Ansys Mechanical Users Guide

Mechanical User's Guide
ANSYS, Inc. Release 2024 R2

Southpointe July 2024
2600 Ansys Drive
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Table of Contents
Overview ................................................................................................................................................. xxxi
1. The Ansys Product Improvement Program ........................................................................................... 33
2. Application Interface ............................................................................................................................ 37
2.1. Interface Overview .......................................................................................................................... 38
2.2. Ribbon ........................................................................................................................................... 38
2.2.1. File Tab .................................................................................................................................. 39
2.2.2. Home Tab .............................................................................................................................. 42
2.2.3. Context Tabs .......................................................................................................................... 49
2.2.4. Display Tab ............................................................................................................................. 81
2.2.5. Selection Tab .......................................................................................................................... 91
2.2.6. Automation Tab ..................................................................................................................... 97
2.2.7. Learning and Support Tab ...................................................................................................... 98
2.3. Graphics Toolbar ........................................................................................................................... 100
2.3.1. Clipboard Menu ................................................................................................................... 107
2.4. Outline ......................................................................................................................................... 108
2.4.1. Understanding the Tree Outline ............................................................................................ 111
2.4.2. Correlating Tree Outline Objects with Model Characteristics .................................................. 113
2.4.3. Suppressing Objects ............................................................................................................. 116
2.4.4. Filtering the Tree .................................................................................................................. 117
2.4.5. Searching the Tree ................................................................................................................ 122
2.5. Details Pane .................................................................................................................................. 122
2.5.1. Parameterizing a Variable ..................................................................................................... 131
2.6. Geometry Window ........................................................................................................................ 132
2.7. Status Bar ..................................................................................................................................... 138
2.8. Quick Launch ................................................................................................................................ 142
2.9. Help Menu .................................................................................................................................... 144
2.10. Color Theme ............................................................................................................................... 144
2.11. Ribbon Customization Options .................................................................................................... 146
2.12. Scoping Recovery following Geometry Update ............................................................................ 151
2.13. Creating User-Defined Buttons .................................................................................................... 158
2.14. Windows Management ............................................................................................................... 160
2.15. Preference Migration ................................................................................................................... 161
2.16. Resource Prediction .................................................................................................................... 162
2.17. Print Preview ............................................................................................................................... 168
2.18. Report Preview ........................................................................................................................... 169
2.18.1. Publishing the Report ......................................................................................................... 171
2.18.2. Sending the Report ............................................................................................................ 171
2.18.3. Comparing Databases ........................................................................................................ 171
2.18.4. Customizing Report Content .............................................................................................. 172
2.19. Full Screen Mode ........................................................................................................................ 173
2.20. Contextual Windows ................................................................................................................... 174
2.20.1. Selection Information Window ............................................................................................ 175
2.20.1.1. Activating the Selection Information Window ............................................................. 175
2.20.1.2. Understanding the Selection Modes .......................................................................... 175
2.20.1.3. Using the Selection Information Window .................................................................... 180
2.20.1.4. Selecting, Exporting, and Sorting Data ........................................................................ 184
2.20.2. Worksheet Window ............................................................................................................ 186
2.20.3. Graph and Tabular Data Windows ....................................................................................... 187
2.20.4. Messages Window .............................................................................................................. 194
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2.20.5. Graphics Annotations Window ............................................................................................ 196

2.20.6. Section Planes Window ...................................................................................................... 202
2.20.7. Mechanical Wizard Window ................................................................................................ 202
2.21. Group Tree Objects ..................................................................................................................... 202
2.22. Interface Behavior Based on License Levels .................................................................................. 209
2.23. Environment Filtering .................................................................................................................. 210
2.24. Using Macros .............................................................................................................................. 210
2.25. Setting Variables ......................................................................................................................... 211
2.26. Data Export ................................................................................................................................. 212
2.27. Keyframe Animation ................................................................................................................... 218
2.28. Graphical Selection and Display ................................................................................................... 220
2.28.1. Selecting Geometry ............................................................................................................ 221
2.28.2. Selecting Nodes ................................................................................................................. 232
2.28.2.1. Creating a Coordinate System by Direct Node Selection .............................................. 237
2.28.2.2. Specifying Named Selections by Direct Node Selection .............................................. 238
2.28.3. Selecting Elements and Element Faces ................................................................................ 239
2.28.4. Selecting Nodes and Elements by ID ................................................................................... 242
2.28.5. Manipulating the Model in the Geometry Window .............................................................. 243
2.28.6. Defining Direction .............................................................................................................. 246
2.28.7. Using Viewports ................................................................................................................. 247
2.28.8. Accelerated Graphics .......................................................................................................... 252
2.28.9. Controlling Graphs and Charts ............................................................................................ 254
2.28.10. Managing Graphical View Settings .................................................................................... 254
2.28.10.1. Creating a View ........................................................................................................ 255
2.28.10.2. Applying a View ....................................................................................................... 255
2.28.10.3. Renaming a View ..................................................................................................... 255
2.28.10.4. Deleting a View ........................................................................................................ 256
2.28.10.5. Replacing a Saved View ............................................................................................ 256
2.28.10.6. Exporting a Saved View List ...................................................................................... 256
2.28.10.7. Importing a Saved View List ..................................................................................... 256
2.28.10.8. Copying a View to Mechanical APDL ......................................................................... 257
2.28.11. Creating Section Planes .................................................................................................... 257
2.28.11.1. Understanding Section Plane Display Differences ..................................................... 266
2.28.11.2. Working with Section Plane Results .......................................................................... 269
2.28.12. Viewing Annotations ........................................................................................................ 269
2.28.12.1. Specifying Annotation Preferences ........................................................................... 273
2.28.13. Controlling Lighting ......................................................................................................... 275
2.28.14. Inserting Comments, Images, and Figures .......................................................................... 276
2.29. Hotkeys and Keyboard Shortcuts ................................................................................................. 277
2.30. Wizards ....................................................................................................................................... 283
2.30.1. Mechanical Wizard ............................................................................................................. 284
3. Application Preferences ...................................................................................................................... 287
3.1. Open the Options Dialog .............................................................................................................. 288
3.2. Common Settings ......................................................................................................................... 288
3.2.1. Graphics Style ...................................................................................................................... 289
3.2.2. Graphics Interaction ............................................................................................................. 290
3.2.3. User Interface ....................................................................................................................... 291
3.2.4. Geometry Import ................................................................................................................. 292
3.2.5. Parallel Processing ................................................................................................................ 292
3.2.6. SpaceClaim Preferences ........................................................................................................ 293
3.3. Mechanical Options ...................................................................................................................... 293
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3.3.1. Connections ......................................................................................................................... 293

3.3.2. Convergence ........................................................................................................................ 296
3.3.3. Import ................................................................................................................................. 297
3.3.4. Export .................................................................................................................................. 297
3.3.5. Fatigue ................................................................................................................................. 298
3.3.6. Frequency ............................................................................................................................ 299
3.3.7. Geometry ............................................................................................................................ 300
3.3.8. Geometry Import ................................................................................................................. 303
3.3.9. Meshing ............................................................................................................................... 303
3.3.10. Graphics ............................................................................................................................. 303
3.3.11. Miscellaneous .................................................................................................................... 312
3.3.12. Messages ........................................................................................................................... 314
3.3.13. Report ................................................................................................................................ 315
3.3.14. Analysis Settings and Solution ............................................................................................ 316
3.3.15. Loads and Boundary Conditions ......................................................................................... 320
3.3.16. Results ............................................................................................................................... 320
3.3.17. Visibility ............................................................................................................................. 321
3.3.18. Wizard ................................................................................................................................ 322
3.3.19. Commands ........................................................................................................................ 322
3.3.20. UI Options .......................................................................................................................... 323
4. General Analysis Workflow ................................................................................................................. 327
4.1. Create Analysis System .................................................................................................................. 327
4.2. Define Materials ............................................................................................................................ 333
4.3. Attach Geometry/Mesh ................................................................................................................. 335
4.3.1. Importing Geometry or Mesh from Workbench ..................................................................... 335
4.3.2. Importing Geometries or Mesh from Mechanical ................................................................... 337
4.3.3. Updating Geometry from Within the Mechanical Application ................................................ 344
4.3.4. CAD Interface Terminology ................................................................................................... 346
4.4. Define Part Behavior ..................................................................................................................... 347
4.5. Create a Simulation Template ........................................................................................................ 351
4.6. Create a Geometry in Mechanical .................................................................................................. 352
4.7. Define Substructures .................................................................................................................... 352
4.8. Define Connections ...................................................................................................................... 353
4.9. Apply Mesh Controls and Preview Mesh ........................................................................................ 353
4.10. Establish Analysis Settings ........................................................................................................... 354
4.11. Define Initial Conditions .............................................................................................................. 354
4.12. Apply Pre-Stress Effects for Implicit Analysis ................................................................................. 357
4.13. Apply Boundary Conditions ......................................................................................................... 359
4.14. Perform Solution ......................................................................................................................... 359
4.15. Review Results ............................................................................................................................ 360
4.16. Create Report (optional) .............................................................................................................. 362
5. Analysis Types ..................................................................................................................................... 363
5.1. Adaptivity Analyses ....................................................................................................................... 363
5.1.1. Nonlinear Adaptive Region ................................................................................................... 364
5.1.2. Geometry Based Adaptivity .................................................................................................. 373
5.2. Coupled Field Analysis Types ......................................................................................................... 380
5.2.1. Coupled Field Harmonic Analysis .......................................................................................... 384
5.2.2. Prestressed Coupled Field Harmonic Analysis ........................................................................ 386
5.2.3. Coupled Field Modal Analysis ............................................................................................... 390
5.2.4. Prestressed Coupled Field Modal Analysis ............................................................................. 392
5.2.5. Coupled Field Static Analysis ................................................................................................ 395
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5.2.6. Coupled Field Transient Analysis ........................................................................................... 399

5.2.7. Limitations ........................................................................................................................... 403
5.2.8. Application Examples and Background ................................................................................. 404
5.3. Electric Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 406
5.4. Explicit Dynamics Analysis ............................................................................................................. 409
5.5. Fracture Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 410
5.5.1. Fracture Analysis Workflows .................................................................................................. 410
5.5.2. Limitations of Fracture Analysis ............................................................................................ 416
5.5.3. Fracture Meshing ................................................................................................................. 418
5.5.4. Cracks .................................................................................................................................. 427
5.5.4.1. Crack Overview ........................................................................................................... 427
5.5.4.2. Defining an Arbitrary Crack .......................................................................................... 429
5.5.4.3. Defining a Semi-Elliptical Crack .................................................................................... 436
5.5.4.4. Defining an Elliptical Crack ........................................................................................... 443
5.5.4.5. Defining a Ring Crack ................................................................................................... 448
5.5.4.6. Defining a Corner Crack ............................................................................................... 453
5.5.4.7. Defining an Edge Crack ................................................................................................ 457
5.5.4.8. Defining a Through Crack ............................................................................................. 460
5.5.4.9. Defining a Cylindrical Crack .......................................................................................... 464
5.5.4.10. Defining a Pre-Meshed Crack ..................................................................................... 468
5.5.4.11. Special Handling of Named Selections for Crack Objects ............................................. 469
5.5.4.12. Initiate a Crack using Crack Initiation .......................................................................... 470
5.5.5. SMART Crack Growth ............................................................................................................ 471
5.5.5.1. SMART Crack Growth Application ................................................................................. 472
5.5.5.2. SMART Crack-Growth Assumptions and Limitations ..................................................... 477
5.5.6. Crack Initiation and Propagation using SMART Crack Growth ................................................ 479
5.5.7. Interface Delamination and Contact Debonding ................................................................... 481
5.5.7.1. Interface Delamination Application .............................................................................. 482
5.5.7.2. Contact Debonding Application ................................................................................... 486
5.5.7.3. Interface Delamination and Ansys Composite PrepPost (ACP) ....................................... 486
5.5.8. Multi-Point Constraint (MPC) Contact for Fracture ................................................................. 488
5.5.9. Solving a Fracture Analysis ................................................................................................... 489
5.5.10. Extracting Fracture Results from a Result File ....................................................................... 491
5.6. Linear Dynamics Analysis Types ..................................................................................................... 492
5.6.1. Eigenvalue Buckling Analysis ................................................................................................ 493
5.6.2. Harmonic Response Analysis ................................................................................................ 502
5.6.2.1. Amplitude Calculation in Harmonic Analysis ................................................................. 511
5.6.3. Harmonic Response (Full) Analysis Using Pre-Stressed Structural System ............................... 512
5.6.4. Harmonic Response Analysis Using Linked Modal Analysis System ........................................ 515
5.6.5. Modal Analysis ..................................................................................................................... 521
5.6.6. Random Vibration Analysis ................................................................................................... 531
5.6.7. Response Spectrum Analysis ................................................................................................ 540
5.6.8. Substructure Generation Analysis ......................................................................................... 546
5.7. Magnetostatic Analysis ................................................................................................................. 552
5.8. Rigid Dynamics Analysis ................................................................................................................ 557
5.8.1. Preparing a Rigid Dynamics Analysis ..................................................................................... 558
5.8.2. Command Reference for Rigid Dynamics Systems ................................................................. 567
5.8.2.1. IronPython References ................................................................................................. 568
5.8.2.2. The Rigid Dynamics Object Model ................................................................................ 568
5.8.2.3. Rigid Dynamics Command Objects Library ................................................................... 569
5.8.2.4. Command Use Examples ............................................................................................. 602
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5.8.2.4.1. Constraint Equation ............................................................................................ 602

5.8.2.4.2. Joint Condition: Initial Velocity ............................................................................. 604
5.8.2.4.3. Joint Condition: Control Using Linear Feedback ................................................... 605
5.8.2.4.4. Non-Linear Spring Damper .................................................................................. 606
5.8.2.4.5. Spherical Stop ..................................................................................................... 608
5.8.2.4.6. Export of Joint Forces .......................................................................................... 609
5.8.2.4.7. Breakable Joint ................................................................................................... 611
5.8.2.5. Debugging RBD Commands with Visual Studio ............................................................ 612
5.8.2.6. Using RBD Commands with Excel ................................................................................. 615
5.8.2.7. Using RBD Commands from the IronPython Console .................................................... 616
5.8.3. Using the Variable Load Add-on ............................................................................................ 617
5.8.3.1. How to Load the Add-on .............................................................................................. 618
5.8.3.2. Creating Measures ....................................................................................................... 618
5.8.3.2.1. Body Measures ................................................................................................... 619
5.8.3.2.2. Joint Measures .................................................................................................... 620
5.8.3.2.3. Derived Measures ............................................................................................... 621
5.8.3.3. Defining Joint Loads Dependent on one or more Measures .......................................... 622
5.8.3.4. Defining Force Loads Dependent on one or more Measures ......................................... 627
5.8.3.5. Known Issues and Limitations ...................................................................................... 628
5.8.4. Using the Motion Load Transfer Add-on ................................................................................ 628
5.8.4.1. How to Load the Add-on .............................................................................................. 628
5.8.4.2. Setting up the Motion Loads Transfer ........................................................................... 628
5.8.4.3. Transferring the Motion Loads ...................................................................................... 630
5.8.5. Multibody Dynamics Theory Guide ....................................................................................... 630
5.8.5.1. Rigid Degrees of Freedom ............................................................................................ 631
5.8.5.2. Rigid Shape Functions ................................................................................................. 635
5.8.5.3. Flexible Shape Functions ............................................................................................. 638
5.8.5.4. Equations of Motion .................................................................................................... 639
5.8.5.5. Time Integration with Explicit Runge-Kutta ................................................................... 644
5.8.5.6. Implicit Generalized-α Method .................................................................................... 645
5.8.5.7. Stabilized Implicit Generalized-α Method ..................................................................... 647
5.8.5.8. Moreau-Jean Method .................................................................................................. 648
5.8.5.9. Geometric Correction .................................................................................................. 649
5.8.5.10. Contact and Stops ..................................................................................................... 651
5.8.5.11. References ................................................................................................................. 658
5.9. Static Structural Analysis ............................................................................................................... 658
5.10. Steady-State Thermal Analysis ..................................................................................................... 663
5.11. Thermal-Electric Analysis ............................................................................................................. 667
5.12. Transient Structural Analysis ........................................................................................................ 671
5.13. Transient Structural Analysis Using Linked Modal Analysis System ................................................ 680
5.14. Transient Thermal Analysis .......................................................................................................... 686
5.15. Special Analysis Topics ................................................................................................................ 691
5.15.1. Additive Manufacturing Process Simulation ........................................................................ 691
5.15.2. Composite Analysis ............................................................................................................ 692
5.15.3. ECAD Analysis using Trace Mapping .................................................................................... 692
5.15.3.1. Trace Mapping in Mechanical ..................................................................................... 699
5.15.3.2. ECAD Import Pane (Windows Only) ............................................................................ 709
5.15.4. Electromagnetics (EM) - Mechanical Data Transfer ............................................................... 712
5.15.4.1. Importing Data into Coupled Field (Static or Transient), Thermal, and Structural (Static
or Transient) Analyses ............................................................................................................. 713
5.15.4.2. Importing Data into Harmonic Analyses ..................................................................... 716
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5.15.4.2.1. Importing Forces and Moments ......................................................................... 717

5.15.4.2.2. Importing Surface Force Density ........................................................................ 725
5.15.4.3. Exporting Results from Thermal or Structural Analyses ................................................ 727
5.15.4.4. Electric Machines NVH Analyses (with Waterfall Diagram) ........................................... 729
5.15.5. External Data ...................................................................................................................... 745
5.15.5.1. Importing Data from Workbench ................................................................................ 746
5.15.5.2. Importing Data from Mechanical ................................................................................ 748
5.15.5.3. Importing Thickness .................................................................................................. 756
5.15.5.4. Importing Loads ........................................................................................................ 757
5.15.5.5. Exporting Data .......................................................................................................... 764
5.15.6. External Study Import ......................................................................................................... 764
5.15.7. Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) .......................................................................................... 767
5.15.7.1. One-Way Transfer FSI ................................................................................................. 768
5.15.7.2. Two-Way Transfer FSI .................................................................................................. 768
5.15.7.3. Using Imported Loads for One-Way FSI ....................................................................... 769
5.15.7.3.1. Face Forces at Fluid-Structure Interface .............................................................. 773
5.15.7.3.2. Face Temperatures and Convections at Fluid-Structure Interface ........................ 774
5.15.7.3.3. Volumetric Temperature Transfer ....................................................................... 774
5.15.7.3.4. CFD Results Mapping ........................................................................................ 774
5.15.8. Icepak to Mechanical Data Transfer ..................................................................................... 775
5.15.9. Inverse Solving for Nonlinear Static Structural Analyses ....................................................... 777
5.15.10. Mechanical-Electronics Interaction (Mechatronics) Data Transfer ....................................... 783
5.15.10.1. Overall Workflow for Mechatronics Analysis .............................................................. 783
5.15.10.2. Set up the Mechanical Application for Export to Twin Builder .................................... 784
5.15.11. Polyflow to Mechanical Data Transfer ................................................................................ 784
5.15.12. Reinforcement Specification Using Mesh-Independent Method ......................................... 786
5.15.13. Rotordynamics Analysis .................................................................................................... 791
5.15.13.1. Rotordynamics Extension ......................................................................................... 792
5.15.13.2. Loading the Rotordynamics Extension ...................................................................... 792
5.15.13.3. Rotordynamics Capabilities ...................................................................................... 793
5.15.13.4. Critical Speed Maps ................................................................................................. 793
5.15.13.5. Orbital Plots ............................................................................................................. 795
5.15.13.6. Harmonic Separation Margin .................................................................................... 799
5.15.14. Substructure Analysis ....................................................................................................... 802
5.15.14.1. Condensed Part Overview ........................................................................................ 806
5.15.14.2. Condensed Part Application ..................................................................................... 808
5.15.14.3. Condensed Part Worksheet ...................................................................................... 810
5.15.14.4. Exporting Condensed Parts ...................................................................................... 811
5.15.14.5. Imported Condensed Parts ...................................................................................... 812
5.15.14.6. Expansion Pass ........................................................................................................ 821
5.15.14.7. Limitations .............................................................................................................. 823
5.15.14.8. Best Practices ........................................................................................................... 826
5.15.15. Static Analysis From Rigid Dynamics Analysis .................................................................... 827
5.15.16. Submodeling ................................................................................................................... 828
5.15.16.1. Structural Submodeling Workflow ............................................................................ 830
5.15.16.1.1. Beam-to-Solid/Shell Submodels ...................................................................... 835
5.15.16.2. Thermal Submodeling Workflow .............................................................................. 837
5.15.16.3. Shell-to-Solid Submodels ......................................................................................... 840
5.15.17. System Coupling .............................................................................................................. 841
5.15.17.1. Supported Capabilities and Limitations .................................................................... 843
5.15.17.2. Variables Available for System Coupling .................................................................... 845
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5.15.17.3. System Coupling Related Settings in Mechanical ...................................................... 846

5.15.17.4. Using Higher-Order Meshes for Coupled Analyses .................................................... 848
5.15.17.5. One-Way FSI Transfers Using System Coupling in Workbench .................................... 849
5.15.17.6. Coupled Field Co-Simulation Using System Coupling ................................................ 851
5.15.17.7. Coupling Thin Surfaces in CFX .................................................................................. 852
5.15.17.8. Restarting Structural Mechanical Analyses as Part of System Coupling ...................... 853
5.15.17.8.1. Generating Mechanical Restart Files ................................................................ 854
5.15.17.8.2. Specifying a Restart Point in Mechanical .......................................................... 854
5.15.17.8.3. Making Setup Changes Before Restarting ........................................................ 854
5.15.17.8.4. Recovering the Mechanical Restart Point after a Workbench Crash ................... 856
5.15.17.8.5. Restarting a Thermal-Structural Coupled Analysis ............................................ 856
5.15.17.9. Running Mechanical as a Coupling Participant in System Coupling's GUI or CLI ......... 857
5.15.17.10. Troubleshooting Two-Way Coupling Analysis Problems ........................................... 857
5.15.17.11. Product Licensing Considerations when using System Coupling ............................. 858
5.15.18.Thermal-Stress Analysis ..................................................................................................... 858
5.15.19. Transferring Hydrodynamic Loads to a Structural System ................................................... 863
5.15.20. Twin Builder/Rigid Dynamics Co-Simulation ...................................................................... 864
5.15.20.1. Co-Simulation Pins ................................................................................................... 866
5.15.20.2. Limitations .............................................................................................................. 867
5.15.21. Welding Toolbox ............................................................................................................... 867
5.15.21.1. Enabling the Welding Toolbox Extension .................................................................. 868
5.15.21.2. Using the Welding Toolbox Extension ....................................................................... 868
5.15.21.3. Weld Worksheet Operations ..................................................................................... 869
5.15.21.4. Weld Setup Properties .............................................................................................. 870
5.15.21.5. Understanding Behavior in Terms of Solver Inputs .................................................... 871
6. Geometry ............................................................................................................................................ 875
6.1. Geometry Introduction ................................................................................................................. 875
6.1.1. Parts and Bodies ................................................................................................................... 876
6.1.2. Multibody Behavior and Associativity ................................................................................... 878
6.1.3. Geometry Conditions and Requirements .............................................................................. 879
6.1.4. Stiffness Behavior ................................................................................................................. 879
6.1.4.1. Flexible Bodies ............................................................................................................ 880
6.1.4.2. Rigid Bodies ................................................................................................................ 880
6.1.4.3. Gasket Bodies .............................................................................................................. 881
6.1.4.4. Stiff Beam .................................................................................................................... 884
6.1.5. Integration Schemes ............................................................................................................ 885
6.1.6. Common Geometry Display Features .................................................................................... 885
6.2. Solid Bodies .................................................................................................................................. 888
6.3. Surface Bodies .............................................................................................................................. 888
6.3.1. Preparing Assemblies of Surface Bodies ................................................................................ 889
6.3.2. Using Thickness Mode .......................................................................................................... 889
6.3.3. Importing Surface Body Models ............................................................................................ 890
6.3.4. Importing Surface Body Thickness ........................................................................................ 890
6.3.5. Understanding Surface Body Shell Offsets ............................................................................. 890
6.3.6. Specifying Surface Body Thickness ........................................................................................ 892
6.3.7. Specifying Surface Body Layered Sections ............................................................................. 896
6.3.7.1. Defining and Applying a Layered Section ..................................................................... 896
6.3.7.2. Viewing Individual Layers ............................................................................................. 897
6.3.7.3. Layered Section Properties .......................................................................................... 898
6.3.7.4. Notes on Layered Section Behavior .............................................................................. 898
6.3.8. Specifying Surface Body Reinforcements .............................................................................. 899
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6.3.9. Specifying Faces With Multiple Thicknesses and Layers .......................................................... 899
6.4. Line Bodies ................................................................................................................................... 900
6.5. Simulation without Geometry ....................................................................................................... 906
6.6. 2D Analyses .................................................................................................................................. 906
6.6.1. Using Generalized Plane Strain ............................................................................................. 909
6.7. Construction Geometry ................................................................................................................. 911
6.7.1. Path ..................................................................................................................................... 911
6.7.2. Surface ................................................................................................................................ 918
6.7.3. Solid .................................................................................................................................... 920
6.7.4. STL ....................................................................................................................................... 922
6.7.5. Construction Line ................................................................................................................. 923
6.8. Body Merge .................................................................................................................................. 929
6.8.1. Body Merge Requirements and Limitations ........................................................................... 930
6.8.2. How Body Merge Affects Body Attributes, Scoping, and Meshing ........................................... 931
6.8.3. Merging Bodies with Body Merge ......................................................................................... 932
6.8.4. Executing a Body Merge ....................................................................................................... 934
6.8.5. Body Merge Status and Details ............................................................................................. 935
6.8.6. Suppressing and Unsuppressing a Body Merge ..................................................................... 936
6.8.7. Clearing a Body Merge ......................................................................................................... 937
6.8.8. Deleting a Body Merge ......................................................................................................... 937
6.9. Point Mass .................................................................................................................................... 937
6.10. Distributed Mass ......................................................................................................................... 939
6.11. Thermal Point Mass ..................................................................................................................... 940
6.12. Surface Coating .......................................................................................................................... 943
6.13. Models from External Meshes and Model Assemblies ................................................................... 944
6.13.1. Importing Mesh-Based Geometry ....................................................................................... 944
6.13.1.1. Supported External File Types .................................................................................... 945
6.13.1.2. Import Workflow and Interface Options ...................................................................... 946
6.13.1.3. Supported Finite Element Data Types ......................................................................... 954
6.13.1.3.1. Imported Bolt Pretensions and Premeshed Bolt Pretensions ............................... 954
6.13.1.3.2. Imported Boundary Conditions ......................................................................... 955
6.13.1.3.3. Imported Composite Plies ................................................................................. 960
6.13.1.3.4. Imported Constraint Equations or Coupling ....................................................... 964
6.13.1.3.5. Imported Contacts ............................................................................................ 966
6.13.1.3.6. Imported Coordinate Systems ........................................................................... 970
6.13.1.3.7. Imported Cross Sections .................................................................................... 972
6.13.1.3.8. Imported Element Orientations ......................................................................... 975
6.13.1.3.9. Imported Flexible Remote Connectors ............................................................... 978
6.13.1.3.10. Imported Named Selections ............................................................................ 981
6.13.1.3.11. Imported Nodal Orientations ........................................................................... 981
6.13.1.3.12. Imported Point Mass ....................................................................................... 983
6.13.1.3.13. Imported Rigid Bodies ..................................................................................... 986
6.13.1.3.14. Imported Rigid Remote Connectors ................................................................. 987
6.13.1.3.15. Imported Shell Thicknesses ............................................................................. 990
6.13.1.3.16. Imported Spring Connectors ........................................................................... 992
6.13.1.3.17. Imported Initial Stresses .................................................................................. 997
6.13.1.4. Automatic Material Assignment ................................................................................. 997
6.13.1.5. Reference Node Naming ............................................................................................ 998
6.13.1.6. Importing Mesh-Based Databases in Batch ................................................................. 998
6.13.1.7. External Model Supported Element Types ................................................................. 1006
6.13.1.8. Supported External Model Commands ..................................................................... 1010
x of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.
6.13.1.8.1. External Model CDB Commands ...................................................................... 1010

6.13.1.8.2. External Model NASTRAN Commands .............................................................. 1015
6.13.1.8.3. External Model ABAQUS Commands ................................................................ 1016
6.13.1.8.4. External Model FE Commands Repository ........................................................ 1016
6.13.1.9. Accessing Imported Mesh-Based Databases through ACT ......................................... 1017
6.13.1.10. Examples of a Synthesized Mesh using Tolerance Angles ......................................... 1023
6.13.2. Assembling External Models and Mechanical Models ........................................................ 1027
6.13.2.1. Assembly Examples ................................................................................................. 1028
6.13.2.2. Model Assembly Specification .................................................................................. 1029
6.13.2.3. Model Alignment ..................................................................................................... 1033
6.13.2.4. Object Renaming ..................................................................................................... 1038
6.13.2.5. Associativity of Properties ........................................................................................ 1039
6.13.2.6. Contact Detection .................................................................................................... 1040
6.13.2.7. Mesh Modification ................................................................................................... 1042
6.13.2.8. Using Legacy Databases ........................................................................................... 1043
6.13.2.9. Limitations and Restrictions for Model Assembly ...................................................... 1043
6.14. Element Orientation .................................................................................................................. 1046
6.15. Part Transformations ................................................................................................................. 1052
6.16. Geometry from Deformation Results ......................................................................................... 1060
6.17. Geometry From Rigid Dynamics Results ..................................................................................... 1065
6.18. Bolt Tools Add-on ...................................................................................................................... 1069
7. Materials ............................................................................................................................................ 1071
7.1. Material Assignment ................................................................................................................... 1071
7.2. Engineering Data Material View ................................................................................................... 1073
7.2.1. Engineering Data Material View Access and Layout ............................................................. 1073
7.2.2. Adding Materials to a Project .............................................................................................. 1075
7.2.3. Viewing Material Data ......................................................................................................... 1075
7.2.4. Searching and Filtering Materials ........................................................................................ 1079
7.2.5. Comparing Materials .......................................................................................................... 1082
7.3. Engineering Data Materials Dialog ............................................................................................... 1083
7.3.1. Engineering Data Material Card .......................................................................................... 1085
7.3.2. Engineering Data Materials Settings Dialog ......................................................................... 1086
7.4. Material Plot ............................................................................................................................... 1087
7.5. Material Combination ................................................................................................................. 1089
7.6. Imported Material Fields ............................................................................................................. 1091
7.7. Refresh Materials ......................................................................................................................... 1092
7.8. Unique Material-Based MAPDL Commands .................................................................................. 1092
8. Coordinate Systems ........................................................................................................................... 1095
8.1. Creating Coordinate Systems ....................................................................................................... 1095
8.1.1. Initial Creation and Definition ............................................................................................. 1096
8.1.2. Establishing Origin for Associative and Non-Associative Coordinate Systems ....................... 1096
8.1.3. Setting Principal Axis and Orientation ................................................................................. 1098
8.1.4. Using Transformations ........................................................................................................ 1099
8.1.5. Creating a Coordinate System Based on a Surface Normal ................................................... 1100
8.1.6. Creating a Coordinate System Based on the Center of Mass ................................................. 1101
8.1.7. Setting a Coordinate System Origin at the Center of Mass .................................................... 1102
8.2. Importing Coordinate Systems .................................................................................................... 1102
8.3. Applying Coordinate Systems as Reference Locations .................................................................. 1103
8.4. Using Coordinate Systems to Specify Joint Locations ................................................................... 1103
8.5. Creating Coordinate-Based Section Planes ................................................................................... 1103
8.6. Transferring Coordinate Systems to the Mechanical APDL Application .......................................... 1105
of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates. xi
8.7. Setting Up Coordinate Systems in the Mechanical Configure Tool ................................................. 1106
9. Connections ....................................................................................................................................... 1111
9.1. Connections Folder ..................................................................................................................... 1111
9.2. Connections Worksheet .............................................................................................................. 1114
9.3. Connection Group ...................................................................................................................... 1116
9.4. Connection Features and Operations ........................................................................................... 1122
9.5. Connections Manager Extension ................................................................................................. 1126
9.5.1. Loading the Connections Manager Extension ..................................................................... 1126
9.5.2. Details Pane Properties ....................................................................................................... 1127
9.5.3. RMB Menu Options ............................................................................................................ 1133
9.5.4. Worksheet Window Options ............................................................................................... 1133
9.6. Contact ....................................................................................................................................... 1134
9.6.1. Contact Overview ............................................................................................................... 1134
9.6.2. Contact Formulation Theory ............................................................................................... 1135
9.6.3. Contact Settings ................................................................................................................. 1138
9.6.3.1. Scope Settings ........................................................................................................... 1139
9.6.3.2. Definition Settings ..................................................................................................... 1147
9.6.3.3. Advanced Settings ..................................................................................................... 1152
9.6.3.4. Display ...................................................................................................................... 1166
9.6.3.5. Geometric Modification ............................................................................................. 1167
9.6.4. Supported Contact Types ................................................................................................... 1175
9.6.5. Setting Contact Conditions Manually .................................................................................. 1176
9.6.6. Contact Ease of Use Features .............................................................................................. 1177
9.6.6.1. Automatically Generate Objects Scoped to Contact Regions ....................................... 1178
9.6.6.2. Controlling Transparency for Contact Regions ............................................................ 1179
9.6.6.3. Displaying Contact Bodies with Different Colors ......................................................... 1179
9.6.6.4. Displaying Contact Bodies in Separate Windows ......................................................... 1180
9.6.6.5. Hiding Bodies Not Scoped to a Contact Region ........................................................... 1181
9.6.6.6. Renaming Contact Regions Based on Geometry Names .............................................. 1181
9.6.6.7. Identifying Contact Regions for a Body ....................................................................... 1182
9.6.6.8. Create Contact Debonding ........................................................................................ 1182
9.6.6.9. Flipping Contact and Target Scope Settings ................................................................ 1182
9.6.6.10. Setting Default APDL Names .................................................................................... 1183
9.6.6.11. Merging Contact Regions That Share Geometry ........................................................ 1184
9.6.6.12. Saving or Loading Contact Region Settings .............................................................. 1184
9.6.6.13. Resetting Contact Regions to Default Settings .......................................................... 1185
9.6.6.14. Locating Bodies Without Contact ............................................................................. 1185
9.6.6.15. Locating Parts Without Contact ................................................................................ 1185
9.6.7. Contact in Rigid Dynamics .................................................................................................. 1185
9.6.7.1. Best Practices for Contact in Rigid Body Analyses ........................................................ 1188
9.6.8. Best Practices for Specifying Contact Conditions ................................................................. 1191
9.6.8.1. Contact Setup and Verification ................................................................................... 1191
9.6.8.2. Solver Preparation ..................................................................................................... 1196
9.6.8.3. Addressing Non-Convergence .................................................................................... 1200
9.7. Joints .......................................................................................................................................... 1202
9.7.1. Joint Characteristics ........................................................................................................... 1203
9.7.2. Joint Types ......................................................................................................................... 1208
9.7.2.1. Fixed Joint ................................................................................................................. 1209
9.7.2.2. Revolute Joint ............................................................................................................ 1209
9.7.2.3. Cylindrical Joint ......................................................................................................... 1209
9.7.2.4. Translational Joint ...................................................................................................... 1210
xii of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.
9.7.2.5. Slot Joint ................................................................................................................... 1211

9.7.2.6. Universal Joint ........................................................................................................... 1211
9.7.2.7. Spherical Joint ........................................................................................................... 1212
9.7.2.8. Planar Joint ................................................................................................................ 1213
9.7.2.9. Bushing Joint ............................................................................................................. 1213
9.7.2.10. Screw Joint .............................................................................................................. 1217
9.7.2.11. Constant Velocity Joint (Homokinetic Joint) .............................................................. 1219
9.7.2.12. Distance Joint .......................................................................................................... 1220
9.7.2.13. General Joint ........................................................................................................... 1221
9.7.2.14. Point on Curve Joint ................................................................................................. 1222
9.7.2.15. Imperfect Joint Types ............................................................................................... 1225
9.7.2.15.1. In-Plane Radial Gap ......................................................................................... 1225
9.7.2.15.2. Spherical Gap .................................................................................................. 1226
9.7.2.15.3. Radial Gap ...................................................................................................... 1227
9.7.3. Joint Properties .................................................................................................................. 1227
9.7.4. Modifying Joint Coordinate Systems ................................................................................... 1237
9.7.5. Joint Stiffness ..................................................................................................................... 1243
9.7.6. Joint Friction ...................................................................................................................... 1246
9.7.6.1. Joint Friction Definitions ............................................................................................ 1247
9.7.6.2. Joint Types ................................................................................................................ 1258
9.7.6.3. Joint Friction Type ...................................................................................................... 1264
9.7.6.4. Notes ........................................................................................................................ 1265
9.7.7. Manual Joint Creation ......................................................................................................... 1268
9.7.8. Automatic Joint Creation .................................................................................................... 1270
9.7.9. Joint Stops and Locks ......................................................................................................... 1271
9.7.10. Ease of Use Features ......................................................................................................... 1276
9.7.11. Detecting Overconstrained Conditions ............................................................................. 1280
9.7.12. Example: Assembling Joints .............................................................................................. 1281
9.7.13. Example: Configuring Joints .............................................................................................. 1291
9.7.14. Example: Configuring Bodies ............................................................................................ 1302
9.8. Springs ....................................................................................................................................... 1306
9.9. Beam Connections ...................................................................................................................... 1315
9.10. Spot Welds ................................................................................................................................ 1318
9.11. End Releases ............................................................................................................................. 1320
9.12. Bearings .................................................................................................................................... 1324
10. Meshing Features ............................................................................................................................ 1329
10.1. Performing Feature Detection ................................................................................................... 1329
10.2. Specifying Mesh Numbering ..................................................................................................... 1332
10.3. Creating Mesh Extrusions .......................................................................................................... 1335
10.4. Associating Named Selections To Pull Geometries ...................................................................... 1340
10.5. Mesh Workflows ........................................................................................................................ 1345
11. Named Selections ............................................................................................................................ 1347
11.1. Create a Named Selection Object .............................................................................................. 1347
11.2. Defining Named Selections ....................................................................................................... 1350
11.2.1. Specifying Named Selections by Geometry Type ............................................................... 1350
11.2.2. Specifying Named Selections using Worksheet Criteria ...................................................... 1351
11.3. Specifying Criteria for Geometry-Based Named Selections ......................................................... 1361
11.4. Understanding the Named Selections Worksheet ....................................................................... 1364
11.5. Applying Named Selections via the Ribbon ................................................................................ 1365
11.6. Promoting Scoped Objects to a Named Selection ...................................................................... 1367
11.7. Displaying Named Selections .................................................................................................... 1368
of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates. xiii
11.8. Displaying Interior Mesh Faces ................................................................................................... 1372

11.9. Scoping Analysis Objects to Named Selections .......................................................................... 1373
11.10. Sending Named Selections to the Solver .................................................................................. 1374
11.11. Protecting Named Selections ................................................................................................... 1374
11.12. Including Named Selections in Program Controlled Inflation .................................................... 1374
11.13. LS-DYNA Named Selection IDs ................................................................................................. 1375
11.14. Importing Named Selections ................................................................................................... 1375
11.15. Exporting Named Selections .................................................................................................... 1375
11.16. Merging Named Selections ...................................................................................................... 1376
11.17. Converting Named Selection Groups to Mechanical APDL Application Components ................. 1377
12. Remote Points ................................................................................................................................. 1379
12.1. Remote Point Application .......................................................................................................... 1380
12.2. Geometry Behaviors .................................................................................................................. 1385
12.3. Support Specifications .............................................................................................................. 1387
12.4. Remote Point Features .............................................................................................................. 1388
13. Analysis Selection for Model-Level Objects .................................................................................... 1393
14. Tables ............................................................................................................................................... 1397
14.1. Table Requirements and Limitations .......................................................................................... 1398
14.2. Tables in 2D and 3D Models ....................................................................................................... 1399
14.3. Create a Table ............................................................................................................................ 1400
14.3.1. Import a Table from a Data File .......................................................................................... 1402
14.3.2. Manually Enter a Table ..................................................................................................... 1406
14.3.3. Add a Table While Defining a Boundary Condition ............................................................. 1410
14.4. Enter and Edit Data in a Table .................................................................................................... 1410
14.5. Work with Tables in Free View .................................................................................................... 1411
14.5.1. Plot Dependent Versus Independent Variables in Free View ............................................... 1412
14.5.2. Hide Plot in Free View ....................................................................................................... 1413
14.5.3. Sort Data by Column Value or Row Number ....................................................................... 1414
14.5.4. Change a Variable for a Column ........................................................................................ 1416
14.5.5. Add a Column to a Table ................................................................................................... 1417
14.5.6. Delete a Column from a Table ........................................................................................... 1418
14.5.7. Add a Row to a Table ........................................................................................................ 1419
14.5.8. Delete a Row from a Table ................................................................................................. 1419
14.6. Work With Tables in Unified View ............................................................................................... 1419
14.6.1. Enter and Edit Data in Unified View ................................................................................... 1420
14.6.2. Plot and Display Variables ................................................................................................. 1421
14.6.3. Select Active Dependent Variable ..................................................................................... 1423
14.6.4. Hide Unified View Plot ...................................................................................................... 1424
14.7. Display Plotted Variable Values ................................................................................................. 1425
14.8. View Table Details ..................................................................................................................... 1427
14.9. Reimport Table Data .................................................................................................................. 1432
14.10. Reimport Table Data With Different Import Parameters ............................................................ 1432
14.11. Rename a Table ....................................................................................................................... 1434
14.12. Delete a Table .......................................................................................................................... 1434
15. Symmetry ........................................................................................................................................ 1435
15.1. Types of Regions ....................................................................................................................... 1436
15.1.1. Symmetry Region Overview .............................................................................................. 1436
15.1.2. Periodic Region Overview ................................................................................................. 1439
15.1.2.1. Electromagnetic Periodic Symmetry ......................................................................... 1440
15.1.2.1.1. Periodicity Example ......................................................................................... 1441
15.1.3. Cyclic Region Overview .................................................................................................... 1442
xiv of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.
15.1.3.1. Pre-Meshed Cyclic Symmetry ................................................................................... 1446

15.1.3.2. Multistage Cyclic Symmetry Analysis ........................................................................ 1453
15.1.3.3. Cyclic Symmetry in a Static Structural or Static Acoustics Analysis ............................. 1455
15.1.3.3.1. Applying Loads and Supports for Cyclic Symmetry in a Static Structural or Static
Acoustics Analysis ........................................................................................................... 1456
15.1.3.3.2. Reviewing Results for Cyclic Symmetry in a Static Structural or Static Acoustics
Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 1457
15.1.3.4. Cyclic Symmetry in a Harmonic Response or FSI Harmonic Acoustics Analysis ........... 1459
15.1.3.4.1. Applying Loads and Supports for Cyclic Symmetry in a Harmonic Response or FSI
Harmonic Acoustics Analysis ........................................................................................... 1459
15.1.3.4.1.1. Non-Cyclic Loading ................................................................................. 1461
15.1.3.4.2. Reviewing Results for Cyclic Symmetry in a Harmonic Response or FSI Harmonic
15.1.3.5. Cyclic Symmetry in a Modal or FSI Modal Acoustics Analysis ...................................... 1467
15.1.3.5.1. Applying Loads and Supports for Cyclic Symmetry in a Modal or FSI Modal
15.1.3.5.2. Analysis Settings for Cyclic Symmetry in a Modal Analysis ................................ 1468
15.1.3.5.3. Analysis Settings for Cyclic Symmetry in a FSI Modal Acoustics Analysis ............ 1469
15.1.3.5.4. Reviewing Results for Cyclic Symmetry in a Modal or FSI Modal Acoustics Analys-
is .................................................................................................................................... 1469
15.1.3.6. Cyclic Symmetry in a Thermal Analysis ...................................................................... 1476
15.1.3.6.1. Applying Loads for Cyclic Symmetry in a Thermal Analysis ................................ 1476
15.1.3.6.2. Reviewing Results for Cyclic Symmetry in a Thermal Analysis ............................ 1477
15.1.4. General Axisymmetric Overview ....................................................................................... 1477
15.2. Symmetry Workflow in DesignModeler ...................................................................................... 1490
15.3. Symmetry Workflow in Mechanical ............................................................................................ 1491
15.4. General Axisymmetric Workflow in Mechanical .......................................................................... 1498
16. Analysis Settings ............................................................................................................................. 1501
16.1. Analysis Settings for Most Analysis Types ................................................................................... 1501
16.1.1. Step Controls for Static and Transient Analyses .................................................................. 1502
16.1.2. Step Controls for Harmonic Analysis Types ........................................................................ 1510
16.1.3. Solver Controls ................................................................................................................. 1512
16.1.4. Restart Analysis ................................................................................................................ 1521
16.1.5. Restart Controls ................................................................................................................ 1522
16.1.6. Adaptivity Remeshing Controls ......................................................................................... 1524
16.1.7. Creep Controls ................................................................................................................. 1529
16.1.8. Fracture Controls .............................................................................................................. 1529
16.1.9. Cyclic Controls .................................................................................................................. 1530
16.1.10. Radiosity Controls ........................................................................................................... 1530
16.1.11. Options for Analyses ....................................................................................................... 1531
16.1.11.1. Coupled Field Harmonic, Harmonic Acoustics, and Harmonic Response Options ...... 1531
16.1.11.2. Eigenvalue Buckling Analysis Options ..................................................................... 1541
16.1.11.3. Modal Acoustics and Modal Analysis Options ......................................................... 1541
16.1.11.4. Random Vibration Options ..................................................................................... 1543
16.1.11.5. Response Spectrum Options .................................................................................. 1544
16.1.11.6. Substructure Generation Options ........................................................................... 1544
16.1.11.7. Transient Structural (Linked to Modal) Options ....................................................... 1545
16.1.12. Scattering Controls ......................................................................................................... 1547
16.1.13. Advanced ....................................................................................................................... 1547
16.1.14. Damping Controls .......................................................................................................... 1549
16.1.15. Nonlinear Controls .......................................................................................................... 1554
of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates. xv
16.1.15.1. Nonlinear Controls for Steady-State, Static, and Transient Analyses .......................... 1555
16.1.15.2. Nonlinear Controls for Transient Thermal Analyses .................................................. 1558
16.1.15.3. Nonlinear Controls for Rigid Dynamics Analyses ..................................................... 1559
16.1.16. Output Controls .............................................................................................................. 1559
16.1.17. Analysis Data Management ............................................................................................. 1572
16.1.18. Rotordynamics Controls .................................................................................................. 1577
16.1.19. Visibility ......................................................................................................................... 1579
16.2. Steps and Step Controls for Static and Transient Analyses ........................................................... 1579
16.2.1. Role of Time in Tracking .................................................................................................... 1579
16.2.2. Steps, Substeps, and Equilibrium Iterations ........................................................................ 1580
16.2.3. Automatic Time Stepping ................................................................................................. 1581
16.2.4. Guidelines for Integration Step Size ................................................................................... 1581
17. Boundary Conditions ...................................................................................................................... 1585
17.1. Scoping and Applying Boundary Conditions .............................................................................. 1586
17.2. Specifying Boundary Condition Magnitude ................................................................................ 1588
17.2.1. Constant Numeric Values and Expressions ......................................................................... 1589
17.2.2. Tabular Loads ................................................................................................................... 1592
17.2.3. Mathematical Function Loads ........................................................................................... 1594
17.2.4. Spatial Varying Displacements .......................................................................................... 1596
17.2.5. Specifying Direction for Loads .......................................................................................... 1597
17.2.6. Importing and Exporting Load Histories ............................................................................ 1598
17.3. Applying Stepped and Ramped Loads ....................................................................................... 1599
17.4. Spatial Varying Loads and Displacements .................................................................................. 1600
17.5. Specifying Loads With Tables ..................................................................................................... 1602
17.5.1. Specify Pressure Loads with Tables .................................................................................... 1603
17.5.2. Specify Thermal Condition Loads with Tables .................................................................... 1605
17.5.3. Specify Temperature Loads with Tables ............................................................................. 1607
17.6. Types of Boundary Conditions ................................................................................................... 1609
17.6.1. Inertial Type Boundary Conditions .................................................................................... 1610
17.6.1.1. Acceleration ............................................................................................................ 1610
17.6.1.2. Standard Earth Gravity ............................................................................................. 1617
17.6.1.3. Rotational Velocity ................................................................................................... 1619
17.6.1.4. Rotational Acceleration ............................................................................................ 1624
17.6.2. Load Type Boundary Conditions ........................................................................................ 1628
17.6.2.1. Pressure ................................................................................................................... 1630
17.6.2.2. Pipe Pressure ........................................................................................................... 1641
17.6.2.3. Pipe Temperature ..................................................................................................... 1644
17.6.2.4. Fluid Penetration Pressure ........................................................................................ 1646
17.6.2.5. Hydrostatic Pressure ................................................................................................ 1650
17.6.2.6. Force ....................................................................................................................... 1656
17.6.2.7. Remote Force .......................................................................................................... 1664
17.6.2.8. Bearing Load ........................................................................................................... 1674
17.6.2.9. Bolt Pretension ........................................................................................................ 1679
17.6.2.10. Moment ................................................................................................................ 1688
17.6.2.11. Generalized Plane Strain ......................................................................................... 1696
17.6.2.12. Line Pressure .......................................................................................................... 1699
17.6.2.13. PSD Base Excitation ................................................................................................ 1703
17.6.2.14. RS Base Excitation .................................................................................................. 1704
17.6.2.15. Joint Load .............................................................................................................. 1705
17.6.2.16. Thermal Condition ................................................................................................. 1708
17.6.2.17. Temperature .......................................................................................................... 1712
xvi of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.
17.6.2.18. Convection ............................................................................................................ 1717

17.6.2.19. Radiation ............................................................................................................... 1724
17.6.2.20. Heat Flow .............................................................................................................. 1730
17.6.2.21. Heat Flux ............................................................................................................... 1734
17.6.2.22. Internal Heat Generation ........................................................................................ 1736
17.6.2.23. Mass Flow Rate ...................................................................................................... 1739
17.6.2.24. Electric Charge ....................................................................................................... 1741
17.6.2.25. Voltage .................................................................................................................. 1744
17.6.2.26. Current .................................................................................................................. 1747
17.6.2.27. Voltage (Ground) .................................................................................................... 1750
17.6.2.28. Electromagnetic Boundary Conditions and Excitations ............................................ 1752
17.6.2.28.1. Magnetic Flux Boundary Conditions .............................................................. 1753
17.6.2.28.2. Conductor ..................................................................................................... 1754
17.6.2.28.2.1. Solid Source Conductor Body ................................................................ 1755
17.6.2.28.2.2. Voltage Excitation for Solid Source Conductors ...................................... 1757
17.6.2.28.2.3. Current Excitation for Solid Source Conductors ...................................... 1758
17.6.2.28.2.4. Stranded Source Conductor Body ......................................................... 1759
17.6.2.28.2.5. Current Excitation for Stranded Source Conductors ............................... 1760
17.6.2.29. Motion Load .......................................................................................................... 1763
17.6.2.30. Fluid Solid Interface ............................................................................................... 1765
17.6.2.31. System Coupling Region ........................................................................................ 1769
17.6.2.32. Rotating Force ....................................................................................................... 1772
17.6.2.33. Imported CFD Pressure .......................................................................................... 1779
17.6.3. Support Type Boundary Conditions ................................................................................... 1781
17.6.3.1. Fixed Support .......................................................................................................... 1781
17.6.3.2. Displacement .......................................................................................................... 1784
17.6.3.3. Remote Displacement .............................................................................................. 1792
17.6.3.4. Velocity .................................................................................................................... 1799
17.6.3.5. Frictionless Support ................................................................................................. 1802
17.6.3.6. Compression Only Support ...................................................................................... 1804
17.6.3.7. Cylindrical Support .................................................................................................. 1807
17.6.3.8. Simply Supported .................................................................................................... 1809
17.6.3.9. Fixed Rotation .......................................................................................................... 1811
17.6.3.10. Elastic Support ....................................................................................................... 1814
17.6.4. Conditions Type Boundary Conditions .............................................................................. 1816
17.6.4.1. Coupling ................................................................................................................. 1816
17.6.4.2. Voltage Coupling ..................................................................................................... 1819
17.6.4.3. Constraint Equation ................................................................................................. 1821
17.6.4.4. Pipe Idealization ...................................................................................................... 1823
17.6.4.5. Nonlinear Adaptive Region ...................................................................................... 1826
17.6.4.6. Geometry Based Adaptivity ...................................................................................... 1826
17.6.4.7. Element Birth and Death .......................................................................................... 1826
17.6.4.8. Contact Step Control ................................................................................................ 1830
17.6.4.9. Plastic Heating ......................................................................................................... 1834
17.6.4.10. Viscoelastic Heating ............................................................................................... 1836
17.6.5. Direct FE Type Boundary Conditions ................................................................................. 1838
17.6.5.1. Nodal Orientation .................................................................................................... 1839
17.6.5.2. Nodal Force ............................................................................................................. 1840
17.6.5.3. Nodal Pressure ......................................................................................................... 1844
17.6.5.4. Nodal Displacement ................................................................................................. 1847
17.6.5.5. Nodal Rotation ........................................................................................................ 1850
of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates. xvii
17.6.5.6. EM (Electro-Mechanical) Transducer ......................................................................... 1852

17.6.6. Remote Boundary Conditions ........................................................................................... 1856
17.6.7. Imported Boundary Conditions ......................................................................................... 1857
17.6.7.1. Supported Analysis Types and Systems ..................................................................... 1857
17.6.7.2. Supported Boundary Conditions .............................................................................. 1859
17.6.7.2.1. Imported Body Force Density .......................................................................... 1859
17.6.7.2.2. Imported Body Temperature ............................................................................ 1861
17.6.7.2.3. Imported Boundary Remote Constraint ........................................................... 1864
17.6.7.2.4. Imported Convection Coefficient ..................................................................... 1864
17.6.7.2.5. Imported Cut Boundary Constraint .................................................................. 1866
17.6.7.2.6. Imported Cut Boundary Remote Force ............................................................ 1866
17.6.7.2.7. Imported Displacement ................................................................................... 1867
17.6.7.2.8. Imported Force ............................................................................................... 1867
17.6.7.2.9. Imported Heat Flux ......................................................................................... 1868
17.6.7.2.10. Imported Heat Generation ............................................................................. 1868
17.6.7.2.11. Imported Initial Strain .................................................................................... 1869
17.6.7.2.12. Imported Initial Stress .................................................................................... 1870
17.6.7.2.12.1. Recommendations and Guidelines for Mapping of Initial Stress and Strain
Data ......................................................................................................................... 1871
17.6.7.2.13. Imported Pressure ......................................................................................... 1872
17.6.7.2.14. Imported Remote Loads ................................................................................ 1876
17.6.7.2.15. Imported Surface Force Density ..................................................................... 1876
17.6.7.2.16. Imported Temperature .................................................................................. 1876
17.6.7.2.17. Imported Velocity .......................................................................................... 1877
17.6.7.3. Applying Imported Boundary Conditions ................................................................. 1877
17.6.7.4. Load Mapping Workflow Specification ...................................................................... 1883
17.7. Converting Boundary Conditions to Nodal DOF Constraints (Mechanical APDL Solver) ............... 1889
17.8. Resolving Thermal Boundary Condition Conflicts ....................................................................... 1891
18. Solving ............................................................................................................................................. 1893
18.1. Understanding Interface Options .............................................................................................. 1893
18.2. Performing the Solution ........................................................................................................... 1895
18.2.1. Using HPC Platform Services to Solve Linked Analyses ....................................................... 1903
18.2.2. Understanding HPC Platform Services (HPS) Limitations .................................................... 1904
18.3. Selecting Solve Modes for an Analysis ........................................................................................ 1905
18.4. Using Solve Process Settings ..................................................................................................... 1906
18.4.1. Memory Tuning the Samcef Solver .................................................................................... 1916
18.4.2. Memory Tuning the ABAQUS Solver .................................................................................. 1916
18.5. Using Solution Restarts ............................................................................................................. 1917
18.6. Understanding Solve Scenarios ................................................................................................. 1925
18.7. Specifying Solution Information ................................................................................................ 1927
18.8. Postprocessing During Solve ..................................................................................................... 1938
18.9. Using Result Trackers ................................................................................................................. 1938
18.9.1. Structural Result Trackers .................................................................................................. 1941
18.9.2. Thermal Result Trackers .................................................................................................... 1946
18.10. Using Adaptive Convergence ................................................................................................... 1947
18.11. Saving and Managing Results .................................................................................................. 1952
18.12. Writing and Reading Solution Data .......................................................................................... 1955
18.12.1. Writing and Reading the Mechanical APDL Application Files ............................................ 1955
18.12.2. Writing and Reading the LS-DYNA Application Files ......................................................... 1959
18.12.3. Writing Ansys Rigid Dynamics Files ................................................................................. 1962
18.12.4. Writing NASTRAN Files .................................................................................................... 1962
xviii of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.
18.12.4.1. NASTRAN Export Supported Features ..................................................................... 1965

18.12.4.2. NASTRAN Export Limitations .................................................................................. 1967
18.13. Understanding Solving Units ................................................................................................... 1969
19. Results ............................................................................................................................................. 2023
19.1. Introduction to the Use of Results .............................................................................................. 2023
19.2. Result Outputs .......................................................................................................................... 2025
19.2.1. Contour Results ................................................................................................................ 2025
19.2.2. Probes .............................................................................................................................. 2025
19.2.2.1. Probe Types and Application Overview ..................................................................... 2026
19.2.2.2. Probe Details View ................................................................................................... 2030
19.2.3. Chart and Table ................................................................................................................ 2036
19.2.4. Line Chart Results (LS-DYNA Only) .................................................................................... 2040
19.2.5. Contribution Graph Results ............................................................................................... 2042
19.2.5.1. Panel Contribution ................................................................................................... 2043
19.2.5.2. Order Contribution .................................................................................................. 2046
19.2.5.3. Mode Contribution .................................................................................................. 2048
19.2.5.4. Energy Contribution ................................................................................................ 2049
19.2.6. Coordinate Systems Results .............................................................................................. 2050
19.2.6.1. Nodal Coordinate Systems Results ............................................................................ 2050
19.2.6.2. Elemental Coordinate Systems Results ...................................................................... 2051
19.2.6.3. Rotational Order of Coordinate System Results ......................................................... 2052
19.2.7. Interpolation of Result Values ............................................................................................ 2052
19.2.8. Line Body Results ............................................................................................................. 2053
19.2.9. Path Results ...................................................................................................................... 2055
19.2.10. Result Set Listing ............................................................................................................ 2061
19.2.11. Surface Results ............................................................................................................... 2063
19.2.12. Solution Summary Worksheet ......................................................................................... 2065
19.2.13. Vector Plots .................................................................................................................... 2072
19.3. Result Definitions ...................................................................................................................... 2072
19.3.1. Applying Results Based on Geometry ................................................................................ 2073
19.3.2. Specifying Result Coordinate Systems ............................................................................... 2078
19.3.2.1. Solution Coordinate System ..................................................................................... 2079
19.3.3. Applying Decibel (dB) Weighting Filters ............................................................................ 2081
19.3.4. Defining Result Identifiers ................................................................................................. 2082
19.3.5. Understanding the Material Properties Used in Postprocessing .......................................... 2084
19.3.6. Clearing Result Data ......................................................................................................... 2085
19.3.7. Understanding Averaged and Unaveraged Contour Results ............................................... 2085
19.3.8. Working with Multiple Result Sets ..................................................................................... 2093
19.3.9. Displaying Surface Body Results (including Layered Shell Results) ...................................... 2096
19.3.10. Reviewing Unconverged Results ..................................................................................... 2097
19.3.11. Handling of Degenerate Elements ................................................................................... 2098
19.3.12. Understanding Result Data Display Issues ....................................................................... 2099
19.4. Result Scoping .......................................................................................................................... 2099
19.4.1. Geometry and Mesh ......................................................................................................... 2099
19.4.2. Path Construction Geometry ............................................................................................. 2105
19.4.3. Surface Construction Geometry ........................................................................................ 2105
19.4.4. Result File Items ............................................................................................................... 2105
19.4.5. Surface Coatings .............................................................................................................. 2111
19.4.6. Composite Analysis .......................................................................................................... 2115
19.4.7. Imported Condensed Parts ............................................................................................... 2117
19.5. Structural Results ...................................................................................................................... 2120
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19.5.1. Deformation ..................................................................................................................... 2122

19.5.2. Stress and Strain ............................................................................................................... 2129
19.5.2.1. Equivalent (von Mises) ............................................................................................. 2130
19.5.2.2. Maximum, Middle, and Minimum Principal ............................................................... 2131
19.5.2.3. Maximum Shear ....................................................................................................... 2132
19.5.2.4. Intensity .................................................................................................................. 2132
19.5.2.5. Vector Principals ...................................................................................................... 2133
19.5.2.6. Error (Structural) ...................................................................................................... 2133
19.5.2.7. Thermal Strain ......................................................................................................... 2135
19.5.2.8. Equivalent Plastic Strain ........................................................................................... 2135
19.5.2.9. Accumulated Equivalent Plastic Strain ...................................................................... 2136
19.5.2.10. Equivalent Creep Strain .......................................................................................... 2137
19.5.2.11. Equivalent Total Strain ............................................................................................ 2138
19.5.2.12. Membrane Stress ................................................................................................... 2138
19.5.2.13. Bending Stress ....................................................................................................... 2139
19.5.3. Stabilization Energy .......................................................................................................... 2139
19.5.4. Strain Energy .................................................................................................................... 2140
19.5.5. Damage Results ................................................................................................................ 2140
19.5.6. Linearized Stress ............................................................................................................... 2144
19.5.7. Contact Results ................................................................................................................. 2146
19.5.8. Frequency Response ......................................................................................................... 2149
19.5.9. Phase Response ................................................................................................................ 2160
19.5.10. Stress Tools ..................................................................................................................... 2162
19.5.10.1. Maximum Equivalent Stress Safety Tool .................................................................. 2163
19.5.10.2. Maximum Shear Stress Safety Tool .......................................................................... 2165
19.5.10.3. Mohr-Coulomb Stress Safety Tool ........................................................................... 2166
19.5.10.4. Maximum Tensile Stress Safety Tool ........................................................................ 2168
19.5.11. Fatigue (Fatigue Tool) ...................................................................................................... 2170
19.5.12. Fracture Results (Fracture Tool) ........................................................................................ 2170
19.5.13. Composite Failure Tool .................................................................................................... 2177
19.5.14. Composite Sampling Point Tool ...................................................................................... 2182
19.5.15. Contact Tool ................................................................................................................... 2184
19.5.15.1. Contact Tool Initial Information .............................................................................. 2189
19.5.16. Bolt Tool ......................................................................................................................... 2191
19.5.17. Beam Tool ...................................................................................................................... 2192
19.5.18. Beam Results .................................................................................................................. 2194
19.5.18.1. Shear-Moment Diagram ......................................................................................... 2195
19.5.19. Structural Probes ............................................................................................................ 2197
19.5.19.1. Position ................................................................................................................. 2207
19.5.19.2. Energy ................................................................................................................... 2210
19.5.19.3. Reactions: Forces and Moments .............................................................................. 2212
19.5.19.4. Joint Probes ........................................................................................................... 2224
19.5.19.5. Response PSD Probe .............................................................................................. 2227
19.5.19.6. Spring Probes ........................................................................................................ 2230
19.5.19.7. Bearing Probes ....................................................................................................... 2230
19.5.19.8. Beam Probes .......................................................................................................... 2231
19.5.19.9. Bolt Pretension Probes ........................................................................................... 2231
19.5.19.10. Generalized Plain Strain Probes ............................................................................ 2232
19.5.19.11. Contact Distance Probes ...................................................................................... 2232
19.5.19.12. Fracture Probes (Fracture Tool) ............................................................................. 2234
19.5.20. Response PSD Tool ......................................................................................................... 2237
xx of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.
19.5.21. Gasket Results ................................................................................................................ 2237

19.5.22. Campbell Diagram Chart Results ..................................................................................... 2238
19.5.23. Waterfall Diagrams ......................................................................................................... 2242
19.5.24. Contribution Results ....................................................................................................... 2252
19.6. Line Pressure Result ................................................................................................................... 2253
19.7. Volume Result ........................................................................................................................... 2253
19.7.1. Volume Probe ................................................................................................................... 2254
19.8. Thermal Results ......................................................................................................................... 2254
19.8.1. Temperature ..................................................................................................................... 2255
19.8.2. Heat Flux .......................................................................................................................... 2255
19.8.3. Heat Reaction ................................................................................................................... 2256
19.8.4. Error (Thermal) ................................................................................................................. 2256
19.8.5. Thermal Flow Results ........................................................................................................ 2256
19.8.6. Thermal Probes ................................................................................................................ 2257
19.8.7. Thermal Contact Results ................................................................................................... 2258
19.9. Magnetostatic Results ............................................................................................................... 2259
19.9.1. Electric Potential ............................................................................................................... 2260
19.9.2. Total Magnetic Flux Density .............................................................................................. 2260
19.9.3. Directional Magnetic Flux Density ..................................................................................... 2260
19.9.4.Total Magnetic Field Intensity ............................................................................................ 2260
19.9.5. Directional Magnetic Field Intensity .................................................................................. 2260
19.9.6. Total Force ........................................................................................................................ 2261
19.9.7. Directional Force .............................................................................................................. 2261
19.9.8. Current Density ................................................................................................................ 2261
19.9.9. Inductance ....................................................................................................................... 2261
19.9.10. Flux Linkage ................................................................................................................... 2262
19.9.11. Error (Magnetic) .............................................................................................................. 2263
19.9.12. Magnetostatic Probes ..................................................................................................... 2263
19.10. Electric Results ........................................................................................................................ 2264
19.10.1. Electric Probes ................................................................................................................ 2265
19.10.2. Frequency Response for Electric Results .......................................................................... 2266
19.11. Fatigue Results ........................................................................................................................ 2267
19.11.1. Fatigue Material Properties ............................................................................................. 2267
19.11.2. Fatigue Stress Life versus Strain Life ................................................................................. 2269
19.11.3. Frequency-Based Fatigue ................................................................................................ 2271
19.11.3.1. Fatigue Material Properties for Random Vibration (Spectral) Fatigue ........................ 2271
19.11.3.2. Fatigue Result Methods for Random Vibration (Spectral) Fatigue ............................. 2275
19.11.3.3. Fatigue Result Methods for Harmonic Fatigue ......................................................... 2277
19.11.4. Fatigue Analysis Application ........................................................................................... 2278
19.11.5. Fatigue Results ............................................................................................................... 2283
19.11.6. Fatigue Combination ...................................................................................................... 2290
19.11.7. Mechanical Embedded DesignLife UI .............................................................................. 2293
19.12. Noise, Vibration, and Harshness ................................................................................................ 2293
19.13. Forced Response ..................................................................................................................... 2294
19.14. User Defined Results ............................................................................................................... 2294
19.14.1. Overview ........................................................................................................................ 2294
19.14.2. Characteristics ................................................................................................................ 2295
19.14.3. Application ..................................................................................................................... 2296
19.14.4. Node-Based Scoping ...................................................................................................... 2300
19.14.5. User Defined Result Expressions ...................................................................................... 2300
19.14.6. Unit Description ............................................................................................................. 2304
of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates. xxi
19.14.7. User Defined Results for the Mechanical APDL Solver ...................................................... 2305
19.14.8. User Defined Results for the Ansys Rigid Dynamics Solver ................................................ 2314
19.15. Python Result .......................................................................................................................... 2315
19.15.1. Insert the Python Result Object ....................................................................................... 2315
19.15.2. Understanding Data Processing Framework .................................................................... 2318
19.15.3. Using DPF with the Python Result Feature ....................................................................... 2320
19.15.4. Limitations of the Python Result Object ........................................................................... 2322
19.15.5. Workflow Examples ........................................................................................................ 2322
19.15.5.1. Display Results for Shared Shell Topologies ............................................................. 2323
19.15.5.2. Total Deformation .................................................................................................. 2325
19.15.5.3. Von Mises Stress ..................................................................................................... 2326
19.15.5.4. Retrieving Total Deformation from Table/Chart for Time Point ................................. 2328
19.15.5.5. Strain Tensors - Named Selection Scoping ............................................................... 2329
19.15.5.6. Total Deformation Scoped on Time Step using Property Provider ............................ 2330
19.15.5.7. Total Deformation Scoped on Geometry using Property Provider ............................ 2333
19.15.5.8. Migrating to New Python Result ............................................................................. 2344
19.15.6. Animation ...................................................................................................................... 2344
19.16. User Defined Criteria ............................................................................................................... 2345
19.16.1. Define Primary Criterion for the Measures Object ............................................................ 2346
19.16.2. Define Primary Criterion for a Harmonic Response Analysis ............................................. 2348
19.16.3. Define Primary Criterion for a Modal Analysis .................................................................. 2349
19.16.4. Define Primary Criterion for a Static Structural Analysis .................................................... 2350
19.16.5. Combine Primary Criterion Objects ................................................................................. 2352
19.16.6. Understanding the Criterion Calculations ........................................................................ 2353
19.17. Result Utilities ......................................................................................................................... 2362
19.17.1. Automatic Result Creation for All Result Sets ................................................................... 2362
19.17.2. Adaptive Convergence .................................................................................................... 2364
19.17.3. Animation ...................................................................................................................... 2364
19.17.3.1. Animation Options ................................................................................................. 2364
19.17.3.2. Animation Behaviors .............................................................................................. 2368
19.17.3.3. Animation with Attached Camera ........................................................................... 2369
19.17.3.4. Accelerated Animation ........................................................................................... 2371
19.17.4. Capped IsoSurfaces ........................................................................................................ 2372
19.17.5. Dynamic Legend ............................................................................................................ 2375
19.17.6. Exporting Results ............................................................................................................ 2379
19.17.7. Generating Reports ........................................................................................................ 2381
19.17.8. Local Minimum and Maximum Probes ............................................................................. 2381
19.17.9. Renaming Results Based on Definition ............................................................................ 2386
19.17.10. Results Legend ............................................................................................................. 2387
19.17.11. Results Tab ................................................................................................................... 2391
19.17.12. Solution Combination ................................................................................................... 2391
19.17.12.1. Solution Combination Process Requirements and Conditions ................................ 2403
20. Commands Object ........................................................................................................................... 2407
20.1. Command Entry and Mechanical APDL Entry Options ................................................................ 2408
20.2. Commands (APDL) Object Properties ....................................................................................... 2411
20.3. Commands (APDL) Object Post Processing Specifications ......................................................... 2412
20.4. Commands (APDL) Objects and the Mechanical APDL Solver .................................................... 2416
20.5. Commands (APDL) Objects and the Rigid Dynamics Solver ....................................................... 2425
20.6. Commands (APDL) Objects and the LS-DYNA Solver ................................................................. 2425
21. Python Code .................................................................................................................................... 2427
21.1. Using Python Code for MAPDL Solver Input ............................................................................... 2428
xxii of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.
21.2. Using Python Code for Event Based Code Execution ................................................................... 2428
21.3. Resuming Databases with Python Code Objects ........................................................................ 2431
21.4. Sharing Scope ........................................................................................................................... 2433
21.5. Working with the Property Provider ........................................................................................... 2434
22. Parameters ...................................................................................................................................... 2441
22.1. Specifying Parameters ............................................................................................................... 2441
22.2. CAD Parameters ........................................................................................................................ 2444
23. Productivity Tools ............................................................................................................................ 2447
23.1. Generating Multiple Objects from a Template Object ................................................................. 2447
23.2. Tagging Objects ........................................................................................................................ 2453
23.2.1. Creating Tags .................................................................................................................... 2453
23.2.2. Applying Tags to Objects .................................................................................................. 2453
23.2.3. Deleting a Tag .................................................................................................................. 2453
23.2.4. Renaming a Tag ................................................................................................................ 2454
23.2.5. Highlighting Tagged Tree Objects ..................................................................................... 2454
24. CAD System Information ................................................................................................................. 2455
24.1. General Information .................................................................................................................. 2456
25. Troubleshooting .............................................................................................................................. 2457
25.1. General Product Limitations ...................................................................................................... 2457
25.2. Problem Situations .................................................................................................................... 2462
25.2.1. A Linearized Stress Result Cannot Be Solved. ..................................................................... 2463
25.2.2. A Load Transfer Error Has Occurred. ................................................................................... 2464
25.2.3. A Master Node is Missing from the Condensed Part ........................................................... 2464
25.2.4. Although the Exported File Was Saved to Disk ................................................................... 2465
25.2.5. Although the Solution Failed to Solve Completely at all Time Points. .................................. 2465
25.2.6. An Error Occurred Inside the SOLVER Module: Invalid Material Properties ........................... 2465
25.2.7. An Error Occurred While Solving Due To Insufficient Disk Space ......................................... 2467
25.2.8. An Error Occurred While Starting the Solver Module .......................................................... 2467
25.2.9. An Internal Solution Magnitude Limit Was Exceeded. ......................................................... 2468
25.2.10. An Iterative Solver Was Used for this Analysis ................................................................... 2468
25.2.11. At Least One Body Has Been Found to Have Only 1 Element ............................................ 2468
25.2.12. At Least One Spring Exists with Incorrectly Defined Nonlinear Stiffness ............................ 2469
25.2.13. Animation Does not Export Correctly .............................................................................. 2470
25.2.14. Application Not Closing as Expected ............................................................................... 2470
25.2.15. Assemblies Missing Parts ................................................................................................ 2470
25.2.16. Cannot Undo Node Move ............................................................................................... 2470
25.2.17. CATIA V5 and IGES Surface Bodies ................................................................................... 2470
25.2.18. Constraint Equations Were Not Properly Matched ............................................................ 2470
25.2.19. Element n Located in Body (and maybe other elements) Has Become Highly Distorted ..... 2471
25.2.20. Error Inertia tensor is too large ........................................................................................ 2471
25.2.21. Equivalent Creep Strain Ratio has Exceeded the Specified Limit Value .............................. 2471
25.2.22. Failed to Load Microsoft Office Application ..................................................................... 2471
25.2.23. Illogical Reaction Results ................................................................................................. 2472
25.2.24. Large Deformation Effects are Active ............................................................................... 2472
25.2.25. Missing fonts for the Docking Pane Buttons (Linux Platform Only) .................................... 2472
25.2.26. MPC equations were not built for one or more contact regions or remote boundary condi-
tions ........................................................................................................................................... 2473
25.2.27. One or More Contact Regions May Not Be In Initial Contact ............................................. 2473
25.2.28. One or more MPC or Lagrange Multiplier formulation based contact may have conflicts ... 2473
25.2.29. One or More Parts May Be Underconstrained ................................................................... 2474
25.2.30. One or More Remote Boundary Conditions is Scoped to a Large Number of Elements ...... 2475
of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates. xxiii
25.2.31. Problems Unique to Background (Asynchronous) Solutions ............................................. 2475

25.2.32. Problems Using Solution ................................................................................................. 2477
25.2.33. Proxy Server Environment Variable .................................................................................. 2477
25.2.34. Remote Points with Overlapping Geometry Selections are not Recommended within a
Condensed Part .......................................................................................................................... 2478
25.2.35. Running Norton AntiVirusTM Causes the Mechanical Application to Crash ........................ 2478
25.2.36.The Correctly Licensed Product Will Not Run .................................................................... 2478
25.2.37. The Deformation is Large Compared to the Model Bounding Box .................................... 2479
25.2.38. The Initial Time Increment May Be Too Large for This Problem .......................................... 2479
25.2.39. The Joint Probe cannot Evaluate Results .......................................................................... 2480
25.2.40. The License Manager Server Is Down ............................................................................... 2480
25.2.41. Linux Platform - Localized Operating System ................................................................... 2480
25.2.42. The Low/High Boundaries of Cyclic Symmetry ................................................................. 2481
25.2.43.The Remote Boundary Condition object is defined on the Cyclic Axis of Symmetry ........... 2481
25.2.44. The Solution Combination Folder .................................................................................... 2482
25.2.45. The Solver Engine was Unable to Converge ..................................................................... 2482
25.2.46. The Solver Has Found Conflicting DOF Constraints .......................................................... 2483
25.2.47. Problem with RSM-Mechanical Connection ..................................................................... 2484
25.2.48. Unable to Find Requested Modes .................................................................................... 2484
25.2.49.You Must Specify Joint Conditions to all Three Rotational DOFs ........................................ 2484
25.2.50. Fracture Meshing Problems ............................................................................................ 2484
25.2.51. Lustre Parallel File Systems on Linux ................................................................................ 2487
25.2.52. An Error Occurred Inside the SOLVER Module .................................................................. 2488
25.3. Recommendations .................................................................................................................... 2488
A. Glossary of General Terms .................................................................................................................... 2489
B. Data Transfer Mapping and Validation .................................................................................................. 2493
B.1. Data Transfer Mesh Mapping ....................................................................................................... 2493
B.2. Mapping Validation ..................................................................................................................... 2516
C. Workbench Mechanical Wizard Advanced Programming Topics ............................................................ 2521
C.1. Overview .................................................................................................................................... 2521
C.2. URI Address and Path Considerations .......................................................................................... 2522
C.3. Using Strings and Languages ...................................................................................................... 2523
C.4. Guidelines for Editing XML Files ................................................................................................... 2524
C.5. About the TaskML Merge Process ................................................................................................ 2524
C.6. Using the Integrated Wizard Development Kit (WDK) ................................................................... 2525
C.7. Using IFRAME Elements .............................................................................................................. 2526
C.8. TaskML Reference ....................................................................................................................... 2527
C.8.1. Overview Map of TaskML .................................................................................................... 2527
C.8.2. Document Element ............................................................................................................ 2528
C.8.2.1. simulation-wizard ...................................................................................................... 2528
C.8.3. External References ............................................................................................................ 2528
C.8.3.1. Merge ....................................................................................................................... 2528
C.8.3.2. Script ........................................................................................................................ 2529
C.8.4. Object Grouping ................................................................................................................ 2529
C.8.4.1. object-group ............................................................................................................. 2530
C.8.4.2. object-groups ........................................................................................................... 2530
C.8.4.3. object-type ............................................................................................................... 2530
C.8.5. Status Definitions ............................................................................................................... 2531
C.8.5.1. status ........................................................................................................................ 2531
C.8.5.2. statuses ..................................................................................................................... 2532
C.8.6. Language and Text ............................................................................................................. 2532
xxiv of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.
C.8.6.1. data .......................................................................................................................... 2532

C.8.6.2. language ................................................................................................................... 2533
C.8.6.3. string ........................................................................................................................ 2533
C.8.6.4. strings ....................................................................................................................... 2534
C.8.7. Tasks and Events ................................................................................................................ 2534
C.8.7.1. activate-event ........................................................................................................... 2534
C.8.7.2. task ........................................................................................................................... 2535
C.8.7.3. tasks .......................................................................................................................... 2536
C.8.7.4. update-event ............................................................................................................ 2536
C.8.8. Wizard Content .................................................................................................................. 2536
C.8.8.1. body ......................................................................................................................... 2536
C.8.8.2. group ........................................................................................................................ 2537
C.8.8.3. iframe ....................................................................................................................... 2538
C.8.8.4. taskref ....................................................................................................................... 2538
C.8.9. Rules .................................................................................................................................. 2539
C.8.9.1. Statements ................................................................................................................ 2539
C.8.9.1.1. and ................................................................................................................... 2539
C.8.9.1.2. debug .............................................................................................................. 2540
C.8.9.1.3. if then else stop ................................................................................................ 2540
C.8.9.1.4. not ................................................................................................................... 2541
C.8.9.1.5. or ..................................................................................................................... 2541
C.8.9.1.6. update .............................................................................................................. 2542
C.8.9.2. Conditions ................................................................................................................ 2542
C.8.9.2.1. assembly-geometry .......................................................................................... 2542
C.8.9.2.2. changeable-length-unit .................................................................................... 2543
C.8.9.2.3. geometry-includes-sheets ................................................................................. 2543
C.8.9.2.4. level ................................................................................................................. 2543
C.8.9.2.5. object ............................................................................................................... 2544
C.8.9.2.6. zero-thickness-sheet ......................................................................................... 2545
C.8.9.2.7. valid-emag-geometry ....................................................................................... 2545
C.8.9.2.8. enclosure-exists ................................................................................................ 2545
C.8.9.3. Actions ...................................................................................................................... 2546
C.8.9.3.1. click-button ...................................................................................................... 2546
C.8.9.3.2. display-details-callout ....................................................................................... 2547
C.8.9.3.3. display-help-topic ............................................................................................. 2547
C.8.9.3.4. display-outline-callout ...................................................................................... 2548
C.8.9.3.5. display-status-callout ........................................................................................ 2549
C.8.9.3.6. display-tab-callout ............................................................................................ 2549
C.8.9.3.7. display-task-callout ........................................................................................... 2550
C.8.9.3.8. display-toolbar-callout ...................................................................................... 2550
C.8.9.3.9. open-url ........................................................................................................... 2551
C.8.9.3.10. select-all-objects ............................................................................................. 2551
C.8.9.3.11. select-field ...................................................................................................... 2552
C.8.9.3.12. select-first-object ............................................................................................ 2553
C.8.9.3.13. select-first-parameter-field .............................................................................. 2554
C.8.9.3.14. select-first-undefined-field .............................................................................. 2555
C.8.9.3.15. select-zero-thickness-sheets ............................................................................ 2555
C.8.9.3.16. select-enclosures ............................................................................................ 2555
C.8.9.3.17. send-mail ........................................................................................................ 2556
C.8.9.3.18. set-caption ..................................................................................................... 2556
C.8.9.3.19. set-icon .......................................................................................................... 2557
of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates. xxv
C.8.9.3.20. set-status ........................................................................................................ 2557

C.8.10. Scripting .......................................................................................................................... 2558
C.8.10.1. eval ......................................................................................................................... 2558
C.9. Standard Object Groups Reference .............................................................................................. 2559
C.10. Tutorials .................................................................................................................................... 2562
C.10.1. Tutorial: Adding a Link ...................................................................................................... 2563
C.10.2. Tutorial: Creating a Custom Task ........................................................................................ 2564
C.10.3. Tutorial: Creating a Custom Wizard .................................................................................... 2566
C.10.4. Tutorial: Adding a Web Search IFRAME .............................................................................. 2567
C.10.5. Completed TaskML Files .................................................................................................... 2568
C.10.5.1. Links.xml ................................................................................................................. 2568
C.10.5.2. Insert100psi.xml ...................................................................................................... 2569
C.10.5.3. CustomWizard.xml ................................................................................................... 2570
C.10.5.4. Search.htm .............................................................................................................. 2571
C.10.5.5. CustomWizardSearch.xml ........................................................................................ 2572
C.11. Wizard Development Kit (WDK) Groups ..................................................................................... 2573
C.11.1. WDK: Tools Group ............................................................................................................. 2573
C.11.2. WDK: Commands Group ................................................................................................... 2574
C.11.3. WDK Tests: Actions ............................................................................................................ 2574
C.11.4. WDK Tests: Flags (Conditions) ............................................................................................ 2575
Index ...................................................................................................................................................... 2577
xxvi of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.
List of Figures
5.1. Variable Load Add-on Showing Loaded Status ..................................................................................... 618
5.2. Motion Load Transfer Add-on Showing Loaded Status ......................................................................... 628
5.3. Double Pendulum Model .................................................................................................................... 631
5.4. Absolute Degrees of Freedom ............................................................................................................. 632
5.5. Relative Degrees of Freedom ............................................................................................................... 633
5.6. Closed Loop Model ............................................................................................................................. 634
5.7. Generalized Velocities of a Material Point ............................................................................................. 636
5.8. Contribution of the Parent Joint to the Generalized Velocities .............................................................. 636
5.9. Flexible Bodies Kinematics .................................................................................................................. 638
5.10. Crankshaft Mechanism ...................................................................................................................... 642
5.11. Contact Between Two Convex Bodies ................................................................................................ 651
5.12. Stops on a Translational Joint ............................................................................................................ 652
5.13. One Contact Point ............................................................................................................................. 652
5.14. Two Contact Points ........................................................................................................................... 653
5.15. Cylinder/Cylinder Contact ................................................................................................................. 653
5.16. Contact Requiring One Single Point ................................................................................................... 654
5.17. 3D Solid Submodel Superimposed on Coarse Shell Model .................................................................. 840
5.18. Node rotations (a) before mapping command, (b) after mapping command ....................................... 841
5.19.Two Surfaces in Mechanical with the Correct Offset Parameter for Coupling with a Thin Surface .......... 853
9.1. Initial Geometry ................................................................................................................................ 1282
9.2. Selecting a Face for a Body-Ground Fixed Connection ........................................................................ 1283
9.3. Creating the Reference Mobile System ............................................................................................... 1284
9.4. Creating the Reference Coordinate System ........................................................................................ 1285
9.5. Creating the Mobile Coordinate System ............................................................................................. 1286
9.6. Orienting the Pendulum Axis ............................................................................................................. 1287
9.7. Oriented Coordinate Systems ............................................................................................................ 1287
9.8. Scoping the Mobile Coordinate Systems ............................................................................................ 1288
9.9. Choose an Edge to Orient the PendulumAxis Geometry ..................................................................... 1290
9.10. Assembled Geometry ...................................................................................................................... 1290
15.1. Unexpanded One Sector Model Display ........................................................................................... 1458
15.2. Expanded Full Symmetry Model Display .......................................................................................... 1458
17.1. Equivalent (von-Mises) stress ........................................................................................................... 1872
17.2. Equivalent (von-Mises) strain (elastic/plastic/equivalent plastic) ....................................................... 1872
1. Interpolating Between Different (but equivalent) Euler Angles .............................................................. 2495
2. Quaternion versus Euler Angle Interpolation ........................................................................................ 2495
3. Profile Preserving Mapping .................................................................................................................. 2495
4. Conservative Mapping ......................................................................................................................... 2496
5. Outside Nodes (Pink) with Mesh Overlay .............................................................................................. 2507
6. Maximum Distance set to 0.005 (m) ...................................................................................................... 2507
7. Mapped Nodes .................................................................................................................................... 2508
8. Imported Data using Maximum Distance for Outside Nodes ................................................................. 2508
9. Interpolating Flipped Orientations ....................................................................................................... 2509
10. Shell-Solid Submodeling with Pinball Factor = 1.0 ............................................................................... 2510
11. Shell-Solid Submodeling with Pinball Factor = 1.2 ............................................................................... 2510
12. Shell-Solid Submodeling with Shell Thickness Factor = 0.6 .................................................................. 2511
13. Shell-Solid Submodeling with Shell Thickness Factor = 1.2 .................................................................. 2511
of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates. xxvii
xxviii of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.
List of Tables
5.1. Variables On Boundary Wall Regions .................................................................................................... 845
5.2. Variables On Body System Coupling Regions ....................................................................................... 846
9.1. Comparing Contact Formulations ...................................................................................................... 1137
14.1. Variables for 2D and 3D Tables ......................................................................................................... 1399
18.1. Ansys Workbench Product Adaptivity Methods ................................................................................ 1950
18.2. Acceleration and RS Acceleration ..................................................................................................... 1971
18.3. Angle .............................................................................................................................................. 1972
18.4. Angular Acceleration ....................................................................................................................... 1972
18.5. Angular Velocity .............................................................................................................................. 1973
18.6. Area ................................................................................................................................................ 1973
18.7. Capacitance .................................................................................................................................... 1974
18.8. Charge ............................................................................................................................................ 1975
18.9. Charge Density ............................................................................................................................... 1975
18.10. Conductivity ................................................................................................................................. 1976
18.11. Current ......................................................................................................................................... 1976
18.12. Current Density ............................................................................................................................. 1977
18.13. Decay Constant ............................................................................................................................. 1977
18.14. Density ......................................................................................................................................... 1978
18.15. Displacement and RS Displacement ............................................................................................... 1978
18.16. Electric Conductance Per Unit Area ................................................................................................ 1979
18.17. Electric Conductivity ..................................................................................................................... 1980
18.18. Electric Field .................................................................................................................................. 1980
18.19. Electric Flux Density ...................................................................................................................... 1981
18.20. Electric Resistivity .......................................................................................................................... 1981
18.21. Energy .......................................................................................................................................... 1982
18.22. Energy Density by Mass ................................................................................................................. 1982
18.23. Energy Per Volume ........................................................................................................................ 1983
18.24. Film Coefficient ............................................................................................................................. 1984
18.25. Force ............................................................................................................................................. 1984
18.26. Force Intensity ............................................................................................................................... 1985
18.27. Force Per Angular Unit ................................................................................................................... 1986
18.28. Fracture Energy (Energy Release Rate) ............................................................................................ 1986
18.29. Frequency ..................................................................................................................................... 1987
18.30. Gasket Stiffness ............................................................................................................................. 1987
18.31. Heat Flux ....................................................................................................................................... 1988
18.32. Heat Generation ............................................................................................................................ 1988
18.33. Heat Rate ...................................................................................................................................... 1989
18.34. Impulse ......................................................................................................................................... 1989
18.35. Impulse Per Angular Unit ............................................................................................................... 1990
18.36. Inductance .................................................................................................................................... 1990
18.37. Inverse Angle ................................................................................................................................ 1991
18.38. Inverse Length .............................................................................................................................. 1991
18.39. Inverse Stress ................................................................................................................................ 1992
18.40. Length .......................................................................................................................................... 1992
18.41. Magnetic Field Intensity ................................................................................................................ 1993
18.42. Magnetic Flux ............................................................................................................................... 1993
18.43. Magnetic Flux Density ................................................................................................................... 1994
18.44. Mass ............................................................................................................................................. 1994
18.45. Material Impedance ...................................................................................................................... 1995
of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates. xxix
18.46. Moment ........................................................................................................................................ 1995

18.47. Moment of Inertia of Area .............................................................................................................. 1996
18.48. Moment of Inertia of Mass ............................................................................................................. 1997
18.49. Normalized Value .......................................................................................................................... 1997
18.50. Permeability .................................................................................................................................. 1998
18.51. Permittivity ................................................................................................................................... 1998
18.52. Poisson's Ratio .............................................................................................................................. 1999
18.53. Power ........................................................................................................................................... 1999
18.54. Pressure ........................................................................................................................................ 2000
18.55. PSD Acceleration ........................................................................................................................... 2001
18.56. PSD Acceleration (G) ...................................................................................................................... 2001
18.57. PSD Displacement ......................................................................................................................... 2002
18.58. PSD Force ...................................................................................................................................... 2002
18.59. PSD Moment ................................................................................................................................. 2003
18.60. PSD Pressure ................................................................................................................................. 2003
18.61. PSD Strain ..................................................................................................................................... 2004
18.62. PSD Stress ..................................................................................................................................... 2004
18.63. PSD Velocity .................................................................................................................................. 2005
18.64. Relative Permeability ..................................................................................................................... 2005
18.65. Relative Permittivity ...................................................................................................................... 2006
18.66. Rotational Damping ...................................................................................................................... 2006
18.67. Rotational Stiffness ........................................................................................................................ 2007
18.68. Seebeck Coefficient ....................................................................................................................... 2007
18.69. Section Modulus ........................................................................................................................... 2008
18.70. Shear Elastic Strain ........................................................................................................................ 2008
18.71. Shock Velocity ............................................................................................................................... 2009
18.72. Specific Heat ................................................................................................................................. 2009
18.73. Specific Weight ............................................................................................................................. 2010
18.74. Square Root of Length ................................................................................................................... 2011
18.75. Stiffness ........................................................................................................................................ 2011
18.76. Strain and RS Strain ....................................................................................................................... 2012
18.77. Strength ........................................................................................................................................ 2013
18.78. Stress and RS Stress ....................................................................................................................... 2013
18.79. Stress Intensity Factor .................................................................................................................... 2014
18.80. Thermal Capacitance ..................................................................................................................... 2015
18.81. Thermal Conductance - 3D Face and 2D Edge ................................................................................ 2015
18.82. Thermal Conductance - 3D Edges and Vertices ............................................................................... 2015
18.83. Thermal Expansion ........................................................................................................................ 2016
18.84. Temperature ................................................................................................................................. 2016
18.85. Temperature Difference ................................................................................................................. 2017
18.86. Temperature Gradient ................................................................................................................... 2018
18.87. Time ............................................................................................................................................. 2018
18.88.Translational Damping ................................................................................................................... 2019
18.89. Velocity and RS Velocity ................................................................................................................. 2019
18.90. Voltage ......................................................................................................................................... 2020
18.91. Volume ......................................................................................................................................... 2020
1. Element Information ............................................................................................................................ 2529
3. Attributes ............................................................................................................................................ 2535
xxx of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.
Overview
Ansys Mechanical is a Workbench application that can perform a variety of engineering simulations,
including stress, thermal, vibration, thermo-electric, and magnetostatic simulations.
A typical simulation consists of setting up the model and the loads applied to it, solving for the model's
response to the loads, then examining the details of the response with a variety of tools.
Mechanical has "objects" arranged in a tree structure that guide you through the different steps of a
simulation. By expanding the objects, you expose the details associated with the object, and you can
use the corresponding tools and specification tables to perform that part of the simulation. Objects are
used, for example, to define environmental conditions such as contact surfaces and loadings, and to
define the types of results you want to have available for review.
The following Help topics describe in detail how to use Mechanical to set up and run a simulation:
• Application Interface (p. 37)
• Steps for Using the Application (p. 327)
• Analysis Types (p. 363)
• Specifying Geometry (p. 875)
• Setting Up Coordinate Systems (p. 1095)
• Setting Connections (p. 1111)
• Configuring Analysis Settings (p. 1501)
• Setting Up Boundary Conditions (p. 1585)
• Using Results (p. 2023)
• Understanding Solving (p. 1893)
• Commands Objects (p. 2407)
• Setting Parameters (p. 2441)
After you become comfortable using Mechanical, you might want to write scripts that automate your
routine tasks. Eventually, you might even want to create extensions that customize and automate
Mechanical itself. You can accomplish all of this using Ansys ACT and its powerful API (Application
Programming Interface).
• For an introduction to writing scripts and information on using the ACT API to access and ma-
nipulate objects in the Mechanical tree, see the Scripting in Mechanical Guide.
• For descriptions of all ACT API objects, methods, and properties, see the ACT API Reference Guide.
• For information on how to use ACT to create apps (extensions) that customize and automate
Ansys products, see the ACT Developer's Guide.
of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates. xxxi
Overview
• For ACT usage, customization, and automation information specific to Mechanical, see the ACT
Customization Guide for Mechanical.
xxxii of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.
Chapter 1:The Ansys Product Improvement Program
This product is covered by the Ansys Product Improvement Program, which enables Ansys, Inc., to collect
and analyze anonymous usage data reported by our software without affecting your work or product
performance. Analyzing product usage data helps us to understand customer usage trends and patterns,
interests, and quality or performance issues. The data enable us to develop or enhance product features
that better address your needs.
How to Participate
The program is voluntary. To participate, select Yes when the Product Improvement Program dialog
appears. Only then will collection of data for this product begin.
How the Program Works

After you agree to participate, the product collects anonymous usage data during each session. When
you end the session, the collected data is sent to a secure server accessible only to authorized Ansys
employees. After Ansys receives the data, various statistical measures such as distributions, counts,
means, medians, modes, etc., are used to understand and analyze the data.
Data We Collect
The data we collect under the Ansys Product Improvement Program are limited. The types and amounts
of collected data vary from product to product. Typically, the data fall into the categories listed here:
Hardware: Information about the hardware on which the product is running, such as the:
• brand and type of CPU
• number of processors available
• amount of memory available
• brand and type of graphics card
System: Configuration information about the system the product is running on, such as the:
• operating system and version
• country code
• time zone
• language used
• values of environment variables used by the product
of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates. 33
The Ansys Product Improvement Program
Session: Characteristics of the session, such as the:
• interactive or batch setting
• time duration
• total CPU time used
• product license and license settings being used
• product version and build identifiers
• command line options used
• number of processors used
• amount of memory used
• errors and warnings issued
Session Actions: Counts of certain user actions during a session, such as the number of:
• project saves
• restarts
• meshing, solving, postprocessing, etc., actions
• times the Help system is used
• times wizards are used
• toolbar selections
Model: Statistics of the model used in the simulation, such as the:
• number and types of entities used, such as nodes, elements, cells, surfaces, primitives, etc.
• number of material types, loading types, boundary conditions, species, etc.
• number and types of coordinate systems used
• system of units used
• dimensionality (1-D, 2-D, 3-D)
Analysis: Characteristics of the analysis, such as the:
• physics types used
• linear and nonlinear behaviors
• time and frequency domains (static, steady-state, transient, modal, harmonic, etc.)
• analysis options used
34 of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.
Solution: Characteristics of the solution performed, including:
• the choice of solvers and solver options
• the solution controls used, such as convergence criteria, precision settings, and tuning options
• solver statistics such as the number of equations, number of load steps, number of design points,
etc.
Specialty: Special options or features used, such as:
• user-provided plug-ins and routines
• coupling of analyses with other Ansys products
Data We Do Not Collect

The Product Improvement Program does not collect any information that can identify you personally,
your company, or your intellectual property. This includes, but is not limited to:
• names, addresses, or usernames
• file names, part names, or other user-supplied labels
• geometry- or design-specific inputs, such as coordinate values or locations, thicknesses, or other

dimensional values
• actual values of material properties, loadings, or any other real-valued user-supplied data
In addition to collecting only anonymous data, we make no record of where we collect data from. We
therefore cannot associate collected data with any specific customer, company, or location.
Opting Out of the Program

You may stop your participation in the program any time you wish. To do so, select Ansys Product
Improvement Program from the Help menu. A dialog appears and asks if you want to continue parti-
cipating in the program. Select No and then click OK. Data will no longer be collected or sent.
The Ansys, Inc., Privacy Policy

All Ansys products are covered by the Ansys, Inc., Privacy Policy.
Frequently Asked Questions

1. Am I required to participate in this program?
No, your participation is voluntary. We encourage you to participate, however, as it helps us create
products that will better meet your future needs.
2. Am I automatically enrolled in this program?
No. You are not enrolled unless you explicitly agree to participate.
The Ansys Product Improvement Program
3. Does participating in this program put my intellectual property at risk of being collected or discovered
by Ansys?
No. We do not collect any project-specific, company-specific, or model-specific information.
4. Can I stop participating even after I agree to participate?
Yes, you can stop participating at any time. To do so, select Ansys Product Improvement Program
from the Help menu. A dialog appears and asks if you want to continue participating in the program.
Select No and then click OK. Data will no longer be collected or sent.
5. Will participation in the program slow the performance of the product?
No, the data collection does not affect the product performance in any significant way. The amount
of data collected is very small.
6. How frequently is data collected and sent to Ansys servers?
The data is collected during each use session of the product. The collected data is sent to a secure
server once per session, when you exit the product.
7. Is this program available in all Ansys products?
Not at this time, although we are adding it to more of our products at each release. The program
is available in a product only if this Ansys Product Improvement Program description appears in the
product documentation, as it does here for this product.
8. If I enroll in the program for this product, am I automatically enrolled in the program for the other Ansys
products I use on the same machine?
Yes. Your enrollment choice applies to all Ansys products you use on the same machine. Similarly,
if you end your enrollment in the program for one product, you end your enrollment for all Ansys
products on that machine.
9. How is enrollment in the Product Improvement Program determined if I use Ansys products in a cluster?
In a cluster configuration, the Product Improvement Program enrollment is determined by the host
machine setting.
10. Can I easily opt out of the Product Improvement Program for all clients in my network installation?
Yes. Perform the following steps on the file server:
a. Navigate to the installation directory: [Drive:]\v242\commonfiles\globalsettings
b. Open the file ANSYSProductImprovementProgram.txt.
c. Change the value from "on" to "off" and save the file.
Chapter 2: Application Interface
This section describes the elements of the Mechanical interface, their purpose and conditions, as well
as the methods for their use.
The following topics are covered in this section:

2.1. Interface Overview
2.2. Ribbon
2.3. Graphics Toolbar
2.4. Outline
2.5. Details Pane
2.6. Geometry Window
2.7. Status Bar
2.8. Quick Launch
2.9. Help Menu
2.10. Color Theme
2.11. Ribbon Customization Options
2.12. Scoping Recovery following Geometry Update
2.13. Creating User-Defined Buttons
2.14. Windows Management
2.15. Preference Migration
2.16. Resource Prediction
2.17. Print Preview
2.18. Report Preview
2.19. Full Screen Mode
2.20. Contextual Windows
2.21. Group Tree Objects
2.22. Interface Behavior Based on License Levels
2.23. Environment Filtering
2.24. Using Macros
2.25. Setting Variables
2.26. Data Export
2.27. Keyframe Animation
2.28. Graphical Selection and Display
2.29. Hotkeys and Keyboard Shortcuts
2.30. Wizards
Application Interface
2.1. Interface Overview

The Ansys Mechanical application user interface is illustrated below.
The primary interface elements include:
• Ribbon (p. 38)
• Graphics Toolbar (p. 100)
• Outline (p. 108)
• Details View (p. 122)
• Geometry Window (p. 132)
• Status Bar (p. 138)
• Quick Launch (p. 142)
• Help (p. 144)
2.2. Ribbon
The ribbon provides easy-to-use option toolbars organized by Tabs. By grouping similar commands
together, you will work faster and more efficiently.
Ribbon
Ribbon Structure
The ribbon is organized by Tabs (Home, Display, Selection, Automation, etc.). Within each Tab, Options
(command buttons) are organized into Groups (Outline, Solve, etc.) by functionality. This reduces your
search time when looking for specific commands. Additionally, a Context tab appears based on your
currently selected object with options specific to the selected object.
Review the following sections for additional information about each tab:
• File Tab (p. 39)
• Home Tab (p. 42)
• Context Tabs (p. 49)
• Display Tab (p. 81)
• Selection Tab (p. 91)
• Automation Tab (p. 97)
• Add-ons Tab
• Learning and Support Tab (p. 98)
2.2.1. File Tab

The File tab contains a variety of options for managing your project, defining author and project in-
formation, saving your project, and launching features that enable you to make changes to default
application settings, integrating associated applications, and/or setting up how you want your simu-
lation to operate.
Option Description
Info Includes entry fields for project description and ownership (Project), a
summary of the details of the project (Model Summary), as well as a history
of when the project was saved (Save History). Also see the Project object
Option Description
reference section. This information can also be defined in the Details view
of the Project object.
Note:
When you import a mesh file, the option Import Summary

becomes available in the Model Summary content. When
you select this option, the application goes to the Import
Summary object in the Outline. That object presents
upstream source file data.
What's New Displays an illustrated review of the release's new features and capabilities.
This display is also available from the Help (p. 144) drop-down menu option
on the title bar.
Home[a] Go to the Home page. This page displays recently opened projects as well
as an option to open a new project.
New[a] Begin a new session of Mechanical.
Open[a] Open an existing project.
Save[a]/Save Saves your project.

Project
Save Project Saves the current project under a different name and/or location. You are
[a] prompted to specify the name and location for the file.
As /Save
Project As
Archive[a]/Archive Generates a single archive file that contains project files. During the archive
Project process, the application prompts you with the following dialog to make
optional selections.
Ribbon
Option Description
These options enable you to control whether the archive includes certain
data. This can be helpful if you have file size concerns. Supported file types
include Mechanical (.mechpz), Workbench Project Archive (.wbpz) or Zip
(.zip/.tar.gz). You can also perform this action in Workbench. See the
Archiving Projects section for more information.
Save Enables you to save the current Mechanical session without having to save
Database the entire project. However, you must save the project when you exit the
application to properly save your changes.
Refresh All Updates the geometry, materials, and any imported loads that are in the tree.
Data
Clear Clears all results and meshing data from the database depending on the
Generated object selected in the tree. This option is available via the right-click context
Data menu on many objects.
Import Available when you open Mechanical without a geometry or mesh. Selecting
Import displays two additional options: Geometry and Mesh (External
Model) (p. 944). These options enable you to import a geometry or a mesh
file. Select Geometry or Mesh (External Model) and then select from the
Recent list or select Browse to open a file. Using the Mesh (External Model)
option automatically inserts and links a corresponding system to the
appropriate cells (Engineering Data and Model) of the existing system.
Note:
Linux platform does not support the:
• Import option.
• Link between the External Model system and the Engin-

eering Data cell.
Export Exports your project. You can export a .mechdat file (when running the
Mechanical application) that later can be imported into a new Workbench
project. Note that only the data native to the Mechanical application is saved
to the .mechdat file. External files (such as solver files) will not be exported.
You can also export the mesh for input to any of the following: Fluent (.msh),
Polyflow (.poly), CGNS (.cgns), and ICEM CFD (.prj).
Addins Launches the Addins dialog that enables you to load/unload third-party
add-ins that are specifically designed for integration within the Workbench
environment.
Options Opens the Options (p. 293) dialog. This dialog enables you to customize the
application and to control the behavior of Mechanical application functions.
This option is also available on the title bar of the application, beside the
Quick Launch feature.
Solve Process Displays the Solve Process Settings (p. 1906) dialog to configure your solution
Settings process.
Option Description
Variable Opens the Variable Manager (p. 211) dialog. This dialog enables you to enter
Manager an application variables that can override default settings.
Licensing Displays the License Options pane. This pane displays a list of all the licenses
available to you as a user. Mechanical uses the first relevant license in the
list. You can change the order using the Up/Down and Save options. You
can also use the Disable option to exclude a potential license from your
current and future Mechanical sessions.
The application checks out a license for a session based on these preferences.
For any subsequent license requests, the application refers to the preferences
to fulfill the request. If any other license is available, individual or shared, the
application uses that license.
As indicated by a displayed message, it is necessary to close and reopen

Mechanical for licensing changes to take effect.
Shared Licenses
Workbench controls shared licenses. Using shared licensing, the active

application holds the license, preventing other applications that are sharing
that license from using it during that time. The application or operation
requiring use of the license is called a concurrency event. For example,
meshing and solving would each be a concurrency event. Single license
sharing applies only to licenses of the same type (for example, Mechanical
Enterprise).
If a license is not available/checked out when you open Mechanical, the

application automatically opens in Read-Only Configuration mode (as
displayed on the Status (p. 138) bar). Under the License Options, the Activate
License button displays. This option is only available when no license is
checked out and the application is in Read-Only Configuration mode. From
the License Options pane select a license and click the activate button. This
removes the application from read-only mode.
Review the material in the Ansys Workbench Licensing Methods section of

the Workbench User's Guide for additional information.
Close Exits your current Mechanical session.
Mechanical
[a] Mechanical opened independently.
2.2.2. Home Tab

The Home tab displays by default when you open the application.
This tab contains the following Groups.
Ribbon
• Outline (p. 43)
• Solve (p. 43)
• Insert (p. 44)
• Tools (p. 47)
• Layout (p. 48)
Outline
The Outline group provides options that enable you to make basic changes to Outline pane objects.
Options for this group include:
Option Description
Duplicate and Duplicates a selected Outline object. This option is only available if an object
Duplicate supports being duplicated. A drop-down menu is also available from this option.
Without Results Once you have solved your analysis, the additional option Duplicate Without
Results becomes available in the drop-down. This option is only available when
you select a result object. It duplicates your selected result object, including all
subordinate objects. This is a faster option than duplicating a result that includes
result data.
Cut/Copy/Paste Cuts, copies, or pastes Outline objects.
Delete Deletes a selected Outline object.
Find Displays the Find in Tree (p. 122) dialog that enables you to search Outline objects,
such as the name of an object or objects or a string of characters that are included
in the name of objects.
Tree Displays a drop-down menu of the following options:
• Expand All: Expands all Outline objects
• Collapse All: Collapses all Outline objects
• Collapse Environments: Collapses only the Environment objects.
Solve
The Solve group provides options that enable you to specify some basic solution configurations and
to solve your analysis.
Option Description
My Computer / Provides a drop-down menu to specify your desired selection only.
My Computer,
Background
Distributed Selected by default, this option enables and disables the ability for a distributed
solution.
Cores Specify the number of cores to use during the solution. The default is value is 4.
Entering 0 does not send any request to the Mechanical APDL solver related to
the number of cores to use. For shared-memory solutions, if you specify a number
greater than the number of cores in the node, the highest available number of
cores is used.
Solve Displays a drop-down menu for My Computer and My Computer, Background
solution selections. Initiates the solution when selected.
Resource Predic- Opens a window that enables you to select an available analysis and then generate
tion (p. 162) an estimate of the computing resources needed to perform a solution for the
environment.
Solve Process
Settings (p. 1906)
Launches the Solve Process Settings (p. 1906) dialog. This dialog enables you to
configure solution settings.
Note:
The Solve drop-down menu and dialog options are also available on a number of Context
tabs (Environment, Solution, etc.).
Insert
The Insert group provides a variety of regularly used options.
Ribbon
Option Description
Analysis Displays a drop-down menu of standalone analysis selections to add to your
existing model. A corresponding analysis system, with the appropriate connections,
is also included in the Project Schematic. The new analysis shares the Engineering
Data, Geometry, and Model cells with the other analysis systems under the
model.
Named Selection For a supported parent object, inserts a Named Selection, and parent folder as
needed, into the Outline.
Coordinate Sys- This option is available when the Coordinate Systems object is selected. It inserts
tem a new Coordinate System object.
Remote Point This option is available when the Model object is selected. It inserts a new Remote
Point object and parent folder as needed.
Commands For a supported parent object, inserts and specifies a new Commands object.
Comment For a supported parent object, inserts and specifies a new Comment object.
Chart Inserts and specifies a new Chart object.
Images Displays a drop-down menu of the following options:
• Figure: Captures the current Geometry window content and places it

under the currently selected object. You can manipulate Figure objects
in the Geometry window as well as use other options on the object, such
as adding an Annotation.
• Image: Captures a two-dimensional screen shot of the Geometry window

content and places it under the currently selected object.
• Image from File: Imports an existing image and places it under the
currently selected object.
• Image Plane from File: Imports an image into Mechanical and places it
on or around your model based on the XY-plane of the selected coordinate
system. This option is used primarily with the Construction Line (p. 923)
feature to overlay and accurately sketch one or more line segments.
However, it has many applications. For example, you can place logos on
your model, specify a background, set up physical rulers to help measure
deformations, incorporate image planes into custom ACT extensions, etc.
• Image to File: Saves an image of the active viewport of the Geometry

window. When you select this option a dialog displays, as illustrated below.
By default, the option Current Graphics Display is active. With this option
selected, the application captures the content of the Geometry window
using the application default settings. In order to make any changes on
the dialog, you must first deselect the Current Graphics Display option.
The expanded dialog, illustrated below, provides graphical resolution and
image capture options that you can modify. If you change the settings,
the application saves your selections for future use of the feature. In
addition, the dialog includes the Append Graph option that enables you
to add a graph of the Graph window data in the lower left-hand corner
of the image.
Option Description
Deselecting the Show Preference Dialog instructs the application to not

show the above dialog and immediately display the Save As window.
Supported file formats for this feature include: PNG (.png), JPEG (.jpg), and
BMP (.bmp).
Note:
You can change the default settings for these options using the
properties of the Image Export (p. ?) group of the Graphics
category of the Options (p. 293) dialog.
• Composite Image to File: This option is available when you have specified
more than one viewport (p. 247). This option acts the same as the Image
to File option. It includes the same options as the above dialog, with
additional options that are specific to saving viewport images, including
the options Interior Borders and Exterior Borders under the Multiview-
port Screenshot Settings title, as illustrated below. These options enable
you to add borders around and in-between the viewports you capture.
Ribbon
Option Description
• Image to Clipboard: Copies Geometry window content to the clipboard.

The image may then be pasted into different applications. This feature is
for the Windows platform only.
Section Plane Displays the Section Planes window to specify a section cut-through on your
model in order to view a cross section of your geometry, mesh, or of a result. See
the Creating Section Planes (p. 257) section for additional information about this
feature.
Annotation Adds a text comment to a particular spot of your model. See the Graphics
Annotations Window (p. 196) section for additional information about this feature.
Tools
The Tools group provides a variety of display-based options.
Option Description
Units Displays the Unit Systems drop-down menu. Modify unit system as desired.
Note:
The Celsius and Kelvin settings are not available if you select
either of the U.S. Customary settings.
For a supported objects, displays (or hides) the Worksheet (p. 186) window.
Keyframe Anima- Displays the Keyframe Animation (p. 218) window.
tion
Tags Displays the Tags window to apply meaningful labels to objects that can then
be filtered. See the Tagging Objects (p. 2453) section for additional information
about this feature.
Wizard Activates the Mechanical Wizard (p. 284). This feature helps you construct your
simulation.
Show Errors Displays error messages, in the Messages window, for invalid Outline pane
objects. Once you correct an invalid object, selecting this option removes the
error message from the window.
Note:
Even though the application does not check for solution and mesh
related errors with this feature, selecting the option may also clear
those errors from the Messages window.
Manage Views Displays the Manage Views (p. 254) window. This feature enables you to save a
graphical view of your model.
Selection Informa- Displays the Selection Information (p. 175) window.
tion
Unit Converter Displays a Unit Conversion tool. It is a built-in conversion calculator that enables
you to perform conversions between consistent unit systems (p. 1969). The Units
menu sets the active unit system. The status bar shows the current unit system.
The units listed in the tool and in the Details pane are in the proper form (include
no parenthesis).
Print Preview Displays a printable image of the currently selected object. See the Print Pre-
view (p. 168) section for more information about this feature.
Report Preview Displays your analysis in the Report Preview view. See the Report Preview (p. 169)
section for more information about this feature.
Key Assignments Displays a dialog that lists all available hotkey and hotkey combinations that
enable you to quickly perform certain actions. See the Key Assignments (p. 277)
section for more information.
Layout
The Layout group provides options to manage the display of the interface.
Ribbon
Option Description
Full Screen Activates a full screen display (p. 173). This display can also be turned on and off
using the F11 key.
Manage Provides a drop-down menu of interface display selections.
User Defined Displays a drop-down menu of the following options:
• Store Layout: Saves an interface layout that you have created. For example,
you may like to size the interface windows in a specific way or you like to
display certain interface windows, such as Section Planes, or you may wish
to hide certain interface windows. Once you have designed/configured an
interface layout, you select the Store Layout option and then enter a name
for the layout. This name then displays in the drop-down menu enabling
you to select it and any time.
• Remove Layout: Becomes available once you have saved a layout. Selecting
this option displays a small dialog that you use to delete existing layouts.
Reset Layout Restores the interface layout to the default setting.
2.2.3. Context Tabs

The ribbon contains a Context tab for most objects. The Context tabs provides relevant options based
on the selected object. Primary Context tabs include:
• Model Context Tab (p. 50)
• Geometry Imports (p. 57)
• Geometry Context Tab (p. 58)
• Materials Context Tab (p. 59)
• Tables Context Tab (p. 60)
• Body Merge Context Tab (p. 60)
• Cross Section Context Tab (p. 60)
• Coordinate Systems Context Tab (p. 61)
• Connections Context Tab (p. 52)
• Mesh Context Tab (p. 61)
• Environment Context Tab (p. 64)
• Environment Context Tab Display Group for Variable Data (p. 64)
• Solution Context Tab (p. 65)
• Solution Information Tab (p. 65)
• Result Context Tab (p. 65)
Model Context Tab
The Model Context tab becomes active when the Model object is selected in the Outline. The
Model Context tab contains options for creating objects related to the model, as described below.
Option Description
Import Geo- The import option for geometry is labeled Import Geometry if no primary
metry/Reload geometry has been imported and Reload if a geometry has been imported.
Therefore, the Reload option imports secondary geometries into your analysis.
See the Geometry Imports (p. 57) description below.
Part Transform Inserts a Geometry Transforms folder object that houses all of the part
transformations (p. 1052) (via Part Transform objects) that you create.
Create Table Inserts a Table object plus a Tables folder that houses all of the tables you create.
This icon has two menu options:
• Table: Adds a table and allows you to manually define its variables and
enter numeric data.
• Table from File: Creates a table by loading a numeric data file.
See Using Tables (p. 1397) for details.

Body Merge Inserts a body merge object that combines multiple solid bodies into a single
body. The selected bodies must share at least one face. See Body Merge (p. 929)
for details.
Connections Becomes available only if a Connections object is not already included in the
Outline (such as a model that is not an assembly), and you wish to create a
connections object. See the Connections Context Tab (p. 52) topic below.
Connection objects include contact regions, joints, and springs.
You can transfer structural loads and heat flows across the contact boundaries
and "connect" the various parts. See the Contact (p. 1111) section for details.
A joint typically serves as a junction where bodies are joined together. Joint
types are characterized by their rotational and translational degrees of
freedom as being fixed or free. See the Joints (p. 1202) section for details.
Ribbon
Option Description
You can define a spring (longitudinal or torsional) to connect two bodies
together or to connect a body to ground. See the Springs (p. 1306) section for
details.
Cross Sections Inserts a desired cross section type.
Virtual Topology You can use the Virtual Topology option to reduce the number of elements in
a model by merging faces and lines. This is particularly helpful when small faces
and lines are involved. The merging will affect meshing and selection for loads
and supports. See Virtual Topology Context Tab (p. 53) below as well as the Virtual
Topology Overview (p. 354) section for additional details.
Construction See the Specifying Construction Geometry (p. 911) section for additional details.
Geometry
Boundary Condi- Define boundary conditions to be used across multiple analysis systems included
tions in your simulation. See the Specifying Model-Level Boundary Conditions (p. 1395)
Condensed Geo- Inserts a Condensed Geometry object. See the Condensed Geometry Context
metry Tab (p. 54) topic below as well as the Substructure Analysis (p. 802) section for
additional information.
Fracture Inserts a Fracture object. See the Fracture Context Tab (p. 54) topic below as
well as the Performing a Fracture Analysis (p. 410) section for additional information.
AM Process Inserts an AM Process object. By default, it is inserted along with the child object
Build Settings. You use this object when you are performing an additive
manufacturing simulation. Also see the AM Process Context Tab (p. 55) topic
below.
Measures Inserts a Measures object. See the Measures Context Tab (p. 55) topic below.
Mesh Workflows Inserts a Mesh Workflows object. Also, see the Mesh Workflows Context (p. 55)
topic below.
Mesh Edit Inserts a Mesh Edit object. Also see the Mesh Edit Context (p. 56) topic below.
Mesh Numbering Enables you to renumber the node and element numbers of a generated meshed
model consisting of flexible parts. See the Specifying Mesh Numbering (p. 1332)
section for details.
Solution Combina- Combines multiple environments and solutions to form a new solution. A solution
tion combination folder can be used to linearly combine the results from an arbitrary
number of load cases (environments). Note that the analysis environments must
be static structural with no solution convergence. Results such as stress, elastic
strain, displacement, contact, and fatigue may be requested. To add a load case
to the solution combination folder, right-click the worksheet view of the solution
combination folder, choose add, and then select the scale factor and the
environment name. An environment may be added more than once and its effects
will be cumulative. You may suppress the effect of a load case by using the check
box in the worksheet view or by deleting it through a right-click. For more
information, see Solution Combination (p. 2391).
Fatigue Combina- Inserts a Fatigue Combination object. When you are running an analysis that
tion includes multiple systems that each include a Fatigue Tool object, the Fatigue
Combination feature enables you to sum (generate a sum total of ) the Damage
Option Description
results for all of the linked systems. This option only supports all analysis types
that support the use of the Fatigue Tool.
Ply When you select a ply object, the Ply group displays and contains the Direction
drop-down menu. The options of the menu enable you to graphically display ply
and element directions for imported ply structures.
• Fiber: Ply Fiber Direction.
• Transverse: Ply Transverse Direction.
• Normal: Ply Normal Direction.
• Element Reference: Element Reference Direction.
• Element Normal: Element Normal Direction.
Symmetry Context Tab
Based on your analysis type, the Symmetry (p. 1435) Context tab includes options to insert Symmetry
Region (including Linear Periodic), Periodic Region, Cyclic Region, Pre-Meshed Cyclic Region,
Stage, and General Axisymmetric objects.
Connections Context Tab
The Connections Context tab includes the following options and functions:
Option Description
Connection Inserts a Connection Group (p. 1116) object.
Group
Spring Inserts a Spring (p. 1306) object, either Body-Ground or Body-Body
Beam Inserts a Beam object, either Body-Ground or Body-Body.
Bearing Inserts a Bearing (p. 1324) object, either Body-Ground or Body-Body.
Spot Weld Inserts a Spot Weld (p. 1318) object.
Ribbon
Option Description
Interstage Inserts an Interstage object..
End Release Inserts an End Release (p. 1320) object.
Body Interactions See the Body Interactions in Explicit Dynamics Analyses section for additional
information.
AM Bond Inserts an AM Bond object.
Contact Inserts a specific type of Contact Region (p. 1147).
Contact Tool Inserts a Contact Tool (p. 2184) object.
Solution Informa- Insert a Solution Information (p. 1927) object.
tion
Body-Ground Enables you to insert and specify a certain type of Body-to-Ground Joint (p. 1208)
object.
Body-Body Enables you to insert and specify a certain type of Body-to-Body Joint (p. 1208)
object.
Configure, Set, Graphically configure the initial positioning of a joint. See the Example: Configuring
and Revert Joints (p. 1291) example. The Assemble option performs the assembly of the model,
options and Delta finding the closest part configuration that satisfies all the joints.
field
Important:
When a model contains a Point On Curve (p. 1222) joint, the Con-
figure and Assemble options (p. 53) are disabled for all the joints.
This is also the case for a redundancy analysis that includes a
Point On Curve joint.
Body Views Toggles the display of parts and connections in separate auxiliary windows for
contact regions, beams, bearings, joints, and spring connections.
Sync Views When the Body Views option is selected, you can select this option synchronize
the movements of your model in the Geometry window with the views of the
auxiliary windows. and vice versa.
Virtual Topology Context Tab
The Virtual Topology Context tab includes the following options:
Option Description
Merge Cells Creates Virtual Cell objects you can use to group faces or edges.
Option Description
Split Edge at + Create Virtual Split Edge objects that enable you to split an edge to create two
and Split Edge virtual edges.
Split Face at Creates Virtual Split Face objects to split a face along two vertices to create 1 to
Vertices N virtual faces. The selected vertices must be located on the face that you want
to split.
Hard Vertex at + Creates Virtual Hard Vertex objects to define a hard point according to your cursor
location on a face, and then use that hard point in a split face operation.
Previous Enable you to cycle through virtual topology entities in the sequence in which
VT/Next VT they were created. If any virtual topologies are deleted or merged, the sequence
is adjusted automatically. See Cycling Through Virtual Entities in the Geometry
Window.
Edit Edits virtual topology entities.
Delete Deletes selected virtual topology entities, along with any dependents if applicable.
Condensed Geometry Context Tab
The Condensed Geometry Context tab enables you to apply the objects associated with substructur-
ing (p. 802), including the Condensed Part object, Imported Condensed Part, as well as a Solution In-
formation (p. 1927) object.
Fracture Context Tab
The Fracture Context tab enables you to insert the objects associated with a Fracture Analysis (p. 410),
including different Crack (p. 427) types, Crack Initiation (p. 470), SMART Crack Growth (p. 471), as well
as progressive failure features (p. 481) in the form of Interface Delamination and Contact Debonding
objects.
Ribbon
AM Process Context Tab
This tab displays when you insert an AM Process object into the Outline.
Measures Context Tab
This tab displays when you insert a Measures object into the Outline. You use the this object to insert
User Defined Criteria (p. 2345).
Mesh Workflows Context Tab
The Mesh Workflows Context tab helps you to:
• Generate workflows from predefined steps that can be customized
• Initialize, import, execute, and export the workflows
• Visualize the workflow properties using the worksheet
The Mesh Workflows Context tab includes the following options:
Option Description
Generate Mesh Generate mesh workflows.
Workflows
Option Description
Initialize Work- Initialize mesh workflow, transferring selected input geometry to the mesh workflow
flow operations. Named Selections scoped to the input geometry translate into
corresponding Labels after initializing the workflow.
Import Work- Import workflow steps from a .emx file. Import workflow is available after deleting
flow steps and clearing data from the current workflow.
Execute Step Initialize the workflow and execute the next step of the specified mesh workflow.
Execute All Initialize the workflow and execute all steps of the specified mesh workflow.
Steps
Export Work- Export the workflow steps as a template to a .emx file.
flows
Complete Work- Complete the workflow by transferring generated data back to new mechanical
flow geometry parts along with the corresponding part meshes. You cannot edit the
specified mesh workflow type after completing the workflow.
Worksheet Provides a view of the published mesh workflow operations, controls, and its
properties.
Mesh Edit Context Tab
The Mesh Edit Context tab enables you to modify and create Mesh Connection objects that enable
you to join the meshes of topologically disconnected surface bodies and also move individual nodes
on the mesh. The Mesh edit Context tab includes the following options:
Option Description
Mesh Connection Inserts a Mesh Connection Group folder object.
Group
Manual Mesh Inserts a Mesh Connection Group folder that includes a Mesh Connection object.
Connection
Contact Match Inserts a Contact Match Group folder object.
Group
Contact Match Inserts a Contact Match folder object.
Node Merge Inserts a Node Merge Group folder object.
Group
Node Merge Selects geometries and merge coincident mesh nodes.
Node Move Selects and move individual nodes on the mesh. Requires mesh generation.
Pull Creates a mesh volume extrusion.
Body Views Only visible when Mesh Connection object selected. Toggle button to display
parts in separate auxiliary windows.
Ribbon
Option Description
Sync Views Only visible when Mesh Connection object selected. Toggle button that you can
use when the Body Views button is engaged. Any change to the model in the
Geometry window is reflected in both auxiliary windows.
Geometry Imports
The options of the Geometry Imports Context tab will be determined by how you open Mechanical
and whether you have imported geometry.
Mechanical Opened Independently
The following Context tab displays when you open Mechanical independently, enabling you to
open geometry or an external model file.
Both options include drop-down menus that provide a From File option to import files from a
file location as well as a list of recently imported files that you can choose from.
Mechanical Opened from Workbench
As illustrated, if you have not imported a geometry, the option Import Geometry enables you
to do so. The Add Geometry Import option imports secondary geometries into your analysis. All
options include drop-down menus that provide a From File option to import models from a file
location as well as a list of recently imported geometries that you can choose from.
Similarly, when you select a child object (Geometry Import primary/secondary), the options of
the primary object depend upon whether you have imported a geometry. For the secondary object,
you use the Reload option to change your geometry. Or you can use the Delete option to remove
the geometry from your analysis.
Geometry Context Tab
The Geometry context tab is active when you select the Geometry object in the Outline or any child
objects (part/body) of the Geometry object. The tab includes the following options:
Option Description
Modify Geometry For electronic computer-aided design (ECAD) models, displays the ECAD
(not illustrated) Import (p. 709) pane.
Point Specifies a Point Mass (p. 937).
Distributed Specifies a Distributed Mass (p. 939).
Transform Part Becomes visible when you have a Part or Body selected. For the selected Part or
Body, this option automatically scopes the geometry to a Part Transformation
object.
Body Merge (not Becomes visible when you have a Part or Body selected. Combines the selected
illustrated) solid bodies into a single body. The bodies must share at least one face. See Body
Merge (p. 929) for details.
Delete Part(s) (not Becomes visible when you have a Part or Body selected, enabling you to delete
illustrated) the selected part or body. Multiple part or body selection is supported.
Surface Coating Specifies a Surface Coating (p. 2111).
Element Orienta- Specifies Element Orientations (p. 1046).
tion
Imported Element Available when you open Mechanical independently. Inserts an Imported Element
Orientation Orientation folder object, an associated Element Orientation object, and displays
the External Data dialog. Use this dialog to specify the desired external file(s) to
import.
Thickness For surface bodies, enables you to add a Thickness object.
Imported Thick- Available when you open Mechanical independently. Inserts an Imported Thick-
ness ness folder object, an associated Imported Thickness object, and displays the
External Data dialog. Use this dialog to specify the desired external file(s) to
import.
Ribbon
Option Description
Layered Section For surface bodies, enables you to add a Layered Section (p. 896) object to define
layers applied to surfaces.
Imported Fields Context Tab
If the Geometry object includes an imported object, such as Imported Thickness or Imported Element
Orientation, an Imported Fields Context menu displays when you select the imported object.
Materials Context Tab
The Materials context tab is active when you select the Materials, Material Assignment (p. 1071),
Material Plot (p. 1087), or Material Combination objects. Use this tab to employ the features related
to the Materials object. Options include:
• Material Assignment (p. 1071)
• Material Plot (p. 1087)
• Material Combination (p. 1089)
Imported Fields Context Tab
If you import Trace Mapping (p. 692) from an ECAD file, an Imported Trace group folder is placed under
the Materials folder. This group folder displays the Imported Fields Context tab that includes the
option Trace.
Imported Material Fields
If you import initial user-defined Field Variable values using the External Data (p. 745) system, an
Imported Material Fields (p. 1091) group folder is placed under the Materials folder.
As a result of your data import, the folder contains an Imported Material Field object. You can specify
additional Imported Material Field objects using the option of this tab. In addition, the Variable
Data (p. 64) tab displays when Imported Material Field objects are selected.
Tables Context Tab
The Tables context tab is active when you select the Tables object. Use this tab to add tables for
defining pressure, temperature, thermal condition, and convection loads. Options include:
• Table from File (p. 1402)
• Table (p. 1406)
Body Merge Context Tab
The Body Merge context tab is active when you select the Body Merge (p. 929) object. Click the
Merge (p. 934) icon to execute a body merge.
Cross Section Context Tab
The Cross Section Context tab provides cross section type options that enable you to manually define
a cross section for your line body model. There is also a Profile option that displays a window that
enables you to view the cross section dimensions, during construction as well as when you are
complete.
Ribbon
Coordinate Systems Context Tab
The Coordinate Systems Context tab is available when you have a user-defined Coordinate System
object selected. It includes the following transformation options:
Option Description
Offset X/Y/Z Create an Offset in the Transformations category of the Details view. These
options require to enter a value.
Rotate X/Y/Z Create a Rotate transformation in the Transformations category of the Details
view. These options require to enter a value.
Flip X/Y/Z Create a Flip transformation in the Transformations category of the Details view.
These options flip the coordinate system about a desired axis.
Move Up/Move Scroll up or down through the Transformations category
Down properties/transformations that you have created.
Delete Deletes a property/transformation from the Transformations category.
Mesh Context Tab
The Mesh Context Tab includes the following options:
In the Mesh Workflow group, the following option is available:
Option Description
Mesh Workflows Generate Mesh Workflows based on predefined workflows that can be
customized.
In the Detect group, the following option is available:
Option Description
Feature Detection Detects feature based on Feature Detection (p. 1329).
In the Mesh group, the following options are available:
Option Description
Update Updates a cell that references the current mesh. This includes mesh generation
as well as generating any required outputs.
Generate Generates a mesh.
In the Preview group, the following options are available:
Option Description
Surface Mesh Enables you to preview the Surface Mesh.
Source/Target Enables you to preview the source and target meshes for scoped bodies.
In the Controls group, the following options are available:
Option Description
Method Selects Method Control.
Sizing Selects Sizing Control.
Face Meshing Selects Face Meshing Control.
Mapped Meshing Selects Mapped Meshing Control.
Mesh Copy Selects Mesh Copy Control.
Match Control Selects Match Control.
Contact Sizing Selects Contact Sizing Control.
Refinement Selects Refinement Control.
Pinch Selects Pinch Control.
Inflation Selects Inflation Group.
Gasket Selects Gasket Mesh Control.
Feature Suppress Selects Feature Suppress Control.
Weld Selects Weld Control.
Connect Selects Connect Control.
Deviation Selects Deviation Control.
Quad Layer Selects Quad Layer Control.
In the Mesh Edit group, the following options are available:
Option Description
Mesh Connection Selects Mesh Connection Group.
Group
Contact Match Selects Contact Match Group.
Group
Node Merge Selects Node Merge Group.
Group
Mesh Edit Selects Mesh Edit.
Mesh Numbering Selects Mesh Numbering (p. 1332).
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Option Description
Manual Mesh Creates manual Mesh Connections.
Connection
Contact Match Selects Contact Match.
Node Merge Selects geometries and merges coincident mesh nodes.
Node Move Selects Node Move.
Pull Creates a mesh volume extrusion.
In the Quality Worksheet group, the following option is available:
Option Description
Quality Work- Displays the Mesh Quality Worksheet.
sheet
In the Metrics Display group, the following options are available:
Option Description
Metric Graph Shows and/or hides the Mesh Metrics bar graph.
Edges A drop-down menu options to change the display of your model, including:
• No Wireframe: Displays a basic picture of the body.
• Show Elements: Displays element outlines.
These options are the same options that are available on the Meshing Edit
Context Toolbar (p. 56).
Probe, Max, These are annotation display options. These options are not visible if the
and Min Mesh object Display Style property is set to the default setting, Use
(Snap and Geometry Setting.
Advanced)
Selecting the Max and/or Min buttons displays the maximum and minimum
values for mesh criteria (Element Quality, Jacobian Ratio, etc.) that you have
selected.
The Probe feature is also criteria-based. You place a Probe on a point on

the model to display an annotation on that point. Probe annotations show
the mesh criterion-based value at the location of the cursor.
See the Probe, Maximum, and Minimum (p. 74) topic below for more
information.
Environment Context Tab
The Environment Context tab enables you to apply loads to your model. Tab groups and options
vary depending on the type of analysis you are performing. For example, the groups and options for
a Static Structural analysis is shown above.
Environment Context Tab Display Group for Variable Data

When your analysis includes imported boundary conditions (p. 1857) or imported thicknesses or you
have specified spatial varying loads and displacements (p. 1600), the application displays contours or
isoline representations of the associated variable data once you have generated the mesh on the
model.
The Display group (shown below) becomes visible on the Environment Context Tab (p. 64) when
variable data is available. The Variable Data drop-down menu provides the display options: Smooth
Contours, Contour Bands, and Isolines. When you select the Isolines display option, the Isoline
Thickness drop-down menu enables you to change the thickness of the displayed lines. Options include
Single (default), Double, or Triple. The toolbar also contains options to display the Maximum and
Minimum values of the imported data or spatial varying loading. You can toggle these min/max options
on (default) and off.
Note:
• The Isolines option is drawn based on nodal values. When drawing isolines for imported
loads that store element values (Imported Body Force Density, Imported Convection,
Imported Heat Generation, Imported Heat Flux, Imported Pressure, and Imported
Surface Force Density), the program automatically calculates nodal values by averaging
values of the elements to which a node is attached.
• This feature is not available for Imported Loads that are scoped to nodal-based Named
Selections.
• If you select multiple Convection load objects that include variable data, the application
displays only one solid color for the scoped entities.
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Solution Context Tab
The Solution tab applies to Solution-level objects that either:
• Never display contoured results (such as the Solution object), or
• Have not yet been solved (no contours to display).
The options displayed on this tab are based on the type of analysis that is selected. The example
shown above displays the solution options for a Static Structural analysis. Objects inserted using the
Solution tab are automatically selected in the Outline.
The Applying Results Based on Geometry (p. 2073) section outlines which bodies can be represented
by the various choices available in the drop-down menus of the Solution tab.
Solution Information Tab
Selecting the Solution Information (p. 1927) object displays a corresponding tab. The tab includes the
Retrieve (p. 1897) option that you use to track background solution processes as well as the Result
Tracker (p. 1938) and Result Plot Tracker options. The Write Input File option as well as some additional
display options, Worksheet, Graph, Tabular Data, are also included on the tab.
Result Context Tab

The Result tab provides display options for your solved result objects.
The following subsections describe the options available on this tab.
• Scaling Menus for Deformed Shapes (p. 66)
• Geometry (p. 70)
• Contours (p. 70)
• Edges (p. 71)
• Probe, Maximum, and Minimum (p. 74)
• Vector Display (p. 77)
• Capped Isosurface (p. 2372)
Scaling Menus for Deformed Shapes

The Display group contains the following scaling options for deformations.
Review the following topics for additional information:
• Deformation Scale Menu (p. 66) and Relative Scaling (p. 68)
• Display Menu (p. 68)
• Large Vertex Contours (p. 70)
Deformation Scale Menu

For results with an associated deformed shape, the scaling menu provides display selections.
Scale factors precede the descriptions in parentheses in the list. The scale factors shown above apply
to a particular model's deformation and are intended only as an example. Scale factors vary depending
on the amount of deformation in the model. You can choose a preset option from the list, or you
can enter a customized scale factor relative to the scale factors in the list.
For customized entries, the application follows a scheme where positive numbers affect the corres-
ponding scaling differently than negative numbers. Positive numbers affect the True Scale factor
(actual deformation) and negative numbers the Auto Scale factor (deformation is visible but not
distorted). For example:
• A scale factor of +2.0 equates to 2 times the True Scale factor
• A scale factor of -2.0 equates to 2 times the Auto Scale factor
Available scale factors include:
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• Undeformed does not change the shape of the part or assembly.
• True Scale is the actual scale.
• Auto Scale scales the deformation so that it's visible but not distorting.
• The remaining options provide a wide range of scaling.
The system maintains the selected option as a global setting like other options in the Result tab. As
with other presentation settings, figures override the selection. For results that are not scaled, the
menu selection has no effect.
Note:
Most of the time, a scale factor selected by the application to create a deformed shape
that will show a visible deflection to allow you to better observe the nature of the results.
However, under certain conditions, the True Scale displaced shape (scale factor = 1)
is more appropriate and is therefore the default if any of the following conditions are true:
• Rigid bodies exist.
• A user-defined spring exists in the model.
• Large deflection is on.
This applies to all analyses except for Modal and Eigenvalue Buckling analyses (in which
case True Scale has no meaning).
Important:
Scaling of Rigid Body Part Displacements in Modal or Eigenvalue Buckling Analyses
Note the following restrictions that apply when scaling rigid part displacements during
Modal or Eigenvalue Buckling analyses.
• (Currently) If you are performing a Modal or Eigenvalue Buckling analysis that

includes rigid body parts, the application experiences a limitation while scaling
and/or animating results.
• The motion of rigid parts in Mechanical is characterized by the changes in the:
– Position of the center of mass, referred to as linear displacement.
– Euler angles of the element coordinate system, referred to as angular

displacement.
Because of the difference in the nature of these concepts, a unified scaling al-
gorithm that satisfies both scenarios has not yet been implemented for auto
scaling. With the Auto Scale option, Mechanical displays rigid parts as white
asterisks at the centroid of the part. The application maintains the correct posi-
tion of the rigid parts with respect to the flexible parts, however, the displayed
asterisks do not indicate angular displacement or rotation.
• True Scale will not properly display the shapes in Modal or Buckling analysis
and should not be used.
• For the best scaling results when working on a Modal analysis (where displace-
ments are not true), use the Auto Scale option. If a given body's optimal
scaling is True and another body's optimal scaling is Auto Scale, the
graphical display of the motion of the bodies may not be optimal.
Important:
For the following analyses and/or configuration conditions, Mechanical sets the scale factor
to zero so that the image of the finite element model does not deform.
• Random Vibration (PSD).
• Response Spectrum.
• Amplitude results for Harmonic Response analyses.
• When the By property of a result is set to:
– Maximum Over Time or Minimum Over Time
– Time of Maximum or Time of Minimum
Relative Scaling
The menu provides the following "relative" scaling options. These options automatically scale deform-
ations relative to preset criteria.
• Undeformed
• True Scale
• 0.5x Auto
• Auto Scale
• 2x Auto
• 5x Auto
Display Menu
The Display drop-down menu enables you to view:
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Option Description Example

All Regions of the model not being
Bodies drawn as a contour are plotted as
translucent even for unscoped bodies
as long as the bodies are visible (not
hidden (p. 885))
Scoped Default setting. Regions of the model

Bodies not being drawn as a contour are
plotted as translucent for scoped
bodies only. Unscoped bodies are not
drawn.
Results Only the resultant contour or vector

Only is displayed.
Limitations
Note the following limitations for the display selections:
• The Scoped Bodies and Results Only options support geometry-based scoping (Geometry Selection
property = Geometry) and Named Selections that are based on geometry selections or worksheet
criteria.
• The Scoped Bodies and Results Only options do not support Construction Geometry features
Path (p. 911) and Surface (p. 918).
• The Results Only option does not support the Explicit Dynamics Solver.
• For the Scoped Bodies option for results that are scoped across multiple entities (vertices, edges,
faces, or volumes), all of these entities may not display because there are times when only the
nodes of one of the shared entities are used in the calculation.
Large Vertex Contours

The Large Vertex Contours check box option is used for node-based result scoping. It toggles the
size of the displayed dots that represent the results at the underlying mesh nodes on and off.
Geometry
You can observe different views from the Geometry drop-down menu, including:
Option Description
Exterior Displays the exterior results of the selected geometry.
IsoSurfaces For contour results, displays a collection of surfaces of equal value of the chosen
result, between its minimum and a maximum as defined by the legend settings.
The application displays the interior of the model only.
Capped Represents mainly a set of all points that equal a specified result value within the
IsoSurfaces range of values for the result with additional features. This option provides three
display selections. A display based on all points of a specified result, all points
equal to and less than the specified result, and all points equal to and greater
than the specified result value. Refer to Capped Isosurfaces (p. 2372) section for a
description of the controls with this option. This view displays contours on the
interior and exterior.
Section Planes Displays planes cutting through the result geometry; only previously drawn Section
Planes (p. 257) are visible.
Contours
The Contours drop-down menu enables you to change the way you view your results. Options include:
Option Description
Smooth Contours Displays gradual distinction of colors.
Contour Bands Displays the distinct differentiation of colors.
Isolines Displays a line at the transition between values.
Solid Fill Displays the model only with no contour markings.
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Edges
What is displayed by the options of the Edges drop-down menu, depends upon the selections you
make in the other result display menus.
Option Description
No Displays the result in its deformed state. The result's display is based on your selections
Wireframe in the Geometry and Contours menus (see above).
Example
Show Displays the result with an undeformed wireframe overlay, as illustrated by the first
Undeformed image below. By default, this undeformed display is only supported for the Exterior
Wireframe option of the Geometry menu. The IsoSurfaces, Capped IsoSurfaces, and Section
Planes options of the Geometry menu display the result with the wireframe overlay
in a deformed state, as illustrated.
Geometry Menu Exterior Option: Wireframe Not Deformed with Result
Geometry Menu IsoSurfaces Option: Wireframe Deformed with Result
You can change this default setting for the deformation display using the preferences
of the Options dialog. Under the Graphics (p. 303) category, set the Use Deformed
Edge for Slice ISO Option to No. For the IsoSurfaces, Capped IsoSurfaces, and
Option Description
Section Planes options, you can display the result in a deformed state and the
wireframe overlay in an undeformed state, as illustrated below.
Geometry Menu IsoSurfaces Option: Wireframe Not Deformed with Result
Geometry Menu Capped IsoSurfaces Option: Wireframe Not Deformed with Result
Correcting Edge Display for Large Face Angles
You may see wireframe display issues for edges when the tolerance angle
between two faces is insufficient. Using the Graphics (p. 303) category preference,
Maximum Face Angle to Preserve Edges, you can increase this value to properly
render the edge display. As illustrated below, note the display change when the
angle is increased.
Face Angle 120° Face Angle 130°
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Option Description
Show Displays the result with a translucent overlay of the undeformed model, as illustrated
Undeformed below. By default, this undeformed display is only supported for the Exterior option
Model in the Geometry menu. The IsoSurface, Capped IsoSurface, and Section Planes
options display the result with the translucent overlay of the model in a deformed
state, as illustrated.
Geometry Menu Exterior Option - Translucent Overlay Not Deformed
Geometry Menu IsoSurfaces Option - Translucent Overlay Deformed with Result
As stated above, you can change this default setting for the deformation display
using the preferences of the Options dialog. Under the Graphics (p. 303) category,
set the Use Deformed Edge for Slice ISO Option to No. For the IsoSurface, Capped
IsoSurface, and Section Planes options, you can display the result in a deformed
state and the translucent overlay of the model in an undeformed state, as illustrated.
Geometry Menu IsoSurfaces Option: Translucent Overlay Not Deformed with Result
Geometry Menu Capped IsoSurfaces Option: Translucent Overlay Not Deformed

with Result
Option Description
Show Displays the result in its deformed state and includes mesh elements. The result's display
Elements is based on your selections in the Geometry and Contours menus.
Example
Probe, Maximum, and Minimum

You use the Probe option to interactively place probe annotations on your model. If you display the
Graphics Annotations (p. 196) window, you can view the result value at the location of your probe
annotation, the unit of the result, as well as the coordinate values for the probe. You use the Maximum
and Minimum options to display (or hide) annotations of the maximum and/or minimum values for
the selected result.
Note:
The Maximum and Minimum options consider only visible bodies. If you hide a body that
includes one of these annotations, you could see a discrepancy between the minimum
and maximum values displayed in the Details properties for the result versus the (new)
location of the annotations.
The Snap option (active by default) automatically places probes on the nearest mesh node (the probe
“snaps” to the node). For high order elements, this includes midside nodes as well as the centroids
of element faces. Additionally, using the Show Mesh Entity ID in Snap-Probe Labels preference
(also active by default) of the Graphics (p. 303) category in the Options dialog, the application auto-
matically includes either the Node ID or the Element ID in the probe annotation label (see example
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below). Furthermore, the Graphics category (under the Interactive and Min/Max Probes cat-
egory (p. ?)) includes a property, Show Detailed Information in Min/Max Probe Labels, that enables
you to display additional information on the Min/Max probe, such as Node/Element ID and actual
Min/Max values.
Tip:
The application does not automatically save newly created probe annotations. You need
to save the project manually.
Note:
The Snap feature does not support the Geometry menu display options IsoSurfaces,
Capped IsoSurfaces, or Section Planes.
Probe Labelling
Probe Label Probe Label with Node ID
Probe Display Font
When the Probe option is selected and you move the cursor over your model, result values display.
You can change the default display settings for the font using the Probe Tool and Hit Point Coordin-
ate preference of the Graphics (p. 303) category in the Options dialog. This preference enables you
to change the attributes (font, size, style, color) of the font displayed (illustrated below is Bold Calibri
Size 18).
Probe Label and Scaling
Another Graphics (p. 303) category preference is the Move Probe Labels with Deformation Scale
Factor setting. This preference is the default setting. It enables the probe to be “flexible” and move
with the deformed mesh whenever you make a change to the Deformation Scale Factor, as illustrated
below. If turned off, the application deletes probe labels whenever you make a change to the scale
factor.
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Note:
The application does not support the ability to flex a probe’s location using the Geometry
menu display options IsoSurfaces, Capped IsoSurfaces, or Section Planes. If you place
a probe when any of these options are active and then change the scaling, the application
automatically removes/deletes the probe labels.
Vector Display
Using the Vector Display group, you can display results as vectors. This group includes various options
for controlling the display of the vectors.
Note:
These vector display options are also available for Element Orientations (p. 1046) and
certain vector based-loads.
When you select the Vectors option, the following associated options may be used.
Option Description
Proportional Displays vector length proportional to the magnitude of the result.
Option Description
Uniform Displays a uniform vector length, useful for identifying vector paths.
Element Aligned Displays all vectors, aligned with each element.
Grid Aligned Displays vectors, aligned on an approximate grid.
Length Slider Controls the relative length of the vectors in incremental steps from 1 to 10
(default = 5), as displayed in the tool tip when you drag the mouse cursor on the
slider handle.
Grid Slider Controls the relative size of the grid, which determines the quantity (density) of
the vectors. The control is in uniform steps from 0 [coarse] to 100 [fine] (default
= 20), as displayed in the tool tip when you drag the mouse cursor on the slider
handle.
Note:
This slider control is active only when the adjacent button is

chosen for displaying vectors that are aligned with a grid.
Line Form Displays vector arrows in line form.

Solid Form Displays vector arrows in solid form.
Origin Displays origin of the nodes included in the load and/or result.
X Axis/Y Axis/Z When solving principle stresses or principle strain, these buttons enable you to
Axis display (or hide) the vectors for Maximum Principal, Middle Principal, and Minimum
Principal at each node. When solving Nodal Triads or Elemental Triads, these
buttons enable you to display (or hide) the vectors for X Axis, Y Axis, and Z Axis
at each node or element.
Vector Display Examples

Here are examples of uniform vectors identifying paths in line, solid, and origin form.
Line Form Solid Form Origin Form
Here are vector arrows in solid form using the wireframe option.
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This is an example of uniform vector in solid form that have a Section Plane (p. 257) inserted.
Here is a zoomed-in example of uniform vectors with arrow scaling in solid form.
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2.2.4. Display Tab

The Display tab contains options for moving your model within the Geometry window as well as a
variety of display-based options such as wireframe, edge thickness, ply directions, etc.
• Orient (p. 82)
• Annotation (p. 82)
• Style (p. 83)
• Vertex (p. 86)
• Edge (p. 87)
• Explode (p. 89)
• Viewports (p. 90)
• Display (p. 90)
Orient
The Orient group provides model orientation options.
Option Description
Isometric Reorients your model into the isometric view. This option also includes the
following drop-down menu options:
• Set: Orient your model to a desired view and select this option to define
a new default view for the Isometric option.
• Restore Default: Resets the view of the Isometric option to the application
default.
Look At Centers your model in the Geometry window based in the currently selected
face or plane.
Views Provides a drop-down menu of options that enable you to change the viewpoint
(front, back, right, etc.) of your model as well as an option to orient your model
in the isometric view.
Previous/Next Scrolls forward or backward from the last view displayed in the Geometry window.
Rotate ± X/Y/Z Rotates your model in the Geometry window about the axis.
Pan Pans your model in the Geometry window.
Up/Down/Right/Left
Zoom In/Out Zooms in or out of your model.
Annotation
The Annotation group enables you to make changes to how Annotations are displayed in the Geo-
metry window as well as specify preferences.
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Option Description
Ran- By default, the annotations for objects types (loads, supports, named selections, etc.) are
dom shown by a unique color. That is, all loads are red and all supports are blue etc. Selecting
the Random option, you change the colors used for annotations.
Res- Changes the size of annotation symbols, such as load direction arrows.
cale
Prefer- Displays the Preferences (p. 273) dialog that you use to set preferences for the display
ences of annotations.
Style
The Style group provides model display options such as wireframe, showing the mesh, etc.
Option Description
Dis- Provides a drop-down menu of the following model display options:
play
• Shaded Exterior and Edges: Displays the model in the Geometry window with
shaded exteriors and distinct edges. This option is mutually exclusive with Shaded
Exterior and Wireframe.
• Shaded Exterior: Displays the model in the Geometry window with shaded
exteriors only. This option is mutually exclusive with Shaded Exterior and Edges
and Wireframe.
• Wireframe: Displays the model in the Geometry window with a wireframe

display rather than a shaded one (recommended for seeing gaps in surface
bodies). This option is mutually exclusive from the above two options. The
Wireframe option not only applies to geometry, mesh, or named selections
displayed as a mesh, but extends to probes, results, and variable loads to enable
a better understanding of regions of interest.
When Wireframe mode is set, just the exterior faces of the meshed models are
shown, not the interior elements.
Note:
– When this option is on, green scoping is not drawn on probes.

Also, elements are shown on probes and results, whereas the
outline of the mesh is shown on isoline contour results.
Option Description
– Selecting any of the edges options (p. 71) on contour results

automatically closes Wireframe mode.
Show Displays your model's mesh regardless of the selected Outline object. When enabled,
Mesh to make sure that Annotations display properly, also turn on Wireframe mode. See the
related Note (p. 85) below.
Thick Displays the thickness of shells, beams, and particles, when viewing mesh or results.
Shells By default, this option is inactive. Review the Note (p. 85) below for additional display
and characteristics associated with this feature.
Beams
Cross Displays line body cross sections as 3D geometry. See Viewing Line Body Cross
Sec- Sections (p. 905) for details.
tion
Re- Displays connection lines between geometry and Remote Points (p. 1379) or between
mote supported remote boundary conditions (p. 1856) and Remote Points. See the example
Point below.
Con-
nec- Once you have generated the mesh, the connection lines are drawn between the
tions Remote Point and the nodes on the corresponding mesh of the underlying geometry
or boundary condition.
Important:
Only the nodes that are contained inside of the Pinball Radius property
setting are displayed.
Dis- Provides a drop-down menu with options to display the parts and bodies of your model
play based on the available styles. For example, if an assembly is made of parts of different
Style materials, you can color the parts based on the material. That is, all structural steel
parts have the same color, all aluminum parts have the same color and so on. See the
Color Coding of Parts (p. 886) topic.
Remote Point Connections Display Example
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Note:
As illustrated below, annotations may not always display properly when the Show Mesh
option is activated. Turning on Wireframe mode accurately displays Annotations when
Show Mesh is selected.
Note:
• Displaying Shells for Large Deflections: The display of shells may become distorted
for large deformations such as in large deflection or during an Explicit Dynamics analysis.
A workaround for this is to disable Shell Thickness by toggling the Thick Shells and
Beams option. Or, set a variable, UsePseudoShellDisp = 1, using the Variable Manager
option from the File tab. It may be necessary to toggle the deformation scaling from
True Scale to Undeformed to True Scale again (see Scaling Deformed Shape in the
Context Tabs (p. 49) section). Note that this option requires True Scaling to work
properly.
• Displaying Shells with Thickness on Geometry that Spans Large Angles: The
graphical representation of your meshed shell model may appear distorted when the
shell spans a large angle, such as a 90° angle. Ordinarily, the application calculates an
average of the normals between elements (based on a default setting of 180°). Given
too large of an angle, a graphical abnormality may occur. Modify the default setting
using the Graphics (p. 303) option in the Options (p. 293) dialog box. 60° is the recom-
mended setting to avoid the display of any graphical abnormalities.
• Displaying Results on Very Thin Shell Bodies: If you are viewing result contours of a
very thin geometry, you could observe a graphical distortion as a result of colors from
the back face of the geometry bleeding onto the front face of the geometry. This is a
graphics-based limitation. In addition, turning off the Thick Shells and Beams option
can cause the distortion to worsen.
• Displaying Shells on Shared Entities: The display of shells is done on a nodal basis.
Therefore, graphics plot only 1 thickness per node, although node thickness can be
prescribed and solved on a per elemental basis. When viewing shell thickness at sharp
face intersections or a shared body boundary, the graphics display may become distorted.
• Shell Element Display from Mesh Changes. If you employ a feature that changes the
model’s mesh, such as the Nonlinear Adaptive Region or Fracture, you may see display
errors for expanded shell elements as a result of the changing mesh. Disable the Thick
Shells and Beams option to properly display the elements.
• Displaying Contours and Displaced Shapes on Line Bodies: The contour result on a
line body are expanded to be viewed on the cross section shape, but only one actual
result exists at any given node and as a result no contour variations across a beam section
occur.
• Display Pipes using Pipe Idealizations: Although the solution will account for cross
section distortions, the graphics rendering for the results display the cross sections in
their original shape.
Vertex
The Vertex group provides vertex display options.
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Option Description
Show Highlights all vertices on the model. This feature is especially useful when examining
Ver- complex assemblies where vertices might normally be hidden from view. It can also be
tices used to ensure that edges are complete and not segmented unintentionally.
Close Displays tightly clustered vertices on your model. This vertex display feature has an
Ver- accompanying scale menu. When you select this option, a corresponding scale menu
tices also activates and includes application generated tolerances as well as an option that
enables you to enter a tolerance value. The application calculates the default tolerance
(Auto Scale). This value is 0.1% of the diagonal measurement of your model's
Bounding Box dimensions. Additional system options are factors of this base
measurement and you can manually enter a tolerance using the Custom Value option.
The Custom Value cannot exceed 5% of the model's Bounding Box dimensions.
Based on the selected tolerance, the application highlights pairs of vertices that are
closer to one another than the specified tolerance and draws segments between the
vertices to further illustrate proximity.
Edge
The Edge group provides display options used to display the edges on your model, their connectivity,
and how they are shared by faces. Also see the Preparing Assemblies of Surface Bodies (p. 889) section
for more information.
Option Description
Direc- Displays model edge directions. The direction arrow appears at the midpoint of the edge. The
tion size of the arrow is proportional to the edge length.
Mesh Displays the edges using coloring schema, by taking into account the mesh connection
Con- information.
nec-
tion
Thick- This option increases the thickness of the edges displayed on your model. If you also have the
en Display Mesh option active, the application only thickens the lines of annotations (the scoped
edges) for an object scoped to edges. For example, annotations for the scoping of a boundary
condition, Named Selection, result, etc.
Col- The options of this drop-down menu highlight the edges of your model using specific colors.
or Options include:
• By Body Color: Highlight the edges of your model using the colors assigned to the
bodies.
• By Connection: Highlight the edges of your model based on the number of element
faces shared by the edge. Colors include blue (not shared, labeled “Free”), red (shared
by one face, labeled “Single”), black (shared by two faces, labeled “Double”), pink (shared
Option Description
by three faces, labeled “Triple”) and yellow (edge shared by more than three faces,
labeled “Multiple”). The legend for this option is titled “Edge/Face Connectivity.”
• By Body Connection: Highlight the edges of your model based on edge-body

connections. Colors include black (edge shared by one body, labeled Single), pink (edge
shared by two bodies, labeled Double), and yellow (edge shared by more than three
bodies, labeled “Multiple”). The legend for this option is titled “Edge/Body Connectivity.”
• Black: Highlight the edges of your model with black lines. This option turns off the
edge-face connectivity display.
Free Displays drop-down menu with the following options:

(edge
display) • Hide Free: Hides only edges not shared by any faces.
• Show Free: Displays only edges not shared by any faces.
• Thick Free: Displays only edges not shared by any faces at a different edge thickness
compared to the rest of the model.
Single Displays drop-down menu with the following options:

(edge
display) • Hide Single: Hides only edges that are shared by one face.
• Show Single: Displays only edges that are shared by one face.
• Thick Single: Displays only edges that are shared by one face at a different edge
thickness compared to the rest of the model.
Double Displays drop-down menu with the following options:

(edge
display) • Hide Double: Hides only edges that are shared by two faces.
• Show Double: Displays only that are shared by two faces.
• Thick Double: Displays only edges that are shared by two faces at a different edge
Triple Displays drop-down menu with the following options:

(edge
display) • Hide Triple: Hides only edges that are shared by three faces.
• Show Triple: Displays only that are shared by three faces.
• Thick Triple: Displays only edges that are shared by three faces at a different edge
Mul- Displays drop-down menu with the following options:

tiple
(edge • Hide Multiple: Hides only edges that are shared by more than three faces.
display)
• Show Multiple: Displays only that are shared by more than three faces.
Ribbon
Option Description
• Thick Multiple: Displays only edges that are shared by more than three faces at a
different edge thickness compared to the rest of the model.
Note:
Note the following restrictions when you are using the Edge options on the mesh, as
compared to their use on geometry:
• When you are using the Edge Coloring options when viewing the mesh, the application
only draws the corner nodes to display the outline of the elements (mid-side nodes are
ignored if available). You can use the Wireframe tool and also hide bodies to properly
display the colored edges. And in doing so, you can see where mid-side nodes are located,
if available.
• Not all of the buttons/options are functional, for example, Double always displays thin
black lines. The width of the colored lines cannot be changed. They are always thick.
• During slicing, the colors of shared element edges are not drawn. They display as black
and appear only when the selected section plane is losing focus in the slice tool pane.
Explode
The Explode group is a graphical display feature used to create imaginary distance between geometry
bodies (only) of your model for viewing purposes.
Once the mesh is generated, this feature is not supported when you have the Mesh object selected
or when the Show Mesh feature is turned on. In addition, when viewing the mesh, exploded geometry
bodies, although not visible in the Geometry window, are still in an exploded state and passing the
cursor over an exploded body will highlight the (otherwise invisible) body and it is also selectable at
this time.
Reset Button
This button reassembles the parts of your model to their original position.
Explode View Factor Slider
This slider tool enables you to change the exploded distance between the parts from their original
position.
Move Springs/Beams with Parts
The button for this option enables you to see an accurate representation of connections on
your model, such as Springs and Beams, by showing the connections stretched from the assigned
locations on the moving parts. Because the display is graphically accurate, the processing require-
ments are intensive. Use the default position (not active/depressed) when moving the slider for
large models and when connection representations are not critical.
Assembly Center Drop-Down List
This drop-down list provides the available coordinate system options as well as the Assembly
Center option (default setting) that defines the position in space from which the exploded view
originates and the Assembly Center (Visible) option that accounts for the visible parts only. The
Global Coordinate System is always an available option as well as any user-defined coordinate
systems (p. 1096).
Note:
The explode view feature does not support the Body Views display, such as when you
are displaying contact bodies in separate windows (p. 1180).
Viewports
The Viewports group enables you to split the Geometry window into multiple windows, synchronize
the windows as desired, and/or capture an image of the currently displayed viewports. See the Using
Viewports (p. 247) section for more information.
Display
The Display group contains the Show drop-down menu that provides several general display options,
such as the ruler and legend.
Options of the menu include:
Option Description
Ruler Turns the Geometry window ruler on and off.
Legend Turns the Geometry window legend on and off.
Triad Turns the Geometry window triad on and off.
Show Displays the model's mesh.
Mesh
Ribbon
Option Description
All Displays all the available coordinate systems defined on the model – default as well
Coordinate as user defined.
Systems
Visual Toggles the visibility of either a single cyclic sector mesh or the full symmetry mesh
Expansion in a cyclic symmetry analysis (p. 1455). Toggling this option can help preview before
solving the density of nodes on the sector boundaries, or it can help confirm the
expanded mesh in each case.
Erodes Turns the visibility of eroded nodes for explicit dynamics analyses on or off.
Nodes
Draw Displays a drop-down menu with options to change how faces are displayed as a
Face function of back-face culling. Options include:
Mode
• Auto Face Draw: Turning back-face culling on or off is program controlled.
Using Section Planes is an example of when the application would turn this
feature off.
• Draw Front Faces: Forces face culling to stay on. Back-facing faces will not be
drawn in any case, even if using Section Planes.
• Draw Both Faces: Turns off back-face culling. Both front-facing and back-facing
faces are drawn.
2.2.5. Selection Tab

The Selection tab facilitates the selection of geometric and/or mesh entities either through graphical
picking or through some criterion-based selection feature, such as size or location.
Note:
The tab's functionality uses Ansys ACT. The relevant python modules (selection.py
and toolbar.py) are available for review in the install folder:
aisol/DesignSpace/DSPages/Python.
• Named Selections (p. 92)
• Extend To (p. 92)
• Select (p. 92)
• Convert To (p. 95)
• Walk (p. 96)
• Tree Select (p. 96)
• Tools (p. 96)
Named Selections
The Named Selections group enables you to select, add to, and remove items from existing user-
defined named selections as well as modify visibility and suppression states. See the Applying Named
Selections via the Ribbon (p. 1365) section for detailed description of the options.
Extend To
The Extend To group enables you to add adjacent faces or edges, within angle tolerance, to the
currently selected face or edge set, or adds tangent faces or edges within angle tolerance, to the
currently selected face or edge set. See the Extend To (p. 227) topic for additional information about
these options.
Select
The Select group provides options for making and/or manipulating geometry selections.
Note:
Many of these options are also available from the Select By menu on the Graphics Tool-
bar (p. 100).
Option Description
Mesh by Opens a dialog that enables you to select mesh nodes and mesh elements using their IDs
Id once you have generated the mesh for your model. This feature is modeless and therefore
enables you to work with the user interface while the dialog box is displayed. This feature
is also available from the context (right-click) menu, Select Mesh by ID (M), in the Geometry
Ribbon
Option Description
window. You can also activate the feature using the M key, when the Geometry window
has focus. See the Selecting Nodes and Elements by ID (p. 242) section for more information.
Location Displays a drop-down menu of the following options:
• Select All Entities With the Same X Location: Adds all geometry entities in the
Note: model with the same X location in the Global Coordinate System as the current
selection, to the current selection.
For
a • Select All Entities With the Same Y Location: Adds all geometry entities in the
line model with the same Y location in the Global Coordinate System as the current
body selection, to the current selection.
geometry,
the • Select All Entities With the Same Z Location: Adds all geometry entities in the
location model with the same Z location in the Global Coordinate System as the current
is selection, to the current selection.
estimated
as • Select All Coplanar Entities With the Same X Location: Adds all geometry entities
the of the model that are in the same plane with the same X location, in the Global
weightedCoordinate System as the current selection, to the current selection.
arithmetic
mean • Select All Coplanar Entities With the Same Y Location: Adds all geometry entities
of of the model that are in the same plane with the same Y location in the, Global
the Coordinate System as the current selection, to the current selection.
centroids
of • Select All Coplanar Entities With the Same Z Location: Adds all geometry entities
its of the model that are in the same plane with the same Z location, in the Global
edges. Coordinate System as the current selection, to the current selection.
The
weight
is
based
on
the
edge
lengths.
Size Displays a drop-down menu of the following options:
• Select All Entities With the Same Size: Adds all geometry entities in the model
with the same size as the current selection to the current selection.
• Select All Entities Smaller than Selection: Adds all geometry entities in the model
that are smaller than the current selection to the current selection.
• Select All Entities Smaller than: Displays a dialog box that enables you to specify
the type of geometric entity as well as a reference value.
Option Description
The Select drop-down menu default option is Bodies. The application overrides this
default if you have actively selected edges or faces. The default of the Value field
equals the size of the current selection. The application adds all entities in the model
for the given type that are smaller than the reference value to the current selection.
Note that the units are based on the active unit system when the dialog was first
launched and the type of entity.
• Select All Entities Larger than Selection: Adds all geometry entities in the model
that are larger than the current selection to the current selection.
• Select All Entities Larger than: Displays a dialog box (shown above) that enables
you to specify the type of geometric entity as well as a reference value. The
application adds all entities in the model for the given type that are larger than the
reference value to the current selection. The units are based on the active unit system
.
Note:
These options are also available from the Select By > Size menu on the
Graphics Toolbar (p. 100).
Invert Selects all entities (face, edge, etc.) that are not currently selected. The option only selects
entities of the same type. For example, if you have a face selected and select Invert, the
application selects all the faces on your model except the face that you had selected.
Common Selects common edges of selected faces.
Edges
Cylindrical Selects all faces on the model that are cylindrical (they do not need to be full cylinders).
Faces
Shared Displays a drop-down menu of options, including, All Edges and All Faces. These options
Topology select any edge or face on the interior of a multi-body part.
Same Selects all bodies with the same Material Assignment as the currently selected body.
Material
Grow Selects all elements adjacent to your current element selection. This option effectively
Element grows the element selection by one layer of elements.
Set Tol-
erances
Ribbon
Option Description
Opens a dialog box that enables you to specify a search tolerance for your geometric
entity selections. The dialog fields include Zero Tolerance and Relative Tolerance.
Note:
Tolerance settings are only applicable when using the Select All Entities
With Same Size option or a Location option (see above).
By default, the Zero Tolerance property is set to 1.e-08 and the Relative Tolerance
value is 0.001. Relative tolerance is a multiplying factor applied to comparisons. For
example, if you want a tolerance of 1%, enter .01 in the Relative Tolerance field.
Tolerance values are dimensionless. All comparisons are done in the CAD unit system.
Review the Adjusting Tolerance Settings for Named Selections by Worksheet
Criteria (p. 1351) topic in the Specifying Named Selections using Worksheet Criteria section
for additional information.
Convert To
The Covert To group enables you to change (convert) your currently selected geometric entity or
mesh item to a different geometric entity or mesh item.
This group includes the following options:
Option Description
Shared Selects only geometric entities that are shared by all currently selected entities.
Bodies Selects all bodies associated with your current selection of either faces, edges, vertices,
elements, or nodes. The selection mode automatically changes to Body selection.
Faces Selects all Faces associated with your current selection of either bodies, edges, vertices,
elements, or nodes. For example, if your selection is a body or bodies, all faces on that
body will be selected. The selection mode automatically changes to Face selection.
Edges Selects all Edges associated with your current selection of bodies, faces, vertices, elements,
or nodes. For example, if vertices are selected, any edges associated with the vertices
will be selected. The selection mode automatically changes to Edge selection.
Option Description
Vertices Selects all Vertices associated with your current selection of either bodies, faces, edges,
elements, or nodes. The selection mode automatically changes to Vertex selection.
Note:
These options, except for the Shared option, are also available from the Convert menu
on the Graphics Toolbar (p. 100).
Walk
The Walk group enables you to highlight and zoom in on entities of your model. Once you select
more than one geometric or mesh entity (using Graphics Toolbar (p. 100) options) from the Geometry
window and select the Start option, the application automatically highlights and zooms in on each
entity in turn as you use the navigation options. The feature supports all geometric and mesh (mesh
generation required) selections, including Body, Face, Edge, Vertex, Node, Element Face, and Element.
Once you have made selections and selected the Start option, the application caches each selected
entity into memory. You then use the navigation options (Previous/Next/First/Last) to step through
your selections. The cached selections are maintained until you make new selections and click the
Start option.
Tip:
When the Geometry window has focus, the Select All (or [Ctrl]+[A]) context (right-click)
menu option can be useful when using this feature.
Tree Select
This group provides a drop-down menu of Go To options. These options correlate model selections
to tree objects. Selecting an option highlights a tree object. See the Correlating Tree Outline Objects
with Model Characteristics (p. 113) section for more information. The Go To options are also available
from the context (right-click) menu of the Geometry (p. 132) window.
Tools
The Tools group contains the Scoping Wizard option. This option displays the Scoping Wizard (p. 151)
pane. This feature enables you to reidentify an object’s scoping lost because of a geometry update.
Once identified, you can use the options of the feature to reestablish the original scoping.
Ribbon
2.2.6. Automation Tab

The Automation tab provides productivity and customization features.
Tools
The Tools group contains the Object Generator (p. 2447) option as well as the Run Macro option that
open a dialog box to locate a desired script file. Macros can be written in the Python (.py) programming
language. For additional information, refer to the Scripting in Mechanical Quick Start Guide.
Mechanical
The Mechanical group includes the following options:
• Scripting: Launch the Mechanical Scripting pane.
• Python Code: Insert a Python Code object into the Outline.
Support
The Support group includes the following options:
• App Store: Open the Ansys Application Store website.
• Scripting Help: Open the Scripting Introduction Help page.
Extension Manager
When you open Mechanical independently (p. 327), the Automation tab contains an Extension
Manager option. Use this feature to load/unload ACT extensions just as you would from the Manage
Extensions in Workbench.
ACT Development
The ACT Development group displays when the debug mode is activated. From Workbench, activate
Debug Mode by using the options Tools > Options > Extensions. Launch Mechanical independently,
then activate debug mode by selecting the Extension Manager option. This opens the Extension
Manager pane. From this pane, select the gear icon and then select the Debug Mode check box.
User Buttons
The User Buttons group enables you to create, edit, and manage custom options. Custom options
are added to this group when created. See the Creating User Defined Buttons (p. 158) section for more
information.
2.2.7. Learning and Support Tab

The Learning and Support tab contains links to various learning and support resources for Mechan-
ical.
Ribbon
Learning
The Learning group provides access to learning resources.
• Innovation Courses: This option links to free structural engineering courses in Ansys Innovation
Space. These self-paced courses include videos, handouts, and quizzes to help reinforce physics
and engineering fundamentals.
• Learning Hub: This option links to subscription-based virtual courses in Ansys Learning Hub.
Within the hub, you can attend live or self-paced classes with dedicated learning rooms for discus-
sions and continuous learning support from Ansys experts.
• Knowledge: This option links to free general learning materials for structural engineering in Ansys
Innovation Space. The materials include expert-curated FAQs and short video tutorials to help answer
simulation-related questions.
Support
The Support group provides access to support options.
• Learning Forum: This option links to a public user forum for mechanical engineering discussions
in Ansys Innovation Space. You can find answers to your questions and learn from the global
Ansys user community.
• Customer Portal: This option links to a private support portal for commercial customers. You
can receive technical support from Ansys during business hours. You can also log support re-
quests, download product software, and manage licensing and subscriptions.
Documentation
The Documentation group provides access to our product documentation for Mechanical.
• Mechanical Help: This option links to the Mechanical User's Guide (p. 1) with detailed inform-
ation about Mechanical's features.
• Scripting Help: This option links to the Scripting in Mechanical Guide. The guide provides an
introduction to writing scripts that automate your routine tasks and information on using the
ACT API to access and manipulate objects in the Mechanical tree.
• What's New?: This option provides information about the new Mechanical features at the
current release.
2.3. Graphics Toolbar

The Graphics toolbar sets the selection/manipulation mode for the cursor in the Geometry window.
The toolbar also provides commands for modifying a selection or for modifying the viewpoint. You can
turn this toolbar on and off using the Graphics Toolbar option in the Manage option's drop-down
menu located in the Layout (p. 48) group on the Home tab.
You can add or remove options from this toolbar using the Customization Menu shown below. You
access this menu using the down-arrow drop-down menu at the far end of the toolbar.
Graphics Toolbar
Customization Option Description

Menu
Previous/Next To return to the last view displayed in the
Geometry window, click the Previous View
button on the toolbar. By continuously
clicking you can see the previous views in
consecutive order.
After displaying previous views in the

Geometry window, click the Next View
button on the toolbar to scroll forward to
the original view.
Shaded Exteriors and Edges Displays the model in the Geometry window
with shaded exteriors and distinct edges. This
option cannot be used in combination with
either the Shaded Exterior or Wireframe views.
Shaded Exteriors Displays the model in the Geometry window
with shaded exteriors only. This option cannot
be used in combination with either the Shaded
Exterior and Edges or Wireframe views.
Wireframe Enable the Wireframe display mode. The model
displays in the Geometry window with a
wireframe display rather than a shaded
(recommended for seeing gaps in surface
bodies) display. The Wireframe option not only
applies to geometry, mesh, or named selections
displayed as a mesh, but extends to probes,
results, and variable loads to enable a better
understanding of regions of interest. When set,
just the exterior faces of the meshed models
are shown, not the interior elements. Selecting
any of the edges options (p. 71) on contour
results automatically closes Wireframe mode.
Note:
When active, green scoping is

not drawn on probes. Also,
elements are shown on probes
and results, whereas the outline
of the mesh is shown on isoline
contour results.
Show Mesh Display the model's mesh. Enabling this option

displays the model’s mesh regardless of the
selected tree object. When enabled, to make
sure that Annotations display properly, also turn
on Wireframe mode. See Note below.
Rotate Activates the model Rotate feature. Free

Menu
rotation is the default behavior. Also see the
Manipulating the Model in the Geometry
Window (p. 243) section.
Note:
This button offers a drop-down

menu to switch between free
and axis-based rotation.
Switching between these menu
options also defines the default
behavior in the Options dialog.
Pan Reposition your model laterally and vertically

in the Geometry window.
Zoom Displays a closer view of the body by dragging
the mouse cursor vertically toward the top of
the Geometry window, or displays a more
distant view of the body by dragging the mouse
cursor vertically toward the bottom of the
Geometry window.
Note:
If you zoom in on a model at an

extreme factor (over 105), you
may see the graphical display
of geometry edges or mesh
element edges appear distorted.
These display distortions are
due to the limitations of the
computer’s architecture
(precision of storing data) and
the display screen resolution.
Zoom To Fit Fit the entire model in the Geometry window.

Zoom To Selection Zoom in on the currently selected item in the
Geometry window.
Toggle Magnifier Window On/Off Displays a Magnifier Window, which is a shaded
box that functions as a magnifying glass,
enabling you to zoom in on portions of the
model. When you toggle the Magnifier Window
on, you can:
• Pan the Magnifier Window across the

model by holding down the left mouse
Graphics Toolbar

Menu
button and dragging the mouse.
• Increase the zoom of the Magnifier

Window by adjusting the mouse wheel,
or by holding down the middle mouse
button and dragging the mouse upward.
• Recenter or resize the Magnifier Window

using a right mouse button click and
choosing an option from the context
menu. Recenter the window by choosing
Reset Magnifier. Resizing options
include Small Magnifier, Medium
Magnifier, and Large Magnifier for
preset sizes, and Dynamic Magnifier
Size On/Off for gradual size control
accomplished by adjusting the mouse
wheel.
Standard model zooming, rotating, and picking

are disabled when you use the Magnifier
Window.
Select Label only.
Mode Display a drop-down menu of options that
define how geometry, node, or element
selections are made:
• Single Select
• Box Select
• Box Volume Select
• Lasso Select
• Lasso Volume Select
These options are used in conjunction with

the selection filters (p. 224) (Vertex, Edge,
Face, Body, Node, Element)
Note:
Selection shortcuts:
• When you place your cursor

within the Geometry
window, you can change your
selection mode from Single

Menu
Select to Box Select by

holding the right mouse
button and then clicking the
left mouse button.
• When you place your cursor

within the Geometry
window, and given a
generated mesh, and the
Node or Element selection
option is active, holding the
right mouse button and then
clicking the left mouse button
scrolls through the available
selection options (single
section, box selection, box
volume, lasso, lasso volume).
Smart Select For Single Select mode, use this option to

select or highlight vertices, edges, and faces on
the model without needing to specify a
selection filter (Vertex, Edge, or Face). Use the
[Ctrl] key or hold down the left-mouse button
to select multiple entities. When you make a
selection, an icon displays that enables you to
select the parent body for the current
selection(s). This option supports the Select All,
Zoom To Selection, and Mini Selection
Toolbar (p. 227) features. This option does not
currently support depth picking (p. 224).
Vertex Activate Vertex geometry selection option.
Edge Activate Edge geometry selection option.
Face Activate Face geometry selection option.
Body Activate Body geometry selection option.
Node Activate Node mesh selection option.
Element Face Activate Element Face mesh selection option.
Element Activate Element mesh selection option.
Hit Point Coordinate Available only if you are setting a location, for
example, a local coordinate system. This option
enables the exterior coordinates of the model
to display adjacent to the cursor and updates
the coordinate display as the cursor is moved
across the model. If you click with the cursor
on the model, a label displays the coordinates
Graphics Toolbar

Menu
of that location. This feature is functional on
faces only. It is not functional on edges or line
bodies.
Note:
You can change the default

display settings for the font
(size, style, color) used with this
feature by changing the settings
of the Probe Tool and Hit
Point Coordinate preference in
the Graphics (p. 303) category of
the Options dialog.
Label Select and drag and drop an annotation label

anywhere on the corresponding scoping. Not
all objects support this option.
Imported Data Highlight For certain data imported through the External
Model system, this option enables you to
highlight the graphical representation of the
data in the Geometry window. This option
behaves just like you were selecting a row in
the Worksheet for the imported data. See the
User Interface Options (p. 946) topic in the
Importing Mesh-Based Databases section for
more information.
Direction Chooses a direction by selecting a single face,
two vertices, or a single edge (enabled only
when Direction field in the Details view has
focus). See Pointer Modes (p. 221).
All Select all geometric entities of your model
based on the current selection filter type (vertex,
edge, face, or body). Ctrl+A also performs this
action.
Invert Automatically select entities of the same type
(face, edge, etc.) that are not currently selected.
Any selection made before selecting this option
is removed.
Display Graph (p. 191) Display the content of the Graph window in
the Geometry window.
Clipboard Information To help you keep track of what is contained in
the Clipboard, once you make selections (or
add or change) the Clipboard menu displays
the current number of entities contained in the
Clipboard, such as 1 Body, as illustrated above.

Menu
When no selections are contained in the
Clipboard, this field contains the text string
"Empty." Also note that the status bar displays
active Geometry window selections.
Extend Adds adjacent faces (or edges) within angle
tolerance, to the currently selected face (or
edge) set, or adds tangent faces (or edges)
within angle tolerance, to the currently selected
face (or edge) set. See the Extend Selection
Menu (p. 227) topic for additional information
about these options.
Select By Display a drop-down menu of selection options.
See the Select group topic (p. 92) in the
Selection Tab (p. 91) section for more
information.
Convert Display a drop-down menu of options to change
your currently selected geometric entity or
mesh item to a different geometric entity or
mesh item. See the Convert To group
topic (p. 95) in the Selection Tab (p. 91) section
Viewports Split the Geometry window into multiple
windows (p. 247).
Sync Viewports Synchronize the Viewports display in each
window to reorient/move (pan, zoom, rotate)
your model in each window simultaneously.
Front/Back/Right/Left/Top/Bottom These options reorient the display of your
model.
Accelerated Display (p. 252) Improve the display time for mesh and result
objects.
Reset Toolbar Reset the Graphics Toolbar to the default display
configuration.
Graphics Toolbar

Menu
Note:
As illustrated below, annotations may not always display properly when the Show Mesh
option is activated. Turning on Wireframe mode accurately displays annotations when Show
Mesh is selected.
2.3.1. Clipboard Menu

The Clipboard menu is a selection feature that enables you to make geometry and mesh selections
Using the options of this menu, you can create, change, add to, and overwrite the selections of the
Clipboard. This feature enables you to select only one type of geometric (face/edge/body/vertex) or
mesh (node/element) entity at a time. Once you have made your desired selections and included
them in the Clipboard, these selections are available for use during your analysis. When desired, use
the menu option Select Items in Clipboard in order to activate your clipboard selections. You can
also change active selections using the menu options Add Clipboard to Selection or Remove Clip-
board from Selection.
To help you keep track of what is contained in the Clipboard, once you make selections (or add or
change) the Clipboard menu displays the current number of entities contained in the Clipboard,
such as [1 Edge], as illustrated above. When no selections are contained in the Clipboard, this field
contains the text string "Empty." Also note that the status bar (p. 138) displays active Geometry window
selections.
Note:
This feature does not currently support Element Face selection.
The Clipboard menu contains the following options:
• Add Selection to Clipboard: This option adds your current selection to the existing selection(s)
contained in the clipboard. Default hotkey: Ctrl+Q.
• Remove Selection from Clipboard: This option removes your current selection from the ex-
isting selection(s) contained in the clipboard. Default hotkey: Ctrl+W.
• Clear Clipboard: This option clears clipboard selections. Default hotkey: Ctrl+R
• Select Items in Clipboard: This option replaces your current selection with the selection
contained in the clipboard.
• Add Clipboard to Selection: This option adds the selection contained in the clipboard to your
currently selected geometry or mesh.
• Remove Clipboard from Selection: This option removes the selection contained in the clip-
board from your currently selected geometry or mesh.
2.4. Outline
Go to a section topic:
• Outline Pane Overview (p. 108)
• Context Menu Options (p. 109)
• Object Details (p. 111)
• Additional Capabilities (p. 111)
Overview
You use the Outline pane, as illustrated below, to set up your model using the "objects" arranged in
the tree structure. These objects guide you through the different steps (p. 327) of a simulation. By ex-
panding the objects, you expose the details associated with the object, and you can use the correspond-
ing tools and specification tables to further define your simulation. Refer to the Objects Reference section
for a listing and description of all of the objects available in the application.
Outline
Important:
If your analysis includes an exceptionally large number of objects, the Outline content may
appear incomplete. The application has a display limitation of 65,536 objects. If the number
of objects exceeds this threshold, any additional objects are not displayed.
Note:
Numbers preceded by a space at the end of an object's name are ignored. This is especially
critical when you copy objects or duplicate object branches. For example, if you name two
force loads as Force 1 and Force 2, then copy the loads to another analysis environment,
the copied loads are automatically renamed Force and Force 2. However, if you rename the
loads as Force_1 and Force_2, the copied loads retain the same names as the two original
loads.
Contextual Options
Each Outline object provides contextual (right-click) menus, as illustrated below. These menu options
are generally based on the selected object. For example, if you select the Solution object, most of the
menu options are specific to obtaining solution data or further defining the results of the simulation.
Common Context Menu Options
Most of the context menus also provide a variety of common options, including:
• Insert: The Insert menu is specific to the object. You use the insert menu to add contacts,
loads, results, etc.
• Duplicate: Duplicate the selected object, including scoping and Details definition.
• Copy/Cut: Copy or Cut the selected object.
• Paste: Paste supported objects (that you copied) within the active Mechanical session.
Outline
• Copy To Clipboard/Paste From Clipboard: Any object that is scoped to a geometric entity
(mesh-based scoping is not supported), and that supports Copy/Cut, also supports copying
and pasting to and from the clipboard. These options enable you to paste objects copied to
the clipboard from one Mechanical session to another. These clipboard actions can only be
performed once. The clipboard is cleared once pasted.
• Delete: Delete the selected object.
• Rename: Rename the selected object.
• Group (p. 202)/Ungroup: Group objects in the Outline as desired.
• Rename Based on Definition (p. 2386): The application automatically renames the object based
on its type and scoping.
Tip:
The sections of the Objects Reference provide more information about the context menu
options specific to the various objects.
Object Details
Selecting an object in the Outline displays attributes and controls for the selected object in the De-
tails (p. 122) pane. The Geometry window displays your CAD model and, based on the object selected,
displays pertinent information about object specifications and how they relate to the displayed geometry.
Additional Capabilities
The following topics present further details related to the Outline features.
2.4.1. Understanding the Tree Outline
2.4.2. Correlating Tree Outline Objects with Model Characteristics
2.4.3. Suppressing Objects
2.4.4. Filtering the Tree
2.4.5. Searching the Tree
2.4.1. Understanding the Tree Outline

The tree Outline uses the following conventions:
• Icons appear to the left of objects in the tree. Their intent is to provide a quick visual reference to
the identity of the object. For example, icons for part and body objects (within the Geometry object
folder) can help distinguish solid, surface and line bodies.
• A symbol to the left of an item's icon indicates that it contains associated sub-items. Click to
expand the item and display its contents.
• To collapse all expanded items at once, double-click the Project name at the top of the tree.
• Drag-and-drop function to move and copy objects.
• To delete a tree object from the Outline (p. 108), right-click the object and select Delete. A confirm-
ation dialog asks if you want to delete the object.
• Filter tree contents and expand the tree by setting a filter (p. 117) and then clicking the Expand on
Refresh button.
Status Symbols
As described below, a small status icon displays to the left of the object icon in the Outline (p. 108).
Status Symbol
Symbol Example
Name
A load requires a nonzero magnitude.
Underdefined
Load attachments may break during an Update.

Error
Mapped Face or Face could not be mapped meshed, or mesh of face pair could
Match Control not be matched.
Failure
The object is defined properly and/or any specific action
Ok
on the object is successful.
Needs to be Equivalent to "Ready to Answer!"
Updated
A body or part is hidden.
Hidden
The symbol appears for a meshed body within the Geometry

Meshed folder, or for a multibody part whose child bodies are all
meshed.
An object is suppressed.
Suppress
Yellow lightning bolt: Item has not yet been solved.
Green lightning bolt: Solve in progress.
Green check mark: Successful solution.
Red lightning bolt: Failed solution. An overlaid pause icon

Solve indicates the solution could resume with the use of restart
points.
Green down arrow: Successful background solution (p. 1905)

ready for download.
Red down arrow: Failed background solution (p. 1905) ready

for download.
Outline
Status Symbol
Symbol Example
Name
Yellow down arrow: You can download obsolete results
from a background solution.
Note:
The state of an environment folder can be similar to the state of a Solution folder. The
solution state can indicate either solved (check mark) or not solved (lightning bolt) depend-
ing on whether or not an input file has been generated.
Status Coloring
In addition to the status icons, you may see objects highlighted in orange to indicate that there is a
potential problem related to the object or to a child-object. Objects highlighted in orange have a
corresponding message in the Messages (p. 194) window. You can turn this feature off using the Op-
tions (p. 293) dialog box (see the Messages (p. 314) category).
Also see the Outline (p. 108) section.
2.4.2. Correlating Tree Outline Objects with Model Characteristics

The Go To feature provides you with instant visual correlation of objects in the tree as they relate to
various characteristics of the model displayed in the Geometry window.
To activate this feature, right-click anywhere in the Geometry window, choose Go To, then choose
an option in the context menu. In some cases (see table below), you must select geometry prior to
choosing the Go To feature. The resulting objects that match the correlation are highlighted in the
tree and the corresponding geometry is highlighted on the model. Go To options are also available
from the Selection (p. 91) tab. For example, you can identify contact regions in the tree that are as-
sociated with a particular body by selecting the geometry of interest and choosing the Contacts for
Selected Bodies option. The contact region objects associated with the body of the selected items
will be highlighted in the tree and the contact region geometry will be displayed on the model.
Several options are filtered and display only if specific conditions exist within your analysis. The Go
To options are presented in the following table along with their description and the conditions under
which they appear in the context menu.
Go To Option Description / Application Required Conditions for Option

to Appear
Corresponding Bodies in Identifies body objects in the tree At least one vertex, edge, face, or
Tree that correspond to selections in body is selected.
Hidden Bodies in Tree Identifies body objects in the tree At least one body is hidden.
that correspond to hidden bodies
Suppressed Bodies in Identifies body objects in the tree At least one body is suppressed.
Tree that correspond to suppressed
bodies in the Geometry window.
Bodies Without Contacts Identifies bodies that are not
in Tree in contact with any other
bodies.
When you are working with

complex assemblies of more
than one body, it is helpful More than one body in an
to find bodies that are not assembly.
designated to be in contact
with any other bodies, as
they generally cause
problems for a solution
because they are prone to
rigid body movements.
Parts Without Contacts Identifies parts that are not
in Tree in contact with any other
parts.
When you are working with

complex assemblies of more
than one multibody part, it
is helpful to find parts that
are not designated to be in More than one part in an
contact with any other parts. assembly.
For example, this is useful
when dealing with shell
models which can have parts
that include many bodies
each. Using this feature is
preferred over using the
Bodies Without Contact in
Tree option when working
Outline

to Appear
with multibody parts mainly
because contact is not a
typical requirement for
bodies within a part. Such
bodies are usually connected
by shared nodes at the time
of meshing.
Contact Sizing Common Identifies Contact Sizing
to Selected Bodies controls that exist between
the selected bodies.
Two bodies are selected.
This option may be useful
when you want to delete
common contact sizing
controls.
Contacts for Selected Identifies contact region objects
Bodies in the tree that are associated
with selected bodies.
Contacts Common to Identifies contact region objects
Selected Bodies in the tree that are shared among
selected bodies.
Joints for Selected Identifies joint objects in the tree
Bodies that are associated with selected
bodies. At least one vertex, edge, face, or
Joints Common to Identifies joint objects in the tree body is selected.
Selected Bodies that are shared among selected
bodies.
Springs for Selected Identifies spring objects in the
Bodies tree that are associated with
selected bodies.
Mesh Controls for Identifies mesh control objects in
Selected Bodies the tree that are associated with
selected bodies.
Mesh Connections for Highlights Mesh Connection At least one vertex, edge, face, or
Selected Bodies objects in the tree that are body is selected and at least one
associated with the selection. mesh connection exists.
Mesh Connections Highlights Mesh Connection At least one vertex, edge, face, or
Common to Selected objects in the tree that are shared body is selected.
Bodies among selected bodies.
Field Bodies in Tree Identifies enclosure objects in the At least one body is an enclosure.
tree that are associated with
selected bodies.

to Appear
Bodies With One Identifies bodies in the tree At least one body with one
Element Through the with one element in at least element in at least two directions
Thickness two directions (through the (through the thickness).
thickness).
This situation can produce

invalid results when used
with reduced integration.
See At Least One Body Has
Been Found to Have Only 1
Element (p. 2468) in the
troubleshooting section for
details.
Thicknesses for Selected Identifies objects with defined At least one face with defined
Faces thicknesses in the tree that are thickness is selected.
associated with selected faces.
Body Interactions for Identifies body interaction objects At least one body interaction is
Selected Bodies in the tree that are associated defined and at least on body is
with selected bodies. selected.
Body Interactions Identifies body interaction objects At least one body interaction is
Common to Selected in the tree that are shared with defined and at least on body is
Bodies selected bodies. selected.
Named Selections Highlight all Named Selection The selection filter (face, edge,
Containing to Selection objects in the Outline that element, etc.) must match the
contain any of the currently definition of the Named Selection.
selected geometric or mesh That is, Face selections are only
entities. applicable to face-based Named
Selections and so on.
Named Selections Highlight all Named Selection The selection filter (face, edge,
Common to Selection objects in the Outline that element, etc.) must match the
include all of the currently definition of the Named Selection.
selected geometric or mesh That is, Face selections are only
entities. applicable to face-based Named
Selections and so on.
2.4.3. Suppressing Objects
Suppression Behaviors
Mechanical provides an option to suppress tree Outline (p. 108) objects. This feature enables you to
remove an individual object or multiple objects from the analysis. Any corresponding (scoped) objects
are also affected. For example, when you suppress a part, the application automatically removes the
part from the display, under-defines any object that is scoped to the part, and clears data from all
solution objects.
This can be useful when you are applying different types of loading conditions. You can quickly include
and/or remove conditions through suppression. Not all tree objects provide the suppression capability.
Outline
For child objects of the Geometry and the Environment objects: the application removes suppressed
objects from the solution process. You can also use the Grouping feature (p. 202) on the Geometry
object to select and suppress (and unsuppress) one or more objects.
For the Solution object: the application clears result data for suppressed objects and the object is
not included during any subsequent solution processing. You can use this feature to remove under-
defined result objects and/or perform comparisons for different result types.
How to Suppress or Unsuppress Objects

If available, set the Suppressed option in the Details view (p. 122) to Yes. Conversely, you can unsup-
press items by setting the Suppressed option to No.
You can also suppress/unsuppress these items through context menu options available via a right
mouse button click. Included is the context menu option Invert Suppressed Body Set, which enables
you to reverse the suppression state of all bodies (unsuppressed bodies become suppressed and
suppressed bodies become unsuppressed). You can suppress the bodies in a named selection using
either the context menu options mentioned above, or through the Named Selection (p. 92) group.
Another way to suppress a body is by selecting it in the Geometry window, then using a right mouse
button click in the Geometry window and choosing Suppress Body in the context menu. Conversely,
the Unsuppress All Bodies option is available for unsuppressing bodies. Options are also available
in this menu for hiding or showing bodies. Hiding a body only removes the body from the display.
A hidden body is still active in the analysis.
2.4.4. Filtering the Tree

At the top of the Outline pane is the Tree Filter option. As illustrated below, this option has a search
feature as well as associated filter options. The search feature filters objects based on criteria. The
filter options can be hidden by right-clicking on a non-interactive region of the Outline pane, on the
pane's title bar, or using the drop-down (arrow) menu on the pane's title bar.
Filtering options include the following:
Filter Type Description

Name Filters the Outline for one or more specified search terms.
Outline

Tag Filters for Outline objects marked with one or more specified tag names. See the
Tagging Objects (p. 2453) section.
Type Provides a drop-down list of objects for which you can filter. The options include:
• All: This default option displays all Outline objects and requires you to make
a selection to initiate the filter process.
• Boundary Conditions
• Commands
• Comments
• Connections
• Figures
• Images
• Results
State Provides a drop-down list of filters for a selected state. State options include:
• All
• Suppressed
• Not Licensed
• Underdefined
• Ignored
Coordinate Provides a drop-down list of all coordinate systems in the Outline. You can choose
System to filter All coordinate system objects or you can select an individual coordinate
system object. The filter displays all objects within the Outline that employ the
individually selected coordinate system.
Note:
All coordinate systems display in the filter. There are cases where an
object does not have a coordinate system property in its Details view,
but it does have an associated coordinate system as a requirement.
As a result, it may appear as though an unaccounted for coordinate
system is present. This is especially true for the Global Coordinate
System.
Model Provides a drop-down list of all source models (External Model, Mechanical Model,
etc., including the source model's cell ID) that create an assembly. You can choose
to filter All source models or you can select a specific model. The current system is

the first item. This feature is only supported for models assembled in Ansys
Mechanical 2024 R2 or greater.
Graphics The default option, All, displays all Outline objects. The Visible Bodies option filters
the Outline so that only visible bodies and objects associated with any visible body
display. Objects independent of geometry, that is, those that do not require scoping,
are always shown, such as Analysis Settings. The default setting for this selection
can be modified using the Options dialog box. See the Specifying Options (p. 293)
section of the Help under Visibility (p. 321).
Environment For an analysis with multiple environments, this selection provides a drop-down list
of all of the system's environments. You can choose to filter All (default) environments
or you can select a specific environment. Once selected, all objects specific to the
environment are displayed in the tree.
Scoping The default option, All, displays all Outline objects. The Partial option filters the tree
to only show objects that have partial scoping. These objects require your attention
because scoping was lost due to upstream geometry updates.
Property Filters Outline objects based on the name of a property, such as Magnitude, and
Name displays objects containing the property name.
Property Filters Outline objects based on the specified property value searched and displays
Value objects containing the property value. You can also perform special query such as,
"Property Name = Property Value." For example: "Formulation = MPC," or "Pinball
Radius = 2," or "Solver Type = Direct."
Note:
Performing a search for an object that does not exist in the tree results in all objects
being displayed.
Tree Filter Options

The filter options perform the following actions.
Refresh Search
Refreshes the search criteria that you have specified following changes to the environment.
Clear Search
Clear the filter and returns the tree to the full view.
Remove
Turned off by default. Depressing this button turns the feature on and off. When active, it removes
the objects in question from the tree display.
Outline
Expand on Refresh
Selecting this option enables filtering updates to automatically display. The default setting is off.
Select the button to turn the feature on and off. This option can be configured so that the filter
will be automatically applied when bodies are hidden or shown. See the Specifying Options (p. 293)
section of the Help under Visibility (p. 321).
Hide Folders
Selecting this option hides all grouping objects present in the tree. The default setting is off. Select
the button to turn the feature on and off. If active, the grouping feature (p. 202) is unavailable
and the tree displays in the default view, that is, no grouping.
Sort Ascending
Selecting this option sorts tree objects in alphanumeric order. This excludes most parent objects
such as Geometry, Coordinate Systems, Connections, and Named Selections objects, however,
child objects are sorted. For example, selecting this option would sort all contact regions, user-
or system defined named selections, loading conditions, results, etc., in alphanumeric precedence.
Using the Filter Feature

To filter the Outline:
1. Select a filter type:
• Name
• Tag
• Type
• State
• Coordinate System
• Model
• Graphics
• Environment
• Scoping
• Property Name
• Property Value
2. For the Name, Tag, Property Name, or Property Value options, you enter one or more search
terms. For all other filters, select an option from the drop-down list to further specify your inquiry.
3. Click the Refresh Search button (or press Enter) to execute your search. If you want to eliminate
content from the tree, click the Remove button and then click Refresh Search to remove the
requested objects.
4. When searching, the tree displays only objects matching your search criteria. If you enter multiple
search terms, the tree shows only objects matching all of the specified terms. When removing
objects, the requested objects do not display.
2.4.5. Searching the Tree

The Find In Tree option provided through the Edit Menu (or F3 key) enables you to search tree
objects whose names match your search criteria. The search tool is illustrated below.
Once you make an entry and click the Find button, the application highlights the first instance of
the search string. The application will cycle through (highlight) each instance of the string as you
continue to press the Find button. Furthermore, this cycle is sensitive to the order in which objects
were generated, created, or renamed.
Search options may be case sensitive and you can search tree objects for all instances of a name/text-
based string. The application highlights all objects in your specified string when you select the Find
all matching objects option.
2.5. Details Pane

You use the Details pane to specify the attributes of an object selected in the Outline (p. 108). The pane
provides categorized groups of properties for the selected object. You define the various properties in
different ways. Some require you to make a selection in the Geometry window, others require a value,
and so on. This is the primary entry point to properly define the environmental conditions of your
simulation.
Here is an example of the Details pane for the Geometry object.
Details Pane
For more information, see the topic below:

Features (p. 124)
Pausing Updates (p. 124)
Header (p. 125)
Categories (p. 125)
Undefined or Invalid Fields (p. 125)
Decision-Based (p. 126)
Text Entry (p. 127)
Numeric Values (p. 129)
Ranges (p. 129)
Increments (p. 130)
Scoping (p. 131)
Parameters (p. 131)
Options (p. 131)
Features
The Details view enables you to enter information that is specific to each section of the Outline. It
automatically displays details for branches such as Geometry, Model, Connections, etc. Features of the
Details pane include:
• Collapsible bold headings.
• Dynamic cell background color change.
• Row selection/activation.
• Auto-sizing/scrolling.
• Sliders for range selection.
• Combo boxes for boolean or list selection.
• Buttons to display dialog box (browse, color picker, etc.).
• Apply / Cancel buttons for geometry selection.
• Obsolete items are highlighted in red.
Pausing Updates
Certain actions instruct the application to update the content of the Details view pane. Depending
upon the action, this can take an undesirable amount of time. The Options (p. 293) dialog preference
Pause View Update enables you to halt Details view updates. This may be desirable until you have
completed all desired actions when configuring an analysis. The options of this preference are Yes and
No (default).
Details Pane
When active, the title of the pane displays the message “Details view Update Paused.” You must change
the setting in the Options dialog to deactivate the setting. The setting for this preference carries over
to future Mechanical session if not changed.
Header
The heading of the pane identifies the name of the selected object (contained in parenthesis), such as
the "Pressure" load shown here. For certain objects, the heading may also display the type of object
currently selected in addition to the object name.
Categories
The category label in the pane organizes associated properties. The Definition category, a common
object category, is highlighted in the following example. Double-click a category's name to expand or
collapse the category.
Undefined or Invalid Fields

Fields whose value is undefined or invalid are highlighted in yellow:
Decision-Based
Some properties require a selection in order to specify an attribute, such as the Direction property
shown here. This property requires additional specification actions that you then “Apply.”
The properties associated with decision-based fields often provide a drop-down list of options, such as
the list of Named Selections shown here.
Details Pane
You can search these option-based fields. For example and as illustrated below, an "B" was entered in
the field and the application filtered all of the options that included that letter. This search feature is
not case sensitive. And, you can change disable this capability (turned on by default) under the UI
Controls category of the Miscellaneous Options (p. 312).
Note:
The left column always adjusts to fit the widest visible label. This provides maximum space
for editable fields in the right column. You can adjust the width of the columns by dragging
the separator between them.
Text Entry
Text entry fields may be qualified as strings, numbers, or integers. Units are automatically removed and
replaced to facilitate editing:
Inappropriate characters are discarded (for example, typing a Z in an integer field). A numeric field
cannot be entered if it contains an invalid value. It is returned to its previous value.
Separator Clarification
Some languages use "separators" within numerical values whose meanings may vary across different
languages. For example, in English the comma separator [,] indicates "thousand" ("2,300" implies "two
thousand three hundred"), but in German the comma separator indicates "decimal" ("2,300" implies
"two and three tenths", equivalent to "2.300" in English). To avoid misinterpretation of numerical values
you enter that include separators, you are asked to confirm such entries before they are accepted.
For example, in English, if you enter "2,300", you receive a message stating the following:
"Entered value is 2,300. Do you want to accept the correction proposed below?
2300
To accept the correction, click Yes.
To close this message and correct the number yourself, click No.
Note:
If an invalid entry is detected, an attempt is made to interpret the entry as numerical and
you receive the message mentioned above if an alternate value is found. If an invalid value
Details Pane
is entered, for example "a1.3.4", and no numerical alternative is found, the entry is rejected
and the previous value is re-displayed.
Numeric Values
You can enter numeric expressions in the form of a constant value or expression, tabular data, or a
function. See Specifying Boundary Condition Magnitude (p. 1588) for further information.
Ranges
If a numeric field has a range, a slider appears to the right of the current value. If the value changes,
the slider moves. And when the slider moves, the value updates.
Increments
If a numeric field has an increment, a horizontal up/down control appears to the right of the current
value. The arrow buttons enable you to increase/decrease the property's value.
Details Pane
Scoping
The Scoping Method and its associated properties, usually Geometry and Named Selection, may have
selection requirements. For example, the application only supports face scoping for a Bearing Load (p. 1674).
If you try to scope the load to any other geometric entity, or a Named Selection that is not face-based,
the application presents an invalid state.
Parameters
Variables that you can parameterize display in the interface with a check box. Clicking the box activates
the property as a parameter. For more information, see Parameterizing a Variable (p. 131).
Options
Option fields allow you to select one item from a short list. Options work the same way as Decision-
Based (p. 126), but don't affect subsequent fields. Options are also used for boolean choices (true/false,
yes/no, enabled/disabled, fixed/free, etc.) Double-clicking an option automatically selects the next item
down the list.
Selecting an option followed by an ellipsis causes an immediate action.
2.5.1. Parameterizing a Variable

Variables that you can parameterize display in the interface with a check box. Clicking the check box
displays a blue capital "P", as illustrated below.
The boxes that appear in the Mechanical application apply only to the Parameter Workspace. Checking
or clearing these boxes will have no effect on which CAD parameters are transferred to Design Explor-
ation.
For more information, see Parameters (p. 2441).
2.6. Geometry Window

The Geometry window/tab displays a 3D graphical representation of your model. All view manipulation,
geometry selection, and graphics display of a model occurs in this window.
Geometry Window
The default components of the window, as illustrated above, include:
Legend
The information presented by the Legend varies, but in general, it provides information about the
currently selected object or objects as well as the analysis type, and includes annotations. For the
above example, a Fixed Support object is selected. The face to which the support is applied is
shown via color coding.
You can reposition the legend by dragging and dropping it to a location in the window.
Scale Ruler
Based on the selected unit of measure, the ruler provides a reference for your geometry.
Triad
Shows the global XYZ coordinate triad. The axes are color-coded as follows:
• Red: X
• Green: Y
• Blue: Z
The Triad enables you to reorient the position of your model based on a desired axis as well as reset
the isometric view (light blue ball). If you move your cursor around the triad, you will see an arrow
appear that shows the direction that corresponds to the position of your cursor (+x, -x, +y, -y, +z,
-z). If you click the arrow, it changes your view so that the axis indicated by the arrow is facing
outward.
You can turn these options on and off using selections Show drop-down menu on the Display (p. 90)
group on the Display tab.
Full Screen Mode

Mechanical offers a full screen mode so that you can view and/or present the results of your analysis
by maximizing the Geometry window and hiding all other interface elements (by default). You activate
full screen mode by selecting the Full Screen option from the Layout (p. 48) group on the Home tab.
Or, you can use the F11 key when the Geometry window, the tree Outline, or the Details view have
focus. The tab option and the F11 key toggle the display on and/or off. Also note that you can use Key
Assignments (p. 277) from when the Full Screen active to displays other interface panes, such as the
Outline, if desired.
Contextual Menu Options

Right-clicking the mouse in the Geometry window provides a context menu with a variety of options.
The common menu options and specifically, the Cursor Mode menu, are illustrated below. Furthermore,
the menu displays additional options that are based on the object you have selected. For example, the
Insert and Go To options shown below are often available and their menu selections depend upon the
tree object that is selected.
Insert
The options of the Insert menu depend upon the object selected in the tree. For example, with the
Connections object selected, right-click in the geometry window and then select Insert to display
the menu of connection options illustrated below.
Geometry Window
Tip:
The Objects Reference section provides descriptions for all objects and their context
menu options.
Go To
The options of the Go To menu depend upon the object selected in the tree. For example, with a
geometric entity selected on the model, right-click in the geometry window and then select Go To
to display the menu of options illustrated below. See the Correlating Tree Outline Objects with
Model Characteristics (p. 113) section for more information.
Note:
Got To options are also available from the Selection (p. 91) tab.
Filter Tree Based on Visible Bodies
Filters the tree so that only visible bodies and objects associated with any visible body display.
Isometric View
Displays your model in the default isometric view.
Set
This option enables you can define a custom isometric viewpoint based on the current viewpoint.
That is, you position your model where you would like it, using the other view options as desired,
and then selecting this option establishes a new Isometric View.
Restore Default
This option resets the Isometric View to the application default.
Zoom To Fit
Fits the entire model in the Geometry window.
Zoom To Selection
Zoom in on the currently selected item (geometry/mesh/etc.) in the Geometry window.
Geometry Window
Image to Clipboard (Ctrl+C)
For the Windows platform, this option performs a snapshot of whatever is currently displayed in
the Geometry window and copies it to the clipboard so that you can paste it into compatible ap-
plications.
Cursor Mode
This option provides a different method for selecting the cursor mode. See the Graphics Tool-
bar (p. 100) section of the Help for a description of each selection.
View
This option changes the viewpoint of your model. It operates much like the Triad.
Select All
Selects all items in the Model of the current selection filter type (vertex, edge, face, or body).
Select Mesh by ID (M)
This option enables you to select mesh nodes or elements using their ID (p. 242). This feature can
be activated with the M key when the Geometry window is active. And, it also provides an option
to create Named Selections for your selections.
Reset Body Colors
Reset the body colors back to the default color scheme.
Note:
As applicable and based on the object that you have selected in the tree, the contextual
menu also provides options specific to that object.
Discrete Legends in the Mechanical Application

The following additional legends are available based on the object you have selected in the application.
• Geometry Legend (p. 886) : Content is driven by Display Style selection in the Details view panel.
• Joint Legend (p. 1277) : Depicts the free degrees of freedom characteristic of the type of joint.
• Results Legend (p. 2387) : Content is accessible via the right mouse when the legend for a solved
object in the Solution folder is selected.
Displaying Shells for Large Deflections

The display of shells may become distorted for large deformations such as in large deflection, explicit
dynamics analyses, etc. A workaround is to disable shell thickness by toggling Thick Shells and Beams
option in the Style group (p. 83) of the Display tab. Or, set a Workbench variable,
UsePseudoShellDisp = 1, via the Variable Manager. It may be necessary to toggle the deformation
scaling (p. 66) from True Scale to Undeformed to True Scale again. Note that this option requires
True Scaling to work properly.
2.7. Status Bar

The status bar provides information about your simulation.
Illustrated here, the status bar displays information panes. Generally, when information is available, you
can single-click a pane to display an associated menu or window.
Go to a status bar component topic for more information about its purpose:
• Progress Pane (p. 138)
• Tooltip Display (p. 140)
• Application Messages (p. 140)
• Selection Information (p. 140)
• Units of Measure Pane (p. 141)
• License Read-Only Display (p. 141)
• Customize the Status Bar (p. 141)
Progress Pane
This area of the status bar displays the progress of certain application processes, such as mesh generation
and solution processing.
Status Bar
Progress Bar (Interrupt and Stop Options)
During an active process, the application displays a progress bar in the progress pane. And, depending
on the process, it also provides an Interrupt (pause icon) option and/or Stop (red square icon) option.
An example of the progress of a solution is illustrated blow. It includes both the Interrupt and Stop
options.
Note:
You may observe that the progress bar becomes hidden when you run simultaneous processes
that use the feature. Such as animating a result while another analysis included in the project
is solving. You can address this behavior by setting the Hide Progress Window preference
to No (Options (p. 287) > UI Options (p. 323) > Progress).
Progress Tool Tips (via Mouse Over)
During an active process, if you hover your mouse over the progress bar, a button, or the description
(percentage, etc.) of the progress and process, a tool tip displays. An example of a mesh generation
process is shown below.
Note that a single-click in the progress pane opens an associated progress window (shown here). This
window is the legacy progress display for Mechanical.
Note:
Using the UI Options (p. 323) preference setting Hide Progress Window, you can choose to
always display progress windows.
Tooltip Display
When you hover your mouse over an interface option, a tooltip displays in the bottom right corner of
the bar. Here is an example of the tooltip for a mouse-over of the Solve button.
Application Messages
The status bar contains a pane that displays whether there are application generated messages (errors,
warnings, and/or information). A single-click the pane to display the Message window (p. 194).
Selection Information
The Selection Information pane displays information about the currently selected geometric entity or
entities. Such as area, length, or location. In the following example, the area of a single face is displayed.
A single-click the pane displays the Selection Information (p. 175) window.
Example Selection Information includes (but is not limited to):
• A selected node or element number if only one node/element is selected.
• The location of a node or vertex if one is selected.
• The combined volume of selected bodies, area of selected faces, and lengths of edges.
• The radius of a single circular edge or face that is selected.
• Angle between three nodes (always in degrees).
• The angle between two planar surfaces (always in degrees).
• The angle between two straight edges (always in degrees).
Note:
• If there is no associated information, the Selection Information pane indicates No Selection.
Status Bar
• Geometry calculations such as length and area are an approximation based on geometry
information contained in either the CAD data or graphics tessellation.
Units of Measure Pane

This pane displays the currently selected Unit systems. Selecting this pane displays the Units menu (p. 47)
enabling you to change the current unit system.
License Read-Only Display

If a license is not available when you open Mechanical, the application automatically opens in Read-
Only Configuration mode as illustrated below. Once a license becomes available and you activate it,
the application automatically exits this read-only mode.
Customize the Status Bar

When you right-click the status bar, the following menu displays. Using this menu, you can select
whether to hide (or show) certain status bar options.
2.8. Quick Launch

The Quick Launch tool enables you to quickly find a desired function, feature, or interface option, and,
based on the search string, automatically select, insert, or launch the pertinent interface item/feature.
As you type in the Quick Launch search box, results display in the following categories:
• Ribbon (@rib): This category presents interface options available from all current tabs as well as
the current Context tab.
• Context Tab (@ctx): This category presents search results for all the of the application’s Context
tabs (current or otherwise not displayed).
• Pane Toolbar (@too): This category presents search results for application features and options
that are contained in all application toolbars.
• Preferences (@opt): This category presents selections that open the Options dialog (p. 293) and
automatically displays the corresponding property, enabling you to modify its setting (default
or current).
• Tree (@tre): This category presents search results for objects contained in the Outline pane. This
option is hidden by default. Enable this option using the Tree Items setting of the Default Quick
Launch Result Categories (p. ?) preference of the Options dialog.
As listed above, each category has an accompanying shortcut (@rib, etc.). You can use these entries to
search within a desired category only. For example, the entry "@rib Mesh" searches for options and
features of the ribbon category related to the keyword Mesh.
When you highlight a listing in the Ribbon category, the accompanying text string "Take me there"
also displays. When selected, the "Take me there" feature tells the application to point to the option
on the interface and display a pop-window that describes the option. This feature is also available for
the Pane Toolbar and Context Tab categories. For the Context Tab category, it only displays when
an action can be performed on the currently selected object. For the Pane Toolbar and Tree categories,
it highlights the search item on the interface.
As illustrated below, some search listings display as bold and others are greyed-out. Greyed-out listing
cannot be selected but suggest a potential path to your desired search item. Bold listings are selectable
and cause the application to automatically take action. Example actions include the application auto-
matically inserting or selecting an object in the Outline pane or highlighting a pertinent interface option.
Note that bold listings may require that you have an appropriate object selected in order to successfully
perform an action.
For example, if you have the Environment object selected and you search on "Pressure" and then select
the Pressure listing from the Quick Launch menu, a Pressure load is automatically inserted below the
Quick Launch
Environment object. This is the same result as if you had performed the action via the Environment
Context tab.
Bold Listings
Greyed-Out Listings
Preference Listings
These selections open the Options dialog (p. 293).
2.9. Help Menu

The Help drop-down menu provides the following options.
Function Description
Mechanical Help Displays the Help system in another browser window.
Mechanical This option displays an illustrated review (via the File (p. 39) tab) of the release's
Highlights - new features and capabilities.
What's New?
(Windows Platform
Only)
Mechanical Re- Open the release notes for the version of the application that you are running.
lease Notes
Usage Tips This option opens a window that provides several instructional slides describing
the new features and functions of the current release.
Scripting - Quick This option links to the introductory documentation for application scripting
Start Guide capabilities.
Ansys Product This option launches the dialog for the Ansys Product Improvement Program and
Improvement enables you to either accept or decline the invitation to participate in the program.
Program
About Mechanical Provides copyright and application version information.
2.10. Color Theme

When you first install and launch the application, the following dialog displays so that you can select
a theme. Options include Ansys Dark, Ansys Light, and Mechanical Classic.
Color Theme
Using the Options (p. 293) dialog preferences of the Style (p. ?) category of the UI Options group, you
can change the color theme (Dark and Light) of the interface.
Color Theme Preference

Following your initial selection, you can change the theme as desired using the Color Theme preference.
Note:
When you select Dark as the interface theme, you may notice certain interface elements
that do not adhere to the color scheme.
Use Color Theme in Geometry Window

Use this preference to select the background color of the Geometry window. If set to Yes (default), the
application uses the background color of the selected Color Theme (light, dark, classic). Set to No,
Mechanical uses the background colors selected in Workbench (Tools > Options > Appearance).
2.11. Ribbon Customization Options

The application offers features that enable you to modify the content of the tabs and the toolbar, in-
cluding:
• Customizing Ribbon Content (p. 146)
• Customizing Toolbars (p. 148)
Customizing Ribbon Content

The ribbon interface includes a Quick Access Toolbar that you can modify. It is located in the upper
felt corner of the window, right beside the Save icon (which is an option of the Quick Access Toolbar).
Selecting the drop-down menu option displays the following menu.
The options include:
• Show Below the Ribbon (or Show Above the Ribbon): Place the toolbar below the Tabs or
return it to its default position.
• Minimize the Ribbon: Hide/show the ribbon.
Ribbon Customization Options
• Customize Quick Access Toolbar: This option displays the Customize dialog. This dialog enables
you to add options to the Quick Access Toolbar. See below (p. 147).
• Customize the Ribbon: modify the contents of the various tabs as well as create your own tabs
and option groups. See below (p. 148).
• Reset the Ribbon: Reset the interface contents to default display settings.
Also note that you can highlight an interface option, right-click, and a select Add to Quick Access
Toolbar to add the option.
Customize Quick Access Toolbar

When you select the Customize Quick Access Toolbar option, the following dialog appears. As you
can see, the default Save option is already included. You select from the list of available commands to
Add/Remove options to the Quick Access Toolbar. You can select options from all available tabs using
the drop-down menu.
Customize the Ribbon

When you select the Customize the Ribbon option, the following dialog appears. A drop-down menu
of tabs is available for your selection and the corresponding commands.
You can add existing options to the Groups of the Main Tabs or you can create a new customized Tab
with custom Groups. Based on the Main Tab that you select in the right-side pane, if you create a New
Tab, it is placed immediately after the currently selected option.
Note:
• You cannot remove system default tabs.
• If you deselected an ACT Extension in the Extension Manager or if the version of an exten-
sion is updated, any customization of the extension’s Tab is automatically removed.
Customizing Toolbars
The various toolbars of the application, such as the Graphics Toolbar (p. 100) or the Manage Views (p. 254)
window, offer an option to Add or Remove Buttons. You access this option using the down-arrow
drop-down menu at the far end of the toolbar. An example of the Graphics Toolbar is illustrated below.
When you select the Add or Remove Buttons option, an additional fly-out menu displays. Depending
upon the toolbar or window that you have selected, the first option varies, but the common option is
Customize.
Ribbon Customization Options
Selecting the Customize option displays the following dialog.
From this dialog, you create new toolbars or add options to the currently selected toolbar.
Add Options
In order to add options to the currently selected toolbar, you must first close the Customize dialog
and detach the desired toolbar from the interface so that it is floating (as shown below). Then redis-
play the Customize dialog, and 1) select the Commands option, 2) select from the available Cat-
egories, 3) drag-and-drop from the Commands pane to the toolbar.
Activating the Show All Categories setting of the Options dialog (UI Options (p. 323) > Toolbar
Customization), you can display all options available in the application. This includes options from
all toolbars from all panes, all commands from all Ribbon tabs, User Buttons, External ACT Extensions,
etc. This gives you maximum flexibility for toolbar customization. This feature is set No by default.
And, when turned off, any additions you make to a toolbar are cleared – the toolbar resets.
Create New Toolbar
To create a new toolbar, select the New button on the above dialog. An entry pane displays for
you define a name for your toolbar.
Once you define the name and click Ok, a blank toolbar displays (and includes down-arrow option),
as illustrated bellow.
At this point you must close the Customize dialog and detach the new toolbar from the interface
so that it is floating. Then, redisplay the Customize dialog, select the Commands option, and drag-
and-drop Commands from the desired Categories. You can further build your new toolbar using
the New Menu option that enables you to create a drop-down menu on the toolbar.
Scoping Recovery following Geometry Update
2.12. Scoping Recovery following Geometry Update

The Scoping Wizard option is available on the Selection (p. 91) tab of the ribbon. This feature automat-
ically detects any geometry-based scoping that becomes lost following a geometry update. Once
identified, you use the options of the feature to visualize and reestablish the original scoping. You turn
the feature on (default) and off using the Use Geometry Based Associativity (p. 303) preference (Options
> Geometry) dialog. In addition to the activation preference, there is an associated preference (Auto-
matic Scoping Update (p. 303)) to have the application automatically correct geometry-based scoping
that becomes lost following a geometry update.
• Overview (p. 151)
• Feature Options (p. 152)
– Wizard Pane Actions (p. 153)
– Context Menu Options (p. 154)
– Color Codes and Annotations (p. 155)
• Display and Recovery Options (p. 156)
Overview
Selecting the ribbon option displays the Scoping Wizard worksheet pane, illustrated below, that lists
all objects with unresolved scoping. Corresponding objects in the tree also display with an invalid state.
Important:
This feature does not recover mesh-based (node, element face, element) scoping.
Feature Options
The Scoping Wizard pane enables you to:
• Change display settings, fix scoping, show an information pane, and zoom on a scoping.
• View a list of unresolved objects.
• Filter the list based on object name or number of unresolved scopings (ascending/descending).
• Navigate through long lists of unresolved objects.
Wizard Pane Actions
If you double-click a table row, or select an unresolved object in the tree, the pane shows information
specific to the object and its (unresolved) scoping. The following example shows a Contact Region
that has lost scoping. The pane displays the object type/name (Contact Region), the number of unre-
solved geometric entities, whether the application identified a scoping match, and the original applica-
tion-assigned ID for the entities. The first item in the worksheet is selected by default, and the parts
are highlighted in the Geometry window.
Context Menu Options
The feature also offers several context (right-click) menu options.
Outline Options Worksheet Options

From the Outline, you can: Right-clicking on a row in the worksheet
offers the following options:
• Reestablish the original scoping on individual
objects using the Reassociate Missing • Reassociate: Reestablish the
References option original scoping.
• When the worksheet is not active/displayed, • Remove: Remove the row and its
you can use the Go to Objects in the data from the worksheet.
Worksheet option to open the worksheet
and display information for the selected • Zoom to Geometry Tessellation:
object. Zoom in on the body or part in
Outline Options Worksheet Options
Note:
If you use the Copy to Clipboard/Paste from Clipboard options for an unresolved object,
the associated data is copied and pasted between sessions and the application will automat-
ically attempt to resolve any scoping.
Color Codes and Annotations
The application displays reference annotations in the legend as well as highlights on the part(s) in the
Geometry window, based on the state of the recovered reference. The application displays matched
references display as green, multiple matches yellow, old geometry tessellation in purple, and if no
match is available, the reference is drawn in red. Furthermore, the worksheet uses the color scheme to
indicate if one or more of the conditions exists, such as the Named Selection, AllFaces, example shown
in the table below that displays all three colors. See the Display and Recovery Options (p. 156) topic
below for more information about annotations.
In addition, if a table entry appears with an asterisk, this indicates that the application could not find
data associated with the reference. This can be the result of importing an older project, the use of vir-
tual cells, or if you have turned the Use Geometry Based Associativity preference off.
Display and Recovery Options

At the top of the pane, there are options to take corrective action, zoom in on a geometry, or modify
display settings, including:
Option Description
Set- Illustrated below, the Settings drop-down menu enables you to turn annotation display
tings options on and off. This image shows the default display settings.
Option Description
Options include:
• Bounding Box: This option shows the bounding box of the old geometry
tessellation for a selected item. Matched references are drawn in green, multiple
matched references are drawn in yellow, and references that are not a match
are drawn in red.
• Geometry Tessellation: This option shows the full tessellation of the old
geometry for a selected item.
Note:
The geometry tessellation references and the matched or multiple

matched references display on top of one another and make it difficult
to plainly see the old geometry tessellation. When the Geometry
window is active, use the [S] key to turn off the display of matched
or multiple matched references and only view the old geometry
tessellation.
• Multiple Matches: If the application determines that there are multiple potential
matches, it highlights the original geometry as well as the new (multiple)
geometries. For example, if two vertices in close proximity are potential matches,
both will be highlighted as a Multiple Match.
• Matched: The application determines that there is a new match for the original
geometry selection.
• No Matches: The application cannot determine a new match for the original
geometry selection.
In- This option displays a dialog that includes a description of the feature and its capabilities.
form-
ation
Fix This option automatically corrects all recovered scoping
All
Scop-
ing
Zoom For the currently selected row in the wizard, or an object in the tree, this option zooms
to in on the body or part that the application has determined was associated with the
Geometry original scoping.
Tessellation
2.13. Creating User-Defined Buttons

The User Buttons group enables you to create, edit, manage, export, and import your own toolbar
buttons. Selecting the Manage option opens the Button Editor.
This panel contains the following features and options:
• Save: This option saves button information and publishes it into the user group.
• Import: This option enables you to open and import an existing Python (.py) file that specifies
a button. The content of the imported file populates the Button Editor dialog.
Note:
The Python file must contain the appropriate structure to be imported as a button.
Ansys recommends that you first export a button to see the necessary structure for
your .py file, then copy that structure to the file you wish to import.
• Name: Enter a name (label) for the button.
• Collection Editor: The folder icon opens a panel that enables you to manage existing buttons.
It contains option to edit, export, or delete the button.
Creating User-Defined Buttons
• Image: Select this icon to assign an image that to the button.
• Description: The description pane enables you to enter a description of what action the script
performs - it is a tooltip.
• Script: You enter your python script into this pane.
Example
Here is an example of how to create a Pressure load. You can find this example in the ACT Console.
The above example creates the following user-defined button.
2.14. Windows Management

The Mechanical interface contains window panes that house graphics, outlines, tables, object details,
and other views and controls. Window management features allow you to move, resize, tab-dock, and
auto-hide window panes. A window pane that is "tab-docked" is collapsed and displayed at the side of
the application interface. Auto-hide indicates that a window pane (or tab-docked group of panes)
automatically collapses when not in use.
Preference Migration
Auto-Hiding
Panes are either pinned or unpinned . Toggle this state by clicking the icon in the pane title bar.
A pinned pane occupies space in the window. An unpinned pane collapses to a tab on the periphery
of the window when inactive.
To examine an unpinned pane, move the mouse pointer over the tab. This causes the pane to open
on top of any other open window panes. Holding the mouse pointer over the tab keeps the tab visible.
Clicking the tab activates the window pane (also causing it to remain visible). Pin the pane to restore
it to its open state.
Moving and Docking

Drag a window’s title bar to move and undock a window pane. Once you begin to drag the window,
a number of dock targets (blue-filled arrows and circle) appear in the interface window. At this point
you:
1. Move the mouse pointer over a target to preview the resulting location for the pane. Arrow targets
indicate adjacent locations. A circular target enables tab-docking of two or more panes (to share
screen space).
2. Release the button on the target to move the pane. You can abort the drag operation by pressing
the ESC key.
Tip:
You can also double-click a window’s title bar to undock the window and move it freely
around the screen. Once undocked, you can resize the window by dragging its bor-
ders/corners.
Restore Original Window Layout

Select the Reset Layout option in the Layout group (p. 48) on the Home tab to return to the default/ori-
ginal pane configuration.
2.15. Preference Migration

The first time you run Ansys Workbench following the installation of a new version of the software, the
application automatically migrates your user preferences to the new version. This includes preferences
such as licensing settings, Options (p. 293) settings, solver preferences, user created buttons, Key Assign-
ments, and Engineering Data settings.
To migrate preferences, the application creates a text file (MigratePreferences.txt) in the following
directory:
Windows: C:\Users\John_Doe\AppData\Roaming\Ansys\<new_version>
Linux: ~/.ansys/<new_version>
If this file does not exist, the application migrates your preferences. Once the application has generated
this text file, the migration no longer runs.
Turn Automatic Migration Off

You can turn migration off by:
• Creating an empty file called %APPDATA%/Ansys/v<new_version>/MigratePrefer-

ences.txt before the first run.
Or...
• Starting Workbench with (Target property) "RunWB2.exe -K Framework.MigratePref-

erences=off"
Remove Migrated Preference Data

You can remove the migrated user preference data by emptying the %APPDATA%/Ansys/v<new_ver-
sion> directory and creating the empty file %APPDATA%/Ansys/v<new_version>/MigratePref-
erences.txt. Make sure that no Ansys product is running during this action.
2.16. Resource Prediction

The Resource Prediction option (Home Tab/Solve (p. 43) Group) displays a window that enables you
to select an analysis and predict the computing resources needed to perform a solution for the envir-
onment. The application displays a prediction for time, memory, and disk space requirements. The
prediction is displayed in green at the top of the page. When initiated, the progress of the calculation
is displayed in the left corner of the Status Bar (p. 138). The progress bar includes a stop button to end
the process.
Note:
• This feature is only supported for the Structures AI+ license.
• A successful prediction does not guarantee a successful solution.
• This feature presents estimates based on simulations with similar characteristics and should
only be used as a reference. Your actual simulation may not solve as suggested.
• The prediction applies to the solution using distributed-memory parallel (DMP) processing
and the data reported will not account for Hybrid Parallel usage.
• You can also display resource prediction information from the Solution Information (p. 1927)
object using the Resource Prediction option of the Solution Output property when
performing a solve or writing an input file.
• Requirements and Limitations (p. 163)
Resource Prediction
• Static Structural Analysis Prediction (p. 163)
• Modal (stand-alone only) Analysis Prediction (p. 164)
• Harmonic Response (stand-alone only) Analysis Prediction (p. 165)
• Resource Prediction using Solution Output (p. 166)
Requirements and Limitations

Review the following requirements and limitations:
• The mesh must be generated.
• Supports Static Structural, Modal (stand-alone), and Harmonic Response (stand-alone) systems
only.
• The resources predicted are the computational resources needed to perform one step.
• This feature does not process Commands (APDL) object entries.
• This feature is not supported on the Linux platform.
Static Structural Analysis Prediction

By default, a prediction is automatically performed for both the Direct and Iterative solver settings.
The prediction display, as illustrated below, includes red text in parenthesis beside the option specified
in the Solver Type property. If the Solver Type property is set to Program Controlled, then the red
text indicates the option selected by the application.
This analysis type supports the presence of nonlinearities when performing resource prediction. Nonlin-
earities conditions can be a result of the Large Deflection property being set to On, contact conditions
that have the Type property set to anything other than Bonded or No Separation, connections such
as nonlinear joints or springs, the contact-based Small Sliding property set to Off, as well as the result
of nonlinear material properties, such as hyperelasticity and plasticity. The resource prediction algorithm
considers all of these nonlinear conditions when generating and presenting predicted values.
Note:
• Resource prediction using the iterative solver setting assumes convergence and it does
not consider any impact if the solver setting switches from the iterative solver to the direct
solver.
• Static Structural prediction is only supported when the Quasi-Static Solution property
(Analysis Settings > Solver Controls (p. 1512)) is set to Off (default).
Note:
Prediction performance for Static Structural analyses can be affected during a nonlinear
analysis if the analysis is not converging properly.
Time Chart Static Structural Analysis
Modal (Stand-Alone Only) Analysis Prediction

A stand-alone Modal analysis supports resource prediction using the Direct setting for the Solver Type
property only, either setting the option manually or through the use of the Program Controlled option.
Time Chart for Modal Analysis
Resource Prediction
Harmonic Response (Stand-Alone Only) Analysis Prediction

The application supports resource prediction for a stand-alone Harmonic Response analysis using Full
or the Program Controlled setting of the Solution Method property. In addition to selecting the desired
Harmonic Response analysis from Analysis Environment drop-down menu, you need to specify a domain
decomposition method (DDOPTION). Options include Frequency Based Decomposition and Mesh
Based Decomposition.
Note:
For this analysis type, resource prediction assumes the use of the Direct option for the
Solver Type property.
Time Chart for Harmonic Response Analysis
Resource Prediction using Solution Output

When you activate the required preference, the Solution Output property of the Solution Informa-
tion (p. 1927) object provides a Resource Prediction option. When you write an input file or perform a
solution, use this option to display resource predicted values in the worksheet. From the Options (p. 287)
dialog, activate the Resource Prediction During Solve preference in the Analysis Settings and Solu-
tion (p. 316) group. The preference is available under the Resource Prediction (Static Structural,
Modal and Harmonic Response) category. Options include No (default) and Yes.
Resource Prediction
This option displays the following information:
• Predicted computational resources for the core count you specify, up to 32 cores.
• Time, memory, and disk space charts that display how resources vary per core count.
• As applicable, suggestions as per predicted values.
For Harmonic Response analyses when you set the Solution Method property to Program Controlled,
the application displays the predicted data for Full method. Once the solution is complete, the red text
in the Resource Prediction worksheet displays "Solution Method chosen by the Mechanical."
Note:
Resource prediction from the Solution Information object only supports:
• Static Structural analyses when the Quasi-Static Solution property (Analysis Settings
> Solver Controls (p. 1512)) is set to Off (default).
• Harmonic Response analyses when Solution Method property is set to either Program
Controlled or Full. Within the Harmonic Response analysis worksheet, tabs are available
to showcase data pertaining to domain decomposition methods.
• Modal analyses for the Direct Solver setting of the Solver Type property including
when the Program Controlled setting selects Direct Solver.
• See the Solver Controls (p. 1512) and Options (p. 1531) (for Harmonic Response analyses)
sections for more information about the above properties.
2.17. Print Preview

The Print Preview option, selected from the Tools (p. 47) group on the Home tab, runs a script to
generate an HTML page and an image for a selected object, such as the Deformation result shown below.
The title block is an editable HTML table. The table initially contains the Author, Subject, Prepared
For and Date information supplied from the Details of the Project tree node. To change or add this
information, double-click inside the table. The information entered in the table does not propagate any
changes back to the details view and is not saved after exiting the Print Preview tab.
Report Preview
The image is generated in the same way as figures in Report Preview. The new Print Preview copies
all current view settings, including those defined in the Options (p. 293), such as the Font Magnification
Factor.
2.18. Report Preview

The Report Preview option, selected from the Tools (p. 47) group on the Home tab, enables you to
create a report based on the analyses in the Outline. This report selects items in the Outline, examines
the worksheets for it, then appends any material data used in the analysis. The report generation process
starts immediately, and, once started, it must run to completion before you can begin working in the
interface again.
The generation process of the feature starts as soon as you select the option. Unlike prior report gener-
ators, this system works by extracting information from the user interface. It first selects each item in
the Outline, then examines worksheets in a second pass, and finally appends any material data used
in the analysis. The material data will be expressed in the Workbench standard unit system which most
closely matches Mechanical's unit system. Once started the report generation process must run to
completion. Avoid clicking anywhere else in Workbench during the run because this will stop the report
process and may cause an error. This approach to reporting ensures consistency, completeness, and
accuracy.
Important:
When running multiple Mechanical sessions, the application automatically overwrites any
existing files (MHT, HTML, Word, or PPT) if you generate report outputs without first managing
them with the Publish feature or by copying files to a new location.
Note:
Not all Report Preview options are available on the Linux platform.
In addition to the Tables (p. 170) and Figures (p. 170) topics described below, this section examines:
2.18.1. Publishing the Report
2.18.2. Sending the Report
2.18.3. Comparing Databases
2.18.4. Customizing Report Content
Tables
Most tables in the report directly correspond to the Details of an object or set of related objects. Object
names appear across the top of the tables.
By default, tables displays 12 columns. This setting increases the likelihood that tables will fit on the
screen and on printed pages. In the Report Options (p. 315) dialog you can increase or decrease the
setting for the number of columns you wish to display by default. For example, you may allow more
columns if object names take up little space, if you have a high resolution screen, or print in landscape
layout. The minimum is two columns, in which case no grouping of objects occurs and the Contents is
equivalent to the Outline.
The system merges identical table cells by default. This reduces clutter and helps to reveal patterns.
You can disable this feature in the Report Options (p. 315) dialog.
Note:
The Report Preview feature does not display table entries from the nonlinear joint stiffness
matrix.
Figures and Images

Figures and Images appear in the report as specified in the Outline. The system automatically inserts
charts as needed. The system creates all bitmap files in PNG format.
You may change the size of charts and figures in the Report (p. 315) preference in the default Op-
tions (p. 293) settings. For example, you may specify smaller charts due to few data points or bigger
figures if you plan to print on large paper. For best print quality, increase the Graphics Resolution in
Report Preview
the Report (p. 315) preference. In addition, you can increase legend font sizes using the Font Magnific-
ation Factor option under the Graphics Options (p. 303) preference.
2.18.1. Publishing the Report

Click the Publish option to save your report as a single HTML file that includes the picture files in a
given folder, or as an HTML file with a folder containing picture files. The first option produces a
single MHT file containing the HTML and pictures. MHT is the same format used by Internet Explorer
when a page is saved as a "Web Archive". Only Internet Explorer 5.5 or later on Windows supports
MHT. For the other two options, the HTML file is valid XHTML 1.0 Transitional.
Full support for MHT file format by any other browser cannot be guaranteed.
2.18.2. Sending the Report

The Send To feature enables you to publish your report as:
• An email attachment. This option attaches a single MHT file automatically to your email applic-
ation.
Some email systems may strip or filter MHT files from incoming messages. If this occurs, email
a ZIP archive of a published report or email the report from Microsoft Word.
• A Word document. This format is equivalent to opening a published HTML file in the application.
• A PowerPoint presentation (images only). A presentation is automatically created and includes

the images (one per slide) of your analysis. It includes no other report information.
Note:
If you have multiple Mechanical sessions open, the application overwrites any reports
that you have produced in the above formats if do not manage the reports with the
Publish feature or by copying the files to a different location.
2.18.3. Comparing Databases

Because the report content directly corresponds to the user interface, it is easy to determine exactly
how two databases differ. Generate a report for the first database, open it in Word, save and exit.
Open the report for the second database in Word and choose Compare Documents. In the dialog,
clear the Find Formatting box and select the first file. Word highlights the differences, as illustrated
here:
2.18.4. Customizing Report Content

Report customization falls into two categories: preferences in the Report Options (p. 315) dialog and
the ability to run a modified report generator from a local or network location. This ability to extern-
alize the system is shared by the Mechanical Wizard (p. 284). It allows for modifications outside of the
installation folder and reuse of a customized system by multiple users.
To run report externally:
1. Copy the following folder to a different location: Program Files\ANSYS

Inc\v242\aisol\DesignSpace\DSPages\Language\en-us\Report2006.
2. Specify the location under Custom Report Generator Folder in the Report Options (p. 315) (for
example: \\server\copied_Report2006_folder).
The easiest customization is to simply replace Logo.png. The system uses that image on the wait
screen and on the report cover page.
The file Template.xml provides the report skeleton. Editing this file allows:
• Reformatting of the report by changing the CSS style rules.
• Addition of standard content at specific points inside the report body. This includes anything sup-
ported by XHTML, including images and tables.
The file Rules.xml contains editable configuration information:
• Standard files to include and publish with reports. The first is always the logo; other files could be
listed as the images used for custom XHTML content.
• Rules for excluding or bolding objects in the Contents.
• Rules for applying headings when objects are encountered.
• Selective exclusion of an object’s details. For example, part Color (extracted as a single number)
isn’t meaningful in a report.
• Exclusion of Graph figures for certain objects. This overrides the other four criteria used to decide
if a Graph figure is meaningful.
• Rules against comparing certain types of objects.
Full Screen Mode
• Object states that are acceptable in a "finalized" report.
• Search and replace of Details text. For example, the report switches "Click to Change" to "Defined".
This capability allows for the use of custom terminology.
• Insertion of custom XHTML content based on object, analysis and physics types, and whether the
content applies to the details table, the chart or the tabular data. For example, report includes a
paragraph describing the modal analysis bar chart.
All files in the Report2006 folder contain comments detailing customization techniques.
2.19. Full Screen Mode

The illustrations below depict the default layout of Mechanical as well as the full screen mode used to
view/present your analysis. You activate full screen mode by selecting the Full Screen option from the
Layout (p. 48) group on the Home tab. Or, you can use the F11 key when the Geometry window, the
tree Outline, or the Details view have focus. The tab option and the F11 key toggle the display on
and/or off.
When using this mode, the presentation inherits the active selection tool. For example, if you had the
Body selection option active, it continues to be active in full screen mode. This includes other options
such as Wireframe and Show Mesh. Based on the active selection filter, you can affect the model as
desired. In addition, when in the full screen mode, you may find it useful to use the available keyboard
shortcuts (Key Assignments (p. 277)). These options enable you to quickly change the selection options.
By default, full screen mode maximizes the display based on the largest resolution available for your
computer monitor. This is useful when you if you want to maximize the display for a model when you
have a smaller screen, such as laptop.
The tree Outline panel displays by default while presenting your analysis. You can use the Hotkey
combination Ctrl+O to toggle the Outline on and off. You can also use the Hotkey combination Ctrl+D
to toggle the Details view on and off.
2.20. Contextual Windows

Mechanical provides a number of feature-based windows. This section discusses the following:
2.20.1. Selection Information Window
2.20.2. Worksheet Window
2.20.3. Graph and Tabular Data Windows
2.20.4. Messages Window
2.20.5. Graphics Annotations Window
2.20.6. Section Planes Window
2.20.7. Mechanical Wizard Window
Contextual Windows
2.20.1. Selection Information Window

The Selection Information window provides a quick and easy way for you to interrogate and find
geometric information on items that you have selected on the model.

