Export E2K | Notion

Exports the design model to an ETABS E2K file that can be imported directly into ETABS. Writes the E2K file to your temporary folder.

Inputs

Number	Name	Object Type	Description	Optional
1	Generic Design Mode	GenericDesignModel	The model that was analyzed.	No
2	Model Name	System.String	What to name the E2K file.	No
3	Levels	List<System.Double>	A list of all levels that you want to appear in Etabs. The only requirement is that you have at least two levels and that those two levels encompass all points in the model.	No
4	Meshed Frames	System.Boolean	Whether to export frame elements meshed. Setting to true exports the analytical frames instead of the design frames. Defaults to true.	Yes
5	Meshed Areas	System.Boolean	Whether to export area elements meshed. Setting to true exports the individual analytical shell elements instead of the overall design area polygon. Defaults to true.	Yes
6	Grid System	List<GridSystem>	A list of grid system objects that will be exported. Allows you to export gridlines from Fenix.	Yes

Outputs

Number	Name	Object Type	Description
1	Path	System.String	The path of the output E2K file.

Export E2K.PNG

Export Limitations

This component will attempt to export the Fenix generic design model to an ETABS E2K file. This file can then be imported directly into ETABS. In general, most options and settings will carry over to ETABS. However, known limitations are as follows:

Solid elements are not exported, as ETABS does not contain solids
Global link elements are not exported, as ETABS does not contain an analogous element
Local link elements will be exported, but tension/compression only behavior on links is not supported by ETABS
Post-tensioning in frame elements is not exported as ETABS does not support this functionality
Varying area loads are not exported as ETABS does not support this functionality

Performance Limitations

ETABS is known to suffer from serious performance issues when your model contains many elements. For this reason, it is recommended that, for large models, you do not export the frames and areas as meshed. Depending on the mesh settings, you can easily generate tens, if not hundreds of thousands of elements. Importing this many “physical” elements into ETABS will render it nearly unusable.

Instead, it is recommended to export the un-meshed geometry and let ETABS auto-mesh frames and areas (for large models). This may not be ideal, as ETABS can struggle to generate a quality mesh for complex areas, so the user must weigh the pros/cons themselves.