[PDMS Catref name, PDMS Specref name] [External profile name, country code, shape code]
For example:
The shape and country codes are internal to us to help us uniquely identify the profile. At translation time,
using a combination of these fields we can build a dictionary for profile mapping between PDMS/AVEVA E3D
2.1™ and Bocad, for example.
The Convertor
It is accessed from SDNF or ABSI in the Import group on the TOOLS tab.
It can also be accessed if you set up a link to run the program from within the AVEVA E3D installation.
Operation
There are 4 main combinations of settings:
Case 1:
Source folder unchecked/ External folder unchecked
(user specified output file name - allows producing temporary or copy files)
Input source file and target file names. Transform source file -> external file
For example: Bocad-BS.csv -> externalFileName.map
Case 2:
Source folder unchecked/ External folder checked
(output file name derived from input file name)
Input source file and external folder names. Transform source file -> external file in target folder
For example: Bocad-BS.csv -> Bocad-BS.map in external folder
Case 3:
Source folder checked/ External folder unchecked
(merge all CSV files into a stated file)
Input source folder and external file names. Transform and merge all source files -> 1 big target file
For example: (Bocad-ASNZ.csv, Bocad-BS.csv, … Bocad-US.csv) -> externalFileName.map
Case 4:
Source folder checked/ External folder checked
(bulk processing of multiple CSV files)
Input source folder and external folder names. Transform all source files in source folder -> 1 external file per
source file in external folder
For example: Bocad-ASNZ.csv, Bocad-BS.csv, … Bocad-US.csv -> Bocad-ASNZ.map, Bocad-
BS.map, … Bocad-US.map
The latter 2 options enable you to build larger compound mapping files of various sets of standards. By
default, we issue a single file per standard. However, you are able to concatenate various standards into the
working set using the bulk options.
Small details
The CSV file separator can be ',' ';' or tab you have to tell the spreadsheet package what the field separator is
as the source file is opened.
The formulae can use either '{}' or '()'. Formulae also begin with '='. This is often an indicator for internal
formulae. In order to see the formulae without the system making any attempt to evaluate them, you will have
to turn this feature off, by showing the fields only.
The translator saves the previous configuration settings in the first place it can find out of the folders pointed
to by the environment variables "AVEVA_DESIGN_USER", "PDMSUSER", "TEMP".
Workflow for Mapping file conversion

The workflow is essentially converting a .csv file to a .map file, you will spend time in Excel editing the .csv
file. When done, it should go through the mapping tool to produce a .map file.
If there are errors, the converter produces an annotated .map.csv file which enables you to see where the
problems are. Ideally the problems should be rectified in the main source .csv file and the file converted
again.
For both AVEVA E3D 2.1™/PDMS and AVEVA Bocad Steel, the source file for the mapping file production
will be the .csv file. The resultant mapping file is shared by the SDNF and ABSI interfaces as well as the
AVEVA Bocad Steel product.
The conversion process can rely on other tables and files that are relevant to the external package. The
External data folder is the folder that contains the converter related files, for example: the alle_prof.inp,
profitab.inp and the generic.lis files for Bocad. For the converting of mapping files for other applications there
is a recommended file structure to aid the conversion. We will have another folder with the profile lists and
anything else we need. This is described in detail below.
The other targets that the tool lists are more for round-tripping E3D->E3D or PDMS->PDMS. In this case the
2nd and 3rd columns will be the same now, if you have used the CATR, the 1st and 3rd columns would be the
same.
Installed mapping files

We supply mapping files for AVEVA E3D 2.1™ and PDMS to allow round tripping of data, for Bocad and a
sample set for Intergraph Frameworks, the originators of the SDNF file format.
How you use the Frameworks files as a template to build mapping files for other targets will be described
below.
The source CSV files are in a folder <target>_CSV, and the output mapping files are in a folder
<target_Maps>.
The system is configured to pick these up automatically using the BLOCKMAPS environment variable. If you
place them somewhere else on the file system, you will have to tell the interfaces where they are.
The source file text below
Is translated to:
Building Mapping Files for any other target application