2.20.1.1. Activating the Selection Information Window
2.20.1.2. Understanding the Selection Modes
2.20.1.3. Using the Selection Information Window
2.20.1.4. Selecting, Exporting, and Sorting Data
2.20.1.1. Activating the Selection Information Window

You can display the Selection Information window using any of the following methods:
• Select the Selection Information option in the Tools (p. 47) group on the Home tab (p. 42).
• Double-click the field on the status bar that displays the Selection field.
2.20.1.2. Understanding the Selection Modes

The supported selection modes are vertex, edge, face, body, node, and coordinate, as described
below. Common reported information for each mode, except coordinate, includes x, y, z locations
and if two selections are made, the distance between their centroids is reported.
Note:
Selection Information may not be available for virtual entities.
Vertex
Individual vertex location and average location are reported. The bodies that the vertex attaches
to are also reported.
Node
The information displayed for selected nodes is similar to a vertex with the addition of the Node
ID.
Contextual Windows
Edge
Combined and individual edge length and centroid are reported. The bodies that the edge attaches
to are reported. The type of the edge is also reported. If an edge is of circle type, the radius of the
edge is reported.
Face
Combined and individual area and centroid are reported. The bodies that the face attaches to are
reported. The type of the face is reported. If a face is of cylinder type, the radius of the face is also
reported.
Body
Combined and individual volume, mass, and centroid are reported. The body name is reported.
Your choice of the mass moment of inertia in the selected coordinate system or the principal is
also reported. The choice is provided in the Selection Information Column Control (p. 181) dialog
box.
Contextual Windows
Important:
For a Surface Body, the Volume, Mass, and Moment of Inertia information for the Body
selection are based on the original thickness value specified on the Surface Body object.
This does not account for any Thickness object specifications. Thickness specifications
overwrite the body thickness values when the application calculates thickness for any
faces and/or surface bodies. Refer to the PRECISE MASS SUMMARY section from the
Solution Information worksheet for solver calculated Mass values.
Coordinate
If there is a mesh present, the picked point location and the closest mesh node ID and location are
reported.
In the case of a surface body model, the closest node will be located on the non-expanded mesh
(that can be seen if you select the Thick Shells and Beams option from the Style group on the
Display tab).
Non-expanded shell view:
Expanded shell view:
2.20.1.3. Using the Selection Information Window

The tools located at the top of the Selection Information window includes the following controls:
Each of these controls is described below.
Coordinate System
A Coordinate System drop-down selection box is provided. You can select the coordinate system
under which the selection information is reported. The centroid, location, and moment of inertia
information respect the selected coordinate system.
Contextual Windows
For example, if a cylindrical coordinate system is selected, the vertex location is reported using the
cylindrical coordinates.
Selection Information Column Control

If you click the Selection Information Column Control option, a column control dialog box appears
that enables you to select which columns are visible and what columns you can hide. The choices
that you made with the column control are retained for the application. The default settings are
illustrated below.
The following example shows the effects of clearing the centroid option for faces.
Contextual Windows
Selection Information Row Control

The Selection Information Row Control has three options: Show Individual and Summary, Show
Individual, and Show Summary. Depending upon your choice, the individual and/or summary
information is reported.
2.20.1.4. Selecting, Exporting, and Sorting Data

This section describes how you can reselect rows, export data, and sort data in the Selection In-
formation window. Each function is described below.
Reselect
Right-click to reselect the highlighted rows.
Contextual Windows
Export
The right-click menu enables you to export the table to a text file or an Excel file.
Sort
Click the column header to sort the table.
2.20.2. Worksheet Window

The worksheet presents you with information about objects in the tree in the form of tables, charts
and text, thereby supplementing the Details view. It is typically intended to summarize data for a
collection of objects (for example, the Connections folder worksheet reveals the inputs for all contacts,
joints and others) or to receive tabular inputs (for example, to specify the coefficients and the analyses
to include in Solution Combinations).
Behavior
• Dockable Worksheet
By default, when you select an applicable object in the tree, a dockable (p. 161)Worksheet window
displays alongside the Geometry window, allowing you to review both at once. You may, however,
disable the display of the Worksheet window using the Worksheet option (see below). This pref-
erence is persisted in future sessions of the product. There are specific objects that ignore the
preference, as outlined below.
Worksheet Function Worksheet Behavior When Example Objects

Object is Selected
Data input and display Automatically appears and Constraint Equation, Solution
information gains focus Combination
Display information related to Automatically appears but Analysis Settings
object settings does not gain focus
Display information related to Appears only if display is Geometry folder, Contact folder
objects within a folder turned on manually using the
Worksheet option (see
below)
• Worksheet Option
For tree objects that include an associated Worksheet, the Worksheet option of the Views group
on the ribbon enables you to toggle the Worksheet window display on or off. The option is not
available (grayed out) for objects that do not include a Worksheet.
Worksheets designed to display many data items do not automatically display the data. The data
readily appears however when you click the Worksheet button. This feature applies to the work-
sheets associated with the following object folders: Geometry, Coordinate System, Contact, Remote
Points, Mesh, and Solution.
Features
• Go To Selected items
This useful feature enables you to find items in either the tree or Geometry window that match
one or more rows of the worksheet. If the worksheet displays a tabular summary of a number of
objects, select the rows of interest, right-click, and choose Go To Selected Items in Tree to instantly
highlight items that match the contents of the Name column (leftmost column). Control is therefore
transferred to the tree or Geometry window, as needed.
Contextual Windows
• Viewing Selected Columns
When a worksheet includes a table with multiple columns, you can control which columns to display.
To do so, right-click anywhere inside the table. From the context menu, check the column names
of interest to activate their display. Some columns may ignore this setting and remain hidden
should they be found inapplicable.
To choose the columns that will display, right mouse click anywhere inside the worksheet table.
From the context menu, click any of the column names. A check mark signifies that the column
will appear. There are some columns in the worksheet that will not always be shown even if you
check them. For example, if all contact regions have a Pinball Region set to Program Controlled,
the Pinball Radius will not display regardless of the setting.
2.20.3. Graph and Tabular Data Windows

The Graph and Tabular Data windows enable you to review and modify the data, primarily associated
with the objects and features listed below. When you select certain objects in the tree, the Graph
window and Tabular Data window display beneath the Geometry window. Refer to the following
topics for descriptions about the use of these windows as they relate to:
• Analysis Settings (p. 187)
• Loading Conditions (p. 187)
• Contour Results and Probes (p. 188)
• Display Graph Content in the Geometry Window (p. 191)
• Solution Steps and Substeps (p. 192)
• Charts (p. 193)
• Context Menu Options (p. 193)
Analysis Settings
For analyses with multiple steps, you can use these windows to select the step(s) whose analysis
settings (p. 1501) you want to modify. The Graph window also displays all the loads used in the analysis.
These windows are also useful when using restarts. See Using Solution Restarts (p. 1917) for more in-
formation.
Loading Conditions
Inserting a loading condition (p. 1585) updates the Tabular Data window with an entry table that enables
you to enter data on a per-step basis. The Graph window updates as you make Tabular Data entries.
All new tabular data is entered into the row that begins with an asterisk (*) regardless of whether the
time or frequency point is higher or lower than the last defined point in the table. The application
automatically sorts the content of the table into ascending order. In addition, any Tabular Data values
preceded by an equal sign (=) are not defined table values. These values are application interpolated
values shown for reference.
A check box is available in the column title for each component of a load in order to turn on or turn
off the viewing of the load in the Graph window. Components are color-coded to match the compon-
ent name in the Tabular Data window. Clicking on a time value in the Tabular Data window or se-
lecting a row in the Graph window will update the display in the upper left corner of the Geometry
window with the appropriate time value and load data.
As an example, if you use a Displacement (p. 1784) load in an analysis with multiple steps, you can alter
both the degrees of freedom and the component values for each step by modifying the contents in
the Tabular Data window as shown above.
If you wish for a load to be active in some steps and removed in some other steps you can do so by
following the steps outlined in Activating and Deactivating Loads (p. 1507).
Contour Results and Probes

For contour results (p. 2025) and probes (p. 2025), the Graph and Tabular Data windows display how
the results vary over time. In addition, for result objects, the Tabular Data window usually displays
the Total, as well as Minimum and Maximum values calculated on the specified geometry. The color
of the column headers for these values corresponds to the colors displayed in the Graph window,
red and green as illustrated below. You can animate your results in the Graph window for the specified
result set domain. And, you can further specify a specific range to animate by dragging your mouse
across graph content.
Contextual Windows
Note:
If you refine the mesh using the Nonlinear Adaptive Region (p. 1826) condition, the Changed
Mesh column displays and indicates when mesh regeneration took place.
Important:
For results displayed in the Tabular Data window, if 0 (zero) displays for both the Minimum
and Maximum values of a row, the result set may not contain result data. You can use the
Retrieve option, discussed below, to view a result set in order to determine if any data
exists for the set. If no data is available, the result contours in the Geometry window display
as fully transparent.
Retrieving Results
To view the results in the Geometry window for a desired time point, select the time point in the
Graph window or Tabular Data window, then right-click the mouse and select Retrieve This Result.
The Details for the chosen result object also updates to the selected step.
Creating Results
The contextual (right-click) menu of the Tabular Data window also includes an option to Create
Results. This feature enables you to select multiple rows in the table and create individual results for
each selection. These new results are placed in a Group folder (p. 202) in the tree. The Group folder
has the same name as the original result. Or, in the event the originally result was already grouped,
the new results are added to this existing group.
Create Results Selection Generated Results
Contextual Windows
Display Graph Content in the Geometry Window

When the Geometry window has focus, you can select the Display Graph option on the Graphics
Toolbar (p. 100), or use the keyboard key G or the context (right-click) menu option, to display the
content (load and result data) of the Graph window in the Geometry window. This enables you to
include the graph in image captures of a viewport. Once displayed, you can drag and drop the graph
within the window. You can activate this feature in multiple viewports and it remains active until you
select one of the Display Graph options to remove the graph. In addition, the animation and anim-
ation export options support this feature.
Solution Steps and Substeps

During analyses that are using the Mechanical APDL solver, selecting the Solution object following
the solution process for an analysis that includes multiple steps, the Tabular Data window displays
the Time associated with each Step of the analysis as well as each Substep as applicable. The following
examples of the Tabular Data window show these options for a deformation result.
Total Deformation Result Tabular Data Solution Object Tabular Data
Contextual Windows
Charts
With charts (p. 2036), the Graph and Tabular Data windows can be used to display loads and results
against time or against another load or results item.
Context Menu Options

Presented below are some of the commonly used options available in a context menu that displays
when you click the right mouse button within the Graph window and/or the Tabular Data window.
The options vary depending on how you are using these windows (for example, loads vs. results).
• Retrieve This Result: As discussed above, for a selected object, this option retrieves and presents
the result data at the selected time point you have selected in the Graph window or Tabular Data
window.
• Create Results: As discussed above, this option create result objects for the rows that you select
in the Tabular Data window and places the new results in a group folder.
• Create Total Deformation Results/Create Equivalent Strain Results/Create Equivalent Stress

Results/Create Temperature Results: These options are available for Tabular Data content when
the Solution object is selected for a solved analysis. These options enable you to create results for
a selected row or multiple rows of data.
• Insert Step: Inserts a new step at the currently selected time in the Graph window or Tabular
Data window. The newly created step will have default analysis settings. All load objects in the
analysis will be updated to include the new step.
• Delete Step: Deletes a step.
• Copy Cell: Copies the cell data into the clipboard for a selected cell or group of cells. The data may
then be pasted into another cell or group of cells. The contents of the clipboard may also be copied
into Microsoft Excel. Cell operations are only valid on load data and not data in the Steps column.
• Paste Cell: Pastes the contents of the clipboard into the selected cell, or group of cells. Paste oper-
ations are compatible with Microsoft Excel.
• Delete Rows: Removes the selected rows. In the Analysis Settings object this will remove corres-
ponding steps. In case of loads this modifies the load vs time data.
• Select All Steps: Selects all the steps. This is useful when you want to set identical analysis settings
for all the steps.
• Select All Highlighted Steps: Selects a subset of all the steps. This is useful when you want to set
identical analysis settings for a subset of steps.
• Activate/Deactivate at this step!: This enables a load to become inactive (deleted) in one or more
steps. By default any defined load is active in all steps.
• Zoom to Range: Zooms in on a subset of the data in the Graph window. Click and hold the left
mouse at a step location and drag to another step location. The dragged region will highlight in
blue. Next, select Zoom to Range. The chart will update with the selected step data filling the
entire axis range. This also controls the time range over which animation takes place.
• Zoom to Fit: If you have chosen Zoom to Range and are working in a zoomed region, choosing
Zoom to Fit will return the axis to full range covering all steps.
2.20.4. Messages Window

The Messages Window is a Mechanical application feature that prompts you with feedback concerning
the outcome of the actions you have taken in the application. For example, Messages display when
you resume a database, Mesh (p. 353) a model, or when you initiate a Solve (p. 359).
Messages come in three forms:
• Error
• Warning
• Information
As illustrated below, when the application issues a message, a window first displays the message for
five seconds and then the pop-up is automatically hidden. You may change the default setting for
the these messages in the Messages (p. 314) category of the Options preferences (p. 293). Change the
Pop-up Messages setting to No. The default setting is Yes.
Note:
The Linux platform does not support the message pop-up feature.
Contextual Windows
By default the Messages window is hidden. To display the window, open the Manage drop-down
menu from the Layout (p. 48) group of the Home tab and select Messages. An example of the
Messages window is shown below.
As shown here, the Status Bar provides a dedicated area to alert you should one or more messages
become available to view. You can double-click this field to display messages.
Highlighted Messages
As illustrated above, messages may display with an orange highlight to indicate that there is a potential
problem related to an object. The object corresponding to this message is also highlighted in the
tree (p. 113). You can turn this feature off using the Options (p. 293) dialog box (see the Messages (p. 314)
category).
Window Options
Once messages are displayed in the Messages window, you can:
• Double-click a message to display its contents in a pop-up window.
• You can filter messages using the display options listed below. Checking and clearing the options
may change the order in which the window displays the messages. These options have associated
preferences settings in the Messages (p. 314) category of the Options (p. 293) dialog that enables
you to define the default setting.
– Show Errors: Display or hide error messages. This field also lists the number of different error
messages displayed in the Messages window. When you merge/unmerge messages, this value
changes accordingly.
– Show Warnings: Display or hide warning messages. This field also lists the number of different
warning messages displayed in the Messages window. When you merge/unmerge messages,
this value changes accordingly.
– Show Info: Display or hide information-based messages. This field also lists the number of different
information messages displayed in the Messages window. When you merge/unmerge messages,
this value changes accordingly.
– Merge Messages: Merge similar messages into one row. Unchecking this option will unmerge
messages - all original messages are then displayed.
– Pop-up Messages: When selected, pop-ups display as expected. When you unselect this option,
system generated messages do not display as a pop-up, but are included in the list of messages
in the Messages window. You can double-click messages to display them as a pop-up dialog.
The filter toolbar also contains a drop-down menu option that enables you to hide/display any or
all of the above filter options as well as reset the toolbar.
• Right-click one or more messages to display the following context menu options:
– Go To Object: Selects the object in the tree which is responsible for the message.
– Show Problematic Geometry: Highlights the geometries in the Geometry window that are
causing the error or warning.
– Show Intersecting Surface Mesh: This option creates a Named Selection of the problematic
bodies and elements for your review.
– Show Message: Displays the selected message in a popup window.
– Copy: Copies the selected messages to the clipboard. You can also highlight a message and then
press the key combination Ctrl + C to copy its contents to the clipboard.
– Delete: Removes the selected messages. You can also use the Delete key to remove a selected
message from the window.
– Refresh: Refreshes the contents of the Messages Window as you edit objects in the Mechanical
application tree.
2.20.5. Graphics Annotations Window

The Graphics Annotations window, illustrated below, displays a table of user-defined annotations.
The annotations are either a note that you place on your model using the Annotation (p. 44) option
or the display of a specific result value at its coordinate location on your model, using the Probe (p. 74)
option.
These annotations are labels that you place on your model that include a/an:
Contextual Windows
• Value (Probe only) • Object associated with the label (Associ-

ation column).
• Note
• Timestamp
• Coordinates of the label (Location X/Y/Z
columns) • Label color (Color column)
• Node ID as applicable. Node ID values • Display option for user-defined

are included in the table for probe annotations (not probes) that you can
selections when the Snap (p. 74) option select to have that label remain displayed
is selected (active by default). (Show Always column).
• Application (p. 197)
• Annotation Types (p. 198)
• Graphics Annotations Window Features (p. 198)
– Write Notes (p. 199)
– Highlight Values (p. 199)
– Display Node IDs (p. 200)
– Move Labels (p. 200)
– Change Probe Line Coloring (p. 201)
– Change Label Color (p. 201)
– Display Obscured Labels (p. 201)
– Display Annotation Labels Continuously (p. 201)
– Select Context Menu Options (p. 201)
– Manually Delete Annotations (p. 202)
Application
The Graphics Annotations window displays automatically when you:
1. Place an annotation on your model. Select the Annotation option from the Insert
group (p. 44) on the Home (p. 42) tab and then click a location on your model.
Or...
Note:
The Insert group displays on numerous Context tabs.
2. Place a probe on your model. Select a result object, select the Probe option on the Result
Context Tab (p. 65), and then click a location on your model.
Note:
For the Probes feature:
• Annotations are not supported for results scoped to edges and vertices.
• Values are cleared if you re-solve your simulation.
• Values for positions inside of an element may differ from hand-calculated

values, especially for certain user defined result expressions. See the limita-
tions topic in the Interpolation of Result Values (p. 2052) section.
Annotation Types
Examples of the annotation types as displayed in the Geometry window are shown below.
User Defined Graphics Annotation Probe Annotations for Result
Graphics Annotations Window Features

The Graphics Annotations window provides the following options once you have created annotations:
Contextual Windows
Write Notes
When you select the Annotation option in the Insert group (p. 44) and place the annotation on
a point of your model, the Graphics Annotations window displays as shown below. The Note
cell of the table is active and you can being to type your note. You can edit the text entry for a
user-defined annotation by double-clicking the annotation’s Note cell. Your text entries can span
more than one line using the backslash (\) keyboard character. Note the "Two Line" note example
above.
Highlight Values
Selecting a table cell in the Value column (or a cell of the Association column) or selecting the
annotation label in the Geometry window, highlights the annotation in the table as well as in
the Geometry window. Note that for a user-defined annotations, the Geometry display switches
to the corresponding object of the tree that includes the annotation, such as the Element Size
example shown above.
Display Node IDs
Using the Show Node ID in Snap-Probe Labels preference of the Graphics (p. 303) category in
the Options dialog, you can include the Node ID in the probe label, as illustrated below.
Move Labels
Selecting the Label option on the Graphics Toolbar (p. 100) enables you select and then drag-and-
drop an annotation.
Moving a Text Label
You can only reposition a text label on the model. Once repositioned, the label will rotate and
move in space with the model.
Moving a Probe Label
Probe labels can be moved anywhere within the Geometry window. As illustrated below, a white
line directs you to the probe's location on the model. Also, two vertical red lines appear beside
a label when it is moved. You can then freely drag-and-drop the annotation to a different location.
Once moved, the label is stationary. If you rotate or move the model, the label remains in the
same position in the window. As needed, you can simply return the annotation to the original
position or drag-and-drop it to an new position in order to reposition it along with the model.
Contextual Windows
To return probe labels to their original position (the anchor of the probe always remains in the
original position), select the annotation in the Geometry window or in the window and press the
Esc key. You can select multiple probes using the Ctrl key.
Change Probe Line Coloring
You can change the color of the line connecting the probe label to its location on the model using
the Probe Line Color property in the Graphics (p. 303) category of the Options (p. 293) dialog.
Change Label Color
When you double-click a cell in the Color column, a color selection pane displays that enables
you to change the color of the label.
Display Annotation Labels Continuously
For user-defined annotations (not probes), you can select the check box under the Show Always
column to have that label remain displayed regardless of the object or interface selection you
make.
Display Obscured Labels
The Options (p. 293) dialog contains a Graphics (p. 303) category preference, Obscured Label
Display Style, that enables you to change the display of an annotation label and/or probe that
is not visible because of the orientation of your model. The options include Solid (default),
Translucent, and Hidden. When a label or probe is on the opposite side of the model’s current
orientation, you can choose whether to have it show “through” the model using the Solid and
Translucent options or not at all using the Hidden option.
Also note that the Graphics category includes an associated preference: Unobscured Label Tol-
erance Factor. For the Translucent or Hidden options, this tolerance enables you make small
adjustments to make sure that a label behaves as expected in the event a label displays as obscured
when it should not. For example, when a label’s position is located slightly within a curved surface
rather than directly on the surface. This is most likely a result of how the application calculates
the location of a label. The tolerance range is between 0 and 1. Small incremental changes, such
as 0.0001 can be appropriate to properly display obscured labels.
Select Context Menu Options
As illustrated below, the window provides a context menu when you make a table selection and
then right-click the mouse.
Context Menu Options Option Descriptions
• Copy: copy the content contained

in the row into the clipboard.
• Delete: delete table selections.
• Delete All: delete all table content.
• Reset Label Location: return all

selected probes to their original
position.
• Export Text File: export table

content to a text file.
Manually Delete Annotations
To delete an annotation, select a row in the window or select the annotation label in the Geometry
window, and then press the Delete key. You can select multiple probe labels or table cells using
the Ctrl key.
2.20.6. Section Planes Window

The Section Plane window gives you access to the functionality for creating a cut or slice on your
model so that you can view internal geometry, or mesh and results displays. For more information
on this feature, see Creating Section Planes (p. 257).
2.20.7. Mechanical Wizard Window

The Mechanical Wizard window appears in the right side panel whenever you click the Mechanical
Wizard button on the Home Tab (p. 42). For details, see Mechanical Wizard (p. 284).
2.21. Group Tree Objects

Mechanical enables you to organize and group certain objects in the Outline pane. Using context menu
(right-click) options, the application provides a number of different options that you use to group objects.
• Group Multiple Objects (p. 203)
• Group, Hide, and Suppress Geometry Objects (p. 205)
• Group All (p. 206)
• Group Loads by Load Vector (Substructure Generation Analysis Only) (p. 208)
Group Tree Objects
• Objects with Limited Grouping (p. 209)
Note:
For CAD files with a hierarchy structure, the Options dialog preference setting, Assembly
Hierarchy, enables you to automatically group parts and bodies under the Geometry object
upon import. If you use this preference, you cannot change the setting once you have im-
ported your geometry. This is due to a geometry update limitation.
Group Multiple Objects

Use the Group option when you individually select multiple objects to be grouped. The Group Similar
Objects groups together objects of the same type (for example, Pressure, Displacement, etc.) and renames
the group folder according to that type.
Note:
If you change and update your geometry, always verify your groupings. For example, using
the Explode Part feature in DesignModeler alters Part IDs.
Once you create groups, you are prompted to rename the folder or you may accept the default name
(New Folder). In the following example, the folder was named "Support and Pressure." The similar objects
folder name is automatically created based on the object type, in this case, Force. Also note that this
new object provides the Details view property Children in Group that displays the total number of
objects contained in the new group.
Once defined, options become available that enable you to Suppress (and Unsuppress) a group as
well as remove objects from a group (Remove From Group), further group objects into sub-
folders/groups (Group), Ungroup a particular folder, as well as delete a folder and its sub-folders (Delete
Group and Children option or [Delete] key). You can also Cut, Copy, and Duplicate the content of a
group folder. And in addition to the context menu options, you can drag-and-drop objects between
folders.
Group Tree Objects
Group, Hide, and Suppress Geometry Objects

As illustrated below, the Geometry object offers additional grouping options that enable you to Hide
and Show bodies inside and outside of a group as well as Suppress/Unsuppress (p. 116) bodies. The F9
hotkey (p. 277) also enables you to hide selected bodies.
Group All
The Mesh, Named Selection, Environment, and Solution objects provide an option to Group All
Similar Children. This option groups together the same type (for example, Mesh Method, Pressure,
Stress result, etc.) of objects (that are not already included in a grouping) and automatically names the
folder based on that type.
Group Tree Objects
Group Loads by Load Vector (Substructure Generation Analysis Only)

For the boundary conditions supported by the Substructure Generation (p. 546) analysis, the Environment
object provides the grouping option: Loads by Load Vector. This option automatically groups environ-
ment load objects with the same Load Vector Number, as specified by the Load Vector Controls
properties available from the boundary condition object. The application generates a folder based on
the corresponding Load Vector Number, as illustrated below for load vector number 2. Note that loads
with the same load vector number, that are already included in a group, are not added to the new
group.
Interface Behavior Based on License Levels
Objects with Limited Grouping

The following objects have limitations regarding grouping. This includes several objects that cannot be
grouped.
• Model object children (except Chart) cannot be grouped. However, the child objects of these
model-level children may be grouped.
• System generated Named Selections under the Fracture object cannot be grouped.
• Gasket Mesh Control objects under a Part object cannot be grouped.
• Global Coordinate System: this is the application defined Coordinate System and does not
support grouping.
• Reference Coordinate Systems: These coordinate systems are not defined by the Coordinate
Systems object and do not support grouping.
• Analysis Settings: grouping not supported.
• Initial Conditions (including child objects): grouping not supported.
• Solution Information: grouping not supported.
2.22. Interface Behavior Based on License Levels

The licensing level that you choose automatically enables you to exercise specific features and blocks
other features that are not allowed. Presented below are descriptions of how the interface behaves
when you attempt to use features not allowed by a license level.
• If the licensing level does not allow an object to be inserted, it will not show in the Insert menus.
• If you open a database with an object that does not fit the current license level, the database changes
to "read-only" mode.
• If a Details view option is not allowed for the current license level, it is not shown.
• If a Details view option is not allowed for the current license level, and was preselected (either through
reopening of a database or a previous combination of settings) the Details view item will become
invalid and shaded yellow.
Note:
When you attempt to add objects that are not compatible with your current license level,
the database enters a read-only mode and you cannot save data. However, provided you
are using any license, you can delete the incompatible objects, which removes the read-only
mode and enables you to save data and edit the database.
2.23. Environment Filtering

The Mechanical interface includes a filtering feature that only displays model-level items applicable to
the particular analysis type environments in which you are working. This provides a simpler and more
focused interface.
The environment filter has the following characteristics:
• Model-level objects in the tree that are not applicable to the environments under a particular model
are hidden.
• The user interface inhibits the insertion of model-level objects that are not applicable to the environ-
ments of the model.
• Model-level object properties (in the Details view of objects) that are not applicable to the environ-
ments under the model are hidden.
The filter is enabled by default when you enter the Mechanical application. You can disable the filter
by highlighting the Model object, clicking the right mouse button, and choosing Disable Filter from
the context menu. To enable the filter, repeat this procedure but choose Auto Filter from the context
menu. You can also check the status of the filter by highlighting the Model object and in the Details
view, noting whether Control under Filter Options is set to Enabled or Disabled.
The filter control setting (enabled or disabled) is saved when the model is saved and returns to the
same state when the database is resumed.
2.24. Using Macros

The Mechanical application enables you to execute custom functionality that is not included in a
standard Mechanical application menu entry via its Scripting feature. The functionality is defined in a
macro - a script that accesses the Mechanical application programming interface (API).
Macros can be written in the Python (.py) programming language. For additional information, refer to
the Script Examples section of the Scripting in Mechanical Quick Start Guide. Macros cannot currently
be recorded from the Mechanical application.
Setting Variables
To access a macro from the Mechanical application:
1. Choose Scripting option (p. 97) from the Support group on the Automation tab.
2. Navigate to the directory containing the macro.
3. Select the macro.
Note:
Note: For the current release. Mechanical also supports macros written in the legacy languages
Microsoft's JScript and VBScript. Several macro files are provided with the Ansys Workbench
installation under \ANSYS Inc\v190\aisol\DesignSpace\DSPages\macros.
2.25. Setting Variables

Variables enable you to override default settings.
To set a variable:
1. Choose Variable Manager from the File tab.
2. Right-click in a row and select Add to enter a new variable.
3. Enter a variable name and type in a value.
4. Click OK.
Variable name Supported Values Description

DSMESH OUTPUT filename Writes mesher messages to a file during solve (default =
no file written). If the value is a filename, the file is written
to the temporary working folder (usually c:\temp). To
write the file to a specific location, specify the full path.
DSMESH DEFEA- a number between Tolerance used in simplifying geometry (default = .0005).
TUREPERCENT 1e-6 and 1e-3
TreatMod- 1 Mode shapes and contour colors are in sync for animated
alAsComplex Modal results.
contactAl- 1 Allows the solution to proceed even if no contact elements
lowEmpty are generated for a given Contact Region.
1
UsePseudoShellDisp Display expanded shell thickness based on solver updated
nodal locations (for shells with large deformations (p. 137)).
edge contact CONTA175 or Forcibly specifies the element type of edge contact (both
type CONTA177 for real contact and Remote Boundary Conditions (p. 1856)).
Status
The status box indicates if a particular variable is active or not. Checked indicates that the variable is
active. Unchecked indicates that the variable is available but not active. This saves you from typing in
the variable and removing it.
2.26. Data Export

Mechanical enables you to export specifically supported analysis data to one or more of the following
file types. Review the following topics based upon the desired export file format.
• General Export Procedure (p. 212)
• Exporting to Text and Delimited Files (p. 213)
• Stereolithography (STL) (p. 213)
• Ansys Viewer File (AVZ) (p. 214)
• Geometry (Part Manager Database) (p. 214)
• NASTRAN Bulk Data (p. 215)
• Ansys Sound (p. 216)
• Waveform Audio File (WAV) (p. 216)
See the Options Settings (p. 218) topic at the end of the section for some general export settings that
are available using the Options dialog.
General Export Procedure

1. Select an object in the tree.
2. Click the Worksheet to give it focus (if applicable).
3. Right-click the selected object in the tree or on a selection in the Tabular Data window, select
Export, and then select a file type as required.
4. Specify a file name and save the file. Based on the object type, the application may automatically
open Excel, assuming you have the application.
Note:
You must right-mouse click the selected object in the tree to use this Export feature. On
Windows platforms, if you have the Microsoft Office 2002 (or later) installed, you may
see an Export to Excel option if you right-mouse click in the Worksheet. This is not
the Mechanical application Export feature but rather an option generated by Microsoft
Internet Explorer.
Data Export
Exporting to Text and Delimited Files

You can export a variety of analysis data to a tab-delimited text file. This file format enables you to view
the data in a text editor as well as Microsoft Excel. Mechanical supports exporting data from the following
object types (without access to worksheet data):
• Contour Results (p. 2379)
• Node-Based Named Selections (p. 1375)
• Element-Based Named Selections (p. 1375)
• Imported Loads (p. 1857)
Additionally, data from the following additional objects can be exported but requires worksheet data
to be active:
Connections Convergence Geometry

Contact Group Coordinate Systems Mesh
Contact Initial Information Fatigue Sensitivities Solution
Contact Tool Frequency Response Thermal Condition
Stereolithography (STL)
The following objects enable you to export object information in STL file format, either as Binary (default)
or ASCII. File size is the primary difference between the file formats. The binary format generates smaller
files, however; it does not include information for the bodies of your model. The ASCII format preserves
all body information during export. Using the Options (p. 293) dialog box, under the Export (p. 297) cat-
egory, you can change the default setting for exporting in STL format.
• Geometry (ASCII format only (p. 298))
• Mesh
• Results and Result Tools (Group)
Important:
Mechanical obtains unit data from imported CAD models and displays the unit in the
Length Unit property of the Geometry object. This is the unit system used by the STL
export feature. When opening your exported STL file in a CAD application, make sure
that the application is also using this unit system. For example, in SpaceClaim, set your
unit system by selecting File > SpaceClaimOptions > File Options > STL, and then
specify the appropriate unit system from the Units drop-down menu.
Note:
• When a model contains multiple bodies, Mechanical uses a nonstandard file format
for the ASCII representation. In this case, the application separates the bodies.
• Files saved in the STL format can be viewed in appropriate STL supported applications,
such as SpaceClaim. Currently for the Mesh object and for results-based objects (not
including contour data), files exported in the ASCII format enable you to render indi-
vidual parts of your model in SpaceClaim. Files in the binary format do not support
this display capability.
• The display of an exported STL file, regardless of viewer type, is based on the scale
you specify in the Result (p. 66) drop-down menu, on the Solution Context tab. That
is, if the scale is set to show deformations, the model is exported in the deformed
shape.
• When you select Top/Bottom as the Shell setting in the Details view for a surface
body and export the result contours (such as stresses and strains), the export file
contains two results for every node on a shell element (p. 2096). The first result is for
the bottom face and the second result is for the top face.
Ansys Viewer File (AVZ)

Mechanical enables you to export your mesh and/or a result object as an AVZ (.avz) file. The export
operation creates a 3D model representation that you can display in the Ansys Viewer (installation re-
quired). The Ansys Viewer is a WebGL based 3D image viewer that you can use to visualize the exported
mesh and results of your analysis without opening the Mechanical application. For results, you can inspect
result values at specific locations by hovering the mouse over a point on your model. For result objects
and as desired, you can automatically launch the Ansys Viewer by changing the default setting under
the Export preference (p. 297) of the Options dialog.
Note:
Exporting results that include a customized legend may present legend/contour display
inconsistencies in the viewer.
Geometry (Part Manager Database)

You can export the geometry (entirely or as parts) to a binary Part Manager Database (.pmdb) file by:
• Right-clicking on the Geometry object and then selecting Export>Geometry. The application
writes the entire geometry to the .pmdb file. This option also writes any Named Selections created
in Mechanical into the .pmdb file.
Or...
• Right-clicking one or more bodies/parts, and then select Export>Geometry. The application
writes the selected parts to the .pmdb file. If a selected body is part of a multi-body part, then
the entire part is written to the file.
Or...
• Right-clicking one or more bodies in the Geometry window and then selecting Export>Geometry.
The application writes the selected parts to the .pmdb file.
Data Export
Part Manager Database Requirements and Limitations
• Exporting the Geometry as a .pmdb file facilitates future geometry import into SpaceClaim, Design-
Modeler, as well as re-importing the file back into Mechanical.
• When exporting a geometry to a .pmdb file, the application exports all bodies, including suppressed
bodies, to the file without maintaining their suppression status. Therefore, when you re-import the
geometry, all of the bodies are unsuppressed. However, the application does export whether or not
a you have hidden bodies. This means that suppressed bodies, which are typically hidden, appear
hidden when you re-import the geometry. As a result, your geometry may have bodies that are hidden,
because they were suppressed on export, but that are no longer suppressed.
• The application does not export supplemental model data created after the geometry was imported.
This includes coordinate systems, work points, spot welds, or materials that you manually added
during your Mechanical session.
• When defined, .pmdb files include geometry cross sections for line bodies in the exported file. Sub-
sequent SpaceClaim and Mechanical sessions import the line body cross section data accordingly.
However, DesignModeler does not support importing line body cross section data and as needed,
requires you to redefine the cross sections if imported into DesignModeler.
• For any of the following that are exported as a Part Manager Database (.pmdb) file and then imported
into a new Mechanical session, the application does not currently support re-meshing using normal
mesh methods:
– Geometries created from External Model
– Deformation results
– Parts created using the Mesh Pull feature
NASTRAN Bulk Data

For Static Structural and Modal analyses, you can export your simulation as a NASTRAN Bulk Data (.bdf,
.dat, .nas) file.
When you select the Environment object, the option, Export NASTRAN File is available in the Tools
group of the Environment Context Tab (p. 64). Based on your analysis type, one of the following dialogs
displays. You use these property options to further define how you wish to export your simulation.
Note:
Also see the Writing NASTRAN Files (p. 1962) section for the steps to export your analysis as
a NASTRAN (.nas) file.
Ansys Sound
Mechanical enables you to export a result to Ansys Sound software for sound synthesis, sound design,
or psychoacoustics analysis. When exporting the result, the data is stored in an XML file, then Ansys
Sound SAS is opened (if installed on the machine) and automatically opens this file. The option is sup-
ported for the following acoustics results:
• Equivalent Radiated Power Level
• ERP Level Waterfall Diagram
• Frequency Response Sound Power Level
• Far-field SPL Mic (when the Definition Method property is set to Coordinates)
• Far-field Sound Power Level
• Far-field Mic Waterfall Diagram
• Far-field Sound Power Level Waterfall Diagram
For more information, see the Ansys Sound documentation.
Waveform Audio File (WAV)

You can export the following acoustic-based result types to a Waveform Audio File (.wav) file:
Data Export
• Frequency Response Sound Power Level
• Far-field SPL Mic (when the Definition Method property is set to Coordinates)
• Far-field Sound Power Level
• Far-field Mic Waterfall Diagram
• Far-field Sound Power Level Waterfall Diagram
Note:
Waterfall result types are only supported by the Harmonic Model sampling method
described below.
For the above result types, the context (right-click) menu option Export > Export to WAV File opens
the preference window shown below. The default settings are displayed.
The Duration and Sampling Frequency options are basic settings that enable you to specify the dur-
ation and sampling frequency of the audio file.
The Sampling Method options include:
• Inverse FFT (Fast Fourier Transform): This method generates a sound from a given spectrum
using a Fourier transform. This method creates a sound sample based on the given input spectrum
(level vs. frequency). This resulting sound sample has the same spectrum as the input. This
method is recommended for broadband noise spectrum.
• Harmonic Model: This method generates a sound from a spectrum using sound synthesis from
sinusoidal patterns. This method creates a sound sample based on the given input spectrum
(level vs. frequency) that contains harmonic components at the same exact frequencies specified
in the input spectrum. Each frequency has the same level as the specified input. This method is
recommended for pure tones sounds.
Options Dialog Settings

The Export (p. 297) category of the Options dialog includes the following preferences that apply to
exporting data.
Automatically Open Excel (Yes by default)

Remove Duplicate Nodes (No by default)
Include Node Numbers (Yes by default)
Include Node Location (No by default)
2.27. Keyframe Animation
Overview
The Keyframe animation feature enables you to string together snapshots of your model in the Geometry
window to create an animation. Each Keyframe is a Start and End point that the application then links
together by drawing Subframes (by default 30 Subframes) to create the animation. The application in-
terpolates the transition from frame to frame to create a smooth animation. For example, you can create
an animation of your model rotating.
Application
You create Keyframes using the Keyframe Animation Views window. To display (or close) the window,
select the Keyframe Animation option from the Tools group (p. 47) on the Home tab. The window,
as shown here, provides the interface for using the feature.
Create a Keyframe
To create Keyframes, you need to first position your model as desired in the Geometry window. Then,
select the Create a Keyframe button in the Keyframe Animation window. A new entry displays in the
window. The application assigns a numerical value to each Keyframe (Keyframe 0, Keyframe1, etc.).
Each Keyframe is a snapshot of the model.
Keyframe Animation
Once you define a Keyframe animation in the window, you can double-click the Keyframe to view its
position.
Modify a Keyframe
To change an existing Keyframe, select the Keyframe in the window, position your model as desired,
and select the Modify a Keyframe button.
Delete a Keyframe
Select the Keyframe in the window and click the Delete button.
Save/Load/Export Animations
The window provides options to Save your defined Keyframes as an XML file, to load a saved XML files
of Keyframes, and an export option that enables you to save your Keyframe animation as a video file
(AVI, MP4, WMV, or GIF). Any Subframe Count and Total Time specifications apply to exported files
types except the GIF format.
Insert Keyframe
Insert a new keyframe before the currently selected keyframe.
Apply Keyframe
Set the graphics window's camera settings to the currently selected keyframe's camera settings.
Note:
• When exporting your animation as a video file, make sure to keep the Mechanical applic-
ation window is in front of any other desktop windows until the export process is complete.
Opening other windows in front of the application window before the export process is
complete could include those windows in the video capture.
• The GIF file format does not support the Workbench Gradient settings (the default setting).
For this file format, the application automatically changes the Workbench appearance
setting to Uniform. As a result, exported GIF files have a plain background compared to
exported videos.
Frame Animation Control Options and Displays

The window provides the following options/displays:
• Play: Start or Resume the animation.
• Pause: Pause current animation
• Stop: Stop the animation
• Previous/Next Frame: These options move the animation backwards or forwards one frame at
a time.
• Subframe Count: Specify the desired number of subframes (0 to 200) between each Keyframe.
Subframes define the number of interpolations performed between each frame. This affects the
smoothness or lack thereof of the animation. This setting applies to exported animations.
• Total Time: Specify a desired amount of time for your animation. This property defines
presentation speed. This setting applies to exported animations.
• Keyframe: Read-only field that displays the Keyframe being displayed.
• Subframe: Read-only field that displays the subframes (per Subframe Count property) as the
animation progresses. You can use the Previous/Next Frame options to view specific
frames/subframes. Otherwise these fields automatically cycle through the animation.
2.28. Graphical Selection and Display

Here are some tips for working with graphics:
• You can use the ruler, shown at the bottom of the Geometry (p. 132) window, to obtain a good es-
timate of the scale of the displayed geometry or results (similar to using a scale on a geographic
map). The ruler is useful when setting mesh sizes.
• You can activate the Consider Section Planes When Mesh Picking Graphics (p. 303) preference in
order to select newly displayed finite element entities (nodes, elements, and element faces) from
geometries within the model that were hidden before adding the specified Section Plane (p. 257). See
the Selecting Mesh Entities Displayed by the Section Plane (p. 264) topic for additional information.
• Hold the control key to add or remove items from a selection. You can paint select faces on a model
by dragging the left mouse button.
• Use the stack of rectangles in the lower left corner of the Geometry (p. 132) window to select faces
hidden by your current selection.
• To multi-select one or more faces, hold the Ctrl key and click the faces you wish to select, or use Box
Select to select all faces within a box. The Ctrl key can be used in combination with Box Select to
select faces within multiple boxes.
• Use the options of the Selection Tab (p. 91) to make or manipulate geometry selections.
• Click the Using Viewports (p. 247) icon to view up to four images in the Geometry (p. 132) window.
• Controls are different for Graphs & Charts (p. 254).
• Mechanical supports 3Dconnexion devices. See the Platform Support section of Ansys.com for a
complete list of 3Dconnexion products certified with the current release of Ansys applications.
More information is available in the following topics:

2.28.1. Selecting Geometry
2.28.2. Selecting Nodes
2.28.3. Selecting Elements and Element Faces
2.28.4. Selecting Nodes and Elements by ID
2.28.5. Manipulating the Model in the Geometry Window
Graphical Selection and Display
2.28.6. Defining Direction

2.28.7. Using Viewports
2.28.8. Accelerated Graphics
2.28.9. Controlling Graphs and Charts
2.28.10. Managing Graphical View Settings
2.28.11. Creating Section Planes
2.28.12. Viewing Annotations
2.28.13. Controlling Lighting
2.28.14. Inserting Comments, Images, and Figures
2.28.1. Selecting Geometry

This section discusses cursor modes and how to select and pick geometry in the Geometry window.
It includes information on the following:
Pointer Modes (p. 221)

Highlighting (p. 222)
Picking (p. 222)
Blips (p. 222)
Painting (p. 223)
Depth Picking (p. 224)
Selection Filters (p. 224)
Selection Modes (p. 225)
Mini Selection Toolbar (p. 227)
Extend To (p. 227)
For Help on how to select mesh nodes and elements, see the Selecting Nodes (p. 232) and Selecting
Elements (p. 239) sections. Many of the same selection and picking tools are employed for mesh selec-
tions.
Pointer Modes
The pointer in the Geometry window is always either in a picking filter mode or a view control mode.
When in a view control mode the selection set is locked. To resume the selection, repress a picking
filter button.
The Graphics Toolbar (p. 100) offers several geometry filters and view controls as the default state, for
example, face, edge, rotate, and zoom.
If a Geometry field in the Details Pane (p. 122) has focus, inappropriate picking filters are automatically
disabled. For example, a pressure load can only be scoped to faces.
If the Direction field in the Details Pane (p. 122) has focus, the only enabled picking filter is Select
Direction. Select Direction mode is enabled for use when the Direction field has focus; you never
choose Select Direction manually. You may manipulate the view while selecting a direction. In this
case the Select Direction button enables you to resume your selection.
Highlighting
Hovering your cursor over a geometry entity highlights the selection and provides visual feedback
about the current pointer behavior, for example select faces, and location of the pointer, for example,
over a particular face.
As illustrated here, the face edges are highlighted in colored dots.
Picking
A pick means you select or "click" on a visible geometric entity. A pick becomes the current selection,
replacing previous selections. A pick in empty space clears the current selection.
By holding the Ctrl key down, you can add additional selections or remove existing selections. Clicking
in empty space with Ctrl depressed does not clear current selections.
For information on picking nodes, see Selecting Nodes (p. 232).
Blips
As illustrated below, when you make a selection on a model, a cross-hair “blip” appears.
The blip serves to:
• Mark a picked point on visible geometry.
• Represent a ray normal to the screen passing through all hidden geometry.
When you make multiple selections using the Ctrl key, the blip is placed at the last selection entity.
Clicking in empty space clears your current selection, but the blip remains in its last location. Once
you have cleared a selection, hold the Ctrl key down and click in clear space again to remove the
blip.
Note:
This is important for depth picking, a feature discussed below.
Painting
Painting means dragging the mouse on visible geometry to select more than one entity. A pick is a
trivial case of painting. Without holding the Ctrl key down, painting picks all appropriate geometry
touched by the pointer.
Depth Picking
Depth Picking enables you to pick geometry through the Z-order behind the blip.
Whenever a blip appears above a selection, the Geometry window displays a stack of rectangles in
the lower left corner. The rectangles are stacked in appearance, with the topmost rectangle repres-
enting the visible (selected) geometry and subsequent rectangles representing geometry hit by a ray
normal to the screen passing through the blip, front to back. The stack of rectangles is an alternative
graphical display for the selectable geometry. Each rectangle is drawn using the same edge and face
colors as its associated geometry.
Highlighting and picking behaviors are identical and synchronized for geometry and its associated
rectangle. Moving the pointer over a rectangle highlights both the rectangle its geometry, and vice
versa. Ctrl key and painting behaviors are also identical for the stack. Holding the Ctrl key while
clicking rectangles picks or unpicks associated geometry. Dragging the mouse (Painting (p. 223)) along
the rectangles picks geometry front-to-back or back-to-front.
Selection Filters
When you are using your mouse pointer in the Geometry window, you are often selecting or viewing
geometry entities or mesh selections. The Graphics Toolbar (p. 100) provides the geometry and mesh
selection filters listed below. When you activate a filter, the specific entities (vertex, edge, face, body,
node, or element) that you can select highlight as you pass your cursor over the entity. This helps
you to make desired selections. You can use the filters with the options of the Select Mode drop-
down list (that is, Single Select, Box Select, Box Volume Select, etc.).
Depressing the Ctrl key enables you to make multiple selections for a specific entity type. Furthermore,
you can switch between modes (single, box, lasso, etc. as supported) and continue to add to your
selection using the Ctrl key. You can release the Ctrl key while you change selection modes.
• Smart Select
• Vertex
• Edge
• Face
• Body
• Node
• Element Face
• Element
Selection Modes
The Select Mode option enables you to select items designated by the Selection Filters (p. 224) through
the Single Select or Box Select drop-down menu options.
• Single Select (default): Click an item to select it.
• Box Select: Define a box that selects filtered items. When defining the box, the direction that you
drag the mouse from the starting point determines what items are selected, as shown in the fol-
lowing figures:
– Dragging to the right to form the box selects entities that are completely enclosed by the
box.
– Visual cue: 4 tick marks completely inside the box.
– Dragging to the left to form the box selects all entities that touch the box.
– Visual cue: 4 tick marks that cross the sides of the box.
• Box Volume Select: Available for node-based Named Selections (p. 238) only. Selects all the surface
and internal node within the box boundary across the cross-section. The line of selection is normal
to the screen.
• Lasso Select: Available for node-based Named Selections (p. 238) only. Selects surface nodes that
occur within the shape you define.
• Lasso Volume Select: Available for node-based Named Selections (p. 238) only. Selects nodes that
occur within the shape you define.
Note:
Selection shortcuts:
• You can use the Ctrl key for multiple selections in both modes.
• You can change your selection mode from Single Select to Box Select by holding the
right mouse button and then clicking the left mouse button.
• Given a generated mesh and that the Mesh Select option is active, holding the right
mouse button and then clicking the left mouse button scrolls through the available se-
lection options (single section, box selection, box volume, lasso, lasso volume).
Extend To (p. 227)

Selection Modes (p. 225)
For Help on how to select mesh nodes and elements, see the Selecting Nodes (p. 232) and Selecting
Elements (p. 239) sections. Many of the same selection and picking tools are employed for mesh selec-
tions.
Pointer Modes
The pointer in the Geometry window is always either in a picking filter mode or a view control mode.
When in a view control mode the selection set is locked. To resume the selection, repress a picking
filter button. The Graphics Toolbar (p. 100) offers several geometry filters and view controls as the
default state, for example, face, edge, rotate, and zoom.
If a Geometry field in the Details Pane (p. 122) has focus, inappropriate picking filters are automatically
disabled. For example, a pressure load can only be scoped to faces.
If the Direction field in the Details Pane (p. 122) has focus, the only enabled picking filter is Select
Direction. Select Direction mode is enabled for use when the Direction field has focus; you never
choose Select Direction manually. You may manipulate the view while selecting a direction. In this
case the Select Direction button enables you to resume your selection.
Mini Selection Toolbar

When you are making geometric selections on your model, such as scoping contact conditions,
boundary conditions, and/or results, a mini toolbar automatically displays in the Geometry window.
This toolbar enables you to make selection changes "on the fly." Toolbar options include:
• Apply Selection: Replace scoping with the current geometry selection.
• Add to: Add the current geometry selection to the existing scoping.
• Remove from: Remove the current geometry selection from the existing scoping.
In addition, when you are using the Smart Select option (p. 100) option, an option to select the parent
body of your current selection is also available on the toolbar.
Extend To
The Extend To group (p. 92), on Selection tab as well as the Extend drop-down menu on the
Graphics Toolbar (p. 100), is enabled only for edge or face selection modes and only with a selection
of one or more edges or faces. The following options are available in the drop-down menu:
Note:
For all options, you can modify the angle used to calculate the selection extensions in the
WorkbenchOptions dialog setting Extend Selection Angle Limit under Graphics Interac-
tion.
Adjacent
• For faces, the Adjacent option searches for faces adjacent to faces in the current selection that
meet an angular tolerance along their shared edge.
Single face selected in part on Additional adjacent faces selected after Extend to
the left. Adjacent option is chosen.
• For edges, the Adjacent option searches for edges adjacent to edges in the current selection
that meet an angular tolerance at their shared vertex.
Single edge selected in part on Additional adjacent edges selected after Extend to
the left. Adjacent option is chosen.
Limits
• For faces, the Limits option searches for faces that are tangent to the current selection as well
as all faces that are tangent to each of the additional selections within the part. The selections
must meet an angular tolerance along their shared edges.
Single face selected in part on Additional tangent faces selected after Extend to
the left. Limits option is chosen.
• For edges, the Limits option searches for edges that are tangent to the current selection as
well as all edges that are tangent to each of the additional selections within the part. The se-
lections must meet an angular tolerance along their shared vertices.
Single edge selected in part on the left. Additional tangent edges selected after
Extend to Limits option is chosen.
Instances
(Available only if CAD pattern instances are defined in the model): When a CAD feature is repeated
in a pattern, it produces a family of related topologies (for example, vertices, edges, faces, bodies)
each of which is named an "instance". Using Instances, you can use one of the instances to select
all others in the model.
As an example, consider three parts that are instances of the same feature in the CAD system.
First select one of the parts.
Then, choose Instances. The remaining two part instances are selected.
See CAD Instance Meshing for further information.
Connection
As described in Define Connections (p. 353), connections can be contact regions, joints, and so
on.
Connection searches for faces that are adjacent to the current selection as well as all faces that
are adjacent to each of the additional selections within the part, up to and including all connections
on the selected part. This does not include all faces that are part of a connection—it includes
only those faces that are part of a connection and are also on the selected part.
If an edge used by a connection is encountered, the search stops at the edge; a face across the
edge is not selected. If there are no connections, all adjacent faces are selected. If the current
selection itself is part of a connection, it remains selected but the search stops.
Note:
• The extent of the faces that will be included depends greatly on the current set of
connections, as defined by the specified connections criteria (for example, Connection
Type, Tolerance Value, and so on). By modifying the criteria and regenerating the
connections, a different set of faces may be included. Refer to Connection Features
and Operations (p. 1122) for more information.
• The figures below illustrate simple usage of the Connection option.
Single face selected in part. Additional connected faces selected after

Connection option is chosen.
Single face selected in part. In this example, Additional connected faces selected after
a multiple edge to single face connection Connection option is chosen. When the
is defined. connection is encountered, search stops at
edge.
2.28.2. Selecting Nodes

As with geometry selection, you use many of the same selection tools for mesh nodes. Once you
have generated the mesh on your model, you use picking tools to select individual or multiple nodes
on the mesh. You use node selections to define objects such as a node-based coordinate system or
node-based Named Selections (p. 1347) as well as examining solution information about your node
selections. This section describes the steps to create node-based objects in Mechanical.
The following additional topics included in this section describe the uses for the node selection feature:
• Node Selection (p. 232)
• Selection Modes for Node Selection (p. 233)
• View Node Information (p. 235)
• Select Mesh Nodes on a Result Contour (p. 236)
Also see these sections for the steps to create node-based coordinate systems and Named Selections.
• Creating a Coordinate System by Direct Node Selection (p. 237)
• Specifying Named Selections by Direct Node Selection (p. 238)
Node Selection
To select individual nodes:
1. Generate a mesh by highlighting the Mesh object and clicking the Generate Mesh button.
2. From the Graphics Toolbar (p. 100), select the Node filter option.
3. As needed, choose the appropriate selection tool from the Select Mode drop-down list. For more
information on the node-based selection modes, see Selection Modes for Node Selection (p. 233).
Note:
• When working with Line Bodies: Nodes can be selected using volume selection
modes only (Box Volume Select or Lasso Volume Select).
• When working with Line Bodies and Surface Bodies: Ansys recommends that you
turn off the Thick Shells and Beams option (Display tab (p. 81)). This option
changes the graphical display of the model’s thickness and as a result can affect
how your node selections are displayed.
4. Select individual nodes or define the shape to select nodes. With your selections active, you can
now define a coordinate system (p. 237) or named selection (p. 238) from selected nodes.
Selection Modes for Node Selection

Selects individual nodes or a group of nodes on the surface.
Single Select
Selects all the surface nodes within the box boundary for all the surfaces oriented
toward the screen.
Box Select
Selects all the surface and internal nodes within the box boundary across the
cross-section. The line of selection is normal to the screen.
Box Volume
Select
Is similar to the Box Select mode. Selects surface nodes that occur within the
shape you define for surfaces oriented toward the screen.
Lasso Select
Similar to Box Volume Select mode. Selects the nodes that occur within the shape
you define.
Lasso Volume
Select
Tip:
• To select multiple nodes, press the Ctrl key or press the left mouse and then drag over
the surface. You can also create multiple node groups at different locations using the
Ctrl key.
• To select all internal and surface nodes, use the Box Volume Select or Lasso Select
tool and cover the entire geometry within the selection tool boundary.
• The Select All (Ctrl+A) option is not available when selecting nodes.
View Node Information

You can view information such as the location of each selected node and a summary of the group
of nodes in the Selection Information window. A brief description of the selected nodes is also
available on the status bar of the application window. To view node id and location information:
1. Select the nodes you wish to examine.
2. Select the Selection Information option from the Tools (p. 47) group on the Home tab.
The following options are available as drop-down menu items in the Selection Information window.
Selection Information Description

Coordinate System Updates the X, Y, and Z information based on the selected
coordinate system.
Show Individual and Sum- Shows both the node Summary and information on each node.
mary
Show Individual Shows information related to each node.
Show Summary Shows only a summary of selected nodes.
For more information see the Using the Selection Information Window (p. 180) section.
Select Mesh Nodes on a Result Contour

Nodes (from the original mesh) can be selected even if they don’t have values for the selected result,
as in a path or surface scoped result.
The positions of selected nodes reported in the Selection Information window are those from non-
deformed mesh.
Note:
If the graphics expansion is used (for shells and cyclic expansion, for example), the
selection will work on the expanded graphics, while the reported node ID and position
will be those in the non-expanded mesh. To eliminate confusion, switch the expansion
off.
2.28.2.1. Creating a Coordinate System by Direct Node Selection

You can select one or more nodes and then create a coordinate system directly in the Geometry
window. The new coordinate system is created at the location of the selected node or the centroid
of multiple nodes using the (X, Y, Z) locations, rather than the nodes themselves, to ensure that
the location does not change upon re-meshing.
To create a coordinate system from nodes in the Geometry window:
1. Using the Node selection filter on the Graphics Toolbar (p. 100), select a node.
2. Right-click the selected nodes and select Create Coordinate System.
A new coordinate system is created at the location of the selected node or the centroid of
multiple nodes.
If you re-mesh the body at this point, you will see that the coordinate system remains in the same
location, as it is based on node location rather than node number.
Creating an Aligned Coordinate System

You can also select an individual node and create an aligned coordinate system on a solved vec-
tor principal stress or strain result.
Note:
While you cannot create an aligned coordinate system based on multiple nodes,
you can create a local coordinate system at the centroid with an axis oriented in
the direction of the global coordinate system.
To create an aligned coordinate system:
1. From the Tree Outline, select a Vector Principal Stress or Vector Principal Strain result.
2. Using the Node selection filter on the Graphics Toolbar (p. 100), select one or more nodes.
3. Right-click in the Geometry window and select Create Aligned Coordinate System.
A coordinate system is created. The Y-axis of the local coordinate system is oriented in the
direction of S1 (direction of max. principal stress).
Note:
Vector Principal Stress and Vector Principal Strain results cannot be applied to line
bodies or a node located on a line body. As a result, any automatically generated (aligned)
coordinate system would be incorrect.
2.28.2.2. Specifying Named Selections by Direct Node Selection

You create node-based Named Selections in the graphical viewer by scoping selections to single
nodes, a group of surface nodes, or a group of nodes across a geometry cross-section.
Note:
You can make direct node selections when working with beams (line bodies) using
the Worksheet (p. 1351). Direct graphical selection is also available using the Node
selection filter on the Graphics Toolbar (p. 100).
To define node-based Named Selections:
1. Using the Node selection filter on the Graphics Toolbar (p. 100), select one or more nodes.
Note:
For accuracy, ensure that the selected node lies within the scoped area of the
result
2. In the Geometry window, right-click the selected node or nodes and select Create Named Se-
lection.
3. Enter a name for the Named Selection and click OK.
Note:
• If you select a large number of nodes (order of magnitude: 10,000), you are prompted
with a warning message regarding selection information time requirements.
• Following a remesh or renumber, all nodes are removed from named selections. If
named selections were defined with Scoping Method set to Worksheet and if the
Generate on Remesh field was set to Yes in the Details view of the Named Selection
folder, then the nodes are updated. Otherwise, node scoping does not occur and the
named selection will be empty.
2.28.3. Selecting Elements and Element Faces

Once you have generated the mesh on your model, you can select one or more elements or element
faces on your mesh using the Element or Element Face selection filter on the Graphics Toolbar (p. 100)
as well as the options of the Select Mode drop-down menu. The following topics describe element-
based selection methods and features:
• Selecting Elements or Element Faces (p. 239)
• Specifying Element and Element Face-Based Named Selections (p. 239)
• Viewing Element Information (p. 241)
Selecting Elements or Element Faces

To select elements/element faces:
1. Generate the mesh by highlighting the Mesh object and clicking the Generate Mesh button.
2. From the Graphics Toolbar (p. 100), select the Element or Element Face filter option.
3. As needed, choose the desired selection tool from the Select Mode drop-down menu on the
Graphics Toolbar (p. 100).
4. Select an individual element or multiple elements. To select multiple elements:
• Hold the Ctrl key and click the desired elements/element faces individually. You can also
deselect elements/element faces by holding down the Ctrl key clicking an already selected
element/element face.
• Hold the left mouse button and drag the cursor across multiple elements/element faces.
• Use the Box Select tool to select all elements/element faces within a box. The Ctrl key can
also be used in combination with Box Select to select multiple boxes of elements/element
faces.
Specifying Element and Element Face-Based Named Selections

To create an element or element face-based Named Selection (p. 1347):
1. Select individual or multiple elements/element faces as described above.
2. With your desired element/element face selections highlighted, right-click the mouse and select
Create Named Selection from the context menu.
3. Enter a name for the Named Selection and click OK.
Element-based Named Selections are written into the Mechanical APDL input file and this data can
be used by the Command (p. 2407) object for further processing.
Note:
• An example element-based Named Selection is illustrated below. The example is named

Graphically Selected Elements. When the Show Mesh feature is active, as illustrated
in the first image, the elements of a named selection (or multiple named selections) are
highlighted. Otherwise, the elements are drawn and the remained of the model is
transparent, as illustrated in the second image.
Show Mesh On Show Mesh Off
• For Element Face-based Named Selections, each selected face is displayed and each face
is “filled” as illustrated in the first image shown below. This is different from Element-
based selections that only highlight/display edges. When the Show Mesh feature is
active, the element faces of a Named Selections may present “bleeding” on the annotation
as illustrated in the second image shown below. You can turn on Wireframe mode to
accurately display annotations when Show Mesh is selected, as illustrated in the third
image.
• When working with Line Bodies and Surface Bodies: Ansys recommends that you turn
off the Thick Shells and Beams option (Style group of the Display tab). This option
changes the graphical display of the model’s thickness and as a result can affect how
your element selections are displayed.
• For surface body Element Face-based Named Selections, the selected element faces can
become invisible as a result of being hidden behind an expanded mesh as illustrated
below in the first two images below. This issue can again be remedied using Wireframe
mode to accurately display annotations when Show Mesh is selected, as illustrated in
the third image.
In addition, and as illustrated below in the first image below, not expanding the mesh
(turn Thick Shells and Beams option off ) displays the annotations properly. You can
also use Wireframe mode, as illustrated in the second image below.
Viewing Element Information

As illustrated below, you can view information about your element/element face selections, such as
Element Type, Element ID, as well as the body that the element is associated with using the Selection
Information window. Once you have selected your desired element or elements, display the Selection
Information window by selecting the Selection Information option from the Tools group (p. 47)
on the Home tab.
Note:
The status bar at the bottom of the application window also displays the number of ele-
ments/element faces you currently have selected.
For additional information, see the Using the Selection Information Window (p. 180) section.
2.28.4. Selecting Nodes and Elements by ID

Once you have generated the mesh for your model, the contextual menu (right-click) option, Select
Mesh by ID (M), is available from the Geometry window. You can also activate the feature using the
M (p. 277) key, when the Geometry window has focus. As illustrated below, this dialog enables you
to select mesh nodes and mesh elements using their IDs. This feature is modeless and therefore enables
you to work with the user interface while the dialog box is displayed.
From this entry window, you can make comma separated entries of individual nodes (or elements),
range entries by using a dash, and/or a combination of the two and then click the Select button.
Range entries must increase in the appropriate order (for example, 1-10, not 10-1). The dialog displays
messages regarding incorrect criteria as needed.
This feature works in tandem with the Selection Information window (p. 175), enabling you to view
and verify your entries. Open the window to display information about your selections as you make
them. In addition, the status bar displays your selections. You can double-click the status bar pane
to activate the Selection Information window (p. 175). You can refer to the View Node/Element In-
formation topics in the Selecting Nodes (p. 232) and Selecting Elements (p. 239) sections of the Help
Important:
• The application does not verify your ID entries. The application ignores any specified ID
that does not exist.
• Exponential (for example, 1e6) notation is not supported.
Once you make your selections, you can create an associated Named Selection (p. 1347) by selecting
the Create Named Selection button. For the newly created Named Selection, there will be a Work-
sheet (p. 1364) entry for each delimiter-separated set of nodes or elements.
2.28.5. Manipulating the Model in the Geometry Window

This section describes the tools to manipulate (rotate, pan, and zoom) your model in the Geometry
window.
Panning the Model

Selecting the Pan option on the Graphics toolbar (p. 100) enables you to vertically and horizontally
reposition your model in the Geometry window. Simply select the Pan button on the toolbar and
click your mouse within the Geometry window to give it focus. Then, hold the left mouse button
and reposition your model. In addition, once you have given the Geometry window focus, you can
use the arrow key to reposition your model.
Note:
At any time while the Pan option is active, you can use the middle mouse button (or
[Ctrl]+[Arrows Keys]) to rotate your model.
Rotating the Model

Selecting the Rotate option on the Graphics toolbar (p. 100) enables you to turn your model about
a default or user-selected center using the left mouse button. This is a common application feature.
By default, the rotational center is the center of your model.
To rotate about a specific point on the model, select a new point of rotation on your model with the
left mouse button. This action re-centers your model in the Geometry window and displays a red
sphere that indicates the newly selected center of rotation. From this position, you can rotate your
model freely about the new rotation point. To restore the default rotation point, simply click off of
the model.
Rotation Using the Middle Mouse Button
You can also, at any time, rotate your model in the Geometry window using the middle mouse
button. With the middle mouse button, you can select a location on you model, hold the middle
mouse button, and rotate your model about that point. Clicking off of the model returns the ro-
tational center to the application default. Using this method, the application does not recenter
the model in the window based on the newly selected center of rotation.
Note:
These middle mouse button options are always available when the Geometry window
has focus.
On Mouse Down Set
For the left mouse button, you may change the default setting for the Model Rotation Center
option in the Graphics (p. 303) category of the Options preference (p. 293) to On Mouse Down
Set. Using this setting, with the Rotate feature active, the application does not recenter your
model and you can immediately rotate it around the new point. When in this mode, your new
selection becomes the default.
Rotation Behavior Based on Cursor Location
You may change the default setting for the Mouse Rotation Mode option in the Graphics (p. 303)
category of the Options preference (p. 293) to Axis Rotation Available. Using this setting, with
the Rotate feature active, the application activates the roll, yaw, and pitch cursor options in the
Geometry window, as described below.
Geometry Description
Window
Cursor
Icon
Free rotation.
Rotation around an axis that points out of the screen (roll).
Rotation around a vertical axis relative to the screen (yaw axis).
Rotation around a horizontal axis relative to the screen (pitch axis).
As illustrated below, the application displays these icons based upon where you position the
cursor in the Geometry window.
Model Orientation using the Triad
The Triad, located in the lower right corner of the Geometry window, enables you to reorient the
position of your model based on a desired axis as well as reset the isometric view (light blue ball).
If you move your cursor around the triad, you will see an arrow appear that shows the direction
that corresponds to the position of your cursor (+x, -x, +y, -y, +z, -z). If you click the arrow, it
changes your view so that the axis indicated by the arrow is facing outward.
Zooming In and Out on Your Model

There are a number of Zoom options available in the Graphics toolbar:
• Selecting the Zoom button enables you to drag your left mouse button up and down in the
Geometry window to zoom in and out on your model.
• Selecting the Box Zoom button displays a box selection area when you to drag your left mouse
button. The application zooms in on this area in the Geometry window. Note that the smaller
area that you select with this tool, the smaller area that is zoomed in upon.
Note:
• You can hold the Shift key and use the up and down arrow buttons respectively, to
zoom in and out on your model.
• You can zoom in or out by rolling the mouse wheel.
2.28.6. Defining Direction

Orientation may be defined by any of the following geometric selections:
• A planar face (normal to).
• A straight edge.
• Cylindrical or revolved face (axis of ).
• Two vertices.
This section discusses the following topics:
Direction Defaults (p. 246)

Highlighting Geometry in Select Direction Mode (p. 246)
Selecting Direction by Face (p. 247)
Direction Defaults
If you insert a load on selected geometry that includes both a magnitude and a direction, the Direction
field in the Details view states a particular default direction. For example, a force applied to a planar
face by default acts normal to the face. One of the two directions is chosen automatically. The load
annotation displays the default direction.
Highlighting Geometry in Select Direction Mode

Unlike other picking filters (where one specific type of geometry highlights during selection) the Select
Direction filter highlights any of the following during selection:
• Planar faces
• Straight edges
• Cylindrical or revolved faces
• Vertices
If one vertex is selected, you must hold down the Ctrl key to select the other. When you press the
Ctrl key, only vertices highlight.
Selecting Direction by Face

The following figure shows the graphic display after choosing a face to define a direction. The same
display appears if you edit the Direction field later.
• The selection blip indicates the hit point on the face.
• Two arrows show the possible orientations. They appear in the lower left corner of the Geometry
Window (p. 132).
If either arrow is clicked, the direction flips.
When you finish editing the direction, the hit point (initially marked by the selection blip) becomes
the default location for the annotation. If the object has a location as well as a direction (such as Re-
mote Force), the location of the annotation will be the one that you specify, not the hit point.
Note:
The scope is indicated by painting the geometry.
2.28.7. Using Viewports

The Viewports feature enables you to split the Geometry window into multiple windows, up to four,
and perform independent actions in each window.
Got to a section topic:
• Display Options (p. 248)
• Synchronize Viewports (p. 249)
• Capture Viewport Images (p. 249)
• Append Graph Window Data (p. 251)
Display Options
As illustrated, the Viewports drop-down menu enables you to display one, two (horizontally or ver-
tically), or four viewports in the Geometry window.
By default, the Geometry window displays one viewport/window. Once you select to display two or
more viewports, the currently selected object displays in all viewport windows. You activate a viewport
window by selecting it (clicking in the window or on the title bar). Once active, you can change the
selected object, move your model, change property settings or scoping for the selected object, etc.,
independent of the other viewport windows displayed. For example, you can view loading conditions,
results, Named Selections, contact conditions, and make changes to each separately.
Note:
A figure can be viewed in a single viewport only. If multiple viewports are created with
the figure in focus, all other viewports display the parent of the figure.
Synchronize Viewports
The ribbon group also includes the Sync Viewports option. The default setting is active. It enables
you to synchronize the display in each window to reorient/move (pan, zoom, rotate) your model in
each window simultaneously. When you have multiple orientations configured with the Sync Viewports
option inactive and then you activate it, the viewport window that you select and manipulate first,
becomes the window that all the other windows synchronize to.
Capture Viewport Images

The Images drop-down menu of the Insert (p. 44) group on the Home tab includes the option
Composite image to File. This option acts the same as the Image to File (p. 44) option. It enables
you to save the contents (viewports) of the Geometry window as an image file. When you select the
option, a dialog displays that enables you to change image details such as resolution, appearance,
and magnification.
Note:
You can change the default settings for the dialog's options using the properties of the
Image Export (p. ?) group of the Graphics category of the Options (p. 293) dialog.
The dialog also includes the options Interior Borders and Exterior Borders under the Multiviewport
Screenshot Settings title that enables you to add borders around and in-between the viewports you
capture. The following images show a comparison of these options when turned on and off.
Append Graph Window Data

In addition, the dialog contains the check box Append Graph. As shown here, the application adds
the content of the Graph window in the lower left-hand corner of the image. If there is no corres-
ponding data in the Graph when this option is selected, the captured image is appended with a
graph that includes no data.
2.28.8. Accelerated Graphics

If you are using a system that supports OpenGL 4.3, the application automatically uses the Accelerated
Graphics feature. This feature uses graphical display technology, producing a faster display of mesh
and result objects when you first select the object. There are even greater gains when you select the
object a second/third time. In addition to faster graphical display times, this feature provides more
accurate color contours, a higher fidelity vector display, and a Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics
(SPH) display.
Important:
Although released, the feature is still being developed further. Some application features
and displays are not yet compatible with Accelerated Graphics and will automatically
revert to previous display technology. Support in this regard is ongoing.
• Associated Preferences (p. 253)
• Cautions and Limitations (p. 254)
Application
Activate the feature using the Accelerated Graphics for Mesh/Result Display property in the Op-
tions (p. 293) dialog (Graphics (p. 303) preferences). Property options include:
• Program Controlled (default): The application selects the graphical mode based on application
settings and support status, such as analysis settings, the specified result, view options, etc.
This is the recommended setting.
• Yes, if possible: This setting forces the use of Accelerated Graphics wherever possible, even
if only partially supported. However, this setting may produce graphical display issues for
other features and displays options that are not yet supported by the feature. For large, com-
plicated models, the benefits of the enhanced display may outweigh these display issues.
• No: This setting disables the feature.
Note:
You can also activate this feature from the Graphics Toolbar (p. 100).
Associated Preferences
This feature has the following associated preferences, included in the Performance category of the
Graphics (p. 303) preferences on the Options dialog.
• Show Accelerated Display Message in Graphics Window: Turn the “Accelerated Display”
label on and off. Options include No (default) and Yes.
• Show Why Accelerated Graphics is Not Used: If not possible, display an information message
for why Accelerated Graphics are not used for the mesh and results. Options include No (default)
and Yes.
• Use Faceted Lighting for Accelerated Graphics/Animation: Modify the lighting with this
preference. Options include No and Yes (default). The No option specifies the standard lighting
mode. This setting can cause issues with large deformation, but maintains smooth lighting
and may be suitable for most models. The Yes setting uses an alternate faceted lighting mode.
Lighting is on a per-triangle basis, resulting in a more jagged rendering of some models. The
lighting should still be correct for any deformation.
Cautions and Limitations

Note the following when this feature is active:
• You may see minor graphical differences. For example, there could be slight differences in
how the application displays translucency and higher resolution SPH symbol displays. These
differences should not affect the accuracy of the display.
• The application does not yet support certain features, such as Section Planes and result probes.
These features can process contingencies, however, you may see lag for larger models while
using these features.
2.28.9. Controlling Graphs and Charts

The following controls are available for Graphs/Charts for Using Adaptive Convergence (p. 1947), and
Fatigue Results (p. 2267) result items.
Feature Control
Pan Right Mouse Button
Zoom Middle Mouse Button
Box Zoom Alt+Left Mouse Button
Rotate (3D only) Left Mouse Button
Perspective Angle (3D only) Shift+Left Mouse Button
Display Coordinates (2D only) Ctrl+Left Mouse Button along graph line
Tips for working with graphs and charts:
• Some features are not available for certain graphs.
• Zoom will zoom to or away from the center of the graph. Pan so that your intended point of focus
is in the center prior to zooming.
• If the graph has a Pan/Zoom control box, this can be used to zoom (shrink box) or pan (drag box).
• Double-clicking the Pan/Zoom control box will return it to its maximum size.
2.28.10. Managing Graphical View Settings

Using the Manage View option of the Tools group (p. 47) on the Home tab, you can save graphical
views and return to a specific view at any time. This option displays an independent window that
you use to work with the feature. The feature enables you to create a list of desired views. You can
export your view list and import it into different projects and maintain a consistent model view
between multiple projects.
This section discusses the following topics:

2.28.10.1. Creating a View
2.28.10.2. Applying a View
2.28.10.3. Renaming a View
2.28.10.4. Deleting a View
2.28.10.5. Replacing a Saved View
2.28.10.6. Exporting a Saved View List
2.28.10.7. Importing a Saved View List
2.28.10.8. Copying a View to Mechanical APDL
2.28.10.1. Creating a View

To save the current graphical view:
1. Click the Create a View option in the Manage Views window. A new entry with the naming
convention of "View #" is created.
2. As desired, enter a new name for the view.
You can now return to this view at any time using this view entry.
Note:
You must save the project to save your created views in the Manage Views window.
2.28.10.2. Applying a View

Saved graphical views are listed in the Manage Views window. You can return to a saved view at
any time.
To return to a saved graphical view:
1. In the Manage Views window, select the view.
2. Click the Apply View button.
The Geometry window reflects the saved graphical view.
2.28.10.3. Renaming a View

To rename a saved graphical view:
1. In the Manage Views window, select the view you want to rename.
2. Click the Rename button, or press F2.
3. Enter the new view name.
4. Click the Apply button.
2.28.10.4. Deleting a View

To delete a saved graphical view:
1. In the Manage Views window, select the view you want to delete.
2. Click the Delete button.
2.28.10.5. Replacing a Saved View

To replace a saved view with the current graphical view:
1. In the Manage Views window, select the view you want to update.
2. Click the Replace saved view based on current graphics button.
2.28.10.6. Exporting a Saved View List

You can export a saved graphical view list to an XML file. This file can then be imported into other
projects.
To export a saved view list:
1. In the Manage Views window, click the Export button.
The Save As window appears.
2. Navigate to the file directory where you want to store the XML file and enter the desired file
name.
3. Click Save.
2.28.10.7. Importing a Saved View List

Saved view lists can be exported to XML files. You can then import a saved view list from an XML
file to a different project.
To import a saved graphical view list:
1. In the Manage Views window, click the Import button.
The Open window appears.
2. Select the file you want to import.
3. Click Open.
2.28.10.8. Copying a View to Mechanical APDL

You can copy a saved graphical view as a Mechanical APDL command and insert the command
into a Mechanical APDL file. The view in Mechanical APDL will then be consistent with the selected
graphical view.
To copy a graphical view to Mechanical APDL:
1. In the Manage Views window, right-click a view and select Copy as MAPDL Command.
2. Create or open an existing Commands (APDL) file.
3. Paste the new Mechanical APDL command into the file. The settings structure is:
/FOC
/VIEW
/ANG
/DIST
4. Select the Solve button, and the new view is available in the Commands (APDL) file.
2.28.11. Creating Section Planes

The Section Plane feature creates cuts or slices on your model so that you can view internal geometry,
mesh, and/or result displays. The graphical display and operation of the feature varies depending
upon whether you are displaying your model as geometry or if you are displaying the mesh or a
result. You can create as many as six active Section Planes for a model. Once this maximum is met,
you can add additional planes, but you cannot activate (or view) them until you have deactivated
(unchecked) an existing plane and then activated the desired plane.
Tip:
Activate the Consider Section Planes When Mesh Picking (p. 303) preference in order to
select newly displayed finite element entities (nodes, elements, and element faces) from
geometries within the model that were hidden before adding the specified Section Plane.
Review the Selecting Mesh Entities Displayed by the Section Plane (p. 264) topic at the end
of the section to make sure that you understand the requirements and limitations of this
feature.
• Section Plane Tools (p. 258)
– New Section Plane (p. 258)
– Edit Section Plane (p. 259)
– Delete Section Plane (p. 260)
– Rename Section Plane (p. 261)
– Show Elements (p. 261)
– Show Capping Faces (p. 262)
– Show Capping Faces by Body Color (p. 263)
• Selecting Mesh Entities Displayed by the Section Plane (p. 264)
See the next two sections, Understanding Section Plane Display Differences (p. 266) and Working with
Section Plane Results (p. 269), for information about display differences for section planes as well as
display characteristics for when you apply a Section Plane to a result.
Application
Select the Section Plane option from the Insert group of the Home tab (p. 42) to open the Section
Planes window illustrated below. The window displays a list of existing section planes (once created)
and also provides the tools used to add, modify, or delete you section planes.
Note:
The Section Planes tool supports up to six (6) defined planes. Once you exceed six, uncheck-
ing an existing plane enables you to activate any defined planes greater than six.
Section Plane Tools

The Section Planes window provides the following tools. You toggle these tools on and off by selecting
the button.
New Section Plane
Select this option and create a new Section Plane in the Geometry window. Drag the mouse
pointer across the geometry where you want to create a section plane. The new section plane
automatically displays in the Section Planes window with a default name of "Section Plane #."
The checkmark next to the plane's name indicates it is an active section plane. You can construct
additional Section Planes by clicking the New Section Plane button and dragging additional lines
across the model. Note that activating multiple planes displays multiple sections.
Important:
Note that for incidences, such as very large models, where the accessible memory is
exhausted, the New Section Plane tool reverts to a Hardware Slice Mode that prohibits
the visualization of the mesh on the cut-plane.
Edit Section Plane
Highlight one of the Section Planes available in the window listing and then select this option to
edit the highlighted section plane.
To edit a section plane:
1. In the Section Planes window, select the plane you want to edit.
2. Click the Edit Section Plane button. The section plane's anchor appears.
3. Drag the Section Plane or Capping Plane anchor to change the position of the plane.
You can click the line on either side of the anchor to view the exterior on that side of the
plane. The anchor displays a solid line on the side where the exterior is being displayed.
Clicking the same side a second time toggles between solid line and dotted line, that is,
exterior display back to section display.
This animation shows the result of dragging the anchor (not visible for PDF versions of the Help).
Delete Section Plane
This option deletes a selected Section Plane from the listing.
Rename Section Plane
Select this option to rename a Section Plane.
Show Elements
When you have the Mesh object selected or you have the Show Mesh feature activated, this se-
lection causes any partially sliced elements to display entirely.
When you are viewing a Mesh display, you can use the Show Whole Elements button to display
the adjacent elements to the section plane which may be desirable in some cases.
Show Capping Faces
When only one Section Plane is contained in the window, by default, the slice is not capped and
you can see the interior of the geometry. Selecting this option caps the geometry.
Show Capping Faces by Body Color
This selection works in tandem with the Show Capping Faces option. Selecting this option
changes the color of the capped geometry surface to match the body color of the geometry.
Note:
Certain objects that display geometry annotations may not correctly display capping. Ex-
amples include contact objects, joints, and objects displaying spatially varying loads.
Caution:
When using the Section Planes feature with shell bodies, make sure that the Thick Shells
and Beams view option is turned on. Turning this view feature off changes the graphical
display. The coloring for the top and bottom surfaces can degrade. So much so that the
application could display both sides of a section plane simultaneously and as a result, the
application could display inaccurate results.
Selecting Mesh Entities Displayed by the Section Plane

`
When you activate the Consider Section Planes When Mesh Picking (p. 303) preference, the application
displays finite element entities (nodes, elements, and element faces) from geometries within the
model that were not visible before adding the specified Section Plane. As illustrated below, in previous
versions of the application, the application unexpectedly picked finite element entities on the hidden
geometries (of the Section Plane). The application essentially did not recognize a Section Plane existed.
This preference addresses the graphical selection limitation.
Note:
This preference:
• Is supported for all active section planes.
• Does not support capped faces.
• Supports all selection modes: single, box, lasso and volume.
• Supports direct mesh selection on results.
2.28.11.1. Understanding Section Plane Display Differences

The Section Plane acts differently depending if you are viewing a result, mesh, or geometry. When
viewing a result or a mesh, the cut is performed by a software algorithm. When viewing geometry,
the cut is performed using a hardware clipping method. This hardware clipping cuts away the
model in a subtractive method. The software algorithm cuts away the model but always starts with
the whole model. Examples of these methods are illustrated below.
Note:
The software algorithm always caps the surfaces created by the section plane as opposed
to the hardware clipping method that may or may not cap the surface depending on
the display options you have selected. See the Creating Section Planes (p. 257) section
for the capping display options. When capping, the software algorithm creates a visible
surface at the intersection of the object and the section plane.
Geometry Display Mesh Display
In addition, and as illustrated in the examples below, Section Planes do not cut the orientation or
element displays if you employ:
• Element Orientation (p. 1046) feature
• Element-based, element face-based, or node-based selections
• Named Sections scoped to elements, element faces, or nodes
• Hit Point selections
Element Orientation Display Element Selections
Element-Based Named Selection Display Node Selections
Node-Based Named Selection Display Hit Point Display
2.28.11.2. Working with Section Plane Results

View Options
When creating a Section Plane on a result, if the Section Plane feature is active, you can use the
following options from the Edges drop-down menu on the Result Context Tab (p. 65):
• Show Undeformed WireFrame: displays the wireframe with the deformations added to the
nodes. This is intended to help you interpret the image when you drag the anchor across
smaller portions of the model.
• Show Undeformed Model: displays the portion of model behind the plane as a deformed
gray scale image. In order to not clutter the graphics display in this situation, the application
does not currently display undeformed bodies.
Deformation Scaling
When you create a Section Plane, the slice it creates is flat. If you create a Section Plane on a de-
formed shape and then change the scaling (p. 66) of the result, the Section Plane deforms accord-
ingly and the plane may no longer be flat. Furthermore, if you select a different object in the tree
and then return to the result that includes the Section Plane, the Section Plane re-plots as originally
defined and creates new flat surface on the new deformation scale. As a result, the display of the
result changes. This change can be significant.
Important:
When you are actively working with a Section Plane, the application disables back-face
culling. Back-face culling is a computer graphics technique that discards polygons facing
away from the camera and assumes the polygons to be occluded. Back-face culling is
disabled to make sure that the application displays the cut section of the model correctly.
Furthermore, this display necessity may cause color bleeding for coplanar polygons on
shell models because the application draws both sides of the shell.
2.28.12. Viewing Annotations

Annotations provide the following visual information:
• Boundary of the scope region by coloring the geometry for edges, faces or vertices.
• An explicit vertex within the scope.
• A 3D arrow to indicate direction, if applicable.
• Text description or a value.
• A color cue (structural vs. thermal, etc.).
Note:
Custom annotations that you create using the Label (p. 271) feature remain visible even
when you suppress the body.
This section addresses the following types of annotations:
Highlight and Select Graphics (p. 270)

Scope Graphics (p. 270)
Annotation Graphics and Positioning (p. 271)
Annotations of Multiple Objects (p. 272)
Rescaling Annotations (p. 272)
In addition, you can also specify preferences for your annotations. For more information, see Specifying
Annotation Preferences (p. 273).
Highlight and Select Graphics

You can interactively highlight and select topology, such as the face illustrated below. The topology
selection highlights when you click it.
See Selecting Geometry (p. 221) for details on highlighting and selection.
Scope Graphics
In general, selecting an object in the Outline (p. 108) displays its Scope by painting the geometry and
displays text annotations and symbols as appropriate. The display of scope via annotation is carried
over into the Report Preview (p. 169) if you generate a figure.
Contours are painted for results on the scoped geometry. No boundary is drawn.
Annotation Graphics and Positioning

A label consists of a block arrow cross-referenced to a color-coded legend. For vector annotations, a
3D arrow originates from the tip of the label to visualize direction relative to the geometry.
Use the pointer after selecting the Label option on the Graphics Toolbar (p. 100) for managing annota-
tions and to drag the annotation to a different location within the scoping.
• If other geometry hides the 3D point, for example, the point lies on a back face, the block arrow
is unfilled (transparent).
• The initial placement of an annotation is at the pick point. You can then move it by using the
Label toolbar button for managing annotations.
• Drag the label to adjust the placement of an annotation. During the drag operation the an-
notation moves only if the tip lies within the scope. If the pointer moves outside the scope,
the annotation stops at the boundary.
Annotations of Multiple Objects

When multiple individual objects or a folder (such as environment, contact, or named selections) are
selected in the Outline (p. 108), an annotation for each one appears on the geometry. The default
number of annotations shown is 10, but you can change it to any value from 0 to 50 using the Max
Number of Annotations to Show property in the Graphics options (p. 303) of the Options dialog.
For more information, see the Annotations (p. 82) topic in the Selection Tab section.
Note:
If you have a large number of objects, you may want to display each object as a different
color. See the Random option of the Annotations (p. 82) group.
Rescaling Annotations
This feature modifies the size of annotation symbols, such as load direction arrows, displayed in the
Mechanical application. For example, and as illustrated below, you can reduce the size of the pressure
direction arrow when zooming in on a geometry selection. To change the size of an annotation, select
the Rescale option in the Annotation group (p. 82) on the Display tab.
2.28.12.1. Specifying Annotation Preferences

The Annotation Preferences dialog box controls the visibility of all annotations, such as custom
annotations and annotation labels, annotations on objects such as cracks, point masses, and springs.
To set your annotation preferences:
1. Click the Preferences option in the Annotation (p. 82) group on the Display tab.
The Annotation Preferences dialog box appears. By default, all annotations are selected, and
therefore set to visible.
2. Under Basic Annotations, select or clear the check boxes for the following options:
• View Annotations: Toggles the visibility of annotations in the Geometry window.
• View User Defined Graphics Annotations: Toggles the visibility of custom user annota-
tion in the Geometry window.
• View Annotation Labels: Toggles the visibility of annotation labels (p. 271) in the Geo-
metry window.
3. Under Remote Boundary Conditions, select or clear the check boxes for the following options:
• Point Masses: Toggles the visibility of annotations for point masses.
• Springs: Toggles the visibility of annotations for springs.
• Beam Connections: Toggles the visibility of annotations for beam connections.
• Bearings: Toggles the visibility of annotations for bearings.
Note:
The size range for Point Masses and Springs is from 0.2-2 (Small-0.2, Default-1, Large-
2).
4. Under Remote Boundary Conditions, slide the indicator to specify the size of the annotations
for Point Masses and Springs.
5. Under Additional Display Preferences, select or clear the check boxes for the following options:
• Crack Annotations: Toggles the visibility of annotations on crack objects.
• Individual Force Arrows on Surface Reactions: Toggles the visibility of individual force
arrows on surface reactions.
• Body Scoping Annotations: Toggles the visibility of annotations on body scoping.
6. Under Mesh Display, select or clear the check boxes for the following options:
• Mesh Annotations: Toggles the visibility of mesh node and mesh element annotations
in Named Selection displays.
• Node Numbers: Toggles the visibility of mesh node numbers in Named Selection, Mesh,
and Result displays. This selection also provides options to specify a numerical range
of which nodes to display. For example, display the nodes 1 (Min) through 200 (Max).
An increment (Inc) property enables you to further define the range so that it selects
only every Nth value (for example, every 5th node). The default Minimum value is 1
and the default Maximum value is 100000.
Depending upon the number of nodes that you are displaying as well as how you have
positioned your model in the Geometry window, Node Numbers may not fully display,
as illustrated below. The Rescale Annotation option, available in the Graphics Tool-
bar (p. 100), adjusts the size of annotation symbols, as such, this option may improve
the display issue.
• Element Numbers: Toggles the visibility of mesh element numbers in Named Selection,
Mesh, and Result displays. This selection also provides options to specify a numerical
range of which elements to display. Because Element Numbers are displayed at the
centroid of the elements, Wireframe mode is required to properly display all Element
Numbers.
• Plot Elements Attached to Named Selections: Toggles the visibility of elements for
all items in the Named Selections group. For nodal Named Selections, this option shows
the full elements, while for face or body Named Selections this option shows just the
element faces. This option does not affect Line Bodies. You must have the Show Mesh
button toggled off to see the elements in the Named Selection.
7. When you are finished specifying your annotation preferences, click Apply Changes to apply
your preferences and leave the dialog box open, or click OK to apply and close.
2.28.13. Controlling Lighting

The Details view properties of the Model object provide lighting controls that affect the display in
Note:
The application saves Lighting property settings with your analysis. Lighting changes
propagate throughout the features of the application and are used when you export images.
2.28.14. Inserting Comments, Images, and Figures

You can insert Comment objects, Image objects, or Figure objects under various parent objects in
the Mechanical tree to add text or graphical information that pertain specifically to those parent objects.
Refer to their individual objects reference pages for descriptions. The use of a Comment and/or an
Image, is essentially intuitive. However, for the Image Plane from File and the Figure options, there
are additional capabilities and characteristics, as discussed below.
Image Plane
The Image Plane from File option enables you to import an image into Mechanical and place it on
or around you model based on a coordinate system setting. The option is primarily used with the
Construction Line (p. 923) feature to overlay and accurately sketch one or more line segments. However,
you can use it any way you want. For example, you can place logos on your model, specify a back-
ground, set up physical rulers to help measure deformations. You may also wish to use it with an
ACT extensions to generate images or 2D graphics that you can then programmatically/automatically
render when you import a model into Mechanical.
Figure
Figures allow you to:
• Preserve different ways of viewing an object (viewpoints and settings).
• Define illustrations and captions for a report.
• Capture result contours, mesh previews, environment annotations etc., for later display in Re-
port (p. 169).
Clicking the Figure button in the Home Tab (p. 42) creates a new Figure object inside the selected
object in the Outline (p. 108). Any object that displays 3D graphics may contain figures. The new figure
object copies all current view settings, including those defined in the Options (p. 293), such as the
Font Magnification Factor, and gets focus in the Outline automatically.
View settings maintained by a figure include:
• Camera settings
• Result settings
• Legend configuration
A figure's view settings are fully independent from the global view settings. Global view settings are
maintained independently of figures.
Figure Behaviors
• If you select a figure after selecting its parent in the Outline, the Geometry window transforms to
the figure's stored view settings automatically (for example, the graphics may automatically
pan/zoom/rotate).
• If you change the view while a figure is selected in the Outline, the figure's view settings are updated.
Hotkeys and Keyboard Shortcuts
• If you reselect the figure's parent in the Outline, the Geometry window resumes the global view
settings. That is, figure view settings override but do not change global view settings.
• Figures always display the data of their parent object. For example, following a geometry Update
and Solve, a result and its figures display different information but reuse the existing view and
graphics options. Figures may be moved or copied among objects in the Outline to display different
information from the same view with the same settings.
• You may delete a figure without affecting its parent object. Deleting a parent object deletes all
figures (and other children).
• In the Outline (p. 108), the name of a figure defaults to simply Figure appended by a number as
needed.
• You may enter a caption for a figure as a string in the figure's details. It is your responsibility to
maintain custom captions when copying figures.
• For a result object that includes one or more Figure objects, if you clear (Clear Generated Data
option) the parent object's data or re-solve the analysis, the application also clears any result settings
of the child Figure objects. The application does maintain Camera settings and legend configurations,
as noted above, such as the last viewing setting.
2.29. Hotkeys and Keyboard Shortcuts

Mechanical supports a variety of hotkeys and hotkey combinations that enable you to quickly execute
actions. For example, the popular hotkey “N” is used to create Named Selections once you select a
geometric or mesh entity.
Hotkey and keyboard actions are described in the following topics:
• Key Assignment Pane (p. 277)
• Ribbon Shortcuts (p. 278)
• Hotkeys and Hotkey Combination Descriptions (p. 279)
• Keyboard Number Pad Shortcuts (p. 283)
Key Assignment Pane

You use the Key Assignments pane, illustrated below, to view application assigned hotkeys. The option
to display this window is available in the Tools (p. 47) group of the Home tab. Hotkeys are listed either
by groups or you can list all available key assignments.
This window also provides a toolbar that includes 1) an option that opens the Customize (p. 146) dialog
that enables you to modify hotkeys, 2) a reset option, 3) options to Import and Export user-defined key
assignments, 4) a drop-down menu you can use to display or hide default options.
Ribbon Shortcuts
In addition to the options of the Key Assignments window, selecting the [Alt] key displays keyboard
selection options. As illustrated below, when you select the [Alt] key, letters for each tab display. When
you select one of these letters, additional options also display for the given tab.
Hotkeys and Hotkey Combination Descriptions

Application default hotkeys and their actions are described below.
Selection Filters Graphical Actions

Ctrl+P: G: When the Geometry window has focus, this key displays the content
Activate Ver- of the Graph (p. 188) window in the Geometry window. This feature is
tex selection. also available from the Graphics Toolbar (p. 100) and a context
Ctrl+E: (right-click) menu.
Activate Edge H: When the Geometry window has focus, and you have modified the
selection. view of your model, for example, examining a part up-close, this key
Ctrl+F: returns the view to the application default, Isometric View.
Activate Face I: When the Geometry window has focus, this key toggles the display
selection. of the Selection Information (p. 175) Window on/off.
Ctrl+B: K: Create a local probe at the largest result value.
Activate Body L: Create a local probe at the smallest result value.
selection.
M: When the Geometry window has focus, this key opens the Select
Ctrl+M: Mesh By ID (p. 242) dialog box.
Activate
option to N: When the Geometry window has focus, this key opens the Named
merge virtual Selection (p. 1347) dialog window, enabling you to create a named
topologies. Selection for the selected geometric or mesh entity.
Perform this Z: When the Geometry window has focus, this key zooms in on the
key selected entity (body, face, edge, vertex). If no geometric entity is
combination selected in the Geometry window, this key acts the same as the F7
once you have (Zoom to Fit) option.
selected one Ctrl+A: Selects all entities based on the active selection filter (bodies,
or more edges faces, edges, vertices, nodes).
in order to
merge Ctrl+C: Copy the content of the graphics window into the clipboard.
adjacent faces The content is available to paste (Ctrl + V) into a compatible
into one or application. Default image resolution settings can be changed using
more virtual the Graphics Resolution option under the Graphics (p. 303) preference.
face(s) or Ctrl+D: Display/hide the Details pane.
select one or F4: This key enables you to move a vertex or a node to a new location.
more faces to When you are using the Node Move feature, hold this key to reposition
merge the the desired node if you want to relax the node and move the node
faces into one away from the geometry it is associated with.
or more virtual
face(s). F6: Toggle between the Shaded Exterior and Edges, Shaded Exterior,
and Wireframe views.
Ctrl+N:
Activate Node F7: Executes the Zoom to Fit option (also available on the Graphics
selection. Toolbar (p. 100)).
Ctrl+K: F8: Hide selected faces.

Activate Ele- F9: Hide selected bodies in Geometry window and hide/show selected
ment Face bodies from the tree view.
selection. F10: Maximize/Minimize the Ribbon.
Ctrl+L: F11: When the Geometry window has focus, this key toggles the full
Activate Ele- screen display on/off.
ment Shift+F8: Show Hidden Face(s).
selection.
Ctrl+F9: Hide all other bodies.
Ctrl+Q: This
option adds Shift+F9: Show all bodies.
your current Arrow Keys: Pan your model in the Geometry (p. 132) window. The
clipboard (p. 107) window must be the active interface element.
geometry or Ctrl+Arrow Keys: Rotate the model about the vertical or horizontal
mesh selection axis of the model's orientation in the Geometry window.
to the existing
geometry or Shift+[1]: Turn the Anti-Aliasing (MSAA) preference Off.
mesh Shift+[2]: Set the Anti-Aliasing (MSAA) preference to Low (2x).
selection(s). Shift+[3]: Set the Anti-Aliasing (MSAA) preference to Medium (4x).
Ctrl+R: This Shift+[4]: Set the Anti-Aliasing (MSAA) preference to High (8x)
option clears (default).
all
clipboard (p. 107) Shift+W: Increases the number of layers displayed on a mesh that
selections includes poor quality elements. See the Check Mesh Quality section
Ctrl+W: This
option Shift+S: Decreases the number of layers displayed on a mesh that
removes your includes poor quality elements. See the Check Mesh Quality section
current for more information.
clipboard (p. 107) Outline Pane Actions
geometry or These hotkeys require an object in the Outline pane to be selected or that the
mesh selection pane has focus:
from the
existing
F1: Open the Mechanical User’s Guide to a section associated with the
geometry or
selected object.
mesh
selection(s). F2: Rename a selected object.
Shift+F1: F3: Open the search (Find In Tree) dialog box.
Activate Ctrl+G: Group objects.
Extend to
Shift+Ctrl+G: Ungroup objects.
Adjacent
selection. Ctrl+O: Display/hide the Outline pane.
Shift+F2: Ctrl+S: Save the project.
Activate Solution/Retrieve Results
Extend to
Limits The F5 key starts the solution process for a selected Environment or
selection. if you have an object selected in the tree that is above all of the
properly defined environments, then all branches will be solved. This
Shift+F3: action is also available when the Graphics window has focus.
Activate
Extend to Ctrl+U: Retrieve current result data when you are using Result Plot
Connection Trackers.
selection.
Shift+F4:
Activate
Extend to
Instances
selection.
Go To Options
Ctrl+1:
Highlight the
corresponding
Bodies in tree.
Ctrl+2.
Highlight the
contacts for
the selected
bodies.
Ctrl+3:
Highlight the
contacts
common to
the selected
Bodies
Ctrl+4:
Highlight the
corresponding
Named
Selections
object in the
tree.
Ctrl+5:
Highlight all
Named
Selections
common the
to given
Named
Selection.
Ctrl+6:
Highlight the
Mesh Controls
in the tree that
are associated
with the
selected
bodies.
Animation Actions
The following
hotkeys are
available for the
animation feature
when the Geo-
metry window has
focus.
P: Plays and
pauses the
animation.
S: Stops the
animation.
Shift
+Right/Left
Arrow Key:
Reverse or
advance the
animation
frame by
frame.
Note:
For the
Stand-
ard An-
ima-
tion
(SA)
setting,
you
can
abort
the
animation
creation
process
using
the
ESC
key.
Use a Macro
Ctrl+F7:
Display a
Open dialog to
Wizards
select and
then run a
macro file.
Note:
When you place your cursor within the Geometry window, and given a generated mesh,
and the Node or Element selection option is active, holding the right mouse button and
then clicking the left mouse button scrolls through the available Select Mode options (single
section, box selection, box volume, lasso, lasso volume).
Keyboard Number Pad Shortcuts

Certain display functionalities are also available via the number pad on your keyboard provided the
NumLock key is enabled. The numbers correlate to the following functionality:
0 = View
Isometric
1 = +Z
Front
2 = -Y
Bottom
3 =+X
Right
4=
Previous
View
5 = Default
Isometric
6 = Next
View
7 = -X Left
8 = +Y Top
9 = -Z Back
. (dot) =
Set
Isometric
2.30. Wizards
Wizards provide a layer of assistance above the standard user interface. They are made up of tasks or
steps that help you interpret and work with simulations. Conceptually, the wizards act as an agent
between you and the standard user interface.
Wizards include the following features:
• An interactive checklist for accomplishing a specific goal
• A reality check of the current simulation
• A list of a variety of high-level tasks, and guidance in performing the tasks
• Links to useful resources
• A series of Callout windows which provide guidance for each step
Note:
Callouts close automatically, or you may click inside a Callout to close it.
Wizards use hyperlinks (versus command buttons) because they generally represent links to locations
within the standard user interface, to content in the help system, or to a location accessible by a
standard HTML hyperlink. The status of each step is taken in context of the currently selected Out-
line (p. 108) object. Status is continually refreshed based on the Outline state (not on an internal wizard
state). As a result you may:
• Freely move about the Outline (p. 108) (including between branches).
• Make arbitrary edits without going through the wizards.
• Show or hide the wizards at any time.
Wizards are docked to the right side of the standard user interface for two reasons:
• The Outline (p. 108) sets the context for status determination. That is, the wizards interpret the Outline
rather than control it. (The user interface uses a top-down left-right convention for expressing de-
pendencies.)
• Visual symmetry is maintained.
To close wizards, click the . To show/hide tasks or steps, click the section header. Options for wizards
are set in the Wizard (p. 322) section of the Options dialog box (p. 293) under the Mechanical application.
The Mechanical Wizard (p. 284) is available for your use in the Mechanical application.
2.30.1. Mechanical Wizard

Display the Mechanical Wizard by selecting the wizard button in the Tools (p. 47) group on the
Home (p. 42) tab. You can close the wizard at any time by clicking the close button at the top of the
panel. To show or hide the sections of steps in the wizard, click the section header.
Note:
The Mechanical Wizard is not supported on the Linux platform.
Wizards
Features of the Mechanical Wizard

The Mechanical Wizard works like a web page consisting of collapsible groups and tasks. Click a group
title to expand or collapse the group; click a task to activate the task.
When activated, a task navigates to a particular location in the user interface and displays a callout
with a message about the status of the task and information on how to proceed. Activating a task
may change your tab selection, cursor mode, and Outline (p. 108) selection as needed to set the
proper context for proceeding with the task.
You may freely click tasks to explore the Mechanical application. Standard tasks WILL NOT change
any information in your simulation.
Callouts close automatically based on your actions in the software. Click inside a callout to close it
manually.
Most tasks indicate a status via the icon to the left of the task name. Rest your mouse on a task for
a description of the status. Each task updates its status and behavior based on the current Out-
line (p. 108) selection and software status.
Tasks are optional. If you already know how to perform an operation, you don't need to activate the
task.
Click the Choose Wizard task at the top of the Mechanical Wizard to change the wizard goal. For
example, you may change the goal from Find safety factors to Find fatigue life. Changing the wizard
goal does not modify your simulation.
At your discretion, simulations may include any available feature not covered under Required Steps
for a wizard. The Mechanical Wizard does not restrict your use of the Mechanical application.
You may use the Mechanical Wizard with databases from previous versions of the Mechanical applic-
ation.
Types of the Mechanical Wizards

There are wizards that guide you through the following simulations:
• Safety factors, stresses and deformation
• Fatigue life and safety factor
• Natural frequencies and mode shapes
• Optimizing the shape of a part
• Heat transfer and temperatures
• Magnetostatic results
• Contact region type and formulation
Chapter 3: Application Preferences
Using the Options dialog, you can control various behaviors and default functions of the application
to better suit your needs. This feature essentially enables you to establish preferences for application
behaviors and property settings.
We refer to the various groups under an application heading in the left column (Mechanical) as categor-
ies, such as the highlighted category below, Connections. Each category contains a selection of prefer-
ences you can modify. These preferences define the default settings for properties as well as preferences
for how the application behaves based on the actions you take while creating an analysis. As you can
see, the dialog includes options for DesignModeler and Aqua. This section only describes the options
applicable to the Mechanical application, which includes Common Settings and Mechanical settings,
as described in the subsections listed below.
Important:
• Preference changes are exclusive to the language you select when starting a new session
of Mechanical or Workbench and does not transfer to any other session using a different
language.
Application Preferences
• The first time you start Mechanical, the application automatically generates a preference
file (dsPreferences.xml) for the Mechanical group that includes all of the default
settings. When you change a preference, the application updates the file. You can manually
modify this file. And you can delete the file and the application will generate a new one
with system defaults the next time you open the application. The file is located in the
following directory:
%APPDATA%\Ansys\v242\%AWP_LOCALE242%\dsPreferences.xml
Also note that this directory contains the preference files for all of the groups available in
the Options dialog.
3.1. Open the Options Dialog
3.2. Common Settings
3.3. Mechanical Options
3.1. Open the Options Dialog

To access the Options dialog:
• Select the File (p. 39) tab and then Options.
Or...
• Select the Options icon beside the Quick Launch field on the title bar.
3.2. Common Settings

When you open Mechanical independently, a Common Settings option is available in the Options
dialog (above Mechanical).
Common Settings
Note:
Many of these preferences are also available from Workbench application. You can see the
Workbench User Preferences section in the Workbench User's Guide for more information.
Select a category below for descriptions of all available preferences:

3.2.1. Graphics Style
3.2.2. Graphics Interaction
3.2.3. User Interface
3.2.4. Geometry Import
3.2.5. Parallel Processing
3.2.6. SpaceClaim Preferences
3.2.1. Graphics Style

The Graphics Style category contains the following preferences:
Preference Description
Back- Sets a solid graphic background or a gradient background that varies from top to bottom,
ground left to right, or diagonally. Options include Top-Bottom Gradient (default), Left-Right
Style Gradient, Diagonal Gradient, and Solid.
Back- Sets a graphic background color from the built-in color palette. The default color is blue.
ground
Color
Back- Sets a second graphic background color from the built-in color palette. This second color
ground is used for gradient background displays. For example, if you want a top-bottom gradient
Color2 that starts out white and ends up black, set the Background Color preference to white
and the Background Color2 preference to black. The default color is white.
Edge Col- Set the color of edges on your model. The default color is black.
or
Unshared Set the color of edges that belong to only one element. The default color is red.
Edge Col-
or
Mesh Set the color of mesh edges. The default color is black.
Edge Col-
or
Text Col- Set the color of all text displayed in the Geometry window. The default color is black.
or
Shared Set the color of edges that do not belong to any element. The default color is blue. This
Zero is often used with line bodies.
Edge Col-
or
Shared 3 Set the color of edges that are shared by three elements. The default color is magenta.
Edge Col-
or
Shared 4 Set the color of edges that are shared by four or more elements. The default color is yellow.
Edge Col-
or
Edge This preference defines the default setting for the Thicken option of the Edge (p. 87)
Thick- group of the Display tab. Options include Thin (default), Medium Thick, and Thick.
ness
3.2.2. Graphics Interaction

The Graphics Interaction group includes the following categories and preferences:
Category Preference Description

Mouse Middle Button Sets the default action when you depress the middle mouse button.
But- Options include Rotate (default), Pan, Zoom, Box Zoom, and None.
tons Right Button Sets the default action when you depress the right mouse button.
Options include Rotate, Pan, Zoom, Box Zoom (default), and None.
Shift+Left Button Sets the default action when you depress the Shift key and the left
mouse button. Options include Rotate, Pan, Zoom, Box Zoom, and
None (default).
Shift+Middle Sets the default action when you depress the Shift key and the middle
Button button. Options include Rotate, Pan, Zoom (default),Box Zoom, and
None.
Common Settings

Shift+Right Sets the default action when you depress the Shift key and the right
Button button. Options include Rotate, Pan, Zoom, Box Zoom (default), and
None.
Ctrl+Left Button Sets the default action when you depress the Shift key and the left
button. Options include Multi-Select geometric or mesh entities
(default), Rotate, Pan, Zoom, Box Zoom, and None.
Ctrl+Middle Sets the default action when you depress the Ctrl key and the middle
Button button. Options include Rotate, Pan (default), Zoom, Box Zoom, and
None.
Ctrl+Right Button Sets the default action when you depress the Ctrl key and the middle
button. Options include Rotate, Pan, Zoom, Box Zoom (default), and
None.
Ctrl+Shift+Left Sets the default action when you depress the Ctrl+Shift on the keyboard
Button and the left mouse button simultaneously. Options include Multi-Select
and None (default).
Mouse Wheel Sets the default action of the mouse wheel. Options include Zoom
(default) and None.
Zoom To Move Model When you select the Shift key and the middle mouse button, this
Closer preference enables you to zoom by moving the mouse in or out. Options
include Push Mouse In (default) and Pull Mouse Out.
Rota- Dynamic Viewing When selected, a short animation shows the model moving/twisting
tion toward its final pose if you make a standard view change (such as front,
back, left, right, bottom, top, isometric, and Look At Face/Plane/Sketch).
Options include Yes (default) and No.
Space- Use Spaceball This preference enables you to use a Spaceball 3D import device (not
ball supported in UNIX). Options include Yes (default) and No.
Selec- Extend Selection This preference sets a limit in degrees for what kind of face and edge
tion Angle Limit (de- angles the system considers smooth. This affects the Extend to Adjacent
grees) and Extend to Limits Extend Selection toolbar buttons in DesignModeler.
Extend Selection buttons (p. 227) are also present in the Mechanical
application. The default value is 20° and the range is from 0° to 90°.
Gizmo angle in- This preference is not supported in the Mechanical application.
crement (de-
grees)
3.2.3. User Interface

The User Interface group includes the following categories and preferences:

Display Number Sets the number of digits that appear for numbers in Ansys simulation
of Signi- environments. The default is 5 and possible values are 3 through 10.
ficant Di- This preference affects only the numbers that are displayed. It does
gits not imply any numerical round-off of internal calculations. When a
user-entered number has a decimal halfway between two integers,
the number is rounded to the nearest even integer. For example, a

value of 20.5 is rounded down to 20, while a value of 21.5 is rounded
up to 22.
Show Turn on beta options. Options include No (default) and Yes.
Beta Op-
tions
Show This preference is not supported in the Mechanical application.
Unsup-
ported
Features
Omit This preference is not supported in the Mechanical application.
Text on
Toolbars
File Management Folder Specify the directory where the application writes temporary files. The
of Tem- application creates temporary files in this folder until you save your
porary project. Once saved, the application writes files to the project directory.
Files
Note:
Ansys recommends setting this preference to a local

drive rather than a network drive to ensure better
performance.
Save As This preference applies to the Workbench application. See the

Pre- Workbench User Preferences documentation for more information.
ferred
Default
CAD Licensing CAD Li- This preference applies to the Workbench application. See the
Management censing Geometry Import section of the Workbench User Preferences
documentation for more information.
Graphical Water- By default, the application displays the Ansys logo and version in the
mark Geometry window. This preference enables you to change the color
Logo of the logo from White (default) to Black or to turn it Off.
Style

The Geometry Import group includes the Basic Geometry Options and Advanced Geometry Options
categories. These categories and their preferences are described in the Geometry Preferences section
of the CAD Integration documentation.
3.2.5. Parallel Processing

This category contains the Number of Processors preference. The application automatically limits
the maximum number of cores used during the solution process to be less than or equal to the
number of physical cores on the machine. However, you can use this preference to specify the specific
Mechanical Options
number of processors the application uses during the solution process. This value cannot exceed the
number of physical cores.
3.2.6. SpaceClaim Preferences

This category contains the Decompose Unshared Components preference. Options include Yes
(default) and No. When set to Yes, the application imports multi-body parts that do not share topology
as individual bodies. When set to No, the application imports multi-body parts that do not share to-
pology as a single part.
3.3. Mechanical Options

Select a desired category below for descriptions of all available preferences:
3.3.1. Connections
3.3.2. Convergence
3.3.3. Import
3.3.4. Export
3.3.5. Fatigue
3.3.6. Frequency
3.3.7. Geometry
3.3.9. Meshing
3.3.10. Graphics
3.3.11. Miscellaneous
3.3.12. Messages
3.3.13. Report
3.3.14. Analysis Settings and Solution
3.3.15. Loads and Boundary Conditions
3.3.16. Results
3.3.17. Visibility
3.3.18. Wizard
3.3.19. Commands
3.3.20. UI Options
3.3.1. Connections
The Connections group includes the following categories and preferences.

Auto Tolerance Set the default for the contact detection slider. That is, the relative distance
Detec- to search for contact between parts. The higher the number, the tighter the
tion tolerance. In general, creating contacts at a tolerance of 100 finds fewer
contact surfaces than at 0. The default is 0. The range is from -100 to +100.

Face Overlap Set default tolerance for overlap of faces in contact; that is, the minimum
Tolerance percentage of overlap at which a contact pair is created for two overlapping
faces. For example, if Face Overlap Tolerance is set to 25, a contact pair is
created for each pair of faces for which at least 25% of one face overlaps
the other. This preference enables the application to obtain more precise
contact pairs during automatic contact generation based on a tolerance
that is appropriate for your simulation type. The default is 0, which means
overlap checks are turned off. The range is from 0 to 100.
Note:
The Face Overlap Tolerance value and the Tolerance value

are evaluated together to determine which faces are
considered to be in contact.
Face/Face[a] Set the default preference for automatic contact detection between faces
of different parts. Options include Yes (default) and No.
Cylindrical Set the default for separating flat surfaces from cylindrical faces for face/face
Faces contact. Options include Include (default), Exclude, and Only.
Face/Edge[a] Set the default preference for automatic contact detection between faces
and edges of different parts. Options include:
• Yes
• No (default)
• Only Solid Edges
• Only Surface Edges
• Only Beam Edges
Edge Overlap Set the default tolerance for overlap of an edge and a face in contact; that
Tolerance is, the minimum percentage of overlap at which a contact pair is created
for an edge and a face that overlap. For example, if Edge Overlap Tolerance
is set to 25, a contact pair is created for an edge and a face when at least
25% of the edge overlaps the face. This setting enables the application to
obtain more precise contact pairs during automatic contact generation
based on a tolerance that is appropriate for your simulation type. The default
is 0, which means overlap checks are turned off. The range is from 0 to 100.
Edge/Edge Set the default preference for automatic contact detection between edges
(3D)[a] of different parts in a three dimensional model. Options include Yes and
No (default).
Edge/Edge Set the default preference for automatic contact detection between edges
(2D)[a] of different parts in a two dimensional model. Options include Yes (default)
and No.
Mechanical Options

Priority Set the default preference for the types of contact interaction priority
(p. 1121)[a] between a given set of parts. Options include:
• Include All (default)
• Face Overrides
• Edge Overrides
Revolute Sets the default preference for automatic joint creation (p. 1270) of revolute
Joints joints (p. 1209). Options include Yes (default) and No.
Fixed Joints Set the default preference for automatic joint creation (p. 1270) of fixed
joints (p. 1209). Options include Yes (default) and No.
Trans- Parts With Set transparency (p. 1179) of parts in selected contact region so the parts are
par- Contact highlighted. The default is 0.8. The range is from 0 to 1.
ency Parts Set transparency of parts in non-selected contact regions so the parts are
Without Con- not highlighted. The default is 0.1. The range is from 0 to 1.
tact
De- Type Set the definition type of contact (p. 1147). Options include:
fault
• Bonded (default)
• No Separation
• Frictionless
• Rough
• Frictional
Behavior (p. 1149)Set the contact behavior of the contact pair. Options include:
• Program Controlled (default)
• Asymmetric
• Symmetric
• Auto Asymmetric
Formulation Set the type of contact formulation method (p. 1153). Options include:
• Augmented Lagrange
• Pure Penalty
• MPC
• Normal Lagrange

Small Sliding Set the default behavior for the Small Sliding (p. 1156) property. Options
include Program Controlled (default), Yes, and No.
Update Stiff- Specify whether the application performs an automatic contact stiffness
ness update (p. 1161). Options include:
• Never
• Each Iteration
• Each Iteration, Aggressive
Shell This preference enables you to automatically include the thickness of surface
Thickness bodies during contact calculations. Options include Yes and No (default).
Effect (p. 1145)
Auto Rename This preference enables you to automatically rename joint, spring, contact
Connections region, and joint condition objects when Type or Scoping are changed.
Options include Yes (default) and No.
Bushing Enables you to set the default display (on or off ) of the Worksheet for a
Joint Work- Bushing Joint (p. 1213). Options include Yes (default) and No.
sheet View
Con- Contact In- This preference enables you to automatically generate a text file in the solver
tact formation directory that contains all contact pair IDs and names included in your
Report simulation. The application automatically names the file ContactInform-
ation.txt. Options include Yes and No (default).
[a] Unless changed here in the Options dialog box, the preference remains persistent when
starting any Workbench project.
3.3.2. Convergence
The Convergence group includes the following categories and preferences:

Conver- Target Change of result from one adapted solution to the next. The default is 20.
gence Change The range is from 0 to 100.
Allowable This should be set if the criteria is the max or min of the result. Options
Change include Max (default) and Min..
Solu- Max This preference enables you to change the number of refinement loops the
tion Refinement application performs. The default is 1. The range is from 1 to 10. When
Loops performing an out of process (p. 1905) solution asynchronously, wherein the
solve may finalize during another Workbench session, the application
performs only one maximum refinement loop. As necessary, you must
manually perform additional loops. To solve with a single user action, solve
synchronously.
Mechanical Options
3.3.3. Import
The Import group includes the following categories and preferences.

Delamin- Create This preference controls the automatic creation of Interface Delamination
ation Delamina- objects when importing layered section data from ACP. When Interface Layers
Inter- tion Objects are specified in ACP, Interface Delamination objects corresponding to Interface
faces Layers are automatically inserted into the Mechanical Outline under the
Import Fracture object. Options include Yes (default) and No.
Delete Inval- This preference controls whether the application automatically deletes invalid
id Objects Interface Delamination objects scoped to Interface Layers from ACP. When
an Interface Layer specified in ACP is deleted, the corresponding Interface
Delamination object is deleted in Mechanical when the project is refreshed.
Options include Yes and No (default). The No setting suppresses invalid
objects instead of automatically deleting them.
ECAD Group Com- Set the default for the Group Components preference of the ECAD
ponents in Import (p. 709) pane. Options include Yes (default) and No.
Tree
Import Ma- Set the default for the Import Materials preference of the ECAD Import (p. 709)
terials pane. Options include Yes (default) and No.
Import Set the default for the Import Package Detail of the ECAD Import (p. 709)
Package De- pane. Options include Yes (default) and No.
tail
Import Improve Options include Yes (default) and No.
Re- Reading
mote Perform-
Loads ance
3.3.4. Export
The Export group includes the following categories and preferences. These preferences to not have
counterpart properties in the Details pane of the application.

Text File Encoding Select either ASCII (default) or UNICODE (Windows only) as the
File Ex- encoding to use for exporting data.
port Automatically Open Specify whether the application automatically opens Excel after you
Excel create an exported data file. Options include Yes (default) and No.
Remove Duplicate Specify whether the application automatically removes any duplicate
Nodes nodes when you export data to a text file (p. 213). Options include
Yes and No (default).
Include Node Num- Specify whether the application automatically includes node numbers
bers in the exported file. Options include Yes (default) and No.
Include Node Loca- Specify whether the application automatically includes node locations
tion in the exported file. Options include Yes and No (default).

Show Tensor Com- Specify whether the application automatically writes tensor
ponents components to the exported file. Options include Yes and No
(default). When set to No, the export data contains the principal
stresses and strains (1, 2, and 3) as well as the three Euler angles.
When set to Yes, the exported data contains raw components of
stress and strain (X, Y, Z, XY, YZ, XZ).
Show Additional Specify whether the application automatically writes analysis
Header information to the exported file. Options include Yes and No (default).
When set to Yes, the application writes the following information to
the exported file:
• Result File • Unit

Name
• Environment
Name • Time
• Result
Name
• Result
Type
STL Ex- Export Format Specify the format used to export STL files. Options include Binary
port (default) and ASCII.
AVZ Open AVZ Viewer For result objects only, specify whether the application automatically
Viewer opens the Ansys Viewer once you export and save the file using the
Option contextual (right-click) menu option Ansys Viewer File (AVZ). Options
include Yes and No (default).
Views File Directory Specify a desired directory location for exporting user-defined
graphical views (p. 254). Enter a folder location, such as C:\Mechan-
ical\My_Views. By default, the application uses the automatically
generated User_Files folder in the project directory.
NAS- File Directory Specify a desired directory location for exporting a NASTRAN file.
TRAN Enter a folder location, such as C:\Mechanical\My_NAS-
TRAN_File. By default, the application uses the automatically
generated User_Files folder in the project directory.
3.3.5. Fatigue
The Fatigue group includes the following categories and preferences.

Gener- Design Set the number of cycles that indicate the design life for use in fatigue
al Life calculations. The default is 1e9.
Mechanical Options

Analysis Set the default for the Mean Stress Theory property when defining a fatigue
Type analysis (p. 2278). Options include:
• SN - None (default)
• SN - Goodman
• SN - Soderberg
• SN - Gerber
• SN - Mean Stress Curves
The Goodman, Soderberg, and Gerber options use static material properties
along with S-N data to account for any mean stress while Mean-Stress Curves
use experimental fatigue data to account for mean stress.
Cycle Bin Size Specify the bin size used for rainflow cycle counting. For example, a value of
Count- 32 means you use a rainflow matrix of size 32 X 32. The default setting is 32.
ing Supported range is from 10 to 200.
Sensit- Lower Set the default value for the percentage of the lower bound that the base
ivity Variation loading will be varied for the sensitivity analysis. The default setting is 50.
Upper Set the default value for the percentage of the upper bound that the base
Variation loading will be varied for the sensitivity analysis. The default setting is 150.
Number Set the default number of points plotted on the sensitivity curve (p. 2287). The
of Fill default setting is 25. The range is from 10 to 100.
Points
Sensitiv- Set the default fatigue result type for which sensitivity is found. Options include:
ity For
• Life (default)
• Damage
• Factor of Safety
3.3.6. Frequency
The Frequency group includes the following categories and preferences.

Modal Max Modes Set the default value for the number of modes that a newly created
to Find frequency branch will contain. The default is 6. The entry range is from 1 to
200.
Limit Search Specify if a frequency search range should be considered in computing
to Range frequencies. Options include Yes and No (default).
Min Range Set the lower limit of the frequency search range. The default is value is
(Hz) 0.01 for Modal Acoustic analyses and 0 all other analysis types.

Max Range Set the upper limit of the frequency search range. The default is value is
(Hz) 100000000.
Cyclic Phase Set the number of intervals to divide the cyclic phase range (0 - 360 degrees)
Number of for frequency couplet results in cyclic modal analyses.
Steps
Eigen- Max Modes Set the number of buckling load factors and corresponding buckling mode
value to Find shapes. The default value is 2. The entry range is from 1 to 200.
Buck-
ling
Con- Max Modes Set the default value for the number of modes that a newly created
densed to Find frequency branch will contain. The default is 6. The entry range is from 1 to
Parts 200.
Limit Search Specify if a frequency search range should be considered in computing
to Range frequencies. Options include Yes and No (default).
Min Range Set the lower limit of the search range. The default is value is 0.01 for Modal
(Hz) Acoustic analyses and 0.0 all other analysis types.
Max Range Set the upper limit of the search range. The default is value is 100000000.
(Hz)
Har- Frequency Define how frequency spacing is performed. Options include:
monic Spacing
• Linear (default)
• Logarithmic
• Octave Band
• 1/2 Octave Band
• 1/3 Octave Band
• 1/6 Octave Band
• 1/12 Octave Band
• 1/24 Octave Band
3.3.7. Geometry
The Geometry group includes the following categories and preferences.
Mechanical Options

Import Assembly For CAD files that include a hierarchical structure, specify whether to
Hierarchy automatically group parts and bodies under the Geometry object. Options
Note:
If you group parts and bodies in SpaceClaim, you need to

account for shared topology and the fact that shared topology
creates multi-body parts. In this instance, the application groups
multi-body parts together regardless of the assembly structure.
You can use the View Assembly Structure tool to see how
the SpaceClaim assembly structure is affected by Shared
Topology in Mechanical. See the SpaceClaim Documentation
(Workbench > Shared Topology > Viewing Tools > View
Assembly Structure) for more information.
Caution:
You cannot change the Assembly Hierarchy setting once you

have imported your geometry. This is due to a geometry update
limitation.
Volume Define how the application performs volume calculations on the model. Options
Calcula- include Analytical (default) and Faceted. Using the Faceted option, the volume
tion is calculated using the faceted (graphical) representation of the volume. This
improves computation times.
Note:
The Faceted setting could be less accurate (~0.1% depending

on rendering quality or facet quality value) than the Analytical
setting.
Delete This preference controls how Mechanical treats Named Selections imported
Missing from an upstream CAD system. Options include Yes (default) and No. When
Named Se- set to Yes, deleting a Named Selection in the upstream system also deletes
lections the Named Selection in Mechanical once you refresh the geometry. Any object
from CAD scoped to the deleted Named Selection becomes invalid. When set to No,
deleting a Named Selection in the upstream system suppresses the Named
Selection in Mechanical once you refresh the geometry. Any object scoped to
the suppressed Named Selection becomes invalid, however the object maintains
the scoping reference. This enables you to recreate the Named Selection
upstream and the application automatically reproduces downstream scoping
once you refresh.
Create AM Options include Yes (default ) and No.
Environ-

ment from
CAD Data
Geo- Beam Define the default setting to send user-defined cross-sections to the Mechanical
metry Cross Sec- APDL solver as either a Pre-Integrated (default) cross-section or as a Mesh
tion (For section.
Solver)
Nonlinear Indicates if nonlinear material effects should be included or ignored. Options
Material include Yes (default ) and No.
Effects
Thermal Indicates if thermal strain calculations should be included or ignored. Options
Strain Cal- include Yes (default ) and No.
culation
2D Toler- For surface bodies, use this preference to set the tolerance used to validate
ance that the imported geometry is two-dimensional (2D) by checking the value of
the Length Z property, using CAD units, in the Bounding Box category. The
default value for this property is 0.00001.
2D When you import a 2D geometry (p. 906) and set its Behavior property to
Axisym- Axisymmetric, Mechanical automatically performs a check to make sure that
metric the geometry lies only on the positive X axis. Certain CAD applications can
Check automatically increase bounding box values and cause a geometry to appear
in the negative X plane. This generates a system error that prohibits you from
executing a solution. This property enables you to change a system generated
error to a warning. Options include Error (default) and Warning. The Warning
setting enables the application to attempt a solution.
Clear When you change the setting (3D or 2D) of the Dimension property (Body
Mesh on object) or if you change the setting of the Analysis Type property of the
Dimension Geometry cell on the Workbench project page, also 3D or 2D, this preference
Change instructs the application whether to automatically clear and regenerate the
mesh.
Trans- Transform This preference changes the default setting of the Transfer Mesh property of
form Mesh the Transforms object. Options include Yes (default) and No.
Create This preference changes the default setting of the Regenerate Contacts
Connec- property of the Transforms object. Options include Yes (default) and No.
tions
Materi- Prompt for This preference relates to the material Assignment (p. 350) property. If you
al Model Re- choose to edit a material or create/import a new material via this property,
fresh on the application displays a message reminding you to refresh the Model cell
Material in the Workbench Project Schematic. The default setting is Yes. The message
Edit in Mechanical provides you with the option to not show the message again.
This option is in addition to this method of changing this setting to No
Assign De- This preference relates to the default setting of the Assign Default Material
fault Ma- property. The Assign Default Material property controls default material
terial to assignment when geometry is updated in Mechanical.
New Bod-
ies Based
on Update
Mechanical Options

Geo- Use Geo- This preference instructs the application to retain available geometry data prior
metry metry to a geometry update. Options include Yes (default) and No.
Based Based As-
Associ- sociativity
ativity Automatic This preference enables the application to automatically correct geometry-based
Scoping scoping that becomes lost following a geometry update. Options include Yes
Update and No (default).

The Geometry Import category enables you to change the default settings of the properties associated
with importing geometry into Mechanical. These are the same preferences that are available for the
Geometry cell of an analysis system on the Workbench Project Schematic before you have specified
a model to import. You should review the Geometry Preferences section of the CAD Integration doc-
umentation as well as the Geometry Import section of the Workbench User's Guide for additional in-
formation.
3.3.9. Meshing
The Meshing category and the Default Physics Preference preference enables you to change the
default setting of the Physics Preference property of the Mesh object. The physics preference that
you choose here will be the default for all Mechanical systems, regardless of whether they are analysis
systems or component systems. Options include:
• Mechanical (default)
• Nonlinear Mechanical
Note:
The default physics preference that you can set in the Meshing application's Options dialog
box has no effect on the default that is set for Mechanical systems.
3.3.10. Graphics
The Graphics group includes the following categories and preferences. This group contains a large
number of preferences. Go to a desired category using the following links:
• Default Graphics Options (p. ?)
• Interactive and Min/Max Probes (p. ?)
• Probe Tool and Hit Point Coordinate (p. ?)
• Lighting (p. ?)
• Image Export (p. ?)
• Animation Export (p. ?)
• Legend (p. ?)
• Performance (p. ?)

De- Reset Views on Specify whether the application automatically resets the graphical view
fault Geometry Refresh (display angle) of your model in the Geometry window when you
Graph- refresh the geometry. Options include No (default) and Yes.
ics Op- Max Number of A slider that specifies the number of annotations that are shown in
tions Annotations to the legend of the Geometry window. The range is adjustable from 0
Show to 50. The default setting is 10.
Show Min Annota- Specify whether the minimum annotation will be displayed by default
tion (for new databases). Options include No (default) and Yes.
Show Max Annota- Specify whether the maximum annotation will be displayed by default
tion (for new databases). Options include No (default) and Yes.
Obscured Label When you have an annotation label applied on either the Mesh object
Display Style or on a result object, or you have a probe label applied to a result, this
preference lets you choose whether to have the label/probe show
“through” the model when it is not visible because of the model’s
current orientation. Options include Solid (default), Translucent, and
Hidden.
Unobscured Label There may be times when a label displays as obscured when it should
Tolerance Factor not. This is most often a result of how the application calculates the
location of a label. There are instances when a label’s position will be
located beneath the surface of a body. For the above Translucent or
Hidden options, this tolerance enables you make small adjustments
to the tolerance factor to make sure that the label behaves as expected.
The tolerance range is between 0 and 1. Small incremental changes,
such as 0.0001, can be appropriate to properly display obscured labels.
Number of Local Specify the number of Min/Max probe labels (p. 2381) you wish to display
Min/Max Probes for your result data. The default setting is 6. The supported range is
1-20.
Contour Menu Selects default setting for the Contours menu (Result Context tab).
Options include:
• Smooth Contour
• Contour Bands (default)
• Isolines
• Solid Fill
Flat Contour Toler- Flat contours (no variation in color) display if the minimum and
ance maximum results values are equal. The comparison of the minimum
and maximum values is made using scientific notation with the number
of significant digits to the right of the decimal point as specified with
the flat contour tolerance setting (3 to 9). Increasing this tolerance
enables you to display contours if the range of values is too narrow.
Mechanical Options

Decreasing this tolerance prevents insignificant range variations from
being contoured. This setting has a default value of 3.
Edges Menu Specify the default setting for the Edges menu options (Result Context
tab). Options include:
• No Wireframe
• Show Undeformed Wireframe
• Show Undeformed Model
• Show Elements (default)
Highlight Selec- Specify the default behavior of the Face selection filter (p. 224) when
tion working with surface bodies. The application automatically selects one
or both sides of the surface. Options include Single Side (default) and
Both Sides.
Number of Circu- Specify the default number of divisions to be used for viewing line
lar Cross Section body cross sections (p. 905) for circular and circular tube cross sections.
Divisions The supported range is from 6 to 360. The default is 16.
Mesh Visibility Specify whether to automatically display the model’s mesh when you
select the Mesh object or to only manually display the mesh by
selecting the Show Mesh button. Options include Automatic (default)
and Manual.
FE Annotation This option enables you to change the default coloring for FE related
Color annotations (FE-based Named Selections and/or objects scoped to
Nodes (p. 232) or Elements (p. 239)). It also changes the color of the
elements displayed for an Analysis Ply object.
Mesh Failed Color Set the default color of the Mesh Failed annotation.
Mesh Obsolete Set the default color of the Mesh Obsolete annotation.
Color
Geometry High- Specify the default color used when a part or body is selected from
light Color the Geometry folder.
Model Rotation Set the default behavior of the rotation option. Options include:
Center
• Click to Set (default): Select (click) a location on the model to
be the center of rotation.
• On Mouse Down: Select a location on the model to be the

center of rotation. Rotation is available immediately - no
additional mouse selections ("clicks") are required.
Shell Expansion Set the angle used to determine whether adjacent element normals
Edge Angle are averaged. This is applicable when shell thickness is being applied
to the mesh to represent the actual thickness. The range is adjustable
from 0 to 180. The default is 180.

Line Body Thick- Set how line bodies are displayed in the Geometry window. Selections
ness include Thin (default) and Thick.
Mouse Rotation Set the default behavior (p. 243) of the cursor for the Rotate option of
Mode the Graphics toolbar (p. 100). Selections include:
• Free Rotate Only (default): Using this setting, the cursor

provides free 360° model rotation.
• Axis Rotation Available: Rotate about the current axis (roll,

yaw, and pitch).
Note:
The Rotate button offers a drop-down menu to switch

between free and axis rotation. This option also defines
the default behavior.
Triad Smooth Ro- Specify that the application computes the shortest path between model
tation positions when using the Triad feature in order to facilitate smoother
model rotations. Options include Yes (default) and No.
Show Coupled For analyses that support the use of the Physics Region object, this
Physics Analysis preference enables you to display the bodies and/or parts associated
with each properly defined Physics Region as a different color when
the Environment object is selected. Options include Yes and No
(default).
Consider Section Activate this preference to select newly displayed finite element entities
Planes When (nodes, elements, and element faces) from geometries within the model
Mesh Picking that were hidden prior to adding a Section Plane (p. 257). Options
include Yes and No (default). See the Selecting Mesh Entities Displayed
by the Section Plane (p. 264) topic for additional information.
Animation Draw By default, the application displays a result animation as it is being
Option processed. In previous releases, the application would first process and
then display result animations. You can revert to the previous display
method by setting this property to No. Options include Yes (default)
and No.
Use Deformed This preference applies to the IsoSurfaces, Capped IsoSurfaces, and
Edge for Slice ISO Section Planes options of the Geometry menu (p. 70) and the Show
Option Undeformed Wireframe and Show Undeformed Model options of
the Edges menu, both of the Result (p. 65) Context tab, and how they
work together. When you set this preference to No, the IsoSurfaces,
Capped IsoSurfaces, and Section Planes options display the selected
result in a deformed state but a wireframe overlay (Show Undeformed
Wireframe) of the model or a translucent overlay (Show Undeformed
Model) of the model in an undeformed state. Options include Yes
(default) and No.
Mechanical Options

Hide Unsupported Use this preference to display a warning message under the Ansys logo
OpenGL Version if your computer is using an unsupported version of OpenGL, including
Warning any version prior to 4.3. This may help diagnose the availability of
certain graphics features in Mechanical. Options include Yes (default)
and No.
Disable 2D Over- When active, this preference stabilizes the graphical display by
lays (Linux preventing your model from disappearing during mouse movements.
Platform Only) This option also turns off a variety of display features, such as the ability
to highlight geometry selections (single, box select, lasso, etc.) prior
to selecting a geometric entity, as well as graphics labels (such as
interactive probe labels). These display and selection features operate
properly, but do not provide pre-selection highlights and labels. Options
Mesh Translu- This preference defines the translucency of the displayed mesh. The
cency slider option has a range of 0 (no translucency) to 1 (totally transparent).
The default setting is 0.
Maximum Face When you have the Edges (p. 71) result display set to Show
Angle to Preserve Undeformed Wireframe, you could experience display issues for edges
Edges when the tolerance angle between two faces is insufficient. This
preference enables you to increase this tolerance angle. The default
setting is 120°. Supported entry range is 0° to 180°.
Anti-Aliasing Use this preference to specify the desired sampling level for the display
(MSAA) of the model in the Geometry window. The sampling process smooths
the display of jagged edges. Options include Off, Low (2x), Medium
(4x), and the default High (8x). You can cycle through these settings
using the key combinations Shift+[1] through Shift+[4].
Contour Edge Line For results scoped to edges, this preference enables you to specify the
Weight thickness of edge result contours. It provides an entry field combined
with a slider option. The setting range is 0 to 8. The default setting is
5.
Color Mesh Edge This preference enables you to change the color of mesh lines/edges
Using Body Color from the default black to the mesh body's color in order to improve
edge visibility for dense meshes. Options include Yes and No (default).
Inter- Move Probe La- Enables probe labels to move with a deformed mesh when you make
active bels with Deform- a change to the Deformation Scale Factor (p. 66). Options include Yes
and ation Scale Factor (default) and No. If set to No, the application deletes probe labels
Min/Max whenever you change to the scale factor.
Probes Show Mesh Entity When the Snap option is selected, this preference enables you to
ID in Snap-Probe automatically display Node or Element IDs on probe annotations (p. 74).
Labels Options include Yes (default) and No.
Probe Line Color Set the color of the line that connects a probe label to its location on
the model.
Show Detailed In- Specify whether to automatically display the min/max values as well
formation in as Node or Element IDs on probe annotation labels. Options include
Min/Max Probe Yes and No (default).
Labels

Probe Font Arial is the default font. Ten font types are available for selection.
Tool Size The font size is in pixels. 18 is the is the default size. The size range is
and 10 to 30.
Hit
Point Style Styles include Regular (default), Bold, Italic, and Bold Italic.
Co- Color White is the default color. A color palette displays when you select this
ordin- option.
ate[a]
Light- Ambient Default value is 0.1.
ing[b] Diffuse Default value is 0.6.
Specular Default value is 1.
Color White is the default color.
Force White When you change the Color property from white, this property enables
Lighting for Res- you to make sure that load variation contours and result contours will
ults correspond to the color contours of the legend. Options include Yes
and No (default).
Image Current Graphics When exporting an image to a file using the Image to File option, this
Export Display preference defines whether or not to copy the image directly from the
viewport without re-rendering the image. Options include Yes and No
(default). Setting this preference to No displays the Image to File
Preferences dialog with all of the available options visible. Use these
options to change how the application renders an exported image.
Dialog options are described below.
Mechanical Options

Graphics Resolu- Set the default resolution setting for exporting images. Options include:
tion
• Optimized (1:1) (default)
• Enhanced (2:1)
• High Resolution (4:1)
Note:
The Ansys logo does not scale at higher resolution

settings.
Image to Instructs the application to use the setting of the Graphics Resolution
Clipboard Uses preference (described above) when you use the Image to Clipboard
Graphics option of the Images drop-down menu (Home tab/Insert (p. 44) group).
Resolution Settings for this preference include Yes and No (default).
Capture Specify whether to include legend content in the image. Options
include Image and Legend (default) and Image Only.
Background Set the background coloring. Options include Graphics Appearance
Setting (default) and White. The Graphics Appearance Setting setting
is based on the background color setting.
Font Magnifica- Set the font size of legend content. The magnification range for the
tion Factor font size is 0.5 to 1.5. If you enter a value less than or greater than
this range, the application will default to the corresponding minimum
(0.5) or maximum (1.5) value. The default value is 1. This setting also
scales the contour color band.
Append Viewport Specify whether to include Graph window data on the captured image.
Graph If there is no corresponding data in the graph, the captured image
includes a graph with no data. Options include Yes and No (default).
When set to Yes, the corresponding setting on the Image to File
Preferences (p. 44) dialog is automatically selected.
Show Preferences This preference determines whether a dialog box automatically displays
Dialog when you select the Image to File option. The dialog box contains all
of the above options. If disabled using this option, the application
saves the most recent settings that you have used. Yes (default) or No.
Rescale Graph When you choose to include Graph (p. 191) window data on your image,
Overlay this preference automatically scales the graph content to match the
selected resolution. Options include Yes (default) and No.
Composite Image The application automatically adds the borders around/in-between the
Borders captured viewports or includes no borders. When you select one of
the border options, the corresponding setting(s) on the Image to File
Preferences (p. 44) dialog is/are automatically activated. Options include
None (default), Interior, Exterior, and Interior and Exterior.
Probe Label Off- The options for this preference relate to how the application captures
set and saves images of results displayed in the Geometry window as well
as how the application presents images on the Print Preview (p. 168)

tab, when you have inserted Probe labels and then moved those probe
labels (p. 201) on the screen. Options include:
• Respect User-Defined Offset (default): This option ensures that

probe labels maintain their location in the Geometry window
when you are using the Image to File option contained in the
Image drop-down menu on the Insert (p. 44) group
Home (p. 42) tab or if you are using the Print Preview feature.
• Reset to Probe Anchor: This options ensures that probe labels

maintain their location in the Geometry window when you are
using the Image to File option but only when the Graphics
Resolution preference is a 1:1 ratio. Otherwise, the application
places the probe labels in their original position. This option
also places the probe labels in their original position if you
employ the Print Preview feature.
Anima- Legacy Animation Setting this preference to Yes enables you to export AVI animation
tion Export files using Microsoft Windows API on the Windows platform. The default
Export setting is No.
Le- Orientation Select a desire display orientation for the legend. Options include
gend Vertical (default) and Horizontal.
Show Min/Max on Either display or hide (default) the legend's context menu (right-click)
Color Bar option Show Min/Max on Color Bar. Options include Yes and No
(default).
Show Deforma- Either display (default) or hide the legend's context menu (right-click)
tion Scale Factor option Show Deformation Scale Factor. Options include Yes (default)
and No.
Show Date and This preference enables you turn off the display of the date and time
Time in the Geometry window. The context (right-click) menu option Date
and Time also changes this default setting. Options include Yes
(default) and No.
Max Number of A slider that specifies the number of annotations that are shown in
Labels to Shown the legend of the Graph window when you are using Charts (p. 2036).
in Legend The range is adjustable from 0 to 50. The default is 10.
Per- Accelerated See the Accelerated Graphics (p. 252) section for more information.
form- Graphics for Property options include:
ance Mesh/Result Dis-
play • Program Controlled (default): The application selects the
graphical mode based on application settings and support
status, such as analysis settings, the specified result, view
options, etc. This is the recommended setting.
• Yes, if possible: This setting forces the use of Accelerated

Graphics wherever possible, even if only partially supported.
• No: This setting disables the feature.
Mechanical Options

Animation Options include:
Mode (p. 2371)
• Program Controlled: The application selects the animation
mode based on the given analysis to balance performance and
display features.
• Standard (default): This setting uses the traditional animation

process. It supports all display options without processing
capabilities.
• Accelerated (Beta): This setting offers improved processing

capabilities.
Use Faceted This preference enables you to modify lighting. Options include No
Lighting for and Yes (default). The No option specifies the standard lighting mode.
Accelerated This setting can cause issues with large deformation, but maintains
Graphics/Animation smooth lighting and may be suitable for most models. The Yes setting
uses an alternate faceted lighting mode. Lighting is on a per-triangle
basis, resulting in a more jagged rendering of some models. The lighting
should still be correct for any deformation.
Show Why Acceler- When possible, display an information message for why Accelerated
ated Graphics is Graphics (or Accelerated Animation) are not used for the mesh and
Not Used results. Options include No (default) and Yes.
Note:
Informational messages may display even when the

Accelerated Graphics feature is disabled because this
preference also supports Accelerated Animation.
Accelerated Animation is controlled by the Animation
Mode preference described above.
Edge Connectivity This preference controls an internal algorithm used to compute and
Display Mode highlight the model edges when the By Connection (p. 87) option is
selected. Options include Accelerated (default) and Legacy.
Important:
When set to Accelerated, hidden faces are not

considered when computing the number of shared
edges.
Show Accelerated This preference enables you to turn the “Accelerated Display” label on
Display Message and off. Options include No (default) and Yes.
in Graphics Win-
dow

Accelerated This preference enables the Accelerated Graphics (p. 252) feature to be
Graphics for Body used for supported imported thicknesses and imported loads. Options
Load Display include Yes (default) and No.
Level of Detail This preference defines two separate behaviors: 1) the level of
(Beta) complexity for the graphical display of the model in the Geometry
window and 2) the speed it to takes select objects in the Outline. See
the documentation for this option.
Varying Loads Specify how varying loads display in the Geometry window. Options
(Optimization Op- include Accuracy (default) and Performance. The Accuracy setting
tions) displays variable load contours normally. The Performance option
displays colored discrete points on the model, based on legend colors,
of the load variation. This option provides significantly faster redrawing
times. The computational improvement may be desirable for models
with a large number of parts/bodies.
[a] The category enables you to change the default values for the attributes (font, size, style,
color) of the font displayed for the Probe (p. 74) annotations.
[b] The Lighting category enables you to change the default values for the following properties
of the Model object. Lighting preferences are project-based, therefore, when you change
one of these default settings, you must close Mechanical and Workbench and then begin
a new project. Once established, all future saved projects will include the preferences. Any
previously saved projects will have the lighting defined when the project was saved.
3.3.11. Miscellaneous
The Miscellaneous group includes the following categories and preferences.

Miscel- Load Ori- Specifies the orientation input method for certain loads. This input appears in
laneous entation the Define By option in the Details view of the load, under Definition.
Type
• Vector (default)
• Component
Reverse Options include No (default) and Yes.

Displace-
ment for
Inverse
Steps
Named Unique This category includes the preference Unique Names (MAPDL Solver). Options
Selec- Names include Warning (default) and Error. When the Mechanical APDL solver
tions encounters a duplicate named selection it issues a Warning. This preference
enables you to change the issuance to an Error. If set to Error, the application
will stop the solution process and allow you to address the naming issue.
Cross Unique This category includes the preference Unique Names. Options include Warning
Sec- Names and Error (default). When the solver encounters a duplicate name it issues an
tions error. This preference enables you to change the issuance to an Warning. When
set to Error, the application will stop the solution process and allow you to
address the naming issue.
Mechanical Options

Image Image There are no counterpart settings in the Details pane for this preference. Using
Transfer this preference, you define the type of image file created when you send an
Type image to Microsoft Word or PowerPoint,or when you select Print Preview.
Options include PNG (default), JPEG, and BMP.
Post Result This preference is for results files written by the Mechanical APDL solver only.
Pro- File Cach- By holding substantial portions of a file in memory, caching reduces the amount
cessing ing of I/O associated with result file reading. The cache can, however, reduce memory
(MAP- that would otherwise be used for other solutions. Control options include:
DL
Only) • System Controlled (default): The operating system determines whether
or not the result file is cached for reading.
• Off: There is no caching during the reading of the result file.
• Program Controlled: The Mechanical application determines whether

or not the result file is cached for reading.
Note:
You need to close and then reopen Mechanical in order for

changes to this preference to take effect.
Ansoft HFSS Specify the directory location that contains the executable file to launch the
Execut- associated application. This path is automatically populated when you install
able the Ansys electronic desktop.
Loca- Maxwell Specify the directory location that contains the executable file to launch the
tions associated application. This path is automatically populated when you install
the Ansys electronic desktop.
Q3D Specify the directory location that contains the executable file to launch the
Extractor associated application. This path is automatically populated when you install
the Ansys electronic desktop.
Save Save Pro- Set the default for the Save Project Before Solution property of the Project
Op- ject Be- object. Although you can set the default here, the solver respects the latest
tions fore Solu- Save Project Before Solution setting in the Details panel. The default for this
tion option is No. Selecting Yes saves the entire project immediately before solving
(after any required meshing). If the project had never been previously saved,
you can now select a location to save a new file.
Note:
The save options you specify on the Project object override the
options specified in the Options dialog and will be used for the
current project.
Save Pro- Sets the default for the Save Project After Solution property of the Project
ject After object. Options include Yes and No (default). When you are solving locally,
Solution selecting Yes saves the project immediately after solving but before

(local postprocessing. If the project had never been previously saved, nothing will be
solutions saved.
only)
Note:
The save options you specify on the Project object override the
options specified in the Options dialog and will be used for the
current project.
Python Re-connect Automatically reconnect any existing python code objects when you launch the
Code Python application. Options include Yes and No (default).
Code
Objects
When
Mechanical
is
Launched
Clip- Find By default, when you copy and paste a supported object from one Mechanical
board Objects session to another, the application automatically pastes the object into the
by Name target session, including any additional associated objects, such as a Named
on Paste Selection, a remote point, or a defined coordinate system. If you set this
preference to Yes, the application searches the Outline, by name, for all of the
associated objects and only pastes those that are not already in the target
session. If an object of the same name and type already exists in the target
session, the copied object uses the existing object rather than the one from the
clipboard. Options include Yes and No (default).
3.3.12. Messages
The Messages group includes the following preferences.
Report Per- Turn on messaging that reports the time it takes for certain processes to execute, such
formance as the time it takes for contact detection, mesh generation, writing the input file, solution,
Diagnostics etc. Options include Yes and No (default).
in Message
Pop-up Specify whether pop-up messages display in the Message Window (p. 194) . Options
Messages include Yes (default) and (No).
Message Specify whether the application highlights objects in the tree that are experiencing an
Coloring issue. The objects as well as the corresponding message in the Messages window can
Mechanical Options
be highlighted or you can select to highlight only Message window content. The available
options include On (default), Off, and Messages Window Only.
Note:
You need to close and then reopen Mechanical in order for changes to
this preference to take effect.
Show Info Specify whether to display Information messages. Options include Yes (default) and
Messages No.
Show Specify whether to display Warning messages. Options include Yes (default) and No.
Warning
Messages
Merge Sim- Specify whether to merge similar messages of the Messages (p. 194) window into one
ilar Mes- row. Options include Yes (default) and No. Changing this preference changes the setting
sages of the Merge Message option of the Messages window if you close the application.
3.3.13. Report
The Report group includes the following categories and preferences.

Figure Chart Width Default value equals 600 pixels.
Dimen- Chart Height Default value equals 400 pixels.
sions
(in Graphics Default value equals 600 pixels.
Pixels) Width
Graphics Default value equals 500 pixels.
Height
Graphics Res- Specify the default setting for resolution. Options include:
olution
• Optimal Onscreen Display (1:1)
• Enhanced Print Quality (2:1)
• High-Resolution Print Quality (4:1)
Cus- Maximum Set the default for the number of columns allowed in a table. The default
tomiza- Number of setting is 12.
tion Table
Columns
Merge Specify whether to automatically merge cells that contain identical values.
Identical Options include Yes (default) and No.
Table Cells
Omit Part Specify whether to include or exclude Coordinate System data within the
and Joint Co- report. This data can sometimes be cumbersome. Options include Yes
(default) and No.

ordinate Sys-
tem Tables
Include Fig- Specifies whether to include Figure objects as images in the report. You
ures may not want to include figures in the report when large solved models or
models with a mesh that includes many nodes and elements are involved.
In these cases, figure generation can be slow, which could significantly slow
down report generation. Options include Yes (default) and No.
Note:
This option applies only to Figure objects as pictures. Graph

pictures, Engineering Data graphs, and result graphs (such
as phase response in a harmonic analysis) are not affected
and will appear regardless of this option setting.
Include Com- Specifies whether to include Commands (APDL) object content in the
mands report. Options include Yes (default) and No.
Custom Re- Reports can be run outside of the Workbench installation directory by
port Generat- copying the Workbench Report2006 folder to a new location. Specify the
or Folder new folder location in this preference. See the Customize Report
Content (p. 172) section for more information.
3.3.14. Analysis Settings and Solution

The Analysis Settings and Solution group includes the following categories and preferences.
Note:
You can control these settings in the Details pane of the Analysis Settings object under
Restart Controls (p. 1522), or in the Options dialog under the Analysis Settings and Solution
preferences list. The setting in the Details view overrides the preference setting.

Solver Solver Specify the default Mechanical APDL solver to be used. Options include:
Con- Type (p. 1513)
trols • Program Controlled (default)
• Direct
• Iterative
Use Weak Specify the default setting of the Weak Springs (p. 1517) property. The Program
Springs Controlled setting automatically enables weak springs to be added if an
unconstrained model is detected, if unstable contact exists, or if compression
only supports are active. Options include Program Controlled, On, and Off
(default).
Mechanical Options

Solver Specify the default setting of the Solver Pivot Checking (p. 1518) property.
Pivot Options include:
Checking
• Program Controlled (default): Enables the solver to determine the
response.
• Warning: Instructs the solver to continue upon detection of the

condition and attempt the solution.
• Error: Instructs the solver to stop upon detection of the condition and
issue an error message.
• Off: Pivot checking is not performed.
Solver Include This option enables you to evaluate either negative and positive load
Con- Negative multipliers or only positive load multipliers. Options include Program
trol (Ei- Load Multi- Controlled (default), Yes, and No. The No setting evaluates positive load
gen- plier multipliers given the load directions. The Yes setting evaluates positive load
value multipliers given the load directions as well as the negative load multipliers
Buck- by flipping the load directions.
ling)
Output Stress Write result value to result file. Options include Yes (default) and No.
Con- Strain Write result value to result file. Options include Yes (default) and No.
trols
(Static Nodal Write result value to result file. Options include Yes and No (default).
and Forces
Transi- Contact Write result value to result file. Options include Yes and No (default).
ent)[a] Miscel-
laneous
General Write result value to result file. Options include Yes and No (default).
Miscel-
laneous
Calculate Write result value to result file. Options include Yes (default) and No.
Reactions
Calculate Write result value to result file. Options include Yes (default) and No.
Thermal
Flux
Output Stress Writes stress results to the result file (file.mode). Options include Yes
Con- (default) and No.
trols Strain Writes stress results to the result file (file.mode). Options include Yes
(Mod- (default) and No.
al)
Store Mod- Options include Program Controlled (default), No, or For Future Analysis.
al Results
Op- On De- Specify the default setting of the On Demand Expansion Option (p. 1538)
tions mand Ex- property. Options include Program Controlled (default), Yes, and No. You
(Mod- pansion use this property to improve solution performance and reduce result file sizes.
al, Har- Option
monic

and On De- Specify the default setting for the On Demand Expansion property. Options
Transi- mand include Yes (default) and No. When set Yes, the application automatically
ent Mode removes mode shape data from result files.
Mode Shapes
Super-
posi-
tion)
Op- Exclude In- Specify the default setting of the Exclude Insignificant Modes property.
tions significant Options include Yes and No (default). When set to Yes, the application excludes
(Ran- Modes the modes for the mode combination based on the entry of the Mode Signi-
dom ficance Level property.
Vibra- Mode Specify the default value of the Mode Significance Level property. The default
tion) Significance setting is 0 (all modes selected). Supported entries are between 0.0 and 1.
Level This property defines the threshold for the numbers of modes for mode
combination. It is only displayed when the Exclude Insignificant Modes
property is set to Yes.
Output Keep Include or remove modal results from the result file of Random Vibration
Con- Modal analysis. Options include Yes and No (default).
trols Results
(Ran- Calculate Write Velocity results to the results file. Options include Yes and No (default).
dom Velocity
Vibra-
tion) Calculate Write Acceleration results to the results file. Options include Yes and No
Acceleration (default).
Restart Generate Options include Program Controlled (default), Manual, and Off.
Con- Restart
trols Points
Retain Files When restart points are requested, the necessary restart files are always
After Full retained for an incomplete solve due to a convergence failure or user request.
Solve However, when the solve completes successfully, you have the option to
request to either keep the restart points by setting this field to Yes, or to
delete them by setting this field to No.
RSM RSM This preference controls how often the processing from a remote solution is
Polling polled or queried for result data. The default setting is 5 seconds. The
Delay (sec) supported range is 1 to 6000 seconds. This feature does not prolong solution
processing. Solution completion ends the polling process.
Solu- Refresh Specify how often any of the result tracking items under a Solution
tion In- Time Information (p. 1927) object get updated while a solution is in progress. The
forma- default is 2.5 s.
tion Activate FE Specify the default value of the Activate Visibility property. Options include
Connection Yes (default) and No.
Visibility
Analys- Scratch Specify a unique disk drive that the application will use to process the solution.
is Data Solver Files Using this entry field, you must specify an existing disk location. If the entry
Man- Directory is invalid, the application uses the default disk.
age-
ment
Mechanical Options

Save MAP- Set the default value for the Save MAPDL Database property. Options include
DL Data- No (default) or Yes. The setting of the Future Analysis control (see Analysis
base Data Management (p. 1572) Help section) can sometimes require the database
file to be written. In this case, the Save MAPDL Database control is
automatically set to Yes.
Solver File For loading conditions imported from External Model, this preference enables
Verbosity you to control how much information is written to the input file (ds.dat)
and output file (solve.out) during the solution process. Options include:
• Minimum (default): The application does not write comments to the

input and solver file. This option provides faster processing time from
the Mechanical APDL solver.
• Medium: The application writes comments to the input file, but no

comments are written (echoed) to the solver file.
• Verbose: The application writes comments to the input and solver file.
Analys- Future Specify the default value of the Future Analysis property. The options include
is Data Analysis None (default), MSUP Analyses, and Topology Optimization. If this property
Man- is set to MSUP Analyses or Topology Optimization, the application creates
age- the files needed for future MSUP analyses or Topology Optimization. If this
ment property is set to None, the files are not created in order to improve solution
(Mod- time and reduce file size.
al)
Analys- Future Specify the default value of the Future Analysis property. The options include
is Data Analysis None (default) or Topology Optimization. If this property is set to Topology
Man- Optimization, the application creates the files needed for Topology
age- Optimization. If this property is set to None, the files are not created in order
ment to improve solution time and reduce file size.
(Static
Struc-
tural)
Analys- Max Num Specify the default value of the Max Num of Intermediate Files property. It
is Data of Interme- specifies the number of intermediate topology files you wish to retain for all
Man- diate Files iterations solved. A value of 1 indicates that the generated file is overwritten
age- each iteration. The default value for the property is set to the text string "All
ment Iterations" that equals a setting of zero (0).
(Struc- Export Specify the default setting of the Export Design Properties property. Options
tural Design include No (default), On Final Design, All Accepted Iterations, and Last
Optim- Properties Iteration.
iza-
tion) Export Specify the default setting for the Export Design Properties File Format
Design property. Options include HDF5 (default) and VTK.
Properties
File Format
Post Distributed Options for the property include Program Controlled (default), Yes, and No.
Pro- Post Pro-
cessing cessing

Ad- Inverse Specify the default setting for the Inverse Option property of the
vanced Solving Advanced (p. 1547) category in the Analysis Settings object. Options for the
(Static property include No (default) and Yes.
Struc-
ture)
Ad- Contact Options for the preference include Program Controlled (default), On, and
vanced Split (DMP) Off. This property species the default setting for the Contact Split (DMP)
property of the Advanced (p. 1547) category of the Analysis Settings object.
Contact Options for the preference include No (default) and Yes. When you set this
Diagnostics property to Yes and solve a stand-alone Modal or Harmonic Response analysis,
for Modal Mechanical creates the CND file, file.cnd, that includes all the contact
and Har- diagnostics information.
monic
Solu- Maximum Specify the default setting for the number of the solutions to be tracked. The
tion Solutions default setting for this preference is 10. The minimum value is 1 and the
His- to Store maximum value is 50.
tory[b] Track Res- This preference specifies whether or not to collect and present result data.
ults Options include Yes (default) and No.
Re- Resource Options for the preference include No (default) and Yes. When you set this
source Prediction property to Yes, the application performs resource prediction while writing
Predic- During an input file or performing a solution and enables you to view the predicted
tion Solution data using the Resource Prediction option of the Solution Output property
(Static of the Solution Information (p. 1927) object.
Struc-
tural,
Modal
and
Har-
monic
Re-
sponse)
[a] Specify the default settings of Analysis Settings > Output Controls (p. 1559) properties. These
properties define which result quantities the application writes to the result file. Including
or not including gives you a certain amount of control of the size of the result file.
[b] The category pertains to the content presented in the Worksheet when the Solution Out-
put (p. 1927) property is set to Solution History.
3.3.15. Loads and Boundary Conditions

The Loads and Boundary Conditions group includes the Advanced category with the preference
Displacement on Cylindrical C.S. Axis. Preference options include Zero in Radial-Tangential Plane
and Free in Radial-Tangential Plane. See the Converting Boundary Conditions to Nodal DOF Con-
straints (Mechanical APDL Solver) (p. 1889) section for the scenario that employs this preference.
3.3.16. Results
The Results group includes the following categories and preferences.
Mechanical Options

De- Calculate Specify whether to automatically calculate time history during the solution
fault Time History process. Options include Yes (default) and No.
Auto Rename Specify whether to automatically rename results when the result Type
Results property is changed. Options include Yes (default) and No.
Average Set the default for the Average Across Bodies (p. 2088) property. Options
Across Bodies include Yes (default) and No.
Update When you set this preference to Yes, the application will attempt to
Dependent automatically update downstream Expression property entries that include
Expressions an Identifier (p. 2082) that was modified in an upstream system. Options
on Identifier include Yes and No (default).
Change
Cyclic Allow Phase Set the default for the Allow Phase Sweep property. Options include No
Result Sweep (default) and Yes.
Option
RSM RSM Output Specify whether the RSM File Manager dialog displays automatically.
File Files Down- Options include Show and Hide (default).
Man- load
ager
Cyclic Number of For analyses that include a Cyclic Region object, this preference specifies
Solu- Sectors the default setting of the Number of Sectors property of the Solution
tion object. The default setting is 1.
Dis- Starting at For analyses that include a Cyclic Region object, this preference specifies
play Section the default setting of the Starting at Section property of the Solution
object. The default setting is 1.
3.3.17. Visibility
The Visibility group includes the following categories and preferences.

Visibil- Part This preference enables you to display or hide the Statistics category in the
ity Mesh Details pane for Body and Part objects.
Statist-
ics
Tree Graphics You only use this preference when the Tree Filter (p. 117) is set to Graphics with
Filter- the option Visible Bodies specified. This preference enables you to automatically
ing filter Outline (p. 108) pane objects so that only visible bodies and objects
associated with any visible body display. Options include Never (default) and
On Hide/Show Bodies. The Never option performs no filtering. The On
Hide/Show Bodies setting automatically removes hidden objects from the
Outline tree as well as any object associated with the hidden object, such as a
boundary condition scoped to the hidden object.
Expand Specify the default setting of the Expand on Refresh button on the
Filtering (p. 117) feature. Options include Yes and No (default).
3.3.18. Wizard
The Wizard group includes the categories and preferences. For these preferences, there are no asso-
ciated Details pane properties.

Wizard Default This is the URL to the XML wizard definition to use by default when a specific
Op- Wizard wizard isn't manually chosen or automatically specified by a simulation
tions template. The default is StressWizard.xml.
Flash Cal- Specify if callouts will flash when they appear during wizard operation. Options
louts include Yes (default) and No.
Cus- Mechanic- For advanced customization. See Appendix: Workbench Mechanical Wizard
tomiza- al Wizard Advanced Programming Topics for details.
tion URL
Op- Enable Enables the Wizard Development Kit (WDK). The WDK adds several groups of
tions WDK Tools tools to the Mechanical Wizard. The WDK is advanced feature intended only
for persons interested in creating or modifying wizard definitions. Options
include Yes and No (default). See the Appendix: Workbench Mechanical Wizard
Advanced Programming Topics for details.
Note:
• URLs in the Mechanical Wizard follow the same rules as URLs in web pages.
• Relative URLs are relative to the location of the Mechanical Wizard URL.
• Absolute URLs may access a local file, a UNC path, or use HTTP or FTP.
3.3.19. Commands
The Commands group includes the Command Editor Options category and the preferences listed
below. These preferences enable you to change the presentation and operation of the worksheet
used to define a Commands (APDL) object.
Font Size Specify the desired font size of the text in the window. The default setting is 11.
Show Invis- Show or hide formatting marks (spaces, paragraph symbol, etc.). Options include Yes
ibles and No (default).
Show Line Show or hide line numbers. Options include Yes (default) and No (default).
Numbers
Syntax High- For the Mechanical APDL and Rigid Dynamics solvers only. Turn syntax highlighting
lighting on/off. Options include On (default) and Off.
Interactive For the Mechanical APDL solver only. Turn the tooltip feature on/off. Options include
Tooltips On (default) and Off.
Mechanical Options
3.3.20. UI Options
The UI Options group includes the following categories and preferences.

Main Merge Rib- This preference merges the title bar of the Mechanical interface with the ribbon
Win- bon with in order to save space. When active, there is a potential display issue. If you
dow Title Bar are working in full screen mode (only) and you are running a lengthy process,
Title it is possible that the application becomes unresponsive (“not responding”).
Theme In this situation, the Mechanical interface enlarges and covers your entire
(Windows screen – including the Task Bar. This is undesirable. To eliminate this display
Only) limitation, given the required situation, disable the preference. Options include
Yes (default) and No.
Shown Ap- Turn the display of the application name shown in the title bar on and off.
plication Options include Yes (default) and No.
Name in
Title
Show Li- Turn the display of the license currently in use in the title bar on and off.
cense in Options include Yes (default) and No.
Title
Style Color When you first install and launch the application, you are prompted to select
(Windows Theme a desired theme. Options include Light, Dark, and Classic. At any time after
Only) this initial selection, you can change the theme using this preference.
Use Color Use this preference to select the background color of the Geometry window.
Theme in Options include Yes (default) and No. If set to Yes, the application uses the
Geometry background color of the selected Color Theme. If set to No, Mechanical uses
Window the background colors selected in Workbench (Tools > Options > Appearance).
Tooltip Show Tool- Show/hide all tooltips for all available options. Options include Yes (default)
tips and No. Setting this option to No hides all tooltips and the options below
become ineffective.
Show Mini Show/hide tooltips for the Mini Selection Toolbar (p. 227). Options include Yes
Toolbar (default) and No.
Tooltips
Show Show/hide tooltips for options on right-click context menu. Options include
Menu Tool- Yes (default) and No.
tips
Show De- Show/hide tooltips for the properties contained in the Details pane. Options
tails View include Yes (default) and No.
Tooltips
Win- Pane Opa- This preference enables you to modify the transparency of the interface panes.
dow city The default setting is 100. The supported entry range is 10-100.
Man-
ager
Engin- Mechanical Options include None and Windows (default). Selecting None returns the
eering View material assignment display and menu options to the previous layout and
Data behavior.

Con- Common This preference enables you to hide the tab groups Outline, Solve, and Insert
text Groups from Context tabs. By default, these groups are displayed on the various
Tab Visibility Context tabs. The options for this setting are Show (default) and Hide.
Note:
• This setting does not apply to the Project, Named Selection,

Remote Point, and Convergence Context tabs as they only
display these three groups.
• If you select multiple objects in the Outline, these groups

automatically display regardless of this setting. When the
Hide setting is specified, the groups again become hidden
once a single object is selected.
Edit and Options include Show (default) and Hide. If you select the Hide option, the
Combo application hides all the editable and combo boxes available in context tabs
Box and places them in a newly displayed ribbon tab titled "Miscellaneous". For
Visibility this change to take place, you need to restart the Mechanical application.
Refresh When you switch between objects in the Outline that have an associated
Wait for context tab (Model, Mesh, Solution, etc.), the application uses a specific
Controls sequence for displaying the options and controls on the ribbon for each
Deletion associated context tab. This preference optimizes this presentation sequence.
(Windows Options include Yes (default) and No.
Only)
Mini Mini Selec- This preference enables you to hide or display (default) the Mini Selection
Selec- tion Tool- Toolbar (p. 227). Options include Show (default) and Hide.
tion bar Visibil-
Tool- ity
bar
Pro- Hide Pro- This preference enables you to hide (default) or display the progress windows
gress gress Win- of certain application processes, such as attaching geometry, mesh generation,
dow and the solution process. The progress for these processes is also displayed
in the status bar (p. 138). Options include Yes (default) and No.
Script- New Script- Based on a scripting interface update, the Mechanical Scripting interface is
ing ing UI now the default. If desired, you can revert to the ACT Console interface using
this setting. Mechanical must be restarted to implement the change. Options
include Yes (default) and No.
Default Ribbon Options include Show (default) and Hide.
Quick Items
Launch Context Options include Show (default) and Hide.
Result Items
Cat-
egor- Preference Options include Show (default) and Hide.
ies[a] Items
Mechanical Options

Pane Tool- Options include Show (default) and Hide.
bar Items
Tree Items Options include Show and Hide (default) .
Delay Tree This preference tells the application to import, but not display, all upstream
Load- data associated with the geometry, contact conditions, and Named Selections.
ing You simply expand (plus symbol) the corresponding object to display the
geometry, etc. This can be a useful feature for models that include many parts,
contact conditions, or Named Selections. Options include Enable and Disable
(default).
Pause Details This preference enables you to halt Details pane updates. Options include
View Yes and No (default).
Update
Tool- Show All This preference enables you to display all of the options available in the
bar Categories application. All toolbars from all panes, all commands from all Ribbon tabs,
Cus- User Buttons, External ACT Extensions, etc. This gives you maximum flexibility
tomiza- for toolbar customization. Options include Yes and No (default).
tion
UI Con- Rib- Options include Automatic (default) and Manual. If set to Automatic, the
trols bon/Tool- application refreshes the ribbon and toolbar controls every 100ms. If set to
bar Re- Manual, the application does not refresh automatically. Rather, it refreshes
fresh only as a result of certain actions taken in the application. Refreshing options
ensures proper display and operation.
Details This preference enables you to change the default setting for the ability to
View search drop-down lists (p. 126) in the Details view. Options include Searchable
Combo (default) and Non-Searchable.
Boxes
[a] Display or hide the Quick Launch pane groupings. These settings affect only the default
search results. Results using the shortcut options "(@" symbol) are not affected.
Chapter 4: General Analysis Workflow
This section describes the overall workflow involved when performing any analysis in the Mechanical
application. The following workflow steps are described:
4.1. Create Analysis System
4.2. Define Materials
4.3. Attach Geometry/Mesh
4.4. Define Part Behavior
4.5. Create a Simulation Template
4.6. Create a Geometry in Mechanical
4.7. Define Substructures
4.8. Define Connections
4.9. Apply Mesh Controls and Preview Mesh
4.10. Establish Analysis Settings
4.11. Define Initial Conditions
4.12. Apply Pre-Stress Effects for Implicit Analysis
4.13. Apply Boundary Conditions
4.14. Perform Solution
4.15. Review Results
4.16. Create Report (optional)
4.1. Create Analysis System

There are various ways to open Ansys Mechanical and specify a desired analysis system.
Important
Unit System Behavior: Whenever you open a project from a previous session, the unit system
previously specified automatically becomes the active system in the new Mechanical session. A
good habit is to verify the active unit system whenever you open a project.
General Analysis Workflow
Opening Mechanical from the Start Menu
To open Mechanical independently of Workbench and create an analysis system from within the
application:
1. Open the Ansys 2024 R2 menu of the Start Menu and select Mechanical 2024 R2.
2. Open an existing project, import a geometry, or open a new Mechanical project without
a geometry. Supported project file types include *.mechdb, *.dsdb, *.mechdat, and
*.mechpz. When opening Mechanical independently, *.mechdb is the default file type
and *.mechpz is the archived file for this type.
Note:
The above dialog is the first instance of the pane for a newly installed version
of the application. The color scheme of this dialog can be changed using the
Options (p. 293) dialog preferences of the Style (p. ?) category of the UI Op-
tions group, you can change the color theme, from Dark to Light, or Classic.
3. If you do not open an existing project, select a desired analysis type from the Analysis
drop-down menu of the Home (p. 44) Context tab (Insert group) for your new project.
Important:
After a new installation of the product, open Mechanical independently. Note that
preferences from your previous installation are not automatically migrated. But, when
Create Analysis System
you subsequently open the Workbench application, preferences from your previous
installation are automatically migrated. As a result, the application overwrites any pre-
viously applied options or preferences from opening Mechanical independently.
Opening Mechanical from Ansys Workbench
See the Working Through a System section of the Workbench User's Guide for the steps and
background to create an analysis system in Workbench and open Mechanical. That section outlines
the necessary workflow and supported analysis types.
Geometry Not Required
When configuring your analysis in Workbench, it is not necessary that you include geometry. You
can simply skip the step of specifying a geometry and open Mechanical by double-clicking a
supported cell, such as the Model cell, or right-clicking on a supported cell and selecting the Edit
option. This can be done to create a template (p. 351) for use with multiple geometries.
Opening Mechanical from the Command Line
1. Based on the platform, either Windows or Linux, enter (copy and paste) one of the following
in the Command Prompt pane and press Enter to run the command. The example commands
shown below illustrate a file path of a typical installation location. Change the details of the
file path to the specifics of your installation directory and add arguments as desired.
Windows
"C:\Program Files\ANSYS Inc\v241\aisol\bin\winx64\AnsysWBU.exe" -DSApplet
Linux
./ansys_inc/v241/aisol/.workbench -DSApplet
2. Open an existing project, import a geometry, or open a new Mechanical project without a
geometry. Supported project file types include *.mechdb, *.dsdb, *.mechdat, and
*.mechpz. When opening Mechanical independently, *.mechdb is the default file type and
*.mechpz is the archived file for this type.
Note:
Once you select an option, this window disappears.
3. If you do not open an existing project, select a desired analysis type from the Analysis drop-
down menu of the Home (p. 44) Context tab (Insert group) for your new project.
Command Line Arguments

The following are supported Command Line arguments. These arguments are case Insensitive.
Argument Description
-AppModeMech Skip Start page.
-script Run a script from a file.
"script_file-
name"
-file "file- Open a Mechanical database or import a geometry file (see examples below).
name" When added, -file must be the last argument in the command line.
-b Run a script in batch mode.
-x Run a script with auto exit.
-ScriptArgs Pass arguments from the Command Prompt to the script as a comma separated
list, for example, -ScriptArgs "arg1, arg2, arg3". See the example
below.
-readonly Open an existing Mechanical database in read-only mode.
-language fr Specify the displaying language as French. Similarly, set it to en-us for English,
de for German, ja for Japanese (Windows platform only), and zh for Chinese
(Windows platform only).
Script Examples
"%AWP_ROOT241%\aisol\bin\winx64\AnsysWBU.exe" -DSApplet -AppModeMech -script "D:\script_example1.py"
"%AWP_ROOT241%\aisol\bin\winx64\AnsysWBU.exe" -DSApplet -AppModeMech -b -script "D:\script_example1.py"
"%AWP_ROOT241%\aisol\bin\winx64\AnsysWBU.exe" -DSApplet -AppModeMech -x -script "D:\script_example1.py"
"%AWP_ROOT241%\aisol\bin\winx64\AnsysWBU.exe" -DSApplet -AppModeMech -file "D:\script_example1.mechdb"
"%AWP_ROOT241%\aisol\bin\winx64\AnsysWBU.exe" -DSApplet -AppModeMech -script "D:\script_example1.py" -file "D:\E
"%AWP_ROOT241%\aisol\bin\winx64\AnsysWBU.exe" -DSApplet -AppModeMech -script "D:\script_example1.py" -ScriptArgs
for this example, the script file script_example1.py can use the ScriptArgs by referencing args.
For example, using the ScriptArgs example above with the script file shown below...
You receive this message in the application.
Define Materials
See the Scripting in Mechanical Guide for additional information about how to write and/or record
Python scripts in Mechanical.
4.2. Define Materials

• Define Materials (p. 333)
• Overview of Part Behavior Based on Material Properties (p. 333)
• Material Dependent Damping Definition (Engineering Data and Mechanical) (p. 334)
Define Materials
Use the Engineering Data Workspace to define and modify material properties, as well as import mater-
ial libraries. Typically, you access this workspace from the Engineering Data cell of a Mechanical ana-
lysis system included in the Project Schematic of Workbench.
Import Materials
For the Windows platform, when you open Mechanical, either from Workbench or independently, you
can import available materials or material libraries in Engineering Data using the Assignment (p. 350)
property of part and body objects.
In addition, when you open Mechanical independently, the Materials object provides the context (right-
click) menu option Import Materials. This enables you to import material files in .xml format.
Note:
Any changes you make to the local material libraries in Engineering Data, including material
property changes, library additions, etc., will be reflected in Mechanical, whether opened
through Workbench or independently, once you have closed and reopened the applications.
Overview of Part Behavior Based on Material Properties

A part's response is determined by the material properties assigned to the part.
• Depending on the application, material properties can be linear or nonlinear, as well as temper-
ature-dependent.
• Linear material properties can be constant or temperature-dependent, and isotropic or orthotropic.
• Nonlinear material properties are usually tabular data, such as plasticity data (stress-strain curves
for different hardening laws), Hyperelastic material data.
• To define temperature-dependent material properties, you must input data to define a property-
versus-temperature graph.
• To define material-based damping properties, you must specify data in the Material Depending
Damping property group. Mechanical supports material-based damping in addition to damping
specified in the application. See below for a listing of the analysis types (p. 334) that support
material-based damping.
• Although you can define material properties separately for each analysis, you have the option
of adding your materials to a material library by using the Engineering Data tab. This enables
quick access to and re-use of material data in multiple analyses.
• For all orthotropic material properties, by default, the Global Coordinate System is used when
you apply properties to a part in the Mechanical application. If desired, you can also apply a
local coordinate system (p. 1095) to the part.
Material Dependent Damping Definition (Engineering Data and Mechanical)

In the Engineering Data workspace, you can specify Material Depending Damping using the Damping
Ratio and the Constant Structural Damping Coefficient properties.
These Material Dependent Damping properties have the same name as the properties in the Damping
Controls (p. 1549) of Mechanical. The Damping Ratio property in Engineering Data generates the command
MP,DMPR. In Mechanical, the Damping Ratio property generates the command DMPRAT. Similarly,
the Constant Structural Damping Coefficient property defined in Engineering Data generates the
command MP,DMPS and if defined in Mechanical, the property generates the command DMPSTR. The
solver supports the use of these commands in combination or individually.
The following tables list the analysis types that support material-based damping defined in Engineering
Data. Note that some analyses require specific settings or conditions in order to support material
damping definitions. The Yes entries below indicate which command is written to the input file or
whether both commands are written to the input file, based on certain settings/conditions.
Modal (without Modal (Full Modal (Reduced

Damping) Damped) Damped)
Damping Ratio (MP,DMPR) Yes No No
Constant Structural Damp- No Yes Yes
ing Coefficient (MP,DMPS)
Harmonic Response Transient

(MSUP) (MSUP)
Damping Ratio (MP,DMPR) Yes[a] Yes[a]
Constant Structural Damping Coefficient Yes[b] Yes[b]
(MP,DMPS)
[a] This analysis type requires that you set the Damped property to No in the Analysis Settings
of the upstream Modal Analysis. The MP,DMPR command is not sent again in the linked
MSUP Harmonic/MSUP Transient analysis, as the application defines Damping Ratio
(MP,DMPR) in the upstream Modal analysis. For a stand-alone MSUP Harmonic Response
analysis, you define the Damping Ratio accordingly in the analysis.
[b] This analysis type requires that you set the Damped property to Yes in the Analysis Settings
of the upstream Modal Analysis. The MP,DMPS command is not sent again in the linked
MSUP Harmonic/MSUP Transient analysis, as the application defines the Constant Structural
Damping Coefficient (MP,DMPS) in the upstream Modal analysis. For a stand-alone Full
Harmonic Response analysis, you define the Constant Structural Damping Coefficient
(MP,DMPS) accordingly in the analysis.
Attach Geometry/Mesh
Harmonic Response Transient

(Full) (Full)
Damping Ratio (MP,DMPR) No No
Constant Structural Damping Coefficient Yes[a] Yes[a]
(MP,DMPS)
[a] This analysis type requires that you set the Damped property to Yes in the Analysis Settings
of the upstream Modal Analysis. The MP,DMPS command is not sent again in the linked
MSUP Harmonic/MSUP Transient analysis, as the application defines the Constant Structural
Damping Coefficient (MP,DMPS) in the upstream Modal analysis. For a stand-alone Full
Harmonic Response analysis, you define the Constant Structural Damping Coefficient
(MP,DMPS) accordingly in the analysis.
Response Random
Spectrum Vibration
Damping Ratio (MP,DMPR) Yes[a] Yes[a]
Constant Structural Damping Coefficient No No
(MP,DMPS)
[a] The application defines Damping Ratio (MP,DMPR) in the upstream Modal analysis.
Therefore, there is no need redefine in this downstream analysis.
4.3. Attach Geometry/Mesh

There are several methods to open a geometry or mesh in the Mechanical application. Generally, you
specify your geometry when you specify your analysis system on the Workbench Project Schematic.
However, Mechanical also enables you to open the application without first specifying a geometry.
The following sections describe geometry and mesh import options as well as CAD related options and
terminology:
4.3.1. Importing Geometry or Mesh from Workbench
4.3.2. Importing Geometries or Mesh from Mechanical
4.3.3. Updating Geometry from Within the Mechanical Application
4.3.4. CAD Interface Terminology
4.3.1. Importing Geometry or Mesh from Workbench

From Workbench, you open a geometry or mesh file as illustrated here:
Importing Geometry
After inserting a Mechanical Model system or

an analysis system, right-click the Geometry
cell. The menu options enable you to:
• Open the Discovery application and

specify your model.
• Open the SpaceClaim application and

specify your model.
• Open the DesignModeler application

and specify your model.
• Import a geometry from a supported

CAD System (p. 2455) file using the
Import Geometry option.
Importing Mesh
You can import mesh files using the External
Model Component System.
1. Highlight the Setup cell and select

Edit.
2. On the External Model tab, browse

to your mesh file.
This feature imports Mechanical APDL common

database (.cdb), Abaqus Input (.inp), NASTRAN
Bulk Data (.bdf, .dat, .nas), Fluent Input (.msh,
.cas), and ICEM CFD Input (.uns) files. For more
information, see the Importing Mesh-Based

Geometry (p. 944) section.
Tip:
You can drag and drop a supported geometry or mesh file directly onto the Project
Schematic. Based on the file type, the application automatically creates a Geometry system
or an External Model system linked to a Mechanical Model system.
Note:
• If you create a link between the Solution cell of an analysis system and the Model cell of a
downstream system, the application automatically transfers the resulting (deformed) geometry
from the upstream analysis. See the Geometry from Deformation Results (p. 1060) section for
more information.
• The Electronic Computer-Aided Design (ECAD) files, Ansys EDB, ODB++, and IPC2851, can
be opened using the Geometry cell of the analysis system.
4.3.2. Importing Geometries or Mesh from Mechanical

The steps to import geometry or external model (mesh) files depend upon how you have opened
the application.
• Mechanical Opened Independently
– Import Geometry (p. 338)
– Import External Model (Mesh) File (p. 339)
• Mechanical Opened from Workbench
– Import Primary Source (p. 340)
– Import Secondary Source (p. 341)
Material Assignment
By default, when you first import your model into Mechanical, any bodies that do not in-
clude material assignment are assigned the application's default material. If you sub-
sequently update your geometry from the source application, Mechanical does not assign
default materials to new bodies. If the geometry update includes a new body without an
assigned material, the body becomes underdefined and requires you to specify a material.
Mechanical Opened Independently

When you open Mechanical independently, you can import either geometry or an (external) model
file.
Import Geometry
1. Select the Geometry Imports object.
2. Select the Add Geometry Import option from the Geometry Imports Context tab. The Add
Geometry Import option includes a drop-down menu that lists recently imported files as well
as the option From File that opens a dialog to select a file.
3. From the dialog, select a desired geometry file from the dialog.
4. The Import Geometry dialog displays automatically. This dialog includes two tabs: Basic and
Advanced. Change property settings as needed and select the Import button.
Important:
The global 2D/3D behavior is defined by the Analysis Type property of the Ad-
vanced property pane and is determined when you first import geometry for your
session. In order to change it once specified, you need to reset the project using
the File > New option and reimport your geometry.
The application automatically imports the selected geometry and adds a Geometry Import object
to the Outline. The application also updates the Geometry object with the imported parts/bodies.
Import External Model (Mesh) File
1. Select the Geometry Imports object.
2. Select the Add Model Import option from the Geometry Imports Context tab.
3. Select a desired Mechanical APDL (MAPDL) common database (.cdb) file, LS-DYNA Input
(.k and .key), or Abaqus (.inp) file from the dialog that displays. The application
automatically inserts a Model Import object into the Outline and displays an associated
context tab.
4. Specify Details pane properties of the Model Import object as needed and then select
the Import option from the context tab or the context (right-click) menu.
Once imported, the application updates the Geometry object with the imported parts/bodies as
well as any additional finite element data, such as connections, boundary conditions, and Named
Selections. See the Importing Mesh-Based Geometry (p. 944) for more information about imported
data types.
Mechanical Opened from Workbench

When you open Mechanical without a geometry, use the Geometry Imports folder and the child
Geometry Import object to import geometries into Mechanical.
Import Primary Source
The “primary source” is the geometry imported from Workbench. For convenience, it can now be
attached directly from Mechanical. The primary source uses the current Basic/Advanced Geometry
Preference settings for the Geometry cell in Workbench.
Note:
If you have already imported geometry, a secondary source geometry is added instead.
See the description below.
Select the Geometry Imports folder, and, using the Context tab (p. 57) Geometry Imports, either:
1. Click the Import Geometry option. A file selection dialog displays that enables you to
select the desired file.
Or...
2. Expand the drop-down list for the option to select a model from the list of recently im-
ported geometries. For convenience, a From File option is also available.
If no other geometries are currently imported, the application automatically imports the selected
geometry and updates the Geometry Import (A3) object. The application adds parts/bodies (for
example, Part 1 and Part 2 shown below) as children to the Geometry object.
Import Secondary Sources
Non-primary sources are referred to as "secondary" geometries/models. These are imported into
Mechanical separately. Separate preferences can be specified for each import.
Once you have a model imported into Mechanical, you can add additional models using the
Geometry Imports features. Use the steps below to add models to your analysis.
1. Select the Geometry Imports object, and using the Context tab (p. 57) Add Geometry Import
option, either:
a. Select the option. A dialog displays that enables you to navigate to the desired file.
Or...
b. Expand the drop-down list for the option to select a model from the list of recently
imported geometries. For convenience, a From File option is also available.
2. As illustrated below, change the Basic and/or Advanced properties of the Geometry Import
property pane. This property pane displays automatically.
Note:
• Parameters are not supported for secondary imports.
• As illustrated, for DesignModeler and SpaceClaim files, the pane includes fewer
properties.
• In general, these are the same preferences that are available for the Geometry
cell of an analysis system on the Workbench Project Schematic before you have
specified a model to import. You should review the Geometry Preferences section
of the CAD Integration documentation as well as the Geometry Import section of
the Workbench User's Guide for additional information.
3. Select Import. A secondary Geometry Import object is automatically inserted into the outline,
as illustrated below. The parts/bodies (shown below as Pad, Blade, and Rotor) are added as
children to the Geometry object.
Important:
The application does not automatically assign materials to secondary imports.

Note the "?" state for the above parts under the Geometry object. You need
to manually specify a Material for the parts.
In the example below, you can see an example with parts and bodies under the Geometry
object from multiple Geometry Import objects. Note that there is no separation or special
treatment between parts/bodies from either Primary or Secondary sources.
Tip:
For convenience, you can display the context (right-click) menu on the Geometry
Import objects and select the option Go To > Corresponding Bodies in Tree, to
automatically select the parts/bodies for the import object. For CAD models, you
can replace the geometry as desired using the Replace Geometry option on the
Geometry Context tab.
Note:
Working with Model Assembly and Secondary Geometries
If you have an analysis that includes model assembly (p. 1027), be sure to perform this oper-
ation before importing any secondary geometries. Existing secondary geometries are lost
during the model assembly process.
Tip:
For Windows systems only, you can drag and drop a supported geometry or mesh file
directly into the Geometry window. The application automatically attaches the model to
the analysis system. For mesh files opened from Workbench, the application automatically
inserts an upstream External Model system linked to your analysis system. Imported mesh
files adopt the default unit system.
For CAD models, you can replace the primary and secondary source geometries using the
Reload options.
4.3.3. Updating Geometry from Within the Mechanical Application

You can update all geometry by selecting the Update Geometry from Source context menu option,
accessible by right-clicking on the Geometry tree object or anywhere in the Geometry window.
The following update options are also available:
• Selective Update (p. 345)
• Smart CAD Update (p. 346)
Note:
The Update Geometry from Source option is not available if your analysis includes a
secondary geometry.
Selective Update
Using the Geometry object right-click menu option Update Selected Parts>Update: Use Geometry
Parameter Values, you can selectively update individual parts and synchronize the Mechanical
model to the CAD model. This option reads the latest geometry and processes any other data (para-
meters, attributes, etc.) based on the current user preferences for that model.
Note:
Changes to either the number of turns or the thickness properties associated with a body
do not update the CAD model.
This update feature only applies to part(s) that you select and other instances of the same part(s) that
were previously imported. It does not import new parts added in the CAD system following the ori-
ginal import or last complete update. Assembly parameter values are always updated.
In addition, this feature is not a tool for removing parts from the Mechanical application tree, however;
it will remove parts which have been selected for update in WB, but that no longer exist in the CAD
model if an update is successful (if at least one valid part is updated).
The Update Selected Parts feature supports the associative geometry interfaces for:
• DesignModeler
• Autodesk Inventor
• CATIA V5
• Creo Elements/Direct Modeling
• Creo Parametric (formerly Pro/ENGINEER)
• Solid Edge
• NX
• SOLIDWORKS
With the exception of AutoCAD, executing the selective update feature on any unsupported interface
will complete a full update of the model.
Smart CAD Update

Using the Geometry Preferences, you enable the Smart CAD Update. Note that Geometry Preferences
are supported by a limited number of CAD packages. See the Project Schematic Advanced Geometry
Options table for details.
4.3.4. CAD Interface Terminology

The CAD interfaces can be run in either plug-in mode or in reader mode.
• Attaching geometry in plug-in mode: requires that the CAD system be running.
• Attaching geometry in reader mode: does not require that the CAD system be running.
Additional Geometry Import Procedures

The following table describes additional options for specifying and importing geometry into the ap-
plication based on certain conditions.
Procedure Condition Procedural Steps

Specifying Optional task that can be 1. In an analysis system schematic, perform either
geometry done before attaching of the following:
options. geometry.
• Right-click the Geometry cell and choose
Properties
OR
• Select the Geometry cell for your analysis and

select View > Properties.
2. Specify Geometry properties as desired.
Attaching You have created and Double-click the Model cell. Mechanical opens and
SpaceClaim generated a geometry displays the geometry and/or mesh.
geometry and/or mesh in
and/or mesh SpaceClaim.
to the SpaceClaim is not running. 1. Select the Geometry cell in an analysis system
Mechanical Your geometry and/or schematic.
application. mesh is stored in an
.scdoc file. 2. Browse to the .scdoc file by right-clicking the
Geometry cell and selecting Import Geometry
> Browse.
3. Double-click the Model cell. Mechanical opens

and displays the geometry and/or mesh.
Attaching You have created and Double-click the Model cell. Mechanical opens and
DesignModeler generated a geometry in displays the geometry.
geometry to DesignModeler.
the
Define Part Behavior
Procedure Condition Procedural Steps

Mechanical DesignModeler is not 1. Select the Geometry cell in an analysis system
application. running. Your geometry is schematic.
stored in an .agdb file.
2. Browse to the .agdb file by right-clicking the
Geometry cell and selecting Import Geometry
> Browse.
3. Double-click the Model cell. Mechanical opens

and displays the geometry.
Attaching CAD system is running. 1. Select the Geometry cell in an analysis system
CAD schematic.
geometry to
the 2. Right-click the Geometry cell listed to select
Mechanical geometry for import.
application.
3. If required, set geometry options for import into
the Mechanical application by highlighting the
Geometry cell and choosing settings under
Preferences in the Properties Panel.
4. Double-click the Model cell in the same analysis

system schematic. The Mechanical application
opens and displays the geometry.
CAD system is not running. 1. Select the Geometry cell in an analysis system
Geometry is stored in a schematic.
native CAD system file, or
in a CAD "neutral" file such 2. Browse to the CAD file by right-clicking on the
as Parasolid or IGES. Geometry cell and selecting Import Geometry.
3. Double-click the Model cell in the Project

Schematic. The Mechanical application opens
and displays the geometry.
Open Specify the type of analysis Double-click the Model cell or right-click the cell and
Mechanical you wish to perform. select Edit. Mechanical opens without a geometry. You
without a can attach a geometry from within Mechanical as desired.
geometry.
4.4. Define Part Behavior

After attaching geometry, you can access settings related to part behavior by right-clicking on the
Model cell in the analysis system schematic and choosing Edit. The Mechanical application opens with
the environment representing the analysis system displayed under the Model object in the tree.
An Analysis Settings object is added to the tree. See the Establish Analysis Settings (p. 354) overall step
for details.
An Initial Condition object may also be added. See the Define Initial Conditions (p. 354) overall step
for details.
The Mechanical application uses the specific analysis system as a basis for filtering or making available
only components such as loads, supports and results that are compatible with the analysis. For example,
a Static Structural analysis type will allow only structural loads and results to be available.
Presented below are various options provided in the Details view for parts and bodies following import.
Stiffness Behavior
In addition to making changes to the material properties of a part, you may designate a part's Stiffness
Behavior as being flexible, rigid, as a gasket, and can specify a line body as a stiff beam, essentially
making the body rigid.
• Setting a part's behavior as rigid essentially reduces the representation of the part to a single point
mass thus significantly reducing the solution time.
• A rigid part will need only data about the density of the material to calculate mass characteristics.
Note that if density is temperature dependent, density will be evaluated at the reference temperat-
ure (p. 349). For contact conditions, specify Young's modulus.
• Flexible and rigid behaviors are applicable only to static structural, transient structural, rigid dynamics,
explicit dynamics, and modal analyses.
• Gaskets can be defined in one of two ways:
1. By setting the Stiffness Behavior as Gasket. In this case, a Gasket Mesh Control will be added
as a child of the gasket body in the model tree. You need to define the source face of the gasket
in the Gasket Mesh Control to define the gasket material orientation.
2. By setting the Stiffness Behavior as Flexible. In this case, you need to define a Gasket Mesh
Control in the mesh folder. The gasket mesh control in the mesh folder can be applied to multiple
bodies, so if there are many gasket bodies this option may be a more convenient approach to
setting up the gaskets.
• Gasket Bodies (p. 881) are only applicable to static structural analyses. The Material Assignment of
gasket bodies should reference an appropriate gasket material.
Flexible is the default Stiffness Behavior. To change, simply select Rigid, Gasket, or Stiff Beam (for
a line body only) from the Stiffness Behavior drop-down menu. Also see the Rigid Bodies (p. 880),
Gasket Bodies (p. 881), and/or Stiff Beam (p. 884) sections.
Note:
Rigid behavior is not available for the Samcef or ABAQUS solver.
Coordinate Systems
The Coordinate Systems object and its child object, Global Coordinate System, is automatically placed
in the tree with a default location of 0, 0, 0, when a model is imported.
For solid parts and bodies: by default, a part and any associated bodies use the Global Coordinate System.
If desired, you can apply a apply a local coordinate system (p. 1095) to the part or body. When a local
coordinate system is assigned to a Part, by default, the bodies also assume this coordinate system but
you may modify the system on the bodies individually as desired.
For surface bodies, solid shell bodies, and line bodies: by default, these types of geometries generate
coordinates systems on a per element type basis. It is necessary for you to create a local coordinate
system and associated it with the parts and/or bodies using the Coordinate System setting in the Details
view for the part/body if you wish to orient those elements in a specific direction.
Reference Temperature
The default reference temperature is taken from the environment (By Environment), which occurs
when solving. This necessarily means that the reference temperature can change for different solutions.
The reference temperature can also be specified for a body and will be constant for each solution (By
Body). Selecting By Body will cause the Reference Temperature Value field to specify the reference
temperature for the body. It is important to recognize that any value set By Body will only set the ref-
erence temperature of the body and not actually cause the body to exist at that temperature (unlike
the Environment Temperature entry on an environment object, which does set the body's temperature).
Note:
Selecting By Environment can cause the body to exist at that temperature during the ana-
lysis but selecting By Body will only ever effect reference temperature. So if the environment
temperature and the body have a different specification, thermal expansion effects can occur
even if no other thermal loads are applied.
Note:
If the material density is temperature dependent, the mass that is displayed in the Details
view will either be computed at the body temperature, or at 22°C. Therefore, the mass
computed during solution can be different from the value shown, if the Reference Temper-
ature is the Environment.
Note:
When nonlinear material effects are turned off, values for thermal conductivity, specific heat,
and thermal expansion are retrieved at the reference temperature of the body. These values
are available after creating the Mechanical APDL solver input.
Reference Frame
The Reference Frame determines the analysis treatment perspective of the body for an Explicit Dynamics
analysis. The Reference Frame property is available for solid bodies when an Explicit Dynamics system
is part of the solution. The valid values are Langrangian (default) and Eulerian (Virtual). Eulerian is
not a valid selection if Stiffness Behavior is set to Rigid.
Material Assignment
Once you have attached your geometry, you can change the material assigned to the parts and bodies
of your model. When you select a Part or Body object in the Outline, there is an Assignment property
available in the Details view for each. This property provides a selectable fly-out menu that opens that
opens the following Engineering Data Materials window. By default, this window lists the materials
included in the Engineering Data favorites, as symbolized with the star icon as well as any other mater-
ials that you made available from the Engineering Data workspace, such as titanium and aluminum alloy
show below. Selecting a material from this window assigns it to the currently selected part or body.
When you edit the currently assigned material, create a material, or import a material, you work in the
Material Data tab. Once you have completed any of those operations, you must refresh the Model cell
in the Project Schematic to bring new data into Mechanical.
Note:
• The Assignment property can be designated as a parameter.
• To model a gasket, the material assignment should reference a valid Gasket Material
Model.
Nonlinear Material Effects

You can also choose to ignore any nonlinear effects from the material properties.
• By default the program will use all applicable material properties including nonlinear properties such
as stress-strain curve data.
• Setting Nonlinear Effects to No will ignore any nonlinear properties only for that part.
• This option will allow you to assign the same material to two different parts but treat one of the parts
as linear.
• This option is applicable only for static structural, transient structural, steady state thermal and tran-
sient thermal analyses.
Create a Simulation Template
Thermal Strain Effects

For structural analyses, you can choose to have Workbench calculate a Thermal Strain (p. 2135) result
by setting Thermal Strain Effects to Yes. Choosing this option enables the coefficient of thermal ex-
pansion to be sent to the solver.
Cross Section
When a line body is imported into the Mechanical application, the Details view displays the Cross
Section field and associated cross section data. These read-only fields display the name and data assigned
to the geometry in DesignModeler or the supported CAD system, if one was defined. See Line Bod-
ies (p. 900) for further information.
Model Dimensions
When you attach your geometry or model, the model dimensions display in the Details Pane (p. 122) in
the Bounding Box sections of the Geometry or Part objects. Dimensions have the following character-
istics:
• Units are created in your CAD system.
• ACIS model units, if available during import and/or update, are used.
• Other geometry units are automatically detected and set.
• Assemblies must have all parts dimensioned in the same units.
4.5. Create a Simulation Template

You can open the Mechanical application without importing a geometry and specify any number of
environmental conditions. To do so, select your desired analysis type in Workbench, select the Model
cell, and open Mechanical. After you have defined all the desired aspects of your analysis, you can then
save your simulation scenario. All without a geometry. This gives you the flexibility to simulate your
scenario against different geometries.
The ability to define Worksheet-based Named Selections (p. 1351) in this situation has the most strategic
benefit. Specifically, once you specify criterion-based Named Selections, you can scope a wide range
of objects, such as, Remote Points, Coordinate Systems, loading conditions, support conditions, results,
etc. Once you save your project, you can use with various models.
Limitations
Note the following conditions when importing a system that includes criteria-based Named Selections.
For an existing template, if you import a system that contains a:
• Remote Point scoped to a criteria-based Named Selection, the Remote Point does may not update
properly to include the location of the Named Selection. You can correct this condition by spe-
cifying an appropriate Coordinate System for the Remote Point instead of using the default
Global Coordinate System setting.
• A loading condition scoped to criteria-based Named Selection and whose direction is defined
by a Vector, the loading direction may not be updated after attaching the geometry. You can
correct this condition by specifying the load by Components.
4.6. Create a Geometry in Mechanical

Using the Construction Geometry feature (Solid option), you can create and add a solid geometry
within Mechanical. An example is illustrated below. The cellular telephone model is being dropped onto
a solid body that was created in Mechanical. For more information, see the specifying a Solid (p. 920)
section of the Help.
4.7. Define Substructures

Substructuring is a procedure that condenses a group of finite elements into one element represented
as a matrix. The single-matrix element is called a superelement. You can use a superelement in an
analysis as you would any other element type. By summarizing the mechanical behavior of the bodies,
they can be assembled to synthesize the response of a more complex structure, or to model flexible
bodies in the Rigid Dynamics solver.
See the Substructure Analysis (p. 802) section for more information about the use of this feature.
Supported Analysis Types

Substructuring currently supports the following analysis types:
Apply Mesh Controls and Preview Mesh
• Harmonic Response (p. 502) (MSUP only)
• Modal (p. 521)
• Random Vibration (p. 531)
• Response Spectrum (p. 540)
• Rigid Dynamics (p. 557)
4.8. Define Connections

Once you have addressed the material properties and part behavior of your model, you may need to
apply connections to the bodies in the model so that they are connected as a unit in sustaining the
applied loads for analysis. Available connection features are:
• Contacts (p. 1134): defines where two bodies are in contact or a user manually defines contact between
two bodies.
• Joints (p. 1202): a contact condition in the application that is defined by a junction where bodies are
joined together that has rotational and translational degrees of freedom.
• Mesh Connections: used to join the meshes of topologically disconnected surface bodies that reside
in different parts.
• Springs (p. 1306): defines as an elastic element that connects two bodies or a body to "ground" that
maintains its original shape once the specified forces are removed.
• Bearings (p. 1324): are used to confine relative motion and rotation of a rotating machinery part.
• Beam Connections (p. 1315): used to establish body to body or body to ground connections.
• End Releases (p. 1320) are used to release degrees of freedoms at a vertex shared by two or more
edges of one or more line bodies.
• Spot Welds (p. 1318): connects individual surface body parts together to form surface body model as-
semblies.
Given the complex nature of bodies coming into contact with one another, especially if the bodies are
in motion, it is recommended that you review the Connections (p. 1111) section of the documentation.
4.9. Apply Mesh Controls and Preview Mesh

Meshing is the process in which your geometry is spatially discretized into elements and nodes. This
mesh along with material properties is used to mathematically represent the stiffness and mass distri-
bution of your structure.
Your model is automatically meshed at solve time. The default element size is determined based on a
number of factors including the overall model size, the proximity of other topologies, body curvature,
and the complexity of the feature. If necessary, the fineness of the mesh is adjusted up to four times
(eight times for an assembly) to achieve a successful mesh.
If desired, you can preview the mesh before solving. Mesh controls are available to assist you in fine
tuning the mesh to your analysis. Refer to the Meshing Help for further details.
To preview the mesh in the Mechanical Application:

See the Previewing Surface Mesh section.
To apply global mesh settings in the Mechanical Application:

See the Global Mesh Controls section.
To apply mesh control tools on specific geometry in the Mechanical Applica-

tion:
See the Local Mesh Controls section.
To use virtual topology:

All virtual topology operations in the Mechanical application are described in the Virtual Topology
section of the Meshing Help.
4.10. Establish Analysis Settings

Each analysis system includes an Analysis Settings object. Use this object to define a variety of solution
options, including step controls, solution type, large deflection, and specific output data to include in
the result file. The properties available in the Analysis Settings details pane vary based on the analysis
type. Their settings can be critical to achieving a complete and accurate solution.
See the Analysis Settings for Most Analysis Types (p. 1501) section for a complete listing and description
of all available properties.
4.11. Define Initial Conditions

Based on your analysis type, Mechanical enables you to begin your analysis with an initial specification
using one of the object types described below. Initial specifications include Initial Conditions, links to
an existing solved or associated environment, or an Initial Temperature. These objects are all default
objects (included with) of the individual analysis types.
Analysis
Object Description
Type
Coupled Initial By default, a transient analysis is at rest. However, you can define
Field Condi- velocity as an initial condition by inserting a Velocity object under
Transient (p. 395)tions the Initial Conditions folder.
and folder
Transient
Structural (p. 671)
Define Initial Conditions
Analysis
Object Description
Type
Explicit Initial Because an Explicit Dynamics analysis is better suited for short
Dynamics Condi- duration events, preceding it with an implicit analysis may produce
tions a more efficient simulation especially for cases in which a generally
folder: slower (or rate-independent) phenomenon is followed by a much
Pre- faster event, such as the collision of a pressurized container. For an
Stress Explicit Dynamics system, the Initial Conditions folder includes a
object Pre-Stress object to control the transfer of data from an implicit
static or transient structural analysis to the explicit dynamics analysis.
Transferable data include the displacements, or the more complete
Material State (displacements, velocities, stresses, strains, and
temperature).
See Recommended Guidelines for Pre-Stress Explicit Dynamics for

more information.
An explicit dynamics analysis is at rest by default. However, for Ex-

plicit Dynamics and LS-DYNA systems, you can define velocity or
angular velocity as initial conditions by inserting a Velocity object,
a Drop Height object, or an Angular Velocity object under the
Initial Conditions folder.
If initial velocity, drop height, or angular velocity are defined in an

LS-DYNA Restart, they override the velocities calculated at the end
of the previous calculation.
Random Initial A Random Vibration, Response Spectrum, Harmonic
Vibration (p. 531),
Condi- (Mode-Superposition - MSUP) linked or a Transient (MSUP) linked
Response tions analysis must use the mode shapes derived in a Modal analysis.
Spectrum (p. 540),
folder:
Harmonic Modal
Response object
MSUP
(Mode-Superposition)
linked (p. 515),
or
Transient
(MSUP)
linked (p. 680)
Coupled Pre- You can use the physics settings and results of an upstream Coupled
Field Stress Field Static analysis in downstream Coupled Field Harmonic and
Harmonic (p. 384)
object Coupled Field Modal analyses. Also see the Prestressed Coupled
and Field Harmonic Analysis (p. 386) and Prestressed Coupled Field Modal
Coupled Analysis (p. 392) sections.
Field
Modal (p. 390)
Eigenvalue Pre- An Eigenvalue Buckling analysis must use the stress-stiffening effects
Buckling (p. 493)Stress of a static structural analysis. See the Eigenvalue Buckling
object Analysis (p. 493) section for details.
Analysis
Object Description
Type
Harmonic Pre- A Harmonic Response (p. 502) (Full) analysis linked to a Static
Response (p. 502)Stress Structural analysis can use the stress results to account for
(Full) object stress-stiffening effect. Also see the Harmonic Response (Full) Analysis
Using Pre-Stressed Structural System (p. 512) section.
Modal (p. 521) Pre- A Modal analysis can use the stress results from a Static Structural
Stress analysis to account for stress-stiffening effect. See the Modal
object Analysis (p. 521) section for details.
Steady-State Initial For a Steady-State Thermal analysis, you have the ability to specify
Thermal (p. 663) Temper- an initial temperature.
ature
object
Substructure Pre- For a Substructure Generation analysis, an upstream Static Structural
Generation (p. 546)
Stress analysis (only) can be used to create pre-stress effects.
object
Transient Initial For a Transient Thermal analysis, the initial temperature distribution
Thermal (p. 686) Temper- should be specified.
ature
object
Note:
When available in the Outline, you can apply temperatures from a Steady-State Thermal or
a Transient Thermal analysis to a Static Structural, Transient Structural, or Electric analysis as
a Imported Body Temperature load using the context (right-click) menu option Import
Load that is available on the Environment object of the structural or electric analysis. The
Import Load option provides a menu you can use to select the desired analysis you wish to
link to. You can also perform this linking by dragging and dropping the Solution object of
the Steady-State Thermal or a Transient Thermal analysis onto the Environment object of
the structural or electric analysis. You can also apply Heat Generation from an Electric ana-
lysis to a Steady-State Thermal or Transient Thermal analysis using these methods.
Requirements/Usage
Depending upon the analysis type, an appropriate object is automatically added to the Outline enabling
you to set an initial analysis specification:
• For a Transient Structural analysis, use the Initial Conditions object to insert Velocity. For an Ex-
plicit Dynamics analysis, use the Initial Conditions object to insert Velocity, Angular Velocity, and
Drop Height. These values can be scoped to specific parts of the geometry.
• For a Harmonic Response, Modal, Eigenvalue Buckling, Substructure Generation, or Explicit

Dynamics analysis, use the Details view of the Pre-Stress object to define the associated Pre-Stress
Environment (p. 357). For an Explicit Dynamics analysis, use the Details view of this object to select
either Material State (displacements, velocities, strains and stresses) or Displacements only modes,
as well as the analysis time from the implicit analysis which to obtain the initial condition. For Dis-
placements only, a Time Step Factor may be specified to convert nodal DOF displacements in the
implicit solution into constant velocities for the explicit analysis according to the following expression:
Apply Pre-Stress Effects for Implicit Analysis
Velocity = Implicit displacement/(Initial explicit time step x time step factor)
Note:
The Displacements only mode is applicable only to results from a linear, static structural
analysis.
• For a Random Vibration or Response Spectrum analysis, you must point to a modal analysis using
the drop-down list of the Modal Environment field in the Details view.
• For the Steady-State and Transient Thermal analyses, use the Details of the Initial Temperature
object to scope the initial temperature value. For a Transient Thermal analysis that has a non-uniform
temperature, you need to define an associated Initial Temperature Environment.
• The Details view of the Modal (Initial Conditions) object for linked Mode-Superposition Harmonic and
Mode-Superposition Transient analyses displays the name of the pre-stress analysis system in the
Pre-Stress Environment field, otherwise the field indicates None or None Available.
4.12. Apply Pre-Stress Effects for Implicit Analysis

Mechanical leverages the power of linear perturbation technology for all pre-stress analyses performed
within Mechanical. This includes pre-stress Modal (p. 521) analyses, Full Harmonic Response analysis using
a Pre-Stressed Structural System (p. 512) analyses, as well as Eigenvalue Buckling (p. 493) analyses.
The following features are available that are based on this technology:
• Large deflection static analysis followed by pre-stress modal analysis. Thus the static analysis can be
linear or nonlinear including large deflection effects.
Note:
– If performing a pre-stress modal analysis, it is recommended that you always include

large deflection effects to produce accurate results in the modal analysis.
– Pre-stress results should always originate from the same version of the application as
that of the modal solution.
– Although the modal results (including displacements, stresses, and strains) will be cor-
rectly calculated in the modal analysis, the deformed shape picture inside Mechanical
will be based on the initial geometry, not the deformed geometry from the static ana-
lysis. If you desire to see the mode shapes based on the deformed geometry, you can
take the result file into Mechanical APDL.
• True contact status as calculated at the time in the static analysis from which the eigen analysis is
based.
• Support for cyclic analysis.
• Support for multiple result sets in the static analysis.
For a pre-stressed eigen analysis, you can insert a Commands object (p. 2407) beneath the Pre-Stress
initial conditions object. The commands in this object will be executed just before the first solve for
the pre-stressed modal analysis.
Pressure Load Stiffness

If the static analysis has a pressure load applied "normal to" faces (3D) or edges (2-D), this could result
in an additional stiffness contribution called the "pressure load stiffness" effect. This effect plays a signi-
ficant role in follow-on Modal analyses, Eigenvalue Buckling analyses, and in Harmonic Response (Full)
analyses, however, the effect can be more prominent in an Eigenvalue Buckling analysis.
Different buckling loads may be predicted from seemingly equivalent pressure and force loads in a
buckling analysis because in the Mechanical application a force and a pressure are not treated the same.
As with any numerical analysis, we recommend that you use the type of loading which best models
the in-service component. For more information, see the Mechanical APDL Theory Reference, under
Structures with Geometric Nonlinearities> Stress Stiffening> Pressure Load Stiffness.
Restarts from Multiple Result Sets

A property called Pre-Stress Define By is available in the Details view of the Pre-Stress object in the
eigen analysis. It is set to Program Controlled by default which means that it uses the last solve point
available in the parent static structural analysis as the basis for the eigen analysis. There are three more
read only properties defined in the Details view of the Pre-Stress object – Reported Loadstep, Reported
Substep and Reported Time which are set to Last, Last, and End Time or None Available by default
depending on whether or not there are any restart points available in the parent static structural ana-
lysis. These read only properties show the actual load step, sub step and time used as the basis for the
eigen analysis.
You can change Pre-Stress Define By to Load Step, and then another property called Pre-Stress
Loadstep will appear in the Details view. Pre-Stress Loadstep gives you an option to start from any
load step in the static structural analysis. If you use this property, then Mechanical will always pick the
last substep available in that load step. You can see the actual reported substep and time as read only
properties. The input value of load step should be less than or equal to the number of load steps in
the parent static structural analysis. Loadstep 0 stands for the last load step available.
You can change Pre-Stress Define By to Time, and then another property called Pre-Stress Time will
appear in the Details view. Pre-Stress Time gives you an option to start from any time in the static
structural analysis. If there is no restart point available at the time of your input, then Mechanical will
pick the closest restart point available in the static structural analysis. You can see the actual reported
load step, sub step and time as read only properties. The input value of time should be non-negative
and it should be less than the end time of parent static structural analysis. Time 0 stands for end time
of the parent analysis. If there is no restart point available in the input loadstep and the number of restart
points in the parent analysis is not equal to zero, then the following error message appears:
"There is no restart point available at the requested loadstep. Change the restart controls in the parent
static structural analysis to use the requested loadstep."
Note:
If you use Pre-Stress Time, then Mechanical will pick the closest restart point available. It
may not be the last sub step of a load step; and if it is some intermediate substep in a load
Perform Solution
step, then the result may not be reproducible if you make any changes in the parent static
structural analysis or you solve it again.
If there is no restart point available in the parent static structural analysis, then Reported
Loadstep, Reported Substep and Reported Time are set to None Available regardless of
the user input of Load Step/Time but these will be updated to correct values once the
analysis is solved with the correct restart controls for the parent structural analysis.
Contact Status
You may choose contact status for the pre-stressed eigen analysis to be true contact status, force
sticking, or force bonded. A property called Contact Status is available in the Details view of the Pre-
Stress object in the eigen analysis. This property controls the CONTKEY field of the Mechanical APDL
PERTURB command.
• Use True Status (default): Uses the current contact status from the restart snapshot. If the previous
run for parent static structural is nonlinear, then the nonlinear contact status at the point of restart
is frozen and used throughout the linear perturbation analysis.
• Force Sticking: Uses sticking contact stiffness for the frictional contact pairs, even when the status
is sliding (that is, the no sliding status is allowed). This option only applies to contact pairs whose
frictional coefficient is greater than zero.
• Force Bonding: Uses bonded contact stiffness and status for contact pairs that are in the closed
(sticking/sliding) state.
4.13. Apply Boundary Conditions

A finite element analysis models how a system responds to the specified loading conditions. You must
apply boundary conditions to accurately simulate these conditions. This term refers to the available loads
and constraints that can be applied to a component or structure. It is often used interchangeably with
loads or supports.
The available boundary conditions depend on the type of analysis you are performing. For example, a
stress analysis can involve pressure and force loads and displacements for supports, while a thermal
analysis can involve convection and temperature loads.
Boundary conditions can be applied directly, imported, or defined as remote boundary conditions. You
select a boundary condition and scope it to your model. You then specify its magnitude and other re-
quired information. You can also specify whether a load is stepped or ramped (p. 1599).
For more information on how to apply boundary conditions, see Boundary Conditions (p. 1585).
4.14. Perform Solution

Mechanical uses the same solver kernels that Ansys Mechanical APDL (MAPDL) uses. At the Solve step,
Mechanical passes its data to the appropriate MAPDL solver kernel, based on the type of analysis to be
performed. That kernel then passes the solution data back to Mechanical, where you are able to look
at the results. Because the same solver kernels are used, you will obtain the same results from Mechan-
ical that you would if doing the same analysis in MAPDL.
Based on the analysis type, the following solvers are available in Mechanical:
• Mechanical Ansys Parametric Design Language (MAPDL) Solver.
• Ansys Rigid Dynamics Solver: only available for Rigid Dynamics Analysis.
• LS-DYNA Solver: only available for Explicit Dynamics analysis.
• Explicit Dynamics Solver: only available for Explicit Dynamics analysis.
• Samcef Solver: only available for Static Structural, Transient Structural, Steady-State Thermal, Transient
Thermal, Modal, and Eigenvalue Buckling analyses.
• ABAQUS Solver: only available for Static Structural, Transient Structural, Steady-State Thermal,
Transient Thermal, and Modal analyses.
You can execute the solution process on your local machine or on a remote machine such as a powerful
server you might have access to. The Remote Solve Manager (RSM) feature allows you to perform
solutions on a remote machine. Once completed, results are transferred to your local machine for post
processing. Refer to the Solve Modes and Recommended Usage (p. 1905) section for more details.
Solution Progress
Because nonlinear or transient solutions can take significant time to complete, a progress pane is dis-
played in the status bar (p. 138) to indicate the overall progress of solution. More detailed information
on solution status can be obtained from the Solution Information object (p. 1927) contained under the
Solution folder. The Solution Information object enables you to:
• View solver output.
• Monitor output such as convergence criteria for nonlinear problems.
• Diagnose possible reasons for convergence difficulties by plotting Newton-Raphson residuals.
• Monitor certain result items, such as displacement or temperature.
Solve References for the Mechanical Application

See the Solving (p. 1893) section for details on the above and other topics related to solving.
4.15. Review Results

The analysis type determines the results available for you to examine after solution. For example, in a
structural analysis, you may be interested in equivalent stress results or maximum shear results, while
in a thermal analysis, you may be interested in temperature or total heat flux. The Results (p. 2023) section
lists various results available to you for postprocessing.
Review Results
To add result objects in the Mechanical application:
1. Highlight a Solution object in the tree.
2. Select the appropriate result from the Solution Context Tab (p. 65) or use the right-mouse click
option.
To review results in the Mechanical application:
1. Click a result object in the tree.
2. After the solution has been calculated, you can review and interpret the results in the following
ways:
• Contour results (p. 65) - Displays a contour plot of a result such as stress over geometry.
• Vector Plots (p. 77) - Displays certain results in the form of vectors (arrows).
• Probes (p. 2025) - Displays a result at a single time point, or as a variation over time, using a graph
and a table.
• Charts (p. 2036) - Displays different results over time, or displays one result against another result,
for example, force vs. displacement.
• Animation (p. 2364) - Animates the variation of results over geometry including the deformation
of the structure.
• Stress Tool (p. 2162) - to evaluate a design using various failure theories.
• Fatigue Tool (p. 2170) - to perform advanced life prediction calculations.
• Contact Tool (p. 2184) - to review contact region behavior in complex assemblies.
• Beam Tool (p. 2192) - to evaluate stresses in line body representations.
Note:
Displacements of rigid bodies are shown correctly in transient structural and rigid dy-
namics analyses. If rigid bodies are used in other analyses such as static structural or
modal analyses, the results are correct, but the graphics will not show the deformed
configuration of the rigid bodies in either the result plots or animation.
Note:
If you resume a Mechanical model from a project or an archive that does not contain result
files, then results in the Solution tree can display contours but restrictions apply:
• The result object cannot show a deformed shape; that is, the node-based displacements
are not available to deform the mesh.
• The result object cannot animate.
• Contours are not available for harmonic results that depend upon both real and
imaginary result sets.
See the Results (p. 2023) section for more references on results.
4.16. Create Report (optional)

Workbench includes a provision for automatically creating a report based on your entire analysis. The
documents generated by the report are in HTML. The report generates documents containing content
and structure and uses an external Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) to provide virtually all of the formatting
information.
Report References for the Mechanical Application

See the Report Preview (p. 169) section.
Chapter 5: Analysis Types
You can perform analyses in the Mechanical application using pre-configured analysis systems (as listed
below). Each analysis description assumes that you are familiar with the analysis type as well as with
the information presented in Steps for Using the Mechanical Application (p. 327) section, specifically the
Create Analysis System (p. 327) topic. The availability of features for an analysis may differ based on the
solver you select.
Also note that it is not necessary to specify a geometry or mesh, or even an analysis type to initiate a
simulation. Mechanical provides options to perform these actions after you have opened the application.
5.1. Adaptivity Analyses
5.2. Coupled Field Analysis Types
5.3. Electric Analysis
5.4. Explicit Dynamics Analysis
5.5. Fracture Analysis
5.6. Linear Dynamics Analysis Types
5.7. Magnetostatic Analysis
5.8. Rigid Dynamics Analysis
5.9. Static Structural Analysis
5.10. Steady-State Thermal Analysis
5.11.Thermal-Electric Analysis
5.12.Transient Structural Analysis
5.13.Transient Structural Analysis Using Linked Modal Analysis System
5.14.Transient Thermal Analysis
5.15. Special Analysis Topics
In addition, you can enhance your analysis and add capabilities using the Commands Object (p. 2407)
to execute Mechanical APDL commands in the Mechanical application.
5.1. Adaptivity Analyses

Mechanical enables you to perform nonlinear adaptive analyses using the Nonlinear Adaptive Region
and Geometry Based Adaptivity options found in the Conditions (p. 1816) drop-down menu of the En-
vironment context tab.
Nonlinear adaptivity is a capability of the solution process that enables the application to adapt to
changing conditions during a nonlinear analysis. The solution process uses a feedback mechanism to
discretely and continuously adjust internal parameters automatically so that you can obtain an accurate
and convergent solution.
Analysis Types
You use these conditions to either change the mesh during the solution process or to model the
boundary geometry accurately during mesh adaptivity:
5.1.1. Nonlinear Adaptive Region
5.1.2. Geometry Based Adaptivity
5.1.1. Nonlinear Adaptive Region

The Nonlinear Adaptive Region condition enables you to change the mesh during the solution
phase to improve precision without incurring a great deal of computational penalties. The Nonlinear
Adaptive Region feature is completely automatic. It does not require any user input during the solution
phase. It acts as a remesh controller based on certain criteria. The criteria determine whether or not
the mesh requires modification and, if so, which parts need to be modified. This feature is based on
load stepping, requiring you to define a number of steps for your analysis, while also allowing you
to activate and/or deactivate the feature on a per step basis.
This condition may be useful for nonlinear problems that experience convergence difficulties or ac-
curacy issues because of elemental distortions. Large deformation problems are best suited to the
use of the condition. However, it is also useful for cases where large deformation is turned off but
requires mesh adaptation to better capture the physics and give a more accurate solution. Review
the Nonlinear Mesh Adaptivity Usage Considerations section of the Nonlinear Adaptivity Analysis Guide
for more information about analysis cases when the feature can be useful.
Requirements
The Nonlinear Adaptive Region condition requires the Store Results At property to be set to All
Time Points in the Output Controls category of the Analysis Settings.
Preprocessing Support Limitations

Note the following preprocessing limitations for this condition.
• When there is a hexahedral mesh for a multibody part, the Nonlinear Adaptive Region can only be
scoped to a single body.
• The Nonlinear Adaptive Region is not supported if your model is a multibody part or multibody
assembly with a mixture of linear and quadratic elements.
• It is not supported for Convergence.
• Cannot be used in combination with the following features/conditions on the same part:
– Cyclic Symmetry
– Beam Contact Formulation
– Contact Behaviors: Auto Asymmetric
– Point Mass, Beam Connection, Joints, Spring, and Bearing
– Spatially varying boundary conditions
Adaptivity Analyses
• Not supported if the analysis includes a Pressure or an Imported Pressure that have the following
combination of settings:
– Applied By property set to Direct option.
– Loaded Area property set to Initial.
– Large Deflection property (Analysis Settings > Solver Controls) set to On.
• Cannot be used in combination with the following boundary conditions:
– Coupling
– Constraint Equation
– Remote Displacement, Remote Force, and Moment specified with the Behavior property set to
Beam.
• Cannot be used in combination with Weak Springs (p. 1517) (COMBIN14 element).
• The following materials properties are not supported:
– Cast Iron
– Concrete
– Cohesive Zone
– Damage Initiation Criteria and Damage Evolution Law
– Microplane
– Shape Memory Alloy
– Swelling
• When linking analyses, you cannot apply the solution phase modified mesh to the linked system.
• When using the Nonlinear Adaptive Region during the restart of an analysis, the Nonlinear Ad-
aptive Region object does not support Named Selections if your model contains a mesh change
prior to the restart point.
• If your analysis failed to converge and you are adding a new Nonlinear Adaptive Region object,
it is necessary that the contact object property, Behavior, was set to either Symmetric or Asym-
metric for the initial solution that was processed.
• When the Mesh option is specified for the Criterion property:
– does not support high order elements for 2D analyses.
– does not support self-contact for 3D analyses.
Analysis Types
Post Processing Support Limitations

Because this condition causes mesh changes during the course of the solution process, there are
result scoping limitations.
• Only Body scoping is permitted (for bodies whose meshes will change). Therefore, if you scope
any result or probe on a vertex, edge, or face of a body that experiences a mesh change, the
analysis will not solve. This limitation is a result of the base mesh of the body being represented
by nodes only. This limitation also applies to probes scoped to boundary conditions (via Loc-
ation Method property).
• Element selection on a result is not supported. However, if you 1) have an element-based

named selection and 2) activate the Preserve During Solve property, you can specify results
for the named selection using the Solver Component Names option of the Solution Quantities
and Result Summary (p. 2065) page of the Worksheet (accessed via the Solution object).
• If you have a result object selected, certain mesh-based features are not available, including
mesh selection filters (nodes (p. 232), elements, and element faces (p. 239)), as well as the ability
to display a Node ID in the probe label (p. 200), and Selecting Nodes and Elements by ID (p. 242).
• Does not support the multiple result set options (p. 2093) of the By property: Maximum Over
Time/Time of Maximum or Minimum Over Time/Time of Minimum.
• Penetration plot following remesh may show the curve discontinuity.
• Is not supported when transferring the deformed geometry (p. 1060) and mesh of a Deformation
result.
• When using the Deformation result tracker (p. 1941) to graph displacement, note there is a display
limitation for the graph. The tracker reads and displays data contained in the jobname.nlh
file. This file contains incremental displacement data collected after re-meshing occurs. That
is, the re-meshed model is considered as a new reference.
Analysis Types
Nonlinear Adaptive Region is available for Static Structural (p. 658) analyses.
For additive manufacturing Inherent Strain simulations, a special case of nonlinear mesh adaptivity
is available in which simulation time is reduced by coarsening elements in previously deposited layers,
thereby reducing the total number of elements. See Using Adaptive Meshing (AM Octree) for details.
Common Characteristics
The following section outlines the common characteristics that include application requirements of
the condition, support limitations, as well as loading definitions and values.
Dimensional Types
• 3D Simulation: Supported.
Geometry Types: Geometry types supported for the Nonlinear Adaptive Region condition include:
Adaptivity Analyses
• Solid: Supported.
• Surface/Shell: Not Supported.
• Wire Body/Line Body/Beam: Not Supported.
Topology: The following topology selection options are supported for Nonlinear Adaptive Region.
• Body: Supported.
• Face: Not Supported.
• Edge: Not Supported.
• Vertex: Not Supported.
• Nodes: Not Supported.
• Element Face: Not Supported.
• Elements: Supported for element-based Named Selections only.
Note:
– Elements must be of the same element type, material, nodal orientation, and
element orientation.
– If two regions with different element or material attributes require re-meshing,

you must impose nonlinear adaptive regions separately.
– The application does not support mixed order Tetrahedral mesh elements
defined on one region or when used with multiple regions.
Condition Application
To apply a Nonlinear Adaptive Region:
1. On the Environment Context tab: click Conditions>Nonlinear Adaptive Region. Or, right-click
the Environment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Nonlinear Adaptive
Region.
2. Specify the Scoping Method.
Note:
You can scope multiple Nonlinear Adaptive Regions to the same entity to give yourself
more control on multiple load step settings that are local to the Nonlinear Adaptive
Region condition.
Analysis Types
3. Specify the Criterion property: options include Energy, Box, and Mesh. The Mesh option is the
recommended setting.
Following your selection, properly specify the associated properties.
Note:
Once you select an option for the Criteria property, the Analysis Settings category
Nonlinear Adaptivity Remeshing Controls (p. 1524) becomes available and you may
modify the available properties as needed.
4. When the condition is defined, the Graph and Tabular Data windows provide a right-mouse click
option to Deactivate (or Activate) the condition for a desired load step. No remeshing will occur
at the deactivated load step as the NLADAPTIVE command is set to OFF. The default setting is
Activated. For a restart analysis, the application sets the newly added Nonlinear Adaptive Region
to Deactivated.
Note:
You may wish to review the Activation/Deactivation of Loads topic in the Step Con-
trols (p. 1502) section of the Help. The Nonlinear Adaptive Region condition is displayed
in the graph for the Analysis Settings object.
Details View Properties

The selections available in the Details view are described below.
Category Properties/Options/Description
Scope Scoping Method, options include:
• Geometry Selection: Default setting, indicating that the condition is

applied to a geometry or geometries, which are chosen using a graphical
selection tools.
– Geometry: Visible when the Scoping Method property is set to Geo-

metry Selection. Displays the type of geometry (Body) and the number
of geometric entities (1 Body, 2 Bodies) to which the condition has been
applied using the selection tools.
Adaptivity Analyses
• Named Selection: Indicates that the geometry selection is defined by a
Named Selection.
– Named Selection: Visible when the Scoping Method property is set

to Named Selection. This field provides a drop-down list of available
user-defined element-based (only) Named Selections.
You may wish to review the Mechanical APDL References and Notes at the
bottom of the page for specific command execution information regarding these
selections.
Definition Criterion: Options included Energy, Box, or Mesh.
Energy
If Energy is selected, you need to enter an Energy Coefficient.
Energy Coefficient: This criterion checks the strain energy of any element
that is part of the defined component using the following calculation. A
component is defined as the assembly of all scoped elements.
where:
• Ee = strain energy of single target element.
• c1 = user input energy coefficient.
• Etotal = total strain energy of the component.
• NUME = number of elements of the component.
If this criterion is satisfied at an element, the program refines the element. A

smaller Energy Coefficient improves the potential to trigger the mesh
regeneration for the same loads.
Box
If Box is selected, the following additional properties require entries:
• Coordinate System (default is Global Coordinate System): defines

the minimum values of the box.
• Length X: defines the diagonal length on global X axis.
• Length Y: defines the diagonal length on global Y axis.
• Length Z (for 3D): defines the diagonal length on global Z axis.
Analysis Types
Mesh (3D Analysis)
For 3D analyses, if you select the Mesh option, the Tetrahedral and
Hex-Dominant categories display.
Tetrahedral
The Options property displays. Available options include Skewness,

Jacobian Ratio, or Skewness and Jacobian Ratio (default.
If the Options property is set to either Skewness or Skewness and

Jacobian Ratio, you need to enter a Skewness Value for the mesh
elements. The element skewness is defined as:
Skewness = (Vreg - Vel) / Vreg
Where:
Vel is the volume of the element under calculation and Vreg is the
volume of the standard tetrahedral linear element located in the
same sphere as the element under calculation. When the element
under calculation has an ideal shape (that of a standard tetrahedral
element), Vreg = Vel and Skewness Value = 0.
When the element under calculation has the least ideal shape (that
of a flat element), Vel = 0 and Skewness Value = 1.
Therefore, for the linear tetrahedral element, Skewness Value is

always between 0 and 1, with 1 being a flat element. The default
value is 0.9. The recommended Skewness Value is approximately
0.85 to 0.9.
When the Option property is set to Jacobian Ratio or Skewness

and Jacobian Ratio, you need to enter a Jacobian Ratio Value for
the mesh elements. This value defines the maximum Jacobian ratio
at element integration points. The default value is 0.1.
Hex-Dominant
If the body selected in the scoping includes hexahedral mesh, then

this category and its properties are applicable to solution processing.
The application uses an initial hexahedral-dominant mesh which is
converted to a tetrahedral mesh during the solution process once
the category’s criterion is met. For a tetrahedral only mesh,
application ignores this category and its properties. For this category:
• The Options property is read-only and the application sets it

to Shape.
• The Maximum Corner Angle property has the default setting

of 155°. The entry range for this property is 0° - 180°. An
Adaptivity Analyses
element is re-meshed when any of its corner angles reach this
specified value.
Mesh (2D Analysis)
For 2D analyses:
• The Options property is read-only and the application sets it to Shape.
• The Maximum Corner Angle property has the default setting of 160°
(recommended). The entry range for this property is 0° - 180°. An
element is re-meshed when any of its corner angles reach this specified
value.
All the following common criteria properties are available for all Criterion property
options as well as 2D analyses:
• Check At: Options included Equally Spaced Points or Specified

Recurrence Rate.
• Value: This property further defines the Check At property. The default
value is 1.
• Time Range: options included Entire Load Step or Manual. When

specified as Manual, you need to enter a Start Time and End Time. The
End Time value must be larger than the Start Time value.
Suppressed: Include (No - default) or exclude (Yes) the condition.
Initial Mesh Load Specifications

You can apply the following boundary conditions directly to the initial mesh generated for each load
step rather than on the newly generated mesh only by setting the object's Apply To Initial Mesh
property to Yes.
• Imported Displacement (p. 1867)
• Imported Body Temperature (p. 1861)
• Imported Pressure (p. 1872)
For more information, see the Initial-Mesh Loading and Constraint section in the Nonlinear Adaptivity
Analysis Guide of the Mechanical APDL documentation.
View Changed Mesh Results

Following the solution process, to determine if the mesh was changed:
• Select the Solution object or a Result object, the Tabular Data window displays the substeps
with a changed mesh (Changed Mesh column = Yes).
Analysis Types
• Select the Solution Information object and set the Solution Output property to Force Con-
vergence. A chart displays. Remesh Points are shown by solid orange vertical lines.
• Create a User Defined Result (p. 2296) (using the PNUMELEM Expression) to view the new
elements that have relatively larger element identities than the original element identities.
You can duplicate this result and specify a Result Set (By property) for a result prior to a
remesh and one at a remesh point, and using the Viewports (p. 247) feature, directly compare
the (before and after) elements in the graphics window.
Mechanical APDL References and Notes

The following Mechanical APDL commands, element types, and considerations are applicable for this
condition.
• The Nonlinear Adaptive Region is applied with the NLADAPTIVE command.
• When the Scoping property is defined as Geometry, the Nonlinear Adaptive Region condition
uses the CM command to create the Nonlinear Adaptive Region component.
• When the Scoping property is defined as a Named Selection, the Nonlinear Adaptive Region
condition uses the CMBLOCK command to create the Nonlinear Adaptive Region component.
• The CMSEL,ALL command and the ESEL,ALL command are issued at beginning of the NLADAPTIVE
command.
• During a Structural Analysis, the Nonlinear Adaptive Region is applied using the PLANE182 (2-D
Low Order), PLANE183 (2-D High Order), SOLID285 (3-D Linear Tetrahedral), and SOLID187 (3-D
Quadratic Tetrahedral) element types.
• When a Nonlinear Adaptive Region is scoped to a body/element, the associated part is meshed
with SOLID285 element type if they are linear tetrahedral or SOLID187 element type if they are
quadratic tetrahedral.
• When a Nonlinear Adaptive Region is deactivated for certain steps, the NLADAPTIVE command
is set to be OFF in the corresponding load steps. Relatively, an activated Nonlinear Adaptive Region
sets the NLADAPTIVE command to be ON.
• When a Nonlinear Adaptive Region is applied, the ETCONTROL ,SET command is not issued.
Note:
For additional guidance about how to best use this feature, see the Mesh Nonlinear Ad-
aptivity Hints and Recommendations section in the Mechanical APDL Advanced Analysis
Guide.
Nonlinear Adaptive Region Solving Limitations

The purpose of nonlinear adaptive region is to repair a distorted mesh in order to overcome conver-
gence problems caused by the distortion. It is effective only when the mesh distortion is caused by
a large, nonuniform deformation. Nonlinear adaptive region cannot help if divergence occurs for any
other reason such as unstable material, unstable structures, or numerical instabilities.
Adaptivity Analyses
Unstable Material
Most nonlinear material models, especially those employing hyperelastic materials, have their own
applicable ranges. When a deformation is too large or a stress state exceeds the applicable range,
the material may become unstable. The instability can manifest itself as a mesh distortion, but non-
linear adaptive region cannot help in such cases. While it is sometimes difficult to determine when
material is unstable, you can check the strain values, stress states, and convergence patterns. A sudden
convergence difficulty could mean that material is no longer stable. The program also issues a warning
at the beginning of the solution indicating when hyperelastic material could be unstable, although
such a warning is very preliminary and applies only to cases involving simple stress states.
Unstable Structures
For some geometries and loads, a deformation may cause a "snap-through," or local buckling. Such
behavior can also manifest itself as a mesh distortion, but one that nonlinear adaptive region cannot
repair. The effect is usually easy to detect by closely checking the deformed region or the load-versus-
time (displacement) curve.
Numerical Instabilities
A condition of numerical instability can occur when a problem is nearly overconstrained. The constraints
can include kinematic constraints such as applied displacements, couplings, and constraint equations,
and volumetric constraints introduced by fully incompressible material in mixed u-P elements. In
many cases, numerical instability is apparent even in the early stages of an analysis.
5.1.2. Geometry Based Adaptivity

The Geometry Based Adaptivity condition enables you to model the boundary geometry accurately
during mesh adaptivity by placing the new nodes and elements on the model boundary geometry
during remeshing. This is different from conventional mesh adaptivity applied through the Nonlinear
Adaptive Region (p. 364) object, where the new nodes and elements on the boundary are placed on
the old mesh facets during remeshing. The use of this object cannot be combined with the use of
the Nonlinear Adaptive Region feature. The application generates an error if both objects are present
in an analysis.
Note:
Review the Nonlinear Mesh Adaptivity for Geometry-Preserving Adaptive Analysis (NLAD-
GPAD) documentation in the Mechanical APDL Nonlinear Adaptivity Analysis Guide for more
information.
• Requirements (p. 374)
• Modelling Limitations (p. 374)
• Postprocessing Limitations (p. 375)
• Analysis Types (p. 376)
• Common Characteristics (p. 376)
Analysis Types
• Condition Application (p. 377)
• Details Properties (p. 378)
Requirements
The Geometry Based Adaptivity condition requires the Large Deflection property to be set to Off
in the Solver Controls category of the Analysis Settings. As a result, the application specifies this
condition as described in the NLMESH section of the Mechanical APDL Command Reference. Further-
more, you cannot create Command (ADPL) object entries that activate the Large Deflection property.
Refinement via general remeshing is supported with energy-based (NLADAPTIVE,,,ENERGY), or pos-

ition-based (NLADAPTIVE,,,BOX) criteria only.
Note:
Refinement through splitting is not supported in Geometry Based Adaptivity.
The Geometry Based Adaptivity condition enables you to change the mesh during the solution
phase to improve precision without incurring a great deal of computational penalties. The feature is
completely automatic. It does not require any user input during the solution phase. It acts as a remesh
controller based on certain criteria. The criteria determine whether or not the mesh requires modific-
ation and, if so, which parts need to be modified. This feature is based on load stepping, requiring
you to define a number of steps for your analysis, while also allowing you to activate and/or deactivate
the feature on a per step basis.
Review the Nonlinear Mesh Adaptivity for Geometry-Preserving Adaptive Analysis (NLAD-GPAD) section
of the Nonlinear Adaptivity Analysis Guide for more information about analysis cases when the feature
can be useful.
Modelling Limitations
Note the following preprocessing limitations for this condition.
• This condition only supports linear and quadratic tetrahedral elements (SOLID187 and SOLID285).
• The geometry-based adaptivity is not supported if your model is a multibody part or multibody
assembly with a mixture of linear and quadratic elements.
• It does not supported the use of the Convergence object.
• Cannot be used in combination with the following features/conditions on the same part:
– Cyclic Symmetry
– Beam Contact Formulation
– Contact Behaviors: Auto Asymmetric
– Point Mass, Beam Connection, Joints, Spring, and Bearing
– Spatially varying boundary conditions
Adaptivity Analyses
• Not supported if the analysis includes a Pressure or an Imported Pressure that have the following
combination of settings:
– Applied By property set to Direct option.
– Loaded Area property set to Initial.
– Large Deflection property (Analysis Settings > Solver Controls) set to On.
• Cannot be used in combination with the following boundary conditions:
– Coupling
– Constraint Equation
– Remote Displacement, Remote Force, and Moment specified with the Behavior property set to
Beam.
• Cannot be used in combination with Weak Springs (p. 1517) (COMBIN14 element).
• The following materials properties are not supported:
– Cast Iron
– Concrete
– Cohesive Zone
– Damage Initiation Criteria and Damage Evolution Law
– Microplane
– Shape Memory Alloy
– Swelling
• When linking analyses, you cannot apply the solution phase modified mesh to the linked system.
• When using the Geometry Based Adaptivity during the restart of an analysis, the Geometry Based
Adaptivity object does not support Named Selections if your model contains a mesh change prior
to the restart point.
• If your analysis failed to converge and you are adding a new Geometry Based Adaptivity object,
it is necessary that the contact object property, Behavior, was set to either Symmetric or Asym-
metric for the initial solution that was processed.
Postprocessing Limitations
Because this condition causes mesh changes during the course of the solution process, there are
result scoping limitations.
• Only Body scoping is permitted (for bodies whose meshes will change). Therefore, the evalu-
ation of those results or probes will fail which will be scoped on a vertex, edge, or face of a
Analysis Types
body that experiences a mesh change. This limitation also applies to probes scoped to
boundary conditions (via Location Method property).
• Element selection on a result is not supported. However, if you 1) have an element-based

named selection and 2) activate the Preserve During Solve property, you can specify results
for the named selection using the Solver Component Names option of the Solution Quantities
and Result Summary (p. 2065) page of the Worksheet (accessed via the Solution object).
• If you have a result object selected, certain mesh-based features are not available, including
mesh selection filters (nodes (p. 232), elements, and element faces (p. 239)), as well as the ability
to display a Node ID in the probe label (p. 200), and Selecting Nodes and Elements by ID (p. 242).
• Does not support the multiple result set options (p. 2093) of the By property: Maximum Over
Time/Time of Maximum or Minimum Over Time/Time of Minimum.
• Penetration plot following remesh may show the curve discontinuity.
• Is not supported when transferring the deformed geometry (p. 1060) and mesh of a Deformation
result.
Analysis Types
Geometry Based Adaptivity is available for Static Structural (p. 658) analyses.
Common Characteristics
The following section outlines the common characteristics that include application requirements of
the condition, support limitations, as well as loading definitions and values.
Dimensional Types
• 2D Simulation: Not Supported.
Geometry Types: Geometry types supported for the Geometry Based Adaptivity condition include:
• Solid: Supported.
• Surface/Shell: Not Supported.
• Wire Body/Line Body/Beam: Not Supported.
Topology: The following topology selection options are supported for Geometry Based Adaptivity.
• Body: Supported.
• Face: Not Supported.
• Edge: Not Supported.
• Vertex: Not Supported.
• Nodes: Not Supported.
Adaptivity Analyses
• Element Face: Not Supported.
• Elements: Not Supported.
Note:
• Elements must be of the same element type, material, nodal orientation, and element
orientation.
• If two regions with different element or material attributes require re-meshing, you
must impose geometry-based adaptivity regions separately.
• The application does not support mixed order Tetrahedral mesh elements defined
on one region or when used with multiple regions.
Condition Application
To apply a Geometry Based Adaptivity:
1. On the Environment Context tab: click Conditions>Geometry Based Adaptivity. Or, right-click
the Environment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Geometry Based
Adaptivity.
2. Specify the Scoping Method.
Note:
You can scope multiple Geometry Based Adaptivity objects to the same entity to give
yourself more control on multiple load step settings that are local to the Nonlinear
Adaptive Region condition.
3. Specify the Criterion property: options include Energy and Box.
Following your selection, properly specify the associated properties.
Note:
Once you select an option for the Criteria property, the Analysis Settings category
Adaptivity Remeshing Controls (p. 1524) becomes available and you may modify the
available properties as needed.
4. When the condition is defined, the Graph and Tabular Data windows provide a right-mouse click
option to Deactivate (or Activate) the condition for a desired load step. No remeshing will occur
at the deactivated load step as the NLADAPTIVE command is set to OFF. The default setting is
Activated. For a restart analysis, the application sets the newly added Geometry Based Adaptivity
to Deactivated.
Analysis Types
Note:
You may wish to review the Activation/Deactivation of Loads topic in the Step Con-
trols (p. 1502) section of the Help. The Geometry Based Adaptivity condition is displayed
in the graph for the Analysis Settings object.
Details Properties
The selections available in the Details are described below.
Scope Scoping Method, options include:

selection tools.
– Geometry: Visible when the Scoping Method property is set to Geo-

metry Selection. Displays the type of geometry (Body) and the number
of geometric entities (1 Body, 2 Bodies) to which the condition has been

Named Selection.
– Named Selection: Visible when the Scoping Method property is set

to Named Selection. This field provides a drop-down list of available
user-defined Named Selections.
You may wish to review the Mechanical APDL References and Notes at the
bottom of the page for specific command execution information regarding these
selections.
Definition Criterion: Options included Energy and Box.
Energy
If Energy is selected, you need to enter an Energy Coefficient.
Adaptivity Analyses
Energy Coefficient: This criterion checks the strain energy of any element
that is part of the defined component using the following calculation. A
component is defined as the assembly of all scoped elements.
where:
• Ee = strain energy of single target element.
• c1 = user input energy coefficient.
• Etotal = total strain energy of the component.
• NUME = number of elements of the component.
If this criterion is satisfied at an element, the program refines the element. A

smaller Energy Coefficient improves the potential to trigger the mesh
regeneration for the same loads.
Box
If Box is selected, the following additional properties require entries:
• Coordinate System (default is Global Coordinate System): defines

the minimum values of the box.
• Length X: defines the diagonal length on global X axis.
• Length Y: defines the diagonal length on global Y axis.
• Length Z (for 3D): defines the diagonal length on global Z axis.
All the following common criteria properties are available for all Criterion property
options as well as 2D analyses:
• Check At: Options included Equally Spaced Points or Specified

Recurrence Rate.
• Value: This property further defines the Check At property. The default
value is 1.
• Time Range: options included Entire Load Step or Manual. When

specified as Manual, you need to enter a Start Time and End Time. The
End Time value must be larger than the Start Time value.

For additional guidance for how to use this feature, see the NLAD-GPAD Best Practices section of the
Mechanical APDL Nonlinear Adaptivity Analysis Guide.
Analysis Types
Initial Mesh Load Specifications

You can apply the following boundary conditions directly to the initial mesh generated for each load
step rather than on the newly generated mesh only by setting the object's Apply To Initial Mesh
property to Yes.
• Imported Body Temperature (p. 1861)
• Imported Pressure (p. 1872)
For more information, see the Initial-Mesh Loading and Constraint section in the Nonlinear Adaptivity
Analysis Guide of the Mechanical APDL documentation.
View Changed Mesh Results

Following the solution process, to determine if the mesh was changed:
• Select the Solution object or a Result object, the Tabular Data window displays the substeps
with a changed mesh (Changed Mesh column = Yes).
• Select the Solution Information object and set the Solution Output property to Force Con-
vergence. A chart displays. Remesh Points are shown by solid orange vertical lines.
• Create a User Defined Result (p. 2296) (using the PNUMELEM Expression) to view the new
elements that have relatively larger element identities than the original element identities.
You can duplicate this result and specify a Result Set (By property) for a result prior to a
remesh and one at a remesh point, and using the Viewports (p. 247) feature, directly compare
the (before and after) elements in the graphics window.
5.2. Coupled Field Analysis Types
Introduction
The Coupled Field analyses in Mechanical enable you to simulate interaction between multiple physics
types. The availability of analysis settings, boundary conditions, results, etc. is based on the specified
physics as well as the analysis type you select. For example, if you specify a Coupled Field Static analysis,
all common features are available for structural physics, such as Force, Deformation, etc. Supported
physics configurations include:
Coupled Coupled
Coupled Coupled
Field Field
Field Modal Field Static
Harmonic Transient
Structural ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Acoustics ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
[a] [a] [b]
Electric ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓[b]
Thermal ✓ ✓
[a] Supports charge-based formulation only.
Coupled Field Analysis Types
[b] Supports charge-based and current-based formulation.
You can view the physics specified for your Coupled Field analysis from the properties of the Setup
cell in Workbench.
And, in Mechanical, you can view the selected physics from the Environment object, and you can view
and change the physics definition using the Physics Region object.
Analysis Types
Coupling
The following table shows the interaction between the types of physics available in the application and
the analysis types. You specify the interaction between the physics types and the analyses using either
the 1) Physics Region, such as Thermal Strain, or through 2) coupling conditions, such as Plastic heating,
or 3) the application always includes Piezoelectric coupling via Structural-Electric charge interaction.
Physics Coupled Coupled Coupled Field Coupled Field

Field Field Static Transient
Harmonic Modal
Structural Not Thermal strain Thermal strain
Thermal Supported
Thermoplasticity Thermoelastic
Damping
Thermoviscoelasticity
Thermoplasticity
Thermoviscoelasticity
Electrostatic Electrostatic Electrostatic Electrostatic Electrostatic Force
Structural Force [a]
Force [a] Force
Structural-Acoustics Fluid Solid Fluid Fluid Solid Fluid Solid
Interface Solid Interface Interface
Interface
Structural Piezoelectric Piezoelectric Piezoelectric Piezoelectric
Electric
(Charge)
Thermal Joule Heating Joule Heating
Electric
(Conduction) Seebeck Seebeck
Peltier Peltier
[a] Requires prestress Coupled Field Static.
Important:
The Element Control property of the Geometry object is, by default, set to Program Con-
trolled. This setting allows the application to choose the best Mechanical APDL element
options (KEYOPTS). For example, if your coupled field analysis includes nonlinearities, the
application could automatically (and without your knowledge):
• Change the structural-thermal coupling from Strong to Weak.
• Specify that all coupling types use a uniform reduced integration scheme instead of
Full Integration (as defined by the Brick Integration Scheme (p. 885) property of
Part/Body objects).
As a result, to make sure that the application does not automatically change the element
options, use the Manual setting for the Element Control property.
See the Automatic Selection of Element Technologies and Formulations section of the
Mechanical APDL Element Reference for more information.
Note:
• The Physics Region supports the activation of more than two physics types and therefore,
coupling. In this case, there is a cumulative effect for each individual physics interaction
with the other supported physics.
• If a body has more than two physics associated with its scoping, the interaction of the
physics types is a combination of two different physics interactions.
• You can set the Thermal Strain property, of Physics Region object, to Strong (Matrix)
coupling or Weak (Load Vector) coupling. Review the Coupled Effects section of the
Coupling documentation in the Mechanical APDL Theory Reference for more background
information.
• You can specify Thermoplasticity and Thermoviscoelasticity using the Plastic Heating (p. 1834)
and Viscoelastic Heating (p. 1836) coupling conditions. Review the Thermoplasticity and
Thermoviscoelasticity sections of the Coupling documentation in the Mechanical APDL
Theory Reference for more background information.
• Joule Heating is considered as a load vector. Review the Thermoelectrics section of the
Coupling documentation in the Mechanical APDL Theory Reference for more background
information.
• For Piezoelectric coupling, the Piezoelectric matrix must be defined in the Engineering
Data Workspace. You may want to review the Piezoelectrics section of the Coupling docu-
mentation in the Mechanical APDL Theory Reference for more background information.
• Currently, linear elements generated by the application use element SOLID226 (a high-
order element) with the mid-side nodes dropped, except for structural-thermal coupling
and piezoelectric coupling. For structural-thermal coupling and piezoelectric coupling, the
application uses element SOLID225.
Note:
If your coupled field analysis includes an edge that you can more accurately measure in mi-
crometers than meters, Ansys recommends that you use a unit system that supports this
length, specifically the µMKS unit system.
Coupled Field Simulations

The following sections discuss the steps and requirements to perform, processing limitations of, and
industry-based applications for, coupled field simulations.
5.2.1. Coupled Field Harmonic Analysis
5.2.2. Prestressed Coupled Field Harmonic Analysis
5.2.3. Coupled Field Modal Analysis
Analysis Types
5.2.4. Prestressed Coupled Field Modal Analysis

5.2.5. Coupled Field Static Analysis
5.2.6. Coupled Field Transient Analysis
5.2.7. Limitations
5.2.8. Application Examples and Background
5.2.1. Coupled Field Harmonic Analysis

This analysis enables you to simulate the following physics types, independently or in combination,
in a harmonic environment:
• Stand-alone Acoustics physics
• Piezoelectric Coupling
• Coupling of Structural and Acoustics physics
• Piezoelectric coupling with Acoustics physics
Note:
Piezoelectric analyses couple structural and electric physics with materials that have
natural properties, such as quartz and ceramics.
See the Application Examples and Background (p. 404) section for an overview of types of problems
that use coupled structural-electric solutions as well as some examples. Also see the Acoustics Ana-
lysis Overview section for more detailed information about performing an acoustics analysis.
Points to Remember
• You can use an upstream Coupled Field Static (p. 395) analysis to prestress a Coupled Field Harmon-
ic (p. 386) analysis.
• When beginning the analysis, you need to properly define the Physics Region object(s). The Physics
Region object(s):
– Is automatically included.
– Requires each body of the model to be specified by a physics.
– Defines the physics of the entire system/analysis.
– Specifies physics type per body as needed.
– Needs to be scoped to at least one body with more than one physics type or to an acoustic
body.
This section assumes that you have an understanding of the general workflow for performing a sim-
ulation. As needed throughout the analysis, refer to the Steps for Using the Application (p. 327) section
for an overview of the workflow.
Define Physics Region(s)

For this analysis, the physics types available for the Physics Region object include:
• Structural
• Acoustics
• Electric (Charge)
When Structural property is set to Yes and Electric property is set to Charge, the Coupling Option
category, that includes the Piezoelectric property displays and indicates that the region is a piezo-
electric region (read-only setting of Yes).
You can add Physics Region objects as desired by:
1. Highlighting the Environment object and selecting the Physics Region option on the Envir-
onment Context Tab (p. 64) or right-click the Environment object or within the Geometry
window and select Insert > Physics Region.
2. Define all of the properties for the new object.
For additional information, see the Physics Region object reference section.
Specify Analysis Settings

The analysis type supports the following Analysis Settings (p. 1501):
• Options (p. 1531)
• Advanced (p. 1547)
• Output Controls (p. 1559)
• Analysis Data Management (p. 1572)
Apply Boundary Conditions

The Environment Context tab (p. 64) provides the various groups of loads, supports, and conditions.
In addition, the following Electric loads and boundary conditions are specific to Coupled Field Har-
monic analysis:
• Electric Charge (p. 1741)
• Voltage (p. 1744) (Supports Phase Angle using Beta Options)
• Voltage (Ground) (p. 1750)
• Voltage Coupling (p. 1819)
See the Boundary Conditions (p. 1609) section for additional information.
Analysis Types
Results
Note that for many results, the default setting for geometry selection is either All Structural Bodies,
All Acoustic Bodies, or All Electric Bodies, depending on the given result type.
When you select the Solution (p. 65) Context tab, it provides the common result options as well as
Electric (p. 2264) results. The Electric result drop-down menu contains the following results that are
specific to this analysis:
• Total Electric Flux Density
• Directional Electric Flux Density
In addition, the Probes (p. 2265) drop-down menu includes Charge Reaction and Impedance probes
and the Frequency Response (p. 2266) drop-down menu includes Voltage, Charge Reaction, and Im-
pedance chart options. These result options are unique to this analysis type.
See the Using Results (p. 2023) section for more information.
5.2.2. Prestressed Coupled Field Harmonic Analysis

Mechanical enables you to specify an upstream Coupled Field Static (p. 395) analysis whose effects
are used to perform a downstream Coupled Field Harmonic analysis. The supported physics combin-
ations include:
• Coupling of Electrostatic and Structural physics
• Electrostatic Structural coupling with Acoustics physics
• Electrostatic Structural coupling with Piezoelectric coupling
Points to Remember
• To perform a prestressed Coupled Field Harmonic analysis you need to first perform a Coupled
Field Static (p. 395) analysis, and properly link it to the downstream coupled field analysis.
Region object(s):
body.
• Any change to the physics settings in the upstream analysis will be automatically reflected in the
downstream analysis
• The Thermal physics type is not supported. If this physics type is active in the upstream analysis,
the downstream analysis will be invalid.

Because this analysis is linked to (and based on) structural responses, a Coupled Field Static analysis
is a prerequisite. This setup enables the two analysis systems to share resources, such as Engineering
Data, Geometry, and the boundary condition type definitions that are defined the in the structural
analysis.
From the Toolbox, drag a Coupled Field Static template to the Project Schematic. Then, drag a
Coupled Field Harmonic template directly onto the Solution cell of the structural template.
Tip:
You can create a pre-stress environment in a Coupled Field Harmonic system that is
already open in Mechanical by:
1. Selecting the Coupled Field Static option from the Analysis drop-down menu
on the Home (p. 42) (or displayed) tab.
2. Setting the Pre-Stress Environment property (of the Pre-Stress object) to the
Coupled Field Static system.

The downstream Coupled Field Harmonic analysis supports the following Analysis Settings (p. 1501):
• Rotordynamics Controls (p. 1577)
• Damping Controls (p. 1549)
Analysis Types

The Pre-Stress object of the Coupled Field Harmonic analysis must point to the linked Coupled
Field Static analysis.
Note:
• All structural loads, including Inertial (p. 1610) loads, such as Acceleration and Rotational
Velocity, are deleted from the Harmonic analysis portion of the simulation once the
loads are applied as initial conditions (p. 354). This is a result of the Load Control property
of the Pre-Stress object being set (by default) to the Keep All Displacements as Zero.
You can modify this to property to control load generation. See the description of the
Load Control property in the Pre-Stress object reference for more information. Also see
the Mechanical APDL command PERTURB,HARM,,,DZEROKEEP for more details.
• For Pressure boundary conditions in the Static Structural analysis: if you define the load
with the Normal To option for faces (3D) or edges (2-D), you could experience an addi-
tional stiffness contribution called the "pressure load stiffness" effect. The Normal To
option causes the pressure acts as a follower load, which means that it continues to act
in a direction normal to the scoped entity even as the structure deforms. Pressure loads
defined with the Components or Vector options act in a constant direction even as the
structure deforms. For a same magnitude, the "normal to" pressure and the compon-
ent/vector pressure can result in significantly different results in the follow-on Full-Har-
monic Analysis. See the Pressure Load Stiffness (p. 358) topic in the Applying Pre-Stress
Effects for Implicit Analysis (p. 357) Help Section for more information about using a pre-
stressed environment.
• If displacement loading is defined with Displacement, Remote Displacement, Nodal

Displacement, or Bolt Pretension (specified as Lock, Adjustment, or Increment) loads
in the Static Structural analysis, these loads become fixed boundary conditions for the
Harmonic solution. This prevents the displacement loads from becoming a sinusoidal
load during the Harmonic solution. If you define a Nodal Displacement in the Harmonic
analysis at the same location and in the same direction as in the Structural Static analysis,
it overwrites the previous loading condition and/or boundary condition in the Harmonic
solution.
• If a voltage is defined in the Coupled Field Static analysis, all non-zero voltages are set
to zero for the Harmonic solution. If you define voltage at the same location in the
Harmonic solution, the previous loading is overwritten.

The Environment Context (p. 64) tab provides the following for the prestressed Coupled Field Har-
monic analysis:
Inertial Acoustic Excitations
Acceleration (p. 1610) (Phase Angle is not Mass Source

supported.)
Surface Velocity
Acoustic Loads Diffuse Sound Field
Incident Wave Source
Temperature
Port in Duct
Impedance Sheet
Static Pressure Note:
Acoustic Boundary Conditions
Incident Wave Source and
Port in Duct must use a Port
Pressure defined in the Harmonic
Impedance Boundary Acoustics analysis.
Absorption Surface
Radiation Boundary Direct FE
Absorption Element
Nodal Force (p. 1840)
Free Surface
Nodal Pressure (p. 1844) (Phase Angle
Thermo-Viscous BLI Boundary is not supported.)
Rigid Wall Nodal Displacement (p. 1847) - At
Symmetry Plane least one non-zero Component is
required for the boundary condition
Port
to be fully defined.
Far-field Radiation Surface
These load can only be scoped to
node-based Named Selection and only
support constant loading.
Note:
Any other boundary

conditions must be defined
in the prerequisite (parent)
static Analysis, such as
Support Type boundary
conditions.
Electric
Voltage (p. 1744) (can be scoped to Voltage Coupling defined in upstream Coupled
Field Static[a])
Voltage (Ground) (p. 1750)
Analysis Types
Voltage Coupling (p. 1819)
[a] If you apply a Voltage load, without the use of Voltage Coupling scoping option, to any
of the geometries included in the Voltage Coupling condition defined in the upstream
system, the entities will no longer be coupled and will be overwritten.
Results
See the Using Results (p. 2023) section for descriptions of all supported result types.
All results generally default to the corresponding physics setting, that is, All Acoustic Bodies, All
Structural Bodies, or All Electric Bodies. You can individually scope most results to mesh or geometric
entities on bodies.
5.2.3. Coupled Field Modal Analysis

in a modal environment:
Note:
Points to Remember
• You can use an upstream Coupled Field Static (p. 395) analysis to prestress a Coupled Field Mod-
al (p. 392) analysis.
Region object(s):
body.

For this analysis, the physics types available for the Physics Region object include:
• Structural
• Acoustics
• Electric (Charge)
When Structural property is set to Yes and Electric property is set to Charge, the Coupling Option
category, that includes the Piezoelectric property displays and indicates that the region is a piezo-
electric region (read-only setting of Yes).

The analysis type supports the following Analysis Settings (p. 1501):
• Solver Controls (p. 1512)
Analysis Types

The Environment Context tab (p. 64) provides the various groups of loads, supports, and conditions.
In addition, the following Electric loads and boundary conditions are specific to Coupled Field
Modal analyses:
Results
Note that for many results, the default setting for geometry selection is either All Structural Bodies,
All Acoustic Bodies, or All Electric Bodies, depending on the given result type.
Important:
To evaluate the Electric Field Intensity or Electric Flux Density results, be sure that you set
the properties that compute the elemental results (Stress, Strain, etc.) in the Output Con-
trols of the Analysis Settings to Yes.
5.2.4. Prestressed Coupled Field Modal Analysis

Mechanical enables you to specify an upstream Coupled Field Static (p. 395) analysis whose effects
are to be used to perform a downstream Coupled Field Modal analysis. The supported physics com-
binations include:
Points to Remember
• To perform a prestressed Coupled Field Modal analysis you need to first perform a Coupled Field
Static analysis, and properly link it to the downstream coupled field analysis.
Region object(s):
body.
• Any change to the physics settings in the upstream analysis will be automatically reflected in the
downstream analysis
• The Thermal physics type is not supported. If this physics type is active in the upstream analysis,
the downstream analysis will be invalid.

Because this analysis is linked to (and based on) structural responses, a Coupled Field Static analysis
is a prerequisite. This setup enables the two analysis systems to share resources, such as Engineering
Data, Geometry, and the boundary condition type definitions that are defined the in the structural
analysis.
From the Toolbox, drag a Coupled Field Static template to the Project Schematic. Then, drag a
Coupled Field Modal template directly onto the Solution cell of the structural template.
Tip:
You can create a pre-stress environment in a Coupled Field Modal system that is already
open in Mechanical by:
1. Selecting the Coupled Field Static option from the Analysis drop-down menu
2. Setting the Pre-Stress Environment property (of the Pre-Stress object) to the
Coupled Field Static system.

The downstream Coupled Field Modal analysis supports the following Analysis Settings (p. 1501):
Analysis Types

The Pre-Stress object of the Coupled Field Modal analysis must point to the upstream Coupled Field
Static analysis.
Note:
• When you perform a pre-stressed Modal analysis, the support conditions from the static
analysis are used in the Modal analysis. You cannot apply any new supports in the
Modal analysis portion of a pre-stressed modal analysis. When you link your Modal
analysis to a Structural analysis, all structural loading conditions, including Inertial loads,
such as Acceleration and Rotational Velocity, are deleted from the Modal portion of the
simulation. This is a result of the Load Control property of the Pre-Stress object being
set (by default) to the Keep All Displacements as Zero. You can modify this to property
to control load generation. See the description of the Load Control property in the Pre-
Stress object reference for more information. Also see the Mechanical APDL command
PERTURB,MODAL,,,DZEROKEEP for more details.
• For a Pressure (p. 1630) load in the Coupled Field Static analysis: if you define the load
with the Normal To option for faces (3D) or edges (2-D), you could experience an addi-
tional stiffness contribution called the "pressure load stiffness" effect. The Normal To
option causes the pressure to act as a follower load, which means that it continues to
act in a direction normal to the scoped entity even as the structure deforms. Pressure
loads defined with the Components or Vector options act in a constant direction even
as the structure deforms. For the same magnitude, the "normal to" pressure and the
component/vector pressure can result in significantly different modal results in the follow-
on Modal Analysis. See the Pressure Load Stiffness (p. 358) topic in the Applying Pre-
Stress Effects for Implicit Analysis (p. 357) section for more information about using a
pre-stressed environment.
• If displacement loading is defined with either the Displacement (p. 1784), Remote Displace-
ment (p. 1792), Nodal Displacement (p. 1847), or Bolt Pretension (p. 1679) (specified as a Lock,
Adjustment, or Increment) in the Static Structural analysis, these loads become fixed
boundary conditions for the Modal solution. If the Modal solution is followed by a Har-
monic solution, these displacement loads become fixed boundary conditions for the
Harmonic solution as well. This prevents the displacement loads from becoming a sinus-
oidal load during the Harmonic solution.

The Environment Context tab (p. 64) provides the following for the prestressed Coupled Field Modal
analysis:
Acoustic Acoustic Boundary Conditions

Loads
Temperature Pressure
Impedance Impedance Boundary
Sheet Absorption Surface
Static Radiation Boundary
Pressure
Absorption Element
Free Surface
Thermo-Viscous BLI Boundary
Rigid Wall
Symmetry Plane
Port
Any structural and/or electric support used in the Coupled Field Static analysis persists. Therefore,
you are not allowed to add new support in the pre-stressed Coupled Field Modal analysis.
Results
See the Using Results (p. 2023) section for descriptions of all supported result types.
All results generally default to the corresponding physics setting, that is, All Acoustic Bodies, All
Structural Bodies, or All Electric Bodies. You can individually scope most of the results to mesh or
geometric entities on bodies.
5.2.5. Coupled Field Static Analysis

The Coupled Field Static analysis simulates the steady state interaction of different physics types (see
below). This section assumes that you have an understanding of the general workflow for performing
a simulation. See the Application Examples and Background (p. 404) section for an overview of types
of problems that use coupled structural-thermal solutions as well as some examples.
in a static environment:
• Coupling of Structural and Thermal physics
• Piezoelectric (charge-based) coupling
• Piezoelectric (charge-based) coupling with Acoustics physics
Analysis Types
• Coupling of Thermal and Electric conduction physics
• Coupling of Structural and Thermoelectric conduction
• Stand-alone Electrostatic
Note:
Piezoelectric (charge-based) analyses couple structural and electric physics with ma-
terials that have natural properties, such as quartz and ceramics.
Points to Remember
When beginning the analysis, you need to properly define the:
• The application automatically inserts an Initial Physics Options object in order to specify an
initial and reference temperature for the analysis.
• To simulate the thermoviscoelasticity coupling effect, the Viscoelastic Heating condition (p. 1836)
must be scoped to a body whose material assignment includes the Viscoelastic material
properties Prony Shear Relaxation and Prony Volumetric Relaxation, as defined in Engin-
eering Data.
• To simulate the thermoplasticity coupling effect, the Plastic Heating (p. 1834) condition object
can be added and must be scoped to bodies whose material properties has the Plasticity effects
• When performing an Electrostatic Structural analysis:
– Set the Large Deflection property (Analysis Settings > Solver Controls (p. 1512)) to On.
– Specify your mesh using a single layer of low-order elements (no mid-side nodes) to
avoid air mesh distortion. A quadrilateral mesh that collapses uniaxially typically works
best.
• When you specify a Physics Region using only the Electric property, set to Charge (electro-
static elements), make sure that the material assigned to the scoped bodies includes relative
permittivity definition.
• When your analysis includes electrostatic elements, the application automatically sets the
electric charge reaction sign to negative. See the SOLID122 section (or PLANE121 and SOLID123)
of the Mechanical APDL Element Reference for this KEYOPT setting.
• When performing a standalone Electrostatic analysis, the application automatically specifies

the Contact Region object property, Small Sliding (p. 1156) as No. This applies to all contact
conditions.
As needed throughout the analysis, refer to the Steps for Using the Application (p. 327) section for an
overview the general analysis workflow.
Define Initial Physics Options

Specify the temperature settings and values of the Initial Physics Options object. You use the Initial
Physics Options object to specify the initial temperature and reference temperature of the
parts/bodies specified as either Thermal or Structural (using the Physics Region object) during a
Coupled Field Static (p. 395) analysis. For the Structural Settings, you specify a Reference Temperature.
Typically for most other analysis types in Mechanical, you define a Reference Temperature from the
Environment object.

During a Coupled Field analysis, a Physics Region object is automatically included. All of the bodies
of the model must have a physics type specified by a Physics Region object. You use this object to
specify the geometry bodies that belong to the supported physics types. By default, the Structural
and Thermal properties are set to Yes. The Coupled Field Static analysis provides the following
physics types.
• Structural
• Acoustics
• Thermal: Note that when the Structural and Thermal properties are set to Yes (default set-
tings), the Coupling Options category displays. This category includes the Thermal Strain
property. You use this property to specify the thermoelasticity coupled effects included through
the Thermal Strain. Options include Program Controlled, Strong, and Weak.
• Electric: The options for this property include No, Charge, and Conduction. Review the
Physics Region object reference page for property descriptions.

The analysis type supports the following Analysis Settings:
• Step Controls (p. 1502)
Analysis Types
• Restart Controls (p. 1522)
• Restart Analysis (p. 1521)
• Radiosity Controls (p. 1530)
• Nonlinear Controls (p. 1554)
Note:
To improve convergence for thermal-electric coupling, set the Nonlinear Controls

property, Line Search, to the On setting.
• Visibility (p. 1579)

The Environment Context tab (p. 64) provides the various groups of loads, supports, and conditions,
including various Acoustic loads and boundary conditions (p. 1628) and the following Electric loads
and boundary conditions are specific to Coupled Field Static analyses:
• Voltage (p. 1744) (Supports Phase Angle)
• Current (p. 1747)
In addition, and depending upon physics definitions, the following Conditions (p. 1816) are specific to
Coupled Field Static analyses:
• Plastic Heating (p. 1834)
• Viscoelastic Heating (p. 1836)
Results
The Solution Context tab (p. 65) provides the various groups of result options. The analysis supports
Structural (p. 2197), Thermal (p. 2257), and Electric (p. 2265) Probes. For many result objects, the default
setting for geometry is either All Structural, All Electric, All Acoustics or All Thermal Bodies, de-
pending on the given result type.
5.2.6. Coupled Field Transient Analysis

in a transient environment:
• Coupling of Structural and Thermal physics
• Coupling of Thermal and Electric Conduction physics
• Coupling of Structural and Thermoelectric Conduction
• Piezoelectric (charge-based) Coupling
• Piezoelectric coupling (charge-based) with Acoustics physics
Note:
Points to Remember
• The application automatically inserts an Initial Physics Options object for this analysis type.
• The Physics Region object(s):
Analysis Types
body.
• To simulate the thermoviscoelasticity coupling effect, the Viscoelastic Heating condition (p. 1836)
must be scoped to a body whose material assignment includes the Viscoelastic material properties
Prony Shear Relaxation and Prony Volumetric Relaxation, as defined in Engineering Data.
• To simulate the thermoplasticity coupling effect, the Plastic Heating (p. 1834) condition object can
be added and must be scoped to bodies whose material properties has the Plasticity effects
• When performing an Electrostatic Structural analysis:
– Set the Large Deflection property (Analysis Settings > Solver Controls (p. 1512)) to On.
– Specify your mesh using a single layer of low-order elements (no mid-side nodes) to avoid
air mesh distortion. A quadrilateral mesh that collapses uniaxially typically works best.
overview the of general analysis workflow.
Define Initial Physics Options

Specify the temperature settings and values of the Initial Physics Options object. You use the Initial
Physics Options object to specify the initial temperature and reference temperature of the
parts/bodies specified as either Thermal or Structural (using the Physics Region object) during a
Coupled Field Transient (p. 399) analysis. For the thermal field, you specify an Initial Temperature as
either Uniform or Non-Uniform (Transient only). For the Structural Setting, you specify a Reference
Temperature. Typically for most other analysis types in Mechanical, you define a Reference Temperature
from the Environment object.
Important:
Currently, the Coupled Field Transient analysis only supports the Uniform Temperature
option for the Initial Temperature property. However, the Non-Uniform Temperature
setting is available when Beta Options are active.

The analysis type supports the following Analysis Settings:
• Step Controls (p. 1502) (see below)
• Restart Controls (p. 1522)
• Radiosity Controls (p. 1530)
• Nonlinear Controls (p. 1554)
Note:
To improve convergence for thermal-electric coupling, set the Nonlinear Controls

property, Line Search, to the On setting.
• Visibility (p. 1579)
For a Coupled Field Transient analysis when the Time Integration property is set to On (default),
based on the active physics of the environment, the following additional properties display and enable
you to specify whether to turn a physics field on or off:
• Structural Only: Options include Off and On (default).
• Thermal Only: Options include Off and On (default) .
• Electric Only: Options include Off and On (default). Supported only for Electric (Conduction)
physics only.
Note:
For the Acoustics and Electric (Charge) physics properties, Time Integration property is
automatically set to On.
Note:
For thermal-electric coupling and stand-alone acoustics physics, the application uses the
Newmark Time integration method. For all other coupling and physics combinations, ap-
plication uses the HHT time integration method. See the Transient analysis section of the
Mechanical APDL Theory Reference for more information.

During a Coupled Field analysis, a Physics Region object is automatically included. All of the bodies
of the model must have a physics type specified by a Physics Region object. You use this object to
specify the geometry bodies that belong to the supported physics types. By default, the Structural
and Thermal properties are set to Yes.
The Coupled Field Transient analysis provides the following physics types.
• Structural
• Acoustics
Analysis Types
• Thermal: Note that when the Structural and Thermal properties are set to Yes (default set-
tings), the Coupling Options category displays. This category includes the following properties:
– Thermal Strain. You use this property to specify the thermoelasticity coupled effects
included through the thermal strain. Options include Program Controlled (default),
Strong, and Weak.
– Thermoelastic Damping: Either On or Off (default).
• Electric: The options for this property include No, Charge, and Conduction. Review the
Physics Region object reference page for property descriptions.

