OpenVSP

OpenVSP can read and write files representing many kinds of information. Some of those representations can be stored in multiple file formats. Some kinds of I/O can only be done through the GUI, but many of the files may be written from the command line.

Although this flexibility makes OpenVSP very powerful, it can be rather confusing for new users. These pages should serve to guide the new user through the kinds of information VSP can read and write.

Information representation (format(s))

• Input
  • Parametric geometry (vsp)
  • Background image (jpg)
  • Surface textures (tga, jpg)
  • Automation script (txt)
  • Airfoil definition (af)
  • Fuselage section definition (fxs)
  • Cabin definition (cab)
  • Wireframe as mesh (hrm)
  • Wireframe as surfaces (hrm)
  • Triangulated mesh (stl, NASCART)
  • Vorlax case file (cas)
• Output
  • Parametric geometry (vsp)
  • Degenerate geometry (csv, m). Degenerate geometries are reduced forms of the fundamental geometry, which capture the essence of the original geometry in some way. For example, the airfoils can be reduced to planes, and then further reduced to sticks.
  • Screen capture (jpg)
  • Automation script (txt)
  • Wetted area/volume report (txt, csv)
  • Drag buildup report (tsv)
  • Area ruling report (txt)
  • Mass properties report (txt)
  • Wireframe (hrm)
  • X3D 3D Web model (x3d)
  • Felisa (fel)
  • Drawing (dxf, svg)
  • Untrimmed surfaces (3dm, STEP, IGES). An untrimmed surface is the surface defined by the parameters in the VSP model.
  • Trimmed surfaces (srf, STEP, IGES). A trimmed surface is an untrimmed surface which has been intersected with all the other surfaces in the model, resulting in final surfaces that could be assembled into a watertight solid.
  • Unintersected triangulated components (tri, facet, possibly others)
  • Intersected triangulated components (stl, NASCART, tri, msh, pov, facet)
  • Isotropic triangulated surface mesh (stl, poly, tri, obj, msh, NASCART)
  • Structural mesh (stl, NASTRAN, Calculix)
  • Tagged, multi body structural mesh (stl). The tags communicate to downstream processing tools that these shapes are. You could use this, for instance, to send data about certain critical regions of an airfoil to an external CFD mesher, so that it could put extra mesh points in that area of the airfoil.
  • Vorlax case file (cas)
  • Vorlax geometry & input (inp)