News & Events
ATA Engineering Announces the Release of IMAT v4.0.0
Enhancements include new test-analysis model cookbook in IMAT+Modal, animated shape cycling for transient data, and more
SAN DIEGO, Calif., April 27, 2011 — ATA Engineering, Inc., (ATA) is pleased to announce the release of version 4.0.0 of the IMAT™ (Interface between MATLAB®, Analysis, and Test) family of software products. IMAT is a MATLAB interface designed for test and analysis engineers who work with large engineering data sets.
New Capabilities and Features
New test-analysis model (TAM) cookbook in IMAT+Modal
- Guides users through the TAM creation process.
- “load_tam” now supports a superelement-based TAM matrix approach that does not require a DMAP license, and can be developed through FEMAP.
Function and shape plotting enhancements
- Cycle through shapes in an animation to display transient data.
- Format function plot styles interactively through a graphical interface.
Exciting New Beta Features
IMAT 4.0.0 is introducing some significant new features that are available as beta in this release.
Support for Mac®
ATA has developed IMAT for Mac OSX 10.5 or higher for 64-bit MATLAB. Please contact ATA for more information on how to obtain this release.
- Download and install IMAT on your Mac.
- IMAT for Mac uses the same licensing as for PC.
- Commute licenses to work off the network.
New Model Visualization Engine
ATA has incorporated into IMAT the Visualization Toolkit (VTK), an open-source 3-D graphics software system developed by Kitware, Inc. VTK is a powerful graphics engine that provides the ability to view and animate very large finite element models (FEMs) and results in MATLAB.
- Displays large models (millions of DOF) with fast dynamic viewing capabilities
- Supports transparency, group display, and clipping planes
- Displays and animates deformed and contour results
Other Enhancements
Reading Nastran Data (readnas) in IMAT+FEA now supports:
- The Output4 (OP4) file format
- NX Response Simulation results files (*.rs2)
- Importing a subset of SORT1 records from the OP2 file, through the command line interface
- Toggling superelement results combinations
More plotting control for “plot”:
- Now returns an IMAT_FNPLOT object, which gives the user control of the plot from the command line
- New GUIs available from the context menus for interactively modifying the plot display (e.g., line styles and colors)
- Links multiple plot displays together easily
The genetic algorithm (GA) in IMAT+Modal has:
- Updated MAC-based cost functions
- New self-MAC output plotting
- Added ability to display the ASET DOF on the FEM
The signal processing frequency response function (SPFRF) GUI in IMAT+Signal now has:
- Signal processing tools for filtering, resampling, decimating, interpolating, truncating, and removing bias
- An averaging dialog that includes a selection to automatically remove DC bias during signal processing
ATA is continually improving IMAT based upon customer feedback and recommendations, as well as ATA’s ongoing needs for added functionality. IMAT v4.0.0 has many customer-driven enhancements. We encourage customers to continue to send enhancement requests, as they help to make our products better.
Committed to providing new IMAT releases in conjunction with new MATLAB releases, ATA Engineering designed IMAT v4.0.0 to work with MATLAB R2011a, as well as previous releases R2010b, R2010a, R2009b, R2009a, R2008b, and R2008a.
IMAT Packages
IMAT: Base product, which provides the capability to import and export I-deas, Universal, and associated data files into MATLAB for further processing. Also includes all of the data types used by the IMAT family.
IMAT+FEA: Allows user to import simulation data.
NASTRAN – Read OP2, OP4, bulk data, and PCH files directly
ABAQUS – Read results from ODB files
FEMAP – Write neutral files and connect bidirectionally to FEMAP via COM
IMAT+Modal: Aids in test planning and the postprocessing of test data. This includes our genetic algorithm for accelerometer selection and the patent-pending AFPoly modal curve-fitter.
IMAT+Signal: Extends IMAT’s functionality into signal processing, which encompasses processing time domain data into the frequency domain. It also provides capabilities for analyzing rotating-equipment data using Vold-Kalman filtering.
Short on Matlab Licenses?
ATA also offers a sister product to IMAT called IMAT4XL. IMAT4XL combines the plotting and math functions of IMAT with the extensive import and export capabilities of IMAT+FEA into an easy-to-use, graphical interface that does not require MATLAB to run. This standalone executable provides many of the same benefits as IMAT and connects directly to Microsoft Excel® for further data processing. Check out IMAT4XL and other ATA software by clicking here.
Download IMAT v4.0.0
IMAT v4.0.0 is available to any IMAT user who is current with maintenance, enhancements, and support (ME&S). There is no cost for upgrading to v4.0.0. Customers can download the latest version here.
To upgrade your IMAT to version 4.0.0 or to learn more about these new features, please call Sherry at 858.480.2074, or send an email to [email protected].