Determining the coordinates of a point and a vector 63

In contrast to the term Point ( point) indicating Femap model object, the term Location It
indicates the position in space of any point object. In most cases, to determine the
position of the point ( Location) It wants to set the coordinates on the three axes X, Y, Z Global
in a rectangular coordinate system ( Global Rectangular Coordinate system). In addition,
the coordinates may be defined in the Global System cylindrical ( Global Cylindrical) by
coordinates R, , Z, Global spherical system ( Global Spherical) using the coordinates R, ,
. These three coordinate systems having the numbers 0, 1 and 2, respectively, are
created automatically when you open a new model database. User other coordinate
systems may be created one of these three types and then used during operations with
objects of the model. Coordinate systems carried command Target Model

Coord Sys ... and it will be discussed in Section 3.11.1. The program Femap used certain
conventions when you enter coordinates in the coordinate systems of different types (Fig.
3.4).

Fig. 3.4. Rules for determining the coordinates of the point p

in different types of coordinate systems

The position in space ( Location) Femap is not an object, but may correspond to one
of the point-like objects - point ( Point) or node ( Node). Another geometric object that is not
an object of Femap, - vector ( Vector).
64 The user interface

3.6.1. Dialog box specify the point in space - Locate

Coordinate Definition
Target point coordinates in the space ( Locate) It is produced in a standard dialog box,
which by default is configured Locate ( Fig. 3.5). In the text box ID It puts the number of a
point object ( Point or Node), coordinates which are defined in the window. Drop-down list CSys
to select a coordinate system in which the coordinates are specified. Button Parameters

(Parameters) serves to assign geometry parameters.

Fig. 3.5. The standard dialog box

positioning

The number and content of the task coordinate fields depends on method of specifying
the coordinates, selected button Methods ( Methods). The basic method of specifying the
coordinates is Locate - assignment of three coordinates X, Y, Z. In addition to the method Locate,
Femap provides alternative methods of specifying coordinates based on other known
conditions. positioning method is determined by selecting one of the options in the
drop-down menu button Methods, the name and the configuration window with the change:

Locate ( Determine the location in space) - Method is set by default, requires the
specification of the three coordinates in the chosen coordinate system CSys;

Locate in Workplane ( Determine a location on the working plane) - method

requires the specification of two coordinates in the working plane ( Workplane), cm.
3.8.2. Given two coordinates automatically converted to the three coordinates in
the coordinate system CSys;

Between ( Between) - Method determines the coordinates by interpolation. It requires

specifying the coordinates of two points (the field
Point1 and Point2) and the distance from the first point as a percentage (% Field From
Pt1);
Determining the coordinates of a point and a vector 65

Offset ( Offset) - Method specifies coordinates offsets

X, Y and Z ( fields Offset) relative to the reference point (the field Base);
At Distance ( At a distance) - a method of specifying the coordinates like the
previous one, except that in the fields Vector
set the direction of displacement vector components and the absolute value of the
displacement field is defined in Distance;
On Point ( At point) - Method specifies the position coordinates in the space of a
selected point ( Point);
On Node ( By node) - Method defines coordinate position in space of the selected
node ( Node);
Onto Curve ( On curve) - method calculates the coordinates by projecting the
base point (the field Base) the selected curve (the field Curve ID);

Along Curve ( Along the curve) - method allows you to set the coordinates along the
curve ( Curve ID) as a percentage of its length ( Along), starting from the end of the
curve, nearest to the point, which is defined in the coordinates From End Near;

Length Curve ( curve length) - similar to the previous method, except that the
distance is clearly defined in the end of the curve Length ( Length);

Mesh Location ( decomposition point) - Method selects coordinates based on the

points of the grid markings ( Mesh Size) along (curve Curve ID). Selectable
marking point closest to the point specified by the coordinates in the field Near;

Center ( Center) - Method selects coordinates of the circle center ( Circle) or an

arc of a circle ( Arc), defined in the field
Curve ID;
Midpoint ( The middle point) - Method selects coordinates middle curve;

Intersect ( Crossing) - method calculates the coordinates of the intersection of two

curves near the point with coordinates Nearest To
(Next to). Curves considered continuous, therefore, in calculating the
coordinates of the points of intersection they continue indefinitely in both
directions;
Onto Surface ( On the surface) - method calculates the coordinates by
projecting the base point ( Base) the selected surface ( Surface ID);

In Surface ( On the surface) - method calculates the coordinates using the

parametric surface coordinates u and v the interval ( 0; 1);
66 The user interface

CG of Surface ( The center of gravity of the surface) - Method calculates the coordinates of
the center of gravity of the surface;
Intersect Curve / Surface ( The intersection of the curve with the surface) - method
calculates the coordinates of the point of intersection with the surface curve.