There are basic lists that the interfaces and convertor rely on.
Old catalogue shape codes
1 BEAM - I-shape
1 RSJ - I-shape
1 DBEA - I-shape
1 DINI - I-shape
1 JISI - I-shape
2 ANG - L-shape
2 LP - L-shape
3 ZEE - Z-shape
4 BSC - C-shape
4 DBSC - C-shape
4 CHAN - C-shape
4 DINU - C-shape
5 FBAR - Flat bar
5 FB - Flat bar
6 RBAR - Bar
7 TUBE - Tube
8 BOX - RH-shape
9 BSC - TC-shape
10 TEE - T-shape
11 SBAR - Square bar
12 HBAR - Hexagonal bar
13 CONE - Cone
14 TR - Stair tread
15 RECT - Rectangular concrete profile
21 BULB - Bulb
New Catalogue shape code
1 PFI - parallel flange I
1 PLTG - plate girder
1 TFI - tapered flange I
2 ANGL - angle - no differentiation
3 ZED - Z profile
4 TFC - tapered flange C
4 CEE - C shape
4 PFC - parallel flange C
5 FBAR - flat bar
6 RBAR - reinforcing bar (solid)
7 CTUB - circular tube
8 RTUB - rectangular tube
8 BOXG - box grinder
q PFT - parallel flange T
10 TF - tapered flange T
10 TFWT - tapered web and flange T
12 HBAR - hexagonal bar
21 BFLA - bulb flat
And the design parameter shapes are:
1 DPFI - Design Parameter Parallel Flange I
1 DPLG - Design Parameter Plate Girder
1 DTWI - Design Parameter Tapered Web I
2 DANG - Design Parameter Equal or Unequal Angle
3 DZED - Design Parameter Z Profile
4 DCEE - Design Parameter Flanged C Profile
4 DPFC - Design Parameter Parallel Flange Channel
5 DFBA - Design Parameter Flat Bar
6 DRBA - Design Parameter Round Bar
7 DCTU - Design Parameter Circular Tube
8 DRTU - Design Parameter Rectangular or Square Tube
8 DBXG - Design Parameter Box Girder
10 DPFT - Design Parameter Parallel Flange Tee
12 DHBA - Design Parameter Hex Bar
13 DCON - Design Parameter Cone
Catalogue Country Codes
AS Australia
ASNZ Australia and New Zealand (shared standards)
BR Brazil (these profiles are not currently in the catalogue)
BS British
CA Canada
CE Chile
DIN DIN
EU Europe
IS India
JA Japan
NZ New Zealand
RU Russia
SA South Africa
SW Sweden
US America
SB Solid bar profiles, common to many countries
DPP Design parameter profiles - generic
FP Fabricated profiles
CONC Concrete
MISC Miscellaneous
It must be noted that these lists are not fixed, if you wish to create a new country catalogue, then create a new
country abbreviation and then use it consistently. So too with the profile shapes, the lists indicated are related
to the supplied catalogues and gtypes.
If you create their own catalogues and GTYPEs, just set up a new meaning, the interface documentation also
describes the requirements of catalogues, plines and orientation mapping files that must be satisfied for a
successful translation.
Source CSV file

The source CSV file is of the form:
COMMENT;CATREF;SPREF;EXTERNAL;STANDARD;SHAPE
#;EU_BF100x7;EU-BF100x7;;EU;21
;EU_CF_CHS101.6x3.0;EU-CF-CHS101.6x3.0;EU-CF-CHS101.6x3.0;EU;7
In the example above, the ';' character is used as a field separator. The converter also allows ',' and the tab
character. To manage the file in a spreadsheet program, you will have to tell it which character to use.
There are 6 columns:
COMMENT If the field in this column begins with a '#' the whole
record is ignored. After conversion, a .map.csv file is
produced which is re-convertible, but which may contain
error messages in this column.
CATREF This contains the PDMS/AVEVA E3D 2.1™ Catalogue

