## 3.1. Creating a Customized Export Program

The mesh and results contained within an ANSYS CFX results file can be exported in many formats, ready for input into postprocessing software other than CFD-Post, MSC/PATRAN, EnSight and Fieldview. To do this, you would write a customized export program that calls routines from the Export Application Programming Interface (API). However, this is recommended only for advanced users, because it involves at least some knowledge of C or C++ programming language.

Once an export program has been created, it can be used by any number of users; so if other ANSYS CFX users at a site regularly use a different postprocessor, it may be worth contacting a system administrator to find out if such a format has already been defined.

To define a new format, use the export API. The general steps to follow are:

1. Create a file that contains instructions needed to build the format in C.

   This is most easily done by editing the template file provided (which is written in C). For details, see An Example of an Export Program.

2. Compile your C program.

   For details, see Compiling Code with the Mesh and Results Export API.

3. Link the C program into the CFX code.

   For details, see Linking Code with the Mesh and Results Export API.

4. Use the program.

   For details, see Using a Customized Export Program.

Numerous keywords are required for development and use of custom export files. For details, see cfx5export Arguments.

An example source routine can be used as the basis of a customized program; one is given in the next section.

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