The Environment Context tab (p. 64) provides the various groups of loads, supports, and conditions,
including various Acoustic loads and boundary conditions (p. 1628) and the following Electric loads
and boundary conditions:
• Voltage (p. 1744)
In addition, and depending upon physics definitions, the following Conditions (p. 1816) are available:
• Voltage Coupling (p. 1819) (Electric)
• Plastic Heating (p. 1834) (Structural-Thermal)
• Viscoelastic Heating (p. 1836) (Structural-Thermal)
As needed, see the Boundary Conditions (p. 1585) section for additional information.
Results
The Solution Context tab (p. 65) provides the various groups of result options. The analysis supports
Structural (p. 2197), Thermal (p. 2257), and Electric (p. 2265) Probes. For many result objects, the default
setting for geometry is either All Structural, All Electric, All Acoustics or All Thermal Bodies, de-
pending on the given result type.
5.2.7. Limitations
General Limitations
Currently, Coupled Field analyses do not support the following features/capabilities:
• Fracture
• Solution Combination
• Fatigue Combination
• Fatigue Tool
• Condensed Parts
• General Axisymmetric Symmetry
Analysis Type Limitations

Coupled Field Harmonic
The Coupled Field Harmonic analysis does not support the MSUP setting for the Solution
Method property and cannot include an upstream pre-stress system.
Piezoelectric Analysis (Harmonic or Modal)
For a Piezoelectric analysis (Harmonic or Modal), any specifications in the Damping Controls (p. 1549)
(Analysis Settings) do not contribute to the damping energy or associated losses. Instead, you
need to specify damping in the Engineering Data workspace by defining the properties of the
Material Dependent Damping group and/or Damping Factors.
Coupled Field Transient
The Coupled Field Transient analysis does not support the Mode-Superposition (MSUP) solution
method. As a result, it cannot be linked to an upstream Coupled Field Modal analysis.
External Model Limitations

Note the following limitations associated with importing data from an External Model system:
• You can import structural and thermal data for Coupled Field Static and Coupled Field
Transient analyses only.
• The lower-order 2D elements is not supported.
Boundary Condition Limitations

Boundary conditions cannot be imported from a Harmonic Response analysis to a Coupled Field
Harmonic analysis.
Analysis Types
And, when importing data from an External Data (p. 745) system, only the following imported
loads (p. 1857) are supported:
• Imported Heat Flux
• Imported Temperature
• Imported Body Temperature (Imported Thermal Condition)
5.2.8. Application Examples and Background
Coupled Piezoelectric
You can employ piezoelectric solutions for problems such as:
• Direct piezoelectric effects for sensing technology and the converse effects for actuation
technology.
• Active noise control (ANC) and active vibration control (AVC) to minimize sound energy radiated
by structures by using smart piezoelectric materials.
• Piezoelectric energy harvesting (PEH) to transform the kinetic energy of vibration and pressure
into electric power.
• Non-destructive evaluation of structures looking at wave signatures, for example, diagnostic

signs of construction defects by using piezoelectric materials as sensors and transducers.
Specific coupled structural-electrical engineering applications include:
• Ultrasound Imaging: Piezoelectric transducers are used in ultrasound imaging as a transmitter

or receiver.
• Oil and Gas Logging: Piezoelectric transmitters and receivers are used extensively (in addition
to acoustic-structural modeling) to ping the well casing and understand well integrity.
• Underwater Sonar Application: Piezoelectric material are used for wave generation and for
receiving and interpreting the signals.
• BAW/SAW Waveguides: Piezoelectric waveguides are used to filter signals exploiting the
resonance/antiresonance with applications in 5G technology.
• Touchscreen Sensors: Piezoelectric layers can act as pressure and force sensors. It can provide
accurate, high-frequency, and rapid response. And it is widely used in industrial and aerospace
applications.
• Piezoelectric MEMS Microphones: Piezoelectric microphones can provide large capacitance

and it does not require bias voltage or backplate. It is also useful for prototyping microphones
with unconventional geometries.
• Piezoelectric Mass Sensor: Piezoelectric devices are used for highly sensitive mass sensing
by observing the shift in resonant frequencies.
• Piezoelectric Gyroscopes: Piezoelectric material induced vibrations in MEMS gyroscopes can

be used for orientation measurements due to added Coriolis effect during rotation.
• Piezoelectric Motors: Ultra-sensitive piezoelectric linear and rotary motors can be used for
nanometer scale precision on positioning with applications in various dynamic control applic-
ations.
• Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) Gyroscope: As a part rotates, the Coriolis force

will create an electrical current. MEMS gyroscopes are ultra-small, ultra-lightweight, and quick
response.
Coupled Structural-Thermal
You can employ coupled structural-thermal solutions for problems such as:
• Large mechanical deformations where contact is established between surfaces late in the
solution. These contact conditions form new heat flow pathways.
• Internal heat generation because of mechanical deformations.
• Heat generation due to relative sliding between contacting surfaces.
• Thermal properties problems where materials are dependent on the mechanical solution and
vice-versa.
• Fracture or delamination problems where the material or structure undergoes deformations

that modify heat flow pathways.
• Nonlinear thermal boundary conditions where the non-linearity is dependent on the Mechan-
ical solution.
• Pressure and gap cases that depend on contact thermal properties.
Specific coupled structural-thermal engineering applications include:
• Brake Pad Heating: Relative sliding between the disc and brake pads cause significant frictional
heat generation.
• Plastic Seals: Large plastic deformation of seals cause temperatures to rise because of plastic
heating. This may lead to relaxation in contact pressure. In addition, when subjected to cyclic
pressure loads, the contact surfaces may generate frictional heating.
• Arc Welding: High temperature material deposition (through element birth) and subsequent
cooling may lead to distortions in the final geometrical shape because of thermal expansion/con-
traction.
• Friction Stir Welding: The process relies on frictional heat generation between the tool and
the workpiece, this necessitates using coupled thermal-structural analysis.
• Cancerous Tissue Ablation: RF waves are used for internal heat generation in cancerous cells
leading to ablation. Coupled thermal-structural analysis may be utilized in addition to model
this effect (in addition to element death).
Analysis Types
• Metal Forming: Plastic heat generation in regions undergoing large plastic deformations may
result in contraction/expansion leading to distortion of the final part.
• Vibration Isolation Pads: For high frequency applications there may be an increase in tem-
perature due to viscoelastic heating in vibration isolation pads leading to change in material
response and reduced fatigue life.
• Threaded Connectors: For high temperature applications local plastic heating near the threads
and frictional heating can lead to increase increased temperature, causing reduced fatigue life
because of thermomechanical fatigue.
• High-frequency Resonators: Thermoelastic damping may affect the harmonic response of

the resonators, coupled field thermal-structural solutions allow for including this effect.
• Hyperelastic Seal Fatigue: For high frequency loading, viscoelastic heating may lead to
changes in material behavior and also reduce fatigue life, coupled thermal-structural solutions
allow for including this effect.
• Thermal Barrier/Coating Ablation: Surface heat generation at the coating surfaces (such as
in ceramic thermal protection systems in space shuttle) causes the surface to ablate. Coupled
thermal-structural analysis may be utilized in addition to model this effect (in addition to ele-
ment death).
5.3. Electric Analysis
Introduction
An electric analysis supports Steady-State Electric Conduction. Primarily, this analysis type is used to
determine the electric potential in a conducting body created by the external application of voltage or
current loads. From the solution, other results items are computed such as conduction currents, electric
field, and joule heating.
An Electric Analysis supports single and multibody parts. Contact conditions are automatically established
between parts. In addition, an analysis can be scoped as a single step or in multiple steps.
An Electric analysis computes Joule Heating (p. 2264) from the electric resistance and current in the con-
ductor. This joule heating may be passed as a load to a Thermal analysis (p. 663) simulation using an
Imported Load (p. 1857) if the Electric analysis Solution data is to be transferred to Thermal analysis.
Similarly, an electric analysis can accept a Thermal Condition (p. 1861) from a thermal analysis to specify
temperatures in the body for material property evaluation of temperature-dependent materials.
Points to Remember
A steady-state electric analysis may be either linear (constant material properties) or nonlinear (temper-
ature dependent material properties). Additional details for scoping nonlinearities are described in the
Nonlinear Controls (p. 1554) section.
Once an Electric Analysis is created, Voltage (p. 1744) and Current (p. 1747) loads can be applied to any
conducting body. For material properties that are temperature dependent, a temperature distribution
can be imported using the Thermal Condition (p. 1861) option.
Electric Analysis
In addition, equipotential surfaces can be created using the Coupling Condition (p. 1816) load option.
Preparing the Analysis

Basic general information about this topic (p. 327)
... for this analysis type:
From the Toolbox, drag the Electric template to the Project Schematic.
Define Engineering Data
When using an Ansys license that includes the Emag license feature, only the following
material properties are allowed: Isotropic Resistivity, Orthotropic Resistivity, Relative
Permeability, Relative Permeability (Orthotropic), Coercive Force & Residual Induction,
B-H Curve, B-H Curve (Orthotropic), Demagnetization B-H Curve. You may have to turn
the filter off in the Engineering Data tab to suppress or delete those material proper-
ties/models that are not supported for the license.
Attach Geometry
Note that 3D shell bodies and line bodies are not supported in an electric analysis.
Mechanical does not support Rigid Bodies in electric analyses. For more information,
see the Stiffness Behavior documentation for Rigid Bodies (p. 880).
Define Connections
In an electric analysis, only bonded, face-face contact is valid. Any joints or springs are
ignored. For perfect conduction across parts, use the MPC formulation. To model contact
resistance, use Augmented Lagrange or Pure Penalty with a defined Electric Conduct-
ance (p. 1165).
Analysis Types
Apply Mesh Controls/Preview Mesh
Only higher order elements are allowed for an electric analysis.
Establish Analysis Settings
For an electric analysis, the basic Analysis Settings (p. 1501) include:
Step Controls (p. 1502)
These properties are used to specify the end time of a step in a single or multiple
step analysis.
Multiple steps are needed if you want to change load values, the solution settings,
or the solution output frequency over specific steps. Typically you do not need to
change the default values.
Output Controls (p. 1559)
These properties allow you to specify the time points at which results should be
available for postprocessing. A multi-step analysis involves calculating solutions at
several time points in the load history. However you may not be interested in all of
the possible results items and writing all the results can make the result file size
unwieldy. You can restrict the amount of output by requesting results only at certain
time points or limit the results that go onto the results file at each time point.
Analysis Data Management (p. 1572)
Common Analysis Data Management properties are available for this analysis type.
There is no initial condition specification for an Electric analysis.
The following loads are supported in a Steady-State Electric analysis:
Explicit Dynamics Analysis
• Coupling Condition (p. 1816) (Electric)
• Thermal Condition (p. 1708)
Solve
The Solution Information (p. 1927) object provides some tools to monitor solution pro-
gress.
Solution Output continuously updates any listing output from the solver and provides
valuable information on the behavior of the model during the analysis. Any convergence
data output in this printout can be graphically displayed as explained in the Solution
Information (p. 1927) section.
Review Results
Applicable results are all electric result types (p. 2264).
Once a solution is available, you can contour the results (p. 65) or animate the res-
ults (p. 2364) to review the responses of the model.
For the results of a multi-step analysis that has a solution at several time points, you can
use probes (p. 2025) to display variations of a result item over the steps.
You may also wish to use the Charts (p. 2036) feature to plot multiple result quantities
against time (steps). For example, you could compare current and joule heating. Charts
can also be useful when comparing the results between two analysis branches of the
same model.
5.4. Explicit Dynamics Analysis

Ansys Explicit Dynamics is a transient explicit dynamics Workbench application that can perform a
variety of engineering simulations, including the modeling of nonlinear dynamic behavior of solids,
fluids, gases and their interaction. Additionally, the LS-DYNA ACT extension is available to analyze a
model using the LS-DYNA solver. Detailed information for running an Explicit Dynamics analysis can be
found in the Explicit Dynamics Analysis Guide.
Analysis Types
5.5. Fracture Analysis

Fracture analysis deals with the computation of fracture parameters that help you design within the
limits of catastrophic failure of a structure. Fracture analysis assumes the presence of a crack in the
structure. The fracture parameters computed are Stress Intensity Factors (SIFS), J-Integral (JINT), Energy
Release Rates, Material Force, T-Stress and C*-Integral.
When a crack is associated with a SMART Crack Growth (p. 471) you can also compute Equivalent SIFS
Range fracture results and time history results (Fracture Probes (p. 2234)) on any crack front node.
A Fracture analysis requires that you define a crack using an available crack definition or to initiate a
crack by specifying criterion using the Crack Initiation (p. 470) feature. Since fracture parameter calculation
requires knowledge of the mesh characteristics around the crack, the mesh must be generated before
solving for fracture parameters. Fracture parameter computation is only applicable to Static Structur-
al (p. 658) and Transient Structural (p. 671) analyses.
The following sections further describe the aspects of a Fracture Analysis as well as additional features
available in the Fracture object of the application.
5.5.1. Fracture Analysis Workflows
5.5.2. Limitations of Fracture Analysis
5.5.3. Fracture Meshing
5.5.4. Cracks
5.5.5. SMART Crack Growth
5.5.6. Crack Initiation and Propagation using SMART Crack Growth
5.5.7. Interface Delamination and Contact Debonding
5.5.8. Multi-Point Constraint (MPC) Contact for Fracture
5.5.9. Solving a Fracture Analysis
5.5.10. Extracting Fracture Results from a Result File
Additional topics include:
Fracture Results (p. 2170)

Fracture Probes (p. 2234) (SMART Crack Growth Only)
Mechanical APDL References

See the Fracture Analysis Guide in the Mechanical APDL documentation for additional information about
fracture analyses. You may also wish to review the Fracture Analysis Benchmarks section. This section
provides a set of benchmark examples that you can use to evaluate fracture-analysis capabilities. The
benchmark results are compared with results from reference calculations, handbook solutions, and ex-
perimental testing.
5.5.1. Fracture Analysis Workflows

A Fracture analysis can be performed in two stages:
Fracture Analysis
1. Defining a crack and computing fracture parameters.
Fracture parameters help to design engineering structures within limits of catastrophic failure.
You can define a crack and compute the needed fracture parameters using the following
methods:
• Define Crack Location using any Analytical Crack Object (p. 411).
• Define an Arbitrary Crack using a Surface Body (p. 413).
• Imported Crack Mesh (Pre-Meshed Crack) (p. 415).
• Use Crack Initiation object to initiate a crack. (p. 479)
2. Analyze/study the crack growth.
You can study the crack growth phenomenon using the SMART Crack Growth (p. 471) object.
This object provides the following crack growth options:
• Fatigue: Use this option to model structures subjected to cyclic loading. Fatigue crack
growth model used is Paris’ law.
• Static: For this option, crack growth modeling is based on selected fracture parameters
(SIFS or J-Integral) and criteria.
For additional technical information, refer to the Understanding Crack-Growth Mechanics
section in the Mechanical APDL Fracture Analysis Guide.
This section describes the typical workflow for computing fracture parameters in the static structural
analysis that contains cracks. The typical workflows are shown below:
Note:
For all workflows, the static structural analysis supports imported thermal loads from both
steady-state thermal or transient thermal analysis by linking the set up cell of the static
structural analysis to the upstream steady-state thermal or transient thermal analysis.
Define Crack Location using any Analytical Crack Object

The steps shown below describe setting up the fracture analysis when using a Semi-Elliptical
Crack, Elliptical Crack, Ring Crack, Corner Crack, Edge Crack, Through Crack, and/or a Cylindrical Crack.
Note:
You can also use these steps to compute fracture parameters in a Transient Structural
analysis that contains cracks.
1. In Ansys Workbench, insert a Static Structural analysis in the project schematic.
2. Select a geometry.
3. Launch Mechanical.
Analysis Types
4. Define a coordinate system location for the crack you will define. Note the following:
• For semi-elliptical and edge cracks, the specified coordinate system must be located on
one of the surfaces of a solid body.
• For elliptical, through, cylindrical, and ring cracks, the specified coordinate system must
be located inside of a solid body.
• For corner cracks, the specified coordinate system can be located on the corner edge or
close to corner of a solid body.
5. Align the axes of the coordinate system of the crack such that the direction of the specified co-
ordinate system's Y-Axis is normal to the crack surface
For Semi-Elliptical cracks lying on curved surfaces, ensure that the coordinate system's X-Axis is
normal to the surface of the body at the coordinate system location. See Creating a Coordinate
System Based on a Surface Normal (p. 1100) for details on how to orient such a coordinate system
on a curved surface.
6. Insert a Fracture folder in the Outline.
Note:
If you have an import base mesh that is hex-dominant, set Re-mesh Hex-dominant
to Tetrahedral property of the Fracture folder to On. This setting automatically re-
meshes an imported hex-dominant base mesh, on the solid body of an analytical crack
object, to a tetrahedral mesh. The resulting mesh is used to generate the initial crack
mesh for the fracture parameters calculation and SMART Crack Growth.
7. Insert any analytical crack, such as a Semi-Elliptical Crack, object under the Fracture folder.
8. Specify the properties of the specified crack.
9. Generate the mesh by right-clicking the Fracture folder and selecting Generate All Crack Meshes.
10. Apply loads and boundary conditions. As needed, apply pressure on the crack face using a
Nodal Pressure (p. 1844). Nodal pressure can be scoped using the automatically generated crack
face Named Selection created under the crack object.
11. Ensure the Fracture setting under Fracture Controls (p. 1529) in the Analysis Settings is turned
On.
12. Solve the simulation.
13. Insert the Fracture Tool and specify the desired crack using the Crack Selection property.
14. Insert desired fracture results under the Fracture Tool.
15. Post-process the fracture results.
16. Export to Excel or copy/paste from the chart if necessary.
Fracture Analysis
Supplementary Steps to Define an Analytical Crack Object on Imported Base Mesh

Use the following steps to configure your simulation on the Project Schematic in order to specify
an analytical crack object on a mesh imported from External Model or Mechanical Model (p. 1027).
External Model
1. From Ansys Workbench, insert an External Model system into the Project Schematic.
2. Open the Setup cell of the External Model tab and select the desired .cdb-based mesh that
contains a solid body with tetrahedron/hex-dominant mesh. Return to the Project page and
update the system.
3. Insert a Static Structural analysis.
4. Connect the fully-defined External Model upstream system to the downstream Static
Structural analysis.
5. Launch Mechanical from the Static Structural system and then follow the steps from the
above Define Crack Location using any Analytical Crack Object topic, beginning with Step
4.
Mechanical Model
1. From Ansys Workbench, insert a Mechanical Model system into the Project Schematic.
2. Using the Geometry cell, specify solid body/bodies needed to define the crack.
3. Open the Model cell of the Mechanical Model system and mesh the solid bodies with either
tetrahedron/hex-dominant mesh.
4. Return to the Project page and update the Mechanical Model system.
6. Connect the fully-defined Mechanical Model upstream system to the downstream Static
7. Launch Mechanical from the Static Structural system and then follow the steps from the
above Define Crack Location using any Analytical Crack Object topic, beginning with Step
4.
Define an Arbitrary Crack using a Surface Body

The steps shown below describe how to set up a fracture analysis using the Arbitrary Crack object
during a Static Structural analysis. You can follow same steps to set up fracture analysis for a Transient
Structural Analysis.
1. From Ansys Workbench, insert a Static Structural analysis into the Project Schematic.
2. Input the geometry, which has a surface body (and will represent crack surface).
Analysis Types
4. Create a Coordinate System. The Y axis must be directed towards the normal of the crack's top
face and the X axis helps to determine the crack extension direction.
5. Insert a Fracture folder in to the tree Outline.
Note:
If you have an import base mesh that is hex-dominant, set Re-mesh Hex-dominant
to Tetrahedral property of the Fracture folder to On. This setting automatically re-
meshes an imported hex-dominant base mesh, on the solid body of a Arbitrary Crack
object, to a tetrahedral mesh. The resulting mesh is used to generate the initial crack
mesh for the fracture parameters calculation and SMART Crack Growth.
6. Using the Fracture Context Tab (p. 54) or the context menu (right-click the folder), insert an Ar-
bitrary Crack object into the Fracture folder.
7. Specify the properties of the Arbitrary Crack object.
8. Right-click the Fracture folder and select Generate All Crack Meshes to generate the mesh.
9. Apply loads and boundary conditions. As needed, apply pressure on the crack face using the
Nodal Pressure (p. 1844) boundary condition. You can scope this boundary condition using the
automatically generated crack-face Named Selection created under the object.
10. Make sure that the Fracture property under the Fracture Controls (p. 1529) of the Analysis Settings
is turned to On.
11. Solve.
12. Add the Fracture Tool and scope it to the Arbitrary Crack object and add desired fracture results.
13. Post process the fracture results.
Supplementary Steps to Define Arbitrary Crack on Imported Base Mesh

Use the following steps to configure your simulation on the Project Schematic in order to specify
an Arbitrary Crack on a mesh imported from External Model.
2. Open the External Model tab and select the desired .cdb-based mesh that contains a solid body
(that may also contain a surface body to define the crack shape) with tetrahedron mesh. Return
to the Project page and update the system.
Note:
If the imported .cdb- based mesh file contains a surface body that can be used to
define the crack shape, you can jump to Step 6.
Fracture Analysis
3. Insert a Mechanical Model system.
Note:
If the imported .cdb-based mesh doesn't contain a surface body, then the
Mechanical Model system is required to import the surface body (including its
mesh) individually for later use when defining the Arbitrary Crack surface.
4. Using the Geometry cell of the Mechanical Model system, specify a surface body. This surface
body represents crack surface. The crack surface must intersect with at least one face of the solid
body specified in the External Model system and must not be embedded inside of the solid body.
5. Update the Mechanical Model system
7. Connect the fully-defined External Model and Mechanical Model (if defined above) upstream
systems to the downstream Static Structural analysis.
Note:
Review Assembling External Models and Mechanical Models (p. 1027) section for addi-
tional information.
8. Launch Mechanical from the Static Structural system and then follow the steps from the above
Define an Arbitrary Crack using a Surface Body topic, beginning with Step 4.
Important:
• Arbitrary Crack mesh generated on an imported base mesh could affect the existing
mesh (nodal and element) based Named Selection objects.
• When you have an Arbitrary Crack specified on an imported base mesh, the applic-
ation of imported loads or constraints is not supported because the Arbitrary Crack
mesh generation could affect the existing mesh (nodes) during remeshing.
Imported Crack Mesh (Pre-Meshed Crack)

This workflow describes using the Pre-Meshed Crack object for the computation of fracture parameters
in 2D and 3D analysis using imported crack mesh. You can follow same steps to set up a Fracture
analysis for a Transient Structural Analysis.
2. Open the External Model tab and select the desired .cdb-based mesh that contains the crack
mesh and its definition. Return to the Project page and update the system.
Analysis Types
3. Insert a Static Structural analysis in the Project Schematic.
4. Connect the Setup cell of the External Model system to Model cell of the Static Structural system.
6. Create a Coordinate System with a Y axis perpendicular to the crack faces.
7. Insert a Fracture folder in the Outline.
8. Insert a Pre-Meshed Crack object under the Fracture folder.
9. Specify the Pre-Meshed Crack object details.
10. Associate the Pre-Meshed Crack object with the newly created Coordinate System.
11. Apply load and boundary conditions.
Note:
You cannot apply Pressure loads to the crack face. You can only apply Nodal
Pressures (p. 1844) on a structured mesh via node-based Named Selections for the
nodes defining the crack face.
12. Ensure the Fracture setting under Fracture Controls (p. 1529) in the Analysis Settings is turned
On.
13. Solve.
14. Add the Fracture Tool and desired fracture results.
15. Post process the fracture results.
Note:
In 2D, you can draw the crack in the same model using DesignModeler and generate the
crack mesh using the mesh connection feature.
5.5.2. Limitations of Fracture Analysis

This section describes the limitations for the generation of a crack mesh on the supported crack types
(semi-elliptical, elliptical, ring, or arbitrary). In addition, it describes the limitations in the computation
of fracture parameters for these crack types, including the Pre-Meshed Crack object.
1. A Fracture analysis does not support adaptive mesh refinement.
2. For Arbitrary Crack, Semi-Elliptical Crack, Elliptical Crack, Ring Crack Corner Crack, Edge
Crack, Through Crack, and Cylindrical Crack objects, crack meshing requires that the base mesh
Fracture Analysis
is a quadratic tetrahedron mesh. Linear elements may exist farther away from the buffer zone on
the same body to which these cracks are scoped.
3. Only 3D analyses support semi-elliptical, elliptical, ring, and arbitrary cracks.
4. You can scope a Semi-Elliptical Crack, Elliptical Crack, Ring Crack, Corner Crack, Edge Crack,
Through Crack, or Cylindrical Crack to one solid body only.
5. You should define Semi-Elliptical cracks on the surfaces of a solid body only, and the crack cannot
span more than one face.
6. When the crack dimensions of an Elliptical Crack or a Ring Crack intersect with the free surfaces
of the solid body, the application only supports the Tetrahedrons option of the Mesh Method
property.
7. The Stiffness Behavior property of the geometry scoped to a Arbitrary Crack, Semi-Elliptical
Crack, Elliptical Crack, Ring Crack, Corner Crack, Edge Crack, Through Crack, or Cylindrical
Crack must be set to Flexible.
8. You can scope an Arbitrary Crack to one solid body only. And, you can only scope the Crack
Surface property of the crack to a single surface body.
9. The scoped crack front nodal selection of the Pre-Meshed Crack object must exist in geometries
with a flexible stiffness behavior definition.
10. It is not recommended that you specify a Part Transformation (p. 1052) on a body that includes an
Arbitrary Crack. This could lead to the application detecting an incorrect extension direction for
the crack front nodes.
11. Arbitrary Cracks can only be meshed with the Tetrahedrons Mesh Method (Mesh Method set to
Tetrahedrons).
12. Fracture parameter computations based on the VCCT technique are only supported for lower order
crack mesh. Hence, VCCT based fracture parameter computations are only supported for Pre-
Meshed Crack object.
13. In order to retain restart points when the Fracture property (Analysis Settings > Fracture Con-
trols (p. 1529)), is set to On, you must set the Generate Restart Points property (Analysis Settings
> Restart Controls (p. 1522)) to Manual.
14. Solution restarts are not supported if you are computing fracture parameters for SMART Crack
Growth.
15. Analytical crack or arbitrary crack top and bottom face nodes are not connected through any
constraint equation. Therefore, the nodes of the top face can penetrate the bottom face or vice
versa based on the applied loads and constraints. In these scenarios, you may need to create a
constraint equation between crack faces for the solution using the Commands (APDL) object.
16. The graphical view of a Semi-Elliptical Crack, Elliptical Crack, Ring Crack, Corner Crack, Edge
Crack, Through Crack, or Cylindrical Crack may differ from the generated mesh. For more in-
formation, see the section on Cracks (p. 427).
Analysis Types
17. The Arbitrary Crack, Semi-Elliptical Crack, Elliptical Crack, Ring Crack, Corner Crack, Edge
Crack, Through Crack, or Cylindrical Crack objects are not supported in combination with the
following features:
• Cyclic Region
• Structural Linear Periodic Symmetry Region
• Interface Delamination
18. Interpolated displacements for the facets in a surface construction object may fail to demonstrate
the proper deformation of a Semi-Elliptical crack. For more information, see Surface Displays and
Fracture (p. 2065).
19. In order to use the Fracture Tool to extract the fracture results and probe results from the results
file of another analysis using the Read Result Files option, it is necessary that the meshes from
both systems, including the crack mesh, match.
20. Fracture parameter calculations based on domain integrations such as SIFs, J-integral, or Material
Force are not supported when contact elements exist inside the domain. The calculations may
become path-dependent unless the contact pressure is negligible.
21. If you have a Hyperelastic material assigned in the analysis, only Material Force fracture results
are supported.
5.5.3. Fracture Meshing

The Meshing application supports fracture meshing capabilities enabling you to insert multiple surface
cracks and/or multiple embedded cracks (Elliptical and Ring) into the body mesh. This fracture mesh
can then be used to analyze crack fronts in Static Structural and Transient structural analyses. Fracture
meshing uses a Fracture object that can contain multiple Arbitrary Crack, Semi-Elliptical, Elliptical
Crack, Ring Crack, Corner Crack, Edge Crack, Through Crack, and/or Cylindrical Crack objects.
• Characteristics and Limitations of Fracture Meshing (p. 419)
– General (p. 420)
– For Semi-Elliptical Cracks (p. 422)
– For Arbitrary Cracks (p. 424)
Overview
The following figure illustrates many of the components of fracture meshing that are discussed
throughout this section. This figure is a sliced top view of a semi-elliptical crack.
Overview of Fracture Meshing Components
Fracture Analysis
1. Body to which the semi-elliptical crack is scoped.
2. Base mesh, which always consists of quadratic tetrahedron elements. For the generation of fracture
mesh, the base mesh inside and surrounding the region of the buffer zone (3) must be a quadratic
tetrahedron mesh. However, non-tetrahedron/linear mesh may exist farther away from the buffer
zone on the same body to which the semi-elliptical crack is scoped.
3. Buffer zone, which is always filled with quadratic tetrahedron elements.
4. Interface between the buffer zone (3) and the fracture affected zone (5), illustrated by the green
line. Contact pair 1 is defined at the interface between the elements in the buffer zone and the
elements in the fracture affected zone.
5. Fracture affected zone, which is filled with quadratic elements (hex and wedge).
6. Crack front, located along the crack shape and illustrated by the red line. The crack shape is semi-
elliptical.
7. Discontinuity planes, illustrated by the light blue shading. Consist of two planes at the same loc-
ation (the crack front plane).
For semi-elliptical, elliptical, or ring cracks, you use the Mesh Method property to specify the mesh
as either Hex Dominant (default) or Tetrahedrons.
Note:
When you specify the Mesh Method property as Tetrahedrons to mesh a supported
analytical crack, the application does not create the Fracture Affected Zone (Step 5) and
as a result the Interface (Step 4) does not exist. All other components remain the same.
Characteristics and Limitations of Fracture Meshing

Note the following information when using fracture meshing:
Analysis Types
General
• Fracture meshing is a post mesh process which occurs during a separate step after the base
mesh is generated. If you do not generate a base mesh before you invoke Generate All Crack
Meshes, the base mesh is generated first and the crack meshing occurs in a separate step after
base meshing is complete.
• When the Mesh Method property is set to Tetrahedrons, then meshing any analytical crack
does not generate contact pairs in the interface region of the crack mesh and base mesh.
Note:
When the free surfaces of a solid body intersect with either an Elliptical Crack or a
Ring Crack, the Hex Dominant setting for the Mesh Method property is not sup-
ported.
• For analytical cracks with a Tetrahedron mesh, the Largest Contour Radius and Mesh Contours
properties affect the crack mesh only when the Front Element Size property is set to Default.
These properties do not have an effect on the crack mesh when the Front Element Size
property is user defined. For Arbitrary cracks the Largest Contour Radius and Mesh Contour
properties do not have an effect on the crack mesh.
• For the base mesh inside and surrounding the region of the buffer zone, fracture meshing
supports quadratic tetrahedron elements only. Linear elements may exist farther away from
the buffer zone on the same body to which the analytical crack or arbitrary crack is scoped.
• Fracture meshing is a part-based meshing operation. It is supported for all part/body-based

tetrahedron mesh methods.
Fracture Analysis
• Fracture meshing does not support insertion of a crack that spans multiple bodies.
• The fracture mesh overrides the settings of the base mesh. You can insert an analytical crack
on topology to which a sizing control, match control, or mapped Face Meshing control is already
applied. However, fracture meshing does not respect sizing controls. It will also eliminate or
disable a match or mapped Face Meshing control. For example and as illustrated below, fracture
meshing has overwritten a mapped Face Meshing control.
• Fracture meshing does not support mesh refinement.
• Fracture meshing is supported for static structural and transient structural analyses only.
• Crack insertion does not alter the geometry/topology of a model.
• For Error Limits, fracture meshing supports the Standard Mechanical option only.
• Once inserted, the Fracture folder object:
– Cannot be suppressed.
– Can only be deleted if the folder is empty.
• All analytical crack objects can be suppressed, deleted, or duplicated. When a crack definition
changes after meshing, only the Fracture object in the tree Outline is invalidated.
• The plane for all analytical cracks except the Cylindrical Crack, always lies in the X-Z plane of
the specified coordinate system.
• The major radius of the semi-elliptical crack/elliptical crack/ring/corner crack grows in the Z
direction. The minor radius of the elliptical crack/ring crack grows in the X direction of the
specified coordinate system, and the minor radius grows of the semi-elliptical crack in the
positive X direction of the specified coordinate system.
• When you use the Part Transform (p. 1052) feature on a meshed model that has a crack specified
on a part, each time you change the Part Transform, the application clears the mesh on the
body with cracks and requires re-mesh of the crack-based body.
Analysis Types
For Semi-Elliptical Cracks
• Fracture meshing supports semi-elliptical crack insertion on planar surfaces and curved surfaces.
For curved surfaces, you can insert semi-elliptical cracks on convex or concave surfaces. If you
try to insert a single crack that extends across a surface that has both types of curves, crack
insertion may fail.
• Fracture meshing does not support semi-elliptical crack insertion at a corner.
• The specified coordinate system should lie on the surface of the body to which the semi-ellipt-
ical crack is scoped. If it does not, and the Project to Nearest Surface property is set to Yes,
the software projects the coordinate system onto the body’s surface and modifies the center
of the ellipse, as shown below.
In this case, you will need to define the Hit Point Normal and orient the primary axis. The
center of the ellipse is moved in the X direction so the major radius of the semi-elliptical crack
grows in the Z direction, and the minor radius grows in the positive X direction of the specified
coordinate system. The offset projects back to the surface of the body, making the offset close
to 0. The illustration below shows the resultant mesh. For more information on creating a co-
ordinate system aligned with a hit point, see the Creating a Coordinate System Based on a
Surface Normal (p. 1100) section of the help.
• You can use the Annotation Preferences dialog box to toggle the visibility of annotations for
cracks. For details, refer to the Probe, Maximum, and Minimum (p. 74) section of the help.
Fracture Analysis
• As illustrated by the figure below, the mesh generated for the mesh contours (black lines) will
not necessarily match the preview of the mesh contours (white lines).
• When cracks are inserted in curved surfaces, the projection of the crack template on the surface
may be slightly distorted on the template, as shown in the following figure.
• Illustrated below is the graphics preview of a semi-elliptical crack that uses the Tetrahedrons
Mesh Method. The graphics preview always shows the structured hex dominant shape irrespect-
ive of the mesh method selection. It does not accurately represent the generated crack mesh
as compared to the generated crack mesh image. However, you can use the preview to examine
the effect of the mesh parameters on the generated crack mesh.
Graphics Preview Generated Crack Mesh - Tetrahedrons

Mesh Method
Analysis Types
For Arbitrary Cracks
• Arbitrary cracks only support crack mesh generation using Tetrahedrons as the Mesh Method.
• Arbitrary crack supports both planar and non-planar crack.
• Arbitrary cracks support surface, embedded, through, and corner cracks.
• Fracture meshing of Arbitrary cracks automatically detects proper intersection points between
the crack surface body and its scoped geometry selection to extract the crack front. The image
shown below shows that even if the crack surface is extended beyond the surface of the scoped
geometry selection, the crack front nodes only include the intersection points and the points
that are located inside of the surface.
• When generating the mesh for an Arbitrary crack, it is required that the coordinate system is
selected such that the crack surface is located on both sides of the Z axis and that the crack
top face is located in the positive Y axis.
• You can define multiple cracks on the same body as long as their buffer zones do not intersect.
• The arbitrary crack mesh illustrated below displays the tetrahedrons as the mesh method used
to generate non-planar crack mesh. The crack front nodes of the generated crack mesh are
extracted from the intersection points of the crack surface to the cylinder body.
Fracture Analysis
Embedded and Intersecting Arbitrary Crack Mesh
You can also specify a crack surface body that is embedded inside a solid body or intersecting
the free surfaces of a solid body. Crack mesh generation using these crack surfaces enables
you to insert:
Arbitrary Elliptical Crack
Arbitrary Ring Crack
Analysis Types
Arbitrary Through Crack
Arbitrary Crack Intersecting Multiple Corners
Arbitrary Cylinder Crack
Fracture Analysis
5.5.4. Cracks
The following sections describe the crack definitions available for the Fracture feature.
5.5.4.1. Crack Overview
5.5.4.2. Defining an Arbitrary Crack
5.5.4.3. Defining a Semi-Elliptical Crack
5.5.4.4. Defining an Elliptical Crack
5.5.4.5. Defining a Ring Crack
5.5.4.6. Defining a Corner Crack
5.5.4.7. Defining an Edge Crack
5.5.4.8. Defining a Through Crack
5.5.4.9. Defining a Cylindrical Crack
5.5.4.10. Defining a Pre-Meshed Crack
5.5.4.11. Special Handling of Named Selections for Crack Objects
5.5.4.12. Initiate a Crack using Crack Initiation
5.5.4.1. Crack Overview

A crack is characterized by its shape, crack front/tip, crack discontinuity plane, crack normal, and
crack direction. A crack front in three dimensional analyses represents the line of separation of the
discontinuous crack surface. The same is represented by a crack tip in two dimensional analyses.
A crack inside Ansys Mechanical can be defined using a Semi-Elliptical Crack object, an Elliptical
Crack object, a Ring Crack object, or an Arbitrary Crack object, a Corner Crack object, an Edge
Crack object, a Through Crack object, a Cylindrical Crack object, or a Pre-Meshed Crack object.
These objects can be inserted under the Fracture folder.
Arbitrary Crack objects use a surface body selection to define an arbitrary crack shape in three
dimensional analyses. The exterior edges of the surface body define the crack front and the surface
itself defines the discontinuous crack plane.
Analytical cracks: Semi-Elliptical Crack, Elliptical Crack, Ring Crack, Arbitrary Crack, Corner Crack,
Edge Crack, Through Crack, and the Cylindrical Crack are analytical cracks.
Analysis Types
Analytical crack objects use the geometric parameters to define the crack shape and crack front in
three dimensional analyses. These geometric inputs along with additional input parameters on the
arbitrary crack and analytical crack object defines the region and shape of the generated crack
mesh. Internally, the crack mesh generation is performed after the creation of the base mesh. By
default, the crack mesh generation automatically creates a node-based named selection for the
crack front under the respective crack object.
A Pre-Meshed Crack definition assumes that the crack meshes, representing the discontinuity or
flaw in the structure, have already been generated. That is, the pre-meshed crack does not internally
generate the crack mesh using Fracture Meshing (p. 418), as other crack objects do, but instead as-
sumes that the crack mesh has been generated beforehand. A Pre-Meshed Crack object uses a
node-based named selection to analyze crack front; this nodal named selection is required for the
computation of fracture parameters. If a geometric edge represents a crack front, you must first
convert it to a node-based named selection using the Worksheet criteria before it can be used by
the Pre-Meshed Crack (p. 468) object. See the next section, Defining a Pre-Meshed Crack (p. 468),
for more information on the Pre-Meshed Crack.
The orientation of the crack plays a vital role in the fracture parameter calculations. All analytical
cracks except the Cylindrical Crack and Pre-Meshed Crack objects support planar cracks where
the crack normal can be defined using a single coordinate system. The orientation of all analytical
crack objects is reflected by its Crack Coordinate System, while the orientation of a Pre-Meshed
Crack object is reflected by its Coordinate System property setting. The orientation must be
defined such that the y-axis is normal to the crack surface while the x-axis helps align the crack
extension direction. Arbitrary Cracks on the other hand supports both planar and non-planar
cracks. The orientation of an Arbitrary Crack object is reflected by its Coordinate System property
setting. A single coordinate system cannot define the crack normal for non-planar cracks which is
varying along the crack front. Hence, the Y axis of the Coordinate System property setting is dir-
ected towards the crack top face normal and X axis helps align the crack extension direction.
Note:
When you insert a Commands (APDL) object under a crack, the object provides a Crack
Front Selection property that enable you to execute commands specific crack front
definitions. Property options include All (default), First, Last, and By Number. When
you select the By Number option, an additional property displays: Crack Front Number.
The default value for this property is All. You can use it to specify a desired value using
the entry tool that displays when you select the field.
Tip:
To achieve coordinate system alignment to the face normal, create your coordinate
system as described in Creating a Coordinate System Based on a Surface Normal (p. 1100)
and assign the created coordinate system to the Semi-Elliptical Crack object. You can
also set the Align with Face Normal property to Yes to generate a crack mesh whose
coordinate system is aligned to the face normal and that is reflected by the SECrack
Coordinate System object that is added under the Semi-Elliptical Crack object. Other-
wise, the Semi-Elliptical Crack object's coordinate system can be at an inclination to
the face normal direction. For the Pre-Meshed Crack and Arbitrary Crack objects, the
origin of the coordinate system must be located on the open side of the crack.
Fracture Analysis
Note: The graphical view of the semi-elliptical crack may differ from the mesh generated. Possible
reasons include:
• A crack definition unsuitable for valid mesh creation may result in some layers being "peeled
off" to create a valid mesh.
• The crack contour may be shrunk to fit into the mesh domain.
• The crack coordinate system may be changed to align it to surface normal.
• The center of the crack may be changed to create the crack on the surface.
• The crack is meshed with gradation from the contour center to the outside results in difficulty
distributing the crack mesh.
• The offset of the crack is not suitable for the crack contour, resulting in a contour that must
be reduced to ensure all element contours fit into the template.
5.5.4.2. Defining an Arbitrary Crack

The steps for defining an Arbitrary crack are presented here.
1. Select the Model object in the Tree Outline.
2. Insert a Fracture object into the tree Outline by right-clicking on the Model object and selecting
Insert > Fracture from the context menu. Alternatively, select the Fracture option from the
Define group on the Model Context Tab (p. 50).
Note:
Only one Fracture object is valid per Model.
3. Insert an Arbitrary Crack object into the tree by right-clicking on the Fracture object and selecting
Insert > Arbitrary Crack from the context menu. Alternatively, click the Arbitrary Crack option
from the Crack group of the Fracture Context Tab (p. 54).
4. An Arbitrary Crack definition must always be scoped to a single solid body. Use the Body selec-
tion filter to pick a body in the Geometry window, click the Geometry field in the Details View,
and then click Apply.
5. To further define the Arbitrary Crack, use the following Details pane properties. As you specify
values for the properties, the image in the Geometry window previews the entered data. An
example of Arbitrary crack definition, including an image of the crack on the model, is illustrated
below.
Analysis Types
As defined by the application generated Named Selection, the portion of the curve located inside
the cylinder, including the intersection points, defines the shape of the crack front.
Fracture Analysis
• Crack ID: A read-only property that displays a unique system generated identification number
ID for the crack object. The application uses this identifier when creating solution identifiers
for fracture parameters.
• Coordinate System: This property specifies the coordinate system that defines the orientation
of the crack. The Y axis of the specified coordinate system must be directed towards the
normal of the crack's top face.
• Crack Shape: Read-only property set to Arbitrary.
• Crack Surface: You use this property to specify the surface body to be used as the crack
surface. This surface body can be on a surface or embedded within the solid body, or it can
intersect with the free surfaces of the solid body. This generates an arbitrary crack that is a
surface crack, shaped as an ellipse, a ring, a cylinder, it can be a through-crack that cuts
through a solid body, or a corner crack that intersects at multiple corners of the solid body.
Analysis Types
• Mesh Method: Read-only property set to Tetrahedrons.
Note:
When this crack intersects with the free surfaces of a solid body, the Hex Dominant
setting is not supported.
• Largest Contour Radius: Specifies the largest contour radius for the crack shape. Enter a
value greater than 0. If you specify a Front Element Size value, this property is not applicable.
• Growth Rate Specifies the factor with which the mesh layers will grow along the radius of
the crack. Specify a value greater than 1. The default value is 1.2. The recommended value
is equal to or greater than 1.1.
• Front Element Size Specifies the element size for the crack front. The default value is com-
puted using the values of the Largest Contour Radius property and the Growth Rate
property.
• Mesh Contours: Specifies the number of mesh contours for the crack shape. Your entry must
be equal to or greater than 1. The default value is 6. If you specify a Front Element Size
value, this property is not applicable.
The Geometry window can display only a maximum of 100 mesh contours, but you can
specify a higher value and fracture meshing will respect it.
Note:
You can use the graphics preview of an arbitrary crack to examine the relative effect
of the mesh parameters on the generated crack mesh. The first mesh contour's
Fracture Analysis
radius shown as a bull's-eye view in Geometry window is equal to specified Front

Element Size. The mesh contours grow at the rate of the specified Growth Rate
value as seen in the image. Also, the generated crack mesh is an unstructured
tetrahedron mesh and may not accurately compare to all the mesh parameters
seen in the Geometry window.
• Solution Contours: Specifies the number of mesh contours for which you want to compute
the fracture result parameters. The value you enter must be less than or equal to the value
of the Mesh Contours property, and cannot be greater than 99. By default, the value is set
to Match Mesh Contours, indicating that the number of Solution Contours is equal to the
number of Mesh Contours. Entering 0 resets the value to Match Mesh Contours.
• Suppressed: Toggles suppression of the Arbitrary Crack object. The default is No.
The Arbitrary Crack object is suppressed automatically if both the scoped body and scoped
crack surface are suppressed.
• Buffer Zone Scale Factors: Control the size of the buffer zone in the X, Y, and Z directions,
relative to the crack surface geometry dimensions. For each scaling parameter, use the slider
to set a value from 2 to 50. The default value is 2. The maximum dimension among the three
dimensions of the crack surface geometry is multiplied by the corresponding scale factors to
create a buffer zone:
– X Scale Factor
– Y Scale Factor
– Z Scale Factor
As illustrated here, buffer zone scale factor annotations are not drawn in the negative X dir-
ection. That is, half of the cuboid is drawn to depict the buffer zone scale factors, but the half
of the cuboid in the negative X direction is not drawn.
Analysis Types
The remaining properties pertain to Named Selections that are created automatically when the
fracture mesh is generated, as described in Step 6 below. To ensure associativity to the corres-
ponding Arbitrary Crack object, the following default naming convention is used for these
Named Selections.
The following naming convention is used for Named Selections for crack objects with the name
Arbitrary Crack:
• NS_ ArbCrack _Front
• NS_ ArbCrack _TopFace
• NS_ ArbCrack _BottomFace
For example, for an Arbitrary Crack object named Arbitrary Crack 4, the default names are
NS_ArbCrack 4_Front, NS_ArbCrack 4_TopFace, and NS_ArbCrack 4_BottomFace.
The Named Selections controls are defined as follows:
• Crack Front Nodes: Identifies the Named Selection that is created automatically for the crack
front (NS_ArbCrack_Front). Contains nodes used for postprocessing of fracture parameter
results.
As shown, the X axis helps determine the extension direction of the crack front node.
Fracture Analysis
Important:
For cracks with multiple crack fronts, the Crack Front Nodes property, under
Named Selection Creation category, only modifies the first crack front name if
you have already generated the mesh. However, the application applies the
property value to all crack fronts if you are generating the mesh for the first time
or if the mesh is re-generated.
• Crack Faces Nodes: Determines whether Named Selections are created automatically for the
crack’s top face and bottom face. These faces are both located in the XZ plane and are dis-
continuous.
The default setting is On. When set to On, the following additional fields appear:
– Top Face Nodes: Identifies the Named Selection that is created automatically for the top
face (NS_ArbCrack_TopFace). This face is discontinuity plane 1. Contains nodes used for
applying a pressure to the top face.
– Bottom Face Nodes: Identifies the Named Selection that is created automatically for the
bottom face (NS_ArbCrack_BottomFace). This face is discontinuity plane 2. Contains nodes
used for applying a pressure to the bottom face.
6. Select the Fracture object or Arbitrary Crack object in the tree Outline, right-click, and select
Generate All Crack Meshes.
• When the fracture mesh is generated, the requested Named Selections are inserted into the
tree Outline under the Arbitrary Crack object with which they are associated.
Analysis Types
• Click Show Mesh on the Graphics Toolbar (p. 100) to display the fracture mesh.
Note:
Mesh near arbitrary crack is projected to facets if the geometry is faceted. Thus, if
you see mesh being projected slightly away from the geometry, it might be because
of the coarseness of geometry facets.
5.5.4.3. Defining a Semi-Elliptical Crack

The steps for defining a semi-elliptical crack are presented here.
2. Insert a Fracture object into the tree by right-clicking on the Model object and selecting Insert
> Fracture from the context menu. Alternatively, select the Fracture option from the Define
group on the Model Context Tab (p. 50).
Note:
3. Insert a Semi-Elliptical Crack object into the Tree by right-clicking on the Fracture object and
selecting Insert > Semi-Elliptical Crack from the context menu. Alternatively, click the Semi-
Elliptical Crack from the Crack group of the Fracture Context Tab (p. 54).
4. A semi-elliptical crack definition must always be scoped to a single solid body. Use the Body
selection filter to pick a body in the Geometry window, click the Geometry field in the Details
View, and then click Apply.
5. To further define the semi-elliptical crack, use the following controls. These controls appear in
the Details View of the Semi-Elliptical Crack object. As you specify values for the controls, the
image in the Geometry window previews the entered data.
The following figure shows an example of a semi-elliptical crack definition and its corresponding
image. The semi-elliptical curve defines the shape of the crack front, as shown by the red line.
Fracture Analysis
This figure provides a more detailed illustration of the fracture affected zone defined above.
Notice that the values shown in the image below correspond to the Details View settings above.
This figure shows the detail of a crack for which Mesh Contours is set to 8.
Analysis Types
• Crack ID: A read-only property that displays a unique system generated identification number
ID for the crack object. The application uses this identifier when creating solution identifiers
for fracture parameters.
• Coordinate System: This property specifies the coordinate system that defines (along with
the Align with Face Normal and Project to Nearest Surface properties) the position and
orientation of the crack. The Y axis of the specified coordinate system defines the crack plane
normal. The coordinate system that you create must be a Cartesian coordinate system (Type
property) and its origin cannot lie outside the bounding box of the body scoped to the crack.
• Align with Face Normal: This property defines the orientation of the SECrack Coordinate
System object by aligning the primary axis of the coordinate system specified in the Coordin-
ate System property to the normal of the nearest surface. The default setting is Yes. Setting
this property to No excludes the capability of this property.
• Project to Nearest Surface: This property defines the origin of the SECrack Coordinate
System by projecting the origin of the coordinate system specified in the Coordinate System
property to the nearest surface. The default setting is Yes. Setting this property to No excludes
the capability of this property.
Note:
The meshing process automatically creates the SECrack Coordinate System object
as a child of the Semi-Elliptical Crack object from the inputs of the Coordinate
System, the Align with Face Normal, and the Project to Nearest Face properties.
• Crack Shape: Read-only and set to Semi-Elliptical.
• Major Radius: Specifies the major radius, which defines the size of the crack shape along the
Z axis (that is, the width of the crack). Enter a value greater than 0.
• Minor Radius: Specifies the minor radius, which defines the size of the crack shape along
the X axis (that is, the depth of the crack). Enter a value greater than 0.
• Mesh Method: This property enables you to select the mesh method to be used to mesh the
semi-elliptical crack. Options include Hex Dominant (default) and Tetrahedrons.
• Largest Contour Radius: Specifies the largest contour radius for the crack shape. Enter a
value greater than 0.
Fracture Analysis
• Growth Rate (Mesh Method set to Tetrahedrons only): Specifies the factor with which the
mesh layers will grow along the radius of the crack. Specify a value greater than 1. The default
value is 1.2. The recommended value is equal to or greater than 1.1.
• Front Element Size (Mesh Method set to Tetrahedrons only): Specifies the element size for
the crack front. The default value is computed using crack length. Specify a value greater
than 0.
• Crack Front Divisions (Mesh Method set to Hex Dominant only): Specifies the number of
divisions for the crack front. Your entry must be equal to or greater than 3. The default is 15.
– The Geometry window can display only a maximum of 999 crack front divisions, but you
can specify a higher value and fracture meshing will respect it.
• Fracture Affected Zone (Mesh Method set to Hex Dominant only): The fracture affected
zone is the region that contains a crack. The Fracture Affected Zone control determines how
the fracture affected zone height is defined:
– Program Controlled: The software calculates the height, and Fracture Affected Zone
Height is read-only. This is the default.
– Manual: You enter the height in the Fracture Affected Zone Height field.
• Fracture Affected Zone Height (Mesh Method set to Hex Dominant only): This value specifies
two things: 1) the height of the Fracture Affected Zone, which is in the Y direction of the
crack coordinate system; and 2) the distance in totality by which the Fracture Affected Zone
is extended in the positive and negative Z direction of the crack coordinate system from the
crack front extremities.
The shape of a Fracture Affected Zone is rectangular, regardless of the shape of the crack.
Although buffer zones may overlap, care should be taken when defining multiple cracks that
the zones do not overlap, as shown here, or the crack generation will fail.
Analysis Types
• Circumferential Divisions (Mesh Method set to Hex Dominant only): Specifies the number
of circumferential divisions for the crack shape. The value you enter must be a multiple of 8,
and must be 8 or greater. The default is 8.
– The Geometry window can display only a maximum of 360 circumferential divisions, but
you can specify a higher value and fracture meshing will respect it.
• Mesh Contours: Specifies the number of mesh contours for the crack shape. The value you
enter must be 1 or greater. The default is 6.
– The Geometry window can display only a maximum of 100 mesh contours, but you can
specify a higher value and fracture meshing will respect it.
• Solution Contours: Specifies the number of mesh contours for which you want to compute
the fracture result parameters. The value you enter must be less than or equal to the value
of Mesh Contours, and cannot be greater than 99. By default, the value is Match Mesh
Contours, indicating the number of Solution Contours is equal to the number of Mesh
Contours. Entering 0 resets the value to Match Mesh Contours.
• Suppressed: Toggles suppression of the Semi-Elliptical Crack object. The default is No.
– The Semi-Elliptical Crack object is suppressed automatically if the scoped body is sup-
pressed.
• Buffer Zone Scale Factors
It controls the size of the buffer zone in the X, Y, and Z directions, relative to the dimensions
of the crack. For each scaling parameter, use the slider to set a value from 2 to 50. The default
is 2. The maximum dimension among the three directions of the crack is multiplied by the
Fracture Analysis
corresponding scale factors to create a buffer zone. When the Mesh Method is Hex-Dominant,
the crack dimensions also include fracture-affected zones.
– X Scale Factor
– Y Scale Factor
– Z Scale Factor
As illustrated here, buffer zone scale factor annotations are not drawn in the negative X dir-
ection. That is, half of the cuboid is drawn to depict the buffer zone scale factors, but the half
of the cuboid in the negative X direction is not drawn.
The remaining controls pertain to Named Selections that are created automatically when the
fracture mesh is generated, as described in Step 6 below. To ensure associativity to the corres-
ponding Semi-Elliptical Crack object, the following default naming convention is used for these
Named Selections.
The following naming convention is used for Named Selections for crack objects with the name
Semi-Elliptical Crack:
• NS_ SECrack _Front
• NS_ SECrack _TopFace
Analysis Types
• NS_ SECrack _BottomFace
• NS_ SECrack _Contact1
• NS_ SECrack _Target1
For example, for a Semi-Elliptical Crack object named Semi-Elliptical Crack 4, the default
names are NS_SECrack 4_Front, NS_SECrack 4_TopFace, NS_SECrack 4_BottomFace,
NS_SECrack 4_Contact1, and NS_SECrack 4_Target1.
The Named Selections controls are defined as follows:
• Crack Front Nodes: Identifies the Named Selection that is created automatically for the crack
front (NS_SECrack_Front). Contains nodes used for postprocessing of results.
As shown, the crack front is always perpendicular to the X axis.
• Crack Faces Nodes: Determines whether Named Selections are created automatically for the
crack’s top face and bottom face. These faces are both located in the XZ plane and are dis-
continuous.
The default setting is On. When set to On, the following additional fields appear:
– Top Face Nodes: Identifies the Named Selection that is created automatically for the top
face (NS_SECrack_TopFace). This face is discontinuity plane 1. Contains nodes used for
applying a pressure to the top face.
– Bottom Face Nodes: Identifies the Named Selection that is created automatically for the
bottom face (NS_SECrack_BottomFace). This face is discontinuity plane 2. Contains nodes
used for applying a pressure to the bottom face.
• Contact Pairs Nodes (Mesh Method set to Hex Dominant only): Determines whether Named
Selections are created automatically for the contact and target faces of the contact pair. The
default is Off. If On, the additional fields listed below appear. Fracture meshing creates contact
pair 1 between the fracture affected zone and the buffer zone.
Fracture Analysis
– Contact 1 Nodes: Identifies the Named Selection that is created automatically for contact
face 1 (NS_SECrack_Contact1). Contains nodes located on the contact face. The contact
nodes are selected at the interface from the buffer zone of the base mesh.
– Target 1 Nodes: Identifies the Named Selection that is created automatically for target
face 1 (NS_SECrack_Target1). Contains nodes located on the target face. The target nodes
are selected at the interface from the fracture affected zone of the hex dominant mesh.
6. Select the Fracture object or Semi-Elliptical Crack object in the Tree Outline, right-click, and
select Generate All Crack Meshes.
• When the fracture mesh is generated, the requested Named Selections are inserted into the
Tree Outline under the Semi-Elliptical Crack object with which they are associated.
• Click Show Mesh on the Graphics Toolbar (p. 100) to display the fracture mesh.
5.5.4.4. Defining an Elliptical Crack

This section describes the steps to create an Elliptical Crack. You use elliptical cracks to insert
embedded void cracks into a solid body.
Procedure
To define an Elliptical Crack:
1. Select the Model object.
2. Insert a Fracture object by right-clicking on the Model object and selecting Insert > Fracture.
You can also select the Fracture option from the Define group on the Model Context Tab (p. 50).
Note:
3. Insert a Elliptical Crack object by right-clicking on the Fracture object and selecting Insert >
Elliptical Crack. You can also select the Elliptical Crack option from the Crack group of the
Fracture (p. 54) Context Tab.
4. A elliptical crack definition must always be scoped to a single solid body. Use the Body selection
filter to pick a body in the Geometry window, click the Geometry field in the Details, and then
click Apply.
5. Specify the properties of the crack. As you specify property values, the entries are reflected on
the model in the Geometry window. Examples entries are illustrated below.
Analysis Types
Crack categories and properties include:
Definition
• Crack ID: A read-only property that displays a unique system generated identification
value. The application uses this identifier when creating solution identifiers for fracture
parameters.
• Coordinate System: Specify the coordinate system that defines the orientation of
the crack. The Y axis of the specified coordinate system must be directed towards
the normal of the crack plane and the crack plane always lies in the X-Z plane of the
specified coordinate system.
• Crack Shape: Read-only property set to Elliptical.
• Major Radius: Specifies the major radius, which defines the size of the crack shape
along the Z axis (that is, the width of the crack). Enter a value greater than 0.
• Minor Radius: Specifies the minor radius, which defines the size of the crack shape
along the X axis (that is, the depth of the crack). Enter a value greater than 0.
• Mesh Method: This property enables you to select the mesh method to be used to
mesh the crack. Options include Hex Dominant (default) and Tetrahedrons.
Note:
When this crack intersects with the free surfaces of a solid body, the Hex
Dominant setting is not supported.
• Largest Contour Radius: Specifies the largest contour radius for the crack shape.
Enter a value greater than 0.
Fracture Analysis
• Growth Rate: This property is only visible when the Mesh Method property is set
to Tetrahedrons. It specifies the factor with which the mesh layers will grow along
the radius of the crack. Specify a value greater than 1. The default value is 1.2. The
recommended value is equal to or greater than 1.1.
• Front Element Size: This property is only visible when the Mesh Method property
is set to Tetrahedrons. It specifies the element size for the crack front. The default
value is computed using crack length. Specify a value greater than 0.
• Crack Front Divisions: This property is only visible when the Mesh Method property
is set to Hex Dominant. It specifies the number of divisions for the crack front. Your
entry must be equal to or greater than 3. The default value is 30.
Note:
The maximum number of crack front divisions the Geometry window can
display is 999. However, you can specify a higher value and the application
will process it accordingly.
• Fracture Affected Zone: This property is only visible when the Mesh Method
property is set to Hex Dominant. This is the region that contains a crack. This property
defines the height of the fracture affected zone. Property options include:
– Program Controlled (default): The application calculates the height. When selected,
the Fracture Affected Zone Height property is read-only.
– Manual: You manually specify the height in the Fracture Affected Zone Height
property when using this option.
• Fracture Affected Zone Height: This property is only visible when the Mesh Method
property is set to Hex Dominant. This value specifies two things: 1) the height of
the Fracture Affected Zone, which is in the Y direction of the crack coordinate system;
and 2) the distance in totality by which the Fracture Affected Zone is extended in
the positive and negative Z direction of the crack coordinate system from the crack
front extremities.
The shape of a Fracture Affected Zone is rectangular, regardless of the shape of the
crack. Although buffer zones may overlap, you should use care when defining multiple
cracks so that the zones do not overlap.
Important:
The crack generation process will fail if buffer zones overlap.
• Circumferential Divisions: This property is only visible when the Mesh Method
property is set to Hex Dominant. It specifies the number of circumferential divisions
Analysis Types
for the crack shape. The value you enter must be a multiple of 8, and must be 8 or
greater. The default is 8.
Note:
The maximum number of circumferential divisions the Geometry window

can display is 360. However, you can specify a higher value and the applic-
ation will process it accordingly.
• Mesh Contours: Specifies the number of mesh contours for the crack shape. The
value you enter must be equal to or greater than 1. The default setting is 6.
Note:
The maximum number of mesh contours the Geometry window can dis-
play is 100. However, you can specify a higher value and the application
• Solution Contours: Specifies the number of mesh contours for which you want to
compute the fracture result parameters. The value you enter must be less than or
equal to the value of Mesh Contours, and cannot be greater than 99. By default, the
value is Match Mesh Contours, indicating the number of Solution Contours is equal
to the number of Mesh Contours. Entering 0 resets the value to Match Mesh Con-
tours.
• Suppressed: Toggles suppression of the Elliptical Crack object. The default is No.
The application automatically suppresses the crack object if the scoped body becomes
suppressed.
Buffer Zone Scale Factors
This category includes the following properties:
• X Scale Factor
• Y Scale Factor
• Z Scale Factor
These properties control the size of the buffer zone in the X, Y, and Z directions, relative
to the dimensions of the crack. For each scaling parameter, use the slider to set a value
from 2 to 50. The default is 2. The maximum dimension among the three directions
of the crack is multiplied by the corresponding scale factors to create a buffer zone.
When the Mesh Method property is set to Hex-Dominant, the crack dimensions also
include fracture-affected zones.
Named Selection Creation
The Named Selection Creation category of the Details displays Named Selections
automatically created by the application following fracture mesh generation (Step 6
Fracture Analysis
below). To ensure the Named Selections accurately correspond to the Elliptical Crack
object, the application uses the following naming convention:
• NS_EllipticalCrack_Front
• NS_EllipticalCrack_TopFace
• NS_EllipticalCrack_BottomFace
• NS_EllipticalCrack_Contact1
• NS_EllipticalCrack_Target1
For example, for a Elliptical Crack object named Elliptical Crack 4, the default names
are NS_EllipticalCrack 4_Front, NS_EllipticalCrack 4_TopFace, NS_EllipticalCrack
4_BottomFace, NS_EllipticalCrack 4_Contact1, and NS_EllipticalCrack 4_Target1.
The properties of this category are defined as follows:
• Crack Front Nodes: Identifies the Named Selection that is created automatically for
the crack front (NS_EllipticalCrack_Front). Contains nodes used for postprocessing
of results.
• Crack Faces Nodes: Determines whether Named Selections are created automatically
for the crack’s top face and bottom face. These faces are both located in the XZ plane
and are discontinuous. Options include Off and On (default). If set to On, the following
additional properties appear:
Top Face Nodes: Identifies the Named Selection that is created automatically
for the top face (NS_EllipticalCrack_TopFace). This face is discontinuity plane 1.
It contains nodes used for applying a pressure to the top face.
Bottom Face Nodes: Identifies the Named Selection that is created automatically
for the bottom face (NS_EllipticalCrack_BottomFace). This face is discontinuity
plane 2. It contains nodes used for applying a pressure to the bottom face.
• Contact Pairs Nodes: This property displays when the Mesh Method property is set
to Hex Dominant. It determines whether Named Selections are created automatically
for the contact and target faces of the contact pair. Options include Off (default) and
On. If set to On, the following additional properties appear:
Contact 1 Nodes: Identifies the Named Selection that is created automatically

for contact face 1 (NS_EllipticalCrack_Contact1). It contains nodes located on the
contact face. The contact nodes are selected at the interface from the buffer zone
of the base mesh.
Target 1 Nodes: Identifies the Named Selection that is created automatically for
target face 1 (NS_EllipticalCrack_Target1). It contains nodes located on the target
Analysis Types
face. The target nodes are selected at the interface from the fracture affected
zone of the hex dominant mesh.
Note:
Fracture meshing creates contact pair 1 between the fracture affected

zone and the buffer zone.
6. Select the Fracture object or Elliptical Crack object, right-click, and select Generate All Crack
Meshes.
When the fracture mesh is generated, the requested Named Selections are automatically inserted
into the Outline under the Elliptical Crack object with which they are associated.
Select the Show Mesh option on the Graphics Toolbar (p. 100) to display the fracture mesh.
5.5.4.5. Defining a Ring Crack

This section describes the steps to create an Ring Crack. You use ring cracks to insert embedded
void cracks of a hallow disc shape into a solid body.
Procedure
To define a ring crack:
Note:
3. Insert a Ring Crack object by right-clicking on the Fracture object and selecting Insert > Ring
Crack. You can also select the Ring Crack option from the Crack group of the Fracture (p. 54)
Context Tab.
4. A ring crack definition must always be scoped to a single solid body. Use the Body selection
click Apply.
Fracture Analysis
Definition
parameters.
• Crack Shape: Read-only property set to Ring.
• Outer Major Radius: Specifies the outer major radius, which defines the size of the
crack shape along the Z axis (that is, the width of the crack). Enter a value greater
than 0.
• Outer Minor Radius: Specifies the outer minor radius, which defines the size of the
crack shape along the X axis (that is, the depth of the crack). Enter a value greater
than 0.
• Inner Major Radius: Specifies the inner major radius, which defines the size of the
inner crack shape along the Z axis (that is, the width of the crack). Enter a value
greater than 0.
• Inner Minor Radius: Specifies the inner minor radius, which defines the size of the
inner crack shape along the X axis (that is, the depth of the crack). Enter a value
greater than 0.
Analysis Types
• Mesh Method: This property enables you to select the mesh method to be used to
mesh the crack. Options include Hex Dominant (default) and Tetrahedrons.
Note:
When this crack intersects with the free surfaces of a solid body, the Hex
Dominant setting is not supported.
• Growth Rate: This property is only visible when the Mesh Method property is set
to Tetrahedrons. It specifies the factor with which the mesh layers will grow along
the radius of the crack. Specify a value greater than 1. The default value is 1.2. The
recommended value is equal to or greater than 1.1.
• Outer Front Element Size: This property is only visible when the Mesh Method
property is set to Tetrahedrons. It specifies the element size for the outer crack front.
The default value is computed using crack length. Specify a value greater than 0.
• Inner Front Element Size: This property is only visible when the Mesh Method
property is set to Tetrahedrons. It specifies the element size for the inner crack front.
The default value is computed using crack length. Specify a value greater than 0.
• Outer Crack Front Divisions: This property is only visible when the Mesh Method
property is set to Hex Dominant. It specifies the number of divisions for the outer
crack front. Your entry must be equal to or greater than 3. The default is 30.
Note:
The maximum number of crack front divisions the Geometry window can
display is 999. However, you can specify a higher value and the application
• Inner Crack Front Divisions: This property is only visible when the Mesh Method
property is set to Hex Dominant. It specifies the number of divisions for the inner
crack front. Your entry must be equal to or greater than 3. The default is 30.
• Fracture Affected Zone: This property is only visible when the Mesh Method
property is set to Hex Dominant. This is the region that contains a crack. This property
defines the height of the fracture affected zone. Property options include:
– Program Controlled (default): The application calculates the height. When selected,
the Fracture Affected Zone Height property is read-only.
– Manual: You manually specify the height in the Fracture Affected Zone Height
property when using this option.
• Fracture Affected Zone Height: This property is only visible when the Mesh Method
property is set to Hex Dominant. This value specifies two things: 1) the height of
Fracture Analysis
the Fracture Affected Zone, which is in the Y direction of the crack coordinate system;
and 2) the distance in totality by which the Fracture Affected Zone is extended in
the positive and negative Z direction of the crack coordinate system from the crack
front extremities.
The shape of a Fracture Affected Zone is rectangular, regardless of the shape of the
crack. Although buffer zones may overlap, you should use care when defining multiple
cracks so that the zones do not overlap.
Important:
The crack generation process will fail if buffer zones overlap.
• Circumferential Divisions: This property is only visible when the Mesh Method
property is set to Hex Dominant. It specifies the number of circumferential divisions
for the crack shape. The value you enter must be a multiple of 8, and must be equal
to or greater than 8. The default is 8.
Note:
The maximum number of circumferential divisions the Geometry window

can display is 360. However, you can specify a higher value and the applic-
ation will process it accordingly.
Note:
tours.
• Suppressed: Toggles suppression of the Ring Crack object. The default is No. The
application automatically suppresses the crack object if the scoped body becomes
suppressed.
Analysis Types
• X Scale Factor
• Y Scale Factor
• Z Scale Factor
When the Mesh Method property is set to Hex-Dominant, the crack dimensions also
include fracture-affected zones.
below). To ensure the Named Selections accurately correspond to the Ring Crack object,
the application uses the following naming convention:
• NS_RingCrack_Front
• NS_RingCrack_Front2
• NS_RingCrack_TopFace
• NS_RingCrack_BottomFace
• NS_RingCrack_Contact1
• NS_RingCrack_Target1
For example, for a Ring Crack object named Ring Crack 4, the default names are
NS_RingCrack 4_Front, NS_RingCrack 4_Front2, NS_RingCrack 4_TopFace,
NS_RingCrack 4_BottomFace, NS_RingCrack 4_Contact1, and NS_RingCrack
4_Target1.
the crack fronts (NS_RingCrack_Front and NS_RingCrack 4_Front2). Contains nodes
used for postprocessing of results.
Important:
For cracks with multiple crack fronts, the Crack Front Nodes property,
under Named Selection Creation category, only modifies the first crack
front name if you have already generated the mesh. However, the applic-
ation applies the property value to all crack fronts if you are generating
the mesh for the first time or if the mesh is re-generated.
Fracture Analysis
for the top face (NS_RingCrack_TopFace). This face is discontinuity plane 1. It
contains nodes used for applying a pressure to the top face.
for the bottom face (NS_RingCrack_BottomFace). This face is discontinuity plane
2. It contains nodes used for applying a pressure to the bottom face.
• Contact Pairs Nodes: This property displays when the Mesh Method property is set
to Hex Dominant. It determines whether Named Selections are created automatically
for the contact and target faces of the contact pair. Options include Off (default) and
On. If set to On, the following additional properties appear:
Contact 1 Nodes: Identifies the Named Selection that is created automatically

for contact face 1 (NS_RingCrack_Contact1). It contains nodes located on the
contact face. The contact nodes are selected at the interface from the buffer zone
of the base mesh.
Target 1 Nodes: Identifies the Named Selection that is created automatically for
target face 1 (NS_RingCrack_Target1). It contains nodes located on the target
face. The target nodes are selected at the interface from the fracture affected
zone of the hex dominant mesh.
Note:
Fracture meshing creates contact pair 1 between the fracture affected

zone and the buffer zone.
6. Select the Fracture object or Ring Crack object, right-click, and select Generate All Crack
Meshes.
into the Outline under the Ring Crack object with which they are associated.
5.5.4.6. Defining a Corner Crack

This section describes the steps to create a Corner Crack. You use this crack type to create a crack
at any corner of a solid body. This crack must intersect at least two faces of the solid body.
Procedure
To define a Corner Crack:
Analysis Types
Note:
3. Insert a Corner Crack object by right-clicking on the Fracture object and selecting Insert >
Corner Crack. You can also select the Corner Crack option from the Crack group of the Frac-
ture (p. 54) Context Tab.
4. A corner crack definition must always be scoped to a single solid body. Use the Body selection
click Apply.
the model in the Geometry window. Example entries are illustrated below.
Definition
parameters.
Fracture Analysis
• Crack Shape: Read-only property set to Corner.
along the Z axis (that is, the width of the crack). Enter a value greater than 0.
along the X axis (that is, the depth of the crack). Enter a value greater than 0.
• Mesh Method: This is a read-only property set to Tetrahedrons, the only supported
method.
• Growth Rate: This property specifies the factor with which the mesh layers will grow
along the radius of the crack. Specify a value greater than 1. The default value is
1.2. The recommended value is equal to or greater than 1.1.
• Front Element Size: This property specifies the element size for the crack front. The
default value is computed using crack length. Specify a value greater than 0.
Note:
tours.
• Suppressed: Toggles suppression of the crack object. The default is No. The applic-
ation automatically suppresses the crack object if the scoped body becomes sup-
pressed.
• X Scale Factor
• Y Scale Factor
Analysis Types
• Z Scale Factor
below). To ensure the Named Selections accurately correspond to the Corner Crack
• NS_CornerCrack_Front
• NS_CornerCrack_TopFace
• NS_CornerCrack_BottomFace
For example, for a Corner Crack object named Corner Crack 4, the default names are
NS_CornerCrack 4_Front, NS_CornerCrack 4_TopFace, and NS_CornerCrack 4_Bot-
tomFace.
the crack front (NS_CornerCrack_Front). Contains nodes used for postprocessing of
results.
for the top face (NS_CornerCrack_TopFace). This face is discontinuity plane 1. It
for the bottom face (NS_CornerCrack_BottomFace). This face is discontinuity
6. Select the Fracture object or Corner Crack object, right-click, and select Generate All Crack
Meshes.
into the Outline under the Corner Crack object with which they are associated.
Fracture Analysis
5.5.4.7. Defining an Edge Crack

This section describes the steps to create an Edge Crack. You can define this crack type on any
face of a solid in order to cut into the face of the solid body.
Procedure
To define an Edge Crack:
Note:
3. Insert a Edge Crack object by right-clicking on the Fracture object and selecting Insert > Edge
Crack. You can also select the Edge Crack option from the Crack group of the Fracture (p. 54)
Context Tab.
4. A edge crack definition must always be scoped to a single solid body. Use the Body selection
click Apply.
Analysis Types
Definition
parameters.
• Crack Shape: Read-only property set to Edge.
• Start Width: Specifies the width at the start of the crack. Enter a value greater than
0.
• End Width: Specifies the width at the end of the crack. Enter a value greater than
0.
• Mid Width: Specifies the width at the centre of the start and end of the crack. Enter
a value greater than 0.
• Depth: Specifies the depth of the crack. Enter a value greater than 0.
method.
Fracture Analysis
Note:
tours.
pressed.
Note the following example that illustrates the Edge Crack geometric inputs, where a
= Start Width, b = End Width, c = Mid Width, and d = the Depth of the crack.
• X Scale Factor
• Y Scale Factor
Analysis Types
• Z Scale Factor
below). To ensure the Named Selections accurately correspond to the Edge Crack object,
the application uses the following naming convention:
• NS_EdgeCrack_Front
• NS_EdgeCrack_TopFace
• NS_EdgeCrack_BottomFace
For example, for a Edge Crack object named Edge Crack 4, the default names are
NS_EdgeCrack 4_Front, NS_EdgeCrack 4_TopFace, and NS_EdgeCrack 4_BottomFace.
the crack front (NS_EdgeCrack_Front). Contains nodes used for postprocessing of
results.
for the top face (NS_EdgeCrack_TopFace). This face is discontinuity plane 1. It
for the bottom face (NS_EdgeCrack_BottomFace). This face is discontinuity plane
2. It contains nodes used for applying a pressure to the bottom face.
6. Select the Fracture object or Edge Crack object, right-click, and select Generate All Crack
Meshes.
into the Outline under the Edge Crack object with which they are associated.
5.5.4.8. Defining a Through Crack

This section describes the steps to create a Through Crack. You use this crack type to define a
crack that cuts through a solid body from one surface to the other.
Fracture Analysis
Procedure
To define a Through Crack:
Note:
3. Insert a Through Crack object by right-clicking on the Fracture object and selecting Insert >
Through Crack. You can also select the Through Crack option from the Crack group of the
Fracture (p. 54) Context Tab.
4. A through crack definition must always be scoped to a single solid body. Use the Body selection
click Apply.
Analysis Types
Definition
parameters.
• Crack Shape: Read-only property set to Through.
• Start Width: Specifies the width at the start of the crack. Enter a value greater than
0.
• End Width: Specifies the width at the end of the crack. Enter a value greater than
0.
• Mid Width: Specifies the width at the centre of the start and end of the crack. Enter
a value greater than 0.
• Depth: Specifies the depth of the crack. Enter a value greater than 0.
method.
Note:
tours.
Fracture Analysis
pressed.
Note the following example that illustrates the Through Crack geometric inputs, where
a = Start Width, b = End Width, c = Mid Width, and d = the Depth of the crack.
• X Scale Factor
• Y Scale Factor
• Z Scale Factor
below). To ensure the Named Selections accurately correspond to the Through Crack
• NS_ThroughCrack_Front
• NS_ThroughCrack_TopFace
• NS_ThroughCrack_BottomFace
For example, for a ThroughCrack object named ThroughCrack 4, the default names
are NS_ThroughCrack 4_Front, NS_ThroughCrack 4_TopFace, and NS_ThroughCrack
4_BottomFace.
Analysis Types
the crack front (NS_ThroughCrack_Front). Contains nodes used for postprocessing
of results.
for the top face (NS_ThroughCrack_TopFace). This face is discontinuity plane 1.
It contains nodes used for applying a pressure to the top face.
for the bottom face (NS_ThroughCrack_BottomFace). This face is discontinuity
6. Select the Fracture object or Through Crack object, right-click, and select Generate All Crack
Meshes.
into the Outline under the Through Crack object with which they are associated.
5.5.4.9. Defining a Cylindrical Crack

This section describes the steps to create an Cylindrical Crack. You use the cylindrical crack option
to insert a crack, with a cylindrical shape, into a solid body.
Procedure
To define an Cylindrical Crack:
Note:
3. Insert a Cylindrical Crack object by right-clicking on the Fracture object and selecting Insert
> Cylindrical Crack. You can also select the Cylindrical Crack option from the Crack group of
the Fracture (p. 54) Context Tab.
4. A cylindrical crack definition must always be scoped to a single solid body. Use the Body selection
click Apply.
Fracture Analysis
Definition
parameters.
the crack. The X axis of the specified coordinate system must be directed towards
the axis of the cylindrical crack and the first crack front always lies in the Y-Z plane
of the specified coordinate system.
• Crack Shape: Read-only property set to Cylindrical.
along the Y axis. Enter a value greater than 0.
Analysis Types
along the Z axis. Enter a value greater than 0.
• Height: Specifies the height of the cylindrical crack to be inserted. The height is
defined from the origin of the coordinate system (starting face of the cylinder) to
the other end of the cylinder.
Important:
If the specified height is less than the gap between the origin of the
coordinate system and the free surface of the solid geometry, the
mesh generates two crack fronts and two crack surfaces. Otherwise,
the mesh generates a single crack front and two crack surfaces.
method.
• Growth Rate: It specifies the factor with which the mesh layers will grow along the
radius of the crack. Specify a value greater than 1. The default value is 1.2. The re-
commended value is equal to or greater than 1.1.
• Front Element Size: It specifies the element size for the crack front. The default value
is computed using crack length. Specify a value greater than 0.
Note:
tours.
• Suppressed: Toggles suppression of the Cylindrical Crack object. The default is No.
The application automatically suppresses the crack object if the scoped body becomes
suppressed.
Fracture Analysis
• X Scale Factor
• Y Scale Factor
• Z Scale Factor
from 2 to 50. The default is 2. The diagonal length of the cylinder geometric bounding
box is multiplied by the corresponding scale factors to create a buffer zone.
below). To ensure the Named Selections accurately correspond to the Cylindrical Crack
• NS_CylindricalCrack_Front
• NS_CylindricalCrack_TopFace
• NS_CylindricalCrack_BottomFace
For example, for a Cylindrical Crack object named Cylindrical Crack 4, the default
names are NS_CylindricalCrack 4_Front, NS_CylindricalCrack 4_TopFace, and
NS_CylindricalCrack 4_BottomFace.
the crack front (NS_CylindricalCrack_Front). Contains nodes used for postprocessing
of results.
for the crack’s top face and bottom face. These faces are discontinuous. Options in-
clude Off and On (default). If set to On, the following additional properties appear:
for the top face (NS_CylindricalCrack_TopFace). This face is discontinuity plane
1. It contains nodes used for applying a pressure to the top face.
for the bottom face (NS_CylindricalCrack_BottomFace). This face is discontinuity
6. Select the Fracture object or Cylindrical Crack object, right-click, and select Generate All Crack
Meshes.
into the Outline under the Cylindrical Crack object with which they are associated.
Analysis Types
5.5.4.10. Defining a Pre-Meshed Crack

A Pre-Meshed Crack is based on a previously generated mesh and uses a node-based named selection
to analyze crack fronts. In addition to cracks modeled in CAD and meshed manually in the Mechan-
ical Application, this feature is also useful when you have a pre-existing mesh generated from an
external source and imported to the existing database. The referenced named selection must contain
references only to nodes.
Selecting the named selection is done through the Details view of the Pre-Meshed Crack object by
selecting from the list of valid named selections in the Crack Front (Named Selection) property.
Named selections that contain only nodes are offered as choices.
Important:
To properly define a Pre-Meshed Crack object, you need to create the necessary
node-based Named Selections and generate all crack meshes in advance. For more
information on named selections, see Named Selections (p. 1347). As an alternative,
a geometric based named selection can be converted into a node-based based
named selection using the Worksheet. For more information, see Specifying Named
Selections using Worksheet Criteria (p. 1351).
To define a pre-meshed crack:
2. Insert a Fracture object into the Tree by right-clicking the Model object and selecting Insert
> Fracture.
Note:
3. Insert a Pre-Meshed Crack object into the Tree by right-clicking the Fracture object and se-
lecting Insert > Pre-Meshed Crack. You can also select the Pre-Meshed Crack option from
the Crack group of the Fracture Context Tab.
4. In the Details View:
For 2D Analysis
Specify the node-based named selection for the Crack Tip (Named Selection) property.
This property defines the nodes to which the crack definition will be scoped.
For 3D Analysis
• Specify the node-based named selection for the Crack Front (Named Selection)
property. This property defines the nodes to which the crack definition will be
scoped.
Fracture Analysis
• Set the Crack Faces Nodes property to On (default). This property enables you to
specify a crack top face and bottom face using node-based Named Selections. When
set to On, the following additional properties display:
– Top Face Nodes: Specify the top face (nodes) of the crack by selecting a valid
node-based named selection from the drop-down list.
– Bottom Face Nodes: Specify the bottom face (nodes) of the crack by selecting
a valid node-based named selection from the drop-down list.
5. To further define the crack, use the following controls in the Details View.
number ID for the crack object. The application uses this identifier when creating solution
identifiers for fracture parameters.
• Coordinate System: Specifies the coordinate system that defines the position and orientation
of the crack. The Y axis of the specified coordinate system defines the crack surface normal.
The origin of the coordinate system represents the open side of the crack. You can select
the default coordinate system or a local coordinate system that you have defined. The default
is the Global Coordinate System. The valid coordinate system must be of type Cartesian.
• Solution Contours: Specifies the number of contours for which you want to compute the
fracture result parameters.
• Symmetry: Specifies the crack symmetry about a line (in 2D analysis) or about a plane (in
3D analysis). The default is No.
• Suppressed: Toggles suppression of the Pre-Meshed Crack object. The default is No.
Note:
The Pre-Meshed Crack object is suppressed automatically if the scoped body is

suppressed.
5.5.4.11. Special Handling of Named Selections for Crack Objects

Crack objects dynamically generate Named Selections during crack mesh generation. The Named
Selections generated for Arbitrary Crack and analytical crack objects are a special type of Named
Selection and have the distinct properties listed below. Note that semi-elliptical, elliptical, ring,
corner, edge, through, and cylindrical are analytical cracks.
• Named Selections for analytical crack or Arbitrary Crack objects are not inserted into the Named
Selections branch of the Tree Outline. They appear in the Outline under the analytical crack or
Arbitrary Crack objects with which they are associated.
• You may rename a Named Selection by editing its name in the Details of the analytical crack or
Arbitrary Crack object or by right-clicking the Named Selection in the tree Outline and selecting
Rename. Use caution when renaming the Named Selection associated with the crack front
Analysis Types
(NS_SECrack_Front). If the name is not unique when compared to other Named Selections, the
crack definition sent to the solver may contain the wrong set of crack front nodes.
Important:
For cracks with multiple crack fronts, the Crack Front Nodes property, under Named
Selection Creation category, only modifies the first crack front name if you have
already generated the mesh. However, the application applies the property value to
all crack fronts if you are generating the mesh for the first time or if the mesh is re-
generated.
• For a Ring Crack, two crack front named selections are created at the outer and inner intersection
of the crack with the solid body.
• An Arbitrary Crack defined using an embedded or intersecting crack surface body could generate
more than one crack front.
• You cannot insert, duplicate, copy, delete, or merge these Named Selections.
• You may scope nodal-based loads to these Named Selections.
• By default, nodal Named Selections show nodes attached to them in the Geometry window. To
plot elements attached to these nodal Named Selections, refer to Specifying Annotation Prefer-
ences (p. 273) section of the help.
• If you delete analytical or Arbitrary Crack objects, all associated Named Selections are deleted.
• If you suppress analytical or Arbitrary Crack objects, the nodal selection of each associated
Named Selection is cleared and the state of each Named Selections becomes suppressed.
• All Named Selections for analytical or Arbitrary Crack objects are sent to the solver. Send to
Solver is always set to Yes and is read-only.
• If Named Selections for Crack Faces Nodes and/or Contact Pairs Nodes have been created and
you subsequently set the fields to Off, the corresponding Named Selections are deleted when a
new crack mesh is generated.
• See the Named Selections (p. 1347) section of the Help for additional information.
Note:
For information about common fracture meshing problems and troubleshooting, see
Fracture Meshing Problems (p. 2484).
5.5.4.12. Initiate a Crack using Crack Initiation

Use the Crack Initiation feature/object to specify a criterion to determine when a crack is initiated
in a specific region (or zone) of the geometry. You can also specify the location, orientation, and
the size of the crack to be initiated. You insert and define a Crack Initiation object under
Fracture Analysis
the Fracture folder and then assign it as an Initial Crack to the SMART Crack Growth object to study
the crack growth.
See the Crack Initiation and Propagation using SMART Crack Growth (p. 479) section for the steps
to use this feature.
See the SMART Method for Crack-Initiation Simulation section of the Mechanical APDL Fracture
Analysis Guide for additional information.

Note the following:
• This feature creates elliptical shaped cracks only. The initiated crack can be completely em-
bedded within the solid body, or it can be a surface crack intersecting one or more surfaces
of the solid body, or it can be a corner crack.
• Crack initiation may not be successful if the specified criterion value is not satisfied. In this
case, fracture results will not be available.
Graphical Display Limitation

Note the following property definition requirements for the application to properly display a
graphical representation of the crack when you set the Crack Orientation property to either of
the manual options:
• When set to Manual, Center and Axes, you must also manually specify the Crack Shape
property.
• When set to Manual, Axes Only, you must also manually specify the Crack Center property
as well as the Crack Shape property.
5.5.5. SMART Crack Growth

You use the SMART Crack Growth object to simulate fatigue or static crack growth in engineering
structures. SMART is a remeshing-based method for crack growth simulation. SMART stands for Sep-
arating, Morphing, Adaptive, and Remeshing Technology. SMART automatically uses a combination
of morphing, adaptive, and remeshing methods to update mesh changes to simulate static or fatigue
crack growth during the solution process. The mesh changes occur around the crack-front region
only, leading to a computationally efficient solution of the crack-growth problem.
Go to a subsections for more information:

5.5.5.1. SMART Crack Growth Application
Analysis Types
5.5.5.2. SMART Crack-Growth Assumptions and Limitations
Note:
When you define SMART Crack Growth, the application stores fracture results for time
points based on the setting of the Analysis Settings > Output Controls (p. 1559) property
Store Results At.
Important:
If the Store Results At property is not set to the All Time Points option,
the Crack Extension and Total Number of Cycles probe results will not
be accurate. This is because these values are derived from the summation
of results stored in the results file instead of the summation of results over
all solved sub-steps. Therefore, Ansys recommends that you set the Store
Results At property to All Time Points for accurate Crack Extension and
Total Number of Cycles probe results. Furthermore, Ansys recommends
that you use this property to specify time points, even if you issue additional
OUTRES commands through the Commands (APDL) object.
Note:
• For additional technical information on this feature, refer to the SMART Method for
Crack-Growth Simulation section in the Mechanical APDL Fracture Analysis Guide.
• For specific information about the properties of the object, see the SMART Crack Growth
object reference page.
• For a video example of the feature, see the Fatigue Crack Growth Analysis using SMART
Crack Growth Tutorial.
5.5.5.1. SMART Crack Growth Application

The following procedure describes the steps to define a SMART Crack Growth object. The procedure
assumes that you have already inserted a Fracture folder and defined the prerequisite crack. This
crack can be any of the supported crack types. The feature supports the definition of multiple
SMART Crack Growth objects when your model contains multiple cracks.
1. Insert a SMART Crack Growth object into the Outline by right-clicking on the Fracture object
and selecting Insert > SMART Crack Growth from the context menu. Alternatively, you can
select the SMART Crack Growth option on the Fracture Context Tab (p. 54) or right-click in
the Geometry window and select Insert > SMART Crack Growth. Once inserted, the Initial
Crack and Material properties highlight.
Fracture Analysis
2. Select the crack or Crack Initiation (p. 479) object that you have already created from the drop-
down list of the Initial Crack property. An Arbitrary Crack has been selected in the following
example. Once selected, the application automatically assigns the Material of the object spe-
cified by the Initial Crack property.
3. Specify the Crack Growth Option property. The setting of this property is based on the desired
type of crack growth propagation. Select Fatigue (default) or Static.
Analysis Types
Fatigue
If you set the Crack Growth Option property to Fatigue, your structure is subject to con-
stant amplitude cyclic load.
The following other properties are available in the category:
• Failure Criteria Option: This is a read-only property that is set to Material Data
Table.
• Material: The application uses the material that is assigned to the geometry used
to define the crack selected in the Initial Crack property. You can change the ma-
terial using the property's fly-out menu.
Note:
This material must include the material property Paris’ Law.
• Crack Growth Law: This is a read-only property that displays the given Crack Growth
Law: Paris' Law.
• Crack Growth Methodology: Fatigue crack growth can be modeled using either
Life Cycle Prediction (default) or Cycle By Cycle methodologies. If you specify
Cycle By Cycle, the property Incremental Number of Cycles displays. Use this
property to specify the incremental number of cycles during a substep. The default
setting is 10.
The following additional properties are also available:
Fracture Analysis
– Min Increment of Crack Extension: This property specifies the minimum

crack extension increment value. The options include Program Controlled
(default) and Manual. The Program Controlled option uses the default
minimum increment value. If you set the property to Manual, The Min Incre-
ment Value property displays and enables you to specify a value. The default
value is 0.
– Max Increment of Crack Extension: This property specifies the maximum

crack extension increment value. The options include Program Controlled
(default) and Manual. The Program Controlled option uses the default
maximum increment value. If you set the property to Manual, The Max In-
crement Value property displays and enables you to specify a value. The
default value is 0.
– Stress Ratio: You use this property to specify the stress ratio. The default
value is 0. The entry range is less than 1.
Static
If you set the Crack Growth Option property to Static, crack growth modeling is based
on selected fracture parameters and criteria.
Using the Failure Criteria Option property, you can specify the failure criteria as either
Stress Intensity Factor (default) or J-Integral. Each option requires you to specify a value
in the dependent property Critical Rate. The default value for the Critical Rate property is
Analysis Types
0 for either option. The unit system of the Critical Rate property varies based on your se-
lection. The property can be parameterized.
Note:
Either the Stress Intensity Factor or J-Integral fracture parameter can be

computed in one solution. Additionally, you can compute Equivalent SIFS
Range fracture result and related time history results on any crack front
node (Fracture Probes (p. 2234)).
Furthermore, when you set the Crack Growth Option property to Static, an additional
category displays for the object: Step Controls for Crack Growth. The properties for this
category include:
• Auto Time Stepping: Property options include Program Controlled (default) or

Manual. Setting the property to Manual enables you to modify the following time
step properties, otherwise they are read-only.
• Initial Time Step: Defines the initial time step to initiate crack growth.
• Minimum Time Step: Minimum time step for subsequent crack growth.
• Maximum Time Step: Maximum time step for subsequent crack growth.
4. As needed, specify the Stop Criterion property. Options include None (default), Max Crack
Extension, Free Boundary, Max Stress Intensity Factor, and Max Total Number of Cycles
(displayed when the Crack Growth Option property is set to Fatigue).
When you select the Max Crack Extension, Max Stress Intensity Factor, or the Max Total
Number of Cycles, the --Stop Value property displays. This property requires you to enter a
value for the selected Stop Criterion option. Once the maximum stop criterion limit is reached,
the application stops the solution process. In this instance, the solution is incomplete and the
Solution folder will not be in solved state because the solution is not complete for all time
points. If the maximum stop criterion limit is not reached during solution, then the solution
process completes normally.
5. Specify the Mesh Coarsening property. You use this property to define a desired level of
coarsening of the excessively fine mesh surrounding the crack front during the SMART crack
growth remeshing processing. Options include:
• Conservative (default): This option performs the least amount of mesh coarsening and
creates a larger number of nodes and elements after a substantial amount of crack-
growth. This options offers the greatest remeshing success rate.
• Moderate: This option modestly reduces the number of nodes and elements and offers
a satisfactory remeshing success rate.
• Aggressive: This option quickly coarsens the mesh in the region behind crack front
and offers the largest reduction in the number of nodes and elements following a
substantial amount of crack-growth.
Fracture Analysis
6. Repeat the steps above to define additional SMART Crack Growth objects when multiple
cracks exist in the model.
5.5.5.2. SMART Crack-Growth Assumptions and Limitations

• General Assumptions and Limitations (p. 477)
• Postprocessing Limitations (p. 478)
• Multiple SMART Crack Growth Objects (p. 478)
General Assumptions and Limitations

Review the following for the use of the SMART Crack Growth feature:
• Only supports Static Structural analyses.
• Supports 3-D crack growth only.
• Supports Mixed Mode Crack Growth for Mode I and II only. If using J-Integral as Crack Growth
Criterion, then only straight (Mode I) crack growth is supported.
• Supports higher order tetrahedron mesh. To use it with a hex-dominant base mesh ( any
analytical crack objects only) you need to set the Fracture object property Re-mesh Hex-
dominant to Tetrahedral to On. This will re-mesh the bodies scoped to the analytical crack
objects using tetrahedrons when Generate All Crack Meshes (right-click) menu option is
executed.
• Material behavior is assumed to be linear elastic isotropic.
• Fatigue crack growth is based on Paris' Law.
• Plasticity effects, nonlinear geometry effects, load-compression effects, and crack-tip-closure

effects are not considered.
• Supports the Bonded, No-Separation, Frictionless, Rough, and Frictional contact Type (p. 1147)
property options with CONTA174 and TARGE170 when they remain outside the remeshing
zone during the simulation. SMART does not support any contact element inside the
remeshing zone.
• Function based loads and tabular loads with time as independent variable are not supported
for fatigue crack growth analysis.
• Step-based loading is not supported for both Static and Fatigue crack growth analyses.
• Node- and element-based components are not maintained after remeshing. Therefore, Ansys
recommends that you use the Tabular Data option of the Define By property to define the
load in a multi-step analysis.
• Does not currently support Point Mass or Distributed Mass.
• Only supports the following Imported Loads (p. 1857):
Analysis Types
– Imported Pressure
– Imported Force
– Imported Displacement
– Imported Body Temperature
– Imported Initial Stress
• Does not currently support Hydrostatic Pressure.
• Either SIFS or J-Integral fracture parameter can be computed in one solution.
• Restarting the analysis is currently not supported.
Note:
Activate beta options to make solution restarts available for SMART Crack Growth.
• When the crack grows to the point of breaking the structural component apart, all solution
results are set to zero and no crack-front information is reported.
• Graphics Limitation: During your analysis, if your SMART crack grows from one body to
another body, you need to scope the corresponding bodies to a Material Assignment ob-
ject (p. 1071) and assign them with the same material using Material Name property. This in
turn facilitates the proper display of the crack front contour result in the graphics window.
Postprocessing Limitations
Note the following SMART Crack Growth postprocessing limitations:
• Probes scoped to the same body as a SMART Crack Growth object will not evaluate.
• The Crack Extension probe displays the sum of the crack extension increments from only
those substeps in which crack extension increment information has been saved. That is, if
crack results are not written for each specified Substep, as is the case when Analysis Settings
> Output Controls property Store Results At is not set to All Time Points (or using the
OUTRES,CINT,Value command snippet) in a Static Structural environment, the application
does not display the entire crack extension for the Crack Extension probe. It is because
these values are derived from the summation of results stored in the results file instead of
the summation of results over all solved sub-steps. This same behavior is found with Total
Number of Cycles probe result. Even if you issue additional OUTRES commands through
the Commands (APDL) object, Ansys recommends that you issue OUTRES,CINT,ALL to
specify all time points,
Multiple SMART Crack Growth Objects

Make sure of the following setting when you have specified multiple SMART Crack Growth objects:
• Each crack specified on the model must be associated with an unique SMART Crack Growth
object (1:1 ratio).
Fracture Analysis
• The Crack Growth Option property must be set to the same option (Fatigue or Static) for
all SMART Crack Growth objects.
• The Failure Criteria Option property must be set to the same option (SIFS or J-Integral)
when the Crack Growth Option property is set to Static for all SMART Crack Growth objects.
• The Crack Growth Methodology property must be set to the same option (Life Cycle
Prediction or Cycle By Cycle) when the Crack Growth Option property is set to Fatigue
for all SMART Crack Growth objects.
Note:
The SMART Crack Growth feature uses local re-meshing and adaptation techniques and
therefore has restrictions for the crack extension size.
For example, the feature might modify your entries in the Min Increment of Crack Ex-
tension or Max Increment of Crack Extension properties for either Crack Growth
Methodology, either Life Cycle Prediction or Cycle By Cycle.
The default value considered for the Max Increment of Crack Extension property is 1.5
times of the element size near the crack front. For manual entry, you can specify a value
up to 2 times the element size for the Conservative Mesh Coarsening option. And, for
the Moderate and Aggressive settings for the Mesh Coarsening property, you can
specify a value up to 3 times the element size.
The default value considered for the Min Increment of Crack Extension property is 0.
The default behavior during the solution is if any crack extension is less than 0.02 times
the element size, the Mechanical APDL solver sets the crack extension to 0. You can
change the default by specifying any value between 0 and the Max Increment of Crack
Extension property value.
When the Crack Growth Methodology property is set to Cycle By Cycle, and you enter
a number of cycles that is too large or too small, then the algorithm automatically re-
defines the number of cycles according to the crack for each crack growth sub-step ac-
cording to the crack extension limits.. The re-defined value of number of cycles is a
multiple (n times or 1/n times) of user-defined number of cycles value.
5.5.6. Crack Initiation and Propagation using SMART Crack Growth

You use the Crack Initiation feature/object to specify a criterion to determine when a crack is initiated
in a specific region (or zone) of the geometry. You can also specify the location, orientation, and the
size of the crack to be initiated. You insert and define a Crack Initiation object under the Fracture
folder. You then assign it as an Initial Crack to the SMART Crack Growth object to study the crack
growth.
Refer to the SMART Method for Crack-Initiation Simulation section of the Mechanical APDL Fracture
Analysis Guide for more information.
Analysis Types
Crack Initiation Application Recommendations
Ansys recommends the following for successful crack initiation and propagation using SMART
Crack Growth:
• Specify the crack initiation zone using the Geometry or Named Selection properties,
such that there is enough stress concentration in the zone that meets the specified crit-
ical Criterion Value.
• Make sure that the maximum stress concentration zone does not have nodes constrained
using supports such as Fixed supports, Frictionless Supports, etc.
• Make sure that the crack initiation zone includes a reasonably fine mesh.
• Make sure that the scoped components have nodes that can be combined into a single
group.
• Make sure that the re-meshing zone does not have any unsupported elements, such as
contact elements, surface effect (SURF) elements, etc.
• Apply pressure loads using Direct option of the Applied By property in the remeshing
zone.
• Manually verify the crack definition inputs, including Crack Orientation, Crack Center,
and Crack Shape in case of a crack initiation failure. Consider specifying the crack center
manually using the Crack Orientation or Crack Center properties.
Application
1. Assuming you have opened Mechanical and imported a geometry, select the Fracture option
from the Model Context tab (p. 50). The application inserts a Fracture folder and makes it the
active object in the Outline. Alternatively, you can use the context (right-click) menu to add this
object. Right-click the Model object and select Insert > Fracture.
2. Select the Crack Initiation option from the Fracture Context tab (p. 54). This can also be done
using the context menu.
3. Use the properties of the Scope category in the Details pane to select geometric entities (edge,
face, or body), geometry-based Named Selections (edge, face, body), or node-based Named Se-
lections for the region of the geometry where you want to initiate the crack.
4. The Initiation Criteria category includes the Initiation Criterion property and the Criterion
Value property. The Initiation Criterion property is read-only and set to Maximum Principal
Stress. This specifies that the application calculates stresses at each node during the solution.
Use the Criterion Value property to enter a Maximum Principal Stress value, that once reached
during the solution process, the application will initiate a crack.
5. Specify additional input properties as needed. Properties include:
• Crack Orientation: Options include Program Controlled, Manual, Center and Axes, and
Manual Axes Only. If you select either of the manual options, an associated Coordinate
Fracture Analysis
System property displays. Use this property to select a desired coordinate system from
the drop-down list. The list contains the options Global Coordinate System and any
user-defined coordinate systems.
• Crack Center: Options include Program Controlled and Manual. When you select
Manual, coordinate (X, Y, Z) properties display. Use these properties to define the center
of the crack.
• Crack Shape: Options include Program Controlled, Elliptical and Manual, Elliptical.
Currently, only the elliptical shape is supported. As a result, when you select the manual
option, the application displays the Major Radius and Minor Radius properties. Specify
these values as needed.
Note:
This feature only creates elliptical shaped cracks. The initiated crack can be
completely embedded in the solid body, or it can be a surface crack intersecting
one or more surfaces of the solid body, or it can be a corner crack.
• Solution Contours: Specify the number of solution contours for which you want to
compute the fracture result parameters. The default value is 6.
6. Insert a SMART Crack Growth object and select this Crack Initiation object as the option for
the Initial Crack property. Complete any other entries of the SMART Crack Growth object. As
needed, see the SMART Crack Growth Application (p. 472) section for more information.
7. Define remaining environmental conditions such as boundary conditions and loading.
8. Make sure the Fracture property of the Fracture Controls (p. 1529) category of the Analysis Settings
object is set to On.
9. Solve the simulation.
Note:
Crack Initiation may not be successful if the specified criterion value is not satisfied.
In this case fracture results will be unavailable.
10. Insert a Fracture Tool and set the Crack Selection property to Crack Initiation.
11. Insert desired fracture results under the Fracture Tool.
12. Evaluate the fracture results.
5.5.7. Interface Delamination and Contact Debonding

Adhesives are commonly used to bond structural components into assemblies or to bond layers of
material into composite laminates. Simulations often assume the bonding layer to be of infinite
strength, but you may want to model the progressive separation of the adhesive as it reaches some
Analysis Types
known criteria, such as a stress limit. Of the existing theories that define these failure criteria, Mech-
anical supports the Cohesive-Zone Model (CZM) method and the Virtual Crack Closure Technique
(VCCT) method. (See the Cohesive Zone Material (CZM) Model in the Theory Reference and VCCT-Based
Crack-Growth Simulation in the Fracture Analysis Guide for more information about these methods.)
In either case, the separation occurs along a predefined interface and cannot propagate in an arbitrary
direction
Mechanical supports the following features for modeling interface delamination and debonding:
• Interface Delamination – utilizes Mechanical APDL interface elements (INTER202 through INTER205)
and supports the CZM and VCCT methods. Neither method supports interfaces with lower order
triangle faces. Specifically, a prism with a triangle face on the interface or a tetrahedral element
with a face on the interface. And, the VCCT does not support higher order elements.
• Contact Debonding utilizes Mechanical APDL contact elements (CONTA171 through CONTA177)
and supports the CZM method.
For additional technical information about Interface Delamination, see Modeling Interface Delamination
with Interface Elements in the Fracture Analysis Guide. For more information about Contact Debonding,
see Modeling Interface Delamination with Contact Elements (Debonding) in the Fracture Analysis
Guide.
See the Interface Delamination Application (p. 482) and Contact Debonding Application (p. 486) sections
for the steps to specify and configure these features. In addition, if you are using the Ansys Composite
PrepPost (ACP) application in combination with the Interface Delamination feature, see the steps in
the Interface Delamination and Ansys Composite PrepPost (ACP) (p. 486) section.
Analysis Type Requirements

Interface Delamination is supported by Static Structural and Transient Structural analyses only.
Any analysis type may contain a Contact Debonding object, but only the Static Structural and Tran-
sient Structural analyses support the progressive separation of an interface. Contact Debonding also
supports linear perturbation, which allows you to simulate the vibration (Pre-stressed Modal) or sta-
bility (Eigenvalue Buckling) characteristics of a partially delaminated structure. You can also use the
modes extracted in the Pre-stressed model to perform Mode Superposition analyses such as Harmonic
Response, Response Spectrum, and Random Vibration.
5.5.7.1. Interface Delamination Application

The Interface Delamination feature employs either the Virtual Crack Closure Technique (VCCT)
method or the Cohesive-Zone Model (CZM) method for defining failure criteria. The VCCT method
is a fracture mechanics based method and therefore requires an initial crack (in the form of a Pre-
Meshed Crack) in the geometry. The CZM method uses relationships between the separations and
tractions along the interface. Note that the CZM method is sensitive to mesh size and material
Fracture Analysis
parameters. The convergence of CZM models can generate issues, such as loading step size and
stabilization.
Important:
The Interface Delamination feature is not supported with Semi-Elliptical or Arbitrary

cracks.
To correctly insert the structural interface elements (INTER202 through INTER205) into the mesh,
the Interface Delamination feature requires that the sides of the interface have identical element
patterns.
Both the VCCT and CZM methods provide the option to use either the Matched Meshing or the
Node Matching generation method. Matched Meshing requires that you create a Mesh Match
Control at the delamination interface.
A Match Control requires that both faces referenced by the Match Control belong to the same
part, so it is necessary that you create a multi-body part without shared topology. This can be ac-
complished in a CAD application, such as DesignModeler. Matched Meshing is the recommended
Generation Method because it quickly obtains the matching node pairs from the mesh.
Caution:
The application will not respect mesh matching controls when one or more mesh Refine-
ment controls exist. This may result in mismatched node pairs and element faces.
If using a Match Control is not an option and it is necessary to use the Node Matching method,
you must ensure that node pairs and element faces match. Because it is necessary for Mechanical
to search the scoped geometry for matching node pairs within the specified Distance Tolerance,
this method can be slower and less robust than the Matched Meshing method.
Note:
The Interface Delamination feature does not support adaptive mesh refinement.
Also see the Interface Delamination Object Reference page for information about the properties of
this feature.
Apply Interface Delamination
To specify Interface Delamination:
1. Insert a Fracture folder in the Tree Outline. The Fracture object becomes active by default.
2. On the Fracture Context Tab (p. 54): click Interface Delamination. Or, right-click:
• the Fracture tree object and select Insert>Interface Delamination.
Or...
• in the Geometry window and select Insert>Interface Delamination.
Analysis Types
3. Select the desired Method: either VCCT (p. 484) (default) or CZM (p. 485). The properties vary
based on your selection.
VCCT Method
1. Specify the Failure Criteria Option property: either Energy-Release Rate (default) or Ma-
terial Data Table.
2. Based on the selected Failure Criteria Option:
• If specified as Energy-Release Rate: enter a Critical Rate value. This value determines
the energy release rate in one direction.
• If specified as Material Data Table: specify a Material. This property defines the energy
release rate in all three fracture modes. This property is defined in Engineering Data. See
the Static Structural & Transient Structural section of the Engineering Data Help for addi-
tional information about the Cohesive Zone properties used by this feature.
3. Based on the Generation Method selected, either Matched Meshing (default) or Node
Matching, perform one of the following:
Matched Meshing
If Matched Meshing, specify a Match Control by selecting a pre-defined Match Control.

The Match Control that is referenced by the property requires that the delamination
occurs between two independent parts that have the same element/node pattern.
Node Matching
If Node Matching, specify:
a. Scoping Method
b. Source
c. Target
Note:
This option assumes that the existing mesh is already matched.
4. Define the Initial Crack by selecting a user-defined Pre-Meshed Crack.
5. Specify the Auto Time Stepping property as either Program Controlled (default) or
Manual. The following properties can be modified if Manual is selected, otherwise they are
read-only.
a. Initial Time Step
b. Minimum Time Step
Fracture Analysis
c. Maximum Time Step
Note:
• The Auto Time Stepping property must be set to On in the Step Con-
trols (p. 1502) category of the Analysis Setting object.
• Time stepping values take effect when crack growth is detected.
6. If Node Matching is selected as the Generation Type, the Node Matching Tolerance cat-
egory displays.
Specify the Tolerance Type property as either Program Controlled (default) or Manual.
The Distance Tolerance property can be modified if Manual is selected, otherwise it is
read-only.
CZM Method
1. Specify a Material. This property is defined in Engineering Data. See the Static Structural &
Transient Structural section of the Engineering Data Help for additional information about
the Cohesive Zone properties used by this feature.
2. Define the Generation Method property as either Matched Meshing (default) or Node
Matching.
3. Based on the Generation Method selected, either Matched Meshing or Node Matching,
perform one of the following:
Matched Meshing
For the Matched MeshingGeneration Method, select a pre-defined Match Control.

The Match Control that is referenced by the property requires that the delamination
occurs between two independent parts that have the same element/node pattern.
Node Matching
If Node Matching is the Generation Method, then specify:
a. Scoping Method
b. Source
c. Target
Note:
This option assumes that the existing mesh is already matched.
4. If Node Matching is selected as the Generation Type, the Node Matching Tolerance cat-
egory displays.
Analysis Types
Specify the Tolerance Type property as either Program Controlled (default) or Manual.
The Distance Tolerance property can be modified if Manual is selected, otherwise it is
read-only.
5.5.7.2. Contact Debonding Application

Debonding simulations begin by defining contact regions along an interface that will separate. The
properties for the contact elements require that the contact Type (p. 1147) be Bonded or No Separ-
ation contact and that the Formulation (p. 1153) is specified as the Augmented Lagrange method
or the Pure Penalty method.
The Contact Debonding object specifies the pre-existing contact region (defined using the Con-
nections (p. 1111) feature) that you intend to separate and it also references the material properties
defined in Engineering Data. You must select the material properties from the Cohesive Zone
category with type Separation-Distance based Debonding or Fracture-Energies based Debonding.
See the Static Structural & Transient Structural section of the Engineering Data Help for additional
information about the Cohesive Zone properties used by this feature.
Apply Contact Debonding
To specify Contact Debonding:
1. Insert a Fracture folder in the Tree Outline. The Fracture object becomes active by default.
2. On the Fracture Context Tab (p. 54): click Contact Debonding. Or, right-click:
• the Fracture tree object and select Insert>Contact Debonding.
Or...
• in the Geometry window and select Insert>Contact Debonding.
3. Select a Material.
4. Select a Contact Region.
Tip:
To automatically generate a Contact Debonding object, select a Contact Region and

drag and drop it onto the Fracture folder.
Also see the Contact Debonding Object Reference Help page for information about the properties
of this feature.
5.5.7.3. Interface Delamination and Ansys Composite PrepPost (ACP)

Mechanical allows you to import interface layer(s) from the Ansys Composite PrepPost (ACP) applic-
ation. You can define interface layers in ACP, import them into Mechanical, and use them to define
Interface Delamination objects. You can automatically insert Interface Delamination objects into
the Fracture folder when importing composite section data into Mechanical by setting the Create
Delamination Objects property (see Specifying Options (p. 293)) to Yes. Alternatively, you can
generate Interface Delamination objects automatically after you have imported Composite Section
Fracture Analysis
data by selecting the Generate All Interface Delaminations option in the context menu of the
Fracture object.
Unexpected Penetration during Nonlinear Analysis

If you experience penetration at the interface layers during separation, you may wish to create a
Contact condition (p. 1176) for the interface where the penetration is taking place. A Contact Region
can be applied (p. 1139) to a Pre-Generated Interface provided by ACP. Although all contact
Type (p. 1147) settings are supported for Pre-Generated Interfaces, the Frictionless setting is recom-
mended for this case when specifying the contact condition. Other contact properties can be set
to the default, Program Controlled, settings.
Apply Interface Delamination via ACP

To specify Interface Delamination using the ACP application:
Note:
The following steps assume that you have properly defined your interface layer in the
ACP application.
VCCT Method (Default)
1. From the Workbench Project page, link your Static Structural or Transient Structural analysis
to the ACP (Pre) system and then launch Mechanical.
A Fracture folder is automatically created and includes an Interface Delamination object.
2. Select the new Interface Delamination object.
3. Specify the Failure Criteria Option property: either Energy-Release Rate (default) or Ma-
terial Data Table.
4. Based on the selected Failure Criteria Option:
• If specified as Energy-Release Rate: enter a Critical Rate value. This value determines
the energy release rate in one direction.
• If specified as Material Data Table: specify a Material. This property defines the energy
release rate in all three fracture modes. This property is defined in ACP.
5. The automatic setting for the Generation Method property is Pre-Generated Interface.
Accept this setting.
6. As necessary, select the appropriate Interface Layer from the Interface property drop-down
menu.
7. Define the Initial Crack by selecting the Pre-Meshed Crack created by ACP.
8. Specify the Auto Time Stepping property as either Program Controlled (default) or
Manual. The following properties can be modified if Manual is selected, otherwise they are
read-only.
Analysis Types
a. Initial Time Step
b. Minimum Time Step
c. Maximum Time Step
Note:
• The Auto Time Stepping property must be set to On in the Step Con-
trols (p. 1502) category of the Analysis Setting object.
• Time stepping values take effect when crack growth is detected.
CZM Method
1. From the Workbench Project page, link your Static Structural or Transient Structural analysis
to the ACP (Pre) system and then launch Mechanical.
A Fracture folder is automatically created and includes an Interface Delamination object.
2. Select the new Interface Delamination object.
3. Specify the Material property. This property provides a fly-out menu to make a material
selection that was defined in the ACP (Pre) system.
4. The automatic setting for the Generation Method property is Pre-Generated Interface.
Accept this setting.
5. As necessary, select the appropriate Interface Layer from the Interface property drop-down
menu.
5.5.8. Multi-Point Constraint (MPC) Contact for Fracture

The internally generated crack mesh is created after an initial base mesh is generated. Since the crack
mesh is defined based on the crack object, while the base mesh is created based on the geometry
and mesh parameters, the two meshes may not perfectly match at the boundaries of the fracture
affected zone. For more information on the fracture affected zone, see the Fracture Meshing (p. 418)
section.
Note:
• The application does not create a contact pair when you set the Mesh Method to Tet-
rahedrons when meshing any analytical crack.
• The application does not create a contact pair for Arbitrary crack meshing.
When a solution is performed on an analysis which contains an internally generated crack mesh, a
contact region using Multi-Point Constraint (MPC) formulation is automatically created between the
crack mesh and the base mesh at the boundaries of the fracture-affected zone. This contact is applicable
to static structural analysis, transient structural analysis, modal analysis, steady-state thermal analysis,
Fracture Analysis
and transient thermal analysis. For more information about the MPC contact formulation, see Contact
Formulation Theory (p. 1135). This contact is only created for an analytical crack object which support
the Hex Dominant Mesh Method and is not applicable to the Pre-Meshed Crack object.
The characteristics/settings of the MPC contact are shown below. For more information about the
different contact settings, see Advanced Settings (p. 1152).
• Bonded surface-to-surface contact is defined between the crack mesh and the base mesh at
the boundary of the fracture-affected zone. The contact element CONTA174 is created on the
faces of the base mesh, and the target element TARGE170 is created on the faces of the crack
mesh.
• The contact is asymmetric in nature. The contact can be made auto asymmetric by setting the
use auto symmetric variable to 1 in the Variable Manager (p. 211).
• Nodal contact detection, normal from the contact surface, will be defined.
• The initial gap and penetration are ignored.
• For steady-state thermal and transient thermal analysis, the temperature degree of freedom
is selected.
For more information about contact settings, refer to the CONTA174 documentation in the Element
Reference. For more information about the MPC constraint, see Multipoint Constraints and Assemblies
in the Contact Technology Guide.
5.5.9. Solving a Fracture Analysis

Once the crack mesh is generated, you can apply loads and constraints, then solve the analysis. Then,
once the solution is done, you can analyze the stress and deformation pattern around the crack. For
meshes defined by the Semi-Elliptical Crack object or the Arbitrary Crack object, you can apply
the loads on the crack face top and bottom discontinuity plane using nodal named selections.
For the Semi-Elliptical Crack object, the application defines the internally generated crack mesh
after the initial base mesh. The base mesh generation is based on a different set of requirements and
constraints than the crack mesh. As a result, the crack mesh, generated using the Hex dominant mesh
method, may not perfectly match the boundaries of the fracture affected zone. Because they may
not match perfectly, kinematic constraints are required to establish a connection between base mesh
and crack mesh in the boundaries of the fracture affected zone, which is accomplished using the
multi-point constraint (MPC) contact (p. 488). A contact pair is created at the interface of the crack
and base meshes, with contact surface created at the interface on the buffer zone side of the base
mesh and target surface created at the interface on the fracture affected zone side of the hex dominant
Analysis Types
mesh. When the solution is performed using internally-generated crack meshes, the MPC contact region
is automatically created and sent to the solver.
Important:
For Arbitrary Cracks as well as analytical cracks (ring, corner, etc.), the application does
not create a contact pair when the Mesh Method property is set to Tetrahedrons.
Note:
Static Structural and Transient Structural analyses are the only analyses supported for
fracture mechanics calculations. However, the mesh with cracks is also supported with a
static structural analysis linked to an upstream steady state thermal or transient thermal
analysis.
Also, all loads and boundary conditions applicable to the static structural analysis are ap-
plicable with the existence of crack in the solution.
Although you can add Fracture and crack objects of any definition to a Modal analysis or
a Mode Superposition (MSUP) Transient analysis, the application does not compute fracture
parameters during the solution.
Computation of Fracture Parameters

The stress and deformation pattern around the crack is not sufficient to evaluate the catastrophic
failure of the structure. The computation of fracture parameters and its comparison against fracture
toughness is necessary for designing safe structures.
To compute fracture parameters for all cracks defined under the Fracture folder, the Fracture property
in the Fracture Controls (p. 1529) of the Analysis Settings must be set to On. This entry is visible only
if the Fracture folder exists in the model. By default, the application does not compute fracture
parameters for Material Force and T-Stress. You need to set their properties under the Fracture
Controls of the Analysis Settings to Yes.
The computations used for fracture analysis include Stress Intensity Factors (SIFS), J-Integral (JINT),
Energy Release Rates, Material Force, T-Stress and C*-Integral. The Mode 1 Stress Intensity Factor (K1),
Mode 2 Stress Intensity Factor (K2), Mode3 Stress Intensity Factor (K3), and T-Stress are computed
along the crack front using the interaction integral method. The Mode 1 Energy Release Rate (G1)
and Mode 2 Energy Release Rate (G2), Mode 3 Energy Release Rate (G3) and Total Energy Release
Rate (GT) are computed using the Virtual Crack Closure Technique (VCCT) along the crack front.
Note:
The Energy Release Rate parameters, which are specific to the Pre-Meshed Crack object,
are computed using the Virtual Crack Closure Technique (VCCT). When the VCCT technique
is used, a specific mesh pattern composed of hexahedral shapes along the crack front is
recommended for better accuracy. For more information, see Understanding Fracture
Mechanics in the Fracture Analysis Guide.
Fracture Analysis
The JINT result is a mixed mode result and is also computed along the crack front using the domain
integral method. The fracture parameters, for all cracks defined under the fracture folder, are automat-
ically computed and stored in the results file when the Fracture property in the Fracture Con-
trols (p. 1529) category of Analysis Settings is set to On. The SIFS and JINT results are calculated for all
cracks defined under the Fracture folder. The VCCT results are calculated only if the crack mesh gen-
erated is of lower order (dropped midside nodes). Material Force and T-Stress results are calculated
only when their respective control is set to Yes in the Fracture Controls (p. 1529) category of Analysis
Settings. You can direct the fracture parameter computation for all cracks to use symmetry by setting
the all cracks symmetric variable to active with a value of 1 in the Variable Manager. For
more information, see Setting Variables (p. 211). Fracture parameter calculation based on SIFS supports
linear isotropic elastic material behavior. VCCT based fracture parameter calculation supports linear
isotropic elastic, anisotropic elastic and orthotropic elastic material behavior. J-Integral based and T-
stress based fracture parameter calculation supports isotropic elastic and isotropic plastic material
behaviors. Material force based fracture parameter calculation supports linear isotropic elastic, isotropic
hardening plasticity, kinematic hardening plasticity and isotropic hyperelastic material behaviors. C*-
Integral based fracture parameter calculation supports secondary (steady-state) creep material beha-
vior and it is computed along the crack front using the domain integral method. You can exclude
computation of any fracture parameter (except VCCT) by setting its respective control in the Fracture
Controls (p. 1529) category of Analysis Settings to No.
Note:
If you get the following message:
The fracture parameters computed during solution may be incorrect. Check the Solver
Output on the Solution Information object (p. 1927) for possible causes.
Check for the following:
• A contact might have been created in the region of the crack contours.
• A load might have been applied in the region of the crack contours that is not
supported in the fracture parameter computation. Try replacing it with a Direct
FE (p. 1838) load. You can also replace the normal Pressure loads using the Applied
By property option, Direct.
5.5.10. Extracting Fracture Results from a Result File

The Fracture Tool (p. 2170) provides the Scoping Method option, Result File Item, that enables you
to read a result file (p. 1955) into the application prior to solution processing. For the associated fracture
results and probes, included under the Fracture Tool, you specify a desired Solver ID from the drop-
down menu to evaluate the result from the result file. Furthermore, by reading a results file, you can
evaluate the fracture results of a Pre-Meshed Crack without needing to define the crack. For all other
crack types, your simulation must include a defined Fracture folder, a matching mesh, as well as
defined boundary conditions.
See the Extract Fracture Results from a Result File (p. 2177) topic in the Fracture Results (p. 2170) section
for the specific steps to extract fracture results from a result file (file.rst).
Analysis Types
Requirements
Note the following requirements for this feature:
• You must ensure that the mesh in the result file matches the mesh in Workbench. This includes
the Workbench generated mesh from the geometry as well as any nodes or elements defined
in the input file (such as for contact or remote boundary conditions). Failure to do so could
result in incorrect results and unexpected behavior.
• Fracture probes can be evaluated only if the fracture analysis had cracks associated with a
SMART Crack Growth object from which the result file is saved and read.
• Once you read a result file, if you do not see an expected Solver ID in the property’s drop-
down menu, this indicates that the result was not available in the results file. You must delete
or suppress the result in order to continue with your analysis.
5.6. Linear Dynamics Analysis Types

Applying external forces gradually to a structure does not cause it to experience any pulse or motion.
You can solve structural responses with a simple static equilibrium analysis. That is, the structural
elasticity forces and the external forces equilibrate one another.
In reality, however, structures are subject to rapidly applied forces (or so-called dynamic forces), for
example, high-rise buildings, airplane wings, and drilling platforms are subject to wind gusts, turbulences,
and ocean waves, respectively. These structures are in a state of motion as a result of the dynamic
forces. To simulate and solve for the structural responses in a logical manner, a dynamic equilibrium
analysis, or a dynamic analysis, is desirable. In a dynamic analysis, in addition to structural elasticity
force, structural inertia and dissipative forces (or damping) are also considered in the equation of motion
to equilibrate the dynamic forces. Inertia forces are a product of structural mass and acceleration while
dissipative forces are a product of a structural damping coefficient and velocity.
When performing a linear dynamic analysis, the application calculates structural responses based the
assumption that a structure is linear.
The following sections discuss the steps and requirements to perform different linear dynamic simulations.
5.6.1. Eigenvalue Buckling Analysis
5.6.2. Harmonic Response Analysis
5.6.3. Harmonic Response (Full) Analysis Using Pre-Stressed Structural System
5.6.4. Harmonic Response Analysis Using Linked Modal Analysis System
5.6.5. Modal Analysis
5.6.6. Random Vibration Analysis
5.6.7. Response Spectrum Analysis
5.6.8. Substructure Generation Analysis
Linear Dynamics Analysis Types
5.6.1. Eigenvalue Buckling Analysis
Background
An Eigenvalue Buckling analysis predicts the theoretical buckling strength of an ideal elastic structure.
This method corresponds to the textbook approach to an elastic buckling analysis: for instance, an
eigenvalue buckling analysis of a column matches the classical Euler solution. However, imperfections
and nonlinearities prevent most real-world structures from achieving their theoretical elastic buckling
strength. Therefore, an Eigenvalue Buckling analysis often yields quick but non-conservative results.
A more accurate approach to predicting instability is to perform a nonlinear buckling analysis. This
involves a static structural analysis with large deflection effects turned on. A gradually increasing load
is applied in this analysis to seek the load level at which your structure becomes unstable. Using the
nonlinear technique, your model can include features such as initial imperfections, plastic behavior,
gaps, and large-deflection response. In addition, using deflection-controlled loading, you can even
track the post-buckled performance of your structure (which can be useful in cases where the structure
buckles into a stable configuration, such as "snap-through" buckling of a shallow dome, as illustrated
below).
(a) Nonlinear load-deflection curve, (b) Eigenvalue buckling curve.
Eigenvalue Buckling in Mechanical

In Mechanical, an Eigenvalue Buckling analysis is a linear analysis and therefore cannot account for
nonlinearities. It employs the Linear Perturbation Analysis procedure of Mechanical APDL. This pro-
cedure requires a pre-loaded environment from which it draws solution data for use in the Eigenvalue
Buckling analysis. Based on this requirement, an Eigenvalue Buckling analysis can consider nonlinear-
ities that are present in the pre-stressed environment allowing you to attain a more accurate real-
world solution as compared to a traditional linear preloaded state.
Note:
The application supports the use of the Samcef solver for this analysis type. However, the
information presented below applies to the use of the Mechanical APDL Solver only.
Points to Remember
• An Eigenvalue Buckling analysis must be linked to (proceeded by) a Static Structural Analysis (p. 658).
This static analysis can be either linear or nonlinear and the linear perturbation procedure refers
to it as the "base analysis" (as either linear or nonlinear).
• The nonlinearities present in the static analysis can be the result of nonlinear:
Analysis Types
– Geometry (the Large Deformation property is set to Yes)
– Contact status ( A contact condition with the Type property set to anything other than Bonded
or No Separation is treated as a non-linearity for contact. In addition, when the Small Sliding
property set to Off, the system is treated as non-linear contact.)
– Material (such as the definition of nonlinear material properties in Engineering Data, hyperelasticity,
plasticity, etc.)
– Connection (such as nonlinear joints and nonlinear springs)
• A structure can have an infinite number of buckling load factors. Each load factor is associated with
a different instability pattern. Typically the lowest load factor is of interest.
• Based upon how you apply loads to a structure, load factors can either be positive or negative. The
application sorts load factors from the most negative values to the most positive values. The min-
imum buckling load factor may correspond to the smallest eigenvalue in absolute value.
• For Pressure boundary conditions in the Static Structural analysis: if you define the load with the
Normal To option for faces (3D) or edges (2-D), you could experience an additional stiffness con-
tribution called the "pressure load stiffness" effect. The Normal To option causes the pressure to
act as a follower load, which means that it continues to act in a direction normal to the scoped
entity even as the structure deforms. Pressure loads defined with the Components or Vector options
act in a constant direction even as the structure deforms. For a given pressure value in the upstream
static system, the Normal To option and the Component/Vector options can produce significantly
different buckling load factors in the follow-on Eigenvalue Buckling analysis.
• Buckling mode shapes do not represent actual displacements but help you to visualize how a part
or an assembly deforms when buckling.
• The procedure that the Mechanical APDL solver uses to evaluate buckling load factors is dependent
upon whether the pre-stressed Eigenvalue Buckling analysis is linear-based (linear prestress analysis)
or nonlinear-based (nonlinear prestress analysis), as described below.
Linear-based Eigenvalue Buckling Analysis
Note the following for an Eigenvalue Buckling analysis when the base analysis is linear:
• You can only define loading conditions in the upstream analysis.
• The results calculated by the Eigenvalue Buckling analysis are buckling load factors that scale
all of the loads applied in the upstream Static Structural analysis. For example, if you applied
a 10 N compressive load on a structure in the static analysis and if the Eigenvalue Buckling
analysis calculates a load factor of 1500, then the predicted buckling load is 1500x10 = 15000
N. Because of this, it is typical to apply unit loads in the static analysis that precedes the buckling
analysis.
• The solver applies the buckling load factor to all the loads specified in the upstream static
analysis.
• Note that the load factors represent scaling factors for all loads. If certain loads are constant
(self-weight gravity loads) while other loads are variable (externally applied loads), you need
to take special steps to ensure accurate results. For example, you can iterate on the Eigenvalue
buckling solution, adjusting the variable loads until the load factor becomes 1.0 (or nearly 1.0,
within some convergence tolerance). Consider the example below: a pole has a self-weight W0
that supports an externally-applied load, A. To determine the limiting value of A in an Eigenvalue
Buckling analysis, you could solve repetitively, using different values for A, until you find a load
factor acceptably close to 1.0.
• If you receive all negative buckling load factor values for your Eigenvalue Buckling analysis and
you wish to see them in the positive values, or vice versa, reverse the direction of all of the
loads you applied in Static Structural analysis.
• You can apply a nonzero constraint in the Static Structural analysis. The load factors calculated
in the buckling analysis should also be applied to these nonzero constraint values. However,
the buckling mode shape associated with this load will show the constraint to have zero value.
Nonlinear-based Eigenvalue Buckling Analysis
Note the following for an Eigenvalue Buckling analysis when the base analysis is nonlinear:
• At least one form of nonlinearity must be defined in the upstream static analysis.
• You must define at least one load in the buckling analysis to proceed with the solution. To
enable this, set the Keep Pre-Stress Load-Pattern property to Yes (default). This retains the
loading pattern from the Static Structural analysis in the Eigenvalue Buckling analysis. Setting
the property to No requires you to define a new loading pattern for the Eigenvalue Buckling
analysis. This new loading pattern can be completely different from that of the prestress ana-
lysis.
• In a nonlinear-based Eigenvalue Buckling analysis, load multipliers scale the loads applied in
buckling analysis ONLY. When estimating the ultimate buckling load for the structure, you must
account for the loading applied in both analyses. The equation to calculate the ultimate buckling
load for the nonlinear-based Eigenvalue Buckling analysis is:
FBUCKLING = FRESTART + λi · FPERTRUB
where:
– FBUCKLING = The ultimate buckling load for the structure.
– FRESTART = Total loads in Static Structural analysis at the specified restart load step.
– λi = Buckling load factor for the "i'th" mode.
– FPERTRUB = Perturbation loads applied in buckling analysis.
Analysis Types
For example, if you applied a 100 N compressive force on a structure in the static analysis and
a compressive force of 10 N in the Eigenvalue Buckling analysis and you get a load factor of
15, then the ultimate buckling load for the structure is 100 + (15 x 10) = 250 N.
You can verify the ultimate buckling load of the above equation using the buckling of a one
dimensional column. However, calculating the ultimate buckling load for 2D and 3D problems
with different combinations of loads applied in the Static Structural and Eigenvalue Buckling
analyses may not be as straightforward as the 1D column example. This is because the FRESTART
and FPERTRUB values are essentially the effective loading values in the static and buckling analyses,
respectively.
For example, consider a cantilever beam that has a theoretical ultimate buckling strength of
1000N and that is subjected to a compressive force (A) of 250N. The procedure to calculate the
ultimate buckling load (F), based on the load factors evaluated by Mechanical for linear-based
and nonlinear-based Eigenvalue Buckling analyses is illustrated in the following schematic.
Note:
As illustrated, cases (3) and (5) are identical as the base analysis is nonlinear because
of nonlinear contact definition. In Case (3), setting the Keep Pre-Stress Load-Pattern
property to Yes automatically retains the loading from the pre-stress analysis. As a
result, there is no need to define new loads for the buckling analysis in Case 3. For
Case 5, the Keep Pre-Stress Load-Pattern property is set to No, enabling you to
define a new load pattern in the buckling analysis that can be completely different
from that of the Static Structural analysis.
• The buckling load factor evaluated in nonlinear-based Eigenvalue Buckling should be applied
to all of the loads used in the buckling analysis.
• If you receive all negative buckling load factor values for your Eigenvalue Buckling analysis and
you wish to see them in the positive values, or vice versa, reverse the direction of all of the
loads you applied in the Static Structural analysis when the Keep Pre-Stress Load-Pattern
property is set to Yes. If this property is set to No, reverse the direction of all of the loads that
you applied in Eigenvalue Buckling analysis.

Because this analysis is based on the Static Structural solution, a Static Structural
analysis is a prerequisite. This linked setup allows the two analysis systems to share
resources such as engineering data, geometry, and boundary condition type definitions.
From the Toolbox, drag a Static Structural template to the Project Schematic. Then,
drag an Eigenvalue Buckling template directly onto the Solution cell of the Static
Structural template. The proper linking is illustrated below.
• Young's modulus (or stiffness in some form) must be defined.
• Material properties can be linear, nonlinear, isotropic or orthotropic, and constant

or temperature-dependent.
Attach Geometry
There are no specific considerations for an Eigenvalue Buckling analysis.
Analysis Types
There are no specific considerations for an Eigenvalue Buckling analysis.
Define Connections
Linear-based Eigenvalue Buckling Analysis
The following contact settings are considered linear contact behaviors for Eigen-
value Buckling analyses. If any other contact settings are used, the analysis will be
considered a Nonlinear-based Eigenvalue Buckling analysis.
• The Formulation property is set to MPC or Beam.
Or...
• The Type property is set to Bonded or No Separation and Small Sliding

is active.
Springs with linear stiffness definition are taken into account if they are present
in the static analysis.
Only Bushing and General joints enable you to solve an analysis with nonlinear
Joint Stiffness (p. 1243). Mechanical considers all other joint types to be linear. The
application accounts for linear joints if they are present in the static analysis.
Nonlinear-based Eigenvalue Buckling Analysis
All nonlinear connections (including nonlinear springs and joints) are allowed. Any
contact options other than the ones mentioned above would trigger a nonlinear-
based Eigenvalue Buckling analysis.
There are no considerations specifically for an Eigenvalue Buckling analysis.
For an Eigenvalue Buckling analysis, the basic Analysis Settings (p. 1501) include:
Options (p. 1545)
• Use the Max Modes to Find property to specify the number of buckling load
factors and corresponding buckling mode shapes of interest. Typically the first
(lowest) buckling load factor is of interest. The default value for this field is 2.
You can change this default setting under the Buckling category of the Fre-
quency (p. 299) options in the Options (p. 293) preference dialog.
• The Keep Pre-Stress Load-Pattern property is available for nonlinear-based

Eigenvalue Buckling analyses. Use this property to specify whether you want to
retain the pre-stress loading pattern to generate the perturbation loads in the
Eigenvalue Buckling analysis. The default setting for this property is Yes, which
automatically retains the structural loading pattern for the buckling analysis
(refer to the ALLKEEPLoadControl key setting for PERTURB command). Setting
the property to No requires you to define a new loading pattern for the Eigen-
value Buckling analysis (refer to PARKEEPLoadControl key setting for PERTURB
command).
Important:
Because the PARKEEPLoadControl key retains all displacements ap-

plied in Static Structural analysis for reuse in Eigenvalue Buckling
analysis, any non-zero displacements applied in static analysis act as
loads in Eigenvalue Buckling analysis. If you specifying different load
types in the buckling analysis that are scoped to the same geometric
entities and in the same direction, may be ignored. Define your new
loading pattern carefully.
Solver Controls (p. 1512)
• Solver Type: The default option, Program Controlled, enables the application
to select the appropriate solver type. Options include Program Controlled,
Direct, and Subspace. By default, the Program Controlled option uses the
Direct solver for linear-based Eigenvalue Buckling analyses and Subspace
solver for nonlinear-based Eigenvalue Buckling analyses.
Note:
Both the Direct and Subspace solvers evaluate the buckling solutions
for most engineering problems. If you experience a solution failure
using one of the solvers because it cannot find the requested modes,
it may help to switch the solvers. If both of the solvers fail to find
the solution, then review your model carefully for possible stringent
input specifications or loading conditions.
• Include Negative Load Multiplier: The default option Program Controlled

and the Yes option extract both the negative and positive eigenvalues (load
multipliers). The No option only extracts positive eigenvalues (load multipliers).
By default, only buckling load factors and corresponding buckling mode shapes
are calculated. You can request Stress and Strain results to be calculated but note
Analysis Types
that "stress" results only show the relative distribution of stress in the structure
and are not real stress values.
Note:
The Output Controls category is only exposed for the Mechanical

APDL solver.
The properties of this category enable you to define whether or not to automatically
save the Mechanical APDL database as well as automatically delete unneeded files.
You must specify a Static Structural analysis that is using the same model in the initial
condition environment, and:
• Because an Eigenvalue Buckling analysis must be preceded by a Static Structural

analysis, you need to specify the same solver type for each, either Mechanical APDL
or Samcef.
• The Pre-Stress Environment property in the Pre-Stress (Static Structural) initial

condition object displays whether the pre-stress environment is considered linear
or nonlinear for the Eigenvalue Buckling analysis.
• If the Static Structural analysis has multiple result sets, the value from any restart
point available in the Static Structural analysis can be used as the basis for the Ei-
genvalue Buckling analysis. See the Restarts from Multiple Result Sets (p. 358) topic
in the Applying Pre-Stress Effects (p. 357) Help section for more information.
Loads are supported by Eigenvalue Buckling analysis only when the pre-stressed en-
vironment has nonlinearities defined.
The following loads are supported for a nonlinear-based Eigenvalue Buckling analysis:
• Loads: Thermal Condition (p. 1708)
• Direct FE (p. 1838) (node-based Named Selection scoping and constant loading only):
– Nodal Force (p. 1840)
– Nodal Pressure (p. 1844)
– Nodal Displacement (p. 1847): At least one non-zero Component is required for
the boundary condition to be fully defined.
Note:
• Choosing to keep the default setting (Yes) for the Keep Pre-Stress Load-
Pattern property retains the pre-stress loading pattern for the buckling
analysis and no additional load definition is necessary.
• For Nodal Pressure, the only definition option is Normal To. This results
in the "pressure load stiffness" effect. To avoid the pressure stiffness effect,
apply an equivalent Nodal Force load to the same surface and set the
Divide Load by Nodes property to Yes. The equivalent force is equal to
the value of the pressure multiplied by the area of the scoped surface.
• The node-based Named Selections used with the above Direct FE

Loads (p. 1838) cannot contain nodes scoped to a rigid body.
No loading conditions can be created in a linear-based Eigenvalue Buckling analysis.

The supports as well as the stress state from the linked Static Structural analysis are
used in the linear-based Eigenvalue Buckling analysis. See the Apply Pre-Stress Effects
for Implicit Analysis (p. 357) section for more information about using a pre-stressed
environment.
Solve
Solution Information (p. 1927) continuously updates any listing output from the
solver and provides valuable information on the behavior of the structure during the
analysis.
Review Results
You can view the buckling mode shape associated with a particular load factor by
displaying a contour plot (p. 65) or by animating (p. 2364) the deformed mode shape.
The contours represent relative displacement of the part.
Buckling mode shape displays are helpful in understanding how a part or an assembly
deforms when buckling, but do not represent actual displacements.
"Stresses" from an Eigenvalue Buckling analysis do not represent actual stresses in the
structure, but they give you an idea of the relative stress distributions for each mode.
You can make Stress and Strain results available in the buckling analysis by setting
the proper Output Controls (p. 1559) before the solution is processed.
Analysis Types
5.6.2. Harmonic Response Analysis

Harmonic response analyses are used to determine the steady-state response of a linear structure to
loads that vary sinusoidally (harmonically) with time, therefore enabling you to verify whether or not
your designs will successfully overcome resonance, fatigue, and other harmful effects of forced vibra-
tions.
Introduction
In a structural system, any sustained cyclic load will produce a sustained cyclic or harmonic response.
Harmonic analysis results are used to determine the steady-state response of a linear structure to
loads that vary sinusoidally (harmonically) with time, therefore enabling you to verify whether or not
your designs will successfully overcome resonance, fatigue, and other harmful effects of forced vibra-
tions.
This analysis technique calculates only the steady-state, forced vibrations of a structure. The transient
vibrations, which occur at the beginning of the excitation, are not accounted for in a harmonic ana-
lysis.
In this analysis all loads as well as the structure’s response vary sinusoidally at the same frequency.
A typical harmonic analysis will calculate the response of the structure to cyclic loads over a frequency
range (a sine sweep) and obtain a graph of some response quantity (usually displacements) versus
frequency. "Peak" responses are then identified from graphs of response vs. frequency and stresses
are then reviewed at those peak frequencies.
Points to Remember
A harmonic response analysis is a linear analysis. Some nonlinearities, such as plasticity will be ignored,
even if they are defined. All loads and displacements vary sinusoidally at the same known frequency
(although not necessarily in phase). If the Reference Temperature is set as By Body and that tem-
perature does not match the environment temperature, a thermally induced harmonic load will result
(from the thermal strain assuming a nonzero thermal expansion coefficient). This thermal harmonic
loading is ignored for all harmonic analysis.
Mechanical offers the following options for the Solution Method property:
Mode Superposition (Default)
For the Mode Superposition (also called "MSUP") option, the harmonic response to a given
loading condition is obtained by performing the necessary linear combinations of the eigensolutions
obtained from a Modal analysis.
For MSUP, it is advantageous for you to select an existing modal analysis directly (although
Mechanical can automatically perform a modal analysis behind the scene) since calculating the
eigenvectors is usually the most computationally expensive portion of the method. In this way,
multiple harmonic analyses with different loading conditions could effectively reuse the eigen-
vectors. For more details, refer to Harmonic Response Analysis Using Linked Modal Analysis Sys-
tem (p. 515).
Acceleration (p. 1610) and/or Displacement (p. 1784) applied as a base excitation uses the Enforced
Motion Method. See the Enforced Motion Method for Mode Superposition Transient and Harmonic
Analyses section of the Mechanical APDL Structural Analysis Guide for additional information.
Full
Using the Full option, you obtain harmonic response through the direct solution of the simultan-
eous equations of motion. In addition, a Harmonic Response analysis can be linked to, and use
the structural responses of, a Static-Structural analysis. See the Harmonic Analysis Using Pre-
Stressed Structural System (p. 512) section of the Help for more information.
Include Residual Vector
This property is available when the Solution Method is set to Mode Superposition. You can
turn the Include Residual Vector property On to execute the RESVEC command and calculate
residual vectors.
Note:
The following boundary conditions do not support residual vector calculations:
• Nodal Force
• Remote Force scoped to a Remote Point (created via Model object)
• Moment scoped to a Remote Point (created via Model object)
Variational Technology
Using the Variational Technology option, the application evaluates the harmonic response for
each excitation frequency based on one direct solution.
Program Controlled
Using the Program Controlled option, the application selects the best solution method based
on the model. Internally, the application chooses either the Full or Variational Technology
solution method.
Krylov
The Krylov solution method enables you to quickly perform an approximate solution. This
method is more computationally efficient than the Full method if solved for a large number of
frequency values. See the Frequency-Sweep Harmonic Analysis via the Krylov Method section of
the Mechanical APDL Structural Analysis Guide for more information.
Note:
• For more technical information about Variational Technology, see the Harmonic Analysis
Variational Technology Method section of the Mechanical APDL Theory Reference.
• Also see the HROPT command in the Mechanical APDL Command Reference for more
information about harmonic analysis options.
• If a Command (APDL) object is used with the MSUP method, object content is sent twice;
one for the modal solution and another for the harmonic solution. For that reason, har-
Analysis Types
monic responses are double if a load command is defined in the object, for example, F
command.


Both Young's modulus (or stiffness in some form) and density (or mass in some form) must be defined.
Material properties must be linear but can be isotropic or orthotropic, and constant or temperature-
dependent. Nonlinear properties, if any, are ignored.
Define Connections
Any nonlinear contact such as Frictional contact (p. 1147) retains the initial status throughout the
harmonic analysis. The stiffness contribution from the contact is based on the initial status and never
changes.
The application accounts for spring stiffness as well as damping when using the Program Controlled,
Full, Variational Technology, and Krylov solution methods. For the Mode Superposition option,
the application ignores damping from springs.

For a Harmonic Response analysis, the basic Analysis Settings (p. 1501) include:
Step Controls
The Step Controls (p. 1510) category enables you to define step controls for an analysis that includes
multiple load steps. You use the properties of this category to define the load steps and their
options. When you select the Analysis Settings object, the content of the Step Controls category
automatically displays in the Worksheet. You can modify certain properties in either the Worksheet
or in the Details pane. For each load step, you can specify solution settings (Frequency Spacing,
minimum frequencies, maximum frequencies, etc.). See the Step Controls for Harmonic Analysis
Types (p. 1510) section for a description of the properties.
Options
The Options category (p. 1531) enables you to specify the frequency range and the number of
solution points at which the harmonic analysis will be carried out as well as the solution method
to use and the relevant controls.
The Solution Method property options for a harmonic response analysis, Program Controlled,
Mode Superposition, Direct Integration (Full), Variational Technology and Krylov, are described
below.
• Program Controlled: The application selects the best solution method based on the model.
Internally, the application chooses either the Full or Variational Technology solution method.
• Mode Superposition: This is the default method and generally provides results faster than the
other methods. Using this method, a modal analysis is first performed to compute the natural
frequencies and mode shapes. Then the mode superposition solution is carried out where these
mode shapes are combined to arrive at a solution. The Mode Superposition method cannot
be used if you need to apply imposed (nonzero) displacements. When using this method, you
can set the Cluster Results property to Yes to group the structure's natural frequencies. This
results in a smoother, more accurate tracing of the response curve. The default method of
equally spaced frequency points can result in missing the peak values. See the Options (p. 1531)
section for more information about the cluster property.
The method also includes the following additional properties:
On Demand Expansion Option
Options for this property include Program Controlled (default), Yes, and No. When set to
Program Controlled, an additional read-only property, On Demand Expansion, displays.
This property only displays for the Program Controlled option and the application determ-
ines the value for the property, either Yes or No.
When the On Demand Expansion Option property is set to Yes, either manually or from
the Program Controlled setting, the application creates the result file optimally. The ap-
plication evaluates the results using the Modal solution data and calculates any other results
“on demand.” This improves solution performance and reduces file size. In addition, the
application automatically removes mode shape data from the result file as determined by
the On Demand Mode Shape preference.
You can change the default setting for the On Demand Expansion Option property and
the On Demand Mode Shape preference using the Options (Modal, Harmonic and
Transient Mode Superposition) category of the Analysis Settings and Solution (p. 316)
group in the Options dialog.
Store Results At All Frequencies
When you set the Store Results At All Frequencies (p. 1539) property to No, the application
requests that only minimal data be retained. Only the harmonic results requested at the
time of solution are calculated. The availability of the results is therefore not determined
by the settings in the Output Controls.
Note:
With this option set to No, the addition of new frequency or phase responses
to a solved environment requires a new solution. Adding a new contour result
of any type (stress or strain) or a new probe result of any type (reaction force or
reaction moment) for the first time on a solved environment requires you to
solve, but adding additional contour results or probe results of the same type
does not share this requirement; data from the closest available frequency is
displayed (the reported frequency is noted on each result).
New and/or additional displacement contour results as well as bearing probe

results do not share this requirement. These results types are basic data and are
available by default.
Analysis Types
The values of frequency, type of contour results (stress or strain) and type of
probe results (reaction force, reaction moment, or bearing) at the moment of
the solution determine the contents of the result file and the subsequent avail-
ability of data. Planning these choices can significantly reduce the need to re-
solve an analysis.
Caution:
Use caution when adding result objects to a solved analysis.

Adding a new result invalidates the solution and requires the
system to be re-solved, even if you were to add and then delete
a result object.
• Full: Calculates all displacements and stresses in a single pass. Its main disadvantages are:
– It is more "expensive" in CPU time than the Mode Superposition method.
– It does not allow clustered results, but rather requires the results to be evenly spaced within
the specified frequency range.
• Variational Technology: Instead of using the full matrices to compute the results, the application
computes the solution at the middle of the requested frequency range and then interpolates
the system matrices and loading on the entire frequency range to approximate the results
across the range.
• Krylov: For pure acoustic Coupled Field Harmonic, pure acoustic Harmonic Acoustics, and
Harmonic Response analyses, use this option to reduce the entire system of equations and
build a Krylov Subspace set of vectors at the middle of the frequency range. The application
solves this reduced system and then expands the solution over the entire frequency range.
Damping Controls (p. 1549)
These properties enable you to specify damping for the structure in the Harmonic Response
analysis. Controls include: Eqv. Damping Ratio From Modal (MSUP method), Damping Ratio
(MSUP method), Constant Structural Damping Coefficient, Stiffness Coefficient (beta damping),
and a Mass Coefficient (alpha damping). They can also be applied as Material Damping (p. 1554)
using the Engineering Data tab.
Note:
You can apply element damping using Springs (p. 1306) and Bearings (p. 1324). The
damping from the elements is supported for a Harmonic Response analysis when
the Solution Method property is set to Full and for a linked Mode Superposition
Harmonic Response (p. 515) analysis when the Damped property (Analysis Settings
> Solver Controls (p. 1512)) in the upstream Modal analysis is set to Yes. See the
Damping section in the Structural Analysis Guide of Mechanical APDL document-

ation for more information.
Important:
If multiple damping specifications are made the effect is cumulative.
These properties enable you to save solution files from the harmonic analysis. The default beha-
vior is to only keep the files required for postprocessing. You can use these controls to keep all
files created during solution or to create and save the Mechanical APDL application database (db
file).

Currently, the initial conditions Initial Displacement and Initial Velocity are not supported for Har-
monic analyses.
For a Pre-Stressed Full Harmonic analysis, the preloaded status of a structure is used as a starting
point for the Harmonic analysis. That is, the static structural analysis serves as an Initial Condition for
the Full Harmonic analysis. See the Applying Pre-Stress Effects (p. 357) section of the Help for more
information.
Note:
• In the Pre-Stressed MSUP Harmonic Analysis, the pre-stress effects are applied using a
Modal analysis.
• When you link your Harmonic (Full) analysis to a Structural analysis, all structural loading
conditions, including Inertial (p. 1610) loads, such as Acceleration and Rotational Velocity,
are deleted from the Full Harmonic Analysis portion of the simulation once the loads
are applied as initial conditions (p. 354) (via the Pre-Stress object). Refer to the Mechan-
ical APDL command PERTURB,HARM,,,DZEROKEEP for more details.
• If displacement loading is defined with Displacement, Remote Displacement, Nodal

Displacement, or Bolt Pretension (specified as Lock, Adjustment, or Increment) loads
in the Static Structural analysis, these loads become fixed boundary conditions for the
Harmonic solution. This prevents the displacement loads from becoming a sinusoidal
load during the Harmonic solution.

The Harmonic Response analysis supports the following boundary conditions:
Inertial
Acceleration (p. 1610) (Phase Angle is not supported.)
Analysis Types
Loads
• Pressure (p. 1630)
• Pipe Pressure (p. 1641) (line bodies only) - Not supported for MSUP Solution Method.
• Force (p. 1656) (applied to a face, edge, or vertex)
• Moment (p. 1688)
• Remote Force (p. 1664)
• Bearing Load (p. 1674) (Phase Angle is not supported.)
• Line Pressure (p. 1699)
• Given a specified Displacement (p. 1784)
Supports
Any type of Support (p. 1781) can be used in harmonic analyses.
Note:
The Compression Only (p. 1804) support is nonlinear but should not be utilized even
though it behaves linearly in harmonic analyses.
Conditions
Constraint Equation (p. 1821)
Direct FE (node-based Named Selection scoping and constant loading only)
• Nodal Orientation (p. 1839) (Phase Angle is not supported.)
• Nodal Force (p. 1840)
• Nodal Displacement (p. 1847)
Base Excitation (MSUP Only)
• Acceleration (p. 1610) as a base excitation.
• Displacement (p. 1784) as a base excitation.
Important:
When duplicating an analysis within Mechanical that includes loads with the Base Ex-
citation property set to Yes (Acceleration and/or Displacement), these loads will lose
their scoping during the duplication process.
Note:
Support for boundary conditions varies for a Harmonic Response analysis that is linked to
either a Static-Structural or Modal analysis. See the Harmonic Response Analysis Using
Linked Modal Analysis System (p. 515) or the Harmonic Analysis Using Pre-Stressed Struc-
tural System (p. 512) sections of the Help for specific boundary condition support information.
In a Harmonic Response Analysis, boundary condition application has the following requirements:
• You can apply multiple boundary conditions to the same face.
• All boundary conditions must be sinusoidally time-varying.
• Transient effects are not calculated.
• All boundary conditions must have the same frequency.
• Boundary conditions supported with the Phase Angle property allow you to specify a phase shift
that defines how the loads can be out of phase with one another. As illustrated in the example
Phase Response below, the pressure and force are 45o out of phase. You can specify the preferred
unit for phase angle (in fact all angular inputs) to be degrees or radians using the Units option in
the Tools (p. 47) group of the Home tab.
• An example of a Bearing Load (p. 1674) acting on a cylinder is illustrated below. The Bearing Load,
acts on one side of the cylinder. In a harmonic analysis, the expected behavior is that the other
side of the cylinder is loaded in reverse; however, that is not the case. The applied load simply re-
verses sign (becomes tension). As a result, Ansys recommends avoid the use of Bearing Loads in
this analysis type.
Analysis Types
Solve
Solution Information (p. 1927) continuously updates any listing output from the solver and provides
valuable information on the behavior of the structure during the analysis.
Review Results
Result specification for Harmonic Response analyses includes:
Contour Plots
Contour plots include stress (p. 2129), elastic strain (p. 2129), and deformation (p. 2122), and are basically
the same as those for other analyses. If you wish to see the variation of contours over time for
these results, you must specify an excitation frequency and a phase. The Sweeping Phase property
in the details view for the result is the specified phase, in time domain, and it is equivalent to the
product of the excitation frequency and time. Because Frequency is already specified in the Details
view, the Sweeping Phase variation produces the contour results variation over time. The
Sweeping Phase property defines the parameter used for animating the results over time. You
can then see the total response of the structure at a given point in time, as shown below.
Setting the Amplitude property to Yes enables you to see the amplitude contour plots at a spe-
cified frequency. Additionally, a read-only Coordinate System property displays when this property
is set to Yes, and is automatically set to Solution Coordinate System, the only supported coordin-
ate system. For additional information about Amplitude calculation for derived results, see the
next section, Amplitude Calculation in Harmonic Analysis (p. 511).
Since each node may have different phase angles from one another, the complex response can
also be animated to see the time-dependent motion.
Frequency Response and Phase Response
Frequency Response (p. 2149) and Phase Response (p. 2160) charts which give data at a particular
location over an excitation frequency range and a phase period (the duration of the Phase Response
results, respectively). Graphs can be either Frequency Response graphs that display how the re-
sponse varies with frequency or Phase Response plots that show how much a response lags
behind the applied loads over a phase period.
Note:
You can create a contour result from a Frequency Response result type in a
Harmonic Analysis using the Create Contour Result (p. 2157) feature. This feature
creates a new result object in the tree with the same Type, Orientation, and
Frequency as the Frequency Response result type. However, the Phase Angle
of the contour result has the same magnitude as the frequency result type but
an opposite sign (negative or positive). The sign of the phase angle in the contour
result is reversed so that the response amplitude of the frequency response plot
for that frequency and phase angle matches with the contour results.
Fatigue Tool
You can use the Fatigue Tool to view fatigue results for the repeated loading of a particular Fre-
quency and Phase Angle.
Waterfall Diagrams/Mode Contribution
If your analysis contains multiple RPM steps, you can use Waterfall Diagram (p. 2242) results and
the Mode Contribution (p. 2252) result. These result types are useful when analyzing the Noise Vi-
bration Harshness (NVH) footprint of a device for the frequencies of all RPMs.
5.6.2.1. Amplitude Calculation in Harmonic Analysis

A Harmonic analysis result can be expressed using the following complex notation:
(5.1)
The amplitude is calculated as:
(5.2)
You can verify Equation (2) for component results, such as a Directional Deformation, by solving
the equation using the real and imaginary components of the given result.
Amplitude of a Derived Result

A derived result is computed from the component results. For example, Total Deformation, ,
is a derived result because it is evaluated from the displacement components , , and in X,
Y, and Z directions, respectively, as shown in the following equation:
Analysis Types
(5.3)
For derived results, the following procedure is employed to calculate Amplitude. Using the formula
for a particular derived result, the real and the imaginary parts of the derived quantity are evaluated
from the real and imaginary component results respectively. The Amplitude for the derived result
is then calculated using Equation (2).
For example, the Amplitude of Total Deformation is calculated using the formula for Total De-
formation, shown here:
(5.4)
(5.5)
The Amplitude of Total Deformation:
(5.6)
Caution:
Note that for the Amplitude results for Minimum, Middle, and Maximum Principal
Stresses, the application sorts the three values from highest to lowest before it reports
the results. To illustrate this, consider real and imaginary values for Minimum, Middle,
and Maximum Principal Stresses, as S1, S2, and S3, at a certain node and frequency. You
obtain the result values by setting the Sweeping Phase property to 0 and 90 degrees
respectively. The table below shows application generated result values for this example.
The amplitude values do not correspond, as applicable to Equation (2), for the real and
imaginary components. This is because the application sorts the three amplitude values
from highest to lowest, before reporting the result values.
Result REAL (Phase = 0°) COMPLEX (Phase = AMPLITUDE

90°)
S1 3142.8 1.92E-13 3142.8
S2 -124.39 -7.62E-15 145.8
S3 -145.8 -8.93E-15 124.39
5.6.3. Harmonic Response (Full) Analysis Using Pre-Stressed Structural System

Because this analysis is linked to (and based on) structural responses, a Static-Struc-
tural analysis is a prerequisite. This setup allows the two analysis systems to share
resources, such as engineering data, geometry, and the boundary condition type
definitions that are defined the in the structural analysis.
From the Toolbox, drag a Static-Structural template to the Project Schematic. Then,
drag a Harmonic Response template directly onto the Solution cell of the Structural
template.
Note:
You can create a pre-stress environment in a Harmonic Response system

that is already open in Mechanical by:
1. Selecting the Static Structural option from the Analysis drop-

down menu on the Home (p. 42) (or displayed) tab.
2. Setting the Pre-Stress Environment property (of the Pre-Stress

object) to the Static Structural system.
For this analysis configuration, the basic Analysis Settings (p. 1501) include:
Step Controls
The Step Controls (p. 1510) category enables you to define step controls for an
analysis that includes multiple load steps. You use the properties of this category
to define the load steps and their options. When you select the Analysis Settings
object, the content of the Step Controls category automatically displays in the
Worksheet. You can modify certain properties in either the Worksheet or in the
Details pane. For each load step, you can specify solution settings (Frequency
Spacing, minimum frequencies, maximum frequencies, etc.). See the Step Controls
for Harmonic Analysis Types (p. 1510) section for a description of the properties.
Options
See the Options for harmonic analyses (p. 1531) section for a complete listing of the
properties. For a harmonic response analysis linked to an upstream static structural
analysis, Mode Superposition is not an available selection.
You can specify This category enables you to request Stress, Strain, Nodal Force,
and Reaction results to be calculated.
Analysis Types
The Initial Conditions (Pre-Stress) object of the Harmonic Response analysis must
point to the linked Static Structural analysis.
Note:
• All structural loads, including Inertial (p. 1610) loads, such as Acceleration
and Rotational Velocity, are deleted from the Harmonic Analysis portion
of the simulation once the loads are applied as initial conditions (p. 354)
(via the Pre-Stress object). Refer to the Mechanical APDL command
PERTURB,HARM,,,DZEROKEEP for more details.
• For Pressure boundary conditions in the Static Structural analysis: if you

define the load with the Normal To option for faces (3D) or edges (2-D),
you could experience an additional stiffness contribution called the
"pressure load stiffness" effect. The Normal To option causes the pressure
acts as a follower load, which means that it continues to act in a direction
normal to the scoped entity even as the structure deforms. Pressure
loads defined with the Components or Vector options act in a constant
direction even as the structure deforms. For a same magnitude, the
"normal to" pressure and the component/vector pressure can result in
significantly different results in the follow-on Full-Harmonic Analysis. See
the Pressure Load Stiffness (p. 358) topic in the Applying Pre-Stress Effects
for Implicit Analysis (p. 357) Help Section for more information about using
a pre-stressed environment.
• If displacement loading is defined with Displacement, Remote Displace-

ment, Nodal Displacement, or Bolt Pretension (specified as Lock, Ad-
justment, or Increment) loads in the Static Structural analysis, these
loads become fixed boundary conditions for the Harmonic solution. This
prevents the displacement loads from becoming a sinusoidal load during
the Harmonic solution. If you define a Nodal Displacement in the Har-
monic analysis at the same location and in the same direction as in the
Structural Static analysis, it overwrites the previous loading condition
and/or boundary condition in the Harmonic solution.
The following loads are allowed for linked Harmonic Response (Full) analysis:
• Inertial: Acceleration (p. 1610) (Phase Angle is not supported.)
• Direct FE (node-based Named Selection scoping and constant loading only):
– Nodal Pressure (p. 1844) (Phase Angle is not supported.)
– Nodal Displacement (p. 1847) - At least one non-zero Component is required for
the boundary condition to be fully defined.
Note:
Any other boundary conditions must be defined in the prerequisite (parent)

Structural Analysis, such as Support Type (p. 1781) boundary conditions.
5.6.4. Harmonic Response Analysis Using Linked Modal Analysis System

This section examines the workflow for a Harmonic Response analysis linked to an upstream Modal
analysis. Topics include:
• Create Analysis System (p. 515)
• Establish Analysis Settings (p. 516)
• Define Initial Conditions (p. 518)
• Apply Boundary Conditions (p. 519)
• Review Results (p. 520)
• File Management (p. 520)

Because this analysis is linked to (or based on) modal responses, a Modal analysis is
a prerequisite. This setup allows the two analysis systems to share resources such as
engineering data, geometry and boundary condition type definitions made in modal
analysis.
Note:
• When you set the Solution Method property to Mode Superposition

(MSUP), the harmonic analysis can be linked to a pre-stressed modal
analysis.
• When solving a linked MSUP harmonic system database from a version

prior to the most current version of Mechanical, it is possible to encounter
incompatibility of the file file.full created by the modal system. This in-
compatibility can cause the harmonic system’s solution to fail. In the
Analysis Types
event you experience this issue, use the Clear Generated Data feature
and resolve the modal system.
Refer to the Obtain the Mode Superposition Harmonic Solution section

of the MAPDL Structural Analysis Guide for more information.
From the Toolbox, drag a Modal template to the Project Schematic. Then, drag a
Harmonic Response template directly onto the Solution cell of the Modal template.
Note:
You can create a modal environment in a Harmonic Response system that

is already open in Mechanical by:
1. Selecting the Modal option from the Analysis drop-down menu

2. Setting the Modal Environment property (of the Pre-

Stress/Modal object) to the Modal system.

For this analysis configuration, the basic Analysis Settings (p. 1501) include:
This category enables you to define step controls for an analysis that includes ro-
tational velocities in the form of revolutions per minute (RPMs). You use the
properties of this category to define RPM steps and their options. Each RPM load
is considered as a load step, such as frequency spacing, minimum frequencies,
maximum frequencies, etc.
The Step Controls category (p. 1510) enables you to define step controls for an
analysis that includes multiple load steps. You use the properties of this category
to define the load steps and their options. When you select the Analysis Settings
object, the content of the Step Controls category automatically displays in the
Worksheet. You can modify certain properties in either the Worksheet or in the
Details pane. For each load step, you can specify solution settings (Frequency
Spacing, minimum frequencies, maximum frequencies, etc.). See the Step Controls
for Harmonic Analysis Types (p. 1510) section for a description of the properties.
Options (p. 1545)
See the Harmonic Analysis Options Group (p. 1531) section for a complete listing of
the Details properties for a Harmonic Response analysis. Note that for a Harmonic
Analysis Using Linked Modal Analysis System, only the Mode Superposition option
is applicable for the Solution Method property and it is therefore read-only.
In addition, you can turn on the following properties:
• Include Residual Vectors. Set this property to Yes to execute the RESVEC
command and calculate residual vectors.
• Cluster Results: Set this property to Yes to automatically cluster solution

points near the structure’s natural frequencies ensuring capture of behavior
near the peak responses. This results in a smoother, more accurate, response
curve.
• On Demand Expansion Option: Options for this property include Program

Controlled (default), Yes, and No. When set to Program Controlled, an
additional read-only property, On Demand Expansion, displays. This
property only displays for the Program Controlled option and the applic-
ation determines the value for the property, either Yes or No.
When the On Demand Expansion Option property is set to Yes, either

manually or from the Program Controlled setting, the application creates
the result file optimally. The application evaluates the results using the
Modal solution data and calculates any other results “on demand.” This
improves solution performance and reduces file size. In addition, the applic-
ation automatically removes mode shape data from the result file as determ-
ined by the On Demand Mode Shape preference.
You can change the default setting for the On Demand Expansion Option
property and the On Demand Mode Shape preference using the Options
(Modal, Harmonic and Transient Mode Superposition) category of the
Analysis Settings and Solution (p. 316) group in the Options dialog.
• Mode Selection Method: This property enables you to select the modes
for the mode expansion. Property options include:
– None (default): This option expands all the extracted modes from
the modal analysis. All the modes participate in the Mode Superpos-
ition harmonic analysis.
– Modal Effective Mass: When you select this option, the Significance
Threshold property also displays. For the Significance Threshold
property value, the application selects the modes that have a ratio
for the Modal Effective Mass to the Total Mass that is greater than
this value, in all directions, for expansion. That is, only the selected
modes participate in the Mode Superposition harmonic response
analysis. The application default is 0.001. This feature improves the
performance of postprocessing the modal results and reduces the
file size.
Analysis Types
Also, Mode Frequency Range is not applicable because available modes are
defined in the linked Modal system.
Note:
The following boundary conditions do not support residual vector cal-

culations:
• Nodal Force
• Remote Force scoped to global a Remote Point (created via

Model object)
• Moment scoped to global a Remote Point (created via Model

object)
This category enables you to request Stress, Strain, Nodal Force, and Reaction
results to be calculated. For better performance, you can also choose to have these
results expanded from Harmonic or Modal solutions. To expand reaction forces in
the modal solution, set the Nodal Force property to Yes or Constrained Nodes.

You must specify the desired upstream Modal analysis in the Modal Environment
property of the Initial Conditions object for the Harmonic Response analysis. This
object also indicates whether the upstream Modal analysis is pre-stressed. If it is a pre-
stress analysis, the name of the pre-stress analysis system is displayed in the Pre-Stress
Environment property, otherwise the field indicates None. The Modal analysis (p. 521)
must extract enough modes to cover the frequency range. A conservative estimate is
to extract enough modes to cover 1.5 times the maximum frequency in the excitation.
Note:
• Command objects can be inserted into Initial Conditions object to ex-

ecute a restart of the solution process for the Modal Analysis.

ment, or Bolt Pretension (specified as Lock, Adjustment, or Increment)
loads in the Static Structural analysis, these loads become fixed boundary
conditions for the Harmonic solution. This prevents the displacement
loads from becoming a sinusoidal load during the Harmonic solution.

The following loads are allowed for the linked analysis:
Inertial
Acceleration (p. 1610) (Phase Angle is not supported.)
Loads
• Acceleration (p. 1610) as a base excitation
• Bearing Load (p. 1674) (Phase Angle is not supported.)
• Given a specified Displacement (p. 1784)
• Moment (p. 1688)
• Pipe Pressure (p. 1641) (line bodies only)
Direct FE
The Direct FE option Nodal Force (p. 1840) is supported for node-based Named
Selection scoping and constant loading only.
Note:
• For the Force and Pressure loading conditions, the default setting for
the Applied By property is Direct.
• When you have a supported topology (geometric or mesh entity) selected

on your model, and you insert a Remote Force or a Moment, the applic-
ation automatically creates (promotes) a corresponding Remote Point
for the specified load and scopes the load to that Remote Point. This
promotion feature is only available when none of the analyses in your
project have been solved.
Loading and Support Limitations

Note the following load and support requirements and limitations:
Analysis Types
• Remote Force is not supported for vertex scoping.
• Moment is not supported for vertex scoping on 3D solid bodies because a

beam entity is created for the load application.
• During a linked MSUP Harmonic analysis, if a Remote Force or Moment scoped

to an internal remote point is specified with the Behavior property set to De-
formable, the boundary conditions cannot be scoped to the edges of line
bodies such that all of their nodes in combination are collinear.
• The Force Reaction and Moment Reaction probes are not supported for a
either a Harmonic Response analysis or a Transient structural analysis using the
Mode Superposition method Solution Method when 1) the Damping Ratio
property is defined with a non-zero value and 2) if the Analysis Settings property
Expand Result From is set to Harmonic Solution or Transient Solution.
Review Results
Refer to the Review Results (p. 510) topic in the Harmonic Response Analysis (p. 502)
section for more information regarding how to set up the harmonic results.
File Management Options

When solving a Harmonic Response analysis that includes an upstream linked Modal analysis, the
application can reference the prerequisite files by specifying the full path of their location (refer to
RESUME and MODDIR commands) instead of making copies. Referencing improves solution time
and disk usage. The application will perform referencing once the following conditions and settings
are performed:
• You must perform the solution locally (called “In Process (p. 1905)”).
• The On Demand Expansion Option property of the Options (p. 1531) category of the Analysis
Settings of the Modal analysis must be set to Yes manually or through the use of the Program
Controlled option.
Important:
Make sure that Modal and the downstream Harmonic Response analysis request the
same result data in the Output Controls (p. 1559). Otherwise, you may receive unexpected
results.
Note:
If you specify material damping, the Eqv. Damping Ratio From Modal property (for
the Harmonic Response analysis) must also be set to Yes.
Limitations
Also note the following limitations for referencing. The Harmonic Response analysis cannot include:
• Cyclic Symmetry
• Line Pressure
• Pressure or Force applied using the surface effect elements created on the top of the scoped
geometry (Applied By property set to Surface Effect)
• Remote Force or Moment not scoped to global remote points
• Commands (APDL) object
5.6.5. Modal Analysis
Introduction
A modal analysis determines the vibration characteristics (natural frequencies and mode shapes) of
a structure or a machine component. It can also serve as a starting point for another, more detailed,
dynamic analysis, such as a transient dynamic analysis, a harmonic analysis, or a spectrum analysis.
The natural frequencies and mode shapes are important parameters in the design of a structure for
dynamic loading conditions. You can also perform a modal analysis on a pre-stressed structure, such
as a spinning turbine blade.
If there is damping in the structure or machine component, the system becomes a damped modal
analysis. For a damped modal system, the natural frequencies and mode shapes become complex.
For a rotating structure or machine component, the gyroscopic effects resulting from rotational velo-
cities are introduced into the modal system. These effects change the system's damping. The damping
can also be changed when a Bearing (p. 1324) is present, which is a common support used for rotating
structure or machine component. The evolution of the natural frequencies with the rotational velocity
can be studied with the aid of Campbell Diagram Chart Results.
A Modal analysis can be performed using the Ansys, Samcef, or ABAQUS solver. Any differences are
noted in the sections below. Rotordynamic analysis is not available with the Samcef or ABAQUS
solver.
Points to Remember
• The Rotational Velocity load is not available in Modal analysis when the analysis is linked to a
Static Structural analysis.
• Pre-stressed Modal analysis requires performing a Static Structural analysis (p. 658) first. In the
modal analysis you can use the Initial Condition object (p. 354) to point to the Static Structural
analysis to include pre-stress effects.

Analysis Types
From the Toolbox, drag a Modal, Modal (Samcef), or Modal (ABAQUS) template to
the Project Schematic.
Due to the nature of modal analyses any nonlinearities in material behavior are ignored.
Optionally, orthotropic and temperature-dependent material properties may be used.
The critical requirement is to define stiffness as well as mass in some form. Stiffness
may be specified using isotropic and orthotropic elastic material models (for example,
Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio), using hyperelastic material models (they are
linearized to an equivalent combination of initial bulk and shear moduli), or using
spring constants, for example. Mass may be derived from material density or from re-
mote masses.
Note:
Hyperelastic materials are supported for pre-stress modal analyses. They

are not supported for standalone modal analyses.
Attach Geometry
When 2D geometry is used, Generalized Plane Strain is not supported for the Samcef
or ABAQUS solver.
When performing a Rotordynamic Analysis, the rotors can be easily generated using
the Import Shaft Geometry feature of Ansys DesignModeler. The feature uses a text
file to generate a collection of line bodies with circular or circular tube cross sections.
You can define a Point Mass (p. 937) for this analysis type.
Define Connections
• Joints are allowed in a modal analysis. They restrain degrees of freedom as defined
by the joint definition.
• The stiffness of any spring is taken into account and if specified, damping is also
considered.
• For the Samcef and ABAQUS solvers, only contacts, springs, and beams are supported.
Joints are not supported.
There are no special considerations for this analysis type.
For a Modal analysis, the basic Analysis Settings (p. 1501) include:
Options (p. 1541)
Max Modes to Find
Using the Max Modes to Find property, specify the number of frequencies of in-
terest. The default is to extract the first 6 natural frequencies. The number of fre-
quencies can be specified in two ways:
1. The first N frequencies (N > 0), or...
2. The first N frequencies in a selected range of frequencies.
You can change the setting of this property as needed to improve performance.
Options for this property include Program Controlled (default), Yes, and No.
When set to Program Controlled, an additional read-only property, On Demand
Expansion, displays. This property only displays for the Program Controlled option
and the application determines the value for the property, either Yes or No.
When the On Demand Expansion Option property is set to Yes, either manually
or from the Program Controlled setting, the application creates the result file
optimally. That is, the application evaluates the results using the Modal solution
data and calculates any other results “on demand.” This improves solution perform-
ance and reduces file size. And as applicable, the application changes parameters
of the any linked downstream Harmonic Response and Transient analyses to also
Analysis Types
improve their performance. In addition, the application automatically removes

mode shape data from the result file as determined by the On Demand Mode
Shape preference (see note below).
If the application detects any of the following conditions, it automatically sets the
On Demand Expansion property to No:
• The system is a standalone modal analysis (no downstream systems).
• You specify any Output Controls (p. 1559).
• A downstream system does not support an On Demand Expansion Option

property setting of Yes.
• A downstream system has the On Demand Expansion Option set to either

No or Program Controlled (No).
• Damping is present in the analysis.
• Symmetry present in the analysis.
You can change the default setting for the On Demand Expansion Option
property and the On Demand Mode Shape preference using the Options (Modal,
Harmonic and Transient Mode Superposition) category of the Analysis Settings
and Solution (p. 316) group in the Options dialog.
The following two properties are available for this category:
• Damped: use this property to specify if the modal system is undamped or

damped. Depending upon your selection, different solver options are provided.
Damped by default, it is set No and assumes the modal system is an undamped
system.
Note:
You can apply element damping using Springs (p. 1306) and
Bearings (p. 1324). The damping from the elements is supported
when the Damped property is set to Yes. See the Damping
section in the Structural Analysis Guide of Mechanical APDL
documentation for more information.
• Solver Type (p. 1513): it is generally recommended that you allow the program
to select the type of solver appropriate for your model in both undamped and
damped modal systems. When the Solver Type is set to Reduced Damped, the
following additional properties become available:
– Store Complex Solution: This property is only available when the Solver
Type property is set to Reduced Damped. This property enables you to
solve and store a damped modal system as an undamped modal system.
By default, it is set to Yes.
– Mode Reuse: This property allows the solver to compute complex ei-
gensolutions efficiently during subsequent solve points by reusing the
undamped eigensolution that is calculated at the first solve point. The
default setting is Program Controlled. Set this property to Yes to enable
it or No to disable it.
Note:
If you specify the Solver Type property as either Unsymmetric,

Full Damped, or Reduced Damped , the modal system does not
support a downstream Transient Structural, Harmonic Response,
Random Vibration, or Response Spectrum system. However, for
a MSUP Harmonic analysis or a MSUP Transient analysis, you can
use the Reduced Damped setting when the Store Complex
Solution property is set to No. Given these settings, the applica-
tion also supports the use of the Include Residual Vectors
property (set to Yes) as well as the use of Base Excitation loading
in the downstream systems.
In this case, the mode shapes associated with undamped frequen-
cies are calculated and used for Mode Superposition. However,
both damped and undamped frequencies are reported in the
Tabular Data pane of the Modal analysis. Even if you use the
Reduced Damped solver with the Store Complex Solution
property set to No in a damped analysis, it is not the equivalent
to setting the Solver Type property Undamped.
If an undamped Modal analysis has a pre-stressed environment
from a Static Structural Analysis with the Newton-Raphson Op-
tion set to Unsymmetric, the Program Controlled option selects
Unsymmetric as the Solver Type setting (the Mechanical APDL
command MODOPT,UNSYM is issued).
Cyclic Controls (p. 1530)
When running a cyclic symmetry (p. 1455) analysis, set the Harmonic Index Range
to Program Controlled to solve for all harmonic indices, or to Manual to solve
for a specific range of harmonic indices.
By default, only mode shapes are calculated. You can request Stress and Strain
results to be calculated but note that "stress" results only show the relative distri-
bution of stress in the structure and are not real stress values. You can also choose
whether or not to have these results stored for faster result calculations in linked
systems.
The options of the Stiffness Coefficient Defined By property, Direct Input or

Damping vs. Frequency, enable you to define the method used to define the
Stiffness Coefficient. If you select Damping vs. Frequency, the Frequency and
Analysis Types
Damping Ratio properties appear requiring you to enter values to calculate the
Stiffness Coefficient. Otherwise, you specify the Stiffness Coefficient manually.
The Mass Coefficient property requires a manual entry.
Rotordynamics Controls (p. 1577)
Specify these properties as needed when setting up a Rotordynamic Analysis.
These properties enable you to save specific solution files from the Modal analysis
for use in other analyses. You can set the Future Analysis field to MSUP Analyses
if you intend to use the modal results in a subsequent Transient Structural, Har-
monic Response, Random Vibration (PSD), or Response Spectrum (RS) analysis. If
you link a Modal system to another analysis type in advance, the Future Analysis
property defaults to the setting, MSUP Analyses. When a PSD analysis is linked
to a modal analysis, additional solver files must be saved to achieve the PSD
solution. If the files were not saved, then the modal analysis has to be solved again
and the files saved.
Note:
• Solver Type, Damping Controls, and Rotordynamic Controls are not

available to the Samcef or ABAQUS solver.
• Solver Type, Scratch Solver Files, Save Ansys db, Solver Units, and
Solver Unit System are only applicable to Modal systems.
You can point to a Static Structural analysis in the Initial Condition environment
field if you want to include pre-stress effects. A typical example is the large tensile
stress induced in a turbine blade under centrifugal load that can be captured by a
static structural analysis. This causes significant stiffening of the blade. Including this
pre-stress effect will result in much higher, realistic natural frequencies in a modal
analysis.
If the Modal analysis is linked to a Static Structural analysis for initial conditions and
the parent static structural analysis has multiple result sets (multiple restart points at
load steps/sub steps), you can start the Modal analysis from any restart point available
in the Static Structural analysis. By default, the values from the last solve point are
used as the basis for the modal analysis. See Restarts from Multiple Result Sets (p. 358)
in the Applying Pre-Stress Effects for Implicit Analysis (p. 357) Help section for more
information.
Note:
• When you perform a pre-stressed Modal analysis, the support conditions

from the static analysis are used in the Modal analysis. You cannot apply
any new supports in the Modal analysis portion of a pre-stressed modal
analysis. When you link your Modal analysis to a Structural analysis, all
structural loading conditions, including Inertial (p. 1610) loads, such as
Acceleration and Rotational Velocity, are deleted from the Modal portion
of the simulation once the loads are applied as initial conditions (p. 354)
(via the Pre-Stress object). Refer to the Mechanical APDL command
PERTURB,HARM,,,DZEROKEEP for more details.
• To account for the Coriolis Effect of rotational velocity applied in the

Static analysis, you need to re-apply the rotational velocity in the Modal
analysis.
• For Pressure boundary conditions in the Static Structural analysis: if you

define the load with the Normal To option for faces (3D) or edges (2-D),
you could experience an additional stiffness contribution called the
"pressure load stiffness" effect. The Normal To option causes the pressure
acts as a follower load, which means that it continues to act in a direction
normal to the scoped entity even as the structure deforms. Pressure
loads defined with the Components or Vector options act in a constant
direction even as the structure deforms. For a same magnitude, the
"normal to" pressure and the component/vector pressure can result in
significantly different modal results in the follow-on Modal Analysis. See
the Pressure Load Stiffness (p. 358) topic in the Applying Pre-Stress Effects
for Implicit Analysis (p. 357) Help Section for more information about using
a pre-stressed environment.

ment, Nodal Displacement or Bolt Pretension (specified as Lock, Ad-
justment, or Increment) loads in the Static Structural analysis, these
loads become fixed boundary conditions for the Modal solution. If the
Modal solution is followed by a Harmonic solution, these displacement
loads become fixed boundary conditions for the Harmonic solution as
well. This prevents the displacement loads from becoming a sinusoidal
load during the Harmonic solution.
Only the Rotational Velocity (p. 1619) and Thermal Condition (p. 1708) boundary conditions
are supported for a stand-alone modal analysis. All structural supports (p. 1781) can be
Analysis Types
applied except a non-zero Displacement, a Remote Displacement, and the Velocity

support. Due to its nonlinear nature, a Compression Only Support is not recommen-
ded for a modal analysis. Use of compression only supports may result in extraneous
or missed natural frequencies.
For the Samcef and ABAQUS solvers, the following supports are not available: Com-
pression Only Support, Elastic Support. When using line bodies, the following Pipe
Pressure and Pipe Temperature loads are not available to the Samcef solver. Addition-
ally, the Pipe Idealization object is also unavailable for the Samcef or ABAQUS solver.
Note:
In a pre-stressed modal analysis:
• Any structural supports used in the static analysis persist. Therefore,

you are not allowed to add new supports in the pre-stressed modal
analysis.
• When creating a Campbell diagram, the Rotational Velocity (p. 1619)

in the Static Structural Analysis is used to create normal stress stiff-
ening effects in the Modal Analysis. It is not used to create centrifugal
force effects for generating the Campbell diagram.
Solve
analysis.
Important:
If you specify the Distribute Solution setting (the default setting on the
Advanced Properties dialog of the Solve Process Settings (p. 1906)), the files
file.full, file.esav and file.emat may not be combined at the end of the
Modal analysis solution. As a result, any downstream system, including a
Response Spectrum, Mode Superposition Harmonic Respoonse, Mode Su-
perposition Transient, or Random Vibration analysis, or a follow on Mech-
anical APDL (turn on the Distributed property in Project Schematic), must
also use a Distributed Solution setting as opposed to a shared memory
solution, when the setting is turned off.
Review Results
Highlight the Solution object in the tree to view a bar chart of the frequencies obtained
in the modal analysis. A tabular data grid is also displayed that shows the list of fre-
quencies, stabilities, modal damping ratios and logarithm decrements of each mode.
Note:
In a Modal Analysis (and other eigenvalue-based analyses such as buckling),

the solution consists of a deformed shape scaled by an arbitrary factor. The
actual magnitudes of the deformations and any derived quantities, such as
strains and stresses, are therefore meaningless. Only the relative values of
such quantities throughout the model should be considered meaningful.
The arbitrary scaling factor is numerically sensitive to slight perturbations
in the analysis; choosing a different unit system, for example, can cause a
significantly different scaling factor to be calculated.
For an undamped modal analysis, only frequencies are available in the Tabular Data
window. For a damped modal analysis, real and imaginary parts of the eigenvalues of
each mode are listed as Stability and Damped Frequency, respectively, in the Tabular
Data window. If the real/stability value is negative, the eigenmode is considered to
be stable. For the damped modal analysis, Modal Damping Ratio and Logarithmic
Decrement are also included in the Tabular Data window. Like the stability value,
these values are an indicator of eigenmode stability commonly used in rotordynamics.
If you select the Reduced Damped solver and set the Store Complex Solution
property to No, then the application solves and stores the damped modal system as
an undamped modal system. In addition to the undamped Frequency, the Damped
Frequency, Stability, Modal Damping Ratio and Logarithmic Decrement result
values are available in the Tabular Data window.
Note:
For the Reduced Damped solver with the Store Complex Solution property
set to No, the Mechanical APDL Solver only writes undamped frequencies
into result file. The solver retrieves the Damped Frequency, Stability,
Modal Damping Ratio and Logarithmic Decrement from the Ansys
database on the fly during the solution process. Use extra caution when
using the /POST1 in a Command object and make sure that your command
entries and syntax are correct (especially if using the *GET command). In-
correct command entries can cause zero values for the Damped Frequency
and Stability. Check the Solution Information (p. 1927) and error/warning
messages to troubleshooting issues.
If Campbell Diagram (p. 1577) is set to On, a Campbell diagram chart result is available
for insert under Solution. A Campbell diagram chart result conveys information as to
how damped frequencies and stabilities of a rotating structural component
evolve/change in response to increased rotational velocities. More detailed information
Analysis Types
about the result can be found in Campbell Diagram Chart Results (p. 2238). The Campbell
Diagram function is not available to the Samcef or ABAQUS solver.
Note:
The Campbell diagram result chart is only appropriate for a rotating struc-
tural component that is axis-symmetrical. It is supported for all body types:
solid, shell, and line bodies, but limited to single spool systems. For a single
spool system, all bodies in the modal system are subjected to one and only
single rotational velocity.
The contour and probe results are post-processed using set number, instead of mode
number. The total set number is equal to number of modes requested multiplied by
number of rotational velocity solve points. You can use the Set, Solve Point and Mode
columns in the table to navigate between the set number and mode, and rotational
velocity solve point and mode.
The ABAQUS solver does not allow modal expansion when post-processing mode
shapes.
You can choose to review the mode shapes corresponding to any of these natural
frequencies by selecting the frequency from the bar chart or tabular data and using
the context sensitive menu (right-click) to choose Create Mode Shape Results. You
can also view a range of mode shapes.
"Stresses" from a Modal analysis do not represent actual stresses in the structure, but
they give you an idea of the relative stress distributions for each mode. Stress and
Strain results are available only if requested before solution using Output Controls.
You can view the mode shape associated with a particular frequency as a contour
plot (p. 65). You can also animate (p. 2364) the deformed shape including, for a damped
analysis, the option to allow or ignore the time decay animation for complex modes.
The contours represent relative displacement of the part as it vibrates.
For complex modes, the Phase Angle associated with a particular frequency represents
the specified angle in time domain and is equivalent to the product of frequency and
time. Since the frequency is already specified in the results details view for a specific
mode, the phase angle variation produces the relative variation of contour results over
time.
When running a cyclic symmetry (p. 1455) analysis, additional result object settings in
the Details view are available, as well as enhanced animations and graph displays. See
Cyclic Symmetry in a Modal Analysis (p. 1467) for more information.
Note:
The use of construction geometry is not supported for the postprocessing

of cyclic symmetry results.
5.6.6. Random Vibration Analysis
Introduction
This analysis enables you to determine the response of structures to vibration loads that are random
in nature. An example would be the response of a sensitive electronic component mounted in a car
subjected to the vibration from the engine, pavement roughness, and acoustic pressure.
Loads such as the acceleration caused by the pavement roughness are not deterministic, that is, the
time history of the load is unique every time the car runs over the same stretch of road. Hence it is
not possible to predict precisely the value of the load at a point in its time history. Such load histories,
however, can be characterized statistically (mean, root mean square, standard deviation). Also random
loads are non-periodic and contain a multitude of frequencies. The frequency content of the time
history (spectrum) is captured along with the statistics and used as the load in the random vibration
analysis. This spectrum, for historical reasons, is called Power Spectral Density or PSD.
In a random vibration analysis since the input excitations are statistical in nature, so are the output
responses such as displacements, stresses, and so on.
Typical applications include aerospace and electronic packaging components subject to engine vibra-
tion, turbulence and acoustic pressures, tall buildings under wind load, structures subject to earth-
quakes, and ocean wave loading on offshore structures.
Points to Remember
• The excitation is applied in the form of Power Spectral Density (PSD). The PSD is a table of spectral
values vs. frequency that captures the frequency content. The PSD captures the frequency and
mean square amplitude content of the load’s time history.
• The square root of the area under a PSD curve represents the root mean square (rms) value of the
excitation. The application computes this value using the linear trapezoidal rule. The unit of the
spectral value of acceleration, for example, is G2/Hertz.
• The input excitation is expected to be stationary (the average mean square value does not change
with time) with a zero mean.
• This analysis is based on the Mode Superposition method. Hence a modal analysis (p. 521) that ex-
tracts the natural frequencies and mode shapes is a prerequisite.
• This feature covers one type of PSD excitation only- base excitation.
• The base excitation could be an acceleration PSD (either in acceleration2 units or in G2 units), velocity
PSD or displacement PSD.
• The base excitation is applied in the specified direction to all entities that have a Fixed Sup-
port (p. 1781) boundary condition. Other support points in a structure such as Frictionless Surface
are not excited by the PSD.
• Multiple uncorrelated PSDs can be applied. This is useful if different, simultaneous excitations occur
in different directions.
Analysis Types
• If stress/strain results are of interest from the random vibration analysis then you will need to request
stress/strain calculations in the modal analysis itself. Only displacement results are available by
default.
• Postprocessing:
– The regular results output by the solver for the Random Vibration analysis, such as Directional
Deformation (p. 2122), are by default one sigma values, or one standard deviation values (with
zero mean value). These results follow a Gaussian distribution. The interpretation is that 68.3%
of the time the response will be less than the standard deviation value. One sigma is indicated
by the Scale Factor property. All other result are not one sigma values. If you create a User
Defined Result (p. 2294) using the Solution Quantities and Result Summary Worksheet (p. 2065) that
is not a one sigma value, you will receive informational message indicating the situation.
Note:
→ Currently, one sigma supports the following Expressions (p. 2300) for User Defined
Results (p. 2294):
UX/UY/UZ
EPELX/EPELY/EPELZ
EPELXY/EPELYZ/EPELXZ
SX/SY/SZ
SXY/SYZ/SXZ
SEQV
SPSD
→ The use of the Scale Factor property is not supported for force-based results, such
as FX/FY/FZ, even though these forces are considered one sigma in the Mechanical
APDL application.
– You can scale the result by 2 times to get the 2 sigma values. The response will be less than the
2 sigma values 95.45% of the time and 3 sigma values 99.73% of the time.
– The Coordinate System setting for result objects is, by default, set to Solution Coordinate
System and cannot be changed because the results only have meaning when viewed in the
solution coordinate system.
– Since the directional results from the solver are statistical in nature they cannot be combined in
the usual way. For example the X, Y, and Z displacements cannot be combined to get the mag-
nitude of the total displacement. The same holds true for other derived quantities such as prin-
cipal stresses.
– A special algorithm by Segalman-Fulcher is used to compute a meaningful value for equivalent

stress.

Because a random vibration analysis is based on modal responses, a modal analysis

is a required prerequisite. The requirement then is for two analysis systems, a modal
analysis system and a random vibration analysis system that share resources, geometry,
and model data.
Random Vibration template directly onto the Modal template.
Both Young's modulus (or stiffness in some form) and density (or mass in some form)
must be defined in the modal analysis. Material properties must be linear but can be
isotropic or orthotropic, and constant or temperature-dependent. Nonlinear properties,
if any, are ignored.
Attach Geometry
There are no specific considerations for a random vibration analysis.
You can define rigid bodies for this analysis type.
Define Connections
Only linear behavior is valid in a random vibration analysis. Nonlinear elements, if any,
are treated as linear. If you include contact elements, for example, their stiffnesses are
calculated based on their initial status and are never changed.
Analysis Types
Only the stiffness of springs is taken into account in a random vibration analysis.
There are no specific considerations for a random vibration analysis.
A specific Modal Environment must be set as an initial condition/environment for

the analysis to be solved.
Note:
The modal analysis (p. 521) must extract enough modes to cover the PSD
frequency range. Ansys recommends that you extract enough modes to
cover 1.5 times the maximum frequency in the PSD excitation.
In order to process the PSD solution, the application creates additional

solver files from the upstream modal analysis. Therefore, to create these
required files, you need to solve the upstream Modal analysis before you
can solve the PSD analysis. See the Analysis Data Management (p. 1572)
For a Random Vibration analysis the basic Analysis Settings include:
Options for Analyses (p. 1531)
You use this category to specify the number of modes to use from the modal
analysis. Ansys recommends that you include modes that cover 1.5 times the
maximum frequency in the PSD excitation table. You can also exclude insignificant
modes by setting the Mode Significance Level property to between 0 (all modes
selected) and 1 (no modes selected).
Note:
If you set the Mode Significance Level property to 0.0, the application
considers all modes in mode superposition of random vibration re-
sponses. This can require significant computation time for large systems
that use a large number of modes to obtain random vibration displace-
ment responses.
In this case, a Mode Significance Level setting that excludes insignific-

ant modes from superimposing random vibration displacement re-
sponses is recommended. However, this performance improvement
reduces solution accuracy. As a result, you need to use caution and
carefully check your solution. Set the Mode Significance Level to 1e-
4 when you are concerned about solution processing time. During
Random Vibration analyses, the velocity and acceleration responses are
separate calculations, in addition to displacement responses.
To further improve your solution time, do not request velocity and ac-
celeration responses unless needed. The velocity and acceleration re-
sponses require approximately the same computation time.
By default, Displacement is the only response calculated. To include velocity

(Calculate Velocity property) and/or acceleration (Calculate Acceleration property)
responses, set their respective Output Controls to Yes. By default, modal results
are removed from result file to reduce its size.
To keep modal results from an upstream system, set the Keep Modal Results
property to Yes.
Note:
• If your Random Vibration system is linked to an upstream Modal

analysis and you plan to send Modal data to a downstream Sherlock
(Post) system, you need to set the Keep Modal Results, Calculate
Velocity, Calculate Acceleration properties to Yes.
• You can change the default setting of these properties using the
Options dialog. See the Specifying Application Defaults and Prefer-
ences (p. 293) section of the Help under the Analysis Settings and
Solution (p. 316) category for the specific options.
Damping Controls enable you to specify damping for the structure in the Random
Vibration analysis. Controls include: Constant Damping, Damping Ratio, Stiffness
Coefficient (beta damping), and a Mass Coefficient (alpha damping). They can
also be applied as Material Damping (p. 1554) using the Engineering Data tab. A
Analysis Types
non-zero damping is required. The Damping Ratio has a default setting of 0.01.
This value can be modified by setting the Damping property to Manual.
Note:
For a Random Vibration system, if you choose the Manual setting for
the Constant Damping property and do not define damping for one
of the above controls, the solver uses a default damping value of 0.01.
These settings enable you to save solution files from the Random Vibration ana-
lysis. The default behavior is to only keep the files required for postprocessing.
You can use these controls to keep all files created during solution or to create
and save a Mechanical APDL application database (db file).
Note:
The Inertia Relief option (under Analysis Settings) for an upstream Static
Structural analysis is not supported in a Random Vibration analysis.
• Any Support Type (p. 1781) boundary condition must be defined in the prerequisite
Modal Analysis.
• The only applicable load is a PSD Base Excitation (p. 1703) of spectral value vs. fre-
quency.
• Remote displacement cannot coexist with other boundary condition types (for ex-
ample, fixed support or displacement) on the same location for excitation. The remote
displacement will be ignored due to conflict with other boundary conditions.
• Four types of base excitation are supported: PSD Acceleration, PSD G Acceleration,
PSD Velocity, and PSD Displacement.
• Each PSD base excitation should be given a direction in the nodal coordinate of the
excitation points.
• Multiple PSD excitations (uncorrelated) can be applied. Typical usage is to apply 3

different PSDs in the X, Y, and Z directions. Correlation between PSD excitations is
not supported.
Solve
analysis. In addition to solution progress you will also find the participation factors
for each PSD excitation. The solver output also has a list of the relative importance of
each mode in the modal covariance matrix listing.
Note:
When using a random vibration system database from a version prior to

the most current version of Mechanical, it is possible to encounter incom-
patibility of the file(s) file.mode, file.full, and/or file.esav, created by the
modal system. This incompatibility can cause the random vibration system’s
solution to fail. In the event you experience this issue, use the Clear Gen-
erated Data feature and resolve the modal system.
Refer to the Obtain the PSD Solution section of the MAPDL Structural Ana-
lysis Guide for more information.
Review Results
• If stress/strain results are of interest from the Random Vibration analysis then you
will need to request stress/strain calculations in the modal analysis itself. You can
use the Output Controls under Analysis Settings in the modal analysis for this
purpose. Only displacement results are available by default.
• Linking a Random Vibration analysis system to a fully solved Modal analysis may
result in zero equivalent stress. To evaluate correct equivalent stress in this situation,
you need to re-solve the Modal analysis.
• Applicable results are Directional (X/Y/Z) Displacement/Velocity/Acceleration, normal

and shear stresses/strains and equivalent stress. These results can be displayed as
contour (p. 65) plots.
• For contour results, the Information category displays the properties described
below. These properties are calculated after the associated result is evaluated and
they refer to results contained in the results (file.rst) file. The following table
describes property values and their result.
Example Details Pane Properties
Analysis Types
Property Output Descriptions
Load Substep Iteration Result Description

Step Number
3 1 2 1 Sigma Displacement solution.
4 1 3 1 Sigma Velocity solution (if the Calculate Ve-
locity property in Output Controls (p. 1559) is
set to Yes).
5 1 4 1 Sigma Acceleration solution (if the Calculate
Acceleration property in Output
Controls (p. 1559) is set to Yes).
See the Review the Results topic in the Performing a Random Vibration (PSD) Analysis
section in the Mechanical APDL Structural Analysis Guide for additional information.
• The displacement results are relative to the base of the structure (the fixed supports).
• The velocity and acceleration results include base motion effects (absolute).
• Since the directional results from the solver are statistical in nature they cannot be
combined in the usual way. For example the X, Y, and Z displacements cannot be
combined to get the magnitude of the total displacement. The same holds true for
other derived quantities such as principal stresses.
• For directional acceleration results, set the Acceleration in G property to Yes to

display the result using the acceleration unit G.
• By default the 1 σ results are displayed. You can apply a scale factor to review any
multiples of σ such as 2 σ or 3 σ. The Details view as well as the legend for contour
results also reflects the percentage (using Gaussian distribution) of time the response
is expected to be below the displayed values.
• Meaningful equivalent stress is computed using a special algorithm by Segalman-

Fulcher. Note that the probability distribution for this equivalent stress is neither
Gaussian nor is the mean value zero. However, the "3 σ" rule (multiplying the RMS
value by 3) yields a conservative estimate on the upper bound of the equivalent
stress.
• The Fatigue Tool enables you to perform a Spectral Fatigue analysis using the 1, 2,
3 σ stresses.
• For a User Defined result, if you want to request equivalent stress, you must specify
SPSD for the Expression property (not SEQV). The SPSD Type uses the Segalman-
Fulcher algorithm. SEQV uses a standard method to calculate equivalent stress, and
in this instance, is incorrect for the desired 1 Sigma calculation.
To ensure you properly select the SPSD expression, display results in the Solution
Worksheet (p. 2294) and generate your result from the list of solution quantities. See
the User Defined Results for the Mechanical APDL Solver (p. 2305) section for additional
information.
• Force Reaction and Moment Reaction probes can be scoped to a Remote Dis-
placement, Fixed Support, or Displacement boundary conditions to view Reactions
Results.
Note:
– When you scope a Moment Reaction probe to a Fixed Support or a

Displacement, the Summation property must be set to Centroid.
– The results of Force Reaction and Moment Reaction probes scoped

to a Fixed Support or Displacement are calculated using the FSUM
Mechanical APDL solver command. This command reports the vector
sum of the elemental nodal forces in the global coordinate system.
See the FSUM command in the Mechanical APDL Command Reference
• The use of nodal averaging may not be appropriate in a random vibration analysis
because the result values are not actual values but standard deviations. Moreover,
the element coordinate system for the shell elements in a surface body may not all
be aligned consistently when using the Default Coordinate System. Consider using
unaveraged results for postprocessing instead.
File Management
When solving a Random Vibration analysis in an "In Process" solve mode, the pre-requisite files from
the upstream Modal system are referenced by specifying the full path of their location (refer to RESUME
and MODDIR commands) instead of making copies in order to improve solution time and disk usage.
See the Solve Modes and Recommended Usage (p. 1905) section of the Help for more information
about the different solve modes.
Analysis Types
When you are solving in the "Out of Process" mode or when the Keep Modal Results property is set
to Yes, the application copies the pre-requisite files from the Modal analysis to the Random Vibration
Solver Files Directory. This may increase the required solution time for large models.
Using Command Objects within a Random Vibration Analysis

In an effort to minimize disk space usage, only the results from the Random Vibration analysis are
kept in the result file. The results from the Modal analysis are removed during the solution.
If your command object contains commands which require this data, set the Keep Modal Results
property in the Output Controls (p. 1559) to Yes.
5.6.7. Response Spectrum Analysis
Introduction
This analysis type is ideal for civil structure designs, such as high-rise buildings undergoing loads from
wind as well as nuclear power plant designs experiencing seismic loads.
A Response Spectrum analysis has similarities to the Random Vibration Analysis (p. 531). However,
unlike a random vibration analysis, responses from a response spectrum analysis are deterministic
maxima. For a given excitation, the maximum response is calculated based upon the input response
spectrum and the method used to combine the modal responses. Combination methods include:
• Square Root of the Sum of the Squares (SRSS)
• Complete Quadratic Combination (CQC)
• Rosenblueth Double Sum Combination (ROSE)
Review the Response Spectrum Options Category (p. 1544) topic in the Analysis Settings > Options
for Analyses section for more information about these methods.
Points to Remember
• The response spectrum is calculated based on modal responses. A modal analysis is therefore a
prerequisite.
• If response strain/stress is of interest, then the modal strain and the modal stress need to be de-
termined in the modal analysis.
• The excitation is applied in the form of a response spectrum. The response spectrum can have
displacement, velocity, or acceleration units. For each spectrum value, there is one corresponding
frequency.
• The excitation must be applied at fixed degrees of freedom.
• Because a new solve is required for each requested output (displacement, velocity, and acceleration),
the content of a Commands (APDL) object is limited to solution (SOLU) commands.
• The results from the Mechanical APDL solver are displayed as the model’s contour plot. The results
are in terms of the maximum response.


Because a response spectrum analysis is based on modal responses, a modal analysis is a required
prerequisite. The modal analysis system and the response spectrum analysis system must share re-
sources, geometry, and model data.

Material properties must be defined in a modal analysis. Nonlinear material properties are not allowed.

You can define rigid bodies for this analysis type.
Define Connections
Nonlinear element types are not supported. They will be treated as linear. For example, the contact
stiffness is calculated using the initial status without convergence check.

A specific Modal Environment must be set as an initial condition/environment for response spectrum
analysis to be solved.

For a Response Spectrum analysis, the basic Analysis Settings include:
Analysis Types
Options for Analyses - Response Spectrum Analyses (p. 1544)
Perform the following settings for a Response Spectrum analysis:
• Specify the Number of Modes To Use property for the response spectrum calculation. Ansys
recommends that you include the modes whose frequencies span 1.5 times the maximum fre-
quency defined in the input response spectrum.
• Specify the Spectrum Type to be used for response spectrum calculation as either Single Point
or Multiple Points. If the input response spectrum is applied to all fixed degrees of freedom,
use Single Point, otherwise use Multiple Points.
• Specify the Modes Combination Type to be used for response spectrum calculation. In general,
the SRSS method is more conservative than the CQC and the ROSE methods.
Note:
The Inertia Relief option (under Analysis Settings) for an upstream static structural
analysis is not supported in a response spectrum analysis.
By default, only displacement responses are calculated. To include velocity and/or acceleration
responses, set their respective Output Controls to Yes.
allow you to specify damping for the structure in the response spectrum analysis. Controls include:
Damping Ratio, Stiffness Coefficient (beta damping), and a Mass Coefficient (alpha damping).
They can also be applied as Material Damping (p. 1554) using the Engineering Data tab. For the
CQC mode combination type, non-zero damping is required.
Note:
Damping is not applicable to the SRSS combination method. Damping Controls are
not available when the Modes Combination Type property is set to SRSS.
These settings enable you to save solution files from the response spectrum analysis. An option
to save the Mechanical APDL application database (db file) from the analysis is provided.

Note the following for boundary condition use and processing:
• Supported boundary condition types include Fixed Support, Displacement, Remote Displacement
and body-to-ground Spring. If one or more fixed supports are defined in the model, the input ex-
citation response can be applied to all fixed supports.
• A Remote Displacement cannot coexist with other boundary condition types, such as a Fixed Support
or a Displacement, at the same location (scoping) as the excitation. The Remote Displacement will
be ignored due to conflict with other boundary conditions.
• Note that the All boundary condition types for Single Point Response Spectrum only includes
those fixed degree of freedoms defined using Fixed Support, Displacement, Remote Displacement
and Body-to-Ground Spring. To apply an RS load to All boundary condition types for Single Point
Response Spectrum, at least one allowed boundary condition must be defined.
• For a Single Point spectrum type, input excitation spectrums are applied to all boundary condition
types defined in the model. For Multiple Points however, each input excitation spectrum is asso-
ciated to only one boundary condition type.
• Three types of input excitation spectrum are supported: displacement input excitation (RS Displace-
ment), velocity input excitation (RS Velocity) and acceleration input excitation (RS Acceleration).
See RS Base Excitation (p. 1704) for further details.
• The input excitation spectrum direction is defined in the global coordinate system for Single Point
spectrum analysis. For Multiple Points spectrum analysis, however, the input excitation is defined
in the nodal coordinate systems (if any) attached to the constrained nodes.
• More than one input excitation, with any different combination of spectrum types, is allowed for
the response spectrum analysis.
• Specify option to include or not include contribution of high frequency modes in the total response
calculation by setting Missing Mass Effect (p. 1704) to Yes or No. The option for including the modes
is normally required for nuclear power plant design.
• Specify option to include or not include rigid responses to the total response calculation by setting
Rigid Response Effect (p. 1704) to Yes or No. The rigid responses normally occur in the frequency
range that is lower than that of missing mass responses, but is higher than that of periodic responses.
• Missing Mass Effect is only applicable to RS Acceleration excitation. See the RS Base Excita-
tion (p. 1704) section of the Help for more information.
• For a Single Point spectrum type, the entire table of input excitation spectrum can be scaled using
the Scale Factor setting. The factor must be greater than 0.0. The default is 1.0.
Perform Solution
Ansys recommends that you review the Solution Information (p. 1927) page for any warnings or errors
that might occur during the solution. You may receive some warning messages and still be able to
solve the analysis.
Note:
When using a Response Spectrum system from a previous version of the application, it is
possible you could encounter incompatibility of for the modal system file(s) file.mode,
file.full, and/or file.esav. This incompatibility can cause the Response Spectrum system’s
solution to fail. In the event you experience this issue, use the Clear Generated Data
feature and resolve the modal system.
Analysis Types
Refer to the Obtain the Spectrum Solution section of the MAPDL Structural Analysis Guide
Review Results
Note the following for result use and processing:
• To view strain/stress results, a selection must be made in Output Controls of the Modal analysis.
By default, only Deformation drop-down menu results are available.
• Applicable Deformation results are Total, Directional (X/Y/Z), Directional Velocity and Directional
Acceleration. If strain/stress are requested, applicable results are normal strain and stress, shear
strain and stress, and equivalent stress.
• Equivalent stress is a derived stress calculated using component stresses.
• Results are displayed as a contour plot on the model.
• For contour results, the Information category includes the following properties. These properties
are calculated after the associated result is evaluated and they refer to results contained in the
results (file.rst) file.
Example Details Properties
Property Output Descriptions
Load Substep Result Description

Step
4 1 Displacement solution.
4 2 Velocity solution (if the Calculate Velocity property in Output
Controls (p. 1559) is set to Yes).
Load Substep Result Description

Step
4 3 Acceleration solution (if the Calculate Acceleration property in
Output Controls (p. 1559) is set to Yes).
Note:
The value of the Iteration Number property varies based on analysis specifications. It
is application defined, is information-based only, and has no impact on results.
You can also see the Review the Results topic in the Performing a Random Vibration (PSD) Analysis
section in the Mechanical APDL Structural Analysis Guide for additional information.
• If you set the Store Modal Result property of the Output Controls to No in the upstream Modal
analysis, the application creates additional auxiliary files in addition to standard files. The application
automatically creates the Displacement.mcom file. And, if you set the Calculate Velocity and
Calculate Acceleration properties (also Output Controls) of the downstream spectrum analysis
to Yes, then the application also creates the files Velocity.mcom and/or Acceleration.mcom.
These files contain combination instructions as well as mode coefficients.
Note:
This configuration increases the computation time of spectrum analysis.
• Force Reaction and Moment Reaction probes can be scoped to a Remote Displacement, Fixed
Support, or Displacement boundary conditions to view Reactions Results.
Note:
– When you scope a Moment Reaction probe to a Fixed Support or a Displacement,

the Summation property must be set to Centroid.
– The results of Force Reaction and Moment Reaction probes scoped to a Fixed
Support or Displacement are calculated using the FSUM Mechanical APDL solver
command. This command reports the vector sum of the elemental nodal forces in the
global coordinate system. See the FSUM command in the Mechanical APDL Command
Reference for more information.
• When the Missing Mass Effect property is set to Yes, the Deformation results that include the
data from property in their result calculation are the Directional (Deformation/Displacement) and
Directional Acceleration results. Note that the application supports the Directional Velocity result;
however, it does not incorporate Missing Mass Effect conditions for its calculation.
• The Directional (Deformation/Displacement) result is a relative result whereas Directional Velocity

and Directional Acceleration are absolute results.
• A Directional Acceleration result at or near fixed supports scoped to an RS Acceleration are

correctly calculated by setting the Missing Mass Effect property and the Rigid Response Effect
Analysis Types
property to Yes. Corresponding properties display and require definition when these two properties
are included.
File Management
When solving a Response Spectrum analysis with the "In Process" solve mode, the pre-requisite files
from the upstream Modal system are referenced by specifying the full path of their location (refer to
RESUME and MODDIR commands) instead of making copies in order to improve solution time and
disk usage. See the Solve Modes and Recommended Usage (p. 1905) section of the Help for more in-
formation about the different solve modes.
When you are solving in the "Out of Process" mode, the application copies the pre-requisite files from
the Modal analysis to the Response Spectrum Solver Files Directory. This may increase the required
solution time for large models.
For additional technical information, refer to the Spectrum Analysis section of the Mechanical APDL
Structural Analysis Guide as well as the MMASS command and the RIGRESP command in the Mechan-
ical APDL Command Reference.
5.6.8. Substructure Generation Analysis
Introduction
The Substructure Generation analysis uses the component mode synthesis (CMS) to:
1. Condense all the finite elements of your model into one “superelement” that is represented
as a matrix.
2. Create load vectors from the loading conditions and constraints that you apply. In addition,
you can use an upstream Static Structural analysis to create pre-stress effects in the Substruc-
ture Generation analysis solution.
Once you have solved the analysis, you export this generated data as an Exported Condensed Part
(.cpa) file for use in another appropriate simulation .
Note:
The load vectors extracted from the imported condensed part (.cpa) file are applied as
loads in the use pass of the MSUP Harmonic Response analysis. No other analysis consumes
these load vectors
Benefits
Substructuring reduces computer time and enables the solution of very large problems with limited
computer resources. In a nonlinear analysis, you can substructure the linear portion of the model so
that the element matrices for that portion do not need to be recalculated at every equilibrium iteration.
In a structure with repeated patterns (such as the four legs of a table), you can generate one substruc-
ture to represent the pattern and simply make copies of it at different locations, thereby saving a
significant amount of computer time.
Limitations
Note the following limitations for this analysis:
• This analysis type is supported for the Mechanical APDL solver only.
• This analysis does not support beam End Release, Constraint Equation, or Coupling objects.
• This analysis does not support imported loads or imported connections from external mesh
files (p. 944) except for Imported Pressure (p. 1872), Imported Constraint Equations or Coup-
ling (p. 964), and Imported Body Temperature (p. 1861) (when Beta Options are active).
• The Master Degrees of Freedom Nodes (MDOFs) specified in the Mechanical application may
be reduced by the solver during the solution of the analysis. This could be the result of a
constraint defined on the MDOF nodes. The application reports this with a warning. For this
case, there could be a discrepancy between Mechanical selected MDOFs and solver computed
MDOFs as it might have been reduced due to over constraint. This is not recommended, and
you should review the model before proceeding with use pass. A warning message will also
display while eliminating the redundant degrees of freedom.
• The contact setting Normal Lagrange is not supported for the Formulation property.
• The only supported Joint types are Fixed and Bushing (with the Formulation property set
to Bushing).
• Most element types can be used to generate a substructure. In general, the only restriction is
that elements within the superelement are assumed to be linear and cannot use Lagrange
multipliers. See the Generation Pass section of the Mechanical APDL Substructuring Analysis
Guide for additional information.
Points to Remember
• All active bodies in the model will be condensed into one substructure (superelement).
• The substructure analysis can be linked to upstream Static Structure (p. 658) analysis in order to
consider the prestressed effects of the structure. However, when you specify a pre-stress analysis,
the Substructure Generation analysis only supports the following loading conditions:
– Acceleration (p. 1610)
– Standard Earth Gravity (p. 1617)
– Nodal Pressure (p. 1844)
– Nodal Orientation (p. 1839)
• This analysis supports Imported Pressure (p. 1872), including both real and imaginary values.
Note:
Imported Body Temperature (p. 1861) is also supported when Beta Options are active.
Analysis Types


The analysis includes the following Analysis Settings (p. 1501) categories:
Note:
The maximum value for the Number of Load Vectors property is limited by
the memory available on your computer.
• Solver Controls (p. 1512): Direct is the only supported Solver Type property option.
Note:
The options Supernode and Subspace are available when Beta Options are
active.
Define Pre-Stress
If your analysis includes an upstream Static Structural (p. 658) system, specify the properties of the
Pre-Stress (Static Structural) object. The analysis considers the pre-stressed inertial loads and
boundary conditions during the generation pass. This is a result of the Load Control property of
the Pre-Stress object being set (by default) to the Keep Inertia and Displacement Constraints. See
the description of the Load Control property in the Pre-Stress object reference for more information.
Specify Interfaces
You specify interfaces on the Substructure Definition object using Named Selections (p. 1347) and
Remote Points (p. 1379).
Tip:
To automatically create a Named Selection and a corresponding interface (in the Work-
sheet):
1. Select the Substructure Definition object.
2. From the Geometry window, select a supported geometric or mesh entity on the
model.
3. Right-click and select Create Selection and Add Interface.
Define Substructure Definition Object

Specify the properties for the Substructure Definition object, including:
Category Properties/Options/Descriptions
Geo- Geometry: Read-only property that displays the number of bodies of the model.
metry
Defini- Physics Type: Read-only property indicating the physics type (Structural).
tion
Matrix Reduction Method: Indicates the currently supported matrix reduction
method - Component Mode Synthesis.
Interface Method: Options include Fixed (default) or Free.
Lumped Mass Formulation: Specify the desired lumped mass matrix formulation.
Options include Program Controlled (default), Off, and On. The Off setting uses
the element-dependent default mass matrix formulation and the On setting uses
a lumped mass approximation.
Generate Damping Matrix: Specify whether to generate a damping matrix. Options

include Program Controlled (default), Yes, and No.
Inter- Number of Interfaces: Read-only display of the number of interface entries detected
faces by the application.
Number of Master Nodes: Read-only display of the number of superelement master

nodes resulting from interfaces.
Note:
The application treats added masses (from Point Masses (p. 937) and Distributed
Masses (p. 939)) as internal to the superelement.

Without considering the Limitations (p. 547), the analysis supports the following boundary conditions:
Imported Connections
Imported Constraint Equations or Coupling (p. 964)
Note:
This analysis does not support native Constraint Equation or Coupling objects.
Analysis Types
Inertial
• Acceleration (p. 1610)
• Standard Earth Gravity (p. 1617)
Loads
Supports
The following Supports (p. 1781) can be used in this analysis:
• Fixed Support
• Displacement
• Remote Displacement
• Frictionless Support
• Compression Only Support
• Cylindrical Support
• Elastics Support
Direct FE (node-based Named Selection scoping and constant loading only)
• Nodal Pressure (p. 1844)
• Nodal Orientation (p. 1839)
Imported Loads
Imported Pressure (p. 1872)
Note:
Imported Body Temperature (p. 1861) is also supported when Beta Options are active.
Note:
The application computes load vectors for each defined load. Once you export the solution
(see below), you use these load vectors in another analysis through the Imported Con-
densed Parts (p. 812) object. Load vector information displays in the Worksheet when you
select the Imported Condensed Parts object.
Specify Results
The only result supported by this analysis is Total Deformation (p. 2122).
Perform Solution
The Solution Information object presents continuous updates of any output from the solver and
provides valuable information on the behavior of the structure during the analysis.
Select the Solution object to view the frequencies obtained from the solution process in the Graph
and Tabular Data windows.
Exporting Substructure Solution

Once you have solved your analysis, you can export the generated superelement for use in a different
session of the application. Right-click the Solution object, select Export Substructure (.cpa), and
then select one of the following options:
• Use Pass Only: Using this option, the application generates solution files required to perform
a Use Pass analysis. No Expansion Pass can be performed when this option is selected.
• Use Pass and On Demand Expansion: Using this option, the application generates solution
files required to perform a Use Pass analysis as well as On Demand Expansion.
A progress bar displays during the export operation and offers an option to stop (red square icon)
the process.
Note:
If you set the Future Analysis property (Analysis Settings>Analysis Data Manage-
ment (p. 1572)) to Ansys Rigid Dynamics (Beta), the application automatically includes the
additional files necessary to perform a downstream Rigid Dynamics (p. 557) analysis in the
exported file.
Analysis Types
References
For a more detailed look at this analysis type, see the:
• Substructure Analysis (p. 802) section of the Mechanical User's Guide.
• Mechanical APDL Substructuring Analysis Guide
5.7. Magnetostatic Analysis
Introduction
Magnetic fields may exist as a result of a current or a permanent magnet. In the Mechanical application
you can perform 3D static magnetic field analysis. You can model various physical regions including
iron, air, permanent magnets, and conductors.
Typical uses for a magnetostatic analysis are as follows:
• Electric machines
• Transformers
Magnetostatic Analysis
• Induction heating
• Solenoid actuators
• High-field magnets
• Nondestructive testing
• Magnetic stirring
• Electrolyzing cells
• Particle accelerators
• Medical and geophysical instruments.
Points to Remember
• This analysis is applicable only to 3D geometry.
• The geometry must consist of a single solid multibody part (p. 875).
• A magnetic field simulation requires that air surrounding the physical geometry be modeled as part
of the overall geometry. The air domain can be easily modeled in DesignModeler using the Enclosure
feature. Ensure that the resulting model is a single multibody part which includes the physical geometry
and the air.
• In many cases, only a symmetric portion of a magnetic device is required for simulation. The geometry
can either be modeled in full symmetry in the CAD system, or in partial symmetry. DesignModeler
has a Symmetry feature that can slice a full symmetry model, or identify planes of symmetry for a
partial symmetry model. This information is passed to the Mechanical application for convenient ap-
plication of symmetry plane boundary conditions.
• A Magnetostatic analysis supports a multi-step solution.

From the Toolbox, drag the Magnetostatic template to the Project Schematic.
• Magnetic field simulation supports 4 categories of material properties:
Analysis Types
1. Linear "soft" magnetic materials - typically used in low saturation cases. A Relative
Permeability is required. This may be constant, or orthotropic with respect to the
coordinate system of the body (See Details view). Orthotropic properties are often
used to simulate laminate materials.
2. Linear "hard" magnetic materials - used to model permanent magnets. The demag-
netization curve of the magnet is assumed to be linear. Residual Induction and
Coercive Force are required.
3. Nonlinear "soft" magnetic material - used to model devices which undergo mag-
netic saturation. A B-H curve is required. For orthotropic materials, you can assign
the B-H curve in any of the orthotropic directions, while specifying a constant
Relative Permeability in the other directions. (Specifying a value of "0" for Relative
Permeability will make use of the B-H curve in that direction.)
4. Nonlinear "hard" magnetic material - used to model nonlinear permanent magnets.

A B-H curve modeling the material demagnetization curve is required.
• When using an Ansys license that includes the Emag license feature, only the following
material properties are allowed: Isotropic Resistivity, Orthotropic Resistivity, Relative
Permeability, Relative Permeability (Orthotropic), Coercive Force & Residual Induction,
B-H Curve, B-H Curve (Orthotropic), Demagnetization B-H Curve. You may have to
turn the filter off in the Engineering Data tab to suppress or delete those material
properties/models that are not supported for the license.
• Conductor bodies require a Resistivity material property. Solid source conductor

bodies can be constant or orthotropic with respect to the coordinate system of the
body. Stranded source conductor bodies can only be modeled as isotropic materials.
• For convenience, a library of common B-H curves for soft magnetic material is supplied
with the product. Use the Import tool in Engineering Data to review and retrieve
curves for use.
Note:
In a magnetostatic analysis, you can orient a polarization axis for a Linear or

Nonlinear Hard material in either the positive or negative x direction with
respect to a local or global coordinate system (p. 1095). Use the Material Po-
larization setting in the Details view for each body to establish this direction.
The Material Polarization setting appears only if a hard material property
is defined for the body. For a cylindrical coordinate system, a positive x polar-
ization is in the positive radial direction, and a negative x polarization is in
the negative radial direction.
Attach Geometry
There are no specific considerations for a magnetostatic analysis.
Mechanical does not support Rigid Bodies in Magnetostatic analyses. For more informa-
tion, see the Stiffness Behavior documentation for Rigid Bodies (p. 880).
Define Connections
Connections are not supported in a magnetostatic analysis.
• Although your body is automatically meshed at solve time, it is recommended that

you select the Electromagnetic Physics Preference in the Details view of the Mesh
object folder.
• Solution accuracy is dependent on mesh density. Accurate force or torque calculations

require a fine mesh in the air regions surrounding the bodies of interest.
• The use of pyramid elements in critical regions should be minimized. Pyramid elements
are used to transition from hexagonal to tetrahedral elements. You can eliminate
pyramid elements from the model by specifying Tetrahedrons using a Method mesh
control tool.
For a Magnetostatic Analysis, the basic Analysis Settings include:
Step Controls for Static and Transient Analyses (p. 1502)
Step Controls are used to specify the end time of a step in a single or multiple step
analysis.
Multiple steps are needed if you want to change load values, the solution settings,
or the solution output frequency over specific steps. Typically you do not need to
change the default values.
Analysis Types
Solver Controls enable you to select either a direct or iterative solver. By default
the program will use the direct solver. Convergence is guaranteed with the direct
solver. Use the Iterative solver only in cases where machine memory is an issue. The
solution is not guaranteed to converge for the iterative solver.
Nonlinear Controls (p. 1554)
Nonlinear Controls enable you to modify convergence criteria and other specialized
solution controls. These controls are used when your solution is nonlinear such as
with the use of nonlinear material properties (B-H curve). Typically you will not need
to change the default values for this control. CSG convergence is the criteria used
to converge the magnetic field. CSG represents magnetic flux. AMPS convergence
is only used for temperature-dependent electric current conduction for solid con-
ductor bodies. AMPS represents current.
Output Controls enable you to specify the time points at which results should be
The Analysis Data Management settings enable you to save solution files from the
magnetostatic analysis. The default behavior is to only keep the files required for
postprocessing. You can use these controls to keep all files created during solution
or to create and save the Mechanical APDL application database (db file).
There is no initial condition specification for a magnetostatic analysis.
• You can apply electromagnetic boundary conditions and excitations in the Mechanical
application. See Electromagnetic Boundary Conditions and Excitations (p. 1752) for details.
• Boundary conditions may also be applied on symmetry planes via a Symmetry (p. 1435).
A Symmetry folder allows support for Electromagnetic Symmetry (p. 1438), Electromag-
netic Anti-Symmetry (p. 1439), and Electromagnetic Periodicity (p. 1439) conditions.
Rigid Dynamics Analysis
Solve
The Solution Information (p. 1927) object provides some tools to monitor solution progress
in the case of a nonlinear magnetostatic analysis.
valuable information on the behavior of the structure during the analysis. Any conver-
gence data output in this printout can be graphically displayed as explained in the
Solution Information (p. 1927) section.
Adaptive mesh refinement (p. 1947) is available for magnetostatic analyses.
Review Results
A magnetostatic analysis offers several results (p. 2259) for viewing. Results may be scoped
to bodies and, by default, all bodies will compute results for display. For Inductance or
Flux Linkage, define these objects prior to solution. If you define these after a solution,
you will need to re-solve.
5.8. Rigid Dynamics Analysis
Introduction
You can perform a Rigid Dynamics analysis in the Mechanical application using the Ansys Rigid Dynamics
solver. This type of analysis is used to determine the dynamic response of an assembly of rigid bodies
linked by joints and springs. You can use this type of analysis to study the kinematics of a robot arm
or a crankshaft system for example.
Points to Remember
• Inputs and outputs are joint forces, moments, displacements, velocities and accelerations.
• On rigid parts, there are no stresses and strain results produced, only forces, moments, displacements,
velocities and accelerations.
• The solver is tuned to automatically adjust the time step. Doing it manually is often inefficient and
results in longer run times.
This section contains the following topics:

5.8.1. Preparing a Rigid Dynamics Analysis
5.8.2. Command Reference for Rigid Dynamics Systems
5.8.3. Using the Variable Load Add-on
Analysis Types
5.8.4. Using the Motion Load Transfer Add-on

5.8.5. Multibody Dynamics Theory Guide
5.8.1. Preparing a Rigid Dynamics Analysis

From the Toolbox, drag a Rigid Dynamics template to the Project Schematic.
Density is the only material property utilized by rigid bodies. Models that use zero or
nearly zero density fail to solve with the Ansys Rigid Dynamics solver.
Attach Geometry
Sheet, solid, and line bodies are supported by the Ansys Rigid Dynamics solver, but
line bodies can only be flexible and included in a condensed part (p. 802). Plane bodies
cannot be used.
Rigid line bodies are not supported in RBD because the mass moment of inertia is not
available.
Stiffness behavior can be rigid or flexible.
Note:
If the part behavior is flexible, it must be included in a condensed part.
Define Connections
Applicable connections are joints (p. 1202), springs (p. 1306), and contacts (p. 1147).
When an assembly is imported from a CAD system, joints or constraints are not impor-
ted, but joints may be created automatically after the model is imported. You can also
choose to create the joints manually.
Each joint is defined by its coordinate system of reference. The orientation of this co-
ordinate system is essential as the free and fixed degrees of freedom are defined in
this coordinate system.
Automatic contact generation is also available after the model is imported.
For information on contact specifically oriented for Rigid Dynamics, see Contact in
Rigid Dynamics (p. 1185) and Best Practices for Contact in Rigid Body Analyses (p. 1188).
Mesh controls apply to surfaces where contact is defined as well as to deformable

parts.
For Rigid Dynamics analyses the basic controls are:
Step Controls (p. 1502) enable you to create multiple steps. Multiple steps (p. 1502) are
useful if new loads are introduced or removed at different times in the load history.
A Rigid Dynamics analysis can use an explicit time integration scheme, especially if
the model is made only of rigid parts. Unlike the implicit time integration, there are
no iterations to converge in an explicit time integration scheme. The solution at the
end of the time step is a function of the derivatives during the time step. As a con-
sequence, the time step required to get accurate results is usually smaller than is ne-
cessary for an implicit time integration scheme. Another consequence is that the time
step is governed by the highest frequency of the system. A very smooth and slow
model that has a very stiff spring will require the time step needed for the stiff spring
itself, which generates the high frequencies that will govern the required time step.
Stiff models can be more efficiently solved using the Implicit Generalized-α, Implicit
Stabilized Generalized-α, or MJ Time Stepping time integration schemes.
Because it is not easy to determine the frequency content of the system, an automatic
time stepping algorithm is available, and should be used for the vast majority of
Analysis Types
models. This automatic time stepping algorithm is governed by Initial Time Step,
Minimum Time Step, and Maximum Time Step under Step Controls; and Energy
Accuracy Tolerance under Nonlinear Controls.
• Initial Time Step: If the initial time step chosen is vastly too large, the solution will
typically fail, and produce an error message that the accelerations are too high. If
the initial time step is only slightly too large, the solver will realize that the first time
steps are inaccurate, automatically decrement the time step and start the transient
solution over. Conversely, if the chosen initial time step is excessively small, and the
simulation can be accurately performed with higher time steps, the automatic time
stepping algorithm will, after a few gradual increases, find the appropriate time step
value. Choosing a good initial time step is a way to reduce the cost of having the
solver figure out what time step size is optimal to minimize run time. While import-
ant, choosing the correct initial time step typically does not have a large influence
on the total solution time due to the efficiency of the automatic time stepping al-
gorithm.
• Minimum Time Step: During the automatic adjustment of the time step, if the time
step that is required for stability and accuracy is smaller than the specified minimum
time step, the solution will not proceed. This value does not influence solution time
or its accuracy, but it is there to prevent the solver from running forever with an
extremely small time step. When the solution is aborting due to hitting this lower
time step threshold, that usually means that the system is over constrained, or in
a lock position. Check your model, and if you believe that the model and the loads
are valid, you can decrease this value by one or two orders of magnitude and run
again. That can, however generate a very large number of total time steps, and it
is recommended that you use the Output Controls settings to store only some of
the generated results.
• Maximum Time Step: Sometimes the time step that the automatic time stepping
settles on produces too few results outputs for precise postprocessing needs. To
avoid these postprocessing resolution issues, you can force the solution to use time
steps that are no bigger than this parameter value.
Solver Controls (p. 1512): For this analysis type, enables you to select a time integration
algorithm (Program Controlled, Runge-Kutta order 4, Implicit Generalized-α, Stabilized
Generalized-α, MJ Time Stepping) and select whether to use constraint stabilization.
The default time integration option, Program Controlled, provides the appropriate
accuracy for most applications. The default, Program Controlled is valid for most
applications, however; you may wish to set this option to User Defined and manually
enter customized settings for weak spring and damping effects. The default is Off.
Nonlinear Controls (p. 1554) enable you to modify convergence criteria and other
specialized solution controls. Typically you will not need to change the default values
for this control.
• Energy Accuracy Tolerance: This is the main driver to the automatic time stepping.
The automatic time stepping algorithm measures the portion of potential and kin-
etic energy that is contained in the highest order terms of the time integration
scheme, and computes the ratio of the energy to the energy variations over the
previous time steps. Comparing the ratio to the Energy Accuracy Tolerance,
Workbench will decide to increase or decrease the time step. Energy accuracy toler-
ance is program controlled by default. It is enabled with the Explicit Runge-Kutta

method and disabled by default with Implicit Generalized-α, Implicit Stabilized
Generalized-α, and MJ Time Stepping.
Note:
For systems that have very heavy slow moving parts, and also have small
fast moving parts, the portion of the energy contained in the small parts
is not dominant and therefore will not control the time step. It is recom-
mended that you use a smaller value of integration accuracy for the
motion of the small parts.
Spherical (p. 1212), slot (p. 1211) and general (p. 1221) joints with three rotation
degrees of freedom usually require a small time step, as the energy is
varying in a very nonlinear manner with the rotation degrees of freedom.
• Force Residual Relative Tolerance: (Only available with Implicit Generalized-α or

Stabilized Generalized-α time integration or MJ Time Stepping integration) This
option controls the threshold used in Newton-Raphson for force residual conver-
gence. The default value is 1.e-7. A smaller value will lead to a smaller residual, but
it will require more iterations. The convergence of force residual can be monitored
in Solution Information using Force Convergence.
• Constraint Equation Residual Relative Tolerance: (Only available with Implicit

Generalized-α or Stabilized Generalized-α time integration or MJ Time-Stepping
integration) This option controls the threshold used in Newtom-Raphson to check
convergence of constraint equations violations. The default value is 1.e-8. The con-
vergence of this criterion can be checked in Solution Information using Displace-
ment Convergence
Output Controls (p. 1559) enable you to specify the time points at which results should
be available for postprocessing. In a transient nonlinear analysis it may be necessary
to perform many solutions at intermediate time values. However i) you may not be
interested in reviewing all of the intermediate results and ii) writing all the results can
make the results file size unwieldy. This group can be modified on a per step basis.
Before solving, you can configure the joints and/or set a joint load to define initial
conditions.
1. Define a Joint Load (p. 1705) during a short initial load step to set initial conditions
on the free degrees of freedom of a joint.
For the Ansys Mechanical APDL solver to converge, it is recommended that you
ramp the angles and positions from zero to the real initial condition over one step.
The Ansys Rigid Dynamics solver does not need these to be ramped. For example,
Analysis Types
you can directly create a joint load for a revolute (p. 1209) joint of 30 degrees, over
a short step to define the initial conditions of the simulation. If you decide to ramp
it, you have to keep in mind that ramping the angle over 1 second, for example,
means that you will have a non-zero angular velocity at the end of this step. If you
want to ramp the angle and start at rest, use an extra step maintaining this angle
constant for a reasonable period of time or, preferably, having the angular velocity
set to zero. Another way to specify the initial conditions in terms of positions and
angles is to use the Configure tool (p. 1291), which eliminates the time steps needed
to apply the initial conditions.
To fully define the initial conditions, you must define position and velocities. Unless
specified by joint loads, if your system is initially assembled, the initial configuration
will be unchanged. If the system is not initially assembled, the initial configuration
will be the "closest" configuration to the unassembled configuration that satisfies
the assembly tolerance (p. 293) and the joint loads.
Unless specified otherwise, relative joint velocity is, if possible, set to zero. For ex-
ample, if you define a double pendulum and specify the angular velocity of the
grounded revolute joint, by default the second pendulum will not be at rest, but
will move rigidly with the first one.
2. Configure a joint (p. 1291) to graphically put the joint in its initial position.
See Joint Initial Conditions (p. 1206) for further details.
The following loads and supports can be used in a Rigid Dynamics analysis:
• Joint Load (p. 1705)
• Remote Displacement (p. 1792)
• Constraint Equation (p. 1821)
Joint Load
Magnitude
For a Joint Load, the joint condition's magnitude could be a constant value, could
vary with time as defined in a table or via a function, or could depend on other
values measured on the model during the solution. See Using the Variable Load
Add-on (p. 617) to define such a load variation. Details of how to apply a tabular
or function load are described in Specifying Boundary Condition Magnitude (p. 1588).
Details on the Joint Load are included below.
In addition, for more information about time stepping and ramped loads, see the
Applying Stepped and Ramped Loads (p. 1599) section.
Interpolation/Derivation
For joint loads applied through tabular data values, the number of points input
will most likely be less than the number of time steps required to solve the system.
As such, an interpolation is performed. When a joint load requires fitting, the result
of the fitting is displayed in the joint load chart along with the user-specified values.
The number of segments used to display the curve is driven by the Number Of
Segments property.
The underlying fitting method used for interpolation can be configured using the
Fitting Method field (specific to Rigid Dynamics analysis). Options include:
• Program Controlled (default): Depending on the Joint Load type, the solver
chooses the appropriate interpolation method. Accelerations and Force joint
loads use a piecewise linear. Displacement/Rotation/Velocity/Rotational Velocity
joint loads use either a linear fitting when only two points are given per load
step, or a cubic spline fitting when there are more than two points as shown
on the following graph:
A large difference between the interpolated curve and the linear interpolation
may prevent the solution from completing. If this is the case and you intend to
use the linear interpolation, you can simply use multiple time steps, as the inter-
polation is done in one time step.
Analysis Types
• Fast Fourier Transform: Fast Fourier Transform is performed to fit tabular data.
Unlike cubic spline fitting, no verification on the fitting quality is performed.
The additional cutoff frequency parameter specifies the threshold (expressed in
Hz) used to filter high frequencies. Higher cutoff frequency results in a better
fitting, but leads to smaller time steps. The following graphs show the effect of
cutoff frequency on FFT fitting on a triangular signal using 5 Hz and 10 Hz, re-
spectively.
Note:
The Fourier Fitting implicitly expects cyclic data. Lack of continuity

between end time and start time values may lead to oscillations
known as Gibbs phenomenon. Similarly, the lack of continuity for the
derivatives may also lead to unwanted oscillations around jumps. For
instance, an imposed displacement requires the continuity of the first
and second derivatives. The Rigid Dynamics solver implements several
dedicated treatments to prevent Gibbs phenomenon. However, results
of Fourier Fitting must be carefully reviewed to check there are no
artificial oscillations.
Discontinuities
When defining a joint load for a position and an angle, the corresponding velocities
and accelerations are computed internally. When defining a joint load for a trans-
lational and angular velocity, corresponding accelerations are also computed in-
ternally. By activating and deactivating joint loads, you can generate some
forces/accelerations/velocities, as well as position discontinuities. Always consider
what the implications of these discontinuities are for velocities and accelerations.
Force and acceleration discontinuities are perfectly valid physical situations. No
special attention is required to define these velocity discontinuities. Discontinuities
can be obtained by changing the slope of a relative displacement joint load on a
translational joint, as shown on the following graphs using two time steps:
The corresponding velocity profile is shown here.
Analysis Types
This discontinuity of velocity is physically equivalent to a shock, and implies infinite

acceleration if the change of slope is over a zero time duration. The Ansys Rigid
Dynamics solver will very often handle these discontinuities, and redistribute velo-
cities after the discontinuity according to all active joint loads. This process of re-
distribution of velocities usually provides accurate results; however, no shock
solution is performed, and this process is not guaranteed to produce a physically
acceptable energy redistribution. A closer look at the total energy probe will tell
you if the solution is valid. In case the redistribution is not done properly, use one
step instead of two to use an interpolated, smooth position variation with respect
to time.
Discontinuities of positions and angles are not a physically acceptable situation.

Results obtained in this case may not be physically sensible. Workbench cannot
detect this situation up front. If you proceed with position discontinuities, the
solution may abort or produce false results.
Rotations
For fixed axis rotations, it is possible to count a number of turns. For 3D general
rotations, it is not possible to count turns. In a single axis case, although it is pos-
sible to prescribe angles higher than 2π, it is not recommended because Workbench
can lose count of the number of turns based on the way you ramp the angle. You
should avoid prescribing angular displacements with angles greater than Pi when
loading bushing joints, because the angle-moment relationship could differ from
the stiffness definition if the number of turns is inaccurate, or in case of Euler
angles singularity. It is highly recommended that you use an angular velocity joint
load instead of an angle value to ramp a rotation, whenever possible.
For example, replace a rotation joint load designed to create a joint rotation from
an angle from 0 to 720 degrees over 2 seconds by an angular velocity of 360 de-
grees/second. The second solution will always provide the right result, while the
behavior of the first case can sometimes lead to the problems mentioned above.
For 3D rotations on a general joint for example, no angle over 2π can be handled.
Use an angular velocity joint load instead.
Multiple Joint Loads On The Same Joint
When prescribing a position or an angle on a joint, velocities and acceleration are

also prescribed. The use of multiple joint loads on the same joint motion can cause
for joint loads to be determined inaccurately.
Solve
Only synchronous (p. 1905) solves are supported for Rigid Dynamics analyses.
Review Results
Use a Solution Information object to track, monitor, or diagnose problems that arise
during solution.
Applicable results are Deformation (p. 2122) and Probe (p. 2025) results.
Note:
If you highlight Deformation results in the tree that are scoped to rigid
bodies, the corresponding rigid bodies in the Geometry window are not
highlighted.
To plot different results against time on the same graph or plot one result quantity
against a load or another results item, use the Chart and Table (p. 2036) feature.
If you duplicate (p. 42) a Rigid Dynamics analysis, the results of the duplicated branch
are also cleared (p. 2085).
Joint Conditions and Expressions

When a rotation, position, velocity or angular velocity uses an expression that user the power (^)
operator, such as (x)^(y), the table will not be calculated properly if the value x is equal to zero. This
is because its time derivative uses log(x), which is not defined for x = 0. An easy workaround is to
use x*x*x... (y times), which assumes that y is an integer number and thus can be derived w.r.t time
without using the log operator.
Remote Force
Remote Force (p. 1664) direction can be configured in Rigid Dynamics analyses using the Follower
Load option. Remote direction can be either constant (Follower Load=No, Default), or it can follow
the underlying body/part (Follower Load=Yes).
5.8.2. Command Reference for Rigid Dynamics Systems

The Rigid Dynamics solver uses an object-based approach that uses Python-based commands that
follow Python syntax. This section explains this approach and the role of Python in rigid body com-
mands. It also provides a library of commands for Rigid Dynamics analyses (arranged by parent object)
and examples of command usage. Topics available in this section include:
An add-on is provided to facilitate the creation of complex joint and body loads that would otherwise
require using Python command snippets. You can find information about how to load and use the
add-on in Using the Variable Load Add-on (p. 617).
5.8.2.1. IronPython References
5.8.2.2.The Rigid Dynamics Object Model
5.8.2.3. Rigid Dynamics Command Objects Library
5.8.2.4. Command Use Examples
5.8.2.5. Debugging RBD Commands with Visual Studio
Analysis Types
5.8.2.6. Using RBD Commands with Excel

5.8.2.7. Using RBD Commands from the IronPython Console
5.8.2.1. IronPython References

Rigid Dynamics uses an object-based approach, so it is useful to have experience with object oriented
programming and the Python language when writing commands for the solver. Ansys Workbench
scripting is based on IronPython, which is well integrated with the rest of the .NET Framework (on
Windows) and Mono CLR (on Linux). This makes all related libraries easily available to Python pro-
grammers while maintaining compatibility with the Python language. For more information on
IronPython, see http://ironpython.net.
IronPython is compatible with existing Python scripts, but not all C-based Python library modules
are available under IronPython. Refer to the IronPython website for more information. For more
information on Python, including a standard language reference, see http://www.python.org/.
5.8.2.2. The Rigid Dynamics Object Model

In the Rigid Dynamics object-based approach, the Environment is the top level object that allows
access to all other underlying objects. The environment is associated with an environment object
in the Mechanical tree. Many environments can exist on the same model. The model is called the
System in the Rigid Dynamics Object model. The system contains the physical representation of
the model, and the environment contains the representation of a given simulation done on the
model. This means that Bodies and Joints belong to the systems, and Joint Conditions or Loads
are available on the environment.
You can access an object using its unique ID, which is the same ID used by Mechanical. Global
object tables help you to access an object for which you have an ID.
For example, a Joint with the ID _jid can be accessed using the following call:
Joint= CS_Joint.Find(_jid)
CS_xxx is the table of all xxx type objects.
If the ID of an object is not known, or if only one occurrence of the object exists in the object
model, query the object table to find the first occurrence of a given object type. This is explained
in the following example:
Environment = CS_Environment.FindFirstNonNull()
GetId()
This call returns the object ID.
GetName()
This call returns the object name.
SetName(name)
This call sets or changes the object name.
Some objects have to be created by calling the object constructor. For example, to create a constant
variable:
Var = CS_ConstantVariable()
5.8.2.3. Rigid Dynamics Command Objects Library

The following Rigid Dynamics command objects are available:
Actuator (p. 569)

Basis (p. 570)
Body (p. 571)
Body Coordinate System (p. 572)
Body Load (p. 573)
CMSBody (p. 574)
Condition (p. 575)
Contact (p. 576)
ContactDebugMask (p. 576)
ContactOptions (p. 577)
Driver (p. 578)
Environment (p. 578)
Flexible Body (p. 580)
GILTable (p. 582)
Joint (p. 584)
JointDOFLoad (p. 588)
Load (p. 589)
Measure (p. 589)
MSolverDB (p. 593)
PointsTable (p. 594)
PolynomialTable (p. 595)
Relation (p. 595)
Spring (p. 598)
SolverOptions (p. 597)
System (p. 599)
Table (p. 600)
UserTable (p. 600)
Variable (p. 601)
Actuator
The actuator is the base class for all Loads (p. 589), Body Loads (p. 573), and Drivers (p. 578).
Analysis Types
ID table: CS_Actuator
Members:
Condition
All actuators can be conditional. See Condition (p. 575) to create this condition.
AppliedValue
Measure that stores the evaluation of the actuator variable. Can be useful when the
applied value depends on a measure other than time.
EnergyMeasure
Measure that stores the energy generated by the actuator.
Member Functions:
There are two ways to define the value of the load: using a variable, or by defining a table
of input measures (in which case a variable is defined automatically).
SetVariable(variable)
variable is a list of input measures in table form.
SetInputMeasure(measure)
measure is typically the time measure object, but other measures can be used as well.
When using an expression to define a load variation, the measure must have only one
component (it cannot be a vector measure). The variation can be defined by a constant,
an expression, or a table.
SetConstantValues(value)
value is a Python float constant. See Relation (p. 595) object for defining a constant.
SetTable(table)
table is a CS_Table .
SetFunc(string, is_degree)
string is similar to the expression used in the user interface to define a joint condition
by a function. Note that the literal variable is always called time, even if you are using
another measure as input.
is_degree is a boolean argument. If the expression uses trigonometric function, it

specifies that the input variable should be expressed in degrees.
Basis
A basis is a material frame moving with a body. Each coordinate system has a basis, but multiple
coordinate systems can share the same basis.
ID table: CS_Basis
Constructors:
CS_Basis()
CS_Basis(Angle1, Angle2, Angle3)
Members:
double [,]Matrix
Sets or gets function of the transformation matrix
Body
A body corresponds to a Part in the geometry node of the Mechanical tree, or can be created
by a command snippet. The preset _bid variable can be used to find a corresponding body.
ID table: CS_Body
Example:
MyBody = CS_Body.Find(_bid)
print MyBody.Name
Constructors:
CS_Body()
CS_Body(Id)
Members:
Name
Name of the body.
Origin
Origin Coordinate System of the body. This Coordinate System is the moving coordinate
system of one of the joints connected to the body. The choice of this joint, called parent
joint, is the result of an optimization that minimizes the number of degrees of freedom
of the system.
InertiaBodyCoordinateSystem
Inertia body coordinate system of the body.
BodyType
Type of body, values in E_UnknownType, E_Ground, E_Rigid, E_CMS, E_General,

E_Fictitious, E_RigidLeaf, E_RigidSubModel, E_PointMass, E_Beam
Analysis Types
Member Functions:
SetMassAndInertia(double mass, double Ixx, double Iyy, double Izz,

double Ixy, double Iyz, double Ixz)
Overwrites the mass and inertia values of a body.
SetCenterOfMassAndOrientationAngles(double Xg, double Yg, double Zg,

double XYAngle, double YZAngle, double XZAngle) and SetCenterOfMas-
sAndOrientationMatrix(double Xg, double Yg, double Zg, double mxx,
double mxy, double mxz, double myx, double myy, double myz, double
mzx, double mzy, double mzz)
Overwrites the position of the center of mass and the orientation of the inertia coordinate
system.
SetVariableMassAndPrincipalInertia(CS_Variable mass, CS_Variable

Ixx, CS_Variable Iyy, CS_Variable Izz)
Overwrites the constant mass and principal inertia properties by variable properties.
During the solution process, the mass and inertia variation rate needs to be evaluated.
Therefore, only Point Table, Polynomial and Function can be used to define the variation.
Python user tables cannot be used to define kinetic properties variations. You can make
some of the properties (mass, Ixx, Iyy and Izz) constants by using constant variables.
Note:
The principal axis needs to be defined when the principal inertia is being
assigned. If the body is created by a command, SetCenterOfMassAndOri-
entationAngles or SetCenterOfMassAndOrientationMatrix
must be called before calling SetVariableMassAndPrincipalInertia.
This function only applies to rigid bodies.
Note:
All quantities used in the solver must use a consistent unit system, which some-
times differs from the user interface unit system. For example if the user interface
unit system is "mm,kg,N,s", the solver unit system will be “mm,t,N,s". When using
SetMassAndInertia or SetVariableMassAndPrincipalInertia, the
values of mass and inertia have to be entered using the solver unit system.
Derived Classes:
CS_FlexibleBody
Body Coordinate System
The body coordinate system is used to connect a body to joints, hold the center of mass, or
define a load. See Joint (p. 584) or Body (p. 571) to access existing coordinate systems. Coordinate
systems can also be created.
ID table: CS_BodyCoordinateSystem
Constructors:
CS_BodyCoordinateSystem(body, type, xyz, basis)
Members:
Basis (p. 570)
Member Functions:
RotateArrayThroughTimeToLocal(MeasureValues)
Rotates the transient values of a measure to a coordinate system. MeasureValues is

a python two-dimensional array, such as that coming out of FillValuesThroughTime
or FillDerivativesThroughTime. This function works for 3D vectors such as rel-
ative translation between two coordinate systems or 6-D vectors such as forces/moments.
RotateArrayThroughTimeToGlobal(MeasureValues)
Rotates the transient values of a measure from a coordinate system to the global co-
ordinate system.
Type
Type of coordinate system, values in E_Unknown, E_Ground, E_Part, E_Joint,

E_Inertia, E_BodyTransform, E_Contact, E_SplitJoint.
Derived Classes:
None
Example:
forceInGlobal=joint.GetForce()
valuesInGlobal=forceInGlobal.FillValuesThroughTime()
for i in range(0,valuesInGlobal.GetLength(0)):
print '{0:e} {1:e} {2:e} {3:e}'.format(valuesInGlobal[i,0],
valuesInGlobal[i,1],valuesInGlobal[i,2],valuesInGlobal[i,3])
mobileCS=joint.MobileCoordinateSystem
valuesInLocal=valuesInGlobal.Clone()
mobileCS.RotateArrayThroughTimeToLocal(valuesInLocal)
for i in range(0,valuesInGlobal.GetLength(0)):
print '{0:e} {1:e} {2:e} {3:e}'.format(valuesInLocal[i,0],
valuesInLocal[i,1],valuesInLocal[i,2],valuesInLocal[i,3])
Body Load
A body load is a load that is applied to all bodies in the system. Gravity or global acceleration
are body loads.
Analysis Types
The body load must implement a GetAccelerationVector method. This vector is applied
to the center of mass of each body. In order to maintain the energy balance of the system, the
body load must also implement a ComputeEnergy method.
Example: Acceleration varying with time
HalfTime = 1.0
HalfAmplitude = 10.0
Env=CS_Environment.GetDefault()
Sys=Env.System
(ret,found,time) = Sys.FindOrCreateInternalMeasure(CS_Measure.E_MeasureType.E_Time)
class MyBodyLoad(CS_UserBodyLoad):
def __init__(self):
CS_UserBodyLoad.__init__(self)
self.value = 0.0
def GetAccelerationVector(self,Mass,xyz,vel,bodyLoadForce):
values = time.Values
print 'MyBodyLoad::GetAccelerationVector'
bodyLoadForce[0] = 0.0
bodyLoadForce[1] = 0.0
bodyLoadForce[2] = Mass*HalfAmplitude*math.sin(values[0]*3.14/(2.*HalfTime))
def ComputeEnergy(self,Mass,xyz,vel):
print 'MBodyLoad::ComputeEnergy'
return 0.0
load=MyBodyLoad()
load.value = 10.0
Env.BodyLoads.Add(load)
CMSBody
A CMSBody represents a condensed part in the Mechanical tree.
Constructors:
None.
Members:
CondensedPartId (read only)
The ID of the condensed part in the Mechanical tree.
PartIds (read only)
The vector of the IDs of the Mechanical parts that are used in the condensed part.
Member Functions:
None.
Derived Classes:
None.
Condition
Condition causes a load or a joint condition to be active only under defined circumstances. A
condition is expressed in one of the following forms:
1. MeasureComponent operator threshold
2. LeftThreshold < MeasureComponent < RightThreshold
3. LeftCondition operator RightCondition
For case 1:
• MeasureComponent is a scalar Measure (p. 589).
• Operator is one of the following math operators:
E_GreaterThan
E_LessThan
E_DoubleEqual
E_ExactlyEqual
• Threshold is the threshold value.
Note:
A condition cannot be shared between various actuators. For example, if two joint
conditions must be deactivated at the same time, two conditions must be created.
Example:
DispCond = CS_Condition(CS_Condition.E_ConditionType.E_GreaterThan,DispX,0.1)
For case 2:
• MeasureComponent is a scalar Measure (p. 589).
• LeftThreshold and RightThreshold are the bounds within which the condition
will be true.
Example:
RangeCond = CS_Condition(DispX,0.0,0.1)
For case 3:
• LeftThreshold and RightThreshold are two conditions (case 1, 2 or 3).
• Operator is one of the following boolean operators:
E_Or
E_And
Analysis Types
Example:
BoolCond = CS_Condition(CS_Condition.E_ConditionType.E_Or, RangeCond, DispCond)
Contact
A Contact corresponds to a contact pair between two bodies.
Corresponding ID table: CS_Contact
Note:
If multiple contact objects have been defined between the same two bodies (with
different surfaces), the solver merges them into one single pair. In that case, only
one of the contact pairs exists and the call to CS_Contact.Find(_cid) will fail
for all contact objects other than the one that was used to handle the pair of bodies.
Constants:
None
Members:
None
Member Functions:
GetOutputContactForce()
Retrieves a measure that contains the total contact force between the two linked bodies.
ContactDebugMask
The ContactDebugMask object allows you to activate and customize the output of contact
points. It can also be used to modify the default behaviour of contact. ContactDebugMask uses
a set of switches that can be toggled on or off.
ID table: CS_ContactDebugMask
Constants:
E_DEBUG_Flag.E_None,
(*)E_DEBUG_Flag.E_Point1: point on the side 1 (contact)
E_DEBUG_Flag.E_Point2: point on the side 2 (target)
E_DEBUG_Flag.E_Normal: contact normal
E_DEBUG_Flag.E_Normal1: normal on side 1 (Reference)
E_DEBUG_Flag.E_Normal2: normal on side 2 (Target)
E_DEBUG_Flag.E_Violation: contact violation (rd.n = P1P2.n)
E_DEBUG_Flag.E_MaterialVelocity: material normal velocity (V2-V1).n
(*)E_DEBUG_Flag.E_TotalVelocity: total normal velocity (material velocity + sliding velocity)
E_DEBUG_Flag.E_EntityId1: geometric entity Id on side 1 (contact)
E_DEBUG_Flag.E_EntityId2: geometric entity Id on side 2 (target)
E_DEBUG_Flag.E_SurfaceId1: surface Id on side 1 (contact)
E_DEBUG_Flag.E_SurfaceId2: surface Id on side 2 (target)
(*)E_DEBUG_Flag.E_EntityType: type of geometric entities (vertex/edge/surface)
(*)E_DEBUG_Flag.E_GeometricStatus: status of the contact position and velocity (touching,separated,..
E_DEBUG_Flag.E_Accepted: points that are finally kept
E_DEBUG_Flag.E_InconsistentPoint: points not consistent with rank analysis
E_DEBUG_Flag.E_ReceivedPoint: all points send by the contact

E_DEBUG_Flag.E_DeletedPoint: points deleted during Geometric Filtering
E_DEBUG_Flag.E_TrackedPoint: points successfully tracked
E_DEBUG_Flag.E_TrackedPointFailure: points that failed for tracking
E_DEBUG_Flag.E_NormalAngle: angle between normal (in degrees)
E_DEBUG_Flag.E_SlidingVelocity1: sliding velocity on side 1 (contact) in global coordinates
E_DEBUG_Flag.E_SlidingVelocity2: sliding velocity on side 2 (target) in global coordinates
E_DEBUG_Flag.E_FailSafeFilteringMode: adjust contact radius to accept at least one point
E_DEBUG_Flag.E_CheckIntegration: check consistency of integration between solver and contact
E_DEBUG_Flag.E_RankAnalysis: result from rank analysis
E_DEBUG_Flag.E_Transition: result from edge transitions analysis
(*)E_DEBUG_Flag.E_NewTimeStep: at beginning of time step
E_DEBUG_Flag.E_BeforeCorrection: before external loop of correction
E_DEBUG_Flag.E_BeforeCorrectionPlus: before geometric correction
E_DEBUG_Flag.E_All
Members:
None
Member Functions:
SetOn(E_DEBUG_Flag flag)
Enable output of contact points information specified by flag.
SetOff(E_DEBUG_Flag flag)
Disable output of contact points information specified by flag.
Example:
CS_ContactDebugMask.SetOn(E_DEBUG_Flag.E_Accepted)
ContactOptions
The ContactOptions object allows you to customize the behaviour of a contact server. Contact-
Options uses a set of numerical values (real or integer) that can be get or set. When used as a
switch, 0 means off and 1 is on.
Constants:
None
Members:
TimeOut
Time in second (=30.0 by default)
Verbose
Enable verbose mode in contact.out file (=0, disabled by default)
NumberOfThreads
Number of parallel threads used for contact detection (=2 by default)
Analysis Types
Member Functions:
None
Example:
cOpts=CS_ContactOptions()
cOpts.Verbose=1
Driver
A driver is a position, velocity or acceleration, or translational or rotational joint condition.

Drivers derive from the Actuator class.
Corresponding ID table: CS_Actuator
Constants:
E_Acceleration, E_Position, E_Velocity
Members:
None
Member Functions:
CS_Driver(CS_Joint joint, int[] components, E_MotionType driverMo-

tionType)
Creation of a joint driver, on joint joint, degree of freedom components, and with
motion type driverMotionType. Note that the same driver can prescribe more than
one joint motion at the same time. This is useful if you want to add the same condition
to all components of a prescribed motion for example. Components must be ordered,
are zero based, and refer to the actual free degrees of freedom of the joint.
Environment
This is the top level of the Rigid Dynamics model.
ID table: CS_Environment
Members:
System:
Corresponding system.
Example:
Env=CS_Environment.FindFirstNonNull()
Sys = Env.System
Ground:
Ground body.
Example:
Env = CS_Environment.FindFirstNonNull()
Ground = Env.Ground
Loads:
The vector of existing loads. This includes Springs that are considered by the solver as
loads, as well as force and torque joint conditions.
Example:
Xdof = 0
Friction=CS_JointDOFLoad(PlanarJoint,Xdof)
Env.Loads.Add(Friction)
BodyLoads:
The vector of Body Loads.
Example:
MyBodyLoad = CS_BodyLoad()
…
Env.BodyLoads.Add(MyBodyLoad)
Relations:
The vector of external constraint equations.
Example:
rel3=CS_Relation()
rel3.MotionType=CS_Relation.E_MotionType.E_Velocity
var30=CS_ConstantVariable()
var30.SetConstantValues(System.Array[float]([0.]))
var33.SetConstantValues(System.Array[float]([-60.+37.]))
rel3.SetVariable(var30)
rel3.AddTerm(jp,0,var31)
rel3.AddTerm(js3,0,var32)
rel3.AddTerm(jps,0,var33)
Env.Relations.Add(rel3)
Drivers:
The vector of Displacements, Velocity and Acceleration joint conditions.
Analysis Types
InitialConditions:
The vector of Displacements, Velocity, and Acceleration joint conditions to be used

only at time=0.
PotentialEnergy:
Gets the Potential Energy Measure.
KineticEnergy:
Gets the Kinetic Energy Measure.
TotalEnergy:
Gets the Total Energy Measure.
ActuatorEnergy:
Gets the Actuator Energy Measure.
RestartTime
Specifies the starting time in a restart analysis
Member Functions:
FindFirstNonNull():
Returns the first environment in the global list. The table usually contains only one en-
vironment, thus it is a common way to access the current environment.
Example:
AlterSimulationEndTime(endTime)
Overwrites the end time of the simulation.
Solve()
Solves the current analysis.
Derived Classes:
None
FlexibleBody
A Flexible Body is used by RBD for bodies that have flexible behavior, for instance a CMS-
Body (p. 574).
Constructors:
None.
Members:
AlphaDamping
Uses a variable to define the amount of alpha Rayleigh damping (proportional to the
mass matrix) to be considered for the flexible body. The variable can be either dependent
or constant.
Example:
aFlexibleBody.AlphaDamping=100
Or equivalently:
var=CS_Variable()
var.SetConstantValues(System.Array[float]([100.]))
aFlexibleBody.AlphaDamping=var
BetaDamping
Uses a variable to define the amount of beta Rayleigh damping (proportional to the
mass matrix) to be considered for the flexible body. The variable can be either dependent
or constant.
Example:
Sys=Env.System
array=System.Array.CreateInstance(float,4,2)
array[0,0]=0.0
array[0,1]=5.e-6
array[1,0]=0.05
array[1,1]=5.e-6
array[2,0]=0.051
array[2,1]=1.e-4
array[3,0]=0.1
array[3,1]=1.e-4
table=CS_PointsTable(array)
(err,found,time)=Sys.FindOrCreateInternalMeasure(CS_Measure.E_MeasureType.E_Time)
var=CS_Variable()
var.AddInputMeasure(time)
var.SetTable(table)
aFlexibleBody.BetaDamping = var
CMatrixScaleFactor
Define a factor to be used to multiply the default damping matrix. For instance, with a
CMSBody (p. 574), this matrix can be created during the generation pass. When the
damping matrix is generated for a Condensed Part (CMSBody (p. 574)), it will be auto-
matically taken into account in the RBD use pass with a factor equal to 1.0.
Analysis Types
Member Functions:
SetModalDamping(iDof, variable)
Define the amount of damping used for the degree of freedom specified by iDof (index
starts at 0). The variable can be either dependent or constant.
GetModalDamping(iDof)
Retrieve the damping variable defined for the degree of freedom iDof (index starts at
0).
SetLoadVectorScaleFactor(iLV, variable)
Define a scale factor applied to the flexible body internal load specified by iLV (index
starts at 0). By default, the first load vector uses a constant scale factor equal to 1.0.
GetLoadVectorScaleFactor(iLV, variable)
Retrieve the variable associated to the factor specified by iLV (index starts at 0).
Derived Classes:
CS_CMSBody
GILTable
A general multi-input interpolated table based on an unstructured cloud of points.
Corresponding ID table: CS_GILTable
Member Functions:
CS_GILTable(sizeIn,sizeOut)
Creates a GIL table with sizeIn inputs and sizeOut outputs
CS_GILTable(sizeIn, sizeOut, filename, scale, separator, noHeader)
Creates a GIL table from a text file; filename is the name of the file containing the
points (typically a .CSV file). This file must be in ASCII format, with one data point per
row. Each row must contain sizeIn + sizeOut columns. The columns must be sep-
arated by a character specified by the argument separator. The default value of
separator is ,. scale is an optional argument that scales all the output values. The
default value, used if the optional argument is not specified, is 1.0. noHeader is a
boolean, optional argument that should be true if there is no first row with labels.
Example file:
Velocity, Deflection, Force

0.,0.,10.0
100.,0.,200.0
...
AddInterpolationPoint(values)
Adds an interpolation point to the General Interpolation Table. values is a one dimen-
sional array of size sizeIn+sizeOut. The first sizeIn values in array values cor-
responds to the values of the input variables. The following sizeOut values in array
values correspond to the output values.
Example 5.1: Creation of a Nonlinear Stiffness Value That Depends on Spin Velocity
(Omega) and on Deflection (dY)
VarForceY = CS_Variable();
#
# Variable 0: spin
VarForceY.AddInputMeasure(SpinMeasure )
#
# Variable 1: Y displacement
VarForceY.AddInputMeasure( TransY )
#
# Create table with 2 input and 1 output
EvalY = CS_GILTable(2,1)
Omega = -1.0
dY = -1e-4
stiff = -9.0
values=System.Array.CreateInstance(float,3)
values[0] = Omega
values[1] = dY
values[2] = stiff
EvalY.AddInterpolationPoint( values )
Omega = 11.0
dY = -1e-4
stiff = -21.0
values[0] = Omega
values[1] = dY
values[2] = stiff
EvalY.AddInterpolationPoint( values )
…
AddInterpolationPointArray(values)
Adds a set of points to the General Interpolation Table. values is a two dimensional
array of size (numberOfPoints, sizeIn+sizeOut). On each row of the array, first
sizeIn values in array values corresponds to the values of the input variables. The
following sizeOut values in array values correspond to the output values. Each row
contains a single interpolation point in the cloud of points.
Example 5.2: Creation of a Nonlinear Force Value (F) That Depends on Deflection
(dX)
ForceVariable = CS_Variable()
ForceVariable.AddInputMeasure( TransX )
Evaluator = CS_GILTable( 1,1 )
values = System.Array.CreateInstance( float, 6, 2 )
dX = 0.0
F = 0.0
values[0,0] = dX
values[0,1] = F
dX = 10.0
F = 1.0
values[1,0] = dX
Analysis Types
values[1,1] = F
dX = 30.0
F = 2.0
values[2,0] = dX
values[2,1] = F
dX = 60.0
F = 3.0
values[3,0] = dX
values[3,1] = F
dX = 90.0
F = 4.0
values[4,0] = dX
values[4,1] = F
dX = 130.0
F = 5.0
values[5,0] = dX
values[5,1] = F
Evaluator.AddInterpolationPointArray( values )
SetVerbosity(bVerbose)
If bVerbose is set to true, the GILTable will print the output value every time it is
evaluated. This can be used for debugging purposes, but it will affect the performance
if used on a table in a long simulation.
Limitations:
These tables can only be used to apply forces and moments, not for other joint conditions
or remote displacements.
Joint
ID table: CS_Joint
Constants: For the joint type (E_JointType):
E_2DSlotJoint, E_BushingJoint, E_CylindricalJoint, E_GeneralJoint,

E_FixedJoint, E_FreeJoint, E_PlanarJoint, E_PointOnCurveJoint, E_Revol-
uteJoint, E_ScrewJoint, E_SingleRotationGeneralJoint, E_SlotJoint,
E_SphericalJoint, E_TranslationalJoint, E_TwoRotationGeneralJoint,
E_UniversalJoint,
Members:
Name
Name of the joint
ReferenceCoordinateSystem
Joint reference coordinate system
Example:
J1 = CS_Joint.Find(_jid)
CSR = J1.ReferenceCoordinateSystem
MovingCoordinateSystem
Joint moving coordinate system
Example:
CSM = J1. MovingCoordinateSystem
Type
Joint type
IsRevert
The internal representation of the joint can use flipped reference and mobile coordinate
systems. In that case, all the joint results (for example, forces, moments, rotation, velo-
cities and acceleration) must be multiplied by -1 to go from their internal representation
to the user representation. As transient values of joint measures are giving the internal
representation, use this IsRevert information to know if results should be negated.
AccelerationFromVelocitiesDerivatives
When extracting joint degrees of freedom on joints that return true, accelerations should
be done using the time derivatives of the joint velocity measure. On joints that return
false, joint DOF derivatives should be extracted using the joint acceleration measure. It
is important to check this flag first. Use of the wrong method to query joint acceleration
can result in failure or incorrect results.
Example:
if Universal.AccelerationFromVelocitiesDerivatives:
UniversalAccelerationValues=UniversalVelocityM.FillDerivativesThroughTime()
else:
UniversalAcceleration = Universal.GetAcceleration()
UniversalAccelerationValues=UniversalAcceleration.FillValuesThroughTime()
Stops
Returns the list of the stops defined on the joint.
Member Functions:
GetVelocity()
Returns the joint velocity measure. The size of this measure is the number of degrees
of freedom of the joint. The derivatives of this measure give access to the joint acceler-
ations.
GetRotation()
Returns the joint rotation measure. The type of measure depends on the joint number
of rotational degrees of freedom (E_1DRotationMeasure, E_3DRotationMeasure,
E_UniversalAngles). These rotations components are relative to the reference co-
ordinate system of the joint.
Analysis Types
GetTranslation()
Returns the joint translation measure. The length of this measure is the number of
translational degrees of freedom of the joint. The translation components are expressed
in the reference coordinate system of the joint.
GetForce()
Returns the joint force measure. The length of this measure is always 6 (3 forces com-
ponents, 3 torque component). This force measure is the total force/moment, including
constraint forces/moment, external forces/moment applied to the joint, and joint internal
forces/moment, such as elastic moment in a revolute joint that has a stiffness on the Z
rotation axis. The force measure components are expressed in the global coordinate
system. Note that the sign convention is different from the sign convention used in the
Joint Probes in Mechanical.
GetAcceleration()
Returns the joint acceleration measures on the joints that are constraint equations based.
See the AccelerationFromVelocitiesDerivatives member to see when this
function should be used.
Example:
jointRotation = J1.GetRotation()
jointVelocity = J1.GetVelocity()
jointAcceleration = J1.GetAcceleration()
jointForce = J1.GetForce()
SetFrictionVariable(var)
Replaces the constant value already given to the friction coefficient with the expression
given by var.
Example:
Joint = CS_Joint.Find(_jid)
Var = CS_Variable()
u0 = 0.1
u1 = 0.2
alpha = 0.5
Var.SetFunc('u0+u1exp(-alpha*time)',0)
Var.AddInputMeasure(Joint.GetVelocity())
Joint.SetFrictionVariable(Var)
The command has no effect if no value for the friction coefficient has been provided in
the UI. For more information, see Joint Friction (p. 1246)
SetFrictionTolerance(tol)
Sets the friction tolerance.
Example:
Joint = Joint.SetFrictionTolerance(1e-4)
Derived Classes:
On SphericalJoint, SlotJoint, BushingJoint, FreeJoint, General-

Joint.
Member Function
AddStop(angle_max, restitution_factor)
Adds a spherical stop to a joint that has three rotations. A spherical stop constrains
the motion of the X and Y rotational degrees of freedom, to give to the joint the
behavior of a loose revolute joint, with a rotational gap. This will allow easier
handling of over-constrained systems and building higher fidelity models without
having to use contact.
angle_max
The angle between the reference coordinate system Zr axis and the moving
coordinate system Zm. Zr is the natural revolute axis.
restitution_factor
The restitution factor, similar to other joint stops (p. 1271).

Zr
Zm
Yr
Xr
On CylindricalJoint:
ReplaceByScrew(pitch)
Creates a relation between the translational and the rotational degrees of free-
dom of a cylindrical joint.
Note:
• The pitch is in the current length unit. Any stop and/or lock defined
on the original cylindrical joint is not transferred to the screw joint.
Analysis Types
Similarly, any constraint equation defined on the original cylindrical

joint is not converted and so will prevent a proper solution.
• The ReplaceByScrew command is deprecated. It is replaced by the

Screw Joint (p. 1217) provided in the Mechanical UI.
On Bushing Joint:
GetBushingAngles()
Returns the measure of the joint angles. This measure is used to compute the
forces and torques developed in the joint. Note that this is only available for
post-processing operations, as the measure does not exist before the solve has
been performed.
Creating New Joints:
The following joint can be created by commands:
CS_GeneralJoint(from, to, FreeX, FreeY, FreeZ, FreeRX,

FreeRY, FreeRZ)
Where from and to are of type CS_BodyCoordinateSystem and Free* are integers
where 0 is no available motion and nonzero is available motion. Selecting two free rotations
is not allowed.
JointDOFLoad
JointDOFLoads are loads applied on a given degree of freedom of a joint. The load is applied
in the joint reference coordinate system.
JointDOFLoad derives from Load (p. 589).
Constructor:
CS_JointDOFLoad(joint,dof)
joint
A joint object
dof
An integer that defines the joint degree of freedom to be included in the term. The or-
dering of the degrees of freedom sets the translation degrees of freedom first. The de-
grees of freedom numbering is zero based. For example, in a slot joint, the translational
degree of freedom is 0, while the third rotational degree of freedom is 3.
Members:
None
Member functions:
None
Load
Loads derive from the Actuator (p. 569) class. They are derived from various types of loads, such
as the CS_JointDOFLoad.
Members:
None
Members Functions:
None
Measure:
Most useful measures are pre-existing in the Rigid Dynamics model, and can be accessed using
other object "get" functions. Additional measures can be created before solving for use in custom
post-processing or as input values for joint conditions. For example, measures can be created
to express conditions. In this case, the measure must be added to the system to be computed
at each time step (see component measure example below).
ID table: CS_Measure
Constants: For the measure type (E_MeasureType):
E_1DRotationJoint, E_3DRotationBody, E_3DRotationJoint, E_Acceleration,

E_ActuatorStatus, E_ActuatorEnergy, E_AnsysJointForceAndTorque, E_AXPY,
E_BodyAcceleration, E_BodyIntertialBCSQuaternion, E_BodyRotation, E_Bo-
dyTranslation, E_CenterOfGravity, E_Component, E_Constant, E_Contact,
E_ContactForce, E_ContactVelocity, E_Counter, E_Displacement, E_Distance,
E_DistanceDot, E_Divides, E_EigenValue, E_DOFSensitivity, E_Dot,
E_ElasticEnergy, E_Energy, E_EulerAngles, E_ForceMagnitude, E_Forces,
E_IntegratedOmega, E_JointAcceleration, E_JointDOFFrictionCone,
E_JointDriverForce, E_JointForce, E_JointMBDVelocity, E_JointNormalForce,
E_JointTranslation, E_JointRotation, E_JointVelocity, E_KineticEnergy,
E_MassMomentsOfInertia, E_MeasureDotInDirectionOfLoad, E_Minus, E_Modulus,
E_Multiplies, E_Norm, E_Omega, E_OmegaDot, E_OutputContactForce, E_Plus,
E_PointOnCurveGeometryMeasure, E_PointOnCurveJointSigmaMeasure,
E_PointToPointRotation, E_PointToPointRotationDot, E_Position, E_Poten-
tialEnergy, E_RadialGap, E_ReferenceEnergy, E_RelativeAcceleration,
E_RelativePosition, E_RelativeVelocity, E_RotationalRelativeDOF, E_Rota-
tionMatrix, E_SphericalStop, E_StopVelocity, E_StopStatus, E_Time,
E_TimeStep, E_TranslationalJoint, E_UniversalAngles, E_UnknownType, E_User,
E_Velocity, E_Violation, E_XYZAnsysRotationAngles, E_ZYXRotationAngles,
E_AngularMomentum
Analysis Types
Members:
Length:
Number of components of the measure
Example:
nbValues = Measure.Length
Type:
Measure type
Calculation Method:
A measure can use direct calculation or be time integrated. On a measure that uses
direct calculation, it is possible to retrieve the measure value through time. On a
measure that is time-integrated, both values and time derivatives can be retrieved.
Name:
Measure Name
Member Functions:
FillValuesThroughTime()
Returns a two dimensional array. This function is to be called after the solution has been
performed. The first dimension of the returned array is the number of time values in
the transient. The second dimension is the size of the measure plus one. The first column
contains the time values, while the subsequent columns contain the corresponding
measure values.
Example:
jointRotation = J1.GetRotation()
jointVelocity = J1.GetVelocity()
jointAcceleration = J1.GetAcceleration()
jointForce = J1.GetForce()
jointRotationValues =jointRotation.FillValuesThroughTime()
jointVelocityValues =jointVelocity.FillValuesThroughTime()
jointAccelerationValues =jointAcceleration.FillValuesThroughTime()
jointForceValues =jointForce.FillValuesThroughTime()
nbValues = jointRotationValues.GetLength(0)
print jointRotation.Id
print ' Time Rotation Velocity Acceleration'

for i in range(0,nbValues):
print jointRotationValues[i,0],jointRotationValues[i,1],jointVelocityValues[i,1],jointAccelerat
fich.close()
FillDerivativesThroughTime()
Returns a two dimensional array. This function is to be called after the solution has been
performed. The first dimension of the returned array is the number of time values in
the transient. The second dimension is the size of the measure plus one: the first column
contains the time values, while the subsequent columns contain the corresponding
measure derivatives. These derivatives are available on measures that are time integrated.
To know if a measure is time integrated, use the CalculationMethod member.
Derived Classes:
CS_JointVelocityMeasure
Both translational and rotational joint velocities are expressed in the joint reference
coordinate system. The number of components is the number of translational degrees
of freedom plus the number of rotational degrees of freedom. For example, the size of
the joint velocity measure for a revolute joint is 1. It contains the relative joint rotation
velocity along the z axis of the joint reference coordinate system. The size of the
measure for a slot joint is 4: one component for the relative translational velocity, and
the 3 components of the relative rotational velocity. The joint velocity measure can be
obtained from the joint using the GetVelocity function. Rotational velocities are
expressed in radians/second.
CS_JointAccelerationMeasure
Both translational and rotational joint accelerations are expressed in the joint reference
coordinate system. The number of components is the number of translational degrees
of freedom plus the number of rotational degrees of freedom. The joint acceleration
measure can be obtained from the joint using the GetAcceleration function.
CS_JointRotationMeasure
• For revolute joints, cylindrical joints, or single rotation general joints, this measure
has only one component: the relative angle between the reference and the moving
coordinate system of the joint. Rotations are expressed in radians.
• For slots, spherical joints, bushing joints, and 3 rotation vectors, this measure contains
values that are not directly usable.
• For universal joints, this measure contains the two joint axis rotational velocities. (The
first one along the X axis of the reference coordinate system and the second along
the Z axis of the moving coordinate system.) These angles are expressed in radians.
CS_JointTranslationMeasure
This measure contains only the joint relative translations, expressed in the joint reference
coordinate system. The joint translation measure can be obtained from the joint using
the GetTranslationfunction.
Analysis Types
CS_JointForceMeasure
This measure contains the total forces and moment that develop in the joint. This in-
cludes constraint forces, elastic forces, and external forces. The joint velocity measure
can be obtained from the joint using the GetForcefunction.
CS_PositionMeasure
This measure allows for tracking of the position of a Body Coordinate System over time.
Example:
CoMBCS = OneBody.InertiaBodyCoordinateSystem
Pos = CS_PositionMeasure(CoMBCS)
Sys = Env.System
Sys.AddMeasure(Pos)
CS_ComponentMeasure
This measure allows the extraction of one component of an existing measure. This
component can be expressed in a non default coordinate system. A component of -2
will compute the norm 2 of the vector of values of the measure.
Example:
Planar = CS_Joint.Find(_jid)
Vel = Planar.GetVelocity()
Xglobaldirection = 0
VelX = CS_ComponentMeasure(Vel,Xglobaldirection)
Sys.AddMeasure(VelX)
CS_AXPYMeasure
This measure allows a linear transformation from another measure with a scaling factor
and an offset. This can be useful to transform an internal rotation measure that is ex-
pressed in radians to a measure in degrees used as an input to a load calculation, for
example.
Example:
Revolute = CS_Joint.Find(_jid)
Rot = Revolute.GetRotation()
RotInDegrees = CS_AXPYMeasure( Rot, 180.0/math.pi, 0. )
Sys.AddMeasure(RotInDegrees)
CS_ModulusMeasure
This measure allows you to compute the floating point remainder of value/modulus.
Example:
Revolute = CS_Joint.Find(_jid)
Rot = Revolute.GetRotation()
Rot02pi = CS_ModulusMeasure( Rot, 2.0*math.pi )
Sys.AddMeasure(Rot02pi)
CS_OutputContactForceMeasure
This measure contains four 3D vectors:
• Values 0 to 2 are the total contact force components between the two bodies, includ-
ing the normal and tangential contributions.
• Values 3 to 5 are the coordinates of the point where the interaction between the two
bodies is reduced to a force; in other words, the total torque is zero.
• Values 6 to 8 are the frictional force between the two bodies.
• Values 9 to 11 are frictional moment components at the reduction point.
CS_AngularMomentumMeasure
This measure computes the Angular Momentum of a list of bodies. Its value is a 3D
vector.
Example:
FlyWheel= CS_Body.Find(_bid)
FlyWheelAngularMomentumMeasure = CS_AngularMomentumMeasure()
FlyWheelAngularMomentumMeasure.AddBody(FlyWheel)
Sys.AddMeasure(FlyWheelAngularMomentumMeasure)
MSolverDB
Solver database. The database is both the input and the results file to the solver. It can be used
to solve outside the Mechanical session (for example, for co-simulation purposes) or to restart
from a previous run.
Members:
SetFileName(FileName)
Set the database file name.
SetDirectoryName(DirectoryName)
Set the database directory.
ReadDatabase()
Read the content of the database.
WriteDatabase()
Write the current database to a file.
DeleteDatabase()
Delete the database.
Analysis Types
CloseDatabase()
Close the database file.
OpenDatabase()
Open the database file and reads the database content table.
Dispose()
Clear the content of the database and free memory used by the database.
PointsTable
Corresponding ID table: CS_PointsTable
Members Functions:
CS_PointsTable( tab )
tab is a two dimensional array where the first column contains the input values and
the second column contains the corresponding output values.
Example:
tab = System.Array.CreateInstance(float,6,2)
tab[0,0]=-100.
tab[1,0]=-8.
tab[2,0]=-7.9
tab[3,0]= 7.9
tab[4,0]= 8.
tab[5,0]= 100.
tab[0,1]=1.0
tab[1,1]=1.0
tab[2,1]=0.1
tab[3,1]=0.1
tab[4,1]=1.0
tab[5,1]=1.0
Table = CS_PointsTable(tab);
Here, the output (shown as Stiffness in the chart above) varies in a linear, piece-wise
manner. For values of input less than -8.0 or greater than 8.0, the output is equal to 1.0.
For values between -7.9 and +7.9, the output is 0.1. The transition is linear between -
8.0 and -7.9, and as well between +7.9 and +8.0.
PolynomialTable
Corresponding ID: CS_PolynomialTable
Create a polynomial relation between sizeIn inputs and sizeOut outputs using the following
function:
Where i denotes the index of input and goes from 1 to n (sizeIn), j denotes the index of
output (from 1 to sizeOut).
Member Functions:
CS_PolynomialTable()
Creates an empty polynomial table.
Initialize(constant)
Specialized for 1x1 table. Initializes the table to be a 1 input, 1 output table, and sets
the constant term (constant is a float value).
Initialize(sizeIn,sizeOut,constantValues)
(generic version) Initializes the table with sizeIn inputs and sizeOut outputs and
sets the constant terms. sizeIn and sizeOut are two integer values, and constant-
Values is an array of sizeOut float values.
AddTerm(coefficient,order)
Specialized for 1x1 table. Adds one monomial term to the table. The coefficient is a float
value and order is an integer value giving the power of the input.
AddTerm(coefficients,orders)
(generic version) Adds one monomial term to the table. The coefficients are given by
a sizeOut float array and the power for each input by an array of sizeIn integers.
Relation
The relation object enables you to write constraint equations between degrees of freedom of
the model. For example, two independent lines of shaft can be coupled using a relation between
their rotational velocities.
If you have a gear coupling between two shafts where the second shaft rotates twice as fast
as the first one, you can write the following equation:
2.0 X Ω1 + Ω2 = 0
where Ω1 and Ω2 are joint rotational velocities.
This relation contains two terms and a constant right hand side equal to zero.
Analysis Types
The first term (2 X Ω1) can be described using the following information:
• A joint selection
• A joint degree of freedom selection
• The nature of motion that is used in the equation (joint velocities, which is the most common
case). For convenience, the nature of motion upon which the constraint equation is formulated
is considered as being shared by all the terms in the relation.
This information defines Ω1
• The factor 2.0 in the equation can be described by a constant variable, whose value is 2.0
ID table: CS_Actuator
The coefficients of the relation can be constant or variable; however, the use of non-constant
coefficients is limited to relations between velocities and relations between accelerations. If
non-constant coefficients are used for relations between positions, the solution will not proceed.
Constants:
E_Acceleration, E_Position, E_Velocity
Members:
None
Member Functions:
SetRelationType(type)
Type of relation, with type selected in the previous enumeration.
AddTerm(joint, dof, variable)
Adds a term to the equation.
joint
A joint object
dof
An integer that defines the joint degree of freedom to be included in the term.
The ordering of the degrees of freedom sets the translation degrees of freedom
first, and that the degrees of freedom numbering is zero based. For example
the translational degrees of freedom in a slot joint is 0, while the third rotational
degree of freedom is 3.
variable
A variable object
SetVariable(variable)
Sets the right hand side of the relation. "variable" is a variable object.
SolverOptions
The SolverOptions object allows you to customize the behaviour of the RBD solver. The option
uses a group of numerical values (real or integer) that can be get or set. When used as a switch,
0 means off and 1 is on.
Corresponding ID table: CS_SolverOptions
Constants:
None
Member Functions:
VelocityToleranceFactor
Multiplicative factor used to determine zero velocity tolerance (=100.0 by default);
ContactRadiusFactor
Contact radius factor used in contact failsafe mode (=2.0 by default);
MaximumNumberOfCorrectionAttempts
Number of external loops for geometric correction (=2 by default));
FrictionForShock
Enable friction for shock solve (=0, disabled by default);
MaximumNumberOfDiagnostics
Number of diagnostics messages given in Mechanical UI (=10 by default);
InactiveTouchingInDynamics
Prevent inactive contact pair from being violated (=1, enabled by default);
DisablePolygonEvent
Disable polygon event for contact (=0, active by default);
PrintDynamicSystem
Print the dynamics system (=0 by default);
PurgeGST
Purge GST file every n steps (=0, never by default);
Analysis Types
PrintErrorEstimation
Force output of error estimation (=0, disabled by default);
ExportXLSFileForCMS
Export generalized coordinates for CMS bodies in a CSV file (=0, disabled by default)
HandlePOCTransitionsWithEnergyMinimization
When point on curve joints are used, different solutions (depending on the topology)
may be found when crossing curve connections. Furthermore, these solutions do not
guarantee the conservation of the kinetic energy at the transition. To remedy this issue,
this option makes the transitions using a method that minimizes the kinetic energy in
a way similar to the assembly process using the inertia matrix (p. 650). This solution
works well for explicit time integration schemes, but it is not guaranteed for implicit
ones. (=0, disabled by default)
Example:
sOpts=CS_SolverOptions()
sOpts.ExportXLSFileForCMS=1
Spring
Members:
None
Member Functions:
ToggleCompressionOnly()
Calling this function on a translational spring will make the spring develop elastic forces
only if its length is less than the spring free length. The free length has to be defined
in the regular spring properties.
ToggleTensionOnly()
Calling this function on a translational spring will make the spring develop elastic forces
only if its length is greater than the free length of spring. The free length has to be
defined in the regular spring properties.
SetLinearSpringProperties(system, stiffness, freeLength)
Enables you to overwrite the stiffness and free length of a translational spring. This can
be useful to parameterize these properties. For example, system is the system object,
stiffness and free length are the double precision values of stiffness and free length.
SetNonLinearSpringProperties(table_id)
Enables you to replace the constant stiffness of a spring with a table of ID table_id
that gives the force as a function of the elongation of the spring. The table gives the
relation between the force and the relative position of the two ends.
GetDamper()
The user interface has stiffness and damping properties of the spring. Internally, the
Spring is made of two objects; a spring and a damper. This function enables you to
access the internal damper using the Spring object in the GUI.
Derived Classes:
None
System
Corresponding ID table: CS_System
Members:
Bodies
Gets the list of bodies.
Joints
Gets the list of joints.
Member Functions:
AddBody(body)
Adds a body to the system.
AddJoint(joint)
Adds a joint to the system.
PrintTopology()
Prints the topology of the systems (parent/child relation).
AddMeasure(measure)
Adds a measure to the system, to be calculated during the simulation. This function
must be called prior to solving so that the measure values through time can be
retrieved.
(istat,found,measure)=FindOrCreateInternalMeasure( MeasureType)
Extracts an existing global measure on the system. Supported measure types are:
E_Energy, E_PotentialEnergy, E_ElasticEnergy, E_KineticEnergy, and E_Time.
Analysis Types
Derived Classes:
None
Table
A table is the base class for Points Tables, Polynomial Tables, User Tables, and GIL Tables.
ID table: CS_Table
Members:
None
Member Functions:
Evaluate(In, Out)
Allows evaluating a table in Python. In and Out are arrays of float, with sizes corres-
ponding to the table input and output sizes. This function can be called from a
user table for example.
Dispose()
Explicit destruction of the table. This explicit destructor should be used only when
the table hasn’t been assigned to an actuator. When the table is assigned to an
actuator, the actuator is calling this destructor. Omitting to call this destructor can
cause the evaluation of the results to fail.
UserTable
A user table is a function with i input values and o output values, with an evaluator that is
defined in IronPython, allowing complex variation, or even evaluation performed outside the
solver.
Example:
LeftVarCoefX = CS_Variable();
# input 0,1,2 of the variable

LeftVarCoefX.AddInputMeasure( LeftRelTrans )
# input 3 to 8 of the variable

LeftVarCoefX.AddInputMeasure( LeftRelVelo )
class XForceTable(CS_UserTable):
def __init__(self,sizeIn,sizeOut):
CS_UserTable.__init__(self,sizeIn,sizeOut)
def Evaluate(self,In,Out):
TX = In[0]
VX = In[3]
Force = 1000.0*TX
Out[0] = Force
print 'ForceX = {0:e}'.format(Out[0])
return 0
LeftForceTableX = XForceTable( 9, 1 )
LeftVarCoefX.SetTable( LeftForceTableX )
Variable
A variable is an n-dimensional vector quantity that varies over time. It is used to define the
variation of a load or a joint condition, or to express the coefficients in a relation between de-
grees of freedom. For convenience, the solver allows the creation of constant variables, where
only the value of the constant has to be provided. More complex variables can be built using
a function variable. A function variable is a function of input, where input is given by a meas-
ure (p. 589) and function is described by a table. In some cases, you are able to replace the table
or the measure of an internal variable as used in a joint condition.
ID table: CS_Variable
Members:
None
Member Functions:
SetConstantValues(value)
value is an array, whose size is equal to the size of the table. To create a constant
scalar variable, the value can be defined as shown in the following example:
value = System.Array[float]([1.0])
System, Array, and float are part of the Python language. The result of this is an
array of size one, containing the value 1.0.
AddInputMeasure(measure)
measure is a measure object. The same variable can have more than one measure.
The input variable of the variable is formed by the values of the input measure in the
order that they have been added to the list of input measures.
SetTable(table)
table is a CS_PointsTable.
SetFunc(string, is_degree)
string is similar to the expression used in the user interface to define a joint condition
by a function. Note that the literal variable is always called "time", even if you are using
another measure as input. "is_degree" is a boolean argument. If the expression uses a
trigonometric function, it specifies that the input variable should be expressed in degrees.
Note:
Variables cannot be shared by different actuators.
Derived Classes:
ConstantVariable
Analysis Types
5.8.2.4. Command Use Examples

The following command use examples are included in this section:
5.8.2.4.1. Constraint Equation
5.8.2.4.2. Joint Condition: Initial Velocity
5.8.2.4.3. Joint Condition: Control Using Linear Feedback
5.8.2.4.4. Non-Linear Spring Damper
5.8.2.4.5. Spherical Stop
5.8.2.4.6. Export of Joint Forces
5.8.2.4.7. Breakable Joint
5.8.2.4.1. Constraint Equation

This example considers the gear mechanism shown below.
A relation is created between two revolute joints to simulate a gear with a ratio 2 M. Commands
are used to enforce the ratio of velocities between the two wheels, and create a linear relation
between rotational velocities, defined by:
(1)*ω 1 + (-2)*ω2 = 0
First, the joint objects are retrieved using their IDs:

j1id = CS_Joint.Find(_jid)
j2id = CS_Joint.Find(_jid)
Next, the relationship between the two wheels is defined. The complete list of commands is
shown below. A description of these commands follows.
1. A relation object is created and specified as a relation between velocities:

rel=CS_Relation()
rel.MotionType=CS_Relation.E_MotionType.E_Velocity
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2. The constant coefficients that appear in the relation are created. The first constant term is
created by:
3. The second coefficient and constant right hand side are created by:
var2.SetConstantValues(System.Array[float]([-2.]))
varrhs=CS_ConstantVariable()
varrhs.SetConstantValues(System.Array[float]([0.]))
4. The first term of relation (1) X ω_1 is added to the relation object:
rel.AddTerm(j1id,0,var1)
The first argument is the joint object. The second argument defines the DOF (degrees of
freedom) of the joint that are involved in the relation. Here, 0 represents the rotation, which
is the joint’s first and only DOF is the rotation.
5. The second term and right hand side are introduced in the same manner:
rel.AddTerm(j2id,0,var2)
rel.SetVariable (varrhs)
6. The relation is added to the list of relations:

Env.Relations.Add(rel)
5.8.2.4.2. Joint Condition: Initial Velocity

This example shows how to impose an initial velocity to a joint. A velocity driver (joint condition)
is created using commands and added to the list of initial conditions. During the transient solve,
initial conditions are applied only at t=0.
The complete list of commands and their explanation follows.

