I Description of the Public Interface 142

10 Description of the Public Interface

10.1 Interfaces between calculation programs and

CAD - Overview
The closest contact point of calculation programs within a CIM concept is the one with the drawing
program (CAD). KISSsoft's public data interface can be freely formatted, enabling very powerful
communication with third party programs.

All input and output data can be exported in ASCII format. The scope and format of this data is freely
definable. For this, each calculation module contains a special, editable report file. The
MMMMUSER.RPT files are used as a template for this data transfer. The default setting is that these
files are empty. If you want to output data over the interface, you first have to expand the templates.
External programs can, in addition, transfer input data (also in ASCII format) to calculation modules.
This data is read automatically during start-up, and then displayed on the screen.

*The character string MMMM in a file name is a placeholder for the module to which the file refers.
Example: M040USER.RPT

10.1.1 Efficient interfaces

Automated data transfer between the calculation and CAD should only be set up if the benefits are
considerably greater than the effort required. For example, an interface between a bolt calculation
program and CAD is only of secondary importance since the information to be transferred (for
example that, due to the calculation, an M10 bolt has to be selected) is too limited and could be
transferred much faster "by hand". If, however, a standard parts library with bolts is available, the
bidirectional link between the three components (calculation program, standard parts library and
CAD) can prove very efficient.

The following efficient interfaces are available (but this list can be extended):

▪ General
▪ It should be possible to start the calculation programs from the CAD environment (for
example by pressing a function key). This enables you to perform a short calculation while
you are drawing, transfer the results and then continue drawing.
▪ Shafts and bearing calculation
▪ Output of a contour from the CAD system (i.e. a shaft from detailed or drawing with
combined elements) and reading it into the calculation program. (Problem: in many CAD
programs, it is unfortunately rather difficult to define the contour to be exported.)