3.6.2. Dialog box vector assignment - Vector Definition

vectors ( Vectors) used for different geometrical constructions and properties of objects
when setting the finite element model. Certain vectors, such as the axis of rotation, are
used only to define the directions and do not require reference length. For vectors used
in the motion command ( Modify Move by), necessary length of the job.

Set the default vector is produced in a standard dialog box Vector Locate ( Fig. 3.6)
Name and type of the window depend on the selected using the button Methods vector
assignment method. The list CSys selected coordinate system, wherein destination points
are produced coordinates defining vector.

Fig. 3.6. Standard reference vector dialog

Drop-down menu Methods ( Techniques) provides the following vector assignment

methods:
Locate ( Determine location) - method is set by default, requires the specification
of two coordinates - the start vector (field Base) and the tip of the vector (the field Tip)
in the selected coordinate system CSys;

Locate / Length ( Location / length) - a method similar to the previous one, but
here the field Toward ( Direction) determining only the direction of the vector and
its length is given in the Length;
Determining the coordinates of a point and a vector 67

Components ( Components) - in the fields Base the coordinates of the start vector
fields in Vector projection vector defined on the coordinate axis of the system CSys;

Direction ( Direction) - a method similar to the previous one, but here the field Vector
determining only the direction of the vector and its length is given in the Length;

Points ( Point) - vector carried by point Base Point ID

(The number of the base point) to the point Tip Point ID ( tip point number);

Nodes ( Knots) - vector is carried from node Base Node ID to host

Tip Node ID;
bisect ( Bisector) - vector is the bisector of the angle formed by the vectors Base
- Tip1 and Base - Tip2. vector length indicated in the field Length;

Normal ( Normal) - the direction of the vector is given by the vector product of the
vectors Base - Tip1 and Base - Tip2. vector length indicated in the field Length;

Axis ( The axis) - the direction of the vector determined by the selected axis of the
coordinate system CSys. beginning of the Vector is defined in the fields Base. vector length
indicated in the field Length;
Global Axis ( Global axis) - the direction of the vector determined by the selected
global axis of the rectangular coordinate system. beginning of the Vector is defined
in the fields Base in the coordinate system CSys. vector length indicated in the field Length;

Tangent ( Tangent) - method allows you to specify a vector in the direction of the
tangent to the curve Curve ID, at the point nearest to the point Near. vector
length indicated in the field
Length. Option Reverse Direction It allows you to change direction;

Normal To Surface ( The normal to the surface) - Method specifies the vector
normal to the surface on Surface at At Point.
vector length indicated in the field Length. Option Reverse Direction It allows you
to change direction;
Normal To View ( Normal to mind) - a method of orienting the vector of the normal to the
screen. beginning of the Vector is defined in the fields Base
in the coordinate system CSys. vector length indicated in the field
Length.
68 The user interface

3.7. File operations - File menu

This section describes the menu commands File ( File). These instructions are designed
to work with new or existing models Femap. They also provide printing and transfer to
other Windows applications textual or graphical information.

3.7.1. Opening a model file

During one session in Femap program can work with several models simultaneously.
When you open a new box model, this model is placed on the new tabs of the graphics
window.
Command File New ( New) opens a new, empty Femap model file. All new models
are called Untitled.
Command File Open ( Open) It provides access to an existing model, Femap. It uses
the standard Windows dialog box with the requirement to select the model file name. By
default, the model file has an extension *. modfem. When you open a model, you will see
the same graphical window, which was at the time of preservation model.

3.7.2. Saving the model file

Command File Save ( Save) allows you to save state of the model of the current window.
If the model has a name untitled, to change it automatically invokes the command File Save
As.
Command File Save As ( Save as) allows you to save the current state of the model
in a new file name.
Command File Timed Save ( Save time) allows you to perform periodic automatic
saving of the current state of the model. When the condition you want to set the
autosave: either the time interval or the number of commands to be performed in the
interval between the conservation model.

3.7.3. Import and export files

Import and export of Femap provides an interaction program with various analysis
programs, export and import geometry, computational models and models in a neutral
text format file.
File operations - File menu 69

Import menu
menu commands File Import ( Import) allow you to import geometry from the product
range CAD-programs, files prepared for the finite element analysis, calculation of results
and data from a neutral file.
Command File Import Geometry ( Geometry) an import geometry Femap from
other CAD-programs. In the standard Windows dialog box to select a specific file type.
Femap can import the following types of geometry files:

files ACIS Solid Model (* .sat);

files Parasolid Solid Model (* .x_t);
IGES files (* .igs, * .iges);
files STEP (* .stp);
Stereolithography files (* .stl);
Wireframe files (* .dxf);
CATIA models (* .mdl);
files CATIA Express (* .exp, * .dlv);
VDA files (* .vda);
files I-DEAS (* .idi);
model Pro / ENGINEER (* .prt);
Unigraphics model (* .prt);
model Solid Edge (* .par, * .psm).
More geometry import command discussed in Section 4.10.

