CONVERTING .

PCF Files to CAESAR II Input Files

1. Go to interfaces and select on Import PCF

Step 1

Step 2

2. Click on add PCF Files To Conversion List

3. Select the PCF files which you want to convert to CII files and click open.

Click Open after

selecting the PCF's

4. Click on Convert selected PCF files into CAESAR II format.

The following dialogue box opens and after the conversion is complete a notification displaying Conversion
Complete is displayed. Click OK.
Note: At the most 20 PCF files can be converted to CII format at one go.

You can see the converted PCF files to their CII format in the same folder where the PCFs were placed.
After completing the conversion, the .c2 file obtained may not be in ready to use format. Changes have to be made
pertaining to orientation, renumbering the nodes, changing the sequence of the elements, etc. Also merging of the
files is required so as to complete the stress model.

Changing the orientation of the CII file

1. Open any of the file which you have converted.

Select the
converted
CAESAR II file you
want to open

If you have a look in the below images, orientation of the obtained CII file after conversion wont match with the
respective isometric. It happens most of the time. We need to rotate CII model so as to match its orientation
with that of respective isometric. Also there are many tapings for instruments and other lines which are often not
required from stress perspective. Delete those tapings.

Example: Converted PCF to CII

 Isometric of the same Line

2. For rotating the CII model, so as to match the orientation of respective Isometric select entire elements of the
model. There are two methods for doing so.

First method
Click on the select group icon. Then holding the control key make a rectangle with left clicking the mouse
and placing the cursor in such a way that rectangle fits the entire elements as shown in the next image

Click for selecting

elements
The selected elements will appear yellow as shown below, unless default CAESAR II colors are not altered by
the user. In case any element is not selected, repeat the procedure by holding the control key until all
elements are selected.
 Second method
Click on the list input icon available at the bottom left of the screen as shown. Make sure you click the
arrow icon; else lots of unrequired input tabs will be opened.

List Input Icon

Select elements and elements tab will be opened as shown in image.

 Select all the elements. As you select the elements the model will turn yellow as in earlier method
demonstrating elements are selected.

3. Click on the rotate icon available on your screen or you can right click mouse and select block operation and
then select rotate (As shown in the images below).

Rotate Icon
 Rotate
Command

As you give rotate command from either of the methods following dialog box opens, for inputting the
rotation values.

Click OK after entering

rotation parameters

4. In the above example, model needs to be rotated about Y-axis through +90 degrees so as to match the
orientation of the respective isometric. Click Ok once you have entered the values. The model will be rotated
as shown in the image below.
5. Do this for all the PCFs that you have converted and match the orientation with their respective isometrics.

Changing the sequence of the elements

1. Often there may be a need to change the sequence of the elements, so that elements of the CII model are in
proper sequence and ease in inputting can be achieved. This is done by selecting the element or elements of
the model whose sequence is to be changed (selection can be done directly by either of the methods as
explained earlier) and then clicking on the change sequence icon (or you can right click mouse and select
block operation and then give change sequence command as shown earlier).

Change
Sequence Icon
 2. The following dialog box opens. Select follow or precede for specifying the sequence of the selected elements
or element. Then select the element which the selected element or elements should follow or precede. The
sequence of the elements will be changed accordingly.

Renumbering the nodes

For example: As shown in the image below the model has nodes 10 270. For merging another CII file at the same
place, the element next to it in the CII file that is to be merged must have 270 node of the same point.
1. Renumbering the nodes is done by selecting the elements (selection can be done directly by either of the
methods as explained earlier) and then clicking on the renumber icon (or you can right click mouse and select
block operation and then select Nodes as shown earlier).

Renumber Icon

2. The following dialog box opens. Select renumber and enter the start node and node increment. The start
node is the node which you want to begin with renumbering, and with node increment the latter elements
are renumbered with that increment. Generally the node increment is kept 10. If u dont input node
increment CAESAR by default takes the value 10 and renumbers the node.

In the above example we want to begin our node with 270, thus input are as shown in image.

Click OK after entering

renumbering parameters
Merging CII files

1. Open the main file, wherein you want to merge the other files. Then click on the include piping input files icon
as shown in image below.

2. The following dialog box appears, browse and the select the piping file you want to include. Select the file and
change Read now from N to Y. The CAESAR II file has been included as shown in the next image.

Change N to Y
Points to remember:

1. Pipe properties like material, schedule, corrosion allowance, etc. are to be entered manually.
2. Pipe temperature, pressure, insulation and insulation density, fluid density has to be entered manually.
3. Check for proper piping code.
4. Trunnions have to be modelled separately.
5. Restraints have no value for co-efficient of friction, it needs to be entered manually.
6. No anchor at equipment nozzle, it is to be done manually.
7. Connection to nozzles show zero displacements, which need to be removed or modified.
8. At valves, the rigid is to be split in three, i.e. flange-valve-flange and it has to be done manually.
9. Weight of rigid elements has to be checked.