Can I import realtime data from Labview into a stress analysis in autoCAD or solidworks?

[cdorn7]

Can I import real time data that I am measuring on a real system using Labview into a stress simulation on a SolidWorks model of the system? (Basically I have force data in labview from a strain gauge on a simple cantilever beam and I want to apply that changing force to my beam model in Solidworks) The force is a simple concentrated load as well acting at a known position.

I feel like this should be fairly simple to do, but I am new to both SolidWorks and Labview.

Any advice/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[Bob_Schor]

The "almost trivial" way to do this is to use LabVIEW to generate the data, write the data to a file in a format that SolidWorks likes to read (I don't know SolidWorks, but presumably it can accept numeric data from a file), and then run SolidWorks and feed it your file.

If this works, you can think about ways of "improving" it.  For example, you might be able to specify a "default input file" for SolidWorks and get LabVIEW to write such a special file (saving a step when opening SolidWorks as you don't have to "find" the input file).  You might also be able to start SolidWorks from a DOS prompt and pass it the file as an argument -- if so, you could use the System Exec function in LabVIEW to handle the call for you.

Are there other ways to get data into SolidWorks other than through a file?

Bob Schor

[Dave_Brandt]

Solidworks is an ActiveX Server so,I think you can use ActiveX and embed solid works directly into your labview app. Use ActiveX properties to pass the Labview stress value to the Solidworks variable. 

[Electromecha]

Solidworks has an API for its Simulation tool:

http://help.solidworks.com/2014/English/api/swsimulationapi/Welcome-swsimulationapi.html?id=5ee721e5...

Have fun.