With a team File Import Analysis Model ( Analysis Model) imports carried out finite
element model loads and boundary conditions from the input file prepared for analysis in
one of the programs in finite element analysis. Operators (map) description optimization
model, if present in the input file, the command is ignored. Thus, the optimization model
can not be recovered from the input file. Selecting input file format in the dialog box (Fig.
3.7) by selecting the appropriate program.

Fig. 3.7. Import dialog box analysis

model file
70 The user interface

Command File Import Analysis Results ( Analysis results) to import results of the
analysis. Selecting the file format of the results is carried out in the dialog box (see. Fig.
3.7) by selecting the appropriate program. When importing NX Nastran software analysis
results are prompted to select a file with one of the three extensions * .op2, * .f06, * .xdb.
Selecting a file with a specific extension should depend on where he was appointed a
conclusion of results ( Result Destination):

print Only - * .f06;

PostProcess Only - * .op2;
print and PostProcess - * .f06 or * .op2;
XDB - * .xdb.
Command File Import Femap Neutral ( Neutral Femap) allows you to import data
stored in Femap neutral file format into a binary database file Femap (model file). Neutral
file can be imported as an empty model file, and added to the existing model. In case of
coincidence of objects imported file numbers with the numbers of model objects last
replaced. So if you add pieces to the model you need to ensure that the numbering of the
objects do not intersect.

Export menu
menu commands File Export ( Export) allow you to export geometry data for finite
element analysis and data to neutral file format.

Command File Export Geometry ( Geometry) provides the ability to export solid
geometry models Femap in the following formats:

files ACIS Solid Model (* .sat);

files Parasolid Solid Model (* .x_t);
files STEP (* .stp);
IGES files (* .igs);
Stereolithography files (* .stl);
VRML files. Command File Export Analysis Model ( Model analysis) allows to
broadcast a finite element model, loading conditions, boundary conditions, and
conditions for performing the calculation in the input file for the selected option analysis ( Analysis
Set), Fig. 3.8. The format of the input file is determined analysis program specified
File operations - File menu 71

Fig. 3.8. Export dialog box

analysis model file

in this assay variant. In Nastran input file, regardless of the analysis options options fit
the whole finite element model with all boundary conditions and loading conditions.

Command File Export Femap Neutral ( Neutral Femap) allows you to save the
model in Femap neutral file format. In the standard Windows dialog box, the file name is
assigned by default with the extension * .neu. Recording Options neutral file are set in
the dialog box Neutral File Write Options

(Fig. 3.9). Femap model may be stored in parts - geometric model (option Write
Geometry Model), finite element model along with boundary conditions and load
conditions (option Write Analysis Model), analysis (option Write

Fig. 3.9. Dialog options selection window

when recording a neutral file
72 The user interface

Output). One option is to derive the segmentation of audio data groups (option Group
Only). This method is useful when transferring data sets from one model to another.
Since Femap neutral file is compatible with all computing platforms, its format is
recommended for long-term storage of information about the model.

3.7.4. Performing analysis and analyzes in Femap

Command File Analyse ( Analysis) is used to perform analysis of the computational

model in the program installed in the embodiment, the active analysis ( Analysis Set). If
the option is set analysis program NX Nastran, automatically broadcast the
computational model in the input file, which is transmitted to the input of the program NX
Nastran. At the same time the left of Femap graphical window opens a window Analysis
Monitor ( Analysis Monitor), where you can observe the data output during the analysis of
one of the three text files - options log, f04, f06 ( see Section 2.2), or the progress of the
decomposition of the stiffness matrix -. option Sparse Matrix Solver

(Decision sparse matrix), or the course of the iterative process in the non-linear forms of
analysis, including one of the options: Nonlinear History ( The history of the nonlinear
process) or Load Step Convergence
(Convergence on the loading step), Fig. 3.10. Button Kill Job It allows you to stop the
execution of the analysis. Button Load Results It makes it possible to manually download
the results of the analysis, which is necessary if the automatic download option off or at
the end of the analysis carried out in the Femap user program any action.

The same types of analysis in Femap and Nastran are identified differently.
Moreover, several types of analysis in Nastran Femap program can be combined into a
single view. See Table. 3.1.

3.7.5. Using notes and links

Command File Notes ( Notes) to give you a model of necessary notes and explanations
that will be stored with the model, as well as create notes, which will be broadcast in the
input file. This command is often used to describe the model, save the creation date,
author, etc. In the dialog box, select one of the team's options..:
File operations - File menu 73

Fig. 3.10. Window Monitor analysis in two configurations