component name.
SPREF This contains the PDMS/AVEVA E3D 2.1™ Specification

component name.
EXTERNAL This contains the name, or formula, of the profile in the

target external system.
STANDARD This is the abbreviation chosen to indicate to which

standard the profile is related
SHAPE This defined the profile shape.
The top line of the file must contain these headings, or precisely 6 fields which are taken to be column names.
By using a = in front of the external profile name, the name will be interpreted as a formula that defines value
substitution. This means that the formula will be interpreted by replacing the {n} by the n'th group of number of
the name contained in second column. Up to 9 substitutions are allowed. The characters that are considered
as a number are: 0123456789 and '-' and '/'. The characters '-' and '/' should be enclosed by at least one digit
on each side to be consider as part of a number group.
For example:
EPPKORE/508~D12.7 =TUBE{1}*{2}
EPPKORE/L45x45x4x4 =L{1}*{3}
EPPKORE/L50x30x3x3 =L{1}*{2}*{3}
EPPKORE/H496x199x9x14 =JPH{1}*{2}*{3}*{4}
EPPAISC/HSS4-1/2x4-1/2x1/8 =USHSS{1}*{2}*{3}
EPPAISC/14.000~D.625 =TUBE{1}"*{2}"
The new csv file will have the formulas interpreted, in the example:
EPPKORE/508~D12.7 TUBE508*12.7
EPPKORE/L45x45x4x4 L45*4
EPPKORE/L50x30x3x3 L50*30*3
EPPKORE/H496x199x9x14 JPH496*199*9*14
EPPAISC/HSS4-1/2x4-1/2x1/8 JSHSS4-1/2*4-1/2*1/8
EPPAISC/14.000~D.625 TUBE14.000"*.625"
Supporting external profile data files

For generating mapping files for applications other than AVEVA Bocad, AVEVA E3D 2.1™ or PDMS, there is
a folder and file structure you will need to follow. The files for Frameworks will provide a template. However,
the TEST mapping file is the only one that has been completed.
There are three separate folders: the source csv files, the resultant mapping files and the supporting data
files.
The important file to note is the shapes.txt file, this is a file that links the shape to the file tables in the
standard folders below. Below is a sample of the shapes.txt file.
This indicates, for example, that files C.txt (line 7) are related to the shape code 4, which you will see above
refers to C shapes. The profile tables related to the external package may then be sorted into folders named
according to the standard to which they apply.
This will assist in housekeeping, as this is just a sample data set, the C.txt contains just 1 entry, UNP220. The
interface now has enough information to perform the conversion.
Editing the .csv file

The entries are not necessarily in the same order as input, this is because they are sorted on output as well
for ease of searching.
Material Mapping Files

Elements cannot be transferred through the AVEVA Bocad Steel Interface if they do not have a valid material
associated with them.
The existing base product material description may not be recognised; consequently, there must be a means
by which we can translate the material description between systems. This is performed by means of a
Material mapping file which relates the base product text description of a material to that output to, or found in,
an ABS file.
Note: You can modify and extend the mapping file.
When the application is started, the Properties database is searched for SOLI elements which may define
materials used to fabricate elements in the base product. An internal list is then built for rapid reference.
Materials are usually associated with the base product elements using the Material Reference attribute,
MATR, which points to a SOLI element in the Properties database. However, you may want to use the
local :FABMGRADE attribute to specify the material. Either of these should be set for the application to be
able to export elements successfully.
If the above system is still not specific enough, there is a mechanism by which you can define from where the
material information is to be derived. Refer to Error and Log File Messages for further information.
When an element is exported, its material is determined by inspecting the :FABMGRADE attribute first, then
the Description attribute of the SOLI element to which the MATR refers. If that fails, the user configurable
mechanism is invoked. The text is then transferred locally to the :FABMGRADE attribute on the GENSEC,
SCTN or PANE element. The text is then looked up in the Material mapping file to check that there is a
translation into the file replacement text. The local material text is still exported.
When an element is to be imported, the file material description is looked up in the material mapping file and
translated into the base product equivalent text string. This is then initially copied into the :FABMGRADE
attribute of the element before any attempt is made to rationalise the MATR. If a SOLI element with this
material text is found, the application will set the MATR to point to the correct SOLI element.
As with the profile mapping file, the first line is an identifier which indicates the external package or system
with which the file is associated.
Multiply defined entries in Either a material to be mapped or a mapped profile