Joint=CS_Joint.Find(_jid)
driver=CS_Driver(Joint,System.Array[int]([0]),CS_Driver.E_MotionType.E_Velocity)
Sys=Env.System
driver.SetInputMeasure(time)
driver.SetConstantValues(System.Array[float]([-4.9033]))
Env.InitialConditions.Add(driver)
1. The joint is retrieved using its ID(_jid):

Joint=CS_Joint.Find(_jid)
2. A velocity driver (imposed velocity) is created on this joint:

driver=CS_Driver(Joint,System.Array[int]([0]),CS_Driver.E_MotionType.E_Velocity)
The driver constructor takes the joint instance as the first argument. The second argument is
an array of integer that defines which DOFs are active. The physical meaning of these integers
is dependent of the joint. For instance, if the underlying joint is a translation joint, 0 is the
translation along x. But if the joint is revolute, 0 now is the rotation along z axis. Similarly, for
a cylindrical joint, 0 is is the translation along z, and 1 is the rotation. The last argument gives
the type of driver here velocity. Drivers can be one of three types: position, velocity, or accel-
eration:
3. The default environment and corresponding system are retrieved

Sys=Env.System
4. This command returns an instance on an internal measure. It is often used to obtain the in-
stance of the time measure:
5. The time measure is specified as the input measure for the driver and a constant value is
given to the driver. As the driver may be applied to several components of the joint, the values
are given as an array of float:
driver.SetConstantValues(System.Array[float]([-4.9033]))
6. The driver is added to the list of initial conditions. Consequently, it will be active only at t=0
and will give an initial velocity to the joint:
Env.InitialConditions.Add(driver)
5.8.2.4.3. Joint Condition: Control Using Linear Feedback

In this example, an existing load is modified to apply a torque proportional to the joint velocity.
Two Methods are discussed:
Method 1
Obtain the velocity measure from the joint:

joint = CS_Joint.Find(_jid)
vel=joint.GetVelocity()
Next, modify an existing moment in order to use the velocity measure as its input measure:
ids=Env.DSToInternalIds[_jcid]
load=CS_Actuator.Find(ids[0])
load.SetInputMeasure(vel)
Method 2
Using this method, the load is created entirely using commands. These commands are shown
below.
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load=CS_JointDOFLoad(joint,0)
load.SetInputMeasure(vel)
load.SetFunc('0.1*(-2*acos(-1)-time)',0)
Env.Loads.Add(load)
5.8.2.4.4. Non-Linear Spring Damper

This example shows how the behavior of a spring can be altered to introduce a non-linear force-
displacement relationship. The complete list of commands is shown below. A description of these
commands follows.
1. Retrieve the spring object using its ID:

Spring=CS_Actuator.Find(_sid)
2. Create an array of real values and fill it with the pairs of values (elongation, force):
Spring_table=System.Array.CreateInstance(float,7,2)
#
# LENGTH transition values
spring_table[0,0]=0.
#
# Spring Stiffness
spring_table[0,1]=-100000.
stiffness = CS_PointsTable(spring_table)
spring.SetTable(stiffness)
In this command, 7 represents the number of rows and 2 for the number of columns. The first
column gives elongation and the second, the corresponding force value. This command
generates a PointsTable assigned to the spring, as shown below.
Each spring object in the Mechanical GUI is actually a combination of a spring and a damper.
The GetDamper method enables you to retrieve the damper object on a given spring, as
shown below.
3. Introduce a table is to define a non-linear force velocity relation:

Damper=spring.GetDamper()
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5.8.2.4.5. Spherical Stop

This example describes the implementation of a spherical stop. A spherical stop is a joint that
has 3 rotations (joints include spherical, slot, bushing, free and general joints). This specific type
of stop creates a limit to the angle between the z-axis of the reference frame and the z-axis of
the moving frame. This functionality is available using the following command:
AddStop(angle_max, restitution_factor)
For example, to add a spherical stop for an angle value equal to 0.45 radians and a restitution
factor equal to 1.0, the following command would be issued:
Joint.AddStop(0.45,1.0)
An example of the model and the results of this command are shown below.
5.8.2.4.6. Export of Joint Forces

In this example joint forces are extracted in the local coordinate system, rotated into the global
coordinate system, and written into an ASCII File
First, the joint is retrieved by inserting the following command on the corresponding joint in the
tree:
TopRevolute = CS_Joint.Find(_jid)
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Next, the commands object shown below is inserted in the result node. An explanation of these
commands follows.
1. Get measures from the joint:

TopRevoluteRotation = TopRevolute.GetRotation()
2. Extract transient values for this measure:

TopRevoluteRotationValues=TopRevoluteRotation.FillValuesThroughTime()
3. Get angle derivatives by extracting the time derivatives of the measure:

TopRevoluteRotationDerivatives=TopRevoluteRotation.FillDerivativesThroughTime()
4. Count the number of components of this array:

nbValues = TopRevoluteRotationValues.GetLength(0)
5. Open the ASCII output file:

fich=open(r"TopRevoluteRotation.csv",'w')
fich.write('Time,Rotation,Velocity\n')
6. Loop over all time values, and write values:

fich.write('{0:4.3f},{1:11.4e},{2:11.4e}\n'.format(TopRevoluteRotationValues[i,0],
TopRevoluteRotationValues[i,1],TopRevoluteRotationDerivatives[i,1]))
fich.close()
7. Check if joint is « revert » or not:

IsRevert = TopRevolute.IsRevert
if IsRevert:
fact = -1.0
else:
fact = 1.0
8. Extract Force Measure and write them into the file:
TopRevoluteForce = TopRevolute.GetForce();
TRF=TopRevoluteForce.FillValuesThroughTime()
fich=open(r"TopRevoluteForce.csv",'w')
fich.write('Time,FX,FY,FZ,MX,MY,MZ\n')
fich.write('{0:4.3f},{1:11.4e},{2:11.4e},{3:11.4e},{4:11.4e},
{5:11.4e},{6:11.4e}\n'.format(TRF[i,0],fact*TRF[i,1],
fact*TRF[i,2],fact*TRF[i,3],fact*TRF[i,4],fact*TRF[i,5],fact*TRF[i,6]))
fich.close()
9. Get the joint reference coordinate system, and rotate the forces from the global coordinate
system to the joint coordinate system:
if IsRevert:
TopRevolute.MobileCoordinateSystem.RotateArrayThroughTimeToLocal(TRF)
else:
TopRevolute.ReferenceCoordinateSystem.RotateArrayThroughTimeToLocal(TRF)
fich=open(r"TopRevoluteForceRotated.csv",'w')
fich.write('Time,FX,FY,FZ,MX,MY,MZ\n')
fich.write('{0:4.3f},{1:11.4e},{2:11.4e},{3:11.4e},{4:11.4e},{5:11.4e},
{6:11.4e}\n'.format(TRF[i,0],fact*TRF[i,1],fact*TRF[i,2],fact*TRF[i,3],
fact*TRF[i,4],fact*TRF[i,5],fact*TRF[i,6]))
fich.close()
5.8.2.4.7. Breakable Joint

This example considers a breakable joint. A breakable joint is a joint that cannot withstand an
internal force higher than a given value. To create a breakable joint:
1. Get the joint by inserting a command on a planar joint:

joint=CS_Joint.Find(_jid)
2. Create a joint condition to prescribe zero velocity on the two translational degrees of freedom:
driver=CS_Driver(Joint,System.Array[int]([0,1]),CS_Driver.E_MotionType.E_Velocity)
3. Define the value of the velocity, then retrieve the time measure:
Sys=Env.System
(ret,found,time)=Sys.FindOrCreateInternalMeasure(CS_Measure.E_MeasureType.E_Time)
4. Define the time as variable, and use constant values for the two components:
driver.SetConstantValues(System.Array[float]([0.,0.]))
Next, make the driver only active if the force in the joint is less than a maximum threshold
of 3N. To do that, create a Condition based on the joint force measure norm.
5. Retrieve the force on the joint:
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force=joint.GetForce()
6. Create a component measure, that is the norm 2 of the force. To be computed at each time
step, this measure has to be added to the system.
norm=CS_ComponentMeasure(force,-2)
Sys.AddMeasure(norm)
7. Now, create the condition and assign it to the driver:

cond=CS_Condition(CS_Condition.E_ConditionType.E_LessThan,norm,3.0)
driver.Condition=cond
8. Finally, add the driver to the environment:

Env.Drivers.Add(driver)
5.8.2.5. Debugging RBD Commands with Visual Studio

You can debug RBD command snippets Using Microsoft Visual Studio. This allows you to execute
commands line by line and review variable values.
1. To begin, insert the following lines before the commands snippet you want to debug. (Note
that if there are several commands snippet, they are executed in the order they appear in the
Mechanical tree.)
from System import Diagnostics
Diagnostics.Debug.Assert(0)
2. Begin the solve. When the solution begins, the following warning dialog appears. Do not close
this dialog. The dialog will pause the solver and allow you to attach the Visual Studio debugger
and set breakpoints.
3. In Visual Studio, select Attach To Process... from the DEBUG menu. In the Select Code Type
dialog, select Managed, then click OK.
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4. In the Attach to Process dialog, select the RBD solver process (Ansys.solvers.RBD.exe), then
click Attach.
5. Once Visual Studio is attached to the RBD solver, open the script file in Visual Studio. To locate
script files, in Mechanical, right-click the Solution object and select Open Solver Files Directory.
6. In the solver files directory, commands are written to two python files: filepre.py and
filepost.py. filepre.py contains the commands that are executed before solve (all
command snippets except those at solution level). filepost.py is executed after the solve
(only command snippets at solution level).
Open the desired file in Visual Studio. You can insert breakpoints as desired and click Ignore
on the warning dialog to resume the solve.
5.8.2.6. Using RBD Commands with Excel

It is possible to call Microsoft Office Excel from an RBD command to read and write data to and
from Excel. If Excel is available, RBD will automatically detect and load the Excel interopt. If Excel
is detected, the solver output will contain the following lines at the beginning.
Processing Python commands
import base modules and macros
Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel is loaded
Ans.Customize.Misc interop is not available
ready to process commands
The Excel application is initiated using:

excel=Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.ApplicationClass()
excel.Visible=True
excel.DisplayAlerts=False
Use the following line to open an Excel file:
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workbook=excel.Workbooks.Open(r"E:\RBD\MODELS\COMMANDES\EXCEL\Excel_v160_files\Velocity.xlsx")
ws=workbook.Worksheets[1]
To read data from the current worksheet, use the following:

xlrange = ws.Range["A2", "B66"]
values=xlrange.Value2
Before using the values in an RBD script, it may be necessary to convert them to real values:
realValues=System.Array.CreateInstance(float,2,values.GetLength(0))
for i in range(0,values.GetLength(0)):
print '{0:e} {1:e}'.format(values[i,0],values[i,1])
realValues[0,i]=values[i,0].real
realValues[1,i]=values[i,1].real
Similarly, it is possible to write values to the current worksheet. The following sequence of commands
shows how to create a new worksheet and write the joint force in the new worksheet:
# retrieve joint force measure
force=joint.GetForce()
# obtain time values for this measure

values=force.FillValuesThroughTime()
# create a new worksheet

ws2=workbook.Worksheets.Add()
ws2.Name='Reaction forces'
len=values.GetLength(0)
cell=ws2.Range["A1"]
cell.Value2='Time'
cell=ws2.Range["B1"]
cell.Value2='Fx'
cell=ws2.Range["C1"]
cell.Value2='Fy'
cell=ws2.Range["D1"]
cell.Value2='Fz'
cell=ws2.Range["E1"]
cell.Value2='Mx'
cell=ws2.Range["F1"]
cell.Value2='My'
cell=ws2.Range["G1"]
cell.Value2='Mz'
# put values into the new worksheet

end="G"+str(1+len)
cells=ws2.Range("A2",end)
cells.Value2=values
5.8.2.7. Using RBD Commands from the IronPython Console

It is possible to use any rigid body dynamics commands you would use during a simulation from
the IronPython console, outside of the simulation environment. The following command snippets
and instructions provide a demonstration of this capability:
You can access the IronPython console by clicking the File > Scripting > Open Command Window
menu item.
The following code snippets load the RBD Command module into IronPython:
import clr
import os
import Ansys
import sys
clr.AddReference('Ans.Utilities')
ver=Ansys.Utilities.ApplicationConfiguration.DefaultConfiguration.VersionInfo.VersionString
awp_root=os.getenv('AWP_ROOT'+ver)
sys.path.Add(awp_root+r'\aisol\bin\winx64')
clr.AddReference('Ans.MotionSolver.MSolverLib.CSMotion')
from Ans.MotionSolver.MSolverLib.CSMotion import *
You can read an already-solved rigid body dynamics model using the following code:
dbIn=CS_MSolverDB()
dbIn.SetFileName(GetProjectDirectory()+'/TestRestart_files/dp0/SYS/MECH/file.mbd')
dbIn.OpenDataBase(0)
dbIn.ReadDB()
dbIn.Dispose()
The environment and system objects are accessed in the following way:
environment=CS_Environment.GetDefault()
system=environment.System
It is now possible to alter properties of the simulation. For example, you could modify the end time
and restart from 0.5 s:
environment.AlterSimulationEndTime(2.0)
environment.RestartTime=0.5
environment.Solve()
Once you have made your changes, make use the following code snippet to save the modified
database:
dbOut=CS_MSolverDB()
dbOut.SetFileName(GetProjectDirectory()+'/TestRestart_files/dp0/SYS/MECH/file.mbd')
dbOut.OpenDataBase(1)
dbOut.WriteDB()
dbOut.Dispose()
Note:
You cannot restart a Rigid Dynamics analysis using this procedure if the model has
contact or a Point On Curve joint, or if there are multiple load steps.
5.8.3. Using the Variable Load Add-on

The Variable Load Add-on greatly simplifies the definition of complex loading for Rigid Dynamics
systems. It allows you to create loads that depend on the state of the model, and to make these loads
conditionally applied.
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Without the add-on, such complex loads can only be defined using command objects. The Variable
Load Add-on will similarly write commands to define these loads.
Note:
The add-on is only available on Windows platforms.
The following topics explain the use of the Variable Load Add-on:
5.8.3.1. How to Load the Add-on
5.8.3.2. Creating Measures
5.8.3.3. Defining Joint Loads Dependent on one or more Measures
5.8.3.4. Defining Force Loads Dependent on one or more Measures
5.8.3.5. Known Issues and Limitations

The Variable Load Add-on is included in the Ansys product installation but must be loaded into
Workbench.
To make the capabilities of the Variable Load Add-on available, click the Variable Load Icon in the
Add-ons Ribbon. The icon will be highlighted in blue, indicating that the add-on is loaded.
Figure 5.1: Variable Load Add-on Showing Loaded Status
Once the add-on is loaded, the Variable Load Toolbar will appear in the Mechanical Ribbon.
5.8.3.2. Creating Measures

Measures can be thought of as sensors used to instrument the models. The workflow consists of
instrumenting the model with measures that capture the state of the model, and then using these
measure values to compute the value of the applied loads, or to activate and deactivate them.
Joints and Bodies can be instrumented with Measures. For these base measures, derived measures
that transform the base measures can be introduced.
To create the Rigid Dynamics Measures folder in the Project tree, click the Insert Measures icon
The corresponding folder appears in the tree.
Note:
• All measures are computed and consumed during the solution. The solver uses the
consistent unit system that is associated with the user unit system. Therefore, you
should define operations done on derived measures, or the tables that consume the
measure values, with the consistent unit system in mind.
• All rotations are in radians and all rotations velocities are in rad/s.
5.8.3.2.1. Body Measures

1. Select Body Measure in the tree. The Body Measure worksheet appears.
2. To add a new measure, click Add Measure.
3. Give a Name to this measure. You should use unique names, as the name of the measure will
be used in selections later on.
4. Select the body that you want to instrument in the Selection column.
5. Select the quantity that you want to measure from the Variable dropdown list.
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6. Select the coordinate system that defines the position of the point where position, velocity
and acceleration are reported.
7. If you need to delete a measure that you previously created, select its row in the worksheet
and click Delete Measure.
Note:
• Position, Velocity, Acceleration, Rotational Velocity and Rotational Accelerations are

3D vectors, with X, Y and Z components.
• For Orientation, Rotational Velocity and Rotational Acceleration, the coordinate

system is not used.
• The coordinate system just gives the position. X, Y and Z components of Position,
Velocity, and Acceleration are global coordinates.
5.8.3.2.2. Joint Measures

1. Select Joint Measure in the tree. The Joint Measure worksheet appears.
4. Select the joint that you want to instrument from the dropdown in the Selection column.
5. Select the quantity that you want to measure from the Variable dropdown list.
Note:
• The quantities available will depend on the type of joint that is selected. Select the
joint first so that the Variable drop-down menu updates the list with relevant
quantities.
• The number of components of the position, rotation, velocity and acceleration

measure depends on the joint type.
• During the solution, the solver sometimes flips the reference and mobile coordinate
system of the joint. If the joint is reverted, force load must be negated. See the
model topology tool from the connection menu to see which joints are reverted.
See the IsRevert property in the CS_joint class of the scripting manual.
5.8.3.2.3. Derived Measures

Based on how the loads consuming the measures are defined, one-dimensional measures might
be needed. Measures also sometimes need to be transformed by some math operators. Derived
measures are made for these operations.
1. Select Derived Measure in the tree. The Derived Measure worksheet appears.
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4. Select the Base Measure the operator applies to.
5. Select select a transformation Type, Component or Operator.
• When using Component, select the component from among the components available.
The list of component depends on the base measure type.
• When using Operator, choose from Modulo or Scale Factor.
– Modulo corresponds to a modulus operation. It can for example be used to remove the
number of turns from the rotation angle of a revolute joint. The modulus is defined by
the Operator Value property.
– Scale Factor scales the value of the input measure by a constant defined by the Operator
Value property.
Note:
The base measure of a derived measure can be a derived measure.
5.8.3.3. Defining Joint Loads Dependent on one or more Measures

To define a joint load that depends on one or more measures:
1. Click the Insert Measure Varying Joint Load icon .
The properties of this load can then be edited in the Details panel.
2. Select the joint on which to apply the load in the Joint Selection field.
3. Select the joint degree of freedom on which the load is applied in the Joint Dof field.
4. Define the Output Type from the dropdown list.
• Python User Table
When you select Python User Table, a text editor will open, allowing you to define the evolution
of the joint load with respect to the input variable defined in the Measure Selections field.
The text editor will contain a pre-defined IronPython function.

class UserTable_33(CS_UserTable):
def __init__(self, sizeIn, sizeOut):
CS_UserTable.__init__(self, sizeIn, sizeOut)
def Evaluate(self, In, Out):

## define Out[] as a function of In[] here
Stiffness = 43.0
Damping = 0.1
Preload = 100.0
Displacement = In[0]
Velocity = In[1]
Out[0] = -Stiffness*Displacement -Damping*Velocity + Preload
return 0
#define input size and output size here

SizeIn=1
SizeOut=1
table_33 = UserTable_33(SizeIn,SizeOut)
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print " *** CS_UserTable UserTable_33 created ***"
Note:
– The string _33 is given here as example. Actual value will vary.
– The text editor that will be used is that associated with the .txt add-on in your
user preferences.
– This feature relies on the CS_UserTable class of the scripting manual.
In general, you would only modify the Evaluate function. Its role is to compute Out[0]. The
input measures come into this function in the In[] array. In the example above, the load has
two input measures: one is the joint displacement and the other is the joint velocity, for a
joint that has only one degree of freedom. The force is computed as if a preloaded spring
and damper were acting together.
• Table
This option will allow you to define tabular data defining output as a function of input. This
option requires that you have only one input variable. The table will have two columns, the
first one corresponding to the input values and the second one corresponding to the output
values.
• Excel
You can also use Excel to define tabular output, and the data will be read from an Excel
comma separated value file (.csv). Click the field next to Excel to browse to your Excel file.
The Excel table must have two columns, the first one corresponding to the input values and
the second one corresponding to the output values.
– By default, the first row of the table is assumed to contain labels that describe the columns.
If this first row contains data (it is not a header), you should set the Skip Header option
to No.
– Values from the spreadsheet can be scaled by the Output Scale Factor. This can be useful,
for example, if the .csv file hasn’t been created in the same unit system as the solution.
– By default, the Comma Separated Values file format uses "," as a separator. However, de-
pending on the language of your operating system, or of the machine that has generated
the .csv file, Excel can use a different character to delimit the fields. You can specify this
character using the Column Separator field.
5. Define one or more Input Measures using the Measure Selection field.
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If Output Type is set to Table only one measure can be defined. If Output Type is Excel or
Table, the Input Measure(s) must be scalar. Use a derived measure to extract one particular
component of a multi-dimensional base measure.
The measure Time is always available. While time-varying loads can be defined on all transient
Mechanical loads, the use of IronPython can be very powerful for complex loads.
Note:
• You cannot specify a Force measure or a measure derived from a Force measure
as an input used to compute loads.
• You should not use accelerations as inputs because it could lead to very small time
steps or lack of convergence. If the intent is to link the accelerations of two joints,
it is more efficient to use a constraint equation that links the two accelerations.
6. Joint loads can be applied conditionally, based on the value of any derived measure.
• Use Selection to define the scalar measure that the condition is based on.
• Select the Operator from the list.
• Select the right-hand side of the condition in the Value field.
You can, for example, define a "breakable" spring that will act only if the joint displacement is
less than a maximum displacement.
7. The load has a default name. This name can be overwritten using the Load Name field in order
to increase the readability of the created script.
8. Use the Debug option to print the value of the input values and calculated output values of
the table. This option should be used only for short simulations as it will slow down the evaluation
of the load.
Important:
The read-only property Unit System is shown for information, as the Measure Varying
Joint Load object does not change if you change the unit system in the Mechanical
Application. It is strongly recommended that you use one single unit system to define
all the measure varying loads and to solve using this same unit system.
5.8.3.4. Defining Force Loads Dependent on one or more Measures

To define a force load that depends on one or more measures:
1. Click the Insert Measure Varying Force icon .
2. The properties of this load can then be edited in the Details panel.
• Select the Remote Point on which the load will be applied.
Note:
The Remote Point must be connected to a geometric entity or a named selection.

It cannot be a freestanding remote point. The corresponding body must be a rigid
body.
• Refer to Defining Joint Loads Dependent on one or more Measures (p. 622) step 2 to 8 to
define the load. The only difference is that the resulting forces has 3 components (3-dimen-
sional vector) rather than a single value.
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• Use the Follower Load property if the load’s application and orientation varies with the rigid
body it is applied to.
5.8.3.5. Known Issues and Limitations

Using Clear Generated Data at the project level after a first solve may prevent further solutions.
There is no workaround to this problem, and it may require that all of the variable loads be recreated.
5.8.4. Using the Motion Load Transfer Add-on

The Motion Load Transfer Add-on allows you to apply the loads created in a Rigid Dynamics analysis
on the flexible bodies in a Static Structural analysis. For more information about exporting geometry
from deformation results, see Geometry From Rigid Dynamics Results (p. 1065).

The Motion Load Transfer Add-on is included in the Ansys product installation but must be loaded
into Workbench.
To make its capabilities available, click the Motion Load Transfer icon in the Add-ons Ribbon. The
icon will be highlighted in blue, indicating that the add-on is loaded.
Figure 5.2: Motion Load Transfer Add-on Showing Loaded Status
Once the add-on is loaded, the Motion Load Transfer toolbar appears in the Mechanical Ribbon.
Next, navigate to the Project window and add a Rigid Dynamics analysis system to the project. The
system will have the Motion Loads features available.
5.8.4.2. Setting up the Motion Loads Transfer

Follow these steps to set up the Motion Loads transfer:
1. Perform a Rigid Dynamics simulation.
2. On the Project Schematic, add a Static Structural system and link the Rigid Dynamics system
Engineering Data cell to the Static Structural Engineering Data cell, and the Solution cell to the
Model cell.
3. Right-click the Solution cell of the Rigid Dynamics system and choose Properties. Under Update
Settings for Static Structural (Component) set Time to User Defined, then enter the time at
which you want to transfer the loads to the system.
4. Update the Rigid Dynamics system, then update the Model cell of the Static Structural system.
Note:
After a Save and Resume of a Rigid Dynamics analysis containing a motion load transfer,
the motion load transfer won't work unless you delete the connection between the Rigid
Dynamics Solution cell and the downstream system and recreate it using the steps in
this section.
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5.8.4.3. Transferring the Motion Loads

Open the Static Structural system and follow these steps:
1. Select a body in the model by picking it in the Graphics view.
2. Click the Motion Loads icon in the Motion Loads tab.
This automatically:
• Creates Remote Points where Forces and Moments issued from the Rigid Dynamic Solution
are applied.
• Creates Rotational Velocity and Rotational Acceleration corresponding to the Angular

Velocity and Angular Acceleration issued from the Rigid Dynamic Solution.
• Changes the behavior of the selected body to flexible.
• Suppresses all the other bodies.
3. While the loads applied by remote forces and moments are balanced by the inertia forces, the
part is nevertheless not "supported" and the analysis needs to be adapted to be stable. This
can be achieved, in general, by adding weak springs (p. 1517) and/or with inertia relief (p. 1519). In
some instances, for example when the part has a fixed joint to ground, it can be preferable to
replace the force and torque corresponding to this joint to ground by a fixed support. When
accurate contact representation between bodies is important to properly capture stresses, you
could choose to keep more than one body in the analysis. In that case, use separate static systems
for each part and assemble them together.
4. Now solve the Static Structural system.
To Perform the same operation on another body, unsuppress all bodies and repeat steps 1 through
4.
Note:
The modification of the Rigid Dynamics system or the export time requires the Motion
Loads to be re-imported.
5.8.5. Multibody Dynamics Theory Guide

Multibody dynamics is the study of the motion of assemblies of bodies, rigid or flexible, that undergo
large motion in the 3D space. The free motion of bodies is restrained by joints. Every joint links two
bodies in two points. These joints are idealizations of the contact between the two bodies. Joints are
characterized by the motion that they allow between the two bodies that they connect. For example,
a revolute joint allows one relative rotation between two bodies, constrains all three relative transla-
tions, and blocks the two other relative rotations.
The primary unknowns of a multibody dynamics solution are the translation and rotation of each
body and the motion in the joints themselves. The output quantities on rigid bodies are the forces
that develop in the joints and flow through the rigid bodies, as opposed to a structural analysis where
the output quantities are strains or stresses. Flexible bodies can be included in a multibody analysis.
These flexible bodies will have both joint forces and stress and strain results.
The following topics are discussed in this section:

5.8.5.1. Rigid Degrees of Freedom
5.8.5.2. Rigid Shape Functions
5.8.5.3. Flexible Shape Functions
5.8.5.4. Equations of Motion
5.8.5.5.Time Integration with Explicit Runge-Kutta
5.8.5.6. Implicit Generalized-α Method
5.8.5.7. Stabilized Implicit Generalized-α Method
5.8.5.8. Moreau-Jean Method
5.8.5.9. Geometric Correction
5.8.5.10. Contact and Stops
5.8.5.11. References
5.8.5.1. Rigid Degrees of Freedom

This section discusses the options available when selecting degrees of freedom (DOFs) in a rigid
body assembly and their effect on simulation time.
The double pendulum model shown below is considered in this section. The first body in this
model (in blue) has center of gravity G1. This body is linked to the ground through revolute joint
R1, and linked to a second body through revolute joint R2. The second body (in red) has center of
gravity G2, and is linked to the first body through revolute joint R2.
Figure 5.3: Double Pendulum Model
Analysis Types
The two bodies in this model are rigid, meaning that the deformations of these bodies are neglected.
The distance between any two points on a single rigid body is constant regardless of the forces
applied to it. All the points on the body can move together, and the body can translate and rotate
in every direction.
Many parameters are available to describe the body position and orientation, but the parameter
usually chosen for the translation is the position of the center of mass with respect to a ground
coordinate system. It is extremely difficult to represent 3D rotations for the orientation in a universal
way. A sequence of angles is often used to describe the orientation, but some configurations are
singular. An option frequently used to describe the orientation in computer graphics is the use of
quaternion (also known as Euler-Rodrigues parameters); however, this option uses four parameters
instead of three, and does not have a simple interpretation.
A natural choice of parameters to describe the position and orientation of the double pendulum
model, is to use the position and orientation of the two individual bodies. In other words, use three
translational and rotational degrees of freedom for each body, and introduce the joints using con-
straint equations.
The constraint equations used state that the two points belonging to the two bodies linked by the
revolute joint are always coincident, and that the rotation axis of the joint remains perpendicular
to the other body. This requires five constraint equations for each revolute joint.
The selected degrees of freedom (six DOFs per body and certain joints based on constraint equations)
are considered "absolute" parameters.
Figure 5.4: Absolute Degrees of Freedom
The model shown in Figure 5.4: Absolute Degrees of Freedom (p. 632) depicts global parameters in
2-D for the double pendulum. Body 1 and 2 are respectively parameterized by X and Y translation
and theta rotation. Because the model has only two degrees of freedom, it does not require any
additional constraint equations.
Global parameters for the body are chosen independently of the joints that exist between those
bodies. When these joints are known, parameters for the joints can be chosen that reduce the
number of parameters and constraint equations needed. For this example, the first degree of freedom
is defined as the relative orientation of the first body with respect to the ground. The second degree
of freedom is defined as the relative orientation of the second body with respect to the first body.
Relative degrees of freedom are shown in the figure below:
Figure 5.5: Relative Degrees of Freedom
Next, a third body is added to the model that is grounded on one side and linked to the second
body with another revolute joint, as shown below:
Analysis Types
Figure 5.6: Closed Loop Model
The closed loop model shown above has three bodies (plus the ground) and four revolute joints.
The degrees of freedom can be chosen for the example as follows:
Θ1 - The relative rotation of body 1 with respect to ground

Θ2 - The relative rotation of body 2 with respect to body 1
Θ3 - The relative rotation of body 3 with respect to ground
The fourth revolute joint cannot be based on degrees of freedom because both the motions of
Body 2 and Body 3 are already defined by existing degrees of freedom. For this joint, constraint
equations are added to the relative degree of freedom parameters.
Θ1, Θ2, and Θ3 will be the degrees of freedom, and the corresponding joints will be topological
joints. The fourth joint will be based on a constraint equation. Constraint equation-based joints are
also known as kinematic joints. Kinematic joints are needed when the model has closed loops, that
is, when there is more than one way to reach the ground from a given body in the system.
To determine which joints will be topological joints and which will be kinematic joints, a graph is
constructed to show connections where the bodies are vertices and the joints are arcs. This graph
is decomposed into a tree, and the joints corresponding to arcs that are not used in the tree are
transformed into kinematic joints.
The Model Topology (p. 1280) view displays whether joints are based on degrees of freedom or
constraint equations.
Kinematic Variables vs. Geometry Variables

Euler's theorem on rotations states that an arbitrary rotation can be parameterized using three in-
dependent parameters. The choice of these three parameters is not unique, and many choices are
possible. For example:
• A sequence of three rotations, as introduced by Euler (the first rotation around X, the second
rotation around the rotated Y' axis, and the third rotation around the updated Z'' axis). Many
other sequences of rotations exist, among them the Bryant angles.
• The 3 components of the rotation vector
• Etc…
Unfortunately, these minimal sets of parameters are not perfect. Sequences of angles usually have
some singular configurations, and the composition of rotations using these angles is simple. This
composition of rotation is intensively used in transient simulation. For example, it can be used to
prevent the use of the rotation vector.
Another option is to use the 3x3 rotation matrix. Composition of rotations is easy with this option,
as it corresponds to matrix multiplication; however, this matrix is an orthogonal matrix, and time
integration must be done carefully to maintain the matrix properties.
A good compromise is to use quaternion, which have 4 parameters and a normalization equation.
Once rotation parameters have been selected, the time derivatives of these parameters have to be
established:
(5.7)
where is the angular velocity vector.
Two sets of variables exist:
• Kinematic variables, expressed as {q}: as long as the translational velocities.
• Geometric variables, expressed as {g}, as well as the position variables for the translations. The
geometric variables are obtained by time-integration of the kinematic variables.
5.8.5.2. Rigid Shape Functions

Shape functions, also called generalized velocities, are the projections of the velocity of material
point Mk attached to body k on the kinematic variables of the model. Generalized velocities of a
material point are depicted in the figure below:
Analysis Types
Figure 5.7: Generalized Velocities of a Material Point

0
L(L(L(k)))
L(L(k))
L(k)
Mk
Because of the choice of relative degrees of freedom, the velocity of Mk is a function of kinematic
variables of the joint located between body k and its parent body L(k), as well as those of the joint
between L(k) and L(L(k)), continuing until the ground is reached.
To understand how these generalized velocities are formed, it helps to first focus on the contribution
of the first joint of the chain (pictured below). This joint is located between body k and its parent,
L(k).
Figure 5.8: Contribution of the Parent Joint to the Generalized Velocities
0L(k)
Rk
Vk/L(k)
k/L(k)
0k
Mk
Because body k is rigid, the velocity of point Mk with respect to the ground 0 can be expressed
from the velocity of point Ok . Point Ok is the material point on the mobile coordinate system of
the joint between body k and its parent, L(k). This is expressed as follows:
(5.8)
The angular velocity of body k with respect to the ground can be expressed as the angular
velocity of its parent, plus the contribution of the joints linking body k and its parent, L(k). This is
expressed as follows:
(5.9)
Similarly, can be expressed using point Rk , which is the reference coordinate system of the
joint between body k and its parent, L(k). Note that Rk is a material point on body L(k). This is ex-
pressed as follows:
(5.10)
where is the joint relative velocity, i.e. the translational velocity between body k and its
parent, L(k).
It is important to realize that the vector has an angular velocity of . Joints can have
translational degrees of freedom, and rotational degrees of freedom. The translation is expressed
in the reference coordinate system, while the rotation center is the moving coordinate system. In
other words, the joint translation is applied first, and the rotation is applied after the coordinate
system is updated with the results of the joint translation. The decomposition of the Model Topology
graph into a tree results in an oriented parent-child relationship. When the joint has both transla-
tional and rotational degrees of freedom and its reference coordinate system is on the child side,
the joint must be split into a rotational joint linked to the parent side, and a translational joint
linked to the child side, with a fictitious mass-less body between these two joints. While this is an
internal representation of that "reverted" joint (that is, a joint that has both translational and rota-
tional degrees of freedom and a link to the ground on the mobile coordinate system side), results
are reported on the original user-defined joint.
Because Rk is a material point of body L(k), the same methodology can be used to decompose the
velocity into the contribution of the parent joint located between L(k) and L(L(k)) and the contribution
of the parent.
Two important quantities have been introduced in this process:
• is the joint contribution to the angular velocity of body k.
• is the joint contribution to the translational velocity of point Mk
The concept of recursive calculation of the generalized velocities has also been introduced. The
generalized velocities on body k can be computed by adding the contribution of the parent joint
to the generalized velocities of body L(k).
The contribution of each joint in the chain between body k and the ground can be found and ex-
pressed as:
(5.11)
(5.12)
Analysis Types
Vector , which is associated with the kinematic variable qi , is the "partial velocity" of the variable
expressed at point Mk . It is configuration dependent, that is, it varies with the geometric variables
of the joints located between body k and the ground.
The translational and accelerations can similarly be derived to obtain:
(5.13)
(5.14)
5.8.5.3. Flexible Shape Functions

We assume here that the body is not rigid anymore, but undergoes small elastic deflections.
To define the position of a point of body k, we use a floating reference rigid body and define a
small displacement vector between the point and its reference position on the floating reference
body.
Figure 5.9: Flexible Bodies Kinematics
With the assumption of small deflections and elastic behavior, sub-structuring can be used to reduce
the flexible body to a small set of DOFs. We will define a set of generalized coordinates qi such
that:
The global position of M' becomes:

(5.15)
The global velocity of M' is expressed by:

(5.16)
Compared to the rigid case, the translational shape functions are modified to be expressed at the
flexible point location, and the flexible generalized coordinates now contribute to the shape func-
tions.
The basis of vectors [N] is obtained using a Component Mode Synthesis analysis with Fixed Interfaces
(see Component Mode Synthesis (CMS) in the Theory Reference for more details). Master nodes are
created for each joint connected to the condensed part. The internal modes and attachment modes
Φ are orthogonalized to form the N basis.
The point Ok can be any point in the condensed part. However, in practice, it can be either on a
joint or on the center of gravity of the condensed part.
Note:
Before simulating a model that contains a condensed part, the Rigid Dynamics solver
first runs a sanity check. An eigenvalue decomposition called free-free modal analysis in
the log is calculated with free master nodes based on the reduced mass and stiffness
matrices provided by the MAPDL solver.
The purpose of this decomposition is to check that the condensed part contains exactly
six rigid modes, which are near zero frequency. The first flexible frequency is used to
estimate the time step required by the Rigid Dynamics analysis, which must be smaller
than the inverse of that frequency.
5.8.5.4. Equations of Motion

Equations of Motion for Rigid Bodies
Many methods are available to derive the equations of motion, such as Newton Euler equations,
Gibbs-Appell equations, and Lagrange equations.
The combination of Gibbs-Appell equations with generalized velocities is often referred to as Kane's
equations [KAN61 (p. 658)]. Kane's equations are used for this example.
Open Loop Equations of Motion
The positional variation of a point Mk on body k is written as a reduction point using the origin of
the body Ok :
(5.17)
Similarly, the translational acceleration of point Mk can be expressed using reduction point Ok :
(5.18)
The virtual work of the acceleration can be formed and integrated over body k, and summed over
the bodies as follows:
(5.19)
Analysis Types
The integration over the body leads to integrating quantities as follows:
(5.20)
These terms can be easily pre-calculated as follows:
(5.21)
In this equation, Mk stands for the mass of body k, and Gk stands for the center of gravity of that
body. Other terms lead to:
(5.22)
where v is a constant vector. Those terms can be expressed as a function of the inertia tensor of
body k.
Similarly, the virtual work of external distributed forces is computed as follows:

(5.23)
Finally, the open loop equations of motion lead to the following algebraic system:
(5.24)
Both the mass matrix M and the force vector F are dependent on the geometric variables and time
t. The force vector is also a function of the generalized velocities.
(5.25)
When the mass and inertia properties of a rigid body are not constant, the force vector includes
some additional terms dependent on the mass matrix time derivatives .
Equations of Motion with Flexible Bodies

Assuming that body k is flexible, the variation of the position of a point M'k on body k is written,
using the origin of the body Ok as a reduction point:
(5.26)
Similarly, the translational acceleration of point M'k can be expressed using a reduction point Ok
(5.27)
As in the case of rigid bodies, the virtual work of the acceleration can be formed and integrated
over body k, and summed over the bodies:
(5.28)
In presence of flexible bodies, the equations of motion are modified by 2 sets of terms:
• Terms that involve only the set of flexible degrees of freedom only,
• Coupling terms, involving flexible degrees of freedom and rigid degrees of freedom.
Please refer to [SHA13 (p. 658)] for more detailed information about the equations of motion.
Because the equilibrium is written on the current (deformed) configuration, the mass matrix and
right hand side depend on the flexible degrees of freedom. To avoid having to go back to the finite
element model to compute these integrals, these terms are decomposed over a basis of invariant
terms, which are computed only once in the generation pass.
These invariants are expressed below. These terms are approximated using a lumped mass approach.
(5.29)
(5.30)
(5.31)
(5.32)
(5.33)
(5.34)
Where the Φ(i) are the Component Mode Synthesis base vectors.
Closed Loop Equations of Motion

When the model has some closed loops, not all joints can be treated as topological joints, thus re-
quiring constraint equations to be added to the system. These constraint equations are usually
written in terms of velocities as follows:
(5.35)
Each kinematic joint generates up to six of these equations, depending on the motion direction
that the joint fixes.
To be introduced in the equations of motion, a time derivative of these equations must be written
as follows:
(5.36)
The equations of motion for the closed loop system become:

(5.37)
Subject to:
Analysis Types
(5.38)
An additional scalar variable λ (called a Lagrange Multiplier) is introduced for each constraint
equation. These constraint equations are introduced in the algebraic system, which then becomes:
(5.39)
M, B, F, and G can be formed from a set of known geometric variables and kinematic variable values.
The above system can be resolved, providing both accelerations and Lagrange multipliers λ.
These Lagrange multipliers can be interpreted as constraint forces, equivalent to the amount of
force needed to prevent motion in the direction of the constraint equations.
Redundant Constraint Equations

The system matrix shown in Equation 5.39 (p. 642) has size n+m where n is the number of degrees
of freedom, and m is the number of constraint equations in B. The mass matrix M is usually positive-
definite, but the full matrix including the constraint equation will retain that property only if there
are no redundant constraint equations in B.
The constraint equations are applied to the piston/crankshaft system shown below to demonstrate
how the B matrix can contain redundant constraint equations.
Figure 5.10: Crankshaft Mechanism
The revolute joint between point P1 on body 1 and point P2 on body 2 generates five constraint
equations. For the sake of simplicity, these equations are written below in the global coordinate
system, even if it is not always possible in general cases. The equations are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
These equations must be projected on the degrees of freedom. This is achieved in the code by
writing the shape functions on each body on points P1 and P2:
(5.40)
(5.41)
and:
(5.42)
(5.43)
Replacing the velocities in the five constraint equations leads to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The five equations above only generate two nontrivial constraints. The third equation indicates that
the mechanism cannot shift along the z axis. It also indicates that the mechanism cannot be as-
sembled if the z-coordinate of O2 and O2 are not the same. Similarly, the fourth and fifth equations
indicate that the orientation of the axis of the revolute joint in P1/P2 is already entirely dependent
on the axis of the two other revolute joints. A manufacturing error in the parallelism of the axis
would result in a model that cannot be assembled. As such, this system is redundant.
Because introducing the five equations into Equation 5.39 (p. 642) would make the system matrix
singular, some processing must be done on the full set of equations to find a consistent set of
equations. Equations that are trivial need to be removed, as well as equations that are colinear. An
orthogonalization technique is used to form a new set of equations that keep the matrix invertible.
The matrix is decomposed into two orthogonal matrices, Bf and R:
(5.44)
where the [Bf] matrix has a full rank and [R] is a projection matrix. This matrix can then used in
Equation 5.39 (p. 642):
(5.45)
Joint Forces Calculation

A benefit of using Kane’s equations and relative parameters is that joint forces in topological joints
are eliminated from the algebraic system. Joint forces can be calculated explicitly by writing the
dynamic equilibrium of each body recursively, starting from the leaves of the tree associated with
the connection graph, with the unknown being the body parent joint’s forces and torque.
Analysis Types
When the system has redundancies, that is, the [B] matrix does not have a full rank, some forces
cannot be calculated. In the crankshaft example, no information is available in the forces developing
in the revolute joint in P1/P2 in the z direction, and the moments cannot be calculated in this joint.
These values will be reported as zero, but it is recommended that you avoid such situations by re-
leasing some of the degrees of freedom in the system.
5.8.5.5. Time Integration with Explicit Runge-Kutta

Equation 5.25 (p. 640) (open loop) and Equation 5.39 (p. 642) (closed loop) provide a relation between
generalized accelerations and generalized velocities {q}.
Equation 5.7 (p. 635) provides a relation between generalized velocities {q} and the time derivatives
of the geometry variables
These two sets of equations form a system of first order explicit ordinary differential equations
(ODE).
(5.46)
This system is integrated using the explicit Runge-Kutta method RK4.
RK4 Method
The fourth order method is based on four estimations. Given an initial value y at time value t, and
a time step value dt, the following four estimations are formed:
(5.47)
(5.48)
(5.49)
(5.50)
A fourth order approximation of y(t+dt) is given by:

(5.51)
Adaptive Time Stepping (for explicit time integration)

Time step dt must be chosen carefully for the integration of the ODEs to ensure that it is stable
(that is, not becoming exponentially large), and accurate (that is, the difference between the ap-
proximation of the solution and the exact solution is controlled).
RK4 is conditionally stable, meaning that stability can be guaranteed if the time step is small enough.
While the algorithm is accurate when it is stable, the time step chosen must be large enough to
maintain computational efficiency.
For both integration schemes, quantifying the amount of kinetic energy contained in the highest
order term of the polynomial approximation can give a good indication of whether the time step
should be reduced or increased.
If the energy in the high order term is too large, it is likely that the approximation is inaccurate,
and the time step should smaller.
If this energy is significant and controlled, the time step can be accepted, but the time step used
will be smaller.
If the energy is low, then the next time step can be increased.
Rigid body systems usually have relatively slow motion, but the following factors can lead to
smaller time steps:
• Existence of stiff springs and bushing in the model
• Three-dimensional rotations
• Proximity to geometrically singular configurations, such as the top, dead center position of a
piston/crankshaft mechanism
These factors imply that the optimal time step varies with the system velocities and configuration,
and thus cannot be determined before running the solution. As a consequence, automatic time
stepping generally should not be turned off.
When automatic time stepping is used, the energy balance of the system is maintained within the
tolerance that is requested. Note that impacts and shock can be non-conservative, and will affect
the energy balance. This loss during impact is detailed in Contact and Stops (p. 651).
5.8.5.6. Implicit Generalized-α Method

Implicit Generalized-α Method
This family of methods was initially developed by Chung and Hilbert for the resolution of dynamics
in the context of computational mechanics of solids. Cardona and Géradin adapted the method to
compute the dynamics of multibody systems. Many extensions have been developed in the past,
such as the extension developed by O. Brüls and M. Arnold for dynamics equations formulated as
an index-3 DAE. The dynamics is written at time as:
(5.52)
The acceleration-like variable an is defined by the recurrence relation as:

(5.53)
At the beginning of the simulation, this variable is initialized as . The following difference
equations relate , and :
(5.54)
Analysis Types
where the constants of , , , and are suitably chosen so that the scheme is stable. The al-
gorithm is unconditionally stable if the coefficients are chosen such that for ρ∞<1,
(5.55)
The scheme is based on a prediction step and a correction step where some Newton iterations are
performed in order to solve the dynamical and the constraint residuals Rq and Rλ, defined by:
(5.56)
The Newton iterations solve the following linear system:
(5.57)
where is the inertia matrix, is the stiffness matrix, and
is the damping matrix, and k denotes the number of the Newton iterations. Note that
this algorithm maintains the constraints at the position level, but it can also be reformulated to
write the constraints at the velocity level or the acceleration level.
When considering the constraints at the velocity level, the problem is formulated as an index-2
DAE, whose discretization is given by the first two equations of Equation 5.54 (p. 645), as well as:
(5.58)
In this case, the correction step is performed using Newton iterations to solve the following linear
system:
(5.59)
where:
The integration error is estimated using the methodology proposed by Géradin and Cardona for
the HHT schemes family. The exact value of the positions vector can be approximated using a
truncated Taylor series development around tn as follows:
(5.60)
The integration error is computed as:

(5.61)
By substituting the expression qn+1 from Equation 5.54 (p. 645) into Equation 5.61 (p. 647), we obtain:
(5.62)
The third derivative of the position can be approximated by:
(5.63)
By substituting an+1 and into Equation 5.62 (p. 647), and by using the relations in Equa-
tion 5.54 (p. 645), we obtain:
(5.64)
Adaptive Time Stepping (for implicit time integration)

Much like RK4, the Implicit Generalized-α method also implements an adaptive time stepping
strategy based on the energy conservation. However, the order of the Implicit Generalized-α
method is lower than RK4. Consequently, the Implicit Generalized-α method may require smaller
time steps than explicit method to achieve the same accuracy.
Unlike RK4, the Implicit Generalized-α method is unconditionally stable. This method remains stable
even for large time steps, regardless the accuracy. As such, it is particularly suitable to address
situations where the explicit RK4 method requires small time steps. The energy tolerance control
can be relaxed in these situations, and the time step is driven only by the Newton-Raphson conver-
gence. If a large number of iterations was required for the last time step, the time step decreases.
Conversely, if fewer iterations were required for convergence of the previous time step, the time
step increases.
5.8.5.7. Stabilized Implicit Generalized-α Method

At the end of each time step, violated constraints equations are corrected as explained in Geometric
Correction (p. 649). However, this correction perturbs the dynamics of the system and may introduce
artificial energy to the system, which leads to vibrations when flexible bodies are involved. These
artificial vibrations cause the time integration method to use tight time steps and more iterations
which leads to long simulation times. The Stabilized Generalized-α method remedies this issue.
The equations of the dynamics are discretized as in Equation 5.59 (p. 646). A new Lagrange multiplier
is introduced which satisfies the position-level constraints equations:
(5.65)
Where Un represents the position gap needed to vanish the violation g(qn). The correction of this
position drift is achieved using:
Analysis Types
(5.66)
This correction is followed by another dynamics solve using Equation 5.59 (p. 646). In this way, both
the dynamics and the applied constraints are satisfied, which leads to more stable numerical systems.
Compared to the Generalized-α method, the Stabilized Generalized-α method uses larger average
time steps and needs less iterations to converge.
5.8.5.8. Moreau-Jean Method

In time-stepping schemes, the formulation of the dynamics equations enables the scheme to sim-
ultaneously handle the smooth dynamics and non-smooth dynamics. The idea behind these schemes
is to consider the dynamics equations as a measure differential inclusion. On the velocity level, they
are expressed as:
(5.67)
where is the reaction measure.
In the case :
(5.68)
therefore:
(5.69)
In the Moreau-Jean time stepping method (MJ Time Stepping (p. 1520)), unilateral contact is modeled
with a Signorini condition at the velocity level, that is a complementarity between the contact im-
pulse and the relative velocity, which ensures impenetrability. In order to handle multiple contacts
with potentially changing status, an implicit algorithm is used to integrate the dynamics. As a sim-
plified example, consider and . The discrete form of the equations of
motion is:
(5.70)
The smooth terms may be discretized using a θ-method as:
(5.71)
then:
(5.72)
where is the approximation of the impulse over the time step. Note that the acceler-
ation of the system is never explicitly computed because it becomes infinite for impulsive forces.
The kinematic equations are discretized as follows for contact :
(5.73)
Finally, Newton's law is implicitly formulated as:
(5.74)
Because the Moreau-Jean time stepping method is formulated in terms of non-smooth velocities,
it better handles the acceleration discontinuities that can happen when the geometry is non-smooth.
Consequentially, it is well-suited to work with mesh-based contact (p. 654).
5.8.5.9. Geometric Correction

Using relative parameters, the majority of joints are introduced in the system using their natural
degrees of freedom. As a consequence, no matter how big the variation of the degrees of freedom
is over the time step, these joints only allow motions that are consistent with the joint kinematics.
For example, a revolute joint that has one single rotational degree of freedom can have an increment
with a rotation of 3600 degrees in one time step, and it will still not generate out of plane motion,
nor will the two points linked by the joint separate. Conversely, some joints are constraint equation
based (all the graph closed-loop joints) and need special attention to satisfying proper joint kin-
ematics.
The time integration schemes that are used provide a piecewise polynomial approximation of the
solution. These schemes realize a polynomial approximation of the solution. The constraint equations
such as those developed in the crankshaft example shown in Figure 5.10: Crankshaft Mechan-
ism (p. 642) are not polynomial expressions of the geometric variables. Similarly the relation between
kinematic variables and geometric variables, expressed as , is usually not polynomial.
Analysis Types
As a consequence, using for example the RK4 time integration, the constraint equations that are
exactly satisfied in terms of accelerations at each of the Runge-Kutta estimations might not be
satisfied in terms of velocities and positions at the end of the time step. After a number of time
steps, closed loops will not be closed anymore, and points P1 and P2 in the crankshaft example
will slowly drift away from each other.
To avoid these violations of constraint equations, various strategies can be used.
The drift of the violated constraints equations is corrected by a projection of the numerical solution.
Two methods are available to perform it:
Pure Kinematic Method
As proposed by Dehombreux [DEH95 (p. 658)], this method is performed by projecting back the
solution of the constraint equation.
Both positions and velocities can be projected back using this correction.
By projecting the solution, an increment of the geometry variables can be found iteratively:
(5.75)
(5.76)
(5.77)
Note that the relation between the kinematic variables and the geometric variables is reused
in an incremental form.
Because of the dependency of the constraint equations on the geometric variables, this solution
is nonlinear, and must be performed until the increment is small enough.
Once the position has been corrected, another step can be done to correct velocities:
(5.78)
(5.79)
As these equations are not velocity dependent, there is no need to iterate on this system.
Inertia Matrix Method
In this method, geometry variables are calculated iteratively by solving:
(5.80)
Once convergence is reached, the velocity increments are obtained using
(5.81)
This method results from the minimization of kinetic energy. Using the inertia matrix for correc-
tion of violated constraints leads to more consistent results than when using the pure kinematic
method. Furthermore, scaling with the inertia matrix enables you to perform a resolution
which is consistent with the metrics of the problem.
5.8.5.10. Contact and Stops

So far, the only interaction between bodies that has been considered was permanent joints; however,
impacts and contacts will also play a significant role.
Contact Kinematics
The figure below depicts the contact between convex bodies j and k.
Figure 5.11: Contact Between Two Convex Bodies
Body j
Mj n
Mk
Body k
The non-penetration equation below describes the contact between these bodies, and is written
along the shared normal at the contact point:
(5.82)
In this equation, the two points Mj and Mk are the points that minimize the distance between the
two bodies, and thus are not material points, that is, their location varies over the bodies with time.
For more information on the definition of the contact point, refer to Pfeiffer [PFE96 (p. 658)] in Ref-
erences (p. 658).
Special Cases
Some special cases are worth mentioning. For instance, when contact occurs in a joint between
two bodies linked by that joint, the contact points become material points, and Equation 5.82 (p. 651)
can become dependent on one single degree of freedom. Figure 5.12: Stops on a Translational
Joint (p. 652) shows an example of stop on a translational joint. Both left and right vertical surfaces
can impact the red body, but this translates very easily into a simple double inequality:
(5.83)
where subscript m stands for the minimum bound, and M stands for the maximum bound. The
normal here is replaced by the projection on the joint degree of freedom.
Analysis Types
Figure 5.12: Stops on a Translational Joint
Another case of specialized contact geometry is the radial gap where contact points can be computed
explicitly. In the general case of complex geometries, the strategy for computing the contact points
and the impact times is more complex.
General Cases
In general cases, geometries that are potentially in contact are neither simple nor convex. It is
however required to find the accurate position of the contact points between two bodies. Sometimes
the contact point is unique, as shown in the figure below.
Figure 5.13: One Contact Point
But for the same pair, the contact can occur in more than one point, as shown in the figure below.
Figure 5.14: Two Contact Points
Finally, the contact can exist along a full line for some geometries, or even on an entire surface, as
shown in the figure below. In this case, there is an infinite number of contact points.
Figure 5.15: Cylinder/Cylinder Contact
Contact Formulation
Two bodies will impact when their distance is equal to zero. Once the distance is equal to zero and
the bodies are touching, forces can develop in the contact. When the contact distance is greater
than zero, there is no interaction between the bodies. Introducing interaction in the equations of
motion results in the addition of inequalities to the system:
(5.84)
where the subscript u stands for unilateral.
In the Rigid Dynamics solver, contact and stops always use a pure Lagrange formulation. Unlike
the penalty based approaches, pure Lagrange prevents any penetration.
Note:
Although a pure Lagrange formulation prevents penetration, a small penetration (linear

with the time step) may be visible when using the MJ Time Stepping time integration
due to the lack of exact collision detection.
Analysis Types
Rigid Contact Detection

To control the density of contact points that will need to be adjusted, a surface mesh is used on
the bodies that has contact defined. Mesh based contact points are first computed.
When the contact is geometry-based, these discrete points are then adjusted on the actual geomet-
rical surfaces.
Based on whether the contact is geometry-based or mesh-based, the requirements in terms of

mesh are different:
Geometry-Based Contact
It is important to understand that contact will create constraints between the two bodies. The
relative motion between these two bodies varies in a 6-dimensional space, so 6 contact points
at most will be used to constrain the relative motion of two bodies. These constraints will be
added to already existing constraint, so contact can create additional redundancies. For example,
two cams with parallel axis will contact along a line (as shown in the figure below). However,
if the two axes are maintained parallel by existing joints in the model, one single point through
the thickness of the cam is necessary to properly represent the kinematics of the assembly. To
avoid useless calculation, the mesh through the thickness can be coarse.
Figure 5.16: Contact Requiring One Single Point
If the mesh is very refined, many points through thickness can satisfy the contact equations.
An automatic filtering of the contact points will also be performed, but the position of the
points through thickness might vary from one step to the next. This can cause some unexpected
changes in the moment developed in the contact. To avoid this situation, it can be useful to
modify the joints or the geometry itself, and include a draft angle in the cam profile extrusion
for force the contact along a line.
Mesh-Based Contact
Similar to geometry-based contact, the mesh defines the density of contact points defined
between the bodies. Because the points are on the mesh and not on the geometry, the contact
happens between faceted geometries. To avoid spikes in the forces, it is recommended that
you refine the mesh further when contact is mesh-based.
Caution:
When the mesh-based contact detection method is used, the behavior of the contact
is not symmetric. Results may change when the contact is flipped.
Using mesh-based contact with Runge-Kutta (p. 644) may lead to computationally
expensive simulations. Mesh-based contact is recommended for use with the Moreau-
Jean method (p. 648).
Time Integration and Contact

In the Rigid Dynamics solver, two alternate methods are available. The first method is suited for
situations where contact is mostly intermittent, the second method is suited where contact is mostly
established, for example the contact involved in a pair of gears.
Method 1: Event Capturing Contact Formulation
A second method of contact formulation is to detect the transition between the separated
space of a given pair of bodies and the configuration where they are overlapping. The image
below depicts a point mass approaching a separate wall, and the overlapping configuration
following impact.
Determining the time of the transition using this point mass model involves advancing in time
without introducing non-penetration constraint equations, and realizing at the end of the time
step that the penetration is not acceptable. By using the polynomial interpolation that the time
integration scheme provides over the time step, the moment where the penetration reaches
zero can be found fairly accurately. This time value can be expressed as a fraction of the time
Analysis Types
step. To determine this time value, find α such that p(t+αΔt)=0 where p is the penetration
distance.
Advancing in time up to αΔt will position the system exactly at the impact time and position,
where an impact occurs between the bodies. This impact is assumed to have a very short dur-
ation, orders of magnitude smaller than the simulation time. During the impact, the interaction
forces between the bodies are first increasing in a compression phase, and then decreasing in
the expansion phase until they vanish entirely. This impact will lead to a certain amount of
energy loss determined by the material of the bodies interacting.
Newton’s impact laws are idealized in this impact process. They relate the relative velocity before
the impact to the "bouncing" velocity after the impact using a restitution factor. This restitution
factor varies from zero to one. A restitution factor of one indicates that the normal velocity
after the impact is equal to the velocity before the impact.
(5.85)
Where the superscript + represents quantities after the impact, and the superscript – represents
quantities before the impact.
A restitution of zero leads to:

(5.86)
And the general formula will be:

(5.87)
where r is the restitution factor.
This equation is written as a scalar equation at the impact point. Combined with the conservation
of momentum it leads to the following system:
M(g,t){Δq}={0}
B(q){Δq}=0 for all permanent equations and active contacts, and B(q){Δq}=–(1+r)v– for the im-
pacting contact.
Each impact with a restitution factor less than one will introduce an energy loss in the system.
In a model with multiple imperfect impacts over time, the total energy will be constant piecewise
with a drop at each impact.
Runge-Kutta 4, Generalized-α, and Stabilized Generalized-α integration methods are event

capturing schemes (see the table below).
Method 2: Event Absorbing Contact Formulation
When the density of events increases (small bounces, with phases where the contact is sliding,
such as the contact in a pair of gears) the event detection method starts to lose efficiency and
robustness, for two reasons:
• It requires accurate detection of the transition time, thus forcing the reduction of the time
step to avoid missing changes. If events are changed, inconsistencies between the state of
the contact (whether the contact is touching, separated, or in-between) and the actual relative
position of the bodies.
• Each event processing phase has a computational cost.
To work around these difficulties, it is possible to reformulate what happens during the time
step in terms of variation of velocities. These variations come from both smooth dynamics (the
variation due to finite accelerations) and from non-smooth dynamics (the variation due to infinite
accelerations over a zero duration, which corresponds to a shock). For specific theory information,
see Moreau-Jean Method (p. 648).
MJ Time Stepping is an event absorbing scheme.
Summary of Time Integration Methods
The following table summarizes the characteristics of the Time Integration Types available for
the Rigid Dynamics solver and the corresponding recommended setting for the Contact Detec-
tion.
Time Integration type RK4, Generalized-α, Stabilized MJ Time

Generalized-α Stepping
Event treatment Event capturing Event absorbing
RBD Contact Geometry Best choice Not
Detection based recommended
Mesh based Not recommended Best choice
Note:
When the Time Integration Type is set to Program Controlled, the Rigid Dynamics
solver chooses the time integration type based only on the use of flexible parts, re-
gardless of the contact definition. If the contact uses only rigid bodies, the solver
will use RK4. If there are any Condensed Parts, it will use Stabilized Generalized-α.
The contact definition has no influence on this logic.
Analysis Types
The use of mesh-based contact detection with explicit time integration (RK4) is likely
to lead to solver problems and is not recommended.
When two Parts come into contact with zero relative velocity but non-zero absolute
velocity or a load is applied to one of them, unwanted penetration may occur. This
can be circumvented by reducing the time step.
5.8.5.11. References
1. [CAS90] J. R. Cash, A. H. Karp, "A variable order Runge-Kutta method for initial value problems
with rapidly varying right-hand sides", ACM Transactions on Mathematical Software, 1990, Vol
16, p.201-222
2. [DEH95] P. Dehombreux, "Simulation Dynamique des systemes multicorps constraints", These

de Doctorat, Faculte Polytechnique de Mons
3. [PFE96] F. Pfeiffer, C. Glocker, "Multibody Dynamics with Unilateral Contacts", Wiley, New. York,
1996.
4. [KAN61] Kane, T.R., Dynamics of nonholonomic systems, Transactions of the ASME, J. App. Mech.,
1961, Vol. 28, December, p.574-578
5. [WIT77] Wittenburg, J., Dynamics of Systems of Rigid Bodies. Stuttgart. B. G. Teubner. 1977.
6. [SHA13] Shabana, A., Dynamics of Multibody Systems, 4th edition, Cambridge University Press,
2013
5.9. Static Structural Analysis
Introduction
A static structural analysis determines the displacements, stresses, strains, and forces in structures or
components caused by loads that do not induce significant inertia and damping effects. Steady loading
and response conditions are assumed; that is, the loads and the structure's response are assumed to
vary slowly with respect to time. A static structural load can be performed using the Ansys, Samcef, or
ABAQUS solver. The types of loading that can be applied in a static analysis include:
• Externally applied forces and pressures
• Steady-state inertial forces (such as gravity or rotational velocity)
• Imposed (nonzero) displacements
• Temperatures (for thermal strain)
Point to Remember
Note the following for this analysis type:
Static Structural Analysis
• A static structural analysis can be either linear or nonlinear. All types of nonlinearities are allowed
- large deformations, plasticity, stress stiffening, contact (gap) elements, hyperelasticity and so
on. This chapter focuses on linear static analyses, with brief references to nonlinearities. Details
of how to handle nonlinearities are described in Nonlinear Controls (p. 1554).
• When 2D geometry is used, Generalized Plane Strain is not supported for the Samcef or ABAQUS
solver.
• Note that available nonlinearities can differ from one solver to another.
• As needed throughout the analysis, refer to the General Analysis Workflow (p. 327) section for
an overview the general analysis workflow.

Material properties can be linear or nonlinear, isotropic or orthotropic, and constant or temperature-
dependent. You must define stiffness in some form (for example, Young's modulus, hyperelastic coeffi-
cients, and so on). For inertial loads (such as Standard Earth Gravity (p. 1617)), you must define the data
required for mass calculations, such as density.

A "rigid" part is essentially a point mass connected to the rest of the structure via joints. Hence in a
static structural analysis the only applicable loads on a rigid part are acceleration and rotational velocity
loads. You can also apply loads to a rigid part via joint loads. The output from a rigid part is the overall
motion of the part plus any force transferred via that part to the rest of the structure. Rigid behavior
cannot be used with the Samcef or ABAQUS solver.
If your model includes nonlinearities such as large deflection or hyperelasticity, the solution time can
be significant due to the iterative solution procedure. Hence you may want to simplify your model if
possible. For example you may be able to represent your 3D structure as a 2-D plane stress, plane strain,
or axisymmetric model or you may be able to reduce your model size through the use of symmetry or
antisymmetry surfaces. Similarly if you can omit nonlinear behavior in one or more parts of your assembly
without affecting results in critical regions it will be advantageous to do so.
Define Connections
This analysis supports:
• Contact, joints, springs, beams, mesh connections, and end releases.
• (Samcef and ABAQUS solvers only), contacts, springs, and beams are supported. Joints are not
supported.

Provide an adequate mesh density on contact surfaces to allow contact stresses to be distributed in a
smooth fashion. Likewise, provide a mesh density adequate for resolving stresses; areas where stresses
or strains are of interest require a relatively fine mesh compared to that needed for displacement or
Analysis Types
nonlinearity resolution. If you want to include nonlinearities, the mesh should be able to capture the
effects of the nonlinearities. For example, plasticity requires a reasonable integration point density (and
therefore a fine element mesh) in areas with high plastic deformation gradients.

For simple linear static analyses you typically do not need to change these settings. For more complex
analyses the basic Analysis Settings include:
Large Deflection (p. 1518)
Large Deflection is typically needed for slender structures. Use large deflection if the transverse
displacements in a slender structure are more than 10% of the thickness.
Small deflection and small strain analyses assume that displacements are small enough that the
resulting stiffness changes are insignificant. Setting Large Deflection to On will take into account
stiffness changes resulting from changes in element shape and orientation due to large deflection,
large rotation, and large strain. Therefore the results will be more accurate. However this effect re-
quires an iterative solution. In addition it may also need the load to be applied in small increments.
Therefore, the solution may take longer to solve.
You also need to turn on large deflection if you suspect instability (buckling) in the system. Use of
hyperelastic materials also requires large deflection to be turned on.
Step Controls are used to i) control the time step size and other solution controls and ii) create
multiple steps when needed. Typically analyses that include nonlinearities such as large deflection
or plasticity require control over time step sizes as outlined in the Automatic Time Stepping (p. 1581)
section. Multiple steps are required for activation/deactivation of displacement loads or pretension
bolt loads. This group can be modified on a per step basis.
Note:
Time Stepping is available for any solver.
Rotordynamics Controls (p. 1577)
Specify these properties as needed when setting up a Rotordynamic analysis.
Output Controls allow you to specify the time points at which results should be available for
postprocessing. In a nonlinear analysis it may be necessary to perform many solutions at intermediate
load values. However i) you may not be interested in all the intermediate results and ii) writing all
the results can make the results file size unwieldy. This group can be modified on a per step basis
except for Stress and Strain.
Nonlinear Controls allow you to modify convergence criteria and other specialized solution controls.
Typically you will not need to change the default values for this control. This group can be modified
on a per step basis. If you are performing a nonlinear Static Structural analysis, the Newton-Raphson
Type property becomes available. This property only affects nonlinear analyses. Your selections
execute the Mechanical APDL NROPT command. The default option, Program Controlled, allows
the application to select the appropriate NROPT option or you can make a manual selection and
choose Full, Modified, or Unsymmetric.
See the Help section for the NROPT command in the Mechanical APDL Command Reference for ad-
ditional information about the operation of the Newton-Raphson Type property.
Settings enable you to save specific solution files from the Static Structural analysis for use in
other analyses. You can set the Future Analysis field to Pre-Stressed Analysis if you intend to use
the static structural results in a subsequent Harmonic Response, Modal, or Eigenvalue Buckling
(Eigenvalue Buckling is applicable to Static Structural systems only) analysis. If you link a structural
system to another analysis type in advance, the Future Analysis field defaults to Pre-Stressed
Analysis. A typical example is the large tensile stress induced in a turbine blade under centrifugal
load. This causes significant stiffening of the blade resulting in much higher, realistic natural frequen-
cies in a modal analysis. More details are available in the section Define Initial Conditions (p. 354).
Note:
Scratch Solver Files, Save Ansys db, Solver Units, and Solver Unit System are applicable
to Static Structural systems only.

Initial condition is not applicable for Static Structural analyses.

For a Static Structural analysis applicable loads include:
• Inertial (p. 1610)
• Structural (p. 1628)
• Interaction (p. 1630)
• Imported (p. 1857)
Applicable structural Supports (p. 1781), certain Conditions Type Boundary Conditions (p. 1816), as well as
supported Direct FE Type Boundary Conditions (p. 1838) are also available.
For the Samcef and ABAQUS solvers, the following loads and supports are not available: Hydrostatic
Pressure, Bearing Load, Bolt Pretension, Joint Load, Interface, Motion Loads, Compression Only Support,
Elastic Support.
Loads and supports vary as a function of time even in a static analysis as explained in the Role of Time
in Tracking (p. 1579). In a static analysis, the load's magnitude could be a constant value or could vary
with time as defined in a table or via a function. Details of how to apply a tabular or function load are
Analysis Types
described in Specifying Boundary Condition Magnitude (p. 1588). In addition, for more information about
time stepping and ramped loads, see the Applying Stepped and Ramped Loads (p. 1599) section.
Note:
A static analysis can be followed by a "pre-stressed" analysis such as modal or linear (eigen-
value) buckling analysis. In this subsequent analysis the effect of stress on stiffness of the
structure (stress-stiffness effect) is taken into account. If the static analysis has a pressure or
force load applied on faces (3D) or edges (2D) this could result in an additional stiffness
contribution called "pressure load stiffness" effect. This effect plays a significant role in linear
(eigenvalue) buckling analyses. This additional effect is computed during the Eigenvalue
Buckling analysis using the pressure or force value calculated at the time in the static analysis
from which the perturbation occurs. See the Applying Pre-Stress Effects (p. 357) section for
more information on this topic.
When using the Samcef or ABAQUS solver, Direct FE boundary conditions are not available.
Solve
When performing a nonlinear analysis you may encounter convergence difficulties due to a number of
reasons. Some examples may be initially open contact surfaces causing rigid body motion, large load
increments causing non-convergence, material instabilities, or large deformations causing mesh distortion
that result in element shape errors. To identify possible problem areas some tools are available under
Solution Information (p. 1927) object Details view.
Solution Output continuously updates any listing output from the solver and provides valuable inform-
ation on the behavior of the structure during the analysis. Any convergence data output in this printout
can be graphically displayed as explained in the Solution Information (p. 1927) section.
You can display contour plots of Newton-Raphson Residuals in a nonlinear static analysis. Such a
capability can be useful when you experience convergence difficulties in the middle of a step, where
the model has a large number of contact surfaces and other nonlinearities. When the solution diverges
identifying regions of high Newton-Raphson residual forces can provide insight into possible problems.
Result Tracker (p. 1938) (applicable to Static Structural systems only) is another useful tool that enables
you to monitor displacement and energy results as the solution progresses. This is especially useful in
case of structures that possibly go through convergence difficulties due to buckling instability. Result
Tracker is not available to the Samcef or ABAQUS solver.
Review Results
All structural result types (p. 2120) except frequencies are available as a result of a static structural analysis.
You can use a Solution Information (p. 1927) object to track, monitor, or diagnose problems that arise
during a solution.
Once a solution is available you can contour the results (p. 65) or animate the results (p. 2364) to review
the response of the structure.
As a result of a nonlinear static analysis you may have a solution at several time points. You can use
probes (p. 2025) to display the variation of a result item as the load increases. An example might be large
deformation analyses that result in buckling of the structure. In these cases it is also of interest to plot
Steady-State Thermal Analysis
one result quantity (for example, displacement at a vertex) against another results item (for example,
applied load). You can use the Charts (p. 2036) feature to develop such charts.
5.10. Steady-State Thermal Analysis
Introduction
You can use a steady-state thermal analysis to determine temperatures, thermal gradients, heat flow
rates, and heat fluxes in an object that are caused by thermal loads that do not vary over time. A steady-
state thermal analysis calculates the effects of steady thermal loads on a system or component. Engineers
often perform a steady-state analysis before performing a transient thermal analysis, to help establish
initial conditions. A steady-state analysis also can be the last step of a transient thermal analysis, per-
formed after all transient effects have diminished. A steady-state thermal analysis can be performed
using the Mechanical APDL, Samcef, or ABAQUS solver.
Important:
By default, the application does not write thermal gradient results to the result file. To have
these results written to the results file, use a Command object (p. 2407) and insert the command
OUTRES,ERASE.
Point to Remember
A steady-state thermal analysis may be either linear, with constant material properties; or nonlinear,
with material properties that depend on temperature. The thermal properties of most material do vary
with temperature, so the analysis usually is nonlinear. Including radiation effects or temperature depend-
ent convection coefficient also makes the analysis nonlinear.

From the Toolbox, drag a Steady-State Thermal, Steady-State Thermal (Samcef), or Steady-State
Thermal (ABAQUS) template to the Project Schematic.
Thermal Conductivity must be defined for a steady-state thermal analysis. Thermal

Conductivity can be isotropic or orthotropic, and constant or temperature-dependent.
Attach Geometry
Analysis Types
There are no specific considerations for a steady-state thermal analysis.
Mechanical does not support Rigid Bodies in thermal analyses. For more information,
Define Connections
In a thermal analysis only contact is valid. Any joints or springs are ignored.
With contact the initial status is maintained throughout the thermal analysis, that is, any
closed contact faces will remain closed and any open contact faces will remain open for
the duration of the thermal analysis. Heat conduction across a closed contact face is set
to a sufficiently high enough value (based on the thermal conductivities and the model
size) to model perfect contact with minimal thermal resistance. If needed, you can
model imperfect contact by manually inputting a Thermal Conductance (p. 1163) value.
By default, Contact Results (p. 2146) (accessible through User Defined Results (p. 2294) via
CONTSTAT or CONTFLUX – see the User Defined Results for the Mechanical APDL Solv-
er (p. 2305) section.) are not written to the result file in a thermal analysis.
There are no specific considerations for steady-state thermal analysis itself. However if
the temperatures from this analysis are to be used in a subsequent structural analysis
the mesh must be identical. Therefore in this case you may want to make sure the mesh
is fine enough for structural analysis.
Steady-State Thermal Analysis
For a steady-state thermal analyses you typically do not need to change these settings.
The basic Analysis Settings include:
Step Controls enable you to control the rate of loading which could be important
in a steady-state thermal analysis if the material properties vary rapidly with temper-
ature. When such nonlinearities are present it may be necessary to apply the loads
in small increments and perform solutions at these intermediate loads to achieve
convergence. You may wish to use multiple steps if you a) want to analyze several
different loading scenarios within the same analysis or b) if you want to change the
analysis settings such as the time step size or the solution output frequency over
specific time ranges.
available for postprocessing. In a nonlinear analysis it may be necessary to perform
many solutions at intermediate load values. However i) you may not be interested
in all the intermediate results and ii) writing all the results can make the results file
size unwieldy. In this case you can restrict the amount of output by requesting results
only at certain time points.
solution controls. Typically you will not need to change the default values for this
control.
Nonlinear Controls are exposed for the Mechanical APDL solver only.
Analysis Data Management settings enable you to save specific solution files from
the steady-state thermal analysis for use in other analyses.
For a steady-state thermal analysis you can specify an initial temperature value. This
uniform temperature is used during the first iteration of a solution as follows:
• To evaluate temperature-dependent material properties.
• As the starting temperature value for constant temperature loads.
Analysis Types
The following loads are supported in a steady-state thermal analysis:
• Temperature (p. 1712)
• Convection (p. 1717)
• Radiation (p. 1724)
• Heat Flow (p. 1730)
• Perfectly Insulated (p. 1730)
• Heat Flux (p. 1734)
• Internal Heat Generation (p. 1736)
• Imported Temperature (p. 1876)
• Imported Convection Coefficient (p. 1864)
• Fluid Solid Interface (p. 1765)
• System Coupling Region (p. 1769)
Loads and supports vary as a function of time even in a static analysis as explained in
the Role of Time in Role of Time in Tracking (p. 1579). In a static analysis, the load’s mag-
nitude could be a constant value or could vary with time as defined in a table or via a
function. Details of how to apply a tabular or function load are described in Specifying
Boundary Condition Magnitude (p. 1588). In addition, for more information about time
stepping and ramped loads, see the Applying Stepped and Ramped Loads (p. 1599) section.
Fluid Solid Interface (p. 1765) is not available for the Samcef or ABAQUS solver.
Solve
gress.
You can also insert a Result Tracker (p. 1938) object under Solution Information. This
tool enables you to monitor temperature at a vertex as the solution progresses. Result
Review Results
Thermal-Electric Analysis
Applicable results are all thermal result types (p. 2254).
Once a solution is available you can contour the results (p. 65) or animate the res-
ults (p. 2364) to review the response of the structure.
As a result of a nonlinear analysis you may have a solution at several time points. You
can use probes (p. 2025) to display the variation of a result item over the load history.
Also of interest is the ability to plot one result quantity (for example, maximum temper-
ature on a face) against another results item (for example, applied heat generation rate).
You can use the Charts (p. 2036) feature to develop such charts.
Note that Charts (p. 2036) are also useful to compare results between two analyses of the
same model.
5.11. Thermal-Electric Analysis
Introduction
A Steady-State Thermal-Electric Conduction analysis allows for a simultaneous solution of thermal and
electric fields. This coupled-field capability models joule heating for resistive materials and contact
electric conductance as well as Seebeck, Peltier, and Thomson effects for thermoelectricity, as described
below.
• Joule heating - Heating occurs in a resistive conductor carrying an electric current. Joule heating is
proportional to the square of the current, and is independent of the current direction. Joule heating
is also present and accounted for at the contact interface between bodies in inverse proportion to
the contact electric conductance properties. (Note however that the Joule Heat results object will
not display contact joule heating values. Only solid body joule heating is represented).
• Seebeck effect - A voltage (Seebeck EMF) is produced in a thermoelectric material by a temperature

difference. The induced voltage is proportional to the temperature difference. The proportionality
coefficient is known as the Seebeck Coefficient (α).
• Peltier effect - Cooling or heating occurs at a junction of two dissimilar thermoelectric materials
when an electric current flows through that junction. Peltier heat is proportional to the current, and
changes sign if the current direction is reversed.
• Thomson effect - Heat is absorbed or released in a non-uniformly heated thermoelectric material

when electric current flows through it. Thomson heat is proportional to the current, and changes
sign if the current direction is reversed.
Points to Remember
Electric loads may be applied to parts with electric properties and thermal loads may be applied to
bodies with thermal properties. Parts with both physics properties can support both thermal and electric
loads. See the Steady-State Thermal Analysis (p. 663) section and the Electric Analysis (p. 406) section of
the help for more information about applicable loads, boundary conditions, and results types.
Analysis Types
In addition to calculating the effects of steady thermal and electric loads on a system or component, a
Steady-State Thermal-Electric analysis supports a multi-step solution.

From the Toolbox, drag the Thermal-Electric template to the Project Schematic.
To have Thermal and/or Electrical effects properly applied to the parts of your model,
you need to define the appropriate material properties. For a steady-state analysis, the
electrical property Resistivity is required for Joule Heating effects and Thermal Con-
ductivity for thermal conduction effects. Seebeck/Peltier/Thomson effects require you
to define the Seebeck Coefficient material property.
Attach Geometry
Note that 3D shell bodies and line bodies are not supported in a thermal-electric analysis.
Mechanical does not support Rigid Bodies in thermal-electric analyses. For more inform-
ation, see the Stiffness Behavior documentation for Rigid Bodies (p. 880).
Define Connections
Contact across parts during a thermal-electric analysis consider thermal and/or electric
effects based on the material properties of adjacent parts. That is, if both parts have
thermal properties, thermal contact is applied and if both parts have electric properties,
electric contact is applied.
Thermal-Electric Analysis
There are no specific considerations regarding meshing for a thermal-electric analysis.
For a Thermal-Electric analysis, the basic Analysis Settings include:
: used to specify the end time of a step in a single or multiple step analysis. Multiple
steps are needed if you want to change load values, the solution settings, or the
solution output frequency over specific steps. Typically you do not need to change
the default values.
Typical thermal-electric problems contain temperature dependent material properties

and are therefore nonlinear. Nonlinear Controls (p. 1554) for both thermal and electrical
effects are available and include Heat and Temperature convergence for thermal
effects and Voltage and Current convergence for electric effects.
Review these settings as needed.
The default Solver Controls (p. 1512) setting for thermal-electric analysis is the Direct
(Sparse) solver. The Iterative (PCG) solver may be selected as an alternative solver.
If Seebeck effects are included, the solver is automatically set to Direct.
Analysis Types
There is no initial condition specification for a thermal-electric analysis.
The following loads are supported in a Thermal-Electric analysis:
• Coupling Condition (p. 1816)
• Temperature (p. 1712)
• Convection (p. 1717)
• Perfectly Insulated (p. 1730)
• Internal Heat Generation (p. 1736)
Solve
gress.
valuable information on the behavior of the model during the analysis. Any convergence
data output in this printout can be graphically displayed as explained in the Solution
Information (p. 1927) section.
Review Results
Transient Structural Analysis
Applicable results include all thermal and electric results (p. 2023).
Once a solution is available, you can contour the results (p. 65) or animate the res-
ults (p. 2364) to review the responses of the model.
For the results of a multi-step analysis that has a solution at several time points, you can
use probes (p. 2025) to display variations of a result item over the steps.
You may also wish to use the Charts (p. 2036) feature to plot multiple result quantities
against time (steps). For example, you could compare current and joule heating. Charts
can also be useful when comparing the results between two analysis branches of the
same model.
5.12. Transient Structural Analysis

A transient analysis, by definition, involves loads that are a function of time. In the Mechanical application,
you can perform a transient analysis on either a flexible structure or a rigid assembly. For a flexible
structure, the Mechanical application can use the Ansys Mechanical APDL, Samcef, or ABAQUS solver
to solve a Transient Structural analysis.
You can perform a transient structural analysis (also called time-history analysis) in the Mechanical ap-
plication using the transient structural analysis that specifically uses the Ansys Mechanical APDL solver.
This type of analysis is used to determine the dynamic response of a structure under the action of any
general time-dependent loads. You can use it to determine the time-varying displacements, strains,
stresses, and forces in a structure as it responds to any transient loads. The time scale of the loading is
such that the inertia or damping effects are considered to be important. If the inertia and damping effects
are not important, you might be able to use a static analysis instead.
• Points to Remember (p. 672)
• Preparing the Analysis (p. 672)
• Define Engineering Data (p. 673)
• Define Part Behavior (p. 673)
• Define Connections (p. 673)
• Apply Mesh Controls/Preview Mesh (p. 673)
• Solve (p. 679)
• Review Results (p. 679)
Analysis Types
Points to Remember
A transient structural analysis can be either linear or nonlinear. All types of nonlinearities are allowed
- large deformations, plasticity, contact, hyperelasticity, and so on. Ansys Workbench offers an additional
solution method of Mode-Superposition to perform linear transient structural analysis. In the Mode-
Superposition method, the transient response to a given loading condition is obtained by calculating
the necessary linear combinations of the eigenvectors obtained in a modal analysis. For more details,
refer to Transient Structural Analysis Using Linked Modal Analysis System (p. 680) section. The Mode
Superposition method is not available to the Samcef or ABAQUS solver.
A transient dynamic analysis is more involved than a static analysis because it generally requires more
computer resources and more of your resources, in terms of the "engineering" time involved. You can
save a significant amount of these resources by doing some preliminary work to understand the physics
of the problem. For example, you can:
1. Try to understand how nonlinearities (if you are including them) affect the structure's response by
doing a static analysis first. In some cases, nonlinearities need not be included in the dynamic ana-
lysis. Including nonlinear effects can be expensive in terms of solution time.
2. Understand the dynamics of the problem. By doing a modal analysis, which calculates the natural
frequencies and mode shapes, you can learn how the structure responds when those modes are
excited. The natural frequencies are also useful for calculating the correct integration time step.
3. Analyze a simpler model first. A model of beams, masses, springs, and dampers can provide good
insight into the problem at minimal cost. This simpler model may be all you need to determine the
dynamic response of the structure.
Note:
Refer to the following sections of the Mechanical APDL application documentation for a
more thorough treatment of dynamic analysis capabilities:
• The Transient Dynamic Analysis chapter of the Structural Analysis Guide - for a technical
overview of nonlinear transient dynamics.
• The Multibody Analysis Guide - for a reference that is particular to multibody motion
problems. In this context, "multibody" refers to multiple rigid or flexible parts interacting
in a dynamic fashion.
Although not all dynamic analysis features discussed in these manuals are directly applicable
to Mechanical features, the manuals provide an excellent background on general theoretical
topics.


Material properties can be linear or nonlinear, isotropic or orthotropic, and constant or temperature-
dependent. Both Young’s modulus (and stiffness in some form) and density (or mass in some form)
must be defined.

In a transient structural analysis, rigid parts are often used to model mechanisms that have gross motion
and transfer loads between parts, but detailed stress distribution is not of interest. The output from a
rigid part is the overall motion of the part plus any force transferred via that part to the rest of the
structure. A "rigid" part is essentially a point mass connected to the rest of the structure via joints. Hence
in a transient structural analysis the only applicable loads on a rigid part are acceleration and rotational
velocity loads. You can also apply loads to a rigid part via joint loads. Rigid behavior cannot be used
with the Samcef or ABAQUS solver.
If your model includes nonlinearities such as large deflection or hyperelasticity, the solution time can
be significant due to the iterative solution procedure. Hence, you may want to simplify your model if
possible. For example, you may be able to represent your 3D structure as a 2-D plane stress, plane
strain, or axisymmetric model, or you may be able to reduce your model size through the use of symmetry
or antisymmetry surfaces. Similarly, if you can omit nonlinear behavior in one or more parts of your
assembly without affecting results in critical regions, it will be advantageous to do so.
Define Connections
This analysis supports Contact (p. 1111), Joints (p. 1202), and Springs (p. 1306).
Note:
You can specify a damping coefficient property in longitudinal springs that will generate a
damping force proportional to velocity.
Samcef and ABAQUS Solvers
Only contacts, springs, and beams are supported. Joints are not supported.

Provide an adequate mesh density on contact surfaces to allow contact stresses to be distributed in a
smooth fashion. Likewise, provide a mesh density adequate for resolving stresses; areas where stresses
or strains are of interest require a relatively fine mesh compared to that needed for displacement or
nonlinearity resolution. If you want to include nonlinearities, the mesh should be able to capture the
effects of the nonlinearities. For example, plasticity requires a reasonable integration point density (and
therefore a fine element mesh) in areas with high plastic deformation gradients.
In a dynamic analysis, the mesh should be fine enough to be able to represent the highest mode shape
of interest.
Analysis Types

For a Transient Structural analysis, the basic Analysis Settings include:
Large Deflection (p. 1518)
Large Deflection is typically needed for slender structures. It is typical to use large deflection if the
transverse displacements in a slender structure are more than 10% of the thickness.
Small deflection and small strain analyses assume that displacements are small enough that the
resulting stiffness changes are insignificant. Setting Large Deflection to On will take into account
stiffness changes resulting from change in element shape and orientation due to large deflection,
large rotation, and large strain. Therefore the results will be more accurate. However this effect re-
quires an iterative solution. In addition it may also need the load to be applied in small increments.
Therefore the solution may take longer to solve.
You also need to turn on large deflection if you suspect instability (buckling) in the system. Use of
hyperelastic materials also requires large deflection to be turned on.
Step Controls enable you to control the time step size in a transient analysis. Refer to the Guidelines
for Integration Step Size (p. 1581) section for further information. In addition this control also enables
you to create multiple steps. Multiple steps (p. 1502) are useful if new loads are introduced or removed
at different times in the load history, or if you want to change the analysis settings such as the time
step size at some points in the time history. When the applied load has high frequency content or
if nonlinearities are present, it may be necessary to use a small time step size (that is, small load
increments) and perform solutions at these intermediate time points to arrive at good quality results.
This group can be modified on a per step basis.
Output Controls enable you to specify the time points at which results should be available for
postprocessing. In a transient nonlinear analysis it may be necessary to perform many solutions at
intermediate time values. However, i) you may not be interested in all the intermediate results, and
ii) writing all the results can make the results file size unwieldy. This group can be modified on a
per step basis except for Stress and Strain.
Nonlinear Controls enable you to modify convergence criteria and other specialized solution controls.
Typically you will not need to change the default values for this control. This group can be modified
on a per step basis. If you are performing a nonlinear Full Transient Structural analysis, the Newton-
Raphson Type property becomes available. This property only affects nonlinear analyses. Your se-
lections execute the Mechanical APDL NROPT command. The default option, Program Controlled,
allows the application to select the appropriate NROPT option or you can make a manual selection
and choose Full, Modified, or Unsymmetric.
See the Help section for the NROPT command in the Mechanical APDL Command Reference for ad-
ditional information about the operation of the Newton-Raphson Type property.
Damping Controls enable you to specify damping for the structure in the Transient analysis. Controls
include: Stiffness Coefficient (Beta Damping) and Mass Coefficient (Alpha Damping). They can
also be applied as Material Damping (p. 1554) using the Engineering Data tab. In addition, Numer-
ical Damping is also available for handling result accuracy. Damping controls are not available to
the Samcef or ABAQUS solver.
Analysis Data Management settings enable you to save specific solution files from the transient
structural analysis for use in other analyses. The default behavior is to only keep the files required
for postprocessing. You can use these controls to keep all files created during solution or to create
and save the Mechanical APDL application database (db file).

The structure of a transient analysis is, by default, "at rest." That is, both initial displacement and initial
velocity are zero. Using the Initial Conditions object, you can specify a Velocity at time = zero, as a
Vector or axially, using Components.
In many analyses one or more parts will have an initial known velocity such as in a drop test, metal
forming analysis, or kinematic analysis. In these analyses, you can specify a constant Velocity initial
condition if needed. The constant velocity could be scoped to one or more parts of the structure. The
remaining parts of the structure which are not part of the scoping will retain the "at rest" initial condition.
Note:
When you are using the Mechanical APDL solver, you can also specify initial conditions using
step controls, that is, by specifying multiple steps in a transient analysis and controlling the
time integration effects along with activation/deactivation (p. 1507) of loads. This is useful
when different parts of your model have different initial velocities or more complex initial
conditions.
The following are common initial condition scenarios:
1. Initial Displacement = 0, Initial Velocity ≠ 0 for some parts: The nonzero velocity is established
by applying small displacements over a small time interval on the part of the structure where velocity
is to be specified.
a. Specify two steps in your analysis. The first step will be used to establish initial velocity on one
or more parts.
b. Choose a small end time (compared to the total span of the transient analysis) for the first step.
The second step will cover the total time span.
c. Specify displacement(s) on one or more faces of the part(s) that will give you the required initial
velocity. This requires that you do not have any other boundary condition on the part that will
interfere with rigid body motion of that part. Make sure that these displacements are ramped
from a value of 0.
Analysis Types
d. Deactivate or release the specified displacement load in the second step so that the part is free
to move with the specified initial velocity.
For example, if you want to specify an initial Y velocity of 5 inch/second on a part, and your first
step end time is 0.001 second, then specify the following loads. Make sure that the load is ramped
from a value of 0 at time = 0 so that you will get the required velocity.
In this case the end time of the actual transient analysis is 30 seconds. Note that the Y displace-
ment in the second step is deactivated.
e. In the Analysis Settings Details view, set the following for first step:
f. You can choose appropriate time step sizes for the second step (the actual transient). Make sure
that time integration effects are turned on for the second step.
In the first step, inertia effects will not be included but velocity will be computed based on the dis-
placement applied. In the second step, this displacement is released by deactivation and the time
integration effects are turned on.
2. Initial Displacement ≠ 0, Initial Velocity ≠ 0: This is similar to case a. above except that the im-
posed displacements are the actual values instead of "small" values. For example if the initial dis-
placement is 1 inch and the initial velocity is 2.5 inch/sec then you would apply a displacement of
1 inch over 0.4 seconds.
a. Specify two steps in your analysis. The first step will be used to establish initial displacement
and velocity on one or more parts.
b. Choose a small end time (compared to the total span of the transient analysis) for the first step.
The second step will cover the total time span.
c. Specify the initial displacement(s) on one or more faces of the part(s) as needed. This requires
that you do not have any other boundary condition on the part that will interfere with rigid
body motion of that part. Make sure that these displacements are ramped from a value of 0.
to move with the specified initial velocity.
For example if you want to specify an initial Z velocity on a part of 0.5 inch/sec and have an
initial displacement of 0.1 inch, then your first step end time = (0.1/0.5) = 0.2 second. Make sure
that the displacement is ramped from a value of 0 at time = 0 so that you will get the required
velocity.
In this case the end time of the actual transient analysis is 5 seconds. Note that the Z displacement
in the second step is deactivated.
e. In the Analysis Settings Details view, set the following for first step:
placement applied. In the second step, this displacement is released by deactivation and the time
integration effects are turned on.
3. Initial Displacement ≠ 0, Initial Velocity = 0: This requires the use of two steps also. The main
difference between b. above and this scenario is that the displacement load in the first step is not
ramped from zero. Instead it is step applied as shown below with 2 or more substeps to ensure that
the velocity is zero at the end of step 1.
a. Specify two steps in your analysis. The first step will be used to establish initial displacement on
one or more parts.
b. Choose an end time for the first step that together with the initial displacement values will create
the necessary initial velocity.
c. Specify the initial displacement(s) on one or more faces of the part(s) as needed. This requires
that you do not have any other boundary condition on the part that will interfere with rigid
Analysis Types
body motion of that part. Make sure that this load is step applied, that is, apply the full value of
displacements at time = 0 itself and maintain it throughout the first step.
to move with the initial displacement values.
For example if you want to specify an initial Z displacement of 0.1 inch and the end time for the
first step is 0.001 seconds, then the load history displays as shown below. Note the step applic-
ation of the displacement.
In this case the end time of the actual transient analysis is 5 seconds. Note that the Z displacement
in the second step is deactivated.
e. In the Analysis Settings Details view, set the following for first step. Note that the number of
substeps must be at least 2 to set the initial velocity to zero.
placement applied. But since the displacement value is held constant, the velocity will evaluate to
zero after the first substep. In the second step, this displacement is released by deactivation and
the time integration effects are turned on.

For this analysis type, loading is always step-applied (regardless of the setting of the Time Integration
property). The Environment (p. 64) Context tab provides the various groups of loads, supports, and
conditions (p. 1609).
In this analysis, the load’s magnitude can be constant or vary with time as defined in Tabular Data or
as a Function. Details of how to apply a tabular or function load are described in Specifying Boundary
Condition Magnitude (p. 1588). In addition, for more information about time stepping and ramped loads,
see the Applying Stepped and Ramped Loads (p. 1599) section.
Note:
• You can use a Joint Load (p. 1705) to kinematically drive a joint. See For the solver to con-
verge, it is recommended that you ramp joint load angles and positions from zero to the
real initial condition over one step.
• Joint loads are not supported for the Samcef or ABAQUS solver.
• Acceleration (p. 1610) and/or Displacement (p. 1784) can be defined as a base excitation only
in a Transient Structural Analysis Using Linked Modal Analysis System.
Solve
When performing a nonlinear analysis, you may encounter convergence difficulties due to a number
of reasons. Some examples may be initially open contact surfaces causing rigid body motion, large load
increments causing non-convergence, material instabilities, or large deformations causing mesh distortion
that result in element shape errors. To identify possible problem areas some tools are available under
Solution Information (p. 1927) object Details view.
Solution Output continuously updates any listing output from the solver and provides valuable inform-
ation on the behavior of the structure during the analysis. Any convergence data output in this printout
can be graphically displayed as explained in the Solution Information (p. 1927) section.
You can display contour plots of Newton-Raphson Residuals in a nonlinear static analysis. Such a
capability can be useful when you experience convergence difficulties in the middle of a step, where
the model has a large number of contact surfaces and other nonlinearities. When the solution diverges,
identifying regions of high Newton-Raphson residual forces can provide insight into possible problems.
Result Tracker (p. 1938) is another useful tool that enables you to monitor displacement and energy
results as the solution progresses. This is especially useful in the case of structures that may go through
convergence difficulties due to buckling instability. Result Tracker is not available to the Samcef or
ABAQUS solver.
Review Results
All structural result types (p. 2120) except frequencies are available as a result of a transient structural
analysis. You can use a Solution Information (p. 1927) object to track, monitor, or diagnose problems
that arise during a solution.
Once a solution is available you can contour the results (p. 65) or animate the results (p. 2364) to review
the response of the structure.
Analysis Types
As a result of a nonlinear static analysis, you may have a solution at several time points. You can use
probes (p. 2025) to display the variation of a result item as the load increases.
Note:
Fixed body-to-body joints between two rigid bodies will not produce a joint force or moment
in a transient structural analysis.
Also of interest is the ability to plot one result quantity (for example, displacement at a vertex) against
another result item (for example, applied load). You can use the Charts (p. 2036) feature to develop such
charts. Charts (p. 2036) are also useful to compare results between two analyses of the same model. For
example, you can compare the displacement response at a vertex from two transient structural analyses
with different damping characteristics.
5.13. Transient Structural Analysis Using Linked Modal Analysis System

This section examines the workflow for a Transient Structural analysis linked to an upstream Modal
analysis. Topics include:
• Create Analysis System (p. 680)
• Support Limitations (p. 684)
• Analysis Notes (p. 685)
• File Management (p. 685)

Because this analysis is linked to (or based on) modal responses, a Modal analysis is a
prerequisite. This linked setup allows the transient system to share resources such as
engineering data, geometry, and boundary condition type definitions made in the
Modal analysis.
Linking the Modal Solution cell to the Transient Setup cell configures the Transient
analysis so that the application selects, by default, the Mode-Superposition (MSUP)
Solution Method.
Transient Structural Analysis Using Linked Modal Analysis System
The Samcef and ABAQUS solvers do not support a linked Modal/Transient Structural
analysis. For additional support requirements and notes regarding this analysis configur-
ation, see the references at the bottom of this section.
Note:
• For a Mode Superposition Transient Structural analysis, the Modal analysis

can be pre-stressed (p. 357) by a Static Structural analysis.
• When solving a linked MSUP transient system database from a version

prior to the most current version of Mechanical, it is possible to encounter
incompatibility of the file file.full created by the modal system. This incom-
patibility can cause the transient system’s solution to fail. In the event you
experience this issue, use the Clear Generated Data feature and resolve
the modal system.
Refer to the Obtain the Mode-Superposition Transient Solution section of

the MAPDL Structural Analysis Guide for more information.
Transient Structural template directly onto the Solution cell of Modal template.
Note:
You can create a modal environment in Transient Structural system that is

already open in Mechanical by:
1. Selecting the Modal option from the Analysis drop-down menu on

the Home (p. 42) tab (or displayed tab).
2. Setting the Modal Environment property of the Modal (None) object

to the Modal system. The Modal object is included under the Initial
Conditions object.

For a Transient Structural system linked to a Modal system, the basic Analysis Set-
tings (p. 1501) include:
This analysis is only compatible with constant time stepping. So, auto time stepping
is turned off and will always be in read only mode. The user specified substep or
time step value is applicable to all the load steps. All of the Step Controls settings
applied to this analysis are not step aware. The time integration is turned on by
Analysis Types
default and will always be in read-only mode. A Time Step value that results in an
integral number of sub steps over the load step must be selected.
Options (p. 1545)
You can turn on the following properties:
• Include Residual Vectors. Set this property to Yes to execute the RESVEC
command and calculate residual vectors.
• On Demand Expansion Option: If you set this property to Yes manually or

through the Program Controlled setting, the application does not create a
result file. Your results are evaluated using the Modal solution data and oth-
erwise calculated “on demand.” This property supports specific result types.
See the property's description in the Options (p. 1545) section for a listing.
• Mode Selection Method: This property enables you to select the modes for
the mode expansion. Property options include:
– None (default): This option expands all the extracted modes from the
modal analysis. All the modes participate in the mode-superposition
transient dynamic analysis.
– Modal Effective Mass: When you select this option, the Significance
Threshold property also displays. For the Significance Threshold
property value, the application selects the modes that have a ratio for
the Modal Effective Mass to the Total Mass that is greater than this
value, in all directions, for expansion. That is, only the selected modes
participate in the mode-superposition transient dynamic analysis. The
application default is 0.001. This feature improves the performance
of postprocessing the modal results and reduces the file size.
Note:
The following loads do not support residual vector calculations:
• Nodal Force
• Remote Force scoped to a Remote Point (created via Model ob-

ject)
• Moment scoped to a Remote Point (created via Model object)
These controls enable you to request Stress, Strain, Nodal Force, Reaction, Velocity
and Acceleration results to be calculated. To expand reaction forces in the modal
solution, set the Nodal Force property to Yes or Constrained Nodes. The General
Miscellaneous property needs to be set to Yes in order to apply a Beam Tool (p. 2192)
and/or to calculate Beam Results (p. 2194). In addition, this setting is required to cor-
rectly produce twisted beam shapes. For better performance, you can also choose
to have these results expanded from transient or modal solutions. The Contact
Miscellaneous option is not available.
Note:
Solver Controls (p. 1512), Restart Controls (p. 1522), Nonlinear Controls (p. 1554)
and Creep Controls (p. 1529) are not applicable to the current analysis.

The Transient Structural analysis must point to a Modal analysis in the Modal (Initial
Conditions) object. This object also indicates whether the upstream Modal analysis is
pre-stressed. If it is a pre-stress analysis, the name of the pre-stress analysis system is
displayed in the Pre-Stress Environment field, otherwise the field indicates None. The
Modal Analysis (p. 521) must extract all modes that may contribute to the dynamic re-
sponse.
Note:
Command (ADPL) objects can be inserted into Initial Conditions object to

execute a restart of the solution process for the Modal Analysis.

The following loads are allowed for the linked analysis:
• Acceleration (p. 1610) as a base excitation
• Pipe Pressure (p. 1641)
• Moment (p. 1688)
Analysis Types
Direct FE
The Direct FE option Nodal Force (p. 1840) is supported for node-based Named Se-
lection scoping.
Note:
• For the Force and Pressure loading conditions, the default setting for the
Applied By property is Direct.
• When you have a supported topology (geometric or mesh entity) selected

on your model, and you insert a Remote Force or a Moment, the applica-
tion automatically creates (promotes) a corresponding Remote Point for
the specified load and scopes the load to that Remote Point. This promo-
tion feature is only available when none of the analyses in your project
have been solved.
Support Limitations
Note the following limitations:
• If the Reference Temperature is set as By Body and that temperature does not match the environ-
ment temperature, a thermally induced transient load will result (from the thermal strain assuming
a nonzero thermal expansion coefficient). This thermal transient loading is ignored for Transient
Structural Analysis using Linked Modal Analysis System.
• Remote Force is not supported for vertex scoping.
• During a linked MSUP Transient analysis, if a Remote Force or Moment scoped to an internal remote
point is specified with the Behavior property set to Deformable, the boundary conditions cannot
be scoped to the edges of line bodies such that all of their nodes in combination are collinear.
• Remote Force and Moment applied to a rigid body is not supported.
• Moment is not supported for vertex scoping on 3D solid bodies because a beam entity is created
for the load application. The beam entity changes the stiffness of the structural component shared
and solved by the preceding modal analysis.
• Joint probes (p. 2224), Energy Probe, and Strain Energy (p. 2140) results are not supported when expanded
from a Modal solution.
• The Force Reaction and Moment Reaction probes are not supported for a either a Harmonic Response
analysis or a Transient structural analysis using the Mode Superposition method Solution Method
when 1) the Damping Ratio property is defined with a non-zero value and 2) if the Analysis Settings
property Expand Result From is set to Harmonic Solution or Transient Solution.
• Cyclic symmetry (p. 1442) models are not supported for a Transient Structural Analysis that is using a
linked Modal Analysis System.
• Spring probe (p. 2230) only supports Elastic force result when expanded from modal solution where
as it supports both Elastic force and Elongation results when expanded from transient solution. The
Elastic force results include the spring damping effect if the Reduced method is selected from Modal
Solver controls (p. 1512), and Store Complex Solution is set to No.
• Standard Earth Gravity is not allowed in conjunction with the Acceleration load.
• Elemental Triads (p. 2051) results are not available on solid bodies.
• When the Step Controls are defined by Substeps, the time step value sent to the solver is based on
the settings for the first load step. For the load steps greater than one, you may notice an inconsistent
value of the number of sub-steps in the Details View or the Worksheet View.
• For the Samcef and ABAQUS solvers, Hydrostatic Pressure and Pipe Pressure are not supported.
Analysis Notes
• Remote Force and Moment loading combined with the Rigid contact behavior is allowed when the
loading is scoped through a Remote Point Application (p. 1380).
• To obtain the most accurate results, it is recommended that you specify Bonded as the contact Type
and set the contact Formulation to MPC in the Details for the Contact Region. See the Contact
Definition (p. 1147) and Contact Advanced Category (p. 1152) for more detailed information about these
settings.
• When the result is expanded from Modal Solution or when Reaction Object is scoped to a Contact
Region, the Reaction Object requires both Nodal Forces and Calculate Reactions Output Controls
settings to be turned On. If they are not set, the error message "A result is invalid with current output
control settings" displays. For other cases, the Reaction Object requires only the Calculate Reactions
Output Controls setting to be turned On.
• The default value of Numerical Damping is different for full and mode-superposition transient struc-
tural analyses. So, the results comparison of a model must be done by matching the Numerical
Damping value settings in the Damping Controls (p. 1549) section.
File Management Options

When solving a Transient Structural analysis that includes an upstream linked Modal analysis, the ap-
plication can reference the prerequisite files by specifying the full path of their location (refer to RESUME
and MODDIR commands) instead of making copies. Referencing improves solution time and disk usage.
The application will perform referencing once the following conditions and settings are performed:
• You must perform the solution locally (called "In Process (p. 1905)").
Analysis Types
• The On Demand Expansion Option property of the Options (p. 1531) category of the Analysis
Settings of the Modal analysis must be set to Yes manually or through the Program Controlled
setting.
Important:
Make sure that Modal and the downstream Transient analysis request the same result
data in the Output Controls (p. 1559). Otherwise, you may receive unexpected results.
Note:
If you specify material damping, the Eqv. Damping Ratio From Modal property (for
the Transient Structural analysis) must also be set to Yes.
Limitations
Also note the following limitations for referencing. The Transient structural analysis cannot include:
• Cyclic Symmetry
• Line Pressure
• Pressure or Force applied using the surface effect elements created on the top of the scoped
geometry (Applied By property set to Surface Effect)
• Remote Force or Moment not scoped to global remote points
• Commands (APDL) object
5.14. Transient Thermal Analysis
Introduction
Transient thermal analyses determine temperatures and other thermal quantities that vary over time.
The variation of temperature distribution over time is of interest in many applications such as with
cooling of electronic packages or a quenching analysis for heat treatment. Also of interest are the
temperature distribution results in thermal stresses that can cause failure. In such cases the temperatures
from a transient thermal analysis are used as inputs to a structural analysis for thermal stress evaluations.
Transient thermal analyses can be performed using the Mechanical APDL, Samcef, ABAQUS, or LS-DYNA
solvers.
Many heat transfer applications such as heat treatment problems, electronic package design, nozzles,
engine blocks, pressure vessels, fluid-structure interaction problems, and so on involve transient thermal
analyses.
Point to Remember
A transient thermal analysis can be either linear or nonlinear. Temperature dependent material properties
(thermal conductivity, specific heat or density), or temperature dependent convection coefficients or
Transient Thermal Analysis
radiation effects can result in nonlinear analyses that require an iterative procedure to achieve accurate
solutions. The thermal properties of most materials do vary with temperature, so the analysis usually is
nonlinear.

From the Toolbox, drag the Transient Thermal, Transient Thermal (Samcef), Transient Thermal
(ABAQUS), or LS-DYNA template to the Project Schematic.
Thermal Conductivity, Density, and Specific Heat must be defined for a transient thermal
analysis. Thermal Conductivity can be isotropic or orthotropic. All properties can be
constant or temperature-dependent.
Attach Geometry
There are no special considerations for a transient thermal analysis.
Mechanical does not support Rigid Bodies in thermal analyses. For more information,
You can define a Thermal Point Mass (p. 940) for this analysis type.
Define Connections
In a thermal analysis only contact is valid. Any joints or springs are ignored.
Analysis Types
With contact the initial status is maintained throughout the thermal analysis, that is, any
closed contact faces will remain closed and any open contact faces will remain open for
the duration of the thermal analysis. Heat conduction across a closed contact face is set
to a sufficiently high enough value (based on the thermal conductivities and the model
size) to model perfect contact with minimal thermal resistance. If needed, you can
model imperfect contact by manually inputting a Thermal Conductance (p. 1163) value.
By default, Contact Results (p. 2146) (accessible through User Defined Results (p. 2294) via
CONTSTAT or CONTFLUX – see the User Defined Results for the Mechanical APDL Solv-
er (p. 2305) section.) are not written to the result file in a thermal analysis.
There are no specific considerations for transient thermal analysis itself. However if the
temperatures from this analysis are to be used in a subsequent structural analysis the
mesh must be identical. Therefore in this case you may want to make sure the mesh is
fine enough for a structural analysis.
For a Transient Thermal analysis, the basic Analysis Settings controls include:
Step Controls are used to: i) specify the end time of the transient analysis, ii) control
the time step size, and iii) create multiple steps when needed.
The rate of loading could be important in a transient thermal analysis if the material
properties vary rapidly with temperature. When such nonlinearities are present it
may be necessary to apply the loads in small increments and perform solutions at
these intermediate loads to achieve convergence. Multiple steps are needed if you
want to change the solution settings, for example, the time step size or the solution
output frequency over specific time spans in the transient analysis.
Solver Controls enable you to specify the time points at which results should be
available for postprocessing. A transient analysis involves calculating solutions at
several time points in the load history. However: i) you may not be interested in all
the intermediate results and ii) writing all the results can make the results file size
unwieldy. In this case you can restrict the amount of output by requesting results
only at certain time points.
solution controls. Typically you will not need to change the default values for this
control.
Analysis Data Management settings enable you to save specific solution files from
the transient thermal analysis for use in other analyses.
A transient thermal analysis involves loads that are functions of time. The first step in
applying transient thermal loads is to establish initial temperature distribution at Time
= 0.
The default initial condition for a transient thermal analysis is a uniform temperature of
22°C or 71.6°F. You can change this to an appropriate value for your analysis. An example
might be modeling the cooling of an object taken out of a furnace and plunged into
water.
You can also use the temperature results from a steady-state analysis of the same
model for the initial temperature distribution. A casting solidification study might start
with different initial temperatures for the mold and the metal. In this case a steady-state
analysis of the hot molten metal inside the mold can serve as the starting point for the
solidification analysis.
In the first iteration of a transient thermal analysis, this initial temperature is used as the
starting temperature value for the model except where temperatures are explicitly spe-
cified. In addition this temperature is also used to evaluate temperature-dependent
material property values for the first iteration.
If the Initial Temperature field is set to Non-Uniform Temperature, a Time field is

displayed where you can specify a time at which the temperature result of the steady-
state thermal analysis (selected in Initial Condition Environment field) will be used as
the initial temperature in the transient analysis. A zero value will be translated as the
end time (of the steady-state thermal analysis) and this value can not be greater than
the end time.
The following loads are supported in a transient thermal analysis:
• Temperature (p. 1712) • Internal Heat Generation (p. 1736)
Analysis Types
• Convection (p. 1717) • Imported Heat

Generation (p. 1868)
• Imported Temperature (p. 1876)
• Imported Convection
• Perfectly Coefficient (p. 1864)
Insulated (p. 1730)
In this analysis, the load's magnitude could be a constant value or could vary with time
as defined in a table or via a function. Details of how to apply a tabular or function load
are described in Specifying Boundary Condition Magnitude (p. 1588). In addition, for more
information about time stepping and ramped loads, see the Applying Stepped and
Ramped Loads (p. 1599) section.
Solve
gress.
You can also insert a Result Tracker (p. 1938) object under Solution Information. This
tool enables you to monitor temperature at a vertex as the solution progresses. Result
Review Results
Applicable results are all thermal result types (p. 2254).
Once a solution is available you can contour the results (p. 65) or animate the res-
ults (p. 2364) to review the response of the structure.
As a result of a nonlinear analysis you may have a solution at several time points. You
can use probes (p. 2025) to display the variation of a result item over the load history.
Also of interest is the ability to plot one result quantity (for example, maximum temper-
ature on a face) against another results item (for example, applied heat generation rate).
You can use the Charts (p. 2036) feature to develop such charts.
Special Analysis Topics
Note that Charts (p. 2036) are also useful to compare results between two analyses of the
same model.
5.15. Special Analysis Topics

This section includes special topics available the Mechanical application for particular applications. The
following topics are included:
5.15.1. Additive Manufacturing Process Simulation
5.15.2. Composite Analysis
5.15.3. ECAD Analysis using Trace Mapping
5.15.4. Electromagnetics (EM) - Mechanical Data Transfer
5.15.5. External Data
5.15.6. External Study Import
5.15.7. Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI)
5.15.8. Icepak to Mechanical Data Transfer
5.15.9. Inverse Solving for Nonlinear Static Structural Analyses
5.15.10. Mechanical-Electronics Interaction (Mechatronics) Data Transfer
5.15.11. Polyflow to Mechanical Data Transfer
5.15.12. Reinforcement Specification Using Mesh-Independent Method
5.15.13. Rotordynamics Analysis
5.15.14. Substructure Analysis
5.15.15. Static Analysis From Rigid Dynamics Analysis
5.15.16. Submodeling
5.15.17. System Coupling
5.15.18.Thermal-Stress Analysis
5.15.19.Transferring Hydrodynamic Loads to a Structural System
5.15.20.Twin Builder/Rigid Dynamics Co-Simulation
5.15.21. Welding Toolbox
5.15.1. Additive Manufacturing Process Simulation

An additive manufacturing process constructs 3D objects by building one layer at a time until the
object is complete. Of the various 3D print processes available in additive manufacturing, Ansys
Mechanical simulates the Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) and Directed Energy Deposition (DED)
processes for metals. These processes use a laser to melt and fuse each individual layer of metal
powder to the layers below it to create a part.
For detailed, step-by-step instructions and background information on simulating these additive
manufacturing methods, consult the LPBF Simulation Guide and the DED Simulation Guide.
Analysis Types

Layered Composites: You can create a layered composite model using the Ansys Composite PrepPost
(ACP) application. You can then import the model into Mechanical and perform a composite analysis.
Often, you employ the Composite Failure Tool (p. 2177) to perform post-processing on your composite
structures that you modeled using ACP. To better understand how to perform the steps for this ana-
lysis, see the Workbench Workflow Examples in the ACP User's Guide.
Short Fiber Reinforced Composites: You can simulate short fiber reinforced composites by importing
injection molding simulation results in Mechanical through the Injection Molding Data system. This
process involves importing and mapping fiber orientation tensor data from other software tools onto
the mesh defined in Mechanical. When combined with a homogenized material computed with Ma-
terial Designer, this workflow allows you to perform a Mechanical analysis of parts made of short fiber
reinforced composites. To better understand how to perform the steps for this analysis, see the Short
Fiber Composites Guide.
5.15.3. ECAD Analysis using Trace Mapping

Mechanical's trace mapping feature provides a fast and efficient method to model Printed Circuit
Boards (PCBs) and packages that would otherwise require an inordinate amount of time to process
a geometry and mesh. Typically, the geometry that you produce in your electronic computer-aided
design (ECAD) system contains a large number of bodies and therefore large amounts of data. Given
the complexity of the system, producing a mesh can be very difficult. The trace mapping feature
simplifies your model by modeling the geometry as dielectric layers and includes the effect of traces
by mapping the metal fraction onto the dielectric layers.
Mapping takes place in two stages. As illustrated below, during the first stage, a representation of
the layout is built upon a rectangular grid using the data from a specified ECAD layout. The cell size
of the grid is governed by the smallest features in the layout that have to be resolved. This size can
be controlled by the user and should be specified based on the resolution required. A metal fraction
value is assigned to each cell depending on the contribution of metal to that cell. The metal fraction
value ranges from 0 to 1, where the 0 value represents a pure dielectric material and 1 a pure metal
material.
The conduction paths that connect the metal traces between the different layers, that is, the vias,
can be specified as either hollow or solid (default).
Building a Representation Upon a Rectangular Grid
During the second stage, the metal fraction values are mapped from the source grid to the target
mesh. Once the mesh is created, Mechanical then generates the mapped metal fractions. The sequence
of this construction is illustrated below.
Mapping Metal Fractions
Analysis Types
General Workflow from Workbench
The following workflow describes the general steps to perform an analysis of a Printed Circuit
Board that includes trace mapping.
1. Import supported ECAD files into External Data and update your project.
2. Add the supported Mechanical system to the project.
3. Add appropriate materials using Engineering Data.
4. You can open an ECAD layout geometry in an analysis system in Workbench once you
have the proper file format. You can use SpaceClaim or SCDM.
Note:
You can open Ansys EDB, ODB++, and IPC2581 files in Mechanical using
the Geometry cell of the analysis system. An External Data system is
not required until you import the trace mapping. See the ECAD Im-
port (p. 709) section for more information.
5. Connect the Setup cell of the External Data system to the analysis system's Model cell.
6. Launch Mechanical. See the next section Trace Mapping in Mechanical (p. 699) for the
specifics of setting up the Imported Trace object.
7. Specify vias as required.
8. Assign (p. 350) Dielectric material to the bodies. As needed, modify additional Geometry
object properties.
Note:
Reference temperatures specified on bodies are included in the solution

calculation for any trace material contained in an element on the associated
body.
9. Assign appropriate ECAD File to Imported Trace object.
10. Verify that the trace layout source is properly aligned (p. 705) with geometry.
11. Assign Metal material (p. 703) to imported trace layers.
12. Define and generate mesh.
13. Set discretization (p. 702).
14. Generate the trace mapping.
15. Define boundary conditions (p. 1609).
16. Solve the analysis.
17. Define and evaluate results (p. 2023).
Analysis Types
General Workflow from Mechanical
The following workflow describes the general steps to perform an analysis of a Printed Circuit
Board that includes trace mapping.
1. Open the application from the Start Menu option Ansys 2024 R1 and select Mechan-
ical 2024 R1.
2. Insert an analysis system.
3. From the Materials object, select the Imported Trace option. The application automat-
ically inserts the Imported Trace object into the tree and the External Data (p. 745) dialog
displays. You use this dialog to specify the desired external file(s) you wish to import.
Note:
If you have already selected a file and displayed the dialog, there are two
additional context (right-click) menu options: Edit and Reload. The Edit op-
tion re-opens the External Data dialog enabling you to modify the imported
object's details and the Reload option reloads data from the source file(s).
4. Select the Browse button. The following dialog displays.
5. Select a desired file using the File Name option.
6. Specify a desired File Format and associated properties. Options include:
• ECAD: Supported data files include ANSOFT ANF, ODB++ TGZ, IPC-2581 XML, or
EDB DEF. The Use Dummy Net Data property specifies whether to import trace
data belonging to the dummy net of the file.
• ICEPAK: This format type supports ICEPAK BOOL or ICEPAK COND data.
7. Select the OK button and then the Import button. The data file is now associated with
the object.
See the next section Trace Mapping in Mechanical (p. 699) for the specifics of setting up
the Imported Trace object.
8. Specify vias as required.
9. Assign (p. 350) Dielectric material to the bodies. As needed, modify additional Geometry
object properties.
Note:
Reference temperatures specified on bodies are included in the solution

calculation for any trace material contained in an element on the associated
body.
10. Assign appropriate ECAD File to Imported Trace object.
11. Verify that the trace layout source is properly aligned (p. 705) with geometry.
12. Assign Metal material (p. 703) to imported trace layers.
13. Define and generate mesh.
14. Set discretization (p. 702).
15. Generate the trace mapping.
16. Define boundary conditions (p. 1609).
Analysis Types
18. Define and evaluate results (p. 2023).
Requirements
This workflow requires the following components or systems:
• Engineering Data: This component enables you to define materials required for the analysis.
The materials defined the in the Engineering Data component will be available in the corres-
ponding Mechanical model. For your convenience two materials (FR-4 and Copper Alloy) which
commonly represent dielectric and metal in a PCB are available in the General Materials sample
library.
• Geometry: This component enables you to create or import the geometry representing the
board or the package layout. The SpaceClaim geometry editor enables you to directly import
the supported ECAD formats (see below) and automatically create a (trace layout) Geometry.
See the ECAD section in Importing and exporting in the SpaceClaim documentation for details.
• External Data: This component enables you to specify the ECAD file for import in Mechanical.
The following ECAD File formats are supported for Trace Analysis (p. 699):
In Mechanical
– Ansys EDB
– ODB++
– IPC2581
In External Data
– Ansoft ANF (External Data)
– ODB++ TGZ
– Icepak BOOL+INFO
Note:
For this file type, when you are using the Linux platform, the metal
fraction calculation is not supported when you start Workbench using
remote access software.
– Icepak COND+INFO
Once an ECAD file is specified in External Data, additional Rigid Transformation controls are
available in the component to align the trace data with the geometry.
Important:
If you are using release in 2024 R1 AFNIC Special Version, or a more current release,
and you are opening a database/project created prior to release 2022 R1, the ap-
plication may not successfully import trace data from ODB++, ANF, or BOOL+INFO
files, if you 1) clear the data of the existing Imported Trace object and 2) attempt
to reimport the upstream data.
To resolve the issue, right-click the Setup cell of the upstream External Data system
that includes the trace files and select Reread Data Files. Right-click again and select
Update. Then select the context (right-click) menu option Refresh on the down-
stream system(s).
• Mechanical Systems: The supported Mechanical systems enable you to import Trace Data,
setup the analysis and solve. The following analysis are supported:
Supported Structural Analysis Systems
– Harmonic Response
– LS-DYNA
– LS-DYNA Restart
– Modal
– Static Structural
– Transient Structural
Supported Thermal Analysis Systems (Solid Bodies Only)
– Steady-State Thermal
– Transient Thermal
See Trace Mapping in Mechanical (p. 699) for the specifics of setting up an analysis.
5.15.3.1. Trace Mapping in Mechanical

This section examines the following trace mapping topics:
• Import Trace Mapping (p. 700)
• Specify External File (p. 701)
• Specify Properties and Settings (p. 702)
• Import Trace Layout Data (p. 706)
Analysis Types
• Visualize Source Data (p. 707)
• Solve the Analysis (p. 708)
• Evaluate Results (p. 709)
Import Trace Mapping

This step applies to the workflow for importing data from Workbench. In Mechanical, the application
automatically inserts an Imported Trace folder and an Imported Trace object under the Material
object.
Using the context menu (right-click) option Insert > Trace enables you to insert additional Imported
Trace objects into the tree as needed.
Specify External File

Once inserted, the Imported Trace: Vias Worksheet and the Data View window display. Once you
specify the External Data Identifier property, source system data populates various application
fields.
You can use the context (right-click) option on the Worksheet and Data View table to specify
materials for the vias and imported traces.
Analysis Types
Specify Properties and Settings

The Details view and the Data View for the Imported Trace object enable you to control the
specification of the imported trace file in Mechanical.
The following options are available in the Details pane to control the Imported Trace specification.
• Scope: The Geometry or the Named Selection properties, as specified by the Scoping
Method property, support scoping to the bodies representing the layer geometry for the
PCB or to elements contained on the layers of geometry.
You can model the geometry of a PCB as a shell or solid. When modeled as solid, you should
model each layer as a separate body. When modeling shells, the application models all of
the layers as a single shell geometry. Mechanical uses layered shell elements to model the
layers of a PCB.
Note:
Using the meshing Sweep Method Control, you can mesh a solid body with the
Solid-Shell element (SOLSH190). This option is available from the Element Option
property of the Sweep Method.
• External Data Identifier: This property provides a drop-down list of available ECAD files
from the list of files specified in the External Data system.
• X-/Y-Discretization: Mechanical performs a two stage mapping to calculate metal fractions

on the target mesh. First it computes a metal fraction distribution of the board from the
source ECAD file to a regular grid, and then from the regular grid to the target mesh. The
X-/Y-Discretization properties enable you to specify the size of the regular grid. The grid
density count is 200 x 200 by default. Depending on the trace resolution and the computa-
tional costs desired, you can change the values for the rows and columns to receive optimum
results. For accurate results, it is recommended that the X and Y discretization be specified
such that the grid cell length be less than or equal to the minimum trace width. The Mech-
anical mesh size is recommended to be less than 4 times the grid cell length.
These fields are read-only when the ECAD File specified in External Data Identifier is of
Icepak COND+INFO format and displays the discretization of the COND file.
Numerous additional properties are available in the Details. See the Data Transfer Mesh Map-
ping (p. 2493) section for more information about these various properties.
Solid Model Shell Model
The Data View of the Imported Trace object enables you to see and/or control/override the fol-
lowing properties of the layers in the trace layout:
• Layer: The name of the Layer.
• Thickness: The thickness of the layers.
• Trace Material: This property specifies the material for the metal traces on each layer. This
material is created in the Engineering Data workspace for the Mechanical system.
• Dielectric Material (shell geometry only): This property specifies the dielectric material for
each layer.
This option is only available for traces scoped to shells. For imported traces scoped to solids,
the base (dielectric) material is specified on the Material Assignment property of the selected
bodies (under the Geometry object).
• Active: This option enables you to activate or deactivate one or more layers. This option is
not available for shell geometries. All layers are sent to the solver for traces imported on
shells.
• Mechanical Layer No.: Only available for traces scoped to shells. This read-only field displays
the layer number by which this layer is identified. For example, if you want to post process
results on the L1 layer show below, you will need to specify Layer 7 in the Details view of
the result object.
Analysis Types
Solid Model Shell Model
The Imported Trace: Vias Worksheet enables you to view and/or control and override the following
properties of the vias in the trace layout.
Column
Column Description
Heading
Name This field displays the name of the layer as defined in the source file.
Diamet- This read-only field displays the outer diameter value of the via.
er
Plating This field displays the thickness of the interior wall of the via that is not filled. Only
Thick- applicable when via is hollow (not filled).
ness
Filled Check and/or uncheck this fill to indicate whether the vias is filled or hollow.
Plating When active, this field displays the metal material of the via. It provides a drop-down
Materi- menu that enables you to specify different materials for the via.
al
Fill Ma- This field provides a drop-down menu when the corresponding Fill option is inactive, i.e.
terial via is hollow (not filled). It enables you to specify a material for the hollow region of the
via. You can assign Air (defined in Engineering Data) if the hollow region is empty.
Start/End These read-only fields display the layer associated with where the via starts and ends.
In addition to these basic controls, the Details view of the Imported Trace object provides addi-
tional properties that enable you to control/visualize the source data in Mechanical:
• Display Source Points/Interior Points: These properties enable you to visualize the source
points from the trace layout files. These settings can be used to verify the alignment of the
source points with the target geometry. If misaligned, use the Rigid Transformation controls
in the External Data system to align the source mesh with the target.
• Mapping Control: This property controls mapping settings for the import. Options include
Program Controlled (default) and Manual. The Program Controlled option enables the
application to determine the appropriate algorithm and settings based on the source and
target mesh data, as well as the data type being transferred. See the Program Controlled
Mapping (p. 2512) topic in the Data Transfer Mesh Mapping section for additional information.
• Interpolation: Options include Nondirectional (default) and Directional. The Nondirectional

option calculates effective conductivity by averaging the trace data in each element. Using
the Directional option, the application calculates the effective orthotropic conductivity for
each element using the position and values of the trace data within each element.
Directional Trace Mapping
This interpolation calculates orthotropic thermal conductivities for each element. The
calculation is done by modeling the trace data in each element as a thermal resistance
network. The examples illustrated below describe the calculated conductivity values
based on the corresponding scenarios on the left. The dielectric in this example has a
conductivity of 0.294 W/mK and the metal has a conductivity of 400 W/mK. Each element
is 51% metal and 49% dielectric (Metal Fraction of 0.51).
Metal Kx (W/mK) Kx (W/mK) Kz (W/mK)

Fraction
0.51 0.60 204.1 204.1
0.51 204.1 0.60 204.1
0.51 ~1 ~1 204.1
Analysis Types
Import Trace Layout Data

Once you have fully defined the object, right-click the Imported Trace object and select Import
Trace to import the trace layout data onto the specified bodies. As illustrated below, the object
displays the variable data, per element, of how much of the trace data is dielectric (metal) material.
One (1) is 100% metal and zero (0) is 0% metal.
When you import trace layout data, the application generates the Imported Data Transfer Summary
object. This object presents a summary, in the Comment pane, of the mapped source data as
compared to target data. More specifically, it presents an average metal fraction for target elements,
including both averaged modeling and black/white modeling. This enables you to validate your
target metal fractions against the external application, such as Ansys Sherlock, you use to provide
this metal fraction. However, unless the source data aligns perfectly to the target mesh, Ansys does
not recommended that you compare the source and target average metal fractions.
In addition, the following properties in the Graphics category help to visualize the mapped data:
• Component: X, Y, or Z component or the average of the imported metal fraction data.
• Layer: Layer to display the data for (only applicable when scoped to shells)
Visualize Source Data

The source data can be visualized using the Validation object. To visualize the source data, use the
context menu option Insert>Validation on the Imported Trace object to insert a Validation object
in the tree. Once inserted, set the appropriate properties and use context menu option Analyze
Analysis Types
on the validation object. See Mapping Validation (p. 2516) in the Ansys Mechanical User's Guide for
details.

You can freely apply any supported boundary condition (p. 1609) on solid bodies scoped to Imported
Traces. Certain restrictions apply for boundary conditions on shell bodies scoped to Imported Traces.
For example boundary conditions like Thermal Condition (p. 1708) and Imported Body Temperat-
ure (p. 1861) can only be applied to both the shell faces.
Solve the Analysis

The effects of Imported Trace data are included during the solution phase by computing the ma-
terial properties of the materials assigned to the bodies based on the metal fraction. The Modeling
property in the Material group controls how material properties are calculated based on computed
metal fraction values. Two options are available:
• Black/White: Assign trace material to regions with average metal fraction greater than or
equal to 0.5, and dielectric to the rest.
• Averaged: Calculate material properties based on calculated metal fraction. The supported
material properties based on metal fraction are listed in the tables below:
Thermal Analysis
The supported thermal material properties include:
– Thermal Conductivity (Kx/Ky/Kz)
– Specific Heat
Structural Analysis
The supported structural material properties include:
– Young's Modulus (Ex/Ey/Ez)
– Poisson's Ratio (PRxy/PRyz/PRxz)
– Coefficient of Thermal Expansion
– Density
Note:
– Non-linear materials are not supported when Material Modeling is set to Av-
eraged. If the application detects non-linear materials assigned either as trace
or dielectric material when the material modeling is set to Average, then the
Imported Trace object becomes invalid and the solution cannot proceed unless
the conditions are made valid.
– If any linear material properties other than the ones listed in the above table
are present on either the trace or dielectric material, they are not sent to the
solver.
– When using LS-DYNA trace mapping, thermal analysis is not supported, and
the coefficient of thermal expansion is not a supported material property.
Material Property Calculation for Temperature Dependent Material Properties
For temperature dependent material properties, averaging takes place over two stages. First
the material properties are calculated at the union of all the temperatures, and then the
average metal properties are calculated based on the above table for each temperature
point. For example, the Metal material has property P specified at temperatures T1, T2 and
T3, whereas the Dielectric material has property P specified at T2 and T4, then the material
property is first calculated for both Metal and Dielectric materials at temperatures T1, T2,
T3, and T4, and then the effective material properties are calculated at T1, T2, T3, and T4
using the table specified above.
Offsets (Only applicable for shells)
When scoped to shells, the Shell Offset property allows user to specify the shell offset for
the scoped bodies. Available options are Top/Middle/Bottom and User Defined. The User
Defined, Membrane Offset property allows you to specify the offset value.
Evaluate Results
Once the solution is complete, user can insert appropriate results and evaluate them. Since the effect
of metal and dielectric within an element is captured through material property averaging, stress
results may deviate from full fidelity analysis. However it provides a qualitative description of stress
distribution. User may perform a subsequent Submodeling analysis to get accurate stress distribution.
5.15.3.2. ECAD Import Pane (Windows Only)

On the Windows platform, you can open Ansys EDB, ODB++, and IPC2851 ECAD files directly in
Mechanical using the Geometry cell of the analysis system.
When you import ECAD files into Mechanical, the ECAD Import pane, illustrated below, displays
automatically. Because printed circuit boards contain many detailed components, this feature enables
you to either limit or expand the degree of detail for displaying a component and its bodies. Spe-
cifically, you can greatly simplify the display of complicated components that are not pertinent to
your analysis and as a result speed up processes such as mesh and solution.
Analysis Types
The first two columns of the pane list each part of your model by Name and Type. Parts can include
PCBs, MCAD components (3D geometries representing board components like USB ports, power
connectors), BGAs, etc. The Fidelity column enables you to specify whether to present a component
as a Block (default) or to includes the detailed parts or bodies of the component using the Full
Fidelity option.
ECAD Import Pane Features

The ECAD Import pane provides the following options for your analysis:
Import Geometry
This option imports your geometry into Mechanical. You can make fidelity changes before and
after importing the geometry. You must select the Import Geometry button again in order
changes to take effect.
Import Trace Mapping
This option automatically links an upstream External Data system to the Model cell of your
analysis on the Workbench project page and imports Trace Mapping data. An Imported Trace
(Group) folder and its child object, Imported Trace, are automatically inserted under the Mater-
ials folder in the Outline.
Preview
The Preview option displays a rendering of your model. By default, before you import your
geometry into Mechanical, the ECAD Preview pane renders it with all components in Full Fi-
delity.
Once you select the Import Geometry button, the model renders in the Geometry window
based on the settings of the ECAD Import pane. An example is illustrated here with all com-
ponents using Block fidelity.
You can change the fidelity settings as desired and update the model rendering in the Geometry
window using the Import Geometry button. Note that this action can invalidate scoping.
Analysis Types
Preferences
The Preferences button displays the dialog shown below. The options of the dialog are active
by default. These options automatically take general import actions.
Dialog Preference Description

Group Components Automatically g
under the Geom
Import Materials Automatically im
the materials fro
to complete the
Import Package Detail Automatically im
Defining Fidelity following Import

In addition to the drop-down menu of each row in the ECAD Import pane, you can change the
Fidelity using any of the following methods. Once a fidelity change is made to a component, you
must select the Import Geometry button in order for it to take effect. Also note that re-importing
the model can affect the scoping of associated components.
• Select multiple rows simultaneously using the [Shift] key.
• Select multiple rows individually using the [Ctrl] key.
• Right-click one or more parts on the model in the Geometry window and select Set Fidelity
> Block or High Fidelity. This action also automatically displays the ECAD Import pane if
it is not already displayed.
5.15.4. Electromagnetics (EM) - Mechanical Data Transfer

You can import data generated by the HFSS, Maxwell, or Q3D Extractor applications and perform an
analysis in Mechanical by applying the imported loads. In the case of loads originating from HFSS
and Maxwell, you can also export the temperature or deformation results obtained from the Mechan-
ical analysis so that they can be imported back into HFSS or Maxwell. Furthermore, you can import:
• Thermal loss data generated by the HFSS, Maxwell, or Q3D Extractor applications and use the im-
ported load to perform a thermal analysis. The resulting temperature results then can be exported
and applied during the subsequent solution of the upstream Maxwell analysis.
• Force densities generated by the Maxwell application and use the data to perform a static or
transient structural analysis. The resulting deformation results can then be exported and applied
during the subsequent solution of the upstream Maxwell analysis.
• Forces and Moments or Surface Force Densities generated by the Maxwell application to use as
loading conditions in a Harmonic Response analysis using the load. If you perform a Maxwell
Parametric Study, the application automatically transfers all Maxwell loads for all RPMs.
Overall Workflow for an EM - Mechanical Analysis

1. Create and solve the electromagnetic application using HFSS, Maxwell, or Q3D Extractor.
2. Drag and drop a Coupled Field Harmonic (p. 384), Coupled Field Static (p. 395), Coupled Field
Transient (p. 399), Harmonic Acoustics, Harmonic Response (p. 502) (Maxwell only), Steady-State
Thermal (p. 663), Static Structural (p. 658), Transient Structural (p. 671), or Transient Thermal (p. 686)
system on top of the HFSS, Maxwell, or Q3D Extractor systems Solution cell to enable the data
transfer.
3. Attach geometry to the Mechanical application, and then double-click Setup to open the Mech-
anical window. An Imported Load or an Imported Remote Load folder is added under the En-
vironment folder, by default.
Note:
Note that a Maxwell system is not required for a Coupled Field Harmonic, Harmonic
Acoustics, and Harmonic Response analysis to import Remote Force and Remote Moment
boundary conditions. These boundary conditions can be imported directly from an
external Maxwell file. See the Importing Forces and Moments (p. 717) section for more
information.
4. As required, you can add or generate imported loads and set their options.
5. Define the environmental conditions of your downstream analysis.
7. If applicable, export your results to make them available for import by the upstream applications.
See the following sections for more detailed procedures to import and/or export loads during Thermal,
Structural, and Harmonic analyses.
• Importing Data into Coupled Field (Static or Transient), Thermal, and Structural (Static or Transient)
Analyses (p. 713)
• Importing Data into Harmonic Analyses (p. 716)
• Exporting Results from Thermal or Structural Analyses (p. 727)
• Electric Machines NVH Analyses (with Waterfall Diagram) (p. 729)
For additional information, refer to the Maxwell Coupling section in the Maxwell Online Help,
available through the Ansys customer site.
5.15.4.1. Importing Data into Coupled Field (Static or Transient), Thermal, and
Structural (Static or Transient) Analyses
This feature enables you to perform a one-way Electromagnetics (EM) - Mechanical interaction
problem by solving the electromagnetic analysis of the geometry in the HFSS, Maxwell, or Q3D
Extractor applications, importing the thermal or structural results into the Ansys Mechanical applic-
Analysis Types
ation where the defined load is applied to a thermal or structural analysis which is then solved and
post processed.
For a thermal analysis, you can import Imported Heat Generation (p. 1868) and Imported Heat
Flux (p. 1868) load types.
For a structural analysis you can import Imported Body Force Density (p. 1859) (illustrated below)
and Imported Surface Force Density (p. 1876) load types.
Add the Imported Load

Follow these steps to add an imported load and associate it with parts of the geometry.
1. Double-click the Model cell in your analysis system to open the Mechanical application.
2. Click the Imported Load group object. In the Details view, set the following field as needed:
• If you want to suppress all of the loads under this Imported Load group, set the Suppressed
field to Yes.
3. For the Body Force Density and the Surface Force Density loading types, you can choose to
import the Max Force Density or the DC Force Density, if the source provides the data, using
the Data Type property. By default, the application imports the DC Force Density values. The
application combines AC and DC values to calculate the Max Force Density value. Because the
AC force is a complex vector, the peak vector among all phases of the AC force is taken and
added to the DC force to obtain the Max Force Density.
4. There are several ways to select an imported load and associate it with a part of your model.
• Select an Imported Load group object in the tree, select a part of the model, then right-click
Imported Loads and from the Insert menu, select the desired load type. The load will be
applied to the object you selected on the model.
• Click an Imported Load group object in the tree, then select the Imported Loads drop-down
menu on the Context tab and select the desired load type from the allowed imported load
types. In the Details view, click the Geometry field. Select the objects in the model to which
you want to apply the load and click the Apply button in the Geometry field.
• Right-click the Imported Loads group object and select Insert and the desired load type
from the allowed imported load types. In the Details view, click the Geometry field. Select
the objects in the model to which you want to apply the load and click the Apply button in
the Geometry field.
Note:
Heat generation loads scoped to a surface body use the constant thickness value
specified in the details view of the surface body object when data is imported. Surface
body thickness defined using the thickness object is not accounted for when data is
imported.
Set the Imported Load Options

1. Click the imported load object that you've added to the tree.
2. Select the desired Ansoft solution you would like to import the load from. Some of the properties
in the Details view and Data View tab are filtered based on this selection.
3. Change any of the fields in the Details View as needed:
• Scoping Method: Select the method of choosing objects to which the load is applied: Geo-
metry Selection or Named Selection.
• Geometry or Named Selection: Use these fields to choose the objects to which the load is
applied, as appropriate from your Scoping Method choice.
• Suppressed: Select Yes to suppress this load.
• Ansoft Surface(s): Select the Ansoft Surface(s) for a Heat Flux or Surface Force Density load.
or
Analysis Types
Ansoft Volume(s): Select the Ansoft Volume(s) for a Heat Generation or Body Force Density
load.
Set the Imported Load Analysis Options

You can specify when the imported data should be applied and also modify the imported data,
either by adding an offset or by using a scale factor.
To see the analysis setting for a load, click the object that you've added to the tree. The analysis
options appear in the Data View tab of the window below the model. Make any changes to the
load's analysis options as indicated below.
Change any of the columns in the Data View tab as needed:
• Source Frequency - Select from the drop-down list one of the frequencies supplied from the
transfer file. The load values associated with this frequency will be imported.
• Source Time - Select from the drop-down list one of the Source Times supplied from the transfer
file. The load values associated with this time will be imported.
• For thermal loads from Maxwell transient solutions, you must select from the drop-down list the
desired Source Start Time and Source Stop Time to define the interval for integrating the power
loss density distribution.
• Analysis Time - Choose the analysis time at which the load will be applied. This must coincide
with the end time of a step defined in the Analysis Settings object in the tree.
• Scale - The amount by which the imported load values are scaled before applying them.
• Offset - An offset that is added to the imported load values before applying them.
You must re-solve after making any changes to the analysis options of a load.
You can define multiple rows in the Data View tab to import additional data from the selected
Ansoft solution and apply the rows at different analysis times. If multiple rows are defined in the
Data View tab, you can display imported values at different time steps by changing the Active
Row option in the Details pane.
Right-click the Imported Load object and click Import Load to import the load. When the load
has been imported successfully, a contour plot of the temperatures will be displayed in the Geometry
window and a summary of the transfer is displayed as a comment in the particular load branch.
5.15.4.2. Importing Data into Harmonic Analyses

Mechanical enables you to import either object-based (Imported Remote Loads (p. 1857) - Forces
and Moments) or element-based (Surface Force Density (p. 1876) or Body Force Density (p. 1859))
data from an upstream analysis. If there is a frequency sweep setup in Maxwell, the element-based
data can be imported at any frequency specified in the upstream sweep. If a Parametric Setup is
defined in Maxwell, loads are imported for all RPMs. Object-based data are always imported at the
nominal frequency. Select a link below for additional information for each import type:
• Importing Forces and Moments (p. 717): Supported by Maxwell Transient and Eddy Current
Solvers.
• Importing Surface Force Density (p. 725): Supported by Maxwell Eddy Current Solver and
Transient Solvers.
• Importing Body Force Density (p. 1859): Supported by Maxwell Eddy Current Solver and
Transient Solvers.
For additional information, refer to the Maxwell Coupling section in the Maxwell Online Help,
available through the Ansys customer site.
5.15.4.2.1. Importing Forces and Moments

The following procedure assumes that you have properly defined and solved your Maxwell system.
Go to a section topic
• Import Remote Loads (p. 717)
• Define Imported Remote Loads (p. 717)
Import Remote Loads
To import data into Mechanical, either:
• Link your Maxwell system with a Harmonic Response analysis in the Workbench Project
Schematic to automatically import the remote forces and moments or you can export
your data from Maxwell and import it directly into a Harmonic Response system in
Mechanical. For this configuration, the application only supports a Harmonic Response
system.
• Open a Coupled Field Harmonic, Harmonic Acoustics, or Harmonic Response analysis and
use the Imported Remote Loads option available in the Loads drop-down menu of the
Environment tab, to manually insert an object of the same name that provides the
Transfer File property. This property enables you to import Remote Force and Moment
boundary conditions directly from an external Maxwell file.
Note:
When importing Maxwell files, note that there is an Options > Import (p. 297) category
preference, Improve Reading Performance, that is active by default and that signific-
antly improves the import process.
Define Imported Remote Loads
1. Select the Imported Remote Loads object in the Outline. In the Details pane, define the fol-
lowing properties, if necessary:
Scoping Method
This property defines the geometry on which the imported data is applied.
Face/edge/vertex selections are supported for 3D analyses and edges/vertices for 2D
analyses. Options include:
Analysis Types
• Geometry Selection: default setting, indicating that the load is applied to a geometry
or geometries.
When the Scoping Method is set to Geometry Selection, the Geometry property be-
comes visible. Use this property to specify your desired geometry selections. Once
specified, the field displays the type of geometry (Face or Edge) and the number of
geometric entities (1 Face, 2 Edges) to which the load has been applied using the selec-
tion tools.
• Named Selection: indicates that the geometry selection is defined by a Named Selec-
tion.
When the Scoping Method is set to Named Selection a Named Selection property
becomes visible. This property provides a drop-down list of available user-defined
Named Selections.
Transfer File
This property displays when you have manually inserted a Imported Remote Loads object
from the Loads drop-down menu. You use this property to specify the external Maxwell
file from which you want to import data. This property is not visible if you have an up-
stream Maxwell system linked to the analysis. Linking a Maxwell system in the Project
Schematic automatically places an Imported Remote Loads object in the Outline.
Solution
Select the desired Maxwell solution you would like to import the load from.
Grouping
This property specifies that the loads are grouped by scoping location. That is, one load
per location for all RPMs instead of one load per location and RPM. Options for this
property include No (default) and By Location.
If you group remote loads, use the RPM Selection property of the individual loads to
view the imported load data for each RPM step, presented in the Tabular Data window.
Data Type (Beta)
Currently, this property is only available as a beta option. It enables you to select which
remote loads to import, either Forces and Moments (default), Forces Only, or Moments
Only.
Remote Points
Select the appropriate option to generate Internal or Globally Available remote points.
If you select the Globally Available option, the application automatically creates the Re-
mote Points/Remote Point objects in the Outline. If you switch from the from the Globally
Available setting to Internal, you need to select the Generate Remote Loads context
menu option to remove the Remote Points objects from the tree.
Interpolate RPM
This property displays automatically when you import a Maxwell solution file that includes
a parametric sweep over RPMs. It enables you to interpolate the harmonic forces and
moments between two known RPM values. Property options include:
• No: No interpolation performed.
• Equally Spaced Points: The application linearly interpolates between two known
RPM results for n equally spaced points. When selected, the Number of Points
property also displays. Enter a value in this property to define the equally spaced
between points (n) between RPM values. For example, if this property is set to 1
for RPM values 3000, 4500 and 6000, the application creates interpolation values
of 3750 and 5250.
Interpolation Formula
The application uses the following interpolation formula to calculate the

magnitude of the force and moment loads.
Where:
x0 and x1 are the Maxwell RPM values.

y0 and y1 are the magnitudes of the force and moment loads at the RPM
values.
x is the RPM to interpolate.
y is the magnitude of the force and moment loads at x.
Example Graph
Analysis Types
• User Defined: This option enables you to specify RPM values from an imported
.csv file, using the File Selection (.csv) property. The application linearly inter-
polates the file’s RPM values and calculates the magnitudes of the harmonic force
or moment loads at the interpolated RPM values.
File Format Requirements
Make sure that your .csv file is formatted as follows:
a. The first row of the column requires the entry "speed" and is case
insensitive.
b. The second row needs to specify the RPM unit for the speed column,
either RPM or rad/s. This entry is also case insensitive.
c. All additional rows include the RPM values for interpolation.
Example File Format
Note:
The application ignores any other data included in the file.
Note:
• Once you import the remote loads to create interpolated RPM values, the
application automatically updates properties of the Step Controls (p. 1510)
category of the Analysis Settings (p. 1501) object, including:
– Analysis Settings are synchronized with the RPM results from Maxwell, in-
cluding the newly interpolated RPM(s).
– The Step Frequency Spacing property is set to Order Based.
– Orders are calculated from the Maxwell solution and the same orders are
applied to all the RPMs.
– The maximum order is based on the setting of the Number of Frequencies

To Consider property or the total number of Orders available in the
Maxwell solution, whichever is lesser.
• When you set this property to Equally Spaced Points or User Defined, the
application automatically sets the Grouping property of the Imported Re-
mote Loads object to By Location.
On Data Refresh
This option is available when the Remote Points options is set to Globally Available.
Options include Reuse Remote Points (default) and Regenerate Remote Points. The
Reuse Remote Points option reuses previously added remote points, even those added
from other analyses, therefore avoiding unnecessary duplication, and only updates the
scoping and location, if necessary. The Regenerate Remote Points option deletes the
remote points that were created during the previous import and adds new remote points
when data is imported.
Filter by Order
This property displays automatically when you import a Maxwell solution file that includes
a parametric sweep over RPMs. This property enables you to import only required orders
at every RPM. Options include No (default) and Yes.
Order
This entry property displays when you set the Filter by Order property to Yes. You can
enter individual order values (including decimal values) and range entries (whole numbers
only). You can separate individual entries using a comma (0.5, 10, 15) as well as range
values separated by a hyphen (20-25), or a combination of these entries, (0.5, 10, 15, 20-
25).
Note:
• The application validates your entries against the order of the Maxwell
solution. Invalid entries are not supported.
• Once you have generated remote loads from the upstream system, the ap-
plication automatically changes sets the Step Frequency Spacing property
(Analysis Settings > Step Controls (p. 1510)) to Order Based. Only the Remote
Forces and Moments imported for the specified orders are used in the solu-
tion.
Number of Frequencies To Consider
Number Of Frequencies To Consider: The default value is 25. Select the frequency row
number used to synchronize the Analysis Settings. For each RPM, the application uses
the RPM Frequency Range Maximum and RPM Solution Intervals of the selected
Number Of Frequency To Consider.
This property is not available when the Filter by Order property is set to Yes.
Analysis Types
Import Status
This read-only property displays the status of the import. One of the following status
conditions will exist:
• Data Unavailable: No data is available to perform the import.
• Obsolete: Data is available to be imported, but no data has been imported or the data
is obsolete and should be re-imported.
• Up-to-date: All data has been imported.
• Import Failed: An error occurred during the import process and no data was imported
Suppressed
If you want to suppress all of the loads under this Imported Remote Loads object, set
this property to Yes.
Note:
Object-based data are always imported at the nominal frequency.
2. Once you have defined the necessary import options, right-click the Imported Remote Loads
object and select Generate Remote Loads. This action imports the source data and associates
it with the selected target geometry. Once executed, Mechanical adds objects to the tree
based on the source data.
Tip:
If Beta Options are active, set the beta preference (Options (p. 287) > Import (p. 297))
Progress Bar for Imported Remote Loads (Beta) to Yes to turn on the display
of a progress bar that shows the status of the import or deletion process and that
also enables you to stop the process if desired.
The following items will be added into the tree based on the source data. For each location
that Maxwell reports the calculated forces, Mechanical:
• Adds a Remote Force object and a Moment object with the imported data. Each set of
two loads are named with a Group ID number, as illustrated in the following example.
• Creates a Remote Point at that location and associates it with the group of two loads. The
Remote Point is named with the same Group ID number as the load group, as illustrated
below.
Note:
When using internal remote points, if you change the scoping or behavior of a
load, all loads of the group automatically update because they share the same
remote point.
Analysis Types
For each scoped reference (face or edge), applied using the Scoping Method property on
the Imported Remote Load object, Mechanical finds the closest Remote Point and assigns
the reference as scoping for that Remote Point.
Maxwell Parametric Setup
If your Maxwell analysis contains a Parametric Setup, remotes forces are created for each
RPM and grouped into folders. In addition, RPM-varying Step Controls (p. 1510) (Analysis
Settings) are automatically defined.
Note:
For a Mode Superposition Harmonic Response analysis, the application applies

Remote Forces and Moments using Tabular Data.
3. Specify mesh controls, boundary conditions, and solution settings.
5.15.4.2.2. Importing Surface Force Density

The following procedure assumes that you have properly defined your model in Maxwell and
that the source and target systems are connected on the Workbench Project Schematic. Given
that, follow these steps to import data and associate it with parts of the geometry.
1. Double-click the Model cell of your harmonic analysis system to open the Mechanical applic-
ation.
2. Open the Imported Load object to display the Surface Force Density object(s).
If your Maxwell solution contains a Parametric Setup, you can use the context (right-click)
menu option Create Surface Force Densities and Sync Analysis Settings to automatically
create RPM varying analysis settings properties (Number of RPMs, RPM Value).
Note:
During a Mode Superposition Harmonic Response Analysis
• For improved solution processing, set the Load Application Type property to
either Program Controlled (default) or Nodal Force. The application uses the
Nodal Force setting when the property is set to Program Controlled.
• If you select Element Pressure optioin for Load Application Type property:
– It is recommended that you expand the results from the Modal solution to
improve performance.
– If the Surface Force Densities loads are the only loads generating load vectors,
the application issues the MODCONT,ON,,,ON command in the Modal restart
phase to reduce the solution time.
3. Select the Surface Force Density object and change the default settings as necessary. The
options are described below.
Category Properties/Descriptions
Scope Scoping Method: Options include Geometry Selection and Named Selection.
Based on your selection, you need to specify the desired geometry or Named
Selection using the associated property.
Defini- Type: This read-only property indicates the imported load type - Surface
tion Force Density.
Tabular Loading: This property provides the following options.
• Ramped
Analysis Types
• Stepped
• Off
Suppressed: You use this property to include (No) or exclude (Yes) the
load in your analysis.
Load Application Type: This property is available for Mode Superposition

Harmonic Response analyses Options for this property include:
• Element Pressure
• Nodal Force (used when Programmed Controlled is selected)

Graph- Complex Component: The options for this property include Imaginary
ics (default) and Real.
Con-
trols Component: This property provides the following options.
• All
• Total
• X Component (default)
• Y Component
• Z Component
Trans- Ansoft Solution
fer
Defini- Solution: This property provides a drop-down menu of available upstream
tion systems.
Variation (Maxwell Parametric Setup only): This property provides a

drop-down menu that includes RPM values for the selected Solution.
Data Type: This is a read-only property. AC Force Density is the only

supported loading type.
Ansoft Surface(s): Select the Ansoft surface(s) for the Surface Force
Density load. The default setting is All Surfaces.
4. You can specify when the imported data should be applied and also modify the imported
data, either by adding an offset or by using a scale factor. Change any of the columns in the
Data View tab as needed:
• Source Frequency: Select from the drop-down list one of the frequencies supplied
from the transfer file. The load values associated with this frequency will be imported.
• Analysis Frequency: Select the frequency at which the load will be applied.
• Scale: The amount by which the imported load values are scaled before applying them.
• Offset: An offset that is added to the imported load values before applying them.
Note:
• You can define multiple rows in the Data View tab to import additional data
from the selected Ansoft solution and apply the load at different analysis frequen-
cies. If multiple rows are defined in the Data View tab, you can display imported
values at different frequency steps by changing the Active Row option in the
Details pane.
• You need to re-solve the analysis if you make changes to the Data View options.
5.15.4.3. Exporting Results from Thermal or Structural Analyses

If you have solved an analysis containing loads imported from Maxwell or HFSS, you can choose
to export temperature or deformation results and apply them during the subsequent solve of the
upstream analysis, if this option was previously set in the upstream analysis.
• Temperature results can be exported back to HFSS or Maxwell from a thermal analysis
• Deformation, Stress, and Strain results can be exported to Maxwell from a structural analysis.
Note:
Mechanical only supports exporting results when the geometry is three-dimensional

(3D) in both Mechanical as well as in Maxwell/HFSS.
Select the Imported Load Group object in the tree to view the Details pane. If the export option
is set, you will see the Export Definition category. The Setup field enables you to specify the Ansoft
Setup for which the exported results will be written. The All option for the Setup property exports
results to all the setups requesting feedback.
Analysis Types
In the Details pane, you can also set:
• The Export After Solve property. Using this property, you can export the results automatically
at the end of the analysis. Option include Yes and No. Setting the property to Yes writes
the results when the solution has finished. Setting the option to No exports the file after
the solution.
• The Time property. This property specifies the analysis time at which results are exported.
The default setting is End Time, which you select by entering 0. You must enter a value
between 0 and the end time of the analysis.
• Properties of the Settings category. See the Data Transfer Mesh Mapping (p. 2493) section for
more information about these properties.
• The Delete Mapped Data Files property of the Data Management category. This property
enables you to delete the files generated by the application during the mapping process.
Options include Yes and No (default).
Note:
• Refer to the Ansoft application documentation for more details on settings required
to support the export from the Mechanical application to the Ansoft application.
• Results can only be exported to setups that have contributed to the current solution.
• This feature does not support the mapping of stress and strain results from shell
bodies. Shell bodies and their corresponding results are not included in during the
mapping process.
5.15.4.4. Electric Machines NVH Analyses (with Waterfall Diagram)

When you analyze electric machines and the effects of electromagnetic forces, noise and vibration
is a primary consideration.
Ansys Workbench enables you to evaluate Equivalent Radiated Power (ERP) Waterfall diagrams. ERP
diagrams provide efficient results that you can use to analyze structure vibration for a range of ro-
tating conditions and frequencies.
For a more in-depth acoustic analysis, you can generate waterfall diagrams for Far-field Sound
Power Level and Far-field Sound Pressure Level Microphone results. See the Adding an Acoustics
Analysis (p. 741) topic at the end of the section for the steps to incorporate this analysis type.
This section examines the workflows to simulate electromagnetic forces for rotational velocities as
well as the steps to transfer the data to a downstream Ansys Mechanical (frequency domain) Har-
monic Response and Harmonic Acoustics systems. Example system configurations are show below.
Analysis Types
Also note that you can use the operating conditions from your Harmonic Response analysis for
Acoustics analyses. This can include all or selected (more critical) operating conditions.
Maxwell Parametric Study

You can use a Maxwell analysis (2D or 3D) that includes several rotational velocities to analyze the
overall operating conditions of a Mechanical system. You can use Maxwell to calculate the electro-
magnetic forces for each of the RPM (Rotations Per Minute). As depicted in the following dialog,
you can create a DesignXplorer setup in Maxwell using the rotational velocity as a variable for the
Sweep Definitions. See the Maxwell Help for more information.
Import Loading
Based on the option Type (Object Based or Mesh Based) selected in Enable Harmonic Force Cal-
culation dialog in Maxwell, you send either integrated force per object or spatially varying data
are to Mechanical:
• Object Based: This type calculates remote forces (p. 1664) and moments (p. 1688) on each se-
lected object and imports frequency varying Remote Forces and Moments (p. 717) to Mech-
anical.
• Mesh Based (Surface): This type calculates forces on mesh entities for the selected objects,
converted to frequency domain, and imports spatially varying Surface Force Density (p. 725)
loads to Mechanical.
• Mesh Based (Volume): It type calculates forces on mesh entities for the selected objects,
converted to frequency domain, and imports spatially varying Body Force Density (p. 1859)
loads to Mechanical.
Analysis Types
Object Based - Remote Force and Moment

For the Object Based option when you import your Maxwell analysis into Mechanical, the application
automatically creates an Imported Remote Loads object. The context (right-click) menu for this
object provides the option Generate Remote Loads. When you execute this option, the application
automatically imports the remote forces (p. 1664) and moments (p. 1688) from Maxwell and maps the
loads to the geometric entities on the model.
Analysis Types
For each RPM variation solved in Maxwell, Mechanical creates a folder containing the forces associ-
ated with the rotational velocity. Here are the Details properties for a selected (imported) Remote
Force (p. 1664). You can see the load is specified as a varying load (Step Varying property) and it
includes a load value (RPM Selection property).
Mesh Based - Surface Force Density

For the Element Based (Surface) option when you import your Maxwell analysis into Mechanical,
the application automatically creates an Imported Load object. The context (right-click) menu for
this object provides the option Create Surface Force Densities and Sync Analysis Settings. When
you execute this option, the application automatically imports the Surface Force Density (p. 725)
loads from Maxwell and maps the loads to the geometric entities on the model.
Analysis Types
The application creates a Surface Force Density object for each RPM variation created in Maxwell.
Mesh Based - Body Force Density

When you import your Maxwell analysis into Mechanical, the application automatically creates an
Imported Load object. The context (right-click) menu for this object provides the option Create
Body Force Densities and Sync Analysis Settings. When you execute this option, the application
automatically imports the Body Force Density loads from Maxwell and maps the loads to the
geometric entities on the model.
The application creates a Body Force Density object for each RPM variation created in Maxwell.
Analysis Types
Define Analysis Settings

When your Maxwell load data includes multiple RPM conditions, the application automatically reflects
the RPM conditions as load steps in the Step Controls (p. 1510) category of the Analysis Settings
of your downstream, Harmonic Response analysis. You can modify these RPMs (individually) using
the Step Controls category.
You can also modify the RPM Step Controls using the Worksheet.
Harmonic Solution Method

The application supports the Maxwell import scenarios both the Full and Mode Superposition
Solution Method in your Harmonic Response analysis. Each of these methods supports constant
loading conditions that you may apply (on each step) in addition to the imported RPM varying
loads, that the application applies on a per step basis. For example, you want to add loads in addition
to the imported electromagnetic forces. You may wish to add loading conditions to consider other
noise sources, such as those generated by bearings or aerodynamic forces.
For the Mode Superposition method, by default, the application defines the remote forces (p. 1664)
using the Table option for the Loading Application property to improve solution performance.
Analysis Types
Also note that when you import Surface Force Densities, you can improve solution performance
by initiating the Expand Results From (p. 1565) property (Output Controls (p. 1559)) by setting either
the Stress, Strain, or Calculate Reactions properties to Yes.
ERP Waterfall Diagram

The Equivalent Radiated Power (ERP) (p. 2150) waterfall diagram results provide a global acoustic
signature based on the selected radiating faces. The application displays this result in two forms:
(1) using polylines for each RPM case or (2) on a 2D color map, as illustrated here. This result enables
you to detect the most critical operational conditions (RPM and Frequency) analyzed with additional
detail in a downstream Harmonic Acoustics analysis.
Adding an Acoustics Analysis

You can examine the acoustics of your structural vibrations by adding a Harmonic Acoustics analysis
to your NVH simulation. As illustrated, you insert a Harmonic Acoustics into the project as a
downstream system.
Analysis Types
Once opened in Mechanical, the application automatically creates an Imported Load object. By
default, the application inserts a Imported Velocity object.
You can add Imported Velocity objects by right-clicking on the Imported Load folder and selecting
Insert > Velocity or you can select the option Create Velocities and Sync Analysis Settings to
import and map all of the velocity loads available in the upstream system.
The application creates an Imported Velocity object for each RPM imported from the upstream
Harmonic Response analysis.
Analysis Types
When you import multiple RPMs, the application automatically reflects the RPM conditions as load
steps in the Step Controls category (that automatically displays in the Worksheet) of the Analysis
Settings of your downstream Harmonic Acoustics analysis. This behavior is similar to the Step
Controls of a Harmonic Response system. See the Step Controls for Harmonic Analysis Types (p. 1510)
Result Diagrams
Once you complete your analysis, the result options Far-field Sound Power Level Waterfall Diagram
and Far-field SPL Mic Waterfall Diagram enable you to analyze the acoustic behavior for the entire
range of RPMs and frequencies so that you can detect the most critical situations. An example is
illustrated below. See the Acoustic Waterfall Diagrams for additional information.
5.15.5. External Data

You use the External Data feature to import data from one or more external source files and apply
the data in a Mechanical analysis system. This feature supports text (.txt) files. It also supports
Hierarchical Data Format (HDF) Version 5 (.hdf5/.h5) files from within the Mechanical application
only.
You access the External Data feature from Workbench or Mechanical using different methods. See
below for more information.

This feature is only supported for the following analysis types:
• Coupled Field Static (p. 395)
• Coupled Field Transient (p. 399): Supports Imported Body Temperature (p. 1861) (Thermal Condition)
and Imported Temperature (p. 1876).
• Explicit Dynamics: Currently, the Explicit Dynamics system and the LS-DYNA ACT extension provide
limited support for the Workbench External Data system.
• Modal (p. 521): Supports Imported Body Temperature (p. 1861).
• Static Structural (p. 658)/Transient Structural (p. 671): These analysis types do not support the use
of the Rigid Dynamics solver for External Data import.
Analysis Types
• Steady-State Thermal (p. 663)/Transient Thermal (p. 686)/Thermal-Electric (p. 667).
Note:
The surface pressures and line loads calculated in a Hydrodynamic Diffraction analysis or
a time domain Hydrodynamic Response analysis can be transferred to panel and beam
elements in a Static Structural analysis using the Hydrodynamic Pressure Mapping ACT
extension, through a link on the Workbench Project Schematic page. See The Hydrodynamic
Pressure Add-on for more information.
Accessing External Data

Choose a subsection topic based on how you want to use External Data:
5.15.5.1. Importing Data from Workbench
5.15.5.2. Importing Data from Mechanical
5.15.5.3. Importing Thickness
5.15.5.4. Importing Loads
5.15.5.5. Exporting Data
5.15.5.1. Importing Data from Workbench

To import a supported file using the Workbench External Data system:
1. Insert an External Data system into the Project Schematic from the Component Systems
group of the Toolbox.
2. Right-click the Setup cell and select Edit. This automatically opens the External Data tab
3. Browse to the location of the file to add.
Note:
Importing files from design point folders within the same project directory (with
the exception of the Current design point) is not supported.
4. In the Location column of the Outline of Schematic pane, select the ellipsis button ( ),
and select your data source files. The selected file name, location, and identifier are automat-
ically displayed in the Data Source column. The identifier is a string that can be used to
identify the file in the downstream Mechanical application.
• When multiple files are added to the same system, each file is given a unique identifier (that
is, File1, File2, and so on). These identifiers are used in conjunction with the data identifiers
(Pressure1, Thickness1, and so on) to identify and apply the dataset(s) within Mechanical.
• If your files contain data for the same nodal coordinates, or if only one of your files contains
the nodal information, you can choose the primary option in the External Data system to
designate a primary file. This option notifies the mapping utility that the group of files,
defined in the External Data system, share the same nodal information. The nodal information
is therefore processed and stored only from the primary file. This greatly reduces the memory
usage by only allocating space for the nodes once, not once per file. It can also result in
much faster import times as only one mapping operation will be required.
• Mechanical APDL .cdb files can be added as a primary mesh in the External Data system;
for details, see Importing a CDB File as Input in the Workbench User's Guide.
5. Return to the Project tab. Display the properties for the Setup cell of the External Data system
by right-clicking on the cell and selecting Properties.
6. Specify the Files Import Type property as needed. Options include By Copy (default) and By
Reference. The By Reference option instructs the application to directly reference the External
Data file instead of transferring the file to the project folder. For large size files, this action can
drastically reduce disk storage requirements and improve performance.
Note:
When you specify the By Reference option and wish to archive your project using
the option Imported files external to project directory of the Archive Options
dialog, the application automatically copies the External Data files to the archived
project.
Important:
The By Reference option cannot be used with the System Coupling feature.
7. Specify additional Workbench properties as needed:
• To transfer shell thickness data to Mechanical, either:
– Drag the Setup cell of the External Data and drop it onto the Model cell of a Mechanical
system to create the link.
– Right-click the Setup cell of the External Data system and select Transfer Data to New
> [Mechanical_system]. This creates a link to the Model cell of a new Static Structural
system and a connection to the Setup cell. Remove the unwanted connection to the
Setup cell.
• To transfer load data to Mechanical, drag the Setup cell of the External Data system and
drop it onto the Setup cell of an applicable Mechanical system.
Alternatively, you can right-click the Setup cell of the External Data system and select
Transfer Data to New > [Mechanical_system]. This creates a link to the Setup cell of a
new Static Structural system and a connection to the Model cell. Remove the unwanted
connection to the Model cell.
• When an External Data system is connected to a system using the Samcef or ABAQUS
solver, the following quantities cannot be used: Body Force Density, Stress, Strain, Heat Flux,
and the Emag Condition.
Analysis Types
• When an External Data system is connected to a system using the ABAQUS solver, the
ABAQUS system does not support the import of Forces.
8. Attach the geometry to the analysis system and open Mechanical. Right-click the Setup cell
of the analysis system and select Edit. You can also double-click the Setup cell to open the
application.
5.15.5.2. Importing Data from Mechanical

Mechanical enables you to import load data, thickness data, or element orientation coordinate data
from external source files directly into the application. Go to a section topic:
• Import Options (p. 748)
• External Data Dialog (p. 748)
• Definition and Preview Tabs (p. 753)
Import Options
Imported Loads
The Imported Loads menu of the Environment object context ribbon includes an External
Data option to import load data. This option opens the External Data dialog.
Imported Thickness and Element Orientations
The Imported Thickness and Imported Element Orientations options of the Geometry object
context ribbon enable you to import element orientation data or shell thickness data from an
external file. Both of these options open the External Data dialog.
External Data Dialogs

1. From the appropriate object, select the desired option. The application automatically inserts
the corresponding object into the tree and displays the External Data dialog. Use this dialog
to specify the desired file(s) you wish to import.
Note:
• If you have already selected a file and displayed the dialog, there are two additional
context (right-click) menu options: Edit and Reload. The Edit option re-opens the
External Data dialog enabling you to modify the imported object's details and the
Reload option reloads data from the source file(s).
Analysis Types
• Although similar to using an External Data system in Workbench, there are some
differences. You should review the External Data section of the Workbench User's
Guide as well as the External Data System (p. 745) section in the Mechanical User's
Guide for a description of the feature and its requirements.
Additional dialog options include:
• Save Files with Project: Copy the external data files to the project directory. If left un-
checked, the application references the source files directly using the File Path without
making a copy. The default is unchecked.
• Identifier: The identifier is a string that can be used to identify the file in the downstream
Mechanical application.
• Master: Specify the file as the master external data file. The nodal coordinate data for
the selected master file is processed by the mapping utility. The application skips this
nodal coordinate data in all other files. Only one file can be set as the master file.
Mechanical APDL format type files should always be marked as the master file.
Note:
For the H5DPF file format:
– The Master option is selected by default and cannot be modified. This

means that the nodal coordinate data will always be fetched from the
currently selected file.
– Only supports the use of one file in the dialog and cannot be duplic-
ated.
2. Select the Browse button. The External Data Details dialog displays. It includes two tabs:
Definition and Preview. See the Definition and Preview Tabs topic below for a description of
these dialogs and their options.
3. Select the File Name option to navigate to and select your file. Specify dialog properties as
needed and select OK.
Analysis Types
4. Select the Import button. The data file is now associated with the object.
Definition and Preview Tabs

Descriptions of the properties of the Definition and Preview tabs for External Data Details dialog
are shown below.
Definition Tab
The Definition tab specifies the details of the external data file.
Properties for the Definition dialog include:
Property Description/Value
Format This property sets the corresponding format for the selected file. Different format
Type types result in different properties. Options for this property include:
• Delimited (default): Import a file containing data with each column delimited
by a specific character. When selected, the Delimiter Type property also
displays. This property specifies the delimiter used to separate the columns
in data file. Options include Comma, Semicolon, Space, Tab, and User
Defined Separator. If you select User Defined Separator, the additional
property User Defined Separator displays. You use this property to specify
any character as the data delimiter.
• Fixed Width[a]: This format type represents a file containing data in columns
with a fixed width. Based on the width, the column specifies a string using
Fortran-like fixed-format specifications. This is equivalent to the User-Defined
option of the Format Type property as described in the External Data section
of the Workbench User's Guide. Review the description in that section for
the supported format specifiers, such as Decimal floating point, Scientific
notation, etc.
Analysis Types
Property Description/Value
• MAPDL: Import a Mechanical APDL CDB data file. When selected, the
following additional properties display:
– Dimension: Specifies the source data dimension. Options include

2D and 3D (default).
– Unit Lengths: Specifies the length unit used for source point
locations. The default value is Meters.
Note:
If you have multiple external data files that include the MAPDL
import format, the property Average Corner Nodes To Midside
Nodes displays under the Delimited or Fixed Width file
definition. If you set this property to Yes, the application
calculates data at the midside nodes as an average of the values
contained at the corner nodes.
• H5DPF: Import a file in Hierarchical Data Format (HDF) Version 5

(.hdf5/.h5) format. This file type is only supported for Imported
Velocity (p. 1877). See the Create Hierarchical Data Format File with Velocity
Results Using DPF section of the Scripting in Mechanical Guide for an example
script that enables you to create a .hdf5/.h5 file using the DPF.
Note:
When importing .h5 files generated using result files from

external solvers, make sure that the source coordinate system
aligns with the target coordinate system. If an offset/rotation
exists, see the Rigid Transformation (p. 2499) topic in the Data
Transfer Mesh Mapping (p. 2493) section for the steps to apply the
required transformations.
Skip Specifies the number of rows to skip at the start of the data source. The default
Rows is 0.
Skip Specifies the number of rows to skip at the end of the data source. The default is
Foot- 0.
er
[a] Fixed Width Example
In the following example, the line has one integer followed by four exponential data types:
385 8.333333333E-003 9.375000000E-003 3.375000000E-001 0.000000000E+000
The corresponding format is 1i3,4e17.9.
Where:
– The first entry is the number of occurrences.
– The second entry is the format specifier.
– The third entry is the number of characters of data in the definition (including nu-
meric values (0-9), the letter “e” (for instances of scientific notation), and any white
space and + or - signs).
– The fourth entry is the number of digits after the decimal point.
Column Definition
When you select the Delimited or Fixed Width format types, the following table displays in
the dialog.
Column: Index field.
Data Type: Select a desired data type from the drop-down menu.
Name: String used to identify a specific column.
Combined Identifier: String that combines the File Identifier and Column names. It can be
used to identify the column in the child imported load object.
Preview Tab
The Preview tab displays a preview of the imported lines from the file.
Analysis Types
Note:
• The application only displays the first 10 rows of data for preview.
• The Line # column refers to the line number in the source data file.
5.15.5.3. Importing Thickness

If your simulation has a shell thickness defined from External Data, an Imported Thickness folder
is automatically added under the Geometry folder.
Application
To specify imported thickness:
1. Select appropriate geometry or mesh entity.
2. Specify properties as needed. You can modify the mapping settings to achieve the desired
mapping accuracy.
You can specify a thickness value for the unmapped target nodes using the Unmapped Data
Value property. By default, a zero thickness value is assigned to the unmapped nodes.
Important:
For the Mechanical APDL solver, the thickness value at each node must be greater
than zero.
3. Right-click the Imported Thickness, and then click Import Thickness to import the thickness.
When the thickness has been imported successfully, a contour plot will be displayed in the
Geometry window and any mesh display will be based upon the mapped thickness of the
elements.
5.15.5.4. Importing Loads

If your analysis has load data defined from External Data, an Imported Load (External) folder is
added under the Environment folder. Unless otherwise specified, the following steps apply to loads
imported from a text (.txt) file.
1. To add an imported load, select the Imported Load folder and select a desired load from the
Imported Loads drop-down menu on the Environment Context tab or right-click the Imported
Load folder and select the appropriate load from the Insert context menu.
2. Select appropriate geometry or mesh entity.
3. In a 3D structural analysis, if the Imported Body Temperature load is scoped to one or more
surface bodies, the Shell Face option in the Details pane enables you to apply the temperatures
to Both faces, to the Top face(s) only, or to the Bottom face(s) only. See Imported Body
Temperature (p. 1861) for additional information.
4. When mapping data to surface bodies, you can control the effective offset and thickness value
at each target node, and consequently the location used during mapping, by using the Shell
Thickness Factor property. By default, the thickness value at each target node is ignored when
data is mapped.
You can choose to enter a positive or negative value for the Shell Thickness Factor. This value
is multiplied by each target node’s physical thickness and is used along with the node’s offset
to determine the top and bottom location of each target node. A positive value for the Shell
Thickness Factor uses the top location of each node during mapping, while a negative value
uses the bottom location of each node. For example:
• A value of 0.0 means that the physical thickness and offset of the surface body nodes will
be ignored; all target nodes are mapped at default surface body locations.
• A value of 1.0 means that the thickness used for a target node will be equal to the physical
thickness value specified for that node. The top location of the node will be used during
the mapping process. The image below depicts a change to the position of the nodes, but
this is not a reflection of what you will see in the application.
Analysis Types
• A value of -2.0 means that the thickness used for a target node will be equal to twice the
physical thickness value specified for that node. The bottom location of the node will be
used during the mapping process. The image below depicts a change to the position of the
nodes, but this is not a reflection of what you will see in the application.
The view will look similar to the following for a value of –1.0. The colored dots represent
the location and corresponding values of the source nodes. In this case, each target node
will be projected using its physical thickness value to its bottom location and then mapped.
5. Select appropriate options in the Details pane. You can modify the Settings (p. 2493) category
properties to achieve the desired mapping accuracy. And, mapping can be validated by using
mapping Validation (p. 2516) for an object.
• For pressure loads, you can apply the load in the direction normal to the face or by specifying
a direction. Setting Define By to Components enables you to define the direction by spe-
cifying the x, y, and z magnitude components of the load. The z component is not applicable
for 2-D analyses. For pressure loads in Harmonic Response, you can apply both real and
imaginary components of the loads.
• In a 3D analysis, if the Triangulation mapping algorithm is used, the Transfer Type mapping
option defaults to Surface when an Imported Temperature or Imported Body Temperature
load scoping is only on shell bodies. If the scoping is on shell bodies and other geometry
types, the Transfer Type mapping option will default to Volumetric. In such cases, to obtain
a more accurate mapping, you should create a separate imported load for geometry selections
on shell bodies, and use the Surface option for Transfer Type. See Transfer Type under
Mapping Settings (p. 2493) for additional information.
Analysis Types
• For Imported Pressure loads, you can apply the load onto centroids or corner nodes using
the Applied to property in the Details view. See Imported Pressure (p. 1872) for additional
information.
• For imported force loads, both conservative and profile preserving algorithms are available
using the Mapping property. See Imported Force (p. 1867) and Mapping Settings (p. 2493) for
6. For each load step, if an Imported Displacement and other support/displacement constraints
are applied on common geometry selections, you can choose to override the specified con-
straints by using the Override Constraints option in the details of the Imported Displacement
object. By default, the specified constraints are respected and imported displacements are
applied only to the free degrees of freedom of a node.
7. For Vector[1]and Tensor[2]loads, the Coordinate System property can be used to associate
the component identifiers, defined in the worksheet, to a particular coordinate system. This
option is useful when the source data is defined, or needs to be defined, with respect to a
coordinate system that is not aligned with the Global coordinate system. If a cylindrical coordin-
ate system is chosen, the data is interpreted to be in the radial, tangential, and axial directions.
By default, the Source coordinate system is used.
Note:
The Source Coordinate System option of the Coordinate System property is an

internal coordinate system that is not visible in the Outline. This coordinate system
represents source points transformed first by Rigid Transformation process in the
upstream External Data system and then by the Rigid Transformation process in the
Mechanical application. If there are no rigid transformations from the upstream
External Data system or in Mechanical, then the Source Coordinate System is the
same as the Global Coordinate System.
8. Under Data View, select the desired data Identifier for the imported load. The data identifier
(File Identifier: Data Identifier) strings are specified in External Data. You can also change the
Analysis Time/Frequency and specify Scale and Offset values for the imported loads.
[1] Supported loads include Imported Displacement, Imported Force, Imported Pressure, and
Imported Velocity.
[2] Supported loads include Imported Stress and Imported Strain.
• For Vector[1] and Tensor[2] loads, if the Define By property is set to Components you should
select data identifiers that represent the x/radial, y/tangential, and z/axial magnitude com-
ponents of the load. For Vector[1] and Tensor[2], the components are applied in the Coordin-
ate System specified in the Details view. The z component is not applicable for 2-D analyses.
For Imported Displacement load, you can choose to keep a component free, or fixed (dis-
placement = 0.0) by selecting the Free or Fixed option from the list of data identifiers. For
all other loads, you can choose to ignore a component if you do not have data for that dir-
ection by selecting the Ignore identifier from the drop-down list.
– For Imported Body Force Density/Imported Pressure/Imported Velocity in Harmonic

Response analyses, you should select data identifiers for both real and imaginary compon-
ents. You can also specify Scale and Offset for both real and imaginary components.
• For Imported Convections, you should select data identifiers for film coefficient and ambient
temperature. You can also specify Scale and Offset values for both film coefficient and
ambient temperature.
9. Right-click in the Data View and select Add row to specify additional data for a different
analysis time/frequency.
10. Change any of the columns in the Data View tab as needed:
Analysis Types
• Magnitude/Film Coefficient/Ambient Temperature
Select the appropriate data identifier that represents the load values to be applied from the
drop-down list.
• X Component
Select the appropriate data identifier that represents the x component of the load values to
be applied from the drop-down list.
• Y Component
Select the appropriate data identifier that represents the y component of the load values
to be applied from the drop-down list.
• Z Component
Select the appropriate data identifier that represents the z component of the load values to
be applied from the drop-down list.
Note:
If you do not have data for a direction you can choose to ignore that component
by selecting Ignore from the appropriate drop-down box. Select the Fixed option
from the drop-down list to make the component constant with a value of zero
or the Free option for the component to be without any constraints.
If multiple files have been used in External Data, the data identifiers for compon-
ent-based vector or convection loads must come from the same file(s) that have
a primary file association. For example, you can select File1:PressureX, File1:Pres-
sureY, and File1:PressureZ, but you cannot select File1:PressureX, File2:PressureY,
File3.PressureZ (assuming that File1, File2, and File3 do not have a primary file
association).
• XX, YY, ZZ, XY, YZ, and ZXComponent
Select the appropriate data identifiers to represent the components of the symmetric tensor
to be applied from the drop-down list.
• Analysis Time/Frequency
Choose the analysis time at which the load will be applied.
• Scale
The amount by which the imported load values are scaled before applying them.
• Offset
An offset that is added to the imported load values before applying them.
11. In the Outline, right-click the Imported Load, and then click Import Load to import the load.
12. When the load has been imported successfully, a contour or vector plot will be displayed in
• For Vector[1] loads, contours plots of the magnitude (Total) or X/Y/Z component can be
viewed by changing the Data option in the details pane. Defaults to a vector plot (All).
• For Tensor2 (p. ?) loads, contours plots of the Equivalent (von-Mises) or XX, YY, ZZ, XY,
YZ and ZX components can be viewed by changing the Data option in the details pane.
Defaults to a Vector Principal plot.
• For Imported Convections loads, contours plots of film coefficient or ambient temperature
can be viewed by changing the Data option in the details pane.
• For complex load types, such as Pressure/Velocity in Harmonic Response, the real/imaginary
component of the data can be viewed by changing the Complex Data Component option
in the details pane.
Note:
• Many imported loads as well as Element Orientations support Vector Display (p. 77)
options.
• The range of data displayed in the graphics window can be controlled using the
Legend controls options. See Imported Boundary Conditions (p. 1857) for additional
information.
13. If multiple rows are defined in the Data View, imported values at different time steps can be
displayed by changing the Active Row option in the details pane.
14. To activate or deactivate the load at a step, highlight the specific step in the Graph or Tabular
Data window, and choose Activate/Deactivateat this step! See Activating and Deactivating
Loads (p. 1507) for additional rules when multiple load objects of the same type exist on common
geometry selections.
Important:
• For Vector[1] and Tensor[2] loads, when the Define By property is set to Components:
– Any transformations specified in External Data and/or in Mechanical, are applied

to the mapped data if the Coordinate System property is set to Source Co-
ordinate System. If another Coordinate System is specified, then the compon-
ents are applied in that Coordinate System.
– Rotations produced by a cylindrical projection coordinate system, for 2D to 3D

mapping, are also applied to the mapped data. Rotations resulting from analyt-
ical transformations specified in External Data, do not get applied to the
mapped data.
Analysis Types
• For Imported Displacements, selecting the Free identifier for a source component
will result in the corresponding target component being left unconstrained and free
to deform in that direction, whereas Fixed identifier results in a value of zero being
applied. For other load types, a value of zero is applied on selecting the Ignore com-
ponent.
5.15.5.5. Exporting Data

To apply the data as boundary conditions, you can export result data to one or more text files and
use them in External Data.
To export result data, right-click a result and select Export (p. 212) > Export Text File. Be sure to
include the Node Locations which are off by default as described in the External Data section.
For thermal analyses, you can export temperatures and heat flows on any surface with a Fluid
Solid Interface boundary condition. See Fluid Solid Interface (p. 1765) for more information.
5.15.6. External Study Import

The External Study Importer is an ACT App. It assists the designer-to-analyst workflow by enabling
you to import files from simulation applications such as Discovery, Autodesk Fusion, and PTC Creo
Ansys Simulation into Mechanical for further analysis. Imported files can include a full definition of
geometry, materials, loads, and constraints from the source simulation.
Note:
The External Study Importer is not supported on Linux operating systems.
This section examines how to:
• Create a/an:
– Discovery Simulation Data File (p. 764)
– Autodesk Fusion Simulation Data File (p. 765)
• Enable the External Study Importer (p. 765)
• Import the following simulations into Mechanical:
– Discovery (p. 765)
– Autodesk Fusion (p. 766)
– PTC Creo Ansys Simulation (p. 766)
Create a Discovery Simulation Data File

To transfer a Discovery file to another application, you need to transfer the Discovery file using the
following steps:
1. From the Transfer menu in the ribbon of the Simulation tab, choose a product from the
list.
2. In the Save Discovery Document dialog box, type a name for the Discovery file in the File
name field and click Save.
Create an Autodesk Fusion Simulation Data File

Perform these steps from within Autodesk Fusion to create a Fusion Simulation file:
1. Open the Simulation workspace for a Generative Design outcome.
2. Select Send Study to Ansys from the Solve group in the ribbon.
• If Mechanical 2020 R1 is installed, this will automatically populate a Workbench project

with the study and launch Mechanical.
• If Mechanical 2020 R1 is not installed, you can save a Fusion Simulation (.sdz) file,
which you can later import via the External Study Importer.
Enable the External Study Importer

The External Study Importer is provided as an ACT App that is installed by default with Workbench.
To load the External Study Importer:
1. From the Project tab in Workbench, click ACT Start Page to open the ACT Home page.
2. Click Manage Extensions.
3. On the Extension Manager page, click ExternalStudyImporter and select Load extension
from the context menu.
If you want the External Study Importer to be loaded automatically for future Workbench
sessions, click ExternalStudyImporter and select Load as default from the context menu.
4. Return to the ACT Home page and click Launch Wizards.
5. On the Wizards page, click Execute wizard to launch the External Study Importer.
Import a Discovery Simulation into Mechanical

After creating a Discovery Simulation Data file, you can import it into Mechanical. You can import it
into a new project or an existing project.
To import a Discovery simulation into a new project in Mechanical: in Windows File Explorer, double-
click a .dscodat file to launch Workbench and import the simulation into a new project.
To import a Discovery simulation into an existing project in Mechanical:
1. On the Wizards page (which you can access as described above), click Execute wizard to
launch the External Study Importer Wizard.
Analysis Types
2. Ensure Study Type is set to Discovery Simulation.
3. In File To Import, browse to the Discovery Simulation Data file you want to add to the project
and click Open.
4. In the External Study Importer Wizard, click Import.
5. The import process creates a fully-populated Simulation System on the Workbench Project
Schematic page, which you can subsequently open in Mechanical.
6. In the External Study Importer Wizard, click Finish.
Note:
Because of the way that Discovery manages the scoping of the Default Convection load
in certain instances, you could see differences between your model in Discovery compared
to Mechanical when the load is transferred between the results of the two applications.
Import an Autodesk Fusion Simulation into Mechanical

You can import an Autodesk Fusion Generative Design simulation into Mechanical via a Fusion Simu-
lation file (.sdz). In release 2020 R1, the External Study Importer supports Autodesk Fusion Simulation
files that have been created from Fusion Generative Design outcomes. You can import the .sdz file
into a new project or an existing project.
To import an Autodesk Fusion Generative Design simulation into a new project in Mechanical: in
Windows File Explorer, double-click a .sdz file to launch Workbench and import the simulation into
a new project.
To import an Autodesk Fusion simulation into an existing project in Mechanical:
1. On the Wizards page (which you can access as described above), click Execute wizard to
launch the External Study Importer Wizard.
2. Ensure Study Type is set to Fusion Simulation.
3. In File To Import, browse to the Fusion Simulation Data file you want to add to the project
and click Open.
4. In the External Study Importer Wizard, click Import.
The import process creates a fully-populated Simulation System for each load case in the
Fusion simulation, which you can subsequently open in Mechanical.
5. In the External Study Importer Wizard, click Finish.
Import a PTC Creo Ansys Simulation into Mechanical

As described below, you can open a PTC Creo Ansys Simulation Data (.casdat) file as a new
Mechanical system or you can open it in an active Mechanical system.
Create a New System
Navigate to the file folder that contains the file and double-click the file. This 1) opens Workbench
and places a new system in the Project Schematic and 2) opens the system Mechanical.
Import File into Existing System
1. As described above, open the ACT Start Page, select the Launch Wizards option, and
select the External Study option to launch the External Study Importer wizard.
2. Set the Study Type field to PTC Creo Ansys Simulation.
3. Use the Browse option to specify your file in File To Import field.
4. Select the Import button. The import process creates a fully-populated simulation system
in the Workbench Project Schematic.
5. Select the Finish option.
6. Open the new system in Mechanical.
5.15.7. Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI)

Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) analysis is an example of a multiphysics problem where the interaction
between two different physics phenomena, done in separate analyses, is taken into account. From
the perspective of Mechanical, an FSI analysis consists of performing a structural or thermal analysis
in the application, with some of the loads (forces or temperatures, for example) coming from a cor-
responding fluid analysis or previous CFD analysis. In turn, the results of the Mechanical analysis may
be used as loads in a fluids analysis. The interaction between the two analyses typically takes place
at the boundaries that the Mechanical model shares with the fluids model. These boundaries of inter-
action are collectively called the fluid-structure interface. It is at this interface where the results of one
analysis are passed to the other analysis as loads.
A general way of tying two otherwise independent analyses together is described in System Coup-
ling (p. 841). The specific use of System Coupling as one way to perform certain FSI analyses is men-
tioned where applicable in the following sections.
For one specific multiphysics problem, the structural thermal-stress analysis, an FSI analysis is not always
required. If the thermal capabilities of the Mechanical application are sufficient to determine a proper
thermal solution, an FSI approach (using separate applications for separate analyses) is not required
and the thermal-stress analysis can be done entirely within Mechanical. In the case where the thermal
solution requires the specialized capabilities of a CFD analysis, the structural thermal-stress analysis
is done using the FSI approach. The CFD analysis is done first, then the calculated temperatures at
the fluid-structure interface are applied as loads in the subsequent Mechanical analysis.
Typical applications of FSI include:
• Biomedical: drug delivery pumps, intravenous catheters, elastic artery modeling for stent design.
• Aerospace: airfoil flutter and turbine engines.
• Automotive: under-the-hood cooling, HVAC heating/cooling, and heat exchangers.
Analysis Types
• Fluid handling: valves, fuel injection components, and pressure regulators.
• Civil engineering: wind and fluid loading of structures.
• Electronics: component cooling.
The Mechanical application supports two types of Fluid-Structure Interaction: one-way transfer (p. 768)
and two-way transfer (p. 768). In one-way FSI, CFD results are applied as loads in the Mechanical
analysis, but the results of the Mechanical analysis are not passed back to a fluids analysis. In two-
way FSI, the results of the Mechanical analysis are passed back as loads to the fluids model. Two-way
FSI is important when the Mechanical analysis could produce results that, when applied as loads in
the fluids analysis, would significantly affect the fluids analysis.
5.15.7.1. One-Way Transfer FSI

In a one-way transfer FSI analysis, the CFD analysis results (forces, pressures, temperatures, convection
loads, or heat flows) at the fluid-structure interface are transferred to the Mechanical model and
applied as loads. The subsequently calculated displacements or temperatures at the interface are
not transferred back to the CFD analysis. One-way transfer is appropriate when displacements and
temperatures differentials calculated in the Mechanical application are not large enough to have
a significant effect on the fluid analysis.
There are four supported applications of a one-way FSI analysis:
1. Based on the setting of the Interpolation Type property:
• Mechanical-Based Mapping (default): Pressure results from a CFD analysis are input as
normal pressure in a structural analysis at the fluid-structure interface.
• CFD Results Interpolator: Pressure results from a CFD analysis are input as applied forces
in a structural analysis at the fluid-structure interface.
2. Temperature results from a heat transfer CFD analysis are input as body loads in a structural or
LS-DYNA analyses to determine the thermally induced displacement and stresses (thermal-stress
analysis).
3. Convections from a heat transfer CFD analysis are input as convection boundary conditions (film
coefficients and bulk temperatures) in a thermal analysis at the fluid-structure interface.
4. Temperatures or heat flows from a heat transfer CFD analysis are input as temperature or heat
flow boundary conditions in a thermal analysis at the fluid-structure interface.
There are two methods available for performing a one-way FSI analysis: importing loads and System
Coupling. See Using Imported Loads for One-Way FSI (p. 769) and One-Way FSI Transfers Using
System Coupling in Workbench (p. 849), respectively.
5.15.7.2. Two-Way Transfer FSI

In a two-way transfer FSI analysis, the CFD analysis results (forces, temperatures, heat flows, or heat
transfer coefficients and near wall temperatures) at the fluid-structure interface are transferred to
the Mechanical model and applied as loads. Within the same analysis, the subsequently calculated
displacements, temperatures, or heat flows at the fluid-structure interface are transferred back to
the CFD analysis. Two-way transfer is appropriate when displacements and temperature differentials
calculated in Mechanical are large enough to have a significant effect on the fluid analysis.
Because of the two-way interaction between the two analyses, the analyses are looped through
repeatedly until overall equilibrium is reached between the Mechanical application solution and
CFD solution. Two-way FSI is supported between Mechanical and Fluent and Mechanical and CFX.
In either case, you set up the static or transient structural portion of the analysis in the Mechanical
application, including defining one or more fluid-structure interface boundary conditions. You
continue the analysis in Fluent or CFX, and view the structural results in the Mechanical application.
For general information on two-way FSI, see System Coupling (p. 841). For more information on
two-way FSI using Mechanical and Fluent, see Performing System Coupling Simulations Using Fluent
in the Fluent User's Guide. For more information on two-way FSI using Mechanical and CFX, see
Coupling CFX to an External Solver: System Coupling Simulations in the CFX-Solver Modeling Guide.
Note:
In a System Coupling setup, if you apply an external force or external heat flow on the
same region as a Fluid-Structure Interaction load, this external variable will not be ac-
knowledged by the Mechanical APDL solver.
5.15.7.3. Using Imported Loads for One-Way FSI

This feature enables you to import fluid forces, pressures, temperatures, and convections from a
steady-state or transient CFD analysis to a Mechanical application analysis.
This one-way transfer of face forces (tractions) or pressures at a fluid-structure interface enables
you to investigate the effects of fluid flow in a static or transient structural analysis. Similarly, the
one-way transfer of temperatures or convection information from a CFD analysis can be used in
determining the temperature distribution on a structure in a steady-state or transient thermal
analysis or to determine the induced stresses in a structural or LS-DYNA analysis.
To import loads from a CFD analysis:
1. Complete your CFD analysis. From the Project Schematic, add an appropriate Mechanical
analysis and create links between:
a. The Solution cell of your CFD analysis and the Setup cell of the newly added
Mechanical or LS-DYNA analysis.
Your system should appear as illustrated here.
Analysis Types
2. Double-click the Setup cell to open Mechanical. By default, an Imported Load folder is
added under the Environment folder. Alternatively, select the Fluids Results File option of
the Imported Loads drop-down menu on the Environment ribbon to manually insert an
Imported Load (Fluids Results File) object to select an existing fluids results file from the
disk.
3. Select the Imported Load (Group) object and:
a. Specify the Interpolation Type property as either: CFD Results Interpolator or

Mechanical-Based Mapping (default).
Note:
The Mechanical-Based Mapping option is not available for LS-DYNA

analyses.
b. Right-click, select Insert, and then select the desired load type you wish to add.
Loads can also be added via the Environment Context Tab Imported Loads drop-
down menu.
4. For your newly inserted load object, you can modify the following properties in the
Definition category:
• Tabular Loading: This property controls the creation and content of the Data View
table. Data View values are applied at each load step. The options for this property
include Program Controlled (default), Ramped, Stepped, Off.
• Source Time: This property enables you to manage how the data from your source
analysis is imported into the Data View table. The options for this property include
Worksheet (default), All, and Range. Based on your selection, the time-based data
contained in the Data View table displays accordingly.
Note:
– While defining source times and time step data, at any time you can
right-click the imported load object and select the option Sync Analysis
Times. This option synchronizes the data of the Data View table with
your Step Controls (p. 1502) in the Analysis Settings object.
– As needed, you can also change the values of the Source Time column
entries in the Data View table. To do so, select a Source Time cell for
the imported load in Data View table and specify a different value.
Press Enter. The Source Time Step value changes based on the source
time you select. If the selected source time corresponds to more than
one source time step, you will also need to select the desired time step
value. You can also change the Analysis Time and specify Scale and
Offset values for the imported loads.
– Source Time is not available for LS-DYNA analyses.
Note:
For the Mechanical-Based Mapping setting, the Source Time field does
not support non-zero values that are less than or equal to 1e-9s.
Analysis Types
5. For your newly inserted load object, you can modify the following properties in the
Transfer Definition category based on the setting of the Interpolation Type property.
Note the following when making your specifications:
• If you specify the Interpolation Type property as Mechanical-Based Mapping

(default), refer to the Data Transfer Mesh Mapping (p. 2493) section for detailed de-
scriptions of the properties contained in the Settings, Graphics Controls, and Le-
gend Controls categories.
• Under the Transfer Definition category:
– For surface transfer, open the drop-down menu for the CFD Surface property
and select the corresponding CFD surface. If you have specified the Interpol-
ation Type property as Mechanical-Based Mapping, you can use the Ctrl
key to select multiple options from this menu.
– For volumetric transfer, open the drop-down menu for the CFD Domain
property and select the corresponding CFD Domain. If you have specified
the Interpolation Type property as Mechanical-Based Mapping, you can
use the Ctrl key to select multiple options from this menu.
• For CFD Convection loads only: select the appropriate Ambient Temperature Type.
Note:
– CFD Near-Wall Ambient (bulk) Temperature (default): This option

uses the fluid temperature in the near-wall region as the ambient
temperature for the film coefficient calculation. This value will vary
along the face. When you specify Mechanical-Based Mapping as
the Interpolation Type, Mechanical calculates the Wall Adjacent
Heat Transfer Coefficient as the film coefficient. If you wish to
use the Fluent derived heat transfer coefficients, export the solution
data from Fluent and import it via External Data (p. 745) import.
– Constant Ambient Temperature: This constant value applies to

the entire scoped face(s). The film coefficient will be computed
based on this constant ambient temperature value. Use of a con-
stant ambient temperature value in rare cases may produce a
negative film coefficient if the ambient temperature is less than
the local face temperature. If this is the case, you can define a
Supplemental Film Coefficient. This value will be used in place of
the negative computed film coefficient and the ambient temper-
ature adjusted to maintain the proper heat flow.
• In a structural analysis, if the Imported Body Temperature load is scoped to one

or more surface bodies, the Shell Face option in the details view enables you to
apply the temperatures to Both faces, to the Top face(s) only, or to the Bottom
face(s) only. See Imported Body Temperature (p. 1861) for additional information.
6. In the Project Outline, right-click the imported load object and then select the Import
Load option to import the load. When the load has been imported successfully, a contour
plot will be displayed in the Geometry window.
Once the solution is complete for the Interpolation Type property set to CFD Results Interpolator,
a CFD Load Transfer Summary is displayed as a Comment in the particular CFD load branch. The
summary contains the following information:
• For a CFD Pressure load: the net force, due to shear stress and normal pressure, on the face
computed in CFD and the net force transferred to the Mechanical application faces. Note that
Mechanical-Based Mapping only imports normal pressure.
• For a CFD Temperature load: For surface transfers - the average computed temperature on the
CFD boundary and the corresponding average mapped temperature on the Mechanical application
faces.
For volumetric transfers – the average, maximum, and minimum temperature of the CFD domain
and the corresponding Mechanical Application body selection(s).
• For a CFD Convection load: the total heat flow across the face, and the average film coefficient
and ambient temperature on the face.
The computed and mapped face data may be compared in order to get a qualitative assessment
of the accuracy of the mapped data. Examples of the Imported Load Transfer Summary for the
Interpolation Types are illustrated below.
CFD Results Interpolator Mechanical-Based Mapping
The following additional topics are covered in subsequent sections:

5.15.7.3.1. Face Forces at Fluid-Structure Interface
5.15.7.3.2. Face Temperatures and Convections at Fluid-Structure Interface
5.15.7.3.3. Volumetric Temperature Transfer
5.15.7.3.4. CFD Results Mapping
5.15.7.3.1. Face Forces at Fluid-Structure Interface

You can use results at a fluid-structure interface from a CFD analysis as face forces (from the
vector sum of the normal pressures and shear stresses) on corresponding faces in the Mechanical
Analysis Types
application. The import process involves interpolating a CFD solution onto the Mechanical applic-
ation face mesh. This requires that the following conditions are met:
• The fluid-structure interface must be a defined boundary in CFD.
• The location of the CFD boundary (with respect to the global Cartesian coordinate system)
must be the same as the corresponding face(s) in the Mechanical application model.
Refer to the Imported Boundary Conditions (p. 1857) section for more information.
5.15.7.3.2. Face Temperatures and Convections at Fluid-Structure Interface

This feature allows the transfer of either of the following thermal solutions from a CFD solution
boundary to a corresponding face in the Mechanical application model:
• Temperatures at the fluid-structure interface.
• Film coefficients and bulk temperature values at the fluid-structure interface.
The import process involves interpolating a CFD solution onto the Mechanical application face
mesh. This requires that the following conditions are met:
• The fluid-structure interface must be a defined boundary in CFD.
• The location of the CFD boundary (with respect to the global Cartesian coordinate system)
must be the same as the corresponding face(s) in the Mechanical application model.
Refer to the Imported Loads (p. 1857) section for more information.
5.15.7.3.3. Volumetric Temperature Transfer

You can transfer temperature results from a CFD analysis and apply them as body loads in the
Mechanical application. The import process involves interpolating a CFD solution onto the mesh
for the bodies selected in the Mechanical application. This requires that the following condition
is met:
• The location of the bodies in the Mechanical application model (with respect to the global
Cartesian coordinate system) must be the same as the corresponding CFD domains.
5.15.7.3.4. CFD Results Mapping

When mapping CFD results onto the Mechanical application face(s) the Mechanical nodes are
projected on to the CFD face. All the Mechanical application face nodes will map to the CFD face
according to the following rules:
a. Project normal to the CFD mesh faces.
b. If rule a fails, project to the closest edge.
c. If rule b. fails, project to the closest node on the CFD face.
Rule c. will always work, so in the end every node will get some kind of mapping. However the
most accurate load mapping occurs for nodes projected normal to the mesh face. The percentage
of the Mechanical application nodes that mapped successfully using rule a. above is reported in
the diagnostics. When the Mechanical application mesh is very coarse, there can be some misses
near the edges of the CFD boundary. However all nodes become mapped eventually. The accuracy
of force transfer improves as the Mechanical application mesh is refined.
When mapping CFD domain results onto the corresponding Mechanical Application body selec-
tion(s), all the Mechanical Application nodes that cannot be mapped to the CFD domain will be
set to the average temperature.
5.15.8. Icepak to Mechanical Data Transfer

The Mechanical application enables you to transfer temperature data from Icepak into Mechanical.
This process involves the import of temperature data from the solid objects defined in Icepak onto
the geometry defined in Mechanical. As the meshes used in Icepak and Mechanical could be quite
different, mapping the temperatures involves an interpolation method between the two. Once the
mapping is completed, it is possible to view the temperatures and utilize them to perform a Mechan-
ical analysis. The workflow is outlined below.
Workflow for Icepak Data Transfer

1. In Icepak, perform all steps for an Icepak analysis by creating the Icepak model, meshing and
solving the model. After the solution has finished, Icepak writes out the temperature data for each
of the solid objects to a file with the extension loads. In addition, a summary file with the extension
load summary is written out.
Note:
The CFD Post/Mechanical data option must be enabled in the Solve panel to transfer
data to CFD-Post/Mechanical. If this option was not enabled prior to solving, you also
have the option of exporting data using the Post > Workflow data menu in Ansys
Icepak.
2. Drag and drop a Mechanical cell, which could be one of Static Structural, Steady-State Thermal,
Transient Structural, Transient Thermal, or Thermal-Electric analysis on top of the Icepak Solution
cell.
3. Import the geometry or transfer the geometry into the Mechanical application. Double click the
Setup cell to display the Mechanical application.
4. In the Details section of Imported Temperature or Imported Body Temperature under Imported
Loads, you will first select the Scoping method. Select Geometry Selection as the Scoping
method unless you have created a Named Selection. See Scoping Analysis Objects to Named
Selections (p. 1373) for a detailed description.
5. If Geometry Selection is selected as the Scoping method, pick the geometry using Single select
or Box select and click Apply or select a Named Selection object in the drop-down list.
6. In a structural analysis, if the Imported Body Temperature load is scoped to one or more surface
bodies, the Shell Face option in the details view enables you to apply the temperatures to Both
faces, to the Top face(s) only, or to the Bottom face(s) only. See Imported Body Temperature (p. 1861)
Analysis Types
7. To suppress this load, select Yes. Otherwise, retain the default setting.
8. In the drop-down field next to Icepak Body, select one body at a time, All or a Named Selection.
If selecting an individual body, make sure your selection corresponds to the volume selected in
step 5. If All bodies were selected, select All.
9. The Icepak Data Solution Source field displays the Icepak temperature source data file.
10. You can modify the Mapper Settings (p. 2493) to achieve the desired mapping accuracy.
11. Click the imported load object, then right-click and select Import Load. This process first generates
a mesh, if one doesn't already exist, and then interpolates the temperatures from the Icepak mesh
onto the Mechanical mesh. This process might take long if the mesh size or the number of bodies
is large. Improving the quality of the mesh will improve the interpolation results but the compu-
tation time may be higher.
Note:
If the import is successful, you can see the temperature plot in the graphics display
window.
If multiple time steps refer to the same time, an error will be displayed in the Mechan-
ical message window.
12. You can apply other boundary conditions and click Solve to solve the analysis.
How to Set up a Transient Problem

1. In Icepak, perform all steps for a transient Icepak analysis and solve the model.
2. Perform steps 2 – 9 as described above.
3. Click the Analysis Settings object in the tree. Begin adding each step's End Time values for the
various steps to the tabular data window. You can enter the data in any order but the step end
time points will be sorted into ascending order. The time span between the consecutive step end
times will form a step. You can also select a row(s) corresponding to a step end time, click the
right mouse button and choose Delete Rows from the context menu to delete the corresponding
steps. See Establish Analysis Settings (p. 354) for further information. Whenever a new row is added
or deleted, the imported body temperature data view will be updated to match the number of
rows in the Analysis Settings.
4. Click the imported load object and the Data View tab with updated Analysis Times is displayed.
If the Analysis Time is different, the Source Time will display the original time, matching to the
closest available Source Time coming from Icepak. If the match is not satisfactory, you can select
a Source Time(s) from the drop-down list and Mechanical will calculate the source node and
temperature values at that particular time. This combo box will display the union of source time
and analysis time values. The values displayed in the combo box will always be between the upper
and lower bound values of the source time. If the user modifies the source time value, the selection
will be preserved until the user modifies the value even if the step's end time gets changed on
the analysis settings object. If a new end time value is added/deleted, Source Time will get the
value closest to the newly added Analysis time value.
5. Click the imported load object, then right-click and select Import Load. This will interpolate the
value at all the selected time steps.
6. User can display interpolated temperature values at different time steps by changing the Active
Row option in the detail pane.
7. Apply required boundary conditions, continue with any further analysis and solve.
5.15.9. Inverse Solving for Nonlinear Static Structural Analyses
Introduction
The basic difference between a traditional (forward) analysis and the use of the Inverse Option, is the
state of the initial geometry. For a forward solution process, the initial geometry is deformed under
loading conditions and results are evaluated on the deformed geometry. While using the Inverse
Option for your solution, you begin with a known input geometry that is already deformed under a
set of loads that produced the deformation. Therefore, the solution output generated by the solver
is the geometry (also referred to as solution geometry or reference geometry) that would have existed
without the application of the loads. However, the result values are always calculated on the input
geometry during the inverse stage of the solution.
For both solution processes, the basic concepts, solution approaches, and steps are the same.
Important:
Inverse solving is only supported for Static Structural (p. 658) nonlinear analyses with the
Large Deflection property set to On, that is, when the deformations may be large enough
to affect the solutions results.
Application
To perform inverse solving, simply set the Inverse Option property to Yes in the Advanced cat-
egory (p. 1547) of the Analysis Settings. Setting the property to Yes also displays the End Step property.
The End Step property specifies the step number in the analysis when the inverse solving routine
ends. The default value of End Step is 1 and is read-only (unless Beta Options options are enabled).
The steps in the analysis until the End Step of Inverse Option are referred to as inverse steps. The
steps in the analysis that occur after the End Step of the Inverse Option are referred as forward steps.
Analysis Types
When set to Yes, the Inverse Option will always perform an inverse solving on at least the first load
step. This assumes that the input geometry for the analysis is a geometry that is already deformed
under the specified loading during the inverse steps.
Proper specification of the End Step and Number of Steps properties enables you to perform:
• Inverse solving with the intent to obtain the solution/reference geometry only. You can perform
purely inverse solving by setting the same value for End Step and the Number of Steps
properties. The direction of force-based loading, such as Pressure, Force, etc., should be con-
sidered such that it brings the Solution Geometry to the Input Geometry. However, for displace-
ment-based loads, such as Displacement, Remote Displacement, etc., the prescribed displace-
ment should be defined such that it brings the Input Geometry to the Solution Geometry.
• Inverse solving followed by a forward solving. This is useful when you need to examine the
structural response under additional loading. You perform this type of analysis by setting the
End Step property to a value that is less than the value provided for the Number of Steps
property. The analysis begins with an input geometry that is already deformed under the
specified loading conditions during the inverse steps. During the start of the forward solution
step, the solver resets the displacements to zero and start from the Input geometry. As a result,
you may see a sudden jump in displacement from the end of inverse step to the beginning
of the forward step because of this reset.
• Loop test to verify the modeling details used with Inverse Option. To perform a loop test, 1)
enter an End Step property value that is less than the setting of the Number of Steps property,
2) make sure the applied loads remain the same between the inverse and forward steps. Because
the applied load is same for the Inverse and forward step, the same Input geometry, which
exists at time = 0, will be recovered at the end of the forward step.
Note:
To perform a loop test, it is recommended that you export the solution geometry
(Export > STL) following the inverse step in order to have a separate analysis and
apply the same loads that were applied for the inverse steps.
Be sure to review the Requirements and Limitations (p. 779) outlined below.

Review the categorized requirements and limitations listed below. In order to the inverse capability,
you must make sure these requisites are met.
Analysis Settings
When defining Analysis Settings, the Inverse option requires the:
• Large Deflection property to be set to On.
• The Inverse Option requires the Unsymmetric solver. If the Inverse Option property is
set to Yes, the application automatically selects this solver.
Elements
The Inverse Option only supports a mesh with higher order elements.
Contact
The Inverse option only supports the MPC setting for the Formulation property for contact
conditions and does not support Bearings, Springs, Joints, Beams, and Spot Welds connection
types.
Loading and Boundary Conditions
Supported Load and Boundary Conditions include:
• Inertial (p. 1610): Acceleration, Standard Earth Gravity, Rotation Velocity, and Rotational Ac-
celeration.
• Loads (p. 1628): Pressure (direct and normal pressures only), Remote Force, and Moment.
• Supports (p. 1781): Fixed Support, Displacement, Remote Displacement, Frictionless Support,
and Cylindrical Support.
• Conditions (p. 1816): Coupling and Constraint Equation.
• Direct FE (p. 1838): Nodal Force, Nodal Pressure, Nodal Displacement, and Nodal Orientation.
Important:
Because displacement type loads like Displacement and Remote Displacement

brings the displacement from Input Geometry to Solution Geometry, it is important
to reverse the direction of these prescribed displacements during the forward step
if you wish to perform the loop test or continue with additional loads/displace-
ments in the forward step.
Important:
The following loading conditions are not supported:
Analysis Types
• Remote loads (Remote Forces/Remote Displacements/Moments) specified using

beam behavior.
• Loads that rely on the internal generation of elements (surface effect elements,
beam elements, pretension elements, etc.).
Materials
The Inverse option supports the following materials:
• Linear Elastic
• Hyperelastic with a material incompressibility factor d≠0.
Any nonlinear material effects, such as plasticity and creep, are not supported.
Linked Environments
If you use an inversely solved Static Structural analysis as a prestress environment for a downstream
Modal or Harmonic Response analysis:
• Only forward solved steps can be selected as prestress steps for linked Modal/Harmonic
Response analyses.
• For undamped Modal analyses, the application uses the Unsymmetric setting for the
Solver Type property (via the Program Controlled setting). The other solver types (Direct,
Iterative, Subspace, and Supernode) are not supported for an undamped Modal environ-
ment.
Post-Processing of Results
For result entities plotted at Time or Result Set corresponding to an inverse step, please note the
following:
• Deformation results retrieved for inverse step, represent the deformation of the model with
respect to the input geometry. Deformation results are plotted on the solution geometry.
• All other result items (e.g. stress, strains, probes etc.) are plotted on the input geometry of the
analysis.
Analysis Types
• Results produced during the Inverse solution are shown with a colored highlight in the Graph
and Tabular Data window.
• You can save the solution/reference geometry using the context (right-click) menu option Insert
> Export > STL on a deformation result created for the Display Time/Load Step corresponding
to the End Step of the inverse solution.
Note:
Be sure to use the Zoom to Fit Animation (p. 2366) option in the Graph window to
properly animate your Inverse results. When the option is active, Mechanical loops
through all the time steps to compute a scale factor that accommodates a full range
of time steps and makes sure that the animation fits properly within the Geometry
window.
MAPDL Reference
For an additional information, review the Nonlinear Static Analysis with Inverse Solving section of the
Mechanical APDL Structural Analysis Guide.
5.15.10. Mechanical-Electronics Interaction (Mechatronics) Data Transfer

You can export a reduced model that can be imported into Twin Builder.
5.15.10.1. Overall Workflow for Mechatronics Analysis

1. Create a modal analysis system.
2. Define the inputs using Remote Points and/or Named Selections. The names of the entities
created must include the prefix input_ and the degree of freedom in the trailing suffix, signified
by an underbar (e.g. "input_MyName_ux").
Note:
The Named Selection can only be scoped to a vertex.
3. Define the outputs using Named Selection. The names of the entities created must include the
prefix output_ and the degree of freedom in the suffix (e.g. "output_MyName2_rotx").
Note:
The Named Selection can only be scoped to a vertex.
4. Specify the modal damping in a Commands Object under an Environment, for example:
dmprat,.02 ! 2% damping on all modes
mdamp,1,.05 ! 5% damping on mode 1
Analysis Types
5. At Solution level, add a Commands Object and import the macro Ex-
portStateSpaceMatrices.mac to export the reduced model. It is located at the installation
folder under: ANSYS Inc\v242\aisol\DesignSpace\DSPages\macros
Note:
The macro is based on the Mechanical APDL command SPMWRITE.
6. Solve the Modal Analysis.
7. The reduced model file (file.spm) and the graphics file (file_spm.png) will exist in the
solver files directory and can then be imported into Twin Builder. (See Saving and Managing
Project Files in Workbench User's Guide for more information on solver files directories.)
5.15.10.2. Set up the Mechanical Application for Export to Twin Builder

To set up the Mechanical application to retrieve the inputs and outputs defined so they can be
used in the reduced model exported to Twin Builder:
1. From the File tab, select the Variable Manager option.
2. In the Variable Manager window, add/activate the variable ExportToTwinBuilder and set it
to 1.
5.15.11. Polyflow to Mechanical Data Transfer

This feature enables you to import data from a Polyflow system and apply it in a Mechanical application
analysis. Temperature data can be imported into a static structural, transient structural[3] steady-state
thermal, transient thermal or thermal-electric analysis.
To import data from a Polyflow system:
• In the Project Schematic, right-click the Solution cell of the Polyflow system and select Transfer
Data to New><Mechanical system>, a link is created to the Model cell of the selected
Mechanical system. If you select Transfer Data to New > <Mechanical system>, this operation
automatically creates a link to the Model cell of the Mechanical system. Alternatively, you can drag
the Solution cell of the Polyflow system and drop it onto the Model cell of a Mechanical system
to create the link.
• To transfer temperature data to Mechanical, drag the Solution cell of the Polyflow system and
drop it onto the Setup cell of an applicable Mechanical system.
• To transfer thickness data to Mechanical, drag the Solution cell of the Polyflow system and drop
it onto the Model cell of an applicable Mechanical system.
If your simulation has thickness defined from a Polyflow system, an Imported Thickness folder is
added under the Geometry folder.
[3] The rigid dynamics solver is not supported.
1. Select appropriate geometry in the Details view, and then click Apply.
2. Select appropriate options in the Details view. You can modify the mapping settings to achieve
the desired mapping accuracy.
3. You can specify a thickness value for the unmapped target nodes using the Unmapped Data
Value property. By default, a zero thickness value is assigned to the unmapped nodes.
Important:
For the Mechanical APDL solver, the thickness value at each node must be greater
than zero.
4. Right-click the Imported Thickness object, and then click Import Thickness to import the
thickness. When the thickness has been imported successfully, a contour plot will be displayed
in the Geometry window and any mesh display will be based upon the mapped thickness of
the elements.
If your simulation has temperature data defined from a Polyflow system, an Imported Load folder is
added under the Environment folder.
1. Select an imported temperature load to add from the Imported Loads drop-down menu on the
Environment Context tab or right-click the Imported Load folder and select the appropriate
load from the Insert context menu.
2. Select appropriate geometry in the Details view, and then click Apply.
3. In a 3D structural analysis, if the Imported Body Temperature load is scoped to one or more
surface bodies, the Shell Face option in the details view enables you to apply the temperatures
to Both faces, to the Top face(s) only, or to the Bottom face(s) only. See Imported Body Temper-
ature (p. 1861) for additional information.
4. Select appropriate options in the Details view. You can modify the mapper settings (p. 2493) to
achieve the desired mapping accuracy.
• In a 3D analysis, if the Triangulation mapping algorithm is used, the Transfer Type mapping
option defaults to Surface when an Imported Temperature or Imported Body Temperature
load scoping is only on shell bodies. If the scoping is on shell bodies and other geometry
types, the Transfer Type mapping option will default to Volumetric. In such cases, to obtain
a more accurate mapping, you should create a separate imported load for geometry selections
on shell bodies, and use the Surface option for Transfer Type.
5. Under Data View, select the desired data Identifier, for the imported load. The data identifier
(File Identifier: Data Identifier) strings are specified by the upstream Polyflow system. You can
also change the Analysis Time and specify Scale and Offset values for the imported loads.
6. Right-click in the Data View and select Add row to specify additional data for a different analysis
time.
Analysis Types
7. In the project tree, right-click the Imported Load object, and then click Import Load to import
the load. When the load has been imported successfully, a contour plot will be displayed in the
Geometry window.
8. If multiple rows are defined in the Data View, imported values at different time steps can be
displayed by changing the Active Row option in the details pane.
• Magnitude
Select the appropriate data identifier that represents the load values to be applied from the
drop-down list.
• Analysis Time
Choose the analysis time, when the load will be applied. For the Mechanical APDL solver, this
must coincide with the end time of a step defined in the Analysis Settings object in the tree.
• Scale
The amount by which the imported load values are scaled before applying them.
• Offset
An offset that is added to the imported load values before applying them.
Data window, and choose Activate/Deactivateat this step! See Activating and Deactivating
Loads (p. 1507) for additional rules when multiple load objects of the same type exist on common
geometry selections.
5.15.12. Reinforcement Specification Using Mesh-Independent Method
Introduction
For an appropriately modeled geometry, Mechanical provides options to specify reinforcements
within a structure. Mechanical can model these reinforcing geometries with specialized reinforcing
elements. These reinforcing elements provide extra reinforcing by interacting with the standard
structural or thermal elements, referred to as base elements, via the shared nodes.
This section examines:
• Feature Overview (p. 787)
• Loading Condition Specification (p. 790)
• Post Processing (p. 790)
Feature Overview
Reinforcement is supported for the following three-dimensional analysis types:
• Static Structural
• Steady-State Thermal
• Thermal-Stress (Steady-State Thermal linked to Static Structural)
• Modal (Standalone and Pre-Stressed)
• Harmonic Analysis (Standalone, Pre-Stressed, and MSUP)
• Random Vibration
• Response Spectrum
These analyses require that your imported model already include the line or surface bodies you wish
to specify as reinforcements as well as an appropriate material to assign to these reinforcement
bodies.
As illustrated, Mechanical provides reinforcement specification for line bodies (discrete reinforcing)
and surface bodies (smeared reinforcing). Each line body specified as reinforcement basically represents
a reinforcing fiber arbitrarily oriented in space. Each surface body specified as reinforcement basically
represents a reinforcing layer. This reinforcing layer can be either a homogeneous reinforcing layer
(membrane) or reinforcing layer with evenly spaced fibers.
Discrete (Line Bodies Smeared (Surface Bodies

Only) Only)
Mechanical uses the Mechanical APDL-based Mesh-Independent Method for Defining Reinforcing to
create reinforcing elements. The mesh-independent method uses MESH200 elements to represent
the reinforcing member locations inside the generated reinforcing elements.
When the solution is initiated, the application temporarily defines the reinforcement locations using
MESH200 elements along with the base elements. During the solution process, the application internally
creates the element REINF264 for line bodies or the element REINF265 for surface bodies based on
the intersection of corresponding MESH200 and base elements.
Important:
• The line and surface bodies defined as reinforcements are reinforcement representations,
not actual reinforcing elements or members created by the MAPDL solver.
Analysis Types
• Different solver units might affect the number of reinforcing elements or members
generated during the solve due to tolerances. This could lead to small differences in the
result values.
Application
The steps to specify line or surface bodies as reinforcements include:
Line Bodies
For the Line Body object:
1. Select the Reinforcement option for the Model Type property.
2. As needed, assign a material to the Line Body reinforcement.
3. Verify that the desired cross section is specified in the Cross Section property. The area
value of this cross section is sent to the solver (Area property of the corresponding cross
section object).
Note:
• The solver does not consider the shape of the cross section. The area of the
cross section is the only required value. See the Reinforcing topic in the
SECDATA command section of the Mechanical APDL Command Reference
• During the solution process, by default, the application 1) turns on Tension

and Compression and 2) removes the base material from the space occupied
by the reinforcing fibers.
4. Repeat the above steps for all line bodies to be used as a reinforcement.
Surface Bodies
For Surface Body objects, the default setting for the Model Type property is Shell. The Shell
setting treats the body as a surface body - there is no reinforcement treatment.
To specify the Surface Body as a reinforcement:
1. Select the Reinforcement option for the Model Type property.
2. As needed, assign a material to the Surface Body reinforcement.
3. When you select the Reinforcement option, an additional property, Homogeneous

Membrane, displays.
If the Homogeneous Membrane property is set to Yes (default), then the Surface body
is treated as a homogeneous reinforcing layer (membrane) in a plane-stress state. Verify
the value in the Thickness property since this value is used for defining the cross section
area of the reinforcing membrane inside the reinforcing element.
For 3D Structural analyses, when the Homogeneous Membrane property is set to Yes,
the additional property Reinforcing Stress State displays. This property enables you to
specify the reinforcing stress state and stiffness behavior of the homogeneous reinforcing
layer (membrane). Options include Plane Stress Only (default), Plane Stress with
Transverse Shear, and Plane Stress with Transverse Shear and Bending. See the Rein-
forcing topic in the SECCONTROL section of the Mechanical APDL Command Reference
If Homogeneous Membrane property is set to No, then the Surface Body is treated as
a reinforcing layer with a cluster of parallel and equidistant fibers having the same cross
section. This means that the layer has a uniaxial-stress state in the direction of the fibers.
The value in the Thickness property is ignored. The following additional properties display
and require specification:
• Fiber Cross Sec-

tion Area: Cross
section area of
the fiber.
• Fiber Spacing:
Distance
between fibers.
• Fiber Angle:
Orientation of
the associated
fibers in the
specified
coordinate
system.
In addition, select the appropriate Coordinate System to define the specific orientation
of the fibers. See Element Coordinate System description in the MESH200 element section
Analysis Types
4. Repeat the above steps for all surface bodies to be used as a reinforcement.
Note:
During the solution process, by default, the application 1) turns on Tension and
Compression when the Homogeneous Membrane property is set to No (uni-axial
stress state) and 2) removes the base material from the space occupied by the
reinforcing layer.
Loading Condition Specification

Only an Internal Heat Generation (p. 1736) load or an Imported Heat Generation (p. 1868) load can be
applied to the bodies specified as Reinforcements.
Post Processing
You can create results for reinforcement bodies through Geometry Selection or using Named Selec-
tions. You can select specific reinforcement bodies or use the default setting of All Bodies and hide
appropriate base bodies to view the results on the reinforcements.
Because the solver generates reinforcing elements, only body-based results are available on the rein-
forcement bodies. Mechanical does not allow Face/Edge/Vertex/Node/Element/Element Face based
results on Reinforcement bodies.
Also, if you mix reinforcement body selections with non-reinforcement body selections for your result
scoping, the application displays results for the bodies that are not specified as Reinforcements and
excludes the evaluation of results on the Reinforcement bodies.
Note:
If you set the Scoping Method property to Result File Item, the Global ID property displays
for results on a specified set of reinforcing members. This corresponds to the global iden-
tifier (EGID) in Mechanical APDL.

Note the following when performing this analysis type:
• Reinforcement is supported for 3D Static Structural and Steady-State Thermal analyses.
• If you are using Material Assignment (p. 1071) objects, Ansys recommends that you use separate
Material Assignment objects or Line bodies and Surface bodies modeled as Reinforcements
as well as for any non-reinforcement bodies. This helps ensure the application properly plots
result data.
• If you have assigned a material to the base body that does not support a 1D stress state, such
as Drucker Prager, the application does not remove the base material in the space occupied
by reinforcing members that have uniaxial stress state.
• If you have a result object selected, certain mesh-based features are not available for the rein-
forcement elements of the geometry, including mesh selection filters (nodes (p. 232), elements,
and element faces (p. 239)), as well as the ability to display a Node ID in the probe label (p. 200),
and Selecting Nodes and Elements by ID (p. 242).
• Reinforcements do not support bending for nonhomogeneous membranes.
• Thermal analyses do not support surface and line bodies as base bodies for creating reinforcing
elements.
• Reinforcement bodies do not support Remote Points (p. 1379), Symmetry (p. 1435), Fracture (p. 410),
or Connections (p. 1111). These features are ignored when scoped to reinforcement bodies.
• Condensed Parts are not supported when a model contains reinforcements. If present, you
can suppress the Condensed Part(s) or Reinforcement bodies in order to proceed with the
solution.
• Only Body-based results are supported for Reinforcement Bodies. (See the Post Pro-
cessing (p. 790) topic above)
• Reinforcements do not support Elemental Triads and Elemental Euler Angle results.
• For nodal results, such as nodal Reactions (p. 2212), that are scoped to reinforcement elements,
the application displays values that are extrapolated, via shape functions, to element intersection
points (II, JJ, etc.). This is also the case if you export result values. Exported result values may
contain node numbers, but the result values are the interpolated intersection values. In addition,
the summation of Mechanical nodal reaction results may not match those of the Mechanical
APDL application.
• For element nodal Reactions (p. 2212) force results on reinforcement elements, the application
only displays a subset of nodes on the result as compared to Mechanical APDL. For example,
MAPDL lists 20 nodes for a smeared reinforcement element whereas Mechanical only lists four
nodes. This also applies to exported result values.
5.15.13. Rotordynamics Analysis

Rotordynamics is a specialized branch of applied mechanics that studies the behaviors of rotating
structures. This rotating structure, or "rotor system," is typically composed of rotors, stators, and
bearings. For a simple rotor system, the rotor component rotates about an axis that is stabilized by
a bearing that is supported by a stator. This structure can be as simple as computer disk or as com-
plicated as a jet engine.
The Mechanical Rotordynamics Analysis helps to direct you when selecting properties such as rotor
stiffness and geometry, bearing stiffness, damping, and stator properties for a rotor system based on
a given rotating speed. For example, to effectively study a system’s vibratory characteristics, you can
use a Campbell diagram. A Campbell diagram enables you to determine critical speeds (for different
rotating modes), such as the rate at which the rotating structure experiences resonance (peak response)
to avoid possible catastrophic failure. Or, a Rotordynamic Analysis can be used to determine safe
operational ranges for a rotor system.
In the Mechanical documentation, see the Rotordynamics Controls (p. 1577) section for more information,
and in the Mechanical APDL documentation, the Rotordynamic Analysis Guide.
Analysis Types
Refer to the following areas of the documentation for additional and associated information for Ro-
tordynamics:
• Import Shaft Geometry
• Bearings (p. 1324)
• Campbell Diagram Chart Results (p. 2238)
5.15.13.1. Rotordynamics Extension

The Rotordynamics extension is a native extension that allows you to fulfill acceptance criteria for
rotating machinery design. It is compatible with both Beam and Solid rotors.
Engineers face the challenge of repetitively conducting preprocessing, analysis, and postprocessing,
throughout the development process. Recognizing the need for a more efficient approach, the
Rotordynamics extension centers around leveraging the capabilities of Ansys Mechanical.
By using the Rotordynamics extension, you can streamline the entire process and accelerate the
creation of acceptance documents. The Rotordynamics extension involves the development of pre
and postprocessing objects, essentially creating a vertical application tailored specifically for the
rotordynamics industry. This tool is well-suited to handling 3D models and is known for its speed
and accuracy in complex analyses.
5.15.13.2. Loading the Rotordynamics Extension

The Rotordynamics extension must first be loaded from the ACT Start Page.
Follow these steps to load the extension correctly:
1. In the Workbench toolbar, under the Extensions options, select Manage Extensions....
2. Select the Loaded check box option for RotorDynApp to make the Rotordynamics extension
capabilities available.
To unload it, simply clear this option.
3. By selecting the Load as Default option from the context-sensitive menu, the extension
can also be loaded by default to make it available every time a new Workbench project is
opened.
4. The Rotordynamics tab will appear in the Mechanical toolbar.
5.15.13.3. Rotordynamics Capabilities

The capability of the Rotordynamics extension centers mainly around three objects:
• Critical Speed Maps (p. 793): Insert a Critical Speed Map to see the evolution of the critical
speeds of the rotor with respect to the bearing stiffness. The Critical Speed Map shows the
effect of the bearing stiffness on the critical speeds. Critical Speed Maps are supported for
Modal systems.
• Orbital Plots (p. 795): Insert an Orbital Plot object to divide the centerline of the rotor into a
user-defined number of points and create a 360 degree visualization for them. Orbital Plot
Maps are supported for Modal systems.
• Harmonic Separation Margin (p. 799): A Harmonic Separation Margin calculates the separation
margin based on user-defined parameters for the Separation Margin Equation. Harmonic
Separation Margins are supported for Harmonic systems.
5.15.13.4. Critical Speed Maps

To be able to insert a Critical Speed Map, Modal analysis must be selected.
The Critical Speed Map will generate all the corresponding post commands to add to the solver
input file, and therefore should be inserted before the solution is performed. If the Modal system
is already solved, clear the results and then insert the Critical Speed Map.
Only one Critical Speed Map object is allowed per Modal Solution.
Critical Speed Map Properties

A Critical Speed Map will trigger the Modal solution multiple times, changing the bearing stiffness
according to the properties set, and will output the resonance frequency according to each bearing
stiffness defined. A graph is created, plotting the evolution of the critical speed map for each of
the modes against bearing stiffness (see below).
Analysis Types
Parameters for a Critical Speed Map are as follows:
Number of Critical Speeds
The number of critical speeds, which must be between 1 and 9. The Critical Speed Map
will be generated using the critical_speed_table.txt file, for the number of crit-
ical speeds defined. The corresponding information will be displayed in the Tabular Data
and the Graph for each of the critical speeds specified. The Tabular Data will contain the
results for each critical speed map defined in the corresponding column, with CMS1 cor-
responding to the values for the first critical speed map, CMS2 for the second and so on.
Number of Excitation Per Revolution
Sets the value by which to divide the critical rotor speed. This must be an integer value
equal to or higher than 1.
Bearing Stiffness and Number of Steps Values
A Critical Speed Map will be generated for each critical speed for as many steps as specified.
Each step will use the corresponding bearing stiffness, starting from the Bearing Stiffness
Lowest Value and ending with the Bearing Stiffness Highest Value.
The Bearing Stiffness Lowest Value must be a float value greater than 0.
The Number of Steps must be an integer equal to or greater than 2.
The value of the bearing stiffness for each step corresponds to the first column (X1) of the
tabular data, containing as many rows as the defined Number of Steps.
X, Y and Z Rotational Velocity values
X Rotational Velocity, Y Rotational Velocity, and Z Rotational Velocity are vectors rep-
resenting the rotational velocity component of the rotor about each axis. Each rotational
velocity must be a float value greater than 0.
Shift Cms Legend
Set to Yes or No. If set to No, the x-axis label will correspond to the Bearing Stiffness and
the y-axis label to the Critical Speed Map value (rpm).
Note:
A Critical Speed Map supports only two bearings and does not support distributed
solution.
5.15.13.5. Orbital Plots

Orbital Plot maps are supported for Modal analysis systems. You can insert an Orbital Plot object
to create a 360 degree visualization of the orbital plots. Orbital Plots are compatible both with
Beam and Solid rotors.
For beam rotors, orbital plots are displayed for all the beam nodes. If using a 3D solid rotor model,
the object will divide the centerline of the rotor into a user-defined number of points in order to
visualize the orbital plot in those locations.
Create an Orbital Plot

Scoping is restricted to nodes and bodies and can be done using Named Selection or Geometry
Selection. When scoping, the tool automatically detects whether the scope is a solid or beam rotor.
When selecting a solid rotor, the Solid Rotor Properties are displayed, so that you can define the
Total Locations and Mapper Scaling Factor to use.
In the case of a solid rotor, the Rotordynamics tool solves the challenge of having a line of nodes
in the centerline for hollow rotors (extrapolation) or coarse meshes without nodes in the centerline
(interpolation).
A virtual set of nodes or locations is created along the rotor axis and the Ansys Data Processing
Framework (DPF) RBF mapper is used to extrapolate or interpolate the modal results into those
locations based on the surrounding nodal results.
The Total Locations property will divide the axis into the specified number of values to create the
set of virtual nodes and will take surrounding values to perform the interpolation or extrapolation
based on the Mapper Scaling Factor. The greater the Mapper Scaling Factor, the more values from
the surrounding nodes will be taken.
The Result Set property sets the mode to use.
The remaining parameters help to the scale of the results for a better visualization as follows:
The Plot Scale varies the dimension of the plots.
Analysis Types
For Phase Angle Step, a smaller value leads to an orbital plot with smoother edges, since additional
points are added in the circumferential plot (see below).
There are several options to display the connection between consecutive orbital plots (for example,
the maximum value, or the intersection of the orbital plots with a specific plane), this is controlled
by the Blue Line Option property in the Mechanical interface (see below).
Set the Blue Line Option to Phase 0, Phase 90, Phase of Max, Phase of Min in Section 1, Phase
of Max in Section 1, Maximum, or Minimum to select the points of each 360 degree plot at which
the blue line should be shown.
Phase Angle Range defines the range of the cutting plane in degrees.
Once all the properties are set, right-click the Orbital Plot and select the Create Orbital Plot option
to represent the orbital plots.
The Unbalanced Response panel for the Orbital Plot is populated with the corresponding Maximum
and Minimum locations.
You must define Unbalanced Force 1 and Unbalanced Force 2 according to your specific standards
or requirements.
You can also input maximum and minimum force locations to automate the creation of the forces.
Once created, these locations can be modified using remote points.
Analysis Types
Add Example Unbalanced Forces

Once the Unbalanced Force example values are defined, you can right-click the Orbital Plot and
select Add Example Unbalanced Forces. Note that by default these loads are just examples and
do not follow any specific norm. You must modify the location and values of these forces to unbal-
ance the rotor according to the modal shape and your specific standards or requirements.
This action will automatically create the following objects:
• Two Coordinate Systems at the locations where the unbalanced forces are created.
• Named Selections are created automatically by the tool by selecting the number of mesh
nodes within a defined tolerance. The pre-set tolerance is −5e-3m and 5e-3m as the upper
and lower bounding distance from the previously-created coordinate systems. You can adjust
this tolerance in the worksheet as required.
• Two Remote Points attached to the geometries at the location of the previously created
Named Selections.
New objects are created In the Harmonic system for the Rotating Force Remote Points and the
Rotating Shaft. Note that the added command snippet system is empty, and exists only to enable
solution of the Harmonic system. Note also that when multiple Harmonic systems are present in
the project, all of them will be populated with the previously mentioned objects. It is therefore
suggested that you perform the unbalanced response analysis with only one Harmonic system in
the project.
All the objects created can be easily modified to adapt to your specific requirements or standards.
Rotating Force Remote Point

The Rotating Force Remote Points added to the Harmonic system are located at the previously-
created Unbalanced Force Remote Points, with the magnitude of the force defined in the Orbital
Plot details panel.
This object adds the equivalent rotating force to that specific remote point location. When solving
the Harmonic system, the corresponding Mechanical APDL commands are added to the ds.dat
file to account for the rotating force.
You can redefine the remote point location (Geometry), rotational Global Axis, Force, and Phase
as required.
Rotating Shaft
The rotating shaft must be scoped to All bodies and the Rotational Velocity Factor is always set
to 1. All geometries will rotate with the same defined rotational velocity.
When solving the Harmonic system, the corresponding commands are added to the input file
(ds.dat) to confirm to the Mechanical APDL solver that all bodies are rotating with the same ro-
tational velocity.
5.15.13.6. Harmonic Separation Margin

The Harmonic Separation Margin is a result object supported for a Harmonic Response system
that calculates the separation margin and generates the Amplitude vs Frequency and Phase vs
Amplitude graphs with the custom separation margin results.
Analysis Types
You must set the Peak Amplitude Factor property according to your specific requirements or
standards. The default value is 0.707 of the value of the peak.
Right-click the Harmonic Separation Margin and select Calculate Separation Margins in order to
populate the Results of the Harmonic Separation Margin details panel. This outputs the rotor
maximum critical center frequency (Nc1), the lowest and maximum speed at Peak Amplitude
Factor x Peak Amplitude (N1 and N2), the Amplification Factor, and the Separation
Margin values.
The Separation Margin is calculated according to the following equation:
Note that you can adjust the coefficients to meet your specific requirements or standards.
The graphs are displayed automatically once the calculations are complete.
Importance of Resolution
Since the Amplification Factor calculates the peak value where resonance occurs, the resolution
of the simulation directly affects the results.
See below for examples with several different frequency resolutions.
Frequency (Hz) vs Amplitude (m) with 10 frequencies:
Frequency (Hz) vs Amplitude (m) with 15 frequencies:
Frequency (Hz) vs Amplitude (m) with 20 frequencies.
Frequency (Hz) vs Amplitude (m) with a high number of frequencies.
Analysis Types
For a constant damping of 0.02, the Amplification Factor value changes with the resolution of
the simulation results until it starts converging close to a value of 50.
You must ensure that the frequency resolution is sufficient to reach convergence.
5.15.14. Substructure Analysis

Substructuring is a procedure that condenses a group of finite elements into one element represented
as a matrix. The single-matrix element is called a superelement. You can use a superelement in an
analysis as you would any other element type. By summarizing the mechanical behavior of the bodies,
they can be assembled to synthesize the response of a more complex structure, or to model flexible
bodies in the Rigid Dynamics solver.
Mechanical provides the options to generate superelements. You use the Condensed Parts object to
create superelements on a sub assembly or the Substructure Generation (p. 546) analysis to create a
superelement of an entire assembly. When you use the Substructure Generation analysis, you can
specify constraints and pre-stress effects and generate load vectors and use the elements in an ana-
lysis. When you use the Condensed Parts you can expand their solutions using the Expansion Settings
object.

Substructuring currently supports the following analysis types:
• Harmonic Response (p. 502) (MSUP only)
• Modal (p. 521)
• Motion
Substructuring Types
Mechanical enables you to perform:
• Top-down Substructuring: Using top-down substructuring, the application generates super-

elements on parts that you specify using Condensed Part objects. Each Condensed Part object
enables you to treat a set of bodies as a single superelement consisting of matrices and load
vectors with far fewer degrees of freedom than the full finite element mesh. The use pass
(described below) is then performed and includes all generated superelements. Using Expansion
Settings, the solution expands the superelements for the specified parts. See the Top-Down
Substructuring section in the Mechanical APDL Substructuring Analysis Guide for additional
technical information.
Important:
You can use the Substructure Generation (p. 546) analysis to automatically
generate superelements that include load vectors from the loading conditions
and constraints that you apply. In addition, you can use an upstream Static
Structural analysis to create pre-stress effects in the Substructure Generation
analysis solution.
Or…
• Bottom-up Substructuring: Using bottom-up substructuring, you import superelements using

the Imported Condensed Part (p. 812) object that were created in a different Mechanical session.
These imported superelements represent subassemblies of the model on which the generation
pass is already performed during a different Mechanical session and in the current Mechanical
session these superelements are then combined with the rest of the model to perform the
use pass on the entire model.
Important:
Bottom-up Substructuring does not support the Expansion pass.
Condensed Parts Introduction

Condensed Parts are defined by three key pieces of information:
• A group of bodies whose elements are to be reduced to a superelement.
Analysis Types
• A set of interfaces defining the primary nodes that should be retained in the generated super-
element.
• A list of solution settings that control the reduction process.
Substructuring Process
The top-down substructuring of condensed geometry involves the following operations:
1. Generation: The preliminary computation, the "Generation Pass," reduces the Condensed
Part bodies into a single superelement and its primary nodes, located on the defined interfaces.
The remaining interior nodes become hidden from the analyses that use the Condensed Part.
For top-down substructuring, the generation pass is done in the same mechanical session as
the use pass. For bottom-up substructuring, the generation pass is done in a different
mechanical session and superelements are imported in the current session on which no
generation pass is required.
2. Use: Once your Condensed Parts are properly defined and generated and Imported Condensed
parts are imported into the Mechanical session, they can be used in the solution (the "Use
Pass"). By hiding the interior nodes, flexible bodies can be included in a Rigid Dynamics
analysis when they are included in a Condensed Part. They can also be assembled together
in Modal analyses to compose the overall vibration properties of a more complex structure.
3. Expansion (Top-down substructuring only): Following the Use Pass, you can obtain results
on elements inside the Condensed Geometry using an "Expansion Pass."
Rigid Dynamics Only
For a Rigid Dynamics analysis, additional results can be produced by the Generation Pass to allow
a faster expansion, which does not need to go back to the finite element model to compute
stresses and deformation on a condensed part (see Expansion Pass (p. 821)).
Note:
Material and System Damping
• The solver ignores any Material Dependent Damping (Damping Ratio and Constant
Structural Damping Coefficient material properties) specified in the material assigned
to the bodies included in Condensed Part(s). Material dependent damping is defined in
Engineering Data.
• If you specify the property Constant Structural Damping Coefficient (p. 1552) as global
system damping using the Damping Controls (p. 1549) of the Analysis Settings, the solver
ignores this value during a Modal that includes Condensed Parts or Imported Condensed
Parts.
Importing Condensed Parts (Bottom Up Substructuring)

Ansys refers to the substructuring procedure described above as “top-down” substructuring. There
is also a procedure to perform “bottom-up” substructuring. This procedure imports superelements
that are created separately, in different Mechanical sessions. All superelements are then assembled
during the use pass.
Bottom-up substructuring is performed using the Imported Condensed Part object. This object enables
you to import previously generated superelements that you can then use for the Use Pass in the
current system. Supported file types include:
• Exported Condensed Part (.cpa) (default): This file format is for superelements generated in
Mechanical using the Condensed Part feature.
• Generation Pass Output (.sub): This file format is for superelements generated in Mechanical
APDL.
• Super Element Matrix (.dmig): This file format is for superelements generated in NASTRAN.
Note:
No load vectors are imported in to Mechanical for the Imported Condensed Part and
therefore cannot be applied to Use pass.
See the Imported Condensed Part (p. 812) section for the steps to use this option.
Substructure Generation Analysis

Note that you can employ the Substructure Generation (p. 546) analysis to perform a generation pass
on your model that condenses all the finite elements into one superelement and creates load vectors
for all loading conditions. In addition, the analysis supports the use of an upstream Static Structural
system to incorporate pre-stress effects in the simulation.
Analysis File Management

To improve solution processing times and memory usage when solving the Use Pass and Expansion
Pass, the Mechanical APDL Solver (required) refers to the prerequisite files generated by the upstream
condensed parts using the entire path to their location. See the SEOPT and MODDIR commands in
the Mechanical APDL Command Reference for more information.
Feature Description and Application

See the following sections that describe the use of the substructuring/Condensed Part features.
5.15.14.1. Condensed Part Overview
5.15.14.2. Condensed Part Application
5.15.14.3. Condensed Part Worksheet
5.15.14.4. Exporting Condensed Parts
5.15.14.5. Imported Condensed Parts
5.15.14.6. Expansion Pass
5.15.14.7. Limitations
5.15.14.8. Best Practices
Analysis Types
5.15.14.1. Condensed Part Overview

You insert a Condensed Geometry object via the Model object in the Outline and then insert and
define Condensed Part objects. To properly define a Condensed Part, you need to configure the
following:
• A group of bodies
• A set of interfaces
• Solution settings
Condensed Part Bodies and Interconnections

You create a Condensed Part from one or more interconnected bodies.
Important:
Because the resulting superelement is linear, any nonlinearities in the Condensed

Part elements, materials, and interior connections are ignored.
When defining a Condensed Part using multiple bodies, the following connections may be included:
• Beam Connections
• Bonded (p. 1147) Contact
• Distributed Mass
• Fixed Joint
• Point Mass
• Spring
• Shared topology
General Restrictions for Part Bodies and Interior Connections
• Cyclic Symmetry is not supported.
• Rigid bodies may be used, but it is best for at least one body to be flexible.
• Elements cannot use Lagrange multipliers. For example, interior contact regions
cannot use the Normal Lagrange Formulation (p. 1153).
Part Bodies and Interconnection Solver Restrictions (Ansys Rigid Dynamics Solver)
• Multi-body parts must be fully contained in a single Condensed Part, that is, partial
selections are invalid. You may however use several multi-body parts in a single
Condensed Part.
• The single connected component must produce six rigid modes. An insufficient
number of modes will cause the Use Pass not to converge. An excess of modes can
usually be remedied by breaking the Condensed Part into smaller rigidly connected
components.
Interfaces
An interface defines the primary nodes for the resulting superelement and therefore suggests how
a Condensed Part could connect to the rest of the model. In Mechanical, an interface table lists
each of these connections, detailing their Type, Side, and Name. Supported interface types are
based on:
• Geometry: Geometry interfaces directly expose all nodes on a particular topology, for ex-
ample, on a vertex, face or edge. These primary nodes are therefore suitable for the applic-
ation of boundary conditions such as contacts and supports.
• Remote Points. These entries expose remote points as primary nodes, while hiding interior
nodes on the underlying topology that attach to them. Common examples include the Mobile
or Reference side of Joints and Springs and the scoping of Point Masses and Remote Points.
This is the only type of interface supported for the Ansys Rigid Dynamics Solver.
• Named Selections: Named Selections can be used to expose any node as a primary node,
with the help of criterion-based Named Selection. For example, selected internal nodes
within a condensed part volume could be relegated to the interface in order to produce a
higher resolution of the structure's inertial or flexibility behavior
• Connections: Contact Region, Joint, etc.
Note:
For a Contact Region interface of a Condensed Part, when the Trim Con-
tact (p. 1150) property is set to On, the generation of the Condensed Part trims
the contact nodes on the interface and uses the trimmed nodes as the Master
Degrees of Freedom for the generation pass. The reduction of the number of
nodes can significantly improve the performance of the generation pass. When
you select the Condensed Part object after the generation pass, the application
displays the trimmed nodes in the Geometry window for the Contact Region
Interface instead of the actual Contact Region scoping.
• Loads and Supports: Fixed Supports, Displacements, etc.
• Point Masses
General interfaces each contribute the number of nodes on their topology and remote interfaces
each contribute a single node.
Important:
When a Condensed Part Interface includes faces, edges, vertices, or nodes that overlap
with other interfaces where constraint equations are applied, such as remote points,
boundary conditions scoped to remote points, MPC-based contact (p. 1155), etc.), the
Analysis Types
solver may remove some master node DOFs in the generation pass. This may interfere
with the use pass solve as well as postprocessing.
Note:
When duplicate DOFs are disqualified and eliminated during the Generation Pass, the
Rigid Dynamics solver issues an error and aborts the Use Pass.
Interface Solver Restrictions (Ansys Rigid Dynamics and Motion Solvers)
Only interfaces that are based on Remote Points are presently recognized by the Rigid Dynamics
and Motion solvers (Joints, Springs, Point Masses, and Remote Points). In addition, a Remote
Point must have all six DOFs with an interface treatment of either Rigid or Deformable.
5.15.14.2. Condensed Part Application

This section describes the steps to define Condensed Geometry objects. You should review all as-
sociated documentation so that you understand the application-driven actions that take place as
well as the inherent limitations of the feature.
The operation of condensing parts in Mechanical is largely automated. For example, Mechanical
provides facilities that analyze the connectivity of the bodies in the model and group them into
Condensed Parts. Connections are classified as interior or exterior (interfaces).
Application
To create a Condensed Part:
1. From the Workbench Project Schematic, create a supported analysis system.
2. Select a geometry and open Mechanical
3. Create and define the applicable boundary conditions and connections, that is Joints,
Springs, Point Mass, Remote Points, Supports and/or Contacts.
For Rigid Dynamics analyses, expand the Geometry folder and specify the desired connected
parts as Flexible. These parts will be converted to Condensed Parts following the completion
of the steps below.
4. Select the Model object and insert a Condensed Geometry object.
Note:
The application automatically inserts the Expansion Settings object under the
Solution folder when a Condensed Geometry object is created.
5. From the Condensed Geometry object, you can create your condensed parts using the
context (right-click) menu option Create Automatic Condensed Parts or you can insert
individual Condensed Part objects in to the tree.
The application provides two automatic methods for defining interfaces for a Condensed
Part using the context menu options:
• Create Automatic Condensed Part: This option selects the bodies and detects the
interfaces and automatically creates new Condensed Part objects. For example, in
Rigid Dynamics analyses, flexible bodies may be grouped into condensed parts and
linked to other bodies through joints at the interfaces.
• Detect Condensed Part Interface: This option automatically suggests interfaces.

This is especially useful if you would like to manually select bodies.
Note:
• The Condensed Part object displays the number of superelement master

nodes resulting from interfaces in the Details view.
• The application does not consider objects imported from External Model sys-
tems for the automatic interface detection. For the imported objects that are
associated with condensed parts, use the promote feature in the worksheet
of the imported objects in order to be able to perform interface detection.
• In order to achieve better performance, for a Motion analysis the Detect

Condensed Part Interface option does not automatically add General inter-
faces. Adding General interfaces will give more accurate results but condensed
part generation will be slower.
• The application does not consider Shared Topology for the automatic interface
detection. For Condensed Part objects with interface connections containing
shared topology, manually add their interfaces using Named Selection(s).
See the object reference pages for the Condensed Geometry and Condensed Part objects
for descriptions of all associated Details view properties.
6. Insert desired results. This feature supports Deformation, Stress, and Strain results.
8. As desired, you can obtain results in the original elements within the Condensed Part by
selecting the Expansion Settings object and displaying the Worksheet. From there, select
the desired result for your Condensed Part(s).
It is possible to add or remove interfaces directly on the Interfaces Worksheet using its
context menus. This is especially useful for specifying new remote interfaces not already
automatically detected. Mechanical attempts to verify all interface selections during the
Generation and Use Passes and issues a warning should any be missing. Mechanical also
Analysis Types
tracks operations that remove and suppress upstream objects affecting the interface and
reacts accordingly.
Note:
To delete a Condensed Geometry object, it is necessary to clean and remove any gen-
erated Condensed Parts. Similarly, to delete an Expansion Settings object, it is necessary
to clean any generated data.
5.15.14.3. Condensed Part Worksheet

The Worksheet for the Condensed Part object is illustrated below. The Worksheet populates
when you generate interfaces.
Column Description
Name This column displays the Name of the tree object.
Scope This column displays the scoping method used for the interface: Geometry Selection,
Method Named Selection (geometry- or node-based), Worksheet, Remote Point, and Free
Standing.
Environment This column displays analysis system associated with the interface.
Name
Column Description
Source This column displays how the interface is added. The field is set to Automatic when
the interface is inserted using the Condensed Part object option, Detect Condensed
Part Interface or when you manually enter an interface using the Add option.
Type This column identifies the interface as either a General interface or a Remote interface.
The Remote option is assigned for remote boundary conditions (p. 1856). In addition,
the Remote option is the only option available for the Ansys Rigid Dynamics Solver.
Condition This column displays the contact condition for the interface. Whether it is a Contact
Region or a loading condition, Named Selection, Point Mass, etc.
Side This column displays the topology with which the interface connects with. As such, the
options include Contact, Target, Reference, Mobile, Source Geometry, or Target
Geometry. See the Connections folder section for more information.
Once populated, the Worksheet provides the context (right-click) menu options illustrated below.
These common Worksheet options include:
• Go To Selected items: This option automatically selects and displays the corresponding
object in the tree Outline based on the Name of the selected row in the table. You can select
multiple rows using either the Ctrl or Shift keys to select and display multiple objects in
the tree. Selected Outline objects are also highlighted in the Geometry window by annota-
tions, if you switch to that view.
• Add: This option adds a row to the Worksheet that you can then manually define.
• Delete: This option deletes the selected row. You can select multiple rows for deletion using
either the Ctrl or Shift keys. The Delete key can also be used to delete table rows.
5.15.14.4. Exporting Condensed Parts

The ability to export an existing solved Condensed Part enable you to use the exported file in a
different simulation as an Imported Condensed Part (p. 812).
To export a Condensed Part:
1. Right-click a solved Condensed Part object and select Export Condensed Part. A progress bar
displays during the export operation and offers an option to stop (red square icon) the process.
The Mechanical file format for generated superelements is Exported Condensed Part (.cpa).
Analysis Types
2. Specify a file name in the Save As dialog and click Save
Note:
You can also export the solution of a Substructure Generation (p. 546) analysis as a Ex-
ported Condensed Part (.cpa) file.
5.15.14.5. Imported Condensed Parts

This section describes how to use the Imported Condensed Part object. Go to a section topic:
• Worksheet Examples (p. 815)
Overview
Using an Imported Condensed Part object, you can import superelements from another system
into your current system. This enables you to use the superelements in the current solution ("Use
Pass"). Imported Condensed Part objects are defined by the following information:
• A set of master nodes that represents the reduced superelement being imported.
• A set of interfaces defining the master nodes that are retained when the application generates
the superelement.
• A list of controls that define the location and node numbering for the imported superelement.
Application
The following steps assume that you have already created a Condensed Geometry object and that
you are prepared to import a supported file type.
To specify an Imported Condensed Part object:
1. Right-click the Condensed Geometry object and select Insert > Imported Condensed Part.
You can also select the Imported Condensed Part option from the Condensed Geometry
Context tab. Once inserted, the Worksheet automatically displays.
2. Select the desired file type from the drop-down list of the Import File Format property. Sup-
ported file formats include:
• Exported Condensed Part (.cpa) (default): You create this file by either exporting Con-
densed Parts (p. 811) or exporting a Substructure Generation (p. 546) solution.
• Generation Pass Output (.sub)
• Super Element Matrix (.dmig)
3. Using the Condensed Part File property, define the path to the import file.
4. Right-click the new object and select Import Condensed Part. A progress bar displays during
the import operation and offers an option to stop (red square icon) the process. Once imported,
the View Transformed Data option/display activates. If you need to make manual Worksheet
entries, see the steps provided in the Worksheet Options and Actions (p. 813) topic below.
5. As needed, modify the following properties:
• Unit System
• Locating System: Specify a desired Coordinate System to orient the imported super
element. The default setting is Global Coordinate System.
• Node Offset: Specify an offset number to be used on the imported nodes. This property
has a default setting of Program Controlled that equates to the value zero. Using this
setting the application automatically offsets the node number based on the Mesh. Any
value that is greater than zero offsets the Node Ids by that value.
Note:
• Remote Points need to be connected to the interfaces of the Imported Condensed

parts. To avoid rigid body modes, set the Behavior property of the Remote Point to
Coupled.
• The outline of the Imported Condensed Part is only displayed on the part if the in-
formation is available in the selected source file.
Worksheet Options and Actions

There may be times that you need to import or copy and paste data into the Worksheet using the
available interface options. The Worksheet presents interface options and interface data based
upon file format.
Exported Condensed Part
For the Exported Condensed Part (.cpa) format, interface data includes ID, Name, Node
Connectivity, and Number of Nodes. Only the Clear option is available for this file format.
Note:
If a Master node of the interface is reduced during the Generation Pass, the
Worksheet displays a column listing the Reduced Number of Nodes.
Generation Pass Output and Super Element Matrix
For the Generation Pass Output (.sub) and Super Element Matrix (.dmig) formats, inter-
face data includes Node ID, Location and Rotation data. In addition, the following radio
Analysis Types
buttons display and enable you to display either the original or transformed state of the
interface data.
Important:
For the Super Element Matrix (.dmig) file format, Mechanical reads the file’s
matrices in the order shown below. Make sure that the source file uses this order
because the application only processes the first three matrices.
1st: Stiffness Matrix

2nd: Mass Matrix
3rd: Damping Matrix
Tip:
If you have multiple Super Element Matrix (.dmig) files for each matrix, use
the following API method on Project object to generate a single file that uses
the required order of matrices.
CombineTextFiles(primaryFilePath, secondaryFilePath)
Worksheet Description
Option
View Ori- Radio button that displays imported data when you use the Read Interface
ginal Data option. It displays Original Interface Data.
Data
View Radio button that activates automatically once the import process is complete.
Trans- It displays Transformed Interface Data.
formed
Data
Read In- This option is available when the View Original Data option is selected, and
terface no data has been imported.
Data
When selected, the application reads file data and populates the table with
read-only Node ID and Location data from the selected file. This enables you
to validate the file data. If the file contains no location data, the Location fields
in the table will contain zeros (0).
To complete the import process once you have read a file, right-click the object
and select Import Condensed Part.
Edit Select this option to enter data manually. Manual data entry can be done using
copy and paste. This includes copying data from a spreadsheet. Properly select
all location data from your spreadsheet and highlight the first data cell, Location
X, and then paste all data. See the Worksheet Examples (p. 815) topic below for
more information about manually entering data.
Save Save table data.
Changes
Worksheet Description
Option
Clear Clear all table data.
Worksheet Examples
The following examples describe the scenarios when importing data. Go to a topic:
• Load Vectors (p. 816)
• View Original Data (p. 817)
• View Transformed Data (p. 818)
• Manually Importing Spreadsheet Data (p. 819)
Overview
A successful import for an Exported Condensed Part (.cpa) file is shown here. The worksheet for
this file type has two display options: Interfaces and Load Vectors, as described below.
Interfaces
Whether user-defined or system generated, the condensed part interfaces are listed in the worksheet
by default. As illustrated, you can right-click the data presented in the Worksheet to create Nodal
Named Selections, Remote Points, and Joints for each interface that can then be used to define
connections and/or boundary conditions.
Note:
If you select the Clear Generated Data option on the Imported condensed Part:
• Created Named Selections or Remote Points will lose their scoping. When you
re-import the Imported Condensed Part, the Named Selections or Remote Points
get reassociated with their original scoping.
Analysis Types
• Contact Region scoped to a Named Selection which is created from the Interfaces
of the Imported Condensed Part remains properly defined.
During the solution Generation Pass, the application could reduce the Master degree of freedom
(MDOF) as a result of an internal constraint equation. This could result in the reduction of the
Master node (see M Command). For example, if you have an interface with six nodes and due to
an application generated internal constraint equation, the solver ignores two Master nodes. This
results in an interface of only four Master nodes. If the application reduces a Master node, the
Worksheet displays an additional column, as illustrated below, that shows the exact number of
nodes on that interface. This node value is supported by the options to create Nodal Named Selec-
tions, Remote Points, and Joints.
Load Vectors
Load Vectors, as well as prestressed load vector values, are exported from a solved Substructure
Generation (p. 546) analysis as a .cpa file, and imported and displayed in the worksheet, as shown
in the example below. If no load vectors are available, the table is blank.
Load vectors are also generated for imported loading conditions.
Load vectors can also be imported from a Generation Pass Output (.sub) file that was created in
the Mechanical APDL application, as illustrated here.
Note:
Depending upon the specified loading, the following analysis types automatically create
load vectors during the solution process. If you include an Imported Condensed Parts
object in either analysis, all of the load vectors will be contained in the solution output
file.
• Harmonic Response Analysis (Mode Superposition ) (p. 502)
• Harmonic Response Analysis using Linked Modal Analysis (p. 515)
View Original Data

Here is an example of the View Original Data option for the data read from a Generation Pass
Output (.sub) file.
Analysis Types
View Transformed Data

Once imported, the View Transformed Data option automatically displays. Here you can see
transformed data. Note the Node ID values for this example versus the above example. These values
are based on the Actual Node Offset value which for this example is 3261.
In addition, for the View Transformed Data option, you can create Nodal Named Selections/Remote
Points/Joints for each interface.
Manually Importing Spreadsheet Data

For the Super Element Matrix (.dmig) file format, there may be times that you need to manually
copy data into the worksheet table. For the Worksheet example shown here, no location data was
found in the file. To make manual entries, select the Edit button.
Properly select all location data (only) from your spreadsheet.
Analysis Types
Highlight the Location X field as illustrated below. This ensures that the data will be properly dis-
tributed throughout the table when you paste.
Review the pasted data and then select the Save Changes button.
Once saved, right-click the object and select Import Condensed Part. This action imports the data,
and automatically displays Transformed Interface Data that you can use to options to create
Nodal Named Selections, Remote Points, or Joints for the selected interface.
Note:
• When you create a Nodal Named Selections or a Remote Point, the application auto-
matically scopes to the object for the selected interface nodes. For a generated Remote
Point, the Behavior property is automatically set to Coupled.
• When you create a Joint, the application creates a Joint whose Reference Side is
automatically scoped to the selected interface nodes with the Direct Attachment
option specified.
5.15.14.6. Expansion Pass

The solution of an analysis containing a Condensed Part immediately produces the results at the
Condensed Part interface, that is, at the master nodes. In order to obtain results on the original
bodies in the Condensed Part an optional calculation called an "Expansion Pass" is necessary.
Mechanical furnishes an Expansion Settings object for this purpose.
Important:
To perform an Expansion Pass, you must set the Keep Files For property to MAPDL
Expansion for the Condensed Part object.
Analysis Types
When you expand results on selected Condensed Parts in the Expansion Settings Worksheet,
the application uses the settings of the Distribute Solution and the Max number of utilized cores
options defined in the Advanced Settings of the Solve Process Settings (p. 1906) dialog.
Note:
• You cannot currently run expansions for Random Vibration (p. 531) and Response
Spectrum (p. 540) analyses.
• For a Rigid Dynamics analysis, additional results can be produced by the Generation
Pass to allow a faster expansion. To enable this faster expansion, set the Condensed
Part Expansion field in the Details pane of the Expansion Settings object to On
Demand. Then insert Stress or Displacement results under the Solution object and
evaluate them.
Using the Worksheet on the Expansion Settings object you can request that results be expanded
within each Condensed Part separately and incrementally. Keep in mind that any unexpanded
Condensed Parts will not display in results or animations. Once an expansion is requested, it will
be automatically performed upon evaluating an affected result. It is possible to run expansions by
themselves, which will obsolete any affected results. It is possible to run expansions separately using
Run Expansions Only, and to clean their generated data, both of which will obsolete any affected
results.
Note:
Do not use the Worksheet if you set the Condensed Part Expansion field in the details
panel of the Expansion Settings object to On Demand in a Rigid Dynamics analysis.
Making any selections in the Worksheet will cancel the on demand expansion.
The Expansion Settings object is automatically inserted when the Condensed Geometry object
is inserted into the Outline.
Note:
• Unless you do an expansion, you may not detect the minimum or maximum results
since they may reside within the condensed part. Review results carefully.
• Commands object Snippets targeting the Mechanical APDL solver are not supported.
• Velocity and Acceleration results are not presently supported for flexible bodies.
• Motion analyses do not require an Expansion Pass, therefore Expansion Settings are
not created for a Motion system.
General
Note the following general limitations associated with the definition of Condensed Parts:
• The Master Degrees of Freedom Nodes (MDOFs) may be reduced by the solver during the:
– Generation of a Condensed Part.
– Solution of a Substructure Generation (p. 546) analysis
This could be the result of a constraint defined on the MDOF nodes. The application reports
this with a warning. In addition, in this case, there could be a discrepancy between Mechan-
ical MDOFs and solver MDOFs. A warning message will also display while eliminating the
redundant degrees of freedom.
• The application does not write Named Selections scoped to the interface nodes of a Con-
densed Part to Use Pass input file unless the Named Selection is used in the scoping of a
nodal boundary conditions (Nodal Force, Nodal Pressure, Nodal Displacement and Nodal
Orientation) in the Use Pass.
• For Imported Condensed Parts:
– Does not support Rigid Dynamics analyses.
– The application does not import load vectors from Super Element Matrix (.dmig)
files. As a result, they cannot be applied to the Use pass.
– When you import superelements from another system into your current system using
an Imported Condensed Part object, and you change the Unit System of the Imported
Condensed Part, the application does not automatically resize Interface Mesh nodes.
They can be resized using Rescale option from Annotation (p. 82) group of Display
tab.
– Note the following when you are working with Model Assembly (p. 1029):
→ If the assembled system includes imported condensed parts and you change
the transfer property, Number of Copies, and update, the application may
not import the exact copies of the geometry and/or source mesh.
→ The application does not currently support importing condensed parts that
are included in the source system.
– If you use the Clear Generated Data option on the mesh or an Imported Condensed
Part object, the application also clears the scoping for joints created using the Impor-
ted Condensed Part interface. In this case, recreate the joints.
– The application only shows the outline of the superelement when the active object
is an Imported Condensed Part or Condensed Geometry.
• If your analysis includes only Imported Condensed Parts and no geometry file, parameters
and design points are not supported. However, you can import a model and suppress the
bodies to use the Parameter (p. 2441) options..
Analysis Types
• Reinforcements using the Mesh Independent Method are not supported with Condensed
Parts and Imported Condensed Parts.
• Remote Solve Manager (RSM)
You can employ RSM for the Generation and Use passes only. Solution processing for
the Expansion Pass using the RSM is not supported. The application always performs
the Expansion Pass process on your local machine.
The Generation Pass uses the default queue selected in the Solve Process Settings (p. 1906)
dialog. And, the application always performs the Generation Pass in synchronous mode
regardless of the settings of the Advanced properties in the Solve Process Settings.
• You cannot scope result Probes to objects which are fully contained inside any Condensed
Part. For example, a spring can be fully contained inside a Condensed Part if the topologies
of both the reference and the mobile scoping are on bodies that belong to the Geometry
Selection scoping of the same Condensed Part.
• When you have 1) active Expansion Settings in the Worksheet and 2) you set the Scoping
Method property for a result to Result File Item (p. 2105), the only supported option for the
Item Type property is Component Name.
Also for this specification, Material IDs and Element Name IDs are not available for the
Material and Element Type Information selection on the Solution Quantities and Result
Summary (p. 2065) page of the Worksheet.
• For Harmonic Response analysis or a Transient analysis linked to an upstream Modal analysis,
the On Demand Expansion Options property is available (see Options for Analyses (p. 1531)).
If you set this property to Yes, either manually or from the Program Controlled setting, the
condensed part results are always expanded. As a result, Expansion Settings specifications
become redundant.
• When the On Demand Expansion Option property is set to Yes, only displacement results
can be evaluated on Condensed Parts.
• Contact and Target contact may get flipped internally to meet Condensed Part requirements.
• The edge-edge contact between a shell body and beam body is not supported when the
Target side of the contact pair is on the shell body that belongs to a Condensed Part.
• Elements cannot use Lagrange multipliers, such as interior contact regions cannot using the
Normal Lagrange Formulation.
• The following are not supported:
– Force Reaction and Moment Reaction probes (Expansion Pass only)
– Pipe Idealization
– Spot Weld connections
– Symmetry Region scoped to a Condensed Part
– Cyclic Symmetry
– Linear Periodic Symmetry
– The Detect Condensed Part Interface option does not detect imported loads or
connections, however, they can be added manually. For the imported objects that
are associated with condensed parts, use the promote feature in the worksheet of
the imported objects in order to be able to perform interface detection.
• For Joints internal to a Condensed Part, the application only supports Fixed (p. 1209) joints
and Bushing (p. 1213) joints (with Formulation property set to Bushing).
• The Rotational Velocity and Thermal Condition loads are only supported on a non-condensed
part.
• Once you have scoped and generated Condensed Parts, any mesh modifications made to
the parts of the model that do not belong to the generated Condensed Parts, do not require
you to regenerate the Condensed Parts. That is, Condensed Parts maintain an up-to-date
status following mesh changes to other model parts. However, there are a few exceptions.
If you have imported your model using external systems, External Model and/or Mechan-
ical Model systems, any geometry modifications to geometries not specified as a Condensed
Part, do cause the Condensed Parts to become obsolete and require regeneration. In addition,
the use of features such as Mesh Edit, Element Orientation, or Mesh Numbering objects
cause up-to-date Condensed Parts to become obsolete and require regeneration.
• Condensed Parts require regeneration if you make any geometry modifications in the CAD
application. This applies even if you have the Smart CAD Update option (SpaceClaim only)
of the Advanced Geometry Options in Geometry cell properties of the Project Schematic.
See the Geometry Preferences section in the CAD Integration documentation for more in-
formation.
• When importing .mechdat files, the Solution object displays with an unsolved state.
• The application does not display finite element connection lines (p. 1934) for any object scoped
to the bodies included in the definition of a Condensed Part.
Note:
For additional restriction information, see the MATRIX50 Element Description in the
Mechanical APDL Element Reference as well as the Assumptions and Restrictions (within
Superelement) topic in the Substructuring Analysis section of the Mechanical APDL Theory
Reference.
Rigid Dynamics Analyses

Note the following specific limitations for Rigid Dynamics analyses:
• You can apply loading conditions only to the interfaces of Condensed Parts. Remote Displace-
ments and Remote Forces applied to the Condensed Parts using geometry selection, must
match the scoping of an interface of the Condensed Part, or be applied directly via Remote
Point selection. Inertial loads are automatically applied on all Condensed Parts by the Rigid
Dynamics Solver.
• Contact cannot be used to connect Condensed Parts with the rest of the model.
Analysis Types
• For On Demand Expansion, the supported results are Total Deformation, Directional Deform-
ation, and all Stress and Strain results except the vector Principal. The limitations on these
supported results are:
– Only global CS evaluation is supported.
– For the stress and strain results, only the averaged results display is supported.
Modal Analyses
Note the following specific limitations for Modal analyses:
• Pre-stress analysis is not supported with Condensed Parts.
• Rigid bodies are supported but it is best that at least one body be Flexible.
• Rotational Velocity and Thermal Condition loads cannot be scoped to a Condensed Part.
• Fracture Analysis is not supported when Condensed Parts are defined in the model.
Motion Analyses
See Condensed Part and Imported Condensed Part in the Motion in Workbench User Guide for details
of specific limitations in Motion analyses.
Random Vibration and Response Spectrum Analyses

You cannot currently run expansions for Random Vibration and Response Spectrum analyses.
5.15.14.8. Best Practices

General
1. When a Condensed Part Interface includes faces, edges, vertices, or nodes that overlap with
other interfaces where constraint equations are applied, such as remote points, boundary con-
ditions scoped to remote points, MPC-based contact (p. 1155), etc.), the solver may remove some
master node DOFs in the generation pass. This may interfere with the use pass solve as well as
postprocessing.
2. If you define a joint between a rigid body and flexible body, you need to specify the Condensed
Part on the Reference side in order to get accurate results.
Importing Condensed Parts
Use the right-click options of the Worksheet to automatically create node-based Named selections
for use in the analysis to scope features such as Contact, Remote Points, Joints, etc.
Remote Points need to be connected to the interfaces of the Imported Condensed parts. To
avoid rigid body modes, set the Behavior property of the Remote Point to Coupled. This applies
to other connection types, such as a Joint that is also connected through remote points.
It is also recommended to use Imported Condensed part interface on the Reference/Source
side while connecting the superelements to the rest of the model.
Rigid Dynamics Analyses

Review the following recommendations when you are defining Condensed Parts.
Analysis Settings
For the Solver Controls (p. 1512) property Time Integration Type of the Analysis Settings, the
default option is Program Controlled. This option automatically uses the Implicit Stabilized
Generalized Alpha setting. Ansys recommends the use of generalized implicit time integration.
The Runge-Kutta explicit time integration option may lead to small time steps and consequently
significant computation effort during the Use Pass. Older models (prior to R17.0) may be specified
to use a Runge-Kutta option by default. If so, the processing requirements will be significant
during the Use Pass. It is also recommended to set Energy Accuracy Tolerance property to
Program Controlled for better performance during implicit time integration.
Note:
For additional information, see the Analysis Settings Help for the Nonlinear
Controls for Rigid Dynamics Analyses (p. 1559).
The number of stored results points has a direct effect on the computational efforts required
by Expansion Pass. It is therefore recommended that you specify the Store Results At property
of the Output Controls (p. 1559), in the Analysis Settings, as Equally Spaced Points and set the
Value property accordingly to limit the number of result time points and to reduce the pro-
cessing requirements of the expansion.
Analyses Using the Mechanical APDL Solver

You should use the same setting for the number of cores for the generation process for all condensed
parts as well as your solution and expansion(s) as defined by the Distribute Solution option in the
Advanced Settings of the Solve Process Settings (p. 1906) dialog.
5.15.15. Static Analysis From Rigid Dynamics Analysis

You can perform a Rigid Dynamics Analysis (p. 557) and then change it to or link it to a downstream
Static Structural Analysis (p. 658) for the purpose of determining deformation, stresses, and strains
(which are not available in the Rigid Dynamics analysis).
Note:
The Motion Loads (p. 628) ACT extension allows you to more easily apply the loads created
in a Rigid Dynamics analysis on the flexible bodies in a Static Structural analysis especially
when the model contains joints with translational joint degrees of freedom.
Creating an Analysis System

1. From the toolbox, drag and drop a Rigid Dynamics template onto the project schematic. Follow
the procedure for creating a Rigid Dynamics Analysis (p. 557) analysis. Apply forces and/or drivers,
and insert any valid solution result object(s).
Analysis Types
2. Specify the time of interest in the tabular data table or in the Graph window.
3. Select a solution result object and click the right mouse to display the popup menu. Select Export
Motion Loads and specify a load file name.
4. In the project schematic, duplicate the Rigid Dynamics analysis system. Replace the duplicated
analysis system with a Static Structural analysis system.
Note:
If you do not need to keep the original Rigid Dynamics analysis, you can replace it
with the Static Structural analysis system.
5. Edit the Static Structural analysis (using Model, Edit) by suppressing all parts except the desired
part for the Static Structural analysis.
6. Change the Stiffness Behavior of the part to be analyzed from Rigid to Flexible.
7. Change mesh solver preference to be Ansys Mechanical instead of Ansys Rigid Dynamics.
8. Delete or suppress all loads used in the Rigid Dynamics analysis.
9. Import the motion loads that were exported from the Rigid Dynamics analysis. Highlight the
Static Structural branch and then right mouse click, Insert> Motion Loads....
Note:
Moments and forces created for the static structural analysis can be in an invalid state
if all three components of the force/moment are almost equal to zero.
10. Delete the result objects and add new ones.
11. Solve the single part model with the static structural analysis and evaluate the results.
Point to Remember
It is important that you create the Static Structural analysis after the Rigid Dynamics analysis is
finished and the export load is done.
5.15.16. Submodeling
The Submodeling feature in Mechanical enables you to import the solution output of an upstream
(source) analysis and apply that output as boundary conditions in the downstream (target) system
in order to more closely analyze a region of interest. The application uses the results for your entire
model as the imported data. The application interpolates the data for the geometry region you specify
as the submodel.
In order to use this feature, you need to prepare your submodel in the appropriate modeling applic-
ation and understand where on the geometry the loading will be applied.
Note:
For nonlinear, load-history-dependent problems (for example, when plastic materials exist),
you must cut boundary conditions from the coarse model at multiple substeps to simulate
the load history dependency in the fine-mesh model analysis. The more boundary cutting
you do, the more accurate are the results of the fine-mesh model analysis.
During the data transfer process, the application creates a Submodeling object in Mechanical. This
object is essentially the same as an Imported Load (Group).
Note:
If you want to import results from an upstream system, Ansys recommends that you instead
import data using the Imported Load (Group) object.
Mechanical allows submodeling for structural (stress) and thermal analyses. In a thermal analysis, the
temperatures calculated on the cut boundary of the coarse model are specified as boundary conditions
for the submodel.
Take the time to review the Submodeling section of the Advanced Analysis Guide for a more detailed
technical description of the feature and the principles in use. Also see the Shell-to-Solid Submod-
els (p. 840) section for the specific requirements for submodeling shells.
Restrictions
The following restrictions apply to submodeling:
• Supported for the Mechanical APDL solver only.
• The principle behind submodeling assumes that the cut boundaries are far enough away from
the stress concentration region. You must verify that this assumption is adequately satisfied.
• When the source result file includes results where remeshing happened during the solution,
it can lead to inaccuracies during the load mapping. Remeshing can happen due to presence
of features like Nonlinear Adaptive Region, Geometry Based Adaptive Region, or SMART
Crack Growth object(s).
Benefits
Aside from the obvious benefit of yielding more accurate results in a region of your model, the sub-
modeling technique has other advantages:
• It reduces, or even eliminates, the need for complicated transition regions in solid finite element
models.
• It enables you to experiment with different designs for the region of interest (different fillet
radii, for example).
Analysis Types
• It helps you in demonstrating the adequacy of mesh refinements.
Application
See the following topics for additional information and the steps to perform submodeling in structural
and thermal analyses:
• Structural Submodeling Workflow (p. 830)
– Beam-to-Solid/Shell Submodels (p. 835)
• Thermal Submodeling Workflow (p. 837)
• Shell-to-Solid Submodels (p. 840)
5.15.16.1. Structural Submodeling Workflow

Use the workflow below to perform a submodeling analysis using linked structural systems. You
should review the Data Transfer Mesh Mapping content in Appendix B: Data Transfer Mapping and
Validation (p. 2493) of the Help. This section describes the various Details view properties associated
with the loading types for the submodeling feature. Refer to this section as needed during your
analysis.
Note:
You can add a template for the linked structural systems by creating your own template.
Supported Boundary Conditions

A structural analysis supports the following imported load options:
Body Temperature
This option inserts an Imported Body Temperature (p. 1861) object when you transfer
temperatures from the coarse analysis.
Cut Boundary Constraint
This option inserts an Imported Cut Boundary Constraint (p. 1866) object when you
transfer displacements for Solid- or Shell-Solid submodeling and displacements and rotations
for Shell-Solid submodeling. Also see the Imported Displacement (p. 1867) section.
Cut Boundary Remote Force (Beam to Shell or Solid Only)
This option inserts an Imported Cut Boundary Remote Force (p. 1866) object in order to
map forces and moments from beam-based coarse models to shell or solid submodels.
These loading conditions are generated from the results defined on the nearest beam node
of coarse model.
Important:
In order to add beam forces to the results file and make them available for your
submodel, you need to set the Nodal Forces property (Analysis Settings>Output
Controls (p. 1559)) to On in the coarse model.
Cut Boundary Remote Constraint (Beam to Shell or Solid Only)
This option inserts an Imported Cut Boundary Remote Constraint (p. 1864) object in order
to map remote displacements and rotational forces from beam-based coarse models to
shell or solid submodels. These loading conditions are generated from the results defined
on the nearest beam node of coarse model.
Structural Analysis Submodeling Workflow

1. On the Workbench Project page, create and complete (solve) a static or transient structural
analysis. Perform all of the steps to set up and analyze the model. Specify mesh controls,
boundary conditions, and solution settings as you normally would and solve the analysis.
To easily identify this initial model, this example uses the name "Coarse" to identity the upstream
system. This does not mean that the mesh refinement is coarse, only that it is relatively coarse
compared to the "Submodel."
2. Create a new Static Structural or Transient Structural analysis on the Project page. Link the
Solution cell of the upstream onto the Setup cell of the downstream system. As required, you
can also link the Engineering Data and Geometry cells.
3. Double-click the downstream system's Setup cell to open Mechanical. The application auto-
matically adds a Submodeling object to the system's tree. This object references the upstream
analysis' Solution object in parenthesis, for example, Submodeling "(A6)".
Analysis Types
4. Select the Submodeling object and add the desired imported conditions by:
• Selecting the appropriate load from the Imported Loads drop-down menu on the En-
vironment Context tab.
Or...
• Right-clicking on the Submodeling object and selecting Insert and then selecting the
appropriate load from the context menu.
5. Now, you need to select the appropriate cut-boundaries from the geometry using either the
Geometry or the Named Selection scoping option. The scoping options for the imported
boundary conditions are described below.
Load Type 3D Solid Analyses 2D Shell

Analyses
Imported Cut Boundary Constraint Face, Edge, or Nodes Face, Edge,
or Node
Imported Cut Remote Force Face or Edge Edge
Imported Boundary Remote Face or Edge Edge
Constraint
Thermal Condition Body or Nodes Body or
Nodes
Note:
• You cannot mix the scoping of surface bodies with other geometry types.
• Node-based Named Selections are not valid for transferring temperatures for
Shell-Shell submodeling.
6. The application automatically populates the Transfer Key property. Options include:
Shell-Shell
The application selects this option for a shell-based geometry in the upstream system.
Note the following for Shell-Shell submodeling:
• You have the option to import Displacements, Rotations, or Both using the
Sub Type property.
• You have the option to import temperatures from the Top/Bottom face or
the Middle shell plane using the Shell Face option. The Top/Bottom option
uses the temperature on both the top and bottom shell face to calculate the
temperature on a target node, whereas the Middle option only uses the tem-
perature at the middle shell plan.
Solid-Solid
The application selects this option for a solid body geometry in the upstream system.
Shell-Solid
You may select this Transfer Key option for Shell-to-Solid (p. 840) submodels.
For Shell-Solid submodeling, you have the option to import temperatures on

Top/Bottom face or the Middle shell plane using the Shell Face option. The
Top/Bottom option calculates and applies the temperatures on the top and bottom
face independently, whereas the Middle option calculates the temperature at the
middle shell plane and applies it across the thickness of the shell.
Beam-Shell/Solid
The application selects this option for a beam-based geometry in the upstream system.
Important:
If your submodel includes only forces and moments and has no other con-
straints, you must set the Weak Springs (p. 1517) property (Analysis Settings>Solv-
er Settings (p. 1512)) to On.
Note:
• When you set the Transfer Key property to Shell-Shell or Shell-Solid, only shell
bodies are selected from the upstream analysis.
• When the Transfer Key is set to Beam-Shell/Solid, only beam bodies are selected
from the upstream analysis.
• When you set the Transfer Key property to Solid-Solid, the values on the middle
shell plane of shell bodies are used for mapping.
• Mapping Validation is not supported when the Transfer Key property is set to
Shell-Solid or Beam-Shell/Solid.
7. As needed, modify Details view properties. See Appendix B: Data Transfer Mapping and Valid-
ation (p. 2493) for additional information.
8. Select your defined imported load, right-click the object, and click Import Load. When the
load successfully imports, a plot of the mapped values displays in the Geometry window.
For displacement loads, the following data is available for viewing:
• Displacement
Analysis Types
• Rotations (Transfer Key setting of Shell-Shell only)
Note:
• When multiple data types are available for viewing, the appropriate data type
can be chosen in the Data field the Graphics Controls category.
• Contours plots of the magnitude (Total) or X/Y/Z component can be viewed by

changing the Vector Component option in the details pane. Defaults to a vector
plot (All).
• The range of data displayed in the Geometry window can be controlled using
the properties of the Legend Controls category. See Imported Boundary Condi-
tions (p. 1857) for additional information.
• For temperature loads on bodies when the Transfer Key property is set to Shell-
Shell, the Shell Face option becomes available under Graphics Controls. This
property enables you to view the data on top, middle or the bottom face of the
shell.
• The data displayed on the middle face is calculated by averaging the interpolated
data on the top and bottom face.
Data window, and select Activate/Deactivate.
See Activating and Deactivating Loads (p. 1507) for additional rules when multiple load objects
of the same type exist on common geometry selections.
10. Define any other loads and boundary conditions, specify load step options, and obtain the
submodel solution.
11. The final step is to verify that the cut boundaries of the submodel are far enough away from
the concentration. You can do this by comparing results (stresses and so on) along the cut
boundaries with those along the corresponding locations of the coarse model. If the results
are in good agreement, it indicates that proper cut boundaries have been chosen; otherwise,
you will need to recreate and reanalyze the submodel with different cut boundaries further
away from the region of interest.
Note:
If the upstream (coarse) system is modified and re-solved after importing the load, a re-
fresh operation on the Submodel system’s Setup cell is required to notify Mechanical
that source data has changed and re-import is required. Alternatively, the source data
can be refreshed using the right-click operation on the Submodeling folder and choosing
the Refresh Imported Load option.
5.15.16.1.1. Beam-to-Solid/Shell Submodels

For the Beam-to-Shell or -Solid submodeling technique, the coarse model is a beam model, and
the submodel is either a 3D solid model or 3D shell model.
During the process of beam submodeling:
• The application determines the beam node that is nearest to each cut face (for beam-
solid) or edge (for beam-shell) on the submodel. Then, depending upon the desired sub-
modeling method, the application calculates either forces and moments or displacements
and rotations from the coarse analysis’s beam solution. If the scoped cut boundaries include
connected faces or edges, the application uses the result from the nearest common beam
node for each group of connected boundaries.
• The application applies the extracted forces and moments or displacements and rotations,
from the beam nodes to the submodel by generating remote loads. The application posi-
tions these remote loads at the nearest beam node, but scoped to the appropriate cut
face or edge on the submodel.
• Beam to shell or solid submodeling transfers can transfer the following from a beam
model:
– Forces and moments using the Cut Boundary Remote Force option. Using this method,
each remote force and moment pair share a remote point that is by default, deformable.
See examples below.
– Displacements and rotations using the Cut Boundary Remote Constraint option. Using
this method, the application applies displacements and rotations using remote displace-
ment objects that by default, are rigid. See examples below.
• The generated remote loads are by default, read-only, however, you can change this setting
using the Read Only property for generated load.
Loading Condition Examples
Here is an example of imported forces and moments using the Cut Boundary Remote Force
import option. Note the beam nodes at the cut face locations (as well as all beam node locations).
The remote points are located at the nearest beam node.
This example illustrates the force and moment loads for a specific cut face.
Analysis Types
This example illustrates the Cut Boundary Remote Constraint import option.
Here you can see the remote displacements for the imported loading for the specific cut faces.
In addition, note the information provided by the Imported Load Transfer Summary object.
This important tabular information enables validation of the data transfer. In particular, the nodes
used to map the imported loads as well as the target coordinates.
5.15.16.2. Thermal Submodeling Workflow

Use the workflow below to perform a submodeling analysis using linked thermal systems. You
should review the Data Transfer Mesh Mapping content in Appendix C (p. 2493) of the Help. This
section describes the various Details view properties associated with the loading types for the
submodeling feature. Refer to this section as needed during your analysis.

