Nastran Error T2016

[bryan_mcnatt]

I have a model that runs successfully under the SimMech solver.  When I try to run that same model (actually, an identical but different copy of the SimMech scenario in the same fem file) with the Nastran solver, I get a T2016 error about an undefined material.

How can I fix this?  What could be causing this?

[bryan_mcnatt · Accepted solution]

Fixed it.  Here's how.

I had some skips in the order of part numbers due to some evolutionary creating and deleting of beam elements as bolts (you can't delete CAD parts but you can delete parts created in the FEM).

The SimMech solver didn't mind or stumble over the skips.  Nastran, however, didn't like them.  So, I created dummy truss elements, forced their part numbers to be the missing part numbers in the tree sequence, gave them properties and materials and then suppressed them.

Nastran ran without a hitch and delivered results same as SimMech -- as expected.

So, be wary of skips (missing parts) in the part number order in the tree - at least with Nastran solver.