Material Table appears more than once in the Material Mapping File.
No match for material The material is not in the Material Mapping File.
Syntax Error Other, less specific, errors.
Unrecognised Parse This should not occur. If it does then it indicates a

State system error. Although the error is non-fatal it should be
reported. A number representing the parse state will also
be output.
User-Definable Material Macro

You may modify the sample macro, bocgetusermatl.pmlfnc, as named by the !!bocMaterialMac global
variable and given in the bocad\dflts\user\bocpml\functions folder in the user data folder, if you have
specific requirements as to where the material information resides. The bocgetusermatl.pmlfnc function can
then be modified. Once modified, you should execute a PML REHASH ALL command.
The example macro is as follows:
define function !!bocGetUserMatl( ) is STRING
-- Initialisation
!material = STRING( )
!material = |unset|
!start = ( ref )
-- Set default material
!defaultMaterial = |St 37-2|
-- Some User specific PML to get the required info
!type = ( type )
if( !type eq |GENSEC| )then
-- Material stored on Catalogue component
goto catr
handle any
-- Bad or null reference
!material = !defaultMaterial
golabel /Finished
endhandle
!material = ( :Material )
handle any
golabel /Finished
endhandle
if( !material eq |unset| or $
!material.unset( ) or $
!material.length( ) eq 0 )then
-- Use default material
endif
elseif( !type eq |PANE| )then
-- Try to return :FABMGRADE or default material
!material = ( :FABMGRADE )
if( !material eq |unset| or $
!material.unset( ) or $
!material.length( ) eq 0 )then
-- Use default material
endif
endif
-- Return string and exit
label /Finished
$!start
return !material
endfunction
The above example assumes that the material information for GENSECs resides on the catalogue component
in the UDA :MATERIAL. If, for any reason, a material cannot be identified, a default value of 'St 37-2' is
assigned.
The application assumes, by default, that this file exists under the above name in a folder below the %
PMLLIB% search path, and that the starting point for database navigation is the current element under
consideration, that is a Section, a GENSEC or Panel. For details of how you can configure the system to use
a material macro with a name of your choice, refer to User-definable Material Macro for further information.
Note: In writing your own macro, you must handle all errors encountered so that the macro will always safely
return a valid PML string, whatever it may be.
Also, that materials for Panels must also be determined using this macro.
Regarding the naming of this macro, refer to User-definable Material Macro for further information.
User macro nnnn Cannot find user macro.

not found
Error in user PML programming error in user macro.

macro nnnn
Sample Material Mapping File

Below is a sample comma separated mapping (CSV) file to map between the base product materials found in
the Properties database and the file targeted at AVEVA Bocad Steel.
AVEVA,BOCAD
"unset","unset"
"TREAD-ALU","TREAD-Aluminum"
"ALUMINIUM","Aluminum"
"GR 420 I","GR 420 I"
"Pyrocrete","Fire concrete"
"Tread Grade","Tread Grade"
"LDPHP-GRADE","LDPHP-GRADE"
"Aluminium, cast","Aluminium, cast"
"Aluminium, wrought","Wrought Aluminium"
"Aluminium, Duralumin","Duralumin"
"Brass, red 80% Cu","Red Brass "
"Brass, yellow 65% Cu","Yellow Brass "
"Brass, cast","Cast Brass"
"Steel, carbon","Carbon Steel"
"Steel, chrome","Chrome Steel"
"Steel, Ni-chrome","Ni Steel"
Profile Orientation Mapping Files