Thermal submodeling analyses support the Imported Temperature (p. 1876) only.
Thermal Analysis Submodeling Workflow

1. On the Workbench Project page, create and complete (solve) a steady-state thermal or transient
thermal analysis. Perform all of the steps to set up and analyze the model. Specify mesh controls,
boundary conditions, and solution settings as you normally would and solve the analysis.
To easily identify this initial model, this example uses the name "Coarse" to identity the upstream
system. This does not mean that the mesh refinement is coarse, only that it is relatively coarse
compared to the "Submodel."
2. Create a new Steady-State Thermal or Transient Thermal analysis on the Project page. Link
the Solution cell of the upstream onto the Setup cell of the downstream system. As required,
you can also link the Engineering Data and Geometry cells.
Analysis Types
Note:
• You can add a template for the linked thermal systems by creating your own
template.
• Data can be transferred from a 2D coarse model to a 3D submodel. The settings

for 2D projection of target mesh nodes can be specified in Appendix B: Data
Transfer Mapping and Validation (p. 2493).
3. Double-click the downstream system's Setup cell to open Mechanical. The application auto-
matically adds a Submodeling object to the system's tree. This object references the upstream
analysis' Solution object in parenthesis, for example, Submodeling "(A6)".
An imported temperature object is automatically inserted under the Submodeling folder to

represent the transfer. To add additional Imported Temperature objects, right-click the Sub-
modeling folder and select the appropriate load from the Insert context menu.
4. Now, you need to select the appropriate cut-boundaries from the geometry using either the
Geometry or the Named Selection scoping option.
The Imported Temperature (p. 1876) boundary condition supports Face, Edge, and Node selections
for 3D solids and Edge and Node selections for 2D shells.
Note:
You cannot mix the scoping of surface bodies with other geometry types.
5. The application automatically populates the Transfer Key property. Options include:
Shell-Shell
The application selects this option for a shell-based geometry in the upstream system.
Solid-Solid
The application selects this option for a solid body geometry in the upstream system.
Shell-Solid
You may select this Transfer Key option for Shell-to-Solid (p. 840) submodels.
Beam-Shell/Solid
The application selects this option for a beam-based geometry in the upstream system.
Note:
• When you set the Transfer Key property to Shell-Shell or Shell-Solid, only shell
bodies are selected from the upstream analysis.
• When the Transfer Key is set to Beam-Shell/Solid, only beam bodies are selected
from the upstream analysis.
• Mapping Validation is not supported when the Transfer Key property is set to
Shell-Solid or Beam-Shell/Solid.
• If you are using the Material Assignment (p. 1071) feature on source bodies that
are different (shell and beam), you could experience mapping errors. The applic-
ation may skip a source body during the mapping process. To address this issue,
use the feature on the bodies individually – do not mix body types.
• The application only considers beam and shell section type elements from the
source data. It ignores all other section types.
• The range of data displayed in the graphics window can be controlled using the
Legend controls options. See Imported Boundary Conditions (p. 1857) for additional
information.
6. As needed, modify Details view properties. See Appendix C (p. 2493) for additional information.
7. Right-click the Imported Load object and click Import Load to import the load. When the load
has been imported successfully, a plot of the mapped values will be displayed in the Geometry
window.
Data window, and choose Activate/Deactivateat this step!
See Activating and Deactivating Loads (p. 1507) for additional rules when multiple load objects
of the same type exist on common geometry selections.
9. Define any other loads and boundary conditions, specify load step options, and obtain the
submodel solution.
10. The final step is to verify that the cut boundaries of the submodel are far enough away from
the concentration. You can do this by comparing results (stresses and so on) along the cut
boundaries with those along the corresponding locations of the coarse model. If the results
are in good agreement, it indicates that proper cut boundaries have been chosen; otherwise,
Analysis Types
you will need to recreate and reanalyze the submodel with different cut boundaries further
away from the region of interest.
Note:
If the upstream (Coarse) system is modified and re-solved after importing the load,
a refresh operation on the Submodel system’s Setup cell is required to notify
Mechanical that source data has changed and re-import is required. Alternatively,
the source data can be refreshed using the right-click operation on the Submodeling
folder and choosing the Refresh Imported Load option.
5.15.16.3. Shell-to-Solid Submodels

In the shell-to-solid submodeling technique, the coarse model is a shell model, and the submodel
is a 3D solid model, as shown in this example:
Figure 5.17: 3D Solid Submodel Superimposed on Coarse Shell Model
The procedure for shell-to-solid submodeling is essentially the same as that for solid-to-solid sub-
modeling, with these exceptions:
• Shell-to-solid submodeling is activated by setting the Transfer Key to Shell-Solid in the Imported
Load details view.
• Cut boundaries on the submodel are the end planes that are normal to the shell plane (see Fig-
ure 5.18: Node rotations (a) before mapping command, (b) after mapping command (p. 841)).
• To determine the degree-of-freedom values at a cut-boundary node, the program first projects
the node onto the nearest element in the shell plane. The degree-of-freedom values of this pro-
jected point are then calculated by interpolation and assigned to the corresponding node.
• In a structural analysis, only translational displacements are calculated for the cut-boundary nodes,
but their values are based on both the translations and rotations of the projected point. Also,
the node is rotated such that the nodal UY direction is always perpendicular to the shell plane,
as shown in Figure 5.18: Node rotations (a) before mapping command, (b) after mapping com-
mand (p. 841). A UY constraint is calculated only for nodes that are within 10 percent of the average
shell element thickness from the shell plane, preventing overconstraint of the submodel in the
transverse direction.
Figure 5.18: Node rotations (a) before mapping command, (b) after mapping command
Note:
• If you are using the Material Assignment (p. 1071) feature on source bodies that are
different (shell and beam), you could experience mapping errors. The application may
skip a source body during the mapping process. To address this issue, use the feature
on the bodies individually – do not mix body types.
• The application only considers beam and shell section type elements from the source
data. It ignores all other section types.
5.15.17. System Coupling

You can use System Coupling to perform coupled simulations between multiple physics solvers,
coupling active co-simulation participants and/or importing static data from a external data source.
For example, you can run Mechanical and CFX in a coupled analysis or import data from an output
Analysis Types
file into a Fluent analysis. Once the physics and coupling setups are complete, the coupled analysis
is executed and managed by System Coupling.
System Coupling can be used in the following contexts:
System Coupling's User Interfaces:
System Coupling is run from its graphical user interface (GUI) or its command-line interface
(CLI). System Coupling's interfaces provide enhanced control over coupled simulation pro-
cesses, including automatic starts and restarts for participants, the ability to manipulate System
Coupling's data model, and an interactive solution workflow.
In these contexts, you still set up participant physics in the participant's user interface, but
you'll perform the coupled analysis — starting System Coupling, loading participants, specify-
ing values for coupling-related analysis settings, and automatically starting participants —
using System Coupling's GUI or CLI. Alternatively, if a coupled analysis setup was exported
from Workbench, you can open it and execute it in the GUI or CLI.
A list of supported coupling participants is given in Supported Coupling Participants in the

System Coupling User's Guide.
For more information, see Using System Coupling's User Interfaces in the System Coupling
User's Guide.
System Coupling in Workbench:
System Coupling is run from the Workbench interface.
In this context, you'll connect the Setup cell from a Workbench analysis system to the Setup
cell for the System Coupling component system, signaling that the Mechanical solver will
act as a co-simulation participant in a coupled analysis. Most of the coupling-related analysis
settings are made using the System Coupling system's Setup cell.
Once the physics and coupling setups are completed in Workbench, you can either execute
the coupled analysis in Workbench, or export the setup for execution in one of System
Coupling's user interfaces.
A list of supported coupling participants is given in Supported Coupling Participants for

System Coupling in Workbench.
For more information, see Using System Coupling in Workbench in the System Coupling User's
Guide.
The few coupling-related settings that are required in the setup are described below in System
Coupling Related Settings in Mechanical (p. 846).
Once the physics and coupling setups are complete, the coupled analysis is executed and managed
by System Coupling.
Additional information can be found in the following sections:

5.15.17.1. Supported Capabilities and Limitations
5.15.17.2. Variables Available for System Coupling
5.15.17.3. System Coupling Related Settings in Mechanical
5.15.17.4. Using Higher-Order Meshes for Coupled Analyses

5.15.17.5. One-Way FSI Transfers Using System Coupling in Workbench
5.15.17.6. Coupled Field Co-Simulation Using System Coupling
5.15.17.7. Coupling Thin Surfaces in CFX
5.15.17.8. Restarting Structural Mechanical Analyses as Part of System Coupling
5.15.17.9. Running Mechanical as a Coupling Participant in System Coupling's GUI or CLI
5.15.17.10.Troubleshooting Two-Way Coupling Analysis Problems
5.15.17.11. Product Licensing Considerations when using System Coupling
5.15.17.1. Supported Capabilities and Limitations

Mechanical supports the following capabilities when used in a System Coupling analysis:
• Data exchange across System Coupling Region (p. 1769) interfaces defined on regions in the
Mechanical model. This boundary condition defines the interface between the fluid in the coupled
participant system (for example, Fluent) and the solid in the Mechanical system.
• Data transfer regions are the regions upon which the System Coupling Region (p. 1769) condition
is applied. In a coupled analysis, at each data transfer region, the following variables can be sent
and received:
– In a coupled structural analysis, Force and Displacement can be transferred at data transfer
regions.
→ Both Force and Force Density transfers are available. They are very similar, except that the
Force Density variable uses follower effects within the Mechanical solution: as the structural
geometry deforms within a time step, the Force rotates along with it. This can lead to a
more robust solution, especially for soft materials such as hyperelastic solids.
→ When the solver receiving the motion (such as Fluent) solves before or simultaneously with
the solver sending the motion (such as Mechanical), then the Incremental Displacement
transferred during the first coupling iteration of each coupling step is identically zero.
– In a coupled thermal analysis, Heat Transfer Coefficients and Near Wall Temperatures, Tem-
peratures, and Heat Flows can be transferred at data transfer regions.
→ Heat Transfer Coefficient is also known as "convection coefficient."
→ Near Wall Temperature is also known as "bulk temperature," or "ambient temperature."
– In a coupled thermal-structural analysis, Mechanical can send Displacements along with

only one Temperature or Heat Flow condition, and can in turn receive a Force load and either
one Temperature or Heat Flow, or a combined Heat Transfer Coefficient and Reference Tem-
perature.
– In a coupled thermal-structural-fluid analysis (performed using a coupled field system (p. 851)),
both Displacement and thermal data can be transferred on data transfer regions.
For a listing of Mechanical's data transfer variables, see Variables Available for System Coup-
ling (p. 845).
Analysis Types
• Surface and volume meshes that include higher-order elements.
• Shared memory parallel mode. Note that convergence and therefore results will change between
repeated runs of Mechanical in shared memory parallel mode. These changes will occur even if
no setup changes were applied. The changes in the coupled analysis' convergence and results
are due to the segregated solution algorithm used and the inherent sensitivity of the coupled
physics problems being solved.
• Distributed parallel mode. Note that to run Mechanical in distributed parallel mode from within
the Workbench interface, the working directory must be a shared network directory with the
same path for all computer servers. Alternatively, the analysis can run in different working direct-
ories on all servers if Mechanical is run as a coupling participant from one of System Coupling's
user interfaces. For more information, see Running Mechanical as a Coupling Participant in System
Coupling's GUI or CLI (p. 857).
• SOLID and SHELL elements. For a complete list of elements, see Load-Transfer Coupled Analysis
-- Workbench: System Coupling in the Coupled-Field Analysis Guide.
• Structural convergence information and Result Tracker information are provided to System
Coupling for display in the charts generated by System Coupling in Workbench.
When using the Result Tracker in a System Coupling in Workbench analysis, note that Kinetic
Energy and Stiffness Energy values are only computed at the end of a coupling step, and values
of zero are reported for the intermediate coupling iterations. The Kinetic Energy and Stiffness
Energy values reported in System Coupling are lagged, so the value reported at the start of a
coupling step is actually the value corresponding to the end of the previous coupling step. The
value corresponding to the last coupling step will not be reported in System Coupling.
• Custom restart files are available when using System Coupling's GUI or CLI. These files allow for
the insertion of pre-solve command snippets into Mechanical's restart file. Mechanical APDL
commands that are supported for coupled analysis restarts (such as TIMINT) may be used.
Note the following limitations when using Mechanical in a System Coupling analysis:
• System Coupling requires participants to use 3D meshes, with data transfer regions consisting
of element faces within the 3D mesh. Data transfer regions cannot exist in 2D meshes (where
the data transfer would be a line/curve). Line elements such as BEAM elements in Mechanical
cannot form data transfer regions but may be included elsewhere in the Mechanical model.
• In a System Coupling setup, if you apply an external force or external heat flow on the same region
as a System Coupling Region interface, this external variable will be ignored by the Mechanical
APDL solver.
• Transfers of Force Density are not supported for:
– Cases where Mechanical uses shell elements and Force Density is transferred to both sides of
any shell.
– Execution using System Coupling in Workbench. To make the FDNS input variable available
in a coupled analysis created in Workbench, export the coupling setup so the analysis can be
executed in System Coupling's GUI or CLI. For details, see Exporting a System Coupling Setup
and Running an Exported System Coupling Setup in the System Coupling User's Guide.
• When Mechanical participates in a System Coupling analysis, only one load step can be defined
in Mechanical. Loads can still vary as a function of time within this load step. Other operations
that would normally require multiple load steps will require a System Coupling restart to be
performed. For example, a pre-stressed analysis can be performed by executing a System Coupling
simulation using the pre-stressing load conditions in Mechanical, then continuing the analysis
by restarting System Coupling after making the necessary changes in Mechanical.
• Mechanical restarts are not supported for the transfer of thermal variables.
• Note that the internally computed contact damping is a function of the total number of substeps.
The internal damping is reduced in subsequent substeps within a load step, and very little
damping is applied in the last substep. Therefore, the solution convergence pattern is different
when solving a contact analysis that has only one substep (or a few substeps) per load step
compared to an analysis having multiple substeps per load step. In some cases, the solution may
fail to converge if a small number of substeps is used per load step. You can specify absolute
damping coefficients to overwrite internal damping values by inserting a Command object (p. 2407)
under the Contact Region and setting appropriate values for the real constants, FDMN and FDMT.
• If you are using a System Coupling in Workbench component system in combination with your
Mechanical analysis, the Save Project Before Solution and Save Project After Solution properties
of the Project object are not supported.
• When transferring data to or from a wall boundary in a sliding mesh zone, you must make sure
that Mechanical does not rotate the mesh. You can accomplish this by using a Rotational Velo-
city (p. 1619). For information about sliding meshes in Ansys Fluent, see the Using Sliding Meshes
documentation in the Fluent User's Guide.
5.15.17.2. Variables Available for System Coupling

The following variables are available on all data transfer regions.
Table 5.1: Variables On Boundary Wall Regions
Display Name / Transfer Quantity

Tensor Type Extensive/Intensive
Internal Name Direction Type
Force / FORC Input Vector Extensive Force
Force Density /
Input Vector Intensive Force
FDNS1
Displacement /
Output Vector Intensive Length
INCD
Input
Heat Flow / HFLW and Scalar Intensive Heat Rate
Output
Heat Transfer Heat Transfer
Input Scalar Intensive
Coefficient / HCOE Coefficient
Input
Temperature /
and Scalar Extensive Temperature
TEMP
Output
Analysis Types

Near Wall Temper-
Input Scalar Intensive Temperature
ature / TBULK
1: FDNS is not supported for System Coupling in Workbench or for cases where Mechanical uses
shell elements and Force Density is applied to both sides of any shell.
Table 5.2: Variables On Body System Coupling Regions

Heat Rate Density
Input Scalar Intensive Heat Rate
/ HGEN
Temperature /
Output Scalar Intensive Temperature
TEMP
Temperature /
Input Scalar Intensive Temperature
TPLD
Note:
When using System Coupling in Workbench, the data plotted in System Coupling's chart
monitors are provided by the coupling participants. For non-linear analyses, the structural
convergence quantities from Mechanical are plotted in terms of the activated degrees
of freedom in the structural solver. For linear analyses, the structural convergence
quantities from Mechanical are plotted only for thermal analyses with the temperature
degrees of freedom.
5.15.17.3. System Coupling Related Settings in Mechanical

End Time Specification
For transient analyses, Mechanical requires the end time specified in the setup to be respected.
When coupling participants require their end time to be respected, the maximum allowable end
time for the coupled analysis is the minimum of the end time specified by such participants.
Other participant systems, such as Fluent, can run past the end time specified in the setup. These
participant systems have no effect on the allowable end time of the coupled analysis.
Ramping of Data-Transfer Loads

Mechanical has two types of ramping that can modify the loads obtained through data transfers
in a coupled analysis. The two types of ramping are ramping over substeps, and ramping over
coupling steps. The ramping on your load will be determined by the interaction of ramping settings
you have set between Mechanical as well as System Coupling. Both Mechanical ramping behaviors
are controlled by the Solution Command Object KBC, which can be set to 1 or 0. In a steady-state
analysis, the default setting is KBC = 0 (ramping on). In a transient analysis, the default setting is
KBC = 1 (ramping off ).
In System Coupling, substeps are unique to Mechanical, and are steps within a coupling iteration.
Loads can be ramped over these substeps. The ramping factor applied to these loads is based on
the number of substeps, . At the substep, the ramping factor of is applied. This
ramping is based on the initial value of the load at the end of the last step. When KBC = 0 and
, ramping over substeps occurs. If KBC = 1 or , ramping over substeps does not occur.
In System Coupling, Mechanical has a second ramping option which ramps loads over the coupling
steps. Regardless of what other ramping settings are on, System Coupling always transfers the full
load at the end of the coupling step, and then Mechanical applies a ramping factor to this full value
at each coupling step. The ramping factor applied to the full load at the coupling step is based on
the number of coupling steps, . At the coupling step, the ramping factor of is applied.
When KBC = 0 and , ramping over coupling steps occurs. If KBC = 1 or , ramping over
coupling steps does not occur. Note that if you set ramping over coupling steps to occur in a
transient analysis, loads received from System Coupling will be ramped over all coupling steps, and
so the full load will only be applied at the last coupling step. This situation is not physical, but may
still be useful when using a Transient Structural system to get steady-state results, for example
when pre-stressing the structure for a further transient analysis.
Ramping of Loads Within Mechanical

Loads within the Mechanical system (that is, loads that are not transferred to Mechanical through
the coupled analysis) are ramped linearly using the Step End Time specified in Mechanical. In a
steady-state coupled analysis, ramping of these loads is controlled by the relationship between the
Step End Time specified in Mechanical, and the number of coupling steps specified in System
Coupling. For a steady-state analysis, each coupling step in System Coupling corresponds to 1 s of
time in Mechanical.
• When the number of seconds set for the Step End Time in Mechanical equals the number
of coupling steps set in System Coupling, the load is ramped linearly across all steps in the
coupled analysis.
• When the number of seconds set for the Step End Time in Mechanical is less than the
number of coupling steps set in System Coupling, the load is ramped linearly to the coupling
step that matches the end time, and then the full load is applied for the remaining steps.
• When the number of seconds set for the Step End Time in Mechanical is more than the
number of coupling steps set in System Coupling, the load is ramped linearly, but it will not
reach its full value. The final value applied will be the ramped value that corresponds to the
last coupling step, which may cause inaccuracies in your simulation.
• If Mechanical's Step End Time is set to 1s, this ramping will not occur.
Note that Mechanical's computational end time and its load-based end time are independent. The
computational end time is equal to the number of coupling steps. The load-based end time controls
the ramping behavior, and is set by the Step End Time option in the Mechanical interface.
Output Controls
When Mechanical is connected to System Coupling, behavior of the Output Controls is changed.
For a normal Mechanical run, the Store Results At settings are applied per step and Specified
Recurrence Rate is defined as the output frequency within a step at some substep frequency.
When the Mechanical application is connected to System Coupling, these settings are applied across
Analysis Types
all steps, not within one step. This means that you cannot output results within a step. System
Coupling simulations may run many steps, so these settings should be used to reduce the results
frequency as needed.
For more information about how to use Mechanical for FSI analyses, see Fluid-Structure Interaction
(FSI) (p. 767).
5.15.17.4. Using Higher-Order Meshes for Coupled Analyses

System Coupling supports both surface and volume meshes with mid-side nodes, providing improved
interpolation for Mechanical cases with quadratic element meshes. Previously, Mechanical participants
dropped mid-side mesh nodes and sent only corner nodes to System Coupling. Beginning in the
2020 R2 release, Mechanical sends mid-side nodes to System Coupling by default for the following
types of cases:
• New coupled analyses created with the 2020 R2 or later release
• Unsolved existing coupled analyses created with a pre-2020 R2 release
For instructions on other scenarios, see:
• Applying Mid-Side Nodes to Existing Solved Cases (p. 848)
• Reverting to the Use of Corner Nodes (p. 848)
Applying Mid-Side Nodes to Existing Solved Cases

To apply the new feature to existing cases that were created with an earlier release and that have
already been solved using only the corner nodes, perform the following steps:
1. Clear coupled analysis solution data.
2. Save the Mechanical project.
3. Regenerate Mechanical's solver file.
4. Re-solve the coupled analysis.
Reverting to the Use of Corner Nodes

To revert to Mechanical's previous behavior of sending only corner nodes to System Coupling,
perform the following steps:
1. Load the case into Mechanical.
Note:
If the case has already been solved using the new functionality, perform the
steps described in above topic, Applying Mid-Side Nodes to Existing Solved
Cases (p. 848).
2. Open the Commands (APDL) object, using either of the following methods:
a. On the Home tab, Insert group, select Commands.
b. In the Outline, right-click the A5 analysis environment object and select Insert >
Commands.
The Commands (APDL) object is added to the Outline tree and the corresponding Work-
sheet opens. The text displayed indicates that the command will be placed in the /SOLU
section of the .dat file, so will be executed just prior to the SOLVE command.
3. In the Worksheet, enter the following command snippet:

SCOPT,,NO
4. From the File tab, select Save Project.
When the solution is run, Mechanical will run the command snippet and revert to sending only
linear meshes and data to System Coupling, even when it is using quadratic meshes in its own
solution.
5.15.17.5. One-Way FSI Transfers Using System Coupling in Workbench

One-way data transfers using System Coupling in Workbench are particularly useful as a first step
in a sequence of coupled analyses that may advance to co-simulation involving two-way transfers.
In some cases, one-way coupled analyses may also be an alternative to transferring data using im-
ported loads.
Coupled analyses may be used to transfer force into, structural data out of, or thermal data into or
out of the Mechanical analyses. Either co-simulation data from a coupling participant system or
static data from an External Data system may be transferred through System Coupling. (Transferring
data from an External Data system may be useful when users with different licenses are working
on the same project.)
For all cases (whether Mechanical is the source or target participant, and whether co-simulation or
static data are being transferred):
• Start by defining a System Coupling Region (p. 1769) boundary condition at the location cor-
responding to the fluid-structure interface.
• Connections between coupling participant systems and a System Coupling system are made
by linking their Setup cells.
For more information, see:
• Transferring Data Into a Mechanical Analysis (p. 849)
• Transferring Data Out of a Mechanical Analysis (p. 850)
Transferring Data Into Mechanical Analyses

In a one-way coupled analysis with Mechanical as the target participant, a System Coupling system
can transfer steady-state or transient thermal data (temperature, heat flow, or heat transfer coefficient
and near wall temperature), or force (from CFD pressures and viscous forces) to a Mechanical system.
Either co-simulation data or static data may be transferred into Mechanical.
Analysis Types
Transfer co-simulation data into Mechanical:
When a co-simulation coupling participant, such as a Fluent system, is connected to a Mechanical

system via System Coupling, Mechanical is given access to data directly from the other participant.
1. Connect a Mechanical system to a System Coupling system.
2. Connect another co-simulation participant system to the System Coupling system.
3. Edit the System Coupling system to define data transfers from the other co-simulation
participant system to the Mechanical system.
Transfer static data into Mechanical:
When the External Data system is connected to a Mechanical system via System Coupling, Mechan-
ical is given access to static data from Ansys External Data (.axdt) files.
2. Connect an External Data system to the System Coupling system.
3. Edit the External Data system to select one or more .axdt files.
4. Edit the System Coupling system to define data transfers from the External Data system to
the Mechanical system.
The Ansys External Data text-formatted files can be generated by the CFD-Post component system
from another participant's (such as Fluent's) analysis results.
Transferring Data Out of Mechanical Analyses

In a one-way coupled analysis with Mechanical as the source participant, a System Coupling system
can transfer displacement or thermal data (temperature or heat flow) from Mechanical to other
coupling participants. Either co-simulation or static data may be transferred out of Mechanical.
Transfer co-simulation data out of Mechanical:
When a Mechanical system is connected via System Coupling to another co-simulation coupling
participant, such as a Fluent system, the other participant is given access to data directly from
Mechanical.
2. Connect another co-simulation participant system to the System Coupling system.
3. Edit the System Coupling system to define data transfers from the Mechanical system to
the other co-simulation participant system.
Transfer static data out of Mechanical:
To transfer static data out of Mechanical, export Ansys External Data files (.axdt) from Mechanical
and use the files to transfer the data into an External Data system.
1. In Mechanical's System Coupling Region, set the Export Results property to Yes.
2. It you are running Mechanical from the command line for a thermal coupled analysis, add
the macro dumpFSIHeats.mac to your Mechanical APDL directory before running
Mechanical.
The macro is available in the C:\Program Files\ANSYS Inc\v242\aisol\

DesignSpace\DSPages\macros directory.
3. Add an External Data system to the Project Schematic.
4. Edit the External Data system to select one or more .axdt files.
When the coupled analysis is run, Mechanical writes one .axdt file per System Coupling
Region to its solver files directory. Each file may contain temperatures and heat flows, with
only corner node values recorded. (The mid-side node values for heat flows, if present, are
summed to the corresponding corner nodes.) Heat flow data includes the sum of heat flows
through surfaces with applied temperatures, convection, and radiation.
5. Connect the External Data system to the System Coupling system.
6. Edit the System Coupling system to define data transfers from the External Data system to
the other co-simulation participant system.
5.15.17.6. Coupled Field Co-Simulation Using System Coupling

System Coupling supports static and transient coupled field co-simulations involving thermal-fluid-
structural couplings between Mechanical and another coupling participant (such as Fluent). The
co-simulation may be run using either System Coupling in Workbench or one of System Coupling's
user interfaces (GUI or CLI). Setup of Mechanical's coupled field system is the same in all scenarios.
To set up and run a coupled field co-simulation, perform the following steps:
1. Set up the coupled field system in Mechanical.
a. Add a Coupled Field Static or Coupled Field Transient analysis system to the Project
Schematic.
b. Set up the system in Mechanical as usual (as described in Coupled Field Static (p. 395)
analysis or Coupled Field Transient (p. 399) analysis), with the following qualifications:
• Structural and/or thermal variables must be defined.
• Make sure the initial temperature is set correctly. (This is defined by the Initial Tem-
perature and Initial Temperature Value fields under Coupled Field Transient/Initial
Physics Options.)
• A System Coupling Region must be used to create the coupling interface and to
send both structural and thermal Degrees of Freedom (DOFs) to the co-simulation.
2. Finish setting up CFD participant and System Coupling according to where you want to
complete the setup and run the co-simulation, as follows:
• To complete the setup and solve the co-simulation in Workbench, follow the steps outlined
in Setting Up a Coupled Analysis in Workbench and Running a Coupled Analysis in
Workbench.
Analysis Types
• To complete the setup outside Workbench and solve the co-simulation in one of System
Coupling's user interfaces, follow the steps outlined in Preparing for a Coupled Analysis,
Creating a Coupled Analysis, and Running a Coupled Analysis.
• To complete a full or partial setup in Workbench, export the setup, and solve the co-
simulation in one of System Coupling's user interfaces, follow the steps outlined in Ex-
porting a System Coupling Setup and Running an Exported System Coupling Setup.
5.15.17.7. Coupling Thin Surfaces in CFX

To transfer forces from a thin surface in CFX, you need to have a duplicate surface in Mechanical
so that two surfaces exist in Mechanical Mechanicalto match the two surfaces in CFX.
Once you have two surfaces in Mechanical:
1. Use a bonded contact to connect the two surfaces in Mechanical.
2. Assign each surface half the true thickness of the thin surface.
3. Add an offset parameter to each of the Mechanical surfaces to ensure that the shell elements
represents the true geometry. Typically, one surface uses offset = top and the second uses
offset = bottom. Ensure that your elements are similar to those in the image below, where the
mesh elements are not overlapping.
4. Create two fluid-solid interfaces in Mechanical, one for each surface body.
In this case, you cannot use a single set of shell elements in Mechanical.
Figure 5.19: Two Surfaces in Mechanical with the Correct Offset Parameter for Coupling with
a Thin Surface
5.15.17.8. Restarting Structural Mechanical Analyses as Part of System Coupling

For instructions on performing restarts in a given coupling context, see the following sections in
the System Coupling User's Guide:
• Restarting a Coupled Analysis
• Restarting a Coupled Analysis in Workbench
To restart your coupled analysis, you will also need restart information specific to the participants
connected to your System Coupling system. For details on other participant systems connected to
your System Coupling system, review the participant's documentation on restarts.
For general information on performing restarts, see:

5.15.17.8.1. Generating Mechanical Restart Files
5.15.17.8.2. Specifying a Restart Point in Mechanical
5.15.17.8.3. Making Setup Changes Before Restarting
5.15.17.8.4. Recovering the Mechanical Restart Point after a Workbench Crash
Analysis Types
5.15.17.8.5. Restarting a Thermal-Structural Coupled Analysis
Note:
Mechanical restarts are not supported for:
• Coupled analyses that include Steady-State Thermal or Transient Thermal systems.
• The transfer of thermal variables.
5.15.17.8.1. Generating Mechanical Restart Files

Restarts of a System Coupling analysis requires corresponding restart points to exist in the
coupling service and in each of the solvers participating in the analysis.
In order to generate the restart files in Mechanical (rdb/rXXX files), perform the following steps:
1. In the Mechanical interface, select Analysis Settings.
2. In Details of "Analysis Settings", ensure that Restart Controls > Retain Files After Full
Solve setting is set to Yes.
5.15.17.8.2. Specifying a Restart Point in Mechanical

The restart point selected in the Mechanical solver must be consistent with the restart points
selected for System Coupling and other coupling participants. A run-time error will be issued if
an analysis is restarted with incompatible time points.
To specify a restart point in Mechanical, perform the following steps:
1. Double-click the Mechanical's Solution cell in Workbench.
2. In the Outline view tree, select Analysis Settings.
3. In the Details of Analysis Settings, under Restart Analysis, set Restart Type to Manual
and select the correct restart point from the drop-down menu of Current Restart Point.
4. Close the Mechanical application.
5. In the Project Schematic, right-click the Mechanical system's Setup cell and select Update.
5.15.17.8.3. Making Setup Changes Before Restarting

In some cases, setup changes are desired or are required to avoid failure of the coupled analysis.
You may make these changes either by modifying settings in Mechanical or (if working in System
Coupling's GUI or CLI) by using a custom restart file.
For instructions, see:

Modifying Settings in Mechanical
Using Custom Restart Files in System Coupling
Modifying Settings in Mechanical
Open Mechanical and save your project before modifying any settings so that, if needed, you
can restore the saved project and any deleted restart points.
Make the required changes to the setup, then save the project and close the Mechanical applic-
ation. The changed settings will be applied for subsequent coupled analyses.
Note:
The modification of some settings in Mechanical may invalidate and cause the deletion
of all restart points. This deletion of restart points can cause the runtime error which
warns of incompatible restart points. For a list of these settings, see Modifications Af-
fecting Restart Points (p. 1920).
Using Custom Restart Files in System Coupling
Custom restart files are controlled by the Mechanical participant's Execution Control | Additional
Restart Input File setting in the System Coupling data model. This setting accepts a Mechanical
solver input file (.dat) and is blank by default.
To use a custom restart file, set Additional Restart Input File to the path of the custom restart
script you wish to use.
Note:
Ensure that the specified restart file is valid. System Coupling does not validate
restart files before the solution is restarted.
When a value is entered for this setting, System Coupling inserts a line into Mechanical's restart
script, just before the solve command. The added line will include an /input command that ref-
erences the specified restart file, as in the example below:
/batch
/solu
/gst,on,on
antype,4,rest,10,,continue
/input,myCommands.dat,,,,1
solve
save
finish
exit
The insertion of this line allows you to insert command snippets into the restart script. You may
use Mechanical APDL commands that are supported restarting Mechanical in a coupled analysis
— for example, you may use the TIMINT command to control time integration for Mechanical's
restart.
System Coupling will use the custom script as the input for the restarted run, issuing the inserted
command snippets before restarting the solution.
Analysis Types
5.15.17.8.4. Recovering the Mechanical Restart Point after a Workbench Crash

Workbench or one of the components may crash such that restart files are available but they are
not recognized or populated in the Workbench project.
See Recovering from a Workbench Crash for the steps needed to recover a coupled analysis after
a Workbench crash. You will also need the information below about Mechanical, as well as inform-
ation specific to the other participant systems connected to System Coupling. For other participant
systems connected to your System Coupling system, see Supported Coupling Participants for
System Coupling in Workbench for a list of supported systems and references to their correspond-
ing documentation regarding restarts.
The result files from the run that crashed may reside in either the system’s solution folder or in
the _ProjectScratch directory. The _ProjectScratch directory is a temporary directory
used by the Mechanical APDL solver. This directory contains the latest structural results and restart
points written during the System Coupling run before Workbench crashed. Mechanical will need
to read these file to recover the project using the steps below.
Note that the .backup directory contains the original version of any files which have been
modified since the last save. These files are useful to recover the last saved state, but they are
not useful for restarting your analysis.
To recover Mechanical's restart point after a workbench crash:
1. In the Project Schematic, double-click Mechanical's Setup cell. In the Mechanical interface,
select the Solution entry from the tree.
2. From the Solution Context tab, select the Read Result Files option from the Tools group.
3. Browse to the location of the result files (which may be the systems solution directory or
the _ProjectScratch directory) and select file.rst. Uncombined result files from a
distributed-memory parallel solution can also be used instead of a single combined result
file. In order to use the uncombined result files, the result file chosen must be file0.rst.
Mechanical will now patch itself into a state consistent with the results files, with restarts
points (if they were written) available for selection in Mechanical.
4. Select the restart point in Mechanical as in Specifying a Restart Point in Mechanical (p. 854)
above.
5. Once you have selected Mechanical's restart point, in the Project Schematic, right-click
Mechanical's Setup cell and select Update.
5.15.17.8.5. Restarting a Thermal-Structural Coupled Analysis

When restarting coupled thermal-structural cases in which Mechanical APDL serves heat flow,
use the default solve order, with Mechanical APDL solving first.
Mechanical APDL does not save the heat flows from the previous analysis, so initial heat flows
sent to System Coupling are zero. Once Mechanical APDL has solved the first coupling iteration,
the correct heat flows are sent to System Coupling.
If the default solve order is used, with Mechanical APDL solving first, then this will have no effect
on the simulation because heat flows will have been calculated before Fluent solves the first
coupling iteration. If the solution order is changed so that Fluent solves first, then Fluent will re-
ceive zero heat flow in the first coupling iteration after a restart, which could cause problems
with the solution process.
Note:
The above information is for a coupled thermal-structural system. Mechanical does

not support restarts for coupled analyses which include Steady-State Thermal and
Transient Thermal systems.
5.15.17.9. Running Mechanical as a Coupling Participant in System Coupling's

GUI or CLI
System Coupling analyses can be run using either of System Coupling's user interfaces. To run the
Mechanical application as a coupling participant:
For coupled analyses set up in a System Coupling interface:
• To set up a coupled analysis in System Coupling's GUI or CLI, follow the steps outlined in
Preparing for a Coupled Analysis, Creating a Coupled Analysis, and Modifying Coupled Ana-
lysis Settings.
• To run a coupled analysis in System Coupling's GUI or CLI, follow the steps outlined in Running
a Coupled Analysis.
For coupled analyses that were set up using System Coupling in Workbench:
• To set up a coupled analysis using System Coupling in Workbench, follow the steps outlined
in Setting Up a Coupled Analysis in Workbench.
• To export the coupled analysis setup, follow the steps outlined in Exporting a System Coupling
Setup.
• To execute the exported setup in System Coupling's GUI or CLI, follow the steps outlined in
Running an Exported System Coupling Setup.
5.15.17.10. Troubleshooting Two-Way Coupling Analysis Problems

The following files, found in the Mechanical run directory (SYS/MECH under a Workbench design
point directory), may prove useful in troubleshooting coupled analysis problems:
• file.err: This file contains a summary of all of the errors that occurred during the run.
• solve.out (or other output file): This file contains a complete summary of the current/latest
run's evolution. This is one of the most useful files to determine why the coupled analysis
failed. To generate extensive debug output during the analysis, enter the following command
as a command snippet in the analysis branch when completing the Mechanical problem
setup:
/debug,-1,,,,,2
Analysis Types
Provide all of these files when submitting a request for service to Ansys personnel.
5.15.17.11. Product Licensing Considerations when using System Coupling

A distinct license is required for each coupling participant product, but no additional licenses are
required for the System Coupling infrastructure itself.
Note, however, that Ansys EnSight is required for the postprocessing of System Coupling's interface
results. If you are using a Multiphysics Licensing Bundle that does not include an EnSight license
(e.g., the Ansys Mechanical Maxwell bundle), you will need a separate EnSight license to visualize
co-simulation results.
For more information on applicable licenses, see Product Licensing Considerations in the System
Coupling User's Guide.
5.15.18. Thermal-Stress Analysis

The Mechanical application enables you to apply temperatures from a thermal analysis as loads in a
structural analysis for thermal stress evaluations. The load transfer is applicable for cases when the
thermal and structural analyses share the mesh as well as for cases when the two analyses are solved
using different meshes. For cases when the meshes are different, the temperature values are mapped
and interpolated between the source and target meshes.
Workflow for performing a thermal stress analysis with:
Shared Model
1. From the toolbox, drag and drop a transient or steady-state thermal template onto the
project schematic. Perform all steps to set up a Steady-State Thermal (p. 663) or Transient
Thermal (p. 686). Specify mesh controls, boundary conditions, and solution settings as you
normally would and solve the analysis.
2. Drag and drop a Static Structural, Transient Structural or LS-DYNA template on top of the
thermal system's solution cell to enable the data transfer.
3. Double-click the structural systems Setup cell. In the Mechanical application an Imported
Body Temperature (p. 1861) load is automatically added into the structural system's tree
under an Imported Load folder.
4. Select appropriate geometry in the Details view of the Imported Body Temperature object
using the Geometry or Named Selection scoping option. If the load is scoped to one or
more surface bodies, the Shell Face option in the details view enables you to apply the
temperatures to Both faces, to the Top face(s) only, or to the Bottom face(s) only. See
Imported Body Temperature (p. 1861) for additional information.
Note:
In a LS-DYNA system, temperatures cannot be scoped to beams.
• Source Time: The time at which the data will be imported from the thermal analysis.
• Analysis Time: Select the analysis time at which the load will be applied.
Note:
The Data View can automatically be populated with the source and analysis
times using Source Time property in the Details view. Use All to import
data at all times in the source analysis, or Range to import data for a range
specified by a Minimum and a Maximum.
6. Right-click the Imported Body Temperature object and click Import Load to import the
load. When the load has been imported successfully, a contour plot of the temperatures
will be displayed in the Geometry window.
Note:
The range of data displayed in the graphics window can be controlled using
the Legend controls options. See Imported Boundary Conditions (p. 1857) for
7. You can define multiple rows in the Data View tab to import source data at multiple
times and apply them at different analysis. If multiple rows are defined in the Data View,
it is possible to preview imported load vectors/contour applied to a given row or analysis
time in the Data View. Choose Active Row or Analysis Time using the By property under
Analysis Types
Graphics Controls in the details of the imported load and then specify the Active
Row/Analysis Time to preview the data.
Note:
If the Analysis Time specified by the user does not match the list of analysis
times in the Data View, the data is displayed at the analysis time closest to
the specified time.
Unshared Model
1. From the toolbox, drag and drop a steady-state or transient thermal template onto the
project schematic. Perform all steps to set up a Steady-State Thermal (p. 663) or Transient
Thermal (p. 686). Specify mesh controls, boundary conditions, and solution settings as you
normally would and solve the analysis.
2. Drag and drop a Static Structural, Transient Structural or LS-DYNA template onto the
project schematic. Share the Engineering Data and Geometry cells if required and then
drag the Solution cell of the thermal system onto the Setup cell of the structural system.
3. Double-click the structural systems Setup cell. In the Mechanical application, an Imported
Body Temperature (p. 1861) load is automatically added into the structural system's tree
under an Imported Load folder.
4. Select appropriate geometry in the Details view of the Imported Body Temperature object
using the Geometry or Named Selection scoping option. If the load is scoped to one or
more surface bodies, the Shell Face option in the details view enables you to apply the
temperatures to Both faces, to the Top face(s) only, or to the Bottom face(s) only. See
Imported Body Temperature (p. 1861) for additional information.
Note:
In a 3D analysis, if the Triangulation mapping algorithm is used, the Transfer

Type mapping option defaults to Surface when the load is scoped to shell
bodies.
Note:
In a LS-DYNA system, temperatures cannot be scoped to beams.
5. The Source Bodies option in the Details view enables you to select the bodies, from the
thermal analysis, that make up the source mesh for mapping the data. You can select
one of the following options:
• Automatic: The application uses heuristics based on the geometry to automatically

match source and target bodies and map temperature values. A source body is matched
with a target body if it satisfies the following criteria:
– The percent volume difference is within the user-defined tolerance.
– The distance between the centroid locations divided by the diagonal of the
bounding box is within the user defined tolerance.
The percent tolerance values can be specified in the Tolerance field. The default is set
at 1%. The matching process is done in increments of 0.1 of the tolerance value, up to
the defined tolerance. The process fails if multiple source bodies are found to match
a target body or if no match is found for a target body. After the import is completed,
a Load Transfer Summary is displayed as a comment object in the particular load
branch. The summary shows the matched source and target bodies as well as the values
that were used to determine the match. It is recommended that you verify the import
using this information.
Important:
This option requires that:
– Element volume results are present in the thermal results file. In the
thermal analysis, make sure that the Calculate Thermal Flux or the
General Miscellaneous property under the Analysis Settings object is
set to Yes so that this result is available.
Analysis Types
– Each scoped body of the target has a matching source body with a unique
material id. Therefore, this option may not work when Imported Trace
or Material Assignment objects are present.
Note:
This option is not allowed when scoped to a node-based Named Selection

as the heuristic is geometry based.
• All: The source mesh in this case will comprise all the bodies that were used in thermal
analysis. For cases where the temperature values are significantly different at the
boundaries across two or more bodies, this option could result in mapped target values
that are generated by taking a weighted average of the source values across multiple
bodies. Target regions can exist where the mapped temperatures differ significantly
from the source.
• Manual: This option enables you to select one or more source bodies to make up the
source mesh. The source body selections are made in the Material IDs field by entering
the material IDs that correspond to the source bodies that you would like to use. Type
material IDs and/or material ID ranges separated by commas to specify your selection.
For example, type 1, 2, 5-10. The material IDs for the source bodies can be seen in
Solution Information Object (p. 1927) of the source analysis. In the example below, text
is taken from a solver output,
***********Elements for Body 1 "coil" ***********
***********Elements for Body 2 "core" ***********
***********Elements for Body 3 "bar" ************
body 'coil' has material ID 1, body 'core' has material ID 2 and body 'bar' has material
ID 3.
• Source Time: The time at which the data will be imported from the source analysis.
• Analysis time: Choose the analysis time at which the load will be applied.
Note:
The Data View can automatically be populated with the source and analysis
times using Source Time property in the Details view. Use All to import
data at all times in the source analysis, or Range to import data for a range
specified by a Minimum and a Maximum.
7. You can transform the source mesh used in the mapping process by using the Rigid
Transformation properties. This option is useful if the source geometry was defined with
respect to a coordinate system that is not aligned with the target geometry system.
8. You can modify the Mapper Settings (p. 2493) to achieve the desired mapping accuracy.
Mapping can be validated by using Mapping Validation (p. 2516) objects.
9. Right-click the Imported Body Temperature object and click Import Load to import the
load. When the load has been imported successfully, a contour plot of the temperatures
will be displayed in the Geometry window.
10. You can define multiple rows in the Data View tab to import source data at multiple
times and apply them at different analysis. If multiple rows are defined in the Data View,
it is possible to preview imported load vectors/contour applied to a given row or analysis
time in the Data View. Choose Active Row or Analysis Time using the By property under
Graphics Controls in the details of the imported load and then specify the Active
Row/Analysis Time to preview the data.
Note:
If the Analysis Time specified by the user does not match the list of analysis
times in the Data View, the data is displayed at the analysis time closest to
the specified time.
Note:
a. You can add a template for the linked thermal and structural systems by
creating your own template.
b. The transfer of temperatures is not allowed between a 2D analysis and 3D

analysis or vice-versa.
Note:
If the upstream (thermal) system is modified and re-solved after importing the load, a refresh
operation on the structural system's Setup cell is required to notify Mechanical that source
data has changed and re-import is required. Alternatively, the source data can be refreshed
using the Right-click operation on the Imported Load folder and choosing the Refresh
Imported Load option.
Note:
When there is a shared model that includes a thermal-stress analysis and the structural
system is duplicated using the Engineering Data, Geometry or Model cell context menu,
the result is the Setup cell of the Thermal system linked to the Solution cell of the duplicated
structural system. Temperature transfer to the duplicated structural system will require the
data to be mapped and interpolated between the source and target meshes.
5.15.19. Transferring Hydrodynamic Loads to a Structural System

The Hydrodynamic Pressure Mapping ACT extension transfers the surface pressures and line loads
calculated in a Hydrodynamic Diffraction analysis or a time domain Hydrodynamic Response analysis
to panel and beam elements in a Static Structural analysis, through a link on the Workbench Project
Schematic page. This removes the need to create, manipulate and run files external to Workbench.
Analysis Types
Multiple wave phase angles or time steps can be analyzed in a single Static Structural calculation, to
provide a clear picture of finite element results due to hydrodynamic loading over the whole wave
cycle or time series. To view the documentation explaining how to load and use the extension, click
here.
The Offshore ACT extension exposes the family of OCEAN commands that are offered in Mechanical
APDL. In this way the hydrodynamic loads on submerged beam and pipe elements – resulting from
the motion of the structure through the fluid, or from the fluid motion around the structure due to
current or waves – can be included in Static Structural, Transient Structural, Modal and Harmonic
Response analyses. To view the documentation explaining how to load and use the extension, click
here.
5.15.20. Twin Builder/Rigid Dynamics Co-Simulation

This feature is a co-simulation link (transient-transient) between Twin Builder and the Ansys Rigid
Dynamics solver. This link enables you to combine detailed rigid mechanics models with system
models such as complex electronic semiconductor device models used in controls. You can export a
rigid dynamics sub-circuit and perform an analysis of the structure in Twin Builder.
Note:
You can also perform an FMU co-simulation with an external tool (co-simulation primary).
For more details about the FMI standard and tools that support co-simulation with FMU,
see fmi-standard.org. You set up an FMU co-simulation in the same manner as described
here for a Twin Builder co-simulation.
• Twin Builder and rigid dynamics models are connected by Co-Simulation Pins (p. 866).
• Simulation is driven by Twin Builder.
• Results can be reviewed in Twin Builder, and then imported back to Ansys Mechanical.

Create a Rigid Dynamics Analysis System
Density is the only material property utilized in a rigid dynamics analysis. Models that
use zero or nearly zero density fail to solve using the Ansys Rigid Dynamics solver.
Attach Geometry
Only sheet and solid bodies are supported by the Ansys Rigid Dynamics solver. Plane
bodies and line bodies cannot be used.
You can define a Point Mass (p. 937) for this analysis type. Part stiffness behavior is not
required for the Ansys Rigid Dynamics solver in Ansys Workbench.
Define Joints and Springs
Applicable connections for this type of analysis are joints (p. 1202) or springs (p. 1306).
When an assembly is imported from a CAD system, joints and constraints are not im-
ported; however, joints can be created automatically or manually after the model has
been imported.
Each joint is defined by its coordinate system of reference. The orientation of this co-
ordinate system is essential, as free and fixed degrees of freedom are defined in this
coordinate system.
Define Input and Output Pins
The quantities that are driven by Twin Builder are defined as input pins. The quantities
that are monitored by Twin Builder are defined as output pins.
Define Analysis Settings
Some of the analysis settings might be overwritten by those defined in Twin Builder,
because Twin Builder drives the co-simulation.
Analysis Types
5.15.20.1. Co-Simulation Pins
Note:
Pins apply for both Twin Builder and FMU co-simulations, but they are discussed here
in the context of co-simulation with Twin Builder.
Co-simulation Pins are connection points that describe the interface between a rigid dynamics
model and a Twin Builder model.
Pins have two distinct natures:
• Input Pins are used by Twin Builder to drive the rigid dynamics model.
• Output Pins are sensors used by Twin Builder to monitor the rigid dynamics model state.
Pins are defined by the degrees of freedom of joints (p. 1202). One pin can be attached to each degree
of freedom of a joint. The type of joint quantity attached to pin depends on the nature of the degrees
of freedom.
Translational degrees of freedom can have Displacement, Velocity, Acceleration, and Force pins.
Rotational degrees of freedom can have Rotation, Angular Velocity, Angular Acceleration, and
Moment pins.
Note:
It is not recommended that you place additional joint conditions on degrees of freedom
that are associated with pins.
To create pins for a Rigid Dynamics analysis system:
1. Open a Rigid Dynamics analysis in Workbench, then double-click the Model field to open the
model for editing in the Mechanical application.
2. Select the Rigid Dynamics (Transient) system in the Outline. From the Co-simulation group
on the Environment Context tab, select the Co-simulation Pin option.
If you select the Co-simulation Pin option while a joint is selected, the pin will automatically
have joint information associated with it. If no joint is selected, you will need to associate the
pin with a joint at a later time.
3. With the new pin selected in the Outline view, edit the DOF, Type, and Pin Nature fields in
the Details view to complete the pin setup.
4. Rename the pin as it should appear in Twin Builder.
5. Repeat steps 2, 3, and 4 to add all pins of interest.
6. When finished adding pins, refer to Writing Ansys Rigid Dynamics Files (p. 1962) for more inform-
ation.
The Rigid Dynamics FMU uses a server-client architecture. The FMU is a thin client layer which uses
the Rigid Dynamics solver in the background. Consequently, if the FMU primary abruptly aborts
the simulation, the Rigid Dynamics solver executable may be left running. This orphan process
prevents further solves. You must manually kill the solver process (Ansys.Solvers.RBD.exe),
and the contact server (Ans.common.ContactServer.exe) using, for instance, the Windows
Task Manager.
Typically, this problem occurs with Twin Builder when the simulation is aborted with the Abort
option. Always use the Clean Stop as described here.
5.15.21. Welding Toolbox

The Welding Toolbox is a native Mechanical extension, designed to help manage welding process
simulation. This tool eases setup in Mechanical and helps to optimize the weld sequence and process
parameters in order to:
• Assess temperature distribution.
• Predict distortion and residual stresses.
Analysis Types
5.15.21.1. Enabling the Welding Toolbox Extension

To enable the Welding Toolbox extension:
1. In the Workbench toolbar, under the Extensions options, select Manage Extensions....
2. Select the Welding Toolbox check-box to enable the extension.
3. Once loaded, the Welding Toolbox extension will appear in the Mechanical ribbon.
5.15.21.2. Using the Welding Toolbox Extension

The Welding Toolbox supports three workflows to simulate weld object behavior:
• Transient Thermal analysis.
• Static Structural analysis.
• Transient Thermal linked to Static Structural analysis.

In this case, only temperature distribution is calculated in the analysis. The temperature results will
depend on the welding inputs (Initial Temperature/Power, Velocity) and the proper thermal
boundary conditions assigned in the model.
Statis Structural Analysis

This type of analysis works under the assumption that the welding bodies have volumetric shrinkage
between an initial theoretical temperature and room temperature. This shrinkage can be calibrated
to account for the deformation of the connected bodies. A temperature distribution is not calculated
in this approach.
Transient Thermal Linked to Static Structural Analysis

This combines the previous two cases. First, the correct temperature distribution over time is calcu-
lated based on welding inputs and thermal boundary conditions. Then, these temperatures are
imported into the structural analysis, to be used together with the mechanical setup (material
properties, structural boundary conditions) to account for the weld deformation and stress state
during the welding process.
The Mechanical UI process for these three types of analysis is described in the sections below. A
new Weld Setup object has been developed, available in Mechanical once the extension is loaded.
A Weld Setup object can be inserted under a Transient Thermal or Static Structural analysis.
When this weld object is inserted, the Weld Worksheet opens in the Mechanical editor.
5.15.21.3. Weld Worksheet Operations

The Weld Worksheet contains the following parameters and controls:
Weld Wildcard
This field is used to import the weld bodies present in your assembly by name. The wildcard
string is compared against the names of the bodies in the assembly and matches are im-
ported to the worksheet. The wildcard string can be a substring of the names of the weld
bodies. For example, using WELD as wildcard string will match the bodies named WELD_1
and WELD_2. Clicking the Apply button populates the worksheet with the matching
bodies.
Select Sequence Method
Three options are available to select the sequence in which the operations on the chosen
weld bodies are to be performed:
• Program Controlled: the sequence is the order in which the bodies appear in the
tree under the Geometry object.
• By Location: the sequence is determined relative to a coordinate system. When

selecting this option, two additional fields are exposed to allow you to select a co-
ordinate system and to select the type of arrangement with respect to the chosen
coordinate system. The options for the latter are Absolute, in which case the se-
quence is by absolute distance of the weld bodies from the given coordinate system,
and X Dir, Y Dir, or Z Dir , in which case weld bodies are arranged in order of dis-
tance in the chosen coordinate system direction, from lowest to highest.
Analysis Types
• CSV: the sequence and all other values for the worksheet can be directly imported
from a .csv file. The weld names in the .csv file are matched against the welds
in the tree and matches are populated in the worksheet.
Generate Sequence
Once the sequence method is chosen, clicking the Generate Sequence button populates
the Welding Order fields for the respective welds.
Export Sequence
Clicking this button exports the worksheet in .csv format.
Each worksheet row has two context menu options:
Flip Weld
This can be used to flip the direction of welding for the chosen bodies.
Zoom To selection
This can be used to zoom to the weld bodies that were chosen in the worksheet.
5.15.21.4. Weld Setup Properties

A Weld Setup object has the following configurable parameters:
Selection Method
Two options are available for selecting weld bodies. Manual Input allows you to select
the weld bodies interactively or by named selections, while Weld Worksheet allows you
to select the weld bodies using the wildcard option in the worksheet.
Weld Heat Input
Three options are available to supply the load to the weld object:
• Temperature: this option allows you to assign a direct temperature to the group
of weld elements active in a specific load step.
• Power - Direct: direct heat per unit volume is applied to the weld object. This option
exposes the Direct Heat Generation parameter.
• Power - Indirect: net energy is calculated and applied to the weld object. This option
exposes the following parameters
Machine Parameter
Multiplication parameter specific to the welding tool to calibrate machine

heat deposition rate.
Voltage
Electrical voltage of the welding tool.
Current
Electrical current drawn by the welding tool.
Power is calculated as follows: Machine Parameter * Voltage * Current / Number of

groups.
Thermal Strain Scaling Factor
Factor used in calculating the temperature at which the thermal strain begins acting on
the model. The melting temperature is multiplied by this factor to set the body reference
temperature. This is available only when the Weld Setup object is in a Static Structural
environment.
Ambient Temperature
This is used to specify the environment temperature of the weld process.
Weld Velocity
The velocity of the welding tool. This determines the Welding Time in the worksheet and
is used to automatically set the correct load step timing table.
Weld Mode
Two options are available:
• Material Deposition: Element kill and alive technology is used to create the welding
elements in order to simulate weld feeding material deposition.
• Direct Energy Deposition: Only thermal input is applied, but there is no activation
or deactivation of elements, to simulate welding process without filler material.
Elements Groups per Weld
This parameter determines the clustering or grouping of elements within a weld. The value
is used to determine the number of fractions into which the weld volume would be split
during the analysis. The number of load steps in the analysis settings is equal to the total
number of elements groups plus additional cooling time for each welding line.
Note:
Weld Direction calculation is done using the longest edge of the weld body. Welds
should be modeled as long continuous bodies where possible. The accuracy of Weld
Time is dependent on effective defeaturing in the model.
5.15.21.5. Understanding Behavior in Terms of Solver Inputs

This section describes the effect of some of the above parameters on the commands that are input
to the solver.
Analysis Types
Weld Heat Input
The following behavior only applies to Transient Thermal analysis:
• Temperature: For this option, D,ALL,TEMP,%Temperature value% is supplied

to the weld selection.
• Power - Direct: For this option, BFE,ALL,HGEN,,%DirectHeatGeneration-

Value% is supplied to the weld selection.
• Power - Indirect: For this option, the total power is calculated as the product of
Machine Constant, Voltage and Current. This is then divided by the volume of
the weld selection and this value is applied as BFE,ALL,HGEN,,%Calculated-
Value%.
Ambient Temperature
The specified value is used in a Static Structural analysis to define the ambient temperature.
BF,ALL,TEMP,%AmbientTemperature% is used in the solver.
Weld Mode
Two mode options are available:
• Material Deposition: adds ekill and ealive commands to the solver and is
executed according to the weld selections.
• Direct Energy Deposition: applies load without ekill and ealive commands
to the solver and is executed according to the weld selections.
Thermal Strain Scaling Factor
This factor can be used to account for unknown effects in your simulation that may affect
the final welded bodies' distortion or stress state, for example, thermal boundary conditions
(which directly affect temperature distribution) or temperature dependent material prop-
erties. It can also be used to account for the simplifications made when using a structural
standalone analysis.
The thermal deformation of a structural body is calculated as follows:
where is the thermal deformation and is the scaling factor.
By modifying the Reference Temperature of a specific body, you can select at which
temperature the bodies are in a non-deformed state in the simulation.
For example, if is defined as the initial temperature when the bodies are activated,
the initial thermal strain of those bodies would be equal to zero. This will therefore achieve
the maximum volumetric shrinkage when the bodies are cooled down to room temperature.
Chapter 6: Geometry
The following topics are included in this section:
6.1. Geometry Introduction
6.2. Solid Bodies
6.3. Surface Bodies
6.4. Line Bodies
6.5. Simulation without Geometry
6.6. 2D Analyses
6.7. Construction Geometry
6.8. Body Merge
6.9. Point Mass
6.10. Distributed Mass
6.11.Thermal Point Mass
6.12. Surface Coating
6.13. Models from External Meshes and Model Assemblies
6.14. Element Orientation
6.15. Part Transformations
6.16. Geometry from Deformation Results
6.17. Geometry From Rigid Dynamics Results
6.18. Bolt Tools Add-on
6.1. Geometry Introduction

While there is no limit to the number of parts in an assembly that can be treated, large assemblies may
require unusually high computer time and resources to compute a solution. Contact boundaries can
be automatically formed where parts meet. The application has the ability to transfer structural loads
and heat flows across the contact boundaries and to "connect" the various parts.
The following topics are addressed in this section:

6.1.1. Parts and Bodies
6.1.2. Multibody Behavior and Associativity
6.1.3. Geometry Conditions and Requirements
6.1.4. Stiffness Behavior
6.1.5. Integration Schemes
6.1.6. Common Geometry Display Features
Geometry
6.1.1. Parts and Bodies

Parts imported into Mechanical are a grouping or a collection of bodies as defined by the CAD applic-
ation you use to define the parts.
Multibody Parts
Imported parts are a grouping or a collection of bodies. Parts can include multiple bodies and are
referred to as multibody parts. Parts may consist of:
• One or more solid bodies.
• One or more surface bodies.
• One or more line bodies.
• Combinations of line and surface bodies.
• Combinations of solid and shell bodies (for models imported from DesignModeler, SpaceClaim,
or External Model).
All other combinations are not practically supported.
Note:
Body objects in the tree that represent a multibody part do not report centroids or moments
of inertia in their respective Details view.
Meshing Multibody Parts

The mesh for multibody parts created in SpaceClaim or DesignModeler share nodes where the bodies
touch one another. This facilitates the multiple parts having common nodes at the part interfaces.
Collapsing Line Bodies in SpaceClaim

For line body models in SpaceClaim, by default, the application imports one line body for every edge
present in the body in SpaceClaim. This may create an undesirable number of bodies in Mechanical.
To facilitate a more manageable model, SpaceClaim enables you to “collapse” all of the line bodies
that have the same cross section, material, and that touch one another, into one body by setting the
Share Topology property to either Share or Group. See the Shared topology in Ansys section in
the SpaceClaim Online Help for additional information about the Share Topology property.
Working with Parts

There are several useful and important manipulations that can be performed with parts in an assembly.
• The part can include solid and shell geometries.
• Each part may be assigned a different material.
• Parts can be hidden for easier visibility.
Geometry Introduction
• Parts can be suppressed, which effectively eliminates the parts from treatment.
• The contact detection tolerance and the contact type between parts can be controlled.
• When a model contains a Coordinate Systems object, by default, the part and the associated
bodies use the Global Coordinate System to align the elements. If desired, you can apply a
local coordinate system (p. 1095) to the part or body. When a local coordinate system is assigned
to a Part, by default, the bodies also assume this coordinate system but you may modify the
system on the bodies individually as desired.
• When you click Freeze Mesh on All Parts, the generated mesh on all parts of the model is
frozen. To access Freeze Mesh on All Parts, right-click Geometry in the Tree outline and click
Freeze Mesh on All Parts to freeze the mesh. If you try to modify the mesh on the body on
which the freeze mesh is applied, a warning message is displayed to unfreeze the mesh. To
unfreeze the mesh, right-click Geometry in the Tree outline and click Unfreeze Mesh on All
Parts.
• When you click Freeze Mesh, only mesh on the selected part is frozen. To access Freeze Mesh,
right-click the part on which you want to freeze the mesh in the Tree outline and click Freeze
Mesh. The mesh on the selected part will be frozen while the mesh for other parts can be
cleared and generated. When you try to modify mesh on the part on which Freeze Mesh is
applied, a warning message is generated to unfreeze the mesh on the part. To unfreeze the
mesh on the part, right-click the part and click Unfreeze Mesh in the Tree outline.
Note:
– Freeze Mesh can be applied only if all bodies of the part are meshed.
– Mesh Edit, Generate Mesh and Clear Generated Data are disabled on frozen
mesh parts. When you perform Mesh Connection, Node merge, Contact Match,
Node Move, Morph, Fracture, Generate Mesh, Clear Generated Data on a
frozen mesh part, a warning message stating "The mesh on the part is frozen.
Please unfreeze the mesh and then mesh edit generate/clear should be allowed."
is displayed.
Working with Bodies

There are several useful and important manipulations that can be performed with bodies in a part.
• Bodies grouped into a part result in connected geometry and shared nodes in a mesh.
• Each body may be assigned a different material.
• Bodies can be hidden for easier visibility.
• Bodies in a part group can be individually suppressed, which effectively eliminates these
bodies from treatment. A suppressed body is not included in the statistics of the owning part
or in the overall statistics of the model.
• Bodies can be assigned Full or Reduced integration schemes, as described above for
parts (p. 885).
Geometry
• When bodies in part groups touch they will share nodes where they touch. This will connect
the bodies. If a body in a part group does not touch another body in that part group, it will
not share any nodes. It will be free standing. Automatic contact detection is not performed
between bodies in a part group. Automatic contact detection is performed only between part
groups.
• Bodies that are not in a part group can be declared as rigid bodies (p. 880).
• When a model contains a Coordinate Systems object, by default, bodies use the Global Co-
ordinate System. If desired, you can apply a local coordinate system (p. 1095).
Note:
Freeze Mesh cannot be applied on individual bodies.
6.1.2. Multibody Behavior and Associativity

Associativity that you apply to geometry attached from SpaceClaim or DesignModeler is maintained
in the Mechanical and Meshing applications when updating the geometry despite any part groupings
that you may subsequently change in SpaceClaim or DesignModeler. See Associativity (p. 878) for
further information.
When transferring multibody parts from SpaceClaim or DesignModeler, the multibody part has the
body group (part) and the prototypes (bodies) beneath it. When the part consists of just a single
body the body group is hidden. If the part has ever been imported as a multibody part you will always
see the body group for that component, regardless of the number of bodies present in any subsequent
update.
Associativity
Associativity that you apply to geometry originating from SpaceClaim or DesignModeler is maintained
in the Mechanical and Meshing applications when the geometry is updated despite any part groupings
that you may subsequently change in SpaceClaim or DesignModeler. Types of associativity that you
can apply include contact regions, mesh connections, loads, and supports. For example, consider the
following scenario:
1. A model is created in SpaceClaim or DesignModeler and has six independent parts with one body
per part.
2. The model is attached to Mechanical where loads and supports are applied to selected geometry.
3. In SpaceClaim or DesignModeler, the model is re-grouped into two multibody parts with each
part including three bodies.
4. The geometry is updated in Mechanical. The loads and supports remain applied to the same se-
lected geometry.
Note:
This feature does not hold true for instanced parts in SpaceClaim or DesignModeler.
The associativity is maintained only with geometry attached from SpaceClaim or DesignModeler and
Mechanical systems created in release 13.0 or later. To ensure that the data necessary for retaining
associativity is present in legacy dsdb/wbpj databases, you should perform the following:
1. Open the Mechanical session and open the SpaceClaim or DesignModeler session. This will ensure
that both the Mechanical and SpaceClaim or DesignModeler files are migrated to the current
version of the software.
2. Update the geometry model without making any changes to the model. This will ensure that the
new data necessary for associativity is transferred from the migrated DesignModeler file into the
migrated Mechanical file.
3. You can now modify and update the geometry as necessary.
6.1.3. Geometry Conditions and Requirements

Note the following for assemblies, parts, and bodies:
• Automatic contact detection will detect contact between bodies within a multibody part.
• To connect multiple bodies within a part using a shared node, the bodies must share a face or an
edge. If they do not, the application may not achieve appropriate contact for the analysis and the
analysis could experience rigid body motion.
• Removing (for example, suppressing) a body or a part from your source geometry and then refreshing
and/or updating the geometry in Mechanical causes the application to remove the body or part
from the tree Outline. If you subsequently return the body/part to the source and return it to
Mechanical through a refresh or update, the body/part returns to default settings (Stiffness Behavior,
material, etc.).
6.1.4. Stiffness Behavior

All geometry Bodies have an associated Stiffness Behavior property in Mechanical that you can
modify during an analysis. This is most often performed when Defining Part Behaviors (p. 347) once
you have imported your model into the application.
The Stiffness Behavior property is available for a body, a body group, surface bodies, and 2D models.
To set the Stiffness Behavior in the Mechanical application:
1. Select the desired Body in the Geometry folder.
2. In the Details view, set the Stiffness Behavior property to Flexible, Rigid, Gasket, or Stiff
Beam (Line Bodies (p. 900) only).
See the following sections for more information about body stiffness behaviors:
6.1.4.1. Flexible Bodies
6.1.4.2. Rigid Bodies
6.1.4.3. Gasket Bodies
6.1.4.4. Stiff Beam
Geometry
6.1.4.1. Flexible Bodies

The Flexible Stiffness Behavior option is the default option.
6.1.4.2. Rigid Bodies

When you define a body's Stiffness Behavior as Rigid, you are telling to the application to not
allow the body to deform during the solution process. This feature is useful if a mechanism has
only rigid body motion or, if in an assembly, only some of the parts experience most of the strains.
It is also useful if you are not concerned about the stress/strain of that component and wish to reduce
CPU requirements during meshing or solve operations.
The application does not mesh a rigid body and the solver represents the body as a single mass
element. However, the system maintains the mass element's mass and inertial properties. The Mass,
Centroid, and Moments Of Inertia properties for the body are available in the Details view of the
body object.
The following restrictions apply to rigid bodies:
• Rigid bodies are only valid in Static Structural (p. 658), Transient Structural (p. 671), Harmonic Re-
sponse (p. 502), Modal (p. 521), Rigid Dynamics (p. 557), Random Vibration (p. 531), and Response
Spectrum (p. 540) analyses for the objects listed below. Animated results are available for all
analysis types except a Modal analysis.
– Point Mass
– Joint
– Spring
– Remote Displacement
– Remote Force
– Moment
– Contact
• Rigid bodies are valid when scoped to solid bodies, surface bodies, or line bodies in an Explicit
Dynamics analysis for the following objects:
– Fixed Support
– Displacement
– Velocity
– Spring
The following outputs are available for rigid bodies, and are reported at the centroid of the rigid
body:
• Results: Displacement, Velocity, and Acceleration.
• Probes: Deformation, Position, Rotation, Velocity, Acceleration, Angular Velocity, and Angular
Acceleration.
Note:
• If you highlight Deformation results in the tree that are scoped to rigid bodies, the
corresponding rigid bodies in the Geometry window are not highlighted.
• You cannot define a line body, 2D plane strain body, or 2D axisymmetric body as rigid,
except that in an Explicit Dynamics analysis, 2D plane strain and 2D axisymmetric
bodies may be defined as rigid.
• All bodies in a body group (of a multibody part) must have the same Stiffness Behavior.
When Stiffness Behavior is Rigid, the body group acts as one rigid mass regardless
of whether or not the underlying bodies are topologically connected (via shared topo-
logy).
6.1.4.3. Gasket Bodies

Gasket joints are essential components in most structural assemblies. Gaskets as sealing components
between structural components are usually very thin and made of various materials, such as steel,
rubber and composites. From a mechanics perspective, gaskets act to transfer force between
components. The primary deformation of a gasket is usually confined to one direction, namely,
through thickness. The stiffness contributions from membrane (in plane) and transverse shear are
much smaller in general compared to the through thickness.
A typical example of a gasket joint is in engine assemblies. A thorough understanding of the gasket
joint is critical in engine design and operation. This includes an understanding of the behavior of
gasket joint components themselves in an engine operation, and the interaction of the gasket joint
with other components.
Gaskets can be defined in one of two ways:
• By setting the Stiffness Behavior as Gasket. In this case, a Gasket Mesh Control will be added
as a child of the gasket body in the model tree. You need to define the source face of the gasket
in the Gasket Mesh Control to define the gasket material orientation.
• By setting the Stiffness Behavior as Flexible. In this case, you need to define a Gasket Mesh
Control in the mesh folder. The gasket mesh control in the mesh folder can be applied to multiple
bodies, so if there are many gasket bodies this option may be a more convenient approach to
setting up the gaskets.
You must also specify a material with a valid gasket model in Engineering Data.
The following restrictions apply to Gasket bodies:
• Gasket bodies are valid only in Static Structural analyses.
• Gasket bodies are valid for 3D solids only, that is, 2D gasket bodies cannot be specified.
Geometry
• A valid gasket material model must be specified.
• In addition to gasket bodies, a multibody part may also include flexible bodies but not rigid
bodies.
• Gasket bodies are not supported for cyclic symmetry analyses.
The overall procedure for simulating gaskets in Ansys Workbench is to run a Static Structural ana-
lysis and perform the following specialized steps:
1. Specify a material with a valid gasket model in Engineering Data.
2. Define the gasket using one of two ways:
a. Body-based approach:
Set the Stiffness Behavior of the Body object to Gasket. This produces a Gasket Mesh
Control object beneath the Body object.
Adjust Details view settings for the Gasket Mesh Control object and generate the mesh.
See the Gasket Meshing (p. 882) section for details.
b. Mesh control approach:
Set the Stiffness Behavior of the Body object to Flexible.
Define a Gasket mesh control object in the Mesh folder. Adjust the Details view settings
for the Gasket mesh control object and generate the mesh. See the Gasket Meshing (p. 884)
section for details.
3. Specify the value for the Gasket Initial Gap property. The default value is 0. Valid entries must
be greater than or equal to 0.
4. Solve and review the gasket result. See the Gasket Results (p. 2237) section for more information.
Gasket Meshing
A Gasket body is meshed with the INTER194 elements (if using Element Order = Quadratic, in
such cases a single layer of elements are generated with midside nodes on top and bottom faces,
but linear edges across thickness) or INTER195 elements (if using Element Order = Linear).
Define the gasket using one of two ways:
• Body-based approach (p. 882)
• Mesh control approach (p. 884)
Body-Based Gasket Meshing

Upon setting the Stiffness Behavior as Gasket, a Gasket Mesh Control object is added beneath
the Body object in the tree. The Mesh Method property for the object is automatically set to Sweep
and is read-only. By default, this property instructs the application to drop mid-side nodes on gasket
element edges that are parallel (Normal To) to the scoped sweep direction. You may wish to refer
to the Sweep Method Control section of the Meshing User's Guide for additional information about
this property. The Gasket Mesh Control operates in the same fashion.
After setting the 3D Body object's Stiffness Behavior to Gasket:
1. If desired, you can change the setting of the Free Face Mesh Type property. Options include
All Quad, Quad/Tri (default), or All Tri.
2. The Mesh Method is automatically set to Sweep and is read-only.
3. The Element Order property is set to Use Global Setting by default. This setting (as well as
the Quadratic setting) results in quadratic elements with midside nodes to be dropped in the
normal direction. When Element Order is set to Linear, the midside nodes are dropped, resulting
in linear elements.
4. Src/Trg Selection is set to Manual Source. These are the default settings.
5. Select a Source face. The selected face must lie on the gasket body.
6. The Target selection is Program Controlled by default. If desired, you can set Src/Trg Selection
to Manual Source and Target. You can then choose a Target face manually.
Note:
Mesh object property changes affect the state of the Gasket Mesh Control object.
When generating the gasket element mesh with Element Order set to Quadratic, the application
drops the midside nodes on the edges that are parallel to the sweep direction. For example, consider
the mesh shown below. To define the sweep method, Src/Trg Selection was set to Manual Source;
one face (the "top" face) was selected for Source. In the resulting mesh, the gasket element faces
on the source and target are quadratic, but the faces on the sides are linear.
Geometry
Mesh Control for Gasket Meshing

After setting the Stiffness Behavior as Flexible, define a Gasket mesh control object beneath the
Mesh object. The MultiZone mesh method is used for this approach. Refer to the MultiZone
Method Control section of the Meshing User's Guide for additional information about this method.
Adjust the Details view settings for the Gasket mesh control object as follows:
1. Select the Scoping Method for choosing the gasket bodies. The options available are Geometry
Selection (default) or Named Selection. Based on your selection, you need to select the desired
geometry or Named Selection.
2. The Element Order property is set to Use Global Setting by default. This setting (as well as
the Quadratic setting) results in quadratic elements with midside nodes to be dropped in the
normal direction. When Element Order is set to Linear, the midside nodes are dropped, resulting
in linear elements.
3. Select the Source Scoping Method for choosing the source faces. The options available are
Geometry Selection (default) or Named Selection. Based on your selection, you need to select
the desired geometry or Named Selection. The selected faces must lie on the gasket body.
The target faces are determined automatically.
4. If desired, you can change the setting of the Free Face Mesh Type property. Options include
Quad/Tri (default), All Quad, or All Tri.
As in the example (p. 883), when generating the gasket element mesh with Element Order set
to Quadratic, the midside nodes are dropped on the edges that are parallel to the sweep dir-
ection.
Tip:
The gasket mesh control in the mesh folder can be applied to multiple bodies, so if there
are many gasket bodies this option may be a more convenient approach to setting up
the gaskets.
Note:
If a gasket is part of multibody part and the MultiZone mesh method is defined on the
connected body/bodies, the MultiZone method generates linear elements even though
the element order is set to quadratic when the mesh is generated for the whole
part/assembly together. This does not occur for selective meshing or if the gasket body
is meshed first.
Gasket Results
Specialized results are available for analyzing gaskets. See Gasket Results (p. 2237) for details.
6.1.4.4. Stiff Beam

Supported for line bodies only, when you define a line body's Stiffness Behavior as Stiff Beam:
• Only structural analyses support this feature. For example, thermal or electrical analyses are
unaffected.
• The application approximates a rigid beam by making the Young's modulus 1e4 times
higher than defined in the Engineering Data Workspace.
• The body must be assigned a material that is valid for Isotropic Young's Modulus.
• The application automatically specifies this option on a line body if the "RIGID" setting in
SpaceClaim Direct Modeler is equal to True (this is triggered by the SpaceClaim Split Opera-
tion).
• A body specified with this option is meshed and will have results.
6.1.5. Integration Schemes

The Brick Integration Scheme property provides the options Full and Reduced. Use the Full setting
for linear analyses or when the model has only one layer of elements in each direction. This method
does not cause hourglass mode, but can cause volumetric locking in nearly incompressible cases.
In order to help prevent volumetric mesh locking in nearly incompressible cases, use the Reduced
setting. However, hourglass mode might propagate in the model if there are not at least two layers
of elements in each direction.
Important:
This property supports hexahedral elements only.
6.1.6. Common Geometry Display Features

This section examines the following display features of the Geometry object.
• Hide or Suppress Bodies (p. 885)
• Hide or Show Faces (p. 886)
• Color Coding of Parts (p. 886)
Hide or Suppress Bodies

For a quick way to hide bodies (turn body viewing off ) or suppress bodies (turn body viewing off and
remove the bodies from further treatment in the analysis), select the desired body objects in the tree
or select the bodies in the Geometry window (using the Body selection filter (p. 224)). Then right-
click and choose Hide Body or Suppress Body from the context menu. Choose Show Body, Show
All Bodies, Unsuppress Body, or Unsuppress All Bodies to reverse the states.
The following options are also available:
• Hide All Other Bodies: show only selected bodies.
Geometry
• Hide or Show: contains menu options to hide specific body types. Based on the body types of your
model, options include: Solid Bodies, Surface Bodies, and Line Bodies.
• Invert Visibility: This option inverts the visibility of hidden bodies versus those that are visible.
That is, all hidden bodies become visible and all visible bodies become hidden.
• Suppress All Other Bodies, allows you to unsuppress only selected bodies.
Note:
• If another model level object, such as a Remote Point, Joint, or Contact Region, is scoped
to a Body that becomes Suppressed, that object also becomes suppressed until it is re-
scoped or the body is Unsuppressed.
• Results from hidden bodies are used in the formulation of the maximum and minimum
values in the contour legend and in the Details View.
• Results from suppressed bodies are suppressed and are not used in the formulation of
maximum and minimum values.
Hide or Show Faces

You can hide selected faces on a model such that you are able to see inside the model. This feature
is especially useful for bodies with interior cavities, such as engine blocks. To use the feature, first
select faces on the model that you want to hide, then right-click anywhere in the Geometry window
and choose Hide Face(s) in the context menu. This menu choice is only available if you have already
selected faces.
Choose Show Hidden Face(s) from the context menu to restore the visibility of faces previously
hidden using Hide Face(s). The Show Hidden Face(s) menu choice is only available if there are hidden
faces from choosing Hide Face(s). It cannot be used to restore the visibility of faces previously hidden
by setting Visible (p. 1368) to No in the Details view of a Named Selection object.
Note:
The selected faces will appear hidden only when you view the geometry. The feature is
not applicable to mesh displays or result displays.
Color Coding of Parts

You can visually identify parts based on a property of that part. For example, if an assembly is made
of parts of different materials, you can color the parts based on the material; that is, all structural
steel parts have the same color, all aluminum parts have the same color and so on.
Select a color via the Display Style property of the Details view when the Geometry object is selected.
You can specify colors based on:
• Body Color (default): Assigns different colors to the bodies within a part.
• Part Color: Assigns different colors to the different parts.
• Shell Thickness (surface bodies only): Assigns different colors based on specified body thick-
nesses. This coloring property does not apply to imported thicknesses or Thickness object
based specifications. For those specifications, use the Shell Thickness display option of the
Mesh object.
• Assembly Color (Model assembly only): Assigns a common color to the bodies of each source
system (assembly).
• Material: The part colors are based on the material assignment. For example, in a model with
five parts where three parts use structural steel and two parts use aluminum, you will see the
three structural steel parts in one color and the two aluminum parts in another color. The legend
will indicate the color used along with the name of the material. You can now assign colors
to materials from the Outline Pane (p. 886) in the Engineering Data Workspace and have these
colors display in Mechanical. For composite materials, the color assignment is program con-
trolled.
• Nonlinear Material Effects: Indicates if a part includes nonlinear material effects during ana-
lysis. If you chose to exclude nonlinear material effects for some parts of a model, then the
legend will indicate Linear for these parts and the parts will be colored accordingly.
• Stiffness Behavior: Identifies a part as Flexible, Rigid, or Gasket during analysis.
• Body Type: This option assigns a color based on the different types of bodies within a part,
such as beam and link types within a Line Body.
• By Cross Section (line bodies only): The application assigns a color to a body based on its
specified cross section.
• Condensed Parts Colors (Rigid Dynamics analysis only): the application assigns colors per
condensed part.
Note:
A maximum of 15 distinct materials can be shown in the legend. If a model has more
than 15 materials, coloring by material will not have any effect unless enough parts
are hidden or suppressed.
You can reset the colors back to the default color scheme by right-clicking on the Geometry object
in the tree and selecting Reset Body Colors.
Geometry
Example 6.1: Color by Parts
6.2. Solid Bodies

You can process and solve solid models, including individual parts and assemblies. An arbitrary level
of complexity is supported, given sufficient computer time and resources.
6.3. Surface Bodies

You can import surface bodies from an array of sources (see Geometry Preferences). Surface bodies are
often generated by applying mid-surface extraction to a pre-existing solid. The operation abstracts away
the thickness from the solid and converts it into a separate modeling input of the generated surface.
Surface body (see Body object reference section) models may be arranged into parts. Within a part
there may be one or more surface bodies; these may even share the part with line bodies.
Parts that feature surface bodies may be connected with the help of spot welds and contacts.
Surface Bodies
The following topics are addressed in this section.

6.3.1. Preparing Assemblies of Surface Bodies
6.3.2. Using Thickness Mode
6.3.3. Importing Surface Body Models
6.3.4. Importing Surface Body Thickness
6.3.5. Understanding Surface Body Shell Offsets
6.3.6. Specifying Surface Body Thickness
6.3.7. Specifying Surface Body Layered Sections
6.3.8. Specifying Surface Body Reinforcements
6.3.9. Specifying Faces With Multiple Thicknesses and Layers
6.3.1. Preparing Assemblies of Surface Bodies

While preparing an assembly of surface bodies for solution you may find the need to understand and
modify the connectivity of the bodies involved. Mechanical offers tools to help you accomplish these
tasks. For example, you may:
• Confirm whether two surface bodies are topologically connected. This may be especially useful for
surface bodies obtained from a mid-surface operation on solids and created artificial gaps in their
proximity.
• Confirm the connectivity of individual elements in the mesh of the surface bodies.
• Mend missing connections between surface bodies by joining their meshes with shared nodes.
To confirm the connectivity of surface bodies it is useful to review the connectivity of their edges
using a number of features in both Mechanical and DesignModeler. Edges can be classified depending
on the number of faces they topologically connect. For example, the boundary edge of a surface
body connects to a single face and is classified as a "single edge", whereas an interior edge connecting
two faces of the surface body will be classified as a "double edge". Single and double edges can be
distinguished visually using the options of the Edge group (p. 87) on the Display tab. As an altern-
ative, you can Create a Named Selection Object (p. 1347) that groups all edges of a given topological
connectivity by using the Face Connections (p. 1351) criterion.
Edge group (p. 87) options can also be used to review the connectivity of not only the geometry,
but also the mesh elements. The same principles applied to the connectivity of a surface body edge
apply to element edges.
Mechanical provides Mesh Connections to mend surface body assemblies at locations that are disjoin-
ted. With this feature, the meshes of surface bodies that may reside in different parts can be connected
by joining their underlying elements via shared nodes. The Mesh Connection does not alter the
geometry although the effect can be conveniently previewed and toggled using the option in the
Edge group (p. 87).
6.3.2. Using Thickness Mode

You can determine the source that controls the thickness of a surface body using the Thickness
Mode indication combined with the Thickness field, both located in the Details view of a surface
Body object. Upon attaching a surface body, the Thickness Mode reads either Auto or Manual.
Geometry
• In Auto Mode the value of thickness for a given surface body is controlled by the CAD source. Future
CAD updates will synchronize its thickness value with the value in the CAD system.
• In Manual mode the thickness for the surface body is controlled by the Mechanical application, so
future updates from the CAD system will leave this value undisturbed.
• A Thickness Mode will be Automatic until the Thickness is changed to some non-zero value.
Once in Manual mode, it can be made Automatic once again by changing the Thickness value
back to zero. A subsequent CAD update will conveniently synchronize the thickness with the value
in the CAD system.
Thicknesses for all surface bodies are represented in a dedicated column on the Worksheet that is
displayed when you highlight the Geometry object.
6.3.3. Importing Surface Body Models

To import a surface body model (called a sheet body in NX), open the model in the CAD system and
import the geometry as usual. If your model mixes solid bodies and surface bodies, you should select
which type of entity you want to import via the Geometry preferences in the Workbench Properties
of the Geometry cell in the Project Schematic. Once in the Mechanical application, you can adjust
the Geometry preferences in the Details view (p. 122), where they take effect upon updating.
Note:
If you want to retain a preference selection in the Workbench Properties, you must first
save before exiting the Ansys Workbench.
6.3.4. Importing Surface Body Thickness
When thickness is defined on the entire surface body

Surface body thickness will be imported from CAD (including DesignModeler) if, and only if, the existing
surface body thickness value in the Mechanical application is set to 0 (zero). This is true on initial attach
and if you set the surface body thickness value to zero prior to an update. This allows you the flexib-
ility of updating surface body thickness values from CAD or not.
6.3.5. Understanding Surface Body Shell Offsets

Surface bodies have a normal direction, identified by a green coloring when the surface body face is
selected. Shell elements have a "top" surface (farthest in the positive normal direction) and a "bottom"
(farthest in the negative normal direction).
Surface Bodies
By default, the shell section midsurface is aligned with the surface body, but you can use the Offset
Type drop-down menu located in the Details view of a Surface Body object or an object scoped to
a surface body to offset the shell section midsurface from the surface body:
• Top - the top of the shell section is aligned with the surface body.
• Middle (Membrane) (default) - the middle of the shell section is aligned with the surface body.
• Bottom - the bottom of the shell section is aligned with the surface body.
Geometry
• User Defined - the user defines the amount of offset (Membrane Offset), measured in the positive
normal direction from the middle of the shell section to the surface body (may be positive or
negative value).
6.3.6. Specifying Surface Body Thickness

The thickness of surface bodies can be defined in several ways:
1. A uniform thickness over the entire body which can be defined inside Mechanical or imported
from a CAD system (p. 890). Thicknesses imported from CAD can be overridden by the Thickness
Mode (p. 889)
2. A constant or spatially varying thickness applied to a selection of surfaces or bodies.
3. Thickness values imported from an upstream system.
Surface Bodies
4. Layer information can be specified using a Layered Section (p. 896) object or imported through
an Imported Plies object.
Note:
See Specifying Faces With Multiple Thicknesses and Layers (p. 899) for information on how
Mechanical resolves conflicts when multiple thickness specifications are applied to the
same geometry.
Application
To specify the thickness of an entire surface body:
Highlight the Surface Body object and, in the Details, enter a value in the Thickness property. A value
greater than 0 must be present in this field.
To specify the thickness of selected faces on a surface body:
1. Highlight the Geometry object and insert a Thickness object from the Geometry Context tab or
right-click and select Insert > Thickness.
Note:
The Thickness object overwrites any element that is scoped to the selected surfaces
that has thickness greater than 0 defined in the Details of the Surface Body object (See
above).
2. Scope the Thickness to a desired geometric or mesh entity. The application supports Body, Face,
and Element scoping.
3. Define the thickness as a constant (default), with a table, or as a function:
a. To define the thickness as a constant, enter the value in the Thickness field in the Details
view.
b. To define the thickness with a table:
i. Click the Thickness property in the Details, then select Tabular from the flyout menu.
ii. Set the Independent Variable in the Details to X, Y, or Z.
iii. Select a Coordinate System. The Global Coordinate System (Cartesian) is the default.
iv. Enter data in the Tabular Data window. The Graph window displays the variation of the
thickness.
c. To define the thickness with a function:
i. Click the Thickness field in the Details, then click Function from the flyout menu.
ii. Enter the function in the Thickness field. (Example: 45+10*x/591)
Geometry
iii. Adjust properties in the Graph Controls category as needed:
• Number of Segments - The function is graphed with a default value of 200 line segments.
You can change this value to better visualize the function.
• Range Minimum - The minimum range of the graph.
• Range Maximum - The maximum range of the graph.
4. Set the desired shell offset (p. 890).
Review the requirements and limitations for this feature in the notes (p. 894) topic below.
Thickness Display Options

In the Geometry window, the application draws the thickness value you specify in the Thickness
property when you 1) select the Show Mesh option and the Thick Shells and Beams option, 2) when
you have the Mesh object selected, or 3) when you have a result selected. An example of this display
is shown below. As illustrated, there is a Surface Body with no thickness and a Thickness object se-
lected with a Thickness property value of 20mm displayed using the Show Mesh and Thick Shells
and Beams options.
Important:
This display feature is not supported when you 1) scope the Thickness object to Elements
and 2) specify the Thickness property using the Tabular or Function options.
Note:
• Surface body thicknesses must be greater than zero. Failures will be detected by the
solver.
Surface Bodies
• When importing surfaces bodies from DesignModeler, the associated thickness is auto-
matically included with the import. See Importing Surface Body Thickness (p. 890) for
details.
• When you specify a Thickness or Layered Section object, the Volume, Mass, Centroid,
and Moment of Inertia properties of the geometry-based objects, automatically display
the value "NA" because there is not a constant value to report.
• For the following, the nominal thickness of the body is used as opposed to the thickness
controlled by the Thickness objects being added (Thickness, Layered Thickness, Im-
ported Layered Thickness):
– Meshing: during the meshing process, auto-detection based on surface body thickness,
automatic pinch controls, surface body thickness used as mesh merging tolerance.
– Solution: Heuristics used in beam properties for spot welds as well as moments applied
to vertices.
• Thickness objects are not supported for rigid bodies.
• Variable thickness is displayed only for mesh and result displays. Location probes, Path
scoped results, and Surface scoped results do not display nor account for variable
thickness. They assume constant thickness.
• If multiple Thickness objects are applied to the same face, only those properties related
to the last defined object will be sent to the solver, regardless of whether the object
was defined in DesignModeler or in Mechanical. See Specifying Faces With Multiple
Thicknesses and Layers (p. 899) for details.
You can import thicknesses from an upstream system. Basic setup steps are given below. You can
find more information on mapping data in the Mechanical application in the appendix (Ap-
pendix B: Data Transfer Mapping and Validation (p. 2493)).
Note:
Thickness import is supported for 3D shell bodies or planar 2D bodies using Plane Stress.
The Mechanical APDL Solver for 3D shell bodies will use the nodal thicknesses directly via
the SECFUNCTION command. For the Explicit Solver or MAPDL solver for 2D bodies, the
element's nodal thicknesses are converted to an average element thickness.
To import thicknesses from an upstream system:
1. In the project schematic, create a link between the Solution cell of a system and the Model cell
of an upstream system.
2. Attach geometry to the analysis system, and then double-click Model cell to open Mechanical.
An Imported Thickness folder is added under the Geometry folder and an imported thickness
is added to the Imported Thickness folder, by default.
3. Select the appropriate options in the Details.
Geometry
4. Select Imported Thickness and select Import Thickness from the context menu.
6.3.7. Specifying Surface Body Layered Sections

Layers applied to a surface body can be prescribed in several ways:
• A defined Layered Section object can be scoped to a selection of surfaces on the geometry.
• An Imported Plies object can provide layer information for the elements within a surface body.
Note:
Layered Section objects can only be used in the following analysis types:
• Explicit Dynamics
• Harmonic Response
• Eigenvalue Buckling
• Modal
• Transient Structural
The following sections describe the use of the Layered Section object.
6.3.7.1. Defining and Applying a Layered Section
6.3.7.2. Viewing Individual Layers
6.3.7.3. Layered Section Properties
6.3.7.4. Notes on Layered Section Behavior
6.3.7.1. Defining and Applying a Layered Section

1. Select the Geometry object in the tree and insert a Layered Section object from the Geometry
Context tab or choose Insert > Layered Section (right-click and choose from context menu).
2. Select the Scoping Method that you will use:
• Geometry Selection: Click in the Geometry field that appears, to enable you to pick
surface bodies or individual faces from the model and select Apply.
• Named Selection: Click on the Named Selection drop down that appears and select one
of the available named selections.
Surface Bodies
3. Choose a Coordinate System. You may choose any user-defined Cartesian or Cylindrical coordin-
ate system. The Body Coordinate System option specifies that the coordinate system selected
for each body will be used. There is no default.
4. Set the desired Offset Type (p. 890). Offset Type is not supported in Explicit Dynamics analyses.
5. Click on the arrow to the right of Worksheet in the Layers field then select Worksheet to enter
the layer information for this Layered Section. The Layered Section worksheet can also be activ-
ated by the Worksheet option.
The worksheet displays a header row, and two inactive rows labeled +Z and -Z to indicate the
order in which the materials are layered. Layer one will always be the layer at the bottom of
the stack (closest to -Z). When you insert a layer, all of the layers above it will renumber.
To add the first layer, right-click anywhere in the Layered Section Worksheet and select Add
Layer. Once the layer is added:
• Click in the Material column of the row and select the material for that layer from the drop-
down list.
• Click in the Thickness column and define the thickness of that layer. Individual layers may
have zero thickness, but the total layered-section thickness must be nonzero.
• Click in the Angle column and define the angle of the material properties. The angle is
measured in the element X-Y plane with respect to the element X axis. This value can be
entered as degrees or radians, depending on how units are specified.
To add another layer, do one of the following:
• With no layers selected, you can right-click the header row, +Z row, or -Z row to display
a context menu. Select Add Layer to Top to add a layer row at the top (+Z) of the
worksheet. Select Add Layer to Bottom to add a layer row to the bottom of the worksheet
(-Z).
• With one or more layers selected, you can right-click any selected layer to display a
context menu. Select Insert Layer Above (which inserts a layer row above the selected
row in the +Z direction) or Insert Layer Below (which inserts a layer row below the selected
row in the -Z direction).
To delete a layer, select one or more rows, right-click any selected row, and select Delete Layer.
6. Select the Nonlinear Effects (p. 350) and Thermal Strain Effects (p. 351) settings in the Material
category of the Details view. The reference temperature specified for the body on which a
layered section is defined is used as the reference temperature for the layers.
Nonlinear Effects and Thermal Strain Effects are not supported in Explicit Dynamics analyses.
6.3.7.2. Viewing Individual Layers

In the Graphics Properties section of the Details panel, the Layer To Display field allows the visu-
alization of the thickness/offset/layer sequence of the layers composing a Layered Section object.
To view a particular layer, click the field and enter the layer number. You can use the up and down
buttons or enter a layer number directly. If you enter a number larger than the maximum number
Geometry
of layers in that layered section, the value will be set to the maximum number of layers in that
layered section. If layer zero is selected, all the layers will be drawn (without the delineation between
layers) as a compact entity, shown the same as when the Mesh node is selected in the tree. All
other geometry not scoped to the current Layered Section object is shown with thickness zero.
Individual layers will be visible only when Show Mesh is enabled (if the model has been meshed
previously), and only on Layered Section objects. If Show Mesh is not enabled, just the geometry
and the scoping will be shown on the model.
When a layer is selected to display, the layer with its defined thickness, offset, and sequence will
be displayed in the graphics window. Due to the limitations described for the Show Mesh option,
it is recommended that the user switch back and forth if needed to Wireframe/Shaded Exterior
View mode to properly see annotations.
Note:
When viewing Imported Plies, the thickness that you see is not relative to the geometry
like it is with a Layered Section object.
6.3.7.3. Layered Section Properties

The following Properties are displayed in Details panel for Layered Sections:
• Total Thickness - Total thickness of the section, including all of the layers defined for the section.
Used when displaying the mesh.
• Total Mass - Total mass of all of the layers in the section. The density of the material for each
layer is calculated at a reference temperature of 22° C.
6.3.7.4. Notes on Layered Section Behavior

Note the following when working with layer sections.
• If multiple thickness objects (including Layered Section objects) are applied to the same face,
only those properties related to the last defined object will be sent to the solver, regardless of
whether the object was defined in DesignModeler or in Mechanical. See Specifying Faces With
Multiple Thicknesses and Layers (p. 899) for details.
• If adjacent elements within the same part have different thickness values, the elements will appear
to be ramped.
• If the ratio of Young's Modulus (Material Stiffnesses) between adjacent layers is very high, the
accuracy of this calculation may be adversely affected.
• Layered Sections cannot be scoped to rigid bodies.
• Layered Sections do not affect the following items:
– Assembly properties: volume, mass, centroid, and moments of inertia. This is for display in the
Details view only. The correct properties based on any variable thickness are correctly calculated
in the solver and can be verified through miscellaneous record results for Mechanical APDL
based solutions.
Surface Bodies
– Meshing: auto-detection based on surface body thickness, automatic pinch controls, surface
body thickness used as mesh merging tolerance.
– Solution: Heuristics used in beam properties for spot welds.
• A Thermal Condition applied to a Layered Section is only valid if applied to both shell faces (Shell
Face is set to Both, not to Top or Bottom).
• Layered Sections are not valid with cyclic symmetry.
• The following material properties are supported by Layered Sections in an Explicit Dynamics
analysis:
– Isotropic Elasticity, Orthotropic Elasticity
– Johnson Cook Strength, Zerilli Armstrong Strength, Steinberg Guinan Strength, Cowper Symonds
Strength
– Orthotropic Stress Limits, Orthotropic Strain Limits, Tsai-Wu Constants
– Plastic Strain, Principal Stress, Stochastic Failure,
• For orthotropic materials in Explicit Dynamics, the Z material direction is always defined in the
shell normal direction. The X material direction in the plane of each element is determined by
the x-axis of the coordinate system associated with the Layered Section. If the x-axis of this co-
ordinate system does not lie in the element plane, then the x-axis is projected onto the shell in
the coordinate system z-axis direction. If the z-axis is normal to the element plane, then the
projection is done in the coordinate system y-axis. For cylindrical systems, it is the y-axis that is
projected onto the element plane to find the Y material direction.
6.3.8. Specifying Surface Body Reinforcements

The Model Type property for the Surface Body object enables you to specify the body as a reinforce-
ment. The options for the property include Shell (default) and Reinforcement. The Shell setting
treats the body as a surface body - there is no reinforcement treatment.
See the Reinforcement Specification Using Mesh-Independent Method (p. 786) section for the steps
to specify a Surface Body as a reinforcement.
6.3.9. Specifying Faces With Multiple Thicknesses and Layers

Thickness and Layered Section (p. 896) objects may be scoped to more than one face of a surface
body. As a result, a face may have more than one thickness definition.
The order of precedence used to determine the thickness that will be used in the analysis is as follows:
1. Imported Plies objects
2. Imported Thickness objects
3. Layered Section objects
4. Thickness objects
Geometry
5. Thickness as a property of a body/part
For multiple objects of the same type, the object lower in the tree (more recently created) will be
used in the analysis.
This thickness may not be the desired thickness to be used in the analysis. In a large model, you may
want to fix this problem prior to solving the model.
You can search for faces with multiple thicknesses by selecting Search Faces with Multiple Thick-
nesses from the context menu of any of the following: the Geometry folder, a Body object (individual
or group of objects), a Thickness object or a Layered Section object. For each face found with
multiple thicknesses, a warning message similar to the one shown below will be displayed in the
message box.
This face has more than one thickness defined. You may graphically select the face via RMB on
this warning in the Messages window.
To find the face and its corresponding thickness objects for a particular message, highlight that
message in the message pane, right-click the message and choose Go To Face With Multiple
Thicknesses from the context menu. The face associated with this message is highlighted in the
Geometry window and the corresponding thickness objects are highlighted in the tree.
If there is no face with multiple definitions, the following information will be displayed in the message
box.
No faces with multiple thicknesses have been found.
A related Go To (p. 113) option is also available. If you highlight one or more faces with thickness
definition of a surface body, then right-click in the Geometry window and choose Go To > Thicknesses
for Selected Faces, the corresponding thickness objects will be highlighted in the tree.
Note:
You cannot search for Imported Plies that overlap with other thickness objects. However
a warning will be generated during the solution if this situation might exist.
6.4. Line Bodies

A line body consists entirely of edges and does not have a surface area or volume. Although multiple
CAD sources can provide line bodies to Ansys Workbench, only DesignModeler and Ansys SpaceClaim
Direct Modeler provide the additional cross section data needed to use line bodies in an analysis. For
those CAD sources that cannot provide the cross section data, you need to import them into Design-
Modeler or Ansys SpaceClaim Direct Modeler, define the cross sections, and then send the geometry
to the Mechanical application in Ansys Workbench. Cross sectional data is imported into Mechanical
and provided by Cross Section Objects.
In addition to specifying the cross section type and offset, DesignModeler and SpaceClaim also allow
you to align cross sections to ensure they have the proper orientation. For more information on Frame
Alignment and how to override the default alignment algorithm, see Cross Section Alignment. Illustrated
below are examples of the alignment algorithm options from DesignModeler.
Line Bodies
• Thickness Display (p. 904)
• Cross Sections (p. 905)
Note:
See the Line Body Results (p. 2053) section for additional information about the display of
results scoped to line bodies.
Overview
Once imported, a line body is represented by a Line Body object in the tree, where the Details pane
includes the associated cross section information of the line body that was defined in SpaceClaim Direct
Modeler, DesignModeler, or supported CAD system. Depending on your application, you can further
define the line body using the Model Type property. Options include Beam, Pipe, Link/Truss, Cable,
Thermal Fluid (thermal analysis only), Reinforcement, or the read-only option Axisymmetric Shell.
Review the following guidelines:
• Beam (BEAM188/BEAM189): This option is usually a suitable option when analyzing thin to moderately
thick beam structures. A variety of cross-sections can be associated with beams.
Note:
When a beam body is meshed with BEAM188, KEYOPT(3) = 2 (the quadratic shape function)
is written to the input file. This differs from the usual default setting of BEAM188 in
Mechanical APDL (KEYOPT(3) = 0, linear shape function). Note that this element is a lower
order element and is only used when the Mesh object property Element Order is specified
as Linear, either by you as the user or by the application. See the Mechanical APDL Element
Reference for BEAM188 for more information.
Geometry
• Pipe (PIPE288/PIPE289/ELBOW290): This option is suitable for analyzing initially circular cross-sections
and thin to moderately thick pipe walls. You can apply special loads on pipes such as Pipe Pres-
sure (p. 1641) and Pipe Temperature (p. 1644). Curved pipe zones or high deformation zones in pipes
can be further modeled using the Pipe Idealization (p. 1823) object.
• Link/Truss (LINK180): This option is a suitable option when analyzing uniaxial tension-compression
scenarios. For stress and strain output, the Mechanical APDL solver only produces the AXL component
(such as SX, EPELX, EPPLX, ...). This element type is not supported by the Beam Tool or the Beam
Probe.
Note:
Meshing does not distinguish between the different types of 1D elements in the
meshing process. Hence, beam orientation nodes are created for beam elements and
Link elements even though Link elements do not need any orientation nodes. The
beam orientation nodes created for the Link elements are not getting connected to
the Link elements but are simply ignored during the solution process.
• Cable (LINK180/CABLE280): This option enables you to simulate tensile load transfer along the length
of the line body. For a linear order mesh, this option uses the LINK180 element. When the Element
Order property of the Mesh object is set to Program Controlled or for a quadratic order mesh, this
option uses the CABLE280 element. For stress and strain output, the Mechanical APDL solver only
produces the AXL component (for example, SX, EPELX, EPPLX,...). The element types do not support
the Beam Tool or the Beam Probe.
Note:
Linear element order creates LINK180 elements with Tension and Compression setting
as default TENSKEY for SECCONTROL.
• Thermal Fluid: Thermal fluid flow models heat distribution between fluid and solid bodies during
steady-state and transient thermal analyses. This selection activates the Mechanical APDL element
FLUID116 with TEMP (Temperature) as the degree of freedom. Activating Fluid Flow (via Convec-
tion (p. 1717)) is equivalent to a reduced-order model for a Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) analysis,
for a one-dimensional fluid flow. This provides an accurate solution that does not require significant
computation time. Heat flow is generated by the conduction within the fluid and the mass transport
of the fluid (p. 1739).
Note:
If your analysis includes the material property Specific Heat, defined in Engineering Data,
the Thermal Fluid setting only supports Specific Heat defined at Constant Pressure.
• Reinforcement (p. 786) (REINF264): This option models a line body as a reinforcement within a
structure. It is supported for 3D Static Structural and Steady-State Thermal analyses only and requires
that your imported model already include the line bodies you wish to specify as reinforcements as
well as an appropriate material to assign to the reinforcement bodies.
Line Bodies
• Axisymmetric Shell (SHELL208/SHELL209): This read-only option is only displayed when you create
a Line Body from a Line Coating (p. 1335) using the Pull feature.
Note:
For the Link/Truss and Cable options, the application meshes the line body with only one
element if the body is a line with a single edge. You can override this behavior by specifying
a mesh Sizing control that has the Behavior property set to Hard.
Application
To define your line body, highlight the Line Body object and set the following in the Details view:
1. Stiffness Behavior (p. 348): As applicable, use this property to modify the stiffness behavior of
the line body. Options include Flexible (default) and Stiff Beam.
2. Coordinate System (p. 348): As needed, use this property to change the assigned default co-
ordinate system.
3. Reference Temperature (p. 349): As needed, use this property to change the default reference
temperature that is taken from the environment.
4. Cross Section: Select a cross section from the drop-down list of available Cross Section Objects.
This property is not visible when the Model Type property (below) is set to Thermal Fluid.
5. Offset Mode: Set to Refresh on Update (default) to enable the values in the Details view to
update when the CAD system updates or to Manual, to enable the Details view values to
override the CAD system updates.
6. Offset Type: Set to Centroid, Shear Center, Origin, or User Defined, where Offset X and
Offset Y are available.
7. Model Type: Options include Beam (default), Thermal Fluid (thermal analysis only), Pipe,
Link/Truss, Cable, or Reinforcement. Note the following specifics for certain options.
Thermal Fluid
When you select the Thermal Fluid option, you need to evaluate the following additional
properties:
• Fluid Cross Area: Defines the fluid cross-section area of the Line Body. You can
modify this value, however; by default, the application uses the value provided by
your geometry application. And, updating your source Geometry resets this property
to the default value.
• Discretization: Options include Upwind/Linear, Central/Linear, and Upwind/Expo-

nential. Refer to the Discretization scheme described in the Mechanical APDL Element
Reference for FLUID116.
Geometry
Link/Truss
When you select the Link/Truss option, the Behavior property also displays. Options include
Tension and Compression (default), Tension Only, and Compression Only.
Reinforcement
This option enables you to specify line bodies as reinforcing fibers (p. 786) inside of a
structure.
Axisymmetric Shell (Read-Only)
Only visible for a Line Body created from a Surface Coating (p. 1335). This is available using
the mesh-based Pull feature. Review display characteristics in the Line Body Results (p. 2053)
section.
8. Cross Section (For Solver): This property displays when your Line Body includes a user-defined
cross-section. It enables you to send user-defined cross-sections to the MAPDL solver as either
a Pre-Integrated (default) cross-section or as a Mesh section. These options are specified in
the Geometry (p. 300) preference category of the Options dialog.
Selecting Pre-Integrated sends the integrated cross-section inertia properties, calculated in

DesignModeler or Ansys SpaceClaim Direct Modeler, to the solver using the SEC-
TYPE,,BEAM,ASEC command. The Mesh option sends the mesh section data, generated in
DesignModeler or Ansys SpaceClaim Direct Modeler, to the solver using the SEC-
TYPE,,BEAM,MESH command. The Mesh option enables you to post process results on the
entire mesh section.
Note:
You may see slight result differences between the Pre-integrated and Mesh
settings as a result of how the application performs the calculations. There are
certain limitations associated with the cross-section input data when using the
Pre-integrated setting.
9. Specify Material category properties as needed.
See the Body object reference section for a complete listing of all Line Body properties.
Thickness Display
As illustrated below, you can increase the thickness of a line body's graphical display in the Geometry
window by changing the default setting of the Line Body Thickness property in the Graphics (p. 303)
preference of the application Options.
Line Bodies
• Beams can also be used as connections within a model. See Beam Connections (p. 1315) for further
information on this application.
• Pipes are only realized in structural analyses. All line bodies defined in other analysis types are always
realized as beams. This extends to linked analyses as well. For example, in a thermal-structural linked
analysis where line bodies are defined as pipes, the thermal component of the analysis will only
realize the line bodies as beams.
Cross Sections
By default, line bodies are displayed as lines in the Geometry window, with no graphical indication of
a cross section. If cross sections are defined in a line body, you can select the Cross Section option
from the Style (p. 83) group of the Display tab to display the line bodies as solids (3D), enabling you
to visually inspect the cross sections. This visualization can be useful in determining the correct orient-
ation of line bodies. For circular and circular tube cross sections, the number of divisions used for ren-
dering the line bodies as solids has an adjustable range from 6 to 360 with a default of 16. You can
adjust this using the Number of Circular Cross Section Divisions option in the Graphics (p. 303) category
of the Options dialog.
The Cross Section display option has the following characteristics:
• By default, the feature is not enabled. However, when activated, it will persist as a session preference.
• Only geometry displays are applicable. The feature is not available for mesh displays.
• When the feature is enabled, both normal lines and solid representations are drawn.
• The solid representation of the geometry cannot be selected nor meshed, and has no effect on
quantitative results.
• The feature supports section planes and works with all line body cross sections (primitive and user
defined).
• User Integrated cross sections (direct entry of the properties) have no display.
• The feature is not available for use with viewports (p. 247).
Geometry
• This feature is not supported on the Linux platform.
• When you import geometry from an External Model system, geometric edges may be collapsed and
not display the actual orientations that are specified in the external model file.
Tip:
Use the Show Mesh (p. 100) option to visualize the proper orientations as defined in the file.
These are the orientations that the application sends to the solver.
6.5. Simulation without Geometry

The application does not require you to import a geometry for your analysis. You can open an analysis
system without importing a geometry and then specify all of your desired environmental conditions.
Once complete, you save your project for use with any desired model. See the Create a Simulation
Template (p. 351) section for additional information.
6.6. 2D Analyses
Mechanical enables you to run two-dimensional (2D) simulations for structural and thermal analyses.
Two-dimensional simulations can save processing time and conserve machine resources for models and
environments that involve negligible effects from a third dimension. You specify your analysis as two-
dimensional on the Workbench project page (Analysis Type property for the Geometry cell set to 2D).
However, as desired, you can change the setting of the Analysis Type property to switch your analysis
to 3D at any time.
Important:
• Switching your analysis from 2D to 3D (or vise versa) could invalidate certain specifications
you have defined in your analysis. Specifically, if you have defined parameters, they may
become invalid and although it would display in the Parameter Manager, it would not be
available in Mechanical.
• When you are performing a 3D simulation on shell bodies (only), you can specify a shell
body as 2D using the Dimension property of the Body object.
• For a line body in a 2D thermal analysis, you can set the Model Type property to Thermal
Fluid.
• Specify 2D Analysis in Workbench (p. 907)
• Define the 2D Behavior of Geometry (p. 907)
• Review Requirements and Limitations (p. 908)
2D Analyses
Specify 2D Analysis in Workbench

For a 2D analysis, Mechanical supports surface (p. 888) and line (p. 900) bodies that are planar bodies on
the X-Y plane. To create a 2D analysis:
1. Add an analysis to the Workbench Project page
2. Open your model in the appropriate Ansys application, such as Discovery, or another supported
CAD system, and specify that the model's orientation is in the x-y plane.
3. On the project page, select the Geometry cell of the analysis system and set the Analysis Type
property to 2D (Advanced Geometry Options).
4. Open the model in Mechanical.
Define the 2D Behavior of Geometry

Specify the 2D Behavior property of the Geometry object. Options include:
• Plane Stress (default): Assumes zero stress and non-zero strain in the z direction. Use this option for
structures where the z dimension is smaller than the x and y dimensions. Example uses are flat plates
subjected to in-plane loading, or thin disks under pressure or centrifugal loading. A Thickness field
is also available if you want to enter the thickness of the model.
• Axisymmetric: Assumes that a 3D model and its loading can be generated by revolving a 2D section
360o about the y-axis. The axis of symmetry must coincide with the global y-axis. The geometry must
lie on the positive x-axis of the x-y plane. The y direction is axial, the x direction is radial, and the z
direction is in the circumferential (hoop) direction. The hoop displacement is zero. Hoop strains and
stresses are usually very significant. Example uses are pressure vessels, straight pipes, and shafts. You
may wish to review the Axisymmetric Loads and Reactions section, of the Mechanical APDL Basic
Analysis Guide, for a description about how to apply constraints in order to prevent unwanted rigid-
body motions.
Note:
Certain CAD applications automatically increase the bounding box size beyond the exact
limits of the geometry and can cause the geometry to appear in the negative X plane. This
causes Mechanical to generate an error and prohibit a solution. In this scenario, you can
change the error setting to a warning in order to perform a solution. You use the Geo-
metry (p. 300) preference 2D Axisymmetric Check in the Options dialog to change this
setting.
• Plane Strain: Assumes zero strain in the z direction. Use this option for structures where the z dimen-
sion is much larger than the x and y dimensions. The stress in the z direction is non-zero. Example
Geometry
uses are long, constant, cross-sectional structures such as structural line bodies. Plane Strain behavior
cannot be used in a thermal analysis (steady-state (p. 663) or a transient (p. 686)).
Note:
Since thickness is infinite in plane strain calculations, different results (displace-

ments/stresses) will be calculated for extensive loads (that is, forces/heats) if the solution
is performed in different unit systems (MKS vs. NMM). Intensive loads (pressure, heat flux)
will not give different results. In either case, equilibrium is maintained and thus reactions
will not change. This is an expected consequence of applying extensive loads in a plane
strain analysis. In such a condition, if you change the Mechanical application unit system
after a solve, you should clear the result (p. 2085) and solve again.
• Generalized Plane Strain: Assumes a finite deformation domain length in the z direction, as opposed
to the infinite value assumed for the standard Plane Strain option. Generalized Plane Strain provides
more practical results for deformation problems where a z direction dimension exists, but is not
considerable. See the next section, Using Generalized Plane Strain (p. 909), for more information.
The Generalized Plane Strain option requires you to specify the following properties:
– Fiber Length: Sets the length of the extrusion.
– End Plane Rotation About X: Sets the rotation of the extrusion end plane about the x-axis.
– End Plane Rotation About Y: Sets the rotation of the extrusion end plane about the y-axis.
• By Body: Enables you to set the Plane Stress (with Thickness option), Plane Strain, or Axisymmetric
options for individual bodies that appear under Geometry in the tree. If you choose By Body, then
click an individual body, these 2D options are displayed for the individual body.
Review Requirements and Limitations

Requirements for Specifying Boundary Conditions
For a 2D analysis, you use the same procedure for applying loads and supports (p. 1585) as you would
use in a 3D analysis. However, the loads and results are in the x-y plane and there is no z component.
All loads and supports, except the following:
• Line Pressure
• Simply Supported
• Fixed Rotation
Important:
When your 2D analysis includes any of the following boundary conditions, the results
may not be accurate in certain cases where more than one element type has already
been created on the scoped surface.
2D Analyses
• Hydrostatic Pressure
• Force (Applied By property set to Surface Effect)
• Pressure (Applied By property set to Surface Effect)
• Bearing Loads
• Elastic Support
• Heat flux
• Radiation
• Convection
Please review the output file carefully for related messages before looking at the results.
See the SURF151 and SURF153 sections in the Mechanical APDL Element Reference for
more information.
General Limitations
Note the following limitations:
• A Pressure load can only be applied to an edge.
• A Bearing Load and a Cylindrical Support can only be applied to a circular edge.
• For analyses involving axisymmetric behavior, Rotational Velocity loads can only be applied about
the y-axis.
• For loads applied to a circular edge, the direction flipping in the z axis will be ignored.
• Only Plain Strain and Axisymmetric are supported for Explicit Dynamics analyses.
• Mechanical does not support Cyclic results for a 2D Analysis.
6.6.1. Using Generalized Plane Strain

This feature assumes a finite deformation domain length in the z direction, as opposed to the infinite
value assumed for standard plane strain. It provides a more efficient way to simulate certain 3D de-
formations using 2D options.
The deformation domain or structure is formed by extruding a plane area along a curve with a constant
curvature, as shown below.
Y
Starting Plane
Starting Point
Ending Plane
Fiber Direction
Ending Point
Z
Geometry
The extruding begins at the starting (or reference) plane and stops at the ending plane. The curve
direction along the extrusion path is called the fiber direction. The starting and ending planes must
be perpendicular to this fiber direction at the beginning and ending intersections. If the boundary
conditions and loads in the fiber direction do not change over the course of the curve, and if the
starting plane and ending plane remain perpendicular to the fiber direction during deformation, then
the amount of deformation of all cross sections will be identical throughout the curve, and will not
vary at any curve position in the fiber direction. Therefore, any deformation can be represented by
the deformation on the starting plane, and the 3D deformation can be simulated by solving the de-
formation problem on the starting plane. The Plane Strain and Axisymmetric options are particular
cases of the Generalized Plane Strain option.
All inputs and outputs are in the global Cartesian coordinate system. The starting plane must be the
x-y plane, and must be meshed. The applied nodal force on the starting plane is the total force along
the fiber length. The geometry in the fiber direction is specified by the rotation about the x-axis and
y-axis of the ending plane, and the fiber length passing through a user-specified point on the starting
plane called the starting or reference point. The starting point creates an ending point on the ending
plane through the extrusion process. The boundary conditions and loads in the fiber direction are
specified by applying displacements or forces at the ending point.
The fiber length change is positive when the fiber length increases. The sign of the rotation angle or
angle change is determined by how the fiber length changes when the coordinates of the ending
point change. If the fiber length decreases when the x coordinate of the ending point increases, the
rotation angle about y is positive. If the fiber length increases when the y coordinate of the ending
point increases, the rotation angle about x is positive.
For Eigenvalue Buckling (p. 493) and Modal (p. 521) analyses, the Generalized Plane Strain option
usually reports fewer Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors than you would obtain in a 3D analysis. Because
it reports only homogeneous deformation in the fiber direction, generalized plane strain employs
only three DOFs to account for these deformations. The same 3D analysis would incorporate many
more DOFs in the fiber direction.
Because the mass matrix terms relating to DOFs in the fiber direction are approximated for Modal
and Transient analyses, you cannot use the lumped mass matrix for these types of simulations, and
the solution may be slightly different from regular 3D simulations when any of the three designated
DOFs is not restrained.
Overall steps to using Generalized Plane Strain
1. Attach a 2D model in the Mechanical application.
2. Click on Geometry in the tree.
3. In the Details view, set 2D Behavior to Generalized Plane Strain.
4. Define extrusion geometry by providing input values for Fiber Length, End Plane Rotation
About X, and End Plane Rotation About Y.
Construction Geometry
5. Add a Generalized Plane Strain load (p. 1696) under the analysis type object in the tree.
Note:
The Generalized Plane Strain load is applied to all bodies. There can be only one
Generalized Plane Strain load per analysis type so this load will not be available in
any of the load drop-down menu lists if it has already been applied.
6. In the Details view, input the x and y coordinates of the reference point, and set the boundary
conditions along the fiber direction and rotation about the x and y-axis.
7. Add any other loads or boundary conditions that are applicable to a 2D model.
8. Solve. Reactions (p. 2212) are reported in the Details view of the Generalized Plane Strain load.
9. Review results.
6.7. Construction Geometry

The Construction Geometry object is a Model-level object in the Outline hierarchy. The Construction
Geometry drop-down menu in the Prepare group of the Model Context tab enables you to insert a
desired Construction Geometry type, including:
6.7.1. Path
6.7.2. Surface
6.7.3. Solid
6.7.4. STL
6.7.5. Construction Line
Note:
The Path and Surface construction geometry features enable you to create a specific geometry
scoping (curve or plane) and then use this scoping to specifically define a result item.
6.7.1. Path
A Path is categorized as a form of construction geometry and is represented as a spatial curve to
which you can scope path results (p. 2055). The results are evaluated at discrete points along this curve.
You defined a Path using the following methods:
By Start and End Point
These points can be specified directly or can be calculated from the entry and exit point (intersec-
tions) of the positive X-axis of a coordinate system through a mesh. The path may be a straight
line segment or a curve depending on the type of coordinate system (Cartesian or Cylindrical).
Geometry
You can control the discretization by specifying the number of sampling points, and these will
be evenly distributed along the path up to a limit of 200.
Note:
Paths defined in this manner will only be mapped onto solid or surface bodies. If you
wish to apply a path to a line body you must define the path by an edge (as described
below).
Edge
The discretization will include all nodes in the mesh underlying the edge. Multiple edges may be
used but they must be continuous.
Result Graphical Display

For each result scoped to a Path, the Graph Controls category provides an option to display the
result in the Graph on X-axis, as a function of Time or with S, the length of the path. Note that Path
results have the following restrictions:
• They are calculated on solids and surfaces but not on lines.
• They can be collected into charts as long as all of the other objects selected for the chart have
the same X-axis (Time or S).
• You can define a path in the geometry by specifying two points, an edge, or an axis. Before
you define a path, you must first add the Path object from the Construction Geometry context
toolbar.
You can then define the path using any of the methods presented below.
Application
There are a number of methods to define a Path, including:
• Defining a Path using Two Points (p. 913)
• Defining a Path using an Edge (p. 914)
• Defining a Path from Results Scoped to Edges (p. 914)
• Defining a Path using X-axis Intersection (p. 914)
• Defining a Path from Probe Labels (p. 915)
Additional options for this feature include:
• Snap to Mesh Nodes (p. 916)
• Exporting Path Data (p. 918)
Defining a Path using Two Points

Using this method you define the path by specifying two points in any of the following ways:
Define path using the Hit Point Coordinate option:
1. In the Details, select Two Points in the Path Type list.
2. Under Start, choose Click to Change in the Location row.
3. Select the Hit Point Coordinate option on the Graphics Toolbar (p. 100).
As you move the cursor across the model, the coordinates display and update as you reposition
the cursor.
4. Click at the desired start location for the path. A small cross hair appears at this location. You
can click again to change the cross hair location.
5. Click Apply. A "1" symbol displays at the start location. Also, the coordinates of the point
display in the Details view. You can change the location by repositioning the cursor, clicking
at the new location, and then clicking Click to Change and Apply, or by editing the coordinates
in the Details view.
6. Repeat steps 2 through 5 to define the end point of the path under End in the Details view.
A "2" symbol displays at the end location.
7. Enter the Number of Sampling Points.
Define path using coordinates:
1. In the Details view, select Two Points in the Path Type list.
2. Under Start, enter the X, Y, and Z coordinates for the starting point of the path.
Geometry
3. Under End, enter the X, Y, and Z coordinates for the ending point of the path.
Define Path using vertices, edges, faces, or nodes:
1. In the Details view, select Two Points in the Path Type list.
2. Select one or more vertices or nodes, a single edge, or a face where you want to start the
path, and then click Apply under Start, Location. An average location is calculated for multiple
vertex or node selections.
3. Select the vertices, nodes, face, or the edge where you want to end the path, and then click
Apply under End, Location.
Note:
The start and end points need not both be specified using the same procedure of the
three presented above. For example, if you specify the start point using the Coordinate
toolbar button, you can specify the end point by entering coordinates or by using a
vertex, edge, or face. Any combination of the three procedures can be used to specify
the points.
Defining a Path using an Edge

This method helps you define a path by selecting an edge. To define a path:
1. In the Details view, select Edge in the Path Type list.
2. Specify an edge geometry using Geometry Selection or by specifying an edge-based Named

Selection.
Defining a Path from Results Scoped to Edges

In order to help better quantify the variation of a result along a set of edges, path results are available.
For a result that is scoped to an edge or multiple contiguous edges, you can convert the scoping to
the equivalent Path, by:
1. Selecting the result object that is scoped to an edge or contiguous edges.
2. Display the context menu by right-clicking the mouse, and the select Convert To Path Result.
A Path object is automatically created under the Construction Geometry folder and the Path Type
property is set to Edge.
Defining a Path using X Axis Intersection

For this option, the application automatically creates the path on the first body the line intersects
from the coordinate system origin, as illustrated below. A line is extended along the positive X axis
of the selected coordinate system, and the path is created between the first and last points where
this line intersects the first body. To create this Path:
Important:
When you specify a Path as the scoping for a result (p. 2055), the application re-calculates
the path using the mesh instead of geometry. As a result, the locations of path points may
vary slightly.
1. Set the Path Type property to X Axis Intersection.
2. Select the desired coordinate system that defines the x-axis using the Path Coordinate System
property.
3. Specify the Number of Sampling Points. The default is value is 47.
Defining a Path from Probe Labels

While reviewing results, you can define a path automatically from two probe labels. To define the
path:
1. Create two probe annotations (p. 201) by choosing the Probe button from the Result Context
Tab (p. 65).
2. Choose the Label or Imported Objects button from the Graphics Toolbar (p. 100) and select the
two probe annotations. (Hold the Ctrl key to select both probe annotations.)
3. Right-click in the Geometry window and choose Create Path From Probe Labels from the
context menu.
Geometry
4. A path is automatically created between the probe annotations. A corresponding Path object is
displayed in the tree with a Path Type of Two Points.
Snap to Mesh Nodes

When solving linearized stresses (p. 2144), the path you define by two points must be contained within
the finite element mesh to avoid an error. Because the two points can be derived from the tessellation
of the geometric model, the points may be contained within the geometry but may not be contained
within the mesh. This is especially true for curved geometry faces. After defining the two points using
the Coordinate toolbar button method (see above), you can ensure that the path is contained within
the mesh by using the Snap to mesh nodes feature. To use the feature, set Show Mesh to Yes in
the Details view of the Construction Geometry object in order to see the location of the nodes in
the mesh. Then, right-click the Path object and select Snap to mesh nodes from the context menu.
This action alters the path, as necessary, such that both the start point and end point of the path
snap to the closest node in the mesh.
The Snap to mesh nodes feature avoids the error and allows the solve to continue provided the
path you define does not traverse through any discontinuities in the model, such as a hole. For these
cases, even though the Snap to mesh nodes feature alters the path endpoints to coincide with the
nearest nodes in the mesh, the linearized stress result still fails because the path is defined through
the discontinuity.
The following pictures illustrate this feature.
Attempt to solve for linearized stress. Path defined within geometric model:
Corresponding mesh used for geometric model, obtained by setting Show Mesh to Yes:
Path contained within mesh after choosing Snap to mesh nodes. Solution completes:
Geometry
Note:
If the model is re-meshed after choosing Snap to mesh nodes, the feature is not automat-
ically applied to the newly meshed model. You must choose Snap to mesh nodes again
to alter the path start and end points to the new mesh.
Exporting Path Data

You can export coordinate data for a defined path by clicking the right mouse button on a Path object
and choosing Export from the context menu.
6.7.2. Surface
A surface is categorized as a form of construction geometry and is represented as a section plane to
which you can scope surface results (p. 2063) or reaction probes (p. 2212).
To define a surface:
1. Highlight the Model object, open the Construction Geometry drop-down menu on the Model
Context Tab (p. 50), and select Surface.
2. Define a coordinate system whose X-Y plane will be used as a cutting plane, as follows:
a. Create a local coordinate system (p. 1096).
b. Define the origin (p. 1096) of the local coordinate system.
Note:
With respect to the facets of the surface:
• For a Cartesian coordinate system, the surface is the intersection of the model
with the X-Y plane of the coordinate system.
• For a cylindrical coordinate system, the surface is the intersection of the model
with the cylinder whose axis is the Z axis of the coordinate system. In this case,
you must specify the radius in the Details view of the Surface object.
Tip:
For an existing coordinate system, you can define a Surface Construction Geometry object
by selecting a desired Coordinate System object, right-clicking, and selecting Create
Construction Surface. This feature allows you to define the coordinate system first. See
the procedure below.
Create Construction Geometry Surface from Coordinate System

As illustrated below, you can create a Surface Construction Geometry from any existing coordinate
system using the right-click feature Create Construction Surface.
Right-click Menu for
Details for Surface Object

The Details display the defined coordinate system, Radius, and enables you to suppress the object if desired.
Geometry
6.7.3. Solid
The Solid option of the Construction Geometry feature enables you to create and add a solid part
to the model you have imported into Mechanical.
To define a Solid Construction Geometry:
Context Tab (p. 50), and select Solid.
2. As needed, specify a coordinate system. The default is the Global Coordinate System.
3. Specify the dimensions of the solid part using the X1 through Z2 properties. These properties
define the start point and the end point for each dimension. The application displays a frame of
your geometry as you enter values.
Important:
• The difference between the X, Y, and Z values must be greater than zero and within
a tolerance of 1e-10. All comparisons are performed in the associated CAD units.
• Automatic contact detection is not performed when a solid part is generated. In order
for the solid part to be included in automatic contact generation, you need to either
select Create Automatic Connections option via the Connections folder or update
the geometry from the CAD source by selecting the Update Geometry from Source
option via the Geometry folder.
• Making a vertex or node selection on your model displays the Location of the ver-
tex/node in the Status Bar (p. 138). This information can be helpful when constructing
your solid part.
4. Right-click the object and select Add to Geometry. Once created, a new Part is placed in the
Geometry folder. This part behaves as and may be used like any part of the model.
Geometry
Note:
Review the following requirements:
• You must update the Geometry object (Update Geometry from Source option) in
order to transfer changes made on the Solid object to the Part object.
• In order to delete a Solid object, you must first right-click the object and select
Remove Geometry. This action removes the part from the Geometry folder. You
can then delete the Solid object as needed.
• Selective Update (p. 345) is not supported for solids created in Mechanical.
6.7.4. STL
The STL option of the Construction Geometry feature enables you to import and view an STL (Ste-
reolithography) file in Mechanical.
To import an STL file:
Context Tab (p. 50), and select STL.
2. At this point, define the following properties as needed:
• Length Units: Meters is the default setting. Changing this property rescales the STL geo-
metry according to the new unit. Changing from Meters to Centimeters resizes the model
accordingly.
• Show Always: Options include No (default) and Yes. If you set this property to Yes, the
application displays the STL geometry in the Geometry window regardless of what object
is selected in the tree.
• Color: Change the color of the STL geometry. This enables you to easily identify your STL
geometry.
3. Right-click the STL object and select Import STL File. This option imports and displays the new
model in the Construction Geometry folder.
Note:
When generated, the position of the imported STL geometry in the Geometry window
is determined by the coordinates from which the original STL file is generated. To ensure
that you can see the geometry, use the F7 key (Zoom to Fit) to properly display all
geometries.
The Statistics property displays the number of triangles included in the STL geometry.
Also see the STL object reference page of the Help for more information.
6.7.5. Construction Line

The Construction Line feature is a unique geometry sketching tool you use to create line segments
on or around your model that you eventually convert into line bodies. This section describes the
methods and options used to sketch and produce these line bodies.
• Defining a Construction Line (p. 923)
• Generating Line Bodies (p. 925)
• Understanding the Tools (p. 925)
Defining a Construction Line

Select the Construction Line option from the Construction Geometry drop-down menu on the
Model Context tab (p. 50). Once you have inserted the object, several additional options are available
to insert additional objects. See the Construction Line object reference section for the other methods.
Note:
Using the Image Plane from File option of the Insert (p. 44) group on the Home tab, you
can import an image into Mechanical and place it on or around your model based the on
XY-plane of the selected coordinate system. You then use this image to very accurately
sketch line segments. To properly trace over an imported image, you need to position your
Geometry
model using the same orientation that was used to capture the image, otherwise, your
new sketch may be in an incorrect position compared to the model.
Once inserted, the object has the following Details pane categories and properties:
Category Property/Description
Sketch Selection Method: Options for this property include:
• Interactive (default): This option enables you to sketch line s

using the Planar (p. 926) or Freeform (p. 926) options.
• Coordinate System: This option enables you to sketch line se

hand using the Planar (p. 926) or Freeform (p. 926) options.
Active Sketch Details Sketch ID: This read-only property shows an application defined
Line ACT APIs.
Association Type: This read-only property shows the entity typ

System.
Association ID: This read-only property shows the ID of the ske

property, either Geometric or Coordinate System. If set to Geo
the ACT API Reference Guide). If set to Coordinate System, the
Note:
These ID values are compatible with the Mechanical ACT A
Image Plane Properties The properties of this category enable you to import and overla
or around your model.
Image File: Import an image that overlays on the XY-plane of t

can very accurately sketch one or more line segments. Note tha
your model using the same orientation that was used to captur
position compared to the model.
Coordinate System: Specify where to place your image based o
Show Coordinate System: Show the selected Coordinate Syste
Width: Specify the physical width of your image. For the best re
physical height matches the aspect ratio of your image.
Height: Specify the physical height of your image. For the best
physical height matches the aspect ratio of your image.
Translucency: Increasing the value makes your image more and

line.
Horizontal Flip: Reverse your image horizontally.
Vertical Flip: Reverse your image vertically.
For an individual Construction Line object, you can create as many line bodies as desired. You can
switch back and forth between each of the above methods for each line body, or group of line bodies,
you create. The Sketch Selection property simply defines the method to select the active plane for
planar sketching. The option specified for this property has no effect on the final geometry that will
be added to the model. See the Understanding the Tools (p. 925) topic below for descriptions of the
various tools and options available for this feature.
Generating Line Bodies

Once you have completed sketching your line bodies, use the Construction Line object's context
(right-click) menu option Add to Geometry to generate line bodies. Use the Update Geometry option
to incorporate any desired additions/changes.
Once you have created a Line Body (p. 900), you need to specify a cross section and assign a material.
Review the Cross Section and material assignment (p. 350) topics as well and the Body object reference
section for descriptions of all of the associated geometry properties.
Understanding the Tools

This topic describes the features and tools of the Construction Line Context menu that are organized
into the following groups:
• Sketch (p. 925)
• Edit (p. 927)
• Display (p. 928)
• Tools (p. 928)
This is the default display of the Context tab for the Construction Line object.
Sketch
The Sketch options group (highlighted below) contains draw tools that enable you to create line
segments.
Geometry
New Sketch
This option is active by default when you insert the object. Select a desired plane on your model
(based on a face selection) or you can set the Sketch Selection property to Coordinate System
and select a user-defined coordinate system (p. 1096).
Available when the Sketch Selection Method property is set to Interactive, the New Sketch
option specifies a new sketch plane on a face of your model that you select. Once specified, the
Planar editor becomes active. Select a desired sketch option and create line segments.
Planar
The Planar editor enables you to sketch 2D line segments on a given specified plane. Your line
segments are bound to the specified geometry face or a Coordinate System, that is, your sketch
can only be performed within this plane.
To begin sketching line segments, select the Lasso (p. 926), Line (p. 926) or Polyline (p. 926) tool.
You can also use the Offset tool.
Freeform
The Freeform editor enables you to sketch 3D line segments between geometric entities (including
face centroids) or the vertices of existing line segments. To begin sketching line segments, select
the Line (p. 926) or Polyline (p. 926) tool.
Lasso
The Lasso tool, only available for the 2D (Planar) editing mode, enables you to click and drag the
mouse cursor to trace a line segment (beginning to end). This tool has an accompanying Tolerance
(Tol) field that defines the number of pixels in between each vertex the tool automatically creates.
Use the [Esc] key to complete a sketch.
Line
The Line tool is available for both editing modes and enables you to make individual line segments.
By default, when you create a line segment using this tool, point selections “snap” into place:
• Using the Planar editor. This snapping takes precedence for sketch vertex points and to
cursor placement. Holding the [Shift] key enables you to snap to a point on the plane
grid.
• On sketch vertices, edges, and face centroids using the Freeform editor. However, using
Freeform, you can freely place points on faces without any snapping.
Polyline
The Polyline tool is available for each editing mode and enables you to make a series of line
segments that the application will use to generate a single line. The snapping capability is the
same as it is for the Line tool. Use the [Esc] key to complete a sketch.
Offset
The Offset option only becomes active when you 1) select one or more edges, and 2) select the
Planar option. It enables you to create an offset of an edge(s), within the 2D sketching plane.
When you activate the tool, drag and drop the edge(s) to a desired offset location. You can define
multiple offsets. Note that you can also click a location on the plan where you would like the
offset located.
Previous/Next
The Previous and Next options cycle through the sketch planes you have created for the current
Construction Line object.
Exit Editor
The Exit Editor option deactivates all Construction Line Context tab options.
Tip:
Note the following selection features:
• Holding the [Shift] key enables grid point “snapping.” The application highlights a
point on the grid to which you can connect your selection. This is helpful when
placing and/or moving a vertex.
• Box Selection: You can perform box selections by holding the [Shift] key and left
mouse button and dragging right or dragging left.
– Dragging Left: Select only segments that have both vertices in the box.
– Dragging Right: Select segments with at least one vertex in the box.
For Planar mode, box-selection selects segments with both vertices lying in the
sketching plane only.
Edit
The Edit group (highlighted below) contains tools for modifying or moving existing lines and edges.
Move Vertex
When you select this option, you can highlight an existing vertex and move it via drag and drop.
You can select multiple vertices using the [Ctrl] key. When you hold the [Shift] key and move a
vertex, the application will snap it to the grid.
Split Edge
The Split Edge option creates a new vertex on an existing line segment. You can use the [S] key
to perform this action.
Geometry
Flip Edge
Active when a line is segment selected, this option enables you to invert the Edge Direction of
the line segment. You can also use the [F] key to perform this action. Edge direction is the direction
of the vector of the first point of your line segment to the second point. This direction can be
displayed using the Edge Direction option.
Delete Edge
Active when a line segment is selected, this option deletes the selected line segment. You can
also use the [Delete] key.
Display
The options of the Display group are highlighted and described below.
Plane View
Reorient the view of the active sketch plane to the XY-plane.
Edge Direction
Display line segment edge direction. Edge direction is the direction of the vector of the first point
of your segment to the second point.
Coordinate System
Toggles the display of the triad for the active sketch's Coordinate System on and off.
Increase/Decrease Grid Spacing
Increase or decrease the spacing of the grid display (by power of 10 based on the CAD unit).
Tip:
You can use the key combinations [Ctrl]+[+] and [Ctrl]+[-] to increase and decrease
the grid.
Tools
The Import options group (highlighted below) contains tools to import or export currently or previously
defined line bodies.
Body Merge
Import
Import previously exported line bodies in XML file format.
Export
Export the currently defined line bodies in XML file format.
6.8. Body Merge

Use Body Merge to combine multiple geometric bodies with shared faces into a single merged body.
The mesh is also merged if the model has been meshed.
Body Merge simplifies complicated geometries by reducing the number of bodies in a model. This is
especially useful when working with complex parts. It is easier to assign materials and apply boundary
conditions to a single merged body than multiple bodies. Body Merge can also be used to merge
bodies that were previously sliced to generate a hex dominant mesh.
Recommended Body Merge Workflow

Ansys strongly recommends the following workflow when you use a Body Merge in your analysis.
1. Import your geometry.
2. Generate the mesh.
3. Add a Body Merge object and merge the selected bodies (p. 932). The resulting merged body is
listed as an object under Geometry in the Outline pane.
4. Assign materials, boundary conditions, and other model attributes to the resulting merged body
(and other bodies in your model).
5. Generate a solution.
Geometry
About Body Merge

To learn more about Body Merge, see the following sections:
6.8.1. Body Merge Requirements and Limitations
6.8.2. How Body Merge Affects Body Attributes, Scoping, and Meshing
6.8.3. Merging Bodies with Body Merge
6.8.4. Executing a Body Merge
6.8.5. Body Merge Status and Details
6.8.6. Suppressing and Unsuppressing a Body Merge
6.8.7. Clearing a Body Merge
6.8.8. Deleting a Body Merge
6.8.1. Body Merge Requirements and Limitations

Keep the following in mind when working with Body Merge.
Requirements for Body Merge

• Solid bodies must be selected for a Body Merge.
Body Merge
• Selected bodies must share at least one face with another selected body.
• Any number of bodies can be selected for a Body Merge. The total number is limited only by your
computing resources.
Limitations on Body Merge

• A model can contain only one Body Merge object.
• Performing a Body Merge can affect scoping, meshing, and body attributes (p. 931). Ansys strongly
recommends that you assign materials, boundary conditions, and other model attributes to the
merged body (not the individual bodies that comprise it).
• Deleting the geometry import or changing the geometry will clear (p. 937) the Body Merge.
• You cannot add a Body Merge object if the model contains a Part Transform (p. 1052), Mesh Workflow,
or Virtual Topology. The reverse is also true: you cannot add these features if the model contains
a Body Merge object.
6.8.2. How Body Merge Affects Body Attributes, Scoping, and Meshing
Performing a Body Merge affects attributes, scoping, and meshing as follows.
Body Attributes and Body Merge

Performing a Body Merge resets the attributes of merged bodies (such as the local coordinate system)
to their default values or their original imported values.
Scoping and Body Merge

Scoping is preserved for edges, faces, and vertices during a Body Merge. Scoping is not preserved
for bodies that are part of a merge.
The following table describes how the Body Merge commands affect scoping for the resulting merged
body.
Body Merge Command Effect on Merged Body Scoping

Merge (p. 934) Restores scoping after Unsuppress and Clear
Suppress and Removes scoping. Use Unsuppress + Merge to restore scoping.
Unsuppress (p. 936)
Clear (p. 937) Removes scoping. Use Merge to restore scoping.
Delete (p. 937) Deletes scoping. Cannot be restored with Merge.
Meshing and Body Merge

The following table describes how the Body Merge commands affect the mesh.
Body Merge Command Effect on Mesh
Geometry
Merge (p. 934) Retains existing

mesh
Suppress and Clears mesh
Unsuppress (p. 936)
Clear (p. 937) Clears mesh
Delete (p. 937) Clears mesh
Material Assignment and Body Merge

Material assignment scoping to individual bodies is not preserved during a body merge.
As a work-around, use named selection as follows:
1. Define a face as a named selection (p. 1347). Face selection is preserved during a body merge.
2. Use worksheet criteria (p. 1351) to create a named body selection from the named face. Since the
named body is based on a named face, it is also preserved during a body merge.
3. Assign a material to the named body selection.
4. Add a Body Merge (p. 932) to your model.
Warning:
If you assign different materials to the individual selected bodies via this work-around,
Mechanical will apply the most recent material assignment to the entire merged body
during the solution. This can cause unexpected results.
To prevent this from happening, follow the recommended Body Merge workflow (p. 929)
and assign a material after creating a merged body. Alternatively, assign the same mater-
ial to all bodies that will be included in the Body Merge.
6.8.3. Merging Bodies with Body Merge

Follow the recommended body merge workflow (p. 929) when you add a Body Merge to your model.
For considerations when using Body Merge, see Body Merge Requirements and Limitations (p. 930)
and How Body Merge Affects Body Attributes, Scoping, and Meshing (p. 931).
To merge multiple bodies in your model into a single merged body:
1. Add a Body Merge object. Do one of the following:
• On the Model Context tab, click the Body Merge icon .
• Right-click the Model object in the Outline pane, then select Body Merge from the menu.
Body Merge
• Right-click the Geometry window, then select Insert Body Merge from the menu.
Tip:
You can optionally select the geometric bodies to be merged before adding a Body
Merge object.
When you select bodies or parts from the Geometry list in the Outline pane, the
Body Merge icon appears on the Geometry context tab. Click this icon to create a
Body Merge for the selected items.
2. Click the Body Merge object in the Outline pane. The Details of Body Merge pane is displayed.
Geometry Selection is the only Scoping Method supported for Body Merge. The number of
selected bodies is displayed in the Geometry field. These bodies are also highlighted in the
geometry view.
In the following figure, the individual bodies that make up the part Rotor 1 were selected for
the Body Merge. These bodies are outlined in red under the Geometry object in the Outline
pane. The Details of Body Merge pane shows 10 selected bodies.
3. If you have not yet selected the bodies to be merged, the Geometry field displays No Selection
and is highlighted in yellow. Do the following:
Geometry
1. Select the desired geometric bodies for the body merge.
2. Click the Geometry field. Apply and Cancel buttons are displayed.
3. Click Apply to scope the body merge to the selected bodies.
4. Execute (p. 934) the body merge with the Merge command.
Mechanical then merges the selected bodies as shown in the following image. The new merged body
is highlighted in red. Its name (Rotor 1) is listed under the Geometry object in the Outline pane,
replacing the names of the bodies that were selected for the merge. You can now assign a material
to Rotor 1, scope boundary conditions to it, and perform other operations on the merged body.
A question mark displays next to the new merged body, indicating that you need to finish specifying
the body's required attributes. A check mark displays next to the Body Merge object, indicating that
the merge is successful.
6.8.4. Executing a Body Merge

Use the Merge command to execute a Body Merge. This is necessary when you create (p. 932) a Body
Merge, unsuppress (p. 936) a Body Merge, or clear (p. 937) a Body Merge.
A lightning bolt icon next to the Body Merge object indicates that the selected bodies are ready to
be merged. To execute a Body Merge, do one of the following:
Body Merge
• Click the Body Merge object, then click the Merge icon on the Body Merge Context tab.
• Right-click the Body Merge object in the Outline pane and select Merge from the menu.
Mechanical then executes the body merge.
6.8.5. Body Merge Status and Details
Body Merge Object and Status

The Body Merge object is listed under the Model object in the Outline pane.
The icon next to the Body Merge object indicates its status.
• A check mark (✔) indicates that the Body Merge is complete.
• A lightning bolt icon indicates that the body is ready to be merged. For more information, see Ex-
ecuting a Body Merge (p. 934).
Geometry
• A question mark (?) indicates that the body merge is invalid or incomplete. For example, it might
not be scoped to a geometry.
• An X indicates that the body merge is suppressed. It will not be displayed in the Geometry view
or used in the solution. For more information, see Suppressing and Unsuppressing a Body
Merge (p. 936).
Details of Body Merge

The Details of Body Merge pane shows the following information about a Body Merge.
Scoping Method
Geometry Selection is the only supported Scoping Method.
Geometry
Displays the number of bodies in the Body Merge.
If you created a Body Merge object but have not yet selected any bodies, this field displays No
Selection and is highlighted in yellow. Follow the instructions under Merging Bodies with Body
Merge (p. 932) to select bodies to be merged.
Suppressed
Read-only field that shows whether a Body Merge is suppressed (p. 936) (Yes) or unsuppressed
(No).
6.8.6. Suppressing and Unsuppressing a Body Merge

Suppressing a Body Merge temporarily removes the resulting merged body from the geometry. You
can then generate a solution using the bodies that were previously selected for the merge. Unsup-
pressing and re-merging the Body Merge restores the merged body to the geometry, allowing you
to use it again.
The bodies in a suppressed Body Merge do not necessarily revert to the properties they had before
the merge. Suppression also affects scoping and meshing. For more information, see How Body Merge
Affects Body Attributes, Scoping, and Meshing (p. 931).
Suppress a Body Merge

1. Right-click the Body Merge object in the Outline pane.
2. Select Suppress from the menu.
Point Mass
The name of the merged body is replaced by the names of the bodies that were previously selected
for the merge. The Suppressed field of the Details of Body Merge pane changes to Yes.
Unsuppress a Body Merge

1. Right-click the Body Merge object in the Outline pane.
2. Select Unsuppress from the menu. The Suppressed field of the Details pane changes to No.
3. Re-merge (p. 934) the Body Merge object.
The names of the individual bodies are replaced by the name of the re-merged body.
6.8.7. Clearing a Body Merge

Clearing a Body Merge undoes the merge. You will need to re-merge (p. 934) the Body Merge before
generating a solution.
To clear a body merge, right-click the Body Merge object and select Clear from the menu. The name
of the merged body is replaced by the names of the bodies that were previously selected for the
merge.
The bodies in a cleared Body Merge do not necessarily revert to the properties they had before the
merge. Clearing also affects scoping and meshing. For more information, see How Body Merge Affects
Body Attributes, Scoping, and Meshing (p. 931).
6.8.8. Deleting a Body Merge

Deleting a Body Merge deletes the merged body. The bodies that previously were selected for the
Body Merge are restored. You can generate a solution after deleting a Body Merge.
To delete a Body Merge, right-click the Body Merge object in the Outline pane and choose Delete
from the menu. The merged body is deleted and replaced by the bodies that were previously selected
for the merge.
The bodies in a deleted Body Merge do not necessarily revert to the properties they had before the
merge. Deletion also affects scoping and meshing. For more information, see How Body Merge Affects
Body Attributes, Scoping, and Meshing (p. 931).
6.9. Point Mass
Overview
You can idealize the inertial effects from a body using a Point Mass. Applications include applying a
force with an acceleration or any other inertial load; or adding inertial mass to a structure, which affects
modal and harmonic solutions.
The location of the Point Mass can be anywhere in space and can also be defined in a local coordinate
system if one exists. The default location is at the centroid of the geometry. The Point Mass will auto-
Geometry
matically be rotated into the selected coordinate system if that coordinate system differs from the
global coordinate system. You can also input moment of inertia values for each direction.
The Rigid Body Dynamics and Explicit Dynamics Solvers consider moments of inertia in the selected
coordinates system, rather than in the global coordinate system.
Application
To define a Point Mass:
1. Select the Geometry object (or a child object).
2. You can then add a Point Mass object by:
• Selecting the Point Mass option from the Mass group on the Geometry Context tab (p. 58).
or...
• Right-clicking the mouse button and selecting Insert > Point Mass.
or...
• Selecting the desired geometry in the graphics window, right-clicking the mouse, and then selecting
Insert > Point Mass from the context menu.
3. Specify the Scoping Method property as either Geometry Selection, Named Selection, or Remote
Point. Based on the selection made in this step, select a:
• Geometry (faces, edges, or vertices) and click Apply in the Details view for the Geometry property.
or...
• Single node and click Apply in the Details view for the Geometry property. In order to select an
individual node, you need to first generate a mesh on the model, and then select the Node filter
or...
• User-defined node-based named selection from the drop-down list of the Named Selection
property.
or...
• User-defined remote point from the drop-down list of the Remote Point property.
or...
4. Specify the Point Mass as a Remote Attachment (default) or a Direct Attachment using the Applied
By property. The Remote Attachment option uses either a user-defined or a system-generated
Remote Point as a scoping mechanism. Remote Attachment is the required Applied By property
setting if the geometry scoping is to a single face or multiple faces, a single edge or multiple edges,
or multiple vertices. The Direct Attachment option allows you to scope directly to a single vertex
(Geometry) or a node (using an individually selected node or a node-based Named Selection) of the
model.
Distributed Mass
5. Enter a Mass value.
6. Modify Point Mass object Details properties as needed.
When defined as a Remote Attachment, the Point Mass is considered a remote boundary condi-
tion (p. 1856). It can make use of remote points that are either specifically defined or created internally
by the application. As a visual check, you can display connection lines between your scoping and remote
points by selecting the Remote Point Connections option of the Style (p. 83) group (Display tab).
Support Limitations
A Point Mass cannot:
• span multiple bodies if the Stiffness Behavior of the bodies is declared as Rigid (see Rigid Bod-
ies (p. 880) section for additional information).
• be applied to a vertex scoped to an end release (p. 1320).
Explicit Dynamics solutions do not allow scoping via a Direct Attachment.
6.10. Distributed Mass

You can use this feature to distribute additional mass across the faces or edges of the flexible parts in
your model. Using this feature, you can idealize the inertial effects from the bodies/entities that are
evenly spread across the surfaces of your model, for example, mass contribution from paint, external
equipment, a large number of small objects spaced evenly across the surfaces, etc.
To define a Distributed Mass:
2. You can then add a Distributed Mass object by:
• Selecting the Distributed Mass option from the Mass group on the Geometry Context tab (p. 58).
or...
• Right-clicking the mouse button and selecting Insert>Distributed Mass.
or...
• Selecting the desired geometry in the Geometry window, right-clicking the mouse, and then se-
lecting Insert>Distributed Mass.
3. Specify the Scoping Method property as either Geometry Selection or Named Selection. Based
on the selection made in this step, select a:
• Geometry (faces and edges only) and click Apply in the Details view for the Geometry property.
or...
• Face-based or edge-based user-defined named selection from the drop-down list of the Named
Selection property.
Geometry
4. Specify the Mass Type as either Total Mass or Mass per Unit Area. Based on this selection, enter
a value for Total Mass or Mass per Unit Area.
See the Distributed Mass object reference page for additional information about the properties of this
feature.
Limitations
Note the following limitations for the Distributed Mass feature:
• Only applied in 3D analyses.
• Only scoped to faces or edges of bodies whose Stiffness Behavior is set as Flexible.
• Only used in structural analyses (Static Structural Analysis (p. 658), Transient Structural Analys-
is (p. 671), Transient Structural Analysis Using Linked Modal Analysis System (p. 680), and Linear
Dynamic Analysis (p. 492)).
• If any edges or faces scoped to the Distributed Mass object included merged nodes, such as
those created using the Node Merge feature or using the Connect mesh control, the application
does not account for merged nodes. Instead, the application considers only the edge length or
face area for the scoped entities.
6.11. Thermal Point Mass
Overview
For Transient Thermal analyses, you can idealize the thermal capacitance of a body using a thermal
point mass. Thermal Capacitance replaces the need to calculate the body's internal thermal gradient.
The Thermal Point Mass is commonly used as a medium to store or draw heat from surrounding objects.
Applications include the heat dissipation of refrigerators, cooling electronic devices, and heat sinks of
computer motherboards.
This section examines the following feature applications and requirements:
• Apply Thermal Point Mass Object (p. 940)
• Behavior Property Specifications (p. 942)
Application
To define a Thermal Point Mass in your Transient Thermal analysis:
2. You can then add a Thermal Point Mass object by:
• Select the Geometry object and click Thermal Point option from the Mass group on the Geometry
Context tab (p. 58).
Thermal Point Mass
or...
• Right-clicking the mouse and selecting Insert > Thermal Point Mass.
or...
• Select the desired geometry in the graphics window, right-click the mouse, and then select Insert
> Thermal Point Mass.
3. Specify the Scoping Method property as either Geometry Selection, Named Selection, or Remote
• face, edge, or vertex of a solid or surface model or on an edge or vertex of a surface model and
click Apply in the Details view for the Geometry property.
or...
• single node and click Apply in the Details view for the Geometry property. In order to select an
individual node, you need to first generate a mesh on the model, and then select the Node filter
or...
• user-defined node-based named selection from the drop-down list of the Named Selection
property.
or...
• user-defined remote point from the drop-down list of the Remote Point property.
4. Specify the Thermal Point Mass as a Remote Attachment (default) or a Direct Attachment using
the Applied By property. The Remote Attachment option uses either a user-defined or a system-
generated Remote Point as a scoping mechanism. Remote Attachment is the required Applied
By property setting if the geometry scoping is to a single face or multiple faces, a single edge or
multiple edges, or multiple vertices. The Direct Attachment option allows you to scope directly to
a single vertex (Geometry) or a node (using an individually selected node or a node-based Named
Selection) of the model.
Note:
The location of the Thermal Point Mass can be anywhere in space. The default location
is at the centroid of the geometry.
5. Modify coordinate system properties as needed.
6. Enter a Thermal Capacitance value. Thermal Capacitance refers to ability of the material to store
heat. The higher the thermal capacitance, the more heat can be stored for each degree rise in
temperature of the Thermal Point Mass.
7. When the Thermal Point Mass is defined as a Remote Attachment, the Behavior property displays:
define as Isothermal, Coupled, or Heat-Flux Distributed. See the Behavior Property Specifications
topic below for additional information about how to make the appropriate selection.
Geometry
8. Modify additional Thermal Point Mass object Details view properties as needed.
When defined as a Remote Attachment, the Thermal Point Mass is considered a remote boundary
condition (p. 1856). It can make use of remote points that are either specifically defined or created internally
by the application. As a visual check, you can display connection lines between your scoping and remote
points by selecting the Remote Point Connections option of the Style (p. 83) group (Display tab).
Behavior Property Specifications

The Thermal Point Mass includes three Behavior options in the Details View that control its interaction
with the bodies in the geometry selection: Isothermal, Coupled, and Heat-Flux Distributed:
• For the Isothermal behavior, temperatures throughout the geometry selections and the Thermal
Point Mass are constrained to be the same. The following is an example of a Thermal Point Mass
using Isothermal behavior applied to the FACE while a temperature boundary condition is located
at the EDGE. While there is a temperature distribution from the boundary condition (EDGE) up to the
surface (FACE), the temperature on the FACE in the pinball region, itself takes a single value that
matches that of the Thermal Point Mass.
• For Heat-Flux Distributed behavior, however, the temperature of the geometry selection and the
point mass are not constrained to be the same. The temperature of the Thermal Point Mass becomes
a weighted average of those on the geometry selection. For comparison, the previous example has
been modified to use the Heat-Flux Distributed behavior. The FACE, no longer constrained to be
isothermal to the point mass, displays a gradient.
• For Coupled behavior, the geometry has the same DOF solution on its underlying nodes as the remote
point location. This formulation is similar to the Mechanical APDL constraint defined by the CP
command.
Surface Coating
Support Limitations
A Thermal Point Mass cannot be applied to a vertex scoped to an end release (p. 1320).
6.12. Surface Coating

This feature enables you to apply a surface coating (shell layer) of a specified material and thickness
over one or more faces of your model. This feature is beneficial when you want to include the ability
to accurately evaluate surface stresses or to overlay your structure with thin parts, such as modelling
Thermal Barrier Coatings or sheet metal over support structures. To accurately model this type of ap-
plication, Mechanical enables you to specify the thickness, stiffness behavior, coordinate system, and
material.
Note:
Surface Coating (p. 2111) is also a Scoping Method option for results.
Important:
During a Cyclic Symmetry analysis, the application does not expand Surface Coating results.
Requirements
Note the following requirements for the Surface Coating feature:
• It can only be applied to the surfaces (faces) of solid bodies (shells/sheets are not supported.).
• Supported by 3D analyses only.
• Is only supported for structural analysis types that are using the Mechanical APDL Solver. Analyses
include Static Structural Analysis (p. 658), Transient Structural Analysis (p. 671), Transient Structural
Analysis Using Linked Modal Analysis System (p. 680), and Linear Dynamic Analysis (p. 492) types.
• It uses SHELL181 and SHELL281.
• The mesh of the bodies onto which you apply a Surface Coating should contain same Element
Order (Linear or Quadratic).
Application
To create a Surface Coating:
1. You can either:
a. Select the Geometry object and click Surface Coating option from the Modify group on
the Geometry Context tab (p. 58).
Or...
Geometry
b. Right-click on the Geometry object or in the Geometry window and select Insert > Surface
Coating.
Or...
c. Select the desired faces available in the Geometry window, right-click, and select Insert >
Surface Coating. This option automatically specifies the Geometry property in the Details
view and therefore negates the next step.
2. Specify the Scoping Method property as either Geometry Selection or Named Selection. Based
on the selection made in this step, select a:
• Geometry (faces only) and click Apply in the Details view for the Geometry property.
or...
• Face-based user-defined named selection from the drop-down list of the Named Selection
property.
3. Specify the Stiffness Behavior as either Stress Evaluation Only (default), Membrane Only, or
Membrane and Bending. If you set this property to Stress Evaluation Only, no Thickness entry
is necessary.
Note:
By default, Mechanical automatically sets the Shell Offset to Bottom for all Stiffness Be-
havior settings.
4. Select a material for the surface coating from the fly-out menu of the Material property.
5. Specify a Thickness for the surface body.
6. As needed, change the Coordinate System setting. The Default Coordinate System option is based
on the geometry scoping specified above.
See the Surface Coating object reference page for additional information about the properties of this
feature.
6.13. Models from External Meshes and Model Assemblies

The following sections examine the features in Ansys Workbench and Ansys Mechanical that enable
you to generate and assemble geometries from external component systems:
6.13.1. Importing Mesh-Based Geometry
6.13.2. Assembling External Models and Mechanical Models
6.13.1. Importing Mesh-Based Geometry

You can import external mesh files and synthesize the geometry using the Workbench External
Model system or the model import (p. 339) option of Mechanical. When generating a geometry, sup-
ported geometric entities include solids, shells, as well as beam element-based bodies (that have an
Models from External Meshes and Model Assemblies
assigned cross-sectional definition). The resulting geometry is the culmination of the use of the implicit
(angle-based tolerance) and explicit (based on node-based components in the file) methods that
work in combination to synthesize geometry and create surfaces that enclose the mesh volume.
This feature supports data import of lines, shells, or solids or a mix of lines, shells, and solids. See the
External Model Supported Element Types (p. 1006) section for a list of the available element types for
the Mechanical APDL common database (.cdb), NASTRAN, and ABAQUS file formats.
This feature supports all Mechanical analysis types. For the specific instructions to import a finite
element mesh file using this tool, see the Creating and Configuring an External Model System section
of the Workbench Help.
The following sections describe how to work with the finite element data that you import from an
upstream External Model system.
6.13.1.1. Supported External File Types
6.13.1.2. Import Workflow and Interface Options
6.13.1.3. Supported Finite Element Data Types
6.13.1.4. Automatic Material Assignment
6.13.1.5. Reference Node Naming
6.13.1.6. Importing Mesh-Based Databases in Batch
6.13.1.7. External Model Supported Element Types
6.13.1.8. Supported External Model Commands
6.13.1.9. Accessing Imported Mesh-Based Databases through ACT
6.13.1.10. Examples of a Synthesized Mesh using Tolerance Angles
6.13.1.1. Supported External File Types

You can import the following finite element mesh files directly into Mechanical using the Workbench
External Model system:
• Mechanical APDL common database (.cdb)[1]
• Workbench mesh data file (.acmo)
[1] The Mechanical APDL application defines contact conditions as elements and writes this
data as such to the Mechanical APDL .cdb file. Conversely, the Mechanical application does
not consider contact conditions as a part of the geometry (defined through elements).
Mechanical defines its own entity. Therefore, when you import Mechanical common data
base (.cdb) files into Mechanical, the application:
– Translates MAPDL contact elements to the equivalent Mechanical Connections entry.
– Does not process components (as Named Selections) that include contact elements.
Furthermore, if you have a .cdb files that contains only contact element-based
components, the application does not transfer these components.
As a result, these process requirements can lead to differences in the number of elements
displayed by each application as well as the absence of Named Selections specified in one
application but not available in the other.
Geometry
• ABAQUS Input (.inp)[2]
• NASTRAN Bulk Data (.bdf, .dat, .nas)
• Fluent Input (.msh, .cas)
• ICEM CFD Input (.uns)
• LS-DYNA Input (.k and .key)[3]
6.13.1.2. Import Workflow and Interface Options

• External Model Properties in Workbench (p. 946)
• Model Cell Properties in Workbench (p. 947)
• User Interface Options (p. 950)
External Model Properties in Workbench

The External Model tab is illustrated below. From this tab, you to modify various properties prior
to importing your finite element data into Mechanical. Refer to the Creating and Configuring an
External Model System topic in the External Model section for a description of the properties
available on the External Model tab.
[2] Note the following Workbench support limitations when importing ABAQUS Input files:
– Parts and Assemblies are not supported. That is:
→ Only the data from the very first *Instance command is read by External Model.
All other data from any additional *Instance command is ignored.
→ The element and node sets, as well as the materials, that are associated with the
first *Instance command are processed. Any data that follows the first *End Part
or *End Instance commands is ignored.
– Workbench does not support keywords that generate additional items, such as
keyword *NGEN. The commands *NSET, *ELSET, and *NODAL THICKNESS are the only
commands that support the Generation parameter.
– Only the first load step of the ABAQUS file is read by External Model.
[3] Note the following Workbench support limitations when importing LS-DYNA Input files:
– Workbench will generally only import mesh information. For a list of supported
keywords, go to the List of LS-DYNA supported keywords (p. 1009)
– Workbench does not support the *INCLUDE feature of LS-DYNA, and will only read
the file you supply as an input.
Model Cell Properties in Workbench

The properties of the Model cell on the Workbench Project page are illustrated below. You use
the Mesh Conversion Options group of properties to specify import processes used on the finite
element data. Properly defining these properties is important for you to accurately generate the
desired geometries in Mechanical.
Mesh Conversion Options include:
Geometry
• Analysis Type: Defines the mesh file as 3D (default) or 2D. When working with 2D analysis types,
make sure that all of your model’s surface normals point in the same direction using the Rigid
Transformation properties available through the External Model feature.
When you set this property to the 2D option, in Mechanical, the application validates that the
geometry is two-dimensional (2D) by checking the value of the Length Z property, using CAD
units, in the Bounding Box category of the Geometry object. The tolerance used for this check
is based on the setting of the 2D Tolerance property (Properties category of the Geometry
object). If you change the value of the 2D Tolerance property, you must refresh the analysis on
the Workbench project page in order for the application to re-validate the geometry.
• Create Geometry: This option is active by default. When selected, the application automatically
creates your geometry in Mechanical based on solids, shells, and beam elements (that have an
assigned cross-sectional definition) present in the mesh. When imported, a Geometry object is
placed in the Outline. Deselecting this option instructs the application to import the mesh only
(elements and nodes). When imported, an Element Groups object is placed in the Outline. Ele-
ment Groups object and its children behave as a Geometry object and its children. That is, the
Solid, Surface, and Line elements behave as bodies.
Not creating a geometry dramatically decreases your import time as well as significantly reducing
the amount of memory used during the process.
• Tolerance Angle: This value determines if adjacent elements are of the same face during the
geometry creation process. The geometry creation process identifies groups of element facets
on the exterior of the mesh. These generated facets create geometric faces in Mechanical. Then
skin detection algorithm scans the exterior element facets and groups them based on a tolerance
angle. For example, two adjacent element facets are grouped into the same face if the angle
between their normals is less than or equal to the given tolerance angle. Therefore, an angle
tolerance of 180o creates only a single face for the whole body while a tolerance of 1o creates
an amount of geometric faces which approaches the number of element faces if any curvature
is present.
Calculations to synthesize geometries using tolerance angles use the implicit method. Processing
nodal components on the same topology will override this method. See the illustrations below
for examples of this behavior.
The default Tolerance Angle is 45 degrees. This is the recommended setting.
• Vertex Insertion Angle: The Vertex Insertion Angle is the minimum angle to insert a vertex
between two free edges of mesh. The default value is 120 degrees. During the generation of the
geometry, if two segments of an edge abruptly make an angle greater than the Vertex Insertion
Angle, then the edge is split and a vertex is inserted.
• Create Geometry Face/Edge/Vertex Components: These options become active when your
mesh file contains node-based named selections. When active, the application automatically
creates geometric named selections (face/edge/vertex). For a vertex or an edge, the node-based
named selection can include only include one node or one edge. For faces, nodes from multiple
faces can be included in the node-based named selection. This option will not affect the geometry
creation algorithm itself, which is based purely on the mesh adjacency angles as detailed above.
Note:
The application automatically transfers geometry-based Named Selections for faces.
• Component Key: If you select one or more of the Create Geometry Face/Edge/Vertex Compon-
ents option, this property enables you to generate geometric components specific to the key
name that you enter. The application evaluates keys from the beginning of the string value. For
example, a given mesh file has the following components: Fixed_Support1, Fixed_Support2, and
Force1. If you enter "Fixed_Support", Mechanical automatically produces Named Selections for
Fixed_Support1 and Fixed_Support2, but not Force1.
• Process Line Bodies: This property enables you to import finite element line bodies (see Line
Bodies (p. 900)) that have a properly defined cross-section. For these finite element line bodies,
the following element types are supported (p. 1006).
– For CDB files: see the Beam Shape Category in the External Model Supported Element
Types (p. 1006) section of the Help.
– For NASTRAN files: the CBAR and CBEAM element types are supported and require a cross-
section property defined via PBAR, PBARL, PBEAM, or PBEAML.
– For ABAQUS files: multiple options are available. Primary properties include: *BEAM SEC-
TION, *FRAME SECTION, and *BEAM GENERAL SECTION.
• Body Grouping: This property tells Mechanical how to group the elements (of the same type)
from the data file. Elements are always grouped by shape and different shaped elements are
placed in separate groups. This option controls the number of element groups/bodies created
in Mechanical. You use the following options to specify how you want to group elements. You
can select one or more (or all) options. Property options include:
– Material Number (default): Group elements based on the material number assigned to
the elements. The application creates a group for each Material Number.
– Thickness: Group all elements that have the same thickness number.
– Ansys Element Type Number: For Mechanical APDL common database (.cdb) files only,
this option enables you to group elements by their local Ansys element type that was
assigned from the element library. Note that the element type number is the first argument
to the ET command in the (.cdb) file.
Important:
– For LS-DYNA files, Mechanical creates only one part. Elements are grouped into
bodies first by element shape then by Part ID as defined in the LS-DYNA file
and then (if chosen), by Material Number or Thickness. Therefore each element
in a body will have same shape, LS-DYNA Part ID and (if chosen), and same
Geometry
Material Number and Thickness. In addition, each body listed in the Outline
has its part name specified using the *PART keyword in the input file.
– For ICEM CFD Files, the application uses data internal to ICEM CFD files to group
elements into bodies and to create geometric faces. Therefore, the Tolerance
Angle is ignored.
Mechanical Interface Options

When you import an External Model source file that includes any of the supported finite element
data (p. 954) types, Mechanical inserts an “Imported” folder (excluding Named Selections) beneath
the corresponding Outline object. As illustrated in the example Outline below, this Imported folder
object is a simple group folder that contains child objects for the associated data type.
Selecting a child object of the Imported folder displays the mesh/geometry in the Geometry
window, with the imported data type highlighted on the mesh/geometry, as well as the Worksheet.
An example of a selected imported spring (p. 992) is illustrated below. The Worksheet displays a
summary of all imported data including column headings for the specific data associated with each
data entry (connection Type, node ID, etc.). Each row of the Worksheet represents a different set
of data. You can sort the table data by clicking on a column heading. The Active field check-box
for each Worksheet row enables you to deactivate (suppress) the row. You can also sort active/de-
activated table content using the Active column heading. And, based on the number of data items
imported, the Worksheet displays 500 (default) data items per worksheet page. Use the display
and/or navigational options at the bottom of the window to display more data items per page as
well as to step through the available pages of data.
A graphical representation of the data is also shown in the Geometry window. You can choose
which data is displayed in the Geometry window using the Show Rows property under Graphics
Properties category in the Details view. The Show Rows property includes the following options:
• From Current Page (default): Only display the data from the current page in the Worksheet.
• From All Pages: Display all of the data for the object independent of the rows visible in
Worksheet.
• None: Do not display any data in the Geometry window.
In addition, for the following objects, you have the ability to select the color used for the displayed
data in the Geometry window through a color selection property in the Details view:
• Imported Boundary Conditions (p. 955)
• Imported Constraint Equations or Coupling (p. 964)
• Imported Flexible Remote Connectors (p. 978)
Geometry
• Imported Point Masses (p. 983)
• Import Rigid Bodies (p. 986)
• Imported Rigid Remote Connectors (p. 987)
• Imported Spring Connectors (p. 992)
Worksheet
Furthermore, when you select a Worksheet row, the graphical representation of the data in the
Geometry window becomes highlighted, such as the green spring shown in the above image. You
can also select the graphical representation directly in the Geometry window by activating the
Imported Data Highlight option on the Graphics Toolbar (p. 100). Normal mouse and key combin-
ations for selecting, deselecting, modifying, or clearing selections act just as they do with geometry
selections, etc.
In addition, for the above data types, when you select the graphical representation (Point Mass,
Spring, etc.) in the Geometry window and right-click, the context menu provides the following
applicable options:
• Go To > Corresponding Bodies in Tree: This option navigates to attached bodies in the
tree.
• Filter Worksheet Based on Selection: This option only displays the selected objects in the
worksheet. You can revert to viewing a specified number of rows in the Worksheet by editing
the column headings via the right-click Show option in the Worksheet.
When the finite element data is displayed in the Worksheet, there are common options you can
employ when you right-click on a Worksheet row, including:
• Promote: When you promote a Worksheet entry, the data, in whichever form (Coordinate
System, Element Orientation, etc.), remains linked to the external system. You can modify
the data within Mechanical, however; your changes are not transfer to the external system.
In addition, any changes made in the external system will overwrite any modifications you
make in Mechanical. Generally, you promote a Worksheet as a scoping in the form of a
Named Selection. However, for Imported Bolt Pretensions, you can promote a Bolt Pretension,
to a desired environment, in the form of a load.
• Copy as new: When you copy a Worksheet entry, a new independent object, based on the
type of data, is inserted into the Tree outline. The application assigns a default name to the
object based on the data type (Coordinate System, Element Orientation, etc.).
• Show: This option enables you to select which columns you wish to display on the Worksheet.
• Active: This option enables you to deactivate (suppress) a worksheet row. You can select
multiple rows and select the checkbox of any row to activate or deactivate all highlighted
rows.
• Go To Promoted: This option becomes available after you have promoted a Worksheet
entry. This option takes to you the corresponding Tree outline object. This is typically related
to a scoping that you have created through promotion. However, for Imported Bolt Preten-
sions, it can correspond to a Bolt Pretension promoted in the form of a load.
• Edit Items: This option becomes available when your finite element data type has editable
Worksheet content. It enables you to make changes to the associated data items, such as a
node ID. You can select individual or multiple rows as well as the data type tree object.
When you select multiple rows or the tree object, the application applies all changes to all
of the selected rows or to all of the Worksheet content, respectively.
• Select Items: Automatically select all rows in the currently displayed page of the worksheet.
Note:
Currently, Mechanical only supports the Promote and Copy as new options for the
following imported data:
• Bolt Pretensions
• Contacts
• Coordinate Systems
• Element Orientations
• Flexible Remote Connectors
• Point Masses (when scoped to a node of the geometry only)
• Rigid Remote Connectors

Note the following requirements and limitations for importing mesh-based geometries:
• The application does not copy input files specified in External Model into the project folders of
downstream systems. The application references these files by absolute path only. Be sure you
don’t move or rename these files.
• Geometry construction is for 3D lines, solids, and shells and 2D planar bodies only. Mechanical
ignores any other element types contained in the mesh file.
• Mechanical only processes node-based components when attempting to create geometry-based

Named Selections for the faces. The application ignores element components.
• You cannot change the meshes. That is, you cannot change, clear, or re-mesh once the file has
been imported into Mechanical.
• Mesh controls (Refinement, etc.) are not supported.
• Adaptive Mesh Refinement is not supported.
• Geometry is not associative. As a result, if you update the environment, for example, by adding
another mesh file, any scoping that you have performed on an object will be lost. To avoid losses
to your analysis environment, make sure that you have properly defined the imported Named
Selections or criterion-based Named Selections.
Geometry
• The application specifies the Stiffness Behavior property as either Flexible or Rigid. This is a
read-only property.
• The Scale Factor Value property on the Geometry object is not supported.
6.13.1.3. Supported Finite Element Data Types

Mechanical enables you to import the following finite element data types from External Model:
6.13.1.3.1. Imported Bolt Pretensions and Premeshed Bolt Pretensions
6.13.1.3.2. Imported Boundary Conditions
6.13.1.3.3. Imported Composite Plies
6.13.1.3.4. Imported Constraint Equations or Coupling
6.13.1.3.5. Imported Contacts
6.13.1.3.6. Imported Coordinate Systems
6.13.1.3.7. Imported Cross Sections
6.13.1.3.8. Imported Element Orientations
6.13.1.3.9. Imported Flexible Remote Connectors
6.13.1.3.10. Imported Named Selections
6.13.1.3.11. Imported Nodal Orientations
6.13.1.3.12. Imported Point Mass
6.13.1.3.13. Imported Rigid Bodies
6.13.1.3.14. Imported Rigid Remote Connectors
6.13.1.3.15. Imported Shell Thicknesses
6.13.1.3.16. Imported Spring Connectors
6.13.1.3.17. Imported Initial Stresses
6.13.1.3.1. Imported Bolt Pretensions and Premeshed Bolt Pretensions

When your upstream External Model source file includes bolt pretension loads, an Imported
folder appears beneath the Connections parent folder when you open the file in Mechanical.
This object is a simple group folder. It contains the child object: Bolt Pretensions (or Premeshed
Bolt Pretensions). The data associated with the imported bolt pretension is provided through
the Worksheet.
Note:
For Premeshed Bolt Pretensions, the nodes at the pretension section interface are
coupled using CP commands to provide continuity for all other analyses types where
Bolt Pretension is not applicable.
Imported Bolt Pretensions and Premeshed Bolt Pretensions is supported by the following analysis
types:
• Coupled Field Analyses
Supported Source File Commands
The application imports the following source file data as contact:
• CDB: PRETS179 elements are processed as Pre-meshed Bolt Pretensions.
• NASTRAN: Not supported.
• ABAQUS: The PRE-TENSION and PRE-TENSION SECTION commands are processed as

Bolt Pretensions. NODE (as integer or component name), SURFACE (as component name),
and ELEMENT (as integer or component name) are the supported parameters.
See the Imported: Bolt Pretensions object reference section for additional information.
6.13.1.3.2. Imported Boundary Conditions

When your upstream External Model source file includes constraint and/or loading conditions, a
Boundary Conditions folder appears beneath the Model parent folder when you open the file
Geometry
in Mechanical. It can contain the child objects: Constraints, Nodal Loads, Surface Loads, Body
Loads, and Acceleration. When required, the data associated with the imported boundary con-
ditions is provided through the Worksheet. Worksheet content, including all default settings,
is based on the data in the external file.
Constraints Example
Nodal Loads Example
Surface Loads Example
Body Load Example
In addition to the degrees of freedom (DOFs) imported from the source file, you have the ability
to expand the applicable DOFs for an imported Constraints/Nodal Loads/Surface Loads object.
For example, an imported file used to define a thermal analysis that you also wish to use for a
structural analysis. The group options illustrated below display when you select the Constraints,
Nodal Loads, or the Surface Loads objects. These options enable you to add (or remove) addi-
tional DOFs to the existing Constraints/Nodal Loads/Surface Loads. Once added, the DOFs show
up in the worksheet, where you can then specify desired values. No ribbon options are available
for Body Loads as there is only one DOF.
Constraints Options Nodal Loads Options
Geometry
Surface Loads Options
Graphics Options for Constraints, Nodal, Surface, and Body Loads
When you have one of the objects selected, a corresponding Graphics group, as illustrated above,
is also displayed. These tab groups enable you to turn the display of any of the options, Displace-
ment, Rotation, etc., on or off. In addition, the graphics options for Nodal Loads and Surface Loads
provides two buttons that change the display of vectors from a Proportional display to a Uniform
display.
Load Step Support
The imported Constraint/Nodal Load/Surface Load objects support step dependent loading. Se-
lecting a row in the worksheet activates the Tabular Data window that displays the constraint/load
values for each step present in the analysis. You can edit the data in tabular view to apply values
varying across steps. In addition, user has the ability to activate/deactivate the constraint/load
components for each step through the context (right-click) menu on the Tabular Data window.
See the Activation/Deactivation of Loads (p. 1507) topic for additional information.
Imported Boundary Conditions (Constraints, Nodal Loads, Surface Loads, and Body Loads)
support the following analysis types:
• Transient Structural (except when linked to Modal Solution with Mode-Superposition

Solution Method.)
• Eigenvalue Buckling
• Modal
• Transient Thermal
• Electric
• Thermal-Electric
The application imports the following source file data/commands as loading conditions:
• CDB: The supported Mechanical APDL commands include:
– BF/BFBLOCK and BFE/BFEBLOCK commands, with the degree of freedom TEMP, im-
ported as body loads. Note that the BFE/BFEBLOCK commands support the elements
SHELL181 and SHELL281 only.
– D commands, imported as constraints.
– F commands, imported as loads.
– SFE/SFEBLOCK commands, imported as surface loads, applied using the elements

SURF154, SOLID185, SOLID186, SOLID187, SHELL181, SOLID285, and SHELL281. Only
normal pressures are supported. Tractions pressures are not supported. Thermal convec-
tion and heat flux loads, for solids and surfaces, are applied using the elements SURF152,
SHELL131, SHELL132, SOLID70, SOLID87, SOLID90, SOLID278, and SOLID279.
– ACEL command to simulate gravity.
Important:
Mechanical does not import ACEL, D, F, SFE/SFEBLOCK, BF/BFBLOCK, and

BFE/BFEBLOCK commands specified using tables.
• NASTRAN: The supported NASTRAN commands include:
– SPC command is imported as a constraint for a NASTRAN structural analysis and a

thermal constrain for a NASTRAN thermal analysis.
– SPC1, SPCD, and SPCADD commands that are imported as constraints.
– LOAD and SUBCASE commands imported as load cases.
– FORCE, FORCE1, FORCE2, MOMENT, MOMENT1, and MOMENT2 commands that

are imported as loads.
– TEMP command, is imported as either a temperature Load (Body) for NASTRAN

structural analyses or as temperature Constraint for NASTRAN thermal analyses.
Geometry
– TEMPD command, is imported as a temperature Load (Body) for NASTRAN structural

analyses.
– PLOAD, PLOAD2, and PLOAD4 commands are imported as Surface Loads. Only
normal pressures are supported. Tractions pressures are not supported.
– GRAV command defines gravity vectors to determine gravity loading on the

model.
In the absence of SPC or LOAD and SUBCASE, all of the above commands are imported.
If the input file includes the LOAD, SPC, or SUBCASE commands, then load steps are de-
termined and only those commands which are selected in the Case Control Section are
imported.
• ABAQUS: The supported ABAQUS commands include:
– *BOUNDARY command. The supported include TYPE with value as DISPLACEMENT,

FIXED, or OP. The data lines using both Direct format and Type format are supported.
For the type format, all are supported except NOWARP, NOOVAL, and NODEFORM.
– *CLOAD command imported as loads. The OP parameter is supported. And, all of

the data lines are supported in this command category.
– *STEP and *END STEP commands are processed as load steps in the analysis. The
parameters for both the commands are ignored.
– *DSLOAD and *DLOAD commands are supported for surface and gravity loads. For
surface loads, the OP parameter is the only optional parameter supported. And, all
of the data lines whose distributed load type label is P are supported in this com-
mand category. For gravity loads, use the GRAV option.
– DSFLUX and *DFLUX commands are supported for Heat Flux. The OP parameter is
the only optional parameter supported. And, all of the data lines whose distributed
load type label is S are supported in this command category.
– *SFILM and *FILM commands are supported for Convection. The OP parameter is
the only optional parameter supported. And, all of the data lines whose distributed
load type label is F are supported in this command category.
• LS-DYNA: The supported LS-DYNA commands are *BOUNDARY_SPC_NODE and

*BOUNDARY_SPC_SET.
Also see the Imported: Boundary Conditions object reference section for additional information.
6.13.1.3.3. Imported Composite Plies

When your upstream External Model source file includes composite data, an Imported Plies
folder appears beneath the Model parent folder when you open the file in Mechanical.
Imported Plies Object
Plies Object
The Imported Plies object includes the child object Plies. This object displays a parenthetical
that displays the upstream Component ID and file Identifier (Setup 1, File 1) as well as the system
name (External Model). When selected, the Worksheet displays the source file data, and all ply
data is highlighted in the Geometry window.
Display Feature
To visually check the sections, you can change the entry of the Show field, based on the available
rows, to change which sections are highlighted in the Geometry window.
Geometry
Worksheet and Tabular Data
When you select a row in the Worksheet, 1) the elements for the selected row are highlighted
in green in the Geometry, and 2) the Tabular Data window displays the associated layer data.
You can modify the Material for the ply as needed in this window.
When you select a row in Tabular Data, you can use the ply-based display options of the Direction
drop-down menu of the Ply group (p. 52) on the Model tab to display ply and element directions
for imported ply structures.
The composite plies import type supports the following analysis types:
• Modal
The application imports the following source file data/commands for composites:
Geometry
• CDB: SECTYPE, SECDATA, SECBLOCK, and SECOFFSET.
Note:
Sections defined with the SECBLOCK command that have a single layer, where
theta=0.0, are only imported as Imported Plies if the section is defined with
one of the following element types: SOLID185, SOLID186, SOLSH190, SOLID278,
and SOLID279.
• NASTRAN: PCOMP, PCOMPS, PCOMPG.
• ABAQUS: *SHELL SECTION. Note the following processing requirements:
– The *SHELL SECTION command uses the ORIENTATION parameter to define ply
directions. External Model only supports the use of ORIENTATION parameter on
the command line. That is, the application does not support the use of the ORIENT-
ATION parameter on data lines (for each layer). Here is an example of a supported
*SHELL SECTION composite definition:
– If an ORIENTATION parameter is specified, the SYSTEM parameter must be set to

RECTANGULAR for the associated ORIENTATION (SYSTEM= RECTANGULAR).
– External Model only supports the STACK DIRECTION parameter value equal to 3 for
the *SHELL SECTION commands. If this parameter has any other value specified in
the input file, the associated *SHELL SECTION command is not imported/processed.
For additional information, see the Imported: Composite Plies object reference section as well as
the SECBLOCK for Shells topic in the SECBLOCK Command section of the Mechanical APDL Pro-
grammer's Reference
6.13.1.3.4. Imported Constraint Equations or Coupling

When your upstream External Model source file includes constraint equations or coupling, an
Imported folder appears beneath the Connections parent folder when you open the file in
Mechanical. This object is a simple group folder. It contains the child object: Constraint Equations.
The data associated with the imported equations is provided through the Worksheet. You can
deactivate/active Worksheet entries using the Active (p. 952) selection box in the table or through
the right-click context menu.
Imported Constraint Worksheet Data
Imported Coupling Worksheet Data
Constraint Equations and Coupling import types are supported by the following analysis types:
Geometry
• Modal
• Steady-State Thermal (Coupling only)
• Transient Thermal (Coupling only)
The application imports the following source file data/commands as constraint equations or
coupling:
• CDB: The CE commands are processed as constraint equations and the CP commands are
processed as couplings.
• NASTRAN: MPC commands are processed as constraint equations.
• ABAQUS: *EQUATION commands are processed as constraint equations and *MPC TIE
commands as couplings.
See the Imported: Constraint Equation object reference section for additional information.
6.13.1.3.5. Imported Contacts

When your upstream External Model source file includes surface to surface contact, from either
solid or shell bodies, an Imported folder appears beneath the Connections parent folder when
you open the file in Mechanical. This object is a simple group folder. It contains the child object:
Contacts. The data associated with the imported contact is provided through the Worksheet.
You can deactivate/active Worksheet entries using the Active (p. 952) selection box in the table
or through the right-click context menu.
Imported contact is supported by the following analysis types:
• Modal
Geometry
• Steady State Thermal
Note:
The application imports thermal conductivity data for thermal analyses.
The application imports the following source file data as contact:
CDB
• Surface contacts in the form of CONTA173 (source) and CONTA174 (source), CONTA175
(source), and TARGE170 (target) elements.
• Target elements will usually define the element shape using the element shape flag
(column 8) in the EBLOCK section. If not defined, the number of nodes for that target
element will be used. The following target element shapes are supported:
– Linear triangular shape – 6
– Linear quadrilateral shape – 7
– Quadratic triangular shape – 8
– Quadratic quadrilateral shape - 9
• The following Element Type Options (KEYOPT) are supported:
– KEYOPT(2) - Contact Algorithm
– KEYOPT(3) – Units of normal contact stiffness
Values 0 and 1 only
– KEYOPY(8) – Symmetric Contact Behavior
– KEYOPT(9) – Effect of Initial Penetration or Gap
Values 0, 1, 2, 4, and 5 supported

All other values default to 0
– KEYOPT(12) – Behavior of Contact Surface
– KEYOPT(18) – Sliding Behavior
• The following Real Constants are supported:
– REAL(3) - Normal Penalty Stiffness Factor
– REAL(10) – Contact Surface Stiffness
– REAL(14) – Thermal Contact Conductance
• Material Property MU – Coefficient of Friction
NASTRAN
Not supported.
ABAQUS
Mechanical supports the following ABAQUS contact keywords:
• *CONTACT PAIR. Supported parameters:
– TYPE
– SMALL SLIDING
– HCRIT
– INTERACTION
– TIED
• *CONTACT INTERFERENCE (TYPE = CONTACT PAIR). SHRINK is the only option supported.
• *CLEARANCE. Parameters MASTER, SLAVE, and VALUE are supported.
• *SURFACE BEHAVIOR. Supported parameters:
– NO SEPARATION
– AUGMENTED LAGRANGE
• *FRICTION. Supported parameters:
– ROUGH
– LAGRANGE
• *CHANGE FRICTION: This keyword is supported for the first *STEP keyword specified
in the input file only. Only the INTERACTION parameter is supported on this keyword.
• *GAP CONDUCTANCE: The application supports gap conductance as a table of gap

pressure or gap clearance. All the tabular values are averaged and used as a single
thermal conductance value in the contact pair.
• *TIE: Parameters NAME and POSITION TOLERANCE are supported.
See the Imported: Contact object reference section for additional information.
Geometry
6.13.1.3.6. Imported Coordinate Systems

When your upstream External Model source file includes coordinate systems, an Imported folder
appears beneath the Coordinate System parent folder when you open the file in Mechanical. This
object is a simple group folder (p. 202). It contains the child object: Imported Coordinate Systems
(External Model).
Selecting this singular object displays the Worksheet. The Worksheet displays all imported co-
ordinate systems. Each coordinate system includes an ID from the source file, the Type of coordin-
ate system (Cartesian or Cylindrical), and the location and orientation of the coordinate system.
As shown in the following illustrations, on the individual coordinate systems, you can Promote
or Copy as New (p. 952).
As illustrated below, the application creates new coordinate objects through promotion or copy.
It renames promoted coordinates using the ID and the source file name and maintains a link
(Transfer Properties) to the source system. Any source system updates or changes affect the
promoted coordinate. You can make changes to promoted coordinates by setting the Read Only
property of the Transfer Properties to No (default = Yes).
Copied coordinates are simply a new independent coordinate and named as such. These promote
and copy features support multiple Worksheet selections.
Promoted Coordinate System Copied Coordinate System
Imported Coordinate Systems are supported by the following analysis types:
Geometry
• Modal
The application imports the following source file data/commands as coordinate systems:
• CDB: LOCAL command.
• NASTRAN: Coordinate systems are defined by the following commands:
– cord1c
– cord1r
– cord2c
– cord2r
• ABAQUS: *ORIENTATION command.
This command must be defined by coordinates or nodes. Any other definition is not sup-
ported. The types of coordinate system supported are Cartesian and cylindrical.
See the Imported: Coordinate System object reference section for additional information.
6.13.1.3.7. Imported Cross Sections

When your upstream External Model source file includes Line Body (p. 900) cross section data,
cross section objects are automatically created/inserted under the Cross Sections folder. These
imported cross sections act as any other user-defined cross section.
Highlighted below is an example of an imported Line Body. It automatically includes a property

reference to the accompanying imported cross section (CrossSection1).
Here is CrossSection1 highlighted. The mesh display is turned on for this image.
Geometry
The application imports the following source file data/commands as line body/beam cross sections:
• CDB: The SECTION/REAL attribute defined with the element in the EBLOCK section.
– BEAM, LINK and PIPE Types are supported.
– The MESH Subtype is not supported.
• NASTRAN: Property ID designated with the PBAR, PBARL, PBEAM, PBEAML, PROD and
CONROD bulk data entry.
– CHAN2, H, CROSS, T1, HEXA, and HAT1 section types are not supported in Mechan-
ical. The equivalent ASEC properties are calculated and used for these sections.
• ABAQUS: On the each “*BEAM SECTION”, “*BEAM GENERAL SECTION” and “FRAME SECTION”
keyword:
– ARBITRARY, HEX, TRAPEZOID, and ELBOW Sections are not supported and are not
used.
– Tapered beams are not supported in Mechanical. If a tapered beam is specified in

the CDB or ABAQUS file the section data from the first node is used.
Also see the Cross Section Objects section for more information.
6.13.1.3.8. Imported Element Orientations

When your upstream External Model source file includes element orientation data, an Imported
folder appears beneath the Geometry folder when you open the file in Mechanical. As with the
imported coordinate systems, this object is a simple group folder (p. 202). It contains the child
object: Element Orientations (p. 1046). Selecting this singular object displays the Worksheet. The
Worksheet displays all of the imported element orientations, including a source-system ID, the
Element Set, and the coordinate system of the element orientation.
Promoting Element Orientations
As illustrated below, the application gives you the option on the Worksheet to promote or copy
your Element Orientations. In addition, you can promote or copy (p. 952) the scoped Element
Orientation set as a Named Selection and the coordinate system as a native coordinate system.
Promoted objects maintain a link to the source file. Any source system updates or changes affect
the promoted object.
As illustrated here, the promoted Worksheet entry becomes read-only and no operations are
supported for the row. The newly promoted object is highlighted below.
Geometry
The Details view of the promoted object is illustrated below. You can make changes to promoted
objects by setting the Read Only property of the Transfer Properties category to No (default
= Yes).
Copying Element Orientations
Copied Worksheet entries become a new independent object and are named based on your se-
lection: Element Orientation, Coordinate System, or Named Selection.
Imported Element Orientations are supported by the following analysis types:
• Modal
The application imports the following source file data/commands as element orientations:
• CDB: All the elements defined by the ESYS command are processed.
• NASTRAN: For the Material Coordinate System field of the supported NASTRAN elements,
Mechanical uses the default coordinate system if the field is blank or the imported coordin-
ate system if the field contains an integer value. If the field contains a real value (angle),
the application generates a coordinate system for each element based on the centroid of
the elements and rotated by the given angle.
• ABAQUS: It is processed via the *ORIENTATION command.
Geometry
See the Imported: Element Orientation object reference page as well as the associated object
reference pages for additional details about the properties and use of Element Orientation, Co-
ordinate System, or Named Selections objects.
6.13.1.3.9. Imported Flexible Remote Connectors

When your upstream External Model source file includes flexible remote connections, an Imported
This object is a simple group folder (p. 202). It contains the child objects: Flexible Connectors.
The data associated with the imported connections is provided through the Worksheet. Worksheet
content, including default settings, is based on the data in the external file. If a connector is
scoped to a node that is not attached to the geometry, you can promote and/or copy (p. 952)
the connector, otherwise, no promote and/or copy options are available.
Worksheet content is generally read-only, however, you can deactivate/active entries using the
Active (p. 952) selection box in the table or through the right-click context menu.
Imported Flexible Remote Connectors are supported by the following analysis types:
• Modal
The application imports the following source file data/commands as flexible remote connections:
• CDB: Contact/Target pairs with TARGE169/TARGE170 elements with pilot node (TSHAP,
PILO) and Contact elements with the following KEYOPT settings:
KEYOPT (2) = MPC-based approach.

2
KEYOPT (12) Bonded (always).
=5
KEYOPT (4) = Force-distributed constraint for CONTA171, CONTA172, CONTA173,
1 CONTA174, CONTA175, CONTA176, and CONTA177.
• NASTRAN: RBE3. For this command:
– The reference node the reference node's degrees of freedom (DOFs) are considered.
Geometry
– For a single dependent DOFs/Weight Set, the connection is considered Uniform.
– For multiple dependent DOFs/Weight Sets, the connection is considered user-

defined.
– If the reference DOFs are 123456 (UX, UY, UZ, ROTX, ROTY, ROTZ) and all the de-
pendent DOFs are 123, a combination DOFSEL/RBE3 command will be sent to the
solver for these DOFs. The dependent weights are also considered.
– For multiple slave DOF/Weight Sets with all the dependent DOFs that are not 123
and the reference DOFs are 123456, the connection is considered user-defined, but
the dependent DOFs will be ignored. The dependent weights are also considered.
– For all other conditions the connection will be sent to the solver as a deformable
RBE3 style bonded contact.
– If a non-structural analysis is being solved, the connection will be seen in the

solver as a deformable RBE3 style bonded contact.
– When you select a connection (row) in the Worksheet, the Tabular Data window
displays and includes the degree of freedom for each participating node.
– The dependent data table is not shown if there are no dependent nodes for a row
or if any dependent nodes are not selected or active (a body is suppressed).
Note:
If you are resuming an earlier version of Mechanical and there are no dependent
DOFs present, you must specify the DOFs for each set.
• ABAQUS: *DISTRIBUTING COUPLING and *COUPLING, *DISTRIBUTING.
Processing is limited to required parameters only, not the optional parameters, such as
orientation or mass.
See the Imported: Flexible Remote Connectors object reference section for additional information.
6.13.1.3.10. Imported Named Selections

When your upstream External Model source file includes Named Selections, they are inserted
under the Named Selections folder. These imported Named Selections act as any other user-
defined Named Selection.
Review the Named Selections object reference page as needed for additional details about the
properties and use of Named Selection objects.
6.13.1.3.11. Imported Nodal Orientations

When your upstream External Model source file includes Nodal Orientations. An Imported folder
appears beneath the Geometry folder when you open the file in Mechanical. This object is a
simple group folder. It contains the child object: Nodal Orientations.
Geometry
Imported Nodal Orientations are supported by the following analysis types:
• Modal
The application imports the following source file data/commands as nodal orientations:
• CDB: All orientations from the .cdb file that are included in NBLOCK are processed.
• NASTRAN: Orientations are processed via the commands of the Imported Coordinate
Systems (p. 970).
• ABAQUS: Orientations are processed via the *TRANSFORM command.
Also see the Imported: Nodal Orientation object reference section for additional information.
6.13.1.3.12. Imported Point Mass

When your upstream External Model source file includes Point Masses, an Imported folder appears
beneath the Geometry folder when you open the file in Mechanical. This object is a simple group
folder. It contains the child object: Point Masses. If the Point Masses are scoped to a node attached
to the geometry, you can promote and/or copy (p. 952) them, otherwise, no promote and/or copy
options are available.
Geometry
Important:
If your Imported Point Mass is connected to a body through an imported connection,

i.e. Remote Connection, Constraint Equation, or Spring, Mechanical does not include
the Imported Point Mass in any Rotational Velocity or Rotational Acceleration scoping.
Imported Point Masses are supported by the following analysis types:
• Modal
The application imports the following source file data/commands as point masses:
• CDB: Element MASS21 is processed.
– If 2D, MASS and IZZ are supported.
– If 3D, MASSX, IXX, IYY and IZZ are supported.
– Rotary Inertia only if KEYOPT(3) = 0 or 3.
Geometry
• NASTRAN: The CONM2 command is processed. We process the complete command

comprising of Node IDs, Coordinate System IDs, Mass Value, offset distances, and mass
moments of inertia. Any defined orientation is processed via the nodes (p. 981).
Note:
If there are any non-zero offsets, you must set them to zero in order to proceed
with the solution.
• ABAQUS: Only the *ELEMENT, TYPE=MASS and *ELEMENT, TYPE=ROTARYI Point Mass
elements are supported. The Mass Value is the only value obtained from the MASS com-
mand. All other *MASS command values are ignored. Any defined orientation is processed
via the nodes (p. 981).
Rotary Inertial and Orientation from *Rotary Inertia command are processed and all other
data from *Rotary Inertia command are ignored.
Review the Point Mass object reference page as needed for additional details about the properties
and use of Point Mass objects.
6.13.1.3.13. Imported Rigid Bodies

When the source file contains rigid body (p. 880) definitions, Mechanical imports them as bodies
with the Stiffness Behavior property of the Body object automatically set to Rigid (read-only).
Currently this feature is only supported for ABAQUS files.
Imported Rigid Bodies are supported by the following analysis types:
• Modal
The application imports the following source file data/commands as a rigid body:
CDB
Imported Rigid Bodies are not currently supported by CDB files.
ABAQUS
The ABAQUS command *RIGID BODY command is processed to import rigid bodies. The
command supports the following arguments:
*RIGID BODY, ELSET=<elset_name>, REF NODE=<ref_node>
Where:
"<elset_name>" is the name of an element set (*ELSET). Supported elements are

usual 2D and 3D continuum elements and rigid elements R3D3, R3D4.
"<ref_node>" is either a node number or a name of a nodal NSET that contains only
one node number.
Note:
• Once imported, the reference node (REF NODE) is available as a normal

node and Mechanical automatically generates a node-based Name Selection
for each REF NODE. You can use these system generated Name Selections
to scope loads and boundary conditions.
• The application supports contact between flexible and rigid bodies only
when defined in the ABAQUS file. This means that manual contact definition
(after import) is not supported as this requires to remesh your Model and
will invalidate all your objects scoped on mesh entities.
• Mechanical does not support multi body parts that have a mix of flexible
and rigid bodies. In this instance, the application automatically sets the
Stiffness Behavior to Flexible and issues a warning.
NASTRAN
Imported Rigid Bodies are not currently supported by NASTRAN files.
LS-DYNA
Imported Rigid Bodies are not currently supported by LS-DYNA files.
6.13.1.3.14. Imported Rigid Remote Connectors

When your upstream External Model source file includes rigid remote connections, an Imported
This object is a simple group folder (p. 202). It contains the child objects: Rigid Connectors. The
data associated with the imported connections is provided through the Worksheet. Worksheet
content, including default settings, is based on the data in the external file. If a connector is
scoped to a node that is not attached to the geometry, you can promote and/or copy (p. 952)
the connector, otherwise, no promote and/or copy options are available.
You can deactivate/active Worksheet entries using the Active (p. 952) selection box in the table
or through the right-click context menu.
Geometry
Imported Rigid Remote Connectors are supported by the following analysis types:
• Modal
The application imports the following source file data/commands as rigid remote connections:
• CDB: Contact/Target pairs with:
– TARGE169/TARGE170 elements with pilot node (TSHAP, PILO) and Contact elements
with the following KEYOPT settings:
KEYOPT (2) MPC-based approach.

=2
KEYOPT (12) Bonded (always).
=5
Geometry
KEYOPT(4) = Rigid surface constraint for CONTA171, CONTA172, CONTA173,

2 and CONTA174.
KEYOPT(4) = Rigid surface constraint for CONTA175, CONTA176, and
0 CONTA177
– TARGE170 line segment (TSHAP, LINE) and no Contact elements.
• NASTRAN: RBE2. For this command, Mechanical processes the master node and the de-
pendent nodes and their degrees of freedom (DOFs). All other data is ignored.
• ABAQUS:
– *COUPLING and *KINEMATIC commands are processed but the orientation field is
ignored.
– *KINEMATIC COUPLING command is processed but the orientation field is ignored.
– *MPC, TYPE = BEAM.
• LS-DYNA: *CONSTRAINED_NODAL_RIGID_BODY is processed, but the INERTIA option of

this keyword is not supported.
See the Imported: Rigid Remote Connectors object reference section for additional information.
6.13.1.3.15. Imported Shell Thicknesses

When your downstream External Model source file includes shell thicknesses, an Imported folder
appears beneath the Geometry parent folder when you open the file in Mechanical. This object
is a simple group folder (p. 202). It contains the child objects: Shell Thickness.
For Shell Thicknesses, you can modify the following Worksheet table options:
• Sheet Thickness: This field enables you to change the value of the Shell Thickness.
• Offset Type: This field provides a drop-down list of options, that include Top, Middle,
Bottom, and User Defined.
• Sheet Offset: You use this property when the Offset Type is User Defined.
Imported Shell Thicknesses are supported by the following analysis types:
• Modal
• Steady-State Thermal (Coupling only)
• Transient Thermal (Coupling only)
The application imports the following source file data/commands as shell thicknesses:
• CDB: The SECTION/REAL attribute defined with the element in the EBLOCK section.
• NASTRAN: Property ID designated with the PSHELL bulk data entry.
• ABAQUS: On the each "*MEMBRANE SECTION", "*SHELL GENERAL THICKNESS" or "*SHELL

SECTION" keyword. If the NODAL THICKNESS parameter is used with one of these keywords,
the application automatically sets element thickness to the thickness of the lowest node
number. You cannot change the thickness values.
• LSDYNA: *SECTION_SHELL keyword
See the Imported: Shell Thicknesses object reference section for additional information.
Geometry
6.13.1.3.16. Imported Spring Connectors

When your upstream External Model source file includes spring connections and bushings, an
Imported folder appears beneath the Connections parent folder when you open the file in
Mechanical. This object is a simple group folder (p. 202). It contains the child objects: Spring
Connectors. The data associated with the imported springs and bushing is provided through the
Worksheet. Worksheet content, including default settings, is based on the data in the external
file.
Spring Example
Bushing Example
Geometry
Nonlinear Bushing Example
Imported Spring Connectors are supported by the following analysis types:
• Modal
The application imports the following source file data/commands as springs:
CDB
For the CDB file type imported into Mechanical through External Model, the application
only processes:
• COMBIN14 linear spring elements with the following restrictions:
– For the supported constants of this element type, Mechanical only processes
Real Constants Stiffness (K) and structural Damping Coefficient (CV1). If your
input data includes any real constant in addition to K or CV1 (such as CV2),
these additional values are not processed.
– Mechanical does not process material commands.
– Supported KEYOPT,2 numbers include structural degrees of freedom only.
• COMBIN39 nonlinear spring elements with the following restrictions:
– Supported KEYOPT,3 numbers include translational degrees of freedom

only.
– Mechanical does not process material commands.
NASTRAN
Mechanical supports the processing the CELAS1, CELAS2, CBUSH, and PBUSH commands
only from a NASTRAN file with the following requirements:
• Mechanical only processes stiffness(K) and structural damping (GE). The stress
coefficient is not processed.
• If GB (grid point B) is blank, the application assumes that the next node is
grounded and creates a new node with the same location as the previous node.
• For CELAS1 and CELAS2 commands the first DOF will be taken as the operating
DOF for the spring.
• For the PBUSH command, Mechanical supports the stiffness coefficients K1, K2,
K3, K4, K5, K6 and structural damping coefficients (GE1, GE2, ... GE6).
ABAQUS
Spring Connections
For spring data imported from ABAQUS, Mechanical processes the element types:
• SPRING1 (spring element between a node and ground acting in a fixed direction).
• SPRING2 (spring element between two nodes acting in a fixed direction). For this
element type, the application will import nonlinear force-displacement spring
data that contains the origin, if the NONLINEAR parameter is used with the *SPRING
keyword.
• SPRINGA (spring element between two nodes with its line of action being the
line joining the two nodes).
Geometry
In addition, the application supports the following *SPRING options, however, all other
fields are ignored:
• Orientation via Imported Nodal Orientation (p. 981).
• Degree of freedom, stiffness and structural damping coefficients.
• Linear and nonlinear behavior.
Important:
For SPRING1 elements, an additional node is created in the same spot as

the given node and that node is grounded when sent to the solver.
Bushing Connections
Mechanical supports the following ABAQUS bushing keywords:
• *ELEMENT: This keyword requires the TYPE parameter CONN3D2 as well as the
Data Lines that include the Element IDs and two node IDs (two nodes must be
present). You can also use the optional parameter ELSET. Note that the ELSET
Name must match name the *CONNECTOR SECTION keyword. Grounded bushings
are not supported.
• *ELSET: This keyword requires the ELSET parameter whose name must be included
on either the *ELEMENT or *ELSET keywords as well as the name of the *CONNECT-
OR SECTION keyword.
• *ORIENTATION: This keyword requires the NAME Parameter and this parameter
must match the name given on the second line of the *CONNECTOR SECTION
keyword.
• *CONNECTOR SECTION: This keyword requires the ELSET and BEHAVIOR parameters
whose names must be included on either the *ELEMENT or *ELSET keywords or
the *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR keyword. In addition, the first Data Line must define
BUSHING as the type of connector and the second line must define the name of
the coordinate system and must match a name on the *ORIENTATION keyword.
Only the first Orientation name is used.
• *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR: This keyword requires the NAME Parameter. This Para-
meter must also match name used with the BEHAVIOR parameter on the *CON-
NECTOR SECTION keyword. In addition, the *CONNECTOR BEHAVIOR keyword
must be immediately followed by the keywords *CONNECTOR ELASTICITY and
*CONNECTOR STOP (as described below).
• *CONNECTOR ELASTICITY: This keyword may be repeated up to six times for the
values of a DOF. It requires the COMPONENT Parameter and the COMPONENT
Parameter must represent a DOF direction. Directions values include: 1 = UX, 2 =
UY, 3 = UZ, 4 = ROTX, 5 = ROTY, 6 = ROTZ
The NONLINEAR Parameter is optional unless your input includes a table of Stiffness
vs Constraint, in which case it is required.
The solution does not allow both nonlinear and linear data. Linear data is ignored
during the solution. To ensure proper nonlinear effects, set the Large Deflection
property to Yes.
Corresponding Data Lines include, if Nonlinear, Stiffness and Constraint. And, the
line is repeated for each Stiffness, Constraint pair in a table. If the Data Line is
Linear, it includes Stiffness.
• *CONNECTOR STOP: This keyword requires the COMPONENT Parameter and a

data line that includes an Upper limit and a Lower limit value.
Also see the Imported: Spring Connectors object reference section.
6.13.1.3.17. Imported Initial Stresses

When your downstream External Model source file includes initial stresses and initial equivalent
plastic strains, an Imported folder appears beneath the Geometry parent folder when you open
the file in Mechanical. This object is a simple group folder (p. 202). It contains the child objects:
Initial Stresses. The External Model can only reference LS-DYNA (.k) files.
For Initial Stresses, none of the fields can be modified.
Imported Initial Stresses are supported by the following analysis types:
• LS-DYNA
The application imports the following LSDYNA source file data/commands as initial stresses:
*INITIAL_STRESS_SOLID
*INITIAL_STRESS_SHELL
See Explicit-to-Implicit Sequential Solutions for additional information.
6.13.1.4. Automatic Material Assignment

If more than one body in your upstream External Model system is assigned the same material,
Mechanical automatically creates a Material Assignment object for the associated bodies. This action
makes sure that each body has the same unique material identifier.
Geometry
6.13.1.5. Reference Node Naming

For the imported FE data types listed below, Mechanical enables you to assign custom names to
reference nodes in the Worksheet. This enables you to access the nodes in the solver file (through
command snippets (p. 2407)). Your name can contain only standard English letters and numbers,
spaces, underscores, hyphens, and/or parenthesis characters.
• Imported Bolt Pretensions and Premeshed Bolt Pretensions (p. 954)
• Imported Flexible Remote Connectors (p. 978)
• Imported Point Masses (p. 983)
• Imported Rigid Remote Connectors (p. 987)
• Imported Spring Connectors (p. 992)
Mechanical automatically makes the following changes to your custom name in order to prepare
the new reference name for the Mechanical APDL application:
• A name exceeding 32 characters is truncated.
• A name that begins with a number, space, hyphen, or parentheses character, is renamed to
include “C_” before the character.
• Spaces, hyphens, or parentheses between characters in a name are replaced with underscores.
For example, a Reference Node in the Mechanical application called "1 Edge" appears as component
"C_1_Edge" in the Mechanical APDL application input file.
6.13.1.6. Importing Mesh-Based Databases in Batch

The Mechanical installation includes an executable file (Ans.StandaloneExternalModelCon-
sole.exe) that enables you to import solver input files. This input file describes a model through
various data, including, but not limited to, mesh data, materials, loads and boundary conditions,
as well as analysis settings. The executable is able to parse an input file and produce two types of
output files:
1. A solver file that is based on a specific solver, such as the Mechanical APDL solver or the
LS-DYNA solver. This means that the output solver file can be processed by the specified
solver. Furthermore, you can optionally choose to save this output file as a Mechanical
database (*.mechdb) file, which includes a Mechanical system as well as the target system.
2. A Mechanical database (*.mechdb) file. You can then use this database in the Mechanical
application, where you can add a target analysis system. When opened in the application,
*.mechdb files produce an analysis system in Mechanical that generates objects included
with the Model object, not including an analysis system. Although it is the simplest workflow,
this method requires you to manually complete setting up the analysis.
Based on your platform, the executable file is located in the following directory:
Windows
"<installation_directory>\aisol\bin\winx64\Ans.StandaloneExternalModelConsole.exe"
Linux
"<installation_directory>/aisol/.workbench -cmd <installation_directory>/aisol/bin/linx64/Ans.Stan-

daloneExternalModelConsole.exe"
• Required Command Arguments (p. 999)
• Command Entry (p. 999)
• Supported Arguments (p. 1001)
• TOML File (p. 1002)

This feature supports:
• The input of the following solver files:
– Mechanical APDL common database (.cdb)
– ABAQUS Input (.inp)
– LS-DYNA Input (.k and .key)
• Single input files only. This feature does not support model assembly.
Important:
For ABAQUS and LS-DYNA input files that contain the *INCLUDE keyword, the ap-
plication also processes the dependent files.
Required Arguments
You must use one of the following arguments:
• --input_solver_file (Import a solver file using default settings).
• --input_settings (Import a solver file using settings specified in TOML file format).
Command Entry
Use the following to execute the command and specify the required and optional arguments.
1. Open the Command Prompt window.
Geometry
2. At the command prompt, specify the desired directory location. For example:
"C:\ANSYS Inc\v241\aisol\bin\winx64\Ans.StandaloneExternalModelCon-
sole.exe"
3. Based on your desired output, specify one of the following required argument combinations:
• --input_solver_file: Import a solver file and create a Mechanical database (up to

Model object level).
For example: Ans.StandaloneExternalModelConsole.exe --input_solv-

er_file <file_path to solver input file> --save_mech_db
• --input_settings: Create solver file based on target analysis as well as creating an

optional Mechanical database with the analysis system.
For example: Ans.StandaloneExternalModelConsole.exe --input_settings

<file_path to TOML file> --save_mech_db
4. As desired, specify additional arguments as described below.
Tip:
You can drag and drop files into the Command Prompt window to automatically generate
the file path entry.
Command Entry Example 1
"C:\Program Files\ANSYS Inc\v241\aisol\bin\winx64\Ans.StandaloneEx-

ternalModelConsole.exe" --input_solver_file
"C:\Parts\Mesh\Mech_CDB\Esys.cdb" --save_mech_db --output_dir_path
"c:\"
This command entry imports a cdb solver file and generates a Mechanical database.
Where:
This entry initiates the execution of the file.

ternalModelConsole.exe"
This argument specifies that you want to import a cdb file during the batch process. In this
example the full path to the cdb file is given. If the executable is run in
"C:\Parts\Mesh\Mech_CDB" you could use simply "Esys.cdb".
--input_solver_file "C:\Parts\Mesh\Mech_CDB\Esys.cdb"
This argument specifies that you want to generate and save a Mechanical database to a file
during the batch process.
--save_mech_db
In this example the output file will be written to c:\. If you want to write the output file to
the location where the executable is running you could use ".".
For example, if you are running the executable in "C:\Parts\Mesh\Mech_CDB" and you
use "." the output file would be written to "C:\Parts\Mesh\Mech_CDB".
--output_dir_path "c:\"
Command Entry Example 2

ternalModelConsole.exe" --input_settings Example2.toml --
write_solver_file --output_dir_path c:\
This command entry uses the Example2.toml file to 1) import a solver file (as defined in the
--input settings argument) and 2) output a solver file (as defined by the SolverType
option).
The output solver file is written to c:\ as prescribed by the --output_dir_path.
The Example2.toml file is a text file with the following content:

[MeshFileOptions]
FilePath = 'C:\Example2.k'
FileUnitSystemName = "MKS_STANDARD"
[ConversionOptions]
TopologyCreationMode = "MeshOnly"
[EnvironmentOptions]
AnalysisType = "Static"
PhysicsType = "Structural"
SolverFileName = "Example2.dat"
SolverType = "ANSYS"
These entries specify the following:
FilePath: The path to and location of the input file.

FileUnitSystemName: Units system.
TopologyCreationMode: Specify whether to import the mesh, geometry, or both.
AnalysisType: Analysis type.
PhysicsType: Physics type.
SolverFileName: Name of the output file. Note that the application automatically creates
a directory called StandaloneExternalModelConsole_files and the application places the
output file in this directory. For the above example, the output file will be created in
c:\StandaloneExternalModelConsole_files\Example2.dat.
SolverType: Specifies the solver output file type.
Supported Arguments
Supported arguments include:
Geometry
Argument Description
--help Produce a help message.
--input_solv- Import a solver input file and output a Mechanical *.mechdb file. Mesh data,
er_file materials, loads and boundary conditions will be created in the Mechanical
<file_path> database for objects included at the Model object level. Analysis specific settings
will not be processed because a target solver is not known.
--input_set- Point to a TOML file, which in turn points to a solver input file and additional
tings settings. The TOML file needs to be complete as describes below. The
<file_path> [MeshFileOptions] need to point to an input solver file and the
[EnvironmentOptions] need to point to the desired target solver system.
--logging Create External Model and Mechanical log files in the directory specified by
--output_dir_path or the %TMP% directory if not specified. The
Mechanical log file that will be created is called workbench.log and the
external model log files are created in a sub-folder called _ExternalMod-
elLogs.
--out- Create output files in the provided directory. If this argument is missing, the
put_dir_path directory behind the Temp environment variable is used.
<direct-
ory_path>
--save_mech_db Save the current session as a Mechanical database.
--write_solv- Write a solver file. This argument requires the --input_settings argument
er_file that defines several options including the input file (FilePath), and any related
options along with conversion and analysis options. When using this option, the
application automatically creates the directory
StandaloneExternalModelConsole_files. The output file is placed in this
directory.
TOML File
To use the --input_settings <file_path> argument, you must create a TOML file - Tom's
Obvious, Minimal Language TOML (.toml). This file is referenced by the input argument. The settings
in the TOML file are grouped in categories (as a TML table) and each category contains a list of
options as pairs: name = value.
This file has mandatory and optional entries.
Example File
The following example shows the settings for the categories MeshFileOptions, Conversion-
Optionsand EnvironmentOptions:
# Example TOML File
[MeshFileOptions]
FilePath =
FileUnitSystemName = 'BIN_CONSISTENT'
NodeComponentPrefixes = 'ROT'
ElementComponentPrefixes = 'ROT'
ElementFaceComponentPrefixes = 'ROT'
[ConversionOptions]
FaceAngle = 45.0
EdgeAngle = 120.0
TopologyCreationMode = 'GeometryAndMesh'
CreateGeometryFaceComponents = true
CreateGeometryEdgeComponents = true
CreateGeometryVertexComponents = true
[EnvironmentOptions]
AnalysisType = 'Static'
PhysicsType = 'Structural'
SolverType = 'ANSYS'
Categories and Options

The supported TOML categories and their options are described below.
[MeshFileOptions]
Category Option
FilePath: Specify the full path to the solver file to be imported, or simply specify
[string][mandatory] the name of the input file as long as the file is located in the directory
where the executable is running. Use single quotes to enclose the
entry to avoid problems with spaces or other characters in the file
path.
FileUnitSystemName: Unit system name to use when importing. Supported values include:
[string][optional]
"SI"
"MKS_STANDARD"
"CGS_STANDARD"
"NMM_STANDARD"
"NMMTON_STANDARD"
"BFT_STANDARD"
"BIN_STANDARD"
"UMKS_STANDARD"
"MKS_CONSISTENT"
"CGS_CONSISTENT"
"NMM_STANDARD"
"BFT_CONSISTENT"
"BIN_CONSISTENT"
"UMKS_CONSISTENT"
"KGMMMS_CONSISTENT"
"MKS_CONSISTENT"
"CGS_CONSISTENT"
"NMM_STANDARD"
"BFT_CONSISTENT"
"BIN_CONSISTENT"
"UMKS_CONSISTENT"
Geometry
Category Option
"KGMMMS_CONSISTENT"
SupportingFiles: [array List of included files to use as included file paths. These paths appear
of strings][optional] in the commands *INCLUDE for ABAQUS,
*INCLUDE/*INCLUDE_TRANSFORM for LS-Dyna, INCLUDE for Nastran.
If specified, only the specified files will be processed. If not specified,
all the included files will be processed.
ProcessMesh200FromCdb: For .cdb files process, MESH200 element types. Supported values
[boolean][optional] include true and false.
NodeComponentPrefixes: Only import nodal components whose names start with the provided
[string][optional] prefixes. The prefixes are to be separated by ';' in the provided string.
ElementComponentPre- Only import elemental components whose names start with the
fixes: [string][optional] provided prefixes. The prefixes are to be separated by ';' in the
provided string.
ElementFaceComponent- Only import element-face components whose names start with the
Prefixes: [string][optional] provided prefixes. The prefixes are to be separated by ';' in the
provided string.
[ConversionOptions] (Optional Entries)
Option Description
FaceAngle: Tolerance angle for faces.
[double][optional]
EdgeAngle: Tolerance angle for edges.
[double][optional]
ProcessLineBodies: Import line elements as line bodies. Supported values include true
[boolean][optional] and false.
BodyGrouping: [array of Body grouping to use for import. Supported values include:
strings][optional]
"Material"
"Thickness"
"AnsysElementNumber"
TopologyCreation- Specifies whether geometry and/or mesh should be generated by the
Mode: [string][optional] import. Supported values:
"GeometryAndMesh"
"MeshOnly"
"GeometryOnly"
KeepOnlyXYPlanarEle- Only import 2d elements in the X-Y plane. Supported values include
ments: [boolean][optional] true and false.
TwoDTolerance: Tolerance value to use for the KeepOnlyXYPlanarElements option.
[double][optional]
Option Description
CreateGeometryFace- Attempt to create geometric face named selections from components.
Components: Supported values include true and false.
[boolean][optional]
CreateGeometryEdge- Attempt to create geometric edge named selections from components.
Components: Supported values include true and false.
[boolean][optional]
CreateGeometryVer- Attempt to create geometric face vertex selections from components.
texComponents: Supported values include true and false.
[boolean][optional]
[MechanicalOptions]
Option Description
AutoContactDetec- This option runs Mechanical auto-contact detection when importing the
tionOnAttach solver file. Supported values include true and false.
[boolean][optional]
ActiveUnitSystem- Unit system to use when writing the solver file or saving the mechdb.
Name [string][optional] Supported values include:
MKS_STANDARD (default)
CGS_STANDARD
NMM_STANDARD
NMMTON_STANDARD
NMMDAT_STANDARD
UMKS_STANDARD
BFT_STANDARD
BIN_STANDARD
[EnvironmentOptions] (Mandatory Entries only when --write_solver_file is used.)
Option Description
AnalysisType: Specify the analysis type. Supported values include:
[string][mandatory]
"Static"
"SteadyState"
"Harmonic"
"Transient"
"RandomVibration"
"ResponseSpectrum"
"Buckling"
"Modal"
Geometry
Option Description
"ShapeOptimization"
"TopologyOptimization"
"SubstructureGeneration"
PhysicsType: Specify the physics type. Supported values include:
[string][mandatory]
"Structural"
"Thermal"
"Electromagnetics"
"Electric"
"ThermalElectromagnetics"
"Multiphysics"
SolverFile- Specify the solver file name produced when using with --write_solver_file. If
Name: missing, the defaulted value is ds.dat. The SolverFileName should not
[string][optional] include a path. The path to where the output file will be created comes from
--ouptut_dir_path argument and the file is placed in a directory
StandaloneExternalModelConsole_files.
SolverType: Specify the solver. The only supported value is "ANSYS"
[string][mandatory]
6.13.1.7. External Model Supported Element Types

Mechanical APDL Elements
The following element types are supported when .cdb files are processed via the External Model
system.
Shape
Supported Mechanical APDL Element Type
Category
2D and 3D MASS21
Point
2D Linear PLANE13[a], PLANE25[a], FLUID29[a], PLANE55[a], PLANE75[a], PLANE182[a], INTER192,
Quadrilateral INTER202, CPT212[a], PLANE292[a], MESH200[b]
3D Linear
FLUID136, SHELL281, SHELL131[a], SHELL157[a], SHELL181[a], MESH200[b]
Quadrilateral
2D Quadratic
PLANE35, MESH200[b]
Triangle
2D Quadratic PLANE77 [a], PLANE78[a], PLANE83[a], PLANE121[a], PLANE183[a], INTER193, INTER203,
Quadrilateral CPT2131, PLANE223[a], PLANE230[a], PLANE233[a], PLANE293[a], MESH200[b].
3D Quadratic
FLUID139, FLUID136, SHELL132[a], SHELL281, MESH200[b]
Quadrilateral
Beam BEAM4, BEAM188[c], BEAM189[b], and PIPE288/PIPE289, MESH200[b].
Linear SOLID5 [a], FLUID30[a], PLANE223, SOLID65[a], SOLID70[a], SOLID96[a], SOLID185[a],
Hexahedral SOLID278[a], SOLSH190[a], INTER195, CPT215[a], , MESH200[b]
Shape
Supported Mechanical APDL Element Type
Category
Link LINK33, LINK34, LINK180, FLUID116[d]
Quadratic SOLID87, SOLID98, SOLID123, SOLID187, CPT217, SOLID227, SOLID232, SOLID237,
Tetrahedral SOLID285, SOLID291, FLUID221, MESH200[b]
Quadratic SOLID90 [a], SOLID122[a], SOLID186[a], INTER194, INTER204, CPT216[a], SOLID226[a],
Hexahedral SOLID231[a], SOLID236[a], SOLID279[a], FLUID220, , MESH200[b]
[a] This element supports multiple shapes. This list displays the elements in their most basic
and fundamental form.
[b] Section data and Real Constants are not imported for this element type.
[c] Pre-integrated composite beam sections are not supported by these elements types.
[d] The application does not use KEYOPTs for FLUID116. Therefore, you should verify the Fluid
Descretization setting. In addition, this element uses the Flow cross-sectional area only.
NASTRAN Elements
The following element types are supported when NASTRAN Bulk Data (.bdf, .dat, .nas) files are
processed via the External Model system.
Shape Supported NASTRAN Element Type

Category
2D Linear CQUAD
Quadrilateral
3D Linear CQUAD4, CQUADR
Quadrilateral
3D Linear CTRIAR , CTRIA3
Triangle
2D Quadratic CTRIAX, CTRIAX6
Triangle
3D Quadratic CTRIA6
Triangle
2D Quadratic CQUADX
Quadrilateral
3D Quadratic CQUAD8
Quadrilateral
Beam CBAR, CBEAM
Link CROD[a], CONROD[a]
Quadratic CTETRA[b]
Tetrahedral
Quadratic CHEXA[b]
Hexahedral
Quadratic CPENTA[b]
Prism
[a] The torsional constant specified with rod element types is not used if you change the
Model Type property is changed from Link to Beam. Instead, a circular cross section is
assumed and the calculated torsional constant of the cross section is used.
Geometry
[b] These elements have the option of being linear.
ABAQUS Elements
The following element types are supported when ABAQUS Input (.inp) files are processed via the
External Model system.
Shape Supported ABAQUS Element Type

Category
2D Linear CPE4, CPE4H, CPE4I, CPE4IH, CPE4R, CPE4RH, CPS6, CPS6M, CPS6MH, CPS6MT,
Quadrilateral CPS6E, CPEG4, CPEG4H, CPEG4I, CPEG4IH, CPEG4R, CPEG4RH, CPEG4HT, CPEG4RT,
CPEG4RHT, DC2D4, DCC2D4, DCC2D4D, DC2D4E, AC2D4, AC2D4R, CAX4, CAX4H,
CAX4I, CAXEIH, CAX4R, CAX4RH, DCAX4, DCCAX4, DCCAX4D, DCAX4E, CAXET,
CAX4HT, CAX4RT, CAX4P, CAX4PH, CAX4RP, CAX4RPH, ACAX4, ACAX4R, CAX4E,
CGAX4, CGAX4H, CGAX4R, CGAX4RH, CGAXET, CGAX4HT, CGAX4RT, CGAXERHT,
CAXA4N, CAXA4HN, CAXA4RN, CAXA4RHN
2D Linear CPE3, CPE3H, CPE3S, CPE3T, CPE3E, CPS3, CPS3T, CPS3E, CPEG3, CPEG3H, CPEG3HT,
Triangle CPEG3T, C2D3, DC2D3, DC2D3E, AC2D3, WARP2D3, CAX3, CAX3H, CGAX3, CGAX3H,
DCAX3, DCAX3E, CAX3T, CGAX3T, CGA3HT, ACAX3, CAX3E
3D Linear ASI4, S4, S4R, S4RS, S4RSW, S4R5, M3D4, MSD4R, MCL6, R3D4, F3D4
Quadrilateral
3D Linear S3, S3R, S3RS, DS3, STRI3, F3D3, M3D3, SFM3D3
Triangle
2D CPE6, CPE6H, CPE6M, CPE6MH, CPE6MT, CPE6MHT, CPE6MHT, CPE6MP, CPE6MPG,
Quadratic CPE6E, CPS6, CPS6M, CPS6MT, CPS6E, CPEG6, CPEG6H, CPEG6M, CPEG6MH,
Triangle CPEG6MT, CPEG6MHT, DC2D6, DC2D6E, AC2D6, CAX6, CAX6H, CAX6M, CAX6MH,
DCAX6, DCAX6E, CAX6MT, CAX6MHT, CAX6MP, CAX6MPH, ACAX6, CAX63, CGAX8,
CGAX8H, CGAX8M, CGAX8MH, CGAX8MT, CGAX8MHT
3D STRI65, DS6, M3D6
Quadratic
Triangle
2D CPE8, CPE8H, CPE8R, CPE8RH, CPE8T, CPE8HT, CPE8RT, CPE8RHT, CPE8P, CPE8PH,
Quadratic CPE8RP. CPE8RPH, CPE8E, CPE8RE, CPS8, CPS8R, CPS8T, CPS8HT, CPE8RT, CPE8RHTM
Quadrilateral CPE8P. CPE8PH, CPE8RP, CPE8RPH, CPE8E, CPE8RE, DC2D8, DC2D8E, AC2D8, CAX8,
CAX8H, CAX8R, CAX8RH, CGAX8, CGAX8H, CGAX8R CGAX8RH, DCAX8, CAX8T,
CAX8HT, CAX8RT, CAX8RHT, CGAX8T, CGAX8HT, CGAX8RT, CGAX8RHT, CAX8P,
CAX8PH, CAX8RP, CAX8PH, ACAX8, CAX8E, CAX8RE, CAXA8N, CAXA8HN, CAXA8RN,
CAXA8RHN, CAXA8PN, CAXA8RPN
3D S8R, S8R5, S8RT, S9R5, ASI8, M3D8, M3D8R, M3D9, M3D9R, MCL9
Quadratic
Quadrilateral
Beam/Pipe B21, B21H, PIPE21, PIPE21H, BEAM23, BEAM23H, FRAME2, B31, PIPE31, FRAME3,
B31, B22, PIPE22, B32, PIPE32
Linear C3D4, C3D4H, C3D4T, C3D4E, DC3D4, DC3D4E, AC3D4
Tetrahedral
Link T3D2, T3D3 (midside nodes are ignored)
Shape Supported ABAQUS Element Type

Category
Quadratic C3D10, C3D10H, C3D10M, C3D10MH, C3D10HT, C3D10MHT, C3D10MP, C3D10MPH,
Tetrahedral C3D10E, DC3D10, DC3D10E, AC3D10
Linear C3D8, C3D8H, C3D8I, C3D8IH, C3D8R, C3D8RH, C3D8T, C3D8HT, C3D8RT, C3D8RHT,
Hexahedral C3D8RPH, C3D8E, DC3D8, DC3D8E, DCC3D8, DCC3D8D, AC3D8, AC3D8R, SC8R
Quadratic C3D20, C3D20H, C3D20R, C3D20RH, C3D20T, C3D20HT, C3D20RT, C3D20RHT,
Hexahedral C3D20P, C3D20PH, C3D20RP, C3D20RPH, C3D20E, C3D20RE, DC3D20, DC3D20E,
AC3D20, C3D27, C3D27R, C3D27RH
Linear C3D6, C3D6H, C3D6T, C3D6E, DC3D6, DC3D6E, AC3D6, SC6R
Prism
Quadratic C3D15, C3D15H, C3D15V, C3D15VH, C3D15E, DC3D15, DC3D15, DC3D15E
Prism
LS-DYNA Elements
The following element types are supported when LS-DYNA Input (.k) files are processed via the
External Model system.
Shape Category Supported LS-DYNA Element Type

2D Linear *ELEMENT_SHELL
Quadrilateral
2D Linear Triangle *ELEMENT_SHELL
3D Linear *ELEMENT_SHELL , *ELEMENT_SHELL_THICKNESS ,
Quadrilateral *ELEMENT_SHELL_THICKNESS_OFFSET
3D Linear Triangle *ELEMENT_SHELL , *ELEMENT_SHELL_THICKNESS ,
*ELEMENT_SHELL_THICKNESS_OFFSET
Linear Tetrahedral *ELEMENT_SOLID
Quadratic Tetrahedral *ELEMENT_SOLID
Linear Hexahedral *ELEMENT_SOLID
Linear Prism *ELEMENT_SOLID
List of LS-DYNA Supported Keywords

*NODE
*ELEMENT_SOLID
*ELEMENT_SHELL
*ELEMENT_SHELL_THICKNESS
*ELEMENT_SHELL_THICKNESS_OFFSET
*PART
*SECTION_SOLID
Geometry
*SECTION_SHELL
*SECTION_SOLID
*SET_NODE
*SET_NODE_LIST
*CONSTRAINED_NODAL_RIGID_BODY
*BOUNDARY_SPC_NODE
*BOUNDARY_SPC_SET
*INITIAL_STRESS_SOLID
*INITIAL_STRESS_SHELL
6.13.1.8. Supported External Model Commands

The following sections contain lists of Interfaces provided by the supported commands repository.
6.13.1.8.1. External Model CDB Commands
6.13.1.8.2. External Model NASTRAN Commands
6.13.1.8.3. External Model ABAQUS Commands
6.13.1.8.4. External Model FE Commands Repository
6.13.1.8.1. External Model CDB Commands

This is the list of Interfaces provided by CDB Commands Repository. All the processed commands
are represented by their specialized types, like ICECommand, ICPCommand etc. The unprocessed
commands are represented by the IGenericCommand.
IGenericCommand : public ICommand
{
int ArgumentCount();
string GetArgument(int index);
};
ICETerm
{
uint Node();
string Dof();
double Coefficient();
};
ICECommand : public ICommand

{
uint Nce();
double Constant();
int TermCount();
ICETerm GetTerm(int index);
};
ICECMODCommand : public ICommand

{
uint Nce();
double Constant();
};
ICPCommand : public ICommand

{
uint Ncp();
string Dof();
int NodeCount();
int GetNode(int index);
};
INCommand : public ICommand

{
uint Node();
string Type();
int ValCount();
int GetVal(int index);
};
INode
{
uint Id();
double GetLocation(int index);
double GetRotation(int index);
};
INBlockCommand : public ICommand

{
int NodeCount();
INode GetNode();
};
IKeyopt
{
uint Knum();
int Value();
};
IETCommand : public ICommand

{
uint Id();
uint Ename();
int KeyoptCount();
IKeyopt GetKeyopt(int index);
};
IENCommand : public ICommand

{
string Type();
int ValueCount();
int GetValue(int index);
};
IElement
{
uintId();
uint Mat();
uint Type();
uint Real();
uint Section();
uint Csys();
int NodeCount();
int GetNode(int index);
};
IEBlockCommand : public ICommand

{
int ElementCount();
IElement GetElement(int index);
};
ICMBlockCommand : public ICommand

{
string Cmname();
Geometry
string Type();
int IdCount();
uint GetId(int index);
};
ICMGRPCommand : public ICommand

{
string Aname();
int CnameCount();
string GetCname(int index);
};
ICMEDITCommand : public ICommand

{
string Aname();
string Oper();
int CnameCount();
string GetCname(int index);
};
ILocalCommand : public ICommand

{
string Type();
uint Ncsy();
uint Cstyp();
int ValueCount();
double GetValue(int index);
};
IPreadCommand : public ICommand

{
string Id();
int ValueCount();
};
IRCommand : public ICommand

{
uint Nset();
uint Stloc();
int ValueCount();
double GetValue();
};
IReal
{
uint Id();
int ValueCount();
};
IRLBlockCommand : public ICommand

{
int RealCount();
IReal GetReal(int index);
};
ISecdataCommand : public ICommand

{
int ValueCount();
};
ISectypeCommand : public ICommand

{
uint Secid();
string Type();
string Subtype();
string Secname();
int Refinekey();
};
ISecoffsetCommand : public ICommand

{
string Location();
int ValueCount();
int GetValue(int index);
};
ILayer
{
double Thick();
uint Mat();
double Theta();
uint Numpt();
};
IShellSecBlockCommand : public ICommand

{
string Type();
int LayerCount();
ILayer GetLayer(int index);
};
ICell
{
int NodeCount();
uint GetNode(int index);
uint MatId();
};
IBeamSecBlockCommand : public ICommand

{
string Type();
int CellCount();
ICell GetCell(int index);
int NodeCount();
INode GetNode(int index);
};
IMPDataCommand : public ICommand

{
uint Mat();
string Lab();
int TempCount();
double GetTemp(int index);
int ValueCount();
};
IMPCommand : public ICommand

{
uint Mat();
string Lab();
double C0();
double C1();
double C2();
double C3();
double C4();
};
IBFCommand : public ICommand

{
int Node();
string Lab();
int ValCount();
object GetVal(int index); // object is double or string
};
IBFECommand : public ICommand

{
int Elem();
Geometry
string Lab();
int Stloc();
int ValCount();
};
INodalBodyForce
{
int Node();
int ValCount();
object GetVal(int index);
};
IBFBlockCommand : public ICommand

{
string Lab();
int NodalBodyForceCount();
INodalBodyForce GetNodalBodyForce(int index);
};
IElementBodyForce
{
int Elem();
int Count();
int GetStloc(int index);
};
IBFEBlockCommand : public ICommand

{
string Lab();
int ElementBodyForceCount();
IElementBodyForce GetElementBodyForce(int index);
};
IElementSurfaceLoadValues
{
int ValCount();
}
IElementSurfaceLoad
{
int Elem();
int Count();
int GetLKey(int index);
int GetKey(int index);
IElementSurfaceLoadValues GetElementSurfaceLoadValues(int index);
};
ISFEBlockCommand : public ICommand

{
string Lab();
int ElementSurfaceLoadCount();
IElementSurfaceLoad GetElementSurfaceLoad(int index);
};
ITBDataValues
{
double Temp();
int ValueCount();
double Value(int index);
};
ITBDataCommand : public ICommand

{
string Lab();
int Mat();
int Ntemp();
int Npts();
string Tbopt();
int DataValueCount();
const ITBDataValues* DataValues(int index);
};
ITBPTValues
{
int ValueCount();
double Value(int index);
};
ITBPTData
{
double Temp();
int TBPTCount();
ITBPTValues TBPTValues(int index);
};
ITBPTCommand : public ICommand

{
string Lab();
int Mat();
int Ntemp();
int Npts();
string Tbopt();
int TBPTDataCount();
ITBPTData TBPTData(int index);
};
IElementType
{
uint Id();
uint Ename();
int KeyoptCount();
IKeyopt GetKeyopt(int index);
};
IETBlockCommand : public ICommand

{
int ElementTypeCount();
IElementType GetElementType(int index);
};
ISeccontrolCommand : public ICommand

{
int ValueCount();
};
6.13.1.8.2. External Model NASTRAN Commands

This is the list of Interfaces provided by the NASTRAN Commands Repository. All Bulk Data entries
are represented by IGenericCommand, except ADAPT, OUTPUT and OUTRCV which are represented
by the IOptionsControlCommand. And, the case control section commands are represented by
ICaseControlCommand.
IGenericCommand : public ICommand
{
};
ICaseControlCommand : public ICommand

{
string Text();
};
INastranOption
{
Geometry
string Name();
string Value();
};
INastranOptionLine
{
int OptionCount();
INastranOption GetOption(int index);
};
IOptionsControlCommand : public ICommand

{
int OptionLineCount();
INastranOptionLine GetOptionLine(int index);
}
6.13.1.8.3. External Model ABAQUS Commands

This is the list of Interfaces provided by ABAQUS Commands Repository.
IAbaqusKeywordArgument
{
string Key();
string Value();
};
IAbaqusKeywordArgumentColl
{
int Count();
IAbaqusKeywordArgument Item(uint index);
};
IAbaqusKeywordDataLine
{
int Count();
string Item(uint index);
};
IAbaqusKeywordDataLineColl
{
int Count();
IAbaqusKeywordDataLine Item(uint index);
};
IAbaqusKeyword : public ICommand

{
IAbaqusKeywordArgumentColl Arguments();
IAbaqusKeywordDataLineColl DataLines();
};
6.13.1.8.4. External Model FE Commands Repository

enum Ansys.ACT.Automation.Mechanical.FECommandsType
{
Processed,
UnProcessed,
All = Processed | UnProcessed
};
ICommand
{
string Name ();
uint Index ();
};
ICommandColl
{
uint Count ();
ICommand Item (uint lNum);
};
ICommandRepository
{
ICommandColl GetCommandsByName (string name);
ICommand GetCommandByIndex (int index);
int GetCommandNamesCount (FECommandsType eCommandsType);
string GetCommandName (FECommandsType eCommandsType, int index);
};
6.13.1.9. Accessing Imported Mesh-Based Databases through ACT

The Mechanical application enables you to import supported finite element data types from External
Model and represents them natively through various imported objects in the tree. In addition, im-
ported databases almost always contain additional commands that are not natively supported by
the application. Mechanical exposes these commands (along with the commands natively processed
in Mechanical) through the ACT extensions and console window. The following APIs enable you to
access the underlying commands repository for a file specified in External Model.
When you open Mechanical independently:

commands = ExtAPI.DataModel.Project.Model.GetFECommandsRepository("External Model", "File1");
When you open Mechanical from Workbench:

commands = ExtAPI.DataModel.Project.Model.GetFECommandsRepository("Setup", "File1");
Users familiar with ACT APIs for Ansys Mechanical will notice that the command GetFECommand-
sRepository on the Model object provides access to the commands repository. The two argu-
ments ("Setup" and "File1") specify the source External Model Component Id and "File Identifier"
in the External Model Component.
Geometry
The return object commands is an instance of the interface ICommandRepository (p. 1016).
Once user has access to the commands database, you can access:
• Processed Commands: Commands processed and natively represented in Mechanical.
• Unprocessed Commands: Everything other than Processed Commands.
User can access the unprocessed commands names using the combination of following commands:
unprocessedCmdNamesCount = commands.GetCommandNamesCount(Ansys.ACT.Automation.Mechanical.FE.CommandsType.UnPro
And...
unprocessedCmdName = commands.GetCommandName(Ansys.ACT.Automation.Mechanical.FE.CommandsType.UnProcessed, inde
As you might notice, the command GetCommandNamesCount on ICommandRepository (p. 1016)

provides the count of the command names of type specified as first argument:
Ansys.ACT.Automation.Mechanical.FE.CommandsType.UnProcessed
Or...
Ansys.ACT.Automation.Mechanical.FE.CommandsType.Processed
And the command GetCommandName provides the command name given the type and index
(index is 1 based, therefore, if the unprocessedCmdNamesCount = n, the valid index value
are (1,n)).
Given a command name, user can access all instances of a command with a given name as:
namedCommands = commands.GetCommandsByName(commandName);
The return value namedCommands is an instance of the interface ICommandColl. A command

can be accessed from the namedCommands as:
namedCommand = namedCommands.Item(index);
The index argument is 1 based, therefore valid index value are (1,namedCommands.Count()))
The return value namedCommand is a derived instance of the interface ICommand, i.e. the
namedCommand instance exposes the methods available on the ICommand interface:
Name(): Command name
Index(): 1 based global index of the command in command repository
And any additional methods exposed the specific instance of the command. For example, if the
namedCommand is an instance of ICECommand (a type of processed command from CDB file),
then the following additional methods are available:
Nce(): Constraint Equation ID
Constant(): Constant Term
TermCount(): Number of Terms
GetTerm(int index): Term at Index
Similarly, if the namedCommand is an instance of IGenericCommand (unprocessed command

from CDB file), then the following additional methods are available:
ArgumentCount(): Number of arguments
GetArgument(int index): Argument at index
If LS-DYNA models are being imported, the contents of the namedCommand can be found using
FieldValueMap(). For more details, see the example below:
from System.Collections.Generic import Dictionary
commands = ExtAPI.DataModel.Project.Model.GetFECommandsRepository("Setup", "File1");
namedCommands = commands.GetCommandsByName("*EXAMPLE_CARD")
list = []
for command in namedCommands :
map = command.FieldValueMap()
begin = map.Begin()
clrdict = Dictionary[str,object]()
for i in range(0,10):
clrdict.Add(begin.Name(),begin.Value())
begin.Increment()
list.Add(clrdict)
print list[0]
Refer to the External Model CDB Commands (p. 1010), External Model NASTRAN Commands (p. 1015),
and the External Model ABAQUS Commands (p. 1016) sections for all the available processed and
unprocessed commands from CDB, NASTRAN, and ABAQUS databases.
In addition, you can traverse the command repository by going to the next and previous commands
in the database using the following APIs:
prevCommand = commands.GetCommandByIndex(currentCommand.Index()-1);
nextCommand = commands.GetCommandByIndex(currentCommand.Index()+1);
Geometry
Given the information provided in the above section, let's take a look at some examples.
CBD File Examples

The following examples describe how to query the command repository.
commands = ExtAPI.DataModel.Project.Model.GetFECommandsRepository("Setup", "File1")
Example: List All Command Names
This example enables you to generate a listing all command names in the command repository.
commandType = Ansys.ACT.Automation.Mechanical.FE.CommandsType.All
commandCount = commands.GetCommandNamesCount(commandType)
commandsNames = []
for iCommand in range(0, commandCount):
commandsNames.append(commands.GetCommandName(commandType, iCommand+1))
commandsNames
Example: List All Nodes
This example enables you to generate a listing all nodes in the command repository.
NBLOCK,6,SOLID, 430, 10
(3i9,6e21.13e3)
421 0 0 6.3203350000000E+004-4.2985880000000E+004 6.3500000000000E+004
422 0 0 6.1696900000000E+004-4.5619000000000E+004 6.3500000000000E+004
423 0 0 5.9365700000000E+004-4.7562160000000E+004 6.3500000000000E+004
424 0 0 5.6517810000000E+004-4.8605830000000E+004 6.3500000000000E+004
425 0 0 5.3482670000000E+004-4.8603130000000E+004 6.3500000000000E+004
426 0 0 5.0634300000000E+004-4.7562160000000E+004 6.3500000000000E+004
427 0 0 4.8295410000000E+004-4.5625390000000E+004 6.3500000000000E+004
428 0 0 4.6795660000000E+004-4.2986070000000E+004 6.3500000000000E+004
429 0 0 4.6250000000000E+004-4.0000000000000E+004 6.3500000000000E+004
430 0 0 4.6795660000000E+004-3.7013930000000E+004 6.3500000000000E+004
N,R5.3,LOC, -1,
/*Commands*/
nodeIds = []
nblockCommands = commands.GetCommandsByName("NBLOCK")
nblockCount = nblockCommands.Count
for iNBlock in range(0, nblockCount):
nblock = nblockCommands[iNBlock+1]
nodeCount = nblock.NodeCount()
for iNode in range(0, nodeCount):
node = nblock.GetNode(iNode+1)
nodeIds.append(node.Id())
nodeIds
/*Output*/
[421, 422, 423, 424, 425, 426, 427, 428, 429, 430]
Example: Extract Analysis Settings
This example enables you to extract all Analysis Setting in the command repository.
ANTYPE, 2
MODOPT,LANB, 6, 0.00000000 , 0.00000000 , 0, 0, 0.00000000 , 0
/*Commands*/
antypeCommands = commands.GetCommandsByName("ANTYPE")
if(antypeCommands.Count > 0):
antypeCommand = antypeCommands[1]
if(antypeCommand.ArgumentCount() > 0):

antype = antypeCommand.GetArgument(1)
print antype
if(antype == "2"):
modoptCommands = commands.GetCommandsByName("MODOPT")
if(modoptCommands.Count > 0):
modoptCommand = modoptCommands[1]
for iArg in range(0, modoptCommand.ArgumentCount()):
print modoptCommand.GetArgument(iArg+1)
/*Output*/
2
LANB
6
0.00000000
0.00000000
0
0
0.00000000
0
ABAQUS File Example

This example enables you to generate a listing all nodes in the command repository.
/*Input*/
*NODE, NSET=nset_csys2
421, 6.320335E+01,-4.298588E+01, 6.350000E+01
422, 6.169690E+01,-4.561900E+01, 6.350000E+01
423, 5.936570E+01,-4.756216E+01, 6.350000E+01
424, 5.651781E+01,-4.860583E+01, 6.350000E+01
425, 5.348267E+01,-4.860313E+01, 6.350000E+01
426, 5.063430E+01,-4.756216E+01, 6.350000E+01
427, 4.829541E+01,-4.562539E+01, 6.350000E+01
428, 4.679566E+01,-4.298607E+01, 6.350000E+01
429, 4.625000E+01,-4.000000E+01, 6.350000E+01
430, 4.679566E+01,-3.701393E+01, 6.350000E+01
/*Commands*/
nodeIds = []
nodeKeywords = commands.GetCommandsByName("NODE")
nodeKeywordCount = nodeKeywords.Count
for iNodeKeyword in range(0, nodeKeywordCount):
nodeKeyword = nodeKeywords[iNodeKeyword+1]
arguments = nodeKeyword.Arguments()
for iArg in range(0, arguments.Count()):
arg = arguments.Item(iArg+1)
print arg.Key()+"="+arg.Value()
datalines = nodeKeyword.DataLines()
for iLine in range(0, datalines.Count()):
dataline = datalines.Item(iLine+1)
nodeIds.append(dataline.Item(1))
nodeIds
/*Output*/
NSET=nset_csys2
[421, 422, 423, 424, 425, 426, 427, 428, 429, 430]
NASTRAN File Examples

Example: Print Case Control Section
This example enables you to print the case control section in the command repository.
Geometry
/*Input*/
CEND
TITLE = MSC.Nastran job created on 01-May-09 at 15:46:33
ECHO = NONE
MPC = 101107
SUBCASE 1
TITLE=REDESIGNED EAI PAN WITH PRODUCTION LOADS
SUBTITLE=VIBE_FX
SPC = 2
LOAD = 101108
DISPLACEMENT(PLOT,SORT1,REAL)=ALL
SPCFORCES(SORT1,REAL)=ALL
MPCFORCES(SORT1,REAL)=ALL
STRESS(PLOT,SORT1,REAL,VONMISES,BILIN)=ALL
FORCE(PLOT,SORT1,REAL,BILIN)=ALL
SUBCOM 2
TITLE=REDESIGNED EAI PAN WITH PRODUCTION LOADS
SUBTITLE=COMBINED VIBE LOADS (PRODUCTION)
LABEL=COMBINE VIBE PRODUCTION WITH AXIAL LINK
SUBSEQ = 1.,
1.,
1.,
1.,
1.,
1.
DISPLACEMENT(PLOT,SORT1,REAL)=ALL
SPCFORCES(SORT1,REAL)=ALL
MPCFORCES(SORT1,REAL)=ALL
STRESS(PLOT,SORT1,REAL,VONMISES,BILIN)=ALL
FORCE(PLOT,SORT1,REAL,BILIN)=ALL
BEGIN BULK
/*Commands*/
caseControlCommands = commands.GetCommandsByName("CASE")
caseCount = caseControlCommands.Count
offset = ""
for iCaseCmd in range(0, caseCount):
caseCmd = caseControlCommands[iCaseCmd+1]
text = caseCmd.Text()
if (text.startswith("SUBCASE") or text.startswith("SUBCOM")):
print text
offset = "\t"
else:
print offset + text
/*Output*/
TITLE = MSC.Nastran job created on 01-May-09 at 15:46:33
ECHO = NONE
MPC = 101107
SUBCASE 1
TITLE = REDESIGNED EAI PAN WITH PRODUCTION LOADS
SUBTITLE = VIBE_FX
SPC = 2
LOAD = 101108
DISPLACEMENT(PLOT ,SORT1,REAL)=ALL
SPCFORCES(SORT1 ,REAL)=ALL
MPCFORCES(SORT1 ,REAL)=ALL
STRESS(PLOT ,SORT1,REAL,VONMISES,BILIN)=ALL
FORCE(PLOT ,SORT1,REAL,BILIN)=ALL
SUBCOM 2
TITLE = REDESIGNED EAI PAN WITH PRODUCTION LOADS
SUBTITLE = COMBINED VIBE LOADS (PRODUCTION)
LABEL = COMBINE VIBE PRODUCTION WITH AXIAL LINK
SUBSEQ = 1.,1.,1.,1.,1.,1.
DISPLACEMENT(PLOT ,SORT1,REAL)=ALL
SPCFORCES(SORT1 ,REAL)=ALL
MPCFORCES(SORT1 ,REAL)=ALL
STRESS(PLOT ,SORT1,REAL,VONMISES,BILIN)=ALL
FORCE(PLOT ,SORT1,REAL,BILIN)=ALL
Example: List All Bushings
This example enables you to generate a listing all CBUSH elements in the command repository.
/*Input*/
BEGIN BULK
CBUSH 5344 1 15301 15307 3
.5
CBUSH 5345 1 15302 15312 3
.5
CBUSH 5346 1 15303 15311 3
.5
CBUSH 5347 1 15304 15310 3
.5
CBUSH 5348 1 15305 15309 3
.5
CBUSH 5349 1 15306 15308 3
.5
/*Commands*/
cbushCommands = commands.GetCommandsByName("CBUSH")
cbushCount = cbushCommands.Count
for iCBushCmd in range(0, cbushCount):
cbushCmd = cbushCommands[iCBushCmd+1]
args = []
args.append(cbushCmd.Name())
argCount = cbushCmd.ArgumentCount()
for iArg in range(0, argCount):
args.append(cbushCmd.GetArgument(iArg+1))
print args
/*Output*/
['CBUSH', 5344, 1, 15301, 15307, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 3, 0.5, 0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0]
['CBUSH', 5345, 1, 15302, 15312, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 3, 0.5, 0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0]
['CBUSH', 5346, 1, 15303, 15311, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 3, 0.5, 0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0]
['CBUSH', 5347, 1, 15304, 15310, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 3, 0.5, 0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0]
['CBUSH', 5348, 1, 15305, 15309, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 3, 0.5, 0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0]
['CBUSH', 5349, 1, 15306, 15308, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 3, 0.5, 0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0]
6.13.1.10. Examples of a Synthesized Mesh using Tolerance Angles

Examples of a geometry that results from a synthesis for a given mesh with different Tolerance
Angle settings and Component Key specifications are illustrated below.
Meshed Model
This illustration is a graphical representation from Mechanical of the node data provided by a .cdb
file. Two nodal components have been processed: CylinderNodes and SideNodes.
Geometry
45° Tolerance Angle
This illustration represents a synthesized geometry that includes faces created using a 45° Tolerance
Angle.
In this illustration, the Tolerance Angle was specified as 25°. This resulted in an accurate synthesis
of the geometry.
Geometry
This example illustrates how only one face is generated for the geometry when no tolerance angle
(180°) is specified and no node-based components are processed. This type of result can also occur
when a node-based component contains all of the nodes for a given body.
6.13.2. Assembling External Models and Mechanical Models

You can import multiple meshed-based geometries into the Model cell of a Mechanical analysis system.
The sources of these geometries can be:
• External Model component systems
• Mechanical Model component systems
• Mechanical analysis systems
The source systems define the geometry and meshes for the downstream Mechanical system. In ad-
dition, upstream Mechanical Models, Mechanical analysis systems, and External Model systems support
the capability to transfer the following data/objects:
Mechanical Model/Mechanical Analysis System External Model

• Beam Connections (p. 1315) • Constraint Equation (p. 2372)
• Contacts (p. 1134) and Spot • Coordinate Systems

Welds (p. 1318)
• Element Orientation
Geometry
• Commands Object (p. 2407) (that are • Flexible Remote Connectors

children of objects that are
transferred) • Named Selections (p. 1347)
• Coordinate Systems (p. 1095) • Nodal Orientation
• Element Orientation (p. 1046) • Point Mass

(supported only when defined using
a Coordinate System) • Rigid Remote Connectors
• Engineering Data • Shell Thicknesses
• Grouping (p. 202) Objects • Spring Connectors
• Joints (p. 1202)
• Point Mass (p. 937)
• Remote Points (p. 1379)
• Springs (p. 1306)
Note:
Model-to-Model linking does not support upstream End Release objects.
Refer to the sections below for additional information about the requirements, capabilities, and
treatment of assembled models.
6.13.2.1. Assembly Examples
6.13.2.2. Model Assembly Specification
6.13.2.3. Model Alignment
6.13.2.4. Object Renaming
6.13.2.5. Associativity of Properties
6.13.2.6. Contact Detection
6.13.2.7. Mesh Modification
6.13.2.8. Using Legacy Databases
6.13.2.9. Limitations and Restrictions for Model Assembly
6.13.2.1. Assembly Examples

Examples of the Model Assembly feature are illustrated below. Model cells are linked (Model-to-
Model linking). You must first mesh all of the upstream systems in order to open the models in
Mechanical.
Assembling Mechanical Model Assembling Mechanical Model Systems and

Systems Analysis Systems
This example incorporates the External Model feature.
Assembling Mechanical Model Systems and External Model

Systems
6.13.2.2. Model Assembly Specification

Similar to defining Mesh-to-Mesh Connections, Model-to-Model linking provides certain Project
Schematic properties on the downstream Model cell prior to import. These properties can be
grouped into two categories as described below.
Geometry
General Model Assembly Properties
The following properties are applicable to all the objects imported into the downstream system.
Property Description
Length Unit Units in which the geometry is assembled in Mechanical.
Object Renaming Downstream system allows you to rename imported objects to
easily identify the source of the object and also to differentiate
objects from different sources with same name. The drop-down
list of automatic naming options includes:
• Off: no automatic naming of imported objects occurs.
• Based on Cell ID: automatic naming uses the upstream

system's cell ID.
• Based on System Name (default): automatic naming uses

the upstream system's system name.
• User Specified Tag: when selected, a User Specified Tag

entry field displays in the Transfer Settings property
category (describe below). The default value in this field
is the System Name of the upstream model. You can
change this name.
Note:
– This option is only applicable for

connections from Mechanical Model
systems. For connections from an Extern-
al Model or ACP Component Systems,
this option behaves as the Off setting

and no automatic naming occurs for
objects from the External Model or ACP
systems.
– Changing the Object Renaming option

immediately renames the corresponding
imported objects in the assembled
system. This behavior is different from
Group Objects By Source option which
groups/ungroups the objects based on
source on the next refresh operation.
Group Objects By Source Select the checkbox to automatically group the various source
objects created/imported during the assembly process. The
assembly process can generate a large number of objects.
Grouping them enables you to more easily manipulate the objects
in the tree structure. This feature works independently or it can
group existing groups of objects that you have defined in an
upstream system(s). See the Grouping Tree Objects (p. 202) section
of the Help for additional information.
Note:
• This option is only available when you have

more than one connection to the model or
when you have multiple copies specified for
the source Mechanical Model.
• Changing this option groups/ungroups the

imported objects on the next refresh operation.
This behavior is different from Object Renam-
ing option that immediately renames the
corresponding imported objects in the
assembled system.
Transfer Settings for "System Name"
Similar to importing mesh-based files using the External Model component system, these properties
are applicable to each source (upstream) model imported into the downstream system.
Note:
The application does not apply Rigid Transform values if they expand to the "identity
transformation." The identity transformation is when the values for Origin X, Origin Y,
Geometry
Origin Z are all zero (within a tolerance) and Theta XY, Theta YZ, Theta ZX are all multiples
of 360 degrees (within a tolerance). The application uses an absolute and relative tolerance
equal to the 2D Tolerance specified in the Geometry (p. 300) category of the Op-
tions (p. 293) preferences. You can change the specified default value (1e-5) using the
preference dialog.
Transformation Type You use this property to apply a transformation to your upstream
model. The transformation options for this property include
Rotation and Translation (default) and Mirroring.
The Rotation and Translation option enables you to translate

the origin of the upstream model along the X, Y, or Z axis or
to rotate the model about its origin in the XY, YZ, or ZX plane.
Using the Mirroring option enables you to import your
upstream model as well as a mirror copy of the model about
a specified plane. When you create a mirrored copy of your
model, the corresponding coordinate system is mirrored by
first mirroring the X and Y axes and then the Z axis is
computed to make sure the coordinate system adheres to
the right hand rule.
Note:
For the Rotation and Translation option,

transformations are applied in the following order:
1. Rotation about the Y Axis
2. Rotation about the X Axis
3. Rotation about the Z Axis
4. Translations
User Specified Tag This property allows you to append a label on to the name of
the imported objects. The default value is the System Name from
the upstream model. This property is only visible when the Object
Renaming property is set to User Specified Tag.
Number of Copies Specifying a number of copies greater than zero creates copies
of the source mesh. For example, if you import a Mechanical
Model with a single part and set Number Of Copies to 2, you
will get three parts in the downstream Mechanical system.
Renumber Mesh This property is active by default and automatically renumbers
Nodes and Elements the nodes and elements of your assembly. Deselecting this option
Automatically maintains the existing node and element numbering. Any
numbering duplication and the application will display an error
condition. You can modify node and element numbers with the
Mesh Numbering (p. 1332) feature once you import your assembly
into Mechanical.
Rigid Transform Transform the Original: This property is only available when
(Transformation Type Number Of Copies is set to 1 or greater. Select the checkbox if
= Rotation and you want to apply the specified transformation to the source
Translation) mesh.
Origin X, Y, and Z: Translate the origin of the model along the

X, Y, or Z axis. If you specify any copies, the translation will be
applied relative to the previous copy (or source mesh in the case
of the first copy).
Theta XY, Theta YZ, and Theta ZX: Rotate the model about its
origin in the XY, YZ, or ZX plane. If you specify any copies, the
rotation will be applied relative to the previous copy (or source
mesh in the case of the first copy).
Mirror Transform Plane Point X/Y/Z These properties enable you to define the
(Transformation Type coordinates of a point on the mirroring plane.
= Mirroring)
Plane Normal X/Y/Z: These properties enable you to define a
vector that is normal (orthogonal) to the mirroring plane.
6.13.2.3. Model Alignment

Introduction
Source models may need to be transformed (translated and rotated in space) to position and align
them. The transformations can be pre-calculated or you may need to calculate the transformations
based on the fit of your different sub-models. For example, you may need to align the hole from
one model to the bolt from another model.
There are two methods available to specify the rigid transformations for a source model:
1. Specifying Rigid Transform properties in Transfer Settings (p. 1029) for each Source Model.
These settings are useful if the required translation and rotation values are already available,
or can easily be calculated for a source.
2. Using the Worksheet on the Model node in the assembled system that enables you to
properly position and align your source models using coordinate systems that you import
from sources systems or that you create in Mechanical for the assembled system. The details
of alignment using Worksheet are discussed below.
Specifying Rigid Transforms Using the Worksheet

You access the Model Assembly Worksheet by selecting the Model object in Mechanical and the
selecting the fly-out menu of the Alignment property, as shown below, or by selecting the Worksheet
button on the Home Tab (p. 42).
Geometry
The Transfer Settings (p. 1029) selections you make on the Workbench Project page determine
what is displayed in the Mechanical Worksheet. In the example below, Rotation and Translation
and Mirror Transform have both been specified. The Worksheet sections populate based on your
Transformation Type entries.
The Worksheet contains a row for every Mechanical source model. For Rotation And Translation,
you need to specify a source and a target coordinate system, for each source model. For alignment,
the transforms are calculated such that the source coordinate system after transformation is aligned
with the target coordinate system. For Mirror Transform, you need to specify a Coordinate System
and an Axis to define the mirroring plane.
Example
The following example demonstrates the assembly of three components (a bolt, plate, and nut)
using the Rotation and Translation transformation. The unassembled geometry is shown below.
In this example, the plate needs to be aligned between the bolt head and the nut. To specify
alignment, the following coordinate systems are created:
• Coordinate System (Bolt): Centered at intersection of bolt axis and base of the bolt head.
Geometry
• Coordinate System (Nut): Centered at intersection of nut axis and top face of the nut.
• Coordinate System (Plate - Bolt) and Coordinate System (Plate - Nut): Centered at intersection
of hole axis and top and bottom faces of the plate, respectively.
You use the features of the Worksheet to specify alignment. In the following example, the:
• bolt is in its desired location so no transforms are specified for the bolt.
• plate needs to be aligned with the bolt head. The Coordinate System (Plate - Bolt) is specified
as source coordinate system and Coordinate System (Bolt) is specified as target coordinate
system.
• top face of the nut needs to be aligned with bottom face of the plate so Coordinate System
(Nut) is specified as source coordinate system and Coordinate System (Plate-Nut) is specified
as target coordinate system.
Once the transforms are specified using coordinate systems, you have three options to update the
rigid transform values in workbench, which include:
• Set Rigid Transforms: Calculates rigid transform value and sets them in Transfer Settings in
Workbench
• Set Rigid Transforms and Preview: Calculates rigid transform value, set them in Transfer Settings
in Workbench and Preview Geometry.
• Set Rigid Transforms and Refresh: Calculates rigid transform value, set them in Transfer Settings
in Workbench and Refresh Model.
The assembled system is shown below.
The worksheet contains the following additional columns:
• Copy: Enables you to specify a copy of the model that needs to be aligned. Calculates the
transforms such that the specified copy is aligned with the target coordinate system.
• Transform Original: Enables you to control Transform Original property when the number of
copies is greater than zero. If the Copy specified is 1, then the field is read-only and set to Yes.
• Status: Enables you to control how the transformations specified (using Coordinate System and
Target Coordinate System) in a particular row are applied during Rigid Transform calculation.
Options include:
– Active: The application performs a complete calculation to align Coordinate System with
Target Coordinate System.
– Inactive: The transformations for the Source are not calculated. The model does not move as
a result of calculating Rigid Transforms.
Geometry
– Locked: The application locks the source relative to the target, i.e. the source moves by the
same amount the target does. This option is useful when, for example, you need to move a
complete (and aligned) subassembly due to some additional requirement. In this case, for all
sources of the subassembly, set the Status to Locked and then specify the transformation
(using Coordinate System and Target Coordinate System) only for the root node (first source
in the chain).
• Message: Displays any validation messages if any of the entry is invalid.
Note:
For legacy databases (created in Mechanical version 15.1 or before), the Worksheet for
alignment is only available once you have reassembled your model in the current version.
6.13.2.4. Object Renaming

Once imported into Mechanical, automatic renaming occurs for the following objects imported
from upstream systems.
• Beams (p. 1315) • Grouped tree

objects (p. 202)
• Command objects (p. 2407)
• Joints (p. 1202)
• Contacts (p. 1134)
• Named
• Coordinate Systems (p. 1095) Selections (p. 1347)
• Cross Sections • Point Mass (p. 937)
• Geometry (p. 875) Bodies (Solid, Surface, • Remote

and Line) Points (p. 1379)
Based on the Object Renaming property specified in the General Model Assembly properties
group, the application appends the System Name, Cell Id, or the User Specified Tag to the object
name (in parenthesis). The example shown below is using the system name. In addition, if you
create copies of a mesh, the application incrementally appends the name (-2, -3, etc.).
Note that there may be limitations on the naming conventions used on for Named Selections objects.
See the Limitations and Restrictions for Model Assembly (p. 1043) topic in the Mechanical Model Systems
and Analysis Systems section for additional information.
6.13.2.5. Associativity of Properties

During model assembly, the application maintains the properties and scoping of the objects imported
from upstream systems (geometry bodies, coordinate systems, contact conditions, Joints, Named
Selections, and Command objects). These specifications are, by default, read-only in the downstream
analysis system. A Details view category, Transfer Properties, as illustrated below for examples of
a Named Selection and a Coordinate System, provides the Source name of the upstream system
and provides an option to change the object's properties from Read Only. Refreshing your system
returns these properties to a read-only state.
The properties of imported objects in a downstream system are by default, Read-Only, and inherit
their values from the upstream system, except for the Suppressed property. The Suppressed
property inherits its value from the upstream-system during the initial import only. The application
maintains this setting as long as you do not change the property in the downstream system. Unlike
all of the other properties that update when you modify the upstream system and refresh or reimport,
if you change the setting of the Suppressed property, the application preserves your change and
any subsequent upstream system updates and/or refresh or reimport does not affect this setting
update. Based on this unique characteristic of the Suppressed property, the application does not
treat the property as Read-Only.
Geometry
6.13.2.6. Contact Detection

During the import process when creating an assembly, the application not only imports and auto-
matically renames contact conditions, it automatically identifies and creates any new contact con-
ditions created as a result of the assembly process. During the import process, two types of contact
conditions are detected:
1. Contacts between sub-assemblies imported from different sources. This type of contact
detection happens for all sources, either imported from Mechanical Model or mesh-based
geometry systems like External Model or ACP.
2. Contacts within an imported sub-assembly. This type of contact detection happens only
for mesh-based geometry systems like ACP or Deformed Mesh (except External Model).
The example below illustrates the generation and renaming of contact conditions for two copies
of a Mechanical Model. In addition, the highlighted contact condition is for the new contact con-
ditions between the assembled geometries.
In addition to contact detection during the import process, the Mechanical application allows you
to detect contact between sub-assemblies or within a sub-assembly after importing (assembling)
the models.
To automatically generate connections between sub-assemblies:
1. Insert a Connection Group object under the Connections object using the Connections (p. 52)
Context tab or by right-clicking on the Connections object and selecting Insert>Connection Group.
2. In the Details view for the new Connection Group, select the Assemblies option for the Search
Across property.
3. As needed, specify any other Auto Detection properties.
4. Right-click the Connection Group object and select Create Automatic Connections.
To automatically generate connections within a sub-assembly:
1. Specify Source Assembly for the Scoping Method property
2. Select the desired assembly from the Source Assembly property's drop-down list.
Note:
The application only applies updates to the Source Assembly for this Connection
Group.
Geometry
To automatically generate connections between the files of an External Model source:
1. Set the Scoping Method property to Source Assembly.
2. Select the desired source file from the Source Assembly property's drop-down list.
Note:
The application only applies updates to the Source Assembly for this Connection
Group.
4. Set the Search Across property to Files.
6.13.2.7. Mesh Modification

When you assemble files from upstream sources (Mechanical Model, External Data, and/or analysis
systems), the Mesh object presents an additional category called Model Assembly that includes
a property called Read Only. The options for this property are Yes (default) and No. It should be
a rare requirement, but you can change the setting of this property (to No) if all of the upstream
systems are either Mechanical Model sources or analysis system sources. When set to No, all of the
Mesh object's default properties display and although they are not in sync with the upstream systems,
you can edit the assembly's mesh and regenerate the mesh.
Setting the Read Only property to Yes following changes to the model that cause the mesh to
become out-of-date, you can clear and resume your original mesh using the Generate Mesh option.
An associated process for the resume operation on Generate Mesh is that during the attachment
process the application verifies that the mesh is available on all unsuppressed bodies and that the
Stiffness Behavior settings for all of the assembled bodies match the stiffness behavior from the
source file. If this verification is unsuccessful, then the attachment process will not complete and
the application generates error messages that list the bodies in error.
In addition, when the Read Only property is set to Yes, the use of the following features is not
supported:
• Cyclic Symmetry (p. 1442)
• Mesh Controls (Sizing, etc.)
• Mesh Connections: when at least one upstream system is ACP or External Model.
• Node Merge: when at least one upstream ACP system has an Interface Layer defined.
• Mesh Numbering (p. 1332): when at least one upstream system is ACP.
• Fracture Meshing (p. 418): when at least one upstream system is ACP or External Model.
Note:
It is recommended that you define all mesh controls and settings in your upstream sys-
tems.
Mesh settings on upstream systems take priority over any downstream mesh settings.
That is, any changes to an upstream system will overwrite your mesh setting changes
on your downstream system once updated. As a result, you could see differences between
the assembled mesh and the settings of the downstream meshed model. Therefore, to
have your downstream mesh to be updated per the mesh setting changes, you need to
re-mesh your downstream model once it has been refreshed.
The application suppresses Mesh controls if they are present in the assembled system
during the Mesh transfer process. You may unsuppress the mesh controls and remesh
if the assembled system allows for it (assembled system does not have a connection
from External Model or ACP).
6.13.2.8. Using Legacy Databases

You may encounter compatibility issues when importing model assemblies that you saved in a
previous version of the application. To address this, you can first update the legacy system to your
current version using the following steps:
From Workbench
To update your systems to the current version: right-click on the Model cell of the upstream system
and select Update. The application automatically saves the project and as a result, updates the
systems to the current version of the software.
From Mechanical
In the event you open a legacy system in Mechanical and are prompted with a warning message
regarding the version, you can:
1. Make a minor change that does not affect the solution states (hide a body and unhide it again,
change the name of an object, etc.).
2. Save the Mechanical database or close the application. The systems are updates to the newer
version.
6.13.2.9. Limitations and Restrictions for Model Assembly

Note the following requirements for model assembly:
• Parts are made up of one or more bodies. As a result, when working with model systems, the
application treats meshed parts and meshed bodies differently with regards to whether the mesh
is transferred to the downstream system. Bodies meshed in an upstream system always transfer
the mesh to the downstream system. However, parts (single-body or multi-body) meshed and
suppressed later in an upstream system; do not have their mesh transferred to the downstream
Geometry
system during assembly. Consequently, when the downstream system supports unsuppression
(Mesh object Read Only property set to No), any unsuppressed parts require you to generate a
new mesh (unlike an unsuppressed body). This is a different behavior compared to transferring
a single model. The application transfers the mesh of a suppressed part for a single model and
enables you to unsuppress parts without generating a new mesh.
• The application does not support Mesh Edit features, such as Mesh Connections, Node Merge,
etc. in the assembled system if the Read-Only property on the Mesh object in the assembled
system is set to Yes and if at least one of the upstream systems includes mesh edits.
• Don't lose scoping: Geometry from External Model (.cdb) files is partially associative. When you
have geometry from multiple External Model system assembled, and you refresh upstream
model data into the downstream system, any geometry scoping that you have performed on an
object in the downstream analysis will be lost for the modified External Model system only. That
is, only External Model systems that you change lose scoping. For example, if you have two
External Model systems assembled, System 1 and System 2, and you have objects scoped to
geometry in the assembled system. If you modify System 1 and then refresh the upstream system,
geometry scoping on objects is lost only for System 1. System 2 experiences no scoping losses.
A more robust way to maintain scoping is to properly define imported Named Selections or cri-
terion-based Named Selections.
In addition, if you are using the Inventor application, Autodesk Inventor, any changes you make
in the application will cause the loss of scoping in the downstream Mechanical system following
an update.
• The Geometry object property Scale Factor Value, allows you to modify the size of imported
geometries in the upstream systems. The scale factor value of newly imported geometries is 1.0.
You can modify the value and that modified value is expected to be preserved on updated
models.
Be aware that when you assemble models and change the associated unit of measure, you are
limited by a scale factor limit of 1e-3 to 1e3. This scale factor limit is the limit for any combin-
ation of models. Factor values are totaled and anything outside of this range is ignored. As a
result, due to these tolerances, scaled models, especially larger and/or combined models, some-
times have problems importing geometry/mesh.
• You need to perform material assignment in the upstream systems. The Material category property,
Assignment, in the downstream system is read-only.
• For Named Selections, Mechanical sends only 32 characters to the Mechanical APDL application
input file (p. 1377).
The use of Based on System Name or User Specified Tag options for the Object Renaming
property can easily generate names which are same for the first 32 characters and therefore
cause Named Selections created later in the process to overwrite earlier ones. The application
issues a warning if this scenario is detected during the solution process.
Note that this limitation only affects the use of Named Selections in a Commands (p. 2407) object.
For all other objects scoped to named selections, the length of named selection has no bearing
on the scoping.
• When you assemble rigid body systems or systems that include rigid bodies, Mechanical may
require you to remesh the rigid bodies if the application detects new contact conditions on the
rigid bodies. If this is the case, the application sets the Read Only property on the Mesh object
to No and also cleans any imported mesh-based Named Selections. These objects need to be re-
scoped. The Mesh object property, Read Only is set to No when importing rigid bodies or rigid
body systems from Mechanical Model and/or analysis systems. Note that it is not possible to
remesh (Read Only cannot be set to No) when assembling upstream sources from External
Model or ACP, so contact conditions with rigid bodies are not allowed in such cases if remeshing
is required.
• You cannot create or define Virtual Topology in the assembled system. As needed, define the
required virtual topology features in the upstream systems. Furthermore, if you do define virtual
topology, any change to the topology can cause scoping losses in the downstream system. You
can correct scoping losses using the geometry Scoping Wizard (p. 151).
• The application does not currently support the ability to transfer parameters from upstream
systems to the assembled system. As a result, upstream parameters will not be present in the
assembled system.
• Model systems do not support the following features. If present, updates to the project fail for
the system transferring data to a downstream system. You need to suppress or delete these
features before transferring data.
– Crack Objects
– Interface layers Imported from ACP
– Substructuring
– Cyclic Symmetry
– Symmetry Region
You may wish to refer to the Mechanical Model section of the Workbench Help for additional in-
formation about this component system.
Additional Limitations and Restrictions for External Model Component System

When an External Model component system is incorporated into model-to-model assembly, certain
additional limitations and restrictions arise:
• Any suppressed bodies from other upstream systems can be unsuppressed in the downstream
environment provided they were meshed prior to being suppressed in the upstream system.
However, suppressed parts from other upstream systems can never be unsuppressed in the
downstream environment when using the External Model component system. These restric-
tions also apply when using the options Unsuppress All Bodies and/or Invert Suppressed
Body Set.
• Geometry from External Model is partially associative. When you have geometry from
multiple External Model system assembled, and you refresh upstream model data into the
downstream system, any geometry scoping that you have performed on an object in the
downstream analysis will be lost for the modified External Model system only. That is, only
External Model systems that you change lose scoping. For example, if you have two External
Geometry
Model systems assembled, System 1 and System 2, and you have objects scoped to geometry
in the assembled system. If you modify System 1 and then refresh the upstream system,
geometry scoping on objects is lost only for System 1. System 2 experiences no scoping
losses. A more robust way to maintain scoping is to properly define imported Named Selec-
tions or criterion-based Named Selections.
• Limitations similar to geometry associativity also apply to properties on bodies imported

from External Model systems. Any changes made to properties on bodies imported from
an External Model system in the assembled system are lost if the source External Model
system is modified. Properties on bodies from other (unmodified) External Model(s) are
maintained.
• Cylindrical supports (p. 1807) cannot be applied to mesh-based files imported using the Ex-
ternal Model Component. You can instead apply equivalent loading using a Displace-
ment (p. 1784) load applied in appropriate cylindrical coordinate system.
• During the assembly process, if named selections from different files (sources) have the same
name, the application merges these named selections.
6.14. Element Orientation

The Element Orientation feature is used define the orientations and alignments of elements/bodies for
a given model. It enables you to define the coordinate system of one or more manually selected elements
or each element of a specified body. As described below, there are two application methods for the
Element Orientation feature: either the Surface and Edge Guide (p. 1047) option that is the default, or
the Coordinate System (p. 1049) option. An example of each option accompanies the application steps.
In addition, review the procedure used to generate orientations (p. 1051) when using the Surface and
Edge Guide option as well as the display options (p. 1051) that enable you to change the how you wish
to view the orientation vectors in the graphics window.
Also see the Element Orientation object reference page for additional information about this feature.
Note:
Element Orientations can also be imported through External Data (p. 745) or the External
Model system. See the Imported Element Orientation (External Data) and Imported: Element
Orientations (External Model) object reference pages for more information.
Requirements
Note the following requirements for this feature:
• It is supported for 3D solids and shells.
• If multiple edges are selected in the Edge Guide category, the edges must be connected.
• The feature is not supported by the Rigid Body or Explicit Dynamics analysis systems.
Element Orientation
• The LS-DYNA analysis system supports element orientation.
Caution:
When solving your analysis, you may receive the following message if you are using the
Element Orientation feature and your Ply/Layer data has overlapping elements.
"Some Element Orientations will be ignored in the solution process due to overlapping
elements from Imported Plies."
Note:
• For shell elements, this feature uses the projection of the local system on the shell surface.
As a result, the element orientations displayed in the graphics window will be the same
as those used by the solver.
• If you want to import Element Orientations from an upstream Mechanical system to a

downstream Mechanical system, the application only supports Element Orientations defined
by a coordinate system.
For specific technical information about this feature, refer to the ESYS command in the Mechanical
APDL Command Reference as well as the Understanding the Element Coordinate System in the Mechan-
ical APDL Element Reference.
Application
Surface and Edge Guide Option (default option)
To define your element orientation using the Surface and Edge Guide option:
1. Select the Geometry object in the tree.
2. Select the Element Orientation option on the Geometry Context tab (p. 58) or right-click and
select Insert>Element Orientation or right-click in the Geometry window and select Insert>Ele-
ment Orientation. The new object becomes the active object.
Note:
You can insert multiple Element Orientation objects into the tree. The last object
inserted supersedes previous objects that have the same body scoping.
3. In the Scope category of the Details view:
a. Define the Scoping Method as either Geometry Selection or Named Selection.
Geometry
b. Select the body you wish to apply orientations to and, click in the Geometry property's field,
and then click the Apply button. You can also specify an element or elements (p. 239) as well
as a desired geometry- or element-based (p. 239) Named Selection.
Note:
The body you select may have an existing coordinate system scoping; how-
ever, once defined by an Element Orientation system, the feature overwrites
any existing coordinate systems.
4. In the Definition category of the Details view specify the Defined By property as Surface and
Edge Guide.
5. In the Surface Guide category of the Details view:
b. Select the face or faces that you wish to define to be the Surface Guide, click in the Geometry
property's field, and then click the Apply button. Or, specify a desired Named Selection.
You can select multiple faces to define this surface geometry.
c. Specify the axis for the perpendicular direction from the Axis property drop-down list, either
+/- X Axis, +/- Y Axis, or +/- Z Axis.
6. In the Edge Guide category of the Details view:
b. Select the edge or edges that you wish to define as tangent to the target body, click in the
Geometry property's field, and then click the Apply button. Or, specify a desired Named
Selection.
c. Specify the axis for the tangent direction from the Axis property drop-down list, either +/-
X Axis, +/- Y Axis, or +/- Z Axis.
7. Right-click the Element Orientation object and select Generate Orientations.
Note:
This feature requires an X, Y, and Z coordinate. You define two of the coordinates,
surface and edge, and the application calculates the third required coordinate.
8. Select the Wireframe view option to view the new orientations.
Surface and Edge Guide Orientation Example
The following images illustrate the use of the Surface and Edge Guide option. The first image shows
the defined body (in purple) and the Surface Guide (red face) and Edge Guide (yellow edge) selections.
The second image illustrates the internal element orientations that were generated with all bodies dis-
played and the third image is an enlargement of the target body only.
Element Orientation
Coordinate System Option
To define your element orientation using the Coordinate System option:
1. Select the Geometry object in the tree.
2. Select the Element Orientation option on the Geometry Context tab (p. 58) or right-click and
select Insert>Element Orientation or right-click in the graphics window and select Insert>Ele-
ment Orientation. The new object becomes the active object.
Note:
You can insert multiple Element Orientation objects into the tree. The last object
inserted supersedes previous objects that have the same body scoping.
3. In the Scope category of the Details view:
Geometry
b. Select the body you wish to apply orientations to and, click in the Geometry property's field,
and then click the Apply button. You can also specify an element or elements (p. 239) as well
as a desired geometry- or element-based (p. 239)Named Selection.
Note:
Note:
4. In the Definition category of the Details view specify the Defined By property as Coordinate
System.
5. Set the Coordinate System property to the desired coordinate system that you have created.
One single triad automatically displays on the applicable region. No other triads are shown,
unlike the Surface and Edge Guide option.
6. Select the Wireframe view option to view the new orientations.
Coordinate System Orientation Example
The following images illustrate the use of the Coordinate System option. The first image shows the
defined body and the second image illustrates the coordinate-based element orientation.
Element Orientation
Generation Procedures for Surface and Edge Guide Option

The Surface Guides and Edge Guides use the following procedure to generate orientations:
1. Identify one or more surfaces to be the surface guide and one or more edges to be the edge guide.
2. Identify the 1st axis (for example, z-axis) that will align normal to the surface guide.
3. Identify the 2nd axis (for example, x-axis) that will align itself tangential to the edge guide.
For each element in the selected body:
• The application obtains the surface normal direction (N-vector) at a location on the Surface Guide
closest to the element's centroid and aligns the specified axis (z-axis) with it.
• The application obtains the tangential direction (T-vector) to the edge at a location on the Edge
Guide that is closest to the element's centroid.
• The cross-product of the N-vector and T-vector calculate the 3rd axis (y-axis).
• The tangential, 2nd axis (x-axis), is obtained by taking the cross-product of the N-vector and the 3rd
axis.
Display Options
Once orientations are generated, the Vector Display group appears in the Geometry Context tab.
Note:
Because Element Orientations have no magnitude, vector length is always uniform and
therefore, the Proportional and Uniform options are inactive.
The Display options provide the following features.
Option Illustration Description

Vectors Selecting this option activates the associated display options.
Element Displays all vectors, aligned with each element.

