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Assumptions and limitations for importing a model
The following section describes the Thermal Model Exchanger assumptions and limitations when you import a Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal model into Thermal Desktop.
Importing meshes
You can use Thermal Model Exchanger to import 0D, 1D, 2D and 3D meshes from Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal to Thermal Desktop.

User documentation
- Introduction
  Thermal Model Exchanger is a Windows application that allows you to transfer thermal models between Ansys Thermal Desktop^TM and Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal. The application supports the transfer of meshes, material and optical properties, and boundary conditions of your model.
- Thermal Model Exchanger user interface
  The Thermal Model Exchanger user interface consists of a top border bar and an information window.
- How to use Thermal Model Exchanger
  The following section describes how to use Thermal Model Exchanger to transfer thermal models between Thermal Desktop and Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal.
- Simcenter 3D entities supported by Thermal Model Exchanger
  This page summarizes the Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal entities supported by the Thermal Model Exchanger during the import.
- Thermal Desktop entities supported by Thermal Model Exchanger
  This page summarizes the Thermal Desktop entities supported by the Thermal Model Exchanger during the export.
- Assumptions and limitations for importing a model
  The following section describes the Thermal Model Exchanger assumptions and limitations when you import a Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal model into Thermal Desktop.
  - Importing meshes
    You can use Thermal Model Exchanger to import 0D, 1D, 2D and 3D meshes from Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal to Thermal Desktop.
  - Importing thermo-physical properties
    Thermal Model Exchanger supports importing thermal and physical properties from Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal into Thermal Desktop.
  - Importing thermal loads
    Thermal Model Exchanger supports importing the Heat Load and Heat Flux types of Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal Thermal Loads. It converts these entities into the Total Load and Flux types of Thermal Desktop Heat Load, respectively.
  - Importing temperature constraints
    You can use Thermal Model Exchanger to import Temperature constraints from Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal to Thermal Desktop.
  - Importing thermal couplings
    You can use Thermal Model Exchanger to import Thermal Coupling simulation objects from Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal into Thermal Desktop as Contactors.
  - Importing radiation
    You can use Thermal Model Exchanger to import Radiation simulation objects from Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal to Thermal Desktop.
  - Importing orbits and space environments
    You can use Thermal Model Exchanger to import Orbit modeling objects and Orbital Heating simulation objects from Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal into Thermal Desktop as External Heating Environment boundary conditions.
  - Importing a solution
    Thermal Model Exchanger supports importing solutions from Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal into Thermal Desktop.
- Assumptions and limitations for exporting a model
  The following section describes the Thermal Model Exchanger assumptions and limitations when you export a Thermal Desktop model to a Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal XML file.
- Legal notice

Importing meshes

You can use Thermal Model Exchanger to import 0D, 1D, 2D and 3D meshes from Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal to Thermal Desktop.

A 0D element is imported into Thermal Desktop as:

A node with capacitance if the 0D mesh is not part of an enclosure radiation boundary condition.
A solid sphere primitive with one node if the 0D mesh is a part of an enclosure radiation boundary condition or an orbital heating simulation object of the Illuminate All Elements type.

For 1D meshes, Thermal Model Exchanger (TMX) exports only 1D beam meshes from Simcenter 3D and imports them as solid cylinder primitives in Thermal Desktop. To get conduction along the imported mesh, TMX subdivides the cylinder into two segments and merges the nodes at the boundaries of these segments.

Thermal Model Exchanger supports all types of 2D and 3D elements supported by Space Systems Thermal.

For each 2D mesh in the Simcenter 3D model, TMX creates an FE Mesh Importer entity in Thermal Desktop.

Note:

When importing 2D meshes from Simcenter 3D into Thermal Desktop, you may get errors associated with accessing or opening nodes. This error is related to Thermal Desktop’s file access process and does not impact the model export or the integrity of the imported mesh.

For 3D meshes, to properly import the optical properties and boundary conditions defined on the faces, you must surface coat 3D elements with 2D shell elements with defined thermo-optical properties on the top face in Simcenter 3D.