Using the Profile Orientation Mapping File you can define how the interface translates a profile from the base
product format into the Neutral File format on Export, or from it on Import. Refer to the User Guide for details
of how the Neutral File understands default orientations of certain profiles.
If you define their own catalogue profiles, or modify the supplied ones, and need to transform them into or
from the neutral format, this mapping file should be used. In all cases an Orientation mapping file should be
available, even if it is empty apart from the first line.
Below is an example file:
AVEVA BOCAD
BRI 2 0 180
BRI 4 1 180
DIN 2 0 180
DIN 4 1 180
EUR 2 0 180
EUR 4 1 180
The first line is the file identification line, described as for the Material or Profile mapping files. The structure of
the rest of the mapping file is of a comma or space separated file with four fields per line.
The first two fields provide the identification of the profile for treatment. The first of the identification fields
states the steel standard from which the profile is to be taken. The second is the actual profile type (shape)
code according to the codes given. Thus, in the example above, you can see that the channels (type 2) and
angles (type 4) from the Euronorm, DIN and British Standard catalogues have been identified for special
treatment.
The third and fourth fields describe what you want to do with the profile shape. The third is the mirroring flag,
which should be set to 1 if the profile is to be reflected about the Y-axis. This will commonly be the case for
angle profiles. no mirroring is indicated by a value of 0 in this field.
The last field defines how much additional angular rotation you want to apply to the shape. For example,
some catalogues may define the long leg of an unequal angle to be on the horizontal, whereas AVEVA Bocad
Steel Interface expects it to be vertical. The rotation angle must be between -180 and +180 degrees.
Note: Mirroring will change the start and end positions of the linear member. It is therefore advisable that if
you can achieve the same result purely by rotation, then the latter is the preferred option. In this way
you will avoid confusion in AVEVA Bocad Steel.
If, during the Import or Export process, an entry for a specific profile is not found, no action is taken, and no
error message is output as it is assumed that you do not want it to receive special treatment.
The following figure illustrates the effect of each operation on different catalogue representations of an angle
profile. We re-emphasise the difference in the handedness of the coordinate systems.
Mirrored Profiles
In the base product it is possible to set a mirror flag which implies that the profile is to be mirrored about the
local Y axis, while keeping all other geometric attributes unchanged. Also you might wish to define a new
arrangement of profile in the catalogue that would need mirroring before being written in the ABS file using the
Orientation Mapping File. Under normal circumstances the ABS file would simply transfer a mirror flag,
indicating what is required and how to interpret the geometric data.
Unfortunately, AVEVA Bocad Steel cannot handle mirroring, in any form. Therefore the ABSI interface has to
handle all this internally before export, and after import. However, it is impossible to completely undo the
transformations that have been performed on an element for export when the interface is re-importing the
same element. For example: the ends might have been swapped round, or the end connectivity might be
changed. In these situations the Compare/Merge might highlight a changed element even though it appears
to occupy exactly the same location.
Unicode Text String Description Files

Users who take advantage of the Unicode features of the base product may have issues when exporting and
importing a model. The primary danger is where there are catalogue profile or material names in the base
product that contain Unicode characters. Therefore, a dictionary file may be written to convert any base
product strings that contain Unicode characters into equivalent strings that do not. It is these latter strings that
will appear in the file. This might actually be a description of the profile, rather than the known profile name.
This could be to inform or alert you of the external application of what the profile is meant to be.
Because there are strings other than the profile names that appear in the file, this Unicode description file
should be regarded as a kind of dictionary, a look-up for any string, rather than just a profile name description
table. Therefore, its format and use is different from that of the other mapping files. It is used immediately prior
to writing out the text strings and it is only to contain the strings that require stripping of Unicode characters. It
is also used on file import.
This Unicode description file may be customised for each target system, in the same way as the other
mapping tables. This will contain:
• An indication of the encoding to be used for the file
• Unicode UTF-8 with a Byte Order Mark (BOM):
ENCODING:UTF8BOM
• Unicode UTF-8 without BOM:
ENCODING:UTF8noBOM
• Force to Default encoding:
ENCODING:DEFAULT
• Force to ASCII:
ENCODING:ASCII
• A set of string substitutions to be used whenever a quoted-string is written to the file.
• As potentially any character can be used in the string, first non-space character of the line is used as
a delimiter for that line
• Only complete strings would be substituted
• Comment lines are indicated by '#'
• not every string needs to be in the dictionary - others would be passed through without error (but
would trigger a warning if characters were lost in the encoding)
So a dictionary for export might look like:
You are not forced to prepare one of these files: the system will cope if one does not exist. It would just mean
that the strings would not be translated and you would have to take his chance with the target package.
Further, the file can be empty, but if there are any strings requiring description, there must be the ENCODING:
statement as the first non comment line in the file.