Aligned
Grid Displays vectors, aligned on a uniform grid.
Aligned
Geometry
Option Illustration Description

Density Controls the relative size of the grid, which determines the quantity
Slider (density) of the vectors. Increases are made in uniform steps from 0
[coarse] to 100 [fine] (default = 20), as displayed in the tool tip when
you drag the mouse cursor on the slider handle.
This control is only available when the Grid Aligned option is

selected.
Scaling Controls the relative length of the vectors in incremental steps from
Slider 1 to 10 (default = 5), as displayed in the tool tip when you drag the
mouse cursor on the slider handle.
Line Displays element vectors as line arrows.
Form
Solid Displays element vectors as solid arrows.
Form
Origin Displays origin of the nodes included in each element orientation.
X Turns the display of the X Axis of an element on and off.

Axis
Y Turns the display of the Y Axis of an element on and off.
Axis
Z Turns the display of the Z Axis of an element on and off.
Axis
These options are similar to the options of the Vector Display (p. 77) for results.
6.15. Part Transformations

While setting up your simulation, you can use the Part Transform feature to modify the orientation of
parts on your model. This can be beneficial if you want to reorient or move certain parts after they have
been imported into Mechanical as well as if you wish to simulate different parts orientations. The feature
also enables you to parameterize your changes.
Important:
When you use the Part Transform feature on a meshed model that has a crack specified on
a part, each time you change the Part Transform, the application clears the mesh on the
body with cracks and requires re-mesh of the crack-based body.
Application
To create part transformations:
1. Select the Model object and then select the Part Transform option on Model context toolbar. As
illustrated below, a Transforms folder object is placed in the Outline and automatically includes a
Part Transform object. This folder object houses all of the part transformations.
Part Transformations
Additional insertion options include:
• Right-click on the Model object or in the Geometry window and select Insert > Part
Transform to insert these objects.
• Select the parts/bodies you wish to transform from the Geometry object or on your model
in the Geometry window, right-click, and then select Create Part Transform.
2. As needed, change the settings of the Transforms object properties, including:
• Transform Mesh: Options include Yes (default) and No. This property controls whether the
application automatically transforms the mesh of your transformed parts. Setting this
property to No instructs the application to clear the mesh of your transformed parts when
updated.
• Regenerate Contacts: Options include Yes and No (default). This property controls
whether the application automatically generates contact on your transformed parts.
3. Specify the Scoping Method property as either Geometry (default) or Named Selections.
Geometry
4. Specify your desired geometry:
• Select the entry field of the Geometry property and, using the Body selection filter on the
Graphics toolbar (p. 100), make geometry selections on the model, and then select the Apply
button. Once specified, this field displays the number of parts you have selected (for example,
1 Part, 2 Parts, etc.). An example is illustrated below.
Or...
• Select a body-based Named Selection from the Named Selection property drop-down list.
Once specified, this field displays the specified Named Selection. An example is illustrated
below.
Note:
If you make a geometry selection using either the Face, Edge, or Vertex selection
filters or if you specify a Named Selection based on any of these geometric entities,
the application automatically selects the entire body associated with the entity.
Mesh selection options are not supported.
5. Using the Define By property, select your transformation method. Options include Rotation and
Translation (default) and Coordinate System.
• Rotation and Translation: You use this option and the associated Transform X/Y/Z and
Rotate X/Y/Z properties to specify the dimensions for moving or reorienting the selected
parts. This option also provides an associated Coordinate System property that you can
use to define a user-defined coordinate system instead of using the default Global Coordin-
ate System setting. Note that the application applies the rotational transforms first, followed
by translation transformations.
Geometry
• Coordinate System: You use this option and the associated (source) Coordinate System
and Target Coordinate System properties to specify your transformation on the selected
parts by coordinate systems. For this option, you need to manually create a Target Coordin-
ate System that will be the basis of the transformation. The application reorients your se-
lected parts by aligning the source coordinate system with the user-defined Target Coordin-
ate System.
6. Specify your desired transformations. Once you complete your entries, the parts highlight as indic-
ated by the annotations Before Transform/After Transform. The red display shows the current
position of your parts and the blue highlight shows the pending location of the transformation.
An example is illustrated below. A Coordinate System system is created for the transformation
location and the parts are rotated 90° in the +Y direction.
Geometry
7. Right-click on the Part Transform object (or the Transforms object) and select Transform.
The parts are moved and/or reoriented as specified. Before and after highlights are also shown
following the transformation.
Geometry
8. You can perform additional transformations as needed. If you create multiple transformations, you
can change their order in the Outline by dragging and dropping the objects onto one another.
6.16. Geometry from Deformation Results

From the Project Schematic, Workbench and Mechanical enable you to link and transfer the deformed
geometry and mesh that are based on a Deformation (p. 2122) result, from a Static Structural, Transient
Structural, Modal, Eigenvalue Buckling, Explicit Dynamics, or LS-DYNA system to a Mechanical Model
system or to (any (p. 363)) Mechanical analysis system.
Important:
• Your analysis must use the Mechanical APDL solver or the AUTODYN solver.
• The AUTODYN solver does not support the Particle (SPH) Reference Frame for this feature.
Geometry from Deformation Results
This approach is ideal for using a displaced structure as the initial geometry of a subsequent analysis.
For example, you might wish to introduce imperfections to an otherwise perfect geometry to overcome
convergence issues when running a nonlinear simulation.
Specifications and Limitations

Note the following:
• Named Selections (face-, node-, and elemental-based) transfer from the upstream system.
• The application creates the deformed geometry using the unit system of the result file, that is,
the unit system that was used during the solution of the upstream system.
• Property specifications made to the bodies of the geometry in the upstream systems transfer to
the downstream system. These specifications are, by default, read-only in the downstream ana-
lysis system. A Details view category, Transfer Properties, provides the Source name of the
upstream system and provides an option to change the object's properties from Read Only. If
the Read Only property for a body is changed to No, the property specifications made in the
upstream system will not transfer when data is refreshed.
• Property specifications made on the Geometry object of the upstream system do not transfer
to the downstream system.
• Rigid and Gasket bodies do not transfer.
• Materials transfer only when the upstream and downstream systems share the Engineering Data
cell.
• The application does not support the transfer of 1) Material Assignment objects or 2) bodies
whose material is defined by a Material Assignment object.
• This option does not support a Nonlinear Adaptive Region (p. 1826).
Important:
For line bodies, the nodal coordinates of the orientation nodes are not updated and remain
the same as the initial geometry/mesh. Therefore, carefully validate the results of any analysis
that uses the deformed geometry if the initial geometry has line bodies.
Application
1. Identify the deformation result within the solved analysis that you wish to use. An example Eigenvalue
Buckling analysis is illustrated below. The result to be specified is the first result (Mode = 1).
Geometry
2. Return to the Project Schematic and link the Mechanical Solution cell to the Model cell of the
downstream Mechanical system. You can create links from the Solution cell to multiple downstream
Model cells.
Geometry from Deformation Results
In the continued example shown here, the Solution cell is selected. Note the properties under the
heading "Update Settings for Static Structural 2", the new downstream system. If multiple links are
present, there is an instance of the "Update Settings for Analysis Type" in the properties for each
linked analysis. If you change a setting in properties for a linked system, this causes the data for all
of the other downstream systems to become obsolete and you need to refresh the data on each
system.
The properties include:
• Process Nodal Components: Enables the upstream system to import node-based components
defined in the mesh files. The application transfers the data to downstream Mechanical systems
as node-based Named Selections. The application renames (p. 1038) the node-based Named
Selection objects in Mechanical based on the selection made in the Object Renaming
property.
• Nodal Component Key: This entry field enables you to filter and import only those node-
based components that start with a specified name/string value in the mesh files. For example,
you want to import only node-based components that start with the prefix string "nodal_*."
Enter that string into this field and the application filters through all component names and
returns only the components that begin with this key string value.
• Process Element Components: Enables the upstream system to import any element-based
components defined in the mesh files. The application transfers data to downstream Mech-
anical systems as elemental-based Named Selections. The application renames (p. 1038) the
element-based Named Selection objects in Mechanical based on the selection made in the
Object Renaming property.
• Element Component Key: This entry field enables you to filter and import only those element-
based components that start with a specified name/string value in the mesh files. For example,
you want to import only element-based components that start with the prefix string "ele-
mental_*." Enter that string into this field and the application filters through all component
names and returns only the components that begin with this string value.
• Scale Factor: this property scales the displacements of the initial configuration. If Scale
Factor is 1.0, the full displacement value will be added to each node, 0.5, half the displace-
ment value will be added, and so on. Negative Scale Factor values subtract the displacements
and reverse the direction of deformation.
• Time/Mode: this property is based on the analysis system.
For a Static Structural, Transient Structural, or Explicit Dynamics system, you specify a Time
setting for the upstream system's results for each downstream Model cell. The Time property
options include End Time (default) and User Defined.
Geometry
For Eigenvalue Buckling or Modal systems, you specify the desired Mode, for each connection
to a downstream Model cell. In this bucking example, it is Mode, and displays the result that
you selected in the buckling analysis (Mode = 1) to use as your geometry and mesh in this
subsequent analysis. You can change the desired/target result at this time (to Mode = 2, 3,
etc.).
Important:
– If you enter a Time value that is greater than the end time of the upstream
analysis, the result generated for the deformed geometry assumes the final time.
If specified by Mode, and you enter a Mode value greater than the maximum
number reported by the solution, geometry generation fails.
– If you enter a User Defined time of 0, the application generates the geometry
at the End Time.
3. The Model cell is selected in the example shown below for the new system. Specify any Model As-
sembly or Mesh Conversion Options on the Model cell of the downstream system to modify or as-
semble the new geometry.
Note:
If you are incorporating a deformed geometry into Model Assembly systems, you
need to share the Engineering Data cell of the deformed geometry system with
one or more of the Model Assembly systems in order to have the materials automat-
ically transferred and set for the deformed geometry in the downstream system.
Geometry From Rigid Dynamics Results
4. Open the new system in Mechanical. The new geometry and the mesh are transferred.
Note:
When you are using a deformation result as a geometry, the same behavioral character-
istics as well as limitations apply as those associated with importing mesh-based geomet-
ries. See the Requirements and Limitations (p. 953) topic of in the Import Workflow and
Interface Options (p. 946) section of the Help for specific information.
6.17. Geometry From Rigid Dynamics Results

From the Project Schematic, Workbench and Mechanical enable you to link and transfer updated
geometry and connections that are based on a simulation result from a Rigid Dynamics system to a
Mechanical Model system or to any (p. 363) Mechanical analysis system.
Geometry
This approach is ideal for using a displaced model as the initial geometry of a subsequent analysis. For
example, you may wish to convert one body from rigid to flexible and perform a static analysis at a
given configuration using the corresponding motion loads. It is also useful when the analysis of one
single component is not accurate enough. This can be the case if contact exists on the parts of interest
for the stress analysis.
Specification and Limitations

Note the following:
• The application creates the updated geometry using the unit system of the result file (the unit system
that was used during the solution of the upstream system).
• Property specifications made to the bodies of the geometry in the upstream system transfers to the
downstream system. These specifications are, by default, read-only in the downstream system. A
Details view category, Transfer Properties, provides the Source name of the upstream system and
provides an option to change the object's properties from Read Only. If the Read Only property for
a body is changed to No, the property specifications made in the upstream system will not transfer
when the data is refreshed.
• Property specifications made on the Geometry object of the upstream system do not transfer to the
downstream system.
• Joints Initial Position property in the downstream system will be set to Override.
• Flexible, Line, and Gasket Bodies are not supported.
• Nonlinear spring and bushing properties are identical to those in the upstream properties, and are
not re-evaluated around the new operating point.
Application
1. Identify the configuration results within the solved analysis that you wish to use. An example is
shown below. The configuration to be specified is the result at time = 1.5.
Geometry From Rigid Dynamics Results
2. Return to the Project Schematic and link the Mechanical Solution cell to the Model cell of the
downstream Mechanical system.
Geometry
3. If you change a setting in certain properties for the linked system, the data of the downstream system
becomes obsolete and you should refresh the data on the system.
Properties which cause the downstream system to become obsolete include:
• Time: For a Rigid Dynamics system, specify a Time setting for the upstream system's results for
the downstream Model cell. The Time property can be set to End Time or User Defined.
Bolt Tools Add-on
Important:
If you enter a Time value that is greater than the end time of the upstream analysis,
the result generated for the updated geometry uses the end time. If you enter a User
Defined time of 0, the application also uses the geometry from the end time of the
analysis. This differs from the imported geometry in that the model is assembled at
time = 0 to satisfy all kinematic constraints (joints, joint conditions, and user-defined
constraint equations).
4. Open the new system in Mechanical. The new geometry and the updated connections are transferred.
6.18. Bolt Tools Add-on

The Bolt Tools Add-on streamlines the modeling of bolted connections in Ansys Mechanical.
For more information about this add-on, see Bolt Tools Add-on in the Mechanical Add-ons Guide.
Chapter 7: Materials
The following topics explain the use of material features:
• Materials (Group)
• Material
• Material Assignment (p. 1071)
• Engineering Data Material View (p. 1073)
• Engineering Data Materials Dialog (p. 1083)
• Material Plot (p. 1087)
• Material Combination (p. 1089)
• Imported Material Fields (p. 1091)
• Refresh Materials (p. 1092)
• Unique Material-Based MAPDL Commands (p. 1092)
7.1. Material Assignment

The Material Assignment feature provides a convenient way to assign a material to multiple bodies
and control its behavior, such as nonlinear effects, thermal strain calculation, or reference temperature.
It also provides a convenient way for you to edit material properties through a Commands (APDL) object.
Important:
• If you scope a Material Assignment object to elements, the application does not validate
that the assigned material includes all required material properties to assure a successful
solution. As a result, the following results and result tools that use these material properties,
do not produce correct result values. These result types only support body scoping.
– Error (Structural, Thermal, and Magnetic)
– Strain results
– Stress Tool results
– Fatigue Tool results
• The Material Assignment feature is not supported by LS-DYNA.
Materials
To insert and apply a Material Assignment object:
1. Select either the Materials object or one of its material child objects.
2. Select the Material Assignment option from the Materials Context tab or, right-click the Ma-
terials object and select Insert > Material Assignment. A Material Assignment object is
placed in the Outline.
3. Select your Scoping Method: either Geometry Selection or Named Selection.
4. Select the desired Bodies or Elements or select an appropriate user-defined Named Selection.
5. Specify the desired material using the Material Name property. This property behaves just like
the Material Assignment (p. 350) property of a body or part. And, it can be designated as a
parameter.
6. Specify the following as needed:
• Nonlinear Effects (p. 350)
• Thermal Strain Effects (p. 351)
• Reference Temperature (p. 349)
7. As needed, modify the Field Coordinate System setting. Using the Default Coordinate System
setting, all of the specified bodies will have the same coordinate system.
The use of material assignment also affects how materials are sent to the solver. By default, when
Mechanical creates an input file, the application assigns a unique material identifier (matid, #) to
each body of the model regardless of the material assigned to the body/part. Here is an example input
file. Each part is assigned the material Structural Steel and has its own material identifier.
!*********** Model Summary ********************
!Part 12, Structural Steel, matid, 1
!*********************** End Model Summary *****************
When material assignment object is used, all the scoped bodies are assigned the same material identi-
fier, as illustrated below (mat id, 43). For this example, you can see the default behavior of material
assignment as well as the Material Assignment feature.
!*********** Model Summary ********************
!Part 133, Titanium Alloy, matid, 43
!Part 134, Titanium Alloy, matid, 43
Engineering Data Material View

!*********************** End Model Summary *****************
Note:
• When specifying the same material to multiple bodies using Material Assignment object,
the application can no longer identify the bodies using the material identifier (matid) in
the solver input file. In this case, you can use the typeids list to identify a body. The
identifier typeids is a one-dimension array parameter that you can use to access the
type numbers for a body. You can access type numbers using a subscript (enclosed in
parentheses) to identify the required item of the array. For example, to access the first
type number for the body use typeids(1).
• The Material Assignment feature cannot be used with either Layered Section or Imported
Trace.
7.2. Engineering Data Material View

You can use the Engineering Data Material View to perform the following tasks:
• Add materials to your model
• View the properties of materials
• Compare properties across multiple materials
This allows you to research and select material(s) to assign to specific application objects (p. 1085) that
require material assignment via the Assignment property.
See the following sections for more information:

7.2.1. Engineering Data Material View Access and Layout
7.2.2. Adding Materials to a Project
7.2.3. Viewing Material Data
7.2.4. Searching and Filtering Materials
7.2.5. Comparing Materials
7.2.1. Engineering Data Material View Access and Layout

To access the Engineering Data Material View, click the Materials object in the Outline pane. The
following window is displayed.
Materials
The Engineering Data Material View has the following layout:
• Favorite + Recent Materials are materials that were identified as a favorite or were recently used.
This provides quick access for adding commonly-used materials to the project. These materials are
displayed in every Mechanical session.
– Favorite Materials are identified with a star icon . To select or deselect a material as a favorite,
click the icon for that material.
– Materials that were recently added to a project are identified with a clock icon . The five
materials that were added most recently are displayed across Mechanical sessions.
• The Search Bar lets you search for materials in the Ansys material libraries and add them to your
project. For detailed descriptions of the different types of material searches, see Searching and
Filtering Materials (p. 1079).
• Project Materials lists the materials that are included in the current project. These materials are
identified with a tag icon .
• Material Data shows detailed information about the selected material as described in Viewing Ma-
terial Data (p. 1075). It can also show comparisons between multiple materials as described in Com-
paring Materials (p. 1082).
7.2.2. Adding Materials to a Project

You can add materials to your project from the Engineering Data Material View. These materials can
then be assigned (p. 1071) to bodies in your model.
1. Locate the material you would like to use in your model.
By default, there are three favorite materials: Air, Water Liquid, and Structural Steel. If you would
like to use other materials in your model, you must search for them. Use the search field (p. 1079)
to locate materials that match the search criteria you specify via the filtering options (p. 1079).
2. Hover the mouse over the desired material to highlight it.
3. Click the plus icon next to the material name to add it to your project.
The name of the material is displayed in the project materials area of the Engineering Data Material
View. It is also listed as a material object under the Materials folder in the Outline pane.
7.2.3. Viewing Material Data

You can display the following information about a material in the Engineering Data Material view:
• The material name
• A short description of the material
• The source library and labels for the material
• The properties of the material
Displaying Material Data

To display a detailed view of material data. do one of the following.
• Click a material object under the Materials folder in the Outline pane.
• Click the name of a material in the left-hand side of the Engineering Data Material View to select
it. This applies to favorite materials, recent materials, and returns from material searches (p. 1079).
The Material View window then displays detailed information about the selected material. The example
below shows detailed information for Aluminum alloy, wrought, 3105, O.
Materials
Engineering Material Detailed View

The detailed view shows the following information for the material you selected:
Color Block
The color of the block indicates the color that will be used to display this material in a model. An
imported material that does not have a color will be assigned a random color.
Name
The name of the material. In the example above, the material name is Aluminum alloy, wrought,
3105, O.
Description
(Optional.) A short description or notes about the material. In the example above, the material
description is Aluminum, 3105, O, wrought. Data compiled by Ansys Granta, incorporating
various sources including JAHM and MagWeb. ANSYS, Inc. provides no warranty for this
data.
Label
Hover the mouse over the tag icon in the upper right-hand corner of the window to view the labels
associated with a material. The labels for Aluminum alloy, wrought, 3105, O are Metals - non-
ferrous and Aluminum alloys.
Library
Hover the mouse over the library icon in the upper right-hand corner of the window to display
the library to which the material belongs. The library for Aluminum alloy, wrought, 3105, O is
GRANTA Materials Data for Simulation.
Material Model Properties and Plots
Displays the properties for the selected material model. This data can be a scalar value (such as
Density), a plot of field variables (such as S-N Curve), or a table icon (such as Gasket). Material
properties are organized under collapsible headings by physics type (such as Structural, Thermal,
or Magnetic).
Displaying a Larger Plot and Related Material Information
Click a plot to display a larger version of the graph and information such as its associated tabular
data. The following example shows a larger version of the Aluminum alloy, wrought, 3105, O:
S-N Curve. It includes the R-Ratio and a table of the plotted Cycles and Alternating Stress values.
Materials
Material Object Details Pane

The Details pane appears when you select a material object under the Materials folder (that is, a
material that was added to your project).
Common Material Properties
A read-only list of the common material properties for the selected material.
Assigned Bodies
The number of bodies in the model that have been assigned this material.
7.2.4. Searching and Filtering Materials

Use the Engineering Data Materials view to search through the material libraries for materials to
add to your project. Ansys provides several sample material libraries. You can also add your own
material libraries via the Settings option in the Engineering Data Materials Dialog.
Searching for Materials

Enter the search criteria for materials in the search field (for example, part or all of a material name,
label, or property). To return to the list of favorites, recent, and project materials, use the Backspace
key to delete the search criteria.
Filtering Materials
To access additional filtering options, click the filter button . This displays the filtering options
pane. The filter button shows how many filters are currently selected. All criteria must be matched
in a material for it to be returned in the search.
To use filters to search for materials, do the following:
1. Click the arrow on one of the drop-down material filter groups (p. 1080) to show or hide filtering
criteria. (Note that choices in these groups are filtered to avoid choosing invalid criteria.)
Alternatively, click the Show All button to view a list of all materials.
Materials
2. Click the check box next to a filter to select it. You can select filters from multiple material filter
groups (p. 1080).
3. Click the Search button. A list of materials that match the selected filter(s) appears.
4. Add the desired material to your project as described in Adding Materials to a Project (p. 1075).
Click Clear active filters to deselect all active filters.
Material Filter Groups

The available filter groups are listed below. Each group label shows the name of a group and the
number of filters that are currently active in that group. Click the arrow on a label to show or hide
the filters in that group.
Labels
The Labels group (the detault) filters materials by labels that correspond to industry-based cat-
egories. These labels can be typed into the search field. Note that not all materials are labeled.
Libraries
The Libraries group filters materials by library. The available libraries can be modified in the En-
gineering Data Materials Settings Dialog (p. 1086). panel. Note that some material libraries may be
not available in your product.
Models
The Models group filters materials by material model.
1. Click the Select model menu to display a drop-down menu of material models.
2. Select the desired material model from the menu. Its name is listed under the Models label,
as shown in the example below.
3. To change a selected material model, click the arrow next to its name and select a new mater-
ial model from the drop-down menu.
To remove a material model from the filter, click the red X next to the model name.
Materials
Property Ranges
The Property Ranges group filters materials by the values of one or more material properties.
For each property, you can specify a target value and a range of values to select.
1. Click Select property to display a drop-down menu of material properties.
2. Select the desired material property. The units of measurement and a range for that property
are displayed.
3. Enter the target value for the property.
4. Drag the sliders to the right and left to specify a range of values for the filter. The upper value
for the range is shown on the right-hand side of the slider. The lower value is shown on the
left-hand side.
5. To change the selected property, click the arrow next to its name and select a new property
from the drop-down menu.
To remove a property from the filter, click the red X next to its name.
In the example below, the selected material property is Density. The target value is 7000 kg/m3.
The lower end of the selection range is 5e+3, or 5000 kg/m3. The upper end of the selection
range is 2e+4, or 20,000 kg/m3. Materials with a density in this range will meet the filtering criteria.
7.2.5. Comparing Materials

The materials added to your project and the materials displayed when you perform a search provide
a check box when you hover the cursor over the material.
Engineering Data Materials Dialog
Click the check box next to a material to select it. The application shows the material data for the
materials you select. As shown below, you can select multiple materials to compare their properties.
Click Cancel to return to the Engineering Data Material View.
7.3. Engineering Data Materials Dialog

The Engineering Data Materials Dialog allows you to do the following:
• View the list of project materials.
Materials
• Assign a material to the selected object.
• View the material card for a material. The material card displays a summary of the material's properties
and can optionally show detailed material properties and assign a material to an object. For more
information, see Engineering Data Material Card (p. 1085).
• Display the Engineering Data Materials Settings dialog to add material libraries to your project and
select which material libraries are active. For more information, see Engineering Data Materials Settings
Dialog (p. 1086)
To display the Engineering Data Materials Dialog:
1. Click the name of an object to display its Details pane.
2. Click the arrow in the Material Assignment field.
The Engineering Data Materials Dialog displays a list of project materials as shown below. This dialog
is similar to the materials pane of the Engineering Data Materials window. For a detailed description,
see Engineering Data Material View Access and Layout (p. 1073).
Assigning a Material to the Selected Object

To assign a material to the selected object. click the name of the desired material in the Engineering
Data Materials Dialog.
To search for additional materials, see Searching and Filtering Materials (p. 1079).
Engineering Data Materials Dialog
Objects Supporting Material Assignment

The following objects support material assignment:
• Analysis • Load Conditions

Ply
• Parts and Bodies
• Beam
Connection • Point Mass
• Bearing • Remote Point
• Contact • Spring
Region
• Surface Coating
• Delamination
• Joint
7.3.1. Engineering Data Material Card

Use the Engineering Data Material Card to do the following:
• Display a summary of common properties to provide a quick overview of the material
• Display detailed material properties
• Assign the material to the selected object
To display a material card from the Engineering Data Materials Dialog, click the information icon
for the desired material. The material card is displayed as shown below. The example shows the ma-
terial card for Aluminum, 3105, O, wrought.
Materials
View Detailed Material Properties

To display the complete details for the selected material, click View Details. For more information,
see Viewing Material Data (p. 1075).
Assigning a Material via the Material Card

If you are ready to assign the material to the selected object, click the Assign button. See Objects
Supporting Material Assignment (p. 1085) for a list of geometric objects that can be assigned materials.
7.3.2. Engineering Data Materials Settings Dialog

Use the Engineering Data Materials Settings dialog to do the following:
• Add material libraries to your project
• Select the active material libraries
The Engineering Data Materials Settings dialog can only be accessed from the Engineering Data
Materials Dialog (p. 1083). Click the Settings icon to display this dialog.
Material Plot
Add Material Libraries

You can add material libraries from other sources to your project.
1. Click Add Library. A file open dialog is displayed.
2. Select the desired material library file and click OK. The material library is then listed in the Set-
tings panel.
Select Active Material Libraries

The Active Libraries group lets you choose which material libraries are active for searches. To select
a library, click the check box next to its name.
The default installation has libraries that are not active. The selected libraries are persisted from session
to session. Note that some libraries may be not available in your product.
7.4. Material Plot

The Material Plot feature enables you to plot the materials of your model as contours using geometry
or Named Selection scoping. The supported geometric entities include Body, Face, Edge, and Element.
Once you specify your geometry selections, right-click the object and select Generate Material Plot.
The Geometry window displays contours on your model that correspond to the material (properties)
Materials
of the specified geometry/geometries/named selections. An example is illustrated below that includes

Isotropic Elasticity, Young's Modulus, and the unit of measure.
You insert this object from either the Materials Context tab, or by right-clicking the Materials object
and selecting Insert > Material Plot.
See the Material Plot object reference page for a description of the object's properties.
Temperature Dependent Properties

If a material property depends on temperature, then the values are calculated at the reference temper-
ature of the body. If the reference temperature of the body is set per environment, then a default value
of 22 °C is chosen.
Properties Dependent on Field Variables

Material properties can be dependent on user-defined field variables. User-defined Field Variables are
either imported through Imported Material Field objects or a single default value is defined in the
Engineering Data Workspace. As such, your material property values are calculated based on the
definition of one of these user-defined field variables. Field Variable interpolation algorithms (Algorithm
Type) can be modified in the Engineering Data Workspace and the change is reflected in your contour
plot.
Material Combination
7.5. Material Combination

Using the materials available in the Engineering Data workspace, the Material Combination feature
enables you to assign a combination of different materials, specifically their material properties, to a
body or part.
• Guidelines (p. 1089)
• Temperature Dependence (p. 1089)
Guidelines
The material properties of combined materials are used to determine effective material properties. The
effective material properties are calculated as weighted averages based on the specified percentage of
the combined Materials. Additionally:
• For a material property to be used in combination, it must be defined for each Material specified
in the Material category and the combined materials must share at least one such material
property. Currently, the following material properties are available for combination:
– Thermal – Poisson's Ratio

Conductivity
– Coefficient of Thermal Expansion
– Density
– Orthotropic Elasticity
– Specific
Heat – Orthotropic Conductivity
– Young's
Modulus
• Only linear materials are supported.
Temperature Dependence
The material combination feature supports temperature-dependent material properties. When you
create a combination, the application combines the temperature (range) values of each material linearly.
This means that, for the materials you select, the application uses a temperature range for the temper-
ature values that all of the selected materials share.
Each material property listed under the Common Material Properties category in the Details of the
Material Combination object, such as Density, must include an associated temperature range. If this
data is not available, the application does not specify a value. Furthermore, if the temperature values
produced during the simulation go outside of the ranges for a material property, as specified in the
Engineering Data workspace, the application treats these temperature values as a constant value.
Materials
Application
To add a Material Combination object:
1. Right-click the Materials folder and select Insert > Material Combination. Or, use the option
available on the Materials (p. 59) Context tab.
2. Open the flyout menu of the Add Material property to display the Engineering Data Materials
pane. Using this pane, you can select from existing materials and/or search for additional materials,
that you wish to combine.
Note:
You can select multiple materials from the group folder and then either right-click and
select Create Material Combination or select the Material Combination option on
Materials Context tab to scope the Materials Combination object.
3. Once added, the material displays in the Details view and is assigned a percentage. As you add
materials you can modify the percentages as desired. The total percentage cannot exceed 100%.
However, you can have a total percentage of less than 100%. In this instance, any percentage un-
accounted for is considered to be empty space with no material properties.
Imported Material Fields
4. Once your Material Combination object is complete, you can use it to scope the Material Assign-
ment (p. 350) of parts and bodies.
Note:
• You can create multiple Material Combination objects.
• You can delete an added material by selecting its row in the Details view and selecting
the delete key or you can use the Delete option available on the Materials Context tab.
7.6. Imported Material Fields

The Imported Material Field object enables you to import user-defined Field Variable values, created
in the Engineering Data workspace, from External Data.
Preparing Required Data

1. On the Workbench Project page select the desired analysis type, select your model using the
Geometry cell, and then open the Engineering Data Workspace.
2. Using the Field Variables feature in the Engineering Data Workspace, create a user-defined variable
that contains your desired material properties.
3. Create a comma-separated values (CSV) file that defines the mapping coordinates based upon the
user-defined variable specified in Engineering Data. This file type enables the transfer of data
between External Data and Mechanical. Save the file to a known location.
4. Insert an External Data system.
5. Open your CSV file in the External Data system and check (make active) the Material Data Field
property in the Properties of File pane.
6. In the Table for File and Preview of File panes, specify and verify your mapping.
7. Return to the Workbench Project page and link your External Data system with the desired ana-
lysis type that includes the corresponding model in the Project Schematic.
Materials
Mapping Material Values in Mechanical

1. In Mechanical, open the Materials folder as well as the Imported Material Fields object.
2. Select the Imported Material Field child object.
3. Using the Apply To property, specify whether to map values to the Elements (default) or Corner
Nodes of your model.
4. As necessary, review and modify the remaining default settings of the properties in the Details
view.
5. Right-click the Imported Material Field object and select the Import Material Field option from
the context menu. This action maps the values of your CSV file to the nodes or elements of your
model.
See Data Transfer Mapping and Validation (p. 2493) section for additional information about node and
element mapping from external data sources.
7.7. Refresh Materials

Use Refresh Materials to update the materials in your model from the Engineering Data workspace.
This command loads material definitions and properties from Engineering Data into Mechanical, which
saves you the step of accessing the Project schematic to refresh the materials.
To refresh the materials in your model, do one of the following:
• Right-click the Model object and choose Refresh Materials.
• Right-click the Materials object and choose Refresh Materials.
7.8. Unique Material-Based MAPDL Commands

When Mechanical creates the input file for the Mechanical APDL solver, there are certain commands,
described below, the application uses to provide additional information, capabilities, or support for
legacy data.
Material Identification
When the Mechanical application creates the input file for the Mechanical APDL solver, the material
property labels shown below are used on the MP command. The application stores these identifiers in
the result file along with other material data. You can use these material identifiers to query the Engin-
eering Data (or Granta) application for complete material data (not available in Mechanical APDL). You
would typically use these identifiers when creating a data processing framework.
• UMID: This material identifier is assigned to a material when it is created. For Granta materials,
this is the identifier of the material in the database.
Unique Material-Based MAPDL Commands
• UVID: This material identifier is assigned when a material is being transferred from Engineering
Data to another component, such as the Model object of an analysis system in Mechanical.
Legacy Total Strain Input for Bilinear Isotropic or Kinematic Hardening

When Engineering Data imports data for these models prior to Ansys 2024 R2, the data is using total
strain. The data should be converted or modified to use plastic strain if possible. If the total strain input
is used then when the Mechanical application creates the input file for the Mechanical APDL solver, the
material property labels shown below are used on the TB command. These options are deprecated.
TB,BISO
TB,BKIN
Chapter 8: Coordinate Systems
All geometry in the Mechanical application is displayed in the global coordinate system by default. The
global coordinate system is the fixed Cartesian (X, Y, Z) coordinate system originally defined for a part.
In addition, you can create unique local coordinate systems to use with springs, joints, various loads,
supports, and result probes.
Cartesian coordinates apply to all local coordinate systems. In addition, you can apply cylindrical co-
ordinates to parts, displacements, and forces applied to surface bodies.
Note:
Cylindrical coordinate systems are not supported by the Explicit Dynamics solvers, but may
be used for some postprocessing operations.
Annotations are available for coordinate systems. You can toggle the visibility of these annotations in
the Annotation Preferences dialog box. For more information, see Specifying Annotation Prefer-
ences (p. 273).

8.1. Creating Coordinate Systems
8.2. Importing Coordinate Systems
8.3. Applying Coordinate Systems as Reference Locations
8.4. Using Coordinate Systems to Specify Joint Locations
8.5. Creating Coordinate-Based Section Planes
8.6.Transferring Coordinate Systems to the Mechanical APDL Application
8.7. Setting Up Coordinate Systems in the Mechanical Configure Tool
8.1. Creating Coordinate Systems

The following topics involve the creation of local coordinate systems:
8.1.1. Initial Creation and Definition
8.1.2. Establishing Origin for Associative and Non-Associative Coordinate Systems
8.1.3. Setting Principal Axis and Orientation
8.1.4. Using Transformations
8.1.5. Creating a Coordinate System Based on a Surface Normal
8.1.6. Creating a Coordinate System Based on the Center of Mass
8.1.7. Setting a Coordinate System Origin at the Center of Mass
Coordinate Systems
See the Coordinate System Object Reference page of the Help for additional information about the
categories and properties of the Coordinate System object.
8.1.1. Initial Creation and Definition

To create a new local coordinate system, you first add a Coordinate System object and then specify
properties of the Definition category.
Create and define a new local coordinate system:
1. Select the Coordinate Systems folder in the Outline and then select the Coordinate System
option from the Insert group in the Coordinate Systems Context tab. This group is also
contained on the Home tab.
Tip:
Alternatively, when the Coordinate Systems folder or an existing coordinate

system object is selected, right-click the object, or in the Geometry window,
and select Insert > Coordinate System.
2. Under the Definition category, specify the following properties as needed:
a. Type: Set to Cartesian (default) or Cylindrical.
b. Coordinate System: Setting include Program Controlled (default) or Manual. This property
assigns the coordinate system reference number (the first argument of the Mechanical
APDL LOCAL command). The Program Controlled option assign the reference number
automatically. The Manual option enables you to assign a particular reference number in
the Coordinate System ID field for identification or quick reference of the coordinate
system within the input file. You should set the Coordinate System ID to a value greater
than or equal to 12. If you create more than one local coordinate system, you must ensure
that you do not duplicate the Coordinate System ID.
c. Suppressed: Yes or No (default). If you choose to suppress a coordinate system, you remove
the object from further treatment, write no related data to the input deck, and cause any
objects scoped to the coordinate system to become underdefined (therefore invalidating
solutions).
See the next section for continued coordinate system definition.
8.1.2. Establishing Origin for Associative and Non-Associative Coordinate

Systems
After creating a local coordinate system, you can further designate it as being associative or non-as-
sociative using the properties of the Origin category in the Details.
• An associative coordinate system is joined to a geometry or mesh scoping throughout preprocessing.

Therefore, its position and orientation can be affected by geometry updates, part transformation,
as well as through the use of the Configure tool (for joints). However, the coordinate system
Creating Coordinate Systems
maintains its position throughout the solution process regardless of changes to the geometry as
a result of loading.
• A non-associative coordinate system is independent of any geometry.
Specify Associative Coordinate System

To establish the origin for an associative coordinate system:
1. Set the Define By property to either Geometry Selection (default) or Named Selection.
For a Reference Coordinate System attached to a joint, use the Orientation About Principal
Axis category to make the coordinate system associative.
2. If you select:
• Geometry Selection: Select the desired geometry or mesh entities.
Select the Click to Change option in the Geometry property.
Click Apply. A coordinate system symbol displays at the centroid of your selection. The
application calculates the centroid of your coordinate system based on a weighted (by
volume, area, or length) average for the specified scoping, including:
– For Solid bodies and solid body elements, the application calculates the weighted
average using the volume of the bodies/elements.
– Surface bodies, faces, surface body elements, and element faces, the application
calculates the weighted average using the area of the surfaces/surface elements.
– Line bodies, edges, and line body elements, the application calculates the weighted
average using the length of the line bodies/edges/line elements.
• Named Selection: Select a user-defined Named Selection (p. 1347) from the Named Selection
property.
Tip:
You can automatically specify the Geometry of a Coordinate System object by first
selecting geometry or mesh entities and then inserting a new Coordinate System
object.
Note:
To create a coordinate system on a Line Body, you need to select one or more edges,
vertices, nodes, or elements so that the origin is placed at the centroid of the selections.
Coordinate Systems
Specify Non-Associative Coordinate System

To establish the origin for a non-associative coordinate system:
• Set the Define By property to Global Coordinates. You then define the origin in either of the
following ways:
• Selecting a point on the exterior of the model using the Hit Point Coordinate option:
1. Set the Define By property to Global Coordinates.
2. Select the Click to Change field of the Location property.
3. Select the Hit Point Coordinate ( ) button on the Graphics Toolbar (p. 100). This option
displays coordinates as you move the cursor across the model.
4. Select the desired origin location on the model. A small cross hair appears at the selected
location.
5. Click Apply in the Location property field. A coordinate system symbol displays at the
origin location. Note that the coordinate values automatically populate the Origin X, Origin
Y, and Origin Z properties. You can manually change the location of the coordinate system
by changing these values.
• Selecting one or more vertices, nodes, element faces, or elements to define an averaged location
of selected geometry or mesh entities:
1. Set the Define By property to Global Coordinates.
2. Select the Click to Change field of the Location property.
3. Select the filter (Vertex, Node, Element Face, or Element) on the Graphics Toolbar (p. 100).
4. Select as many vertices, nodes, element faces, or elements as desired and then click the
Apply option of the Location property. The origin coordinate system is specified on the
model based on the average location of the selected entities.
• Entering the coordinates directly:
1. Set Define By to Global Coordinates.
2. Enter values in the Origin X, Origin Y, and Origin Z properties.
8.1.3. Setting Principal Axis and Orientation

The definition of the coordinate system involves two vectors, the Principal Axis vector and the Ori-
entation About Principal Axis vector. The coordinate system respects the plane formed by these
two vectors and aligns with the Principal Axis.
Principal Axis
Use the Principal Axis category to define the X, Y, or Z axes (using Axis property) in terms of a:
• Geometry Selection: You use this option to specify a geometry or mesh selection to define the
direction of the Principal Axis. When selected, an associated Geometry property displays. You use
the Geometry property to specify either one or more faces/element faces, two edges, two vertices,
or two or three nodes.
• Fixed Vector: Depending upon the Geometry Selection in the Origin category, this option preserves
the current Geometry Selection without associativity. When a change occurs to the feature the
axis will not update automatically to reflect that change.
• Global X/Global Y/Global Z axis: These options force the axis to align to a global X, Y, or Z axis.
• Hit Point Normal: This property aligns the axis along a normal vector that represents the normal
direction of the local surface curvature of the hit point. You then select a point on the screen to
define the Hit Point Normal and orient the primary axis. For information on creating a coordinate
system aligned with the hit point, see Creating a Coordinate System Based on a Surface Nor-
mal (p. 1100).
Orientation About Principal Axis

Use the Orientation About Principal Axis Details category to specify the:
• Axis property. Options include X (default), Y, or Z.
• Defined By property. Options include Default, Geometry Selection, Global X Axis, Global
Y Axis, Global Z Axis, and Fixed Vector.
As above, when using the Geometry Selection property, an associated Geometry property
displays that you use to specify either one or more faces/element faces, two edges, two vertices,
or two or three nodes.
Important:
The Default setting leaves the orientation of the coordinate system unspecified. Review
the values of the properties in the Directional Vectors category for the axis data
being defined.
8.1.4. Using Transformations

Transformations allow you to "fine tune" the original positioning of the coordinate system. Options
are available for offsetting the origin by a translation in each of the x, y and z directions, as well as
by rotation about each of the three axes. Flipping of each axis is also available. To exercise transform-
ations, you use buttons on the Coordinate System Context Tab (p. 61) and settings in the Transform-
ations category in the Details view.
To transform a coordinate system:
1. Choose a transformation (translation, rotation, or flip) from the Transform group.
Coordinate Systems
Entries appear in the Details as you add transformations.
2. Enter information in the Details for each transformation.
3. If required:
• Reorder a transformation by highlighting it in the Details view and using the Move Up or
Move Down options.
• You can delete a transformation by highlighting it in the Details view and then selecting the
Delete option of the Transform group on the Coordinate System Context Tab.
8.1.5. Creating a Coordinate System Based on a Surface Normal

You can orient a coordinate system based on the surface normal. You have two options. You can
orient the principal axis based on the hit point normal of an existing coordinate system, or you can
create an aligned coordinate system based on the hit point.
Orienting the Principal Axis by Hit Point Normal

To orient the principal axis based on the hit point normal of an existing coordinate system:
1. Create a coordinate system (p. 1095).
2. Under the Principal Axis category, set the Define By property to Hit Point Normal.
3. Select the Click to Change field of the Hit Point Normal property.
4. Select the Hit Point Coordinate ( ) option on the Graphics Toolbar (p. 100). This option displays
coordinates as you move the cursor across the model.
5. In the Geometry window, select a desired point.
6. Click the Apply option of the Hit Point Normal property.
For more information, see Setting Principal Axis and Orientation (p. 1098).
Creating a Coordinate System Aligned with a Hit Point

To create an aligned coordinate system based on the hit point:
1. Enable Hit Point Coordinate mode by toggling the Hit Point Coordinate button in the Graphics
Toolbar (p. 100).
2. In the Geometry window, select a point.
3. Right-click in the Geometry window and select Create Coordinate System Aligned with Hit
Point.
Mechanical creates a coordinate system on the location of hit point with the primary axis aligning
along the hit point normal.
If a hit point is not defined, Mechanical creates a coordinate system on the location of {0,0,0},
with the axis the same as the global coordinate system.
8.1.6. Creating a Coordinate System Based on the Center of Mass

You can create a coordinate system based on the Center of Mass. You have two options. You can set
the origin at the Center of Mass, or align the principal axis toward or normal to the Center of Mass.
Create and Define a New Local Coordinate System with the Origin at the Center
of Mass
1. Select the Coordinate Systems folder in the Outline.
2. Select the Coordinate System at Center of Mass option from the Coordinate Systems group
in the Coordinate Systems Context tab.
Tip:
Alternatively, when the Coordinate Systems folder or an existing coordinate system

object is selected, right-click the object, and select Insert > Coordinate System at
Center of Mass.
Selecting this option inserts a Non-Associative Coordinate System with the origin at the Center
of Mass of all unsuppressed bodies and Point Mass objects. Distributed Mass objects are not cur-
rently considered in the Center of Mass calculation.
Setting the Principal Axis Using the Center of Mass

1. Select the Coordinate Systems folder in the Outline.
2. Select the Principal Axis Using Center of Mass option from the Coordinate Systems group in
the Coordinate Systems Context tab.
This option is only active when the current selection consists 1 or 2 points (vertices or nodes).
When a single point is selected, the principal axis is set to Z and defined by a fixed vector that points
from the selected point towards the center of mass of all unsuppressed bodies and point masses.
When two points are selected, the principal axis is set to Z and defined by a fixed vector that points
normal to the plane formed by the selected points and the center of mass of all unsuppressed bodies
and point masses.
Coordinate Systems
8.1.7. Setting a Coordinate System Origin at the Center of Mass

You can change the location of an existing Coordinate System to the center of mass of your model.
This includes all unsuppressed bodies of the model as well as any specified Point Mass and/or Distrib-
uted Mass objects.
Set Origin at Center of Mass

To set a coordinate system's location to the center of the mass:
1. Select an existing coordinate system object.
2. Select the Set Origin at Center of Mass option. The coordinate system is automatically set at
the center of mass of the model.
Note:
This option does not support reorientation of the Global Coordinate System.
Distributed Mass Requirements

In order for a Distributed Mass object to be supported, it must be scoped to either edges or faces
only and you cannot mix these two scoping options. Furthermore, the calculation of the mass for this
object depends upon the setting of the Mass Type property. If set to:
• Mass per Unit Area, the application calculates the center of mass.
• Total Mass, the application calculates the equivalent uniform mass density based on the
scoping of the object.
8.2. Importing Coordinate Systems

Coordinate systems defined when geometry is imported from DesignModeler, Creo Parametric, or
SOLIDWORKS will automatically be created in the Mechanical application. For more information, see
the Attaching Geometry section under DesignModeler, or see the Notes section under Creo Parametric
or SOLIDWORKS in the CAD Integration section of the Ansys Workbench help.
If you update the model in the Mechanical application, coordinate systems from these products are
refreshed, or newly defined coordinate systems in these products are added to the model.
If a coordinate system was brought in from one of these products but changed in the Mechanical ap-
plication, the change will not be reflected on an update. Upon an update, a coordinate system that
originated from DesignModeler, Creo Parametric, or SOLIDWORKS will be re-inserted into the object
tree. The coordinate system that was modified in the Mechanical application will also be in the tree.
Creating Coordinate-Based Section Planes
8.3. Applying Coordinate Systems as Reference Locations

Any local coordinate systems that were created in the Mechanical application, or imported from
DesignModeler, Creo Parametric, or SOLIDWORKS, can be applied to a part, or to a Point Mass (p. 937),
Spring (p. 1306), Acceleration (p. 1610), Standard Earth Gravity (p. 1617), Rotational Acceleration (p. 1624), Rota-
tional Velocity (p. 1619), Force (p. 1656), Bearing Load (p. 1674), Remote Force (p. 1664), Moment (p. 1688), Dis-
placement (p. 1784), Remote Displacement (p. 1792), or Contact Reaction (p. 2184). This feature is useful because
it avoids having to perform a calculation for transforming to the global coordinate system.
To apply a local coordinate system:
1. Select the tree object that represents one of the applicable items mentioned above.
2. For an Acceleration, Rotational Velocity, Force, Bearing Load, or Moment, in the Details view, set
the Define By property to Components, and then proceed to Step 3. For the other items, proceed
directly to step 3.
3. In the Details view, set Coordinate System to the name of the local coordinate system that you
want to apply. The names in this drop-down list are the same names as those listed in the Coordin-
ate Systems branch of the tree outline.
Note:
If you define a load by Components in a local coordinate system, changing the Define
By field to Vector will define the load in the global coordinate system. Do not change
the Define By property to Vector if you want the load defined in a local coordinate
system.
8.4. Using Coordinate Systems to Specify Joint Locations

Whenever you create a joint, an accompanying reference coordinate system is also created. The intent
of this coordinate system is for positioning the joint. See the Joint Properties (p. 1227) section for further
details.
8.5. Creating Coordinate-Based Section Planes

For viewing purposes, you can use the Section Plane option from the Insert group (p. 44) of the Home
tab to slice the graphical image of your model based on a predefined coordinate system.
Note:
The Section Plane feature does not support Cylindrical Coordinate Systems.
1. Select the desired Coordinate Systems object.
2. Right-click the mouse and select Create Section Plane.
Coordinate Systems
As illustrated here, the model is sliced based on the Coordinate System.
Transferring Coordinate Systems to the Mechanical APDL Application
Note:
This option is also available for Coordinate System objects in the Meshing Application.
8.6.Transferring Coordinate Systems to the Mechanical APDL Application

You can transfer coordinate systems to the Mechanical APDL application using any of the following
methods:
• Write Input File (p. 1955)
• Load the Mechanical APDL application.
• Commands Objects (p. 2407)
Any coordinate system defined in the Mechanical application and sent to the Mechanical APDL applic-
ation as part of the finite element model, will be added to the Mechanical APDL application input file
as LOCAL commands. For example:
/com,*********** Send User Defined Coordinate System(s) ***********
local,11,0,0.,0.,0.,0.,0.,0.
local,12,1,11.8491750582796,3.03826387968126,-1.5,0.,0.,0.
csys,0
Coordinate Systems
8.7. Setting Up Coordinate Systems in the Mechanical Configure Tool

Prior to a configure operation, when stops are defined in the model, it is important to set the Initial
Position field to Override. This is required to ensure that the initial joint displacements and stops are
accurately considered. The reference and mobile coordinate systems must be correctly attached to the
corresponding geometry of the joint bodies.
The zero value of the joint's degree of freedom is described in Joint DOF Zero Value Conventions (p. 1206).
This joint configuration is established based on the relative position and orientation of the mobile and
reference coordinate systems of the joint.
When you configure a joint or body and set the configuration as the new base geometry for the analysis,
the position of each joint's mobile and reference coordinate system is updated in correspondence with
the definition of these coordinate systems. For example, if the position of the reference coordinate
system is defined by a planar surface that moves, the new coordinate system is positioned according
to the new position of the surface after the configure operation.
When using the Unchanged definition for the Initial Position of the mobile coordinate system, it is re-
positioned at the same location as the reference coordinate system. As a result, the new zero value for
the joint's degree of freedom is based on the updated configuration, which might be problematic.
To illustrate, this is an example of a translational joint with a minimum and maximum stop:
Setting Up Coordinate Systems in the Mechanical Configure Tool
The stop is initially defined by a lower bound of -35mm and an upper bound of +35mm. The joint co-
ordinate system is defined simply by picking the red reference surface.
Next, configure the translational joint and move the block by 10mm to the right, and set this configur-
ation.
The new reference coordinate system is repositioned by finding the center of the red surface, which
has not changed. Therefore, the new reference and mobile coordinate systems still remain. This new
configuration is the zero of the joint translation. The stop's bounds (-35, +35) have not changed and
are now incorrectly defined.
To obtain a proper definition of the stops, it is important that both reference and mobile coordinate
systems are correctly updated. The reference coordinate system must be defined by the red surface,
while the mobile coordinate system must be attached to the block.
This can be achieved by setting the Initial Position property of the joint to Override and using a face
scoping on the block for the reference and mobile coordinate systems.
After this update, each coordinate system is revised based on its definition, and the new configuration
is shown below:
Coordinate Systems
In this configuration, the current value for the joint translation is 10mm, and the definition of the two
stops is still valid.
In sum, when the Override option is selected, the stop bounds can not be violated with respect to the
initial configuration after successive Configure and Set operations.
Consideration for Joints with Rotational Degrees of Freedom

Special attention is required when dealing with revolute joints. More precisely, the orientations of ref-
erence and mobile coordinate systems must be defined in accordance with the geometry.
1. The origin of the reference coordinate system must be scoped on an appropriate feature of the
reference geometry.
2. The principal axis of the coordinate system must then be defined by a relevant geometric feature
of the reference geometry. Here, it is an edge.
Setting Up Coordinate Systems in the Mechanical Configure Tool
3. The orientation of the coordinate system also needs to be set with respect to the reference body
geometry.
4. A similar setting is required for the mobile coordinate system. Once both coordinate systems have
the same orientation and are well defined with respect to the geometries, the bounds of stops or
locks are properly updated after a configure operation.
Coordinate Systems
Chapter 9: Connections
Supported connection features consist of Contact, Joint, Spring, Beam Connection, End Release, Spot
Weld and Body Interaction (Explicit Dynamics only). Each of these connections can be created manually
in the application. Only Contact and Joint can also be generated automatically.
This section describes Connections folder, Connection Group folder, Automatic Generated Connections,
as well as each connection type as outlined below.
9.1. Connections Folder
9.2. Connections Worksheet
9.3. Connection Group
9.4. Connection Features and Operations
9.5. Connections Manager Extension
9.6. Contact
9.7. Joints
9.8. Springs
9.9. Beam Connections
9.10. Spot Welds
9.11. End Releases
9.12. Bearings
9.1. Connections Folder

The Connections folder is the container for all types of connection objects except for the two types
that can be automatically generated (contact and joint). The objects of each of these two types are
placed in a sub-folder called the Connection Group folder. The Details pane of the Connections folder
is illustrated below.
Connections
The Connections folder includes the following categories and properties:
Auto Generate Automatic Connection On Refresh: Options include Yes (default) and No. This
De- setting turns automatic contact generation on/off when the geometry is refreshed. The
tec- process of automatically creating the contact objects is additive. Any existing connection
tion objects of these types that were created manually may be duplicated when the connections
Connections Folder
are automatically regenerated. To avoid duplication, you should first delete any existing
contact objects before the geometry is refreshed.
Note:
• Special conditions apply to updating geometry that includes Spot

Welds (p. 1318).
• The process of automatically creating joint objects is not additive. Any existing
joint objects are not duplicated when connections are automatically
regenerated.
Trans- Enabled: Options include Yes (default) and No. This setting enables or disables the
par- transparency of the bodies not associated with the connection in the graphics display.
ency
Stat- This category contains read-only properties that display the number of contact conditions
ist- and connection types (defined and active) present in project, including:
ics
• Contacts
• Active Contacts
• Joints
• Active Joints
• Beams
• Active Beams
• Bearings
• Active Bearings
• Springs
• Active Springs
• Body Interactions
• Active Body Interactions
Note:
For large deflection analyses that include a Contact Tool (p. 2184) under the Connections
folder, a beta feature is available that makes sure that the application incorporates large
deflection at both the connection and analysis levels of your simulation.
Connections
9.2. Connections Worksheet

When you are working with the Connections object in the tree Outline, you can use the Work-
sheet (p. 186) window to supplement the Details view by providing a summary of the contact information,
joint information, and the connections between geometry bodies. Select the Worksheet option on the
Connections Context tab (p. 52) to display the Worksheet window. A Show Preferences option and
a Generate option display and enable you to define worksheet data to display and the generate
worksheet content.
To toggle on the worksheet:
1. Select the Worksheet option from the Context tab.
2. Select the Show Preferences option to view the possible data types.
3. Select the check boxes for the data types you want to view.
4. Select the Generate option to generate the content. Ansys Mechanical remembers the display
preferences you select and will default to those in future sessions.
Select Hide Preferences to hide the preferences and Refresh to refresh the worksheet data.
Navigation
The Worksheet remains displayed as you select different objects within the Connections folder. Selecting
an object outside of the folder returns you to the Graphics display. Returning to a Connections object
displays the last active data. Any changes require you to regenerate the Worksheet data.
Worksheet Connections Data Types

The data types available in the worksheet are described below. You can turn the displayed properties
on and off using the right-click menu.
Contact Information
Displays the properties for each contact.
Joint DOF Checker
Checks the total number of free degrees of freedom and displays the free DOF, based on the
number of unsuppressed parts, fixed constraints, and translation joints. If this number is less
than 1, the model may be overconstrained, and you should check the model closely and remove
any redundant joint constraints. You can use a Redundancy Analysis to detect redundant joint
constraints.
Joint Information
Displays the name, type, scope, and status of all joints.
Spring Information
Displays spring connection properties.
Connections Worksheet
Beam Information
Displays beam connection properties.
Connection Matrix
Displays a matrix that represents the connections between bodies in the geometry. These
connections are color-coded by type (as shown in the legend). In the Preferences, you can
choose the type of data to display, in order to filter out unwanted information. Activate the
options by checking the selection box beside the Connection Matrix title. The following options
can then be selected or deselected as desired.
• Show Upper Diagonal
• Show Diagonal Marker
• Show Unconnected Bodies
• Show Suppressed Objects
• Bundle Connections
The Bundle Connections option is an especially useful tool because it enables you to group
Control Connection Types. For example, if you have three Spot Welds contained in the same
cell of the matrix, activating the Bundle Connections option displays the spot welds as "3 Spot
Welds" instead of displaying the individual names of all three within the cell.
Note:
• The matrix displays a grounded connection as a connection to itself. For ex-

ample, if a grounded joint is scoped to body1, then it will be displayed in
the cell of column body1 and row body1.
• The Connection Matrix is limited to 200 prototypes.
Control Connection Types
The Control Connection Types display area provides a list of selectable connection fea-
tures/types that you can choose to display or to not display within the Connection Matrix.
Options include:
• Contact
• Spot Weld
• Joint
• Spring
• Beam
Connections
Context Menu Selection Options

Selecting an item in the table and then right-clicking the mouse provides a menu of the following options,
in addition to those associated with the properties of the data types:
• Go To Selected Items in Tree: the application displays the associated contact object or objects in
the Geometry Window.
• Reset Columns: if you change the order of the table content by clicking on a column title, this option
resets the order of the table content.
• Reset Column Widths: reset the columns to the default width.
• Edit Column Width: changes column width (in pixels). You can select multiple columns or rows. A
value of zero (default) indicates that the setting is program controlled.
• Export (Connection Matrix Only - see below)
Exporting the Connection Matrix

You can export a text file version of the Connection Matrix from either the Worksheet or the Connec-
tions object in the Tree Outline.
To export from the worksheet, right-click the Connection Matrix table and select Export.
To export from the Tree Outline, right-click the Connections object and select Export.
9.3. Connection Group

The role of a Connection Group folder is to provide you with the ability to automatically generate
Contact or Joint objects for the whole model or for a group of bodies within the model with a tolerance
value applied only to this group. Only these two types of connections are provided with the automatic
detection capability and only one type of connection objects can be included in a Connection Group
folder with the exception of Spot Weld (see details in the Spot Weld (p. 1318) section). The generated
objects are placed in a Connection Group folder which is automatically renamed to "Contacts" or "Joints"
depending on the type.
When you import your model into Mechanical, by default, contact detection is performed automatically.
This is based on the setting in the Workbench Options dialog. On the Workbench Project Page, under
Tools > Options > Mechanical, there is a setting labeled Auto Detect Contact On Attach. This setting
is selected by default. Furthermore, this automatic contact detection is based on the settings you define
in the Options (p. 293) dialog (Connections category > Auto Detection) of the Mechanical application.
To open the Options dialog in Mechanical, select the icon available beside the Help drop-down menu
on the title bar. The File tab contains this option as well.
Detailed steps for auto/manual generating connection objects are presented in the Connection Features
and Operations (p. 1122) section.
The Connection Group has the following properties.
Connection Group
Definition
• Connection Type: options include Contact and Joint.
Connections
Scope
• Scoping Method: options include Geometry Selection (default) and Named Selection.
– Geometry: used to define geometry selections. Appears when Scoping Method is set to Geometry
Selection.
– Named Selection: drop-down list of available Named Selections. Appears when Scoping Method
is set to Named Selection.
Auto Detection
• Tolerance Type: options include Slider, Value, and Use Sheet Thickness. Bodies in an assembly
that were created in a CAD system may not have been placed precisely, resulting in small overlaps
or gaps along the connections between bodies. You can account for any imprecision by specifying
connection detection tolerance. This tolerance can be specified by value when the type is set to
Slider and Value, or sheet thickness of surface bodies when the type is set to Use Sheet Thickness.
This option is only applicable to Contact and available when the Group By property (see below) is
set to None or Bodies.
• Tolerance Slider: appears if Tolerance Type is set to Slider. To tighten the connection detection,
move the slider bar closer to +100 and to loosen the connection detection, move the slider bar closer
to -100. A tighter tolerance means that the bodies have to be within a smaller region (of either gap
or overlap) to be considered in connection; a looser tolerance will have the opposite effect. Be aware
that as you adjust the tolerance, the number of connection pairs could increase or decrease.
• Tolerance Value: appears if Tolerance Type is set to Slider or Value. This field will be read-only if
the Tolerance Type is set to Slider showing the actual tolerance value based on the slider setting.
When the Tolerance Type is set to Value, you will be able to provide an exact distance for the de-
tection tolerance.
After you provide a greater than zero value for the Tolerance Value, a circle appears around the
current cursor location as shown below.
The radius of the circle is a graphical indication of the current Tolerance Value. The circle moves
with the cursor, and its radius will change when you change the Tolerance Value or the Tolerance
Slider. The circle appropriately adjusts when the model is zoomed in or out.
• Use Range: appears when the Tolerance Type property is set to Slider or Value. Options include
Yes and No (default). If set to Yes, you will have the connection detection searches within a range
from Tolerance Value to Min Distance Value inclusive.
Connection Group
– Min Distance Percentage: appears if Use Range is set to Yes. This is the percentage of the Tolerance
Value to determine the Min Distance Value. The default is 10 percent. You can move the slider to
adjust the percentage between 1 and 100.
– Min Distance Value: appears if Use Range is set to Yes. This is a read-only field that displays the
value derived from: Min Distance Value = Min Distance Percentage * Tolerance Value/100.
• Thickness Scale Factor: appears if Tolerance Type is set to Use Sheet Thickness. The default value
is 1.
Use Sheet Thickness will use sheet bodies' thickness values (t1 and t2 above) to find contact between
bodies. For example, if the sheets are within t1/2 + t2/2 * Thickness Scale Factor, then Sheet Body
1 and Sheet Body 2 would be found to be in contact.
Note:
If sheet bodies and/or shell thicknesses are not precise, the default value could result
in some missing contact areas. Increasing the Thickness Scale Factor to a larger
value, say 1.1, may help in such cases.
For Edge/Edge pairing (see below), the largest thickness among the surface bodies involved is used;
however, if the pairing is Face/Edge, the thickness of the surface body with the face geometry is
used.
• Face/Face: (Contacts only) options include Yes (default) and No. Detects connection between the
faces of different bodies. The maximum allowable difference in the normals for which contact is de-
tected is 15 degrees. For Joints, Face/Face is the only detection type allowed. That is why the property
does not appear in the Details view when the Connection Type is Joint.
• Face/Face Angle Tolerance: This property is visible when the Face/Face property is set to Yes. When
working with Face/Face automatic contact detection, this property enables you to define the minimum
angle between two face normals. This minimum angle is the threshold below which the application
will ignore the faces from proximity detection. The default value is 75°, the minimum value is 0°, and
the maximum value is 90° (perpendicular).
• Face Overlap Tolerance (Contacts only): This property is visible only when the Face/Face property
is set to Yes. It sets the tolerance for overlap of faces in contact; that is, the minimum percentage of
overlap at which a contact pair is created for two overlapping faces. For example, if Face Overlap
Tolerance is set to 25, a contact pair is created for each pair of faces for which at least 25% of one
face overlaps the other. You can set a value from 0 to 100 or retain the default. Setting the tolerance
to 0 turns off the overlap checks.
The following images illustrate the use of Face Overlap Tolerance. For the image of the circuit board
below, SpaceClaim's Imprint tool was used to get common boundaries between parts, and then the
model was loaded into Mechanical. Notice the area of interest.
Connections
In general, the smaller the face overlap tolerance, the greater the chance that contact will result in
extra pairs. The image below shows an enlarged view of the area of interest when a single Contact
Region was selected in the tree. With Face Overlap Tolerance set to 0, the 3 faces identified by the
arrows were scoped automatically to the Contact property of the Contact Region, and 1 face (the
large blue face) was scoped automatically to the Target property of the Contact Region.
To get more precise contact pairs, you can increase the value of Face Overlap Tolerance. In the
image below, the same Contact Region was selected in the tree but Face Overlap Tolerance was
set to 20. In this case, the 2 small fillets were not found to be in contact with the large blue face, so
only the 1 face identified by the arrow was scoped to the Contact property of the Contact Region,
and 1 face (the large blue face) was scoped to the Target property of the Contact Region.
Connection Group
• Cylindrical Faces (3D Only): This property is only visible when the Connection Type property is set
to Contact and the Face/Face property is set to Yes. Available options are Include (default), Exclude,
and Only. This property determines how the application handles cylindrical faces during automatic
contact generation either upon geometry attach or manually on a Connection Group. For example,
given a simulation that contains bolted joints, where the bolt shank should have frictionless contact
applied and the bolt head should have bonded contact applied. Setting this property appropriately
creates contacts during automatic generation that define cylindrical contact (Only setting for the
bolt shank) and the flat contact (Exclude for the bolt head).
• Face/Edge: options include Yes, No (default), Only Solid Body Edges, Only Surface Body Edges,
and Only Beam Body Edges. Detects connection between faces and edges of different bodies. Faces
are designated as targets and edges are designated as contacts. To determine connection with all
faces, for Only Solid Body Edges, face to edge connection uses the edges of solid bodies; for Only
Surface Body Edges, it uses only edges of surface bodies; and for Only Beam Body Edges, it uses
only edges of beam bodies.
• Edge Overlap Tolerance (Contacts only): This property is visible only when the Face/Edge property
is set to Yes, Only Solid Body Edges, or Only Surface Body Edges. It sets the tolerance for overlap
of an edge and a face in contact; that is, the minimum percentage of overlap at which a contact pair
is created for an edge and a face that overlap. For example, if Edge Overlap Tolerance is set to 25,
a contact pair is created for an edge and a face when at least 25% of the edge overlaps the face. You
can set a value from 0 to 100 or retain the default. Setting the tolerance to 0 turns off the overlap
checks.
• Edge/Edge: options include Yes and No. Detects connection between edges of different bodies.
• Priority: options include Include All, Face Overrides and Edge Overrides. For very large models
the number of connection objects can sometimes become overwhelming and redundant, especially
when multiple detection types are chosen. Selecting some type of priority other than Include All will
lessen the number of connection objects generated during Create Automatic Connections by giving
designated connection types precedence over other types. Face Overrides gives Face/Face option
precedence over both Face/Edge and Edge/Edge options. It also gives Face/Edge option precedence
over Edge/Edge option. In general, when Face Overrides priority is set with Face/Edge and Edge/Edge
options, no Edge/Edge connection pairs will be detected. Edge Overrides gives Edge/Edge option
precedence over both Face/Edge and Face/Face options, no Face/Face connections pairs will be
detected.
Connections
• Group By: options include None, Bodies (default), Parts, and Faces. This property enables you to
group the automatically generated connections (p. 1122) objects. Setting Group By to Bodies (default)
or to Parts means that connection faces and edges that lie on the same bodies or same parts will
be included into a single connection object.
Setting Group By to None means that the grouping of geometries that lie on the same bodies or
same parts will not occur. Any connection objects generated will have only one entity scoped to each
side (that is, one face or one edge). Applications for choosing None in the case of contact are:
– If there are a large number of source/target faces in a single region. Choosing None avoids excessive
contact search times in the Mechanical APDL solver.
– If you want to define different contact behaviors on separate regions with contact of two parts.
For example, for a bolt/bracket contact case, you may want to have bonded contact (p. 1147) between
the bolt threads/bracket and frictionless contact (p. 1147) between the bolt head/bracket.
• Search Across: This property enables automatic connection detection through the following options:
– Bodies (default): Between bodies.
– Parts: Between bodies of different parts, that is, not between bodies within the same multibody
part.
– Assemblies: Between bodies from different sub-assemblies (sources) in an Assembled Model (p. 1027).
– Anywhere: Detects any connections regardless of where the geometry lies, including different
parts. However, if the connections are within the same body, this option finds only Face/Face con-
nections, even if the Face/Edge setting is turned On.
– Files: Between bodies from different External Model source files and between copies of an External
Model source file.
• Fixed Joints: (Joint only) options include Yes and No. This property determines if Fixed Joints are
to be automatically generated. See the Automatic Joint Creation (p. 1270) section for details.
• Revolute Joints: (Joint only) options include Yes and No. This property determines if Revolute Joints
are to be automatically generated. See the Automatic Joint Creation (p. 1270) section for details.
9.4. Connection Features and Operations

This section examines several common actions you can take when working with connections. Go to a
desired topic:
• Automatically Generate Connections (p. 1123)
• Manually Inserting Connection Objects (p. 1124)
• Checking for Overlapping Contact Regions (p. 1124)
• Setting Default APDL Names (p. 1124)
• Searching for Duplicate Pairs (p. 1124)
Connection Features and Operations
• Moving and Copying Connection Objects (p. 1125)
• Creating Contact Sizing Controls for Contact Regions Automatically (p. 1125)
• Treatment of Legacy Databases (p. 1126)
Automatically Generate Connections

You can automatically generate supported connections for a group of bodies in a model and use a
separate tolerance value for that group. The supported connection types are Contact Region (p. 1138)
and Joint (p. 1202).
To automatically generate connections for a group of bodies:
1. Insert a Connection Group group folder under the Connections folder by selecting the Connection
Group option on the Connections (p. 52) Context tab or by selecting Insert > Connection Group
from the context menu (right mouse click) for this folder.
2. From the Details view of the Connection Group object, select the desired Connection Type. The
default is Contact.
3. Select some bodies in the model based on the Scoping Method. The default is Geometry Selection
scoped to All Bodies.
4. If applicable, set the Auto Detection properties. Note that these properties will be applied only to
scoped geometries for this connection group.
5. Choose Create Automatic Connections from the context menu (right mouse click) for the Connec-
tion Group.
Note:
For small models, the auto contact detection process runs so fast that the Contact De-
tection Status (progress bar) dialog box does not get displayed. However, for large
models with many possible contact pairs, the progress bar dialog box is displayed
showing the contact detection progress. If you click the Cancel button on the dialog box
while contact detection is processing, the detection process stops. Any contact pairs
found by that moment are discarded and no new contacts are added to the tree.
The resulting connection objects will be placed under this folder and the folder name will be changed
from its default name Connection Group to a name based on the connection type. The folder name
for contacts will be Contacts and for joints it will be Joints. Once the Connection Group folder
contains a child object, the Connection Type property cannot be changed. Each Connection Group
folder will hold objects of the same type and will include a worksheet that displays only content
pertaining to that folder. When two or more Connection Group folders are selected and you choose
Create Automatic Connections, auto detection for the selected Connection Group folders will be
performed. The Create Automatic Connections option is also available from the context menu
(right mouse click) for the Connections folder provided there is at least one Connection Group
folder present. When you choose this command from the Connections folder, auto detection will
be performed for all connection groups under this folder.
Connections
Manually Inserting Connection Objects

You can insert any supported connection objects manually using Context tab options or using the
context (right-click) menu on the Connections or Connection Group folder. When inserting a connection
object from the Connections folder, a Connection Group object will automatically be created in addition
to the connection object itself. When inserting a connection object from a Connection Group folder,
if it is an empty folder, any supported type of object can be inserted. However, if the folder already
contains at least one object, only objects of the same type can be inserted.
Checking for Overlapping Contact Regions

Overlapping contact conditions arise when a face or edge is contained in more than one Contact Region.
Mechanical supports this situation for the Mechanical APDL solver; however, if your analysis is incorpor-
ated into a fluid analysis, issues can arise.
Mechanical provides the context menu option Check Overlapping Contact Regions to identify any
overlapping contact regions in your model so that you can address them appropriately.
Setting Default APDL Names

The context (right-click) menu option for the Contact Region object, Set Default APDL Names, enables
you generate system default names for the Contact/Target APDL Name properties. These properties
are optional and only available for the Mechanical APDL solver. See the Setting Default APDL
Names (p. 1183) section for more information.
Searching for Duplicate Pairs

Generating connections (Contacts (p. 1134) or Joints (p. 1202)) and Mesh Connections, either automatically
or manually, may result in the same geometry pair being scoped by more than one connection object.
This may over constrain the model which may lead to convergence difficulty problems in the solver. If
this situation occurs, use the context (right-click) menu option Search Connections for Duplicate Pairs,
Connection Features and Operations
to check connection objects for duplicate pairs. You can then modify or the geometry scoping of the
duplicated pairs or delete the duplicate connection objects.
Note:
The application considers connection objects whose scoping has been flipped when
searching for duplicate pairs. For example, if you have two Contact Regions that are
scoped to the same geometry pair but have reversed Contact and Target settings, these
regions are considered a duplicate pair.
When one or more duplicate pairs are found in the existing connection objects (which includes Mesh
Connections), the application displays the following warning message in the Messages window for a
connection object that shares the same geometry pair.
"This connection object shares the same geometries with one or more connection
objects. This may over-constrain the model. Consider eliminating some connection
objects."
To search for connection objects that share the same geometry pair with more than one connection
object, select multiple connection objects before selecting Search Connections for Duplicate Pairs.
Or you may issue the search from a Connections/Connection Group or Mesh Connections/Mesh Con-
nection Group folder, the application searches all connection objects under this folders for duplicate
pairs.
Once the application detects duplicates, right-click the message in the Messages window and select
Go To Object from the context menu. The application highlights the associated connection object in
the tree. To find other connection objects that share the same geometry pair, right-click the highlighted
object and select Go To Connections for Duplicate Pairs from the context menu; all connection objects
that share the same geometry pair will be highlighted in the tree.
Moving and Copying Connection Objects

To move a connection object to another folder of the same connection type, drag the object and drop
it on that folder. For example, to move a contact region object, drag the object from its current Contacts
folder and drop it on another folder whose Connection Type is Contact (possibly named Contacts 2).
To copy a connection object to another folder of the same connection type, hold the Ctrl key while
performing the move procedure described above.
Creating Contact Sizing Controls for Contact Regions Automatically

You can create contact sizing controls automatically by:
• Dragging and dropping the Contacts folder onto the Mesh object to create a Contact Sizing control
for each contact region in the folder.
• Selecting the Contacts folder or an individual Contact Region in the Tree and using the RMB option
Create > Contact Sizing to create Contact Sizing controls for the selected contact regions.
Connections
Treatment of Legacy Databases

Supported connection objects from databases of previous versions of Ansys Workbench will be grouped
based on their types and migrated into Connection Group folders.
Contacts from legacy databases are resumed with the Protected property set to No.
9.5. Connections Manager Extension

The Connections Manager extension, through the 1D Connection Group object, provides the capabilities
to automatically generate and manage connection objects for the entire model or for a group of bodies
within the model. Currently, this extension supports surface bodies and the following connection objects:
Beam, Spring, Contact, and Joint.
You can create edge-to-edge connections using the 1D Connection Group object. With the automatic
detection capability, edges around the holes are identified and paired with other hole edges based on
the settings defined in the 1D Connection Group's Details pane. The generated connection objects are
placed in a worksheet and hidden from the tree Outline, allowing you to organize a large number of
connection objects more easily and reduce the size of the tree Outline in a large model.
This section covers the following topics:

9.5.1. Loading the Connections Manager Extension
9.5.2. Details Pane Properties
9.5.3. RMB Menu Options
9.5.4. Worksheet Window Options
9.5.1. Loading the Connections Manager Extension

The Connections Manager extension must first be loaded from the ACT Start Page. Follow these
steps to load the extension:
1. In the Workbench Project dialog, click ACT Start Page and select Manage Extensions.
2. Click the ConnectionsManager tile to load the extension.
Note:
To unload it, click this tile again.
3. Open Mechanical to verify that the extension is loaded correctly: Right-click Connections in the
tree Outline and click Insert > 1D Connection Group to add the object to the tree.
Connections Manager Extension
9.5.2. Details Pane Properties

This section describes the Details pane properties associated with a 1D Connection Group object.
Connections
Category Property/Options/Description
Definition Connection Type: Options include Beam, Contact, Spring, and Joint.
Scope Scoping Method: Options include Geometry Selection (default) and
Named Selection.
• Geometry: Visible when Scoping Method is set to Geometry Selec-

tion. Displays the type of geometry and the number of geometric
entities to which the boundary has been applied using the selection
tools.
• Named Selection: Visible when Scoping Method is set to Named

Selection. Provides a drop-down list of available user-defined Named
Selections.
Detection Options To create connection objects, you need a reference/mobile or

contact/target pair. The following properties facilitate their detection,
and the pairs are then scoped to the connection objects as
reference/mobile (for Beam, Spring and Joint) or contact/target (for
Contacts) entities.
• Scoping Method: Options include Automatic (default) and Manual.
– Automatic: Automatically defines entities as reference and mobile

or contact and target.
– Manual: Allows you to define geometric entities (bodies, faces, or

edges) separately to be considered as reference and mobile or
contact and target.
• Use Shell Thickness: Options include Yes (default) and No. When set
to Yes, the program takes into account the surface thickness while
detecting hole pairs. When set to No, the surface thickness is not
taken into account.
• Maximum Distance: Defines the maximum distance between entities

(hole edges) to be considered while detecting hole pairs.
• Orientation: Specifies the misalignment allowance for the algorithm

to detect misaligned holes. The orientation value is equal to the dot
product of the vector joining the hole centroids and the surface normal
vector of the face connected to reference edges. This value is between
0 and 1, where 1 represents perfect alignment or coaxial holes. The
lower the value, the greater the misalignment allowed between holes.
• Display Hole Pair: Options include Yes (default) and No. When set
to Yes, the program highlights detected hole pairs in the Geometry
window.
• Hole Pair Count: Read-only property to display the number of

detected hole pairs.
Connection Options The following properties act as global properties to generate all
connection objects at detected hole pair locations. Changing any
property value updates all generated connections automatically without
the need to refresh or regenerate.
Note:
Each connection type allows certain properties to be changed.

These properties are visible in the Details pane of the 1D
Connection Group, while the remaining properties are hidden
and kept as default.
• Connection Options (Connection Type - Beam)
– Material: Provides a drop-down list of materials for the beam from

the predefined material list.
– Radius: Options include Manual (default) and Automatic.
→ Manual: Enables the Radius Value property and allows you

to enter the radius value.
→ Automatic: The program calculates the radius from the

scoped entity (the hole's radius). When the radii of the
reference and mobile holes are different, the smaller value
between them is used.
– Reference Behavior: Specifies the scoped reference geometry as

either Rigid (default) or Deformable.
– Mobile Behavior: Specifies the scoped mobile geometry as either

Rigid (default) or Deformable. For more information, see Geometry
Behaviors (p. 1385).
– Reference Expansion Layers: Specifies the number of layers of

nodes around the reference hole to be scoped. By default, the value
is 0, meaning that the geometric edges forming the hole are scoped.
Any integer value greater than 0 will expand the selection to the
nodes that are attached to the specified number of element layers
around the hole.
Connections
– Mobile Expansion Layers: Specifies the number of layers of nodes

around the mobile hole to be scoped. The logic is the same as
described above for the Reference Expansion Layers property.
For more details about beam connections, see Beam

Connections (p. 1315).
• Connection Options (Connection Type - Contact)
– Contact Type: Only Bonded contact type is currently supported.
– Formulation: Only MPC formulation is currently supported.
– Contact Expansion Layers: Specifies the number of layers of
elements around the contact hole to be scoped. By default, the
value is 0, meaning that the geometric edges forming the hole are
scoped. Any integer value greater than 0 will expand the selection
to the specified number of element layers around the hole.
– Target Expansion Layers: Specifies the number of layers of

elements around the target hole to be scoped. The logic is the same
as described above for the Contact Expansion Layers property.
Note:
If Target Expansion Layers is set to 0, element scoping

is not permitted for contact holes, and Contact Expan-
sion Layers cannot be greater than 0. However, the
opposite is allowed. For more details, see Scope
Settings (p. 1139) in Contact (p. 1134).
– Pinball Region: Options include Program Controlled (default) and

Radius.
→ Program Controlled: The application automatically calculates

the Pinball Region value.
→ Radius: Enables the Radius Factor property and allows you

to enter the Radius Factor value manually. The Pinball Radius
for each contact is the product of the Radius Factor and the
distance between the corresponding contact and target
scoping.
Selecting the Radius option for the Pinball Region ensures

that the contact is closed (provided that the Radius Factor
is greater than 1).
With a 1D Connection Group, the scoped entities are either

edge(s) (if the Expansion Layers value is 0) or elements (if
the Expansion Layers value is greater than 0). Therefore,
even if a large Radius Factor is specified, it will not alter the
number of scoped entities.
For more details, see Contact (p. 1134).
• Connection Options (Connection Type - Spring)
– Material: Provides a drop-down list of materials for the spring from

the predefined material list. The default option is None. The chosen
material must include a constant damping coefficient to account
for viscous damping or structural damping of the spring in the
analysis.
Connections
– Longitudinal Stiffness: Allows you to enter the Longitudinal
Stiffness value. Only constant value is supported.
– Longitudinal Damping: Allows you to enter the Longitudinal

Damping value.
– Preload: Options include None (default), Load, and Free Length.

A Load or Free Length value entry field is visible when you select
the respective option. If Preload is specified as Load, a positive
value creates tension while a negative value creates compression.


Rigid (default) or Deformable.
– Reference Expansion Layers: Specifies the number of layers of

nodes around the reference hole to be scoped. By default, the value
is 0, meaning that the geometric edges forming the hole are scoped.
Any integer value greater than 0 will expand the selection to the
nodes that are attached to the specified number of element layers
around the hole.
– Mobile Expansion Layers: Specifies the number of layers of nodes

around the mobile hole to be scoped. The logic is the same as
described above for the Reference Expansion Layers property.
For more information, see Springs (p. 1306).
• Connection Options (Connection Type - Joint)
– Type: Only Fixed joints are currently supported.


Rigid (default) or Deformable.
– Initial Position: Options include Unchanged (default) and Override.
→ Unchanged: The program uses the same coordinate system

for the Reference holes and the Mobile holes.
→ Override: The program defines a separate Mobile Coordin-

ate System for the Mobile holes.
For more information, see Joint Properties (p. 1227).
Advanced • Rename Connection Objects: Options include None (default), Based

on Definition, Based on Body, and User Defined. This property
renames the generated connection objects based on the option
selected.
– None: Keeps the default names for the objects.
– Based on Definition: Renames the objects based on their type and

scoping.
– Based on Body: Renames the objects to include the names of the

Geometry elements that constitute the objects.
– User Defined: Allows you to enter a name through the Input Name
property and creates each object's name using that input and a
number based on the order the object appears on the list.
• Connections: Read-only property to display the number of generated

connection objects.
• Active Connections: Read-only property to display the number of

active connection objects.
9.5.3. RMB Menu Options

This section describes the available options when you right-click the 1D Connection Group object
in the tree Outline.
• Detect Hole Pairs: Once the geometry is scoped and properties under Detection Options are
defined, this option is used to detect reference/mobile (or contact/target) pairs. After detection, in
the Details pane of 1D Connection Group, the Hole Pair Count property will display the number
of hole pairs detected. If the Display Hole Pair property is set to Yes, these hole pairs will be visible
in the model.
• Create Automatic Connections: Automatically generates supported connections between detected

hole pairs.
• Clear Generated Connections: Deletes all the connection objects generated by the corresponding
1D Connection Group.
• Promote and Release: Promotes all the connection objects generated by the 1D Connection Group
to the Outline tree under Connections and deletes the 1D Connection Group object. These con-
nections will be converted to usual Mechanical objects. Their association with 1D Connection Group
folder and the associated worksheet will be deleted. Use this option only when you do not want
to manage the connection objects using the 1D Connection Group folder or worksheet.
9.5.4. Worksheet Window Options

The connection objects in the 1D Connection Group are placed in a worksheet and hidden from the
tree Outline, providing a space to organize and manage the objects. This section describes the available
options in the 1D Connection Group's Worksheet window.
Connections
• Clicking the worksheet row(s) displays the corresponding object(s) in the Geometry window.
• Clicking the column header sorts the Worksheet items based on the column data.
• The RMB menu options for the worksheet row(s) include Suppress, Unsuppress, and Delete Ob-
ject(s). Learn more about these options in the Suppressing Objects (p. 116) section.
• Select all worksheet rows button: Selects all the rows and displays all objects in the Geometry
window. After selecting all objects, you can also use the RMB menu options to suppress, unsuppress,
or delete all objects.
• Show selected objects in the tree button: By default, connection objects are hidden from the tree
Outline. To show these objects in the tree Outline, select the worksheet rows corresponding to the
objects and click this button.
• Hide selected objects from the tree button: To hide any objects from the tree, select their work-
sheet rows and click this button.
9.6. Contact
9.6.1. Contact Overview
9.6.2. Contact Formulation Theory
9.6.3. Contact Settings
9.6.4. Supported Contact Types
9.6.5. Setting Contact Conditions Manually
9.6.6. Contact Ease of Use Features
9.6.7. Contact in Rigid Dynamics
9.6.8. Best Practices for Specifying Contact Conditions
9.6.1. Contact Overview

Contact conditions are created when an assembly is imported into the application and it detects that
two separate bodies (solid, surface, and line bodies) touch one another (they are mutually tangent).
Bodies/surfaces in contact:
• Do not 'interpenetrate'.
• Can transmit compressive normal forces and tangential friction forces.
• Can be bonded together (Linear)
• Able to separate and collide (Nonlinear)
Surfaces that are free to separate and move away from one another are said to have changing-status
nonlinearity. That is, the stiffness of the system depends on the contact status, whether parts are
touching or separated.
Contact
Use the Contact Tool (p. 2184) to help you coordinate contact conditions before loading and as part
of the final solution.
9.6.2. Contact Formulation Theory

Contact solutions are often very complicated. It is recommended that, whenever possible, you employ
the Program Controlled setting. However, in order to better understand your selections, this section
examines the specifics of Formulations.
Because contacting bodies do not interpenetrate, the application must establish a relationship between
the two surfaces to prevent them from passing through each other in the analysis. When the applic-
ation prevents interpenetration, it is said to enforce "contact compatibility".
In order to enforce compatibility at the contact interface, the application offers several different
contact Formulations. These Formulations define the solution method used. The options for the For-
mulation property are listed below. For additional information, see Formulation (p. 1153) property
topic of the Advanced Settings section.
• Pure Penalty (p. 1135)
• Augmented Lagrange (p. 1135)
• Normal Lagrange (p. 1136)
• MPC (p. 1137)
• Beam (p. 1137)
Pure Penalty and Augmented Lagrange Contact Formulation

For nonlinear solid body contact of faces, Pure Penalty or Augmented Lagrange formulations can
be used. Both of these are penalty-based contact formulations:
FNormal = kNormalxPenetration
The finite contact Force, Fn, is a concept of contact stiffness, kNormal. The higher the contact stiffness,
the lower the penetration, xp, as illustrated here.
Connections
Ideally, for an infinite kNormal, one would get zero penetration. This is not numerically possible with
penalty-based methods, but as long as xp is small or negligible, the solution results are accurate.
The main difference between Pure Penalty and Augmented Lagrange methods is that Augmented
Lagrange augments the contact force (pressure) calculations:
Pure Penalty: FNormal = kNormalxPenetration
Augmented Lagrange: FNormal = kNormalxPenetration + λ
Because of the extra term λ, the Augmented Lagrange method is less sensitive to the magnitude of
the contact stiffness kNormal.
Normal Lagrange Contact Formulation

Another available option is Normal Lagrange. This formulation adds an extra degree of freedom
(contact pressure) to satisfy contact compatibility. Consequently, instead of resolving contact force
as contact stiffness and penetration, contact force (contact pressure) is solved for explicitly as an extra
DOF.
FNormal = DOF
Specifications:
• Enforces zero/nearly zero penetration with pressure DOF.
• Does not require a normal contact stiffness (zero elastic slip)
• Requires Direct Solver, which can increase computation requirements.
Normal Lagrange Chattering
Chattering is an issue which often occurs with Normal Lagrange method. If no penetration is allowed
(left), then the contact status is either open or closed (a step function). This can sometimes make
convergence more difficult because contact points may oscillate between an open and closed status.
This is called "chattering". If some slight penetration is allowed (right), it can make it easier to converge
since contact is no longer a step change.
Contact
Multi-Point Constraint (MPC) Contact Formulation

For the specific case of Bonded and No Separation Types (p. 1147) of contact between two faces, a
Multi-Point Constraint (MPC) formulation is available. MPC internally adds constraint equations to
"tie" the displacements between contacting surfaces. This approach is not penalty-based or Lagrange
multiplier-based. It is a direct, efficient way of relating surfaces of contact regions which are bonded.
Large-deformation effects are supported with MPC-based Bonded contact.
Beam Contact Formulation

Beam Formulation is available for the Bonded Type (p. 1147) only. This formulation works by "stitching"
the contact topologies together using massless linear Beam Elements.
Comparison of Formulations
Some of the primary aspects of contact formulations are compared below.
Table 9.1: Comparing Contact Formulations
Pure Penalty Augmented Normal Lagrange MPC Beam

Lagrange
Good Additional Additional Excellent convergence behavior (one
convergence equilibrium equilibrium equilibrium iteration).
behavior (few iterations needed iterations needed
equilibrium if penetration is if chattering is
iterations). too large. present.
Sensitive to Less sensitive to No normal contact stiffness is required. NA
selection of selection of
normal contact normal contact
stiffness. stiffness.
Contact Contact Usually, No Penetration. Penetration is
penetration is penetration is penetration is minimal with a
present and present but near-zero. stiff enough
uncontrolled. controlled to material definition.
some degree.
Useful for any type of contact behavior. Only Bonded & No Bonded Only
Separation
behaviors.
Connections
Pure Penalty Augmented Normal Lagrange MPC Beam

Lagrange
Iterative or Direct Solvers can be used. Only Direct Solver Iterative or Direct Solvers can be used.
can be Used.
Symmetric or Asymmetric contact Asymmetric contact Only. NA
available.
Contact detection at integration points. Contact Detection at Nodes. NA
9.6.3. Contact Settings

When a model is imported into Workbench Mechanical, the default setting of the application is to
automatically detect instances where two bodies are in contact and to generate the corresponding
Contact Region objects.
When a Contact Region is selected in the Outline, as illustrated here, contact settings are available
in the Details pane, and are included in the following categories:
• Scope (p. 1139): settings for displaying, selecting, or listing contact and target geometries.
• Definition (p. 1147): commonly used contact settings.
• Advanced (p. 1152): advanced controls that are primarily program controlled.
• Display (p. 1166): display of element normal direction.
• Geometric Modification (p. 1167): settings for further defining contact interface behaviors.
Contact
9.6.3.1. Scope Settings

The properties for the Scope category are described in the following table. Also make sure you
review the Stiffness Behavior Support Specifications (p. 1146) topic at the end of the section.
Property Description/Selections
Scoping Method Specifies whether the Contact Region is applied to a Geometry
Selection (default), a Named Selection (p. 92), or to a Pre-Generated
Interface for fracture mechanics (Interface Delamination) when you
are using the Ansys Composite PrepPost (ACP) application.
Interface This property displays when you select Pre-Generated Interface as
the Scoping Method. It provides a drop-down list of the available
interface layers that were imported from ACP.
Contact Displays/selects which geometries (bodies, faces, edges, or
vertices) or mesh entities (elements [3D shell only], element faces
Connections
or node set) are considered in contact. The geometries can be
manually selected or automatically generated.
Important:
Note the following requirements when scoping with

mesh nodes.
• Can only be performed using manual scoping

(no automatic detection).
• Is not supported in combination with the Shell

Thickness Effect property (see below).
For Face/Edge or Body/Edge contact, the edge must be

designated as Contact. Body scoping always includes all
pertinent faces in the solution process.
A contact pair can have a flexible-rigid scoping, but the flexible

side of the pair must always be the Contact side. If the Contact
side of the contact pair is scoped to multiple bodies, all of the
bodies must have the same Stiffness Behavior (p. 880), either Ri-
gid or Flexible.
Note:
When the Rigid Body Mesh Behavior is set to Dimen-

sionally Reduced, the Contact scoping can not be
scoped to a Named Selection of Mesh Entities.
Target Displays which body element (body, face, or edge) or mesh

entities (elements [3D shell only] or element faces) is considered
Target (versus Contact). This element can be manually set or
automatically generated.
For Face/Edge or Body/Edge contact, the face or body must

be designated as Target. Body scoping includes all pertinent
faces in the solution process.
If the Contact side of the contact pair has a flexible Stiffness

Behavior (p. 880) then the Target side can be rigid.
Multiple rigid bodies cannot be selected for the Target side

scoping of the contact pair. The selection of multiple rigid bodies
Contact
for the Target invalidates the Contact Region object and an
error message is generated following the solution process.
Note:
If you click this field, the bodies are highlighted.
Note:
When the Rigid Body Mesh Behavior is set to Dimen-

sionally Reduced, the Target scoping can not be
scoped to a Named Selection of Mesh Entities.
Shared Target Body This property displays when the Target is scoped to either edges
or faces that are shared by more than one body and:
• The Contact or Target property is scoped to edges or

faces that are shared by the scoping of a General
Axisymmetric object.
Or…
• When the Contact and Target properties are scoped to

the edges and the Edge Contact Type property is set to
Nodes on Edge.
When displayed, this property provides a drop-down list that

includes the bodies that share the edge or face. Scoping the
property to one of these body selections specifies that the target
elements are generated on top of elements of the selected body
and their normal is outward to the boundary of the body.
Reverse Shared Contact Reverse Shared Contact Normal: This property displays when
Normal the Contact property scoping of the contact condition includes
the following:
1. One or more 2D edges, shared by more than one body,

and that are not specified by a General Axisymmetric
object. The Target scoping cannot be specified by a
General Axisymmetric object, either.
2. One or more 3D faces that are shared by more than one

body.
Connections
When displayed, you select subset of shared contact edges or
faces to reverse the direction of the normal for the generated
contact elements.
Important:
If a shared face is shared by both shell and solid

bodies, the Reverse Shared Contact Normal property
only displays when Contact Shell Face property is
set to Top or Bottom.
Note:
You can set the Element Normals property of the

Display category to Yes to display the normal
directions of the elements in contact.
Reverse Shared Target Reverse Shared Target Normal: This property displays when
Normal the Target property scoping of the contact condition includes
the following:
1. One or more 2D edges, shared by more than one body,

and that are not specified by a General Axisymmetric
object. The Contact scoping cannot be specified by a
General Axisymmetric object, either.
2. One or more 3D faces that are shared by more than one

body.
When displayed, you select subset of shared target edges or

faces to reverse the direction of the normal for the generated
target elements.
Important:
If a shared face is shared by both shell and solid

bodies, the Reverse Shared Target Normal property
only displays when Target Shell Face property is set
to Top or Bottom.
Note:
You can set the Element Normals property of the

Display category to Yes to display the normal
directions of the elements in contact.
Contact
Contact Bodies This read-only property displays the name of the parts included in
the Contact side of the Contact Region.
Target Bodies This read-only property displays the name of the parts included in
the Target side of the Contact Region.
Edge Contact Type This property is visible when the Contact geometry is an Edge
(of a line, shell, or solid body) and the Target geometry is an
Edge, Face, or Element Face (of a shell or solid body). Property
options include:
• Program Controlled (default): For 3D Structural analyses,

the application internally uses the Line Segments
(CONTA177 element) option. For all other cases, the
application uses the Nodes on Edge (CONTA175 element)
option as the internal setting. Exception: If you are
performing a substructure analysis, or if your analysis is
linked to a downstream Structural Optimization analysis
(Future Analysis property set to Structural Optimiza-
tion), then the application uses the CONTA175 element.
• Nodes On Edge: When selected, the application uses the

CONTA175 element for the Contact Region.
• Line Segments: This option is only supported for

structural physics-based analyses. When selected, the
application uses the CONTA177 element for the Contact
Region.
Note:
This property is not supported for contact

between the edges of two line bodies.
Line-Line Detection The application displays this property when you:
• Specifying beam edges as the scoping for both the Con-

tact and Target properties.
Or...
• Specify the Contact property as an edge (of a line, shell,

or solid body) and the Target property an edge, face, or
element face (of a shell or solid body) and the Edge
Contact Type property set to Line Segments and the
Formulation property is set to Augmented Lagrange
or Pure Penalty.
Property options include:
• External - Only 1 Segment
Connections
• External - Up to 4 Segments (default)
• External - Up to 8 Segments
• Internal Pipe Contact (only visible for beam-to-beam

edge contact)
Note:
• The external options enable you to specify the

maximum number of target segments interacting
with each contact detection point simultaneously.
• The Internal Pipe Contact can be used to model

a beam (or pipe) sliding inside another hollow
beam (or pipe). However, if the inner beam is much
stiffer than the outer beam, the inner beam can be
the target surface. This setting specifies a maximum
of four target segments for the Contact edge
(CONTA177).
• See the CONTA177 and 3D Beam-To-Beam Contact

sections for additional technical details about this
property.
Beam-Beam Model The application displays this property when it detects

beam-to-beam contact. It enables you to specify the contact
traction-based model the application uses for Beam-to-Beam
contact. Options include:
• Exclude Crossing Beams: For this option, the application

excludes the contact for any beams that cross one
another. The Mechanical APDL Reference for this option
is KEYOPT(3) = 1.
• Only Crossing Beams: For this option, the application

includes only the contact for beams that cross one
another. The Mechanical APDL Reference for this option
is KEYOPT(3) = 3.
• All (default): This is the default setting. The application

includes all beam contact scenarios, which are:
beam/edge to surface contact, parallel beam-to-beam
contact, and crossing beam-to-beam contact. The
Mechanical APDL Reference for this option is KEYOPT(3)
= 2.
For additional Mechanical APDL specific information, see

KEYOPT(3) in the Mechanical APDL Contact Technology Guide.
Contact
Protected Specifies if the contact entities (faces, edges, and vertices) are
protected topology. Set the property to Yes to respect the
geometry features the Contact is scoped to and ensure proper
association between the geometry and mesh. Set the property
to No to indicate that the topology may not be protected.
Contact Shell Face Specifies whether the Contact should be applied on a surface
body’s top face or bottom face. When scoped to an element
face, the contact is applied to the scoped side (top/bottom) of
the shell face. If you set Contact Shell Face to the default option,
Program Controlled, then the Target Shell Face option must
also be set to Program Controlled. The Program Controlled
default option is not valid for nonlinear contact types. This option
displays only when you scope a surface body to Contact Bodies.
Target Shell Face Specifies whether the Target should be applied on a surface
body’s top face or bottom face. When scoped to an element
face, the target is applied to the scoped side (top/bottom) of
the shell face. If you set Target Shell Face to the default option,
Program Controlled, then the Contact Shell Face option must
also be set to Program Controlled. The Program Controlled
default option is not valid for nonlinear contact types. This option
displays only when you scope a surface body to Target Bodies.
Shell Thickness Effect This property appears when the scoping of the contact or target
(See notes below as well includes a Surface Body. Options include:
as Using KEYOPT(11))
• Yes: Include the property.
• No (default): Exclude the property.
When set to Yes, the contact object becomes under-defined if

the Offset Type of any scoped surface body is set to a value
other than Middle. In this situation, the following error message
will be displayed: "The shell thickness effect of a contact pair is
turned on; however, the offset type of a shell body in contact
is set to other than Middle. Set its offset type to Middle."
In the presence of a Thickness, Imported Thickness, Layered

Section, or an Imported Layered Section object, the following
warning message will be issued if a solve is requested: "The shell
thickness effect of a contact pair is turned on. Make sure that
the offset type of the thickness, imported thickness, layered
sections and imported layered sections objects associated with
the shell bodies in contact are set to Middle."
Shell Thickness Effect

The Shell Thickness Effect allows users to automatically include the thickness of the surface body
during contact calculations. Instead of contact being detected on the face of the surface body,
contact will be detected a distance of half the thickness away from the face.
Connections
If the surface body undergoes large strains and changes thickness, the updated (current) thickness
is also used in the contact calculations. However, to be able to take advantage of this feature, the
Offset Type (p. 890) must be set to Middle.
For cases where Offset Type (p. 890) is set to Top or Bottom, you can do the following:
• For a given contact region, if contact is occurring on the same face (Top or Bottom) as the offset,
no special settings are required. The location of the nodes and elements of the surface body
represent the actual position of that face.
• For Rough, Frictionless, or Frictional contact types, if contact is occurring on the opposite face
as the offset, specify a contact Offset equal to the shell thickness for the Interface Treat-
ment (p. 1168). Note that changes in shell thickness for large strain analyses will not be considered.
Note:
If the Shell Thickness Effect is activated, and you have specified a contact Offset for the
Interface Treatment (p. 1168), the total offset will be half the thickness of the surface body
plus the defined contact offset.
Postprocessing surface bodies using the Shell Thickness Effect has the following special consider-
ations:
• Because contact is detected half of the thickness from the middle of the surface body, viewing
surface body results without Thick Shell and Beam (See the Style group (p. 83) of the Display
tab) effects turned on will show an apparent gap between contact bodies. This is normal since
contact is being detected away from the location of the nodes and elements.
• When using the Contact Tool (p. 2184) to postprocess penetration or gaps, these values are
measured from the middle of the surface bodies (location of the nodes and elements), regardless
of whether or not the shell thickness effect is active.
Stiffness Behavior Support Specifications
Note:
• All geometric entities selected for a contact condition, on either the Contact or the
Target side of the contact pair, must have the same setting for the Stiffness Behavior
property.
• If the Stiffness Behavior property of a geometry is set to Rigid, you must set the
Definition property to Asymmetric.
• You cannot scope the Target side in a contact pair to more than one rigid body.
• If you have both rigid and flexible bodies in your contact pair, you must scope the rigid
body as a Target.
• For the Mechanical APDL solver, you cannot scope the Target side in a contact pair
to the edge of a rigid body.
Contact
9.6.3.2. Definition Settings

The differences in the contact settings determine how the contacting bodies can move relative to
one another. This category provides the following properties.
• Type (p. 1147)
• Scope Mode (p. 1148)
• Behavior (p. 1149)
• Trim Contact (p. 1150)
• Contact/Target APDL Name (p. 1152)
• Suppressed (p. 1152)
Type
Choosing the appropriate contact type depends on the type of problem you are trying to solve. If
modeling the ability of bodies to separate or open slightly is important and/or obtaining the stresses
very near a contact interface is important, consider using one of the nonlinear contact types (Fric-
tionless, Rough, Frictional), which can model gaps and more accurately model the true area of
contact. However, using these contact types usually results in longer solution times and can have
possible convergence problems due to the contact nonlinearity. If convergence problems arise or
if determining the exact area of contact is critical, consider using a finer mesh (using the Sizing
control) on the contact faces or edges.
The available contact types are listed below. Most of the types apply to Contact Regions made up
of faces only.
• Bonded: This is the default configuration and applies to all contact regions (surfaces, solids, lines,
faces, edges). If contact regions are bonded, then no sliding or separation between faces or edges
is allowed. Think of the region as glued. This type of contact allows for a linear solution since the
contact length/area will not change during the application of the load. If contact is determined
on the mathematical model, any gaps will be closed and any initial penetration will be ignored.
[Not supported for Rigid Dynamics. Fixed joint can be used instead.]
• No Separation: This contact setting is similar to the Bonded case. It only applies to regions of
faces (for 3D solids) or edges (for 2D plates). Separation of the geometries in contact is not allowed.
• Frictionless: This setting models standard unilateral contact; that is, normal pressure equals zero
if separation occurs. Therefore, gaps can form in the model between bodies depending on the
loading. This solution is nonlinear because the area of contact may change as the load is applied.
Connections
A zero coefficient of friction is assumed and allows free sliding. The model should be well con-
strained when using this contact setting. Weak springs are added to the assembly to help stabilize
the model in order to achieve a reasonable solution.
• Rough: Similar to the frictionless setting, this setting models perfectly rough frictional contact
where there is no sliding. It only applies to regions of faces (for 3D solids) or edges (for 2D plates).
By default, no automatic closing of gaps is performed. This case corresponds to an infinite friction
coefficient between the contacting bodies. [Not supported for Explicit Dynamics analyses.]
• Frictional: In this setting, the two contacting geometries can carry shear stresses up to a certain
magnitude across their interface before they start sliding relative to each other. This state is
known as "sticking." The model defines an equivalent shear stress at which sliding on the geometry
begins as a fraction of the contact pressure. Once the shear stress is exceeded, the two geometries
will slide relative to each other. The coefficient of friction can be any non-negative value. [Not
supported for Rigid Dynamics. Forced Frictional Sliding should be used instead.]
• Forced Frictional Sliding: In this setting, a tangent resisting force is applied at each contact
point. The tangent force is proportional to the normal contact force. This setting is similar to
Frictional except that there is no "sticking" state. [Supported only for Rigid Dynamics]
By default the friction is not applied during collision. Collisions are treated as if the contact is
frictionless regardless the friction coefficient. The following commands override this behavior
and include friction in shock resolution (see Rigid Dynamics Command Objects Library in the
Mechanical User's Guide (p. 569) for more information).
options=CS_SolverOptions()
options.FrictionForShock=1
Note that shock resolution assumes permanent sliding during shock, which may lead to unreal-
istic results when the friction coefficient is greater than 0.5.
• Friction Coefficient: Enables you to enter a friction coefficient. Displayed only for frictional
contact applications.
Note:
• For the Bonded and No Separation contact Type, you can simulate the separation
of a Contact Region as it reaches some predefined opening criteria using the Contact
Debonding (p. 481) feature.
• Refer to KEYOPT(12) in the Mechanical APDL Contact Technology Guide for more inform-
ation about modelling different contact surface behaviors.
Scope Mode
This is a read-only property that displays how the selected Contact Region was generated. Either
automatically generated by the application (Automatic) or constructed or modified by the user
(Manual (p. 1176)). Note that this property is not supported for Rigid Body Dynamics analyses.
Contact
Behavior
This property will appear only for 3D Face/Face or 2D Edge/Edge contacts. For 3D Edge/Edge or
Face/Edge contacts, internally the program will set the contact behavior to Asymmetric (see below).
Note that this property is not supported for Rigid Body Dynamics analyses.
Sets contact pair to one of the following:
• Program Controlled (Default for the Mechanical APDL solver): internally the contact behavior is
set to the following options based on the stated condition:
– Auto Asymmetric (see below): for Flexible-Flexible bodies.
– Asymmetric (see below): for Flexible-Rigid bodies.
– Symmetric (see below): for Flexible-Flexible bodies that are scoped to a Nonlinear Adaptive
Region (p. 1826).
For Rigid-Rigid contacts, the Behavior property is under-defined for the Program Controlled
setting. The validation check is performed at the Contact object level when all environment
branches are using the Mechanical APDL solver. If the solver target for one of the environments
is other than Mechanical APDL, then this validation check will be carried out at the environment
level; the environment branch will become under-defined.
• Asymmetric: Contact will be asymmetric for the solve. All face/edge and edge/edge contacts
will be asymmetric. [In Explicit Dynamics analyses this is supported for Bonded connections.]
Asymmetric contact has one face as Contact and one face as Target (as defined under
Scope (p. 1139) settings), creating a single contact pair. This is sometimes called "one-pass contact,"
and is usually the most efficient way to model face-to-face contact for solid bodies.
The Behavior property setting must be Asymmetric if the scoping includes a body specified
with rigid Stiffness Behavior (p. 880).
• Symmetric: Contact will be symmetric for the solve. The symmetric pairs will have the same
contact characteristics (using KEYOPT(8)=1) except when the Nonlinear Adaptive Region (p. 1826)
object is present.
• Auto Asymmetric: Automatically creates an asymmetric (p. 1149) contact pair, if possible. This can
significantly improve performance in some instances. When you choose this setting, during the
solution phase the solver will automatically choose the more appropriate contact face designation.
Connections
You can also designate the roles of each face in the contact pair manually. [In Explicit Dynamics
analyses this option is available for Bonded connections; see Bonded Type.]
Note:
Refer to KEYOPT(8) in the Mechanical APDL Contact Technology Guide for more information
about asymmetric and symmetric contact selection.
Trim Contact
The Trim Contact feature can speed up the solution time by reducing the number of contact ele-
ments sent to the solver for consideration. For a Contact Region interface of a Condensed Part, this
property enables you to reduce the number of master DOFs the application sends to the solver.
Note that this feature is not supported for Rigid Body Dynamics analyses.
Trim Contact options include:
• Program Controlled: This is the default setting. The application chooses the appropriate setting.
Typically, the application sets Trim Contact to On. However, if there are manually created contact
conditions, no trimming is performed. By default, for Condensed Part generation, no trimming
of the master DOFs is performed.
• On: During the process of creating the solver input file, checking is performed to determine the
proximity between source and target elements. Elements from the source and target sides which
are not in close proximity (determined by a tolerance) are not written to the file and therefore
ignored in the analysis.
• Off: No contact trimming is performed.
The checking process is performed to identify if there is overlap between the bounding boxes of
the elements involved. If the bounding box of an element does not overlap the bounding box of
an opposing face or element set, that element is excluded from the solution. Before the elements
are checked, the bounding boxes are expanded using the Trim Tolerance property (explained
below) so that overlapping can be detected.
Trim Tolerance
This property provides the ability to define the tolerance value that is used to expand the bounding
boxes of the elements before the trimming process is performed.
This property is available for both automatic and manual contacts when the Trim Contact is set
to On. It is only available for automatic contacts when the Trim Contact is set to Program Con-
Contact
trolled since no trimming is performed for manual contacts. For automatic contacts, this property
displays the value that was used for contact detection and it is a read-only field. For manual contacts,
enter a value greater than zero.
Note that a doubling expansion effect can result from the bounding box expansion since the
bounding box of both the source and target elements are expanded. An example of the double
expansion effect is illustrated below where the Trim Tolerance is defined as 10 mm. For simplicity
sake, the size of the elements is specified as 5mm. Therefore, the bounding boxes for the contact/tar-
get elements will extend 10mm (two elements) in each direction as represented by the orange
boxes, solid and dashed. For each face, Contact and Target, the number of elements that will be
used are illustrated.
The brown area illustrated below represents the elements from the contact face. On the correspond-
ing target side exist potential elements from the entire target face. The elements of the target face
that will be kept are drawn in black. On the target Face, each element bounding box is expanded
by 10mm and an overlap is sought against each element from the contact side. Referring to the
image below, the bounding boxes between Contact Element 1 (CE1) and Target Element 2 (TE2)
overlap and therefore TE2 is included in the analysis. Meanwhile, CE3 and TE4 do not overlap and
as a result, TE4 is not included in the analysis. This results in a reduced number of elements in the
analysis and, typically, a faster solution.
Connections
Contact/Target APDL Name

These properties are optional and only available for the Mechanical APDL solver. They enable you
to specify an APDL parameter name for the contact and the target element types. Using these
names, you can easily identify the contact and target element type and their corresponding real
constant set that you can reference and use in a Commands (APDL) object.
Note:
Because element key options for all contact and target element types can be modified
or set using the KEYOPT command with the ITYPE argument set CONT or TARG, Ansys
recommends that you do not specify the Contact/Target APDL Name property using
a variable that begins with "Cont" or "Targ," such as "Contact_1" or "Target _1."
If the Contact/Target APDL Name entry modifies an element key option (KEYOPT), the
application will automatically modify all contact and target element types.
Suppressed
Specifies whether or not the Contact Region is included in the solution.
9.6.3.3. Advanced Settings

The Advanced category provides the following properties.
Contact
• Formulation (p. 1153)
• Small Sliding (p. 1156)
• Detection Method (p. 1156)
• Penetration Tolerance (p. 1157)
• Elastic Slip Tolerance (p. 1158)
• Normal Stiffness (p. 1160)
• Constraint Type (p. 1159)
• Update Stiffness (p. 1161)
• Electric Capacitance (p. 1162)
• Pressure at Zero Penetration (p. 1162)
• Initial Clearance (p. 1162)
• Stabilization Damping Factor (p. 1163)
• Thermal Conductance (p. 1163)
• Pinball Region (p. 1164)
• Pinball Radius (p. 1165)
• Time Step Controls (p. 1165)
• Electric Conductance (p. 1165)
• Restitution Factor—Rigid Dynamics Solver Only (p. 1166)
• Continuous Distance Computation—Rigid Dynamics Solver Only (p. 1166)
Formulation
The Formulation property specifies which algorithm the application uses for contact pair compu-
tations. Property options include:
Option Description Mechanical

APDL
Reference
Program For this setting, the application internally selects the: –
Controlled
(default) • Pure Penalty option for contact between two rigid bodies.
• MPC option when the Inverse Option property is set to Yes

(Analysis Settings > Advanced (p. 1547)).
Connections

APDL
Reference
• MPC option for bonded contact defined between solid-solid,
solid-shell, shell-shell, and shell-beam bodies in 3D structural
analyses.
Exclusions
The application uses the Augmented Lagrange option internally

when the analysis:
– Is a Static Structural that includes Additive Manufacturing

processes or DED Process Add On (Extension).
– If the Physics Type property is set to an option other than

Structural, such as Thermal or Acoustics. This property is
generally populated based on the analysis type you select,
but could vary for a Coupled Field analysis, as shown in the
Physics Definition category of the environment.
– Includes a Cyclic Symmetry object.
– Is a Substructure Generation analysis.
– Is linked to a downstream Structural Optimization analysis.
– Has a contact region scoped to a body that is also scoped to

a General Axisymmetric object.
– If the bonded contact has an edge or a face overlapping with

certain boundary conditions, such as Fixed Support, Friction-
less Support, Simply Supported, Cylindrical Support, or
Displacement as support (at least one entry as zero and other
entries set to Free or all entries as zero), and loads such as
Remote Force and Remote Displacement.
Important:
The scoping for the contact regions and

boundary conditions in this scenario must be
geometry-based.
• Augmented Lagrange option for all other contact situations.
Pure Basic contact formulation based on penalty methods. KEYOPT(2)

Penalty =1
Augmented Also a penalty-based method. Compared to the Pure Penalty method, this KEYOPT(2)
Lagrange method usually leads to better conditioning and is less sensitive to the =0
magnitude of the contact stiffness coefficient. However, in some analyses,
Contact

APDL
Reference
the Augmented Lagrange method may require additional iterations,
especially if the deformed mesh becomes too distorted.
MPC Available for Bonded and for No Separation contact Types. Multipoint KEYOPT(2)
Constraint equations are created internally during the Mechanical APDL =2
solution to tie the bodies together. This can be helpful if truly linear contact
is desired or to handle the nonzero mode issue for free vibration that can
occur if a penalty function is used. Note that contact based results (such
as pressure) will be zero.
Note:
When modeling Shell-Solid assemblies with the MPC contact

Formulation, the contact surface/edge must be on the shell
side and the target surface must be on the solid side.
However, you can override this requirement to support
certain special cases, such as acoustics. See the Modeling
a Shell-Solid Assembly section of the Mechanical APDL
Contact Technology Guide for additional information.
Normal Enforces zero penetration when contact is closed making use of a Lagrange KEYOPT(2)
Lagrange multiplier on the normal direction and a penalty method in the tangential = 3
direction. Normal Stiffness is not applicable for this setting. Normal Lagrange
adds contact traction to the model as additional degrees of freedom and
requires additional iterations to stabilize contact conditions. It often
increases the computational cost compared to the Augmented Lagrange
setting. The Iterative setting (under Solver Type) cannot be used with this
method.
Beam Available for Bonded (p. 1147) Type only. This formulation works by –
"stitching" the contact topologies together using massless linear Beam
Elements.
For additional Mechanical APDL specific information, see KEYOPT(2) in the Mechanical APDL Contact
Technology Guide.
Note:
Cases involving large gaps and faces bonded together can result in fictitious moments
being transmitted across a boundary.
Fluid Structure Interface Contact Conditions
Note the following for contact conditions defined at a Fluid Structure Interface:
• The Contact side must be on the acoustic body and the Target must be on the structural
body.
Connections
• The Bonded contact type setting and the Pure Penalty formulation is supported in addition
to MPC formulation.
• Pure Penalty formulation is not supported for contact conditions between two acoustic
bodies.
• The Nodal-Dual Shape Function Projection (keyo,cid,4,4) option, of the Detection Meth-
od (p. 1156) property, is used by default for FSI contact defined using the Pure Penalty
formulation.
• The Combined option (keyo,cid,4,5), of the Detection Method (p. 1156) property, is not
supported for the MPC formulation type
Small Sliding
The Small Sliding property displays and activates an assumption of relatively-small sliding (less
than 20% of the sum of the average length of each contact element for the contact pair). If small
sliding is known to occur, this feature can make your solution more efficient and robust. The Program
Controlled setting for the Small Sliding property automatically sets the property to On in most
situations if the Large Deflection property is set to Off or the Type property is set to Bonded
contact. The default setting for this property can be changed using the Small Sliding option in
the Connections (p. 293) category of the Options preference.
Note:
When you specify a Coupled Field (p. 380) analysis using Electrostatic physics only (stan-
dalone), the application automatically disables this property.
Option Description
Program This is the default setting. The application determines whether to select small or finite
Controlled sliding.
Yes Enable small sliding.
No Disable small sliding and set finite sliding.
Adaptive Activates adaptive small sliding.
For additional information, see the Selecting a Sliding Behavior topic in the Mechanical APDL Contact
Technology Guide.
Detection Method
Detection Method enables you to choose the location of contact detection used in the analysis
in order to obtain a good convergence. It is applicable to 3D face-face contacts and 2D edge-edge
contacts. Property options include:
Option Description
Program The application uses Gauss integration points (On Gauss Point) when the Formu-
Controlled lation property is set to Pure Penalty or Augmented Lagrange. It uses nodal point
(Nodal-Normal to Target) when the Formulation property is set to MPC or Normal
Contact
Option Description
Lagrange. When the contact side is scoped to Gasket bodies, the application
automatically selects the option, Nodal-Projected Normal From Contact.
On Gauss The contact detection location is at the Gauss integration points. This option is not
Point applicable to contacts with MPC or Normal Lagrange formulation.
Nodal - The contact detection location is on a nodal point where the contact normal is
Normal From perpendicular to the contact surface.
Contact
Nodal - The contact detection location is on a nodal point where the contact normal is
Normal To perpendicular to the target surface.
Target
Nodal - The contact detection location is at contact nodal points in an overlapping region
Projected of the contact and target surfaces (projection-based method).
Normal From
Contact Note:
Additive Manufacturing Process simulations do not support

projection-based contact.
Nodal - Dual The contact detection location is at contact nodal points in an overlapping region
Shape of the Contact and Target surfaces (Dual Shape function projection-based method).
Function This option is efficient in terms of solution performance and memory usage and
Projection generally remedies potential over constraint due to MPC equations.
Combined The Mechanical APDL solver will use the optimized detection approach based on
the bodies in contact.
For additional Mechanical APDL information, see Selecting Location of Contact Detection (specifically,
KEYOPT(4) related information) in the Mechanical APDL Contact Technology Guide.
Penetration Tolerance
The Penetration Tolerance property enables you to specify the Penetration Tolerance Value or
the Penetration Tolerance Factor for a contact when the Formulation property is set to Program
Controlled, Pure Penalty, or Augmented Lagrange.
Note:
The Update Stiffness property must be set to either Program Controlled, Each Iteration,
or Each Iteration, Aggressive for the Penetration Tolerance property to be displayed
when Formulation is set to Pure Penalty.
Option Description
Program The Penetration Tolerance is calculated by the application.
Controlled
(default)
Connections
Option Description
Value Enter the Penetration Tolerance Value directly. This entry is a length measurement
(foot, meter, etc.). Only non-zero positive values are valid.
Factor Enter the Penetration Tolerance Factor directly. This entry must be equal to or greater
than zero but must also be less than 1.0. This entry has no unit.
Penetration Tolerance Value
The Penetration Tolerance Value property displays when Penetration Tolerance is set to Value.
You enter a Value.
Penetration Tolerance Factor
The Penetration Tolerance Factor property displays when Penetration Tolerance is set to Factor.
You enter a Factor.
Note:
When viewing the Connections Worksheet (p. 1114), a Value displays as a negative number
and a Factor displays as a positive number.
For additional information, see the Determining Contact Stiffness and Allowable Penetration, spe-
cifically Using FKN and FTOLN, section of the Mechanical APDL Contact Technology Guide (Surface-
to-Surface Contact).
Elastic Slip Tolerance

The Elastic Slip Tolerance property enables you to set the allowable elastic slip value for a contact
when the Formulation is set to Normal Lagrange or when the contact stiffness is set to update each
iteration (Update Stiffness is set to Each Iteration or Each Iteration, Aggressive).
Note:
Elastic Slip Tolerance is not applicable when the contact Type is set to Frictionless or
No Separation.
Option Description
Program The Elastic Slip Tolerance Value is calculated by the application.
Controlled
(default)
Value Enter the Elastic Slip Tolerance Value directly. This entry is a length measurement (foot,
meter, etc.). Only non-zero positive values are valid.
Factor Enter the Elastic Slip Tolerance Factor directly. This entry must be equal to or greater
Elastic Slip Tolerance Value
Contact
The Elastic Slip Tolerance Value property displays when Elastic Slip Tolerance is set to Value.
You enter a Value.
Elastic Slip Tolerance Factor
The Elastic Slip Tolerance Factor property displays when Elastic Slip Tolerance is set to Factor.
You enter a Factor.
Note:
When viewing the Connections Worksheet (p. 1114), a Value displays as a negative number
and a Factor displays as a positive number.
For additional information, see the Determining Contact Stiffness and Allowable Penetration, spe-
cifically Using FKT and SLTO, section of the Mechanical APDL Contact Technology Guide (Surface-to-
Surface Contact).
Constraint Type
The Constraint Type property controls the type of MPC constraint to be created for bonded contact.
This displays only if Formulation property is set to MPC. The property includes the following options:
Option Description
Program Internally, this setting corresponds to the:
Controlled
(default) • Projected, Displacement Only option for General Axisymmetric (p. 1477) contact
and for contact between rigid and deformable bodies.
• Distributed, All Directions option for all edge-to-edge contacts and for
contacts which are not scoped to solid bodies on both contact side and target
side.
For all other contact conditions, automatic constraint type detection is performed
internally by the solver. See the description for KEYOPT(5) in the TARGE170
element section of the Mechanical APDL Element Reference for a listing of the
internal settings.
Note:
When you have multiple bonded contacts using the MPC formulation
with a common contact or target scoping, Ansys recommends that
you merge such contacts into single contact, to avoid possible over
constraint issues.
Projected, Constraints are constructed to couple the translational DOFs only. Projected constraint
Displacement if an intersection is found from the contact normal to the target surface.
Only
Projected, The rotational and displacement constraints will not be coupled together. This option
Uncoupled can model situations where the surface body edges line up well and a moment is not
U to ROT created from the physical surface body positions. Therefore, it is most accurate for
Connections
Option Description
the constraints to leave the displacements/rotations uncoupled. This provides an
answer which is closer to a matching mesh solution. Using a coupled constraint causes
artificial constraints to be added causing an inaccurate solution.
Distributed, Both translational DOFs and rotational DOFs of contact nodes and translational DOFs
Normal of target nodes are included in the constraint set in a coupled manner.
Only
Distributed, Represents the most common type of surface body contact. Constraints are constructed
All to couple the translational and rotational DOFs. In most types of surface body contact,
Directions an offset will exist. Due to this offset there will be a moment created. To get the
correct moment, the rotation/displacement DOF's must be coupled together. If the
program cannot detect any contact in the target normal direction, it will then search
anywhere inside the pinball for contact.
Distributed, Constraints are coupled and created anywhere to be found inside the pinball region.
Anywhere Therefore, the pinball size is important as a larger pinball will result in a larger
Inside constraint set. This option is useful when you wish to fully constrain one contact side
Pinball completely to another.
For additional information, see the Controlling Degrees of Freedom Used in the MPC Constraint
topic in the Modeling Solid-Solid and Shell-Shell Assemblies section of the Mechanical APDL Contact
Technology Guide. Also note that the Mechanical APDL entry for the Constraint Type is KEYOPT(5)
for element TARGE170.
Normal Stiffness
Defines a contact Normal Stiffness factor. Property options include:
Option Description
Program Con- This is the default setting. The Normal Stiffness Factor is calculated by the program.
trolled If only Bonded or No Separation contact exists, the value is set to 10. If any other
type of contact exists, all of the program controlled regions (including Bonded or
No Separation) will use the Mechanical APDL default (Real Constant FKN).
Factor You enter the Normal Stiffness Factor (see below). This is a unit-less entry.
Absolute You enter the Normal Stiffness Value (see below).
Value
Normal Stiffness Factor

This property appears when the Normal Stiffness property is set to Factor. It enables you to specify
the Normal Stiffness Factor. Only non-zero positive values are supported. The usual factor range
is from 0.01 - 10The default value is selected by the application. A smaller value provides for
easier convergence but with more penetration. The default value is appropriate for bulk deformation.
If bending deformation dominates, use a smaller value (0.01 - 0.1).
For additional information specific to Mechanical APDL, see the following sections:
• Determining Contact Stiffness and Allowable Penetration section of the Mechanical APDL Contact
Technology Guide (Surface-to-Surface Contact).
Contact
• Using FKN and FTOLN section of the Mechanical APDL Contact Technology Guide (Surface-to-Surface
Contact).
Normal Stiffness Value

This property appears when the Normal Stiffness property is set to Absolute Value. It enables
you to specify the Normal Stiffness Value. The application supports positive values only. The Units
for this value are based on the types of contact involved. For a traction based model, the application
uses Force/Volume (for example, N/m3) and for a force-based model, the application uses
Force/Length (for example, N/m). A force-based model is used for face-to-edge contacts and edge-
to-edge (not including line bodies).
Update Stiffness
This property enables you to specify if the program should update (change) the contact stiffness
during the solution. If you choose any of these stiffness update settings, the application modifies
the stiffness (raise/lower/leave unchanged) based on the physics of the model (that is, the underlying
element stress and penetration). To use the options of this property, you need to set the Formulation
property to either Augmented Lagrange or Pure Penalty, the two formulations where contact
stiffness is applicable. For the Each Iteration, Exponential option, the Formulation property must
be set to Pure Penalty.
An advantage of specifying an Update Stiffness setting is that stiffness is automatically determined

that allows both convergence and minimal penetration. Also, if this setting is used, problems may
converge in a Newton-Raphson sense, that would not otherwise.
You can use a Result Tracker (p. 1938) to monitor a changing contact stiffness throughout the solution.
Option Description
Program Con- This is the default setting. The application sets the property to Never for contacts
trolled between two rigid bodies and to Each Iteration for all other cases. You can change
the default using the Options (p. 293) dialog.
Never This is the default setting. Turns off the program's automatic Update Stiffness
feature.
Each Iteration Sets the program to update stiffness at the end of each equilibrium iteration. This
choice is recommended if you are unsure of a Normal Stiffness Factor to use in
order to obtain good results.
Each Sets the program to update stiffness at the end of each equilibrium iteration, but
Iteration, compared to the Each Iteration, this option allows for a more aggressive changing
Aggressive of the value range.
Each This option requires the Type property to be set to either Frictional or Frictionless
Iteration, and the Formulation property to Pure Penalty. When selected, the Pressure at
Exponential Zero Penetration and the Initial Clearance properties display. This option updates
stiffness using an exponential pressure-penetration relationship. For detailed
information about this option, see the Exponential Pressure-Penetration Relationship
(KEYOPT(6) = 3) topic (of the Set the Real Constants and Element KEYOPTS section)
in the Mechanical APDL Contact Technology Guide.
Connections
Electric Capacitance
This property controls the electric contact capacitance value used in an electric contact simulation.
Property options are described below.
Option Description
Pro- This is the default setting. Using this setting, the application calculates the value for the
gram electric contact capacitance. The value is calculated based on the maximum value of the
Con- average of permittivity and the size of the model. For orthotropic materials, the application
trolled only considers Relative Permittivity in the X direction.
Manu- You use this setting to specify an electric capacitance value.
al
Electric Capacitance Value

This property displays when you set the Electric Capacitance property to Manual. You use this
property to specify a Electric Capacitance Value (positive values only).
Pressure at Zero Penetration

This property corresponds to the PZER real constant used in the Mechanical APDL application. It
defines the pressure when there is zero penetration between Contact and Target geometries. See
the Exponential Pressure-Penetration Relationship (KEYOPT(6) = 3) topic (of the Set the Real Constants
and Element KEYOPTS section) in the Mechanical APDL Contact Technology Guide for a detailed
description of this property and its function. Property options are illustrated and described below.
Option Description Mechanical APDL

Reference
Program This is the default setting. The application automatically
KEYOPT(6) = 3
Controlled calculates and selects default pressure values.
Value Using this option, you can manually specify a pressure value.
This entry has a unit of measure for pressure (Pa, etc.). Only
non-zero positive values are valid.
Factor Using this option, you can manually specify a factor of the
default pressure value. This entry must be equal to or greater
than zero but must also be less than 1.0. This entry has no
unit.
Initial Clearance
This property corresponds to the CZER real constant used in the Mechanical APDL application. It
defines the initial clearance or gap at which the contact pressure begins to act on the Contact and
Target geometries. See the Exponential Pressure-Penetration Relationship (KEYOPT(6) = 3) topic (of
the Set the Real Constants and Element KEYOPTS section) in the Mechanical APDL Contact Technology
Guide for a detailed description of this property and its function. Property options are illustrated
and described below.
Contact
Option Description Mechanical APDL

Reference
Program This is the default setting. The application automatically
KEYOPT(6) = 3
Controlled calculates and selects default clearance values.
Value Using this option, you can manually specify a clearance value.
This entry is a length measurement (meter, etc.). Only non-zero
positive values are valid.
Factor Using this option, you can manually specify a factor of the
default clearance value. This entry must be equal to or greater
Stabilization Damping Factor

A contact you define may initially have a near open status due to small gaps between the element
meshes or between the integration points of the contact and target elements. The contact will not
get detected during the analysis and can cause a rigid body motion of the bodies defined in the
contact. The stabilization damping factor provides a certain resistance to damp the relative motion
between the contacting surfaces and prevents rigid body motion. This contact damping factor is
applied in the contact normal direction and it is valid only for the Frictionless, Rough, and Fric-
tional options of the Type property. The damping is applied to each load step where the contact
status is open. The value of the stabilization damping factor should be large enough to prevent rigid
body motion but small enough to ensure a solution. A value of 1 is usually appropriate. Property

APDL
Reference
Stabiliza- If the value provided for the damping factor is: Real Constant
tion Damp- FDMN
ing Factor • 0 (default value), damping is activated for the first load step
only. The solver uses a default value of 1.0 as the Stabilization
Damping Factor.
• Non-zero, then damping is always activated regardless of the

contact status of the previous substeps. The solver uses
(KEYOPT(15) = 3) to apply stabilization damping.
Thermal Conductance
Controls the thermal contact conductance value used in a thermal contact simulation. Property
Option Description
Program This is the default setting. The program will calculate the value for the thermal contact
Controlled conductance. The value will be set to a sufficiently high enough value (based on the
thermal conductivities and the model size) to model perfect contact with minimal thermal
resistance. Note that the Program Controlled option is not valid for composite materials.
For orthotropic materials, the application only considers Thermal Conductivity in the X
direction.
Connections
Option Description
Manual The Thermal Conductance Value is input directly by the user.
Thermal Conductance Value

This property displays when the Thermal Conductance property is set to Manual. Enables entry
of the Thermal Conductance Value. The property only supports positive values and can be specified
as a parameter. The Units for this value are based on the types of contact involved. For 3D faces
and 2D edges, the units are HEAT/(TIME * TEMPERATURE* AREA). For contact between 3D edges
and vertices, the units are HEAT/(TIME * TEMPERATURE) with the value applied to every node in
the contact side. For more information about the units used for thermal contact conductance
coefficient, see Table 78 (p. 2015) and Table 79 (p. 2015) in the Solving Units (p. 1969) section.
For additional Mechanical APDL specific information, see the Modeling Thermal Contact, specifically
Modeling Conduction>Using TCC, section of the Mechanical APDL Contact Technology Guide (Mul-
tiphysics Contact).
Pinball Region
This option enables you to specify the contact search size, commonly referred to as the Pinball
Region. Setting a pinball region can be useful in cases where initially, bodies are far enough away
from one another that, by default, the application does not detect that they are in contact. In this
case, you can increase the pinball region. For example, you could have a surface body that was
generated by offsetting a face of a solid body. Depending upon the thickness, this could leave a
large gap. Or, for a large deflection problem, a considerable pinball region to compensate for the
possibility of large amounts of over penetration. In general, if you want two regions to be bonded
together that may be far apart, you should specify a pinball region that is large enough to ensure
that contact occurs.
However, for the Bonded and No Separation contact types (p. 1147), you must be careful when
specifying a large Pinball Region. For these types of contact, the application considers any region
found within the pinball region to be in contact. For the other contact types, this consideration is
not as critical because the application performs additional calculations to determine if the two
bodies are truly in contact. The pinball region defines the searching range where these calculations
will occur. In addition, a large gap can transmit fictitious moments across the boundary.
Option Description
Program Con- This is the default setting. The application calculates the Pinball Region value.
trolled
Auto Detec- This option is only available for automatically generated contacts. The pinball region
tion Value will be equal to the tolerance value used in generating the contacts. The value is
displayed as read-only in the Auto Detection Value field. Auto Detection Value
is the recommended option for cases where the automatic contact detection region
is larger than a Program Controlled region. In such cases, some contact pairs that
were detected automatically may not be considered in contact for a solution.
Radius When selected, the Pinball Radius property displays. You use this property to
manually specify a radius value.
Contact
Rigid Dynamics Solver
For the Rigid Dynamics solver, the Pinball Region property is used to control the touching
tolerance. By default, the Rigid Dynamics solver automatically computes the touching tolerance
using the sizes of the surfaces in the contact region. These default values are sufficient in most
of cases, but inadequate touching tolerance may arise in cases where contact surfaces are es-
pecially large or small (small fillet for instance). In such cases, the value of the touching tolerance
can be directly specified using the following properties:
Option Description
Program The touching tolerance is automatically computed by the Rigid Body Dynamics
Controlled solver from the sizes of the contact surfaces.
(default)
Radius The value of the touching tolerance is directly given by user.
Pinball Radius
The numerical value for the Pinball Radius. This property is displayed only if Pinball Region is set
to Radius.
Electric Conductance
Controls the electric contact conductance value used in an electric contact simulation. Property
Option Description
Program Con- This is the default setting. The program will calculate the value for the electric
trolled contact conductance. The value will be set to a sufficiently high enough value (based
on the electric conductivities and the model size) to model perfect contact with
minimal electric resistance.
Manual The Electric Conductance value is input directly by the user.
Note:
The Electric Analysis result, Joule Heat (p. 2264), when generated by nonzero contact res-
istance is not supported.
Electric Conductance Value

Allows input of the Electric Conductance value (in units of electric conductance per area). Only
positive values are allowed. This choice is displayed only if Manual is specified for Electric Conduct-
ance.
Time Step Controls

Allows you to specify if changes in contact behavior should control automatic time stepping. This
choice is displayed only for nonlinear contact (Type is set to Frictionless, Rough, or Frictional).
Property options are described below.
Connections
Option Description
None This is the default setting. Contact behavior does not control automatic time
stepping. This option is appropriate for most analyses when automatic time stepping
is activated and a small time step size is allowed.
Automatic Bi- Contact behavior is reviewed at the end of each substep to determine whether
section excessive penetration or drastic changes in contact status have occurred. If so, the
substep is reevaluated using a time increment that is bisected (reduced by half ).
Predict for Performs same bisection on the basis of contact as the Automatic Bisection option
Impact and also predicts the minimal time increment needed to detect changes in contact
behavior. This option is recommended if you anticipate impact in the analysis.
Use Impact Activates impact constraints with automatic adjustment of the time increment. This
Constraints option includes constraints on penetration and relative velocity to more accurately
predict the duration of impact and the rebound velocities after separation.
Restitution Factor—Rigid Dynamics Solver Only

For the Ansys Rigid Dynamics solver, Restitution Value is a property in the Advanced group. This
value represents the energy lost during shock. It is defined as the ratio between relative velocity
prior to the shock and the velocity after the shock. This value can be between 0 and 1. A Restitution
Factor equal to 1 indicates that no energy is lost during the shock. That is, the rebounding velocity
equals the impact velocity (a perfectly elastic collision). The default value is 1.
Continuous Distance Computation—Rigid Dynamics Solver Only

For the Ansys Rigid Dynamics solver, Continuous Distance Computation is an additional property
in the Advanced group. This property continuously computes the contact distance during the
simulation. By default, the distance is only computed when the contact bodies are significantly
close in contact. However, it can force distance computation, even when contact bodies are distant.
Enabling Continuous Distance Computation is mandatory in order to monitor the distance between
contact bodies (see Contact Distance Probes (p. 2232) for further information). The Continuous Dis-
tance Computation property can be defined as Program Controlled. Select either Yes to enable
distance computation or No to disable it. The default value is Program Controlled, which disables
the distance computation.
9.6.3.4. Display
The Display category is available for edge contacts on 2D surface bodies and face contacts on 3D
bodies. This category contains the property Element Normals. The options for this property are
No (default) and Yes. Setting the feature to Yes enables you to see the normal direction of each
element in the Contact Region. As needed, you can invert the normal direction using the Flip
Contact Normals and/or the Flip Target Normals (p. 1174) properties in the Geometric Modification
category for 2D edges, or the Reverse Shared Contact Normal/Reverse Shared Target Normal (p. 1141)
properties in the Scope category for shared 2D edges and 3D faces.
Contact
Important:
• If your analysis includes 2D surface bodies in contact and the edge normal directions
do not adhere to the right-hand rule, that is, the normals appear to be in the wrong
direction, you can use the Flip Contact Normals and/or the Flip Target Normals
properties to reorient the edge directions.
• If a Contact Region is defined by nodal scoping, element normals may not be visible
for contact elements.
• When a Contact Region is scoped to shell faces and the Contact Shell Face or the
Target Shell Face properties are set to Program Controlled, the application does
not draw the arrows for the element normals (even if the Element Normals property
is set to Yes).
9.6.3.5. Geometric Modification

The Geometric Modification category provides the features described below. As described, this
category only displays when certain contact conditions are detected by the application and/or
certain property definitions are specified.
• Interface Treatment (p. 1168)
Connections
• Contact/Target Geometry Correction (p. 1170)
• Flip Contact/Target Normals (p. 1174)
Interface Treatment
The Interface Treatment property defines how the contact interface of a contact pair is treated.
The property becomes visible when you set the contact Type property to either Frictionless, Rough
or Frictional (nonlinear contact). For a given contact interface (Contact Region) that includes either
gaps or penetrations, either locally or uniformly along the overall surface, contact adjustments,
such as closing the gaps, removing the penetrations, or shifting the contact surface by an Offset
may produce a better setup for initial contact.
To see the initial contact, you can insert a Contact Tool (p. 2184) under the Connections folder. An
Initial Information (p. 2189) object is automatically inserted under the Contact Tool. Using the context
(right-click) menu this object, select the Generate Initial Contact Results option. This option pro-
duces a table of information for all Contact Regions. The Status column indicates the contact inter-
face as Near Open, Closed, or Far Open. Using this information, your selection for the Interface
Treatment property can improve the contact status from Far Open or Near Open to Closed.
Having a Contact Region in Closed status at the beginning of the analysis may improve the con-
vergence of the model.
When active, the Interface Treatment property provides the options illustrated here. Each option
is described below.
• Adjust to Touch: Any initial gaps are closed and any initial penetration is ignored creating an
initial stress free state. Contact pairs are "just touching" as illustrated.
Contact pair after Adjust to Touch

Contact pair before any Interface Treatment.
treatment. Gap is closed automatically. Pair
Gap exists.
is "just touching".
Contact
Contact pair before any Interface Treatment. Contact pair after Adjust to Touch
Penetration exists. treatment. Pair touches at interface.
This setting is useful to make sure initial contact occurs even if any gaps are present (as long as
they are within the pinball region). Without using this setting, the bodies may fly apart if any
initial gaps exist. Although any initial gaps are ignored, gaps can still form during loading for the
nonlinear contact types. For nonlinear contact types (Frictionless, Rough, and Frictional), Inter-
face Treatment is displayed where the choices are Adjust to Touch, Add Offset, Ramped Effects,
and Add Offset, No Ramping.
Note:
– The Adjust to Touch option does not lead to uniform contact between concentric
cylinders that contain a small initial gap. For this situation, manually specify the gap
as an offset in with the Add Offset, No Ramping option.
– Gaps may still be present if the contact pair has regions of differing gaps. When
gaps exist, this setting makes sure that initial contact occurs by closing the smallest
gap.
• Add Offset, Ramped Effects: Models the true contact gap/penetration plus adds in any user
defined offset values. This setting is the closest to the default contact setting used in the Mech-
anical APDL except that the loading is ramped. Using this setting will not close gaps. Even a
slight gap may cause bodies to fly apart. Should this occur, use a small contact offset to bring
the bodies into initial contact. Note that this setting is displayed only for nonlinear contact and
the ramping occurs over the first load step.
• Add Offset, No Ramping: This is the default setting. This option is the same as Add Offset,
Ramped Effects but loading is not ramped.
• Offset Only, Ramped Effects: Using this option, the application ignores any initial geometric
penetrations if the initial status is in contact. If the initial status is near field, the application ignores
the calculated initial penetration (Offset plus geometric gap), and applies only the remaining
Offset value (remaining from Offset plus geometric gap calculation). All loading for this option
is ramped.
• Offset Only, No Ramping: This option performs the same actions as the Offset Only, Ramped
Effects options except that loading is step-applied.
• Offset Only, Ignore Initial Status, Ramped Effects: This option is the same as the Offset Only,
Ramped Effects option except that this option ignores any initial geometric penetration or gap
when calculating contact regardless of the initial contact status, before applying a uniform offset.
Connections
• Offset Only, Ignore Initial Status, No Ramping: This option performs the same actions as the
Offset Only, Ignore Initial Status, Ramped Effects options except that loading is step-applied.
• Offset: This property displays for all of the options of the Interface Treatment property except
Adjust to Touch. This property defines the contact offset value. A positive value moves the
contacts closer together (increase penetration/reduce gap) and a negative value moves the
contacts further apart.
Contact pair after Add Offset treatment

(either option). Gap is closed "manually"
Contact pair before any Interface Treatment.
based on value entered for Offset (positive
Gap exists.
value shown that includes some
penetration).
Contact/Target Geometry Correction

The Contact Geometry Correction and the Target Geometry Correction properties both have
the default setting None as well as the following two options for geometry correction.
• Smoothing (p. 1170)
• Bolt Thread (p. 1172)
Smoothing
For Contact and/or Target geometries, the Smoothing option enables you to improve the accuracy
of circular edges (2D) and spherical or revolute surfaces (3D) by evaluating the contact detection
based on the exact geometry instead of the mesh. This feature enables curved geometries to be
analyzed more effectively using meshes with dropped midside nodes. For additional technical in-
formation about this feature, see the Surface Smoothing section of the Mechanical APDL Contact
Technology Guide.
Note:
• The Behavior (p. 1149) properties Symmetric and Auto-Asymmetric are not supported.
• To avoid having the application incorrectly modify the geometry of a contact surface
that has drastically deformed, do not use the Smoothing feature during an analysis
that has specified Large Deflection (p. 1518).
Contact
The following properties become visible when the Contact Geometry Correction property and/or
the Target Geometry Correction property are set to Smoothing.
Orientation
Program Controlled
When contact scoping is a sphere, the Program Controlled option is invalid if the scoping
includes more than one spherical scoping.
When contact scoping is a cylinder, the Program Controlled option:
• Is invalid if the CAD package does not identify it as a cylinder. In this case, you can
confirm your model's geometric information using the Selection Information (p. 175)
window.
• Supports any number of cylindrical scoping if 1) all cylindrical radii are equal, and
2) all cylindrical axes are colinear.
Note:
A default tolerance for the equality is set to 1e-6 or 0.0001%. You can
adjust the tolerance using the variable cylindrical smoothing
tolerance. See the Settings Variables (p. 211) section for more information.
If the Program Controlled option is not valid, you can use the Revolute Axis option to
manually identify the cylinder.
Note:
The Program Controlled option for cylindrical smoothing sends the cylinder’s
basepoint from the CAD package as the cylinder endpoints in the SECDATA
command. See the Geometry Correction for Contact and Target Surfaces section
in the Mechanical APDL Contact Technology Guide for more information.
Sphere Center Point
(3D) or Circle Center Point (2D): When one of these properties is selected, the Center Point
property also displays. The Center Point property provides a drop-down list of available
coordinate systems, Global as well as user-defined. As needed, create a local coordinate
system (p. 1095) at the center of your sphere.
Revolute Axis
You use this option for 3D revolute surfaces, such as a cone or a cylinder. The definition of
the revolute surface is computed using an internal axis definition. When Revolute Axis is
selected, the following additional properties display. These properties define the coordinate
systems that are used to define the axis around which the contact smoothing is oriented.
• Starting Point
Connections
• Ending Point
Bolt Thread
This geometry correction option enables you to model bolt threads. For a 2D axisymmetric model,
only edge-to-edge scoping is supported. For a 3D model, only face-to-face scoping is supported.
For additional technical information about this feature, see the Simplified Bolt Thread Modeling
section of the Mechanical APDL Contact Technology Guide.
Tip:
When you specify the Bolt Thread option, it is strongly recommended that you have a
refined mesh. See the Sizing Group (Category) sections of the Meshing User's Guide for
additional information about mesh refinement.
Support Requirements
In order to use the Bolt Thread option, note the following.
• For 3D models, when the Orientation property is set to Program Controlled, the edges specified
for the Contact and Target properties of the selected cylinders must be circular edges.
• The Contact Geometry Correction property is available for all contact Type settings except for
Bonded.
• The Behavior (p. 1149) properties Symmetric and Auto-Asymmetric are not supported.
• It is recommended that you do not set the Detection Method (p. 1156) to either Nodal-Normal
To Target or On Gauss Point.
• The diameter of the solid model (bolt and nut bodies) should be based on the major diameter
(d).
Property Descriptions
The following properties are visible when Contact/Target Geometry Correction is set to Bolt
Thread.
Contact
Orientation
• Program Controlled (default): A contact condition with Contact/Target Geometry Correction

property defined as Bolt Thread, is fully defined only when cylindrical contact conditions
are detected by the application, otherwise, manual specifications are required.
• Revolute Axis: when Revolute Axis is selected, the following additional properties display.
These properties define the coordinate systems that are used to generate the axis around
which the bolt is oriented. They do not correspond to the starting and ending point of the
bolt threads.
– Starting Point
– Ending Point
Mean Pitch Diameter
This property defines the average diameter of the threaded bolt.
Pitch Distance
This property defines the length of the thread pitch.
Thread Angle
This property defines the angle of the thread’s inclination.
The following diagram illustrates the Mean Pitch Diameter, Pitch Distance, and Thread Angle.
Thread Type
This property defines the number of threads on the bolt. Property options include:
• Single-Thread
• Double-Thread
• Triple-Thread
Connections
Handedness
This property defines the bolt as either right or left handed. Property options include:
• Right-Handed
• Left-Handed
Flip Contact/Target Normals

The Flip Contact Normals and the Flip Target Normals properties enable you to invert the normal
direction of edge contacts on 2D surface bodies. You use the Element Normals (p. 1166) property of
the Display category in combination with these properties to display the normal directions of the
edge elements in contact and, as needed, invert the direction.
Contact
9.6.4. Supported Contact Types

The following table identifies the supported formulations and whether symmetry is respected for the
various contact geometries.
Contact Face Edge Vertex (Line Bodies Only)

Geometry
(Scope = Con- (Scope = Contact) (Scope = Contact)
tact)
Face Symmetry Symmetry Symmetry Respected: No
Respected: Yes Respected: No
(Scope = Contact Element: CONTA175
Target) Contact Element: Contact Element:
CONTA171 CONTA175
Edge (see notes Not Supported Symmetry Symmetry Respected: No
below) for solving. Respected: No
Contact Element: CONTA175
(Scope = Contact Element: Contact Element:
Target) CONTA175 CONTA175 (3D) Note:
and CONTA172
(2D) You can scope an
edge of a solid or
Connections
surface body to
the vertex of a
line body.
However, you
cannot scope the
edge of a line
body to the
vertex of another
line body.
Vertex Not Supported Not Supported for Not Supported for solving.
for solving. solving.
(Scope =
Target)
Note:
In 2D analyses, only edge-edge contact is supported (the equivalent of 3D face-face contact).
Beam-to-Beam (Edge-Edge) Contact Requirements and Restrictions
Note the following requirements for beam-to-beam (edge-edge) contact:
• Beam-to-Beam (Edge-Edge) contact is supported by structural analyses only (static, transient,

modal, harmonic, etc.).
• The application uses contact element CONTA177.
• During contact detection, the contact and target surface are assumed to be the surface of
a cylinder. The application automatically calculates the equivalent circular radius based on
the associated geometry of the underlying elements.
• Any defined beam offsets on the line bodies are not taken into account for the contact
calculations.
9.6.5. Setting Contact Conditions Manually

Manual contact regions represent contact over the entire extent of the contact scope, for example,
faces of the contact region.
Automatic contact regions represent contact only to the extent of the scope where the corresponding
bodies initially are close to one another. For automatic contact, the contact elements are "trimmed"
before solution. The trimming is based on the detection tolerance (p. 1122). The tighter the tolerance,
the less number of generated contact elements. Note that if you set Large Deflection effects to On
in the Details view of a Solution object, no trimming will be done due to the possibility of large sliding.
Valid reasons to manually change or add/delete contact regions include:
Contact
• Modeling "large sliding" contact. Contact regions created through auto-detection assume "assembly
contact," placing contact faces very near to one another. Manual contact encompasses the entire
scope so sliding is better captured. In this case, you may need to add additional contact faces.
• Auto-detection creates more contact pairs than are necessary. In this case, you can delete the un-
necessary contact regions.
• Auto-detection may not create contact regions necessary for your analysis. In this case, you must
add additional contact regions.
You can set contact conditions manually, rather than (or in addition to) letting the application auto-
matically detect contact regions.
Within a source or target region, the underlying geometry must be of the same geometry type (for
example, all surface body faces, all solid body faces). The source and target can be of different geometry
types, but within itself, a source must be of the same geometry type, and a target must be of the
same geometry type.
To set contact regions manually:
1. Select the Connections object in the Outline (p. 108).
2. Right-click and select Insert > Manual Contact Region. You can also select the Contact option
on the Context tab.
3. A Contact Region item appears in the Outline. Click that item, and under the Details Pane (p. 122),
specify the Contact and Target regions (faces or edges) and the contact type. See the Contact
and Target topics in the Scope Settings (p. 1139) section for additional Contact Region scoping
restrictions.
9.6.6. Contact Ease of Use Features

The following features are intended to assist you in performing simulations involving contact:
9.6.6.1. Automatically Generate Objects Scoped to Contact Regions
9.6.6.2. Controlling Transparency for Contact Regions
9.6.6.3. Displaying Contact Bodies with Different Colors
9.6.6.4. Displaying Contact Bodies in Separate Windows
9.6.6.5. Hiding Bodies Not Scoped to a Contact Region
9.6.6.6. Renaming Contact Regions Based on Geometry Names
9.6.6.7. Identifying Contact Regions for a Body
9.6.6.8. Create Contact Debonding
9.6.6.9. Flipping Contact and Target Scope Settings
9.6.6.10. Setting Default APDL Names
9.6.6.11. Merging Contact Regions That Share Geometry
9.6.6.12. Saving or Loading Contact Region Settings
9.6.6.13. Resetting Contact Regions to Default Settings
9.6.6.14. Locating Bodies Without Contact
Connections
9.6.6.15. Locating Parts Without Contact
9.6.6.1. Automatically Generate Objects Scoped to Contact Regions

When you select a Contact Region object (or multiple Contact Region objects) in the tree, the
context menu contains the option Create, as illustrated below. This option enables you to generate
specific contact objects, results, and automatically scope the objects to the selected Contact Region
or regions.
The Create context menu options include:
Contact Tool
This option enables you to create a Contact Tool under the Connections folder. The application
automatically scopes the tool to the selected Contact Region(s) only.
Mesh Connection
This option enables you to create Mesh Connection objects from Contact Regions. The applic-
ation scopes the new Mesh Connection objects to the geometries of the Contact Region(s)
and sets the tolerance to be equal to the trim tolerance of the contact region. The Mesh con-
nections are added into a new Mesh Connections Group folder.
Environment Submenu
The Create option provides a submenu of options to create specific result objects for environ-
ments that include the options shown below. The application inserts the corresponding object
under the Solution folder for the selected environment and automatically scopes the object
to the Contact Region (or Contact Regions).
• Force Reaction (p. 2212)
• Moment Reaction (p. 2212)
Contact
• Contact Tracker (p. 1942)
• Contact Tool (p. 2184)
9.6.6.2. Controlling Transparency for Contact Regions

As shown below, you can graphically highlight an individual contact region.
The following demo is presented as an animated GIF. View online if you are reading the PDF version of
the help. Interface names and other components shown in the demo may differ from those in the released
product.
• Select a contact region to highlight the bodies in that region.
• Highlighting is due to internal transparency settings:
– Transparency is set to 0.8 for bodies in selected contact

region.
– Transparency is set to 0.1 for bodies not in selected contact

region(s).
– You can change the default transparency values in using the

Connections (p. 293) settings of the Options dialog box.
• You can disable the contact region highlighting feature in either

the Details view of a contact group branch, or by accessing the
context menu (right mouse click) on a contact region or contact
group branch of the tree, and choosing Disable Transparency.
9.6.6.3. Displaying Contact Bodies with Different Colors

Contact and Target bodies are displayed using default colors (red and blue). You can change the
display color using the Random option in the Annotations (p. 82) group to display each contact
using a color chosen at random each redraw.
Connections
9.6.6.4. Displaying Contact Bodies in Separate Windows

By default, the Body Views option on the Connections Context Tab (p. 52), is active to display
parts and connections in separate auxiliary windows. As illustrated below, the different contact
bodies (Contact and Target) have colors codes associated with them, in the Details view as well
as the graphic windows. The Body Views feature is available for joints, contacts, springs, and beam
connections.
Note:
The Body Views feature does not support the use of hotkeys and hotkey combina-
tions (p. 277).
Contact
9.6.6.5. Hiding Bodies Not Scoped to a Contact Region

You can hide all bodies except those that are scoped to a specific contact region.
To Hide All Bodies Not Scoped to a Contact Region:
1. Select the Contact Region object whose bodies you do not want to hide.
2. Right-click to display the context menu.
3. Select Hide All Other Bodies in the menu. All bodies are hidden except those that are part
of the selected contact region.
9.6.6.6. Renaming Contact Regions Based on Geometry Names

You can change the name of any contact region using the following choices available in the context
menu that appears when you click the right mouse button on a particular contact region:
• Rename: Enables you to change the contact region name to a name that you type (similar to
renaming a file in Windows Explorer).
• Rename Based on Definition: Enables you to change the contact region name to include the
corresponding names of the items in the Geometry branch of the tree that make up the contact
region. The items are separated by the word "To" in the new contact region name. You can
change all the contact region names at once by clicking the right mouse button on the Connec-
tions branch, then choosing Rename Based on Definition from that context menu. A demon-
stration of this feature follows.
product.
Connections
When you change the names of contact regions that involve multiple bodies, the region names
change to include the word Multiple instead of the long list of names associated with multiple
bodies. An example is Bonded – Multiple To Multiple.
9.6.6.7. Identifying Contact Regions for a Body

See the description for Contacts for Selected Bodies in the Correlating Tree Outline Objects with
Model Characteristics (p. 113) section.
9.6.6.8. Create Contact Debonding

To automatically generate a Contact Debonding object, select a Contact Region and drag and drop
it onto the Fracture folder.
9.6.6.9. Flipping Contact and Target Scope Settings

A valuable feature available when using asymmetric contact is the ability to swap Contact and
Target face or edge Scope specifications. To flip the scoping, right-click the desired connection
and select Flip Contact/Target. This is illustrated below for a single region. Note that you can select
multiple connection objects to flip using the Ctrl or Shift keys.
Note:
This feature is not applicable to Face/Edge contact where faces are always designated
as targets and edges are always designated as contacts.
Contact
9.6.6.10. Setting Default APDL Names

The context (right-click) menu option for the Contact Region object, Set Default APDL Names,
enables you generate system default names for the Contact/Target APDL Name properties. These
properties are optional and only available for the Mechanical APDL solver. You use them to specify
an APDL parameter name for the contact and the target element types. Using these names, you
can easily identify the contact and target element type and their corresponding real constant set
that you can reference and use in a Commands (APDL) object.
The application creates the names based on object identifiers and prepends that value with either
"_con" or "_tgt," as shown in the following examples:
• Contact APDL Name: _con<object id>, such as _con66
Connections
• Target APDL Name: _tgt<object id>, such as _tgt66
9.6.6.11. Merging Contact Regions That Share Geometry

You can merge two or more contact regions into one contact region, provided they share the same
type of geometry (edges or faces).
To Merge Contact Regions That Share Geometry:
1. Select two or more contact regions in the tree that share the same type of geometry (edges
or faces). Use the Shift or Ctrl key for multiple selections.
3. Select Merge Selected Contact Regions in the menu. This option only appears if the regions
share the same geometry types. After selecting the option, a new contact region is appended
to the list in the tree. The new region represents the merged regions. The individual contact
regions that you selected to form the merged region are no longer represented in the list.
9.6.6.12. Saving or Loading Contact Region Settings

You can save the configuration settings of a contact region to an XML file. You can also load settings
from an XML file to configure other contact regions.
To Save Configuration Settings of a Contact Region:
1. Select the contact region whose settings you want to save.
3. Select Save Contact Region Settings in the menu. This option does not appear if you selected
more than one contact region.
4. Specify the name and destination of the file. An XML file is created that contains the configur-
ation settings of the contact region.
Note:
The XML file contains properties that are universally applied to contact regions. For this
reason, source and target geometries are not included in the file.
To Load Configuration Settings to Contact Regions:
1. Select the contact regions whose settings you want to assign. Use the Shift or Ctrl key for
multiple selections.
3. Select Load Contact Region Settings in the menu.
Contact
4. Specify the name and location of the XML file that contains the configuration settings of a
contact region. Those settings are applied to the selected contact regions and will appear in
the Details view of these regions.
9.6.6.13. Resetting Contact Regions to Default Settings

You can reset the default configuration settings of selected contact regions.
To Reset Default Configuration Settings of Contact Regions:
1. Select the contact regions whose settings you want to reset to default values. Use the Shift
or Ctrl key for multiple selections.
3. Select Reset to Default in the menu. Default settings are applied to the selected contact regions
and will appear in the Details view of these regions.
9.6.6.14. Locating Bodies Without Contact

See the description for Bodies Without Contacts in Tree in the Correlating Tree Outline Objects
with Model Characteristics (p. 113) section.
9.6.6.15. Locating Parts Without Contact

See the description for Parts Without Contacts in Tree in the Correlating Tree Outline Objects
with Model Characteristics (p. 113) section.
9.6.7. Contact in Rigid Dynamics

Contact conditions are formed where rigid bodies meet. While the default contact settings and
automatic detection capabilities are often sufficient for structural analyses, the default contact defin-
ition must be extended to adjacent surfaces in some cases. This is because the nature of rigid dynamics
usually implies very large displacements and rotations.
In rigid dynamics, supported contact types depend on where the contact is defined and which time
integration type (p. 1520) is used:
• Frictionless and forced frictional contact are available for all time integration schemes.
• Rough contact and no separation contact are supported by the Runge-Kutta (p. 644), Generalized-
Alpha (p. 645), and Stabilized Generalized-Alpha (p. 647) time integration schemes.
• Bonded contact is only supported within condensed parts.
The contact is always based on Pure Lagrange formulation. Contact constraint equations are updated
at each time step, and added to the system matrix through additional forces of degrees of freedom
called Lagrange Multipliers. In this formulation, there is no contact stiffness. Contact constraints are
satisfied when the bodies are touching, and they are nonexistent when bodies are separated.
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Contact and Rigid Bodies
Contact is formulated between rigid bodies. Hence, there is no possibility of deforming the bodies
to satisfy the contact constraint equations. If the contact equations cannot eventually be satisfied,
the solution will not proceed. To illustrate this, two examples are considered:
Example 9.1: Cylindrical Shaft in a Block
• If the diameter of the cylindrical shaft is smaller than that of the hole, motion is possible.
• If the diameter of the cylindrical shaft is larger than that of the hole, the simulation is not pos-
sible.
• If the two diameters are exactly equal, then the analysis might fail.
Example 9.2: Block Sliding on Two Blocks
• If the green block slides horizontally from left to right and the height of the right block is less
than that of the left block, motion is possible.
Contact
• If the height of the two bottom blocks is identical and a vertical contact surface is defined
between the two bottom blocks, the block might hit the vertical surface, and the solution will
not proceed.
• If the height of the right block is greater than the height of the left block, the green block will
move back to the left.
Note:
Avoid ambiguous configurations whenever possible. Consider creating fillets on sharp

edges as a workaround.
Contact Mesh
You can scope the contact objects to rigid bodies using 3-D faces in solid bodies, or pick the entire
body. When you create this type of contact, the surfaces and edges in the contact region are
meshed.
The mesh is used differently depending on the RBD Contact Detection setting:
When RBD Contact Detection is set to Geometry-Based, the mesh helps to speed up the solution
by providing an initial position to the contact points that are calculated, and it helps to drive the
number of contact points used between the bodies when in contact. As each body has up to 6
degrees of freedom, a contact between two rigid bodies will restrain up to 6 relative degrees of
freedom. This means that a reasonably coarse mesh is generally sufficient to define the contact
surface. The contact solver will use this mesh to initiate the contact geometry calculation, but will
then project back the contact points to CAD geometry. Refining the mesh can increase the solution
time without always increasing the quality of the solution. Conversely, refining the mesh can be
useful if the geometry is concave and the solver reports a high amount of shocks for the pair in-
volving the concave surfaces.
When RBD Contact Detection is set to Mesh-Based, contact points are on the mesh, while the
contact normal is still evaluated on the geometry. In conjunction with the Moreau-Jean (p. 648)
time integration type, mesh-based contact detection can handle more refined meshes that capture
smaller geometry details.
Contact and Time Step
The rigid solver uses event-based time integration. Over each time step, the solver evaluates the
trajectory of the bodies, and checks when these trajectories interfere. When interference is found
(as with stops on joints), a shock will be analyzed, leading to a new velocity distribution. The
physics of the velocity redistribution during the shock is based on the conservation of momentum
and energy. The amount of energy lost during the shock is quantified by the coefficient of resti-
tution. For details, see Joint Stops and Locks (p. 1271). The trajectory detection of interferences allows
the use of rather large time steps without missing the contacts; however, transitions between
adjacent contact surfaces in certain situations (such as sliding situations) often require smaller
time steps.
In contrast to Penalty based simulation that introduces an artificial deformation of the bodies and
therefore, high frequencies in the simulation, the pure Lagrange formulation used in the rigid
dynamics formulation does not change the frequency content of the simulation.
Connections
A solution that includes contact requires an increased amount of geometrical calculation, resulting
in a significantly higher overall simulation time than a solution without contact. As such, it is re-
commended that joints stops are used in place of contacts whenever possible.
Limitations
For models with sliding contacts (such as cams, guiding grooves, and so on), small bounces due
to nonzero restitution factors can cause an increase in simulation time and instabilities. Using a
restitution factor of zero will significantly speed up the simulation.
The Rigid Dynamics solver unifies contact regions defined between the same pairs of parts/bodies.
Consequently, defining more than one contact region between the same pairs of bodies may
lead to unpredictable results. The following guidelines are strongly recommended:
• All contact regions defined between the same pairs of parts/bodies must have the same
type. Mixing different types (for example, frictionless and rough) may lead to incorrect
results.
• All contact regions defined between the same pairs of parts/bodies must follow the same
order. A body defined as a target body in one contact region must not be defined as
contact body in another contact region between the same pairs of parts/bodies.
9.6.7.1. Best Practices for Contact in Rigid Body Analyses

The following guidelines are considered best practices for optimizing performance with contact
when simulating complex models with large numbers of contact elements, long duration, or high
speed.
Time Integration Type
• Use the Moreau-Jean time stepping method (p. 1520) when non-smooth and for:
– Models with large number of contact elements
– Models with many locks/stops
• Use a small Initial Time Step.
• Use a small Max Time Step.
• Use output controls (p. 1569) to limit the number of steps saved.
Mesh
• Use low order triangle element shape.
• Use mapped mesh when possible.
• Make sure the mesh is capturing the fine details of your model.
Contact Pairs
Contact can be defined on surfaces or on entire bodies.
Contact
• When defining contact on a surface, one surface/surface pair is defined per surface. If your
contact has less than a dozen surfaces on each side, surface to surface contact should be
used. When dealing with a larger number of surfaces, use body to body contact. For example,
when modeling contact between the teeth of two gears, body to body contact is best.
• When using body to body contact, mesh-based contact is the only option.
• Setting the coefficient of restitution to 0 introduces some dissipation into the model and
adds robustness.
Pinball
Pinball radius is automatically calculated based on the size of the contact surface pairs. Most
of the time, this value is correct. In cases where the pinball radius is very small, increasing it
slightly should correct the issue (don't go over 10 times the default value). The actual value of
the pinball radius can be found in the solver log file:
Forced Frictional Sliding – Body1 to Body2 is open. Contact radius = 7.828508e-004
Special Cases
When a gap is small and surface exact geometry matters, you should use geometry-based
contact. In cases like this, Moreau-Jean time-stepping can still be used.
Redundancies
The rigid body solver solves for forces between bodies. When the model is redundant, these
forces are harder to determine. The solver has multiple algorithms that are used in sequence
to determine forces between bodies. At time 0, the solver often has no information about forces,
so adding an initial step to bring all the parts of the model into proper touching configuration
can help. When applicable, use the 2-D option (only generates a few contact points per pair).
When redundancies can't be avoided, you can attempt to force convergence by inserting the
ContactUseRobustPSOR(itermax) command in a snippet with itermax being a large
number (5000 - 10000 is typical). This will increase solution time, and you should carefully review
the joint and contact forces.
Monitoring Contact
The contact log file shows the status of contacts in the simulation. In the following example,
one pair goes from separated to touching at time 0.151928:
Region: Solid - Solid - Separated...

Number Of Points 7

Number Of Points 7

Number Of Points 7
________________________
Region: Solid - Solid - ...

Shock 1 time prediction is = 0.151928 alpha 0.638561
________________________
Connections
Region: Solid - Solid - Touching...

Number Of Points 7
Checking the contact log file can help you troubleshoot contact in your model.
• Shocks are not reported for Moreau-Jean time-stepping (p. 1520), but the status does change.
• Look for contact status Penetrated if the solution fails at time = 0. You can configure joints
to avoid this initial penetration.
• Check the number of points for a given contact pair. Avoid large and small numbers. If neces-
sary, change the mesh density.
Monitoring the Solver
The solver output monitors the solver progress. It lists the status of contacts and stops.
Contact "Frictionless - Solid To Solid" not active (0 points received)

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Current Time: 0.12 Current time step 0.05
Frictionless - Solid To Solid is open.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Contact "Frictionless - Solid To Solid" Received 7 contact points
Stopped Frictionless - Solid To Solid at 0.151928
Time 0.1519 Solving Shock 1
Stopped Frictionless - Solid To Solid at 0.151928

Time 0.151928 Processing Event "Contact"
Frictionless - Solid To Solid is open.
_____________________________________________________________
The solver log file will also report redundancies. When detected, the solver will mention LCP
errors:
*** Error:
w[4]=1.097266e-005 > threshold2=7.859939e-007, z[4]=6.639837e-001, > threshold=8.865630e-009
0 C_BlockMatrix::Block::CheckLCPSolution(), C_BlockMatrix.cpp line 2174
Murty by Factorization algorithm failed

Trying PSOR
PSOR algorithm reached maximum number of iterations: 680
Initial residual 4.455025e+000 Last 3 residual values are 2.194531e-005 2.194531e-005 2.194531e-005
PSOR algorithm failed
Trying Lemke
threshold is the force in the contact that the solver needs to reach for convergence. The
value depends on global forces in the model.
A model with touching contact with no forces is always difficult for the solver. Adding small
forces to stabilize the solution usually helps with convergence. In many cases, gravity is sufficient.
Friction
Frictionless and Forced frictional contact (p. 1147) are the only supported contact types for Moreau-
Jean time-stepping (p. 1520).
Contact
9.6.8. Best Practices for Specifying Contact Conditions

For typical structural problems, the presence of nonlinear contact is often the reason for increased
solution times. This can be exacerbated by poorly defined contact conditions, which may also create
further instability and cause convergence issues and require additional processing time. Given properly
defined contact conditions, contact results converge more efficiently and results tend to be smoother.
The following topics are examined in this section to help you achieve better results through proper
contact definition:
9.6.8.1. Contact Setup and Verification
9.6.8.2. Solver Preparation
9.6.8.3. Addressing Non-Convergence
9.6.8.1. Contact Setup and Verification

This section describes some of the tools that you should try to use when generating and managing
contact.
• Automatic Contact Generation (p. 1191)
• Manual Contact Pairs (p. 1192)
• Multiple Contact Folders (p. 1192)
• Contact Search and Select (p. 1193)
• Worksheet Options (p. 1193)
• Body Views (p. 1194)
• Shell Contact Normal Directions (p. 1194)
• Initial Contact Tool (p. 1195)
Automatic Contact Generation

On geometry attach, or when requested, Contact pairs can be automatically detected and generated
in Mechanical. Search options also can be set on the Contact folder, and include:
• Scoping (search entire assembly or only selected bodies)
• Auto Detection Tolerance (see Connection Group Folder (p. 1116) Help section)
• Topology Types (Face/Face)
• Grouping Options
Connections
Manual Contact Pairs

There are times when you need to create contact conditions manually (p. 1176). This could be necessary
when a required contact is not detected automatically, such as when a gap exists that is outside
of the tolerance, as shown in the example below.
Multiple Contact Folders

Creating multiple contact folders can be beneficial. Multiple folders enable you to:
• Create different automatic detection settings on different bodies.
• Organize a large numbers of contact regions more efficiently.
Contact
Contact Search and Select

To find connections associated with a geometric selection, the context menu (right-click) Go To
options (p. 113).
Tip:
Use tags (p. 2453) to keep track of contacts pairs of interest.
Worksheet Options
As illustrated below, the connections Worksheet (p. 1114) view provides a detailed layout for reviewing
all of your contact settings, and includes the capability to:
• Sort rows by clicking the column header.
• Control the visibility of each column/property using the selections available on the right-
click (context) menu.
Contact Worksheet
RMB Menu
Connections
Body Views
A helpful way to spatially identify a contact, especially when the contact occurs on the interior of
your model, is to use the Body Views feature on the Connections Context Tab (p. 52) to display
parts in separate auxiliary windows (p. 1180).
This is the default display option when you select a Contact object, and as illustrated below, the
different contact bodies (Contact and Target) have colors codes associated with them in the Details
view as well as the graphic windows.
Note:
The Body Views feature does not support the use of hotkeys and hotkey combina-
tions (p. 277).
Shell Contact Normal Directions

Contact on shell bodies can only be detected if the direction of the contact is appropriately defined.
For example, to model the self-contact when pinching the following shell:
Contact
Undesirable Normals Details View
Desired Normals
Contact Tool
You can use the Contact Tool (p. 2184) to quickly learn about the contact status as seen by the solver
(before you solve). Initial Information is illustrated below.
The color coding alerts you to possible issues. And you can calculate contours for results such as
Status and Penetration. In addition, you can see:
• Contact pairs that are open/closed.
• The extent of initial penetration.
• Active/Inactive pairs.
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9.6.8.2. Solver Preparation

This section describes useful techniques for making sure that you establish robust contact settings
and conditions.
• Mesh Quality (p. 1196)
• Mesh Sizing (p. 1197)
• Understanding Contact Formulation (p. 1197)
• Advantages of MPC Contact (p. 1198)
• Contact Stiffness (p. 1198)
• Overlapping Contact and Boundary Conditions (p. 1199)
• Initial Gaps and Rigid Body Motion (p. 1199)
Mesh Quality
Poor mesh quality can cause convergence problems, especially when nonlinear contact is applied
on it. Examples of mesh quality are illustrated below. Understanding the use of Local Mesh Controls
can help you refine the mesh on your contact conditions.
The contact surface shown here has a mesh that could be

improved.
This contact surface shown here has a very good mesh quality.
Tip:
For nonlinear contact models, you can either set Physics Preference to Mechanical and
Error Limits to Aggressive Mechanical, or set Physics Preference to Nonlinear
Mechanical. See Ansys Workbench and Mechanical APDL Application Meshing Differences
for details.
Contact
Mesh Sizing
In order to create smooth results, you need to make sure that the elements closely follow the
curvature and that your model has sufficient contact elements on curved surfaces, including straight
surfaces that may become curved as the analysis proceeds. This is especially true for nonlinear
contact conditions. For the best results, use similar mesh densities on both sides of the contact
pair. To improve element size and density, modify the mesh using Sizing Controls.
This example shown below illustrates a curve with not enough elements.
The parts are now shown below with improved element sizes and density for each contact side.
Understanding Contact Formulation

Formulation options (p. 1153) allow you to specify which algorithm the software uses for a particular
Contact pair computation. Formulations define the solution method used. See the Contact Formu-
lation Theory (p. 1135) section for additional information.
• Augmented Lagrange (Default): this setting is suitable for most problems.
• Pure Penalty: this setting is suited to contact occurring only on an edge or vertex.
• MPC (Multi-Point Constraint): this setting is ideal for all linear contacts when there is no over-
constraint.
• Normal Lagrange: this Formulation option:
– provides the highest accuracy.
– works well with material nonlinearities.
– works well with shells or thin layers.
– enables interference fit
– allows large sliding
• Beam: this setting is ideal for linear contact when there may be over-constraint.
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Advantages of MPC Contact

The MPC Formulation option (p. 1153) does not provide stiffness settings. It is a purely linear way to
connect contacting bodies. This setting is ideal for shell-solid, shell-shell, and beam-shell contacts.
MPC prevents artificial stiffness when gaps exist between curved surfaces (another alternative is to
use fixed Joints).
One caveat is that MPC is the most sensitive contact type to overconstraint so it should be avoided
when there are other contacts or boundary conditions that overlap.
Following a completed solution, you can view MPC equations and other FE Connections (p. 1934)
graphically.
Contact Stiffness
Using the Normal Stiffness (p. 1160) property, you can manually increase the stiffness associated with
a contact pair. A high stiffness setting can lead to reduced penetration and an increase in accuracy.
However, it can also lead to ill-conditioning and divergence.
For contacts that lead to convergence difficulty, you should try lowering the stiffness.
For pretension problems, increase the stiffness, because penetration can strongly influence the
pretension forces.
And, when there is difficulty converging due to high penetration, you may need to increase the
stiffness.
Here is an example of poor convergence. 122 iterations were required and there are too many
bisection instances.
This example shows very good convergence as a result of the stiffness being reduced. No
bisections have occurred and only 30 iterations were required.
Contact
Overlapping Contact and Boundary Conditions

Care should be taken when a contacts and constraint type boundary conditions have overlapping
topology. In this case, you can use modeling techniques to eliminate the overconstraint, including:
• Modifying the Contact Trimming (p. 1150).
• Modifying the Pinball Radius property on the remote boundary conditions. This property specifies
a radius (length unit) that the boundary condition is applied to the elements that are within the
region.
• Implementing node-based (p. 232) scoping on the boundary conditions.
If you cannot eliminate an overcontraint situation, the use of the MPC Formulation should be
avoided. The Beam Formulation option (p. 1153) can be a good alternative in this case.
Initial Gaps and Rigid Body Motion

There are times when parts (that have exterior constraints placed on them) are dependent upon
contact to prevent rigid body motion. In addition, when small gaps exist (especially for curved
contact conditions), rigid body motion can occur at the beginning of the solution before contact
engages.
When nonlinear contact is present, small gaps that are initially open can lead to rigid body motion
(as shown below). Changing the Interface Treatment (p. 1168) property to Adjust to Touch can be
an effective means to resolve this gap. Mathematical adjustment to close the gap causes an open
region to be visible when post-processing. This gap is simply offset by the contact elements. Note
that for concentric cylinders, Adjust to Touch is not recommended. Instead the offset should be
manually entered.
An alternative is to employ the Stabilization Damping Factor (p. 1163) property. Rather than ignoring
the gap by offsetting the contact elements, damping is applied and makes the approach of the
bodies towards each other less difficult for the solver to handle, leading eventually to closed contact.
An example is shown below. Note that you need to use care and verify that the damping does not
negatively affect the accuracy of your analysis.
Connections
9.6.8.3. Addressing Non-Convergence

This section describes techniques to troubleshoot convergence problems.
• Diagnostic Tool: Contact Result Tracker (p. 1200)
• Making Use of Partial Solutions (p. 1200)
• Contact Results Tool: Penetration (p. 1201)
• Diagnostic Tools: NR Residuals (p. 1201)
• Checklist for Overcoming Convergence Difficulties (p. 1202)
Diagnostic Tool: Contact Results Tracker

The structural result tracker (p. 1941) for Contact enables you to view contact information "live" as
the solution processes. This enables you to observe trends that can help you diagnose problems.
For example, a decreasing number of contact points indicate a trend towards a loss of contact.
Making Use of Partial Solutions

When a Solution fails to converge, you can review the results at the converged substeps, which
can be invaluable for diagnosing problems. Checking the contact result Status (p. 2146) is a useful
first step. It can help you understand the global contact behavior of the model and enable you to
find problem areas. An example is shown below.
Contact
Contact Results Tool: Penetration

It is important to ensure that the contact penetration is small relative to local displacements. The
reason is that any contact penetration is technically impossible, since bodies do not move into each
other. A good check is to add the contact result (p. 2146) Penetration to the local displacement and
compute a back-of-the-envelope strain calculation. This helps determine if the penetration is signi-
ficantly affecting the stress calculations. An example is shown below. Ways to reduce penetration
include:
• Increasing the Stiffness (p. 1160).
• Reducing the Penetration Tolerance (p. 1157).
• Setting the Formulation (p. 1153) property to Normal Lagrange .
Diagnostic Tool: NR Residuals

For a failed solution, requesting Newton-Raphson residuals helps to identify areas where attention
is needed. It is especially useful for models with many nonlinear contacts, and the pair which caused
the convergence difficulty is not known. An example is shown below.
Connections
Checklist for Overcoming Convergence Difficulties

Here are a few steps to follow when convergence difficulties are encountered.
1. Identify the problematic contact region(s) using:
• Contact Tracking (p. 1941).
• Contact Results (p. 2146) (especially Status and Penetration).
• Force Convergence plots (See the Solution Information (p. 1927) object Help section).
• NR residuals.
2. Once identified, possible remedies:
• Check Mesh Quality (using Mesh Controls)
• Make sure the model's units of measure are on an appropriate scale
• Check for proper Initial Conditions (p. 354)/pinball
• Adjust the contact Stiffness (p. 1160).
• Use "nodal detection" if the problem is at a corner.
• Reduce the time step (p. 1502) size before and during the onset of the divergence.
• If a large friction coefficient is defined (>0.25) consider using an unsymmetric solver.
• If the problem manifests immediately based on poor initial contact conditions (not well en-
gaged or rigid body motion) try using aggressive contact stiffness update.
• Last resort: Add stabilization (Contact (p. 1163) or global (p. 2139)).
9.7. Joints
9.7.1. Joint Characteristics
9.7.2. Joint Types
9.7.3. Joint Properties
9.7.4. Modifying Joint Coordinate Systems
9.7.5. Joint Stiffness
Joints
9.7.6. Joint Friction

9.7.7. Manual Joint Creation
9.7.8. Automatic Joint Creation
9.7.9. Joint Stops and Locks
9.7.10. Ease of Use Features
9.7.11. Detecting Overconstrained Conditions
9.7.12. Example: Assembling Joints
9.7.13. Example: Configuring Joints
9.7.14. Example: Configuring Bodies
9.7.1. Joint Characteristics

A joint typically serves as a junction where bodies are joined together. Joint types are characterized
as fixed or free depending on their rotational and translational degrees of freedom. If you specify a
Joint as a Remote Attachment it is classified as a remote boundary condition. Refer to the Remote
Boundary Conditions (p. 1856) section for a listing of all remote boundary conditions and their charac-
teristics.
The section includes the following joint characteristics:
• Supported Analysis Types (p. 1203)
• Degrees of Freedom (DOF) (p. 1205)
• Abstraction (p. 1206)
• Initial Conditions (p. 1206)
• DOF Zero Value Conventions (p. 1206)
• Joint Condition Considerations (p. 1207)

Joints are supported in the following structural analyses:
• Explicit Dynamics (p. 409)
• Harmonic Response (p. 502)
• Modal (p. 521)
• Static Structural (p. 658)
Connections
• Transient Structural (p. 671)
Note:
• A joint cannot be applied to a vertex scoped to an end release (p. 1320).
• When you set the Formulation property to Bushing, the application uses the element
COMBI250. As a result:
– The Element Coordinate System is the first coordinate system used to apply
rotation.
– This is followed by nodal rotations defined on associated Remote Points (Refer-

ence or Mobile), such as the NROTAT command that rotates nodal coordinate
systems into the active system. In addition, rotations from these remote points
modify the element matrix (see the Input Data topic of the COMBI250 element
reference).
– This is then followed by the normal processing sequence for rotations.
– Ansys recommends that you specify the same coordinate system for Element
Coordinate System, Reference Coordinate System, and Mobile Coordinate
System properties in case there is a relative rotation between the Element Co-
ordinate System and either the Reference Coordinate System or Mobile Co-
ordinate System. In addition, you need to verify proper rotation as well as results.
Here is an example of Element Coordinate System annotations ("rings" about each axis),
prior to and after rotation.
• Each multibody part made of rigid bodies is treated as a single, rigid part. Consequently,
joints must not be created within a multibody part.
Joints
Similarly, functionalities such as configure, assemble, model topology, or redundancy

analysis always consider each multibody part as a single part, regardless stiffness beha-
vior. Joints must be defined between independent parts or multibody parts to use these
functionalities.
• The Samcef Solver interface supports all joint types except for the fixed joint, slot joint,
and the imperfect joints. Only supported joint types are active in the Mechanical interface.
To maintain consistency with the characteristics of Samcef joints, you must insert a
Comment object with the correct name under the joint object. The comment permits
you to capture joint properties which are not available in the Properties view in Mech-
anical. The comment functions similarly to a commands object: the content of the
comment is appended to the description of the joint in the solver input file. The necessary
name for the comment object is listed for each joint type.
Nature of Joint Degrees of Freedom

• For all joints that have both translational degrees of freedom and rotational degrees of freedom,
the kinematics of the joint are defined such that the moving coordinate system translates in the
reference coordinate system. For example, if a joint is a slot (p. 1211), the translation along X is ex-
pressed in the reference coordinate system.
Once the translation has been applied, the center of the rotation is the location of the moving co-
ordinate system.
• For the Mechanical APDL solver, the relative angular positions for the spherical (p. 1212), gener-
al (p. 1221), and bushing (p. 1213) joints are characterized by the Cardan (or Bryant) angles. This requires
that the rotations about the local Y axis be restricted between -π/2 to +π/2. Therefore, the local Y
axis should not be used to simulate the axis of rotation if the expected rotation is large.
Connections
Joint Abstraction
Joints are considered as point-to-point in the solution though the user interface shows the actual
geometry. Due to this abstraction to a point-to-point joint, geometry interference and overlap between
the two parts linked by the joint can be seen during an animation.
When using the Ansys Explicit Dynamics solver the contact algorithm will be active for the mesh by
default. This means that free DOF's may be restrained by contact forces.
Joint Initial Conditions

The degrees of freedom are determined depending on the selected solver. For the Ansys Rigid Dy-
namics solver, the degrees of freedom are the relative motion between the parts. For the Ansys
Mechanical solver and the Ansys Explicit Dynamics solver, the degrees of freedom are the location
and orientation of the center of mass of the bodies.
When initial conditions are applied, there are two means for the Ansys Rigid Dynamics solver to ini-
tialize the velocities:
1. A pure kinematic method, only based on the kinematic constraints. It minimizes the position
and velocity increments.
2. A method using the inertia matrix. The position increment, scaled by the inertia matrix, is
minimized; while the velocity increment is calculated in order to minimize the kinetic energy.
Unless otherwise specified using joint conditions, the Mechanical APDL solver, Ansys Rigid Dynamics
solver, and Ansys Explicit Dynamics solver start with initial velocities equal to zero. This has different
implications for the solvers. For the Mechanical APDL solver and the Ansys Explicit Dynamics solver,
this means that the bodies will be at rest. For the Ansys Rigid Dynamics solver, this means that the
relative velocities will be at rest.
Consider, for example, an in-plane double pendulum, with a constant velocity specified for the first
grounded link. The two solvers will treat this scenario as follows:
• Using the Ansys Rigid Dynamics solver:
– If the first method is used, the second link has the same rotational velocity as the first, be-
cause the relative velocity is initially equal to zero.
– If the second method is used, the second link does not start with the same initial velocity
as the first link.
• Using the Mechanical APDL solver or the Ansys Explicit Dynamics solver, the second link starts at
rest.
Joint DOF Zero Value Conventions

Joints can be defined using one or two coordinate systems: the Reference Coordinate System and
the Mobile Coordinate System.
The use of two coordinate systems can be beneficial in certain situations, such as when a CAD model
is not imported in an assembled configuration. Using two coordinate systems also enables you to
Joints
employ the Configure and Set features (see Manual Joint Creation (p. 1268)), and it gives you the
ability to update a model following a CAD update.
For the Ansys Rigid Dynamics solver, the zero value of the degrees of freedom corresponds to the
matching reference coordinate system and moving coordinate system.
If a joint definition includes only the location of the Reference Coordinate System (see Modifying
Joint Coordinate Systems (p. 1237)), then the DOF of this joint are initially equal to zero for the geomet-
rical configuration where the joints have been built.
If the Mobile Coordinate System is defined using the Override option, then the initial value of the
degrees of freedom can be a nonzero value.
Consider the example illustrated below. If a Translational (p. 1210) joint is defined between the two
parts using two coordinate systems, then the distance along the X axis between the two origins is
the joint initial DOF value. For this example, assume the joint initial DOF value is 65 mm.
Conversely, if the joint is defined using a single coordinate as shown below, then the same geomet-
rical configuration has a joint degree of freedom that is equal to zero.
For the Mechanical APDL solver and the Ansys Explicit Dynamics solver, having one or two coordinate
systems has no affect. The initial configuration corresponds to the zero value of the degrees of freedom.
Joint Condition Considerations

When applying a Joint Condition, behavior varies depending on the solver selected. The following
tables demonstrate variations in solver behavior, using the right part of the translational joint illustrated
above moving 100 mm towards the other part over a 1 second period. (The distance along the X
axis is 65 mm.)
Solver Displacement Joint Condition

Time Displacement
Ansys Rigid Dynamics – Two Coordinate Systems 0 65
1 165
Connections
Ansys Rigid Dynamics – One Coordinate System 0 0

1 100
Mechanical APDL, Ansys Explicit Dynamics – 0 0
Two Coordinate Systems 1 100
One Coordinate System 1 100
You can unify the joint condition input by using a Velocity Joint Condition.
Solver Velocity Joint Condition

Time Velocity
Ansys Rigid Dynamics – Two Coordinate 0 100
Systems 1 100
Ansys Rigid Dynamics – One Coordinate 0 100
System 1 100
Two Coordinate Systems 1 100
One Coordinate System 1 100
9.7.2. Joint Types

You can create the following types of joints in Mechanical:
9.7.2.1. Fixed Joint
9.7.2.2. Revolute Joint
9.7.2.3. Cylindrical Joint
9.7.2.4.Translational Joint
9.7.2.5. Slot Joint
9.7.2.6. Universal Joint
9.7.2.7. Spherical Joint
9.7.2.8. Planar Joint
9.7.2.9. Bushing Joint
9.7.2.10. Screw Joint
9.7.2.11. Constant Velocity Joint (Homokinetic Joint)
9.7.2.12. Distance Joint
9.7.2.13. General Joint
9.7.2.14. Point on Curve Joint
9.7.2.15. Imperfect Joint Types
The above sections include animated joint representations.
Joints
9.7.2.1. Fixed Joint

Constrained degrees of freedom:
All
9.7.2.2. Revolute Joint

UX, UY, UZ, ROTX, ROTY
Example:
Samcef Solver Comment Object (p. 1205):
REVOLUTE
9.7.2.3. Cylindrical Joint

UX, UY, ROTX, ROTY
Connections
Example:
CYLINDRICAL
9.7.2.4. Translational Joint

UY, UZ, ROTX, ROTY, ROTZ
Joints
Example:
TRANSLATIONAL
9.7.2.5. Slot Joint

UY, UZ
Example:
9.7.2.6. Universal Joint

UX, UY, UZ, ROTY
Connections
Example:
UNIVERSAL
Note:
The Ansys Explicit Dynamics solver does not support Universal Joints.
9.7.2.7. Spherical Joint

UX, UY, UZ
Example:
Joints
SPHERICAL or SPHERICAL FRICTION (depending on the Samcef joint type you wish to
use)
9.7.2.8. Planar Joint

UZ, ROTX, ROTY
Example:
PLANAR
9.7.2.9. Bushing Joint

None
Connections
Example:
A Bushing has six degrees of freedom, three translations and three rotations, all of which can po-
tentially be characterized by their rotational and translational degrees of freedom as being free or
constrained by stiffness.
For a Bushing, the rotational degrees of freedom are defined as follows:
• The first is a rotation around the reference coordinate system X Axis.
• The second is a rotation around the Y Axis after the first rotation is applied.
• The third is a rotation around the Z Axis after the first and second rotations are applied.
The three translations and the three rotations form a set of six degrees of freedom. In addition, the
bushing behaves, by design, as an imperfect joint, that is, some forces developed in the joint oppose
the motion.
The three translational degrees of freedom expressed in the reference coordinate system and the
three rotations are expressed as: Ux, Uy, Uz, and Ψ, Θ, φ. The relative velocities in the reference
coordinate system are expressed as: Vx, Vy, and Vz. The three components of the relative rotational
velocity are expressed as: Ωx, Ωy, and Ωz. Note that these values are not the time derivatives of
[Ψ, Θ, φ]. They are a linear combination.
Joints
The Bushing joint includes a Formulation property that enables you to specify a desired element
type. The Formulation property options include MPC (Multi-Point Constraint) and Bushing. The
MPC option uses the MPC184 element and the Bushing option uses the COMBI250 element.
Important:
The Bushing option is only supported for the following analysis types:
• All Substructure (p. 802) analyses when the Joint as included in the Condensed
Part.
• Modal and Harmonic Response.
• Static Structural when you active Beta Options.
For the MPC Formulation, the degrees of freedom are expressed in the reference coordinate system
as discussed above. The same holds true for the Bushing Formulation, however, it uses an element
coordinate system as specified by an associated property. This Element Coordinate System property
is set to the Reference Coordinate System by default. As desired, you can define an element co-
ordinate system manually.
The forces developed in the Bushing are expressed as:
Where:
[F] is force and [T] is Torque, and [K] and [C] are 6x6 matrices (defined using Stiffness Coefficients
and Dampening Coefficients options). Off diagonal terms in the matrix are coupling terms between
the DOFs.
You can use these joints to introduce flexibility to an over-constrained mechanism. Note that very
high stiffness terms introduce high frequencies into the system and may penalize the solution time
when using the Ansys Rigid Dynamics solver. If you want to suppress motion in one direction entirely,
it is more efficient to use Joint DOF Zero Value Conventions (p. 1206) instead of a very high stiffness.
Connections
Application
To add a bushing:
1. Select the Connections object in the tree and select Bushing from either the Body-Groundor
Body-Body drop-down menus on the Connections Context Tab (p. 52). By default, the Work-
sheet displays.
Matrix data for the Stiffness Coefficients and Dampening Coefficients is entered in the
Worksheet.
Note:
• For an MPC Formulation, entries are based on a Full Symmetric matrix. For
a Bushing Formulation, only diagonal entries are available to define.
• You can change the default display setting of the Worksheet using the
Bushing Joint Worksheet View property in the Connections (p. 293) category
of the Options dialog. Set the property to No.
2. As needed, specify a desired element type using the Formulation property.
When you specify the Bushing option, the Element Coordinate System property also displays.
As needed, specify a user-defined coordinate system. The default setting for this property is
Reference Coordinate System.
3. Select the Graphics tab. Based on whether your bushing is Body-Ground or Body-Body, scope
the bushing to geometry.
You can scope a bushing to single or multiple faces, single or multiple edges, or to a single
vertex. Body-Body scoping requires Reference and Mobile scoping. The scoping for the Ref-
erence and Mobile sides of the joint cannot be the same.
Body-Ground assumes that the Reference is grounded (fixed). Only the Mobile side requires
scoping.
4. Specified the various additional properties as needed for your analysis, that may include:
• Behavior
• Pinball Region
See the Joint Properties (p. 1227) section for specific property information.
Joints
Non-Linear Force-Deflection Curve

You can use a nonlinear force-deflection curve to simulate a multi-rate bushing with nonlinear
stiffness. In Mechanical, you can accomplish this using a linear piecewise curve. You can use this
calculation when defining Condensed Parts and using the MPC Formulation (only).
Note:
The Ansys Explicit Dynamics solver does not support Tabular Data entry.
To define a nonlinear Force-Deflection curve:
1. In the Worksheet, select the cell in which you want to define a non-linear force-deflection
curve.
2. Right-click the cell and then select Tabular.
3. Enter Displacement and Force (or Angle and Moment) values (minimum of two rows of data)
in the Tabular Data window. The application plots your entries in the Graph window.
Note:
If tabular entries exist in the stiffness matrix, the Mechanical APDL solver does not
account for constant terms and non-diagonal (coupled) terms.
Samcef Solver Comment Object (p. 1205)

BUSHING
9.7.2.10. Screw Joint

This joint type is only supported by the Rigid Dynamics solver.
UX, UY, ROTX, ROTY
Connections
UZ=pitch*ROTZ / 2*π (radians) = pitch*ROTZ/360 (degrees)
Specific property:
The pitch property in the details view allows you to define the screw pitch (in length unit) per
turn. Negative values define a left-handed screw.
Joints
Example:
9.7.2.11. Constant Velocity Joint (Homokinetic Joint)

The two shaft orientations are given by the y-axes on the reference and the mobile sides.
UX, UY, UZ
Connections
Example:
9.7.2.12. Distance Joint

This joint type is only supported by the Rigid Body Dynamics solver.
The length of the joint is specified by the distance between the reference and mobile coordinates
systems. Note that as the length must not be equal to zero, and the override option must be used
so the reference and mobile are not coincident.
UX, UY, UZ, ROTX, ROTY, ROTZ are free. Only the distance between reference and mobile co-
ordinates systems is constrained.
Joints
Example:
9.7.2.13. General Joint

Fix All, Free X, Free Y, Free Z, and Free All.
A general joint has six degrees of freedom, three translations and three rotations, all of which can
potentially be characterized by their rotational and translational degrees of freedom as being free
or constrained by stiffness. The Primitive Type property enables easier selection of fixed or free
degrees of freedom. Based on the selected Primitive Type option, joint degrees of freedom will
be set as following:
Primitive types:
None
All the degrees of freedom are set to fixed by default. You can free the X translation, free
the Y translation, free the Z translation and free all rotations. All the translational degrees
of freedom can be controlled individually to be fixed or free but there are no individual
controls for rotational degrees of freedom. You can either set all rotations fixed, or just one
of them (X, Y or Z) free or all free.
Parallel
• Translation X: Free
• Translation Y: Free
• Translation Z: Free
• Rotations: Free Z
In-Plane
• Translation Z: Fixed
Connections
• Rotations: Free All
In-Line
• Translation X: Fixed
• Translation Y: Fixed
• Rotations: Free All
Orientation
• Rotations: Fix All
Also, similar to a bushing, you can enter matrix data for the Stiffness Coefficients and Damping
Coefficients in the Worksheet. Coupled terms (off diagonal terms in the matrix) are only allowed
when all DOFs are free.
Note:
For a specified joint, if you duplicate it, and/or change the Type property to a joint
that also supports Stiffness Coefficients and Damping Coefficients entries in the
Worksheet, the application automatically retains all worksheet content populated
for the DOFs that are set as free for the new joint.
GENERAL
9.7.2.14. Point on Curve Joint

UY, UZ, ROTX, ROTY, ROTZ if rotations are fixed. UY, UZ if rotations are free.
Joints
Example:
CURVE or SLIDER (depending on the Samcef joint type you wish to use)
A point on curve joint has one or four degrees of freedom, depending on whether the rotations
are fixed or free.
If the rotations are fixed, the point on curve joint has only one degree of freedom, which is the
coordinate on the curve. UY and UZ are always equal to zero. ROTX, ROTY, and ROTZ are driven so
that the mobile coordinate system of the joint always follows the reference curve.
For a point on curve joint, the X axis is always tangent to the reference curve, and the Z axis is always
normal to the orientation surface of the joint, pointing outward.
Connections
If the rotations are free, the point on curve joint has four degrees of freedom.
Scoping
You can scope a point on curve joint to a single curve or multiple reference curves. You can
have one or more orientation surfaces. The mobile coordinate system has to be scoped to a
vertex, and the joint coordinate system has to be positioned and oriented such that:
• The origin is on the curve.
• The X axis is tangent to the curve.
Joints
• The Z axis is the outer normal to the surface.
Important:
When a model contains a Point On Curve (p. 1222) joint, the Configure and Assemble op-
tions (p. 53) are disabled for all the joints. This is also the case for a redundancy analysis
that includes a Point On Curve joint.
Note:
• The assembly phase may result in minor adjustments to ensure that the mobile co-
ordinate system is properly positioned.
• If multiple curves are used, it is recommended that the curves have a curvature con-
tinuity. Otherwise, the fixed rotations options will lead to rotational velocity jumps in
the point on curve that may affect other connected joints. In this situation, results
may not be fully determined, and they may vary with the model topology.
9.7.2.15. Imperfect Joint Types

The following joint types are specialized joints dedicated to model clearance in revolute or cylindrical
joints (see Radial Gap Stop (p. 1274)). These joint types are only supported by the Rigid Dynamics
Solver:
9.7.2.15.1. In-Plane Radial Gap
9.7.2.15.2. Spherical Gap
9.7.2.15.3. Radial Gap
9.7.2.15.1. In-Plane Radial Gap

UZ, ROTX, ROTY (similar to planar joint)
Connections
Example:
9.7.2.15.2. Spherical Gap

UX, UY, UZ (similar to spherical joint)
Example:
Joints
9.7.2.15.3. Radial Gap

fix or free UZ
Example:
9.7.3. Joint Properties

This section describes the Details pane properties associated with a Joint object.
Category Property Name and Description

Definition Connection Type
The Connection Type property specifies the joint as either a Body-Body

scoping (multiple faces) or a Body-Ground scoping (multiple faces). When
defined as Body-Body, you need to define Reference category and Mobile
category properties. When you specify the Connection Type as
body-to-ground, the application assumes that the reference element of the
joint is grounded (fixed).
Type
The Type property provides a drop-down list of joint type options. See the
Specifying Remote Points (p. 1379) section for descriptions of each type.
Note:
The General (p. 1208) joint enables you to specify each degree of
freedom as being either Fixed or Free.
Connections

Formulation
You use this property to specify a desired element type for the Bushing
Joint. The options for this property include MPC (Multi-Point Constraint)
and Bushing. These options enable you to specify the underlying element
type for the Bushing Joint. The MPC option uses the MPC184 element and
the Bushing option uses the COMBI250 element.
Important:
The Bushing option is only supported for the following

analysis types:
• All Substructure (p. 802) analyses when the Joint as

included in the Condensed Part.
• Modal and Harmonic Response.
• Static Structural when you active Beta Options.
When you specify the Bushing option, the Element Coordinate System
property also displays. As needed, specify a user-defined coordinate system.
The default setting for this property is Reference Coordinate System.
Important:
When you set the Formulation property to Bushing:
• The Element Coordinate System is the first coordinate

system used to apply rotation.
• This is followed by nodal rotations defined on associated

Remote Points (Reference or Mobile), such as the
NROTAT command that rotates nodal coordinate systems
into the active system. In addition, rotations from these
remote points modify the element matrix (see the Input
Data topic of the COMBI250 element reference).
• This is then followed by the normal processing sequence

for rotations.
• Ansys recommends that you specify the same coordinate

system for Element Coordinate System, Reference Co-
ordinate System, and Mobile Coordinate System
properties in case there is a relative rotation between the
Element Coordinate System and either the Reference
Coordinate System or Mobile Coordinate System. In
addition, you need to verify proper rotation as well as
results.
Joints
Here is an example of Element Coordinate System annotations

("rings" about each axis), prior to and after rotation.
Solver Element Type (MAPDL Solver Only)
The Solver Element Type property enables you to specify the type of
element to use in a fixed joint. Options include:
Connections

• Program Controlled (default): When selected, an Mechanical APDL
joint element is used unless a rigid body exists in the model.
• Joint Element: this selection uses the MPC184 element. This option
enables you to use the Joint probe. In addition, this option may allow
you to experience convergence improvements if you are attaching
a shell or line body to a node or vertex.
• Contact/Direct: this selection uses the TARGE170 element for

Body-Body joints and a DOF constraint for Body-Ground joints. This
option helps to avoid solver pivoting as well as MPC overconstraint.
Torsional Stiffness
The Torsional Stiffness property defines the measure of the resistance of

a shaft to a twisting or torsional force. You can add torsional stiffness only
for cylindrical (p. 1209) and revolute (p. 1209) joints.
Torsional Damping
The Torsional Damping property defines the measure of resistance to the

angular vibration to a shaft or body along its axis of rotation. You can add
torsional damping only for cylindrical (p. 1209) and revolute (p. 1209) joints.
Suppressed
Includes or excludes the joint object in the analysis.
Element APDL Name
Element APDL Name: Optional property that enables you to manually

define an APDL parameter (in the input file) and assign the parameter value
as the element of the Joint. This facilitates easy programmatic identification
of the element of the Joint for later use/reference in a Commands (APDL)
object.
Reference Scoping Method
This property enables you to choose to scope using a Geometry Selection

(default), Named Selection, or a user-defined Remote Point.
Note:
If you scope a joint to a user-defined Remote Point, it is required

that the remote point be located at the origin (0.0, 0.0, 0.0) of
the Reference Coordinate System of the remote point.
Applied By
This property specifies the joint as a Remote Attachment (default) or a

Direct Attachment. The Remote Attachment option uses either a
Joints

user-defined or a system-generated Remote Point as a scoping mechanism.
Remote Attachment is the required Applied By property setting if the
geometry scoping is to a single face or multiple faces, a single edge or
multiple edges, or multiple vertices. The Direct Attachment option enables
you to scope directly to a single vertex (Geometry) or a node (using an
individually selected node or a node-based Named Selection) for flexible
bodies (only) on your model. Direct Attachment is not allowed if scoped
to solid bodies, as they do not have rotational degrees of freedom.
Note:
Direct Attachment is not allowed for the Explicit Dynamics solver.
Scope (or Reference Component or Remote Point)
Based on the selected Scoping Method, this property displays as either "
Scope ", " Reference Component ", or " Remote Points ".
When Geometry Selection is selected as the Scoping Method, this property

displays with the label " Scope " and enables you to define the geometry
to which the joint is applied. Once a geometry is selected, click in the Scope
field and then click Apply.
When Named Selection is selected as the Scoping Method, this property

provides a drop-down list of available user-defined Named Selections.
When Remote Point is selected as the Scoping Method, this property

displays with the label " Remote Points ". This property provides a
drop-down list of available user-defined Remote Points. This property is not
available when the Applied By property is specified as Direct Attachment.
Body
This read-only property displays the corresponding part/geometry name.
Coordinate System
The scoping of a joint must be accompanied by the definition of a joint

coordinate system. This coordinate system defines the location of the joint.
It is imperative that the joint coordinate system be fully associative (p. 1096)
with the geometry, otherwise, the coordinate system could move in
unexpected ways when the Configure tool is used to define the initial
position of the joint (see the Applying Joints (p. 2407) section). A warning
message is issued if you attempt to use the Configure tool with a joint
whose coordinate system is not fully associative.
Under the Reference category, the Coordinate System property provides

a default Reference Coordinate System. This coordinate system
accompanies a joint when the joint is added to the tree. This applies for
joints whose Connection Type is either Body-Ground or Body-Body. When
a joint is added, an associated coordinate system is automatically generated
Connections

at a location based on the selected geometry (face, edge, or vertex). You
can modify the Reference Coordinate System’s orientation axis by modifying
the details of the Reference Coordinate System object contained in the
joint object.
Additional information about Modifying Joint Coordinate Systems (p. 1237)

is also available, including the following topics:
• Modify Coordinate System Geometry Scoping (p. 1209)
• Change Coordinate System Orientation (p. 1239)
Scoping a joint directly to a vertex or a node using the Direct Attachment

option fixes the coordinate system to that location. Note that the Reference
Coordinate System property displays automatically and is read-only.
Behavior
For remote attachments, use the Behavior property to specify the scoped
geometry as either Rigid, Deformable, or Beam. If the Scope Method
property of the Joint is set to Remote Point, the Joint will then assume the
Behavior defined in the referenced Remote Point as well as other related
properties. Refer to the Geometry Behaviors (p. 1385) section for more
information.
Formulation
When the Behavior property is set to either Rigid or Deformable, you use
this property to specify the contact algorithm used for a particular reference
computation. If you set the Scope Method property to Remote Point (p. 1380),
the Joint uses the Formulation defined for the Remote Point. Property
options include:
• MPC (default): This option creates multipoint constraint equations

internally during the Mechanical APDL solution to tie the bodies
together.
• Lagrange Multiplier: This option enforces zero penetration when

the contact is closed, making use of a Lagrange multiplier on the
normal direction and a penalty method in the tangential direction.
This formulation helps to overcome over-constraint problems better
than the MPC formulation.
For more information, see the Selecting a Contact Algorithm (KEYOPT(2))

topic in the Mechanical APDL Contact Technology Guide.
Relaxation Method
This property is only available when the Formulation property is set to

MPC. You use this property to eliminate overconstraint present in the joint
reference condition. Property options include No (default) and Yes. If you
Joints

set the Scope Method property to Remote Point, the joint uses the setting
of the Relaxation Method property defined for the Remote Point.
For more information, see the Overconstraint Detection and Elimination

Pinball Region
Use the Pinball Region property to define where the joint attaches to face(s)
if the default location is not desirable. By default, the entire face is tied to
the joint element. This may not be desirable, warranting the input of a
Pinball Region setting, for the following reasons:
• If the scoping is to a topology with a large number of nodes, this can

lead to an inefficient solution in terms of memory and speed.
• Overlap between the joint scoped faces and other displacement type
boundary conditions can lead to over constraint and as a result, solver
failures.
Note:
• The Pinball Region, Behavior, Formulation, and Relaxation

Method settings are applicable to underlying bodies that are
flexible.
• If a Joint’s Reference and Mobile category are scoped to

separate Remote Points (p. 1379), the Pinball Region, Behavior,
Formulation, and Relaxation Method properties for each
category become read-only and are set to the respective
remote points.
• The Pinball Region, Behavior, Formulation and Relaxation

Method properties are not applicable when the Applied By
property is set to Direct Attachment.
Mobile Scoping Method
This property enables you to choose to scope using a Geometry Selection

(default), Named Selection, or a user-defined Remote Point.
Note:
If you scope a joint to a user-defined Remote Point, it is required

that the remote point be located at the origin (0.0, 0.0, 0.0) of
the Reference Coordinate System of the remote point.
Connections

Applied By
This property specifies the joint as a Remote Attachment (default) or a

Direct Attachment. The Remote Attachment option uses either a
user-defined or a system-generated Remote Point as a scoping mechanism.
Remote Attachment is the required Applied By property setting if the
geometry scoping is to a single face or multiple faces, a single edge or
multiple edges, or a single vertex or multiple vertices. The Direct
Attachment option allows you to scope directly to a single vertex (Geometry)
or a node (using an individually selected node or a node-based Named
Selection) to flexible bodies (only) on your model. Direct Attachment is not
allowed if scoped to solid bodies, as they do not have rotational degrees
of freedom.
Note:
Direct Attachment is not allowed for the Explicit Dynamics solver.
Scope (or Mobile Component or Remote Point)
Based on the selected Scoping Method, this property displays as either "
Scope ", " Mobile Component ", or " Remote Points ".
When Geometry Selection is selected as the Scoping Method, this property

displays with the label " Scope " and enables you to define the geometry
to which the joint is applied. Once a geometry is selected, click in the Scope
field and then click Apply.
When Named Selection is selected as the Scoping Method, provides a

drop-down list of available user-defined Named Selections.
When Remote Point is selected as the Scoping Method, this property

displays with the label " Remote Points ". This property provides a
drop-down list of available user-defined Remote Points. This property is not
available when the Applied By property is specified as Direct Attachment.
Body
This property is available under both the Reference and Mobile categories.
This read-only property displays the corresponding part/geometry name.
Coordinate System
The Mobile category provides the support for the relative motion between
the parts of a joint. A Mobile Coordinate System is automatically defined
but is only displayed in the tree when the Initial Position property is set
to Override.
Scoping a joint directly to a vertex or a node using the Direct Attachment

option fixes the coordinate system to that location. When scoping directly
to a node or vertex using the Direct Attachment option, the default setting
Joints

for the Initial Position property is Override even though the Initial Position
property doesn't display in the Details. Rather, the Coordinate System
automatically displays and is read-only.
Note:
For the Mechanical APDL solver, Body-Ground joints use the

Coordinate System defined on the Mobile side if Override is
active, when scoped to a Remote Point, or when using the Direct
Attachment option.
Initial Position
This property applies to remote attachments only (direct attachments fix

the coordinate system). It provides a drop-down list with the options Un-
changed and Override. The Unchanged option indicates the use of the
same coordinate system for the Reference category and the Mobile category
and the Override option causes a Coordinate System property to display
in the Mobile category with the default setting Mobile Coordinate System.
Caution:
If you are scoping a joint to a Remote Point (p. 1385), you

cannot scope the Initial Position setting of a Joint's Mobile
category as Unchanged. This is also true when the Direct
Attachment option is used because the Initial Position
property is not available (Override is active).
Behavior
For remote attachments, use the Behavior property to specify the scoped
geometry as either Rigid, Deformable, or Beam. If the Scope Method
property of the Joint is set to Remote Point, the Joint will then assume the
Behavior defined in the referenced Remote Point as well as other related
properties. Refer to the Geometry Behaviors (p. 1385) section for more
information.
Formulation
When the Behavior property is set to either Rigid or Deformable, you use
this property to specify the contact algorithm used for a particular reference
computation. If you set the Scope Method property to Remote Point (p. 1380),
the Joint uses the Formulation defined for the Remote Point. Property
options include:
• MPC (default): This option creates multipoint constraint equations

internally during the Mechanical APDL solution to tie the bodies
together.
Connections

• Lagrange Multiplier: This option enforces zero penetration when
the contact is closed, making use of a Lagrange multiplier on the
normal direction and a penalty method in the tangential direction.
This formulation helps to overcome over-constraint problems better
than the MPC formulation.
For more information, see the Selecting a Contact Algorithm (KEYOPT(2))

topic in the Mechanical APDL Contact Technology Guide.
Relaxation Method
This property is only available when the Formulation property is set to

MPC. You use this property to eliminate overconstraint present in the joint
mobile condition. Property options include No (default) and Yes. If you set
the Scope Method property to Remote Point, the joint uses the setting of
the Relaxation Method property defined for the Remote Point.
For more information, see the Overconstraint Detection and Elimination

Pinball Region
For remote attachments, use the Pinball Region property to define where
the joint attaches to face(s) if the default location is not desirable. By default,
the entire face is tied to the joint element. This may not be desirable,
warranting the input of a Pinball Region setting, for the following reasons:
• If the scoping is to a topology with a large number of nodes, this

can lead to an inefficient solution in terms of memory and speed.
• Overlap between the joint scoped faces and other displacement type
boundary conditions can lead to over constraint and as a result,
solver failures.
Note:
• The Pinball Region, Behavior, Formulation, and Relax-

ation Method properties are not visible when the Applied
By method is Direct Attachment.
• The Pinball Region and Behavior settings are applicable

to underlying bodies that are flexible.
• If a Joint’s Reference and Mobile category are scoped to

separate Remote Points (p. 1380), the Behavior and Pinball
Region properties for each category become read-only
and are set to the respective remote points.
Stops See the Joint Stops and Locks (p. 1271) section.
Joints
9.7.4. Modifying Joint Coordinate Systems

For either Reference or Mobile joint coordinate systems, both the location and the orientation of
the coordinate system can be changed as shown below.
Important:
For a Bushing joint when you set the Formulation property to Bushing, the application
uses the element COMBI250. As a result:
• The Element Coordinate System is the first coordinate system used to apply rota-
tion.
• This is followed by nodal rotations defined on associated Remote Points (Reference

or Mobile), such as the NROTAT command that rotates nodal coordinate systems
into the active system. In addition, rotations from these remote points modify the
element matrix (see the Joint Stiffness (p. 1243) section as well as the COMBI250 Input
Data topic in the COMBI250 section of the Mechanical APDL Element Reference).
In addition, rotations from these remote points modify the element matrix (see the
Joint Stiffness section as well as the Input Data topic of the COMBI250 element
reference).
• Ansys recommends that you specify the same coordinate system for Element Co-
ordinate System, Reference Coordinate System, and Mobile Coordinate System
properties in case there is a relative rotation between the Element Coordinate
System and either the Reference Coordinate System or Mobile Coordinate Sys-
tem. In addition, you need to verify proper rotation as well as results.
• This is then followed by the normal processing sequence for rotations.
Here is an example of Element Coordinate System annotations ("rings" about each axis),
prior to and after rotation.
Connections
To move a joint coordinate system to a particular face:
1. Highlight the Coordinate System field in the Details view of the Joint object. The origin of the
coordinate system will include a yellow sphere indicating that the movement "mode" is active.
2. Select the face that is to be the destination of the coordinate system. The coordinate system in
movement mode relocates to the centroid of the selected face.
Joints
3. Click the Apply button. The image of the coordinate system changes from movement mode to
a permanent presence at the new location.
To change the orientation of a joint coordinate system:
1. Highlight the Coordinate System field in the Details view of the Joint object. The origin of the
coordinate system will include a yellow sphere indicating that the movement "mode" is active.
Connections
2. Select any of the axis arrows you wish to change. Additional "handles" are displayed for each
axis.
3. Select the handle or axis representing the new direction to which you want to reorient the initially
selected axis.
Joints
The axis performs a flip transformation (p. 1099).
4. Click the Apply button. The image of the coordinate system changes from movement mode to
a permanent presence at the new orientation.
Connections
You can change or delete the status of the flip transformation by highlighting the Reference
Coordinate System object or a Mobile Coordinate System object and making the change or
deletion under the Transformations category in the Details pane of the child joint coordinate
system.
Joints
When selecting either a Reference Coordinate System object or a Mobile Coordinate System object,
various settings are displayed in the Details view. These are the same settings that apply to all co-
ordinate systems, not just those associated with joints. See the following section on coordinate systems:
Initial Creation and Definition (p. 1096) for an explanation of these settings.
9.7.5. Joint Stiffness

For Bushing (p. 1213), General (p. 1221) Joints, and Radial Gaps (RBD only), Mechanical enables you to
solve analyses with linear and nonlinear joint stiffness using the features of the Worksheet. For these
joint types, the Worksheet provides the entry options for Constant and Tabular data.
Linear or nonlinear stiffness and damping behavior is associated with the free or unrestrained com-
ponents of relative motion of the joint elements. That is, the DOFs are free. For a General Joint, you
must specify the DOFs as Free in order to make entries in the Worksheet matrix.
Element Specification
Generally, Joint Stiffness calculations use the joint element MPC184. See the Mechanical APDL Element
Reference for additional information as well as the Mechanical APDL Material Reference section for
MPC184 Joint.
When you specify a Bushing joint with the Bushing formulation, the application uses the bushing
element COMBI250. See its Mechanical APDL Element Reference section for additional information.
Important:
For the MPC184 and COMBI250 element types, the application may transform the input
matrix coefficients based on the sequence of the following coordinate system and node
rotation definitions. The application first uses:
1. The Element Coordinate System to apply rotation.
2. Then nodal rotations defined on associated Remote Points (Reference and Mo-
bile). For example, the NROTAT command rotates nodal coordinate systems into
the active system.
Note:
The rotation from these remote points modifies the element matrix.
3. Lastly, the application performs the normal processing sequence for rotations.
Note:
Ansys recommends that you specify the same coordinate system for Element Coordinate
System, Reference Coordinate System, and Mobile Coordinate System properties in
case there is a relative rotation between the Element Coordinate System and either the
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Reference Coordinate System or Mobile Coordinate System. In addition, you need to

verify proper rotation as well as results.
Linear Joint Stiffness

In the case of linear stiffness or linear damping, the values are specified as coefficients of a 6 x 6
elasticity table matrix. Joint Stiffness calculations use the joint element MPC184 and therefore only
the appropriate coefficients of the stiffness or damping matrix are used in the joint element calculations.
Nonlinear Joint Stiffness

For nonlinear joint stiffness, relative displacement (rotation) versus force (moment) values are calculated.
For nonlinear damping behavior, velocity versus force behavior is specified. You specify nonlinear
damping behavior by supplying velocity versus damping force (or moment). The following illustration
represents a nonlinear stiffness or damping curve. Note that the Mechanical APDL solver and the Rigid
Dynamics Solver assume that there is no added stiffness past the extents.
See the Material Behavior of Joint Elements topic of the Connecting Multibody Components with
Joint Elements section in the Mechanical APDL Multibody Analysis Guide for additional details about
how this feature related to the Mechanical APDL.
Joints
Worksheet
Using the Worksheet, you can define Stiffness Coefficients in Constant or Tabular format.
Important:
You cannot edit entries that depend upon an angle unit when the active unit is set to
degrees (°). To modify these values, change the active angular unit to Radians.
Nonlinear Joint Stiffness is supported by Tabular data entries only and the entries must be made
diagonally. In addition, Damping Coefficients entries only support constant values.
Note:
• The Mechanical APDL solver does not support a mixture of Constant and Tabular data
entries in the Stiffness Coefficients matrix. That is, you cannot mix linear and nonlinear
stiffness.
• For a linear analysis, such as a Modal analysis, it is recommended that you specify constant
values in the Stiffness Coefficients matrix. In the event you do specify stiffness values
through Tabular Data (Displacement vs Force), the application uses the stiffness defined
by the slope of the curve at origin (0,0). Also note that if the Tabular Data:
– Starts with the entry 0,0 (Displacement, Force), the application uses the next non-
zero entry in the table to compute the stiffness and then uses it throughout the
analysis.
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– Starts with a non-zero entry after the origin (0,0), the application uses zero as the
stiffness value for the entire analysis.
• The Ansys Rigid Dynamics Solver does support the combination of Constant and Tabular
data entries.
• The Report Preview (p. 169) feature does not display table entries from the nonlinear
joint stiffness matrix.
• The Ansys Explicit Dynamics solver does not support tabular input (and therefore non-
linear stiffness behavior).
• For the Ansys Rigid Dynamics Solver, the use of non-symmetric force/displacement (or
torque/rotation) curves is not recommended as it may lead to incorrect results.
9.7.6. Joint Friction
Mechanical APDL Solver

Using the Mechanical APDL solver, you can specify friction for a spherical joint.

For revolute, cylindrical, translational, point on curve, spherical, slot, universal, general, in-plane radial
gap, spherical gap, and radial gap joints, Mechanical enables you to introduce frictional behavior in
the joint when using the Rigid Dynamics solver.
Friction Model
Joint friction is based on the sliding mode of Coulomb's friction model:
(9.1)
where:
= the resisting tangential force

= the friction coefficient
= the normal force
Depending on the joint type, the friction effect leads to a resisting force or torque. Additional geo-
metric information is also required to compute the effect of joint friction in revolute and cylindrical
joints. Computation of the normal force depends on the joint type and is described below.
The friction coefficient is set as a constant in the user interface. However, a command exists that allows
you to introduce a friction coefficient with an expression (p. 1266).
When the Joint Friction Type property is set to Program Controlled, Friction with Sliding/Sticking
Transitions, or Forced Friction Sliding the frictional joints are handled as kinematic joints, meaning
that they are constraint equation based. Two events exist that correspond to the sliding-to-sticking
and sticking-to-sliding friction transitions.
Joints
When the velocity is lower than a velocity tolerance ( ), the sliding-to-sticking event is active
and the following system is solved:
(9.2)
where:
M is the inertia matrix and F is the forces vector

and are respectively the normal and tangent constraint equations
and are the Jacobians of the normal and tangent constraints, respectively
During the sliding phase, the traditional sliding Coulomb friction is written as
(9.3)
When the Forced Frictional Sliding option is not selected, and under the condition , with
and the normal and tangent forces, the sticking-to-sliding event is active.
When the sliding velocity is low, the friction coefficient is ramped between 0 and its nominal value
using the following equation:
(9.4)
where:
= the friction coefficient used in the force or torque calculation

= the value of the friction coefficient you have specified in Mechanical
= the tangential velocity
= the velocity tolerance
The velocity tolerance is computed internally, and is based on system velocities and a numerical tol-
erance. Since the numerical tolerance is problem-dependent, it is possible to change its value using
a command (p. 1266).
The following joint friction topics are further discussed in this section:
9.7.6.1. Joint Friction Definitions
9.7.6.2. Joint Types
9.7.6.3. Joint Friction Type
9.7.6.4. Notes
9.7.6.1. Joint Friction Definitions

Friction Coefficient
Defines the value of the friction coefficient (unit less, available on the revolute, cylindrical, and
translational joints)
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Radius
The value of the radius in the specified length unit. Used to compute resisting torque.
Outer Radius
The value of the outer radius in the specified length unit. Used to compute the axial friction
torque for a revolute joint.
Effective Radius
The value of the effective radius in the specified length unit. Used to compute the torsional
friction torque in a translational joint.
Effective Length
The value of the effective length in the specified length unit. Used to compute the bending
force and/or a bending torque.
The pictures below show the definition of geometric properties for joints in typical situations. The
effect of normal force is shown by a red arrow.
Cylindrical Joint
The typical situation for a cylindrical joint is a pin in a hole. A perfect joint (not gap between
the pin and hole) is considered:
Joints
Tangential friction is due to radial forces (Fx and Fy) acting between the pin and the hole internal
face. The tangential friction force leads to a resisting friction torque along the z-axis of the re-
volute. The friction torque is proportional to the tangential force via the pin radius.
The bending effect (reaction moment Mx and My) leads to two opposed forces. The effective
length allows the program to compute the normal force from the moments Mx and My.
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Note:
The same definitions also apply to Revolute, Translational, and Point on Curve joints.
In the Translational joint, the main axis is x and not z.
Revolute Joint
A revolute joint is also a pin in a hole, but there are two flanges to prevent sliding on the sides.
The axial force (along the revolute z-axis) leads to a resisting torque along the axis. An effective
radius is used to convert the resisting force to the equivalent torque.
Joints
Another way to model a revolute joint is with a single flange on the pin between two side walls:
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The computation of bending effect is similar to the cylindrical joint except that the effective
length is given by the distance between the two walls:
Joints
The axial effect is due to contact between the flange and the wall:
Translational Joint
Translational joints typically have a rectangular cross-section. An equivalent effective radius is

used to simplify the computation of the torsion effect (moment along translational x-axis).
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Point on Curve Joint
Point on Curve joints are similar to translational joints.
Joints
Spherical Joint
The typical situation for a spherical joint is a ball and socket.
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Slot Joint
Slot joints are similar to both translational and spherical joints.
Universal Joint
Universal joints enable two rotations along x and z axis.
Joints
In-Plane, Spherical, and Radial Gap Joints
General Joint
Friction is allowed in general joints in the following cases:
• The joint has a single translational degree of freedom and/or a single rotation degree
of freedom. In this case, the joint is similar to a translational, revolute or cylindrical joint.
• The joint has a single translational degree of freedom and/or its rotations are all free. In
this case the joint is similar to a slot or spherical joint.
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For more information, see Material Behavior of Joint Elements.
9.7.6.2. Joint Types

Revolute Joint
In order to compute the resisting friction torque, the revolute joint is considered as a cylinder pin
assembly. The cylinder is characterized by its inner radius, outer radius, and an effective length.
These lengths are shown in the following figure:
The joint friction creates a resisting torque along the joint z-axis.
The tangential friction torque along the z-axis is computed as:

(9.5)
Where:
= the normal force

= the cylinder radius
The effect of the joint axial force (along the joint z-axis) is evaluated as:
(9.6)
Where = the outer radius.
The bending moment is computed as:

(9.7)
Where = the effective length.
The resultant friction moment is given by:
Joints
(9.8)
Note:
The bending torque is computed only if the effective length is greater than 0; the axial
torque is computed only if the outer radius is greater than 0.
Translational and Point on Curve Joints

In the case of the translational and point on curve joints, a resisting force is created along the joint
x-axis. An effective radius and effective length are needed to compute the torsional friction force
and the bending friction force, respectively (see the figure below).
The torsional and bending effects are computed for the point on curve joint if all rotations are
fixed.
However, when all rotations are free, the friction length is not available and the radius is taken into
account for computing a friction moment as described for spherical joints (p. 1261).
Connections
The tangential friction force is computed as:

(9.9)
where:
= the normal force

The bending friction force is given by:
(9.10)
where = the effective length.
The torsional friction force is evaluated as:

(9.11)
where = the effective radius.
The friction force is computed as:

(9.12)
Note:
The bending force is computed only if the effective length is greater than 0; the torsional
force is computer only if the effective radius is greater than 0.
Cylindrical Joint
For a cylindrical joint, both a resisting force and a resisting torque are created along the joint z-
axis. Similarly to the revolute joint, the joint is considered as a cylinder pin assembly. An effective
length is required for computing the bending friction force and torque:
Joints
The friction force and friction torque are computed similarly to the translational and revolute joint,
respectively but without the axial and torsional effects:
(9.13)
(9.14)
Note:
The bending force and torque are computed only if the effective length is greater than
0.
Spherical Joint
Spherical joints are considered imperfect, so there is a gap between the inner and the outer spheres.
If O is the center of the joint and the contact occurs at one point M, the vector is defined as
as shown in the following figure:
Connections
Where:
• is the constrained force of the joint.
• is a normal vector at the contact point M, defined as
A linear velocity is defined as . A friction force can be calculated as .
Finally, the friction moment is given by .
Note that similar to revolute joints where the friction force is uniformly distributed around the joint
so that the resulting force sums to zero, only the friction torque is considered in the computation.
The friction force is not considered nor reported.
Only Forced Sliding Friction is allowed for Spherical joints.
Slot Joint
Joints
For slot joints, a resistant friction force is computed along the X axis. The calculation of this force
is similar to translational joints but without bending or torsional effects. Furthermore, a friction
moment is computed, similarly to spherical joints, which resists the joint rotations.
Universal Joint
For universal joints, two resistant moments are computed along X and Z axis, respectively. The
calculation of this friction moment is similar to revolute joints but without axial or bending effects.
In-Plane, Spherical, and Radial Gap Joints

For imperfect joints, the Friction Coefficient property appears under the Stops definition group:
The friction in imperfect joints is considered under the assumption of pure sliding friction. The
friction tensor is evaluated similarly to a Forced Frictional Sliding contact.
General Joint
If the joint has a single translational degree of freedom, a friction force is computed along this axis
similarly to translational joints.
Connections
If the joint has a single rotation degree of freedom, a friction moment is computed similarly to re-
volute joints.
No bending, axial or torsional effects are evaluated for general joints.
When all the rotations are set free, a friction moment is computed similarly to spherical joints.
9.7.6.3. Joint Friction Type

This option allows you to choose between performing a classic friction analysis with sliding-to-
sticking and sticking-to-sliding transitions by setting its value to Friction with Sliding/Sticking
Transitions or Program Controlled. You can perform a pure sliding friction analysis by setting its
value to Forced Frictional Sliding.
Joints
For revolute, translational and cylindrical joints, its default value is Program Controlled.
Note:
• For point-on-curve, spherical, slot, universal, and general joints, only Forced Frictional
Sliding is available.
• The Forced Frictional Sliding behavior enables a smoother simulation, since there is
no need to search for transition events. This might save simulation time if advanced
friction modelling is not required.
9.7.6.4. Notes
Computation of Friction Force and Torque
The forces and moments that are used to evaluate the frictional effects are taken at the beginning
of the time step. The resisting force and torques have a sign that is opposed to that of the velocity
which is also evaluated at the beginning of the time step. In other words, the friction force and
torque, during a given time step, are evaluated with the forces and torques of the previous time
step and have the opposite sign of the velocity evaluated at the previous time step.
Postprocessing Joint Friction

For translational, revolute, cylindrical, point on curve, spherical, slot, universal and general joints,
the Joint Probe (p. 2224) allows you to verify the friction force and the friction moment. Friction force
is available for translational, cylindrical, point on curve, slot, general, and all imperfect joints. Friction
moment is available for revolute, cylindrical, point on curve with free rotations, spherical, slot, uni-
versal, general, and all imperfect joints.
Connections
Note:
Joint Friction is only supported by the Ansys Rigid Dynamics Solver.
Setting Joint Friction With a Command

The command SetFrictionVariable(var) replaces the constant value already given to the
friction coefficient with the expression given by var.
For example, to set
Example 9.3: Setting Variable Joint Friction
Var = CS_Variable()
u0 = 0.1
u1 = 0.2
alpha = 0.5
Var.SetFunc('u0+u1*exp(-alpha*time)',0)
Var.AddInputMeasure(Joint.GetVelocityMeasure())
Joint.SetFrictionVariable(Var)
The command has no effect if no value for the friction coefficient has been provided in the UI.
Setting the Friction Tolerance

The command SetFrictionTolerance(tol) sets the friction tolerance.
Joints
Example 9.4: Setting Friction Tolerance
Joint = Joint.SetFrictionTolerance(1e-4)
Setting the Static Friction Coefficient with a Command

The static friction coefficient is by default set to the dynamic friction coefficient. The command
SetStaticFrictionCoefficient(muS) changes its value to muS.
Example 9.5: Setting the Static Friction Coefficient

Joint.SetStaticFrictionCoefficient(0.2)
Bending Moment for Translational Joints

When using a non-zero length when defining the friction in a joint, the bending effect is propor-
tional to the constraint moment existing in the joint. This moment is always defined as the moment
expressed at the reference coordinate system of the joint. For joints that have translational degrees
of freedom, such as the translational or cylindrical joint, the reference coordinate system and mobile
coordinate system are not always at the same location, and the constraint force generates a
moment at the reference coordinate system:
In this example, the blue mass slides on a fixed red bar, under vertical gravity.
As the mass moves to the right the reported moment at the reference coordinate system, which
stays at the end of the blue bar, increases linearly.
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If a length has been specified in the translational joint, the friction bending forces will increase with
the position. In this example, this is not the expected effect.
However, if the blue mass is grounded and the red bar is sliding in it, the moment reported in the
reference coordinate system is also increasing and so should the friction bending forces.
You must choose the reference and mobile coordinate systems and effective length properly to
represent the physics, as the "joint" abstraction can be sometimes misleading.
Note:
This does not apply to the point on curve joint, as this joint uses an intermediate coordin-
ate system called a floating reference coordinate system, which is always coincident with
the mobile coordinate system. This floating reference is used to measure the torque,
therefore the vector is always zero.
9.7.7. Manual Joint Creation

This section examines the steps to manually create joints. Refer to the Automatic Joint Creation (p. 1270)
section of the Help for a discussion about how to create joints automatically.
To add a joint manually:
1. The Joints object is a child object of the Connections object. The Connections object is typically
generated automatically. As needed, highlight the Model object in the tree and choose the
Connections option from the Model Context Tab (p. 50) once you have imported your model.
2. Highlight the Connections object and open either Body-Ground menu or the Body-Body menu
from the Connections Context Tab (p. 52) and then select your desired Joint Type (p. 1208). The
new joint object becomes the active object in the tree.
Joints
3. Once inserted and active, there are a number of joint properties that require definition. For a
detailed description of each of these properties, refer to the Joint Properties (p. 1227) Help section.
Note:
You can pre-select a vertex or node (Body-Ground) or two vertices or nodes (Body-
Body) and then insert a Joint to automatically create a directly attached joint.
Tip:
The Body Views option on the Context tab displays the Reference and Mobile bodies
in separate windows with appropriate transparencies applied. You have full body
manipulation capabilities in each of these windows.
4. Once you have defined the desired joint properties, you may wish to use the Configure tool.
The Configure tool is activated by selecting the Configure option on the Context Tab. This
feature positions the Mobile body according to the joint definitions. You can then manipulate
the joint interactively (for example, rotate the joint) directly on the model. The notes section (p. 1270)
shown below provides additional information about the benefits and use of the Configure feature
(as well as the Assemble feature).
In addition, refer to the Example: Configuring Joints (p. 1291) Help section for an example of the
use of the Configure tool.
Note:
• The Configure option is not supported for Joints scoped as a Direct Attachment.
• The Set option on the Context tab locks the changed assembly for use in the sub-
sequent analysis.
• The triad position and orientation may not display correctly until you click the Set
option.
• The Revert option on the Context tab restores the assembly to its original config-
uration from DesignModeler or the CAD system.
5. It is suggested that you consider the following:
• Renaming the joint objects (p. 1276) based on the type of joint and the names of the joined
geometry.
• Display the Joint DOF Checker (p. 1279) and modify joint definitions if necessary.
• Create a redundancy analysis to interactively check the influence of individual joint degrees
of freedom on the redundant constraints.
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Configure and Assemble Tools Notes

The Configure and Assemble tools are a good way to exercise the model and joints before starting
to perform a transient analysis. They are also a way to detect locking configurations.
The Assemble tool performs the assembly of the model, finding the closest part configuration that
satisfies all the joints.
The Configure tool performs the assembly of the model, with a prescribed value of the angle or
translational degree of freedom that you are configuring.
For the Assemble tool, all the joints degrees of freedom values are considered to be free. For the
Configure joint, the selected DOF is considered as prescribed.
In both cases, the solver will apply all constraint equations, solve the nonlinear set of equations, and
finally verify that all of them are satisfied, including those having been considered as being redundant.
The violation of these constraints is compared to the model size. The model size is not the actual size
of the part – as the solver does not use the actual geometry, but rather a wireframe representation
of the bodies. Each body holds some coordinate systems – center of mass, and joint coordinate systems.
For very simple models, where the joints are defined at the center of mass, the size of the parts is
zero. The violation of the constraint equations is then compared to very small reference size, and the
convergence becomes very difficult to reach, leading the Configure tool or the Assemble tool to fail.
9.7.8. Automatic Joint Creation

This section discusses the automatic joint creation in Mechanical. You can also create joints manually
as discussed in Manual Joint Creation (p. 1268) section.
Creating Joints Automatically

You can direct Mechanical to analyze your assembly and automatically create fixed joints (p. 1209)
and/or revolute joints (p. 1209).
To create joints automatically:
1. Insert a Connection Group object under the Connections folder using the Context tab option
or using the Insert option from the context menu (right mouse click) for this folder.
2. From the Details view of the Connection Group object, choose Joint from the Connection Type
drop-down menu.
3. Select some bodies in the model based on the Scoping Method. The default is Geometry Selec-
tion scoped to All Bodies.
4. Configure the types of joints (fixed and/or revolute) you want Mechanical to create automatically
through the appropriate Yes or No settings in the Details view. These properties will be applied
Joints
only to scoped geometries for this connection group. You can set defaults for these settings using
the Options dialog box (p. 293) under Connections (p. 293).
Note:
When both the Fixed Joints and Revolute Joints properties are set to Yes, the revolute
joints have priority; the search for revolute joints will be processed first followed by
the search for fixed joints.
5. Choose Create Automatic Connections from the context menu (right mouse click) for the
Connection Group. Appropriate joint types are created and appear in the tree as objects under
the Joints folder. Each joint also includes a reference coordinate system that is represented as
a child object to the joint object.
Note:
For automatic joint detection, the Search Across property only supports options Parts,
Assemblies, and Anywhere. The Assemblies and Anywhere options are only available
with model assembly.
6. Display the Joint DOF Checker (p. 1279) or the redundancy analysis and modify joint definitions
if necessary.
9.7.9. Joint Stops and Locks

This section describes the use of joint stops and locks. Topics include:
• Stop and Lock Properties (p. 1272)
• Joint Types Support for Stops and Locks (p. 1273)
• Solver Implications (p. 1274)
• Radial Gap Stop (p. 1274)
• Coefficient of Restitution (p. 1276)
Overview
Stops and Locks are optional constraints that may be applied to restrict the motion of the free relative
degree(s) of freedom (DOF) of most types of joints. Any analysis that includes a valid joint type (p. 1273)
can involve Stops and/or Locks. For the applicable joint types, you can define a minimum and max-
imum (min, max) range inside of which the degrees of freedom must remain.
Definition:
Connections
• Stop: A Stop is a computationally efficient abstraction of a real contact, which simplifies geo-
metry calculations. For Stops, a shock occurs when a joint reaches the limit of the relative
motion.
• Lock: A Lock is the same as a Stop except that when the Lock reaches the specified limit for
a degree of freedom the Lock becomes fixed in place.
Note:
Ansys recommends that you:
• Use either the Ansys Rigid Dynamics solver (Rigid Dynamics analysis (p. 557)) or the
Motion solver (Multibody Dynamic analysis) when performing purely rigid body
problems in order to avoid pivoting issues.
• Do not use stops for contact modelling.
Stop and Lock Properties

For joints with free relative DOFs, the Details pane displays a group of options labeled Stops. This
grouping displays the applicable free DOFs (UX, UY, UZ, ROTX. etc.) for the joint type from which you
specify the constraint as a Stop or a Lock (as shown below). By default, no Stop or Lock is specified,
as indicated by the default option, None. You can select any combination of options. For stops and
locks, the minimum and maximum values you enter are relative to the joint’s coordinate system.
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Joint Types Support for Stops and Locks

Stops and Locks are applied to the following joint types.
Joint Type Stop/Lock Ansys Rigid Stop/Lock Stop/Lock Ansys

Dynamics Mechanical APDL Explicit Dynamics
Revolute Yes Yes Yes
Cylindrical Yes Yes Yes
Translational Yes Yes Yes
Slot Translational Translational Translational
Universal Yes Yes No
Spherical No (Radial Gap is available Yes No
through Spherical Gap joint)
Planar Yes Yes Yes
General Translational, Radial Gap Translational Translational
Bushing Translational, Radial Gap Translational Not supported
Spherical Gap Radial Gap stop is always defined Not supported Not supported
In-Plane Radial Radial Gap stop is always defined Not supported Not supported
Gap
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Joint Type Stop/Lock Ansys Rigid Stop/Lock Stop/Lock Ansys

Dynamics Mechanical APDL Explicit Dynamics
Radial Gap Radial Gap stop is always defined, Not supported Not supported
translation along Z if free
Note:
• When using the Mechanical APDL solver, Stops and Locks are active only when Large
Deflection (p. 1518) is set to On (under Analysis Settings). This is because Stops and Locks
make sense only in the context of finite deformation/rotation. If Large Deflection is Off,
all calculations are carried out in the original configuration and the configuration is
never updated, preventing the activation of the Stops and Locks.
• It is important to apply sensible Stop and Lock values to ensure that the initial geometry
configuration does not violate the applied stop/lock limits. Also, applying conflicting
boundary conditions (for example, applying Acceleration on a joint that has a Stop, or
applying Velocity on a joint that has a Stop) on the same DOF leads to non-physical
results and therefore is not supported.
Solver Implications
Stops and Locks are available for the Ansys Explicit Dynamics, Ansys Rigid Dynamics, and Mechanical
APDL solvers, but are handled differently in certain circumstances by the three independent solvers.
• For the Ansys Rigid Dynamics solver the shock is considered as an event with no duration, during
which the forces and accelerations are not known or available for postprocessing, but generate a
relative velocity "jump".
• For the Mechanical APDL solver the stop and lock constraints are implemented via the Lagrange
Multiplier method. The constraint forces due to stop and lock conditions are available when stop
is established
• For the Ansys Explicit Dynamics solver the stop/lock event is checked during the timestep. If it is
active the timestep is split up such that the free motion is still considered for the first part. The
second part of the timestep is computed using either the reversed velocity (while taking into account
the restitution factor) or the new fixed DOF. If other stop/locks events are active also, they will be
addressed during the next cycle in the solver. Due to the small timesteps in an explicit analysis,
this approximation is typically negligible.
Radial Gap Stop

To model clearance in revolute or cylindrical joints, a special type of stop called a radial gap stop can
be used. A radial gap stop limits the relative rotation of either the X or Y rotation, limiting the Z axis
tilt of the joint's mobile coordinate system with respect to the Z axis of the reference coordinate
system. This stop idealizes a revolute joint with a gap between the inner and the outer cylinder that
allows the shaft to translate and tilt in the outer cylinder, as shown on the following figure:
Joints
Where:
d is the inner diameter.

D is the outer diameter.
H is the height of the joint.
Important Notes:
• The Outer Diameter is considered to be on the reference side of the joint, so you might have
to flip reference and mobile on the joint to properly define a radial gap.
• The shaft is considered to be infinitely long.
• If the joint allows relative translations, the center of the shaft will shift with these translations.
The radial gap accounts for this center shift.
• The principal axis of the radial gap is Z, meaning that the tilt occurs along the X and Y rotations
of the gap.
• Radial gap stops do not support tilt angles greater than 1 rad.
• Radial gap is always included on imperfect joint types (spherical gap, in-plane radial gap, and
radial gap)
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Coefficient of Restitution
For the Ansys Rigid Dynamics and Ansys Explicit Dynamics solvers, Stops require you to set a
coefficient of restitution value. This value represents the energy lost during the shock and is defined
as the ratio between the joint’s relative velocity prior to the shock and the velocity following the
shock. This value can be between 0 and 1. For a restitution value of zero, a Stop is released when the
force in the joint is a traction force, while a Lock does not release. A restitution factor equal to 1 in-
dicates that no energy is lost during the shock, that is, the rebounding velocity equals the impact
velocity (a perfectly elastic collision).
The coefficient of restitution is not applicable to the stops on the joints when using the Mechanical
APDL solver.
9.7.10. Ease of Use Features

The following ease of use features are available when defining joints:
• Renaming Joint Objects Based on Definition (p. 1276)
• Remote Connection Display (p. 1277)
• Joint Legend (p. 1277)
• Disable/Enable Transparency (p. 1278)
• Hide All Other Bodies (p. 1278)
• Flip Reference/Mobile (p. 1279)
• Joint DOF Checker (p. 1279)
• Redundancy Analysis (p. 1279)
• Model Topology (p. 1280)
Renaming Joint Objects Based on Definition

When joints are created, Mechanical automatically names each of the joint objects with a name that
includes the type of joint followed by the names of the joined parts included as child objects under
the Geometry object folder. For example, if a revolute joint connects a part named ARM to a part
named ARM_HOUSING, then the object name becomes Revolute - ARM To ARM_HOUSING.
The automatic naming based on the joint type and geometry definition is by default. You can however
change the default from the automatic naming to a generic naming of Joint, Joint 2, Joint 3, and
so on by opening the Options dialog and setting Auto Rename Connections to No under the
Connections (p. 293) group.
If you then want to rename any joint object based on the definition, click the right mouse button on
the object and choose Rename Based on Definition from the context menu. You can rename all
joints by clicking the right mouse button on the Joints folder then choosing Rename Based on
Definition. The behavior of this feature is very similar to renaming manually created contact regions.
See Renaming Contact Regions Based on Geometry Names (p. 1181) for further details including an
animated demonstration.
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Remote Connection Display

When defined as a Remote Attachment, joints are considered to be a remote boundary condi-
tion (p. 1856), and can make use of remote points that were either specifically defined or created intern-
ally by the application. To do a visual check, you can display the connection lines between your
scoping and the remote point by selecting the Remote Point Connections option of the Style (p. 83)
group (Display tab). An example is illustrated here of a spring scoped to two edges.
Joint Legend
When you highlight a joint object, the accompanying display in the Geometry window includes a
legend that depicts the free degrees of freedom characteristic of the type of joint (p. 1208). A color
scheme is used to associate the free degrees of freedom with each of the axis of the joint's coordinate
system shown in the graphic. An example legend is shown below for a slot joint (p. 1211).
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You can display or remove the joint legend using View> Legend from the main menu.
Disable/Enable Transparency
The Enable Transparency feature enables you to graphically highlight a particular joint that is within
a group of other joints, by rendering the other joints as transparent. The following example shows
the same joint group presented in the Joint Legend (p. 1277) section above but with transparency en-
abled. Note that the slot joint alone is highlighted.
To enable transparency for a joint object, click the right mouse button on the object and choose
Enable Transparency from the context menu. Conversely, to disable transparency, click the right
mouse button on the object and choose Disable Transparency from the context menu. The behavior
of this feature is very similar to using transparency for highlighting contact regions. See Controlling
Transparency for Contact Regions (p. 1179) for further details including an animated demonstration.
Hide All Other Bodies

You can hide all bodies except those associated with a particular joint.
To use this feature, click the right mouse button on the object and choose Hide All Other Bodies
from the context menu. Conversely, to show all bodies that may have been hidden, click the right
mouse button on the object and choose Show All Bodies from the context menu.
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Flip Reference/Mobile
For body-to-body joint scoping, you can reverse the scoping between the Reference and Mobile
sides in one action. To use this feature, click the right mouse button on the object and choose Flip
Reference/Mobile from the context menu. The change is reflected in the Details view of the joint
object as well as in the color coding of the scoped entity on the joint graphic. The behavior of this
feature is very similar to the Flip Contact/Target feature used for contact regions. See Flipping
Contact and Target Scope Settings (p. 1182) for further details including an animated demonstration.
Joint DOF Checker

Once joints are created, fully defined, and applied to the model, a Joint DOF Checker calculates the
total number of free degrees of freedom. The number of free degrees of freedom should be greater
than zero in order to produce an expected result. If this number is less than 1, a warning message is
displayed stating that the model may possibly be overconstrained, along with a suggestion to check
the model closely and remove any redundant joint constraints.
To display the Joint DOF Checker information, highlight the Connections object and click the
Worksheet button. The Joint DOF Checker information is located just above the Joint Information
heading in the worksheet.
Redundancy Analysis
This feature enables you to analyze an assembly held together by joints. This analysis will also help
you to solve over constrained assemblies. Each body in an assembly has a limited degree of freedom
set. The joint constraints must be consistent to the motion of each body, otherwise the assembly can
be locked, or the bodies may move in unwanted directions. The redundancy analysis checks the joints
you define and indicates the joints that over constrain the assembly. To analyze an assembly for joint
redundancies:
1. Right-click the Connections object, and then select Redundancy Analysis to open a worksheet
with a list of joints.
2. Click Analyze to perform a redundancy analysis. All the over constrained joints are indicated as
redundant.
3. Click the Redundant label, and then select Fixed or Free to resolve the conflict manually.
or
Click Convert Redundancies to Free to remove all over constrained degrees of freedom.
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4. Click Set to update the joint definitions.
Note:
Click Export to save the worksheet to an Excel/text file.
Important:
When a model contains a Point On Curve (p. 1222) joint, the Configure and Assemble
options (p. 53) are disabled for all the joints. This is also the case for a redundancy analysis
that includes a Point On Curve joint.
Model Topology
The Model Topology worksheet provides a summary of the joint connections between bodies in the
model. This feature is a convenient way of verifying and troubleshooting a complex model that has
many parts and joints. The Model Topology worksheet displays the connections each body has to
other bodies, and the joint through which these bodies are connected. Additional information for
the joints is provided, including the joint type and the joint representation for the rigid body solver
(i.e. whether the joint is based on degrees of freedom or constraint equations).
To display the model topology, right-click the Connections object, and then select Model Topology.
The Model Topology worksheet displays in the Data View. The content of the worksheet can be
exported as a text file using the Export button.
Joints based on degrees of freedom are labeled either Direct or Revert in the Joint Direction column
of the Model Topology table. Direct joints have their reference coordinate system on the ground side
of the topology tree. Revert joints have their mobile coordinate system on the ground side. This in-
formation is useful for all post-processing based on python scripting, where internal data can be re-
trieved. For reverted joints, some of the joint internal results need to be multiplied by -1.
Refer to the Ansys Rigid Dynamics Theory Manual for more information on model topology and se-
lecting degrees of freedom.
9.7.11. Detecting Overconstrained Conditions

Overconstrained conditions can occur when more constraints than are necessary are applied to a
joint's degrees of freedom. These conditions may arise when rigid bodies are joined together using
multiple joints. The overconstraints could be due to redundant joints performing the same function,
or contradictory motion resulting from improper use of joints connecting different bodies.
• For the Transient Structural analysis type, when a model is overconstrained, nonconvergence of
the solution most often occurs, and in some cases, overconstrained models can yield incorrect
results.
• For the Rigid Dynamics analysis type, when a model is overconstrained, force calculation cannot
be done properly.
Joints
The following features exist within Mechanical that can assist you in detecting possible overconstrained
conditions:
• Use the Joint DOF Checker (p. 1279) for detecting overconstrained conditions before solving (highlight
the Connections object and select the Worksheet option on the Context tab). In the following ex-
ample, the original display of the Joint DOF Checker warns that the model may be overconstrained.
After modifying the joint definitions, display the Joint DOF Checker again, which shows that the
overconstrained condition has been resolved.
• After solution, you can highlight the Solution Information object, then scroll to the end of its
content to view any information that may have been detected on model redundancies that caused
overconstrained conditions. An example is presented below.
9.7.12. Example: Assembling Joints

This section illustrates the details of assembling geometry using an example of a three-part a pendulum
joint model.
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The Assemble feature enables you to bring in CAD geometry that may initially be in a state of disas-
sembly. After importing the CAD geometry, you can actively assemble the different parts and Set
them in the assembled configuration for the start of the analysis.
The geometry shown for the example in Figure 9.1: Initial Geometry (p. 1282) was imported into a Rigid
Dynamics analysis System.
Figure 9.1: Initial Geometry
This geometry consists of three bodies. In Figure 9.1: Initial Geometry (p. 1282) they are (from left to
right) the Basis, the Arm, and the PendulumAxis. These three bodies have been imported completely
disjointed/separate from each other.
The first step to orient and assemble the bodies is to add a Body-Ground Fixed joint to the body
named Basis. To do this:
1. Select the Connections object from the Outline.
2. From the Connections Context tab, open the Body-Ground drop-down menu and select Fixed.
3. Select a flat external face on the Basis body as seen in Figure 9.2: Selecting a Face for a Body-
Ground Fixed Connection (p. 1283).
4. In the Details view under Mobile, click in the Scope field and select Apply.
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Figure 9.2: Selecting a Face for a Body-Ground Fixed Connection
Next, you need to join the PendulumAxis to the Basis. Since they are initially disjoint, you need to
set two coordinate systems, one for the Basis and the other for the PendulumAxis. Additionally, to
fully define the relative position and orientations of the two bodies, you must define a fixed joint
between them. To do this:
1. From the Connections Context tab, open the Body-Body drop-down menu and select Fixed.
2. Highlight the face on the Basis as shown below.
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3. In the Details view, click the Scope field under Reference and select Apply.
4. Select the cylindrical face on the PendulumAxis.
5. In the Details view, select the Scope field under Mobile and select Apply.
Figure 9.3: Creating the Reference Mobile System
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6. Also, change the Initial Position value under Mobile from Unchanged to Override.
Now, the joint has two coordinate systems associated with it: A Reference and a Mobile coordinate
system.
Next, you must associate the Reference and the Mobile Coordinate Systems to the respective bodies
with the appropriate orientations. To associate the Reference Coordinate System to the respective
bodies:
1. In the Outline, highlight Reference Coordinate System.
2. In the Details view, click the box next to Geometry under Origin.
3. Select the two internal rectangular faces on the Basis as shown in Figure 9.4: Creating the Reference
Coordinate System (p. 1285) and in the Details view, select Apply. This will center The Reference
Coordinate System at the center of the hole on the Basis.
Figure 9.4: Creating the Reference Coordinate System
To associate the Mobile Coordinate System to the respective bodies:
1. Highlight the Mobile Coordinate System (this coordinate system is associated with the Basis).
2. In the Details view, click in the Geometry field under Origin.
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3. Select the cylindrical surface on the PendulumArm.
4. In the Details view, click Apply.
Figure 9.5: Creating the Mobile Coordinate System
Next, you will need to orient the PendulumAxis coordinate system so that it is oriented correctly in
the assembly:
1. In the Mobile Coordinate System associated with the PendulumAxis, click in the box next to
Geometry under Principal Axis (set to Z).
2. Select one of the vertical edges on the PendulumAxis such that the Z axis is parallel to it as shown
in Figure 9.6: Orienting the Pendulum Axis (p. 1287). In the Details view, click Apply.
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Figure 9.6: Orienting the Pendulum Axis
3. With Mobile Coordinate System highlighted in the Outline, select the x-offset button on the
Context tab.
4. In the Details view, enter an Offset X value of 2.5mm to align the faces of the PendulumAxis with
the Basis.
Note:
The transformations available allow you to manipulate the coordinate systems by en-
tering offsets or rotations in each of the 3 axis.
The two coordinate systems that were just defined should look similar to the figure below.
Figure 9.7: Oriented Coordinate Systems
Next, you will need to define the coordinate systems to join the Arm to the PendulumAxis during
assembly.
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1. From the Context tab , select Body-Body > Fixed.
2. To define the Reference Scope, choose one of the faces of the Arm that will be connected to the
PendulumAxis then select Apply.
3. Now, configure the Mobile Scope by selecting the flat end face of the PendulumAxis as shown in
Figure 9.8: Scoping the Mobile Coordinate Systems (p. 1288), then select Apply.
Figure 9.8: Scoping the Mobile Coordinate Systems
4. Set the Initial Position under Mobile from Unchanged to Override.
5. Finally, set the Origin of the Reference Coordinate System to the center of the hole in the Arm
using the same procedure described above for the Basis.
Next, you will need to offset the Coordinate System associated with the Arm so that the faces on the
Arm are aligned with the end face of the PendulumAxis.
1. With Reference Coordinate System highlighted, select the x-offset button on the Context tab.
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2. Enter an Offset X value of -5mm.
Note:
The transformations available allow you to manipulate the coordinate systems by en-
tering offsets or rotations in each of the 3 axis.
3. Next, highlight the Mobile Coordinate System. This coordinate system is associated with the Arm.
Click the box next to Geometry under Origin
4. Select the flat surface on the PendulumArm and click Apply.
Now you will need to orient the PendulumAxis so that its faces are aligned with the faces on the Arm
during the Assemble process.
1. Highlight the Mobile Coordinate System that is assigned to the PendulumAxis.
2. From the Details view, click the in the Geometry field under Principal Axis and select an edge of
the PendulumAxis as shown in the figure.
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Figure 9.9: Choose an Edge to Orient the PendulumAxis Geometry
3. Under Principal Axis In the Details view, select Apply in the Geometry field to orient the Pendulu-
mAxis to this edge.
Now that the three bodies have been oriented and aligned, they are ready to be assembled.
1. In the Outline, highlight Connections.
2. From the Context tab, select Assemble.
The parts should snap together in place and resemble Figure 9.10: Assembled Geometry (p. 1290). If
the geometry you're attempting to assemble has not snapped into place as expected, you should
retrace your previous steps to make sure that the coordinate systems are properly oriented. If your
assembly has been successfully performed, then click Set on the Context tab to place the assembly
in its assembled position to start the analysis.
Figure 9.10: Assembled Geometry
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9.7.13. Example: Configuring Joints

This section presents an example of some common joint configuration steps for a model of a pendulum
created from two links, as illustrated below:
To achieve the desired result, two revolute (p. 1209) joints were created and configured:
• The first joint is intended to allow rotation of the top link's upper hole referenced to a stationary
point (Body-Ground Revolute Joint).
• The second joint is intended to allow rotation of the bottom link's upper hole referenced to the
top link's lower hole (Body-Ground Revolute Joint).
Tip:
Make sure that the Auto Rename Connections preference (Options > Connections > De-
fault) is set to Yes.
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The following steps illustrate the steps of a common joint configuration:
1. After attaching the model to Mechanical, create the first revolute joint.
Select the Connections object, open the Body-Ground drop-down menu, (Connections (p. 52)
Context Tab, and select Revolute. The new joint object becomes the active object in the Outline.
2. Scope the Mobile side of the first revolute joint to the top link's upper hole.
Select the inner surface of the upper hole and then under Mobile category in the Details view,
select the Scope field and click the Apply button.
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3. Create the second revolute joint.
Open the Body-Body drop-down menu from the Connections (p. 52) Context Tab and select
Revolute. The new joint object becomes the active object in the Outline.
4. Scope the Reference side of the second joint to the top link's lower hole.
Select inner surface of hole and the under Reference category in the Details, select the Scope
field and click the Apply button.
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5. Scope the mobile side of the second joint to the bottom link's upper hole.
Select inside surface of hole, then under Mobile category in the Details view, select the Scope
field and click the Apply button.
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6. The two holes that will form the second joint need to be properly aligned. To align the holes, you
need to indicate that the two holes need to match. To achieve this, first create a coordinate system
for the mobile side of the second joint, and then align the Mobile and Reference coordinate
systems.
Highlight the second joint, Revolute - Solid To Solid, in the tree and select Override from the
drop-down menu of the Initial Position property. Note that a new Coordinate System property
displays.
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7. Scope the new mobile coordinate system to the back edge of the bottom link's upper hole.
Select the back edge of the bottom link's upper hole, then under Mobile category, select the
Coordinate System field, and then click the Apply button.
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8. Scope the existing Reference Coordinate System to the back edge of the top link's lower hole.
Select the back edge of the top link's lower hole, and then under Reference category, select the
Coordinate System field and then click the Apply button.
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The above steps have correctly assigned the coordinate systems so that the holes can be aligned
and the revolute joint can operate properly.
To verify, highlight the Connections object in the tree and select the Assemble option on the
Context tab.
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9. Establish the initial position of each joint.
Highlight the body-to-body joint object in the tree and select the Configure option on the Context
tab. The joint is graphically displayed according to your configuration. In addition, a triad appears
with straight lines representing translational degrees of freedom and curved lines representing
rotational degrees of freedom. Among these, any colored lines represent the free degrees of
freedom for the joint type. For the joint that is being configured, the translational displacement
degrees of freedom always follow the Geometry units rather than the current Mechanical units.
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By dragging the mouse cursor on a colored line, the joint will move allowing you to set the initial
position of the joint through the free translational or rotational degrees of freedom.
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For rotations, holding the [Ctrl] key while dragging the mouse cursor will advance the rotation
in 10 degree increments. You can also type the value of the increment into the Delta field on the
Context tab. Selecting the Configure option again cancels the joining and positioning of the joint.
10. Create the joints.
After configuring a joint's initial position, click the Set option to create the joint. At this point,
you also have the option of returning the configuration to the state it was in before joint creation
and upon attaching to Mechanical by selecting the Revert option.
Constraints on joints such as stops or locks are fully supported by the Configure tool.
Note:
Unexpected results may occur when configuring radial gaps.
Note:
When stops or locks are set on joints and a configure operation leads to the violation of
corresponding bounds, an error message, which reads Fail to Configure pops up in
Mechanical.
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9.7.14. Example: Configuring Bodies

This section describes the steps for configuring a single body within a system of multiple bodies.
In this example, the body to be configured is linked to other bodies in the system by two revolute
joints. Hence, applying a transform to this body will result in updating body transforms along the
entire chain of bodies.
To configure a body, follow these steps:
1. Pick a face, edge, or corner of a body using the Smart Select button.
2. In the Mechanical tree, select Geometry to make the Body Configure button visible.
Joints
3. Click Body Configure to make a local coordinate system appear on the selected entity. This co-
ordinate system is acting as a handle on the selected body.
Note:
When selecting a face or edge, the configure coordinate system is oriented with respect
to the surface normal. When selecting a body or vertex, the axes of the configure co-
ordinate system are aligned with the global axes, not the inertia axes.
Note:
The origin of the newly created coordinate system is different from the origin of the
joint coordinate system, in case one is already attached to the body to configure. The
user transform is derived from the origin of the new coordinate system.
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4. From the local coordinate system, pick a degree of freedom in translation or rotation. In the image
below, a rotation around the x-axis is selected.
5. Long-press the cursor on the body and drag it along the selected degree of freedom.
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The selected body must follow the transform you specified and move the entire mechanism ac-
cordingly.
6. For optimal accuracy when applying the transform, enter a value in the Delta ribbon. Regarding
length, the quantity is expected to be expressed in the unit system currently active in Mechanical.
With respect to rotational degrees of freedom, the angle is expected to be expressed in degrees.
7. Once a transform is applied, you can set the model in the resulting configuration or revert changes.
Click the Set or Revert button to perform either action.
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9.8. Springs
A spring is an elastic element that is used to store mechanical energy and which retains its original
shape after a force is removed. Springs are typically defined in a stress free or "unloaded" state. This
means that no longitudinal loading conditions exist unless preloading is specified (see below). In
Mechanical, the Configure (p. 1291) feature is used to modify a Joint. If you configure a joint that has
an attached spring, the spring must be redrawn in the Geometry window. In effect, the spring before
the Configure action is replaced by a new spring in a new unloaded state.
Springs are defined as longitudinal and they connect two bodies together or connect a body to ground.
Longitudinal springs generate a force that depends on linear displacement. Longitudinal springs can
be used as a damping force, which is a function of velocity or angular velocity, respectively. Springs
can also be defined directly on a Revolute Joint (p. 1209) or a Cylindrical Joint (p. 1209).
Note:
A spring cannot be applied to a vertex that is scoped to an end release (p. 1320).
The following topics are discussed in this section:
• Applying Springs (p. 1307)
Springs
• Remote Connection Display (p. 1307)
• Spring Behavior (p. 1308)
• Nonlinear Spring Stiffness (p. 1310)
• Preloading (p. 1311)
• Scoping (p. 1311)
• Spring Length (p. 1311)
• Advanced Features (p. 1312)
• Output (p. 1312)
• Example: Longitudinal Spring with Damping (p. 1313)
• Spring Incompatibility (p. 1315)
Applying Springs
To apply a spring:
1. After importing the model, highlight the Model object in the tree and choose the Connections
option from the Context tab.
2. Highlight the new Connections object, open the Spring drop-down menu and select either Body-
Ground or Body-Body from the Context tab.
Note:
Body) and then insert a Spring to automatically create a directly attached spring. See
the Scoping (p. 1311) subsection below.
3. Highlight the new Spring object and enter information in the Details view. Note that Longitudinal
Damping is applicable only to transient analyses.
Note:
• The length of the spring connection must be greater than 0.0 with a tolerance of 1e-8
mm.
• The Body Views display is the default display.
Remote Connection Display

When defined as a Remote Attachment, springs are considered to be a remote boundary condi-
tion (p. 1856), and can make use of remote points that were either specifically defined or created internally
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by the application. To do a visual check, you can display the connection lines between your scoping
and the remote point by selecting the Remote Point Connections option of the Style (p. 83) group
(Display tab). An example is illustrated here of a spring scoped to two edges.
Spring Behavior
The Spring Behavior property is modifiable for a Rigid Dynamics (p. 557) and Explicit Dynamics analyses
only. For all other analysis types, this field is read-only and displays as Both.
You can define a longitudinal spring to support only tension loads or only compression loads using the
Spring Behavior property. You can set this property to Both, Compression Only or Tension Only.
The tension only spring does not provide any restoring force against compression loads. The compression
only spring does not provide resistance against tensile loads. The stiffness of a compression only or
tension only spring without any preloads is shown below.
Stiffness Behavior of a Tension Only Spring:
Springs
Stiffness Behavior of a Compression Only Spring:
Force Deflection Curve for a Tension Only Spring:
Force Deflection Curve for a Compression Only Spring:
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Note:
For the Compression Only and Tension Only options, the application uses the element
LINK180. As a result, the force deflection curve will be nonlinear.
Nonlinear Spring Stiffness

A nonlinear force-deflection curve can be used to simulate multi-rate springs with nonlinear spring
stiffness. A linear piecewise curve is used for this purpose.
Note that spring deflection is computed using the distance between the two ends of the spring, minus
the initial length. The distance between the two points is never negative, but the deflection can be
negative. If you determine that a spring exists with an incorrectly defined nonlinear stiffness, the force-
deflection curve may be incorrectly defined as a result of the tabular input for nonlinear stiffness for
one or more spring objects. See the details in COMBIN39 element description for more information.
Note:
Support Requirements
• Tabular Data requires at least two rows of data.
• The properties Longitudinal Damping and Preload are not applicable for Springs with
nonlinear stiffness.
• For the Mechanical APDL solver, the number of data points used to define the force-de-
flection curve cannot exceed 20.
Points to consider for Rigid Dynamics or Explicit Dynamics analyses only:
• If a nonlinear stiffness curve is defined with the Tension Only option, all points with a negative
displacement are ignored.
Springs
• If a nonlinear stiffness curve is defined with the Compression Only option, all points with a
positive displacement are ignored.
To define a nonlinear force-deflection curve:
1. In the Spring object Details view settings, click in the Longitudinal Stiffness property.
2. Click the arrow in the Longitudinal Stiffness property then select Tabular.
3. Enter displacement and force values in the Tabular Data window. A graph showing force vs. dis-
placement is displayed.
Preloading
(Not supported for Explicit Dynamics analyses.)
Mechanical also provides you with the option to preload a spring and create an initial "loaded" state.
The Preload property in the Details view allows you to define a preload as a length using Free Length
or to specify a specific Load. The actual length is calculated using spring end points from the Reference
and Mobile scoping. For rigid dynamics analyses, the spring will be under tension or compression de-
pending upon whether you specified the free length as smaller or greater than the spring length, re-
spectively. If preload is specified in terms of Load, a positive value creates tension and a negative value
creates compression. When the spring is linear (defined by a constant stiffness) the Rigid Dynamics
solver deduces the spring free length by subtracting the value L=F/K (where F is the preload and K is
the stiffness) from the actual spring length. Note that this offset is also applied to the elongation results.
When the spring is non-linear (defined by a force/displacement table), this offset is not taken into account.
Spring Length
The read-only property Spring Length displays the actual length of the spring which is calculated using
the end points from the Reference and Mobile scoping.
Scoping
You select the Scope of springs as body-to-body or body-to-ground using the property of the Scope
category and you define a spring’s end points using the properties of the Reference and Mobile cat-
egories. For body-to-ground property specification, the Reference is assumed to be grounded (fixed);
scoping is only available on the Mobile side. Since this is a unidirectional spring, these two locations
determine the spring’s line of action and as such the spring’s reference and mobile locations cannot
be the same as this would result in a spring with zero length.
In addition, the Reference and Mobile categories provide the scoping property Applied By. This
property enables you to specify the connection as either a Direct Attachment or a Remote Attachment.
The Remote Attachment option (default) uses a Remote Point (p. 1379) as a scoping mechanism. The
Direct Attachment option enables you to scope directly to a single vertex or a node of the model.
Note:
If specified as a Remote Attachment, springs are classified as remote boundary conditions.

