Creo Simulate > Creo Simulate > Running Solvers > FEM Solvers > Determining a Run Method > Outputting Data to an Offline FEA Program
  
Outputting Data to an Offline FEA Program
If you are going to perform finite element analysis on your model using an offline FEA program, you must create an output file, or deck, for the model's mesh data. This deck includes the following:
the model's mesh elements and nodes output in a format compatible with the particular FEA program to be used
all material data assigned to the model
all properties assigned to the model
all analyses applied to the model
Creo Simulate creates output decks in a variety of FEA formats.
When outputting a hierarchical mesh of an assembly, Creo Simulate creates a single output file. Depending on whether your goal is to create an output file for MSC/NASTRAN or any other solver, the data is arranged in different ways:
For the NASTRAN solver, Creo Simulate outputs component meshes into sections of a single file. Each section groups together all items that belong to a particular component, such as coordinate systems, materials, properties, nodes, elements, and so on.
For other solvers, Creo Simulate lists separately all assembly nodes, all coordinate systems, all materials, and so forth. The solver then restores the hierarchy according to information each list provides.