It should be noted that text fields are of a fixed maximum width. If the resultant text is too long, it will be
truncated, and you are warned. Ideally, the translation should succeed with no truncation warnings, and all
profiles mapped either by the main mapping file or through using the Unicode description file. If, however, you
decide to output in UTF-8 characters, and thereby diverge from the literal interpretation of the format,
truncation will not take place.
On import the system will attempt to recognise names in the dictionary, and to translate them back into the
original names. This is in addition to the usual profile and material mapping files.
1974 to current year. AVEVA Solutions Limited and its subsidiaries. All rights reserved.

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External Mapping Files Page 1 of 23

Bocad Steel Interface

Bocad Steel Interface : Export/Import : External Mapping Files

External Mapping Files

Blank lines are also permitted.

Error and Log File Messages

Data Fields in Profile Mapping Files

CSV Format for Profile Mapping Files

Profile Mapping Files

Record Structure for Profile Mapping File

Steel Standard Field

Profile Shape Code Field

External Origin Shape Code Description

W21X44 W21X44 AME 1 I shape

WT10.5X22 W21X44 AME 10 Tee ex W21X44

Type Code Shape

Extending the Profile Mapping File

Sample Profile Mapping File

• The AVEVA Specification element name

Section Profiles sized by Design Parameters

PDMS profile BOCAD profile name Standard Key Shape Code

CATREF SPREF PRS@2@4@1@3 EUR 1

New profile catalogue elements sized by Design Parameters

Error and Log File Messages

Profile cannot be The profile is not in the Profile Mapping File.

Multiply defined entries Either a profile to be mapped or a mapped profile

AVEVA ABSI/SDNF Mapping File Convertor

Workflow for Mapping file conversion

Installed mapping files

The source file text below

Building Mapping Files for any other target application

5 FBAR - Flat bar

11 SBAR - Square bar

12 HBAR - Hexagonal bar

15 RECT - Rectangular concrete profile

New Catalogue shape code

1 PFI - parallel flange I

1 PLTG - plate girder

1 TFI - tapered flange I

2 ANGL - angle - no differentiation

4 TFC - tapered flange C

4 PFC - parallel flange C

5 FBAR - flat bar

6 RBAR - reinforcing bar (solid)

7 CTUB - circular tube

8 RTUB - rectangular tube

8 BOXG - box grinder

q PFT - parallel flange T

10 TFWT - tapered web and flange T

12 HBAR - hexagonal bar

21 BFLA - bulb flat

And the design parameter shapes are:

1 DPFI - Design Parameter Parallel Flange I

1 DPLG - Design Parameter Plate Girder

1 DTWI - Design Parameter Tapered Web I

2 DANG - Design Parameter Equal or Unequal Angle

3 DZED - Design Parameter Z Profile

4 DCEE - Design Parameter Flanged C Profile

4 DPFC - Design Parameter Parallel Flange Channel

5 DFBA - Design Parameter Flat Bar

6 DRBA - Design Parameter Round Bar

7 DCTU - Design Parameter Circular Tube

8 DRTU - Design Parameter Rectangular or Square Tube

8 DBXG - Design Parameter Box Girder