Refer to the Remote Boundary Conditions (p. 1856) section for a listing of all remote boundary
conditions and their characteristics.
Connections
You can scope of a spring to a:
• Single face or to multiple faces (applied as a Remote Attachment only).
• Single edge or multiple edges (applied as a Remote Attachment only).
• Single vertex (can be applied as either a Remote Attachment or as a Direct Attachment) or multiple
vertices (applied as a Remote Attachment only).
Note:
A spring cannot be applied to a vertex that is scoped to an end release (p. 1320).
• Single node (applied as a Direct Attachment only).
See the Spring Object Reference page of the Help for additional information about the available cat-
egories and properties.
Advanced Features
If specified as a Remote Attachment, the Reference and Mobile groups for Springs each include the
following advanced properties:
• Behavior: This property enables you to specify the scoped geometry as either Rigid, Deformable,
or Beam. Refer to the Geometry Behaviors (p. 1385) section for more information.
• Pinball Region: The Pinball Region is a radius value (length unit) that defines a region for selecting
elements to be used by the solver for the Spring's Reference (Body-Body only) and Mobile scoping.
• Material: Select your material from the fly-out menu. Your material must include a constant damping
coefficient to account for viscous damping or structural damping of the Spring in the analysis. The
default setting is None.
Note:
• The Behavior setting is applicable to underlying bodies that are flexible.
• If the Scope Method property of the Spring is set to Remote Point, the Spring will then
assume the Behavior defined in the referenced Remote Point as well as other related
properties.
• When you specify a Material for the spring that includes a constant damping coefficient,
based on the analysis type, the application applies damping as structural damping for
damped Modal and Full Harmonic Response systems and as viscous damping for MSUP
systems.
Output
Several outputs are available via a spring probe (p. 2197).
Springs
Example: Longitudinal Spring with Damping

This example shows the effect of a longitudinal spring connecting a rectangular bar to ground to rep-
resent a damper. A Transient Structural analysis was performed in the environment shown:
The following are the Details pane settings of the Spring object:
Connections
Presented below is the Total Deformation result:
The following demo is presented as an animated GIF. View online if you are reading the PDF version of the
help. Interface names and other components shown in the demo may differ from those in the released
product.
Beam Connections
Spring Incompatibility
(applicable only to rigid dynamics analyses)
If the preload for a longitudinal spring is a tensile load, then the spring cannot be defined as compression
only. Alternatively, if the preload is a compressive load, then the spring cannot be defined as tension
only. Should this case occur, the spring will be marked as underdefined and if you attempt to solve
such a case, the following error message is displayed: "The preload for a spring is incompatible with its
behavior being tension only spring or compression only spring."
9.9. Beam Connections

Beam connections use structural beam elements that can carry a bending (flexure) load. The Beam option
enables you to specify body-to-body or a body-to-ground connection. This feature supports all structural
analyses.
Important:
When you create a beam connection, the application automatically creates internal Remote
Points at each end of the beam. The application uses these Remote Points to connect the
beam to the scoped body/bodies. If you change the position of a body after creating the
beam connections, the positions of the internally created Remote Points do not change.
Connections
They remain in their original position. As a result, the beam’s orientation and the new position
of the bodies do not align.
Review the Requirements and Default Settings (p. 1318) listed following the Application topic and note
the associated Help sections in the References (p. 1318) topic.
Application
To add a Beam object:
1. Select the Connections folder in the object tree. As needed, add a Connections folder by selecting
the Model object and clicking the Connections option on the Model Context Tab (p. 50).
2. On the Connections Context Tab (p. 52), open the Beam drop-down menu and select either Body-
Ground or Body-Body to add a circular beam under Connections.
3. In the Details View, under Definition, click the Material fly-out menu, and then select a material
for the beam.
4. Enter a beam radius in the Radius field.
5. If necessary, modify the Scope setting.
The Scope property of the Scope category enables you to change the scoping from Body-Body to
Body-Ground. Similar to Springs (p. 1311), this property defines the beam’s end points in coordination
with the properties of the Reference and Mobile categories. For body-to-ground property specific-
ation, the Reference is assumed to be grounded (fixed) and as a result scoping is required on the
Mobile side only. Because beams define a span, the reference and mobile locations determine a
distance and as such the reference and mobile locations cannot be the same.
In addition, the Reference and Mobile categories provide the scoping property Applied By. This
property enables you to specify the connection as either a Direct Attachment or a Remote Attach-
ment. The Remote Attachment option (default) uses a Remote Point as a scoping mechanism.
The Direct Attachment option enables you to scope directly to a single vertex or a node of the
model. Direct Attachment is not allowed if scoped to solid bodies, as they do not have rotational
degrees of freedom.
6. Under the Reference category, for Body-Body connections only:
Specify the Scoping Method property as either Geometry Selection, Named Selection, or Remote
• geometry (faces, edges, or vertices) and click Apply in the Scope property field.
or...
• single node (Direct Attachment Only) and click Apply in the Scope property. In order to select
an individual node, you need to first generate a mesh on the model, and then select the
Node filter on the Graphics Toolbar (p. 100).
or...
Beam Connections
• user-defined node-based named selection (Direct Attachment Only) or a user-defined geometry-

based named selection (Remote Attachment Only) from the drop-down list of the Named
Selection property.
or...
• user-defined remote point (Remote Attachment Only) from the drop-down list of the Remote
Point property.
Note:
Body) and then insert a Beam to automatically create a directly attached beam.
7. Specify the following properties as needed. These properties are available under the Reference
Category (Body-Body or Body-Ground connections) when the Applied By property is set to Remote
Attachment:
• Coordinate System: select a different coordinate system if desired.
• Reference X Coordinate: enter a value as needed.
• Reference Y Coordinate: enter a value as needed.
8. Under Mobile Category (Body-Body or Body-Ground connections):
a. • geometry (faces, edges, or vertices) and click Apply in the Scope property field.
or...
• single node (Direct Attachment Only) and click Apply in the Scope property. In order to select
an individual node, you need to first generate a mesh on the model, and then select the Node
filter on the Graphics Toolbar (p. 100).
or...
• user-defined node-based named selection (Direct Attachment Only) or a user-defined geometry-

based named selection (Remote Attachment Only) from the drop-down list of the Named Se-
lection property.
or...
• user-defined remote point (Remote Attachment Only) from the drop-down list of the Remote
Point property.
b. Specify the following properties as needed. These properties are available under the Mobile
Category (Body-Body or Body-Ground connections) when the Applied By property is set to
Remote Attachment:
• Coordinate System: select a different coordinate system if desired.
• Mobile X Coordinate: enter a location value.
Connections
• Mobile Y Coordinate: enter a location value.
• Behavior: specify this property as either Rigid, Deformable, or Beam. Refer to the Geometry
Behaviors and Support Specifications (p. 1385) section for more information.
• Pinball Radius: enter a dimension value.
Note:
When defined as a Remote Attachment, a beam connection is considered a remote

boundary condition (p. 1856), and it can make use of remote points that were either specifically
defined or created internally by the application. To do a visual check, you can display the
connection lines between your scoping and the remote point by selecting the Remote Point
Connections option of the Style (p. 83) group (Display tab).
Requirements and Default Settings

Note that following when working with beams:
• For Body-Ground beam connections, the reference side is fixed. For Body-Body beam connec-
tions, you must define the reference point for each body.
• The length of the beam connection must be greater than 0.0 with a tolerance of 1e-8 mm.
• The Body Views display is the default display.
• Beam connections support structural analyses only. In thermal stress analyses, beam connections
are assigned the environment temperature in the structural analysis. You can include a beam in
a thermal analysis by creating a line body and as a result providing for temperature transference.
References
• See the Beam Object Reference page of the Help for additional information about the available cat-
egories and properties.
• The Beam Probe (p. 2231) results provide you the forces and moments in the beam from your analysis.
9.10. Spot Welds

You use the spot weld feature to connect individual solid and surface body parts together to form solid
or surface body model assemblies. Structural loads are transferred from one specific body part to another
via spot weld connection points. This enables you to simulate of solid and surface body model assemblies.
Weld Group (Beta Feature)
Using a current beta object, Weld Group, you can manage a group of spot welds that connect
multiple surface body parts. This object provides properties to either import predefined spot welds
from a text file or to manually create individual spot welds.
Spot Welds
Spot Weld Details

Spot welds are usually defined in the CAD system and automatically generated upon import, although
you can define them manually in Mechanical after the model is imported. Spot welds become hard
points in the geometric model. Hard points are vertices in the geometry that are linked together using
Beam Elements during the meshing process.
Spot weld objects are located in a Connection Group (p. 1116) folder. When selected in the tree, they
appear in the Geometry window highlighted by a black square around a white dot on the underlying
vertices and include an annotation.
If a model contains spot weld features in the CAD system and the Auto Detect Contact On Attach is
turned on in the Workbench option, Tools > Options>Mechanical, then Spot Weld objects are generated
when the model is read into the Mechanical. Spot weld objects will also get generated during geometry
refresh if the Generate Automatic Connection On Refresh is set to Yes in the Details view of the
Connections folder. This is similar to the way in which Mechanical automatically constructs contacts
when reading in assembly models and refreshing the geometry.
You can manually generate spot welds as you would insert any new object into the Outline. Either insert
a spot weld object from the context menu and then pick two appropriate vertices in the model, or pick
two appropriate vertices and then insert the spot weld object.
You can define spot welds for CAD models that do not have a spot weld feature in the CAD system, as
long as the model contains vertices at the desired locations. You must define spot welds manually in
these cases.
Spot Weld Application

Spot welds do not act to prevent penetration of the connected bodies in areas other than at the spot
weld location. Penetration of the joined bodies is possible in areas where spot welds do not exist.
Spot welds transfer structural loads and thermal loads as well as structural effects between solid, surface,
and line body parts. Therefore they are appropriate for displacement, stress, elastic strain, thermal, and
frequency solutions.
The DesignModeler and SpaceClaim applications can be used to generate spot welds. The only CAD
system whose spot welds can be fully realized in Ansys Workbench at this time is NX. The APIs of the
remaining CAD systems either do not handle spot welds, or Ansys Workbench does not read spot welds
from these other CAD systems.
Note:
Because a Spot Weld is a remote boundary condition, it can make use of remote points that
were either specifically defined or created internally by the application. As a visual check,
you can display connection lines between your scoping and the remote point by selecting
the Remote Point Connections option of the Style (p. 83) group (Display tab).
Connections
9.11. End Releases

For line body models, the End Release feature enables you to free the degrees of freedom (translation
and rotation) at a vertex that is shared by two or more edges. You can free the constraint of multiple
edges at the vertex’s location, however, you must always keep at least one edge from being released.
Review the following:
Application (p. 1320)

Requirements and Limitations (p. 1321)
Examples (p. 1322)
Application
To add an End Release:
1. Add a Connections folder if one is not already in the tree, by highlighting the Model object and
selecting Connections from the Model Context Tab (p. 50) or by choosing Insert >Connections
from the context menu (right-click).
2. Add an End Release object by highlighting the Connections folder and selecting End Release from
the Connections Context Tab (p. 52) or by selecting Insert > End Release from the context (right-
click) menu.
3. Specify the Scoping Method as Geometry Selection (default) or Named Selection.
4. Specify the Vertex Geometry and the Edge Geometry, respectively. These properties support ver-
tex/edge or node/element scoping, either through direct selection or using a properly defined
Named Selection.
Note:
• Geometric and mesh entities cannot be mixed.
• The vertex or node must be one of the end points of the selected edges/elements.
• Element scoping must be done on beam-based line bodies.
5. If you specified more than one edge for the Edge Geometry property, use the Independent Edges
property to specify whether the edges are independent of one another (Yes) or fixed together (No).
6. Specify the Coordinate System as the Global Coordinate System, a local user-defined coordinate
system, or an Beam Coordinate System.
Note:
When you select the Beam Coordinate System option of the Coordinate System
property, Mechanical automatically creates an internal coordinate system (not visible in
the tree) that orients the End Release such that the x-axis is parallel to the edge(s) scoped
End Releases
in the Edge Geometry property. This ease-of-use option enables quick definition of the
End Release when the specified Edge Geometry is not aligned with the Global Coordin-
ate System.
7. Specify the translational and/or rotational degrees of freedoms in X, Y and Z directions by changing
axial properties from Fixed to Free.
8. Based upon the configuration of your model, specify the connection Behavior property as either
Coupled (default) or Joint. This property uses coupling or a general joint, respectively.
Important:
When the application generates the mesh for an analysis that includes a beam End Release,
it creates additional nodes at the scoping of the End Release. If you suppress the beam End
Release, the mesh still includes these suppressed nodes, and therefore the nodes are not
available for post processing. Regenerate the mesh associated with the beam End Release
to completely remove the effects of the suppression.

• The end release feature is only applicable in structural analyses that use the Mechanical APDL solver.
If you select a different solver and End Release objects are present, the environment folder becomes
underdefined.
• An End Release object requires that the specified vertex must be contained on a line body and that
the vertex is connected to more than one edge.
• A vertex cannot be scoped to more than one End Release object.
• Model-to-Model (p. 1029) linking does not support upstream End Release objects.
• You cannot apply the following boundary conditions to a vertex or an edge that is scoped to an end
release. If so, the object becomes underdefined and an error message is generated.
– Fixed Support
– Displacement
– Simply Supported
– Fixed Rotation
– Velocity
• You cannot apply the following remote boundary conditions to a vertex that is scoped to an end
release. If so, the object becomes underdefined and an error message is generated.
– Remote Force
Connections
– Moment
– Point Mass
– Thermal Point Mass
– Spring
– Joint
Note:
As stated, an End Release cannot share scoping with the above remote boundary conditions.
However, an End Release can be scoped to a geometric entity or element that is also scoped
to a remote boundary condition, such as a Joint. For example, you can scope an End Release
to the vertex of one end of a line body and a Joint to the vertex of the other end. Given this
situation, Ansys recommends that you use remote scoping (Applied By property set to Re-
mote Attachment) for the shared remote boundary conditions.
Scoping Examples
Deformation results for a pin-jointed beam-based truss are shown in the following illustrations. The
loading is standard earth gravity. These examples illustrate some basic scoping scenarios.
Here is the Deformation with no End Release applied to the truss.
This illustration depicts the Deformation of the truss with an End Release applied to the vertex and
one edge.
End Releases
Here is the Deformation with an End Release applied to two independent edges.
Here is the Deformation with an End Release applied to the same two edges except that they are not
independent.
Connections
9.12. Bearings
A bearing is a two-dimensional elastic element used to confine relative motion and rotation of a rotating
machinery part. Bearings are a critical support for Rotordynamics analyses and as such, a good bearing
design is essential to ensure stability of machinery parts under high speed rotations.
Similar to a spring, a bearing has the structural characteristics of longitudinal stiffness and damping. In
addition to these characteristics, bearings are enhanced with coupling stiffness and damping that serve
as resistive forces to movement of the machinery part in a rotation plane.
Bearings are supported by all Mechanical analysis types that use the Mechanical APDL solver.
Note:
• The damping characteristics are not applicable to Static Structural, Eigenvalue Buckling,
undamped Modal, and Response Spectrum analysis systems.
• While negative stiffness and/or damping characteristics are allowed in all the supported
analysis systems, users are cautioned to ensure its proper use, and check the results care-
fully.
• This boundary condition cannot be applied to a vertex scoped to an End Release (p. 1320).
Scoping Requirements
Bearing scoping is limited to a single face, single edge, single vertex, or an external remote point. Sim-
ilar to a spring, there is a Mobile side and Reference side for the bearing connection. Based on the
Mobile and Reference side selections, a bearing can be made as a bearing connection between Body
to Ground or Body to Body.
Body to Ground Bearing
When specifying the Connection Type property as Body-Ground, the reference side is assumed
to be grounded (or fixed) and the mobile side is set to the scoped entity. Unlike Body-Ground
springs, the location of the reference side is set to that of the mobile side because they can be co-
incident during a linear analysis.
Body to Body Bearing
When specifying the Connection Type property as Body-Body, both the reference and mobile
sides can be set to the scoped geometric entities. Scoped entities of Mobile and Reference should
be on two different bodies and the Reference and Mobile locations should be in a selected rotation
plane.
For more information about the use of a spring-damper bearing, see COMBI214 - 2D Spring-Damper
Bearing in the Mechanical APDL Theory Reference.
Apply Bearing
To add a Bearing:
Bearings
1. Add a Connections folder if one is not already in the tree, by highlighting the Model object and
choosing Connections from the Model Context Tab (p. 50) or by choosing Insert>Connections
from the context menu (right-click).
2. Add a Bearing object by selecting the Connections folder and then opening the Bearing drop-
down menu and then selecting the Body-Ground or the Body-Body option. You can also right-
clicking on the Connections folder and selecting Insert > Bearing from the context menu. This
method specifies the Connection Type property as Body-Ground by default.
3. Under the Definition category, specify the Rotation Plane property for your model. Selections in-
clude:
• None (default)
• X-Y Plane
• Y-Z Plane
• X-Z Plane
4. As required, define the stiffness coefficients (K11, K22, K12, K21) and the damping coefficients (C11,
C12, C21, C22). These may be entered as Constant values or using Tabular Data entries.
If you are defining your stiffness and damping coefficients as Tabular Data, they are dependent
upon Rotational Velocity (as provided in the first column of the Tabular Data window).
In addition, when Rotational Velocity-dependent bearings are used for Modal and Full Harmonic
Response analyses, the Coriolis Effect property (Analysis Settings>Rotordynamics) must be set
to On, Stationary Reference Frame.
The application uses interpolated bearing properties for each Rotational Velocity defined in Modal
or Full Harmonic Response analyses. When there is no Rotational Velocity defined in the system,
the first entry of Bearing properties is used.
See COMBI214 - 2D Spring-Damper Bearing in the Mechanical APDL Theory Reference for additional
information as well as the example shown below.
5. Specify the following properties under the Reference and Mobile categories of the Body-Body
Bearing and Mobile group of Body-Ground bearing.
• Specify a Coordinate System. This property provides a drop-down list of available coordinate
systems. Global Coordinate System is the default.
• Define the Scoping Method as Geometry Selection (default) or Named Selection. The
Scoping Method may also be specified to a user-defined Remote Point, if available.
• Specify the Connection Behavior as either Rigid (default), Deformable, or Beam. If the Scope
Method property of the Bearing is set to Remote Point, the Bearing will then assume the
Behavior defined in the referenced Remote Point as well as other related properties. The
Behavior formulation Coupled is not supported for Bearings.
• As needed, specify a Pinball Region. Use the Pinball Region to define where the bearing
attaches to face(s) or edge(s) if the default location is not desirable. By default, the entire
face/edge is tied to the bearing element. In the event that this is not desirable, you can
Connections
choose to enter a Pinball Region value. For example, your topology could have a large
number of nodes leading to solution processing inefficiencies. Or, if there is overlap between
the bearing's scoped faces and another displacement boundary condition, you could experi-
ence over-constraint and possible solver failure.
Note:
• The Pinball Region and Behavior settings are applicable to underlying bodies that are
flexible.
• The Pinball Region and Behavior settings are not applicable to a Bearing scoped to the
vertex of line body.
• \Because a Bearing is a remote boundary condition, it can make use of remote points that
were either specifically defined or created internally by the application. As a visual check,
you can display connection lines between your scoping and the remote point by selecting
the Remote Point Connections option of the Style (p. 83) group (Display tab).
The following examples illustrates Bearings for Body-Ground or Body-Body with customized Details
settings.
Body-Ground
Bearings
Body-Body
The stiffness characteristics K11, K22, K12, and K21, and damping characteristics C11, C22, C12, and C21
are used to model four spring-damper sets in a plane of a rotating shaft in this example. For more in-
formation about the spring-damper orientation, see COMBI214 - 2D Spring-Damper Bearing in the
Mechanical APDL Theory Reference.
The bearing is created on a face of the shaft that is perpendicular to the Z-axis. As the Z-axis is the ro-
tating axis of the shaft, the X-Y Plane is selected for the Rotation Plane option. While the bearing in this
example is defined using Global Coordinate System, it can also be defined with a user-defined local
coordinate system. When changing from one coordinate system to another, the Bearing needs the
scoping to be updated to desired location for the new coordinate system.
For a bearing to be modeled properly, the location of the reference side and the mobile side must lie
in the selected rotation plane.
Chapter 10: Meshing Features
This section contains meshing tasks you perform in Mechanical. For additional information, see the
Meshing User's Guide.
10.1. Performing Feature Detection
10.2. Specifying Mesh Numbering
10.3. Creating Mesh Extrusions
10.4. Associating Named Selections To Pull Geometries
10.5. Mesh Workflows
10.1. Performing Feature Detection

Feature Detection is based on the principle of Feature Based Meshing. Feature Based Meshing
(FBM) is a meshing set up that uses set of rules on how to treat certain geometric features while
meshing. Feature Based Meshing has two parts:
• Feature Recognition
• Mesh Treatment
FBM performs the following on the geometry features:
1. Recognize the features like holes, fillets and more.
2. Categorize the feature based on geometric parameters or queries.
3. Defines mesh treatment per detected feature.
FBM allows you to minimize the operation performed at geometry level and create an automated or
repeatable process to reduce the pre-processing time.
To perform the Feature Detection:
In Mesh Context tab, click Feature Detection under the Detect group to open the worksheet for feature
detection.
or
1. Right-click Model object and click Insert > Feature Detection to open the Worksheet for
feature detection.
2. Select the feature to be detected and provide the required options in Feature Detection
Worksheet.
Meshing Features
3. Right-click Feature Detection in the model tree and click Detect Features to detect the features
in the worksheet.
or
Click Detect Features in the worksheet to detect the selected features.
The Named Selections for the features are created in the model tree and the feature controls
are available under the mesh object.
The Details view has the following options:
Scope
• Scoping Method: Allows you to select Geometry or Named Selection for scoping of the feature.
The Feature Detection Worksheet has the following options:
• Name: Allows you to provide name for the feature to be detected
• Type: Allows you to select the type of feature to be detected. The available types are Shell Fillet,
Shell Hole, Solid Fillet, Solid Hole, Solid Concave Fillet, Solid Convex Fillet.
• Criteria: Allows you define the criteria applied for the feature based on their type. The available
criteria for Fillets and Holes are Radius and Variable Radius.
• Operator: Allows you to specify the condition for the selected criteria. The available operators
are Equal, Not Equal, Less Than, Less Than or Equal, Greater Than, Greater Than or Equal,
Exclude range, Include range.
• Value: Allows you to provide value for selected criteria of the feature.
• Angle: Allows you to provide the angle for the selected feature.
• Min Bound: Allows you to provide minimum value for the selected feature.
• Max Bound: Allows you to provide maximum value for the selected feature.
• Mesh Treatment: Allows you to specify the mesh treatment to be applied on the selected feature.
Mesh Treatment applied varies with the type of the feature. The available mesh treatment for
various features are as follows:
– Shell Hole: The available mesh treatments are None, Fill Hole and Quad Layer Control.
When Mesh Treatment is set to Quad Layer Control, the non-circular holes are filtered
out.
– Shell Fillet: The available mesh treatments are Mapped Meshing and Deviation Control.
When Mesh Treatment is set to Mapped Meshing, non-mappable faces are filtered out.
– Solid Hole: The available mesh treatments are None, Mapped Meshing.
– Solid Fillet: The available mesh treatments are None, Mapped Meshing. When Mesh
Treatment is set to Mapped Meshing, non-mappable faces are filtered out.
Performing Feature Detection
– Solid Concave Fillet: The available mesh treatments are None, Mapped Meshing. When
Mesh Treatment is set to Mapped Meshing, non-mappable faces are filtered out.
– Solid Convex Fillet: The available mesh treatments are None, Mapped Meshing. When
Mesh Treatment is set to Mapped Meshing, non-mappable faces are filtered out.
– Solid Fillet Rib Edges: The available mesh treatments are None.
– Shell Fillet Rib Edges: The available mesh treatments are None.
• Add Feature Detection: Allows you to add a new row in the feature detection worksheet.
• Detect Features: Allows you to detect the features with specific criteria mentioned in the
worksheet.
Best Practices
The best practices to be followed while performing Feature Detection:
• Feature Detection may not detect all the curved faces as fillets or holes. In such cases, you can
add or remove the faces from the named selection.
• In the Feature Detection worksheet, you must group the fillets or holes of the similar radius
under the same Name Selections and set the Mesh Treatment. This helps you to have more
control over the mesh pattern.
• You should always try to provide smaller value as detection radius range. When you provide
higher value or use operators such as Greater Than or Greater Than or Equal, Feature Detec-
tion may detect faces as fillets or detect the sheet boundary edges as holes.
• When Mesh Treatment is set to Mapped Meshing, non-mappable faces are filtered out of the
named selection group and provides a warning message.
• When you apply Mapped Meshing as Mesh Treatment on large number of fillets in a complex
geometry with large number of faces, performance issues may occur. This could also reduce ro-
bustness of the meshing because mesh based defeaturing is not performed on the edges of the
faces with mapped mesh control (except in the case of Explicit Physics Preference Patch Con-
forming Tet meshing). Hence, it is recommended to limit the number of fillets selected for Feature
Based Meshing specifying specific radius ranges and focusing on bodies or locations that are
most important for analysis accuracy.
• Feature Detection is a single operation acting on all or selected bodies. When it is re-run, the
Named Selections created prior to the execution of Feature Detection are removed and new
ones are created. If you want to retain the previous Named Selections, you can right-click and
duplicate the Named Selections groups before executing Feature Detection again.
Limitations
Feature Detection has the following limitations:
• Feature Detection detects only circular bolt holes for solid holes.
• When you Pull a 2D surface with circular holes to form a 3D body, the Feature Detection may
not detect the circular holes on the pulled surface.
Meshing Features
• Bodies with Virtual Topology are not considered for Feature Detection.
10.2. Specifying Mesh Numbering

The Mesh Numbering object is a Model-level object in the tree hierarchy. You can insert this object
by selecting the Mesh Numbering option on the Mesh Context Tab (p. 61).
The Mesh Numbering feature allows you to renumber the node and element numbers of a generated
meshed model consisting of flexible parts. The feature is useful when exchanging or assembling models
and could isolate the effect of using special elements such as superelements.
The Mesh Numbering feature is available for all analysis systems except Rigid Dynamics analyses.
Because this feature changes the numbering of the model's nodes, all node-based scoping is lost when
mesh numbering is performed, either in a suppressed or unsuppressed state. If this situation is en-
countered, a warning message allows you to stop the numbering operation before the node-based
scoping is removed.
You can prevent the loss of any node-based scoping by using criteria-based Named Selections, or by
scoping an object to nodes after mesh renumbering has taken place. Criteria-based Named Selections
scoped to nodes are supported in combination with the Mesh Numbering object as long as you have
the Generate on Remesh property set to Yes.
To activate Node Number Compression:
By default node numbers will not be compressed to eliminate gaps in the numbering that can occur
from events such as remeshing or suppression of meshed parts. This allows maximum reuse of mesh
based Named Selections but can result in node numbers that are higher than required. Node number
compression can be turned on by setting Compress Node Numbers to Yes. If compression is turned
on, the compression will occur before any other numbering controls are applied.
To activate Mesh Numbering:
1. Insert a Mesh Numbering folder by highlighting the Model folder, then:
a. Select the Mesh Numbering toolbar button.
Or...
b. Right-click on the Model folder and choosing Insert > Mesh Numbering.
Or...
c. Right-click on the Geometry window and choosing Insert > Mesh Numbering.
Specifying Mesh Numbering
2. In the Details view, set Node Offset or Element Offset values for the entire assembly, as needed.
For example, specifying a Node Offset of 2 means that the node numbering for the assembly will
start at 2.
Note:
The Node Offset value cannot exceed a value that results in a node number having a
magnitude greater than one (1) billion. Mesh numbering of this magnitude requires
considerable processing power.
3. Insert a Numbering Control object by highlighting the Mesh Numbering folder (or other Numbering
Control object), then:
a. Select the Numbering Control toolbar button.
Or...
b. Right-click on the Mesh Numbering folder (or other Numbering Control object) and choosing
Insert> Numbering Control.
Or...
c. Right-click on the Geometry window and choosing Insert > Numbering Control.
4. Specify a part, a vertex, or a Remote Point in the model whose node or element numbers in the
corresponding mesh are to be renumbered.
a. To specify a part:
i. Select the part.
ii. In the Details view, set Scoping Method to Geometry Selection, click the Geometry field
and click Apply.
iii. Enter numbers in the Begin Node Number and/or Begin Element Number fields. Also, if
needed, change the End Node Number and End Element Number from their default values.
b. To specify a vertex:
i. Select the vertex.
ii. In the Details view, set Scoping Method to Geometry Selection, click the Geometry field
and click Apply.
iii. Enter the Node Number.
c. To specify a Remote Point that has already been defined:
i. In the Details view, set Scoping Method to Remote Point, click the Remote Points field
and choose the specific Remote Point in the drop-down menu.
ii. Enter the Node Number.
Meshing Features
5. Right-click the Mesh Numbering folder, or a Numbering Control object, and choose Renumber
Mesh. If the model is not meshed, it will first generate a mesh and then perform mesh numbering.
The nodes and elements are numbered based on the values that you specified.
Note:
During the mesh numbering process, the user interface enters a waiting state, meaning
you cannot perform any actions such as clicking objects in the tree. In addition, you
cannot cancel the process once it is started and must wait for its completion. However,
a progress dialog box appears to report status during the operation.
Mesh Numbering Characteristics

• The Mesh Numbering feature is available in both the Mechanical application and the Meshing applic-
ations.
• The Node Offset value cannot exceed a value that results in a node number having a magnitude
greater than one (1) billion. Mesh numbering of this magnitude requires considerable processing
power.
• Geometry selection is part-based, not body-based.
• Selecting Update at the Model level in the Project Schematic updates the mesh renumbering.
• The Solve is aborted if mesh renumbering fails.
• Whenever a control is changed, added, or removed, the mesh renumbering states are changed for
all controls where mesh numbering is needed.
• When exporting mesh information to Fluent, Polyflow, CGNS, or ICEM CFD format, the last status is
retained at the time of export. If renumbering has been performed, the mesh is exported with nodes
and elements renumbered. If not, the original mesh numbering is used.
• Mesh renumbering of a Point Mass is not supported.
• The Convergence (p. 1947) object is not supported with Mesh Numbering folder.
Note:
Be cautious when deleting the Mesh Numbering folder. Deleting this folder leaves the mesh
in the numbered state that you specified. There is no way to know that the existing mesh
has been renumbered.
Mesh Numbering Suppression Characteristics

For Mesh Numbering, the suppression feature operates differently. Rather than excluding the object
when the Mesh Numbering object is suppressed, the mesh numbering instead returns to the original
numbering. That is, it resets and updates the input deck’s contents. This change can affect analysis
operations.
Creating Mesh Extrusions
As a result, restrictions have been implemented, and Mechanical no longer supports suppression of the
Mesh Numbering object. For legacy (v14.5 and earlier) files, an error is generated in the Message
Window if suppressed Mesh Numbering objects are present. You can continue your analysis by
manually changing the Suppressed property setting to No, but the change is then permanent. The
application will not allow you to return this setting to Yes.
10.3. Creating Mesh Extrusions

The Pull feature enables you to extrude and revolve element faces, geometric faces, or scoped (surface
only) bodies from a surface or a solid mesh. The feature also enables you to create a surface coating
on solid bodies, the faces of 3D bodies, element faces (requires mesh), and the edges of 2D axisymmetric
surface bodies.
Jump to a section topic using the following links:
Overview (p. 1335)

Background (p. 1338)
Application (p. 1338)
Limitations (p. 1338)
Overview
The menu for the feature is displayed when you use the context (right-click) menu of the Mesh or Mesh
Edit objects or using the drop-down menu on the Mesh Context Tab (p. 61). Pull menu options include:
• Extrude: Create specified layers of solid elements based on height input. Supported scoping
includes body (surfaces only), faces, or element faces.
• Revolve: Create solid element based on angle of revolution. Supported scoping includes body
(surfaces only), faces, or element faces.
Note:
For the Extrude and Revolve options, you can automatically apply your extrusion or
revolution to Named Selections scoped to the Pull body using the Associate To Pull
Geometry property of the Mesh Edit object. See the next section, Associating Named
Selections To Pull Geometries (p. 1340), for the steps to use this feature.
• Surface Coating:
3D Body
For a three-dimensional body, you use this option to create a coating of shell elements
on top of a face of an existing body. This can include a body created by the Extrude
and Revolve options. The mesh of the new surface body matches the underlying solid
body. You can then use this body in an analysis as you would any body. For example,
you could scope a result to it.
Meshing Features
2D Surface Body
You can scope the Surface Coating option of the Pull object to the edges of a two-di-
mensional axisymmetric surface body to create a line body from the underlying mesh.
You can use the generated line body to study the influence of coatings (such as paint)
on these axisymmetric structures. These line coatings are represented by the elements
SHELL208 (lower order) and SHELL209 (higher order). For the surface body (under Geo-
metry object) that you scope to, the following property settings are required:
– The Dimension property must be set to 2D.
– The 2D Behavior property must be set to Axisymmetric.
Line Coating Display
As illustrated, unlike beams, a Line Coating has no visible element expansion (no
visible cross section). It displays as a line only.
As show, this also applies to stress and strain results (p. 2129) scoped to a Line Coating.
The result displays as a colored line.
In addition, the Position property displays for stress and strain results scoped to a
Line Coating. For the option Top/Bottom, the application only displays Bottom
results and generates an associated Message.
Important:
When you use the Clear Generated Data option on Surface Coating or Line Coating
Pull objects and regenerate them, the application retains the same Thickness property
value on newly generated pull geometries – as well as before they were deleted. The
application only supports this regeneration capability when the Stiffness Option
property of the coating is set to Stress Evaluation Only. In addition, you must be in
an active Mechanical session when you clear and regenerate Pull bodies for the
thickness value to be retained.
When you have defined the desired type of pull, you select the context (right-click) menu option Gen-
erate. This action creates the mesh of the corresponding extrude/revolve/coating. This action also creates
a corresponding body, based on the pull type, under the Geometry object. You can then use this body
as you would use any body for your analysis, however, because it was generated from mesh data, certain
limitations exist. For example, if you encounter a scoping issue, try using mesh-based scoping, such as
Element Face selection, to address such issues. See the Limitations (p. 1338) topic below for more inform-
ation.
Note:
When you scope a Pull object to a surface body and generate a 3D mesh using either the
Extrude or Revolve method, the original surface body is marked as inactive using a circle
symbol as shown below. This body becomes hidden in the Geometry window. The circle
symbol also indicates an inactive body that does not participate in the analysis. The application
Meshing Features
does not write the body’s definition, or any Named Selections scoped to it, to the input file.
In addition, the body does not contribute to the mass or volume of the geometry.
Background
The ability to create a volume mesh from a surface mesh is beneficial for the design and simulation of
structures such as turbo machines and Printed Circuit Boards (PCB). It is common to first design a base
surface, as it is easier to generate a surface mesh, and then to extrude a small layer of volume elements
from this base mesh. Another example would be creating a 3D sector from a 2D surface body using
the Revolve option and then perform a cyclic symmetry analysis. And you can scope the Surface
Coating option to the face of a solid body and create a shell body whose mesh matches with the un-
derlying solid body.
Application
See the Pull section of the Meshing User's Guide for a more detailed description about how to use this
feature, its properties, and capabilities.
Limitations
The Pull feature is a mesh operation that generates volume mesh. Once created, you can scope the
faces, edges, and vertices of the volume to other objects, such as loads, supports, and results. However,
there are certain limitations associated with the pull-generated body as compared to an actual 3D body.
Review the pull feature limitations listed below. You should also see the Pull section of the Meshing
User's Guide for additional information.
Review the following feature limitations:
• When you regenerate a Pull object, any other object scoped to geometric entities (face/vertex
etc.) of the pull-generated body are reassociated. But any mesh-based scoping, such as element
face or nodes, are automatically cleared.
• Linear Periodic (p. 1436) and Periodic Region (p. 1439) objects are not supported when scoped to a
body generated from the Pull operation.
• If you scope a Pull body to a Cyclic Region (p. 1442), the Low Boundary property must be scoped
to the face(s) adjacent to the original shell bodies and the High Boundary property must be set
to the faces opposite to the Low Boundary in the direction of the Pull. Selecting any other faces
may lead to a solver error.
• You cannot scope Symmetry objects to Pull generated bodies in combination with the other
bodies of your model.
• Joint coordinate systems are not automatically oriented when scoped to Pull bodies.
• Part Transformations (p. 1052) are not supported for pull-generated bodies or the bodies scoped
to a Pull object after it is generated. You must perform all transformations involving pull bodies
prior to generation.
• If you scope a load to a Pull body and need to specify a vector direction, use the Element Face
selection to set the direction. Geometric entities are not supported for this capability.
• Convergence is not supported when Pull objects are present in the model.
• For a shell body generated using the Pull > Surface Coating option, note the following limitations:
– By default, when the application is creating the input file, the element adopts a full-integ-
ration scheme (KEYOPT(3) = 2) for low order mesh (element with no mid-side nodes). This
is different than the Surface Coating (p. 943) feature specified via the Geometry object
where (input file entries for) the element use the reduced-integration scheme (KEYOPT(3)
= 0) for low order mesh. Therefore, you may see a difference between the results based
on a Surface Coating created via Pull versus the Surface Coating feature specified via the
Geometry object.
See the SHELL181 element section for more information regarding default KEYOPT(3)
settings for shells.
– The surface added using the Surface Coating is a separate part in the Geometry group
rather than a multibody part with the solid body it was generated from. As a result, you
cannot apply loads to vertices. You should apply the loads to the vertex of the underlying
solid body.
– If you set the Stiffness Option property of a Pull generated Surface Coating body to
Stress Evaluation Only (default setting), loads using the Direct setting for the Applied
By property are not supported.
• Because the surfaces of Pull generated bodies are constructed from the underlying mesh, you
cannot scope spherical- and cylindrical-based boundary conditions, such as a Cylindrical Support
or an Absorption Element, to these bodies.
• There is currently a display limitation for bodies generated using the Pull > Revolve feature for
higher order elements. You may notice when viewing a Pull Revolve generated body that it's
Meshing Features
geometric outlines does not appear to pass through the mid-side nodes of the generated mesh.
This is a display issue and does not affect your results as illustrated below.
10.4. Associating Named Selections To Pull Geometries

The Mesh (or Mesh Edit) object Pull feature enables you to extrude and revolve element faces, geo-
metric faces, or scoped (surface only) bodies from a surface or a solid mesh. In addition, you can auto-
matically apply your extrusion or revolution to Named Selections scoped to the Pull body using the
Associate To Pull Geometry property of the Mesh Edit object. Options for this property include Yes
and No (default).
Associating Named Selections To Pull Geometries
• Vertex and Edge Transformations (p. 1341)
• Shell Body Transformation (p. 1344)
• Limitations (p. 1345)
Vertex and Edge Transformations

Consider the system shown below that includes a vertex- and edge-based Named Selection.
Meshing Features
Assume that you have set the Associate To Pull Geometry property set to Yes and generated a Pull
Revolve.
Associating Named Selections To Pull Geometries
As illustrated below, the application automatically applies the transformation to the Named Selections.
The vertex Named Selection is converted to an edge and the edge Named Selection is converted into
a face.
Transformed Vertex Transformed Edge
Meshing Features
Shell Body Transformation

In addition to the vertex and edge transformations above, you can extrude and revolve surface bodies.
This transforms surface body Named Selections into a solid body, as illustrated below.
Pull Scoped to Surface Bodies Named Selection Scoped to Surface Bodies
Generated Pull Transformed Named Selection
Mesh Workflows
Limitations
If the Material property on the Pull object is set to None and the Associate To Pull Geometry property
of the Mesh Edit object is set to Yes, the application automatically assigns the material of the original
profile bodies to the pull geometry generated under the Geometry object.
10.5. Mesh Workflows

The Mesh Workflows object offers an alternative paradigm in Ansys Mechanical to enable mesh gener-
ation from complicated CAD geometries. When you use CAD geometries in simulation, it requires clean
up and modifications.
Mesh Workflows offer a workflow-based approach for mesh generation of specific needs and support
the use of predefined templates which can be customized as needed. Each Mesh Workflow consists
of a series of steps which define the mesh generated, and each specific step in the workflow is based
on a generic operation of a certain type. The Controls of an operation define what-to-do and how-to-
do and provide a flexible composition of meshing algorithms and the Outcomes capture the results of
an operation.
Refer to the Mesh Workflows section of the Meshing User's Guide for more information.
Chapter 11: Named Selections
The Named Selection object is a Model-level object in the tree hierarchy. The Named Selection feature
allows you to create groupings of similar geometry or meshing entities.
The following sections describe the steps to create Named Selections objects and prepare them for
data definition. Subsequent sections further define and build upon these techniques.
11.1. Create a Named Selection Object
11.2. Defining Named Selections
11.3. Specifying Criteria for Geometry-Based Named Selections
11.4. Understanding the Named Selections Worksheet
11.5. Applying Named Selections via the Ribbon
11.6. Promoting Scoped Objects to a Named Selection
11.7. Displaying Named Selections
11.8. Displaying Interior Mesh Faces
11.9. Scoping Analysis Objects to Named Selections
11.10. Sending Named Selections to the Solver
11.11. Protecting Named Selections
11.12. Including Named Selections in Program Controlled Inflation
11.13. LS-DYNA Named Selection IDs
11.14. Importing Named Selections
11.15. Exporting Named Selections
11.16. Merging Named Selections
11.17. Converting Named Selection Groups to Mechanical APDL Application Components
11.1. Create a Named Selection Object

Creating Named Selections objects is easy and can be accomplished using different methods, including:
• Select desired geometry or mesh entities in the Geometry window (bodies, faces, nodes, etc.), right-
click the mouse, and then select Create Named Selection. Or you can the select the Create option
in the Named Selections group (p. 92) of the Selection tab.
Named Selections
A Selection Name dialog appears so that you can enter a specific name for the Named Selection as
well as specify criteria based on the selected geometry (p. 1361).
Note:
When the Mechanical APDL solver encounters a du

Options dialog preference, Unique Names (MAPD
named selections as a Warning (default) or an Erro
address the naming issue.
• Select desired parts/bodies from the Geometry object, right-click the mouse, and then select Create
Named Selection. A Selection Name window appears so that you can enter a specific name for the
Named Selection.
Create a Named Selection Object
Once you have created a Named Selection, a Named Selections folder object is placed into the tree
and includes your new child object titled Selection or titled with the name you have given it. This new
object, and any subsequent Named Selection objects that are inserted into the parent folder, require
geometry or mesh entity scoping. If a direct selection method (via Geometry object or graphical selection)
was used, the Geometry entities may already be defined.
The Selection objects are the operable "Named Selections" of your analysis. You may find it beneficial
to rename these objects based on the entities to which they are scoped or the purpose that they will
serve in the analysis. For example, you may wish to rename a Named Selection containing edges to
"Edges for Contact Region".
Adding Named Selection Objects

If a Named Selections folder exists in the tree, insert additional Named Selection objects using the
same general methods as above: (1) select the Create option in the Named Selections group (p. 92)
of the Selection tab (available once the Named Selection folder is generated) or (2) when either the
Named Selections parent folder object or another Selection object is highlighted, right-click the mouse
and select Insert>Named Selection.
Named Selections
11.2. Defining Named Selections

Once you create Named Selections/Selection objects, you need to define the geometry or node-based
meshing entities that you would like to scope to the object. Scoping method options include:
• Geometry (p. 1350): geometry-based entries/selections.
• Worksheet (p. 1351): criteria-based entries/selections.
For the steps to scope your Named Selection to nodes or elements, see one of the following sections:
• Specifying Named Selections by Direct Node Selection (p. 238)
• Specifying Element and Element Face-Based Named Selections (p. 239)
Important:
Mesh-based Named Selections become invalid if you include a Convergence object in your
analysis.
11.2.1. Specifying Named Selections by Geometry Type

Use the steps shown below to define the Details of your Named Selections based on geometry types
(body, face, edge, or vertex).
To define geometry-based named selections:
1. Highlight the Selection object in the tree. In the Details view, set Scoping Method to Geometry
Selection.
Defining Named Selections
2. Select the geometry entities in the graphics window to become members of the Named Selection.
3. Click in the Geometry field in the details view, then click the Apply button. The named selection
is indicated in the graphics window. You can rename the object by right-clicking on it and
choosing Rename from the context menu.
Tip:
To allow the Named Selection criteria to be automatically generated after a geometry up-
date, highlight the Named Selections folder object and set Generate on Refresh to Yes
(default). This setting is located under the Worksheet Based Named Selections category
Note:
• If you change the Scoping Method from Geometry Selection to Worksheet, the original
geometry scoping remains until you select the Generate button.
• For geometric entity Named Selections, the status of a Named Selection object can be
fully defined (check mark) only when a valid geometry is applied, or suppressed ("x") if
either no geometry is applied or if all geometry applied to the Named Selection is sup-
pressed.
• For a Named Selection created using the Graphics Viewer, the selections must be
manually updated after you change the geometry.
11.2.2. Specifying Named Selections using Worksheet Criteria

You can specify Worksheet as your Scoping Method for a Named Selection.
Doing so displays the Worksheet window. By default, this window displays below the Geometry
pane in Mechanical. Worksheet data entries define the criteria for Named Selections based on geo-
metric or meshing entities. Each row of the worksheet performs a calculation for the specified criteria.
If multiple rows are defined, the calculations are evaluated and completed in descending order.
Named Selections Defined by Worksheet Criteria

1. Highlight the Selection object. In the Details view, set Scoping Method to Worksheet.
2. As needed, right-click the mouse and select Add Row.
3. Enter data in the worksheet for specifying the criteria that will define a Named Selection. See the
Worksheet Entries and Operation section below for specific entry information.
Named Selections
4. Click the Generate button located on the Worksheet to create the Named Selection based on the
specified criteria. Alternatively, you can right-click the Named Selection object and choose Generate
Named Selection from the context menu.
Note:
• If you change the Scoping Method from Geometry Selection to Worksheet, the original
geometry scoping will remain until you select Generate.
• When you select Generate and the generation fails to produce a valid selection, any
prior scoping is removed from the Named Selection.
• If there is no indication that the worksheet has been changed and the Named Selection
should be regenerated, you still may want to select Generate to ensure that the item
is valid.
• If a row inside the worksheet has no effect on the selection, there are no indications
related to this.
• Named Selections require valid scoping. If the application detects a criterion that is not
properly scoped, it becomes highlighted in yellow to alert users of a possible problem.
A highlighted criterion does not effect on the overall state of the object.
• Named Selections created using the Worksheet may not support virtual entities.
Worksheet Entries and Operation

A sample worksheet is illustrated below. Criteria of the Worksheet is defined by making selections
in the drop-down menus of the columns for each row. Certain values are read-only or they are only
available as the result of other criterion being specified.
As illustrated here, when you add a row into the Worksheet, right-click context menu options become
available. When using these options, you need to also click the Generate button to have these changes
applied to the Named Selection.
The content of each Worksheet column is described below.
Action column:
• Add: Adds the information defined in the current row to information in the previous row, provided
the item defined in the Entity Type column is the same for both rows.
• Remove: Removes the information defined in the current row from information in the previous
row, provided the geometry defined in the Entity Type column is the same for both rows.
• Filter: Establishes a subset of the information defined in the previous row.
• Invert: Selects all items of the same Entity Type that are not currently in the named selection.
• Convert To: Changes the geometric Entity Type selected in the previous row. The change is in
either direction with respect to the topology (for example, vertices can be converted "up" to edges,
or bodies can be converted "down" to faces). When going up in dimensionality, the higher level
topology is selected if you select any of the lower level topology (for example, a face will be selected
if any of its edges are selected).
Mesh Nodes: You can convert a geometry selection (bodies, edges, faces, vertices) to mesh
nodes. The nodes that exist on the geometry (that is, the nodes on a face/edge/vertex or nodes
on and within a body) will be selected. In addition, node-based Named Selections can be con-
verted to elements and element-based Named Selections can be converted to nodes using this
action.
Element Faces: You can convert a face-based Named Selection, a node-based Named Selection,
or a body-based Named Selection to an Element Face Named Selection. Face- and node-based
conversion does not support element faces that share two (or more) bodies. However, for body-
based conversion, you can specify the Criterion options Exclude Shared Faces or Include
Shared Faces to specify whether to include shared element faces.
Note:
The conversion from geometry selection to mesh nodes is analogous to using Mechan-
ical APDL commands NSLK, NSLL, NSLA, and NSLV. The conversion from elements to
mesh nodes uses NSLE and conversion from mesh nodes to elements uses ESLN.
• Diagnostics
The Entity Type column:
Named Selections
• Body
• Face
• Edge
• Vertex
• Mesh Node
• Mesh Element
• Element Face: This option does not support element faces defined on shell bodies.
Criterion column:
• Size - available when Entity Type = Body, Face, or Edge.
• Type - available when Entity Type = Body, Face, Edge, or Mesh Node, or Mesh Element.
• Location X/Y/Z
Important:
For Location X/Y/Z criterion, the calculation of the centroid is not supported for Line
Bodies.
• Within Body: available when Entity Type = Mesh Node, Mesh Element, or Element Face, and
the Value column is a Body with the Treatment property set to Construction Body.
• Face Connections - available when Entity Type = Edge.
• Radius - available when Entity Type = Face or Edge. Applies to faces that are cylindrical and edges
that are circular.
• Distance
Important:
Line Bodies are not supported for the Distance Criterion option.
• Named Selection
• Normal - available when Entity Type = Element Face. The Normal option requires you to specify
an axis entry, either positive or negative X, Y, or Z in the Value column. Based on that selection,
the application creates a Named Selection that includes all element faces whose normal direction
is same as the selected axis (for the selected Coordinate System, global or user-defined).
When using the Normal selection for the Criterion and you have defined a cylindrical coordinate
system:
– The (positive) X Axis option selects element faces that have their normal pointing radially
outward in the specified cylindrical coordinate system.
– The (negative) -X Axis option selects element faces that have their normal pointing radially
inward in the selected cylindrical coordinate system.
– The application does not support the Y Axis/-Y Axis options for cylindrical coordinate sys-
tems.
• Shared Across Bodies - available when Entity Type = Face, Edge, Vertex. This option is useful
when you want to create a Named Selection of faces, edges, or vertices shared across bodies.
• Shared Across Parts - available when Entity Type = Mesh Node. This option is useful for examining
and working with shared nodes that were generated by Node Merge or Mesh Connection operations.
• Element Connections - available when Action = Add and Entity Type = Mesh Node. This option
requires a Value entry. The Value entry defines the number of elements to which a node is con-
nected. For example, if you enter a Value of 4, the application selects every node in the model
that is connected to four elements.
This option supports 2D and 3D analyses for all element types.
• Material - available when Entity Type = Body.
• Name - available when Entity Type = Body.
• Thickness - available when Entity Type = Body. This option is supported for surface/shell bodies
only.
• Cross Section - available when Entity Type = Body.
• Seam Weld when Entity Type = Body.
• Node ID - available when Entity Type is Mesh Node.
• Any Node - available when:
– Action = Convert To
– Entity Type = Mesh Element or Element Face (node-based conversion only)
• All Nodes - available when:
– Action = Convert To
– Entity Type = Mesh Element or Element Face (node-based conversion only)
• For Entity Type = Mesh Element.
– Type
– Element ID
– Volume
Named Selections
– Area
– Location X
– Location Y
– Location Z
– Element Quality
– Aspect Ratio
– Jacobian Ratio [MAPDL]
– Jacobian Ratio [Corner Nodes]
– Jacobian Ratio [Gauss Points]
– Warping Factor
– Parallel Deviation
– Skewness
– Orthogonal Quality
– Named Selection
– Ply
– Maximum Corner Angle
– Within Body
– Seam Weld HAZ1
– Seam Weld HAZ2
– Seam Weld HAZ3
– Seam Weld All HAZ
– Seam Weld Normal
– Seam Weld Angle
– Minimum Tri Angle
– Maximum Tri Angle
– Minimum Quad Angle
– Maximum Quad Angle
– Warping Angle
– Tet Collapse
– Aspect Ratio [Explicit]
– Minimum Element Edge Length
– Maximum Element Edge Length
– Characteristic Length [LS-DYNA]
You may wish to refer to the Mesh Metric section of the Meshing User's Guide for more information
about these Criterion options.
Operator column:
• Equal
• Not Equal
• Contains - available when Criterion = Name or Name Selection.
• Less Than
• Less Than or Equal
• Greater Than
• Greater Than or Equal
• Range includes Lower Bound and Upper Bound numerical values that you enter.
• Smallest - only available when Action column = Add
• Largest - only available when Action column = Add
• Yes
• No
Note:
The Smallest and Largest options apply to the entire model. They do not function with
any other worksheet criteria entry. Therefore, they are only available when the Action
column is set to Add.
Units column: read-only display of the current units for Criterion = Size or Location X, Y, or Z.
Value column:
• For Criterion = Size, enter positive numerical value.
Named Selections
• For Criterion = Location X, Y, or Z, enter numerical value.
Note:
Selection location is at the centroids of edges, faces, bodies, and elements.
• For Entity Type = Body and Criterion = Type:
– Solid
– Surface
– Line
• For Entity Type = Body and Criterion = Cross Section: select the desired cross section name from
the drop-down list.
• For Entity Type = Face and Criterion = Type:
– Plane
– Cylinder
– Cone
– Torus
– Sphere
– Spline
– Faceted
• For Entity Type = Edge Criterion = Type:
– Line
– Circle
– Spline
– Faceted
• For Entity Type = Mesh Node and Criterion = Type:
– Corner
– Midside
• For Entity Type = Body and Criterion = Name, enter a valid body name. When:
– Operator = Contains, you can enter a partial body name. The application matches name char-
acters at the beginning, middle, or at the end of the name.
– Operator = Equal, you must enter the body name exactly as it appears in the Geometry folder.
– Operator = Not Equal, you enter the body name that you do not wish to include in your named
selection. The application will select all other bodies from the Geometry folder.
• For Entity Type = Mesh Element and Criterion = Type:
– Tet10
– Tet4
– Hex20
– Hex8
– Wed15
– Wed6
– Pyr13
– Pyr5
– Tri6
– Tri3
– Quad8
– Quad4
– High Order Beam
– Low Order Beam
– Line2
– Line3
• For Entity Type = Element Face and Criterion = Normal: the Value field options include X Axis/Y
Axis/Z Axis and -X Axis/-Y Axis/-Z Axis. This axis selection is based on the coordinate system
defined in the Coordinate System column.
• For Entity Type = Edge and Criterion = Face Connections, enter the number of shared edge
connections. For example, enter Value = 0 for edges not shared by any faces, enter Value = 1 for
edges shared by one face, and so on.
• For Criterion = Named Selection, you can include a previously defined named selection from the
Value field.
For Criterion = Named Selection and Operator = Contains, you can specify the name of multiple
Named Selections, or, as desired, only a portion of the name of multiple Named Selections in the
Named Selections
Value field. For example, for NS1, NS2, and NS3, you can create a new Named Selection that includes
all three by specifying “NS” in the Value field.
Note:
Whenever you create a Named Selection that references an existing Named Selection
using the Criterion option, it is recommended that you use the Generate Named Se-
lections context (right-click) menu option from the Named Selections folder to generate
your Named Selections. This action calculates the relationship between all the Named
Selections contained in the folder to determine the correct order for generation. Using
the Worksheet Generate option updates only the selected/active Named Selection.
Therefore, if that Named Selection has a reference to another Named Selection, the as-
sociated Named Selection is not regenerated.
Furthermore, the Generate Named Selections option makes sure that the application
updates all child objects of the Named Selection folder in the appropriate order while
making sure that the application does not create any cyclic dependencies (also called
a closed loop reference) between Named Selections. A cyclic dependency occurs when
you have one or more named selections that depend upon one another to generate
results. If this is detected, the application generates an error.
• For Criterion = Ply, you can include a previously-defined named selection in the Value field. You
can select from the named selections provided in the list only.
• For Criterion = Material, select the desired material from the drop-down list. See the Material As-
signment (p. 350) topic for more information.
• For Criterion = Distance, enter a positive numerical value. The distance is the difference between
the origin of the selected coordinate system and the centroid of the scoped geometry (body, face,
edge).
Important:
Line Bodies are not supported for the Distance Criterion option.
• For Criterion = Thickness, enter a positive numerical value or values based on the selection made
in the Operator column.
Lower Bound column: enter numerical value.
Upper Bound column: enter numerical value.
Coordinate System column:
• Global Coordinate System
• Any defined local coordinate systems
Specifying Criteria for Geometry-Based Named Selections
Adjusting Tolerance Settings for Named Selections by Worksheet Criteria

Tolerance settings are used when the Operator criterion is defined as an "equal" comparison. Tolerances
are not used when doing greater than or less than operations. Tolerance values apply to the entire
worksheet. If you wish to adjust the tolerance settings for worksheet criteria, use the Tolerance settings
in the chosen Named Selection’s Details view.
By default, the Zero Tolerance property is set to 1.e-008, the Relative Tolerance value is set to 1.e-
003, and the Angular Tolerance is set to 1°. As a result of the significant digit display, the value used
for calculations and the display value may appear to be different. The Zero Tolerance property’s
value is past the number of significant digits that Mechanical shows by default. The application’s
default setting for significant digits is 5 (the range is 3 to 10). This setting affects only the numbers
that are displayed, any calculation or comparison uses the actual values when processing. In addition,
it is important to note that most values (including selection values seen in the status bar and the
Selection Information window) in Mechanical display in a significant digit format. See the Appearance
option in the Setting Ansys Workbench section of the Help for information about changing default
display settings.
Setting the tolerance values manually can also be useful in meshing, when small variances are present
in node locations and the default relative tolerance of .001 (.1%) can be either too small (not enough
nodes selected) or too big (too many nodes selected).
1. In the Details view, set Tolerance Type to Manual.
2. Specify the properties as desired: Zero Tolerance, Relative Tolerance, and Angular Tolerance.
The Zero Tolerance and Relative Tolerance values are dimensionless. Relative Tolerance is a
multiplying factor applied to the specified worksheet value. For example, if you want a tolerance
of 1%, enter .01 in the Relative Tolerance field. Angular Tolerance is specified in degrees or ra-
dians. The Angular Tolerance setting determines when the normal direction of an element face
is equal to the direction of your specified coordinate system.
Note:
Angular tolerance is available for Worksheet-based Named Selections only. It is ap-

plicable once you set the Criterion to Normal and the Entity Type to Element Face.
All comparisons are done in the CAD unit system. If your current unit system is not the same as the
CAD unit system, the values entered will first be converted to the CAD unit system before searching
for criteria.
11.3. Specifying Criteria for Geometry-Based Named Selections

Mechanical enables you to specify certain criteria using the context menu (right-click) option when you
make geometry selections in the Geometry window. When you select a geometric entity (face, edge,
etc.) in the Geometry window, right-click, and then select the option Create Named Selection (N), the
following dialog box displays.
Named Selections
The two control options on the dialog include:
• Apply selected geometry: this option simply creates a Named Selection based on the geometry
you select.
• Apply geometry items of same: this option enables you to make certain criteria-based specific-
ations (Size, Type, Location X, Y, Z) for geometry selections. If you select only one geometric
entity (one face, edge, etc.) you can choose multiple criteria options. However, when you select
more than one geometric entity (multiple faces, edges), you are limited to choosing only one
criteria option.
In addition, there is the Apply To Corresponding Mesh Nodes option. You can also select this
option when using the available criteria in order to include the nodes that correspond to the
geometry. This option requires that you generate the mesh.
Let’s look at an example. A singular edge is selected on the following model.
Specifying Criteria for Geometry-Based Named Selections
Here we display the Selection Name dialog (via right-click), select the option Location X, and then
click OK.
As illustrated, you need to select the new named Selection object in the tree. The application specified
the Named Selection as a Worksheet entry and now includes eight (8) edges (all of which share the X
coordinate).
Named Selections
Note that the supported selections may differ based on the type of geometry that you select. For example,
the options Size or Type are not supported for a vertex selection.
11.4. Understanding the Named Selections Worksheet

When you select the Named Selections parent folder object and then select the Worksheet button
on the Home tab (p. 42), the Worksheet displays as shown here and lists all existing Named Selections.
This view provides a summary of all the defined Named Selections. Table headings correspond to the
Details view properties of the user-defined Named Selections. See the Named Selections object reference
page for a description of the properties.
Worksheet Tools
You can single-click a table heading to sort the table content according to that heading type. You can
also automatically select a Named Selection object by selecting the appropriate row in the table, right-
clicking, and selecting the Go To Selected Items in Tree option.
Applying Named Selections via the Ribbon
11.5. Applying Named Selections via the Ribbon

The Named Selections group of the Selection tab enables you to select and modify user-defined
named selections.
To use a Named Selection options:
1. Select a Named Selection from the drop-down list. This list matches the Named Selections
contained in the Named Selections folder object.
2. Choose from the following options provided by toolbar:
Option Description
Selection Controls selection options on items that are part of the group whose
drop-down name appears in the Named Selection display. Available options are:
menu
• Select Items in Group: selects only those items in the named
(or in group.
context
menu from • Add to Current Selection: Picks the scoped items defined by
right-clicking the Named Selection that you have highlighted and adds those
the mouse items to the item or items that you have selected in the geometry
button on window. This option is grayed out if the selections do not
individual correspond, such as selecting trying to add a faces to vertices.
Named
Selection • Remove from Current Selection: Removes the selection of items
object) in the named group from other items that are already selected.
Selected items that are not part of the group remain selected.
This option is grayed out if the entity in the Named Selection
does not match the entity of the other selected items.
• Create Nodal Named Selection: Automatically converts the

geometry specified by the Named Selection to mesh nodes. A
corresponding Convert To row is added to the Worksheet
Note:
Choosing any of these options affects only the current

selections in the Geometry view. These options have no
effect on what is included in the Named Selection itself.
Named Selections
Option Description
Visibility Controls display options on bodies that are part of the group whose
drop-down menu name appears in the Named Selection display. Available options
are:
• Hide Bodies in Group: Turns off display of bodies in the named

group (toggles with next item). Other bodies that are not part
of the group are unaffected.
• Show Bodies in Group: Turns on display of bodies in the named

group (toggles with previous item). Other bodies that are not
part of the group are unaffected.
• Show Only Bodies in Group: Displays only items in the named

group. Other items that are not part of the group are not
displayed.
You can also hide or show bodies associated with a Named Selection
by right-clicking the Named Selections object and choosing Hide
Bodies in Group or Show Bodies in Group from the context menu.
You can hide only the Named Selection by right-clicking on the
Named Selections object and choosing Hide Face(s).
Suppression Controls options on items that affect if bodies of the group whose
drop-down menu name appears in the Named Selection display are to be suppressed,
meaning that, not only are they not displayed, but they are also
removed from any treatment such as loading or solution. Available
options are:
• Suppress Bodies in Group: Suppresses bodies in the named

group (toggles with next item). Other bodies that are not part
of the group are unaffected.
• Unsuppress Bodies in Group: Unsuppresses bodies in the named

group (toggles with previous item). Other bodies that are not
part of the group are unaffected.
• Unsuppress Only Bodies in Group: Unsuppresses only bodies

in the named group. Other bodies that are not part of the group
are suppressed.
You can also suppress or unsuppress bodies associated with a

Named Selection by right-clicking the particular Named Selections
object and choosing Suppress Bodies In Group or Unsuppress
Bodies In Group from the context menu. The Suppress Bodies In
Group and Unsuppress Bodies In Group options are also available
if you select multiple Named Selection items under a Named Selec-
tions object. The options will not be available if your multiple
selection involves invalid conditions (for example, if you want to
suppress multiple items you have selected and one is already
suppressed, the Suppress Bodies In Group option will not be
available from the context menu.
Promoting Scoped Objects to a Named Selection
The status bar shows the selected group area only when the areas are selected. The group listed in the
toolbar and in the Details Pane (p. 122) provides statistics that can be altered.
11.6. Promoting Scoped Objects to a Named Selection

In addition to creating Named Selections, you can also use the promotion feature to create a named
selection from an existing object that is scoped to geometry or mesh. Objects that support the promotion
feature include:
• Remote Points
• Contact Regions
• Springs
• Joints
• Boundary Conditions
• Results and Custom Results
All of these objects have one thing in common when using the promotion feature, they are first scoped
to geometry or mesh. This is the specification basis for the promoted Named Selections. Each promoted
Named Selection inherits the geometry or mesh scoping of the object used. In addition, the Scoping
Method property automatically updates to Named Selection and specifies the corresponding scoping.
Note:
• This action changes the scoping of the corresponding object and may, as a result, cause
up-to-date states to become obsolete. For example, promoting a Fixed Support from a
completed solution would cause the solution to become obsolete and require it to be re-
solved.
• In order to promote objects scoped to the mesh, you need to make sure that the Show
Mesh option (p. 83) is selected.
By highlighting one of the above objects and right-clicking, such as the Contact Region example illus-
trated below, the context menu provides the option Promote to Named Selection. Once selected, the
feature automatically adds a Named Selections folder to the tree that includes two new Named Selec-
tions based on the existing name of the contact object as well as its geometry scoping, Contact and
Target. You can promote an object to a Named Selection only once. Deleting the corresponding Named
Selection makes the option available again. However, deleting the Named Selection also invalidates the
corresponding source object, such as the Contact Region shown in the example below. As a result, you
must re-scope the source object to geometry or mesh for the feature to be available. A Contact Region
example is slightly different in that it has Contact and Target scoping and that this feature creates two
Named Selections. Springs and Joints also create two Named Selections if they are defined as Body-
Body. The other object types create one Named Selection. Also note that result objects can be promoted
before or after the solution process.
Named Selections
11.7. Displaying Named Selections

You can use geometry-based Named Selections to inspect only a portion of your model's total mesh.
Although this feature is available regardless of mesh size, it is most beneficial when working with a
large mesh (greater than 5 - 10 million nodes).
After you have designated a Named Selection group, you can use any of the following features to assist
you:
• Showing the Mesh (p. 1369)
• Showing Annotations (p. 1369)
• Displaying Individual Named Selections in Different Colors (p. 1370)
• Setting Visibility (p. 1370)
• Displaying an Enhanced View of Meshed Items (p. 1371)
• Important Characteristics and Notes (p. 1372)
Displaying Named Selections
Showing the Mesh

By setting the Plot Elements Attached to Named Selections option in the Annotation Prefer-
ences (p. 273), you can view the elements for all items in the Named Selection group. For node-based
Named Selections, this option shows the full elements, while for face or body Named Selections, this
option shows just the element faces.
Note:
This option does not affect Line Bodies, and you must have the Show Mesh button
toggled off to view the elements in the Named Selection.
An example is shown below of a node-based Named Selection.
Showing Annotations
As illustrated below, selecting the Named Selection folder displays all of the user-defined Named Selection
annotations in the Geometry window. This display characteristic can be turned On or Off using the
Show Annotations category in the Named Selections Details view.
Selecting an individual Named Selection displays the annotation specific to that Named Selection in
the Graphics pane.
Named Selections
You can also toggle the visibility of mesh node annotations and numbers in the annotation preferences.
For more information, see Specifying Annotation Preferences (p. 273).
Displaying Individual Named Selections in Different Colors

By default, Named Selections are shown in red. You can use the Random Colors button on the Display
tab to display each named selection with a random color at each redraw.
Setting Visibility
By setting the Visible object property in the Details view of an individual Named Selection object to
No, the Named Selection can be made invisible, meaning it will not be drawn and, more importantly,
not taken into consideration for picking or selection. This should allow easier inspection inside complic-
ated models having many layers of faces where the inside faces are hardly accessible from the outside.
Displaying Named Selections
You can define Named Selections and make them invisible as you progress from outside to inside,
similar to removing multiple shells around a core. The example shown below displays the Named Selec-
tion 3 Faces with the Visible property set to No.
Displaying an Enhanced View of Meshed Items

Display your model in Wireframe mode by selecting the Wireframe option in the Display (p. 83) drop-
down menu on the Display tab or by selecting the Wireframe option on the Graphics Toolbar (p. 100).
Then, open the Annotation Preferences (p. 273) dialog box by selecting the Preferences option in the
Annotations group (p. 82). Check the Plot Elements Attached to Named Selections option. This
feature displays the meshed entities of your Named Selection only, as illustrated below.
Named Selections
Characteristics and Notes

• The Visible object property is the same as the Hide Face(s) option in the right mouse button context
menu. These options will hide only the specified Named Selection. This behavior differs from that of
the Hide Bodies in Group and Suppress Bodies in Group options, which hide or suppress the full
body containing a given Named Selection.
• When a Named Selection's Visible setting is set to No:
– Only the faces from that Named Selection are not drawn; the edges are always drawn.
– The Named Selection will not appear in any drawing of the geometry (regardless of which object
is selected in the tree).
Unless...
– The Named Selection is displayed as meshed, it displays the mesh, but only if you have the Named
Selection object or the Named Selectionsfolder object is selected in the tree. This behavior is the
same as the behavior of the red annotation in the Geometry window for Named Selections (that
is, the annotation appears only when the current selected object is the specific Named Selection
object or the Named Selectionsfolder object).
• After at least one Named Selection is hidden, normally you can see the inside of a body, so displaying
both sides of each face is enabled (otherwise displaying just the exterior side of each face is enough).
But if a selection is made, the selected face is always displayed according to the setting in the Options
preference under Mechanical > Graphics (p. 303) > Highlight Selection. Single Side is the default
setting. It can be one side or both sides.
• If the Wireframe display option is used and Show Mesh is Yes, any face selected is displayed according
to the Highlight Selection property of the Options dialog under Mechanical > Graphics (p. 303).
Single Side is the default setting. It can be one side or both sides.
11.8. Displaying Interior Mesh Faces

There are special instances when a Named Selection is an interior "back-facing face". This is a unique
case that occurs when the external faces of the geometry are hidden allowing interior faces to become
visible.
To display the faces of the mesh, the Named Selections object must be highlighted in the tree and
the Plot Elements Attached to Named Selections option in the Annotation Preferences (p. 273) must
be selected. Then, to correct the display, use the Draw Face Mode menu options from the Show drop-
down menu of the Display group (p. 90) (Display tab). The Draw Face Mode menu options include:
• Auto Face Draw (default): Turning back-face culling on or off is program controlled. Using Section
Planes is an example of when the application would turn this feature off.
• Draw Front Faces: Face culling is forced to stay on. Back-facing faces will not be drawn in any
case, even if using Section Planes.
• Draw Both Faces: Back-face culling is turned off. Both front-facing and back-facing faces are
drawn.
Scoping Analysis Objects to Named Selections
Incorrect Display Correct Display using Draw Face Mode
11.9. Scoping Analysis Objects to Named Selections

Many objects can be scoped to Named Selections. Some examples are contact regions, mesh controls,
loads, supports, and results.
To scope an object to a Named Selection:
1. Insert or select the object in the tree.
2. Under the Details view, in the Scoping Method drop-down menu, select Named Selections.
3. In the Named Selection drop-down menu, choose the particular name.
Notes on scoping items to a Named Selection:
• Only Named Selections valid for the given analysis object are displayed in the Named Selection
drop-down menu. If there are no valid Named Selections, the drop-down menu is empty.
• No two Named Selections branches can have the same name. It is recommended that you use unique
and intuitive names for the Named Selections.
• Named Selection modifications update scoped objects accordingly.
• Deleting a Named Selection causes the scoped object to become underdefined.
• If all the components in a Named Selection cannot be applied to the item, the Named Selection is
not valid for that object. This includes components in the Named Selection that may be suppressed.
For example, in the case of a bolt pretension load scoped to cylindrical faces, only 1 cylinder can be
selected for its geometry. If you have a Named Selection with two cylinders, one of which is suppressed,
that particular Named Selection is still not valid for the bolt pretension load.
Named Selections
11.10. Sending Named Selections to the Solver

Named Selections objects provide the property Send to Solver. This property enables you to choose
(Yes by default or No) whether a Named Selection is sent to the solver. Named Selections scoped to
edges/vertices/faces are sent to the solver as nodes and Named Selections scoped to bodies are sent
to the solver as elements. If your Named Selection is scoped to an element face, an additional property
becomes available: the Send As property. Using this property, you can send the element face-based
Named Selection to the solver as nodes (default) or you can specify that it is sent as Mesh200 elements
that converts the scoped element faces to Mesh200 elements and sends those elements as a component
to the solver.
Note:
When the application sends a named selection scoped to bodies to the Mechanical APDL
solver, elements with the element types equal to those associated with the scoped bodies
are selected using the ESEL command. If element types are modified for these elements using
a command snippet, the named selection scoped to these bodies may not select the correct
set of elements. In this case, Ansys recommends that you convert the bodies into elements
in Mechanical and scope the named selections directly to the elements.
11.11. Protecting Named Selections

Named Selections objects provide the property Protected. Setting this property instructs the mesher
to respect the geometry features (bodies, faces, edges, or vertices) that the Named Selection object is
scoped to.
You can choose Program Controlled (default), Yes, or No to determine whether a Named Selection is
to be protected. When Program Controlled is selected, the scoped object(s) will be protected if the
Named Selection is used for boundary conditions, symmetry, other types of loads for the solver, as well
as match controls and hard sizing controls for meshing. The scoped objects will not receive additional
protection by the mesher if the Named Selection is not used for one of these controls.
11.12. Including Named Selections in Program Controlled Inflation

By default, faces in Named Selections are not selected to be inflation boundaries when the Use Auto-
matic Inflation control is set to Program Controlled. However, you can select specific Named Selections
to be included in Program Controlled inflation. To do so:
1. Create a Named Selection. (p. 1347)
2. Click the desired Named Selection in the tree and then in the Details view, set the Program
Controlled Inflation option to Include.
3. In the mesh controls, set the Use Automatic Inflation control to Program Controlled. As a
result, the Named Selection you chose in step 2 is selected to be an inflation boundary, along
with any other faces that would have been selected by default.
Exporting Named Selections
11.13. LS-DYNA Named Selection IDs

The LS-DYNA Named Selection User ID field is only visible when a Named Selection is created while
performing an analysis using an LS-DYNA system in Workbench. This field allows you to define an id
that will be used by the LS-DYNA solver for the Named Selection that you created. For more information,
see Defining Named Selections in the LS-DYNA User's Guide
11.14. Importing Named Selections

You can import Named Selections that you define in your CAD application, SpaceClaim, or DesignModeler.
Named Selections are often imported to scope specific geometric or mesh entities to loading and
boundary conditions.
SpaceClaim or DesignModeler
Mechanical automatically imports Named Selections created in SpaceClaim or DesignModeler.
CAD Applications
To import a Named Selection from a CAD system:
1. Create an analysis system and display the properties pane for the Geometry cell.
2. Under the Basic Geometry Options category, select the checkbox for the Named Selections
property. The Named Selections Key property displays automatically. The property contains
the default key from the global preferences, originally set to "NS." This key can include multiple
entries, with each separated by a semicolon (i.e. entry1;entry2;entry3). Named selections in the
CAD will be transferred if it starts with the same character set as any of the entries in the key.
There are also several additional keywords that can be included (e.g. Color, Layer) that will
transfer named selection data from CAD. See individual geometry interface support pages for
the supported keywords.
3. Launch Mechanical. A Named Selections folder is automatically inserted into the Outline pane
and includes all of the imported named selections.
Note:
There is an Options dialog preference for the default behavior between Named Selections
imported from your CAD application and how Mechanical treats the Named Selection if it is
deleted in the upstream CAD system. The Delete Missing Named Sections from CAD setting
enables you to maintain a reference between upstream Named Selections and the downstream
scoping specified in Mechanical. See the Import category of the Geometry (p. 300) preference
group for more information.
11.15. Exporting Named Selections

You can export the Named Selection that you create and save the contents to a text or Microsoft Excel
file.
Named Selections
To export the Named Selection object:
1. Right-click the desired Named Selection object and select Export.
2. Name and save the file.
The text or Microsoft Excel file you export includes a list of generated node ids, by default. You can also
include the location information of the generated node ids in the exported file. To include node id
location information in the exported file:
1. Open the Options dialog.
2. Select the Export option.
3. Under Export, click the Include Node Location drop-down list, and then select Yes.
Note:
• The Named Selection Export feature is available only for node-based and element-based
Named Selection objects.
• Node Numbers are always shown in the exported text or Microsoft Excel file irrespective
of setting for Include Node Numbers in Options > Export.
11.16. Merging Named Selections

Selecting more than one Named Selection in the tree and then right-clicking makes the Merge Selected
Named Selections option available. This option creates a new Worksheet-based Named Selection (p. 1351)
for the chosen Named Selection objects. The Worksheet displays automatically below the Geometry
window when you use this option or when the merged Named Selection is picked in the tree.
A completed merge is illustrated below.
Converting Named Selection Groups to Mechanical APDL Application Components
11.17. Converting Named Selection Groups to Mechanical APDL Applic-

ation Components
When you write a Mechanical APDL application input file (p. 1952) that includes a Named Selection group,
the group is transferred to the Mechanical APDL application as a component provided the name contains
only standard English letters and numbers, spaces, underscore, hyphen, and/or parenthesis characters.
The Named Selection will be available in the input file as a Mechanical APDL component for use in a
Commands (p. 2407) object. Geometry scoping to bodies will result in an element-based component. All
other scoping types will result in a nodal component. The following actions occur automatically to the
group name in the Mechanical application to form the resulting component name in the Mechanical
APDL application:
• A name exceeding 32 characters is truncated.
• A name that begins with a number, space, hyphen, or parenthesis character, is renamed to include
"C_" before the character.
• Spaces, hyphens, or parentheses between characters in a name are replaced with underscores.
Example: The Named Selection group in the Mechanical application called 1 Edge appears as com-
ponent C_1_Edge in the Mechanical APDL application input file.
Note:
Named selections starting with ALL, STAT, or DEFA will not be sent to the Mechanical APDL
application.
Chapter 12: Specifying Remote Points
You use a Remote Point as a scoping (p. 1586) mechanism for remote boundary conditions (p. 1856). Remote
points are a way of abstracting a connection to a solid model, be it a vertex, edge, face, body, node,
or element face to a point in space (specified by the Location property). The solver uses multipoint
constraint (MPC) equations to make these connections.
The following sections describe how to create and define a Remote Point as well as the characteristics
and limitations associated with this scoping tool.
12.1. Remote Point Application
12.2. Geometry Behaviors
12.3. Support Specifications
12.4. Remote Point Features
Background
Remote Points are akin to the various remote loads available in the Mechanical application. Remote
boundary conditions create remote points in space behind the scenes, or, internally, whereas the Remote
Point objects define a specific point in space only. As a result, the external Remote Point can be associated
to a portion of geometry that can have multiple boundary conditions scoped to it. This single remote
association avoids overconstraint conditions that can occur when multiple remote loads are scoped to
the same geometry. The overconstraint occurs because multiple underlying contact elements are used
for the individual remote loads when applied as usual to the geometry. When the multiple remote loads
are applied to a single remote point, scoped to the geometry, the possibility of overconstraint is greatly
reduced.
Remote Points are a powerful tool for working with and controlling the Degrees of Freedom (DOF) of
a body. Remote Points provide a property, DOF Selection, which gives you a finer control over the
active DOFs used to connect the Remote Point location to the body.
Furthermore, Remote Points can be can be used independently, without being scoped to a boundary
condition. Remote Point create MPC equations and therefore can be used to model phenomena, such
as coupling a set of nodes so that they have the same DOF solution.
Another capability of Remote Points is that they are also a scoping mechanism for the Constraint
Equation (p. 1821) object. The equation relates the degrees of freedom (DOF) of one or more remote
points
A Remote Point or multiple remote points work in tandem with the following boundary conditions:
• Thermal Point Mass (p. 940)
• Joints (p. 1202)
Remote Points
• Spring (p. 1306)
• Bearing (p. 1324)
• Beam Connection (p. 1315)
• Moment (p. 1688)
These objects acquire data from remote points and eliminate the need to define the objects individually.
You can scope one or more of the above objects to a defined Remote Point. This provides a central
object to which you can make updates that will affect the scoping of multiple objects.
Note:
Following are important points to keep in mind when using Remote Points:
• A Remote Point can reference only one Remote Force and one Moment. If you scope
a Remote Point to multiple remote forces or moments, duplicate specifications are
ignored and a warning message is generated.
• A Remote Point with Deformable behavior should not be used on surfaces that are
modeled with symmetry boundary conditions. The internally generated weight factors
only account for the modeled geometry. Therefore, remote points with deformable
behavior should only be used on the "full" geometry.
• Remote Points create MPC equations. If a model has constraint equations with too
many terms, it is ill-posed, requires significantly higher memory requirements and
solution times, and may never converge. The program automatically terminates the
solution of such models with an error message stating "If you wish to bypass this
message to allow the solution to continue with increased solution time and memory
requirements, issue the CEFILTER,OFF command."
For additional Mechanical APDL specific information, see the Multipoint Constraints and Assemblies
section as well as KEYOPT(2) in the Mechanical APDL Contact Technology Guide.
12.1. Remote Point Application

To specify a Remote Point:
1. Select the Model object and then select the Remote Point option from the Model (p. 50)
Context tab.
Or, you can right-click and select Insert > Remote Point.
Remote Point Application
2. Specify the scoping. Options include Geometry Selection (default), Named Selection, Remote
Point, Remote Points and Nodes, or Free Standing. See the descriptions below.
Note:
• To select nodes, you first need to generate the mesh.
• This scoping option is not supported for the LSDYNA Solver.
Mechanical APDL Reference
When you scope your Remote Point to a single node or multiple nodes, a point-to-surface contact al-
gorithm is used (using contact element CONTA175). This process can produce a slightly different result
at the area of application compared to face scoping of the same topology. Geometry scoping to 3D
faces and 2D edges uses a constant traction contact application (contact elements CONTA171 through
CONTA174). However, a Remote Point scoped to one or more vertices of a 2D or a 3D solid does not
use MPC-based contact. Instead, beam elements are created by the solver to connect the vertex to the
Remote Point. Furthermore, when scoped to the vertex of a line body, the application uses the element
TARGE170 in (rigid) line form.
Important:
For systems solved using the Mechanical APDL solver:
• When a Remote Point is scoped to a single node, the remote attachment may be rotation-
ally unconstrained if the:
– Behavior property of the remote point is set to Deformable.
Or...
– The scoped node does not have rotational DOFs, such as nodes included in solid body
or a 2D surface body.
• When a Remote Point is scoped to multiple nodes that are collinear, the rotations along
the line of collinear nodes may not transfer if the scoped nodes belong to solid bodies
because the nodes on a solid body do not have rotational DOFs.
Also note that this limitation applies to objects that use remote points, such as Moments.
Details Properties
Remote Point definable properties are listed and described below:
Remote Points
• Scoping Method: Options include Geometry (default), Named Selection, Remote Point, Remote
Points and Nodes, or Free Standing.
Note:
When you specify Free Standing, the Geometry, Pinball Region, Behavior, and DOF
Selection properties do not appear in the Details. Free Standing Remote Points can be
used to model structures such as Tuned Mass Dampers by directly connecting pieces of
your model together.
• Geometry/Named Selection (geometry or node-based) selection. These options support face, edge,
vertex, node, or element face selection/specification.
• Outline Selection: When you specify Remote Point or Remote Points and Nodes as the Scoping
Method, this property displays. It is scoped to an existing Remote Point.
1. Select the entry field of the property and then select the desired Remote Point objects from
the Outline.
2. Click the Apply button that displays automatically. Once specified, this field displays the
number of Remote Point objects you have selected (for example, 1 Object, 2 Objects, etc.).
Note:
During Transient Thermal analyses, an error condition could arise for a Remote Point
scoped to multiple Remote Point objects.
• Nodes: When you specify Remote Points and Nodes as the Scoping Method, this property displays.
This option enables you perform direct node selection for the Remote Point in addition to the scoping
of one or more Remote Point objects.
• Coordinate System: the Coordinate System based on the original location of the remote point. This
property does not change if you modify the remote point's position with the Location property.
Note:
When you scope a Remote Point to a load or a result (Scoping Method property is set
to Remote Point), the direction used to calculate the load or to evaluate the result is
based on the Coordinate System property of the Remote Point object. This also applies
to when Remote Points like this are used with a Commands (APDL) object.
• X Coordinate: the distance from the coordinate system origin on the x axis.
• Y Coordinate: the distance from the coordinate system origin on the y axis.
• Z Coordinate: the distance from the coordinate system origin on the z axis.
Remote Point Application
• Location: the location in space of the remote point. This property enables you to manually modify
the remote point’s original position. Changing the Location property re-plots the x, y, and z coordinate
locations, but does not establish a new coordinate system, reflected by the Coordinate System
property.
For a Free Standing remote point, use this property to define the remote point's position in space.
Important:
When you first scope a Remote Point and you do not also define the Location property,
the application sets the position of the remote point to the centroid of the scoped geometry
selection(s) or if scoped to multiple Remote Points, the centroid of those Remote Points.
Any subsequent scoping changes will not change this position. You must update the Re-
mote Point's location as needed.
• Behavior (p. 1385). Specify the behavior of the connection of the Remote Point to the model. Options
include Deformable, Rigid, Coupled, or Beam.
• Formulation: This property enables you to specify the contact algorithm the application uses for a
particular remote point computation. Property options include:
– MPC (default): This option creates multipoint constraint equations internally during the
Mechanical APDL solution to tie the bodies together.
– Lagrange Multiplier: This option enforces zero penetration when the contact is closed, making
use of a Lagrange multiplier on the normal direction and a penalty method in the tangential
direction. This formulation helps to overcome over-constraint problems better than the MPC
formulation.
Note:
– The Formulation property is not supported when the Behavior property is set to
Beam.
– The Lagrange Multiplier option is not supported when the Behavior property is
set to Coupled.
– The Lagrange Multiplier option is not supported when you deactivate any DOF
for target elements using the DOF Selection property (KEYOPT(4)).
For more information, see the Selecting a Contact Algorithm (KEYOPT(2)) topic in the Mechanical
APDL Contact Technology Guide.
• Relaxation Method: This property is only available when the Formulation property is set to MPC.
Property options include No (default) and Yes. Setting this property to Yes eliminates overconstraints.
When MPC-based surfaced-based constraints or rigid bodies are subjected to overconstraint, this
method relaxes the constraint between contact-generated internal constraint equations and other
constraint equations or Lagrange multipliers.
For more information, see the Overconstraint Detection and Elimination section of the Mechanical
APDL Contact Technology Guide.
Remote Points
• Pinball Region: The Pinball Region for a Remote Point is a radius value (length unit) that defines
a region for selecting elements to be used by the solver for the Remote Point's scoping.
• DOF Selection: Options include Program Controlled (default) or Manual. This offers an opportunity
for better control of which DOF's will activate for corresponding constraint equations. If you specify
Manual for DOF Selection in an Explicit Dynamics system, the active/inactive settings of the X, Y,
and Z Components and the X, Y, and Z Rotations are ignored, because these settings do not play a
role in the constraint equations for an Explicit Dynamics system.
Important:
When the Behavior property of a Remote Point is set to:
– Rigid: The DOF Selection property references the active DOF on the scoped
geometry. The Rigid setting always utilizes six (6) DOF on the Remote Point
location. As a result, the DOF Selection setting will not necessarily remove
entire constraint equations. For these cases, consider setting the Behavior
property to Coupled or use a General Joint. In addition, when the Coordinate
System property is set to a local coordinate system, make sure that you either
1) set DOF Selection property to Program Controlled or 2) set all the DOFs
as active when using the Manual setting.
Note:
For your selected geometry, active DOFs use the Global Coordinate
System, not the system specified by the Coordinate System
property. As a result, you could see unexpected results unless all
DOFs are set to Active. To achieve Rigid behavior without setting
all DOFs as Active, you can specify a Joint instead of a Remote
Point.
– Deformable: The DOF Selection property references the active DOF on the
Remote Point location.
Use caution when using the Manual setting of the property. The difference between
the location of active DOF Selection based on the Behavior property setting causes
the Remote Point to behave differently.
• Pilot Node APDL Name: This optional property enables you to create an APDL parameter (in the
input file) and assign its value to the pilot node number of the Remote Point. This facilitates easy
programmatic identification of the Remote Point’s pilot node for later use/reference in a Command
object (p. 2407).
• Material: This property is available when the Behavior property is set to Beam. Select a material to
define material properties for the beam connection of the Remote Point. Density is excluded from
the material definition.
Geometry Behaviors
• Radius: This property is available when the Behavior property is set to Beam. Specify a radius to
define the cross section dimension of the circular beam used for the beam connection of the Remote
Point.
Common Properties Behavior Options
Deformable Behavior and Manual DOF Beam Behavior Specified - Advanced Category Displays
Selection Specified
12.2. Geometry Behaviors

The Behavior option dictates the behavior of the attached geometry. You can specify the Behavior of
the scoped geometry for a remote boundary condition in the Details as either Rigid, Deformable,
Coupled, or Beam.
Note:
The Ansys Explicit Dynamics solver only supports Rigid Behavior.
• Deformable: The geometry is free to deform. This is a general purpose option used when applying
boundary conditions such as a force or mass through "abstract" entities not explicitly represented as
geometry inside Mechanical. This formulation is similar to the Mechanical APDL constraint defined
by the RBE3 command.
• Rigid: The geometry will not deform (maintains the initial shape). This option is useful when the
"abstracted" object significantly stiffens the model at the attachment point. Note that thermal expan-
sion effects cause artificially high stresses because the geometry cannot deform where the load is
applied. This formulation is similar to the Mechanical APDL constraint defined by the CERIG command.
Remote Points
• Coupled: The geometry has the same DOF solution on its underlying nodes as the remote point
location. This is useful when you want a portion of geometry to share the same DOF solution (such
as UX) that may or may not be known. For example, to constrain a surface to have the same displace-
ment in the X direction, simply create a remote point, set the formulation to Coupled, and activate
the X DOF. Because the DOF is known, you can specify an additional Remote Displacement. This for-
mulation is similar to the Mechanical APDL constraint defined by the CP command.
• Beam: This option specifies that the Remote Point is connected to the model using linear massless
beam elements (BEAM188). This approach is more direct than using Constraint Equations and can
help prevent over-constraint issues that can occur with CE's. The following two user-defined properties
are available to define the connection:
– Material: Specifies the material properties, except density, that will be used for the beam
connections. The application does not include the material properties for the Coefficient of
Linear Thermal Expansion by default. As a result, this may develop thermal differential strains
when thermal conditions are applied to the model. To address this issue, use Line Bodies with
the necessary user-defined material properties instead of a Remote Point.
– Radius: Defines the cross section dimension of the circular beam (CSOLID) and is sent to the
Mechanical APDL solver via the SECDATA command.
The Beam formulation can be useful when working with shells. For example, when you are trying to
model Spot Welds (p. 1318) between two sheet bodies with holes.
Important:
When you apply a thermal load to your model, thermal differential strains can develop
when using the Beam option. This is because the thermal loading does not become
properly associated to the automatically generated beam elements created to make the
connection.
You must determine which Behavior best represents the actual loading. Note that this option has no
effect if the boundary condition is scoped to a rigid body in which case a Rigid behavior is always used.
Presented below are examples of the Total Deformation resulting from the same Remote Displacement,
first using a Rigid formulation, then using a Deformable formulation, and finally the Coupled formula-
tion.
Rigid Behavior
Support Specifications
Deformable Behavior
Coupled Behavior
12.3. Support Specifications

Note the following when using the Remote Point feature.
• Mechanical APDL solver logic is based on MPC-based contact. See the Surface-Based Constraints
section of the Mechanical APDL Contact Technology Guide for more information. However, a Remote
Point scoped to a vertex (or vertices) of a 2D or 3D solid does not use MPC-based contact. Instead,
beam elements are created by the solver to connect the vertex to the Remote Point.
• The MPC equations are generated from the definition of a Remote Point are based on the underlying
element shape functions. In a large deflection analysis, these element shapes functions are reformed
at each substep. As a result, MPC equations are superior to the RBE3, CERIG, and CP commands.
• For Remote Boundary Conditions (p. 1856) applied to an edge or edges of a line body that are colinear,
the deformable behavior is invalid. As such, the scoped entities exhibit rigid behavior even if a de-
formable formulation is specified, and a warning is issued in the Message Window.
• All remote boundary conditions are associative, meaning they remember their connection to the
geometry. Their location however does not change. If you want the location to be associative, create
a coordinate system on the particular face and set the location to 0,0,0 in that local coordinate system.
• If the geometry to which a Remote Point is scoped becomes suppressed, the Remote Point also be-
comes suppressed. Once the geometry is Unsuppressed, the Remote Point becomes valid again.
Remote Points
• Remote boundary conditions scoped to a large number of elements can cause the solver to consume
excessive amounts of memory. Point masses in an analysis where a mass matrix is required and analyses
that contain remote displacements are the most sensitive to this phenomenon. If this situation occurs,
consider modifying the Pinball setting to reduce the number of elements included in the solver.
Forcing the use of an iterative solver may help as well. Refer to the troubleshooting (p. 2475) section
for further details.
• If a remote boundary condition is scoped to rigid body, the underlying topology on which the load
is applied is irrelevant. Since the body is rigid, the loading path through the body will be of no con-
sequence; only the location at which the load acts.
• For the explicit dynamics solver, when remote points are scoped to a vertex they will always have a
rigid behavior. For other solvers, remote points scoped to a vertex will always have a deformable
behavior.
For additional Mechanical APDL specific information, see the Multipoint Constraints and Assemblies
section as well as KEYOPT(2) in the Mechanical APDL Contact Technology Guide.
Note:
To apply a remote boundary condition scoped to a surface more than once (for example,
two springs), you must do one of the following:
• Set scoped surface Behavior to Deformable.
• Change scoping to remove any overlap.
• Leverage the Pinball Region option.
12.4. Remote Point Features

Use the following tools to get the most out of the Remote Point feature.
• View Remote Point Connection Lines (p. 1388)
• Promote Remote Points (p. 1389)
• Program Remote Points with Commands Objects (p. 1391)
View Remote Point Connection Lines

You can visualize the connection between the underlying geometry associated with a remote point
and the remote point itself using the Remote Point Connections option of the Style (p. 83) group on
the Display tab.
Once you have generated the mesh, the connection lines are drawn between the remote point and the
nodes on the corresponding mesh of the underlying geometry. The connection lines take the Pinball
radius into account, and only those nodes that are inside that radius will be connected with the remote
point. Any remote loads that have been promoted to reference remote points will have these lines
drawn when their object is selected as well. An example of connection lines is shown below.
Remote Point Features
See the Viewing and Exporting Finite Element Connections (p. 1934) topic in the Solution Information
Object section of the Help for additional information about the ability to view and work with connection
lines.
Promote Remote Points

The Promote Remote Point feature is a contextual menu option that enables you to generate Remote
Point objects from existing, and currently defined, boundary conditions and connection features.
Important:
The promotion action changes the scoping of the corresponding object and may, as a result,
cause up-to-date states to become obsolete. Promoted objects associated with a completed
solution would cause the solution to become obsolete and require it to be re-solved.
Note:
Automatic Remote Point promotion is available in Harmonic Response or Transient Structural

analyses that use a linked Modal system to implement the Mode Superposition (MSUP)
solver method for the Remote Force and Moment loads. To use this feature:
• Select a supported topology (geometric or mesh entity) on your model, and
• Insert a Remote Force or a Moment load.
Remote Points
The application automatically creates (promotes) a corresponding Remote Point for the
specified load and scopes the load to that Remote Point. Automatic Remote Point creation
improves processing performance by eliminating the need to create internal elements for
the load.
The following objects provide the Promote Remote Point option:
• Point Mass (p. 937) • Bearing (p. 1324)
• Thermal Point Mass (p. 940) • Remote Force (p. 1664)
• Joint (p. 1202) • Moment (p. 1688)
• Spring (p. 1306) • Remote Displacement (p. 1792)
To create a remote point by promotion:
1. Select the object you wish to use to generate a new Remote Point, right-click, and select Promote
Remote Point. The application adds a new Remote Point object to the tree. This new object
contains the same scoping as the object used for promotion.
In addition and as illustrated in the example shown below, it is important to note that the scoping
of the source object, the object used to generate the promotion, also changes. The application
automatically updates the properties of the Scoping category of the source object and specifies
the scoping to the new Remote Point. Furthermore, multiple Remote Point object can be generated
based on the scoping of the source object, such as a Body-To-Body Spring.
Remote Point Features
2. As necessary, you can modify the specifications of the new object.
Note:
This option is not available for objects scoped as a Direct Attachment, such as Springs,
Joints, Beams, a Point Mass, or a Thermal Point Mass.
Program Remote Points with Commands Objects

A Commands (p. 2407) object can be placed in the tree as a child object of a Remote Point providing
you programmable access to the Remote Point pilot node. This is useful if you wish to apply conditions
to the Remote Point that are not supported in Mechanical, such as beam or constraint equations.
Chapter 13: Analysis Selection for Model-Level
Objects
Use the Analyses Selection feature to specify whether to apply specific objects to one or more analyses
included in your simulation. Only environments that use the Mechanical APDL solver and that are inde-
pendent (no initial conditions) from other environments can use this feature. That is, this feature will
not present environments in the worksheet if there is an upstream system that provides initial conditions
to a downstream environment. For instance, this feature does not support structural optimization analyses
because they depend on an upstream system. Unsupported analysis systems display in the worksheet
with a Not Applicable (NA) label.
• Supported Objects (p. 1393)
• Using the Worksheet (p. 1394)
• Specifying Global Bolt Pretension Loads (p. 1395)
Supported Objects
The Analyses Selection feature supports the following folders/objects:
• Boundary Conditions folder (Bolt Pretension (p. 1679) loads only)
• Connections folder:
– Contacts Folder > Contact Region (p. 1138) objects.
– Joints Folder > Joint (p. 1202) objects.
• Materials object and Material Assignment (p. 1071) objects.
As illustrated, for each supported object, the pane provides a worksheet of all environments and asso-
ciated boundary condition, connection, joint, or material assignment objects specified in the simulation.
Analysis Selection for Model-Level Objects
Using the Worksheet

For the supported objects, make Analyses Selection pane selections as follows:
• The analysis type row and the object column each automatically select either all objects or all
analysis types.
• Selecting an individual object’s cell selects the object for the corresponding analysis. You can
make multiple selections in these individual cells. Note that partial selections
Based your selections, the application writes the data for the object(s) to the ds.dat file. By default,
when you display the pane, the application automatically selects all check boxes. For these "partial se-
lections," the icon in the column or row changes to indicate a partial selection .
If you specify more than one Material Assignment object to the same part or body, the last assignment
object created takes precedence when the application creates the ds.dat file.
Note:
Objects displayed in the pane must be applicable to the analysis types specified in your
simulation. You can include a Bolt Pretension load in a thermal analysis, but the Analyses
Selection pane will not write data for this object to the input file because it is not supported
by the analysis type.
Specifying Global Bolt Pretension Loads

You commonly add a Bolt Pretension (p. 1679) loading condition to an environment of your simulation.
You can also insert a Bolt Pretension load from the Boundary Conditions folder. This optional folder
is first inserted from the Model object of your simulation. Currently, Bolt Pretension is the only
boundary condition available from the Boundary Conditions folder.
Note:
The Pressure load is a supported beta option for this feature.
1. You can insert the boundary condition directly at the model-level or you can create it under the
analysis environment and promote the object.
From the Model Object
2. From the Model Context tab, open the Boundary Conditions option and select Bolt Pre-
tension. Alternatively, right-click the Model object or within the Geometry window, and
select Insert > Boundary Conditions > Bolt Pretension.
3. Specify the properties of the boundary condition.
From the Environment Object
1. Select the Environment object.
2. From the Environment Context tab: open the Loads drop-down menu and select Bolt
Pretension. Alternatively, right-click the Environment object or within the Geometry window,
and select Insert > Bolt Pretension.
3. Specify the properties of the boundary condition.
4. Right-click the Bolt Pretension object and select Move Items to Boundary Conditions.
This automatically inserts the boundary condition under the Model object.
Important:
The Boundary Conditions object includes one Details pane property: Number of Steps.
This property defines the number of initial loads steps for any Bolt Pretension load
specified in the group. The default setting is 1. Once you define a load, use the Tabular
Data (p. 187) window to modify these load steps. The Number of Steps property of the
Boundary Conditions object only specifies the number of steps when you create the
load. Any change to the setting of the Number of Steps property only affects subsequent
loads you create.
Analysis Selection for Model-Level Objects
2. Highlight the Boundary Conditions object and select the Analyses Selection option from the
Boundary Conditions tab. The worksheet displays all of the environments and model-level
boundary conditions available in the simulation. Select the check box beside each analysis system
to apply the boundary condition.
Limitations
Note the following:
• The following analysis systems do not support the use of contacts, joints, or Material Assignment in
the Analyses Selection worksheet:
– Explicit Dynamics
– Motion
– Rigid Dynamics
– Structural Optimization
• The Analyses Selection worksheet does not support the following joint types (p. 1208):
– Point on Curve Joint
– In-Plane Radial Gap (Imperfect)
– Spherical Gap (Imperfect)
– Radial Gap (Imperfect)
– Screw
– Constant Velocity (Homokinetic)
– Distance
• Models that include a large number of Contacts, Joints, or Material Assignment objects may require
additional time to display in the Analysis Selection worksheet.
• The application does not process inactive Contact Regions in the worksheet for the associated envir-
onment, however, they can still be used by certain Mesh Edit features that require a Contact Region.
• You need to make sure that you fully define all objects, even if they are not enabled for a solution
on the Analyses Selection worksheet. Underdefined objects may prevent you from running the
solution.
Chapter 14: Using Tables
Overview
Use the Tables feature to create multi-variable tables of numeric data. You can then assign these tables
to specify pressure (p. 1630), temperature (p. 1712), and thermal condition (p. 1708) loads in Mechanical APDL
solver analyses.
The variables in tables represent physical quantities (such as pressure or temperature) whose values
depend on measurable quantities such as spatial coordinates, temperature, or time. Variables are rep-
resented by columns of data in a table. Their values are entered in the rows of the table. During an
analysis, the solver loads the table that is assigned to a boundary condition and uses its values to
compute a solution. Table assignments can also be parameterized to explore different design options.
Table data can be created in third-party software such as logging packages, spreadsheets, or mathem-
atical analysis packages, then imported into Mechanical. You can also enter data manually. Once a table
is defined, the application presents your data in table-array format and plots it in a graph. You can op-
tionally refresh a table from its source file before generating a solution.
To learn more about tables, see the following sections:

14.1.Table Requirements and Limitations
14.2.Tables in 2D and 3D Models
14.3. Create a Table
14.4. Enter and Edit Data in a Table
14.5. Work with Tables in Free View
14.6. Work With Tables in Unified View
14.7. Display Plotted Variable Values
14.8. View Table Details
14.9. Reimport Table Data
14.10. Reimport Table Data With Different Import Parameters
14.11. Rename a Table
14.12. Delete a Table
Mechanical APDL Notes

Tables are a special type of numeric array that enables the Mechanical APDL solver to calculate (through
linear interpolation) the values between the entries in your table The solver applies these interpolated
values across the selected geometry when it computes the solution. See the discussion in Array Para-
meters.
Tables
14.1. Table Requirements and Limitations

Keep the following in mind when working with tables.
Requirements for Tables

• Table data must be numeric. Your localization settings determine the format of this numeric data.
• A table must include at least one independent or primary variable. These variables represent independ-
ent, measurable quantities. Valid independent variables include:
– Spatial coordinates: X Coordinate, Y Coordinate or Theta Coordinate, Z Coordinate
– Time
– Temperature
• A table must include at least one dependent variable. These variables represent real physical quantities
whose values depend on the independent variables in the table.
The possible dependent variables for the supported boundary conditions are listed below.
Boundary Dependent Variable(s) Description

Condition
Pressure[a] Pressure The magnitude of pressure normal to a
surface
Pressure components (Pressure_i, The X, Y, and Z components of a pressure
Pressure_j, Pressure_k) vector
Temperature Temperature The temperature on the boundary
Thermal Condition Temperature The internal temperature of the body
[a] Pressure tables can include either pressure or pressure components.
• The order of columns in a table is not important. Independent and dependent variables can be spe-
cified in any order.
• Table rows do not need to be sorted. The solver input generation reorders data as required. You can
optionally sort table data for display as described in Sort Data by Column Value or Row Number (p. 1414).
The data order in the table itself is never changed.
• The dimensions of table variables should match the dimensions of the model (2D or 3D). See Tables
in 2D and 3D Models (p. 1399) for details.
Limitations on Tables
• Tables are only supported for the Mechanical APDL solver.
• The maximum size of a table depends on your computing resources. You might experience perform-
ance issues with very large tables that contain thousands of rows.
Tables in 2D and 3D Models
• Although Temperature can be included as an independent variable in a table of pressure loads, the
Mechanical APDL solver does not currently use it when computing a solution.
• Tables can include either the independent variable Y Coordinate (that is, table data in Cartesian co-
ordinates) or the independent variable Theta Coordinate (that is, table data in cylindrical coordinates),
but not both.
• The spatial coordinate system defines the origin for the coordinates in the table. Tables that include
Y Coordinate as an independent variable (that is, tables with Cartesian coordinates) cannot be used
with cylindrical spatial coordinate systems. Similarly, tables that include Theta Coordinate as an in-
dependent variable (that is, tables with cylindrical coordinates) cannot be used with Cartesian spatial
coordinate systems.
• If a table contains rows with identical variable values, the Mechanical APDL solver uses the last row.
• Mechanical automatically displays table data in the unit system that is selected for the model. If you
change the model's unit system, all table data is displayed in its equivalent values in the new units
of measurement.
• The Mechanical APDL solver converts all table values to SI units during the solution, regardless of
the units assigned to the model in Mechanical.
14.2. Tables in 2D and 3D Models

Tables are supported for both 2D and 3D analyses in Mechanical with the following limitations.
Supported Variables for 2D and 3D Tables

The dimensions of a table's spatial coordinates and pressure components correspond to the dimensions
of the analysis. When you create or import a table, the available variables depend on the analysis type
you selected. The following table shows which variables can be included in tables for 2D and 3D models:
Table 14.1: Variables for 2D and 3D Tables
Variable 2D 3D
X_Coordinate ✔ ✔
Y_Coordinate or Theta_Coordin- ✔ ✔
ate
Z_Coordinate ✔ with limitations. See Spatial Coordinates for 2D and 3D ✔
Tables (p. 1400).
Time ✔ ✔
Temperature ✔ ✔
Pressure ✔ ✔
Pressure_i ✔ ✔
Pressure_j ✔ ✔
Pressure_k ✔
Tables
Spatial Coordinates for 2D and 3D Tables

If the table contains spatial coordinates:
• X_Coordinate and Y_Coordinate or Theta_Coordinate may be present in a 2D model.
• X_Coordinate, Y_Coordinate or Theta_Coordinate, and Z_Coordinate may be present in a 3D

model.
Warning:
Under certain conditions, a 2D model could contain tables with X, Y or Theta, and Z coordin-
ates. For example, you could add a table via scripting or create a table in a 3D model, exit
Mechanical and switch to a 2D model in Workbench, then reopen the model in Mechanical.
If a 3D table is assigned to a boundary condition in a 2D model, the Mechanical APDL solver

will interpolate to find the dependent variable values for X and Y or Theta at Z = 0. The
solver will use these interpolated values when it computes the solution.
Required Pressure Components

If the table contains pressure components:
• Pressure_i and Pressure_j must be present in a 2D model.
• Pressure_i, Pressure_j and Pressure_k must be present in a 3D model.
If a required pressure component is missing, the table is under-defined. It cannot be assigned to a

boundary condition. If the table was already assigned to a boundary condition, an error condition displays
in the boundary condition Details pane and the solver cannot compute a solution.
Warning:
Under certain conditions, a 2D model could contain tables with Pressure_i, Pressure_j and
Pressure_k components. (For example, you added a table via scripting or created a table
in a 3D model, exited Mechanical and switched the model to 2D in Workbench, then reopened
the model in Mechanical.) The Mechanical APDL solver ignores Pressure_k when it computes
the solution.
14.3. Create a Table

Mechanical supports three ways to create a table:
• Create a table from data that is stored in a file. See Import a Table from a Data File (p. 1402) for supported
file formats and instructions.
• Create a table by manually entering data in the application. See Manually Enter a Table (p. 1406) for
instructions.
Create a Table
• Create a table while defining a boundary condition. See Add a Table While Defining a Boundary
Condition (p. 1410) for more information.
After you create a table, you can enter numeric data into its cells and edit table data as described in
Enter and Edit Data in a Table (p. 1410).
Tables Folder and Overall Table Status

When you create a table, the application automatically inserts a Tables object under the Model object.
It also adds the Table object you just created.
The icon for the Tables object summarizes the status of the tables in your project:
• A check mark (✔) next to the Tables object indicates that all tables are valid.
• A question mark (?) next to the Tables object indicates that one or more tables are invalid (as shown
in the example below).
Table Objects and Table Status

Every table that you create is listed under the Tables folder. The icon next to a table name indicates
its status.
Tables
• A check mark (✔) indicates that the table is valid.
• A question mark (?) indicates that the table is invalid. In the example above, the question mark next
to Table 2 indicates that the table is invalid. Table 2 might have missing data, be assigned an invalid
coordinate system, or fail a file import.
• An i in a red circle (error) appears if Refresh Import On > Before Solve failed. This error could be
due to any type of import failure, including a missing data file, an incorrect number of columns, or
another bad import setting. See the discussion of this function under View Table Details (p. 1427) for
more information about how Mechanical handles reimported tables.
14.3.1. Import a Table from a Data File

You can create or record a table of data in another application (such as a spreadsheet or logging
program), save it to a delimited text file, and import the data file into the Mechanical application.
Table Data File Requirements

Table data files must comply with Table Requirements and Limitations (p. 1398). In addition, they must
be in the following format:
• Table data is stored in a delimited text file. Valid delimiters are commas (,), tabs, spaces, and semi-
colons (;).
• Data files can optionally contain text header rows at the beginning of the file and text footer rows
at the end of the file. However, the table import function ignores these headers and footers. Skip
these rows when you import a file (as described below). Otherwise, these rows will be left blank.
• When you import a table from a file, you must specify the units of measurement for its independent
and dependent variables. These units can be from a single system of measurement or a mixture
of different systems of measurement. However, Mechanical automatically converts all numeric values
in the table to their equivalent values in the model's current units of measurement.
Create a Table by Importing a Data File

1. Create the table. Do one of the following:
• Right-click the Model object or the geometry, then select Insert > Table from File.
• Right-click the Tables object, then select Table from File.
• Click the Table from File icon on the Table Context tab.
The application automatically adds a Tables object (if one does not already exist) and creates a
new table.
2. An Open dialog appears. Select the file that contains data for your table. Data files must be
formatted as described in Table Data File Requirements (p. 1402).
Create a Table
After you select a data file, the Import From File dialog displays as shown below.
3. Choose the Delimiter that separates the entries in your data file.
• Select Auto (the default) to have the table import function automatically identify the de-
limiter character.
• Select one of the following to manually identify the delimiter character: Comma, Semicolon,
Space, or Tab.
4. If your table has one or more rows of header text at the beginning of the file, set the Skip Rows
option to skip these lines. The table import dialog highlights the skipped header rows in red.
5. If your table has one or more rows of footer text at the end of the file, set the Skip Footer option
to skip these lines. The table import dialog highlights the skipped footer rows in red.
6. Select the Variable type for each column of data from the drop-down menu at the top of the
column. Use the search box to filter variable types by name.
Tables
• F next to the variable name indicates an independent (or primary) variable. A table must have
at least one independent variable.
Note:
Independent variables can include either Cartesian coordinates or cylindrical coordin-

ates, but not both. If you select Y Coordinate as an independent variable, you cannot
select Theta, and vice versa.
• R next to the variable type indicates a dependent variable. A table must have at least one de-
pendent variable.
See Table Requirements and Limitations (p. 1398) for a discussion of independent and dependent
variables in tables.
7. Select the Unit for each variable from the drop-down menu.
The available units correspond to the type of variable you selected. For instance, if you picked
Temperature as the variable type, the Unit menu displays units of temperature: C (Celsius), K
(Kelvin), F (Fahrenheit), and R (Rankine).
Note:
Imported tables can have units from multiple unit systems. Mechanical automatically
converts all table values to the unit system that is currently selected for the model.
8. When you finish, click the Import button. The application imports the table data and displays it
in the Table worksheet.
Create a Table
9. In the Details pane for the new table, you can optionally specify the following:
Tables
• If your table contains X, Y or Theta, or Z coordinates, specify the table's coordinate system under
Spatial Coordinate System.
• You can define the table as an APDL scripting variable in the Send to Solver field and specify
its variable name in the APDS Name field.
• You can specify whether the table is reimported before the solution under Refresh Import On
For more information about these parameters, see View Table Details (p. 1427).
14.3.2. Manually Enter a Table

You can manually create and enter data into a table as an alternative to importing a data file.
1. Create the table. Do one of the following:
• Under the Create Table icon on the Model Context tab, select Table from the drop-
down menu .
• Right-click the Model object or the geometry, then select Insert > Table.
• Right-click the Tables object, then select Table.
• Click the Table icon on the Table Context tab.
• When using a table to specify a load, select Add Table from the drop-down menu (see Specifying
Boundary Conditions with Tables (p. 1630)).
The application automatically adds a Tables object (if one does not already exist) and creates a
new table. The Create Table dialog then displays as shown below.
Create a Table
2. Initially, no variables are selected. Use the drop-down menus to select the desired independent
and dependent variables for your table. To filter variables by name, enter part or all of the variable
name into the search box.
• Independent Variables (or primary variables) are identified with an F in the drop-down menu.
Your table must contain at least one independent variable.
Tables
Note:
Independent variables can include either Cartesian coordinates or cylindrical coordin-

ates, but not both. If you select Y Coordinate as an independent variable, you cannot
select Theta, and vice versa.
• Dependent Variables are identified with an R in the drop-down menu. Your table must contain
one dependent variable.
Create a Table
3. When you finish setting up the independent and dependent variables for the table, click the
Create button. The Table worksheet appears with the variables you specified. Initially, the table
is blank.
4. In the Details pane for the new table, you can optionally specify the following:
• If your table contains X, Y or Theta, or Z coordinates, specify the table's coordinate system under
Spatial Coordinate System.
Tables
• You can define the table as an APDL scripting variable in the Send to Solver field and specify
its variable name in the APDS Name field.
• You can specify whether the table is reimported before the solution under Refresh Import On
For more information about these parameters, see View Table Details (p. 1427).
Units for Manually Created Tables

When you manually enter a table, Mechanical assigns the appropriate Unit to each variable according
to the currently-selected unit system (p. 141). For example, if you specified X Coordinate as an inde-
pendent variable and selected Metric (m, kg, N, s, mV, mA) as the unit system, the Unit is automat-
ically set to meters (m).
14.3.3. Add a Table While Defining a Boundary Condition

You can create a table while defining a boundary condition by selecting New Table from the Mag-
nitude menu on the Details pane. Mechanical automatically adds a Tables object (if one does not
already exist) and creates an empty table with the following variables:
• The independent variable Time.
• A dependent variable that is relevant to the boundary condition. For example, if you add a
table while defining a pressure load, Pressure is the dependent variable.
See Enter and Edit Data in a Table (p. 1410) for instructions on how to add data to the new table. For
more information on how to use tables to define loads on boundary conditions, see Specifying Loads
with Tables (p. 1602).
14.4. Enter and Edit Data in a Table

After you create a table, you can enter or edit values for its dependent and independent variables. This
applies to tables that you imported from a file as well as tables that you created within the application.
Click the mouse in a table cell and enter numeric data.
• Press the Tab key to move to the column to the right.
• Press the Shift + Tab keys to move to the column to the left.
• Press the Enter key to move to the next row of the same column.
• Press the ESC key to deselect a cell and ignore any changes to its contents.
These keys automatically add a new row when the cursor reaches the last row in the table.
Clicking the mouse on a different cell after entering a value has the same effect as pressing the Tab,
Shift + Tab, or Enter keys.
Table Cell Colors and Content Status

The color of a table cell indicates the status of its content.
Work with Tables in Free View
• Green cells show where you can optionally enter new data. This data is added to the table and is not
required to complete it.
• Yellow cells show where required data is missing. You must fill in these cells to complete the table.
• Cells that display numerical values and are not highlighted contain valid data.
In the example below, you can add data to the table in the green cells. The yellow cells show missing
data. You will need to enter values into these cells to complete the table.
Note:
Additional considerations apply when you edit table data in unified view. See Enter and Edit
Data in Unified View (p. 1420).
14.5. Work with Tables in Free View
Click the Free icon at the bottom of the table window to display a table in free view (as il-
lustrated below). The application displays the rows and columns of the table and plots a 2D graph of
the first column of independent variables versus the first column of dependent variables.
The application remembers which view you selected during this session and will load the table in that
view the next time you open it.
You can perform the following operations on a table in free view:
• Enter and Edit Data in a Table (p. 1410)
• Plot Dependent Versus Independent Variables in Free View (p. 1412)
• Hide Plot in Free View (p. 1413)
• Sort Data by Column Value or Row Number (p. 1414)
• Change a Variable for a Column (p. 1416)
• Add a Column to a Table (p. 1417)
• Delete a Column from a Table (p. 1418)
• Add a Row to a Table (p. 1419)
Tables
• Delete a Row from a Table (p. 1419)
14.5.1. Plot Dependent Versus Independent Variables in Free View

In free view, you can display a plot of the values of a dependent variable versus those of an independ-
ent variable.
Initially, the application plots the first column of independent variables on the x-axis and the first
column of dependent variables on the y-axis. The plotted variables are labeled on the axes of the
plot.
Data in the table can overlap for different parts of the table. The connected lines in the graph follow
the data in the order of the table, which may cause the lines to overlap and cross.
To change which variables are plotted on the x or y-axis:
1. Click the drop-down menu arrow next to the variable you want to plot.
2. Select whether you want to plot the variable on the X Axis or the Y Axis. A check mark appears
next to the selected axis.
14.5.2. Hide Plot in Free View

To hide the plot in free view, click the Chart arrow at the top of the plot. Only table data is displayed.
Tables
To display the plot, click the Chart arrow again.
14.5.3. Sort Data by Column Value or Row Number

Tables do not need to be sorted. The Mechanical APDL solver input generation automatically reorders
tables as required. However, you can optionally sort table data by row number or column value to
make this data easier to visualize and understand. Sorting only changes the visual representation of
the data. Internally, the original order of the data (the row order) is always preserved.
Select the sort order from the drop-down menu at the top of the desired column.
• Ascending (A->Z) sorts from lowest to highest values.
• Descending (Z->A) sorts from highest to lowest values.
• None cancels the sort and returns the data to its original order.
The application remembers the most recent sort order that you specified.
Note:
Displaying a table in unified view (p. 1419) can provide additional insight into how dependent
variables vary with respect to multiple independent variables.
How Sorting Affects Plots

In free view, variable values are plotted in the same order as they are listed in the table. Sorting this
data changes how it is plotted, giving you different views into the relationships between the variables
in the table.
The plot below shows how the X component of pressure (Pressure_i) varies according to the X Co-
ordinate. This data is plotted according to the original row numbering, which is shown in the leftmost
column of the table. Pressure_i is on the Y axis and X Coordinate is on the x-axis.
When this data is sorted by Y Coordinate, a different looking plot appears. Pressure_i and X Coordin-
ate are still plotted on the graph below, but the table is now sorted by the value of Y Coordinate.
This provides insight into how the pressure at different X coordinates varies by Y coordinate.
Tables
14.5.4. Change a Variable for a Column

The variable that is currently assigned to a column is listed at the top of the column in free view. You
can change this variable assignment. This is useful if you add columns to a table (see Add a Column
to a Table (p. 1417)) or accidentally assigned the wrong variable to a column when creating a table.
To change the variable assigned to a column:
• Select Variables from the column's drop-down menu, then select the new variable from the drop-
down list. Use the search box to find variables by name.
Note:
Be aware of the following when changing variable assignments for the columns in a table:
• The new variable is automatically assigned the appropriate units of measurement for
the selected unit system.
• The Variable menu only lists variables that can be added to the table. When no more
variables are available, this menu does not appear.
• You cannot change variable assignments for an imported table if Refresh Import On >
Before Solve is selected. See the discussion of this option under View Table Details (p. 1427)
for more information about how Mechanical handles reimported tables.
14.5.5. Add a Column to a Table

You can add more columns to a table to store additional variables. To add a column to a table:
• Click Add to left on the column drop-down menu to add a new column to the left of the column.
• Click Add to right on the column drop-down menu to add a new column to the right of the column.
The application adds the new column to the table. The cells in the new column are yellow, indicating
that their values are required. Enter data into these cells to complete the table.
Note:
Be aware of the following when adding columns to a table:
Tables
• When you add a column, the application automatically assigns the next independent
variable in the list of variables. To change which variable is assigned to the new column,
see Change a Variable for a Column (p. 1416).
• When no more independent variables are available, you cannot add more columns to
a table.
• You cannot add a column to an imported table if Refresh Import On > Before Solve
is selected. See the discussion of this option under View Table Details (p. 1427) for more
information about how Mechanical handles reimported tables.
14.5.6. Delete a Column from a Table

To delete a column from a table in free view:
• Click Delete on the drop-down menu of the column.
Note:
Be aware of the following when deleting columns from a table:
• You cannot delete the last remaining independent and dependent variables in a table.
Work With Tables in Unified View
• You cannot delete a column from an imported table if Refresh Import On > Before
Solve is selected. See the discussion of this option under View Table Details (p. 1427) for
more information about how Mechanical handles reimported tables.
• Be careful not to delete columns with required pressure components. The table will
become under-defined and cannot be assigned to a boundary condition. If the table
was already assigned to a boundary condition, an error condition displays in the
boundary condition Details pane and the Mechanical APDL solver cannot compute a
solution. See Tables in 2D and 3D Models (p. 1399) for more information.
14.5.7. Add a Row to a Table

You can append rows to the end of a table in free view, allowing you to manually enter additional
data. Enter numeric values in the green cells marked with an asterisk (*), which are located at the
bottom of the table. Pressing the Enter or Tab key with the provided numeric value adds another
row to the table.
14.5.8. Delete a Row from a Table

To delete a row from a table in free view:
• Right-click the row and select Remove Row from the menu.
14.6. Work With Tables in Unified View
Click the Unified icon to display a table in unified view. This view slices table data into a 2D
grid according to the value of the variable you select.
In unified view, you can step through slices (or cross-sections) of table data according to the value of
the selected variable. Unified view displays a grid of the dependent variable versus other independent
variables at each value of the selected variable.
Unified view shows where you may need to add dependent variable values to complete your table and
fully model the load that it defines. The order of data in the table does not matter. Unified view shows
all dependent variable values that are associated with the selected independent variable values, regardless
of their row number or sort order.
For example, the example below plots and shows a table of Pressure values for the X Coordinate and
Y Coordinate where the Z Coordinate is equal to zero (0). When you change the value of Z Coordinate,
the table and plot show the corresponding pressure values for the X Coordinate and Y Coordinate.
Tables
Green cells that are labeled with =0 represent values that are not present in the table. The Mechanical
APDL solver automatically sets these cells to zero when it computes a solution. See Enter and Edit Data
in Unified View (p. 1420) for more information.
The application remembers which view you last selected during this session and will load the table in
that view the next time you open it.
You can perform the following operations on a table in unified view:
• Enter and Edit Data in Unified View (p. 1420)
• Plot and Display Variables (p. 1421)
• Select Active Dependent Variable (p. 1423)
• Hide Unified View Plot (p. 1424)
14.6.1. Enter and Edit Data in Unified View

Enter and edit data in unified view in the same way that you enter data in free view. See Enter and
Edit Data in a Table (p. 1410) for details. The example below shows a table in unified view with valid
data in white cells and missing required data in yellow cells. However, unified view has several addi-
tional considerations for entering data in green cells.
Entering Data in =0 Cells

Notice that the green cells in unified view are all labeled as =0. This indicates that the Mechanical
APDL solver defaults to zero for missing values when it computes a solution. The =0 label is a place-
holder to remind you how the solver treats these cells. You can enter numeric values into these cells
as described under Enter and Edit Data in a Table (p. 1410).
Cell Values Automatically Set to Zero

When you click the mouse or press a key to move the cursor to a different green cell, the cell's value
is explicitly set to zero and its color changes to white. You can immediately press the ESC key to
undo this edit.
Adding Rows in Unified View

When you enter values into the green cells of a table in unified view, the data is automatically entered
as a new row of the table. These rows of new data are appended to the end of the table.
Note:
While you can add rows to a table in unified view by entering data in the green cells, you
must switch to free view to add columns. See Add a Column to a Table (p. 1417).
14.6.2. Plot and Display Variables

Click the down-arrow next to the name of a variable to change how it is plotted and displayed in
unified view.
• Choose Column to use the values of that variable as the columns in the unified table grid. The
Column variable is also plotted on the x-axis of the graph in unified view. If the variable is already
selected, Column is grayed out and a check mark is displayed next to it.
Tables
• Choose Row to use the values of that variable as the rows in the unified table grid. If the variable
is already selected, Row is grayed out and a check mark is displayed next to it.
The values of the other independent variables specify which column and row values are plotted and
displayed in the table. In the plot below, X Coordinate is selected as the Column variable and Z
Coordinate is selected as the Row variable. The X Coordinate and Z Coordinate values of Pressure_i
at a Theta Coordinate value of zero degrees are displayed in the table and plotted.
If you change the value of Theta Coordinate to 45 degrees, the corresponding X Coordinate and Z
Coordinate values of Pressure_i are plotted.
14.6.3. Select Active Dependent Variable

If your table contains more than one dependent variable, you can change which variable is displayed
in unified view.
The dependent variable that is currently active – that is, the variable whose values are currently
plotted and displayed in the table grid – is listed in the bar in the middle of the unified display. All
other dependent variables are listed as inactive and are not plotted.
For example, the active variable in the plot below is Pressure_i. The variable name is listed in the
display bar over the table and a check mark is displayed next to Active on its drop-down menu.
To change the active dependent variable, click the down-arrow next to the desired variable and
choose Active. Use the search box to find the variable by name. The plot and table now display the
values of the newly selected active variable.
Tables
14.6.4. Hide Unified View Plot

To hide the plot in unified view, click the Chart arrow at the top of the plot. Only table data is dis-
played.
Display Plotted Variable Values
To show the plot, click the Chart arrow again.
14.7. Display Plotted Variable Values

You can display the values of a plotted dependent variable by their X-axis coordinate or as part of a
series of dependent variable values. This summarizes table data in a way that is not always apparent
in a numeric table.
This feature is available in both free and unified view and operates similarly for plots in both modes.
The following examples show unified view plots to highlight the connections between variable display
and the contents of a table.
Display Plotted Variables by a Common Coordinate

You can display the values of plotted variables according to their x-axis coordinate:
1. Move the mouse over the plot. The values of the plotted variables at each x-axis coordinate value
in the table are displayed on the plot.
This corresponds to a column of data in unified view.
In the example below, X Coordinate is plotted on the x-axis. The cursor is hovering over the X Coordin-
ate value of 0.0887984. The pressures associated with this value for X Coordinate are displayed on
the plot. These pressure values are also outlined in red in the example.
Tables
Display Plotted Variable Series

The table function plots data as a series, grouping dependent variable values that have a common in-
dependent variable value. Each series is plotted as a separate line on the graph. The specific independent
variable that forms the basis of a series depends on which variable is plotted on the X-axis. For example,
if X Coordinate is selected for the X-axis, the data series will be based on common values for Y Coordin-
ate.
To display the dependent variable values in a series of plotted variables:
1. Move the mouse along the plotted series of data to highlight it.
2. When you hover the mouse over a data point in the table, the plot displays the value of that de-
pendent variable.
This corresponds to a row of data in unified view.
For example, the plot below shows the mouse hovering over a series of pressure data where the Y
Coordinate equals -0.014224 meters. This series is highlighted in green on the plot. The corresponding
row of Y Coordinate values is outlined in a red rectangle on the figure. When the mouse hovers over
View Table Details
an X Coordinate of 0.0887984 meters, the plot displays the pressure at those X and Y coordinates:
499,121.235 pa. This value is also circled in red on the figure.
14.8. View Table Details

The application displays the following information about the selected table in the Details pane.
Tables
Table Information
Columns
Shows the total number of columns in the table.
Rows
Shows the total number of rows in the table.
Imported Variables
If you created the table by importing a data file, this field shows the number of variables that were
originally imported from the source file. See Import a Table from a Data File (p. 1402).
Manually entered Variables
Shows the number of variables that you manually added to the table. See Manually Enter a Table
(p. 1406) and Add a Column to a Table (p. 1417).
MAPDL Solver Input
These fields specify table inputs to the Mechanical APDL solver.
Send to Solver
Specifies whether the table is defined as an APDL scripting variable in the Mechanical APDL solver
input file. This setting controls how the table is written to the solver input file via the Tools Write
Input File (p. 1955) command.
No
The table is not defined as an APDL variable in the solver input file.
View Table Details
Yes
The table is defined as a variable in the solver input file. Specify the name of the variable in the
APDL Name field (see below). When you write the solver input file with the Tools Write Input
File command, this variable is defined in the resulting script file.
Spatial Coordinate System
If your table includes one or more spatial coordinates (X, Y or Theta, Z) as an independent variable,
you must select a Spatial Coordinate System. This defines the type and location of the coordinate
system that is used by the table. Select either Global Coordinate System (the default) or a local
coordinate system that you created as described in Setting Up Coordinate Systems (p. 1095). The
Mechanical APDL solver uses this coordinate system to apply the table load to the boundary condi-
tion.
Note:
Be aware of the following when selecting a Spatial Coordinate System:
• The Spatial Coordinate System must match the type of coordinate system that is
used by the table (Cartesian or cylindrical).
• You cannot assign a Cartesian spatial coordinate system to a table that includes Theta
Coordinate as an independent variable. Theta coordinates are only used in cylindrical
coordinate systems.
• You cannot assign a cylindrical spatial coordinate system to a table that includes Y
Coordinate as an independent variable. Y coordinates are only used in Cartesian co-
ordinate systems.
APDL Name
Specifies the name of the APDL variable for the table in the Mechanical APDL solver input file. This
field is displayed when you set Send to Solver to Yes. See the discussion of the Send to Solver
option above.
For example, if you set Send to Solver to Yes and APDL Name to P_Table, the table is defined
in the solver input file as a variable named P_Table. This variable definition is shown in the following
excerpt from the input file. The original name of the table in Mechanical is Table.
Tables
The Tools Write Input File command is a quick way to see the generated Mechanical APDL solver
input file. However, the ds.dat is always generated for MAPDL and tables with Send to Solver
set to Yes will be included there as well.
Import
These fields are displayed if you created the table by importing a data file. See Import a Table from a
Data File (p. 1402).
Source
Shows the path name of the imported data file.
Import Path Type
Choose how to specify the path name of the imported data file:
Absolute
Specifies an absolute path name.
Relative
Specifies a path name that is relative to the directory of the current project.
Using relative path names for imported data files makes it easier to archive and share projects.
For example, you can store the table data file in the user_files directory under the current
project directory, specify a relative path name in the Details pane, and then archive the project.
When the archived project is opened, you can use the relative path name to reload table data
from the file (if desired).
Note:
Save your project before selecting Relative as the Import Path Type. This specifies
the file path name of the current project directory, which is used to define the relative
path.
View Table Details
If you are running Mechanical on Windows, the relative path must be on the same
drive as the project directory.
Refresh Import On
Specifies whether Mechanical reloads an imported table from its source file before the Mechanical
APDL computes a solution. Select one of the following from the drop-down menu:
None
The table is not reloaded (the default). The solver uses the values that currently appear in the
table.
Before Solve
Mechanical automatically reimports the table from the source file before sending it to the
solver to compute a solution. This replaces the current numeric values in the table with the
numeric values in the source file, which are then used during the solution.
Warning:
Refresh Import On > Before Solve is the automatic version of the Reimport Table
Data command and has the same limitations. Be aware of the following when you
are using this function:
• If the source file cannot be found, is empty, or is corrupted, Mechanical displays

an error message and the solution fails.
• The data in your table could change in unexpected ways during reimport if the
source file was altered or you modified the imported table in Mechanical.
For details about how Mechanical handles reimported tables, see Reimport Table
Data (p. 1432)
Imported On
Shows the date and time when the source file was most recently imported. If the imported data
does not change, this field will not be updated.
Start Row
Shows the first row of data that was imported. If you skipped header rows during import, this will
not be the first line in the file.
End Row
Shows the last row of data that was imported. If you skipped footer rows during import, this will
not be the last line in the file.
Tables
14.9. Reimport Table Data

If you created a table by importing a file, you can manually reimport its data from the source file. This
replaces the current numeric values in the table with the contents of the file. The original import settings
for the table apply when it is reloaded from the source file, including variable assignments, units, and
skipped header and/or footer rows.
1. Right-click the name of the table in the Outline pane.
2. Choose Reimport Table Data from the menu.
The values in the table are replaced by values from the imported file.
Limitations on Reimporting Table Data

Be aware of the following when you select Reimport Table Data:
• Table data is always read from the source file according to column order, starting with the first column
of data in the source file. If columns are added to, removed from, or moved within the source file,
the data that is reloaded into your table could change.
• The reimport function uses the Import Path Type you specified. If the file cannot be found, Mechan-
ical displays an error message and the reimport fails.
• If the source file is empty or corrupted, Mechanical displays an error message and the reimport fails.
• If you manually added or deleted columns in an imported table, the Reimport Table Data command
refreshes the originally imported columns with data from the source file. This does not affect data in
any columns that you added.
• If you manually added rows to the table, Reimport Table Data deletes them.
• If you manually deleted rows from the table, Reimport Table Data restores them.
14.10. Reimport Table Data With Different Import Parameters

You can reimport a table from its source file and change import parameters including variable assign-
ments, delimiters, units, and the number of skipped rows. The data in the source file is reimported using
the new settings, replacing the current contents of the table.
2. Choose Reimport Table Data with. The table import dialog appears, displaying the settings you
previously used to import the data file.
Reimport Table Data With Different Import Parameters
3. If desired, change one or more of the following table import settings:
Delimiter
The delimiter used to separate columns of data in the source file.
Skip Rows
The number of header rows to skip at the beginning of the source file.
Skip Footer
The number of footer rows to skip at the end of the source file.
Tables
Variable
The independent or dependent variable assigned to a column of data. For more information
about assigning independent and dependent variables in a table, see Table Requirements and
Limitations (p. 1398).
Unit
The unit of measurement for a column of data.
For more information about these parameters, see Import a Table from a Data File (p. 1402).
4. Click Import to reimport the table from the file
Limitations on Reimporting Table Data with Changed Parameters

Be aware of the following limitations when using the Reimport Table Data with command:
• This command is not available if you added a column to a table or changed the variable assignment
of a column.
• You cannot change the name of the source file.
• Additional limitations on reimporting data files are described under Reimport Table Data (p. 1432).
14.11. Rename a Table

To change the name of a table:
2. Choose Rename from the menu.
3. Type the new name of the table and press the Enter key.
14.12. Delete a Table

To delete a table:
1. Right-click the table name.
2. Choose Delete from the menu.
3. The application asks whether you want to delete the object. Click Yes to delete the table. Click No
to cancel.
Chapter 15: Symmetry
The Symmetry object is a Model-level object in the tree hierarchy. You can insert this object by selecting
the Symmetry option on the Model Context Tab (p. 50).
This feature enables you to use the inherent geometric symmetry of a body to model only a portion of
the body for simulation. Using symmetry provides the benefits of faster simulation times and less use
of system resources. For example, the model below can be simplified by modeling only ¼ of the geometry
by taking advantage of two symmetry planes.
Introduction
Making use of the Symmetry feature requires an understanding of the geometry symmetry and the
symmetry of loading and boundary conditions. If geometric symmetry exists, and the loading and
boundary conditions are suitable, then the model can be simplified to just the symmetry sector of the
model.
DesignModeler can be used to simplify a full model into a symmetric model. This is done by identifying
symmetry planes in the body. DesignModeler will then slice the full model and retain only the symmetry
portion of the model. (See Symmetry in the DesignModeler help). When the Mechanical application
attaches to a symmetry model from DesignModeler, a Symmetry folder is placed in the tree and each
Symmetry Plane from DesignModeler is given a Symmetry Region object in the tree. In addition,
Named Selection objects are created for each symmetry edge or face. (See Symmetry Workflow in
DesignModeler (p. 1490).)
Symmetry
Once you have inserted a Symmetry object into the tree, the following options are available:
15.1.Types of Regions
15.2. Symmetry Workflow in DesignModeler
15.3. Symmetry Workflow in Mechanical
15.4. General Axisymmetric Workflow in Mechanical
15.1. Types of Regions

The Symmetry folder supports the following objects:
• Symmetry Region (p. 1436): This option is supported for Static and Transient Structural analyses and
Thermal/Thermal-Electric analyses.
• Linear Periodic (p. 1438): When inserted, this option displays in the tree as a Symmetry Region object
only when the Type property is set to Linear Periodic. As needed, this property can be modified. It
is supported for Static Structural analyses and Thermal/Thermal-Electric analyses.
• Periodic Region (p. 1439): This option is supported for Magnetostatic analyses.
• Cyclic Region (p. 1442): This option is supported for Harmonic Response (Full), Modal, Static Structural,
Thermal, Harmonic Acoustics, Modal Acoustics, Static Acoustics, and LS-DYNA analyses.
• Pre-Meshed Cyclic Region (p. 1446): This option is supported for Harmonic Response (Full), Modal,
Static Structural, Harmonic Acoustics, Modal Acoustics, and Static Acoustics analyses.
• General Axisymmetric (p. 1477): This option is supported for 3D Static Structural analyses only.
Note:
Periodic and Cyclic regions:
• Support 3D analyses only.
• Ensure that a mesh is cyclic and suitable for fluids analyses (the mesh is then matched).
For models generated originally as symmetry models, you may create a Symmetry folder and manually
identify Symmetry Region objects or Periodic/Cyclic Region objects. (See Symmetry Workflow in
Mechanical (p. 1491).)
15.1.1. Symmetry Region Overview

A symmetry region refers to dimensionally reducing the model based on a mirror plane. Symmetry
regions are supported for:
• Structural and Thermal Symmetry (p. 1437)
• Structural and Thermal Anti-Symmetry (p. 1437)
• Structural and Thermal Linear Periodic Symmetry (p. 1438)
Types of Regions
• Electromagnetic Symmetry (p. 1438)
• Electromagnetic Anti-Symmetry (p. 1439)
• Explicit Dynamics Symmetry
Structural and Thermal Symmetry

A symmetric structural boundary condition means that out-of-plane displacements and in-plane rota-
tions are set to zero. The following figure illustrates a symmetric boundary condition. Structural
symmetry is applicable to solid and surface bodies.
Note:
Thermal symmetry conditions are naturally satisfied.
Structural and Thermal Anti-Symmetry

An anti-symmetric boundary condition means that the rotation normal to the anti-symmetric face is
constrained. The following figure illustrates an anti-symmetric boundary condition. Structural anti-
symmetry is applicable to solid and surface bodies.
Note:
• The Anti-Symmetric option does not prevent motion normal to the symmetry face. This
is appropriate if all loads on the structure are in-plane with the symmetry plane. If applied
loads, or loads resulting from large deflection introduce force components normal to
the face, an additional load constraint on the normal displacement may be required.
• Thermal anti-symmetry conditions behave the same way as symmetry conditions.
Symmetry
Structural and Thermal Linear Periodic Symmetry

The Linear Periodic boundary condition is used to simulate models with translational symmetry,
where the structure is assumed to repeat itself in one particular direction to infinity. This feature
supports only a single direction for the entire model (more than one direction is not supported) for
structural analyses and thermal/thermal-electric analyses. The application uses the Mechanical APDL
command CE to apply this boundary condition in a structural environment as compared to the CP
commands used in the thermal and thermal-electric environments.
For structural modeling with the Behavior property set to Free, the application creates a pilot node
and specifies constraint equations for the high and low regions as follows:
DOF(low) - DOF(high) = DOF(PilotNode)
The Pilot Node is left unconstrained. The Pilot Node is sent to the Mechanical APDL solver using the
following parameter (variable): _pilotNode
For structural modeling with the Behavior property set to Coupled, the application directly specifies
constraint equations for the high and low regions as follows:
DOF(low) - DOF(high) = 0
This forces DOF(low) to be coupled with DOF(high) in each pair of matched nodes.
Electromagnetic Symmetry
Symmetry conditions exist for electromagnetic current sources and permanent magnets when the
sources on both sides of the symmetry plane are of the same magnitude and in the same direction
as shown in the following example.
Types of Regions
Electromagnetic symmetric conditions imply Flux Normal boundary conditions, which are naturally
satisfied.
Electromagnetic Anti-Symmetry
Anti-Symmetry conditions exist for electromagnetic current sources and permanent magnets when
the sources on both sides of the symmetry plane are of the same magnitude but in the opposite dir-
ection as shown in the following example.
Electromagnetic anti-symmetric conditions imply Flux Parallel boundary conditions, which you must
apply to selected faces.
15.1.2. Periodic Region Overview

The Periodic Region object is used to define periodic or anti–periodic behavior in a particular model
for Electromagnetic analyses (see Electromagnetic Periodic Symmetry (p. 1440) section).
Electromagnetic Periodicity
A model exhibits angular periodicity when its geometry and sources occur in a periodic pattern around
some point in the geometry, and the repeating portion that you are modeling represents all of the
sources, as shown below (see the Periodicity Example (p. 1441)).
Symmetry
Electromagnetic Anti-Periodicity
A model exhibits angular anti-periodicity when its geometry and sources occur in a periodic pattern
around some point in the geometry and the repeating portion that you are modeling represents a
subset of all of the sources, as shown below.
15.1.2.1. Electromagnetic Periodic Symmetry

Electric machines and generators, solenoid actuators and cyclotrons are just a few examples of
numerous electromagnetic devices that exhibit circular symmetrical periodic type of symmetry (p. 1439).
An automated periodic symmetry analysis conserves time and CPU resources and delivers analysis
results that correspond to the entire structure.
The overall procedure in Ansys Workbench for simulating structures that are periodically symmetric
is to run a magnetostatic (p. 552) analysis and perform the following specialized steps:
1. Insert a Periodic Region symmetry object in the tree. This step is necessary to enable Ansys
Workbench to perform a periodic symmetry analysis.
2. Define the low and high boundaries of the Periodic Region by selecting the appropriate faces
in the Low Boundary and High Boundary fields.
3. Define type of symmetry as Periodic or Anti-Periodic (see Periodicity Example (p. 1441)).
Types of Regions
4. The solver will automatically take into account defined periodicity, and reported results will
correspond to the full symmetry model (except volumetric type results as Force Summation,
Energy probe, and so on).
Note:
For a magnetic field simulation with periodic regions, you must be careful when applying
flux parallel boundary conditions to adjacent faces. If the adjacent faces of the periodic
faces build up a ring and all are subject to flux parallel conditions, that implies a total
flux of zero through the periodic face. In some applications that is not a physically correct
requirement. One solution is to extend the periodic sector to include the symmetry axis.
See the Periodicity Example (p. 1441) section for further details.
15.1.2.1.1. Periodicity Example

Periodicity is illustrated in the following example. A coil arrangement consists of 4 coils emulated
by stranded conductors. A ½ symmetry model of surrounding air is created. The model is conveni-
ently broken into 16 sectors for easy subdivision into periodic sectors and for comparison of
results.
Below is a display of the Magnetic Field Intensity for the ½ symmetry model at the mid-plane.
The arrows clearly indicate an opportunity to model the domain for both Periodic or Anti-periodic
sectors. Periodic planes are shown to exist at 180 degree intervals. Anti-periodic planes are shown
to exist at 90 degree intervals.
Symmetry
The model can be cut in half to model Periodic planes. Applying periodic symmetry planes at 90
degrees and 270 degrees leads to the following results.
The model can be cut in half again to model Anti-Periodic planes. Applying anti-periodic symmetry
planes at 0 degrees and 90 degrees leads to the following results.
15.1.3. Cyclic Region Overview

Fan wheels, spur gears, and turbine blades are all examples of models that can benefit from cyclic
symmetry.
An automated cyclic symmetry analysis conserves time and CPU resources and enables you to view
analysis results on the entire structure for a Static Structural, Modal, or Full Harmonic Response ana-
lysis.
Note:
Static and transient thermal analyses are also possible using the Cyclic Region object in
Mechanical even though the cyclic symmetry solution in Mechanical APDL does not support
elements with thermal DOFs. However, the results of analyses containing thermal DOFs
can only be seen on a single sector.
When you use a Cyclic Region in an LS-DYNA analysis the results can only be seen on a
single sector.
Ansys Workbench automates cyclic symmetry analysis by:
Types of Regions
• Solving for the behavior of a single symmetric sector (part of a circular component or assembly).
See The Base Sector for more information.
• Using the single-sector solution to construct the response behavior of the full circular component
or assembly (as a postprocessing step). Not available in an LS-DYNA analysis.
For example, by analyzing a single 10° sector of a 36-blade turbine wheel assembly, you can obtain
the complete 360° model solution via simple postprocessing calculations. Using twice the usual
number of degrees of freedom (DOFs) in this case, the single sector represents a 1/36th part of the
model.
Restrictions
Note the following when working with cyclic symmetry:
• Always align Remote Force, Moment, and/or Nodal Force loading conditions with the same
Z Axis direction used by the Cyclic Region object.
Note:
Remote Force and Moment are not available in an LS-DYNA analysis. There is no
limitation on the Nodal Force direction for LS-DYNA.
• The presence of Mesh Connections in a body with cyclic symmetry definition may create
conflicts within the mesh during the solution process.
• Cyclic symmetry does not support the use of the Average Across Bodies (p. 2085) option.
Note:
For an LS-DYNA analysis, average results (results computed over an element, like
stress and strain) can be displayed for a single sector. All display options (unaveraged,
averaged, nodal difference, nodal fraction, etc.) are functional when displaying results
for LS-DYNA analyses.
• Layered Sections (p. 896) cannot be applied to a model that uses cyclic symmetry.
• Mechanical 2D Analyses do not support cyclic results.
• Line bodies are not supported for cyclic symmetry analyses.
• Gasket bodies are not supported for cyclic symmetry analyses.
• When specifying certain Probes (p. 2026) (deformation, stress, strain) during Cyclic analyses,
Mechanical does not currently support probes specified when the Location Method is set to:
– Coordinate System.
Symmetry
– Geometry Selection and you define the associated Geometry property using the Hit
Point Coordinate option (Graphics Toolbar (p. 100)).
Warning:
1. Make sure that you do not scope a Remote Displacement, Remote Force,
or a Moment to a geometric entity that shares an edge, vertex, or node with
either the specified High Boundary or Low Boundary properties of the
Cyclic Region because the application could generate incorrect results.
2. Only Static Structural analyses support the ability to specify a Remote Point
that coincides with the cyclic symmetry axis. In addition, for the analysis, you
must:
• Set the Remote Point Behavior property to Deformable or Rigid.
• Set the Future Analysis option (Analysis Settings > Analysis Data
Management (p. 1572)) to None.
• Make sure that you divide the load magnitude by the specified number
of sectors.
3. A Remote Point scoped to a sector is equivalent to having one Remote Point

for each sector in the expanded solution.
4. If you specify a node-based load, such as Direct FE loads, Remote Force,

Moment, etc., on both the low and high edge nodes, it will be taken into
account twice in the solution due to the cyclic constraint equations.
See the Modeling and Loading Limitations section in the Mechanical APDL Cyclic Symmetry Analysis
Guide for more information.
General Application
The overall procedure in Ansys Workbench for simulating models that are cyclically symmetric is to
run a static structural, modal, full harmonic, LS-DYNA, or thermal analysis and perform the following
specialized steps:
1. Insert a Cyclic Region or Pre-Meshed Cyclic Region object. This step is necessary to enable
Mechanical to perform a cyclic symmetry analysis. Multiple Cyclic Region objects are permitted
but they must refer to the same Coordinate System to specify the symmetry axis and sweep the
same angle. Only one Pre-Meshed Cyclic Region can be added and it cannot be used in combin-
ation with any other symmetry objects.
Note:
Multistage Cyclic Symmetry Analysis (p. 1453) is an exception. Each stage in a

multistage cyclic symmetry analysis can have a different sweep angle and Pre-
Meshed Cyclic Region.
Types of Regions
2. Define the low and high boundaries by selecting the appropriate faces in the Low Boundary and
High Boundary fields. Each selection can consist of one or more faces over one or more parts,
but they must be paired properly. To be valid, each face in Low Boundary must be accompanied
by its twin in High Boundary. Also, ensure that each face and its twin belong to the same
multibody part (p. 875) (although it is not necessary that they belong to the same body), using
DesignModeler to adjust your multibody parts as needed.
Note:
• For the Periodic Region and the Cyclic Region objects, your low/high selections
are used to match the mesh of the two boundaries.
• The Pre-Meshed Cyclic Region object does not influence the mesh.
The example shown below illustrates two equally valid Low Boundary and High Boundary twin
faces. One twin set of faces, located in the corner body, includes faces that are both included in
that same body. Another twin set includes faces that are not on the same body, but are included
in the same multibody part, as shown in the second figure.
Symmetry
Note:
High Boundary and Low Boundary should be exactly same in shape and size, otherwise
Mechanical will not be able to map nodes from Low Boundary to High Boundary to
create full model from a single sector.
3. Continue with the remainder of the analysis. Consult the sections below as applicable to the
analysis type.
Refer to the following sections for further details on cyclic symmetry:

15.1.3.1. Pre-Meshed Cyclic Symmetry
15.1.3.2. Multistage Cyclic Symmetry Analysis
15.1.3.3. Cyclic Symmetry in a Static Structural or Static Acoustics Analysis
15.1.3.4. Cyclic Symmetry in a Harmonic Response or FSI Harmonic Acoustics Analysis
15.1.3.5. Cyclic Symmetry in a Modal or FSI Modal Acoustics Analysis
15.1.3.6. Cyclic Symmetry in a Thermal Analysis
15.1.3.1. Pre-Meshed Cyclic Symmetry

The Pre-Meshed Cyclic Region is a symmetry option that does process the specified selections for
the Low Boundary and High Boundary properties. Normally, the application uses these selections
to specify the nodes to write cyclic constraint equations; however, this object instead uses the cycle
angle to determine the nodes used to create cyclic symmetry.
This option is used to define cyclic symmetry for cases where you cannot generate a matched
mesh using the low and high boundaries. Not being able to match the mesh is often the case when
you import mesh from an external source, such as Model Assembly, External Model, or ACP. To
Types of Regions
match your mesh, the Pre-Meshed Cyclic Region enables you to select the exact orientation of
nodal coordinate systems on the sector boundaries. And the feature includes the additional property
Relative Distance Tolerance that enables you to modify the automatic sector boundary detection
of low and high boundary.
Note:
• When the solver detects matching node pairs, you can view the matched nodes using
the Cyclic option of the Display property (FE Connection Visibility (p. 1934) category)
of the Solution Information object (p. 1934).
• This feature instructs the application to find all nodes separated by the sector angle
and apply the cyclic boundary condition to them. Nodes separated by the sector angle
cannot be excluded from being part of the cyclic symmetry condition.
Requirements
Note the following:
• This symmetry option inherits the limitations and restrictions of the Cyclic Region. For
consistency with the cyclic symmetry solution method, some restrictions apply when defining
the orientations for nodes on the sector boundaries. Refer to the Cyclic Region (p. 1442) section
• The Number of Sectors property requires an entry (a natural number, N>2).
• Loads and supports are assumed to have the same spatial relation with respect to the cyclic
axis in all sectors. Also the loads and supports defined in Mechanical are applied for each
and every sector by Mechanical APDL.
Applying Constraints
Unlike the use of the Cyclic Region object, the application will not attempt to convert supports to
nodal DOF constraints (p. 1889) on either of the sector boundaries (low or high). This means that any
support that depends on these conversions should not contain faces, edges, or vertices that touch
the sector boundaries. Exempt from this requirement are:
• Fixed Support (p. 1781)
• Nodal Orientation (p. 1839)
Nodal Displacements and Nodal Orientations can be used to manually adjust any node-based degree-
of-freedom constraints on problematic topologies so they become consistent with both the loading
conditions and the cyclic symmetry method. The solver can be used to automatically assign these
DOFs (Set the Boundary DOF Orientation property to Chosen by Solver), but then Nodal Displace-
ments should be used with caution because final DOF directions may not be known prior to solution.
You can use Nodal Triads (p. 2050) to verify how Mechanical APDL orients the nodes.
To manually prescribe orientations on the sector boundary, set the Boundary DOF Orientation
property to Manual, and then apply any Nodal Orientations necessary to meet restrictions posed
Symmetry
by the cyclic symmetry method. Review the example provided later in this section for additional
information.
Nodal Orientation Requirements

By default, all nodes are oriented using the Global Coordinate System. To orient the nodal coordinate
systems in a manner consistent with cyclic symmetry, the following conditions are required:
Nodes on Sector Boundaries
Nodes on sector boundaries are free to orient with any direction as long as each node pair
meets this condition: Nodal orientations on the low and high sector differ by a rotation of exactly
360°/N about the cyclic axis. The difference must be in phase with the cyclic axis. For example,
if the sector angle is 90°, then the axis for a node must be obtained by rotating the coordinate
system for the corresponding node on the low boundary by +90° around the cyclic axis.
When Boundary DOF Orientation is set to Chosen by Solver, Mechanical APDL typically aligns
the nodal x axis radially, y tangentially and z axially with respect to the cyclic axis.
Nodes on the Cyclic Axis
If your model contains nodes on the cyclic axis, they require special treatment. The nodes’ ori-
entation must produce an axis which is aligned with the cyclic axis.
Example: Applying a Frictionless Support Manually via Direct FE

This example demonstrates how to apply the equivalent of a Frictionless Support using Nodal Dis-
placements and Nodal Orientations on a quarter section of a cyclically symmetric model using a
Pre-Meshed Cyclic Region. The first illustration below depicts a Frictionless Support applied to
the exterior faces of a symmetry model. Because this boundary condition shares topology with
sector boundaries, it will not solve.
The second image illustrates a defined Pre-Meshed Cyclic Region object. It selects the same
low/high face selections you would use for a Cyclic Region. It is a quarter-section so the Number
of Sectors property is set to 4 and the Boundary DOF Orientation property is set to Manual.
Types of Regions
To meet the nodal orientation requirements (p. 1448), we need to rotate the high boundary nodes.
That means we first need to create a node-based Named Selection of the high sector node
("HighSectorNodes" illustrated below). Then, to achieve the desired orientation, we need to create
Cartesian Coordinate System. This coordinate system requires a rotational transformation (p. 1099)
about the z axis so that we can rotate the nodes 90° (360°/4 = 90°). Below we have created the
necessary coordinate system, "HighSectorCoordinateSystem" that includes the needed rotation
(Rotate Z property) about the z axis.
Symmetry
Now, a Nodal Orientation object is inserted using the coordinate system and the node-based
Named Selection, to meet the nodal orientation conditions required by the cyclic symmetry method.
Types of Regions
Understanding Frictionless Support
As with all boundary conditions, a Frictionless Support applies displacements to nodes in their
nodal coordinate system. In particular, a Frictionless Support applies displacements which fix the
nodes in the direction of the normal of the element faces. As stated above, in this example we are
applying the equivalent of a Frictionless Support for several exterior faces. Of these exterior faces,
two are normal to the global +X, and three are normal to the global +Y.
Symmetry
Oriented +X Normal
The intent is to fix these nodes in global X. The nodes on these faces have no Nodal Orientation
applied on them, so they are oriented with the Global Coordinate System. A Nodal Displacement
of X=0 is required for these nodes (Requirement 1 - XNodes).
Oriented +Y Normal
The intent is to fix these nodes in global Y. The majority of the nodes on these faces have no
Nodal Orientation applied on them. A Nodal Displacement of Y=0 is required for these nodes
(Requirement 2 - YNodes). The orientation of the remaining nodes on the edge of the high sector
have been specified by the Nodal Orientation applied above. The Global Y for these nodes is equal
to their Nodal X. Therefore, a Nodal Displacement of X=0 is required for these nodes (Requirement
3 - XNodes).
The node-based Named Selections needed to meet our requirements are illustrated below.
Applying Nodal Displacements
At this point, we have identified three required nodal displacements. However, we find that two
of these requirements use the same nodal displacement (X=0). The definitions for the resulting
Nodal Displacement objects is illustrated below.
X=0 Y=0
Types of Regions
Using the Coordinate System, Named Selections, Nodal Orientations, and Nodal Displacements, we
have manually applied the equivalent of a Frictionless Support that is consistent with cyclic symmetry
for use in a Pre-Meshed Cyclic Region.
15.1.3.2. Multistage Cyclic Symmetry Analysis

For complex symmetric models, the application's multistage cyclic symmetry capability enables you
to combine two or more independent cyclically symmetric systems with different sector counts.
The purpose of symmetry is to reduce calculations times and disk and memory requirements.
Multistage uses the existing symmetry capabilities to simplify the calculation process but adds
multiple regions of symmetry. In doing so, the multistage feature incorporates:
• Cyclic Region (p. 1442) or Pre-Mesh Cyclic Region (p. 1446): This object specifies the symmetric
region.
• Stage: This object defines each of the bodies corresponding to a given cyclic component.
• Interstage: This object specifies the connections between each Stage of the multistage
analysis.
Use the procedure below to create a multistage cyclic symmetry analysis. More information and
example problems can be found at the following links:
Symmetry
• For an overview of the general procedure to reduce model size and computational cost in
models with symmetry, see Symmetry Workflow in Mechanical (p. 1491).
• For a detailed discussion and underlying theory, see Multistage Cyclic Symmetry Analysis
Guide.
• For tutorials that explain in detail the procedure for setting up a multistage cyclic symmetry
analysis in the Mechanical Application, see
Static and Modal Analysis of a Compressor Model with 4 Axial Stages in the Mech-
anical Tutorials
Static Analysis of a 2-Stage Disk with Pinholes in the Mechanical Tutorials
• For more example problems that show the multistage cyclic symmetry work flow solved in
Mechanical APDL, see Examples in the Multistage Cyclic Symmetry Analysis Guide.
• The interstage displacement is the sum of contributions of many harmonic functions, only
some of which significantly affect the response. For an example problem that demonstrates
how to select relevant harmonic indices (HIs) to include in a multiharmonic multistage cyclic
symmetry analysis for an accurate response, see Static Analysis of a 2-Stage Disk with Pinholes.
To automate HI selection, use the multistage harmonic choice wizard (see Multistage Har-
monic Choice Wizard in the Mechanical Add-ons Guide).
Important:
This type of symmetry analysis does not support boundary conditions imported from
an External Model system. If your simulation includes these (unsuppressed) boundary
conditions, the Symmetry object becomes invalid.

Multistage analyses can be solved for the following analysis types:
• Linear Perturbation Modal
• Modal
Application
This procedure assumes that you have opened an appropriate model in Mechanical to create a
multistage cyclic symmetry analysis:
1. Insert and specify the required number of Cyclic Region or Pre-Mesh Cyclic Region objects.
2. For each symmetric region, specify a Stage object:
Types of Regions
a. Using the scoping properties, specify the entire body/bodies of each region. This
region is associated with the Cyclic Region or Pre-Mesh Cyclic Region objects
defined in the previous step. Only body selection is supported.
b. In the Cyclic Region property, specify the Cyclic Region or Pre-Mesh Cyclic Region
corresponding to your body selections.
3. To define the connection between stages, you must specify an Interstage object. Under
the Connections folder, insert an Interstage object and scope it to the two faces (Source
and Target properties) that connect the previously defined stages. Only face selection is
supported.
Note:
Ansys recommends that you modify the mesh of the connection so that each
side uses quadratic elements that are preferably the same type and size.
4. Setup environment and perform a solution.
Note:
This analysis application supports the use of the following imported loads:
• Temperature (p. 1876) and Convection Coefficient (p. 1864) for Steady-State
Thermal analyses.
• Body Temperature (p. 1861) and Pressure (p. 1872) for Static Structural ana-
lyses.
Note:
Note the following:
• Nodes located on the cyclic symmetry axis are not supported.
• If you have a result object selected, certain mesh-based features are not
available, including mesh selection filters (nodes (p. 232), elements, and element
faces (p. 239)), as well as the ability to display a Node ID in the probe la-
bel (p. 200).
15.1.3.3. Cyclic Symmetry in a Static Structural or Static Acoustics Analysis

When you perform a Static Structural (p. 658) or a Static Acoustics analysis that involves cyclic
symmetry (p. 1442), unique features are available for loads/supports and reviewing results. These
features are described in the following sections:
15.1.3.3.1. Applying Loads and Supports for Cyclic Symmetry in a Static Structural or Static Acoustics
Analysis
15.1.3.3.2. Reviewing Results for Cyclic Symmetry in a Static Structural or Static Acoustics Analysis
Symmetry
15.1.3.3.1. Applying Loads and Supports for Cyclic Symmetry in a Static Structural
or Static Acoustics Analysis
The following support limitations and specifications must be observed:
• The following boundary conditions are not supported:
– Bearing Load
– Hydrostatic Pressure
– Fluid Solid Interface (Supported for Static Acoustics but cannot be applied to the Low/High
Boundary)
• The following remote boundary conditions are not supported:
– Joints
– Bearing
• Inertial (p. 1610) boundary conditions as well as the Moment (p. 1688) boundary condition are
restricted to the axial direction. Therefore, you must set the Define By property of the specified
boundary conditions to Components. Only the Z Component property can be non-zero and
the Z-Axis of the specified Coordinate System of the boundary condition must match the
coordinate system used by the corresponding Cyclic Region.In similar fashion, you must define
the Remote Point (p. 1380) for Moment loads so that its points of application lie along the
cyclic axis (see warning below).
Additional restrictions apply while specifying supports for a static structural analysis. For example,
Elastic Supports and Compression Only Supports are not available. The loads and supports should
not include any face selections (for example, on 3D solids) that already belong to either the low
or high boundaries of the cyclic symmetry sector. Loads and supports may include edges (for
example, on 3D solids) on those boundaries, however.
Warning:
Only Static Structural analyses support the ability to specify a Remote Point that
coincides with the cyclic symmetry axis. In addition, for the analysis, you must:
• Set the Remote Point Behavior property to Deformable or Rigid.
• Set the Future Analysis option (Analysis Settings > Analysis Data Manage-
ment (p. 1572)) to None.
• Make sure that you divide the load magnitude by the specified number of
sectors.
Loads and supports are assumed to have the same spatial relation for the cyclic axis in all sectors.
In preparation for solution, the boundary conditions on the geometry are converted into node
constraints in the mesh (see Converting Boundary Conditions to Nodal DOF Constraints (Mechan-
ical APDL Solver) (p. 1889) for more information). When these boundary conditions involve nodes
Types of Regions
along the sector boundaries (low, high, and axial boundaries), their constraints are integrated to
properly reflect the symmetry. As an example, the low and high edges may feature more node
constraints than are applied to each individually, in order to remain consistent with an equivalent
full model.
Important:
When analyzing a cyclically symmetric structure that rotates without supports, you
may encounter rigid body movement. In this scenario, the recommended action is
specifying Direct for the Solver Type property.
15.1.3.3.2. Reviewing Results for Cyclic Symmetry in a Static Structural or Static

Acoustics Analysis
When simulating cyclic symmetry in a static structural analysis, the application supports the
static structural analysis result types (p. 2120) that involve full symmetry, with the exception of
Path (p. 2055) and Fatigue (p. 2267) results.
Even though only one cyclic sector is analyzed, results are valid for the full symmetry model. You
can control the post-processing and display of cyclic results using the Cyclic Solution Display
options on the Solution object:
• Number of Sectors: This option controls the extent the model is expanded from the raw
solution. The value indicates how many sectors should be processed, displayed and anim-
ated. Results generate more quickly and consume less memory and file storage when
fewer sectors are requested. To set the value as Program Controlled, enter zero; this value
reveals the full expansion.
• Starting at Sector: Selects the specific sectors to include within the expansion. For example,
if Number of Sectors is set to 1, sectors 1 through N are revealed one at a time. To set the
value as Program Controlled, enter zero; this value reveals the specified number of sectors
from sector 1 onwards.
In addition, individual result objects contain a Starting at Sector property. For it to display, the
Number of Sectors property above must be set to a value greater than 0. Furthermore, this
property overrides the setting of the above Starting at Sector property of the Solution object.
This property gives you the ability to define different starting sectors for each result object.
Note:
• Extremum values (for example, Minimum, Maximum) correspond only to the portion
of the model selected in the Cyclic Solution Display.
• For a Multistage Cyclic Symmetry (p. 1453) analysis, the Number of Sectors and
Starting at Sector properties apply to all Stage objects.
Symmetry
Figure 15.1: Unexpanded One Sector Model Display
Figure 15.2: Expanded Full Symmetry Model Display
Note:
• The application does not support the expanded full view of a model for element-
based results (one value per element) such as Volume. That is, results with a Data
Types of Regions
Type of Elemental. Nodal Triads as well as Crack and Fracture results are also not
expanded.
• The results for the Energy Probe, Force Reaction probe, and Moment Reaction
probe are calculated for the full symmetry model.
• Unaveraged contact results do not expand to all expanded sectors in a cyclic ana-
lysis.
• Expanded result visualization is not available to the Samcef or ABAQUS solver.
15.1.3.4. Cyclic Symmetry in a Harmonic Response or FSI Harmonic Acoustics

Analysis
Currently, Mechanical supports cyclic symmetry for the Full Harmonic Response (p. 502) (including
pre-stress effects) and FSI Harmonic Acoustics analyses only. When you perform a Harmonic Response
(Full) or FSI Harmonic Acoustics analysis that involves cyclic symmetry, unique features are available
for loads and supports as well as for reviewing results. These features are described in the following
subsections:
15.1.3.4.1. Applying Loads and Supports for Cyclic Symmetry in a Harmonic Response or FSI Harmonic
Acoustics Analysis
15.1.3.4.2. Reviewing Results for Cyclic Symmetry in a Harmonic Response or FSI Harmonic Acoustics
Analysis
15.1.3.4.1. Applying Loads and Supports for Cyclic Symmetry in a Harmonic Response
or FSI Harmonic Acoustics Analysis
Applying loads and supports for a cyclic Full Harmonic Response analysis (standalone and pre-
stressed) follows the same requirements as those outlined in the Harmonic Response Analys-
is (p. 502) and Harmonic Response (Full) Analysis Using Pre-Stressed Structural System (p. 512)
sections of the Mechanical Help except for the requirements and restrictions discussed below.
General Loading Application Requirements
The following support limitations and specifications must be observed for a standalone (Full)
Harmonic Response analysis when cyclic symmetry is defined:
• The following boundary conditions are not supported:
– Bearing Load
– Rotating Force
– Incident Wave Source
– Port In Duct
– Diffuse Sound Field
• The following remote boundary conditions are not supported:
Symmetry
– Joints
– Bearing
• Inertial (p. 1610) boundary conditions as well as the Moment (p. 1688) boundary condition are
restricted to the axial direction. Therefore, you must set the Define By property of the specified
boundary conditions to Components. Only the Z Component property can be non-zero and
the Z-Axis of the specified Coordinate System of the boundary condition must match the
coordinate system used by the corresponding Cyclic Region. In similar fashion, you must define
the Remote Point (p. 1380) for Moment loads so that its points of application lie along the cyclic
axis.
• Elastic Supports and Compression Only Supports are not available.
Warning:
• Make sure that you do not scope a Remote Displacement, Remote Force, or a
Moment to a geometric entity that shares an edge, vertex, or node with either the
specified High Boundary or Low Boundary properties of the Cyclic Region because
the application could generate incorrect results.
• Specified Remote Points cannot coincide with the cyclic symmetry axis, as this
could generate incorrect results. However, there are exceptions for a standalone
modal or an MSUP modal analysis. If the analysis includes a Displacement or a
Moment (for a subsequent MSUP) that is applied about the cyclic symmetry axis
and then to all sectors, then the Displacement or Moment:
– Must be scoped to a Remote Point that has its Behavior property set to
Deformable.
– Must have all DOFs fixed except the DOF about the cyclic symmetry axis,
and,
– The specified Remote Point must lie on the cyclic axis of symmetry.
Note:
If you specify a Fluid Solid Interface load, you could expose non-physical results if
the remote boundary conditions have their Behavior property set to Deformable.
Additional restrictions apply while specifying supports for a cyclic Harmonic Response (Full)
analysis. Also, the loads and supports should not include any face selections (for example, on 3D
solids) that already belong to either the low or high boundaries of the cyclic symmetry sector.
Loads and supports may include edges (for example, on 3D solids) on those boundaries, however.
By default, loads and supports are assumed to have the same spatial relation for the cyclic axis
in all sectors. Also the loads and supports defined in Mechanical are applied for each and every
sector by Mechanical APDL.
Types of Regions
Non-Cyclic Loading
For Full Harmonic Analysis, you can specify non-cyclic loading to excite a specific harmonic index
or indices for the following loads. These loads include the Non-Cyclic Loading Type property.
This property enables you to specify harmonic indices to be excited by the load. See the Non-
Cyclic Loading (p. 1461) section for additional information.
• Moment (p. 1688)
Note:
Ansys recommends that you do not define remote boundary conditions along the
cyclic axis of symmetry when you have specified non-cyclic loads.
Boundary Condition Conversion to Node Constraints
along the sector boundaries (low, high, and axial boundaries), their constraints are integrated to
full model.
15.1.3.4.1.1. Non-Cyclic Loading
The application supports non-cyclic loading for Full Harmonic cyclic solutions. A load is non-
cyclic when it varies between sectors and involves at least one harmonic index greater than
zero.
The application considers the arbitrary forces acting on the full system as the sum of a finite
number of spatial Fourier harmonics. The application analyzes the structure for each spatial
harmonic index by applying constraint equations between the basic sector and duplicate sector.
For each spatial Fourier harmonic, the program solves a corresponding equation, then expands
and sums the calculated harmonics of the response to give the response for each substructure.
Be sure to review the Limitations (p. 1463) at the end of the section.
Tip:
Review the Understanding the Solution Architecture section in the Mechanical APDL
Cyclic Symmetry Analysis Guide for more information.
In Mechanical, you could specify the non-cyclic loading for the supported loads by setting the
Non-Cyclic Loading Type property to Harmonic Index or Sector Number. You can then
Symmetry
specify a desired Harmonic Index or Sector Number value. If you want to apply the load
varying across several harmonic indices or sectors, you could specify the load Magnitude using
Tabular Data, which varies based on the variable you specify.
Engine-Order Loading (or Traveling Wave Excitation)
Engine-order loading (traveling wave excitation) is a form of non-cyclic loading supported in

Mechanical when you set the Non-Cyclic Loading Type property to Harmonic Index . This
section uses the terms harmonic index and engine order interchangeably.
Typically, engine-order loading is simply a count of the number of stators, combustion nozzles,
etc., that cause the disturbance. An engine-order excitation typically occurs due to circumfer-
ential disturbances in the flow field, for instance from upstream stators or vanes.
Examples Cases
The following examples illustrates how to apply loading based on specified inputs for the
supported load types.
Case 1: Constant Load and Constant Harmonic Index
The Pressure load illustrated here has constant loading and a constant Harmonic Index.
When you specify a Harmonic Index (HI), real and imaginary values of pressure (Preal and
PImag), the contribution of the load at a sector is calculated as follows:
(15.1)
Where:
Types of Regions
The values of the Harmonic Index specified should be:
1 to NS/2; if NS is even.
1 to (NS-1)/2; if NS is odd.
Case 2: Tabular Load with Harmonic Index as Independent Variable
You could also specify the loading applied to multiple harmonic indices using tabular data
as illustrated here:
The load is expanded using Fourier transform as specified in Equation 88 above, for each
harmonic index and their contributions are applied for each sector.
Case 3: Tabular Load with Frequency (or X, Y, Z) as Independent Variable
The load specified at each frequency is expanded using Fourier transform as specified in
Equation 88 above, and their contributions are applied for each sector.
Limitations
Review the following limitations for the Non-Cyclic Loading Type feature:
General
• When you have a non-cyclic Tabular Load and the Independent Variable property is
set to Frequency, please ensure that you define the load such that there is a non-zero
magnitude for the load at each frequency point in the tabular data. Otherwise, the ap-
plication may ignore some of these defined loads.
• A Remote Point scoped to a Sector is equivalent to having one Remote Point for each
Sector in the expanded solution.
Symmetry
• If you specify a node-based load, such as Direct FE loads, Remote Force, Moments, etc.,
on both the low and high edge nodes, it will be taken into account twice in the solution
due to the cyclic constraint equations.
Engine-Order Loading
• Applying a Remote Force, Moment, or Nodal Force in the direction that does not align
with the Z direction of the cyclic axis could generate harmonic indices other than the
ones requested.
• Defining a non-cyclic loads using the Function option is not currently supported.
See the Modeling and Loading Limitations section in the Mechanical APDL Cyclic Symmetry
Analysis Guide for more information.
15.1.3.4.2. Reviewing Results for Cyclic Symmetry in a Harmonic Response or FSI

Harmonic Acoustics Analysis
When simulating cyclic symmetry in a Harmonic Response (Full) analysis, the same results are
available as results in Harmonic Response analyses (p. 502) that involve full symmetry with the
exception of Linearized Stresses and Fatigue results (p. 2267) (which are underdefined). In addition,
purely elemental results, such as Volume, Kinetic Energy, and Potential Energy display only in the
base sector. To verify a result is elemental, examine the Worksheet (from the Solution object)
for Solution Quantities and Result Summary (p. 2065) > Available Solution Quantities.
Even though only one cyclic sector is analyzed, results (excluding elemental results) are valid for
the full symmetry model. You can control the post-processing and display of cyclic results using
the following options of the Cyclic Solution Display category of the Solution folder:
solution. The value indicates how many sectors should be processed, displayed and animated.
Results generate more quickly and consume less memory and file storage when fewer sectors
are requested. To set the value as Program Controlled, enter zero; this value reveals the full
expansion.
Note:
Extremum values (for example, Minimum, Maximum) correspond only to the portion
of the model selected by these properties (under Cyclic Solution Display).
Unexpanded One Sector Model Display
Types of Regions
Expanded Full Symmetry Model Display
Symmetry
Note:
• Probe results are not available for Harmonic Response (Full) analyses when cyclic
symmetry is used.
• Selecting the Solution object or a result object and then selecting the Frequency
checkbox in the Tabular Data window displays the following bar graph. The Har-
monic Index values in Tabular Data are zero if the loading is cyclic.
• When Non-Cyclic loads (p. 1461) are present in the model, the Harmonic Index is not
shown. When you request a result at a frequency, the cyclically expanded result is
Types of Regions
displayed which accounts for the contribution from all the available harmonic index
at the requested frequency. This is similar to the output from the Mechanical APDL
/CYCEXPAND command.
• When Non-Cyclic loads (p. 1461) are present in the model, the Sector Number property
is displayed. You can set this property to view the frequency and phase response
results on the desired sector.
15.1.3.5. Cyclic Symmetry in a Modal or FSI Modal Acoustics Analysis

When you perform a Modal (p. 521) or FSI Modal Acoustics analysis that involves cyclic sym-
metry (p. 1442), unique features are available for loads/supports, analysis settings, and reviewing
results. These features are described in the following sections:
15.1.3.5.1. Applying Loads and Supports for Cyclic Symmetry in a Modal or FSI Modal Acoustics Analysis
15.1.3.5.2. Analysis Settings for Cyclic Symmetry in a Modal Analysis
15.1.3.5.3. Analysis Settings for Cyclic Symmetry in a FSI Modal Acoustics Analysis
15.1.3.5.4. Reviewing Results for Cyclic Symmetry in a Modal or FSI Modal Acoustics Analysis
15.1.3.5.1. Applying Loads and Supports for Cyclic Symmetry in a Modal or FSI
Modal Acoustics Analysis
The following support limitations and specifications must be observed:
• Elastic Supports and Compression Only Supports are not permitted.
• Supports should not include any face selections (for example, on 3D solids) that already belong
to either the low or high boundaries of the cyclic symmetry sector. Supports may include edges
(for example, on 3D solids) on those boundaries, however.
• Only the following remote boundary conditions are supported:
– Point Mass
Symmetry
– Spring
Warning:
Make sure that the location of the Remote Points does not coincide with the cyclic
symmetry axis, as this could generate incorrect results. Two exceptions exist for stan-
dalone or MSUP modal analyses: if either a Displacement or a Moment (for a sub-
sequent MSUP) is applied about the cyclic symmetry axis and then to all sectors, it
must:
• be scoped to a Remote Point that has its Behavior property set to Deformable,
• have all DOFs fixed except the DOF about the cyclic symmetry axis, and
• the Remote Point must lie on the cyclic axis of symmetry.
along the sector boundaries (low, high and axial boundaries), their constraints are integrated to
full model.
If the modal analysis is activated as pre-stressed (p. 354), no other modal loads/supports are allowed.
On the other hand you can apply all pertinent structural loads/supports (p. 1456) in the previous
cyclic static analysis.
When using the Samcef or ABAQUS solver, compatibility of supports with cyclic symmetry is
checked internally. If an incompatibility is detected a warning or error message will be displayed,
and the solve will be interrupted.
15.1.3.5.2. Analysis Settings for Cyclic Symmetry in a Modal Analysis

A Modal analysis involving cyclic symmetry includes a Cyclic Controls (p. 1530) category that enables
you to solve the harmonic index for all values, or for a range of values. This category is available
if you have defined a Cyclic Region in the analysis.
Note:
Currently for Modal Analysis with Cyclic Symmetry:
• The Unsymmetric Solver Type (UNSYM) is not supported.
• Damping is not supported (Fully Damped, DAMPED, or Reduced Damped, QRDAMP).
• Expansion is only available for harmonic indices > 0 with the Samcef or ABAQUS
solver.
For more information about the associated Mechanical APDL command, see the
MODOPT section of the Mechanical APDL Command Reference.
Types of Regions
15.1.3.5.3. Analysis Settings for Cyclic Symmetry in a FSI Modal Acoustics Analysis
A modal analysis involving cyclic symmetry includes a Cyclic Controls (p. 1530) category in the
Analysis Settings object that enables you to solve the harmonic index for all values or for a
range of values. This category is available if you have defined a Cyclic Region object in the ana-
lysis.
Note:
Currently for FSI Modal Acoustics Analysis with Cyclic Symmetry:
• The Unsymmetric Solver Type (UNSYM) is supported.
• Damping is not supported (Fully Damped, DAMPED).
See the MODOPT section of the Mechanical APDL Command Reference for additional information.
15.1.3.5.4. Reviewing Results for Cyclic Symmetry in a Modal or FSI Modal Acoustics
Analysis
A Modal analysis involving cyclic symmetry includes additional options to help you navigate and
interpret the results. In particular, there are features to:
• Review the complete range of modes: you may request the modes to be sorted by their serial
number in the results file or by their frequency value in the spectrum.
• Review combinations of degenerate modes through the complete range of phase angles.
When simulating cyclic symmetry in a Modal analysis, the same results are available as for a
modal analysis with full symmetry, with the exception of Linearized Stresses (which are under-
defined). In addition, purely elemental results, such as Volume, Kinetic Energy, and Potential Energy
display only in the base sector. To verify a result is elemental, examine the Worksheet (from the
Solution object) for Solution Quantities and Result Summary (p. 2065) > Available Solution
Quantities.
Although only one cyclic sector is analyzed, results (excluding elemental results) are valid for the
full symmetry model. You can control the post-processing and display of cyclic results using the
following options of the Cyclic Solution Display category of the Solution folder:
solution. The value indicates how many sectors should be processed, displayed and animated.
Results generate more quickly and consume less memory and file storage when fewer sectors
are requested. To set the value as Program Controlled, enter zero; this value reveals the full
expansion.
Symmetry
Note:
• Extremum values (for example, Minimum, Maximum) correspond only to the portion
of the model selected by these properties (under Cyclic Solution Display).
• To expand a mode shape, Mechanical applies the scale factors as defined in the
Complete Mode Shape Derivation section of the Mechanical APDL Theory Reference.
Normalization to unity is not supported.
• For a Multistage Cyclic Symmetry (p. 1453) analysis, the Number of Sectors and
Starting at Sector properties apply to all Stage objects.
Because these features involve reviewing the mode shapes and contours at individual points
within a range, they leverage the charting facilities of the Graph and Tabular Data win-
dows (p. 187) together with the 3D contour plotting of the Graphics view.
Reviewing the Complete Range of Modes
You may request the modes to be sorted in the Graph window by their set number in the results
file or by their frequency value in the spectrum. You may then interact with the plot (p. 1475) to
generate specific mode shapes and contours of interest.
Use the X-Axis property of the Graph Controls category in the Details pane of the result to
control how modes are sorted. Property options include:
Mode
This choice will designate the x-axis in the Graph window to indicate the set numbers for
each mode (within a harmonic index) in the results file. Each mode will have a vertical bar
whose height represents its frequency of vibration. The columns in the Tabular Data window
are displayed in the order of: Mode, Harmonic Index, and Frequency.
Types of Regions
When X-Axis is set to Mode, the Definition category includes settings for Cyclic Mode and
Harmonic Index.
Frequency
This option will designate the x-axis in the Graph window to indicate the mode Frequency.
Modes are thus sorted by their frequencies of vibration. Each mode will have a vertical bar
whose height, for cross-reference, corresponds to the mode number (within its harmonic index).
The columns in the Tabular Data window are displayed in the order of: Frequency, Mode,
and Harmonic Index.
Symmetry
When X-Axis is set to Frequency, the Definition category includes a setting for Cyclic Phase.
Read-only displays of the Minimum Value Over Phase and the Maximum Value Over Phase
are also available.
Phase
For degenerate modes or couplets, a third option for the X-Axis setting under Graph Controls
is available. This choice will designate the x-axis in the Graph window to indicate the phase
angle. The graph will show the variation of minimum and maximum value of the result with
change in phase angle for the concerned couplet. This setting allows you to analyze the result
for a particular mode (for couplets only). The columns in the Tabular Data window are dis-
played in the order of: Phase, Minimum and Maximum. For details on couplets, read the
section below.
Types of Regions
Reviewing results for frequency couplets as a function of cyclic phase angles
An inspection of the results for harmonic indices between 0 and N/2 (that is, 0 < Harmonic Index
< N/2) reveals that natural frequencies are reported in pairs by the solver. These pairs of equal
value are often termed "couplets." The corresponding mode shapes in each couplet represent
two standing waves, one based on a sine and another on a cosine solution of the same spatial
frequency, thus having a phase difference of 90°. To appreciate the full range of vibrations possible
at a given frequency couplet, it is necessary to review not only the individual mode shapes for
sine and cosine (for example, at 0° and 90°) but also their linear combinations which sweep a full
cycle of relative phases from 0° to 360°. This sweep is displayed by Mechanical as an animation
called a "traveling wave". The following is an example:
Note:
The following demos are presented in animated GIF format. View online if you are
reading the PDF version of the help.
Symmetry
Animations for mode shapes in other harmonic indices, that is, 0 or, for N even, N/2, will yield
standing waves. The following animation is an example of a standing wave.
There are options to review the dependence of a result on cyclic phase angle quantitatively. For
applicable harmonic indices, results can be defined by:
• Cyclic Phase: Use in combination with the Cyclic Phase setting to report the contour at a
specific phase. Under this setting, the result will also report the Minimum Value Over Cyclic
Phase and the Maximum Value Over Cyclic Phase.
• Maximum over Cyclic Phase: this contour reveals the peak value of the result as a function of
cyclic phase for every node/element.
Types of Regions
• Cyclic Phase of Maximum: this contour reveals the cyclic phase at which the peak value of the
result is obtained for every node/element.
When the result is defined by Cyclic Phase, it may be convenient to use the interaction op-
tions (p. 1475) to pick the value of phase from the Tabular Data window as an alternative to direct
input in the Details view. To access this feature, set the X-Axis to Phase under Graph Controls.
To control the density of the cyclic phase sweep, select Options from the File tab (p. 39), and
then select the Frequency (p. 299) category. Modify the Cyclic Phase Number of Steps property.
The phase sweep can be disabled individually on a result by setting Allow Phase Sweep to No
Interaction Options
The Graph, Tabular Data and the Graphics view can be used in concert while reviewing modal
cyclic results. For example, if you click in the Tabular Data window, a black vertical cursor moves
to the corresponding position in the chart. Conversely, if you click a bar (for Mode or Frequency
display) or a node in the chart (for a Phase display), the corresponding row is highlighted in the
Tabular Data window. Multi-selection is also available by dragging the mouse over a range of
bars or nodes (in the chart) or rows in the Tabular Data window. These are useful in identifying
the mode number and harmonic index with specific values of the frequency spectrum.
Symmetry
Also, the Graph or Tabular Data windows can be used to request a specific mode shape at a
phase value of interest (if applicable) using context sensitive options. To access these, select an
item in the Graph or Tabular Data windows and click the right mouse button. The following are
the most useful options:
• Retrieve This Result: Auto-fills the Mode and Harmonic Index (for a Mode or Frequency
display) or the Phase angle (for a Phase display) into the Details view of the result and will
force the evaluation of the result with the parameters that were recently changed.
• Create Mode Shape Results: processes the selected pairs (Mode, Harmonic Index defined
by dragging in the Graph window to produce a light blue rectangle) and inserts results under
the Solution folder. You must then evaluate these results, since they are not evaluated auto-
matically. This option is not available for Phase display.
The following two options are available only if you click the right mouse button in the Graph
window:
• Zoom to Range: Zooms in on a subset of the data in the Graph window. Click and hold the
left mouse at a step location and drag to another step location. The dragged region will highlight
in blue. Next, select Zoom to Range. The chart will update with the selected step data filling
the entire axis range. This also controls the time range over which animation takes place.
• Zoom to Fit: If you have chosen Zoom to Range and are working in a zoomed region,
choosing Zoom to Fit will return the axis to full range covering all steps.
15.1.3.6. Cyclic Symmetry in a Thermal Analysis

When you perform a steady state thermal analysis (p. 663) or transient thermal analysis (p. 686) that
involves cyclic symmetry (p. 1476), unique features are available for loads/supports and reviewing
results. These features are described in the following sections:
15.1.3.6.1. Applying Loads for Cyclic Symmetry in a Thermal Analysis
15.1.3.6.2. Reviewing Results for Cyclic Symmetry in a Thermal Analysis
15.1.3.6.1. Applying Loads for Cyclic Symmetry in a Thermal Analysis

For a thermal analysis, in the presence of cyclic symmetry, Coupling loads are not available.
Types of Regions
Also, loads should not include any face selections (for example, on 3D solids) that already belong
to either the low or high boundaries of the cyclic symmetry sector. Loads may include edges (for
example, on 3D solids) on those boundaries, however.
Loads are assumed to have the same spatial relation for the cyclic axis in all sectors.
along the sector boundaries (low, high and axial boundaries), their constraints are integrated to
full model.
15.1.3.6.2. Reviewing Results for Cyclic Symmetry in a Thermal Analysis

When simulating cyclic symmetry in a thermal analysis, the same results are available as results
in a thermal analysis (p. 2254) that involve full symmetry.
Note:
Radiation Probe results (p. 2257) are calculated for the full symmetry model.
15.1.4. General Axisymmetric Overview

For three-dimensional (3D) Static Structural analyses only, the General Axisymmetric feature enables
you to create an axisymmetric mesh, in the circumferential direction, on a surface body model that
is based on specified nodal planes and an axis. This feature supports edge and vertex scoping only.
Additionally, from these surface model edges and vertices, you can generate three-dimensional node-
based Named Selections that you can then use as scoping items for other simulation options such
as loading conditions and/or results. An axisymmetric model created using this feature greatly reduces
the modeling and analysis time compared to that of an equivalent 3D model.
See the General Axisymmetric Workflow in Mechanical (p. 1498) section for the steps to use the feature.
• Element Description (p. 1478) • Graphic Display of Axis and Nodal Planes
(p. 1480)
• General Limitations (p. 1478)
• Mesh Generation and Display (p. 1480)
• Connection Limitations (p. 1478)
• Named Selection Display (p. 1482)
• Contact Limitations (p. 1478)
• Contact Support (p. 1483)
• Named Selection Limitations (p. 1478)
• Load/Support Scoping
• Load and Boundary Condition Specifications (p. 1484)
Limitations (p. 1478)
• Result Display (p. 1488)
• Graphical Limitations (p. 1479)
• Result Limitations (p. 1479)
Symmetry
Element Description
This feature uses the Mechanical APDL elements SOLID272 and SOLID273. See the General
Axisymmetric Elements section in the Mechanical APDL Element Reference or review the pertinent
sections of the Mechanical APDL Theory Reference for additional information.
Limitations
The Axis of symmetry you specify should not intersect your surface body and must be in the same
plane as the selected surface body. In addition, review the categorized limitations listed below. You
cannot use the listed features and capabilities in combination with the General Axisymmetric feature.
General Limitations
• All analysis types other than Static Structural analyses.
• Non-planar surface bodies.
• Element Orientations.
• Point Mass and Distributed Mass.
Connection Limitations
• Beams, Bearings, Joints, and Springs.
• Beam contact formulation type.
• Only bonded contact is supported between General Axisymmetric bodies with one nodal plane.
• When the Type property is set to Bonded and the Formulation property is set to MPC, only
the Programmed Controlled and Projected, Displacement Only options for the Constraint
Type (p. 1159) property are supported. All other options define force distributed constraints
that are not supported for General Axisymmetric contacts.
• The Flip Contact Normals and the Flip Target Normals properties cannot be used to invert
the normal direction of edge contacts on 2D surface bodies.
Contact Limitations
• For contact between General Axisymmetric bodies that have one nodal plane, make sure that at
least one node is constrained in Z direction for the Target body.
• Contacts imported from an imported base mesh will lose their mesh scoping after the General
Axisymmetric mesh is generated. As a result, it is recommended that you create contacts with
geometry scoping after importing a base mesh.
Named Selection Limitations
• Named Selections defined on faces that are used to define loads or supports.
• Element-based and Element Face-based Named Selections defined using Worksheet criteria.
Load and Boundary Condition Limitations
Types of Regions
The following load and boundary conditions are not supported:
• Fluid Solid Interface
• Joint Load and Bearing Load
• Line Pressure or Hydrostatic Pressure
• Radial loading
• Imported Loads other than Imported Body Temperature (p. 1861) and Imported Displace-
ment (p. 1867) (only).
• Simply Supported, Fixed Rotation, Frictional, and Cylindrical supports.
Also note the following with regards to loading and boundary conditions:
• Scoping the surface bodies defined using the General Axisymmetric feature to objects such
as Symmetry Region, Thickness, Layered Section, Imported Thickness, and Imported Layered
Section.
• Deformable Behavior is not supported for objects which create or use remote points like Remote
Points, Remote loads, Moments, Point Mass, Beam connections, Bearings, Joints, Springs when
scoped to General Axisymmetric bodies.
Graphical Limitations
Note the following scenarios where the load direction arrow (annotation) is not displayed in the
Geometry window:
• Pressure load and Displacement boundary condition defined by Components with a Cylindrical
Coordinate System.
• Pressure load defined using the Normal To option.
When your analysis includes a Thermal Condition, Imported Body Temperature, Imported Displacement,
and/or a Spatially Varying Pressure (Normal To) (p. 1600), load variation contours do not display for any
of these loads types unless you have the load scoped to nodes using a node-based Named Selection.
Otherwise, the variable loading conditions display in purple and there is an annotation in the Geometry
window that indicates the load as a "Variable Load."
Result Limitations
• Path dependent results such as Linearized stress results.
• Location Probes (Location Method property set to Coordinate System)
• Path, Surface, and Surface Coating scoping methods of results. That is, results cannot be ex-
tracted using Construction Geometries.
• Convergence for results.
Symmetry
Graphic Display
As illustrated here, when you specify a General Axisymmetric object, the Geometry window auto-
matically displays the axis and the nodal planes around it. The application will generate nodes on
these planes.
Mesh Generation
Once you fully define the General Axisymmetric object, you can generate the General Axisymmetric
mesh using the context (right-click) menu option Generate Mesh/Update on Mesh object. The ap-
plication first creates the base mesh on the surface body and then it generates the General Axisym-
metric mesh on all nodal planes in circumferential direction. The example below illustrates a mesh
generated for 12 nodal planes.
Types of Regions
Additionally, here is an example of the mesh with the Nodal Planes Visible property set to Range,
and the Start Plane property set to 3 and End Plane property set to 8.
Symmetry
Named Selection Display

As illustrated in the following example, you can create a Named Selection on an edge (or vertex). For
this example, you create a node-based Named Selection from the edge-based Named Selection using
the context (right-click) menu option Create Nodal Named Selection (p. 1365). This node-based Named
Selection represents the circumferential nodes of a full axisymmetric mesh. Node-based Named Selec-
tions like this can also be created using the Worksheet.
Types of Regions
Contact Support
You use this feature on surface bodies. As a result, you need to specify an edge for contact conditions
(contact and target selection). Supported contact combinations include:
• The edges of two General Axisymmetric bodies.
• A solid surface as the target side and a General Axisymmetric edge as contact side.
• A 3D shell as the target side and General Axisymmetric edge as the contact side.
• When an edge of a General Axisymmetric body is in contact with a surface or edge of a shell
body or with a surface of a solid body, the nodes on the scoped edge in the base nodal plane
as well as the equivalent nodes in the circumferential direction form contact. However, if the
General Axisymmetric body has only one nodal plane, contact occurs only along the nodes of
the edge in the base nodal plane, as illustrated below.
Symmetry
Note:
For the Contact Tool (p. 2184), for node-to-surface contact, Pressure displays zeros
for results. To display the associated contact force, you must insert a user defined
result (p. 2305) called CONTFORC.
The application creates:
• Asymmetric contact pairs.
• Node-to-surface contact pairs (contact elements CONTA175 paired with target elements
TARGE170) when the Nodal Planes property value specified on the associated General
Axisymmetric objects equals 3-12.
• 2-D node-to-surface contact pairs (contact elements CONTA175 paired with target elements
TARGE169), in the case of a true axisymmetric condition (the Nodal Planes property on the
associated General Axisymmetric objects set to 1).
Note:
• You cannot create contact pairs between two General Axisymmetric bodies with
different nodal planes.
• Only Bonded contact is supported between General Axisymmetric bodies with one
nodal plane.
• If the scoped bodies are not in XY plane, contact between General Axisymmetric
bodies with only one nodal plane is not supported.
Load/Support Application
When specifying loads and supports on your surface body model, you can:
• Apply Direct FE (p. 1838) loading conditions, including: Nodal Force, Nodal Pressure, and
Nodal Displacement. You can use these loads to specify non-axisymmetric loads.
Types of Regions
• Apply tensile, compressive, and torsional loading using edge or vertex scoping.
• Apply Remote Force, Remote Displacement, and Moments.
• Surface effect elements SURF159 are created to apply a Pressure load when the Defined By
property is set to Normal To and the Applied By property is set to Surface Effect or when
the Defined By property set to Components or Vector.
• An Imported Body Temperature load, when applied on General Axisymmetric bodies, uses
the Volumetric transfer type when the Mapping Control property (p. 2493) is set to Program
Controlled (the recommended data mapping type).
• For imported loads, if you want to map 2D data onto a General Axisymmetric 3D mesh (NP>1),
it is recommended that you set the Dimension property to 2D in the Project Schematic when
specifying the External Data. In Mechanical, the load is transferred onto the General Axisym-
metric mesh using the 2D Projection property (p. 2493). It is further recommended that you
select a cylindrical coordinate system for 2D Projection property in order to transfer the data
in circumferential direction.
Important:
Loads on General Axisymmetric bodies with one nodal plane may produce torsion. Use
constraints along the body plane normal if torsion is not desired.
When you scope loads and/or supports to an edge on surface geometry, the solver transfers the load
to the nodes of all the nodal planes. This is essentially the same as selecting a face of a full model,
as highlighted below.
Edge Scoping on a Fixed Support
Symmetry
Edge Scoping on a Pressure Load
Types of Regions
Similarly, and as illustrated here, when you scope a support or load to a vertex, the solver transfers
it onto the corresponding nodes from all nodal planes, which is nothing but an edge of a full model.
Vertex Scoping on a Displacement
Symmetry
Result Display
Once solved, result contours for this feature display similar to an equivalent 3D solid model.
Types of Regions
This result is an example of the Nodal Planes Visible property set to Range, and the Start Plane
property set to 3 and End Plane property set to 8.
Symmetry
15.2. Symmetry Workflow in DesignModeler

The following procedure describes the steps use to working with Symmetry in DesignModeler.
1. While in DesignModeler, from the Tools menu, apply the Symmetry feature to the model or
define an Enclosure .
2. Enter the Mechanical application by double-clicking on the Model cell in the Project Schematic.
The Mechanical application screen appears and includes the following objects in the tree:
• A Symmetry object.
• Symmetry Region objects displayed under the Symmetry folder. The number of Symmetry Region
objects corresponds to the number of symmetry planes you defined in DesignModeler.
• A Named Selections folder object. Each child object displayed under this folder replicates the
enclosure named selections that were automatically created when you started the Mechanical
application.
3. In the Details view of each Symmetry Region object, under Definition, specify the type of sym-
metry (p. 1436) by first clicking on the Type field, then choosing the type from the drop-down list.
Boundary conditions will be applied to the symmetry planes based on both the simulation type and
what you specify in the symmetry Type field. The Scope Mode read-only indication is Automatic
when you follow this procedure of defining symmetry in DesignModeler. The Coordinate System
and Symmetry Normal fields include data that was "inherited" from DesignModeler. You can change
this data if you wish. The Symmetry Normal entry must correspond to the Coordinate System
entry.
Symmetry Workflow in Mechanical
15.3. Symmetry Workflow in Mechanical

The following procedure describes the general steps, for the different types of regions, that you’ll use
to implement the symmetry feature during an analysis using the Mechanical Application. As needed,
refer to Types of Regions (p. 1436) section of the Symmetry documentation for more information about
the specific region types.
1. Once you have imported your model into Mechanical, select the Model object and select the Sym-
metry option from the Model Context Tab (p. 50). Alternatively, you can right-click on the Model
object or within the Geometry window and select Insert>Symmetry from the context menu.
2. Based on your analysis type, and symmetry needs, insert one of the following Symmetry objects:
• Symmetry Region (only flexible body scoping is supported)
• Linear Periodic (this object displays as a Symmetry Region object)
• Periodic Region
• Cyclic Region
• Pre-Meshed Cyclic Region
3. Specify the Scoping Method property: specify as Geometry Selection (default) or Named Selection.
Based on your selection, one of the following properties is required.
Geometry/Low Boundary/High Boundary
These properties are visible when the Scoping Method property is set to Geometry Selection.
You use this property to specify the desired geometric entity. Use the options of the Graphics
Toolbar (p. 100) to make your selections.
For Periodic Region, Cyclic Region, and Pre-Meshed Cyclic Region objects, instead of a Geo-
metry property, you are presented with the Low Boundary and High Boundary properties.
Each low/high selection can consist of one or more faces over one or more parts, but they must
be paired properly. To be valid, each face/edge you specify as the Low Boundary must be ac-
companied by its twin for the High Boundary.
In addition, make sure that each selected face/edge and its twin belong to the same multibody
part (although it is not necessary that they belong to the same body). Adjust your multibody
parts as needed.
Note:
• For the Periodic Region and the Cyclic Region objects, your low/high selections
are used to match the mesh of the two boundaries.
• For a Pre-Meshed Cyclic Region object, it is assumed that the mesh is matched.
This object does not influence the mesh.
Symmetry
Named Selection/Low Selection/High Selection
These properties are visible when the Scoping Method property is set to Named Selection.
This field provides a drop-down list of available, and appropriate, user-defined Named Selections.
For Periodic Region, Cyclic Region, and Pre-Meshed Cyclic Region objects, instead of a Named
Selection property, you are presented with the Low Selection and High Selection properties.
For a Periodic Region, Cyclic Region, or Pre-Meshed Cyclic Region object, like the Geometry
Selection option, the Low Selection must correspond to the Low Boundary component and
High Selection must correspond to the High Boundary component.
The mesh matching requirements are the same as those for a geometry selection.
4. For the Symmetry Region and Periodic Region objects, and as required, define the Type property.
It provides a drop-down list of the following options:
• Symmetry
• Anti-Symmetry
• Linear Periodic
These options essentially apply boundary conditions to the symmetry planes. The Type property
options support specific analysis types. See the Symmetry Region (p. 1436) section for a more detailed
description of use of these options.
5. Specify the Coordinate System: Select an appropriate coordinate system from the drop-down list.
• Symmetry Region: Only supports Cartesian coordinate systems.
• Periodic Region, Cyclic Region, and Pre-Meshed Cyclic Region: Only supports cylindrical
coordinate systems.
As needed, refer to the Coordinate Systems section, Initial Creation and Definition (p. 1096).
6. Based on your symmetry application, you may need to also specify one or more of the following
properties:
• Symmetry Normal (Symmetry Region only): Specify the normal axis from the drop down
list that corresponds to the coordinate system that you chose.
• Periodicity Direction: This option applies a Symmetry Region object with the Type property
set to Linear Periodic only. This axis should point into the direction (in user selected Coordin-
ate System) the model should be translated. It might be different from Symmetry Normal
property used for other Symmetry Region types.
• Behavior: This property displays during a structural analysis for a Symmetry Region object
that has the Type property set to Linear Periodic. This property specifies the coupling beha-
vior between the Low and High Boundaries. Options include:
– Free (default): The application allows the specified Low Boundary and High Boundary
to deform in different directions in order to enable the structure to "breathe."
– Coupled: The application couples the specified Low Boundary and High Boundary.
This forces the boundaries to experience the same deformation in same direction.
Refer to the Structural and Thermal Linear Periodic Symmetry (p. 1438) topic for more inform-
ation.
• Apply To: This property displays when piezoelectric physics is present in a Coupled
Field (p. 380) analysis that includes a Symmetry Region with the Type property set to Linear
Periodic. This property specifies the degrees of freedom (DOF) applied to the scoped geo-
metry.
– Applicable DOF (default): You can specify Displacement and Voltage DOFs on the
geometries of the Low Boundary and High Boundary.
– Displacement: You can specify Displacement on the geometries of the Low Boundary
and High Boundary.
– Voltage: You can specify Voltage on the geometries of the Low Boundary and High
Boundary.
• Linear Shift: This option applies to a Symmetry Region object with the Type property set
to Linear Periodic only. This value (positive or negative) represents the increment applied
to the node's location in the chosen Periodicity Direction.
Important:
If you create more than one Symmetry Region object that is specified as Linear
Periodic, each object must have the same value for the Linear Shift property.
• For a Pre-Meshed Cyclic Region only, define the following:
– Number Of Sectors: The entry range is any real number greater than 2.
– Boundary DOF Orientation:
– Relative Distance Tolerance: The default setting is Program Controlled and this setting
uses a value of -0.0001.
Symmetry Examples
The following example shows a body whose Symmetry Region was defined in the Mechanical applic-
ation.
Symmetry
Note:
You can select multiple faces to work with a symmetry region. For Symmetric/Anti-Symmetric
Symmetry Regions, all faces selected (or chosen through Named Selection folder) must have
only one normal. For Periodic/Cyclic types, you should additionally choose the proper cyl-
indrical coordinate system with the z-axis showing the rotation direction, similar to the
Matched Face Mesh meshing option. For a Symmetry Region with the Type property set
to Linear Periodic, you should choose the proper Cartesian coordinate system with the
Periodicity Direction and Linear Shift properties showing pertinent values to facilitate
conditions similar to the Arbitrary Match Control meshing option. In addition, the Behavior
property also enables you to specify the coupling behavior between the Low and High
Boundaries (Linear Periodic only).
The following example shows a body whose Periodic Region was defined in the Mechanical application.
Symmetry
The following example shows a body whose Cyclic Region was defined in the Mechanical application.
Note:
• When using a Periodic/Cyclic Region or for a Symmetry object whose Type is specified
as Linear Periodic, the mesher automatically sets up match face meshing on the opposite
Low Boundary and High Boundary faces.
• The application displays the following warning if the sector angle does not satisfy the
calculation N * angle = 360, with tolerance of 0.5 degree.
Invalid sector angle : The angle (in degrees) spanned by the base sector should be such
that N * angle = 360, where N is an integer and N should be same for all scoped bodies.
A useful feature available is the ability to swap Low Boundary and High Boundary settings under
Scope in the Details view. You accomplish this by clicking the right mouse button on the specific
symmetry regions (Ctrl key or Shift key for multiple selections) and choosing Flip High/Low.
The following example shows a model defined with the Pre-Meshed Cyclic Region object in the
Mechanical application.
Symmetry
Note:
Except for cyclic symmetry models, symmetry models do not deform for unaveraged results.
For example, for an unaveraged stress display, you will see the undeformed shape of the
model.
15.4. General Axisymmetric Workflow in Mechanical

The following procedure describes the steps to specify a General Axisymmetric object.
1. Once you have imported a surface geometry or a base mesh model into Mechanical, select the
Model object and then select the Symmetry option from the Model Context Tab (p. 50). Altern-
atively, you can right-click on the Model object or within the Geometry window and select Insert
> Symmetry from the context menu.
2. Select the Symmetry folder and then select the General Axisymmetric option from the Symmetry
Context Tab (p. 52). Alternatively, you can right-click on the Symmetry folder object or within the
Geometry window and select Insert > General Axisymmetric from the context menu.
3. Specify the desired Geometry. Only Body scoping is supported. You can scope any planar surface
body.
General Axisymmetric Workflow in Mechanical
4. Using the Nodal Planes property, enter your desired number of planes on which nodes should be
generated. The entry for this property can be either 1 or 3 through 12. A Nodal Planes entry of
2 is not supported.
5. As needed, modify the Coordinate System property. The application uses the Global Coordinate
System option as the default setting. You can specify a local coordinate system.
6. Specify the Axis property. This property specifies the axis about which the mesh nodes are gener-
ated. Options include X Axis, Y Axis, and Z Axis.
Note:
The specified Axis must lie along the selected body, it cannot intersect the body. And,
the Axis specified must be on the same plane as the selected surface body.
7. Change the default settings of the Nodal Planes Visible property as desired. The default setting
displays All planes (as specified in the Nodal Planes property) or you can set the property to Range
and select the number of planes you want to display for the mesh and result objects. Enter a con-
secutive range based on the number of Nodal Planes, such as 1-6 or 6-12.
Note:
When you change Graphics Options:
• The application clears all results. It is necessary to reevaluate the results.
• For the Range option, the display of result Min and Max values is for the specified
range of planes, not the entire model.
Refer to General Axisymmetric Overview (p. 1477) section for additional information, such as load applic-
ation, limitations, and results options.
Specification Support Examples

In the example illustrated below, a coordinate system is specified at the centroid of the geometry. As
you can see, all three axes of this system cut through the geometry. As a result, you cannot specify this
coordinate system and any of its axis for a General Axisymmetric object.
Symmetry
In this example, the X- Axis of the coordinate system cuts through the geometry. As a result, it cannot
be specified for the Axis property. The Y-Axis is not in the same plane as the surface body so it cannot
be specified for the Axis property. For this example, you can use only the Z-Axis as the axisymmetric
axis.
Chapter 16: Analysis Settings
The following topics are covered in this section.
16.1. Analysis Settings for Most Analysis Types
16.2. Steps and Step Controls for Static and Transient Analyses
16.1. Analysis Settings for Most Analysis Types

When you define an analysis type (p. 327), an Analysis Settings object is always included in the environ-
ment. With this object selected, you can define various solution options in order to customize your
analysis, such as enabling large deflection for a stress analysis.
Select from the following Analysis Settings object categories for a complete description of their
properties and options.
16.1.1. Step Controls for Static and Transient Analyses
16.1.2. Step Controls for Harmonic Analysis Types
16.1.3. Solver Controls
16.1.4. Restart Analysis
16.1.5. Restart Controls
16.1.6. Adaptivity Remeshing Controls
16.1.7. Creep Controls
16.1.8. Fracture Controls
16.1.9. Cyclic Controls
16.1.10. Radiosity Controls
16.1.11. Options for Analyses
16.1.12. Scattering Controls
16.1.13. Advanced
16.1.14. Damping Controls
16.1.15. Nonlinear Controls
16.1.16. Output Controls
16.1.17. Analysis Data Management
16.1.18. Rotordynamics Controls
16.1.19. Visibility
Note:
Analysis Settings for the following analysis types are described in their respective documents:
Analysis Settings
• See Analysis Settings for Explicit Dynamics Analyses in the Explicit Dynamics Analysis
Guide.
• For additive manufacturing:
– See Establish Thermal Analysis Settings and Establish Structural Analysis Settings
in the LPBF Simulation Guide.
– See Establish Thermal Analysis Settings and Establish Structural Analysis Settings
in the DED Simulation Guide.
16.1.1. Step Controls for Static and Transient Analyses

You use the Step Controls category during static and transient dynamic analyses to first specify a
multiple step analysis, and then define all associated properties, including those of the Nonlinear
Controls (p. 1554) and Output Controls (p. 1559), for each step.
• Specifying Step Controls (p. 1502)
• Specify Settings for Multiple Substeps Simultaneously (p. 1505)
• Display All Analysis Settings in the Worksheet (p. 1507)
• Activating and Deactivating Loads (p. 1507)
Specifying Step Controls

The Step Controls category of the Analysis Settings object includes the properties described below.
The display of certain properties can depend upon the selections that you make, the type of analysis
you are performing, as well as the use of a particular feature. Note that most Step Controls (as well
as Nonlinear Controls and Output Controls) are “step aware,” that is, property settings can be dif-
ferent for each step.
Number of Steps
Use this property to define the desired number of steps for your analysis. The Graph and Tabular
Data windows automatically update with the specified number of steps.
Analysis Settings for Most Analysis Types
Current Step Number
This property displays the currently selected step. The default setting is 1. To select a particular
step, you can 1) change the value of this property, 2) select a time value in the Graph window
(or the step bar displayed below the chart), or 3) select a row in the Step column of the Tabular
Data window. When you change the value of this property, your entry is reflected in the Graph
and Tabular Data windows. An example is illustrated below for a Current Step Number value
of 2.
You can select multiple steps in the Graph window using the [Shift] and [Ctrl] keys. When you
select multiple steps, the Current Step Number property displays the value Multi Step. For this
type of selection, any changes affect all of the selected steps.
Note:
The selection of multiple steps is not supported for an Explicit Dynamics or a Rigid
Body Dynamics analysis. If multiple steps are highlighted in the Graph window and
Analysis Settings
changes made to the Analysis Settings, the changes will affect the last selected step
only.
Step End Time
This property displays the end time of the Current Step Number. When multiple steps are selected
this property displays the value Multi Step.
Auto Time Stepping
Automatic time stepping is available for static and transient analyses, and is especially useful for
nonlinear solutions. This property is also described in detail in the Automatic Time Stepping (p. 1581)
section.
This property provides a drop-menu with the following options:
• Program Controlled (default): The Mechanical application automatically switches time

stepping on and off as needed. A check is performed on non-convergent patterns. The
physics of the simulation is also taken into account. The Program Controlled settings are
presented in the following table:
Auto Time Stepping Program Controlled Settings

Analysis Type Initial Minimum Maximum
Substeps Substeps Substeps
Linear Static Structural 1 1 1
Nonlinear Static Structural 1 1 10
Linear Steady-State Thermal 1 1 10
Nonlinear Steady-State 1 1 10
Thermal
Transient Thermal 100 10 1000
• On: You control time stepping by completing the following fields that only appear if you
choose this option. No checks are performed on non-convergent patterns and the physics
of the simulation is not taken into account.
– Initial Substeps: Specifies the size of the first substep. The default is 1.
– Minimum Substeps: Specifies the minimum number of substeps to be taken (that

is, the maximum time step size). The default is 1.
– Maximum Substeps: Specifies the maximum number of substeps to be taken (that

is, the minimum time step size). The default is 10.
• Off: No time stepping is enabled. You are prompted to enter the Number Of Substeps.
The default is 1.
Define By
This property displays when you set the Auto Time Stepping property to On or Off. Its drop-
down menu contains the options Time and Substep. The default setting for this property depends
upon the analysis type. It enables you to set the limits on load increment in one of two ways.
You can specify the Initial Time Step, Minimum Time Step and Maximum Time Step number
of substeps for a step or equivalently specify the Time Substeps, Minimum Substeps and Max-
imum Substeps time step size.
Carry Over Time Step
This property is available when you specify multiple steps. This is useful when you do not want
any abrupt changes in the load increments between steps. When this is set to On, the Initial time
step size of a step will be equal to the last time step size of the previous step.
Time Step
This property displays a time value for the current step.
Time Integration
This property is only available for Coupled Field Transient, Transient Structural, or Transient Thermal
analyses. This field indicates whether a step should include transient effects, such as structural
inertia or thermal capacitance, or whether it is a static (steady-state) step. This field can be used
to set up the Initial Conditions (p. 354) for a transient analysis.
• On: Default setting for transient analyses.
• Off: This option does not include structural inertia or thermal capacitance in solving this
step.
For a Coupled Field Transient analysis when the Time Integration property is set to Yes, the
following additional properties display and enable you to specify whether to turn a physics field
on or off:
• Structural Only: Options include No (default) and Yes.
• Thermal Only: Options include No and Yes (default) .
Note:
With Time Integration set to Off during Transient structural analyses, the application
does not compute velocity results. Therefore spring damping forces, which are derived
from velocity, will equal zero. This is not the case for Rigid Dynamics analyses.
Specify Settings for Multiple Substeps Simultaneously

If you want to specify the same analysis setting(s) to several substeps, you can select steps of interest
as follows and change the analysis settings properties.
Change All Steps
To specify analysis settings for all the substeps:
Analysis Settings
1. In either the Graph or Tabular Data window, right-click and select the Select All Steps option.
2. In the Details pane, make changes to properties. These changes will automatically apply to
all steps.
Change Multiple Steps from Graph Window
From the Graph window:
1. Highlight the Analysis Settings object.
2. Highlight steps in the Graph window using either of the following standard windowing
techniques:
• Ctrl key to highlight individual steps.
• Shift key to highlight a continuous group of steps.
3. Specify the analysis settings as needed. These settings will apply to all selected steps.
Change Multiple Steps from Tabular Data Window
From the Tabular Data window:
1. Highlight the Analysis Settings object.
2. Highlight steps in the Tabular Data window using either of the following standard windowing
techniques:
• Ctrl key to highlight individual steps.
• Shift key to highlight a continuous group of steps.
3. Click the right mouse button in the window and choose Select All Highlighted Steps from
the context menu.
4. Specify the analysis settings as needed. These settings will apply to all selected steps.
Display All Analysis Settings in the Worksheet

The Worksheet for the Analysis Settings object provides a single display of pertinent settings in the
Details for all steps.
Note:
For Explicit Dynamics, the Worksheet for the Analysis Settings object provides a single
display of pertinent step-aware settings in the Details pane for all steps.
Activating and Deactivating Loads

You can activate (include) or deactivate (delete) a specified load from being used in the analysis
within the time span of a step. For most loads, such as pressure or force, deleting the load is the
Analysis Settings
same as setting the load value to zero. But for certain loads, such as a specified displacement, this is
not the case.
Note:
• Changing the method of how a multiple-step load value is specified (such as Tabular
to Constant), the Activation/Deactivation state of all steps resets to the default,
Active.
• The activate/deactivate option is only available when the Independent Variable

property or the X-Axis property is set to Time.
• The capability to activate and/or deactivate loads is not available for the Samcef
solver
To activate or deactivate a load in a stepped analysis:
1. Highlight the load within a step in the Graph or a specific step in the Tabular Data window.
2. Click the right mouse button and choose Activate/Deactivate at this step!.
Note:
For displacements and remote displacements, it is possible to deactivate only one degree
of freedom within a step.
Note:
For a Mode Superposition Transient analysis, the application does not support deactivation
of an Acceleration or a Displacement defined as a Base Excitation.
For Imported loads and Temperature, Thermal Condition, Heat Generation, Voltage, and Current loads,
the following rules apply when multiple load objects of the same type exist on common geometry
selections:
• A load can assume any one of the following states during each load step:
– Active: Load is active and data specified during the first step.
– Reactivated: Load is active and data specified during the current step, but was deactivated during
the previous step. A change in step status exists.
– Deactivated: Load is deactivated at the current step, but was active and data applied during the
previous step. A change in step status exists.
– Unchanged: No change in step status exists.
• During the first step, an active load will overwrite other active loads that exist higher (previously
added) in the tree.
• During any other subsequent step, commands are sent to the solver only if a change in step status
exists for a load. Hence, any unchanged loads will get overwritten by other reactivated or deactivated
loads irrespective of their location in the tree. A reactivated/deactivated load will overwrite other
reactivated and deactivated loads that exist higher (previously added) in the tree.
Note:
Review the following:
• For each load step, if both Imported Loads and user-specified loads are applied on
common geometry or mesh selections, the Imported Loads take precedence. See
respective Imported Load (p. 1857) for more details.
• Deactivated Imported Loads do not overwrite other reactivated loads or Imported

Loads on common geometry or mesh selections even if they exist higher (were
previously added) in the Outline.
• For imported loads specified as tables, with the exception of imported displacement
and temperature loads, a value of zero is applied in the table where the load is
deactivated, and commands are sent to the solver only at the first active load step.
Hence these reactivated/deactivated imported loads with tabular loading do not
overwrite other unchanged or reactivated/deactivated loads that exist higher (pre-
viously added) in the tree.
• For imported loads specified as tables, the data is available outside the range of
specified analysis times/frequencies. If the solve time/frequency for a step/sub-step
falls outside the specified Analysis Time/Frequency, then the load value at the
nearest specified analysis time is used.
The tabular data view provides the equation for the calculation of values through
piecewise linear interpolation at steps where data is not specified.
Some scenarios where load deactivation is useful include:
• Springback of a cantilever beam after a plasticity analysis (see example below).
Analysis Settings
• Bolt pretension sequence (p. 1679) (Deactivation is possible by setting Define By to Open for the
load step of interest).
• Specifying different initial velocities for different parts in a transient analysis.
Example: Springback of a cantilever beam after a plasticity analysis
In this case a Y displacement of -2.00 inch is applied in the first Step. In the second step this load is
deactivated (deleted). Deactivated portions of a load are shown in cyan in the Graph and also have
a red stop bars indicating the deactivation. The corresponding cells in the data grid are also shown
in cyan.
In this example the second step has a displacement value of -1.5. However since the load is deactivated
this will not have any effect until the third step. In the third step a displacement of -1.5 will be step
applied from the sprung-back location.
16.1.2. Step Controls for Harmonic Analysis Types

This category enables you to define step controls for Coupled Field Harmonic (p. 384), Harmonic
Acoustics, and Harmonic Response (p. 502) analyses that include 1) multiple load steps and 2) loads
that vary with load steps or rotational velocity in the form of revolutions per minute (RPMs). You use
the properties of this category to define the number of steps and their settings, such as associated
RPM values, frequency spacing, minimum frequencies, maximum frequencies, etc.
Important:
During a Mode Superposition Harmonic Response analysis, the deactivation of an Acceler-

ation or Displacement that is defined as Base Excitation sends DVAL command with the
VALUE argument set to 0 (zero).
The category properties are described below.
Multiple This property activates the ability to define load steps. Options include Yes and No
Steps (default). When activated, all associated properties display. When you activate this property,
the Worksheet window automatically displays. Entries can be made using the Worksheet,
as described below.
Note:
The application automatically sets this property to No and it becomes

read-only if you link your Harmonic Response analysis to a downstream
Structural Optimization analysis or if the Future Analysis (p. 1573) property
(Analysis Settings > Analysis Data Management) is set to Structural
Optimization.
Multiple Specify how you want to define step control values, either by RPM or Load Step.
Step Type
Number You use this property to set the number of load steps for your analysis.
of Steps
Current You use this property to make changes to the load step specified (1, 2, etc.). All subsequent
Step property entries apply only to the load step specified. The default value is 1. Any changes
Number to the properties for the load step are reflected in the corresponding column in the
Worksheet.
RPM When the Multiple Step Type property is set to RPM, this property displays. You use this
Value property to specify an RPM value, in radians per second. This value is applied to the value
of the Current Step Number property.
Step Fre- Define how the application performs frequency spacing for the Current Step number.
quency Options include Linear (default), Logarithmic, 1 Octave Band, 1/2 Octave Band, 1/3
Spacing Octave Band, 1/6 Octave Band, 1/12 Octave Band, 1/24 Octave Band, and Order Based.
Using the Linear option, harmonic results are reported at uniform frequency intervals for
the specified frequency range. The Logarithmic option, as well as the Octave Band
options, defines the frequency spacing by setting an appropriate LogOpt key for the
HARFRQ command.
Important:
The Order Based setting:
• Is only supported when the Multiple Step Type property is set to RPM.
When selected, all steps are order-based.
• Does not support the Variational Technology setting for the Solution
Method property (Analysis Settings > Options (p. 1510)).
Step Cent- This option displays when you select an Octave Band option for the Step Frequency
ral Fre- Spacing property, this property also displays. This property requires you to specify the
quency central frequency of octave band.
Orders This option displays when you set the Step Frequency Spacing property to Order Based.
Enter the orders to evaluate for each RPM step. The property supports individual (including
decimal values) and range entries (whole numbers only). Separate individual entries using
Analysis Settings
a comma (0.5, 10, 15). Separate range values using a hyphen (20-25). You can also combine
these entries (0.5, 10, 15, 20-25). The application automatically rounds range values that
include a decimal up (≥ 0.5) or down (≤ 0.4).
Step Fre- You use this property to set the desired minimum frequency for the frequency range for
quency the Current Step number. When you select an Octave Band option for the Step Frequency
Range Spacing property, this property becomes read-only, and the application calculates its
Minimum value from the specified Step Central Frequency.
Step Fre- You use this property to set the desired maximum frequency for the frequency range for
quency the Current Step number. When you select an Octave Band option for the Step Frequency
Range Spacing property, this property becomes read-only, and the application calculates its
Maximum value from the specified Step Central Frequency.
Step Solu- You use this property to specify the solution intervals for the Current Step number. The
tion Inter- default value is 10.
vals
As illustrated below, when you activate Step Controls, the Worksheet window displays and enables
you to modify or view the step-based settings. When the Solution Method property is set to Mode
Superposition, you can change the setting of the Cluster Results under the Options category (p. 1531)
of the Analysis Settings.
16.1.3. Solver Controls

The display of the Solver Controls category as well as the display of the properties it provides is
dependent upon the analysis type(s) you select.
Go to a property description:
• Damped (p. 1513)
• Solver Type (p. 1513)
• Mode Reuse (Modal Analyses Only) (p. 1517)
• Store Complex Solution (Modal Analyses Only) (p. 1517)
• Weak Springs (p. 1517)
• Solver Pivot Checking (p. 1518)
• Large Deflection (p. 1518)
• Application (App.) Based Settings (p. 1519)
• Inertia Relief (Linear Static Structural Analyses Only) (p. 1519)
• Include Negative Load Multiplier (Eigenvalue Buckling Analysis Only) (p. 1520)
• Quasi-Static Solution (p. 1520)
• Time Integration Type (Rigid Dynamics Solver Only) (p. 1520)
Damped
The Damped property options include Yes and No (default). Set the property to Yes to enable a
damped system where the natural frequencies and mode shapes become complex.
Solver Type
The options of the Solver Type property vary based upon the type of analysis you are performing.
General options include:
• Program Controlled (default): Allow the application to select the optimal solver.
• Direct: Use the Sparse solver.
• Iterative: Use the PCG solver. Or, for electric and electromagnetic analyses, use the ICCG
solver.
Note:
• Coupled Field Harmonic (pure acoustics), Harmonic Response, and Harmonic

Acoustics (pure acoustics) analyses support the Iterative setting only when the
Solution Method property (Analysis Settings > Options (p. 1533)) is set to Program
Controlled or Full.
• For more information about solver selection, see the EQSLV command in the
Mechanical APDL Command Reference as well as the Types of Solvers section in the
Mechanical APDL Basic Analysis Guide.
• See the Linear Equation Solver Memory Requirements section of the Mechanical
APDL Performance Guide for recommendations about how to manage memory in
order to maximize performance.
Analysis Settings
Analysis Specific Solver Type Properties
For the following analysis types, additional Solver Type property options are available. Select an
analysis type to see these specific options.
Coupled Field Modal Analysis
When the Damped property is set to No, based on the physics and coupling, the Solver
Type property options include:
For acoustic coupled For structural and For pure Acoustic

analyses: electric coupled analyses:
physics analyses:
• Program • Program
Controlled • Program Controlled
(default) Controlled (default)
(default)
Unsymmetric • Direct
• Direct
• Subspace
• Subspace
• Unsymmetric
For a Piezoelectric analysis if the Damped property is set to Yes, the options include:
• Unsymmetric (default)
• Full Damped
For all other physics, Full Damped is the only option.
Note:
For damped systems that have non-viscous damping, Ansys recommends the
Unsymmetric setting. This setting is more robust and works well for higher fre-
quencies.
Eigenvalue Buckling Analysis
For an Eigenvalue Buckling Analysis (p. 493), the Solver Type options include:
• Direct
• Subspace
The Program Controlled option uses the Direct solver. Refer to the BUCOPT command for
additional information about buckling analysis solver selection.
Modal Acoustics Analysis
If the Damped property is set to Yes, Full Damped is the only supported option for this
analysis.
For a Modal Acoustics Analysis when the Damped property is set to No, Solver Type
property options include:
• Direct
• Subspace
• Unsymmetric
Note:
When you have Fluid Solid Interface (p. 1765) object defined in your model or
the Element Type property is set to Coupled in the Acoustic FSI Definition of a
Physics Region object, you must select Unsymmetric or Damped solver type
to proceed with the solution.
Based on your configuration, select your solver type based on the following:
Element Symmetric FSI Required Solver Type

Type Formulation Load
Setting
Coupled Off No Unsymmetric/Damped
Coupled On No Direct/Subspace/Damped
Uncoupled Off No Direct/Subspace/Damped
Uncoupled On No Direct/Subspace/Damped
Coupled Off Yes Unsymmetric/Damped
Coupled On Yes Direct/Subspace/Damped
Uncoupled Off Yes Unsymmetric/Damped
Uncoupled On Yes Direct/Subspace/Damped
Analysis Settings
Modal Analysis
For a Modal Analysis (p. 521) when the Damped property is set to No, Solver Type options
include the common settings, Program Controlled (default), Direct, and Iterative as well
as the following:
• Unsymmetric
• Supernode
• Subspace
The Direct, Iterative, Unsymmetric, Supernode, and Subspace types are used to solve a
modal system that does not include any damping effects (the Damped property is set to
No). Except for the Unsymmetric option, the solver types are intended to solve Eigen
solutions with symmetric mass and stiffness. For a large model, the Iterative solver is pre-
ferred over the Direct solver for its efficiency in terms of solution time and memory usage.
During a Modal analysis the:
• Direct solver uses the Block Lanczos extraction method that employs an automated
shift strategy, combined with a Sturm sequence check, to extract the number of ei-
genvalues requested. The Sturm sequence check ensures that the requested number
of eigen frequencies beyond the user supplied shift frequency (FREQB on the MODOPT
command) is found without missing any modes. See the Block Lanczos help in the
Eigenvalue and Eigenvector Extraction section of the Mechanical APDL Theory Reference.
• Supernode solver is recommended for extracting a large number of modes. Selecting

Supernode as the Solver Type automatically sets the Limit Search to Range property
to Yes in the Options (p. 1541) category. This selection also displays the Range Minim-
um and Range Maximum properties and requires a Range Maximum frequency
entry. Alternatively, you may reset the Limit Search to Range property to No to find
all of the possible modes without any restrictions on the frequency range.
• Subspace solver (unlike the Direct solver) does not perform Sturm sequence check
by default (STRMCK is OFF by default in SUBOPT command), making it relatively
faster than Direct solver and also has reasonable accuracy. In addition, the Subspace
solver supports distributed parallelism allowing you to take advantage of a distributed
architecture to perform faster computations.
• Unsymmetric solver (for modal systems with unsymmetric mass and/or stiffness) is
required for solving the Eigen solutions. See the Help for the MODOPT command in
the Mechanical APDL Command Reference for more information about solver selection.
If the Damped property is set to Yes, the Solver Type property options include:
• Full Damped
• Reduced Damped
The Reduced Damped solver is preferred over the Full Damped solver for its efficiency in
terms of solution time. However, the Reduced Damped solver is not recommended when
high damping effects are present because it can become inaccurate.
Structural Optimization
The Structural Optimization analysis Solver Type options include:
• Sequential Convex Programming
• Optimality Criteria
Substructure Generation
Currently, the Substructure Generation (p. 546) analysis only supports the Direct solver setting.
The Program Controlled option defaults to this setting.
Mode Reuse (Modal Analyses Only)

The Mode Reuse property is only available for Modal analyses when you specify the Solver Type as
Reduced Damped. This property allows the solver to compute complex eigensolutions efficiently
during subsequent solve points by reusing the undamped eigensolution that is calculated at the first
solve point. The default setting is Program Controlled. Set this property to Yes to enable it or No
to disable the property.
Store Complex Solution (Modal Analyses Only)

This property is only available for a Modal Analysis and only when the Damped property is set to
Yes and the Solver Type is set to Reduced Damped. It allows you to solve and store a damped
modal system as an undamped modal system.
Weak Springs
For stress simulations, such as thermal-stress or press fit modeling, the addition of weak springs can
facilitate a solution by preventing numerical instability, while not having an effect on real world en-
gineering loads. The following Weak Springs settings are available in the Details view:
• Program Controlled: Mechanical determines if weak springs will facilitate the solution, then adds
a standard weak spring stiffness value accordingly.
• On: Mechanical always adds a weak spring stiffness. Choosing On causes a Spring Stiffness option
to appear that allows you to control the amount of weak spring stiffness. Your choices are to use
the standard stiffness mentioned above for the Program Controlled setting of Weak Springs or
to enter a customized value. The following situations may prompt you to choose a customized
stiffness value:
Analysis Settings
a. The standard weak spring stiffness value may produce springs that are too weak such that the
solution does not occur, or that too much rigid body motion occurs.
b. You may judge that the standard weak spring stiffness value is too high (rare case).
c. You may want to vary the weak spring stiffness value to determine the impact on the simulation.
The following Spring Stiffness settings are available:
– Program Controlled (default setting): Adds a standard weak spring stiffness (same as the value
added for the Program Controlled setting of Weak Springs).
– Factor: Adds a customized weak spring stiffness whose value equals the Program Controlled
standard value times the value you enter in the Spring Stiffness Factor field (appears only if
you choose Factor). For example, setting Spring Stiffness Factor equal to 20 means that the
weak springs will be 20 times stronger than the Program Controlled standard value.
– Manual: Adds a customized weak spring stiffness whose value you enter (in units of force/length)
in the Spring Stiffness Value field (appears only if you choose Manual).
• Off (default setting): Weak springs are not added. By default, the application does not include weak
springs for the solution.
The default setting for this property can be modified using the Options dialog box. See the Specifying
Options (p. 293) section of the Help under Analysis Settings and Solution (p. 316).
Solver Pivot Checking

In the case of an underconstrained model or contact related issue, an ill conditioned solver matrix
will produce an error message in the solver and abort the solution. This property instructs the solver
how to handle such an instance. Options include:
• Program Controlled (default): Allows the solver to determine the response.
• Warning: Instructs the solver to continue upon detection of the condition and attempt the
solution.
• Error: Instructs the solver to stop upon detection of the condition and issue an error message.
• Off: Pivot checking is not performed.
The default setting for this property can be modified using the Options dialog box. See the Specifying
Options (p. 293) section of the Help under Analysis Settings and Solution (p. 316).
Large Deflection
For Coupled Field, Static Structural, and Transient Structural analyses, this property determines
whether the solver should take into account large deformation effects such as large deflection, large
rotation, and large strain. Set Large Deflection to On if you expect large deflections (as in the case
of a long, slender bar under bending) or large strains (as in a metal-forming problem).
Important:
When using hyperelastic material models, you must set the Large Deflection property to
On.
Application (App.) Based Settings

The App. Based Settings property is available for Full Transient Structural analyses only. Based on
the TINTP command, this property provides the options listed below. The selection of these options
depends upon the purpose of your simulation. For a detailed description of each option, see the
Transient Dynamic Analysis Settings Based on Application section of the Mechanical APDL Structural
Analysis Guide.
• Impact
• High Speed Dynamics
• Moderate Speed Dynamics (default)
• Low Speed Dynamics
• Quasi-Static
For Quasi Static application-based settings, the Backward Euler algorithm is used. In addition,
damping energy and the work done by any external loading condition is taken into account.
This can be seen through the transient solution options TRNOPT command.
• User Defined
When you select the User Defined option, the associated property Amplitude Decay Factor displays.
The default value for this property is 0.1.
Inertia Relief (Linear Static Structural Analyses Only)

Calculates accelerations to counterbalance the applied loads. Displacement constraints on the structure
should only be those necessary to prevent rigid-body motions (6 for a 3D structure). The sum of the
reaction forces at the constraint points will be zero. Accelerations are calculated from the element
mass matrices and the applied forces. Data needed to calculate the mass (such as density) must be
input. Both translational and rotational accelerations may be calculated.
Requirements
The use of the Inertial Relief property requires the following:
• This option applies only to the linear static structural analyses. Nonlinearities, elements that operate
in the nodal coordinate system, and axisymmetric or generalized plane strain elements are not al-
lowed.
Analysis Settings
• Models with both 2D and 3D element types or with symmetry boundary constraints are not recom-
mended. Loads may be input as usual. Displacements and stresses are calculated as usual.
• Symmetry models are not valid for an inertia relief analysis.
• If the Inertial Relief property is set to On, then any analysis linked to the Static Structural analysis
is invalid. This includes a Static Structural analysis linked to the following analysis types:
– Pre-stressed Modal
– Eigenvalue Buckling
– Pre-stressed FULL Harmonic Response
– Pre-stressed MSUP Harmonic Response
– Pre-stressed MSUP Transient
– Pre-stressed Response Spectrum
– Pre-stressed Random Vibration
Include Negative Load Multiplier (Eigenvalue Buckling Analysis Only)

For an Eigenvalue Buckling Analysis, this property allows you to select the range of eigenvalues (load
multipliers) to be extracted. The default option Program Controlled and the option Yes will extract
both the negative and positive eigenvalues (load multipliers). The No setting extracts only positive
eigenvalues (load multipliers).
Quasi-Static Solution
The Quasi-Static Solution property is only available for Coupled Field Static and Static Structural
analyses. Options for this property include On and Off (default). For analyses that are quasi-static in
nature, and that fail to converge, you can set this property to On in order to achieve convergence.
See the Application (App.) Based Settings (p. 1519) property description for additional information about
this option.
Time Integration Type (Rigid Dynamics Solver Only)

This feature is applicable to a Rigid Dynamics analysis.
The Details view Solver Controls options for the Time Integration Type include:
• Time Integration Type field. Available time integration algorithms include:
– Program Controlled (default setting): The application selects the most appropriate method
based on the current model. If the model contains only rigid bodies, 4th order Runge-Kutta is
used. If the model contains flexible bodies (Condensed Parts), the Stabilized Generalized Alpha
option is selected automatically.
– Runge-Kutta 4: Fourth Order Runge-Kutta.
– Implicit Generalized Alpha: Implicit time integration based on the Generalized-α method.
– Stabilized Generalized Alpha: Implicit time integration based on the Stabilized Generalized-α
method.
– MJ Time Stepping: Moreau-Jean time-stepping integration.
• Correction Type: Program Controlled (default), Pure Kinematic, or With Inertia Matrix.
• Assembly Type: Program Controlled (default), Pure Kinematic, or With Inertia Matrix.
16.1.4. Restart Analysis
Note:
• This group is displayed in the Details view only if restart points (p. 1917) are available.
Restart points can be generated by adjusting the settings in the Restart Controls (p. 1522)
group. You will also need to set Delete Unneeded Files, under the Analysis Data
Management (p. 1572) group to No so that restart point files are retained after a solve.
• When you use the Specify option of the Load Step property to specify a load step value
during a Static Structural analysis, the Program Controlled setting of the Auto Time
Stepping property (p. 1502) for the specified load step will not set any sub-step or time
increment information. In this scenario, the application uses the sub-steps or time incre-
ment value specified for the solution not including restart.
• The ability to restart a solution is not supported if you switch from a shared memory
solution to a Distributed Solution (p. 1906).
Analysis Settings
The Restart Analysis group is available for the following analysis types:
• Coupled Field Analyses (p. 380)
These control whether to use restart points in subsequent solution restarts. If restart points should
be used, Load Step, Substep and Time help reveal the point's identity in the calculation sequence.
Note:
When using a modal system database from a version prior to the most current version of
Mechanical, it is possible to encounter incompatibility of the file.esav, created by a
linked static structural system. This incompatibility can cause the modal system’s solution
to fail. In the event you experience this issue, use the Clear Generated Data feature and
resolve the static structural system.
The Restart Analysis category properties include:
• Restart Type: By default, Mechanical tracks the state of restart points and selects the most appro-
priate point when set to Program Controlled. You may choose different restart points by setting
this to Manual, however. To disable solution restarts altogether, set it to Off.
• Current Restart Point: This option lets you choose which restart point to use. This option is displayed
only if the Restart Type property is set to Manual.
• Load Step: Displays the Load Step of the restart point to use. If no restart points are available (or
all are invalid for a Restart Type of Program Controlled) the display is Initial.
• Substep: Displays the Substep of the restart point to use. If no restart points are available (or all
are invalid for a Restart Type of Program Controlled) the display is Initial.
• Time: Displays the time of the restart point to use.
16.1.5. Restart Controls

The properties of this category control the creation of Restart Points and enable you to manage the
files that the solver writes for each restart point. See the Solution Restarts (p. 1917) section for more
information about the restart capability and how it relates to Restart Points.
The Restart Controls category properties include:
• Generate Restart Points: Enables the creation of restart points.
Program Controlled: Instructs the program to select restart point generation settings for you. This
setting is equivalent to setting the Load Step and the Substep properties below to Last.
Manual: Enables access to the detailed settings for restart point generation.
Off: Restricts any new restart points from being created.
• Load Step: This property enables you to specify the load step used to create restart points. Options
include Last, All (default), and Specify[1].
The All option obtains restart points for all load steps. The Last option to obtains a restart point
in the last load step only. And the Specify option enables you to enter the desired Load Step value
in the Load Step Number property in order to generate restart points for the specific load step.
Note:
Do not restart an analysis from the end of a load step and then select the Specify option
to save the restart points for the following load step. For example, do not restart an
analysis from the end of a load step 2 and set the Specify option to Load Step 3.
• Substep: Specifies how often the restart points are created within a load step. Options include:
Last (default): Write the file for the last substep of the load step only.
All: Write the files for all substeps of the load step.
Specified Recurrence Rate: Enter a number N, in the Value field, to generate restart points for a
specified number of substeps per load step.
Equally Spaced Points: Enter a number N, in the Value field, to generate restart points at equally
spaced time intervals within a load step.
• Maximum Points to Save Per Step: Specifies the maximum number of files to save for the load
step. Choose one of the following options:
An entry of 0 specifies the option All. The maximum number of files for one run is 999. If this
number is reached before the analysis is complete, the analysis continues but the application no
longer writes any files, except if you are using the Nonlinear Adaptive Region (p. 1826) condition.
When this condition is specified, the application begins to overwrite the files, beginning with the
oldest restart file, when this maximum is met.
Enter a positive number to specify the maximum number of files to keep for each load step. When
the maximum number has been written for each load step, the first file of that load step will be
overwritten for subsequent substeps.
Note:
If you want to interrupt the solution in a linear transient analysis, by default, the interrupt
will be at load step boundaries only (as opposed to nonlinear analyses where interrupts
occur at substeps). However, if you want to interrupt a solution to a linear transient
analysis on a substep basis, set the following: Generate Restart Controls = Manual,
Load Step = All, Substep = All, and Maximum Points to Save Per Step = 1. These
settings allow you to accomplish the interrupt on a substep basis without filling up your
disk with restart files.
[1] Not supported for Coupled Field Static analyses.
Analysis Settings
• Retain Files After Full Solve: When restart points are requested, the necessary restart files are always
retained for an incomplete solve due to a convergence failure or user request. However, when the
solve completes successfully, you have the option to request to either keep the restart points by
setting this field to Yes, or to delete them by setting this field to No. You can control this setting
here in the Details view of the Analysis Settings object, or under Tools> Options in the Analysis
Settings and Solution (p. 316) preferences list. The setting in the Details view overrides the prefer-
ence setting.
Note:
Retain Files After Full Solve has interactions with other controls. Under the Analysis
Data Management (p. 1572) category, setting the Future Analysis property to Prestressed
forces the restart files to be retained. Similarly, setting the Delete Unneeded Files
property to No implies that restart files are to be retained.
• Combine Restart Files: This property enables you to select whether the multi-frame restart files
will be automatically combined after the solution. Setting this property to Yes, prior to initiating a
solve, enables you to restart your analysis with a different core count of processors. Options include:
Program Controlled (default): this option does not send any commands to the solver. It uses the
Mechanical APDL solver default setting (No).
Yes: this option issues the command DMPOPTION, RNNN, YES. This is the required setting if you
wish to combine result files in a downstream system.
No: this option issues the command DMPOPTION, RNNN, NO.
Note:
The Combine Restart Files property requires significant processing time if there is a
large number of restart files to combine.
16.1.6. Adaptivity Remeshing Controls

The Adaptivity Remeshing Controls category is included in the Analysis Settings (p. 1501) for Static
Structural (p. 658) analyses and is only available when you have inserted and specified one of the
following objects:
• Nonlinear Adaptive Region (p. 1826)
• Geometry based Adaptivity (p. 1826)
All category properties are described below. The availability of properties depends upon how you
specify the condition.
Important:
All properties, except for the Refinement Algorithm and Minimum Element Size
properties, are step dependent and can therefore be modified on a per step basis
using the Step Controls (p. 1502) property Current Step Number.
Refinement Algorithm
This property is visible when you set the Criterion property of the Nonlinear Adaptive Region
object to Energy or Box. The options for this property include General Remeshing (default) and
Mesh Splitting. When you specify the Mesh Splitting option, the application hides all of the
other Adaptivity Remeshing Controls properties, unless there is another Nonlinear Adaptive
Region object with Criterion property set to Mesh.
Note:
The General Remeshing option is not supported for high order 2D elements and
the Mesh Splitting option is not supported for high order tetrahedral elements.
Remeshing Gradient
object to Mesh, or when you set the Criterion property of the Nonlinear Adaptive Region object
to either Energy or Box and the Refinement Algorithm property to General Remeshing. This
property controls the new mesh sizing gradient during remesh. The options for this property in-
clude:
• No Gradient: This option does not maintain the mesh-size gradient but generates a uniform
mesh.
• Average Gradient: This option generates a new mesh and retains the same local size as
the source mesh.
• Perfect Shape Gradient (default for 2D analysis): This option generates a new mesh while
retaining the same local size as the source mesh. It also provides additional compensation
for mesh sizing in the event the size of existing elements changes during the solution
process as a result of large deformations. The option strives to refine your mesh at the
location of distorted elements. Distorted elements generally originate from deformation
during the solution process.
• Practical Shape Gradient (default for 3D analysis): This option is only available for 3D
analysis. This option is similar to the Perfect Shape Gradient option, but it assumes that
perfect mesh quality is not required. Minor distortions are not refined.
See the Local Sizing and Gradient Control section of the Mechanical APDL Advanced Analysis Guide
for additional information. In particular, how these options correspond to the Value (VAL) entries.
Analysis Settings
Minimum Element Size
For the Geometry Based Adaptivity condition, you use this property to further filter elements
based on size, in addition to the elements already included in the remesh at the particular substep.
The default value for this property is the same as the value of the Defeature Size property of the
Mesh object, whether user-defined or application generated.
Review the NLMESH section of the Mechanical APDL Command Reference for more information.
Boundary Angle
object to Mesh, or when you set the Criterion property of the Nonlinear Adaptive Region object
to either Energy or Box and the Refinement Algorithm property to General Remeshing. It
defines the boundary angle threshold in degrees. You use this option to retain the source mesh
geometry features. It is valid for both 2D and 3D analyses. The default value is 15° for 3D analyses
and 10° for 2D analyses.
In a 3D analysis, this value is the dihedral angle (the angle between the normal vectors from two
neighboring surface facets). In a 2D analysis, this value is the 2D patch boundary edge normal
angle. If the edge angle or dihedral angle is larger than the specified threshold, the node shared
by 2D edges or edges shared by 3D facets are retained during remeshing.
See the Boundary-Angle and Edge-Angle Control section of the Mechanical APDL Advanced Ana-
lysis Guide for additional information.
Edge Splitting Angle
For 3D analyses only, this property is visible when you set the Criterion property of the Nonlinear
Adaptive Region object to Mesh, or when you set the Criterion property of the Nonlinear Ad-
aptive Region object to either Energy or Box and the Refinement Algorithm property to Gen-
eral Remeshing. It defines the "edge angle threshold" to split patch segment. The edge angle is
defined as angle between adjacency surface segment edges sharing a node. If the edge angle is
larger than specified edge angle threshold, the segment will be split and the node will be auto-
matically treated as hard node to be retained. The default edge angle threshold is 10.0°. The
larger edge angle threshold tends to improve result mesh quality, but may loss feature nodes.
The entry range is 0° to 80°.
See the Boundary-Angle and Edge-Angle Control section of the Mechanical APDL Advanced Ana-
lysis Guide for additional information.
Number of Sculpted Layers
This read-only property, in combination with its sub-properties, defines the number of sculpting
layers, beginning with the detected seed elements. It is available and valid for both 2D and 3D
analyses. This property is specified, based on the Criterion property setting of the Nonlinear Ad-
aptive Region (p. 1826) object and the value of one, or both, of the following properties depending
upon whether you have more than one Nonlinear Adaptive Region object specified:
• Quality Improvement (NSL): Controls remeshing to remove distortion. Visible when the
Criterion property is set to Mesh. The default value for this property is 2 for 3D analyses
and 10 for 2D analyses.
• Refinement (NSL): Controls element refinement. Visible when the Criterion property is
set to Energy or Box. The default value for this property is 2 for 3D analyses and 1 for 2D
analyses.
This option helps to detect the remeshing regions from whole model. Generally, a larger value
leads to larger remeshing regions and tends to unite multiple isolated regions. A larger value also
tends to create a better remesh quality (and increases mapping and solution overhead accordingly).
Value of 0 is not recommended because the remeshed regions would contain only detected seed
elements, resulting in many small cavities within the remeshed regions (especially if the specified
skewness threshold [NLADAPTIVE] is relatively large).
See the Sculpting Layers Control section of the Mechanical APDL Advanced Analysis Guide for ad-
ditional information.
Global Size Ratio
This read-only property, in combination with its sub-properties, defines the global sizing ratio for
remeshing. This property is specified, based on the Criterion property setting of the Nonlinear
Adaptive Region (p. 1826) object and the value of one, or both, of the following properties depending
• Quality Improvement (GSR): Controls remeshing to remove distortion. Visible when the
Criterion property is set to Mesh. The default value is 1.0. The default value results in
the new mesh having a size similar to that of the original mesh.
• Refinement (GSR): Controls element refinement. Visible when the Criterion property is
set to Energy or Box. The default value is 0.75.
These entries enable the target mesh to have the same average as the source mesh. The target
mesh will get finer or become more coarse if the value is less than 1.0 or larger than 1.0 respect-
ively. Generally, the desired setting greater than or equal to 0.7.
See the Global Sizing Control section of the Mechanical APDL Advanced Analysis Guide for additional
information.
Remeshing Tolerance
This read-only property, in combination with its sub-properties, defines the tolerance for accepting
new mesh. This property is specified, based on the Criterion property setting of the Nonlinear
Adaptive Region (p. 1826) object and the value of one, or both, of the following properties depending
• Quality Improvement (RT): Controls remeshing to remove distortion. Visible when the
Criterion property is set to Mesh. The default value is 0.05.
• Refinement (RT): Controls element refinement. Visible when the Criterion property is set
to Energy or Box. The default value is 0.5.
Note:
Review the NLMESH section of the Mechanical APDL Command Reference for more in-
formation.
Analysis Settings
Aggressive Remeshing
This property helps to create a mesh with improved shape metrics. Note that it may change certain
global remeshing control parameters and as a result may increase remeshing time. Options for
this property include On and Off (default). This property is visible when the:
• Criterion property is set to Mesh.
Or...
• Criterion property is set to either Energy or Box and the Refinement Algorithm property is
set to General Remeshing (default).
Generate Restart Points
This property enables you to create restart points. The options include Program Controlled (de-
fault) and Manual. The Program Controlled options instructs the application to select restart
points for you. when you select the Manual setting, the Load Step and Substep properties display.
The Load Step property includes the options Last (default) and All. Last. The Substep property
is read-only and the default setting is also Last. This property employs the RESCONTROL command.
Retain Files After Full Solve
When you request restart points, the application retains all necessary restart files for an incomplete
solve due to a convergence failure or user request. For a successful solution, this property choose
whether to keep or delete restart files. Options for this property include Yes (default) and No.
Mechanical APDL References

Adaptivity Controls are applied using the NLMESH command. Control options and commands are
listed below.
Remesh Control MAPDL Command

Refinement NLMESH,REFA
Algorithm
Remeshing Gradient NLMESH,GRAD
Minimum Element NLMESH,ELSZ,VAL1
Size
Boundary Angle NLMESH,BDRA
Edge Splitting Angle NLMESH,AEDG
Number of Sculpted NLMESH,NLAY
Layers
Global Size Ratio NLMESH,SRAT
Remeshing NLMESH,QTOL
Tolerance
Aggressive NLMESH,AGGR
Remeshing
16.1.7. Creep Controls

Creep is a rate-dependent material nonlinearity in which the material continues to deform under a
constant load. You can perform an implicit creep analysis for a static or transient structural analysis.
Creep Controls are available in the Details view of the analysis settings for these two environments
only after you have selected a creep material for at least one prototype in the analysis.
The Creep Controls group is available for the following analysis types:
Creep controls are step-aware, meaning that you are allowed to set different creep controls for different
load steps in a multi-step analysis. If there were multiple load steps in the analysis before you chose
the creep material, then choosing the creep material will set the Creep Controls properties to their
default value.
The Creep Controls group includes the following properties:
• Creep Effects: The default value is Off for the first load step and On for all the subsequent load
steps. You may change it according to your analysis.
• Creep Limit Ratio (available only if Creep Effects is set to On): This property issues the Mechanical
APDL CUTCONTROL command with your input value of creep limit ratio. (Refer to the CUTCONTROL
command description for details). The default value of Creep Limit Ratio is 1. You are allowed to
pick any non-negative value.
16.1.8. Fracture Controls

Fracture controls make sure that the effect of cracks is included in the solution. The Fracture Controls
category becomes visible under Analysis Settings when a Fracture object is inserted via the Model
object. It is only visible for Static Structural and Transient Structural analyses.
The primary property, Fracture, is set to On by default to compute fracture parameters. By default,
the parameters SIFS, J-Integral, and VCCT are computed. Also when set to On, the following additional
properties display:
• SIFS: The default setting is Yes. Set this control to No to exclude the SIFS parameter results
computation.
• J-Integral: The default setting is Yes. Set this control to No to exclude the J-Integral parameter
results computation.
• Material Force: The default setting is No. Set this control to Yes to compute the Material
Force parameter results.
• T-Stress: The default setting is No. Set this control to Yes to compute the T-Stress parameter
results.
• C*-Integral: this property is visible only when a creep material is used and the Creep Effects
property of the Creep Controls (p. 1529) is set to On. The default setting is Yes. Set this control
to No to exclude the computation of the C*-Integral parameter results.
Analysis Settings
16.1.9. Cyclic Controls

The Harmonic Index Range setting within the Cyclic Controls category is only used in a Modal (p. 521)
analysis that involves cyclic symmetry (p. 1455) to specify the solution ranges for the harmonic index.
The setting appears if you have defined a Cyclic Region for this analysis.
• The Program Controlled option solves all applicable harmonic indices.
• The Manual option exposes additional fields that allow you to specify a range of harmonic indices
for solution from the Minimum value to the Maximum value in steps of the Interval value.
Note:
Static Structural (p. 658) cyclic symmetry solutions always use all harmonic indices required
for the applied loads.
16.1.10. Radiosity Controls

The Radiosity Controls group is available for Coupled Field, Steady-State Thermal, Transient Thermal,
and Thermal Electric analyses.
The following settings within the Radiosity Controls category are used in conjunction with the Radi-
ation (p. 1724) boundary condition when defining surface-to-surface radiation for thermal related analyses
that use the Mechanical APDL solver. These settings are based on the RADOPT command in Mechan-
ical APDL.
• Radiosity Solver
• Flux Convergence
• Maximum Iteration
• Solver Tolerance (dependent upon the unit of measure)
• Over Relaxation
For 3D analyses, selections for the Radiosity Solver property includes the Program Controlled (that
defaults to the Iterative Jacobi solver setting), the Direct solver, Iterative Jacobi solver, and the It-
erative Gauss-Seidel solver. For 2D analyses, selections are the same, however the Program Controlled
option defaults to the Iterative Gauss-Seidel solver.
View Factors for 3D Geometry

For 3D geometry, the Hemicube Resolution setting is also available based on the HEMIOPT command
in Mechanical APDL. See the View Factor Calculation (3D): Hemicube Method section in the Mechan-
ical APDL Theory Reference for further information.
View Factors for 2-D Geometry

For 2–D geometry, the following settings are available and are based on the V2DOPT command in
Mechanical APDL:
• View Factor Method
• Number of Zones
• Axisymmetric Divisions
See the following sections of the Mechanical APDL help for further information on these settings:
• Using the Radiosity Solver Method in the Thermal Analysis Guide.
• Mechanical APDL Theory Reference sections:
– Non-Hidden Method
– Hidden Method
– View Factors of Axisymmetric Bodies
16.1.11. Options for Analyses

The Options category is included in the Details of the Analysis Settings object for the following
analysis types. Select a link to go to a subsection topic:
• Coupled Field Harmonic, Harmonic Acoustics, and Harmonic Response Options (p. 1531)
• Eigenvalue Buckling Options (p. 1541)
• Modal Acoustics and Modal Options (p. 1541)
• Random Vibration Options (p. 1543)
• Response Spectrum Options (p. 1544)
• Substructure Generation Options (p. 1544)
• Transient Structural (Linked with Modal) Options (p. 1545)
16.1.11.1. Coupled Field Harmonic, Harmonic Acoustics, and Harmonic Response

Options
The Options category is available for Coupled Field Harmonic (p. 384), Harmonic Acoustics, and
Harmonic Response (p. 502) analyses. However, not all of the properties described below may be
applicable for each analysis type.
• Frequency Spacing (p. 1532)
• Central Frequency (p. 1532)
• Range Minimum and Range Maximum (Frequency Sweep Range) (p. 1532)
• Solution Intervals (p. 1532)
Analysis Settings
• User Defined Frequencies (p. 1532)
• Solution Method (p. 1533)
• Spin Softening (p. 1540)
Frequency Spacing
This property defines how frequency spacing is performed. Options include: Linear (default), Log-
arithmic, Octave Band, 1/2 Octave Band, 1/3 Octave Band, 1/6 Octave Band, 1/12 Octave Band,
and 1/24 Octave Band.
When you select the Linear option, harmonic results are reported at uniform frequency intervals
for the specified frequency range.
The Logarithmic option as well as the Octave Band options define the Logarithm Frequency
Spacing in a Harmonic Analysis by setting an appropriate LogOpt key for the HARFRQ command.
Central Frequency
This property displays when you select an Octave Band option for the Frequency Spacing property.
This property requires you to specify the central frequency of octave band.
Range Minimum and Range Maximum (Frequency Sweep Range)

You define a frequency sweep range by defining the Range Minimum and Range Maximum values
when the Frequency Spacing property is set to Linear or Logarithmic. When you set the Frequency
Spacing property to an nth-Octave Band, you must also define a Central Frequency value. Based
on the Central Frequency input, the Range Minimum and Range Maximum values are calculated
and displayed as read-only. This information is useful when requesting a result at a particular fre-
quency.
Solution Intervals
This property defines the number of the solution points between the frequency sweep range. You
can request any number of harmonic solutions to be calculated. The solutions are evenly spaced
within the specified frequency range, as long as clustering is not active.
For example, if you specify 10 (default) solutions in the range 30 to 40 Hz, the program calculates
the response at 31, 32, 33, ..., 39, and 40 Hz. No response is calculated at the lower end of the fre-
quency range.
This property is replaced by the Cluster Number property when you are using the Mode-Super-
position Solution Method and the Cluster Results property is set to Yes.
User Defined Frequencies

This property enables you to add additional frequency steps to your analysis. These frequency steps
are in addition to the steps defined for the Frequency Spacing property. Options include: Off
(default) and On. When you specify Off, no additional frequency steps are included in the solution.
Specifying On requires you to make entries in the Tabular Data window in the User Defined
Frequency Steps column.
Important:
If your analysis has multiple load steps, this property must be defined for each step.
The application executes the HARFRQ command using the FREQARR input (one dimensional array)
to send data to the solver.
Note:
The User Defined Frequencies capability is not supported for the following cases:
• Cyclic Symmetry for a Harmonic Response analysis.
• When the Solution Method property is set to Variational Technology.
Solution Method
The options of the Solution Method property, listed below, vary based on the harmonic-based
analysis type. The Mode Superposition option is only available for Harmonic Response analyses.
• Program Controlled: The application selects the best solution method based on the model.
Internally, the application chooses either the Full or Variational Technology solution
method.
• Mode Superposition (default): See the Mode Superposition Method (p. 1535) topic below for
more information.
Note:
The application automatically sets this property to Mode Superposition and

becomes read-only if you link your Harmonic Response analysis to a downstream
Structural Optimization analysis or if the Future Analysis (p. 1573) property (Ana-
lysis Settings > Analysis Data Management) is set to Structural Optimization.
• Full (Direct Integration): The Full method uses the full system matrices for the solution cal-
culations. It is more thorough but also requires greater processing time and capability.
• Variational Technology: Instead of using the full matrices to compute the results, the ap-
plication computes the solution at the middle of the requested frequency range and then
Analysis Settings
interpolates the system matrices and loading on the entire frequency range to approximate
the results across the range.
Note:
This setting is not supported when the Step Frequency Spacing property
is set to Order Based. See the Step Controls for Harmonic Analysis
Types (p. 1510) section for more information.
For additional information, see Harmonic Response Analysis Variational Technology Method,
and Variational Technology, as well as the HROPT command in the Command Reference.
• Krylov: For pure acoustic Coupled Field Harmonic, pure acoustic Harmonic Acoustics, and
Harmonic Response analyses, use this option to reduce the entire system of equations and
build a Krylov Subspace set of vectors at the middle of the frequency range. The application
solves this reduced system and then expands the solution over the entire frequency range.
– Krylov Subspace Frequency: Specify the frequency at which the Krylov subspace is
built. The default setting, Program Controlled, selects the middle of the frequency
sweep range. The solution is most accurate at this frequency. You can observed this
value using the Krylov Residual Norm (p. 2154) result.
Note:
The Distributed solution option is selected by default. For this setting,

the automatic domain decomposition could select frequency-based
decomposition during the solution. For this case, you cannot manually
enter a value for this property.
– Max Subspace Dimension: Specify the maximum dimension of the subspace. The
default setting, Program Controlled, automatically determines this value (range of
approximately 50). A larger value increases accuracy, however, it also increases pro-
cessing time.
– Residual Tolerance: Specify a tolerance value to verify the L2 norm values of the
calculated residuals. The default value is 0.05.
Note:
If the application cannot achieve the specified residual tolerance

throughout the entire frequency range, a warning message displays.
For this case, Ansys recommends that you use the Full setting for the
Solution Method property.
Be sure you review the following requirements and limitations.
Limitations
For objects with options that make the system of matrices unsymmetric are not
supported. For example:
– Bearing objects can contribute to unsymmetric matrices if the stiffness

coefficients K12 and K21 are not equal. Similarly, if damping coefficients
C21 and C22 are not equal.
– The Newton-Raphson Option set to Unsymmetric is not supported for a

linked pre-stressed Harmonic Response analysis.
– The Coriolis Effect property under the Rotordynamics Controls group of

the Analysis Settings object set to On, Stationary Frame of Reference is
not supported for a Harmonic Response environment or a Static Structural
environment if linked to a pre-stressed Harmonic Response analysis.
The Krylov method is not supported if you specify any of the following:
– A Contact Region with the Formulation property set to Normal Lagrange.
– Joints whose Formulation property, Mobile or Reference category, is set

to Lagrange Multiplier.
– Remote Points with the Formulation property set to Lagrange Multiplier.
– Cyclic Symmetry.
– The Incident Wave Source excitation of a pure acoustic Coupled Field

Harmonic or a pure acoustic Harmonic Acoustics analysis.
Joint Support
Only the following joint configurations are supported:
– Joints with the Type property set to Fixed and the Solver Element Type property
set to Contact/Direct.
– Joints with the Type property set to Bushing and the Formulation property set
to Bushing.
Mode Superposition Method

Mode Superposition is the default method for Harmonic Response analyses and generally provides
results faster than the Full method. Using the Mode Superposition method, a modal analysis is
first performed to compute the natural frequencies and mode shapes. Then the mode superposition
solution is carried out where these mode shapes are combined.
When you specify the Mode Superposition option, additional properties become available, as listed
below. However, the availability of these properties can differ based on whether the analysis is
Analysis Settings
prestressed as well as based on the settings of other properties. The properties displayed when
Mode Superposition is selected include:
• Include Residual Vector (p. 1536)
• Cluster Results and Cluster Number (p. 1536)
• Modal Frequency Range (p. 1538)
• On Demand Expansion Option (p. 1538)
• Store Results At All Frequencies (p. 1539)
• Mode Selection Method (p. 1540)
This property is available for a Harmonic Response Analysis Using Linked Modal Analysis Sys-
tem (p. 515) and a stand-alone MSUP Harmonic Response Analysis (p. 502) when the Solution
Method property is set to Mode Superposition (default). When set to On the application ex-
ecutes the RESVEC command and calculates or includes residual vectors. The default setting
is Off. See the RESVEC command documentation in the Mechanical APDL Command Reference
Cluster Results and Cluster Number
Cluster Results: This property enables the solver to automatically cluster solution points near
the structure’s natural frequencies ensuring capture of behavior near the peak responses. This
results in a smoother, more accurate, response curve.
Cluster Number: This property specifies the number of solutions on each side of a natural fre-
quency. The default is value is 4 (to calculate four solutions). The range of available values is 2
to 20. The following settings are required to display and define this property:
• Solution Method = Mode Superposition
• Cluster Results = Yes
The following example illustrates a comparison of Solution Intervals versus clustering based on
the different Solution Methods selections. You may also want to review the Automatic Frequency
Spacing in a Harmonic Analysis section for a Harmonic Analysis in the Mechanical APDL Theory
Reference.
Solution Intervals = 10: Here 10 solutions are evenly spaced within the frequency range.
Note how the peak can be missed altogether.
Cluster = 7: Here 7 solutions are performed automatically on either side of each natural
frequency capturing the behavior near the peaks.
Analysis Settings
Modal Frequency Range
Specifies the range of frequencies over which mode shapes will be computed in the modal
analysis:
• Program Controlled: The modal sweep range is automatically set to 200% of the upper
harmonic limit and 50% of the lower harmonic limit. This setting is adequate for most simu-
lations.
• Manual: Allows you to manually set the modal sweep range. Choosing Manual displays the
Modal Range Minimum and Modal Range Maximum fields where you can specify these
values.
Program Controlled, an additional read-only property, On Demand Expansion, displays. This
property only displays for the Program Controlled option and the application determines the
value for the property, either Yes or No. The application sets this property as No when you re-
quest output controls or request fewer frequencies than the number of modes.
When the On Demand Expansion Option property is set to Yes, either manually or from the
Program Controlled setting, the application creates the result file optimally. That is, the applic-
ation evaluates the results using the Modal solution data and calculates any other results "on
demand." This improves solution performance and reduces file size. In addition, the application
automatically removes mode shape data from the result file as determined by the On Demand
Mode Shape preference (see note below).
Furthermore, the application supports the following result types only when this option is active (contour, frequ
• Total and Directional Deformation • Equivalent Stress
• Total and Directional Acceleration • Maximum, Middle and
• Total and Directional Velocity • Maximum Shear Stress
• Maximum, Middle and Minimum Principal Elastic Strain • Stress Intensity
• Maximum Shear Elastic Strain • Normal Stress/Shear St
• Elastic Strain Intensity • Force Reaction/Momen
• Normal Elastic Strain/Shear Elastic Strain
Important:
• Force Reaction (p. 2212) and Moment Reaction (p. 2212) probes are only supported
when scoped to a Boundary Condition.
• Only the Frequency Response chart options Deformation, Velocity, and Accel-
eration support Remote Point scoping.
• The Moment Reaction probe is not supported on beam or shell bodies or when
scoped to Remote Displacements.
• You can change the default setting (Program Controlled) of this property using
the On Demand Expansion Option preference contained in the Options (Modal,
Harmonic and Transient Mode Superposition) category of the Analysis Settings
and Solution (p. 316) category of the Options (p. 293) dialog.
• Also note that mode shape data is automatically removed from result files. You
can change the setting of this process using the On Demand Mode Shapes
preference, also contained under the Options (Modal, Harmonic and Transient
Mode Superposition) category of the Analysis Settings and Solution (p. 316) cat-
egory of the Options (p. 293) dialog.
Store Results At All Frequencies
Upon solution, harmonic environments store data specified in the Output Controls (p. 1559) for
all intervals in the frequency range. Consequently, seeking additional results at new frequencies
will no longer force a solved harmonic environment to be resolved. This choice will lead to a
better compromise between storage space (results are now stored in binary form in the RST
file) and speed (by reducing the need to resort to the solver to supply new results).
If storage is an issue, set the Store Results At All Frequencies to No. The application retains
minimal data with this setting, providing only the harmonic results requested at the time of
Analysis Settings
solution. As a result, the Output Controls do not control the availability of the results. This
option is especially useful with frequency clustering.
Note:
With this option set to No, the addition of new frequency or phase responses to a
solved environment requires a new solution. Adding a new contour result of any
type (stress or strain) or a new probe result of any type (reaction force, reaction
moment, or bearing) for the first time on a solved environment requires you to solve,
but adding additional contour results or probe results of the same type does not
share this requirement; data from the closest available frequency is displayed (the
reported frequency is noted on each result). Note that the values of frequency, type
of contour results (displacement, stress, or strain) and type of probe results (reaction
force, reaction moment, or bearing) at the moment of the solution determine the
contents of the result file and the subsequent availability of data. Planning these
choices can significantly reduce the need to re-solve an analysis.
Mode Selection Method
This property displays when you are performing a Harmonic Response Analysis Using Linked
Modal Analysis System (p. 515). This property enables you to select the modes for the mode
expansion. Property options include:
• None (default): This option expands all the extracted modes from the modal analysis.
All the modes participate in the mode-superposition harmonic response analysis.
• Modal Effective Mass: When you select this option, the Significance Threshold property
also displays. For the Significance Threshold property value, the application selects the
modes that have a ratio for the Modal Effective Mass to the Total Mass that is greater
than this value, in all directions, for expansion. That is, only the selected modes participate
in the mode-superposition harmonic response analysis. The application default is 0.001.
This feature improves the performance of postprocessing the modal results and reduces
the file size.
For more information, see the Mode Selection Based on Modal Effective Mass section of the
Krylov Method
Spin Softening
This property enables you to specify whether to include or exclude Spin Softening effect in the
linear perturbation analyses. It is only available for a pre-stressed Harmonic Response analysis when
the Solution Method is set to Program Controlled, Full, Variational Technology or Krylov. The
options include Program Controlled (default), Yes, and No. The Program Controlled setting selects
either to include or exclude Spin Softening in the solution based on whether the rotating reference
frame attached to the body is fixed (Yes) or in motion (No). The Yes option is invalid if the Coriolis
Effect property (Rotordynamics Controls (p. 1577)) is set to On, Stationary Reference Frame.
For more information, refer to the PERTURB command from MAPDL Command Reference Guide.
16.1.11.2. Eigenvalue Buckling Analysis Options

For Eigenvalue Buckling (p. 493) analyses, the Options category includes the following properties:
• Max Modes to Find: You need to specify the number of buckling load factors and corres-
ponding buckling mode shapes of interest. Typically only the first (lowest) buckling load
factor is of interest.
• Keep Pre-Stress Load-Pattern: This property is available when the upstream structural
analysis is nonlinear. This property enables you to keep the loads defined in Static Structural
analysis and use them in Eigenvalue Buckling analysis to generate perturbation loads. The
default setting is Yes. Setting the property to No requires you to define a new loading pattern
for the Eigenvalue Buckling analysis.
Note that at least one load is required in the buckling analysis when the prestressed analysis
is nonlinear.
16.1.11.3. Modal Acoustics and Modal Analysis Options

For Modal Acoustics and Modal (p. 521) analyses, the Options group includes the following properties:
Max Modes to Find
Specifies the number of natural frequencies to solve for in a modal analysis. The default
value is 6. Set the property to zero (0) to specify a value of All (find all frequencies). In
order to specify this value, you must set the Limit Search to Range property to Yes and
then set the Solver Type explicitly to either Direct, Unsymmetric, or Subspace or when
the Program Controlled option selects one of these solvers.
Limit Search Range
Allows you to specify a frequency range within which to find the natural frequencies. The
default is set to No. If you set this to Yes, you can enter a minimum and maximum frequency
value. If you specify a range the solver will strive to extract as many frequencies as possible
within the specified range subject to a maximum specified in the Max Modes to Find field.
Program Controlled, an additional read-only property, On Demand Expansion, displays.
This property only displays for the Program Controlled option and the application determ-
ines the value for the property, either Yes or No.
the Program Controlled setting, the application creates the result file optimally. That is,
the application evaluates the results using the Modal solution data and calculates any
other results “on demand.” This improves solution performance and reduces file size.
Important:
Once the analysis is solved, if you make changes and those changes do not clear
the current solution, the application does not reevaluate the setting of the
Analysis Settings
property for the Program Controlled option (Yes or No). The previous setting
is used.
If the application detects any of the following conditions, it automatically sets the On De-
mand Expansion property to No:
• The system is a standalone modal analysis (no downstream systems).
• You specify any Output Controls (p. 1559).
• A downstream system does not support an On Demand Expansion Option property

setting of Yes.
• A downstream system has the On Demand Expansion Option set to either No or

Program Controlled (No).
• Damping is present in the analysis.
• Symmetry present in the analysis.
the Program Controlled setting, the application automatically changes the settings of the
following properties to improve solution performance and reduces file size.
• The Store Modal Results property is set to No to reduce mode file size
• Solution files are not recombined when the Distributed solution option is active.
• Expansion Settings are suppressed because on demand expansion is done "on the fly"
to plot displacement results on Condensed Parts.
Note:
• The application automatically removes mode shapes from the result files. You
can change the setting of this process using the On Demand Mode Shapes
preference, also contained under the Options (Modal, Harmonic and Tran-
sient Mode Superposition) category of the Analysis Settings and Solu-
tion (p. 316) category of the Options (p. 293) dialog.
• You can change the default setting (Program Controlled) of this property
using the On Demand Expansion Option preference contained in the Options
Analysis Settings and Solution (p. 316) category of the Options (p. 293) dialog.
In addition, when the On Demand Expansion Option property is set to Yes, either
manually or from the Program Controlled setting, the property automatically modifies
the following properties in any linked downstream Harmonic Response or Transient struc-
tural analysis to improve its performance.
• On Demand Expansion is set to Yes.
• Expansion Results From is set to Harmonic/Transient.
• Expansion Settings are suppressed.
Also note that if you solve the analysis when the On Demand Expansion Option property
is set to Yes, either manually or from the Program Controlled setting, and you change
the setting of the property to No manually or as a result of the application setting the On
Demand Expansion property to No because you change a property or a required condition,
the application automatically clears the solution data.
Furthermore, there are specific result types (contour, frequency response, and probes) supported when this op
• Maximum, Middle and Minimum Principal Elastic Strain • Maximum, Middle and
• Maximum Shear Elastic Strain • Maximum Shear Stress
• Elastic Strain Intensity • Stress Intensity
• Normal Elastic Strain/Shear Elastic Strain • Normal Stress/Shear St
Important:
• Response Spectrum, Random Vibration, and Structural Optimization analyses

cannot be linked to an upstream Modal analysis that has the On Demand
Expansion property set to Yes, either manually or from the Program Con-
trolled setting.
• Stress and strain cannot be evaluated on Condensed Parts.
• Spring annotations do not update when viewing results.
• You can change the default setting of this property under the Options
Analysis Settings and Solution (p. 316) group in the Options dialog.
Spin Softening
Enables you to specify whether to include or exclude Spin Softening effect in the linear
perturbation analyses. This field is available when performing a Pre-Stressed Modal analysis.
The options include Program Controlled (default), Yes, and No. The Program Controlled
setting selects either to include or exclude Spin Softening in the solution based on
whether the rotating reference frame attached to the body is fixed (Yes) or in motion (No).
The Yes option is invalid if the Coriolis Effect property (Rotordynamics Controls (p. 1577))
is set to On, Stationary Reference Frame.
For more information, refer to the PERTURB command from MAPDL Command Reference
Guide.
16.1.11.4. Random Vibration Options

For Random Vibration (p. 531) analyses, the Options category includes the following properties:
Analysis Settings
Number of Modes to Use
Specifies the number of modes to use from the modal analysis. A conservative rule of
thumb is to include modes that cover 1.5 times the maximum frequency in the PSD excit-
ation table.
Exclude Insignificant Modes
When set to Yes, this property enables you to not include modes for the mode combination
as determined by the threshold value you set by the Mode Significance Level property
(that automatically displays when Yes is selected). The default value of 0 means all modes
are selected (same as setting Exclude Insignificant Modes to No) while a value of 1 means
that no modes are selected. The higher you set the threshold, the fewer the modes selected
for mode combination.
16.1.11.5. Response Spectrum Options

For Response Spectrum (p. 540) analyses, the Options category includes the following properties:
Number of Modes to Use
Specify the number of modes to use from the modal analysis. It is suggested to have modes
that span 1.5 times the maximum frequency defined in input excitation spectrum.
Spectrum Type
Specify either Single Point or Multiple Points. If two or more input excitation spectrums are
defined on the same fixed degree of freedoms, use Single Point, otherwise use Multiple Points.
Modes Combination Type
Specify a method to be used for response spectrum calculation. Choices are SRSS, CQC, and
ROSE. In general, the SRSS method is more conservative than the other methods.
The SRSS method assumes that all maximum modal values are uncorrelated. For a complex
structural component in three dimensions, it is not uncommon to have modes that are coupled.
In this case, the assumption overestimates the responses overall. On the other hand, the CQC
and the ROSE methods accommodate the deficiency of the SRSS by providing a means of
evaluating modal correlation for the response spectrum analysis. Mathematically, the approach
is built upon random vibration theory assuming a finite duration of white noise excitation. The
ability to account for the modes coupling makes the response estimate from the CQC and ROSE
methods more realistic and closer to the exact time history solution.
16.1.11.6. Substructure Generation Options

For Substructure Generation (p. 546) analyses, the Options category includes the following properties:
Max Modes to Find
Specify the desired number of natural frequencies the solver will use during a substructure
generation analysis. The default value is 6.
Limit Search to Range
If desired, specify a frequency range within which to find the natural frequencies. The default
is set to No. If you set this to Yes, the Range Minimum and Range Maximum properties display.
Use these properties to specify the desired frequency range. Note that specifying a range instructs
the solver to extract as many frequencies as possible within the specified range. The frequency
modes extracted cannot exceed the values specified by the Max Modes to Find property.
Number of Load Vectors
Limit the number of load vectors generated during the substructure generation process to im-
prove efficiency and performance. The default setting is Program Controlled. This value can
be overridden with an integer, it must not be less than the highest load vector number for the
loads defined in the analysis..
For more information about this setting, see the /CONFIG (/CONFIG,numsublv) section of the
Mechanical APDL Commands Reference.
16.1.11.7. Transient Structural (Linked to Modal) Options

For a Transient Structural analysis using a linked Modal (p. 680) system, the Options category includes
the following properties:
This property is available for a Transient Structural Analysis Using Linked Modal Analysis Sys-
tem (p. 680). When set to On the application executes the RESVEC command and calculates or
includes residual vectors. The default setting is Off. See the RESVEC command documentation
in the Mechanical APDL Command Reference for additional information.
On Demand Expansion
This property is available when you are performing a Transient Structural Analysis Using Linked
Modal Analysis System (p. 680). Options for this property include Program Controlled (default),
Yes, and No. When set to Program Controlled, an additional read-only property, On Demand
Expansion, displays. This property only displays for the Program Controlled option and the
application determines the value for the property, either Yes or No. The application sets this
property as No when you request output controls or request fewer frequencies than the number
of modes.
When the On Demand Expansion Option property is set to Yes, either manually or from the
Program Controlled setting, the application creates the result file optimally. That is, the applic-
ation evaluates the results using the Modal solution data and calculates any other results “on
demand.” This improves solution performance and reduces file size. In addition, the application
automatically removes mode shape data from the result file as determined by the On Demand
Mode Shape preference (see note below).
Furthermore, there are specific result types supported when this option is active:
• Total and Directional Acceleration • Maximum, Middle and
Analysis Settings
• Total and Directional Velocity • Maximum Shear Stress
• Maximum, Middle and Minimum Principal Elastic Strain • Stress Intensity
• Maximum Shear Elastic Strain • Normal Stress/Shear St
• Elastic Strain Intensity • Force Reaction/Momen
• Normal Elastic Strain/Shear Elastic Strain
Important:
• Force Reaction (p. 2212) and Moment Reaction (p. 2212) probes are only sup-
ported when scoped to a Boundary Condition.
• The Moment Reaction probe is not supported on beam or shell bodies or

when scoped to Remote Displacements.
• Loading conditions applied to geometric entities that are scoped to a Reaction

probe are not included in the probe's calculation.
• You can change the default setting (Program Controlled) of this property
using the On Demand Expansion Option preference contained in the Options
Analysis Settings and Solution (p. 316) category of the Options (p. 293) dialog.
• Also note that mode shape data is automatically removed from result files.
You can change the setting of this process using the On Demand Mode
Shapes preference, also contained under the Options (Modal, Harmonic
and Transient Mode Superposition) category of the Analysis Settings and
Solution (p. 316) category of the Options (p. 293) dialog.
Mode Selection Method
This property displays when you are performing a Transient Structural Analysis Using Linked
Modal Analysis System (p. 680). This property enables you to select the modes for the mode
expansion. Property options include:
• None (default): This option expands all the extracted modes from the modal analysis.
All the modes participate in the mode-superposition transient dynamic analysis.
• Modal Effective Mass: When you select this option, the Significance Threshold property
also displays. For the Significance Threshold property value, the application selects the
modes that have a ratio for the Modal Effective Mass to the Total Mass that is greater
than this value, in all directions, for expansion. That is, only the selected modes participate
in the mode-superposition transient dynamic analysis. The application default is 0.001.
This feature improves the performance of postprocessing the modal results and reduces
the file size.
For more information, see the Mode Selection Based on Modal Effective Mass section of the
16.1.12. Scattering Controls

The Scattering Controls category includes the Scattered Field Formulation property. The options
for this property include:
• Off: Selecting this option turns scattering controls off.
• On: Selecting this option turns scattering controls on and also displays the Scattering Output
Type property.
The Scattering Output Type property is used to specify the output type for an acoustic scat-
tering analysis. The options for this property include Total and Scattered. Select the Total
option when you wish to output the total pressure field and the Scattered option when you
want to output the scattered pressure field.
If you specify an Incident Wave Location excitation and set the property to Outside the
Model, Mechanical automatically sets the Scattering Output Type property to Total.
For more information, refer to the ASOL and ASCRES commands in the Mechanical APDL
Command Reference.
16.1.13. Advanced
The Advanced category includes the following properties:
• Far-field Radiation Surface (p. 1547)
• Inverse Option (p. 1548)
• Contact Split (DMP) (p. 1548)
• Update View Factor (Coupled Field Only) (p. 1549)

For a Harmonic Acoustics analysis only, the Advanced category includes the property Far-field Radi-
ation Surface. Far-field result calculations are based on the Equivalent Source (Maxwell) Surfaces.
Therefore, this field controls far-field result definitions and results. The options include:
• Program Controlled (default): If your analysis does not include a user-defined Equivalent
Source Surface boundary condition object, this setting identifies the Equivalent Source (Maxwell)
Surfaces automatically created by the application using the environment option Create
Automatic > Far-field Radiation Surface. In this case, the application applies the surface flag
MXWF on them. If the analysis does include a user-defined Far-field Radiation Surface object,
this settings defined by that object are used.
• Manual: This option requires the definition of at least one user-defined Far-field Radiation
Surface object.
• No: This setting invalidates all Equivalent Source (Maxwell) Surface objects and Far-field result
objects.
Analysis Settings
Inverse Option
For Static Structural analyses only, the Advanced category includes the property Inverse Option.
The options for this property include No (default) and Yes. Selecting the Yes option instructs the
application to perform an inverse solution beginning at first step. In addition, the End Step property
displays when you select the Yes option. This property enables you to specify at which step the inverse
solve routine should stop. Entries for this property (the maximum value) are based on the value spe-
cified in the Number of Steps property. The default value for this property is 1.
Contact Split (DMP)

When the Contact Split (DMP) property is enabled, the contact conditions for the model are split
during the distributed solution to generate several smaller contacts. These contacts are then processed
across the available cores. Once the solution is complete, the split pairs are merged. This entire process
is automatic. Property options include:
• Off: No contact splitting.
• Program Controlled (default): The application selects whether to perform contact splitting in
order to improve performance.
Important:
When using this setting for standalone Static Structural (not linked to any down-
stream system, such as Modal, etc.) and Transient Structural analyses, the application
automatically performs contact pair splitting during the solution when the number
of contact regions is less than the number of cores when the Distributed (p. 1894)
option is enabled or the number of processes when the Hybrid Parallel (Mechan-
ical APDL) (p. 1906) option is also enabled.
• On: The application splits the contact regions during the solution. Selecting this option displays
the additional property Max Number of Splits. This entry specifies the maximum number of
splits that can occur for each contact region during the distributed solution. A minimum value
of 2 is acceptable.
Note:
• This feature requires the Distributed (p. 1894) option to be enabled.
• When contact splitting is enabled, different contacts in the model can result in different
levels of splitting. The level of splitting is determined by the application during run time.
• The use of this property may trim some of the contact elements during the solution.
This reduces the number of contact elements compared to the original untrimmed
contact condition. As a result, contact result items such as Contact Force Reactions and
Contact Trackers may provide different results when you turn the Contact Split (DMP)
property On compared to a solution with the property turned Off.
• You can change the default setting of this property using the Contact Split (DMP)
preference contained in the Advanced category of the Analysis Settings and Solu-
tion (p. 316) group of the Options dialog.
Update View Factor (Coupled Field Only)

You use this property to update the view factor (radiant energy) at each substep of a coupled-field
radiation analysis. A radiation analysis requires you to set the Structural and Thermal properties of
the Physics Region object Yes. In addition, in order to enable view factor updates, you must also set
the Large Deflection (p. 1518) property to On.
• Never (default): The application does not perform an update.
• Every Substep: The application updates view factors at the end of each substep following a
converged coupled-field solution. The application uses the updated view factors in the next
time step.
For each Radiation (p. 1724) loading condition included in the analysis that has the Correlation property
set to Surface to Surface, the application updates the view factors.
See the VFUP command in the Mechanical APDL Command Reference for additional information.
16.1.14. Damping Controls

The properties of the Damping Controls category vary based on the type of analysis being performed.
Using these properties, you can define the following types of system damping:
• Damping Ratio (DMPRAT)
• Constant Global Structural Damping Coefficient (DMPSTR)
• Global Alpha and Beta Damping (Rayleigh Damping) (ALPHAD, BETAD)
See the Damping section of the Mechanical APDLStructural Analysis Guide for more information.

The Damping category is available for the following analysis types:
• Coupled Field Harmonic (p. 384)
• Coupled Field Modal (p. 390)
• Coupled Field Transient (p. 399)
• Modal (p. 521)
Analysis Settings
• Random Vibration (p. 531)/Response Spectrum (p. 540)
• Transient Structural Analysis Using Linked Modal Analysis System (p. 680)
• Rigid Body Dynamics (p. 557)
Property Descriptions
Mechanical supports the following system-level damping properties.
Eqv. Damping Ratio From Modal
This Damping Controls property is available for a Harmonic Response analysis when the Solution
Method property is set to Mode Superposition (MSUP) and for a Transient Structural analysis
linked to a Modal analysis. For these analyses, if the upstream Modal analysis Solver Type is un-
damped and you define the Damping Ratio in the Material Dependent Damping property
grouping of Engineering Data, then this property can control the material-based Damping Ratio
effect in your MSUP Harmonic and MSUP Transient solutions for all options of Expand Results
From (p. 1565) property. The options for this property include:
• Yes: The application includes the material-based Damping Ratio (MP,DMPR) effect in
your MSUP Harmonic or MSUP Transient solution.
Important:
For Reaction Force (p. 2212) calculations, results differ when considering
material-based Damping Ratio (MP,DMPR) when you have the Expand
From property set to either Harmonic Solution or Transient Solution,
compared to when you have it set to Modal Solution. This difference is a
result of the way the element damping nodal loads are calculated.
Specifically, when you set the Expand From property to Harmonic Solution
or Transient Solution, the solver considers the Material Damping Coeffi-
cient as a Constant Structural Damping Coefficient. If you refer to MAPDL
Theory Reference, the element damping matrix of Equation 14-101 is calcu-
lated on Equation (14-39) for the Harmonic Solution setting and Equation
14-37 for Transient Solution setting.
When you set the Expand From property to the Modal Solution setting,
the element damping matrix is obtained by combining the element
damping nodal loads written to the mode file with coefficients obtained
from Equation (14-42). Those results should be considered as the expected
ones when any material-based Damping Ratio is defined.
• No: The application does not include the material-based Damping Ratio (MP,DMPR) effect
in your MSUP Harmonic or MSUP Transient solution.
Important:
The application automatically sets this property to No and it becomes read-only if you
link a Harmonic Response analysis to a downstream Structural Optimization analysis
or if the Future Analysis (p. 1573) property (Analysis Settings > Analysis Data Manage-
ment) is set to Structural Optimization.
Note:
• If you define the Damping Ratio in the Material Dependent Damping property
grouping, the application automatically sets this property to Yes.
• When you have a Mode Superposition Harmonic Response analysis that is linked to
an upstream Modal analysis and you set the Damped property in the Modal analysis
to Yes, the application automatically hides the Eqv. Damping Ratio From Modal
property in the harmonic system.
Constant Damping
This property is available for Random Vibration analyses. The default setting is Program Controlled.
You may also set the property to Manual.
Damping Define By
For a Harmonic Response analysis when the Solution Method property is set to Mode Superpos-
ition, this property enables you to specify damping using a Damping Ratio (default) or a Constant
Structural Damping Coefficient. Based on your selection, an associated property of the same
name displays. See the descriptions below.
Important:
The application automatically makes this property read-only if you link a Harmonic
Response analysis to a downstream Structural Optimization analysis or if the Future
Analysis (p. 1573) property (Analysis Settings > Analysis Data Management) is set to
Structural Optimization.
Damping Ratio
This property specifies the amount of damping in the structure as a percentage of critical damping
using the DMPRAT command. Note the following conditions:
• If you set this property in conjunction with the Stiffness Coefficient and Mass Coefficient,
the effects are cumulative.
Analysis Settings
• For a Random Vibration analysis, this property defaults to 0.01 (1%). Set the Constant
Damping property to Manual to specify the value.
Note:
The Engineering Data workspace also includes a Damping Ratio property that you
can specify for a material. Mechanical supports material-based damping in addition
to damping specified in the application. See the Material Dependent Damping
Definition (p. 334) topic in the Define Engineering Data section for a listing of the
analysis types, and their requirements, that support material-based damping.
Constant Structural Damping Coefficient
This property specifies the amount of constant structural damping data using the DMPSTR
command. The property is available for:
• Mode Superposition-based Harmonic Response analyses.
• Modal analysis when the:
– Damped property is set to Yes and the Solver Type is set to either Program
Controlled or Full Damped.
– Damped property is set to Yes, the Solver Type is set to Reduced Damped, and
the Store Complex Solution property is set to Yes.
– Damped property is set to No and the Solver Type is set to Unsymmetric.
– Damped property is set to No and the Solver Type is set to Program Controlled
where the application specified the Unsymmetric setting.
Note:
If you parameterize the Constant Structural Damping Coefficient property

using the Program Controlled option, based on the Solver Type selection,
damping is added or removed during the design point solution.
If you set this in conjunction with the Stiffness Coefficient and Mass Coefficient, the effects are
cumulative.
Note:
The Engineering Data workspace also includes a Constant Structural Damping Coefficient
property that you can specify for a material. Mechanical supports material-based
damping in addition to damping specified in the application. See the Material Depend-
ent Damping Definition (p. 334) topic in the Define Engineering Data section for a listing
of the analysis types, and their requirements, that support material-based damping.
Stiffness Coefficient Defined By
Define the Stiffness Coefficient by entering a value, Direct, or by entering a Frequency and a
Damping Ratio, Damping vs. Frequency.
Stiffness Coefficient (Beta Damping, β)
A coefficient value that is used to define a Beta damping by multiplying it with stiffness. You can
enter the value directly or the value can be computed from a damping ratio at a specified fre-
quency. You define a Stiffness Coefficient in the Details view of the Analysis Settings object.
Beta Damping can also be specified in Engineering Data. Refer to the BETAD command section
in the Mechanical APDL Command Reference for more information about the Beta Damping Factor.
Note:
The unit for the Stiffness Coefficient (Beta Damping) property is seconds. However,
the interface in Mechanical as well as Engineering Data displays the value without a
unit.
Frequency: This property is visible when Stiffness Coefficient Defined By is set to Damping
vs. Frequency. Enter a desired value.
Damping Ratio: This property is visible when Stiffness Coefficient Defined By is set to
Damping vs. Frequency. Enter a desired value. The value of β is not generally known directly,
but is calculated from the modal damping ratio, ξi. ξi is the ratio of actual damping to critical
damping for a particular mode of vibration, i. If ωi is the natural circular frequency, then the
beta damping is related to the damping ratio as β = 2 ξi/ωi. Only one value of β can be input
in a step, so choose the most dominant frequency active in that step to calculate β.
Mass Coefficient (Alpha Damping Factor, α)
A coefficient that is used to define an Alpha damping by multiplying it with mass. Beta and Alpha
damping factors are collectively called Rayleigh damping.
The Alpha Damping can also be specified in Engineering Data. Refer to the ALPHAD command
in the Mechanical APDL Command Reference for more information about the Alpha Damping Factor.
Note:
The unit for the Mass Coefficient (Alpha Damping Factor) property is 1/seconds.
However, the interface in Mechanical as well as Engineering Data displays the value
without a unit.
Numerical Damping
This option is available for a Transient Structural analysis using a linked Modal analysis system.
Numerical Damping is also referred to as amplitude decay factor (γ). This property controls the
numerical noise produced by the higher frequencies of a structure. Usually the contributions of
these high frequency modes are not accurate and some numerical damping is preferable. Options
for this property include Program Controlled (default) and Manual.
Analysis Settings
The property is accompanied by the Numerical Damping Value property. The default value for
this property is 0.005 and is read-only when the Numerical Damping Value is set to Program
Controlled setting and can be modified when you use the Manual option.
Note:
For Full Transient Structural analysis, you can specify Numerical Damping manually
using the User Defined option of the App. Based Settings (p. 1519) property. The User
Defined option provides the associated property Amplitude Decay Factor. You use
this property to specify a Numerical Damping Value.
Material Damping
There are two types of material-based damping, Material Dependent Damping and Constant
Damping Coefficient. Material Dependent Damping consists of beta damping and alpha damping.
These are defined as material properties in Engineering Data.
Element Damping
Spring damping and Bearing damping are defined in the Details view of the Spring (p. 1306) object
and Bearing (p. 1324) object.
Rigid Dynamics Analysis Damping
Numerical Damping Control: (Only available with Implicit Generalized-α time integration.) This
option allows you to control the noise produced by high frequencies. When the numerical
damping control is enabled, you can directly input the value of the \rho_inf coefficient (refer
to Implicit Generalized-α Method (p. 645)). The value must be between 0 and 1. The default value
is 0.99, meaning no numerical damping. A smaller value reduces the noise produced by high
frequencies.
You can specify more than one form of damping in a model. In addition to structural damping and
material damping, the model can have damping from spring and bearing connection, namely Element
Damping (see above). The application formulates the damping matrix as the sum of all the specified
forms of damping.
You can specify a Material for the spring that includes a constant damping coefficient. Based on the
analysis type, the application applies damping as structural damping for damped Modal and Full
Harmonic Response systems and as viscous damping for MSUP systems.
Note:
Restrictions of applying damping in each analysis type can be found in Damping section
of the Mechanical APDL Structural Analysis Guide.
16.1.15. Nonlinear Controls

This section describes the properties provided by Nonlinear Controls category. The properties of
this category vary based on analysis type. The subsections listed here describe the Nonlinear Controls
properties for each supported analysis type.
• Nonlinear Controls for Steady-State, Static, and Transient Analyses (p. 1555)
• Nonlinear Controls for Transient Thermal Analyses (p. 1558)
• Nonlinear Controls for Rigid Dynamics Analyses (p. 1559)
16.1.15.1. Nonlinear Controls for Steady-State, Static, and Transient Analyses

This section examines the Nonlinear Controls as they apply to the following analysis types:
• Coupled Field Static and Transient (p. 380)
• Electric (p. 406)/Magnetostatic (p. 552)/Thermal-Electric (p. 667)
• Steady-State Thermal (p. 663)
• Static Structural (p. 658)/Transient Structural (p. 671)
• Newton-Raphson Option (p. 1555)
• Convergence Criterion (p. 1555)
• Line Search (p. 1557)
• Stabilization (p. 1557)
Newton-Raphson Option
For nonlinear Static Structural and Full Transient Structural analysis types, the Newton-Raphson
Option property is available. This property allows you to specify how often the stiffness matrix is
updated during the solution process. Newton-Raphson Option property options include:
• Program Controlled (default setting)
• Full
• Modified
• Unsymmetric
The Program Controlled option allows the program to select the Newton-Raphson Option setting
based on the nonlinearities present in your model. For more information about the additional options,
see the Newton-Raphson Option section in the Mechanical APDL Structural Analysis Guide. If you
experience convergence difficulties, switching to an Unsymmetric solver may aid in Convergence.
Convergence Criterion
When solving nonlinear steady-state, static, or transient analyses, an iterative procedure (equilibrium
iterations) is carried out at each substep. Successful solution is indicated when the out-of-balance
loads are less than the specified convergence criteria. Criteria appropriate for the analysis type and
physics are displayed in this grouping. Convergence controls are "step aware". This means that the
setting can be different for each step.
Analysis Settings
The following convergence criteria properties are available:
• Coupled Field Static and Coupled Field Transient:
If Structural physics is enabled: Force Convergence, Moment Convergence, Displace-

ment Convergence, and Rotation Convergence.
If Thermal physics is enabled: Heat Convergence and Temperature Convergence.
If Electric physics (Charge) is enabled: Voltage Convergence and Charge Convergence.
If Electric physics (Conduction) is enabled Voltage Convergence and Current Conver-
gence.
• Electric analysis: Voltage Convergence and Current Convergence.
• Magnetostatic analysis: CSG Convergence and AMP Convergence.
• Static Structural analysis and Transient Structural analysis: Force Convergence, Moment
Convergence, Displacement Convergence, and Rotation Convergence.
• Steady-State Thermal analysis: Heat Convergence and Temperature Convergence.
• Thermal-Electric analysis: Heat Convergence, Temperature Convergence, Voltage Conver-

gence, and Current Convergence.
The following convergence controls are available for each of these properties:
• Program Controlled (default setting): The application sets the convergence criteria. See the
STABILIZE command reference for application defaults settings for Unstable structures as well
as Semi-Implicit Solution Controls.
• On: You specify that a convergence criterion is activated. Once activated, additional properties
become available and include:
– Value: This is the reference value that the solver uses to establish convergence. The recommen-
ded and program controlled setting, Calculated by solver, automatically calculates the value
based on external forces, including reactions, or you can input a constant value.
When Temperature Convergence is set to On, the Value field provides a drop-down menu
with the options Calculated by solver or User Input. Selecting User Input displays an Input
Value field you use to enter a value.
When any other convergence property is set to On, selecting the Calculated by solver field
enables you to manually enter a value.
– Tolerance times Value determines the convergence criterion
– Minimum Reference: This is useful for analyses where the external forces tend to zero. This
can happen, for example, with free thermal expansion where rigid body motion is prevented.
In these cases the larger of Value or Minimum Reference will be used as the reference value.
Note:
If you do not want any convergence options to be turned on, then you may try setting
the solution controls to off, using a Commands (ADPL) object.
Line Search
Line search can be useful for enhancing convergence, but it can be expensive (especially with
plasticity). You might consider setting Line Search on in the following cases:
• When your structure is force-loaded (as opposed to displacement-controlled).
• If you are analyzing a "flimsy" structure which exhibits increasing stiffness (such as a fishing pole).
• If you notice (from the program output messages) oscillatory convergence patterns.
Note:
The Line Search control is "step aware" and can be different for each step.
Stabilization
Convergence difficulty due to an unstable problem is usually the result of a large displacement for
small load increments. Nonlinear stabilization technique can help achieve convergence. Nonlinear
stabilization can be thought of as adding artificial dampers to all of the nodes in the system. Any
degree of freedom that tends to be unstable has a large displacement causing a large damping/sta-
bilization force. This force reduces displacements at the degree of freedom so stabilization can be
achieved.
There are three Keys for controlling nonlinear stabilization:
• Program Controlled (default): The application does not issue any request to the solver to activate
stabilization.
• Off: Deactivate stabilization.
• Constant: Activate stabilization. The energy dissipation ratio or damping factor remains constant
during the load step.
• Reduce: Activate stabilization. The energy dissipation ratio or damping factor is reduced linearly
to zero at the end of the load step from the specified or calculated value.
There are two options for the Method property for stabilization control:
• Energy: Use the energy dissipation ratio as the control (default setting).
• Damping: Use the damping factor as the control.
Analysis Settings
When Energy is specified, an Energy Dissipation Ratio must be entered. The energy dissipation
ratio is the ratio of work done by stabilization forces to element potential energy. This value is
usually a number between 0 and 1. The default value is 1.0e-4.
When Damping is specified, a Damping Factor value needs to be entered. The damping factor is
the value that the Mechanical APDL solver uses to calculate stabilization forces for all subsequent
substeps. This value is greater than 0.
Note:
The Damping Factor value is dependent on the active unit system and may influence
the results if unit systems are changed. You may wish to use an initial trial value from a
previous run for this entry (such as a run with the Energy Dissipation Ratio as input). See
the Controlling the Stabilization Force section of the Mechanical APDL Structural Analysis
Guide for additional information.
There are three options for Activation For First Substep control:
• No: Stabilization is not activated for the first substep even when it does not converge after the
minimal allowed time increment is reached (default setting).
• On Nonconvergence: Stabilization is activated for the first substep if it still does not converge
after the minimal allowed time increment is reached. Use this option for the first load step only.
• Yes: Stabilization is activated for the first substep. Use this option if stabilization was active for
the previous load step Key = Constant.
For Stabilization Force Limit, a number between 0 and 1 should be specified. The default value
is 0.2. To omit a stabilization force check, set this value to 0.
Refer to Unstable Structures in the Structural Analysis Guide for assistance with using the stabilization
options listed above.
16.1.15.2. Nonlinear Controls for Transient Thermal Analyses

Nonlinear Formulation
The Nonlinear Formulation category controls how nonlinearities are to be handled for the solution.
The following options are available:
• Program Controlled (default): Mechanical automatically specifies either the Full or Quasi setting
as described below. The Quasi setting is based on a default Reformulation Tolerance of 5%.
The Quasi option is used by default except when a Radiation load is present or if enthalpy is
defined as a material property, then the Full option is automatically specified.
• Full: Manually sets formulation for a full Newton-Raphson solution.
• Quasi: Manually sets formulation based on a tolerance you enter in the Reformulation Tolerance
field that appears if Quasi is chosen.
Note:
The Quasi method is an approximation to the Full method. It is faster but not as
accurate for strong nonlinearities. The Quasi method sets up a single fast mater-
ial table, with equal temperature points between a maximum and a minimum
temperature for evaluation of temperature-dependent material properties. Using
this option, the solution uses 64 points between the maximum and the minimum
temperature of the fast material table. If your material properties contain highly
non-linear behavior and 64 points are not sufficient, using Full method is recom-
mended.
16.1.15.3. Nonlinear Controls for Rigid Dynamics Analyses

Energy Accuracy Tolerance
This is the main driver to the automatic time stepping. The automatic time stepping algorithm
measures the portion of potential and kinetic energy that is contained in the highest order terms
of the time integration scheme, and computes the ratio of the energy to the energy variations over
the previous time steps. Comparing the ratio to the Energy Accuracy Tolerance, Workbench will
decide to increase or decrease the time step. See the Preparing a Rigid Dynamics Analysis (p. 558)
When implicit time integration is chosen and automatic time stepping is enabled, the energy accuracy
tolerance can be turned off. The time step is then determined by the number of iterations required
by Newton-Raphson convergence.
Force Residual Relative Tolerance
Controls the threshold for force residual convergence in Newton-Raphson convergence. The default
value is 1.e-7. A smaller value will lead to a smaller residual, but it will require more iterations. The
convergence of force residual can be monitored in Solution Information using Force Convergence.
This option is only available with the Generalized-α, Stabilized Generalized-α, and MJ Time Stepping
time integration methods.
Constraint Equation Residual Relative Tolerance
Controls the threshold for convergence of constraint equation violations in Newton-Raphson con-
vergence. The default value is 1.e-8. The convergence of this criterion can be checked in Solution
Information using Displacement Convergence.
This option is only available with Generalized-α, Stabilized Generalized-α, and MJ Time Stepping
time integration.
16.1.16. Output Controls

The controls of the Output Controls category vary based on the type of analysis being performed.
Analysis Settings
Output Controls give you the ability to specify which type of quantities are written to the result file
for use during post-processing. These properties enable you to control the size of the results file
which can be beneficial when performing a large analysis.
The following Output Controls properties are available in the Details view to be activated (Yes) or
not (No) and included or not included in the results file. Note that these controls are not step-aware,
meaning that the settings are constant across multiple steps.
• Output Selection: Use this property to store results on specific geometry or mesh selections to
reduce result file size. Only supported for elemental-based results that have an associated Output
Control property, such as Stress or Nodal Forces, whose property is set to Yes. Options include
None (default) and By Named Selection. When you select By Named Selection, a Named Selection
property displays. Use this property to specify one or more geometry- or meshed-based Named
Selections. During the solution process, the application only writes element nodal result quantities
to the result file for the geometry or mesh associated with these named selections.
Notes
– This property is only supported for analyses that have the Solver Type property of the Envir-
onment object set to Mechanical APDL.
– You should include probe and contact results in the scoping of the named selection for
proper evaluation.
Limitations
Note the following limitations associated with this property:
– The application does not send Named Selections specified by this property to the solver if
you set the:
→ Send As property to MESH200 for element face-based Named Selections.
→ Send to Solver property is set to No. The default setting is Yes.
– If you import loads from an upstream system that specifies Named Selections using this
property, the application imports only the load data associated with the entities scoped to
these Named Selections.
– For a result with the Scoping Method to Geometry, only the exposed element faces of the
Named Selection present contour colors. Exposed faces are not shared by multiple elements.
Use the Named Selection setting for the Scoping Method property to display contour colors
on the whole elements.
– If your analysis includes Condensed Part objects, you cannot specify its scoping with a
Named Selection used by this property. The application will ignore the Named Selection
– If your analysis includes a Symmetry object, the application will ignore the Named Selection
– The Fatigue Tool is not affected by this feature.
– If your analysis includes a Nonlinear Adaptive Region, Geometry Based Adaptivity, or a

SMART Crack Growth object, the application will not produce results for the selected named
selections if remeshing occurs on them.
• Stress. Writes element nodal stresses to the results file. The default value is Yes. Available for
Coupled Field analyses, Static Structural, Transient Structural, Modal, and Eigenvalue Buckling
analysis types.
Note:
There are two options to obtain surface stress results. You can use the Surface Coat-
ing (p. 943) feature to accurately evaluate surface stresses. Or you can use a Command
(APDL) (p. 2407) object. To properly define this object, see the Mechanical APDL Element
Reference for key options to activate surface solution results on eligible elements as well
as the Solution Output topic for the steps to obtain the surface solution as tabular data.
• Back Stress: Writes element back stresses to the result file. Options include Yes and No (default).
Available for material models that have kinematic hardening. See the Mechanical APDL OUTRES
command section for supported models.
• Strain. Writes element elastic strains to the results file. The default value is Yes. Available for
Coupled Field analyses, Static Structural, Transient Structural, Modal, and Eigenvalue Buckling
analysis types.
• Contact Data: Writes element contact data to the result file. Options include Yes (default) and No.
Available for an Additive Manufacturing Process Simulation, Coupled Field analyses, Static Structural,
Transient Structural, Modal, Harmonic Response, Eigenvalue Buckling, Steady-State thermal, Transient
Thermal, Electric, and Thermal-Electric analyses.
Note:
For an Additive Manufacturing Process Simulation, the default setting is No in order

to reduce the size of the result file.
• Nonlinear Data: Writes element nonlinear data to the result file. Options include Yes and No (de-
fault). Available for Coupled Field Static, Coupled Field Transient, Static Structural, and Transient
Structural analyses. See the User Defined Results for Nonlinear Analyses (p. 2312) topic in the User
Defined Results for the Mechanical APDL Solver section for the specific Items supported by the com-
mand. These items are accessed through the Solution Quantities and Result Summary (p. 2065) page
of the Worksheet following the solution process.
• Nodal Forces. Writes elemental nodal forces to the results file. Options include:
– No: No nodal forces are written to the results file. This is the default setting except for a Modal
Analysis in which the Future Analysis property, under Analysis Data Management category,
is set to MSUP Analyses. In that case, the default setting is Constrained Nodes.
– Yes: This option writes nodal forces for all nodes. It is available for Static Structural, Transient
Structural, Harmonic Response, Modal, Steady-State Thermal, and Transient Thermal analysis
Analysis Settings
types. This Output Control must be set to Yes if you want to use the Mechanical APDL Command
NFORCE, FSUM in Mechanical (via command snippets) because those MAPDL commands will
access nodal force records in the result file as well as to obtain Reactions (p. 2212) on the underlying
source or target element. For thermal analyses, nodal forces represent heat reactions.
If Future Analysis property, under Analysis Data Management category, is set to Structural
Optimization, PreStressed & Structural Optimization, or MSUP & TopoOptimization, then
the Nodal Forces property is automatically set to Yes and becomes read-only.
– Constrained Nodes. This option writes nodal forces for constrained nodes only. It is available
for a Modal Analysis as well as Mode-Superposition (MSUP) Harmonic Response and Transient
analyses that are linked to a Modal Analysis with the Expand Results From option set to the
Modal Solution. This option directs Mechanical to use only the constrained nodes when calcu-
lating reaction forces and moments. The advantage is a reduced results file size.
• Euler Angles. Requests Euler Angle result values be written to the result file. Available for all ana-
lysis types except Response Spectrum, Random Vibration, and Structural Optimization analyses.
The default is Yes.
Note:
– For a Modal, Eigenvalue Buckling, and an Additive Manufacturing Process Simu-

lation, the default setting is No in order to reduce the size of the result file.
– The application may skip the evaluation of Euler Angles if the element coordinate
system is aligned with Global Coordinate System.
Important:
Some result types, such as stress and/or strain results, may require Euler angle result
data to properly display a result in the desired coordinate system. When the Euler Angle
property is set to No, the result file may still contain the Euler angle results if any of the
elemental results are set to Yes. However, if the Euler Angle property is set to No and
all the elemental result outputs are also set to No, the application produces an error
message and no result contours display for the elements in need of Euler angles.
• Volume and Energy. Writes summed volume and energy values to the result file: data that is es-
sential for results such as Volume Probes, Energy Probes, Structural Error, etc. Available for all ana-
lysis types except Response Spectrum, Random Vibration, and Structural Optimization analyses.
The default is Yes.
Note:
For a Modal, Eigenvalue Buckling, and an Additive Manufacturing Process Simulation,

the default setting is No in order to reduce the size of the result file.
• Calculate Reactions. Turn On for Nodal Forces on constraints. Available for Coupled Field Harmonic,
Coupled Field Modal, Modal, and Transient (when linked to a upstream Modal system) analysis
types.
• Calculate Velocity and Acceleration. Writes Velocity and Acceleration results to the result file.
The default value is Yes. Available for Mode-Superposition (MSUP) Transient Structural analyses
only.
Note:
During a MSUP Transient analysis, the Force Reaction probe contains only the static
contribution if you set the Calculate Velocity and Acceleration property to No. Review
the TRNOPT command in the Mechanical APDL Command Reference for more information.
• Calculate Thermal Flux. Available for an Additive Manufacturing Process Simulation, Coupled Field
Static, Coupled Field Transient, Steady-State Thermal, and Transient Thermal analysis types.
Note:
For an Additive Manufacturing Process Simulation, the default setting is No in order

to reduce the size of the result file.
• Heat Generation Rate: Writes element heat generation rate to the result file. Options include Yes
(default) and No. Available for Coupled Field analyses, Electric, and Thermal-Electric analyses.
• Keep Modal Results. Available for Random Vibration analyses only. The default value is No. This
setting removes modal results from the result file in an effort to reduce file size. Setting this property
to Yes allows you to perform post-processing on results of the Random Vibration solution (for ex-
ample, Response PSD) via command snippets.
• Calculate Velocity. Writes Velocity to the results file. Available for Response Spectrum and Random
Vibration analysis types. The default value is No for both analysis types.
• Calculate Acceleration. Writes Acceleration to the results file. Available for Response Spectrum
and Random Vibration analysis types. The default value is No for both analysis types.
• Contact Miscellaneous. Turn On if Contact Based Force Reactions (p. 2223) are desired. The default
value is No. Available for Coupled Field Static, Coupled Field Transient, Static, and Transient Struc-
tural analysis types. Not Available when linked to a Modal analysis.
• Element Current Density: Writes element current densities to the result file. Options include Yes
and No (default). Available for Coupled Field Static, Coupled Field Transient, Electric, Thermal-
Electric, and Magnetostatic analyses.
• Electromagnetic Nodal Forces: Writes element electromagnetic nodal forces to the result file.
Options include Yes and No (default). Available for Magnetostatic analyses.
• Participation Factor (Modal Analysis Only). This property displays when the Solver Type (in
Solver Controls (p. 1512) category) property is set to Iterative. The options for this property include:
Analysis Settings
– Program Controlled (default): When selected, the application automatically provides the Parti-
cipation Factor Summary based on the following criteria.
If the Future Analysis property of the Analysis Data Management category is set to MSUP
Analyses, the application creates the file, file.full, and the Participation Factor Summary
option becomes available in the drop-down list for the Solution Output property (under the
Solution Information object (p. 1927)).
If the Future Analysis property is set to None, the file, file.full, is not created and the
Participation Factor Summary is not available.
– Yes: The Participation Factor Summary option available in the Solution Output property of
the Solution Information object.
– No: The Participation Factor Summary option is not available in the Solution Output property
of the Solution Information object. This option is not allowed if the Future Analysis property
of the Analysis Data Management category is set to MSUP Analyses.
• General Miscellaneous. Used to access element miscellaneous records via SMISC/NMISC expres-
sions (p. 2307) for user defined results. Options include Yes/No. The default value is No.
Note:
To ensure that Membrane and Bending Stress results are not under-defined, set
this option to Yes.
Acoustics Analyses Only
Setting this property to Yes during an Acoustics analysis causes the application to also display
the Value sub-property. The Value property enables you to select the bodies of your model
for which the application sends element-based miscellaneous solution data to the output file.
Options include:
– Program Controlled: The action of this property depends upon the acoustics analysis
type.
Harmonic Acoustics
This option issues miscellaneous data for all acoustic bodies if your analysis includes
a Far-Field Radiation Surface (that you manually defined or that the application
automatically generated), a Free Surface boundary condition, a Diffuse Sound Field
excitation, or an acoustic Port.
Modal Acoustics
This option issues miscellaneous data for all acoustic bodies if your analysis includes
a Free Surface boundary condition.
– All Bodies: This option generates miscellaneous data for all bodies.
– Acoustic Bodies: This option generates miscellaneous data for all acoustic bodies.
– Structural Bodies: This option generates miscellaneous data for all structural bodies.
Note:
Setting the General Miscellaneous property to No invalidates all Free Surface

boundary conditions as well as all Far-field results.
• Store Modal Results (Modal analyses only). This field is only displayed when one of the element-
based Output Controls is set to Yes, such as Stress, Strain, etc. This implies that element-based
results must be expanded and saved to file.mode, in addition to displacement results (mode
shapes). Depending on the downstream linked analysis, you may want to save these modal stress
and/or modal strain results, which are linearly superimposed to get the stress and/or strain results
of the downstream linked analysis. This reduces computation time significantly in the downstream
linked analysis because no modal stress and/or modal strain results are expanded again. The follow-
ing options are available:
– Program Controlled (default setting): Let the program choose whether or not the modal results
are saved for possible downstream analysis.
– No: Element-based results are not saved to file.mode for later use in the downstream analyses.
This option is recommended for a linked Harmonic Response analysis due to load generation,
which requires that stresses and/or strains are expanded again as a result of the addition of ele-
mental loads in the linked Harmonic Response analysis.
– For Future Analysis: Element-based results are saved to file.mode for later use in the
downstream linked analyses. This option is recommended for linked Random Vibration and Re-
sponse Spectrum analyses. For these analysis types, the application does not need to solve ele-
mental results, therefore, this setting improves performance and efficiency.
• Expand Results From
– MSUP Harmonic Analyses (Linked and Standalone). For this analysis type, the Expand
Results From property displays only when one or more of the following results are set to
Yes:
Stress Strain Calculate React

Euler Angles Volume and Energy Contact Data
Activating one or more of these properties implies that one or more of the above results
are to be expanded and saved to file.mode after the load generation. Depending on the
number of modes and number of frequency steps, you may want to save these modal
stresses and/or strains after the load generation, which can be linearly superimposed to
obtain harmonic stresses and/or strains at each frequency step. The following options are
available for this property:
→ Program Controlled (default setting): Let the program choose whether or not the stress,
strain, and reaction results are expanded and saved for possible downstream analysis.
When the Program Controlled option is chosen, the read-only Details view property Ex-
pansion is displayed. This indicates whether the stress, strain and reaction results are
expanded from the modal solution or harmonic solution. However, if the Options (p. 1531)
> Cluster Results property is set to Yes and you specify a high number of Modes, the
Analysis Settings
solution is expanded from Harmonic Response analysis. If a lower number of Modes is

specified, the solution is expanded from the Modal analysis.
→ Harmonic Solution: Stress, strain, and reaction results are not expanded nor saved to
file.mode after the load generation in the MSUP Harmonic system (linked and stan-
dalone). This option is recommended when the number of frequency steps is far less than
the number of modes. In this option, the stress, strain, and/or reaction results are expanded
from harmonic displacement at each frequency step. In this case, stress, strain, and/or
reaction expansion is performed as many times as the number of frequency steps.
Note:
For a MSUP Harmonic Response analysis linked to an upstream Modal

Analysis that (1), includes a defined Constant Damping Coefficient in
the Engineering Data Workspace and (2), the Eqv. Damping Ratio From
Modal property set to Yes (Analysis Settings > Damping Con-
trols (p. 1549)), you cannot expand results from the Harmonic solution unless
the elemental results are expanded during the upstream modal solution.
You must set the Stress, Strain, and/or Calculate Reactions properties
to Yes in upstream Modal analysis to expand the elemental results. See
the MXPAND section of the Mechanical APDL Command Reference for more
information.
→ Modal Solution: Stress, strain, and reaction results are expanded and saved to file.mode
after the load generation in the MSUP Harmonic system (linked and standalone). This
option is recommended when the number of frequency steps is far more than the number
of modes. In this option, the stress, strain, and/or reaction results are calculated by linearly
combining the modal stresses, modal strains, and/or modal reactions expanded after the
load generation. In this case, stress, strain, and/or reaction expansion are performed as
many times as the number of modes.
Important:
For MSUP Harmonic Response analysis, if you 1) scope a Force Reaction

probe (p. 2212) to a Remote Point (p. 1379) or a Remote Boundary Condition (p. 1856)
and 2) set the Expand Results From property of the Harmonic Response analysis
to either:
→ Modal Solution
Or...
→ Program Controlled with the Expansion property set to Modal Solution.

Then the Force Reaction probe includes the static contribution only. For more
information, see the Reaction Forces topic in the Mechanical APDL Theory Refer-
ence.
Refer to Recommended Settings for Modal and Linked Analysis Systems (p. 1569) for further
details.
– Linked Transient Analyses. For this analysis type, the Expand Results From property displays
only when one or more of the following properties are set to Yes:
Stress Strain Calculate Reac-

tions
Euler Volume and En- Contact Data
Angles ergy
Activating one or more of these properties implies that one or more of the above results are to
be expanded and saved to file.mode after the load generation. Depending on the number
of modes and total number of sub steps/ time steps, you may want to save these modal stresses
and/or strains after the load generation, which can be linearly superimposed to obtain transient
stresses and/or strains at each time step. The following options are available for this property:
→ Program Controlled (default setting): Let the program choose whether or not the stress and
strain results are expanded and saved for possible downstream analysis. When the Program
Controlled option is chosen, the read-only Details view property Expansion is displayed. This
indicates whether the stress and strain results are expanded from modal solution or transient
solution.
→ Transient Solution: Stress and strain results are not expanded nor saved to file.mode after
the load generation in the linked transient analysis system. This option is recommended when
the number of time steps accumulated over all the load steps is far less than the number of
modes. In this option, the stress and/or strain results are expanded from transient displacement
at each time step. In this case, stress and/or strain expansion is performed as many times as
the number of time steps.
Note:
For a Transient Structural analysis linked to an upstream Modal Analysis that

(1), includes a defined Constant Damping Coefficient in the Engineering Data
Workspace and (2), the Eqv. Damping Ratio From Modal property set to Yes
(Analysis Settings > Damping Controls (p. 1549)), you cannot expand from the
Transient solution unless the elemental results are expanded during the up-
stream modal solution. You must set the Stress, Strain, and/or Calculate Re-
actions properties to Yes in upstream Modal analysis to expand the elemental
results.
→ Modal Solution: Stress and strain results are expanded and saved to file.mode after the
load generation in the linked transient system. This option is recommended when the number
of time steps accumulated over all the load steps is far more than the number of modes. In
this option, the stress and/or strain results are calculated by linearly combining the modal
Analysis Settings
stresses and/or modal strains expanded after the load generation. In this case, stress and/or
strain expansion are performed as many times as the number of modes.
Important:
For MSUP Transient analysis, if you 1) scope a Force Reaction probe (p. 2212) to a Re-
mote Point (p. 1379) or a Remote Boundary Condition (p. 1856) and 2) set the Expand
Results From property of the Harmonic Response analysis to either:
→ Modal Solution
Or...
→ Program Controlled with the Expansion property set to Modal Solution.

Then the Force Reaction probe includes the static contribution only. For more inform-
ation, see the Reaction Forces topic in the Mechanical APDL Theory Reference.
Refer to Recommended Settings for Modal and Linked Analysis Systems (p. 1569) for further details.
• If you are using the Samcef solver interface for your analysis, the SAI Command setting can be
used to control the SAI codes written in the solver input file. When this setting is set to Program
Controlled, the SAI codes are taken from the configuration file, stored in ANSYS_IN-
STALL_DIR\v242\AISOL\WBAddins\SamcefAddin\SamcefArchiveSettings.xml. If
this option is set to Manual, the text field SAI Command List option is shown, and the SAI ARCH
codes written to the input file are taken from this field instead of the configuration file. For more
information about the configuration file, see The Samcef Result Storage Configuration File.
• If you are using the ABAQUS solver interface, there are several options to control the output of
Elements and Nodes from that solver:
– The Nodal/Elemental/Contact/Radiation Outputs field controls result codes sent to the solver.
When set to Program Controlled, the codes are provided from the configuration file ANSYS_IN-
STALL_DIR\v242\AISOL\WBAddins\AbaqusAddin\AbaqusArchiveSettings.xml.
When set to Manual, the text field Outputs List appears and allows you manually set the result
codes. When set to All, the solver stores all results. Note that only the fields valid for the type
of analysis you are performing are shown. For more information about the configuration file, see
The ABAQUS Result Storage Configuration File.
– The Output Storage/Output Storage Value fields define the type of result storage.
– For a modal analysis, the Mode Selection field allows you to select all modes for output, or
define a subset of modes manually.
Note:
• It is recommended that you not change Output Controls settings during a Solution
Restart (p. 1917). Modifying Output Controls settings change the availability of the re-
spective result type in the results file. Consequently, result calculations cannot be guar-
anteed for the entire solution. In addition, Result file values may not correspond to GUI
settings in this scenario. Settings turned off during a restart generate results equal to
zero and may affect post processing of results and are therefore unreliable.
• Modification of Stress, Strain, Nodal Force, Contact Miscellaneous, and General Mis-
cellaneous properties will not invalidate the solution. If you want these Output Controls
settings modifications to be incorporated to your solution, clean the solution first.
Multiple Step Properties

In addition, the following settings are step-aware and allow you to define when data is calculated
and written to the result file for Static Structural, Transient Structural, Rigid Dynamics, Steady-State
Thermal, Transient Thermal, and Structural Optimization analyses:
• Store Results At. Based on the analysis type, specify this time to be All Time Points or All Iterations
(default setting), Last Time Point or Last Iteration, Equally Spaced Points or Specified Recurrence
Rate. For Additive Manufacturing simulations, options include All Layers, Last Heating and
Cooling Steps, and Every N Layers.
• Value. Displayed only if Store Results At is set to Equally Spaced Points or Specified Recurrence
Rate.
• Result File Compression: This property enables you to generate a compressed result file. Options
include Program Controlled (default), Sparse, Off. The Program Controlled and Sparse settings
instruct the application to compress the file.
• Export Layer End Temperature. No (default) or Yes. This setting controls whether the temperature
of a layer just before a new layer is applied is written out to an AMResults.txt file. Available
for Additive Manufacturing thermal analyses only.
• Export Recoater Interference. No (default) or Yes. This setting controls whether the z-deformation
of a layer just before a new layer is applied is written out to an AMResults.txt file. Available
for Additive Manufacturing structural analyses only.
Recommended Settings for Modal and Linked Analysis Systems

The following table provides a summary of recommended settings for Store Modal Results and Expand
Results From based on the analysis type.
Analysis Type Recommended Store Modal Results Recommended Expand Results

Settings From Settings
Modal with no No Not available.
downstream analysis
Stress and strain results not
needed to be saved to
file.mode because there is no
downstream analysis.
MSUP Harmonic No[a] Harmonic Solution
Response analyses
(Linked and Stress and strain results from Use when number of frequency
Standalone) modal analysis are overwritten by steps are far less than the
stresses and strains which are number of modes. This option is
expanded again in the linked not available when the Modal
Analysis Settings

Harmonic Response analysis due has a nonlinear Pre-Stress
to any loads added in the environment.
downstream analysis. Modal Solution
Note: Use when number of frequency

steps are far more than the
This setting is available number of modes. This is the
for a linked MSUP only option available when the
Harmonic Response Modal analysis has a nonlinear
analysis only. Pre-Stress environment.
Modal linked to For Future Analysis Not available.

downstream Random
Vibration analysis Stress and strain results from
modal analysis are expanded and
used in the linked random
vibration analysis. No stress or
strain expansion is needed again
because there is no load.
Modal linked to No Not available.
downstream
Response Spectrum Stress and strain results are always
analysis combined in response spectrum
analysis using file.rst and
file.mcom.
Note:
To evaluate summation
of element nodal forces
using FSUM in
Command Snippet, it is
required to save
element nodal forces in
modal to file.mode.
Modal linked to For Future Analysis Program Controlled.

downstream
Structural The Nodal Forces and the Gener-
Optimization analysis al Miscellaneous properties are
set to Yes.
Static Structural For Future Analysis Program Controlled.
linked to
downstream The Nodal Forces property is set
Structural to Yes.
Optimization analysis

Modal linked to No[a] Transient Solution
downstream
Transient analysis Stress and strain results from Use when number of time steps
modal analysis are overwritten by accumulated over all the load
stresses and strains which are steps is far less than the number
expanded again in the linked of modes.
transient analysis due to any loads
This option is not available when
added in the downstream analysis.
the Modal Analysis has a
nonlinear Pre-Stress
environment.
Modal Solution
Use when number of time steps

accumulated over all the load
steps is far more than the
number of modes.
This is the only option available

when the Modal Analysis has a
nonlinear Pre-Stress
environment.
[a] Review the Requirements and Limitations for Modal and Linked MSUP Analysis Systems
shown below.
Requirements and Limitations for Modal and Linked MSUP Analysis Systems
If you have an MSUP analysis, either Harmonic Response or Transient, linked to an upstream
Modal system, the Modal analysis does not respect the Expand Results From property setting
when:
• Only Direct FE loads, Remote Force, or Moment are scoped to global remote points.
• The analysis includes a Commands (APDL) object.
• No Damping Ratio is specified.
• If the material damping is specified using the Eqv. Damping Ratio From Modal property
(set to Yes) and at least one of the elemental-based Output Controls (Stress, Strain, etc.)
is also set to Yes in the linked Modal analysis.
Instead, it will be driven by the Store Modal Results property (of the Modal system):
• Setting this property to No, the Expand Results From property of the MSUP Harmonic
Response or Transient analysis is ignored, even if set to Modal Solution. The results would
be as if the Harmonic Solution or Transient Solution option had been set. Given this
internal specification, you do not receive the results you expected.
• Setting the property to For Future Analysis, the Expand Results From property of the
MSUP Harmonic Response or Transient analysis is ignored. The results would be as if the
Modal Solution option had been set. In this case, be sure that you request the same results
Analysis Settings
from the Output Controls settings for both the Modal and downstream MSUP analyses.
Given this internal specification, you do not receive the results you expected.
The scenarios are summarized in the following table.
Store Modal Results Expand Result From Property Actual Expanded Results
Property Setting Setting
No Expand from Modal Expanded from
Harmonic/Transient
No Expand from Harmonic/Transient Expanded from
Harmonic/Transient
For Future Analysis Expand from Modal Expanded from Modal
For Future Analysis Expand from Harmonic/Transient Expanded from Modal
Limitations When Using the Mechanical APDL Solver
The Mechanical application cannot post process split result files produced by the Mechanical
APDL solver. Try either of the following workarounds should this be an issue:
• Use Output Controls to limit the result file size. Also, the size can more fully be controlled (if
needed) by inserting a Commands object (p. 2407) for the OUTRES command.
• Increase the threshold for the files to be split by inserting a Commands object (p. 2407) for the
/CONFIG,FSPLIT command.
16.1.17. Analysis Data Management

The properties of the Analysis Data Management category vary based on the type of analysis being
performed. Supported analysis types include:
• Coupled Field Analyses (p. 380) • Static Structural (p. 658)
• Eigenvalue Buckling (p. 493) • Steady - State

Thermal (p. 663)
• Electric (p. 406)
• Substructure
• Harmonic Response (p. 502) Generation (p. 546)
• Magnetostatic (p. 552) • Thermal Electric (p. 667)
• Modal (p. 521) • Structural Optimization
• Random Vibration (p. 531)/Response • Transient

Spectrum (p. 540) Structural (p. 671)
• Rigid Dynamics (p. 557) • Transient

Thermal (p. 686)
The Analysis Data Management category includes the following properties and options.
Property Options/Descriptions
Solver This property Indicates the location of the solution files for this analysis. The
Files Dir- directory location is automatically determined by the program as detailed in
ectory Managing Files (p. 1953). The solution file folder can be displayed using the context
Open Solver Files Directory menu option.
Open Solver Files Directory Feature
• This right-click context menu option is available when you have an analysis
Environment or a Solution object selected.
• Once executed, this option opens the operating system's (Windows Only) file
manager and displays the directory that contains the solution files for your
analysis.
• The directory path is shown in the Details View. If a solution is in progress, the
directory is shown in the Solver Files Directory field. When a solution is in
progress, the directory displays in the Scratch Solver Files Directory (p. 1575).
For a remote solve, it will open the scratch directory until the results download
is complete.
Future This property defines whether to use the results of the current analysis as loading
Analysis or as an initial condition in a subsequent downstream analysis. Supported analysis
types and the supported downstream systems are described below.
Coupled Field Static
Options include None (default) and Prestressed Analysis.
If a Coupled Field Static analysis is used to provide Pre-Stress effects,

this property automatically defaults to the Prestressed Analysis setting.
It can provide Pre-Stress effects for the following analysis types:
• Pre-Stressed (Full) Coupled Field Harmonic
• Pre-Stressed Coupled Field Modal
Harmonic Response
Options include None (default) and Structural Optimization. If you

select Structural Optimization, the application automatically sets other
Analysis Settings properties to specific read-only settings. Such as the
Multiple Steps property, the Solution Method property (Mode
Superposition), Output Controls properties, and On Demand Expansion
property.
If you link a Harmonic Response analysis to a downstream Structural

Optimization analysis, this property automatically defaults to the
Structural Optimization setting, becomes read-only, and the same
automatic actions as stated above apply. Unlinking these analyses reverts
all automatic read-only settings.
Analysis Settings
Modal
Options include None (default), MSUP Analyses, Structural Optimiza-

tion, or MSUP & Structural Optimization.
When linked to a supported analysis type (Harmonic Response or

Random Vibration (PSD) or Response Spectrum), this property
automatically defaults to the MSUP Analyses setting.
Note:
A Modal analysis is a prerequisite for the following analysis

types:
• Random Vibration (PSD)
If a Modal analysis is linked with a Structural Optimization analysis,

this property automatically defaults to the Structural Optimization
setting.
If a Modal analysis is linked with a Harmonic Response, or a Random

Vibration (PSD), or a Response Spectrum analysis and a Structural
Optimization analysis, this property automatically defaults to the MSUP
& Structural Optimization setting.
Static Structural
Options include None (default), Prestressed Analysis, Structural

Optimization, and PreStressed & Structural Optimization.
If a Static Structural analysis is used to provide Pre-Stress effects, this

property automatically defaults to the Prestressed Analysis setting. It
can provide Pre-Stress effects for the following analysis types:
• Pre-Stressed (Full) Harmonic Response
• Pre-Stressed Modal
• Pre-Stressed Eigen Value Buckling
Note:
A Static Structural analysis is a prerequisite for Eigenvalue

Buckling analysis (p. 493).
If a Static Structural analysis is linked with a Structural Optimization

analysis, this property automatically defaults to the Structural
Optimization setting.
If a Static Structural analysis is linked with a Modal analysis or a Har-
monic Response analysis and a Structural Optimization analysis, this
property automatically defaults to the PreStressed & Structural
Optimization setting.
Substructure Generation
Options include None (default) and Ansys Rigid Dynamics (Beta) (visible
when you activate Beta Options). When you select the Ansys Rigid
Dynamics (Beta) option, the application automatically includes the
additional files necessary to perform a downstream Rigid Dynamics (p. 557)
analysis in the exported file.
Scratch This is a read-only indication of the directory where a solve "in progress" occurs.
Solver All files generated after the solution is done (including but not limited to result
Files Dir- files) are then moved to the Solver Files Directory. The files generated during
ectory solves on My Computer or files requested from RSM for postprocessing during
a solve remain in the scratch directory. For example, an early result file could be
brought to the scratch folder from a remote machine through RSM during
postprocessing while solving. With the RSM method, the solve may even be
computed in this folder (for example, using the My Computer, Background
Solve Process Settings).
The scratch directory is only set for the duration of the solve (with either My
Computer or My Computer, Background). After the solve is complete, this
directory is set to blank. As desired, you can specify a unique disk location for
this directory using the Scratch Solver Files Directory option in the Analysis
Settings and Solution (p. 316) category of the Options (p. 293) preference settings.
Specifying a different disk location for the scratch files enables you take advantage
of a faster disk drive.
The use of the Scratch Solver Files Directory prevents the Solver Files Directory
from ever getting an early result file.
Save Options include No (default) and Yes. Some Future Analysis settings will require
MAPDL the database file to be written. In these cases this field will be set to Yes
db automatically.
Contact This property enables you to control where contact pair data is written during
Summary the solution process, either to the solver output file or to a contact output file.
This ability enables you to limit the contact data written to the solver output file.
Property options include Program Controlled (default), Solver Output, and
CNM File. If your model includes more than 100 contact pairs, the Program
Controlled option automatically writes contact pair data to a contact output
text file named file.cnm (refer to the CNTR,OUT,YES command), otherwise
the data is written to the solver output file. The Solver Output option writes the
data as normal to the solver output file. The CNM File option writes contact pair
data to file.cnm regardless of the number of contact pairs in your model.
Analysis Settings
Delete Options include Yes (default) and No. If you prefer to save all the solution files
Un- for some other use you may do so by setting this field to No.
needed
Files Important:
When you are 1) using the Mechanical APDL solver, 2) have the Dis-
tributed (p. 1893) solve option selected (default), and 3) this property
is set to Yes (required), the application automatically executes the
Mechanical APDL command /FCLEAN. This command deletes all
unnecessary distributed files from the scratch directory. In addition to
this property needing to be set to Yes, the Future Analysis property
(described above) must be set to None for the command to execute
properly. These requirements apply to each analysis system included
in your project.
The action of deleting unnecessary distributed files is especially useful

for solutions being performed on a remote machine because it
eliminates the need to download potentially large files that serve no
specific purpose for the postprocessing of your analysis.
Note:
For Static Structural and Transient Structural analyses,

setting this property to Yes automatically sets the
Restart Controls property Retain Files After Full Solve
property to Yes (the default is No) and the application
does not execute the /FCLEAN command. However,
changing the Delete Unneeded Files property from
Yes to No DOES NOT automatically reset the Retain
Files After Full Solve property (to No).
If you are using a Samcef or ABAQUS solver interface for your analysis, the
Solver Files Name setting controls the name of the files generated in the analysis
directory. By default, this setting is the name of the solver being used ("samcef"
or "abaqus").
Nonlin- Read only indication of Yes or No depending on presence of nonlinearities in
ear Solu- the analysis.
tions
Solver You can select one of two options for this property:
Units
• Active System: This options instructs the solver to use the currently active
unit system (determined via the Units option in the Tools (p. 47) group
of the Home tab.) for the very next solve.
• Manual: This option enables you to select the unit system for the solver
to use by allowing them access to the second field, "Solver Unit System".
Solver • If Active System is chosen for the Solver Units field, then this field is
Units Sys- read-only and displays the active system.
tem
• If Manual is chosen for the Solver Units field, this field is a selectable
drop-down menu.
• If a Magnetostatic analysis is being performed, the field is read only

because the only system available to solve the analysis is the mks system.
• For the following analyses, only the mks and umks solver unit systems
are supported and can be selected:
– Electric
– Thermal Electric
– Coupled Field (only when the Electric physics property is set to

Yes on the Environment)
Max Num This property is for Structural Optimization analyses only. It specifies the number
of Inter- of files you wish to retain. A value of 1 indicates that the generated file is
mediate overwritten each iteration. The default value for the property is set to the text
Files string "All Iterations" that equals a setting of zero (0). This setting saves the
intermediate topology files for all iterations solved.
Note:
The animation of the Topology Density results and Topology Ele-

mental Density results is based on the number of intermediate results
computed and saved during solution. The computation of results is
driven by Store Results At property of the Output Controls (p. 1559)
and the intermediate results saved is driven by this property.
You can change the default setting for this property using the Max Num Of In-
termediate Files property under the Analysis Data Management (Structural
Optimization) category of the Options (p. 293) > Analysis Settings and Solu-
tion (p. 316) preference.
16.1.18. Rotordynamics Controls

The controls of the Rotordynamics Controls group vary based on the type of analysis being performed.
Supported analysis types include:
• Coupled Field Modal (p. 390)[2]/Prestressed Coupled Field Modal Analysis (p. 392)[2]
• Prestressed Coupled Field Harmonic Analysis (p. 386)[2]
[2] When you specify structural and electric (charge) physics.
Analysis Settings
• Coupled Field Static (p. 395)[2]
• Modal (p. 521) (including a prestressed system)
Coupled Field Static Analysis[2]
The Coriolis Effect property is the only Rotordynamics Controls property for a Coupled Field
Static analysis. Options include Off (default) and On, Rotating Reference Frame.
Coupled Field Modal[2], Prestressed Coupled Field Modal, and Modal Analyses[2]
The following properties control the items that apply to a rotating structure:
• Coriolis Effect: Options for this property include Off (default), On, Stationary Reference Frame
for a Modal analysis, and On, Rotating Reference Frame for a Coupled Field Modal analysis
(including prestressed). Both of the "On" settings are valid only if the Damped (p. 1512) property
of the Solver Control category is set to Yes.
• Campbell Diagram: Set to On if Campbell diagram is to be plotted. The default is Off. On is

a valid choice only if Coriolis Effect is turned On.
• Number of Points: This property is only displayed when Campbell Diagram is set to On. This
property’s values indicates the number of solve points for the Campbell Diagram. The default
value is 2. A minimum of two (2) solve points is necessary.
In addition, this value also determines the number of solution Points (data rows) displayed in
Tabular Data for the associated Rotational Velocity.
Harmonic Response Analysis
The Coriolis Effect property is the only Rotordynamics Controls property for a Harmonic Response
analysis. The default setting is Off. The On, Stationary Reference Frame setting is valid only
when the Solution Method is set to Full (the default setting is Mode Superposition). When
Coriolis Effect is set to On, Stationary Reference Frame, you can use the Rotating Force (p. 1772)
boundary condition in your analysis.
Prestressed Coupled Field Harmonic Analysis[2]
The Coriolis Effect property is the only Rotordynamics Controls property for a prestressed
Coupled Field Harmonic analysis. Options include Off (default) and On, Rotating Reference
Frame.
Steps and Step Controls for Static and Transient Analyses
The Coriolis Effect property is the only Rotordynamics Controls property for a Static Structural
analysis. The default setting is Off.
Note:
For the above analyses, except the coupled field types, when the Coriolis Effect property
is active, the application applies Coriolis effects in a stationary reference frame.
16.1.19. Visibility
Allows you to selectively display loads in the Graph window by choosing Display or Omit for each
available load type. A load must first be applied before the Visibility group becomes available/shown
under Analysis Settings.
The Visibility group is available for the following analysis types:
• Steady - State Thermal (p. 663)
• Transient Thermal (p. 686)
16.2. Steps and Step Controls for Static and Transient Analyses
16.2.1. Role of Time in Tracking
16.2.2. Steps, Substeps, and Equilibrium Iterations
16.2.3. Automatic Time Stepping
16.2.4. Guidelines for Integration Step Size
16.2.1. Role of Time in Tracking

Time is used as a tracking parameter in all static and transient analyses, whether or not the analysis
is truly time-dependent. The advantage of this is that you can use one consistent "counter" or
"tracker" in all cases, eliminating the need for analysis-dependent terminology. Moreover, time always
increases monotonically, and most things in nature happen over a period of time, however brief the
period may be.
Obviously, in a transient analysis time represents actual, chronological time in seconds, minutes, or
hours. In a static analysis, however, time simply becomes a counter that identifies steps and substeps.
By default, the program automatically assigns time = 1.0 at the end of step 1, time = 2.0 at the end
of step 2, and so on. Any substeps within a step will be assigned the appropriate, linearly interpolated
time value. By assigning your own time values in such analyses, you can establish your own tracking
Analysis Settings
parameter. For example, if a load of 100 units is to be applied incrementally over one step, you can
specify time at the end of that step to be 100, so that the load and time values are synchronous.
16.2.2. Steps, Substeps, and Equilibrium Iterations
What is a step?
A step corresponds to a set of loads for which you want to obtain a solution and review results. In
this way every static or transient dynamic analysis has at least one step. However there are several
scenarios where you may want to consider using multiple steps within a single analysis, that is, multiple
solutions and result sets within a single analysis.
A static or transient analysis starts at time = 0 and proceeds until a step end time that you specify.
This time span can be further subdivided into multiple steps where each step spans a different time
range.
As mentioned in the Role of Time in Tracking (p. 1579) section, each step spans a ‘time’ even in a static
analysis.
When do you need Steps?

Steps are required if you want to change the analysis settings for a specific time period. For example
in an impact analysis you may want to manually change the allowable minimum and maximum time
step sizes during impact. In this case you can introduce a step that spans a time period shortly before
and shortly after impact and change the analysis settings for that step.
Steps are also useful generally to delineate different portions of an analysis. For example, in a linear
static structural analysis you can apply a wind load in the first step, a gravity load in the second step,
both loads and a different support condition in the third step, and so on. As another example, a
transient analysis of an engine might include load conditions corresponding to gravity, idle speed,
maximum power, back to idle speed. The analysis may require repetition of these conditions over
various time spans. It is convenient to track these conditions as separate steps within the time history.
In addition steps are also required for deleting loads or adding new loads such as specified displace-
ments or to set up a pretension bolt load sequence. Steps are also useful in setting up initial conditions
for a transient analysis.
How do you define steps?

See the procedure, "Specifying Analysis Settings for Multiple Steps" located in the Establish Analysis
Settings (p. 354) section.
What are substeps and equilibrium iterations?

Solving an analysis with nonlinearities requires convergence of an iterative solution procedure. Con-
vergence of this solution procedure requires the load to be applied gradually with solutions carried
out at intermediate load values. These intermediate solution points within a step are referred to as
substeps. Essentially a substep is an increment of load within a step at which a solution is carried out.
The iterations carried out at each substep to arrive at a converged solution are referred to as equilib-
rium iterations.
Load
Substep
Load step
1 2
Final
load
value Equilibrium
iterations
Substeps
16.2.3. Automatic Time Stepping

Auto time stepping, also known as time step optimization, aims to reduce the solution time especially
for nonlinear and/or transient dynamic problems by adjusting the amount of load increment. If non-
linearities are present, automatic time stepping gives the added advantage of incrementing the loads
appropriately and retreating to the previous converged solution (bisection) if convergence is not
obtained. The amount of load increment is based on several criteria including the response frequency
of the structure and the degree of nonlinearities in the analysis.
The load increment within a step is controlled by the auto time stepping procedure within limits set
by you. You have the option to specify the maximum, minimum and initial load increments. The
solution will start with the "initial" increment but then the automatic procedure can vary further in-
crements within the range prescribed by the minimum and maximum values.
You can specify these limits on load increment by specifying the initial, minimum, and maximum
number of substeps that are allowed. Alternatively, since a step always has a time span (start time
and end time), you can also equivalently specify the initial, minimum and maximum time step sizes.
Although it seems like a good idea to activate automatic time stepping for all analyses, there are
some cases where it may not be beneficial (and may even be harmful):
• Problems that have only localized dynamic behavior (for example, turbine blade and hub assemblies),
where the low-frequency energy content of part of the system may dominate the high-frequency
areas.
• Problems that are constantly excited (for example, seismic loading), where the time step tends to
change continually as different frequencies are excited.
• Kinematics (rigid-body motion) problems, where the rigid-body contribution to the response fre-
quency term may dominate.
16.2.4. Guidelines for Integration Step Size

The accuracy of the transient dynamic solution depends on the integration time step: the smaller the
time step, the higher the accuracy. A time step that is too large introduces an error that affects the
response of the higher modes (and hence the overall response). On the other hand too small a time
step size wastes computer resources.
An optimum time step size can depend on several factors:
1. Response frequency: The time step should be small enough to resolve the motion (response) of
the structure. Since the dynamic response of a structure can be thought of as a combination of
Analysis Settings
modes, the time step should be able to resolve the highest mode that contributes to the response.
The solver calculates an aggregate response frequency at every time point. A general rule of
thumb it to use approximately twenty points per cycle at the response frequency. That is, if f is
the frequency (in cycles/time), the integration time step (ITS) is given by:
ITS = 1/(20f )
Smaller ITS values will be required if accurate velocity or acceleration results are needed.
The following figure shows the effect of ITS on the period elongation of a single-DOF spring-mass
system. Notice that 20 or more points per cycle result in a period elongation of less than 1 percent.
10
9
Period
8
Elongation
(%) 7
2 recommended
0
0 20 40 60 80 100
10 30 50 70 90
Number of Time Steps Per Cycle
2. Resolve the applied load-versus-time curve(s). The time step should be small enough to "follow"
the loading function. For example, stepped loads require a small ITS at the time of the step change
so that the step change can be closely followed. ITS values as small as 1/180f may be needed to
follow stepped loads.
ü ü
Input
Response
t t
3. Resolve the contact frequency. In problems involving contact (impact), the time step should be
small enough to capture the momentum transfer between the two contacting faces. Otherwise,
an apparent energy loss will occur and the impact will not be perfectly elastic. The integration
time step can be determined from the contact frequency (fc) as:
where k is the gap stiffness, m is the effective mass acting at the gap, and N is the number of
points per cycle. To minimize the energy loss, at least thirty points per cycle of (N = 30) are needed.
Larger values of N may be required if velocity or acceleration results are needed. See the description
of the Predict for Impact option within the Time Step Controls (p. 1165) contact Advanced settings
You can use fewer than thirty points per cycle during impact if the contact period and contact
mass are much less than the overall transient time and system mass, because the effect of any
energy loss on the total response would be small.
4. Resolve the nonlinearities. For most nonlinear problems, a time step that satisfies the preceding
guidelines is sufficient to resolve the nonlinearities. There are a few exceptions, however: if the
structure tends to stiffen under the loading (for example, large deflection problems that change
from bending to membrane load-carrying behavior), the higher frequency modes that are excited
will have to be resolved.
After calculating the time step sizes using the above guidelines, you need to use the minimum value
for your analysis. However using this minimum time step size throughout a transient analysis can be
very inefficient. For example in an impact problem you may need small time step sizes calculated as
above only during and for a short duration after the impact. At other parts of the time history you
may be able to get accurate results with larger time steps sizes. Use of the Automatic Time Step-
ping (p. 1581) procedure lets the solver decide when to increase or decrease the time step during the
solution.
Chapter 17: Boundary Conditions
Boundary conditions refers to the available loads and constraints that can be applied to an analysis en-
vironment. This term is often used interchangeably with loads or supports. To accurately simulate the
physical phenomena of an analysis environment, you need to apply boundary conditions.
Boundary conditions are typically applied to 2D and 3D simulations (with some exceptions). The type
of analysis determines which boundary conditions you can use. Force, pressure, and heat flux are ex-
amples of loads you can apply to a geometry. Constant temperatures, supports that restrict motion,
and displacements that specify motion are examples of constraints. You can define boundary conditions
that act remotely and also import boundary conditions.
Boundary Conditions and the Environment Context Tab

Mechanical organizes boundary conditions on the Environment Context tab in the following categories:
• Inertial
• Loads
• Supports
• Conditions
• Direct FE (mesh-based boundary conditions)
Applying a Boundary Condition

To apply a boundary condition, do the following:
1. Select the desired boundary condition. The available boundary conditions (p. 1609) depend on the
type of analysis you are performing.
2. Scope the boundary condition (p. 1586) to a geometry or finite element selection. This identifies
where the boundary condition acts.
Tip:
You can first select geometric or mesh entities, then select a boundary condition.
3. Specify the magnitude (p. 1588) of the boundary condition.
4. Specify whether the boundary condition magnitude is stepped or ramped (p. 1599) (if applicable).
Boundary Conditions
5. Specify any additional properties needed to define the boundary condition, such as coordinate
system and/or direction.
How to Use Boundary Conditions

The following topics describe how to use boundary conditions in your analysis.
17.1. Scoping and Applying Boundary Conditions
17.2. Specifying Boundary Condition Magnitude
17.3. Applying Stepped and Ramped Loads
17.4. Spatial Varying Loads and Displacements
17.5. Specifying Loads With Tables
17.6.Types of Boundary Conditions
17.7. Converting Boundary Conditions to Nodal DOF Constraints (Mechanical APDL Solver)
17.8. Resolving Thermal Boundary Condition Conflicts
17.1. Scoping and Applying Boundary Conditions

Almost every boundary condition available in the application has a Details group, Scope, that includes
the property Scoping Method. A Pressure load is illustrated below. Scope refers to the geometry over
which a boundary condition is applied. You can select geometry or geometries of your model using
geometry selection tools (Geometry Selection) or through the use of the Named Selection (p. 1347)
feature. You "scope" boundary conditions to geometric entities (bodies, faces, edges, or vertices), and
depending upon the load type, mesh entities (nodes, element faces, and elements).
For example, if you apply a force of 1000N in the X-direction to a vertex, the load is "scoped" to that
vertex.
Scoping Method Techniques

The application provides several common methods for scoping boundary conditions. Regardless of the
method you choose, you need to select geometry entities of the model and scope those entities with
a boundary condition. The order of these selections can vary.
You can first select a boundary condition and then specify a geometry:
1. Highlight the Environment object.
Scoping and Applying Boundary Conditions
2. Click the desired drop-down menu from the Context tab and select your boundary condition type.
3. Select the desired geometry or geometries (by pressing and holding [Ctrl]) on your model and then
clicking the Apply button. Perform any additional required entries.
In the example shown here, a Pressure was applied to a face. The Magnitude entry is undefined.
Or you can first select geometries and then apply boundary conditions:
1. Highlight the Environment object
2. Pick your geometry.
3. Apply your boundary condition by:
a. Making a selection from the Environment Context tab (p. 64).
Or...
b. Selecting the Environment object, right-clicking, select Insert and then your desired boundary
condition.
Boundary Conditions
Or...
c. Right–clicking in the Geometry window, selecting Insert, and then selecting your desired
boundary condition.
Again, additional entries are typically required. For example, you may need to enter a Magnitude for
the boundary condition, specify a Coordinate System, and/or define a Direction.
17.2. Specifying Boundary Condition Magnitude

You can define the magnitude of boundary conditions by specifying the following:
• Constants (p. 1589) defined by a static value or a mathematical expression (p. 1590).
Specifying Boundary Condition Magnitude
• Tabular loads (p. 1592) defined as simple tables of numeric data. Tabular loads can vary by time,
frequency or space. In static structural analyses, these loads can vary by load step.
• Function loads (p. 1594) that vary in time or space and are defined by a mathematical function.
• Multi-variable tables (p. 1397) of numeric data. Unlike tabular loads, tables can be imported from
external sources and include multiple independent and dependent variables.
• Imported (p. 1598) loads from a library of load histories. You can also export (p. 1599) loads to this
library.
Limitations on Boundary Condition Magnitude

Mechanical has the following limitations on specifying the magnitude of boundary conditions:
• Tabular and Function Heat Flow loads applied to an edge in a 3D analysis are not supported.
• When you change how a multiple-step load value is specified (such as changing a Tabular magnitude
to a Constant magnitude), the Activation/Deactivation state of all steps resets to the default, Active.
• Tables have a different set of requirements than tabular loads and can only be used with pressure,
temperature, and thermal condition conditions in the Mechanical APDL solver. For more information,
see Table Requirements and Limitations (p. 1398).
About Boundary Condition Magnitude

See the following sections for more information on how to specify the magnitude of boundary conditions.
Constant Numeric Values and Expressions (p. 1589)

Tabular Loads (p. 1592)
Mathematical Function Loads (p. 1594)
Specifying Direction for Loads (p. 1597)
Importing and Exporting Load Histories (p. 1598)
Specifying Loads With Tables (p. 1602)
17.2.1. Constant Numeric Values and Expressions

After you scope the geometry for your boundary condition, the Magnitude field usually defaults to
Constant.
Constant Numeric Values

If the magnitude is a constant numeric value, enter it in the Magnitude field.
Hexadecimal and Octal Numbers
In addition to decimal values, you can enter hexadecimal and octal values in the Magnitude field.
• Hexadecimal numbers start with 0x (for example, 0x12).
Boundary Conditions
• Octal numbers start with & (for example, &12).
Constant Mathematical Expressions

If the magnitude is defined by a constant mathematical expression, enter the expression in the
Magnitude field. Mechanical then evaluates the expression and applies it to the boundary condition.
The example on the left shows the expression =2 + (3 * 5) + pow(2,3) in the Magnitude
field. The example on the right shows that this expression evaluates to a magnitude of 25.
Operators
The equal sign (=) must be used to begin an expression. Additional operators include: +, -, *, /, ^
(for power) and % (integer Modulus). Operator examples are shown here:
2+3 2^10
10.5-2.5 10%3
3.5*3.3 2*(3+5)
10.12/1.89
Operator Precedence
The order of operator precedence is:
1. Parentheses
2. Intrinsic functions (like sin or cos)
3. Power (^)
4. Multiplication (*), division (/) and integer modulus (%)
5. Addition (+) and subtraction (-)
Note:
If the decimal separator (p. 128) in the current language is a comma (,) as it is in German,
then the separator for the list of parameters of a function is a semicolon (;). For example,
if an English expression is =2.5 + pow (1.3, 6), the equivalent German expression is =2,5 +
pow (1.3; 6).
Intrinsic Functions
The supported intrinsic functions include the following:
Supported
Intrinsic Sample Usage Usage (Angles use current Units setting)
Function
sin(x) sin(3.1415926535/2)
Calculate sines and hyperbolic sines.
sinh(x) sinh(3.1415926535/2)
cos(x) cos(3.1415926535/2)
Calculate the cosine (cos) or hyperbolic cosine (cosh).
cosh(x) cosh(3.1415926535/2)
tan(x) tan(3.1415926535/4)
Calculate the tangent (tan) or hyperbolic tangent (tanh).
tanh tanh(1.000000)
Calculates the arcsine. (x - Value whose arcsine is to be
asin(x) asin(0.326960)
calculated).
Calculates the arccosine. (x - Value between –1 and 1 whose
acos(x) acos(0.326960)
arccosine is to be calculated).
atan(x) atan(-862.42) Calculates the arctangent of x (atan) or the arctangent of y/x
atan2(y,x) (atan2). (x,y Any numbers).
atan2(-862.420000,78.514900)
pow(x,y) pow(2.0,3.0) Calculates x raised to the power of y. (x – Base y - Exponent).
sqrt(x) sqrt(45.35) Calculates the square root. (x should be a Nonnegative value).
exp(x) exp(2.302585093) Calculates the exponential. (x - Floating-point value).
Calculates the natural logarithm. (x - Value whose logarithm
log(x) log(9000.00)
is to be found).
Calculates the common logarithm. (x - Value whose logarithm
log10(x) log10(9000.00)
is to be found).
rand() rand() Generates a pseudo-random number.
ceil(2.8) Calculates the ceiling of a value. It returns a floating-point
ceil(x) value representing the smallest integer that is greater than or
ceil(-2.8) equal to x. (x - Floating-point value).
floor(2.8) Calculates the floor of a value. It returns a floating-point value
floor(x) representing the largest integer that is less than or equal to
floor(-2.8) x. (x - Floating-point value).
Calculates the floating-point remainder. The fmod function
fmod(x,y) fmod(-10.0, 3.0) calculates the floating-point remainder f of x / y such that x =
i * y + f, where i is an integer, f has the same sign as x, and
Boundary Conditions
Supported
Intrinsic Sample Usage Usage (Angles use current Units setting)
Function
the absolute value of f is less than the absolute value of y. (x,y
- Floating-point values).
17.2.2. Tabular Loads

You can specify loads with simple tables of numeric data. Enter Tabular data by using the Magnitude
property of the boundary condition. For Displacements, you can enter tabular data by using the
Distance property.
Tabular vs. Tables

Mechanical supports two ways to specify a load with tables of numeric data:
• Tabular data (described in this section) represents simple tables of magnitude that are entered
directly into Mechanical. For example, for Force, you can enter a table of the magnitude of the
force on the boundary versus time.
• Tables (p. 1397) allow you to create more complex loads with multiple independent and dependent
variables. You can directly enter tables into Mechanical or import them from external data files.
For a list of analysis systems that support tables and instructions on how to assign them to
boundary conditions, see Specifying Loads With Tables (p. 1602).
Entering Tabular Data

1. In the Details pane, click Magnitude (or Displacement) and select Tabular from the fly-out
menu.
2. Enter the appropriate data in the Tabular Data window (pressure, force, frequency, and so forth).
Enter values into the row that begins with an asterisk (*), regardless of whether the time or fre-
quency point is higher or lower than the last defined point in the table. The application automat-
ically sorts the content of the table into ascending order. Tabular Data allows up to 100,000
entries.
The Graph window displays the variation of the load with time for Static and Transient analysis systems
or frequency for Harmonic analysis systems.
For varying loads, annotations in the Geometry window display the current time in the Graph window
along with the load value at that time. For frequency varying loads, annotations in the Geometry
window displays the minimum range of harmonic frequency sweep and load value of first frequency
entry.
Any Tabular Data values preceded by an equal sign (=) are not defined table values. These values
are interpolated by the application and are shown for reference.
Spatial Load Tabular Data

When using spatial varying loads (p. 1600), selecting Tabular as the input option displays the Tabular
Data category and based on the entry of the Tabular Data category, the Graph Controls category
may also display.
The Tabular Data category provides the following options:
Independent Variable
The Independent Variable property specifies how the load varies with either Time (default),
load Step (Static Structural only), or in the X, Y, or Z spatial direction. For a Harmonic Response
analysis, the default setting is Frequency, unless you set the Non-Cyclic Loading Type
property to either Harmonic Index or Sector Number, in which case, for the supported
loading types, the default setting is Harmonic Index or Sector Number. And, for certain
temperature-based loads, you can select Temperature as the Independent Variable.
Note:
• The application typically writes loading values to the input file as a table of
values. When you set the Independent Variable property to Step, the applica-
tion instead writes a constant load value for each load step.
• For a Pressure (p. 1630) load, the Define By property must be set to Normal
To.
Boundary Conditions
• The option Normalized S becomes available for Line Pressure (p. 1699) loads
in a 3D analysis when the Define By property is set to Tangential or Pressure
(p. 1630) loads in a 2D analysis when the Define By property is set to Normal
To.
The Normalized S option enables you to define pressure as a function of the

distance along a path whose length is denoted by S. When you select the
Normalized S variable, the Tabular Data window accepts input data in the form
of normalized values of path length (Normalized S) and corresponding Pressure
values. A path length of 0 denotes the start of the path and a 1 denotes the
end of the path. Any intermediate values between 0 and 1 are acceptable in
the table. Load values are sent to the solver for each element on the defined
path based on a first-order approximation.
Coordinate System
The Coordinate System property displays if you specify the Independent Variable in a
spatial direction (X, Y, or Z). Use this property to specify a coordinate system.
Graph Controls
The Graph Controls category displays when you define the Independent Variable as a
spatial direction (X, Y, or Z), as Normalized S, or as Temperature. This category provides
the property X-Axis which you use to change the Graph window's display. The options of
the X-Axis property vary based upon analysis type and the selection made for the Independ-
ent Variable property. Options may include Time, or the spatial direction specified, or
Temperature.
When the X-Axis property is defined as Time:
• Tabular Data content can be Scaled against time.
• You can Activate and/or Deactivate (p. 1507) the load at a solution load step.
• If Time is not an available option of the X-Axis option, then scaling or activation/deactiv-
ation are not possible for the boundary condition.
17.2.3. Mathematical Function Loads

You can specify a load by entering a mathematical function.
Specifying a Load with a Mathematical Function

To define a function load:
1. In the Details pane, click Magnitude (or Displacement) and select Function from the fly-out
menu.
2. Enter a function, such as =1000*sin(10*time). Note that the values you are evaluating can exceed
the final time value by as much as one time step.
The Graph window displays the variation of the load with time. Annotations in the Geometry window
display the current time in the Graph window along with the load value at that time.
Supported Mathematical Functions

The following functions are supported:
sin/cos/tan exp
asin/acos/atan/atan2 pow
log/log10, sqrt
Note:
When you specify a Magnitude as a Function, the integer Modulus (%) operator is not
supported.
Spatial Load and Displacement Function Data

When using spatial varying loads or displacements (p. 1600), selecting Function as the input option in
the Details pane presents an editable function field. Enter a mathematical expression in this field.
Expressions have the following requirements:
• For a Pressure load, the Define By option must be set to Normal To.
• For a Line Pressure load, the Define By option must be set to Tangential.
• You can use the spatial variation independent variables x, y, or z, and time (entered in lowercase)
in the definition of the function.
• For Line Pressure loads in a 3D analysis or Pressure loads in a 2D analysis, you can also use the
variable s. This allows you to define pressure as a function of the distance along a path whose
length is denoted by s. When defining a path length, valid primary variables you can enter are s
alone or s combined with time, for example, s*time, or s*sin(time/s). Load values are sent to the
solver for each element on the defined path based on a first-order approximation.
• Define only one direction, x, y, or z, or path length, s. After entering a direction or path length, the
Graph Controls category (see above) displays.
Properties of Mathematical Function Loads

When the Details pane property Magnitude is set to Function, the following categories automatically
display.
Function
Properties include:
• Unit System: The unit system that defined when you select the Function option. As a read-
only property, the unit system does not change.
Boundary Conditions
• Angular Measure: The angular measure that is used to evaluate trigonometric functions. As a
read-only property, the angular unit does not change.
Note:
The application uses the currently selected Unit System and Angle when you specify
the Function option for the Magnitude. This setting does not change even if you
manually change the Unit System and/or Angle.
Graph Controls
Properties include:
• X-Axis: This provides options to display time or the spatial independent variable in the graph.
When set to Time you can activate and deactivate the load at a solution step.
• Alternate Value: If the function combines time and a spatial independent variable, one of
these values (alternate) must be fixed to evaluate the function for the two dimensional graph.
• Range Minimum: If the X-Axis property is set to a spatial independent variable, this is the
minimum range of the graph. For time, this value defaults to 0.0 and cannot be modified.
• Range Maximum: If the X-Axis property is set to a spatial independent variable, this is the
maximum range of the graph. For time this defaults to the analysis end time and can’t be
modified.
• Number of Segments: The function is graphed with a default value of two hundred line seg-
ments. This value may be changed to better visualize the function. The function can be graphed
with up to 100,000 segments.
Caution:
Specifying a large number of points may slow the response time of Mechanical.
17.2.4. Spatial Varying Displacements

You can also apply spatial varying displacements (p. 1781), which have the following additional or
unique characteristics:
• Edge scoping is available.
• Displacements are shown as vectors instead of contours except if you choose Normal To the surface.
Vectors are only displayed if the model has been meshed. The vector arrows are color-coded to
indicate their value. A contour band is included for interpretation of the values. The contour band
is the vector sum of the possible three vector components and therefore will only display positive
values.
• For one Displacement object, you can select up to three displacement components that can all
vary using the same direction. If an additional direction is required, you can use an additional Dis-
placement object.
• A constant value and a table cannot be used in different components. A table will be forced in any
component having a constant value if another component has a table.
17.2.5. Specifying Direction for Loads

There are four types of Direction:
Planar Face (p. 1597)

Edge (p. 1597)
Cylindrical Face or Geometric Axis (p. 1598)
Two Vertices (p. 1598)
Planar Face
Selected planar face. The load is directed normal to the face.
Note:
Not applicable to Rotational Velocity or Rotational Acceleration. These objects are aligned
along the normal to a planar face and along the axis of a cylindrical face (p. 1598).
Edge
Straight Colinear to the edge
Circular or Elliptical Normal to the plane containing the edge
Selected straight edge
Boundary Conditions
Cylindrical Face or Geometric Axis

Applies to cylinders, cones, tori, and cylindrical or conical fillets. For vector-based loading on a cyl-
indrical face or geometric axis, you define the radial direction by selecting a different piece of geometry
on your model that allows you to modify the Direction in the desired direction.
Selected cylinder
Two Vertices
2 selected vertices
Note:
Hold the Ctrl key to select the second vertex.
Loads that require you to define an associated direction include the Define By Details pane control.
Setting Define By to Vector allows you to define the direction graphically, based on the selected
geometry. Setting Define By to Components allows you to define the direction by specifying the x,
y, and z magnitude components of the load.
Note:
If you switch the load direction setting in the Define By field, the data is lost.
17.2.6. Importing and Exporting Load Histories
Importing Load History

To import a load history from a library:
1. Select geometric or mesh entities and specify your desired load.
2. Go to the Details pane and in the input field, such as the Magnitude field, click the flyout field
and choose Import. Note that the Import feature can present different dependencies, such as
time and temperature.
Applying Stepped and Ramped Loads
Choose the desired load history if it is listed, then click OK. If it is not listed, click the Add button,
choose a load history or Browse to one that is stored, then click OK in both dialog boxes.
Exporting Load History

To export a load history:
By default, any load history that you create in the application remains in the application. To save the
load history for future use:
1. Create a load history using the Graph or Tabular Data windows.
2. Go to the Details pane and in the input field, such as the Magnitude field, click the flyout field,
choose Export, and save the file to a specific location.
17.3. Applying Stepped and Ramped Loads

Loads applied to static structural, transient structural, rigid dynamics, steady-state thermal, transient
thermal, magnetostatic, electric, and thermal-electric analyses default to one of the following:
• Step-applied or stepped: The values applied at the first substep stay constant for the rest of the ana-
lysis.
• Ramped: The values increase gradually at each substep.
The difference between stepped and ramped loading is shown in the following illustration.
Load Load step (LS) Load Load step (LS) Load Load step (LS)
Substep Substep
Value at LS 1 Value at LS 1 Value at LS 1

end of end of end of
load step load step load step
Full change in load

value applied in
first substep of
LS 2 LS 2 each load step LS 2
Time Time Time
(a) Load as specified in two load steps (b) Load as applied - ramped (KBC,0) (c) Load as applied - stepped (KBC,1)
You can edit the table of load vs. time and modify this behavior as needed.
By default, an analysis has one step. However you may introduce multiple steps at time points where
you want to change the analysis settings (such as the time step size) or when you want to activate or
deactivate a load. For example, you can delete a specified displacement at a point along the time history.
You do not need multiple steps simply to define a variation of load with respect to time. You can use
tables or functions to define such variation within a single step. You need steps only if you want to
guide the analysis settings or boundary conditions at specific time points.
When you add loads or supports in a static or transient analysis, the Tabular Data and Graph windows
appear. You can enter the load history, that is, Time vs Load tabular data in the tabular data grid. An-
other option is to apply loads as functions of time. In this case you will enter the equation of how the
Boundary Conditions
load varies with respect to time. The procedures for applying tabular or function loads are outlined
under the Specifying Boundary Condition Magnitude (p. 1588) section.
Note:
• You can also import load histories from or export load histories to any pre-existing libraries.
• If you have multiple steps (p. 1580) in your analysis, the end times of each of these steps
will always appear in the load history table. However you need not necessarily enter data
for these time points. These time points are always displayed so that you can activate or
deactivate the load over each of the steps. Similarly the value at time = 0 is also always
displayed.
• If you did not enter data at a time point then the value will be either a.) a linearly interpol-
ated value if the load is a tabular load or b.) an exact value determined from the function
that defines the load. An "=" sign is appended to such interpolated data so you can differ-
entiate between the data that you entered and the data calculated by the program as
shown in the example below. The following example shows data entered at Time = 0 and
Time = 5. The value at Time = 1e-3, the end time of step 1, is interpolated.
17.4. Spatial Varying Loads and Displacements

A spatially varying load or displacement has a variable magnitude in a single coordinate direction (x,
y, or z). The following load and displacement types qualify as varying loads and varying displacements,
and can also be a function of time.
• Pressure (p. 1630) (In a Normal direction only during a Static Structural analysis )
• Line Pressure (p. 1699) (In a Tangential direction only during Static Structural analysis)
• Pipe Pressure (p. 1641) (Static Structural analysis only)
• Pipe Temperature (p. 1641) (Static Structural analysis only)
• Convection (p. 1717) (Thermal analysis only)
• Heat Flux (p. 1734) (Thermal analysis only)
• Temperature (p. 1712) (Thermal analysis only)
• Thermal Condition (p. 1708) (Static Structural analysis only)
• Displacement (p. 1784) (For Faces, Edges, or Vertices during a Static Structural analysis.)
Spatial Varying Loads and Displacements
• Nodal Pressure (p. 1844)
Note:
If you select multiple Convection load objects that include variable data, the application
displays only one solid color for the scoped entities.
For spatial varying loads and displacements, the spatial Independent Variable property uses the origin
of the coordinate system for its calculations and therefore it does not affect the direction of the load
or displacement. To apply a spatial varying load or displacement, you must first generate the mesh,
and then specify the Magnitude property of the variable load, or the load input, as Tabular (p. 1593) or
as a Function (p. 1595) and then specify the desired coordinate (X, Y, or Z) for the Independent Variable
property.
Once specified, and given that you have generated the mesh on the model, variable loading conditions
display as contours. For convection loads and loads specified using the General Axisymmetric (p. 1477)
feature, varying loads are displayed in purple and there is an annotation in the Geometry window that
indicates the load as a "Variable Load."
And, the Display group (shown below) becomes visible on the Environment Context Tab (p. 64). From
this group, the Variable Data drop-down menu provides the display options: Smooth Contours,
Contour Bands, and Isolines. When you select the Isolines display option, the Isoline Thickness drop-
down menu enables you to change the thickness of the displayed lines. Options include Single (default),
Double, or Triple. The toolbar also contains options to display the Maximum and Minimum values of
the spatial varying load or displacement. You can toggle these min/max options on (default) and off.
Boundary Conditions
Note:
You can manually customize (p. 2389) the legend for a variable load.
Important:
If you have a model with a large number of parts/bodies, there is a performance-based display
preference available for displaying variable load contours. In the Options (p. 293) dialog, under
the Graphics (p. 303) category, the Varying Loads (Optimization Options) control provides
the options Accuracy (default) and Performance. The Performance option displays discrete
points on the model, based on legend colors, of the load variation. This option provides
significantly faster redrawing times that is beneficial for large models. The Accuracy setting
displays variable load contours normally.
17.5. Specifying Loads With Tables

You can assign tables to specify pressure (p. 1630), thermal condition (p. 1708), and temperature (p. 1712)
loads. Tables define loads that vary over multiple coordinate dimensions, time, and/or temperature.
The numeric values in the table determine how the load varies across these dimensions.
Note:
Tables are only supported for the Mechanical APDL solver.
Specifying Loads With Tables
Pressure and temperature values are specified as dependent variables in tables. These physical quantities
depend on a table's independent (or primary) variables: measurable quantities such as time and spatial
coordinates (X, Y or Theta, Z). Both dependent and independent variables are represented by columns
of data, with their values entered as rows in the table.
You can import tables from external data files, enter and edit tables directly in Mechanical, and visualize
table data via the Tables feature. Using Tables (p. 1397) describes how to create and work with tables.
Table assignments can also be parameterized to perform design point studies. Each design point can
be assigned a different table to model different load profiles for a boundary condition.
See the following sections for instructions on how to specify boundary condition loads with tables.
17.5.1. Specify Pressure Loads with Tables
17.5.2. Specify Thermal Condition Loads with Tables
17.5.3. Specify Temperature Loads with Tables
17.5.1. Specify Pressure Loads with Tables

To specify a pressure (p. 1630) load with a table:
1. Create a table of pressure loads. The table's dependent variables must include either of the fol-
lowing:
• Pressure: the magnitude of pressure normal to the selected surface.
• Pressure_i, Pressure_j, Pressure_k: the X, Y and Z components of a pressure vector.
For instructions on how to create and work with tables, see Create a Table (p. 1400).
Note:
Be aware of the following when creating a table of pressure loads:
• The dimensions of pressure components must match the dimensions of the model.
For a detailed discussion of how to specify pressure components for 2D and 3D
analyses, see Tables in 2D and 3D Models (p. 1399) .
• Temperature can be included as an independent variable but is not used by the

solver.
2. Create a new Pressure boundary condition object.
3. Select the desired Scoping Method for the boundary condition.
4. Set Define By to Normal To (the default).
5. Click the Magnitude field and select the name of the table from the drop-down menu. The menu
lists tables that include pressure or pressure components (Pi, Pj, Pk) as dependent variables. For
example, in the screen shot below, the Magnitude menu lists the tables P-Table (which contains
the magnitude of pressure) and Pijk-Table (which contains pressure components).
Boundary Conditions
If the model does not contain a table of pressure or pressure component values, you can
manually create a new table by selecting New Table. Mechanical automatically creates a table
with Pressure as the dependent variable and Time as the independent variable. Enter data into
the table as described in Manually Enter a Table (p. 1406). The new table is then listed on the
drop-down menu and can be assigned to the pressure boundary condition.
6. Check the box next to Magnitude to parameterize the table. This allows you to perform design
point studies with different tables of pressure data. For details, see Table Parameters and Design
Points in the Workbench User's Guide.
7. If the table contains spatial coordinates (X, Y or Theta, Z) as independent variables, the Spatial
Coordinate System shows the coordinate system used by the table. For more information, see
the discussion of spatial coordinate systems under View Table Details (p. 1427).
8. Under Graphics Controls, specify the start time for displaying the load data. This category only
displays if the selected table includes time as an independent variable.
Mechanical plots the pressure values in the table mapped onto the selected geometry. The example
below shows a table of pressure values that has been assigned to a surface of a 2D model of a turbine
blade. You can view the assigned table in read-only mode by clicking the Table tab. (To edit the
table, you will need to select its name under the Tables object.)
17.5.2. Specify Thermal Condition Loads with Tables

To specify a thermal condition (p. 1708) load with a table:
1. Create a table of temperature loads. Temperature must be a dependent variable. For instructions
on how to create and work with tables, see Create a Table (p. 1400).
Boundary Conditions
2. Create a new Thermal Condition boundary condition object.
3. Select the desired Scoping Method for the boundary condition. Note that you must choose a
three-dimensional body for a thermal condition analysis.
lists tables that include temperature as a dependent variable. For example, in the screen shot
below, the Magnitude menu lists the table T-Table. This table has temperature as a dependent
variable and time as an independent variable.
5. If the model does not contain a table of temperature values, you can manually create a new
table by selecting New Table. Mechanical automatically creates a table with Temperature as
the dependent variable and Time as the independent variable. Enter data into the table as de-
scribed in Manually Enter a Table (p. 1406). The new table is listed on the drop-down menu and
can be assigned to the boundary condition.
point studies with different tables of temperature data. For details, see Table Parameters and
Design Points in the Workbench User's Guide.
8. If the table contains time as an independent variable, specify the start time for displaying the
load data in Graphics Controls.
Mechanical plots the temperature values from the table mapped onto the selected object(s). You can
view the assigned table in read-only mode by clicking the Table tab. (To edit the table, you will need
to select its name under the Tables object.)
17.5.3. Specify Temperature Loads with Tables

To specify a temperature (p. 1712) load with a table:
1. Create a table of temperature loads. Temperature must be a dependent variable. For instructions
on how to create and work with tables, see Create a Table (p. 1400).
2. Add a new Temperature boundary condition object.
3. Select the desired Scoping Method for the boundary condition.
Boundary Conditions
only lists tables that include temperature as a dependent variable. For example, in the screen
shot below, the Magnitude menu lists the table T-Table. This table includes temperature as a
dependent variable.
5. If the model does not contain a table of temperature values, you can manually create a new
table by selecting New Table. Mechanical automatically creates a table with Temperature as
the dependent variable and Time as the independent variable. Enter data into the table as de-
scribed in Manually Enter a Table (p. 1406). The new table is listed on the drop-down menu and
can be assigned to the boundary condition.
point studies with different tables of temperature data. For details, see Table Parameters and
Design Points in the Workbench User's Guide.
Types of Boundary Conditions
8. If the table contains time as an independent variable, specify the start time for displaying the
load data in Graphics Controls.
Mechanical plots the temperature values from the table mapped onto the selected geometry. You
can view the assigned table in read-only mode by clicking the Table tab. (To edit the table, you will
need to select its name under the Tables object.)
17.6. Types of Boundary Conditions

The Environment Context Tab (p. 64) groups most of the application’s boundary conditions within the
menus listed below.
• Inertial (p. 1610)
• Loads (p. 1628)
• Supports (p. 1781)
• Conditions (p. 1816)
• Direct FE (p. 1838)
Boundary Conditions
For information about how to import loading conditions as well as how to apply and scope abstract
loading through the use of remote conditions, see the following sections:
• Remote Boundary Conditions (p. 1856)
• Imported Boundary Conditions (p. 1857)
17.6.1. Inertial Type Boundary Conditions

The boundary conditions contained under the Inertial heading are listed below.
• Rotational Velocity (p. 1619)
• Rotational Acceleration (p. 1624)
17.6.1.1. Acceleration
The global Acceleration boundary condition defines a linear acceleration of a structure in each of
the global Cartesian axis directions.
If desired, Acceleration can be used to simulate gravity (by using inertial effects) by accelerating a
structure in the direction opposite of gravity (the natural phenomenon of ). That is, accelerating a
structure vertically upwards (+Y) at 9.80665 m/s2 (in metric units), applies a force on the structure
in the opposite direction (-Y) inducing gravity (pushing the structure back towards earth). Units are
length/time2.
Alternatively, you can use the Standard Earth Gravity (p. 1617) load to produce the effect of gravity.
Gravity and Acceleration are essentially the same type of load except they have opposite sign
conventions and gravity has a fixed magnitude. For applied gravity, a body tends to move in the
direction of gravity and for applied acceleration, a body tends to move in the direction opposite
of the acceleration.
Acceleration as a Base Excitation
Acceleration can also be defined as a base excitation during a Mode Superposition Transient ana-
lysis or a Mode Superposition Harmonic Response analyses. You scope base excitations to a
boundary condition. You can scope multiple base excitations to the same boundary condition, but
the base excitations cannot have same direction specified (via the Direction property).
Important:
When duplicating an analysis within Mechanical that includes loads with the Base Excit-
ation property set to Yes (Acceleration and/or Displacement), these loads will lose their
scoping during the duplication process.
This page includes the following sections:
Analysis Types (p. 1611)

Dimensional Types (p. 1611)
Geometry Types and Topology Selection Options (p. 1611)
Define By Options (p. 1611)
Magnitude Options (p. 1612)
Applying an Acceleration Boundary Condition (p. 1612)
Details Pane Properties (p. 1613)
Mechanical APDL References and Notes (p. 1615)
API Reference (p. 1616)
Acceleration and Standard Earth Gravity Examples (p. 1616)
Analysis Types
Acceleration is available for the following analysis types:
• Coupled Field • Modal Acoustics

Harmonic (p. 384)
• Coupled Field
Static (p. 395) • Static Acoustics
• Coupled Field • Static Structural (p. 658)

Transient (p. 399)
• Substructure Generation (p. 546)
• Harmonic Acoustics
• Harmonic
Response (p. 502)
Dimensional Types
Acceleration applies a uniform load over all bodies. The supported dimensional types include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation
Geometry Types and Topology Selection Options

By virtue of Acceleration's physical characteristics, this boundary condition is always applied to all
bodies of a model.
Define By Options
The supported Define By options for the Acceleration boundary condition include:
• Vector
Boundary Conditions
While loads are associative with geometry changes, load directions are not. This applies to any
load that requires a vector input, such as Acceleration.
The vector load definition displays in the Annotation legend with the label Components (p. 271).
The Magnitude and Direction entries, in any combination or sequence, define these displayed
values. These are the values sent to the solver.
• Components
• Magnitude - Phase: Supported for Acceleration as a Base Excitation for Harmonic Response
analysis only.
• Real - Imaginary: Supported for Acceleration as a Base Excitation for Harmonic Response analysis
only.
Magnitude Options
The supported Magnitude options (p. 1588) for Acceleration include the following:
• Constant
• Tabular (Time Varying)
• Tabular (Step Varying): Supported for Static Structural and Rigid Dynamics analyses only.
• Tabular (Frequency Varying): Supported for Harmonic Response analysis only. By default, at least
two frequency entries are required when defining a frequency dependent tabular load.
• Function (Time Varying): Not supported for Explicit Dynamics or LS-DYNA analyses.
For a Rigid Dynamics analysis, if the Acceleration is defined using an expression, you cannot also
have a Standard Earth Gravity object.
Applying an Acceleration Boundary Condition

To apply an Acceleration:
1. On the Environment Context tab, click Inertial>Acceleration. Alternatively, right-click the En-
vironment object in the tree or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Acceleration.
2. Select the method used to define the Acceleration: Options include Vector (default) or Com-
ponents.
3. Define the loading inputs: Magnitude, Coordinate System, and/or Direction of the Acceleration
based on the above selections.
To apply Acceleration as a base excitation when the Solver Type property is defined as Mode-Su-
perposition during a Transient (default setting for a Transient configured to a Modal solution) or
a Mode-Superposition Harmonic Response analysis:
1. Set the Base Excitation property to Yes.
2. The Boundary Condition property provides a drop-down list of the boundary conditions that
correspond to the Acceleration. Make a selection from this list. Valid boundary conditions for
excitations include:
• Fixed Support
• All Fixed Supports
• Displacement
• Nodal Displacement
• Spring: Body-to-Ground
3. The Absolute Result property is set to Yes by default. Change the value to No if you do not
want to include enforced motion.
Note:
If you apply more than one base excitation (either Displacement or Acceleration),
the Absolute Result property needs to have the same setting, either Yes or No.
4. As needed, set the Define By property to Real - Imaginary from Magnitude - Phase (default).
5. For Harmonic analyses, specify a Phase Angle as needed.
Note:
You can scope Acceleration or Displacement as a base excitation to the same

boundary condition, but the base excitations cannot have the same direction
specified (via the Direction property).
Details Pane Properties

The selections available in the Details pane are described below.
Scope Geometry: Read-only field indicating All Bodies.
Boundary Condition (Acceleration as a Base Excitation only): Drop-down

list of available boundary conditions for application.
Definition Base Excitation (Acceleration as a Base Excitation only): No is the default
setting. Set to Yes to specify the Acceleration as a Base Excitation.
Absolute Result (Acceleration as a Base Excitation only): This option

allows you to include enforced motion with (Yes - default) or without
(No) base motion.
Boundary Conditions
Define By: Options for this property include the following:
• Vector: Requires the specification of the following inputs:
– Magnitude
– Phase Angle (Acceleration as a Base Excitation for MSUP

Harmonic Response only).
– Direction
• Components: Requires the specification of the following inputs:
– X Component
– Y Component
– Z Component
• Coordinate System: Drop-down list of available coordinate

systems. Global Coordinate System is the default. When using
cyclic symmetry (p. 1442), the referenced coordinate system must
match coordinate system used in the Cyclic Region (p. 1491). For
a 2D axisymmetric model (p. 906), the referenced coordinate
system must be the Global Coordinate System. The referenced
coordinate system must be Cartesian.
• Magnitude - Phase (Acceleration as a Base Excitation for

Harmonic Response analysis only): Requires the specification of
the following inputs:
– Magnitude
– Phase Angle
• Real - Imaginary (Acceleration as a Base Excitation for Harmonic

Response analysis only): Requires the specification of the
following inputs:
– Magnitude - Real
– Magnitude - Imaginary
Suppressed: Include (No) or exclude (Yes) the boundary condition.

Step Controls Step Varying: Options include No (default) and Yes. When you select
(Visible for No, the Remote Load is applicable at all defined steps. When set to
Harmonic Yes, only the load step selected in either the RPM Selection or Step
Response analysis Selection properties described below is applicable.
with multiple load
steps defined) RPM Selection: This property displays when the Multiple Step Type
property is set to RPM. Specify a Step Selection value from the values
available in the RPM Value property of the Analysis Settings object
to use for the Remote Load.
Step Selection: This property displays when the Multiple Step Type
property of the Analysis Settings object is set to Load Step. Specify
a Step Selection value from the values available in the Load Step
Value property of the Analysis Settings object to use for the Remote
Load.
Note:
Step varying displacements can only be applied in one

direction for all load steps, for a selected set of nodes.
Load Vector Con- Load Vector Assignment: Options include Program Controlled
trols (Substructure (default) and Manual. When set to Manual, the Load Vector Number
Generation (p. 546) property displays.
analysis only)
Load Vector Number: Specify a Load Vector Number using any value
greater than 1. A setting of 1 is reserved for a pre-stress Substructure
Generation analysis. If multiple loads have the same Load Vector
Number, the application groups these loads during the solution process
to generate a single load vector that is the combined effect of all
grouped loads.

The following Mechanical APDL commands and considerations are applicable for Acceleration:
• Acceleration is applied using the ACEL command.
• Magnitude (constant, tabular, and function) is always represented as a table in the input file.
Note:
• Should both an Acceleration and a Standard Earth Gravity boundary condition be

specified, a composite vector addition of the two is delivered to the solver.
• In a Mode-Superposition Transient analysis, Standard Earth Gravity is not allowed in

conjunction with Acceleration.
Condensed Parts
Important:
When working with substructures (p. 802), if the inertial acceleration is scoped to a Con-
densed Part, the nodes of the condensed part are not marked as the master degree of
freedom. Instead, multiple super element load vectors are generated for each acceleration
Boundary Conditions
component via the substructure restart mechanism and scaled using SFE ,,SELV com-
mand. See the ANTYPE ,SUBSTR,RESTART command in the Mechanical APDL Command
Reference. For additional information, see The CMS Generation Pass in the Substructuring
Analysis Guide.
Note:
If your analysis includes a Condensed Part, the application does not support Acceleration
when the Step Varying property is set to Yes.
Base Excitation
The following Mechanical APDL commands and considerations are applicable when Acceleration
is defined as a base excitation in a Mode Superposition Transient analysis or a Mode Superposition
Harmonic Response analysis:
• Magnitude (constant or tabular) is always represented as a table in the input file.
• Base excitation is defined using the D command under the Modal restart analysis (under Modal
analysis in case of Standalone Harmonic Response analysis).
• Base excitation is applied using the DVAL command during a Mode Superposition Transient
analysis or Mode Superposition Harmonic Response analysis.
Note:
Acceleration can be defined as base excitation in a Modal linked Harmonic Response

and Modal linked Transient analysis only when the upstream Modal analysis Solver
Type (p. 1512) is set to Program Controlled (provided program sets solver type internally
to Direct, Supernode, or Subspace).
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Acceleration section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
Acceleration and Standard Earth Gravity Examples

The following illustrations compare how Acceleration and Gravity can be used to specify a gravita-
tional load with the same result:
Global Acceleration Load Applied in the +Y Direction to Simulate Gravity and Deformation
Result
Standard Earth Gravity Applied and Deformation Result
17.6.1.2. Standard Earth Gravity

This boundary condition simulates gravitational effects on a body in the form of an external force.
Gravity is a specific example of acceleration with an opposite sign convention and a fixed magnitude.
Gravity loads cause a body to move in the direction of gravity. Acceleration loads cause a body to
move in the direction opposite of the acceleration. Refer to the example shown under Accelera-
tion (p. 1610) for details.

Applying a Standard Earth Gravity Boundary Condition (p. 1618)
Analysis Types
Standard Earth Gravity is available for the following analysis types:

Static (p. 395)
• Substructure Generation (p. 546)
Boundary Conditions
• Coupled Field • Transient Structural (p. 671)

Transient (p. 399)
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Standard Earth Gravity boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation

By virtue of Standard Earth Gravity’s physical characteristics, this boundary condition is always applied
to all bodies of a model.
Magnitude Options
Standard Earth Gravity is defined using a Coordinate System as the loading quantity. This boundary
condition is also constant. Only the direction may be modified.
Applying a Standard Earth Gravity Boundary Condition

To apply a Standard Earth Gravity:
1. On the Environment Context tab, click Inertial>Standard Earth Gravity.
Or, right–click the Environment object in the tree or in the Geometry window and select In-
sert>Standard Earth Gravity.
2. Define the Coordinate System and/or Direction of the Standard Earth Gravity.

Scope Geometry: Read-only field indicating All Bodies.
Definition Coordinate System: Drop-down list of available coordinate systems.
Global Coordinate System is the default. When using cyclic
symmetry (p. 1442), the referenced coordinate system must be the same
coordinate system specified on the Cyclic Region (p. 1491). For a 2D
axisymmetric model (p. 906) the referenced coordinate system must
be the Global Coordinate System. The referenced coordinate system
must be Cartesian.
X Component: Read-only field with values for components based upon
the Direction specification.
Y Component: Read-only field with values for components based upon

Z Component: Read-only field with values for components based upon

Suppressed: Include (No - default) or exclude (Yes) the boundary

condition.
Direction: Define the vector in terms of any of the following directions:

+x, -x, +y, -y, +z, -z.
analysis only)
grouped loads.

Standard Earth Gravity is applied using the ACEL command.
Note:
Should both an Acceleration and a Standard Earth Gravity boundary condition be spe-
cified, a composite vector addition of the two is delivered to the solver.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Standard Earth Gravity section of the ACT API Reference
Guide.
17.6.1.3. Rotational Velocity

Rotational Velocity accounts for the structural effects of a part spinning at a constant rate.

Geometry Types (p. 1621)
Boundary Conditions
Topology Selection Options (p. 1621)

Applying a Rotational Velocity Boundary Condition (p. 1622)
Analysis Types
Rotational Velocity is available for the following analysis types:

Modal (p. 390)
• Coupled Field
Static (p. 395) • LS-DYNA
• Coupled Field
Transient (p. 399)
• Modal Analysis (p. 521)
Note:
• For a Transient Structural analysis that is linked to a Modal Analysis, Rotational Velocity
is an invalid boundary condition in the Transient Structural analysis.
• For a Modal Analysis, Rotational Velocity is valid only when the following Analysis
Settings (p. 1501) properties are specified:
– Damped is set to Yes in the Solver Controls (p. 1512) group.
– Coriolis Effect property is set to On, Stationary Reference Frame in the Rotordy-
namics Controls (p. 1577) group.
• If Rotational Velocity is defined in a Static Structural analysis, the spin softening effect
is automatically included in rotating reference frame dynamics (Coriolis Effect set to
Off in the Rotordynamics Controls (p. 1577) group). This may lead to negative or zero
frequencies in a downstream perturbed Modal Analysis. This does not apply to station-
ary reference frame dynamics (Coriolis Effect set to On, Stationary Reference Frame).
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Rotational Velocity boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation. A Rotational Velocity is applied along a user defined axis to one or more bodies.
• 2D Simulation. For 2D axisymmetric simulations, a Rotational Velocity load can only be applied
about the y-axis.
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for Rotational Velocity include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell
• Wire Body/Line Body/Beam
Topology Selection Options

The supported topology selection options for the Rotational Velocity boundary condition include:
Body. The following requirements must be met, or the application will invalidate your load:
• A globally scoped (All Bodies) Rotational Velocity and a globally scoped (All Bodies) Rotational
Acceleration (p. 1624) may coexist.
• A globally scoped Rotational Velocity may coexist with a partially scoped Rotational Accel-
eration (p. 1624).
• A partially scoped Rotational Velocity may coexist with a globally scoped Rotational Accel-
eration (p. 1624).
• Two globally scoped (All Bodies) Rotational Velocities may not coexist.
• A globally scoped (All Bodies) Rotational Velocity and a partially scoped Rotational Velocity
may not coexist.
• A partially scoped Rotational Velocity may not share topology with another partially scoped
Rotational Velocity.
• When using the Mechanical APDL solver target, a partially scoped Rotational Velocity may
not share topology with partially scoped Rotational Acceleration (p. 1624).
Define By Options
The supported Define By options for the Rotational Velocity boundary condition include:
• Vector. While loads are associative with geometry changes, load directions are not.
• Components
Magnitude Options
The Magnitude options (p. 1588) for Rotational Velocity include:
Boundary Conditions
• Constant
• Tabular (Step Varying): Supported for Static Structural analysis only.
Note:
If you establish a step varying tabular load and you deactivate one of the steps, the
application will ramp the value of this load to zero across the load step rather than
immediately zeroing the value at the first substep.
• Function (Time Varying)
Applying a Rotational Velocity Boundary Condition

To apply Rotational Velocity to all bodies, in the Details pane, accept the default Geometry setting
of All Bodies.
To apply Rotational Velocity to selected bodies, in the Details pane, set Scoping Method to either
Geometry Selection or Named Selection, then either select the bodies in the Geometry window
(hold down the Ctrl key to multiple select) or select from the list of the Named Selections available
in the Details pane.
To apply additional Rotational Velocity loads, you must have applied the original load to selected
bodies, per above, not to All Bodies.
To apply a Rotational Velocity:
1. On the Environment Context tab, click Inertial>Rotational Velocity. Alternatively, right-click

the Environment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Rotational Velocity.
2. Select a Scoping Method.
3. Select the method used to define the Rotational Velocity: Vector (default) or Components.
4. Define the Magnitude, Component values, Coordinate System, and/or Axis of the Rotational
Velocity based on the above selections.
Note:
The Axis property is not associative and does not remain joined to the entity(s) se-
lected for its specification. Therefore, the specified axis is unaffected by geometry
updates, part transformation, or through the use of the Configure tool (for joints).

Scope Scoping Method: Options include:
• Geometry Selection: Default setting, indicating that the

boundary condition is applied to a geometry or geometries,
which are chosen using a graphical selection tool.
– Geometry: Visible when the Scoping Method is set to Geo-

metry Selection. Displays the type of geometry (Body) and
the number of geometric entities (for example: 1 Body, 2
Bodies) to which the boundary has been applied using the
selection tools.
• Named Selection: Indicates that the geometry selection is

defined by a Named Selection.
– Named Selection: Visible when the Scoping Method is set

to Named Selection. This field provides a drop-down list of
available user–defined Named Selections.
Definition Define By (In a cyclic symmetry analysis, the Rotational Velocity must
be defined by components.), options include:
• Vector: A magnitude and directional axis (based on selected

geometry). Requires the specification of the following inputs:
– Magnitude
– Axis
– Coordinate System: Drop-down list of available coordinate

systems. Global Coordinate System is the default. When
using cyclic symmetry (p. 1442), the referenced coordinate
system must match the coordinate system used in the Cyclic
Region (p. 1491). The referenced coordinate system must be
Cylindrical.
– X Component: Defines magnitude in the X direction.
– Y Component: Defines magnitude in the Y direction.
– Z Component: Defines magnitude in the Z direction.
– X Coordinate
– Y Coordinate
Boundary Conditions
– Z Coordinate
Note:
In a Modal analysis:
• With multiple solve points (Campbell Diagram

turned On), the magnitude or the resultant of the
components must be in ascending order.
• When specified by Components, only the Global

Coordinate System is available (the option is
read-only).

condition.

The following Mechanical APDL commands and considerations are applicable for this boundary
condition.
• For global scoping, the application uses the CGOMGA command.
• For partially scoped bodies, the application uses the CMOMEGA command.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Rotational Velocity section of the ACT API Reference
Guide.
17.6.1.4. Rotational Acceleration

A Rotational Acceleration load applies a constant rotational acceleration to one or more bodies.

Applying a Rotational Acceleration Boundary Condition (p. 1626)
Analysis Types
Rotational Acceleration is available for the following analysis types:
• LS-DYNA
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Rotational Acceleration boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation. A Rotational Acceleration is applied along a user defined axis to one or more
bodies.
• 2D Simulation: Not supported for 2D axisymmetric simulation. For 2D Plane Stress and Plane
Strain simulations, a Rotational Acceleration load can only be applied about the Z-axis.
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for Rotational Acceleration include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell

The supported topology selection options for the Rotational Acceleration boundary condition include:
• Body. The following requirements must be met, or the application will invalidate your load:
– A globally scoped (All Bodies) Rotational Acceleration and a globally scoped (All Bodies)
Rotational Velocity (p. 1619) may coexist.
– A globally scoped Rotational Acceleration may coexist with a partially scoped Rotational
Velocity (p. 1619).
– A partially scoped Rotational Acceleration may coexist with a globally scoped (All Bodies)
Rotational Velocity (p. 1619).
– Two globally scoped (All Bodies) rotational accelerations may not coexist.
Boundary Conditions
– A globally scoped (All Bodies) Rotational Acceleration and a partially scoped Rotational
Acceleration may not coexist.
– A partially scoped Rotational Acceleration may not share topology with another partially
scoped Rotational Acceleration.
– When using the Mechanical APDL solver target, a partially scoped Rotational Acceleration
may not share topology with partially scoped Rotational Velocity (p. 1619).
For global scoping, the application uses the DCGOMG command. For partially scoped bodies,
the application uses the CMDOMEGA command.
Define By Options
The supported Define By options for the Rotational Acceleration boundary condition include:
• Components
Magnitude Options
The Magnitude options (p. 1588) for Rotational Acceleration include:
• Constant
Note:
If you establish a step varying tabular load and you deactivate one of the steps, the
application will ramp the value of this load to zero across the load step rather than
immediately zeroing the value at the first substep.
Applying a Rotational Acceleration Boundary Condition

To apply a Rotational Acceleration to all bodies, in the Details pane, accept the default Geometry
setting of All Bodies.
To apply a Rotational Acceleration to selected bodies, in the Details pane, set Scoping Method to
either Geometry Selection or Named Selection, then either select the bodies in the Geometry
window (hold down the Ctrl key to multiple select) or select from the list of the Named Selections
available in the Details pane.
To apply additional Rotational Acceleration loads, you must have applied the original load to selected
bodies, per above, not to All Bodies.
To apply a Rotational Acceleration:
1. On the Environment Context tab, click Inertial>Rotational Acceleration. Alternatively, right-

click the Environment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Rotational
Acceleration.
2. Select a Scoping Method.
3. Select the method used to define the Rotational Acceleration: Vector (default) or Components.
4. Define the Magnitude, Component values, Coordinate System, and/or Axis of the Rotational
Acceleration based on the above selections.
Note:
The Axis property is not associative and does not remain joined to the entity(s) se-
lected for its specification. Therefore, the specified axis is unaffected by geometry
updates, part transformation, or through the use of the Configure tool (for joints).



metry Selection. Displays the type of geometry (Body) and
the number of geometric entities (for example: 1 Body, 2
Bodies) to which the boundary has been applied using the
selection tools.


available user-defined Named Selections.
Definition Define By: In a cyclic symmetry analysis, the Rotational Acceleration

must be defined by components. Options include:
• Vector: A magnitude and directional axis (based on selected

Boundary Conditions
– Magnitude
– Axis

systems. Global Coordinate System is the default. When
using cyclic symmetry (p. 1442), the referenced coordinate
system must match coordinate system used in the Cyclic
Region (p. 1491). The referenced coordinate system must be
Cylindrical.
– X Coordinate
– Y Coordinate
– Z Coordinate

condition.

The following Mechanical APDL commands and considerations are applicable for this boundary
condition.
• For global scoping, the application uses the DCGOMG command.
• For partially scoped bodies, the application uses the CMDOMEGA command.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Rotational Acceleration section of the ACT API Reference
Guide.
17.6.2. Load Type Boundary Conditions

The boundary conditions contained under the Loads heading are listed below. They are separated
into groups based on their physics and the applicable analysis types.
Structural Loading Conditions
Pressure (p. 1630)

Pipe Pressure (p. 1641)
Fluid Penetration Pressure (p. 1646)

Pipe Temperature (p. 1644)
Hydrostatic Pressure (p. 1650)
Force (p. 1656)
Remote Force (p. 1664)
Bearing Load (p. 1674)
Bolt Pretension (p. 1679)
Moment (p. 1688)
Generalized Plain Strain (p. 1696)
Line Pressure (p. 1699)
PSD Base Excitation (p. 1703)
RS Base Excitation (p. 1704)
Joint Load (p. 1705)
Thermal Condition (p. 1708)
Rotating Force (p. 1772)
Imported CFD Pressure (p. 1779)
Thermal Loading Conditions
Temperature (p. 1712)

Convection (p. 1717)
Radiation (p. 1724)
Heat Flow (p. 1730)
Heat Flux (p. 1734)
Internal Heat Generation (p. 1736)
Mass Flow Rate (p. 1739)
Electric Loading Conditions
Electric Charge (p. 1741)

Voltage (p. 1744)
Current (p. 1747)
Voltage (Ground) (p. 1750)
Thermal Condition (p. 1708)
Magnetostatic Loads
Electromagnetic Boundary Conditions and Excitations (p. 1752)

Magnetic Flux Boundary Conditions (p. 1753)
Conductor (p. 1754)
Boundary Conditions
Interaction Loads
Motion Load (p. 1763)

Fluid Solid Interface (p. 1765)
System Coupling Region (p. 1769)
Explosive Initiation
Detonation Point
17.6.2.1. Pressure
A Pressure load applies a constant pressure or a varying pressure in a single direction (x, y, or z) to
one or more flat or curved faces. A positive value for pressure acts into the face, compressing the
solid body.
Note:
You can add a Pressure load during a Solution Restart (p. 1917). By default, the application
sets the Applied By property to Direct.

Applied By Options (Mechanical APDL solver only) (p. 1632)
Applying a Pressure Boundary Condition (p. 1634)
Analysis Types
Pressure is available for the following analysis types:
• Coupled Field • Harmonic Response (p. 502)

Harmonic (p. 384)
• Coupled Field
Static (p. 395) • Substructure Generation (p. 546)

Transient (p. 399)
Note:
Eigen response (an Eigenvalue Buckling Analysis or a Modal Analysis) and Harmonic Re-
sponse (Full) analyses take into account any pressure load stiffness contribution applied
in a linked Static Structural analysis.
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Pressure boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation. For 3D simulations, a Pressure load applies a pressure to one or more faces.
• 2D Simulation. For 2D simulations, a Pressure load applies a pressure to one or more edges.
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for Pressure include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell

The supported topology selection options for the Pressure boundary condition include:
• Face: Supported for 3D only. If you select multiple faces when defining the pressure, the same
pressure value gets applied to all selected faces. If a constant pressurized face enlarges due to
a change in CAD parameters, the total load applied to the face increases, but the pressure (force
per unit area) value remains constant.
• Edge: Supported for 2D only. If you select multiple edges when defining the pressure, the same
pressure value gets applied to all selected edges.
• Nodes. Not supported for Harmonic Response analysis. When you scope to nodes, the load behaves
as a Nodal Pressure (p. 1844) and follows all of the requirements of that loading condition.
• Element Face: Supported for 3D only.
• Element
Considerations for Face and Edge Scoping
Boundary Conditions
Keep the following in mind when using Face and Edge scoping:
• You cannot apply a single Pressure load on multiple edges of different surface bodies when the
bodies include both a 3D surface body and a 2D surface body.
• 3D Faces or 2D Edges automatically update their direction at each substep and "follow" the
changing normal for large deflection analyses.
Define By Options
The supported Define By options for the Pressure boundary condition include:
• Components
• Vector. While loads are associated with geometry changes, load directions are not.
Note:
The Components and Vector options apply pressure in a constant direction and as a
result do not contribute to any pressure load stiffness.
• Normal To (default)
• Normal To: Real - Imaginary: Supported for Harmonic Response analysis only.
• Vector: Real - Imaginary: Supported for Harmonic Response analysis only.
• Components: Real - Imaginary: Supported for Harmonic Response analysis only.
Applied By Options (Mechanical APDL solver only)

When you are using the Mechanical APDL solver, the Pressure boundary condition also displays
the Applied By property for all of the above Define By options. Applied By has two options:
Surface Effect
(Default for non-Mode Superposition.) The Surface Effect option applies pressure using the
surface effect elements created on the top of the scoped geometry.
Direct
(Default for Mode Superposition and when a crack is defined under the Fracture folder.) In
3D analyses, the Direct option applies pressure directly onto the faces of solid or shell elements.
In 2D analyses, the Direct option applies pressure directly onto the edges of plane elements.
Considerations and Limitations for the Applied By Options
Keep the following in mind when you specify the Surface Effect and Direct options for Applied
By:
• If you scope two Pressure objects to the same geometry, and specify the loads in the same dir-
ection, using the Direct option, the pressures do not produce a cumulative loading effect. The
Pressure object that you specified last takes priority and is applied, and as a result, the application
ignores the other Pressure object.
• If a Nodal Pressure and a direct Pressure share the same scoping, the Nodal Pressure always
takes priority regardless of insertion order: Mechanical will ignore the direct Pressure.
• A pressure applied using the Surface Effect option and a pressure applied with the Direct option
produce a resultant effect.
• When you scope a Pressure to a solid body as well as a shell body, the application does not
display the annotation arrow for the loading direction (via the Direction property).
• During a structural analysis, you can also create a spatially varying load using the Vector type
option. A spatially varying load allows you to define the pressure in tabular form or as a function.
• If your analysis includes some combination of a Pressure, a Force, and a Hydrostatic Pressure
load, and 1) all are set to the Direct option and 2) share the same scoping, 3) have the same
Direction, whichever load was written to the input file last, overwrites all previous loads.
• If you have a Nodal Force and a Pressure applied using the Direct option and they share the
same scoping, they produce a resultant loading effect.
• Applying a Pressure load Normal To faces (3D) or edges (2D) could result in a pressure load
stiffness (p. 358) contribution that plays a significant role in analyses that support pre-stress (Pre-
stressed Full Harmonic, Pre-stressed Modal, and Eigenvalue Buckling) because they use the Static
Structural Solution as a starting point.
Note the following limitations on using the Direct option for the Applied By property when the
Define By property is set to Vector or Components:
• Not supported for vertices and edges of Solid bodies and Line Bodies.
• Not supported on bodies associated with Condensed parts.
• Not supported if the model has any crack defined under the fracture folder.
• Not supported if the analysis includes a Nonlinear Adaptive Region object and 1) the Loaded
Area property is set to Initial and 2) the Large Deflection property (Analysis Settings >
Solver Controls (p. 1512)) set to On.
• In a multiple step analysis, if you define more than one load (Pressure, Force, or Hydrostatic
Pressure) using the Direct option and a Nodal Pressure, and they share the same scoping,
deactivation of a particular load step in one of these loads could delete all the other loads
in that load step and following steps.
Magnitude Options
The Magnitude options (p. 1588) for Pressure include:
• Constant
Boundary Conditions
• Tabular (Harmonic Index Varying): Supported for Harmonic Response (Full) analysis only when
a Cyclic Region object is defined. By default, at least two harmonic index entries are required
when defining a Harmonic Index dependent tabular load.
• Tabular (Sector Number): Supported for Harmonic Response (Full) analysis only when a Cyclic
Region is defined. By default, at least two entries are required to define a dependent tabular
load.
• Tabular (Frequency Varying): Supported for Harmonic Response analysis only. By default, at
least two frequency entries are required when defining a frequency dependent tabular load. The
Pressure boundary condition in a Harmonic Response (Full, linked MSUP, or standalone) can be
defined in such a way that it is fully frequency dependent. That is, the magnitude of the load as
well as the Phase Angle of the load can be dependent upon the frequency definitions.
• Tabular (Spatially Varying)
• Function (Spatially Varying)
Note:
Harmonic Response Analysis only: Spatially varying Tabular and Function data is
supported for the Normal To and Normal To: Real-Imaginary loading types.
The Phase Angle property supports Spatially varying Tabular definition but does
not support Function definition.
• Table Name: Supported for the Mechanical APDL solver only. A multi-variable table (p. 1397) of
numeric values that defines the pressure distribution for the selection. The Magnitude field
automatically lists the names of all tables that contain pressure or pressure components as de-
pendent variables.
• New Table : Supported for the Mechanical APDL solver only. Select this option to create a new
multivariable table of pressure or pressure component values. You can then assign this table as
the Magnitude.
Applying a Pressure Boundary Condition

To apply a Pressure:
1. Select the Pressure option from the Environment Context tab. Alternatively, right-click the
Environment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Pressure.
2. Define the Scoping Method. Options include Geometry Selection, Named Selection, and
Crack Growth. Based on your selection, specify a geometry or select a SMART Crack Growth
option from the drop-down list of the Crack Growth property.
3. Specify the Define By property. Options include:
• Components
• Components: Real – Imaginary (Harmonic Response (p. 502) only)
• Vector
• Vector: Real – Imaginary (Harmonic Response only)
• Normal To (default)
• Normal To: Real – Imaginary (Harmonic Response only)
4. Specify the Applied By property as needed: Surface Effect (default non-Mode Superposition)
and Direct (Mode Superposition default).
5. Specify the Loaded Area property as needed: options include Deformed (default) and Initial.
6. Based on your Define By property selection, specify the following additional properties as re-
quired:
• Magnitude (including component magnitudes)
• Check the box next to Magnitude to parameterize the magnitude.
• Direction
• Graphics Controls
Note:
• The Direction property is not associative and does not remain joined to the entity(s)
selected for its specification. Therefore, this direction is not affected by geometry
updates, part transformation, or the Configure tool (for joints).
• The vector load definition displays in the Annotation legend with the label Com-
ponents (p. 271). The Magnitude and Direction entries, in any combination or se-
quence, define these displayed values. These are the values sent to the solver.

Scope Scoping Method: Use this property to select a geometric entity, either
through manual selection or using a Named Selection, or you can
specify a SMART Crack Growth object. Options include Geometry
Selection (default), Named Selection, and Crack Growth. Note that
the Crack Growth option is only available when a SMART Crack
Growth object is defined under the Fracture folder during a 3D Static
Boundary Conditions
Geometry: Visible when the Scoping Method is set to Geometry Se-
lection. Displays the type of geometry (Body, Face, etc.) and the
number of geometric entities (for example: 1 Body, 2 Edges) to which
the boundary has been applied using the selection tools.
Named Selection: Visible when the Scoping Method is set to Named

Selection. This field provides a drop-down list of available user–defined
Named Selections.
Crack Growth: Visible when the Scoping Method is set to Crack

Growth. This property provides a drop-down list of available SMART
Crack Growth objects. This property enables you to apply the pressure
to the new crack faces the application generates during the smart
crack growth process or to these new crack faces in addition to the
initial crack faces of the crack associated with the SMART Crack Growth
object.
Shared Reference Body: This property is a scoping feature used to

apply a Pressure to shared faces or edges between two bodies. When
you have properly scoped the geometric entities, using either Geometry
Selection or an appropriate Named Selection, the property provides a
drop-down list of the names of the bodies that share the scoped
features. By selecting a body from this list, you are specifying that the
pressure be applied to its surface or edge. Once selected, the Geometry
or Named Selection property displays a parenthetical of the shared
face or edge, "1 Shared Face/1 Shared Edge," to indicate the condition.
Note:
• When working with the shared edges of a 2D model,

the Applied By property must be set to Direct.
• Edges can be shared between a surface and line

body, but the line body cannot be specified as the
Shared Reference Body or the property becomes
invalid.
Definition Type: Read-only field that describes the object - Pressure.
Define By: Options include:
• Normal To: Requires a Magnitude entry.
– Magnitude
– Phase Angle (Harmonic Analysis (p. 502) only)
• Normal To: Real - Imaginary (Harmonic Analysis (p. 502) only):
Real and imaginary magnitude. Requires the specification of
the following inputs:
• Vector: A magnitude and direction (based on selected

– Magnitude
– Direction
• Vector: Real - Imaginary (Harmonic Analysis (p. 502) only): Real

and imaginary magnitude and direction (based on selected
– Direction
• Components: Option to define the loading type as Components

(in the Global Coordinate System or local coordinate system, if
applied). Requires the specification of at least one of the
following inputs:

– X Phase Angle (Harmonic Analysis (p. 502) only)
– Y Phase Angle (Harmonic Analysis (p. 502) only)
– Z Phase Angle (Harmonic Analysis (p. 502) only)
Note:
Selection of a Coordinate System rotated out of the

global Cartesian X-Y plane is not supported in a 2D
analysis.
Boundary Conditions
• Components: Real - Imaginary (Harmonic Analysis (p. 502)
only): Option to define the loading type as real and imaginary
components (in the Global Coordinate System or local
coordinate system, if applied). Requires the specification of at
least one of the following inputs:

– X Component - Real: Defines magnitude (Real) in the X

direction.
– X Component - Imaginary: Defines magnitude (Imaginary)

in the X direction.
– Y Component - Real: Defines magnitude (Real) in the Y

direction.
– Y Component - Imaginary: Defines magnitude (Imaginary)

in the Y direction.
– Z Component - Real: Defines magnitude (Real) in the Z

direction.
– Z Component - Imaginary: Defines (Imaginary) magnitude

in the Z direction.
Applied By: (Mechanical APDL solver only.) This property defines how
the load is applied, either by creating surface effect elements or by
direct application on the scoped geometry. Options include:
• Surface Effect: Default option for all analyses except Mode

Superposition analyses.
• Direct: Default option for Mode Superposition analyses and

when solution restart (p. 1917) points are available.
Loaded Area: Options include Deformed (default) and Initial. The

Initial option treats the scoped surface area as a constant throughout
the analysis. For the Deformed option, the application incorporates
the change in the surface area as a result of deformation throughout
the analysis. The selection for this property can be of significance
during large deflection problems.
Apply To: Visible when the Scoping Method is set to Crack Growth.
Options include:
• New Crack Faces Only (default): Select this option to apply a

normal pressure load to the new crack faces the application
generates during the smart crack growth process.
• Both Initial and New Crack Faces. Select this option to apply
a normal pressure load to new crack faces as well as the initial
crack faces of the crack associated with the SMART Crack
Growth object.
Important:
– For all analytical cracks, such as Pre-Meshed Crack,

Arbitrary Crack, etc., the application highlights the
nodes from the initial crack top face and bottom
face components for either of the Apply To
property options. However, for the New Crack
Faces Only option, even though the application
highlights the nodes of the initial crack faces, the
application only applies the load to the new crack
faces generated during crack growth.
– When you scope the Initial Crack property of a

SMART Crack Growth object to a Crack Initiation
object, the application does not highlight any
nodes.
Note:
If you apply a Pressure to the initial crack faces using

the Both Initial and New Crack Faces option and
another Pressure is scoped to the crack face Named
Selections or the nodes belonging to these named
selections, they do not produce a cumulative effect.
The Pressure object that you specified last takes
priority and is applied. As a result, the application
ignores the other Pressure applied on these crack
face named selections.
Non-Cyclic Loading Type: This property is available for a Full Harmonic

Response analysis when a Cyclic Region is present in the model. Options
include:
• No (default). The loading is purely cyclic. That is, the load

applied to the base sector is applied to each and every sector.
• Harmonic Index. The non-cyclic loading can be specified for

one or more harmonic indices. This is also known as
"engine-order loading" (or traveling wave excitation). A Harmon-
ic Index entry is required.
Boundary Conditions
• Sector Number: This property enables you to select the desired
Sector onto which you apply the non-cyclic load.
Important:
When you specify the load as Tabular, the Independ-

ent Variable property displays and is set to Harmonic
Index by default. The Harmonic Index property is
hidden as their values are entered in the table.
Harmonic Index: This property displays when the Non-Cyclic Loading

Type property is set to Harmonic Index. Where NS is Number of
Sectors, enter a value from:
Sector Number: This property displays when the Non-Cyclic Loading

Type property is set to Sector Number. You use this property to specify
the desired sector onto which you want to apply the non-cyclic load.
If you choose Tabular for the Magnitude property, you can then set
the Independent Variable property to Sector Number and then
specify your loading using the Tabular Data window.

condition.
analysis only)
grouped loads.
Pressure Table If you selected the name of a table (p. 1397) under Magnitude to define
Options the pressure load on the boundary, the following options are available.
(Mechanical APDL
solver only) • Parameterization: Check the box next to Magnitude to parameterize
the table.
• Spatial Coordinate System (read only)
• Graphics Controls (if applicable)
For details, see Specify Pressure Loads with Tables (p. 1603).

The following Mechanical APDL commands, element types, and considerations are applicable for
this boundary condition.
• When you set the Applied By property to Surface Effect, the Pressure is applied as a surface
load through the surface effect elements using the SF or SFE command using the SURF154 (3D)
and SURF153 (2D) element types.
• When you set the Applied By property to Direct, a Pressure is applied directly on to the element
faces using the SFCONTROL and SFE ,,PRES commands. Refer to SFCONTROL command for a
list of supported solid elements, shell elements, and plane-2D elements.
• When using a SMART Crack Growth object as the scoping method, the application uses the
CGROW,CSFL,PRES command to apply a pressure to the new crack faces generated during crack
growth.
• Magnitude (tabular and function) is always represented as a table in the input file.
• A table is a special type of numeric array that enables the Mechanical APDL solver to calculate
(through linear interpolation) the values between entries in a multi-dimensional table of numeric
data. The solver applies these interpolated values across the selected geometry when it computes
the solution. See the discussion in Array Parameters.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Pressure section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
17.6.2.2. Pipe Pressure

Used in any structural analysis, Pipe Pressure is useful for pipe stress analysis and pipe design. Pipe
Pressure is applied only to pipes in the form of line bodies.

Applying a Pipe Pressure Boundary Condition (p. 1642)
Analysis Types
Pipe Pressure is available for the following analysis types:
Boundary Conditions
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Pipe Pressure boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation. For 3D structural analyses, a Pipe Pressure load applies a constant, tabular, or
functional variation of pressure to one or more line bodies (p. 900) which are set to be pipes.
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for Pipe Pressure include:
• Wire Body/Line Body/Beam: Supported for Line Bodies only.

The supported topology selection options for the Pipe Pressure boundary condition include:
• Edge
Define By Options
The Define By options for Pipe Pressure, by default, is program controlled. Internal and external
pressures are input on an average basis. By default, when the pipe is subjected to internal and ex-
ternal pressures, the end-cap pressure effect of the pipe is included. This implies that the end caps
are always in equilibrium, that is, no net forces are produced.
Magnitude Options
The supported Magnitude options (p. 1588) for Pipe Pressure include the following:
• Constant
Applying a Pipe Pressure Boundary Condition

To apply a Pipe Pressure:
1. On the Environment Context tab, open the Loads drop-down menu and select Pipe Pressure.
Alternatively, right-click the Environment tree object or in the Geometry window and select
Insert>Pipe Pressure.
2. Define the Scoping Method as either Geometry Selection or Named Selection and then
specify the geometry. Pipe Pressure can only be scoped to line bodies which are set to be pipes.
3. Define Magnitude as a constant, tabular, or functional input.
4. Select Loading to be Internal or External according to your problem.

• Geometry Selection: Default setting, indicating that the boundary condition

is applied to a geometry or geometries, which are chosen using a graphical
selection tool.
– Geometry: Visible when the Scoping Method is set to Geometry Selection.

Displays the type of geometry (Body, Face, etc.) and the number of geometric
entities (for example: 1 Body, 2 Edges) to which the boundary has been
• Named Selection: Indicates that the geometry selection is defined by a Named

Selection.
– Named Selection: Visible when the Scoping Method is set to Named Selec-
tion. This field provides a drop-down list of available user–defined Named
Selections.
Defini- Type: Read-only field that displays boundary condition type - Pipe Pressure.
tion
Magnitude: Input field to define the magnitude of the Pipe Pressure. This value can
be defined as a Constant or in Tabular form, as well as Imported.
Suppressed: Include (No - default) or exclude (Yes) the boundary condition.
Loading: Specify whether the loading is Internal or External.

The following Mechanical APDL element types are applicable for this boundary condition. Both
elements are based on Timoshenko beam theory which includes shear-deformation effects.
• PIPE288: 3D two-node pipe
• PIPE289: 3D three-node pipe.
Boundary Conditions
• ELBOW290: special 3D three-node pipe used for modeling curved pipes. This element is also used
when Pipe Idealization is scoped to a line body modeled as pipe and meshed with higher order
elements. PIPE289 is converted ELBOW290.
Displaying Contours and Displaced Shapes on Line Bodies: The contour results line bodies are
expanded to be viewed on the cross section shape, but only one actual result exists at any given
node and as a result no contour variations across a beam section occur. Therefore, for Mechanical
APDL plot comparison, full graphics inside /POST1 should be used when comparing numerical
values.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Pipe Pressure section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
17.6.2.3. Pipe Temperature

For 3D structural analyses, a Pipe Temperature load applies a constant, tabular, or functional variation
of temperature to one or more line bodies (p. 900) which are set to be pipes. You can select it to
be internal pipe temperature or external pipe temperature from the Details pane.

Applying a Pipe Temperature Boundary Condition (p. 1645)
Analysis Types
Pipe Temperature is available for the following analysis types:
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Pipe Temperature boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for Pipe Temperature include:
• Wire Body/Line Body/Beam: Line Bodies only.

The supported topology selection options for the Pipe Temperature boundary condition include:
• Edge
Define By Options
The Define By option is, by default, program controlled. Internal and external temperatures are
input on an average basis.
Magnitude Options
The supported Magnitude options (p. 1588) for Pipe Temperature include the following:
• Constant
Applying a Pipe Temperature Boundary Condition

To apply a Pipe Temperature:
1. On the Environment Context tab, open the Loads drop-down menu and select Pipe Temper-
ature. Alternatively, right-click the Environment tree object or in the Geometry window and
select Insert>Pipe Temperature.
specify the geometry. Pipe Temperature can only be scoped to line bodies that are specified as
pipes.
3. Define Magnitude as a constant, tabular, or functional input.
4. Select Loading to be Internal or External according to your problem.
Note:
Given elbow elements (ELBOW290) with inner pipe temperature specifications only, the
application will, by default, specify this inner temperature as outer temperature as well.
Boundary Conditions



metry Selection. Displays the type of geometry (Body, Face,
etc.) and the number of geometric entities (for example: 1
Body, 2 Edges) to which the boundary has been applied using
the selection tools.


Definition Type: Read-only field that displays boundary condition type - Pipe
Temperature.
Magnitude: Input field to define the magnitude of the Pipe Pressure.

condition.
Loading: Specify whether the loading is Internal or External.

The Mechanical APDL Solver is the only solver available for this boundary condition.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Pipe Temperature section of the ACT API Reference
Guide.
17.6.2.4. Fluid Penetration Pressure

For Static Structural analysis only, use the Fluid Penetration Pressure loading condition to simulate
surrounding fluid or air penetrating into a contact interface. You can apply this load to flexible-to-
flexible or rigid-to-flexible contact pairs.
Fluid pressure along normal directions can penetrate into the contact interface from one or multiple
locations. The penetrating path can propagate and vary, and it is determined iteratively.
The initial starting points are user-defined locations that are exposed to the fluid pressure. Among
the starting points, fluid penetrating points are locations where the contact status is open or lost,
or where the contact pressure is smaller than the user-defined pressure penetration criterion. For
fluid penetrating points, its nearest neighboring nodes are considered to be the starting points
which are exposed to the fluid pressure as well.

Applying a Fluid Penetration Pressure Boundary Condition (p. 1647)
Analysis Types
This loading condition is only available for a Static Structural (p. 658) analysis.
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Fluid Penetration Pressure boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation
Geometry Types
The Fluid Penetration Pressure boundary condition does not support geometry types like most
other boundary conditions. The application applies this pressure on contact pairs (scoped to a
Contact Region object).

You scope the Fluid Penetration Pressure boundary condition to a Contact Region object.
Define By Options
For this boundary condition, the Define By property is read-only and set to Normal To.
Applying a Fluid Penetration Pressure Boundary Condition

To apply a Fluid Penetration Pressure:
1. Before inserting the loading condition, verify your desired units of measure.
Boundary Conditions
2. On the Environment Context tab, open the Loads drop-down menu and select Fluid Penetration
Pressure. Alternatively, right-click the Environment tree object or in the Geometry window
and select Insert > Fluid Penetration Pressure.
3. Select the desired contact interface (Contact Region).
4. Specify the Pressure Update Frequency. Options include Each Iteration (default) and Each
Substep.
5. Specify the Penetration History Dependency: Options include History Dependent (default)
and History Independent.
6. Using the options of the Starting Point property, select desired geometric entities for the initial
points exposed to the fluid and potentially subjected to the penetration pressure.
7. Use the Define By property of the Pressure Penetration Criterion category to define criterion
penetration pressure. Options include Program Controlled and User Defined. If you select
User Defined, the Criterion Value property displays. Use this property to enter a pressure value.
See the property descriptions below for more information.
8. Based on how you specify criterion, additional display categories and properties display. See
below for more information.

Scope Scope Method: Read-only property set to Contact Region.
Contact Region: Drop-down list of available Contact Region objects.

Defini- Type: Read-only property set to Fluid Penetration Pressure.
tion
Define By: Read-only property set to Normal To.
Magnitude: Define the magnitude of the fluid/air pressure applied normal to

the contact interface. Define the magnitude of boundary condition (p. 1588) as
a Constant (default), Tabular, or as a Function.
Pressure Update Frequency: Options include Each Iteration (default) and

Each Substep. When you select Each Substep, the application applies the
fluid-pressure-penetration load to the contact and target elements based on
the contact status at the beginning of each substep and remains constant over
that substep even if the contact status changes during iterations. When select
Each Iteration, the application varies the load during each iteration based on
the current contact status. In certain cases, this can cause an unstable
convergence pattern because the contact status and the resulting applied fluid
penetration load continue to change during iterations.
Penetration History Dependency: Options include History Dependent (default)

and History Independent. When you select History Dependent, any contact
detection point that was previously exposed to the fluid pressure remains in
the condition of “penetrating” unless a closed contact condition is reestablished.
The penetrating load could be cut-off in the middle of the path. If you select
History Independent, the application always newly applies the load from the
initial starting points regardless of the history of “penetrating” conditions.
Therefore, the penetrating path is continuous following any starting point.
Suppressed: Options include No (default) and Yes. Select whether to suppress

of unsuppress the object.
Starting Define By: Read-only property set to User Defined.
Point
Scoping Method: Options include Geometry (default) and Named Selection.
Supported geometric entities include faces (3D only), vertices, edges, and nodes.
Geometry: Use selection filters (p. 224) to pick geometry, click in the Geometry
field, then click Apply.
Named Selection: Select a desired Named Selection from the drop-down menu.
Pressure Define By: Use this property to specify how the criterion is applied, either by
Penetra- the application or manually. Options include Program Controlled and User
tion Cri- Defined.
terion
Criterion Value: This property displays when you select the User Defined
option for the above Define By property. The Criterion Value is a pressure
value. When the contact pressure is less than the criterion, the starting point
turns into the penetrating point. That is, fluid pressure starts to penetrate.
Therefore, a higher criterion value allows the fluid to penetrate more easily.
When the contact pressure is greater than the criterion, fluid penetration is cut
off. By default, the penetration criterion is zero (Program Controlled). In this
case the fluid penetration occurs only when the contact is open, and the cutoff
of fluid penetration occurs only when the contact is reestablished. You specify
the Criterion Value as a Constant (default), Tabular, or as a Function.
Tabular Independent Variable: Use this property to specify how the load varies with
[a] either Time (default), load Step, or in the X, Y, or Z (3D only) spatial direction.
Data
Note:
When you set the Criterion Value property set to Tabular or

Function, Time is the only supported option.
Coordinate System:This property displays if you specify the Independent

Variable in a spatial direction (X, Y, or Z). Use this property to select a coordinate
system.
Tabular Selection: Options include Pressure Penetration Criterion (default) and Fluid
Data and Penetration Pressure. These are display selections for the information presented
Graph in the Graph and Tabular Data windows.
Display
Func- Unit System: Read-only property indicating the units of measure specified
[b] when you inserted the Fluid Penetration Pressure object.
tion
Boundary Conditions
Angular Measure: Read-only property indicating the unit for angular measure
that was selected when you inserted the Fluid Penetration Pressure object.
Graph X-Axis: This property displays if you specify the Independent Variable in a
Con- spatial direction. Options include X, Y, and Z (3D only).
trols[a]
Number of Segments: The function is graphed with a default value of 200
line segments. You can change this value to better visualize the function.
[a] See the Tabular Loads (p. 1592) section for more information.
[b] See the Mathematical Function Loads (p. 1594)section for more information.

See the Applying Fluid-Pressure-Penetration Loads section of the Mechanical APDL Contact Technology
Guide.
17.6.2.5. Hydrostatic Pressure

A Hydrostatic Pressure load simulates pressure that occurs due to fluid weight.

Applying a Hydrostatic Pressure Boundary Condition (p. 1652)
Analysis Types
Hydrostatic Pressure is available for the following analysis types:
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Hydrostatic Pressure boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for Hydrostatic Pressure include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell

The supported topology selection options for the Hydrostatic Pressure boundary condition include:
• Face: Supported for 3D only.
• Edge: Supported for 2D only.
Define By Options
The supported Define By options for the Hydrostatic Pressure boundary condition include:
• Vector (default)
Note:
The vector load definition displays in the Annotation legend with the label Compon-
ents (p. 271). The Magnitude and Direction entries, in any combination or sequence,
define these displayed values. These are the values sent to the solver.
• Components
When using the Mechanical APDL solver, for all of the above Define By property options, the Hy-
drostatic Pressure boundary condition also displays the Applied By property. This property has
two options: Surface Effect (default) and Direct.
The Surface Effect option applies pressure using the surface effect elements created on the top
of the scoped geometry. The Direct option applies pressure directly onto the faces of solid or shell
elements in 3D analyses. In 2D analyses, the Direct option applies pressure directly onto the edges
of plane elements.
Note:
• If you scope two Hydrostatic Pressure objects to the same geometry, and specify
the loads in the same direction, using the Direct option, the pressures do not produce
Boundary Conditions
a cumulative loading effect. The Hydrostatic Pressure object that you specified last
takes priority and is applied, and as a result, the application ignores the other Hydro-
static Pressure object.
• If a Nodal Pressure and a direct Hydrostatic Pressure share the same scoping, the
Nodal Pressure always takes priority regardless of insertion order: Mechanical will
ignore the direct Hydrostatic Pressure.
• A Hydrostatic Pressure using the Surface Effect option and Hydrostatic Pressure
using the Direct option produce a resultant loading effect.
• A Nodal Force and a Hydrostatic Pressure applied using the Direct option and they
share the same scoping, produce a resultant loading effect.
• If your analysis includes some combination of a Pressure, a Force, and a Hydrostatic

Pressure load, and 1) all are set to the Direct option and 2) share the same scoping,
3) have the same Direction, whichever load was written to the input file last, overwrites
all previous loads.
Important:
For the Mechanical APDL solver, note the following limitations when using the Direct
option for the Define By property options Vector or Components:
• Not supported on bodies associated with General Axisymmetric and Condensed

parts.
• Not supported if the model has any cracks defined under the Fracture folder.
• Not supported if the analysis has a Nonlinear Adaptive Region defined.
• In a multiple step analysis, if you define more than one load (Pressure, Force, or
Hydrostatic Pressure) using the Direct option and a Nodal Pressure, and they
share the same scoping, deactivation of a particular load step in one of these
loads could delete all the other loads in that load step and following steps.
Magnitude Options
Hydrostatic Pressure is defined as a constant.
Note:
During a multiple step analysis, tabular data is visible for this boundary condition. This
information is read-only but you can use the context menu (right-click) features of the
Tabular Data (p. 187) display to activate or deactivate the loading per step.
Applying a Hydrostatic Pressure Boundary Condition

To apply a Hydrostatic Pressure:
1. On the Environment Context tab, open the Loads drop-down menu and select Hydrostatic
and select Insert>Hydrostatic Pressure.
2. Define the Scoping Method as either Geometry Selection or Named Selection. Hydrostatic
Pressure can only be scoped to faces.
3. Specify the Applied By property: Surface Effect (default) and Direct.
4. Select all of the faces that will potentially enclose the fluid.
Or...
If you are working with a surface body, specify the Shell Face, defined as the side of the shell
(Top or Bottom) on which to apply the Hydrostatic Pressure load.
5. Enter the Fluid Density.
6. Specify the properties of the Hydrostatic Acceleration category. This is typically the acceleration
due to gravity, but can be other acceleration values depending on the modeling scenario. For
example, if you were modeling rocket fuel in a rocket’s fuel tank, the fuel might be undergoing
a combination of acceleration due to gravity and acceleration due to the rocket accelerating
while flying.
Note:
The Direction property is not associative and does not remain joined to the entity(s)
7. Specify the properties of the Free Surface Location category. These properties define the location
of the top of the fluid in the container. You can specify this location by using coordinate systems,
by entering coordinate values, or by clicking a location on the model.
8. Mesh the model, then highlight the Hydrostatic Pressure object to display the pressure contours.
The following example shows the simulation of a Hydrostatic Pressure load on the wall of an
aquarium. Here the wall is modeled as a single surface body. The load is scoped to the bottom side
of the face. A fixed support is applied to the bottom edge. Acceleration due to gravity is used and
the fluid density is entered as 1000 kg/m3. Coordinates representing the top of the fluid are also
entered.
The load plot shown here illustrates the Hydrostatic Pressure gradient.
Boundary Conditions

Scope Scoping Method: This property specifies how you perform geometric
entity selection. Options include Geometry Selection (default) and
Named Selection.


Named Selections.

apply a Hydrostatic Pressure to shared faces or edges between two
bodies. When you have properly scoped the geometric entities, using
either Geometry Selection or an appropriate Named Selection, the
property provides a drop-down list of the names of the bodies that
share the scoped features. By selecting a body from this list, you are
specifying that the pressure be applied to its surface or edge. Once
selected, the Geometry or Named Selection property displays a
parenthetical of the shared face or edge, "1 Shared Face/1 Shared
Edge," to indicate the condition.
Note:
• When working with the shared edges of a 2D model,

the Applied By property must be set to Direct.
• Edges can be shared between a surface and line

body, but the line body cannot be specified as the
Shared Reference Body, or the property becomes
invalid.
Shell Face: This property enables you to specify the Top (default) or
Bottom of the selected face.
Definition Type: Read-only field that displays boundary condition type - Hydro-
static Pressure.
Applied By: This property defines how the load is applied. Either by
creating surface effect elements or by direct application on the scoped
geometry. Options include:
• Surface Effect (default)
• Direct
Coordinate System: Drop-down list of available coordinate systems.

Global Coordinate System is the default.

condition.
Fluid Density: Input field for fluid density value.

Hydrostatic Accelera- Define By: Options include:
tion
• Vector: A magnitude and direction (based on selected geometry).
Requires the specification of the following inputs:
– Magnitude
– Direction
• Components
– X Component
– Y Component
– Z Component
Boundary Conditions
Free Surface Location X Coordinate
Y Coordinate
Z Coordinate
Location: Specify Free Surface Location using geometry picking tools.

Valid topologies include face, edge, vertex.

• When you set the Applied By property to Surface Effect, the Hydrostatic Pressure is applied as
a surface load through the surface effect elements using the SFE command.
• When you set the Applied By property to Direct, a Hydrostatic Pressure is applied directly on
to the element faces using the SFCONTROL and SFE ,,PRES commands. Refer to SFCONTROL
command for a list of supported solid elements, shell elements, and plane-2D elements.
• Hydrostatic Pressure is represented as a table in the input file.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Hydrostatic Pressure section of the ACT API Reference
Guide.
17.6.2.6. Force
Force is specified based on the following topologies:
• Vertex: Applies a Force vector to one or more vertices.
• Edge: Distributes a Force vector along one or more straight or curved edges, resulting in uniform
line load along the edge.
• Face: Distributes a Force vector across one or more flat or curved faces, resulting in uniform
traction across the face.
• Node: Applies a Force to an individual node or a set of nodes. This scoping is the same as using
an Nodal Force (p. 1840) except that you scope the nodes directly (no Named Selection is required).
As such, the Force is applied using the Mechanical APDL F command.
Note:
Node-based scoping is not supported for Harmonic Response or Explicit Dynamics

analyses.
• Element Face: Distributes a Force across one or more element faces.

Applying a Force Boundary Condition (p. 1660)
Analysis Types
Force is available for the following analysis types:

Harmonic (p. 384)
• Coupled Field
Static (p. 395) • Substructure Generation (p. 546)

Transient (p. 399)
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Force boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation: Not supported for 2D axisymmetric Explicit Dynamics analyses.
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Force boundary condition include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell
Boundary Conditions

The supported topology selection options for Force include:
• Face
– The Force is applied by converting it to a pressure, based on the total area of all the selected
faces.
– If a face enlarges due to a change in CAD parameters, the total load magnitude applied to the
face remains constant.
• Edge
– If you select multiple edges when defining the Force, the magnitude of the Force is distributed
evenly across all selected edges.
– If an edge enlarges due to a change in CAD parameters, the total load magnitude applied to
the edge remains constant.
Note:
You cannot apply a single Force load on multiple edges of different surface bodies,
when the bodies include both a 3D surface body and a 2D surface body.
• Vertex
– If you select multiple vertices when defining the Force, the magnitude of the Force is distributed
evenly across all selected vertices.
– A Force applied to a vertex is not realistic and leads to singular stresses (that is, stresses that
approach infinity near the loaded vertex). You should disregard stress and elastic strain values
in the vicinity of the loaded vertex.
• Nodes: Supported for 2D only.
Define By Options
The supported Define By options for the Force boundary condition include:
• Vector: Not supported for Node selection.
• Components
When using the Mechanical APDL solver, for all of the above Define By property options, the Force
boundary condition also displays the Applied By property. This property has two options: Surface
Effect (default for non-Mode Superposition) and Direct (Mode Superposition default).
The Surface Effect option applies Force using the surface effect elements created on the top of
the scoped geometry. The Direct option applies Force directly onto the faces of solid or shell ele-
ments in 3D analyses. In 2D analyses, the Direct option applies pressure directly onto the edges
of plane elements.
Note:
• If you scope two Force objects to the same geometry, and specify the loads in the
same direction, using the Direct option, the Forces do not produce a cumulative
loading effect. The Force object that you specified last takes priority and is applied,
and as a result, the application ignores the other Force object.
• A Nodal Force and a Force applied using the Direct option share the same scoping
and produce a resultant loading effect.
• A Force applied using the Surface Effect option and a Force applied using the Direct
option produce a resultant effect.
• If your analysis includes some combination of a Pressure, a Force, and a Hydrostatic

Pressure load, and 1) all are set to the Direct option, 2) share the same scoping, and
3) have the same Direction, whichever load was written to the input file last, overwrites
all previous loads.
Important:
For the Mechanical APDL solver, note the following limitations when using the Direct
option for Applied By property:
• Not supported for vertices and edges of Solid bodies and Line bodies.

parts.
• Not supported if the model has any cracks defined under the Fracture folder.
• Not supported if the analysis includes a Nonlinear Adaptive Region (p. 364) object
and 1) the Loaded Area property is set to Initial and 2) the Large Deflection
property (Analysis Settings > Solver Controls (p. 1512)) set to On.
• In a multiple step analysis, if you define more than one load (Pressure, Force, or
Hydrostatic Pressure) using the Direct option, and they share the same scoping,
deactivation of a particular load step in one of these loads could delete all the
other loads in that load step and following steps.
Magnitude Options
The supported Magnitude options (p. 1588) for Force include the following:
• Constant
Boundary Conditions
• Tabular (Time Varying): Not supported for Harmonic Response analysis.
two frequency entries are required when defining a frequency dependent tabular load. The Force
boundary condition in a Harmonic Response (Full, linked MSUP, or standalone) can be defined
in such a way that it is fully frequency dependent. That is, the magnitude of the load as well as
the phase angle of the load can be dependent upon the frequency definitions.
• Tabular (Harmonic Index Varying): Supported only for a Harmonic Response (Full) analysis that
includes a Cyclic Region object. By default, at least two harmonic index entries are required
when defining a harmonic index dependent tabular load. The Force load for this analysis can be
defined such that it is fully harmonic index dependent. That is, the magnitude of the load as well
as the phase angle of the load can be dependent upon the harmonic index definitions.
load.
• Function (Time Varying): Not supported for Harmonic Response analysis.
Applying a Force Boundary Condition

To apply a Force:
1. Select the Force option from the Environment Context tab. Alternatively, right-click the Envir-
onment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Force.
specify the geometry.
3. Select the method used to define the Force: Vector (default), Vector: Real - Imaginary, Com-
ponents, or Components: Real - Imaginary.
4. Specify the Applied By property: Surface Effect (non-Mode Superposition default) and Direct
(Mode Superposition default).
5. Define the Magnitude, Coordinate System directional loading, and/or Direction of the load
Note:
• The vector load definition displays in the Annotation legend with the label Com-
ponents (p. 271). The Magnitude and Direction entries, in any combination or se-
quence, define these displayed values. These are the values sent to the solver.

Named Selection.
Geometry Selection: Visible when the Scoping Method is set to

Geometry Selection. Displays the type of geometry (Body, Face, etc.)
and the number of geometric entities (for example: 1 Body, 2 Edges)
to which the boundary has been applied using the selection tools.

Named Selections.
Definition Type: Read-only field that describes the object - Force.
• Vector: A magnitude and direction (based on finite element

selection). Requires the specification of the following inputs:
Magnitude: Enter desired value.

Direction: Specify using either the Node or Element Face
selection option. When you select one Element Face, the
Direction is normal to the selected face. When you select multiple
Element Faces, the Direction is the average of the normals of all
the faces. When you select two nodes (singular selection is not
supported), the Direction is the direction along a line segment
that includes both points. If you select three or more Nodes, the
Direction calculation equals the surface normal of the first three
nodes selected.
Phase Angle (Harmonic analysis (p. 502) only)
• Vector: Real - Imaginary (Harmonic analysis (p. 502) only): Real and
imaginary magnitude and direction (based on selected geometry).
Magnitude - Real
Magnitude - Imaginary
Direction

applied). Requires the specification of at least one of the following
inputs:
Boundary Conditions
Coordinate System: Drop-down list of available coordinate
X Component: Defines magnitude in the X direction.
Y Component: Defines magnitude in the Y direction.
Z Component: Defines magnitude in the Z direction.
X Phase Angle (Harmonic analysis (p. 502) only)
Y Phase Angle (Harmonic analysis (p. 502) only)
Z Phase Angle (Harmonic analysis (p. 502) only)
Note:
Selection of a Coordinate System rotated out of the global

Cartesian X-Y plane is not supported in a 2D analysis.
• Components: Real - Imaginary (Harmonic analysis (p. 502) only):

Option to define the loading type as real and imaginary components
inputs:
Coordinate System: Drop-down list of available coordinate

X Component - Real: Defines magnitude (Real) in the X direction.
X Component - Imaginary: Defines magnitude (Imaginary) in
the X direction.
Y Component - Real: Defines magnitude (Real) in the Y direction.
Y Component - Imaginary: Defines magnitude (Imaginary) in
the Y direction.
Z Component - Real: Defines magnitude (Real) in the Z direction.
Z Component - Imaginary: Defines (Imaginary) magnitude in
the Z direction.
Divide Load by Nodes (visible for Node scoping only): Property options
include Yes (default) and No. When set to Yes, the load value is
normalized by dividing the Magnitude by number of scoped nodes.
When set to No, the load value is applied directly to every scoped
node.
Applied By: This property defines how the load is applied. Either by
creating surface effect elements or by direct application on the scoped
geometry. Options include:
• Surface Effect: default option for all analyses except Mode

Superposition analyses.
• Direct: default option for Mode Superposition analyses.
Non-Cyclic Loading Type: This property is available for Full Harmonic

analysis when Cyclic Symmetry is present in the model. Options include:
• No (default): The loading is purely cyclic. That is, the load

• Harmonic Index: The non-cyclic loading can be specified for


Important:
When you specify the load as Tabular, the Independent

Variable property displays and is set to Harmonic



condition.
Step Controls (Visible Step Varying: Options include No (default) and Yes. When you select
for Harmonic Response No, the Remote Load is applicable at all defined steps. When set to
analysis with multiple Yes, only the load step selected in either the RPM Selection or Step
load steps defined) Selection properties described below is applicable.
RPM Selection: This property displays when the Multiple Step Type
Boundary Conditions
Load.
analysis only)
grouped loads.

• When you set the Applied By property to Surface Effect, a Force is applied using the using
the SFE ,,PRES command by creating the applicable elements as listed below.
• Based on the selected topology, element types include:
– SURF154 - 3D structural analyses for face selection.
– SURF156 - 3D structural analyses for edge selection.
– SURF153 - 2D structural analyses for edge selection.
– FOLLW201 - 2D and 3D for vertex selection.
• When you set the Applied By property to Direct, a Force is applied directly on to the element
faces using the SFCONTROL and SFE ,,PRES commands. Refer to SFCONTROL command
for a list of supported solid elements, shell elements, and plane-2D elements.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Force section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
17.6.2.7. Remote Force

A Remote Force is equivalent to a regular force load on a face (p. 1656) or a force load on an
edge (p. 1656), plus some moment (p. 1688). A Remote Force can be applied to a face, edge, vertex,
element face, or node of a 3D model, or to an edge, vertex, or node of a 2D model.
A Remote Force can be used as an alternative to building a rigid part and applying a force load to
it. The advantage of using a Remote Force load is that you can directly specify the location in space
from which the force originates.
A Remote Force is classified as a remote boundary condition. Refer to the Remote Boundary Condi-
tions (p. 1856) section for a listing of all remote boundary conditions and their characteristics.

Applying a Remote Force Boundary Condition (p. 1668)
Details Properties (p. 1669)
Analysis Types
Remote Force is available for the following analysis types:

Harmonic (p. 384)
• Coupled Field
Static (p. 395) • Static Structural (p. 658)

Transient (p. 399)
• Explicit
Dynamics (p. 409)
Boundary Conditions
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Remote Force boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation: Not supported for Explicit Dynamics.
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for Remote Force include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell

The supported topology selection options for the Remote Force boundary condition include:
• Edge
• Vertex
– Cannot be applied to a vertex scoped to an end release (p. 1320).
– Vertex selections do not support the Behavior option.
• Node
Applying Remote Loads to a Straight Edge
If you apply a remote load to a straight edge (with colinear nodes) of a deformable surface
body or a solid body, the application applies the load to the edge as well as the neighboring
nodes of the element faces of the deformable surface body or the solid body, respectively. This
transfers the rotations of the pilot node (of the Remote Point) to the surface or solid body.
Exception: If you scope a remote load to a deformable beam, the application internally changes
the setting of the Behavior property to Rigid and prompts you with a warning.
The following example shows how the application applies a Remote Displacement, scoped to
a straight edge, to the neighboring element face nodes. In this example, the imbalance of
constraint equations created on the blocks might result in unwanted non-zero moment reactions.
You can minimize this by using either a lower order mesh or a coarser higher order mesh. For
more information, see the Surface-Based Constraints section of the Mechanical APDL Contact
Technology Guide.
Define By Options
The supported Define By options for the Remote Force boundary condition include:
• Vector. While loads are associative with geometry changes, load directions are not. This applies
to any load that requires a vector input.
• Components
Magnitude Options
The Magnitude options (p. 1588) for Remote Force include:
• Constant
• Tabular (Frequency Varying): Supported for Harmonic Response Analysis only. By default, at least
Boundary Conditions
Cyclic Region is defined. By default, at least two harmonic index entries are required when de-
fining a Harmonic Index dependent tabular load.
load.
Applying a Remote Force Boundary Condition

You apply a Remote Force as you would apply a force load (p. 1656) except that the location of the
load origin can be replaced anywhere in space either by picking or by entering the XYZ locations
directly or by scoping a geometric entity using the Location property. Note that when you first
define the properties of the Remote Force, the application automatically sets the default location
of the Location property at the centroid of the scoped geometry selection(s). This setting is main-
tained even if you re-specify your geometry scoping. It is necessary to manually change the Location
property's definition.
The location and the direction of a Remote Force can be defined in the Global Coordinate System
or in a local coordinate system (p. 1095).
To apply a Remote Force:
1. On the Environment Context tab, open the Loads drop-down menu and select Remote Force.
Insert>Remote Force.
2. Define the Scoping Method as either Geometry Selection, Named Selection, or Remote
Point (p. 1379) and then specify the scoping.
Tip:
For a project where none of the analyses have been solved, automatic Remote Point
creation (promotion) is available in Harmonic Response or Transient Structural analyses
that use a linked Modal system to implement the Mode Superposition (MSUP) solver
method. To use this feature:
• Select a supported topology (geometric or mesh entity) on your model, and
• Insert a Remote Force load.
The application automatically creates a corresponding Remote Point for the specified
load and scopes the load to that Remote Point. Automatic Remote Point creation
improves processing performance by eliminating the need to create internal elements
for the load.
3. Specify a coordinate system as needed. The default selection is the Global Coordinate System.
You can also specify a user-defined or local coordinate system.
4. Select the method used to define the Remote Force: Vector (default), Vector: Real - Imaginary,
Components, or Components: Real - Imaginary.
Note:
• If you scope this load using the Element Face or Node selection options, you must
use either of these options to properly specify the Direction property. That is, select
the Direction property field (Click to Define), make sure that either the Element
Face or the Node selection option is active, and then define the desired direction.
7. Select the Behavior of the geometry.
8. As needed, enter a Pinball Region value. The default value is All.
9. If you are performing a Harmonic MSUP analysis that is linked to upstream system, you can set
the Loading Application property to either Load Vector (default) or Table. This property selec-
tion enables you to specify between applying the load using load vectors or tables in the har-
monic analysis. The option is not available if you scope the load to a Remote Point or a vertex.
Note:
Since it is considered a remote boundary condition (p. 1856), a Remote Force can make
use of remote points that were either specifically defined or created internally by the
application. To do a visual check, you can display the connection lines between your
scoping and the remote point by selecting the Remote Point Connections option of
the Style (p. 83) group (Display tab).
Details Properties


Boundary Conditions


• Remote Point: Indicates that the geometry is defined by a

Remote Point (p. 1379).
– Remote Points: This field provides a drop-down list of

available user-defined Remote Points.
Coordinate System: Drop-down list of available coordinate systems.

The following properties are used to define the location of the load’s
origin:
• X Coordinate
• Y Coordinate
• Z Coordinate
Location: This property specifies the location of the load's origin. The
default location is the centroid of your geometry selection(s). You can
define this property manually using geometry entity selections as well
as by making entries in the above coordinate properties.
Definition Type: Read-only field that displays boundary condition type - Remote
Force.
Define By, options include:
• Vector: A magnitude and direction (based on selected

– Magnitude
– Direction
• Vector: Real - Imaginary (Harmonic Analysis only): Real and

imaginary magnitude and direction (based on selected
– Direction
Note:
If you scope this load using the Element Face or Node

selection options, you must use either of these options
to properly specify the Direction property. That is,
select the Direction property field (Click to Define),
make sure that either the Element Face or the Node
selection option is active, and then define the desired
direction.

applied). Requires the specification of at least one of the
following inputs:
• Components: Real - Imaginary (Harmonic Analysis (p. 502)

only): Option to define the loading type as real and imaginary
components (in the Global Coordinate System or local
coordinate system, if applied). Requires the specification of at
least one of the following inputs:
– X Component - Real
– X Component - Imaginary
– Y Component - Real
– Y Component - Imaginary
– Z Component - Real
Boundary Conditions
– Z Component - Imaginary
Note:
Selection of a Coordinate System rotated out of the

global Cartesian X-Y plane is not supported in a 2D
analysis.

condition.

Analysis when Cyclic Symmetry is present in the model. Options include:
• No (default). The loading is purely cyclic. That is, the load

• Harmonic Index. The non-cyclic loading can be specified for


Important:



Behavior (p. 1385): This option dictates the behavior of the attached
geometry. If the Scope Method property is set to Remote Point, the
boundary condition will then assume the Behavior defined in the
referenced Remote Point as well as other related properties. Options
include:
• Rigid: Does not allow the scoped geometry to deform. This is

the only available option for Explicit Dynamics analyses.
• Deformable: Allows the scoped geometry to deform.
• Coupled: Allows the scoped geometry to have the same DOF

solution on its underlying nodes as the remote point location.
• Beam: This option specifies a connection from the remote load

to the model using linear massless beam elements. It is not a
valid option for a Modal Superposition Harmonic Response
analysis unless a Remote Point references the load.
Material: This property is available when the Behavior property is set

to Beam. Select a material to define material properties for the beams
used in the connection. Density is excluded from the material definition.
Radius: This property is available when the Behavior property is set

to Beam. Specify a radius to define the cross section dimension of the
circular beam used for the connection.
Follower Load (Rigid Dynamics (p. 557) analysis only): When set to No
(default), the force direction doesn't change during the simulation.
When set to Yes, the force direction is updated with the underlying
body.
Step Controls Step Varying: Options include No (default) and Yes. When you select
(Visible for No, the Remote Load is applicable at all defined steps. When set to
Harmonic Yes, only the load step selected in either the RPM Selection or Step
Response analysis Selection properties described below is applicable.
with multiple load
steps defined) RPM Selection: This property displays when the Multiple Step Type
Load.
Advanced Pinball Region: Modify the Pinball setting to reduce the number of
elements included in the solver.
Note:
The Pinball Region property is not supported for the

Samcef and ABAQUS solvers.
Boundary Conditions
Loading Application (linked MSUP Harmonic analysis only): Options
include Load Vector (default) and Table. Using the Load Vector
option, the scale factor specified through load magnitude is applied
to the load vector in MSUP Harmonic analysis. Using the Table option,
the load magnitude is specified in tabular data format and is directly
applied to the selected scoping in the MSUP Harmonic analysis.
Note:
The option is not available if you scope the load to a

Remote Point or a vertex.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Remote Force section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
17.6.2.8. Bearing Load

The Bearing Load boundary condition simulates radial forces only. It is applied on the interior of a
cylinder in the radial direction using a coordinate system. If the Mechanical application detects a
portion of the load to be in the axial direction, the solver stops the solution and issues an appropriate
error message.
Note:
• If your CAD system splits the target cylinder into two or more faces, select all of
the faces when defining the Bearing Load.
• When analyzing more than one cylinder, be sure that you scope each cylinder
with its own Bearing Load boundary condition. Scoping a single Bearing Load to
multiple cylinders, as illustrated below, divides the load among the multiple cyl-
indrical faces by area ratio. The example shows two cylinders where the length
on the right cylinders is twice the length of the left cylinder. For the single Bearing
Load applied to the two cylinders, the reactions are proportional to each cylinder's
area as a fraction of the total load area. This can be seen by the Reaction Force
results shown below).
• Although loading across multiple steps may appear as an application of tabular

loading, you cannot set the magnitude of a Bearing Load in terms of either tabular
or functional data. You must set a constant or ramped magnitude for each step
such that one value corresponds to each step.

Applying a Bearing Load Boundary Condition (p. 1677)
Boundary Conditions
Analysis Types
Bearing Load is available for the following analysis types:

Harmonic (p. 384)
• Coupled Field
Static (p. 395) • Transient Structural (p. 671)
• Coupled Field
Transient (p. 399)
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Bearing Load boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation. For vector-based loading on a cylindrical face or geometric axis, you define the
radial direction by selecting a different piece of geometry on your model that allows you to
modify the Direction in the desired direction.
• 2D Simulation. The Bearing Load boundary condition applies a variable distribution of force to
a circular edge.
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for Bearing Load include:
• Solid

The supported topology selection options for the Bearing Load boundary condition include:
• Face. If the loaded face enlarges (for example, due to a change in parameters), the total load
applied to the face remains constant, but the pressure (force per unit area) decreases.
• Edge: Supported for 2D only
Define By Options
The supported Define By options for the Bearing Load boundary condition include:
• Vector. You define the radial direction for your vector load by selecting a piece of geometry on
your model that provides the ability to specify the direction correctly.
• Components. While loads are associative with geometry changes, load direction are not.
Magnitude Options
The Magnitude options (p. 1588) for Bearing Load include:
• Constant
Note:
Although loading across multiple steps may appear as an application of tabular

loading, you cannot set the magnitude of a Bearing Load in terms of either tabular
or functional data. You must set a constant or ramped magnitude for each step
such that one value corresponds to each step.
Applying a Bearing Load Boundary Condition

To apply a Bearing Load:
1. On the Environment Context tab, open the Loads drop-down menu and select Bearing Load.
Insert>Bearing Load.
3. Select the method used to define the Bearing Load: Vector (default) or Components.
Note:
Boundary Conditions

• Geometry Selection: Default setting, indicating that the boundary

condition is applied to a geometry or geometries, which are chosen
using a graphical selection tool.
– Geometry: Visible when the Scoping Method is set to Geometry

Selection. Displays the type of geometry (Face, Edge, etc.) and
the number of geometric entities (for example: 1 Face, 2 Edges)
• Named Selection: Indicates that the geometry selection is defined

by a Named Selection.
– Named Selection: Visible when the Scoping Method is set to

Named Selection. This field provides a drop-down list of available
user–defined Named Selections.
Definition Type: Read-only field that describes the object - Bearing Load.

– Magnitude
– Direction
Note:

selection options, you must use either of these options
to properly specify the Direction property. That is,
select the Direction property field (Click to Define),
make sure that either the Element Face or the Node
selection option is active, and then define the desired
direction.

inputs:


condition.

• Force is applied using the SF,,PRES command.
• Element types include:
– SURF154: 3D structural analyses.
– SURF153: 2D structural analyses.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Bearing Load section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
17.6.2.9. Bolt Pretension

This boundary condition applies a pretension load, typically to model a bolt under pretension. This
boundary condition can be scoped to any of the following:
• Cylindrical face • Pretension Section (coming from External

Model)
• Straight edge of a
line body • Elements
• Single or multiple • Element Faces

bodies
• Named Selections (specified using supported
• Beam scoping)
Connection (p. 1315)

Boundary Conditions

Applying a Bolt Pretension Boundary Condition (p. 1684)
Analysis Types
A Bolt Pretension load is applicable to pure structural or thermal-stress analyses. It is supported for
the following analysis types:
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Bolt Pretension boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation: Supported for Body scoping only.
Be sure that a sufficiently fine mesh exists on a face or body that contains a Bolt Pretension
boundary condition so that the mesh can be correctly partitioned along the axial direction (that is,
at least two elements long).
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for Bolt Pretension include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell
• Wire Body/Line Body/Beam: Supported for Line Body only.

The supported topology selection options for the Bolt Pretension boundary condition include:
• Body
– Body scoping of a Bolt Pretension load can be to more than one body. In this case all the
scoped bodies are cut. There is still only a single Bolt Pretension load created but this feature
allows you to apply a bolt load to a bolt that has been cut into several bodies. This feature is
illustrated in the following figure.
– Use caution when defining bolt loads by bodies and a coordinate system because the entire
body is sliced along the local cutting plane.
• Face
– If you try to apply a pre-load on the same face more than once, all definitions except the first
one are ignored.
– Face selection simulates one Bolt Pretension load through multiple split faces of a body. When
simulating Bolt Pretension using Face selection scoping on a body with multiple split faces,
you need to scope/apply only one the Bolt Pretension boundary condition to only one split
face. Even though you select only part of the cylinder body, the Bolt Pretension boundary
condition slices through the whole cylinder body.
– Care should be used when applying a Bolt Pretension boundary condition to a cylindrical face
that has bonded contact. There is a possibility that if you apply a Bolt Pretension boundary
condition to a cylinder that had a bonded contact region, the bonded contact will block the
ability of the Bolt Pretension to deform properly.
– The Bolt Pretension boundary condition should be applied to cylindrical faces that contain the
model volume (that is, do not try to apply the Bolt Pretension load to a hole).
– The Bolt Pretension boundary condition does not support scoping to a Virtual Cell (merged
faces).
• Edge. An option for applying the boundary condition to a line body is to apply it to a single
straight edge on the body. The direction of the boundary condition is inferred from the direction
of the edge.
• Element Face
For this scoping type, the Bolt Pretension boundary condition slices through the elements
that fall on the cutting plane and within a circular area centered at the origin of the specified
coordinate system. The radius of the circular area is the maximum value of the distances
calculated from the origin of the specified coordinate system to each of the scoped element
faces.
Boundary Conditions
Therefore, this scoping requires coordinates. A Coordinate System Behavior displays auto-
matically for this scoping method and defaults to the setting Program Controlled. A
Manual option is also available to enable you to select a user-defined (p. 1096) coordinate.
• Element
You can scope a Bolt Pretension load to one or more bodies. When you select multiple bodies,
all the bodies are cut along the local cutting plane. There is still only a single Bolt Pretension
load created but this feature enables you to apply one bolt load to a bolt that has been cut
into several bodies.
• Beam Connection (p. 1315). Note the following when using a beam connection with a pretension
load:
– When you select Beam Connection as your Scoping Method, a corresponding Beam
Connection property displays in the Details pane. This property provides a drop-down
list of available beam connections. In addition, when you specify Beam Connection as
your Scoping Method, the Coordinate System property is unavailable in the Details.
Tip:
You can drag and drop Beam Connection objects onto an Environment to
automatically created Bolt Pretension objects.
– A Bolt Pretension probe (p. 2231) can be scoped to a Bolt Pretension defined using the
Beam Connection option but a Bolt Tool cannot.
Important:
For this beam connection scoping scenario, the solver creates two beam elements.
As a result, beam probes do not support the Result Selection property options
Shear Force (At I/J) and Moment (At I/J). If selected, the application issues a
warning message indicating that the results reported at location J are midspan
values.
• Pretension Section. You can use this option when you have imported a pretension load through
the External Model system.
Note:
This scoping option does not support the Joint setting for the Formulation property.
Define By Options
The supported Define By options for the Bolt Pretension boundary condition include:
• Load. Applies a force as a preload. A Preload field is displayed where you enter the value of the
load in force units.
• Adjustment. Applies a length as a pre-adjustment (for example, to model x number of threads).

A Preadjustment property displays when Adjustment is selected. Enter the value of the adjust-
ment in length units. It applies the Preadjustment from the solved deformation value of the
previous step to the specified Adjustment value of the current step.
• Lock. Fixes all displacements. You can set this state for any step except the first step.
• Open. Use this option to leave the Bolt Pretension load open so that the load has no effect on
the applied step, effectively suppressing the load for the step. Note that in order to avoid con-
vergence issues from having under-constrained conditions, a small load (0.01% of the maximum
load across the steps) is applied. You can set this state for any step.
• Increment. Applies a length as an incremental adjustment. An Increment field is displayed where

you enter the value of the Adjustment in length units. When applied, the specified value gets
added to the solved deformation value from the previous step. You can choose this option for
any step except the first step.
Note:
If a solution restart is performed from a substep of a load step that has an Incre-
ment specified, the increment value gets added to the solved deformation value
at the beginning of the selected restart sub-step.
Boundary Conditions
Magnitude Options
Bolt Pretension is defined by constant loading data only.
Applying a Bolt Pretension Boundary Condition

To apply a Bolt Pretension:
1. On the Environment Context tab, open the Loads drop-down menu and select Bolt Pretension.
Alternatively, right-click the Environment object or within the Geometry window, and select
Insert > Bolt Pretension.
2. Define the Scoping Method as either Geometry Selection, Named Selection, Beam Connection,
or Pretension Section and then specify the desired cylindrical body/bodies, mesh entity, con-
nection, or section.
3. Coordinate System definition can be performed based on your geometric or mesh entity scoping:
• The Coordinate System Behavior property displays when Faces, Edges, or Element Faces
are specified through the scoping. The options for this property include Program Con-
trolled, where the application defines the coordinates, or Manual, which displays a Co-
ordinate System property that you use to select a user-defined coordinate system.
• The Coordinate System property displays when solid bodies or elements are specified
through the scoping. This option enables you to select a user-defined coordinate system.
Note:
When the scoping requires you to specify the Coordinate System, the application
of the boundary condition is at the origin and along the z-axis (3D) or x-axis (2D) of
the coordinate system. You can place the coordinate system anywhere in the body
and reorient the required axis.
4. Specify the Formulation property as needed. This property is only available for 3D analyses. If
the bolt specified with pretension is likely to undergo large rotation, set this property to Joint
to instruct the application to use element MPC184. This element updates its orientation axis as
the bolt undergoes rotation and helps the solution converge. For the use of the Joint Formulation
type, review the Considerations and Restrictions for Preload Sections topic in the Defining
Preload in a Joint Fastener Undergoing Large Rotation section of the Mechanical APDL Basic
Analysis Guide for limitations and restrictions on its use.
5. Using the Define By property, specify how the boundary condition is defined: by Load, Adjust-
ment, or Open.
6. Specify a Preload or Preadjustment value as needed.
7. If the Scoping Method is set to either Geometry Selection or Named Selection, you can
specify the Solve Behavior and Tolerance properties.

Scope Scoping Method: The options for this property include Geometry
Selection (default), Named Selections, Beam Connection, and
Pretension Section.
Geometry: This property displays when the Scoping Method is set to

Geometry Selection. In this case, use selections filter to pick geometry
or mesh entities, click in the Geometry field, then click Apply.
Named Selection: This property displays when the Scoping Method

is set to Named Selection. Select a desired Named Selection from
the drop-down menu.
Beam Connection: This property displays when the Scoping Method

is set to Beam Connection. It enables you to scope the pretension
load to a Beam Connection (p. 1315) available from the drop-down menu
of user-defined beam connections.
Pretension Section: This property displays when the Scoping Method

is set to Pretension Section. It enables you to scope the load using a
pretension load imported through the External Model system.
Coordinate System (Body/Element scoping only): This property

provides a drop-down list of selectable coordinate systems. Only
coordinate systems specified in the XY Plane are supported. The Global
Coordinate System is the default setting. This property is not available
for Beam Connection scoping.
Coordinate System Behavior: This option is only visible when your

scoping is made with a Face, Edge, or Element Face. Options include
Program Controlled and Manual. When you select the Manual option,
an associated Coordinate System property displays with the default
setting of Global Coordinate System. You can specify a new
user-defined Coordinate System as desired.
Important:
For the Program Controlled option, Element Face

selections must be cylindrical for the application to
properly calculate the corresponding Coordinate System
(along Z Axis). If you do not use a cylindrical scoping,
you need to set the property to Manual and specify
the coordinate system.
Definition Type: Read-only field that displays boundary condition type - Bolt
Pretension.
Suppressed: Options include No (default) and Yes.
Formulation: This property is only available for 3D analyses. Options

include Program Controlled (default), Pretension (Small Rotation),
Boundary Conditions
and Joint. If a bolt specified with pretension is likely to undergo large
rotation, set this property to Joint to instruct the application to use
element MPC184. This element updates its orientation axis as the bolt
undergoes rotation and helps the solution converge. The Pretension
(Small Rotation) option indicates that little to no rotation will take
place and is the option used for the Program Controlled default.
Define By: The options for this property include:
• Load
• Adjustment
• Lock
• Open
• Increment
Preload: Visible when the Define By property is set to Load.
Preadjustment: Visible when the Define By property is set to Adjust-

ment.
Increment: Visible when the Define By property is set to Increment.

Advanced Solve Behavior: This property (and category) displays when the
Scoping Method property is set to either Geometry Selection (default)
or Named Selections. This property enables you to specify how the
application solves your Bolt Pretension boundary condition. The options
for this property include:
• Combined (default): This option treats the scoped geometric

entities as one single bolt and solves the preload as a single
load shared by the scoped entities. This option supports multiple
body selections, multiple edge selections, from same or different
line bodies, but only one face selection per Bolt Pretension
boundary condition.
• Individual: Using this option, the specified preload value is

applied to each scoped entity and solved as an individual
preload for each scoped entity. Note that this option:
– Supports multiple cylindrical surface selections, however

these faces cannot belong to the same body.
– Does not support the use of Bolt Probes.
Tolerance: This property displays when the Scoping Method property

is set to either Geometry Selection (default) or Named Selections.
Using this property, you can specify a tolerance that enables the
application to identify nodes that occur precisely at or that are slightly
below the cutting plane. This entry essentially enables you to shift the
plane by a desired value. If set to 0, the application automatically
calculates a default value.
The following example shows a Bolt Pretension load as a preload force and as a pre-adjustment
length:
The following animation shows total deformation:
product.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Bolt Pretension section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
Boundary Conditions
17.6.2.10. Moment
This boundary condition distributes a moment "about" (the vector of ) an axis across 1) one or more
flat or curved faces, 2) about one or more edges or vertices, or 3) one or more element faces (3D
only) or nodes. Use the right-hand rule to determine the direction of the rotation.
A Moment is classified as a remote boundary condition. Refer to the Remote Boundary Condi-
tions (p. 1856) section for a listing of all remote boundary conditions and their characteristics.

Applying a Moment Boundary Condition (p. 1691)
Analysis Types
Moment is available for the following analysis types:

Harmonic (p. 384)
• Coupled Field
Static (p. 395) • Transient Structural (p. 671)
• Coupled Field
Transient (p. 399)
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Moment boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Moment boundary condition include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell
Note:
Face and edge selections for the Moment load can span multiple parts, however, multiple
vertex selections must be of the same part type (solid, 3D surface or line bodies) or the
selection is ignored.

The supported topology selection options for Moment include:
• Face: Supported for 3D only. If a face enlarges (for example, due to a change in parameters), the
total load applied to the face remains constant, but the load per unit area decreases.
• Edge
• Vertex. This boundary condition cannot be applied to a vertex scoped to an end release (p. 1320).
• Node
Applying Moment to a Straight Edge
If you apply a Moment to a straight edge (with colinear nodes) of a deformable surface body
or a solid body, the application applies the load to the edge as well as the neighboring nodes
of the element faces of the deformable surface body or the solid body, respectively. This
The following example shows how the application applies a Moment, scoped to a straight edge,
to the neighboring element face nodes. In this example, the imbalance of constraint equations
created on the blocks might result in unwanted non-zero moment reactions. You can minimize
this by using either a lower order mesh or a coarser higher order mesh. For more information,
see the Surface-Based Constraints section of the Mechanical APDL Contact Technology Guide.
Boundary Conditions
Define By Options
The supported Define By options for the Moment boundary condition include:
• Components
Magnitude Options
The supported Magnitude options (p. 1588) for Moment include the following:
• Constant
a Cyclic Region is defined. By default, at least two harmonic index entries are required when
defining a Harmonic Index dependent tabular load.
load.
Applying a Moment Boundary Condition

To apply a Moment:
1. Select the Moment option from the Environment Context tab. Alternatively, right-click the
Environment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Moment.
2. Define the Scoping Method as either Geometry Selection, Named Selection, or Remote Point
and then specify the geometry.
Note:
When specifying the Scoping Method, faces and edges can be scoped to either
the geometry where the load is to be applied (Geometry Selection), to a Named
Selection, or to a Remote Point (p. 1379). Vertices cannot be scoped to Remote
Point.
Tip:
For a project where none of the analyses have been solved, automatic Remote
Point creation is available in Harmonic Response or Transient Structural analyses
that use a linked Modal system to implement the Mode Superposition (MSUP)
solver method. To use this feature:
• Select a supported topology (geometric or mesh entity) on your model,

and
• Insert a Moment load.
The application automatically creates a corresponding Remote Point for the

specified load and scopes the load to that Remote Point. Automatic Remote
Point creation improves processing performance by eliminating the need to
create internal elements for the load.
3. Select the method used to define the Moment: Vector (default), Vector: Real - Imaginary,
Components, or Components: Real - Imaginary.
Boundary Conditions
Note:
6. Select the Behavior of the geometry.
7. As needed, enter a Pinball Region value. The default value is All.
8. If you are performing a Harmonic MSUP analysis that is linked to upstream system, you can set
the Loading Application property to either Load Vector (default) or Table. This property selec-
tion enables you to specify between applying the load using load vectors or tables in the har-
monic analysis. The option is not available if you scope the load to a Remote Point or a vertex.
Note:
Because a Moment is a remote boundary condition, it can make use of Remote Points
that were either specifically defined or created internally by the application. As a visual
check, you can display connection lines between your scoping and the Remote Point by
selecting the Remote Point Connections option of the Style (p. 83) group (Display
tab).



Selection. Displays the type of geometry (Body, Face, etc.) and
the number of geometric entities (for example: 1 Body, 2 Edges)

• Remote Point
– Remote Point: Visible when the Scoping Method is set to Remote

Point. This field provides a drop-down list of available user-defined
Remote Points.
Definition Type: Read-only field that displays boundary condition type - Moment.
Define By (3D Only): Options include:

– Magnitude
– Phase Angle (Harmonic analysis (p. 502) only)
– Direction
• Vector: Real - Imaginary (Harmonic analysis only): Real and imaginary

magnitude and direction (based on selected geometry). Requires
the specification of the following inputs:
– Direction
Note:

selection options, you must use either of these options to
properly specify the Direction property. That is, select the
Direction property field (Click to Define), make sure that
either the Element Face or the Node selection option is
active, and then define the desired direction.

inputs:
Boundary Conditions
– X Phase Angle (Harmonic analysis (p. 502) only)
– Y Phase Angle (Harmonic analysis (p. 502) only)
– Z Phase Angle (Harmonic analysis (p. 502) only)
• Components: Real - Imaginary (Harmonic analysis (p. 502) only):

Option to define the loading type as real and imaginary components
inputs:
– X Component - Real
– X Component - Imaginary
– Y Component - Real
– Y Component - Imaginary
– Z Component - Real
– Z Component - Imaginary
Magnitude (2D Only)

condition.

analysis when Cyclic Symmetry is present in the model. Options include:
• No (default): The loading is purely cyclic. That is, the load

• Harmonic Index: The non-cyclic loading can be specified for

Important:



Behavior (p. 1385): This option dictates the behavior of the attached
geometry. If the Scope Method property is set to Remote Point, the
boundary condition will then assume the Behavior defined in the
referenced Remote Point as well as other related properties. Options
include:
• Rigid: Does not allow the scoped geometry to deform.
• Deformable: Allows the scoped geometry to deform.
• Coupled: Allows the scoped geometry to have the same DOF

solution on its underlying nodes as the Remote Point location.
• Beam: This option specifies a connection from the remote load to

the model using linear massless beam elements. It is not a valid
option for a Modal Superposition Harmonic Response analysis unless
a Remote Point references the load.
Material: This property is available when the Behavior property is set

to Beam. Select a material to define material properties for the beams
used in the connection. Density is excluded from the material definition.
Radius: This property is available when the Behavior property is set

to Beam. Specify a radius to define the cross-section dimension of the
circular beam used for the connection.
Boundary Conditions
Step Controls (Visible Step Varying: Options include No (default) and Yes. When you select
for Harmonic Response No, the Remote Load is applicable at all defined steps. When set to
analysis with multiple Yes, only the load step selected in either the RPM Selection or Step
load steps defined) Selection properties described below is applicable.
RPM Selection: This property displays when the Multiple Step Type
Load.
Advanced Pinball Region
Loading Application (linked MSUP Harmonic analysis only): Options

include Load Vector (default) and Table. Using the Load Vector
option, the scale factor specified through load magnitude is applied
to the load vector in MSUP Harmonic analysis. Using the Table option,
the load magnitude is specified in tabular data format and is directly
applied to the selected scoping in the MSUP Harmonic analysis.
Note:
The option is not available if you scope the load to a

Remote Point or a vertex.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Moment section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
17.6.2.11. Generalized Plane Strain

This boundary condition is used during 2D simulations (p. 906) involving generalized plane strain
behavior (p. 909).

Define By Options and Magnitude Options (p. 1697)
Applying a Generalized Plane Strain Boundary Condition (p. 1697)

Analysis Types
The Generalized Plane Strain boundary condition is available for the following analysis types:
• Modal Analysis (p. 521)
• Eigenvalue Buckling (p. 493)
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Generalized Plane Strain boundary condition include:
• 2D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for Generalized Plane Strain include:
• Surface/Shell: Supported for 2D Surface only.

The supported topology selection options for the Generalized Plane Strain boundary condition in-
clude:
• Body
Define By Options and Magnitude Options

The Generalized Plane Strain boundary condition is defined as a constant.
Applying a Generalized Plane Strain Boundary Condition

To apply a Generalized Plane Strain:
1. On the Environment Context tab, open the Loads drop-down menu and select Generalized
Plane Strain. Alternatively, right-click the Environment tree object or in the Geometry window
and select Insert>Generalized Plane Strain.
2. The Geometry selection for this boundary condition is, by default, set to All Bodies and is a
read-only property.
3. Define the X Coordinate of Reference Point and the Y Coordinate of Reference Point. These
entries are distance values defining the starting point in space.
Boundary Conditions
4. Define the properties for the Condition Along Fiber Direction, that includes options for the
Boundary Condition property and a Magnitude as applicable.
• Free - No magnitude.
• Force - Enter magnitude.
• Displacement - Enter magnitude.
5. Define the properties for the Condition for Rotation About X-axis and the Condition for Ro-
tation About Y-axis. The options for the include Boundary Condition property are listed below.
Magnitude is defined when applicable.
• Free - No magnitude.
• Moment - Enter magnitude.
• Rotation - Enter magnitude.

Scope Geometry: Read-only field that displays geometry selection - All
Bodies
Definition Coordinate System: Drop-down list of available coordinate systems.
X Coordinate of Reference Point
Y Coordinate of Reference Point

condition.
Condition for Rota- Boundary Condition: Options include:
tion About X-axis
• Free: No magnitude.
• Moment: Enter magnitude.
• Rotation: Enter magnitude.
Magnitude
Condition for Rota- Boundary Condition: Options include:
tion About Y-axis
• Free: No magnitude.
• Moment: Enter magnitude.
• Rotation: Enter magnitude.
Magnitude
Note:
You may wish to review the Generalized Plain Strain Probes (p. 2232) section of the Help
for additional information about this boundary condition.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Generalized Plain Strain section of the ACT API Reference
Guide.
17.6.2.12. Line Pressure

For 3D simulations, a Line Pressure load applies a distributed force using force density loading in
units of force per length. You can define force density as a vector, an axial component, or tangentially.
Tangential loads can be applied to one edge only whereas vector and component loads and can
be applied to one or more edges.
If a pressurized edge enlarges due to a change in CAD parameters, the total load applied to the
edge increases, but the pressure (force per unit length) remains constant.

Applying a Line Pressure Boundary Condition (p. 1701)
Boundary Conditions
Analysis Types
Line Pressure is available for the following analysis types:
• Coupled Field • Harmonic Acoustics

Harmonic (p. 384)
• Coupled Field
Static (p. 395) • Static Structural (p. 658)

Transient (p. 399)
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Line Pressure boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Line Pressure boundary condition include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell

The supported topology selection options for Line Pressure include:
• Edge
Define By Options
The supported Define By options for the Line Pressure boundary condition include:
• Vector
• Tangential: Supported (scoped to one edge only).
• Components
Magnitude Options
The supported Magnitude options (p. 1588) for Line Pressure include the following:
• Constant. This is the only option supported for Explicit Dynamics.
• Tabular (Spatially Varying): Supported for Tangential loading only.
• Function (Spatially Varying): Supported for Tangential loading only.
Applying a Line Pressure Boundary Condition

To apply a Line Pressure:
1. On the Environment Context tab, open the Loads drop-down menu and select Line Pressure.
Insert>Line Pressure.
3. Select the method used to define the Line Pressure: Vector (default), Tangential, or Components.
4. Define the Magnitude, Coordinate System, and/or Direction of the Line Pressure based on
the above selections.
Note:
The Direction property is not associative and does not remain joined to the entity(s)


Boundary Conditions


Definition Type: Read-only field that displays boundary condition type - Line
Pressure.

– Magnitude
– Direction
• Tangential (scoped to one edge only)

inputs:

Phase Angle (Harmonic Analysis (p. 502) only).

condition.

• Line pressure is applied using the SFE command and the SURF156 element type.
• Magnitude (constant, tabular, and function) is always represented as one or more tables in the
input file.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Line Pressure section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
17.6.2.13. PSD Base Excitation

PSD Base Excitation loads are used exclusively in random vibration analyses (p. 531) to provide ex-
citation in terms of spectral value vs. frequency to your choice of the supports that were applied
in the prerequisite modal analysis (p. 521). The Boundary Condition setting in the Details pane in-
cludes a drop-down list where you can specify any of the following supports for excitation that are
defined in the modal analysis: Fixed Support, Displacement, Remote Displacement, and Body-
to-Ground Spring. If multiple fixed supports or multiple remote displacements are defined in the
modal analysis, you can apply the excitation load to all fixed supports or all remote displacements
or all of both loads using one of the following options:
• All Remote Displacements
• All Fixed and Remote Displacements
• All Supports (including Fixed, Remote Displacement, Displacement, and Grounded Springs)
Note:
• Only fixed degrees of freedom of the supports are valid for excitations.
• Boundary conditions defined with a local coordinate system are not supported.
You can also specify the excitation direction (X Axis, Y Axis, or Z Axis).
The user-defined PSD data table is created in the Tabular Data window. You can create a new PSD
table or import one from a library that you have created, via the fly-out of the Load Data option
Note:
Only positive table values can be input when defining this load.
When creating PSD loads for a Random Vibration analysis in the Mechanical application, Workbench
evaluates your entries by performing a "Goodness of Fit" to ensure that your results will be depend-
able.
Click the fly-out of the Load Data option and choose Improved Fit after entering data points for
viewing the graph and updating the table. Interpolated points are displayed if they are available
from the goodness of fit approximation. Once load entries are entered, the table provides one of
the following color-code indicators per segment:
Boundary Conditions
• Green: Values are considered reliable and accurate.
• Yellow: This is a warning indicator. Results produced are not considered to be reliable and accur-
ate.
• Red: Results produced are not considered trustworthy. If you choose to solve the analysis, the
Mechanical APDL application executes the action, however the results are almost certainly incorrect.
Ansys recommends that you modify your input PSD loads prior to the solution process.
Four types of base excitation are supported:
• PSD Acceleration
• PSD G Acceleration
• PSD Velocity
• PSD Displacement
The direction of the PSD base excitation is defined in the nodal coordinate of the excitation points.
Multiple PSD excitations (uncorrelated) can be applied. Typical usage is to apply three different
PSDs in the X, Y, and Z directions. Correlation between PSD excitations is not supported.
17.6.2.14. RS Base Excitation

RS Base Excitation loads are used exclusively in response spectrum analyses (p. 540) to provide ex-
citation in terms of a spectrum. For each spectrum value, there is one corresponding frequency.
Use the Boundary Condition setting in the Details pane to apply an excitation to all of the fixed
supports that were applied in the prerequisite modal analysis (p. 521).
Note:
Only fixed DOFs of the supports are valid for excitations.
You can also specify the excitation in a given direction (X Axis, Y Axis, or Z Axis).
The user-defined RS data table is created in the Tabular Data window. You can create a new RS
table or import one from a library that you have created, via the fly-out of the Load Data option
Note:
Only positive table values can be used when defining this load.
Three types of base excitation are supported:
• RS Acceleration
• RS Velocity
• RS Displacement
You should specify the direction of the RS base excitation in the global Cartesian system.
You can apply multiple response spectrum excitations as long as they are of the same type (accel-
eration, displacement, or velocity). Typically, you apply the same type of RS excitation in each co-
ordinate direction (X, Y, and Z).
The following additional settings are included in the Details pane of an RS Base Excitation load:
• Scale Factor: Scales the entire table of input excitation spectrum for a Single Point response
spectrum. The factor must be greater than 0.0. The default is 1.0.
• Missing Mass Effect: Set to Yes to include the contribution of high frequency modes in the total
response calculation. Including these modes is normally required for nuclear power plant design.
The responses contributed by frequency modes higher than those of rigid responses, specifically
frequency modes beyond Zero Period Acceleration (ZPA) are called residual rigid responses. The
frequency modes beyond ZPA are defined as frequency modes at which the spectral acceleration
returns to the Zero Period Acceleration. In some applications, especially in the nuclear power
plant industry, it is critical and required to include the residual rigid responses to the total re-
sponses. Ignoring the residual rigid responses will result in an underestimation of responses in
the vicinity of supports. There are two methods available to calculate residual rigid responses:
the Missing Mass and Static ZPA methods. The Missing Mass method is named based on the fact
that the mass associated with the frequency modes higher than that of ZPA are missing from
the analysis. As a result, the residual rigid responses are sometimes referred to missing mass re-
sponses. When set to Yes, the Missing Mass Effect is used in a response spectrum analysis.
Note:
If the Missing Mass Effect property is set to Yes for an excitation, then all excitations
must have the property set to Yes.
• Rigid Response Effect: Set to Yes to include rigid responses to the total response calculation.
Rigid responses normally occur in the frequency range that is lower than that of missing mass
responses, but higher than that of periodic responses.
In many cases, it is impractical and difficult to accurately calculate all natural frequencies and
mode shapes for use in the response spectrum evaluation. For high-frequency modes, rigid re-
sponses basically predominate. To compensate for the contribution of higher modes to the re-
sponses, the rigid responses are combined algebraically to the periodic responses, which occur
in the low-frequency modes that are calculated using one the methods above. The most widely
adopted methods to calculate the rigid responses are the Gupta and Lindley-Yow methods. These
two methods are available for a response spectrum analysis under Rigid Response Effect Type
when Rigid Response Effect is set to Yes.
17.6.2.15. Joint Load

When you are using joints in a Explicit Dynamics (p. 409), Rigid Dynamics (p. 557), Structural Optim-
ization, Transient Structural (p. 671) analysis, you use a Joint Load object to apply a kinematic
driving condition to a single degree of freedom on a Joint object. Joint Load objects are applicable
to all joint types (p. 1208) except fixed, general, universal, and spherical joints. For translation degrees
of freedom, the Joint Load can apply a displacement, velocity, acceleration, or force. For rotation
Boundary Conditions
degrees of freedom, the Joint Load can apply a rotation, angular velocity, angular acceleration, or
moment. The directions of the degrees of freedom are based on the reference coordinate system
of the joint and not on the mobile coordinate system.
A positive joint load will tend to cause the mobile body to move in the positive degree of freedom
direction with respect to the reference body, assuming the mobile body is free to move. If the
mobile body is not free to move then the reference body will tend to move in the negative degree
of freedom direction for the Joint Load. One way to learn how the mechanism will behave is to
use the Configure (p. 1291) feature. For the joint with the applied Joint Load, dragging the mouse
will indicate the nature of the reference/mobile definition in terms of positive and negative motion.
To apply a Joint Load:
1. Highlight the environment object and insert a Joint Load from the right mouse button context
menu or from the Loads drop-down menu in the Environment Context tab.
2. From the Joint drop-down list in the Details of the Joint Load, select the particular Joint object
that you would like to apply to the Joint Load. You should apply a Joint Load to the mobile
bodies of the joint. It is therefore important to carefully select the reference and mobile bodies
while defining the joint.
3. Select the unconstrained degree of freedom for applying the Joint Load, based on the type
of joint (p. 1208). You make this selection from the DOF drop-down list. For joint types that allow
multiple unconstrained degrees of freedom, a separate Joint Load is necessary to drive each
one. Further limitations apply as outlined under Joint Load Limitations (p. 1707) below. Joint
Load objects that include velocity, acceleration, rotational velocity or rotational acceleration
are not applicable to static structural analyses.
4. Select the type of Joint Load from the Type drop-down list. The list is filtered with choices of
Displacement, Velocity, Acceleration, and Force if you selected a translational DOF in step
3. The choices are Rotation, Rotational Velocity, Rotational Acceleration, and Moment if
you selected a rotational DOF.
Note:
If you are using the Mechanical APDL solver and scoping the Joint Load to a Gen-
eral joint that has the Rotation property set to Free All, then the Moment option
is not listed in the Type property drop-down list.
5. Specify the magnitude of the Joint Load type selected in step 4 as a constant, in tabular
format, or as a function of time using the same procedure as is done for most loads in the
Mechanical application. Refer to Specifying Boundary Condition Magnitude (p. 1588) for further
information.
Tip:
On Windows platforms, an alternative and more convenient way to accomplish

steps 1 and 2 above is to drag and drop the Joint object of interest from under the
Connections object folder to the environment object folder. When you highlight
the new Joint Load object, the Joint field is already completed and you can continue
at step 3 with DOF selection.
6. As applicable, specify the load step at which you want to lock the joint load by entering the
value of the step in the Lock at Load Step field. The default value for this option is zero (0)
and is displayed as Never. This feature immobilizes movement of the joint’s DOFs. For example,
this option is beneficial when you want to tighten a bolt to an initial torque value (via a Moment
Joint Driver on a Revolute Joint) and then lock that joint during a subsequent load step.
Note:
Mechanical APDL References:
This feature makes use of the %_FIX% parameter on the DJ command.

When a joint driver with a force or moment load is deactivated, then the lock
constraint on the joint is also deleted using the DJDELE command. This happens
if the locking occurs before the deactivation.
Joint Load Limitations

Some joint types have limitations on the unconstrained degrees of freedom that allow the application
of joint loads as illustrated in the following table:
Joint Type Unconstrained Degrees of Allowable Degrees of Freedom for

Freedom Applying Joint Loads
Fixed (p. 1209) None Not applicable
Revolute (p. 1209) ROTZ ROTZ
Cylindrical (p. 1209) UZ, ROTZ UZ, ROTZ
Translational (p. 1210) UX UX
Slot (p. 1211) UX, ROTX, ROTY, ROTZ UX
Universal (p. 1211) ROTX, ROTZ None
Spherical (p. 1212) ROTX, ROTY, ROTZ None
Planar (p. 1213) UX, UY, ROTZ UX, UY, ROTZ
General (p. 1221) UX, UY and UZ, Free X, Free Y, Free All unconstrained degrees of freedom
Z, and Free All
Bushing (p. 1213) UX, UY, UZ, ROTX, ROTY, ROTZ All unconstrained degrees of freedom
Point on UX UX
Curve (p. 1222)
Note:
Where applicable, you must define all three rotations for a Joint Load before proceeding
to a solve.
Boundary Conditions
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Joint Load section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
17.6.2.16. Thermal Condition

You can insert a known temperature (not from data transfer) boundary condition in an analysis by
inserting a Thermal Condition object. Specify the value of the temperature in the Details pane under
the Magnitude property. If the load is applied to a surface body, by default the temperature is
applied to both the top and bottom surface body faces. You can optionally apply different temper-
atures to the top and bottom faces by adjusting the Shell Face entry in the Details pane. When
you apply a Thermal Condition load to a solid body, the Shell Face property is not available in the
Details pane. You can add the Thermal Condition load as time-dependent (p. 187) or spatially vary-
ing (p. 1600).
Note:
• When a Thermal Condition is specified on the Top or Bottom shell face of a surface
body, the opposite face defaults to the environment temperature unless it is otherwise
specified from another load object.
• For an assembly of bodies with different topologies (solid body, line, shell, beam), you
must define a separate Thermal Condition load for each topology, that is, you must
define one load scoped to line bodies, define a second load scoped to surface bodies,
and so on.
• For each load step, if an Imported Body temperature load and a Thermal Condition
load are applied on common geometry selections, the Imported Body temperature
load takes precedence. For additional rules when multiple load objects of the same
type exist on common geometry selections, see Activating and Deactivating
Loads (p. 1507).
• If the Thermal Condition is applied to a shell face that has a Layered Section (p. 896)
applied to it, you must set Shell Face to Both in order to solve the analysis.

Applying a Thermal Condition Boundary Condition (p. 1710)
Analysis Types
Thermal Condition is available for the following analysis types:
• Coupled Field • Modal (p. 521)

Static (p. 395)
• Modal Acoustics
• Coupled Field
Transient (p. 399) • Static Structural (p. 658)
• Eigenvalue • Transient Structural (p. 671)

Buckling (p. 493)
• Electric Analysis (p. 406)
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Thermal Condition boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Thermal Condition boundary condition include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell

The supported topology selection options for Thermal Condition include:
• Body. Thermal Condition is a body-based boundary condition.
• Element
Define By Options
The Thermal Condition boundary condition’s loading is defined by Magnitude only.
Magnitude Options
The supported Magnitude options (p. 1588) for Thermal Condition include the following:
• Constant. This is the only option for Eigenvalue Buckling analyses.
Boundary Conditions
• Table Name. Supported for the Mechanical APDL solver only. A multi-variable table (p. 1397) of
numeric values that defines the temperature for the selection. The Magnitude field automatically
lists the names of all tables that contain temperature as dependent variables.
• New Table. Supported for the Mechanical APDL solver only. Select this option to create a new
multivariable table of temperature values. You can then assign this table as the Magnitude.
Applying a Thermal Condition Boundary Condition

To apply a Thermal Condition:
1. On the Environment Context tab, open the Loads drop-down menu and select Thermal Con-
dition. Alternatively, right-click the Environment tree object or in the Geometry window and
select Insert>Thermal Condition.
2. Define the Scoping Method. This property has two options: Geometry Selection and Named
Selection. For either scoping type, the application supports only solid bodies, surface bodies
(2D), line bodies, or elements.
For surface bodies, in the Details pane, the Shell Face property provides a drop-down list. Select
Top, Bottom, or Both (default) to apply the thermal boundary condition to the selected face.
For bodies that have one or more layered section objects, you need to specify Both for Shell
Face or the Thermal Condition will be under-defined and an error message will be generated.
3. Specify the Magnitude of the temperature.
4. Depending on the load type you selected for Magnitude, you may need to specify additional
information under Tabular Data, Function, or Graphics Controls.


• Geometry: Visible when the Scoping Method property is set to

Geometry Selection. Displays the type of geometry (Body or
Element) and the number of geometric entities (for example: 1 Body,
2 Elements) to which the boundary has been applied using the
selection tools.
• Named Selection: Visible when the Scoping Method property is

set to Named Selection. This field provides a drop-down list of
available user-defined Named Selections. Named Selections must
be either body- or element-based.
Definition Type: Read-only field that displays the boundary condition type:
Thermal Condition.
Magnitude: Temperature load. Select one of the following:
• Import (p. 1598)
• Export (p. 1599)
• Constant. The default is 22 degrees Celsius.
• Tabular
• Function
• Table Name. (Mechanical APDL solver only)
• New Table.(Mechanical APDL solver only).

condition.
Analysis only)
grouped loads.
Function This category displays when you set the Magnitude to Function. For
additional information, see Spatial Load and Displacement Function
Data (p. 1595).
Tabular Data This category displays when you set the Magnitude to Tabular. For
additional information, see Spatial Load Tabular Data (p. 1593).
Graph Controls This category displays based upon the specifications made in the
Function or Tabular categories. For additional information, see Spatial
Load and Displacement Function Data (p. 1595) or Spatial Load Tabular
Data (p. 1593).
Boundary Conditions
Thermal Condition If you selected the name of a table (p. 1397) under Magnitude to define
Table Options the temperature load on the boundary, the following options are
(Mechanical APDL available.
solver only)
• Parameterization: Check the box next to Magnitude to parameterize
the table.
• Graphics Controls appears when you select a table that contains

time as an independent variable.
For additional information, see Specify Thermal Condition Loads with

Tables (p. 1605)

• Temperatures are applied using the BF command. For surface bodies, with Top or Bottom Shell
Face selection, temperatures are applied using the BFE command.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Thermal Condition section of the ACT API Reference
Guide.
17.6.2.17. Temperature
This boundary condition simulates a uniform, time-dependent, or spatially varying temperature
over the selected geometry.
A spatially varying load allows you to vary the magnitude of a temperature according to coordinates
and/or time. in a single coordinate direction and as a function of time using the Tabular Data or
Function features. For the specific steps to apply tabular data and function loads, see the Specifying
Boundary Condition Magnitude (p. 1588) section. Alternatively, you can specify multivariable time-
dependent and spatially varying temperature loads using the Table feature. For the specific steps
to apply table loads, see Specifying Loads With Tables (p. 1602).
Note:
For each load step, if an Imported Temperature load and a Temperature load are applied
on common geometry selections, the Imported Temperature load takes precedence. For
additional rules when multiple load objects of the same type exist on common geometry
selections, see Activating and Deactivating Loads (p. 1507).

Applying a Temperature Boundary Condition (p. 1715)
LS-DYNA References and Notes (p. 1717)
Analysis Types
Temperature is available for the following analysis types:
• Coupled Field Static (p. 395) • Transient Thermal Analysis (p. 686)
• Coupled Field • Thermal-Electric Analysis (p. 667)

Transient (p. 399)
• LS-DYNA Analysis
Analysis (p. 663)
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Temperature boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation: Supported for Plane Stress and Axisymmetric behaviors only.
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Temperature boundary condition include:
Boundary Conditions
• Solid
• Surface/Shell

The supported topology selection options for Temperature include:
• Body. When scoping a load to a body, you need to specify whether the Temperature is applied
to Exterior Faces Only or to the Entire Body using the Apply To option.
• Face
• Edge
• Vertex
• Nodes
• Element Face
• Element
Note:
The same temperature value is applied when multiple faces, edges, vertices, nodes, ele-
ment faces, and elements are selected.
Define By Options
The Temperature boundary condition's loading is defined by Magnitude only.
Magnitude Options
The supported Magnitude options (p. 1588) for Temperature include the following:
• Constant
• Tabular (Spatially Varying): Not supported for LS-DYNA analyses.
• Function (Time Varying): Not supported for LS-DYNA analyses.
• Function (Spatially Varying): Not supported for LS-DYNA analyses.
• Table Name. Supported for the Mechanical APDL solver only. A multi-variable table (p. 1397) of
numeric values that defines the temperature distribution for the selection. The Magnitude field
automatically lists the names of all tables that contain temperature as dependent variables.
• New Table. Supported for the Mechanical APDL solver only. Select this option to create a new
multivariable table of temperature values. You can then assign this table as the Magnitude.
Applying a Temperature Boundary Condition

To apply a Temperature:
1. Select the Temperature option from the Environment Context tab. Alternatively, right-click
the Environment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Temperature.
3. Specify the Magnitude of the Temperature.
4. Depending on the type of Temperature load you selected for Magnitude, you may need to
specify additional information under Spatial Coordinate System, Graph Controls, Tabular
Data or Function.





available user-defined Named Selections.
Apply To (Body scoping only), options include:
• Exterior Faces Only
• Entire Body
Definition Type: Read-only field that displays boundary condition type - Temperature.
Magnitude: Temperature load. Select one of the following:
• Import (p. 1598)
• Export (p. 1599)
Boundary Conditions
• Constant. The default is 22 degrees Celsius.
• Tabular
• Function
• Table Name (Mechanical APDL solver only)
• New Table (Mechanical APDL solver only.

condition.
Function This category displays when you set the Magnitude to Function. For
additional information, see Spatial Load and Displacement Function
Data (p. 1595).
Tabular Data This category displays when you set the Magnitude to Tabular. For
additional information, see Spatial Load Tabular Data (p. 1593).
Graph Controls This category displays based upon the specifications made in the
Function or Tabular categories. For additional information, see Spatial
Load and Displacement Function Data (p. 1595) or Spatial Load Tabular
Data (p. 1593).
Temperature Table If you selected the name of a table (p. 1397) under Magnitude to define
Options the temperature load on the boundary, the following options are
(Mechanical APDL available.
solver only)
• Parameterization: Check the box next to Magnitude to parameterize
the table.
• Graphics Controls appears when you select a table that contains

time as an independent variable.
For additional information, see Specify Temperature Loads with

Tables (p. 1607).

• Temperatures are applied using the D command.
LS-DYNA References and Notes

The following LS-DYNA keywords and considerations are applicable for this boundary condition.
• Temperature is applied using the *BOUNDARY_ TEMPERATURE keyword.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Temperature section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
17.6.2.18. Convection
This boundary condition causes convective heat transfer (p. 1717) to occur through one or more flat
or curved faces (in contact with a fluid).
The bulk fluid temperature is measured at a distance from the face outside of the thermal boundary
layer. The face temperature refers to the temperature at the face of the simulation model.
Convective Heat Transfer

Convection is related to heat flux by use of Newton's law of cooling:
q/A = h(t s - t f)
where:
• q/A is heat flux out of the face (calculated within the application)
• h is the film coefficient (you provide). This coefficient is also known as the heat transfer coefficient.
• t s is the temperature on the face (calculated within the application)
• t f is the ambient (or bulk) fluid temperature (you provide)
When the ambient fluid temperature exceeds the face temperature, energy flows into a part. When
the face temperature exceeds the ambient fluid temperature, a part loses energy.
If you select multiple faces when defining Convection, the same ambient fluid temperature and
film coefficient is applied to all selected faces.

Magnitude Options for Film Coefficient and Ambient Temperature (p. 1720)
Applying a Convection Boundary Condition (p. 1720)
Boundary Conditions

LS-DYNA References and Notes (p. 1724)
Analysis Types
Convection is available for the following analysis types:
• Coupled Field Static (p. 395) • Thermal-Electric Analysis (p. 667)
• Coupled Field • Transient Thermal Analysis (p. 686)

Transient (p. 399)
Analysis (p. 663)
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Convection boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation: Supported for Plane Stress and Axisymmetric behaviors only.
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Convection boundary condition include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell

The supported topology selection options for the Convection boundary condition include:
• Body: Supported for 3D External Faces only.
• Face
• Vertex: Not supported. This selection specifies the reference temperature.
• Nodes: Not supported. This selection specifies the reference temperature.
• Element Face
Define By Options
The supported Define By options for the Convection boundary condition include:
• Film Coefficient: The film coefficient (also called the heat transfer coefficient or unit thermal
conductance) is based on the composition of the fluid in contact with the face, the geometry of
the face, and the hydrodynamics of the fluid flow past the face. It is possible to have a time,
temperature or spatially dependent film coefficient. Refer to heat transfer handbooks or other
references to obtain appropriate values for film coefficient.
• Coefficient Type: This field is available when the film coefficient is temperature dependent. Its
value can be evaluated at the average film temperature (average of surface and bulk temperatures),
the surface temperature, the bulk temperature, or the absolute value of the difference between
surface and bulk temperatures.
Note:
If you change the units from Celsius to Fahrenheit, or Fahrenheit to Celsius, when the
convection coefficient type Difference between surface and bulk is in use, the dis-
played temperature values indicate a temperature difference only. The addition or
subtraction of 32o for each temperature in the conversion formula offset one another.
In addition, switching to or from the Difference between surface and bulk Coefficient
Type option from any other option, clears the values in the Convection Coefficient
table. This helps to ensure that you enter correct temperature values.
• Ambient Temperature: The ambient temperature is the temperature of the surrounding fluid.
It is possible to have a time or spatially dependent ambient temperature.
• Convection Matrix: Specifies whether to use a diagonal film coefficient matrix or a consistent
film coefficient matrix. The default setting, Program Controlled, allows the solver to determine
whether to use a diagonal or consistent film coefficient matrix. Not available in an LS-DYNA
analysis.
• Edit Data For: This field allows you to select and edit Film Coefficient or Ambient Temperature.
The Tabular Data window, Details pane, graph and graphics view will change based on the selec-
tion in the Edit Data For field. For example, when the Film Coefficient property is specified as
Tabular or Function and Edit Data For is Film Coefficient, you will actively edit data for the
Film Coefficient in the appropriate Details pane and Tabular Data fields. Not available in an LS-
DYNA analysis.
• Fluid Flow (available for Steady-State Thermal and Transient Thermal analyses only): Option include
Yes and No (default). Setting this property to Yes activates convection on one or more line
bodies whose Model Type property is set to Thermal Fluid. Also, when set to Yes, the Fluid
Flow Scoping and Display Connection Lines properties display. You use the Fluid Flow Scoping
property to specify a desired edge or edges, vertex, or node using either direct selection or using
a Named Selection.
When scoping to:
– Edge(s) on a fluid line body: Convection is accounted for with surface elements SURF151
and SURF152. The application maps the elements to the fluid elements using a distance-
based algorithm. This option uses the two nodes from the mapped fluid element to specify
the reference temperature. Note that, following mesh generation, you can use the Display
Connection Lines property to display the connection lines between the centroid of each
Boundary Conditions
element face/edge of the Convection surface(s)/edge(s) to the corresponding closest node

on the Fluid Flow scoping. The closest node is computed using a distance-based algorithm.
– Vertex/Node on a fluid line body. This option uses the specified vertex or node to specify
the reference temperature. You can specify a single node or vertex only.
Magnitude Options for Film Coefficient and Ambient Temperature

The following magnitude options (p. 1588) are supported for Film Coefficient and Ambient Temper-
ature. These parameters are defined independently, allowing you to mix and match different
magnitude options. (For example, you can define a constant value for Film Coefficient and a time-
varying function for Ambient Temperature.)
• Constant
• Tabular (Spatially Varying): Not supported for LS-DYNA analyses.
• Tabular (Temperature Varying): Supported for Film Coefficient. Not supported for LS-DYNA
analyses.
• Function (Spatially Varying): Not supported for LS-DYNA analyses.
You can vary the magnitude of film coefficient and ambient temperature in a single coordinate
direction using tabular data or a function. For the specific steps to apply tabular and/or function
loads, see the Specifying Boundary Condition Magnitude (p. 1588) section.
Note:
• Scaling based on time is not supported for Convection.
• The activate/deactivate (p. 1507) option is only available when the Independent Variable
property of the Tabular Data category is set to Time.
Applying a Convection Boundary Condition

To apply a Convection boundary condition:
1. Select Convection from the Environment Context tab. Alternatively, right-click the Environment
object, or in the Geometry window, and select Insert>Convection.
3. Enter the magnitude of the Film Coefficient.
4. Enter the magnitude of the Ambient Temperature.
5. Define the Convection Matrix as Program Controlled (default), Diagonal, or Consistent. Not
Available in an LS-DYNA analysis.
6. Set the Fluid Flow property to Yes if applicable. Define your Scoping Method and select the
desired edge/vertex/node through direct selection or by selecting an appropriately defined
Named Selection from the Fluid Flow Scoping property.

Category Property/Option/Description
Named Selection.

Note:
The Body filter selects 3D external faces only.

Named Selections.

apply a Convection to the shared faces of two bodies, one solid and
one shell. When you have properly scoped the geometric entities, using
share the scoped features. Select the desired body from the list. Once
parenthetical of the shared face, “(1 Shared Face),” to indicate the
condition. Not supported in an LS-DYNA analysis.
Shell Face: This property is supported for 3D shell bodies only and
requires that you activate beta options as well as a beta feature
selection for thermal variation. This property enables you to apply the
Convection load to the temperature degree of freedom associated
with the selected face. Assuming you have specified a Convection
load, to display the Shell Face property:
1. Activate beta options and beta feature selection[a].
2. Select the shell body under the Geometry object and set the
Thermal Variation (Beta) property to an option other than
No Variation Along Thickness.
Boundary Conditions
3. Select the Convection object and define the Shell Face
property. Options include Top (default) or Bottom.
Important:
If you specify a shell body as a Shared Reference Body,

the solver does not support the Linear Variation and
Quadratic Variation options of the Thermal Variation
(Beta) property. In addition, you need to set the Offset
Type property to Bottom.
Definition Type: Read-only field that displays the boundary condition type:
Convection.
Film Coefficient
Coefficient Type (visible only for temperature dependent Film

Coefficient)
Ambient Temperature (not visible if the Fluid Flow property is set

to Yes.)
Convection Matrix:
• Diagonal
• Consistent
Edit Data For: this property displays when the Film Coefficient and/or
Ambient Temperature properties are set to Tabular or Function. Not
Available in an LS-DYNA analysis.

condition.
Fluid Flow Con- Fluid Flow (Steady-State Thermal and Transient Thermal analyses only):
trols Yes or No (default).
Scoping Method: This property displays when you set the Fluid Flow
property to Yes. This scoping applies to edge, vertex, or node scoping
of the fluid line body. Options include Geometry Selection and Named
Selection.
Fluid Flow Scoping: Based on the above Scoping Method, directly

select desired edge/edges, vertex, or node or select a Named Selections
from the available drop-down list.
Display Connection Lines: This property requires that the mesh be

generated. Options for this property include Yes and No (default).
Selecting Yes displays connection lines between the centroid of each
element face/edge of the convection surface(s)/edge(s) to the
corresponding closest node on the fluid flow scoping. The closest node
is computed using a distance-based algorithm.
Note:
The display of the connection lines may not be an

accurate representation of the connection in the solver.
The solver, by default and when applicable, uses the
closes two nodes from the scoped fluid elements to
specify the reference temperature.
Function This category displays when the Film Coefficient and/or Ambient
Temperature properties are set to Function. For additional information,
see the Spatial Load and Displacement Function Data (p. 1595) section of the
Help. Not Available in an LS-DYNA analysis.
Tabular Data This category displays when the Film Coefficient and/or Ambient
Temperature properties are set to Tabular. For additional information, see
the Spatial Load Tabular Data (p. 1593) section of the Help. Not Available in
an LS-DYNA analysis.
Graph Controls This category displays based upon the specifications made in the Function
and/or Tabular categories. For additional information, see the Spatial Load
and Displacement Function Data (p. 1595) section or the Spatial Load Tabular
Data (p. 1593) section of the Help. Not Available in an LS-DYNA analysis.
[a] Activate beta options and beta feature selection:
a. On the Workbench Project page, select the Tools drop-down menu and then Op-
tions.
b. In the dialog, select the Appearance group and then the Beta Options check box.
c. Click OK.
d. Again, select the Tools drop-down menu and then Options.
e. In the dialog, select the Mechanical group.
f. Under the heading "MAPDL Solver," select the Allow thermal variation along shell
thickness check box.
g. Click OK.
h. The application prompts you to restart. Do so, and then open your shell model in
Mechanical for a supported analysis type.

• Convection loading is applied using the element types SURF152 (3D thermal analyses) and
SURF151 (2D thermal analyses).
Boundary Conditions
• Film Coefficient and Ambient Temperature are applied using the SF command.
• Film Coefficient and Ambient Temperature (constant, tabular, and function) are always repres-
ented as tables in the input file.
• Fluid Flow activates the Mechanical APDL element FLUID116 and specifics TEMP (Temperature)
as the degree of freedom.

• Convection is applied using the *BOUNDARY_CONVECTION keyword.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Convection section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
17.6.2.19. Radiation
Applies thermal radiation to a surface of a model (an edge in a 2D model). You can define the ex-
change of radiation between a body and the ambient temperature, or between two surfaces.
For thermal related analyses that use the Mechanical APDL solver, the actual calculation of the ra-
diation exchange between two surfaces is performed using the Radiosity Solver method. The Radi-
osity Solver method accounts for the heat exchange between radiating bodies by solving for the
outgoing radiative flux for each surface, when the surface temperatures for all surfaces are known.
The surface fluxes provide boundary conditions to the finite element model for the conduction
process analysis in Workbench. When new surface temperatures are computed, due to either a new
time step or iteration cycle, new surface flux conditions are found by repeating the process. The
surface temperatures used in the computation must be uniform over each surface facet to satisfy
the conditions of the radiation model.
For models that are entirely symmetrical (p. 1435), you can account for symmetry using Symmetry
Regions or Cyclic Regions (p. 1436). The Radiosity Solver method respects plane or cyclic symmetries.
Using a model's symmetry can significantly reduce the size of the model. The Radiosity Solver
method will take symmetry into account and the Radiation Probe solution results will be valid for
the full model. Settings for the Radiosity Solver method are available under the Analysis Settings
object in the Radiosity Controls (p. 1530) category.
Related References
This discussion of the Radiation loading condition assumes that you have an understanding of the
related terminology. For a listing of terminology, see the Definitions section of the Mechanical APDL
Thermal Analysis Guide. In addition, for more references, see the Mechanical APDL References and
Notes (p. 1729) topic at the end of the section.


Loading Types and Loading Definition (p. 1726)
Applying a Radiation Boundary Condition (p. 1727)
Analysis Types
Radiation is available for the following analysis types:
• Steady-State Thermal Analysis (p. 663)
• Thermal-Electric Analysis (p. 667)
• Transient Thermal Analysis (p. 686)
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Radiation boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Radiation boundary condition include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell

The supported topology selection options for Radiation include:
• Body
• Element Face
Boundary Conditions
Magnitude Options
The supported Magnitude options (p. 1588) for Radiation include the following:
• Constant
• Tabular (Time Varying) - for Ambient Temperature
• Tabular (Temperature Varying): Supported for Emissivity if Correlation = Surface To Surface.
Loading Types and Loading Definition

The unique loading characteristics and definitions for the Radiation boundary condition are described
below.
Ambient Temperature Radiation
When the Correlation property is specified as To Ambient in the Details pane of a Radiation object,
all of the radiation energy is assumed to be exchanged with the surroundings at ambient temper-
ature, that is, the Form Factor is assumed to be 1.0.
You can set the following additional radiation properties in the Details pane:
• Emissivity: The ratio of the radiation emitted by a surface to the radiation emitted by a black
body at the same temperature.
• Ambient Temperature: The temperature of the surrounding space.
Note:
Radiation exchange between surfaces is restricted to gray-diffuse surfaces. Gray implies

that emissivity and absorptivity of the surface do not depend on wavelength (either can
depend on temperature). Diffuse signifies that emissivity and absorptivity do not depend
on direction. For a gray-diffuse surface, emissivity = absorptivity and emissivity + reflectiv-
ity = 1. Note that a black body surface has a unit emissivity.
Surface to Surface Radiation
When the Correlation property is specified as Surface to Surface in the Details pane of a Radiation
object, the radiation energy is exchanged between surfaces. In this context, "surface" refers to a
face of a shell or solid body in a 3D model, or an edge in a 2D model. You can then specify
Emissivity, Ambient Temperature (defined above), Enclosure, and the Enclosure Type. Emissivity
must be a positive value that is not greater than 1. Emissivity can also be defined by Tabular Data.
You should assign the same Enclosure number to surfaces radiating to each other. Specify the
Enclosure Type as either Open (default) or Perfect as suited for a simulation of the closed radiation
problems. Furthermore, closed radiation problems have no dependence on Ambient Temperature

so that property is removed from the Details pane during closed problems.
Caution:
You cannot apply a Surface to Surface Radiation load to a geometric entity that is already
attached to another Radiation load.
Note:
For surfaces emitting radiation, make sure that the mesh does not penetrate into other
bodies.
When using the Surface to Surface correlation with shell bodies, the Details also includes a Shell
Face property that enables you apply the load to Both faces, to the Top face only, or to the Bottom
face only.
Applying a Radiation Boundary Condition

To apply a Radiation:
1. Select the Radiation option from the Environment Context tab. Alternatively, right-click the
Environment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Radiation.
3. Modify the Ambient Temperature as needed.

Named Selection.

Boundary Conditions
Named Selections.
Note:
Ansys recommends that you do not create multiple Radi-

ation objects with the same scoping.

apply a Radiation to the shared faces of two bodies, one solid and one
shell. When you have properly scoped the geometric entities, using
share the scoped features. Select the desired body from the list. Once
parenthetical of the shared face, “(1 Shared Face),” to indicate the
condition.
Note:
The Shared Reference Body property is not supported

when the Correlation property is set to Surface to
Surface.
Shell Face: For this loading condition, this property is supported for
3D shell bodies only and requires that you activate beta options[a] as
well as a beta feature selection for thermal variation.
• When you set the Correlation property to Surface to Surface

setting. The Shell Face setting enables you the choice of
applying the load to Both faces, to the Top face only, or to the
Bottom face only.
Or...
• When you 1) set the Correlation property to To Ambient and

2) set the beta feature/property Thermal Variation (Beta)
property to an option other than No Variation Along Thickness.
The Shell Face setting enables you to apply the load to the
temperature degree of freedom associated with the selected
face.
Important:
If you specify a shell body as a Shared Reference Body,

the solver does not support the Linear Variation and
Quadratic Variation options of the Thermal Variation
(Beta) property. In addition, you need to the Offset Type

property to Bottom.
Definition Type: Read-only field that displays boundary condition type - Radi-
ation.
Correlation
Emissivity
Ambient Temperature (not visible if Correlation property = Surface

to Surface and the Enclosure Type property = Perfect)
Enclosure (only visible if the Correlation property = Surface to

Surface)
Enclosure Type (only visible if the Correlation property = Surface to

Surface)
Note:
If a solver error occurs when the Enclosure Type is set

to Perfect, Ansys recommends that you change the
setting to Open.

condition.
1. On the Workbench Project page, select the Tools drop-down menu and then Op-
tions.
2. In the dialog, select the Appearance group and then the Beta Options check box.
3. Click OK.
4. Again, select the Tools drop-down menu and then Options.
5. In the dialog, select the Mechanical group.
6. Under the heading "MAPDL Solver," select the Allow thermal variation along shell
7. Click OK.
8. The application prompts you to restart. Do so, and then open your shell model in

For additional information for this boundary condition, see the following Mechanical APDL sections.
• Using the Radiosity Solver Method in the Thermal Analysis Guide.
Boundary Conditions
• Radiation and Radiosity Solution Method sections in the Mechanical APDL Theory Reference:
• For a perfectly closed system, the application uses the VFSM command. Specifically, Mechanical
performs the VFSM,,N,1 command with the perfect enclosure number N. However, note that
the reciprocity relationship is not satisfied using the command. Review the Notes topic in the
VFSM section of the Mechanical APDL Command Reference for additional information.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Radiation section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
17.6.2.20. Heat Flow

Heat Flow is available for 3D simulations and 2D simulations for Plane Stress and Axisymmetric beha-
viors only. For the required geometry settings for Plane Stress and Axisymmetric behaviors, see
the 2D Analyses (p. 906) section of the Help
Heat flow simulates the transmission of heat across flat or curved surfaces or edges or across a
vertex or vertices and as a result adds energy to a body over time.
Tip:
Because the application applies this load evenly across the scoped geometry, geometric
averaging can cause the applied load value to change slightly from your entry if you
have a low-quality mesh. This is especially true for curved surfaces or any time the mesh
deviates from the idealized geometry. To improve accuracy, refine the mesh.
Perfectly Insulated
For a selected face or faces, Heat Flow allows you to specify a Perfectly Insulated load wherein a
"no load" insulated condition is applied to the Face: that is, zero heat flow. An insulated face is a
no load condition meant to override any thermal loads scoped to a body. The heat flow rate is 0
across this face. This load is useful in a case where most of a model is exposed to a given condition
(such a free air convection) and only a couple of faces do not share this condition (such as the base
of a cup that is grounded). This load overrides thermal loads scoped to a body only. For a discussion
on thermal load precedence, see Resolving Thermal Boundary Condition Conflicts (p. 1891).
Selecting multiple faces insulates all of the faces.

Applying a Heat Flow Boundary Condition (p. 1732)
Analysis Types
Heat Flow is available for the following analysis types:
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Heat Flow boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Heat Flow boundary condition include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell

The supported topology selection options for Heat Flow include:
• Face: Supported for 3D only. If you select multiple faces when defining the heat flow rate, the
magnitude is apportioned across all selected faces.
• Edge
– If you select multiple edges when defining the heat flow rate, the magnitude is apportioned
across all selected edges.
– During 2D analyses, the application does not enable you to apply Heat Flow to edges that
share topology.
• Vertex. If you select multiple vertices when defining the heat flow rate, the magnitude is appor-
tioned among all selected vertices.
• Nodes.
Boundary Conditions
• Element Face.
Magnitude Options
The supported Magnitude options (p. 1588) for Heat Flow include the following:
• Constant
• Tabular (Time Varying): Supported for face selections in 3D and edge selections in 2D.
• Function (Time Varying): Supported for face selections in 3D and edge selections in 2D.
Applying a Heat Flow Boundary Condition

To apply a Heat Flow:
1. On the Environment Context tab, click Heat>Heat Flow. Alternatively, right-click the Environ-
ment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Heat Flow.
3. Enter a Magnitude for the Heat Flow.

Named Selection.
Geometry: Visible when the Scoping Method is set to Geometry

Selection. Displays the type of geometry (Body, Face, etc.) and the

Selection. This field provides a drop-down list of available user-defined
Named Selections.
Shell Face: This property is supported for 3D shell bodies only and
requires that you activate beta options as well as a beta feature
selection for thermal variation. This property enables you to apply the
Heat Flow load to the temperature degree of freedom associated with
the selected face. Assuming you have specified a Heat Flow load, to
display the Shell Face property:
1. Activate beta options and beta feature selection[a].
2. Select the shell body under the Geometry object and set the
Thermal Variation (Beta) property to an option other than
No Variation Along Thickness.
3. Select the Heat Flow object and define the Shell Face
property. Options include Top (default) or Bottom.
Definition Type: Read-only field that displays boundary condition type - Heat
Flow.
Define As: Heat Flow (default) or Perfectly Insulated. Perfectly

Insulated indicates zero heat flow.
Magnitude: Loading value.

condition.
a. On the Workbench Project page, select the Tools drop-down menu and then Op-
tions.
b. In the dialog, select the Appearance group and then the Beta Options check box.
c. Click OK.
d. Again, select the Tools drop-down menu and then Options.
e. In the dialog, select the Mechanical group.
f. Under the heading "MAPDL Solver," select the Allow thermal variation along shell
g. Click OK.
h. The application prompts you to restart. Do so, and then open your shell model in

Convection loading is applied using the element types SURF152 (3D thermal analyses) and SURF151
(2D thermal analyses).
• In a 3D analyses, Heat Flow on face selections are applied using the SF,,HFLUX command on
SURF152 elements. Heat Flow is represented as a table in the input file. Heat Flow applied to a
selected edge or vertex use the F command.
• In a 2D analyses, Heat Flow on edge selections are applied using the SF,,HFLUX command on
SURF151 elements. Heat Flow is represented as a table in the input file. Heat Flow on vertex se-
lections are applied using the F command.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Heat Flow section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
Boundary Conditions
17.6.2.21. Heat Flux

Heat Flux is available for 3D simulations and 2D simulations for Plane Stress and Axisymmetric beha-
viors only. For the required geometry settings for Plane Stress and Axisymmetric behaviors, see
the 2D Analyses (p. 906) section of the Help.
The Heat Flux boundary condition applies a uniform heat flux to the selected geometry. A positive
heat flux acts into a face or edge, adding energy to a body. Heat flux is defined as energy per unit
time per unit area. If you select multiple faces or edges when defining the heat flux, the same value
gets applied to all selected faces.

Applying a Heat Flux Boundary Condition (p. 1735)
Analysis Types
Heat Flux is available for the following analysis types:
• Coupled Field Static (p. 395) • Thermal-Electric Analysis (p. 667)
• Coupled Field • Transient Thermal Analysis (p. 686)

Transient (p. 399)
Analysis (p. 663)
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Heat Flux boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation: Supported for Body and Face selections only.
• 2D Simulation: Supported for Edge selections only.
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Heat Flux boundary condition include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell

The supported topology selection options for Heat Flux include:
• Body: Supported for 3D only.
• Face
• Element Face
Magnitude Options
The supported Magnitude options (p. 1588) for Heat Flux include the following:
• Constant
Applying a Heat Flux Boundary Condition

To apply a Heat Flux:
1. On the Environment Context tab, click Heat>Heat Flux. Alternatively, right-click the Environ-
ment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Heat Flux.
3. Enter a Magnitude for the Heat Flux.




Boundary Conditions
Definition Type: Read-only field that displays boundary condition type - Heat
Flux.
Magnitude: Heat flux density value.

condition.

• Heat Flux is applied using the SF command and SURF152 (3D thermal analyses) and SURF151
(2D thermal analyses) element types.
• Heat Flux (constant, tabular, and function) is always represented as a table in the input file.

• Heat Flux is applied using the *BOUNDARY_FLUX keyword.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Heat Flux section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
17.6.2.22. Internal Heat Generation

Available for 3D simulations, and 2D simulations for Plane Stress and Axisymmetric behaviors only.
For the required geometry settings for Plane Stress and Axisymmetric behaviors, see the 2D
Analyses (p. 906) section of the Help.
Applies a uniform generation rate internal to a body. A positive heat generation acts into a body,
adding energy to it. Heat generation is defined as energy per unit time per unit volume.
If you select multiple bodies when defining the heat generation, the same value gets applied to
all selected bodies. If a body enlarges due to a change in CAD parameters, the total load applied
to the body increases, but the heat generation remains constant.
Note:
For each load step, if an Imported Heat Generation load and an Internal Heat Generation
load are applied on common geometry selections, the Imported Heat Generation load
takes precedence. For additional rules when multiple load objects of the same type exist
on common geometry selections, see Activating and Deactivating Loads (p. 1507).

Applying an Internal Heat Generation Boundary Condition (p. 1738)
Analysis Types
Internal Heat Generation is available for the following analysis types:
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Internal Heat Generation boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Internal Heat Generation boundary condition include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell

The supported topology selection options for Internal Heat Generation include:
Boundary Conditions
• Body
• Element
Magnitude Options
The supported Magnitude options (p. 1588) for Internal Heat Generation include the following:
• Constant
Applying an Internal Heat Generation Boundary Condition

To apply Internal Heat Generation:
1. On the Environment Context tab, click Heat>Internal Heat Generation. Alternatively, right-
click the Environment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Internal Heat
Generation.
3. Enter a Magnitude value.





Definition Type: Read-only field that displays boundary condition type - Internal
Heat Generation.
Magnitude

condition.

• Heat Generation is applied using the BFE command.
• Heat Generation (constant, tabular, and function) is always represented as a table in the input
file.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Internal Heat Generation section of the ACT API Reference
Guide for specific scripting information.
17.6.2.23. Mass Flow Rate

Mass Flow Rate is available for 3D simulations and 2D simulations for Plane Stress and Axisymmetric
behaviors only. For the required geometry settings for Plane Stress and Axisymmetric behaviors,
see the 2D Analyses (p. 906) section of the Help.
You apply the Mass Flow Rate boundary condition on the edges of Line Bodies (p. 900) whose
Model Type property is specified as Thermal Fluid. This loading is needed to account for heat
distribution which occurred due to the mass transportation of the fluid (mass/time).

Applying a Mass Flow Rate Boundary Condition (p. 1740)
Analysis Types
Mass Flow Rate is available for the following analysis types:
Boundary Conditions
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Mass Flow Rate boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Mass Flow Rate boundary condition include:

The supported topology selection options for Mass Flow Rate include:
• Edge
Magnitude Options
The supported Magnitude options (p. 1588) for Mass Flow Rate include the following:
• Constant
Applying a Mass Flow Rate Boundary Condition

To apply Mass Flow Rate:
1. On the Environment Context tab, click Mass Flow Rate. Alternatively, right-click the Environ-
ment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Mass Flow Rate.
Note:
The positive direction for Mass Flow Rate corresponds to the direction of the scoped
edge. If you are scoping multiple edges, turn on the Direction option via the Edge
group (p. 87) to display the fluid flow direction of the edges in the Geometry window.


– Geometry: Visible when the Scoping Method property is set to

Geometry Selection. Displays the type of geometry (Edge) and
the number of geometric entities (for example: 1 Edge, 2 Edges)

– Named Selection: Visible when the Scoping Method property is

set to Named Selection. This field provides a drop-down list of
edge-based Named Selections that are based on the target line
body or line bodies.
Definition Type: Read-only field that displays boundary condition type - Mass
Flow Rate.
Magnitude: speed of the flow.

condition.

• Mass Flow Rate is applied using the SFE command directly on FLUID116 elements representing
Thermal Fluid line bodies.
• Mass Flow Rate (constant, tabular, and function) is always represented as a table in the input file.
17.6.2.24. Electric Charge

The Electric Charge load simulates the application of an electric charge to a body.

Applying an Electric Charge Boundary Condition (p. 1743)
Boundary Conditions

Analysis Types
Electric Charge is available for the following analysis types:
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Electric Charge boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Electric Charge boundary condition include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell

The supported topology selection options for Electric Charge include:
• Body
• Face
• Edge
• Vertex
• Nodes
• Element Face
• Element
Magnitude Options
The supported Magnitude options (p. 1588) for Electric Charge include the following:
• Constant
• Tabular (Frequency Varying)
Applying an Electric Charge Boundary Condition

To apply an Electric Charge:
1. Select the Electric Charge option from the Electric group on the Environment Context tab.
Insert>Electric Charge.
2. Define the Scoping Method as either Geometry Selection, Named Selection, or Voltage
Coupling and then specify the geometry.
3. Specify a Magnitude.

• Geometry Selection (default): Default setting, indicating that the

boundary condition is applied to a geometry or geometries, which
are chosen using a graphical selection tool.



• Voltage Coupling: This option is only available for Coupled Field

Harmonic and Coupled Field Modal analyses. It indicates that the
geometry selection is defined by a Voltage Coupling (p. 1819).
– Voltage Coupling: Visible when the Scoping Method is set to

Voltage Coupling. This field provides a drop-down list of available
user-defined Voltage Coupling objects.
Definition Type: Read-only field that displays boundary condition type - Electric
Charge.
Magnitude

condition.
Boundary Conditions

• Electric Charge is applied using the F command.
• Magnitude (constant and tabular) is always represented as a table in the input file.
• In a piezoelectric or electrostatic-structural analysis, Electric Charge loading is interpreted as

negative electric charge.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Electric Charge section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
17.6.2.25. Voltage
A Voltage load simulates the application of an electric potential to a body.

Applying a Voltage Boundary Condition (p. 1745)
Analysis Types
Voltage is available for the following analysis types:
• Coupled Field • Electric Analysis (p. 406)

Harmonic (p. 384)
• Magnetostatic Analysis (p. 552)
• Coupled Field
Static (p. 395) • Thermal-Electric Analysis (p. 667)
• Coupled Field • LS-DYNA Analysis

Transient (p. 399)
For each analysis type, you define the Voltage by magnitude and phase angle in the Details pane,
according to the following equation. (LS-DYNA systems only set a constant value, without phase
or frequency.)
V = Vocos(ωt+φ)
Vo is the magnitude of the Voltage (input value Voltage), ω is the frequency, and φ is the phase
angle. For a static analysis, ωt = 0.
Magnetostatic Analysis Requirements
See Voltage Excitation for Solid Source Conductors (p. 1757).
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Voltage boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Voltage boundary condition include:
• Solid

The supported topology selection options for Voltage include:
• Face
• Edge
• Vertex
• Nodes: Supported for Coupled Field (p. 380) analyses.
Magnitude Options
The supported Magnitude options (p. 1588) for Voltage include the following:
• Constant
Caution:
During an Coupled Field Harmonic, Coupled Field Modal, or Electric/Thermal-Electric

Analysis, Voltage loads cannot be applied to a face, edge, or vertex that is shared with
another voltage or current load or a Coupling (p. 1816).
Applying a Voltage Boundary Condition

To apply a Voltage:
Boundary Conditions
1. Select the Voltage option from the Environment Context tab. Alternatively, right-click the En-
vironment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Voltage.
4. Enter a Phase Angle value. (Phase will not be needed for LS-DYNA systems.)







Definition Type: Read-only field that displays boundary condition type - Voltage.
Magnitude
Phase Angle

condition.

• Voltages are applied using the D command.

*EM_BOUNDARY_PRESCRIBED is used to implement the Voltage boundary condition.
17.6.2.26. Current
A Current load simulates the application of an electric current to a body.

Applying a Current Boundary Condition (p. 1749)
Analysis Types
Current is available for the following analysis types:
For each analysis type, you define the Current by magnitude and phase angle in the Details pane,
according to the following equation. (LS-DYNA systems only set a constant value, without phase
or frequency.)
I = Iocos(ωt+φ)
Boundary Conditions
Io is the magnitude of the Current (input value Current), ω is the frequency, and φ is the phase
Magnetostatic Analysis Requirements
See Current Excitation for Solid Source Conductors (p. 1758) and Current Excitation for Stranded
Source Conductors (p. 1760).
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Current boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Current boundary condition include:
• Solid

The supported topology selection options for Current include:
• Face. An applied Current assumes that the body surfaces are equipotential.
• Edge. An applied Current assumes that the edges are equipotential.
• Vertex
Note:
• Current loads assume that the scoped entities are equipotential, meaning they behave
as electrodes where the voltage degrees of freedom are coupled and solve for a con-
stant potential.
• During an Electric or Thermal Analysis, it is assumed that the material properties of

the body provide conductance. A positive current applied to a face, edge, or vertex
flows into the body. A negative current flows out of the body.
Caution:
Current loads cannot be applied to a face, edge, or vertex that is shared with another
voltage or Current load or a Coupling (p. 1816).
Magnitude Options
The supported Magnitude options (p. 1588) for Current include the following:
• Constant
Applying a Current Boundary Condition

To apply a Current:
1. Select the Current option from the Environment Context tab. Alternatively, right-click the En-
vironment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Current.
4. Enter a Phase Angle value. (Phase will not be needed for LS-DYNA systems.)





Definition Type: Read-only field that displays boundary condition type - Current.
Magnitude
Phase Angle

condition.
Boundary Conditions

• Currents are applied using a combination of F,,AMPS and CP,,VOLT commands when used in
Magnetostatic analyses.
• F,,AMPS and CE commands when used in Electric or Thermal-Electric analyses.

*EM_BOUNDARY_PRESCRIBED is used to implement the Current boundary condition.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Current section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
17.6.2.27. Voltage (Ground)

The Voltage (Ground) load simulates the application of zero electric potential to a body.

Applying a Voltage (Ground) Boundary Condition (p. 1751)
Analysis Types
Voltage (Ground) is available for the following analysis types:
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Voltage (Ground) boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Voltage (Ground) boundary condition include:
• Solid

The supported topology selection options for Voltage (Ground) include:
• Face
• Edge
• Vertex
• Nodes: Supported for the Coupled Field Harmonic (p. 384) and Coupled Field Modal (p. 390) ana-
lysis types only.
Magnitude Options
This is a grounding load. The magnitude is always zero.
Applying a Voltage (Ground) Boundary Condition

To apply a Voltage (Ground):
1. Select the Voltage (Ground) option from the Electric group on the Environment Context tab.
Insert>Voltage (Ground).


Boundary Conditions




Definition Type: Read-only field that displays boundary condition type - Voltage
(Ground).
Magnitude: This is a grounding load. The Magnitude value is always

zero.

condition.

• Voltage (Ground) is applied using the D command.
• Magnitude is set to zero volts.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Voltage (Ground) section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
17.6.2.28. Electromagnetic Boundary Conditions and Excitations

You can apply electromagnetic excitations and boundary conditions when performing a Magneto-
static analysis in the Mechanical application. A boundary condition is considered to be a constraint
on the field domain. An excitation is considered to be a non-zero boundary condition which causes
an electric or magnetic excitation to the system. Boundary conditions are applied to the field domain
at exterior faces. Excitations are applied to conductors.
• Magnetic Flux Boundary Conditions (p. 1753)
• Conductor (p. 1754)
– Solid Source Conductor Body (p. 1755)
→ Voltage Excitation for Solid Source Conductors (p. 1757)
→ Current Excitation for Solid Source Conductors (p. 1758)
– Stranded Source Conductor Body (p. 1759)
→ Current Excitation for Stranded Source Conductors (p. 1760)
17.6.2.28.1. Magnetic Flux Boundary Conditions

Available for 3D simulations only.
Magnetic flux boundary conditions impose constraints on the direction of the magnetic flux on
a model boundary. This boundary condition may only be applied to faces. By default, this feature
constrains the flux to be normal to all exterior faces.
Selecting Flux Parallel forces the magnetic flux in a model to flow parallel to the selected face.
In the figure below, the arrows indicate the direction of the magnetic flux. It can be seen that
the flux flows parallel to the xy plane (for any z coordinate).
A flux parallel condition is required on at least one face of the simulation model. It is typically
applied on the outer faces of the air body to contain the magnetic flux inside the simulation
domain or on symmetry plane faces where the flux is known to flow parallel to the face.
To set this feature, right-click the Magnetostatic environment item in the tree and select Mag-
netic Flux Parallel from the Insert context menu or click the Magnetic Flux Parallel option on
the Context tab. It can only be applied to geometry faces and Named Selections (faces).
Boundary Conditions
Half-symmetry model of a keepered magnet system. Note that the XY-plane is a Flux Parallel
boundary. The flux arrows flow parallel to the plane.
Half-symmetry model of a keepered magnet system. Note that the YZ-plane is a Flux Normal
boundary. The flux arrows flow normal to the plane. This is a natural boundary condition and
requires no specification.
Note:
Applying the flux parallel boundary conditions to the exterior faces of the air domain
may artificially capture more flux in the simulation domain than what physically occurs.
This is because the simulation model truncates the open air domain. To minimize the
effect, ensure the air domain extends far enough away from the physical structure.
Alternatively, the exterior faces of the air domain may be left with an unspecified face
boundary condition. An unspecified exposed exterior face imposes a condition whereby
the flux flows normal to the face. Keep in mind that at least one face in the model
must have a flux parallel boundary condition.
17.6.2.28.2. Conductor
A conductor body is characterized as a body that can carry current and possible excitation to the
system.
Solid CAD geometry is used to model both solid source conductors and stranded source conduct-
ors. In solid conductors, such as bus bars, rotor cages, etc., the current can distribute non-uniformly
due to geometry changes, hence the program performs a simulation that solves for the currents
in the solid conductor prior to computing the magnetic field.
Stranded source conductors can be used to represent wound coils. Wound coils are used most
often as sources of current excitation for rotating machines, actuators, sensors, etc. You may directly
define a current for each stranded source conductor body.
• Solid Source Conductor Body (p. 1755)
• Stranded Source Conductor Body (p. 1759)
17.6.2.28.2.1. Solid Source Conductor Body
This feature allows you to tag a solid body as a solid source conductor for modeling bus bars,
rotor cages, etc. When assigned as a solid source conductor, additional options are exposed
for applying electrical boundary conditions and excitations to the conductor. These include
applying an electrical potential (voltage) or current.
To set this condition, right-click the Magnetostatic environment object in the tree and select
Source Conductor from the Insert drop-down menu, or click the Source Conductor option
from the Context tab. Select the body you want to designate as a conductor body, then use
the Details pane to scope the body to the conductor and set Conductor Type to Solid. The
default Number of Turns is 1, representing a true solid conductor.
A solid source conductor can be used to represent a stranded coil (p. 1759) by setting the
Number of Turns to > 1. The conductor still computes a current distribution according to the
physics of a solid conductor, but in many cases the resulting current density distribution will
not significantly affect the computed magnetic field results. This "shortcut" to modeling a
stranded conductor allows you to circumvent the geometry restrictions imposed by the stranded
conductor bodies and still obtain acceptable results.
After defining the conductor body, you may apply voltage and current conditions to arrive at
the desired state.
Note:
Conductors require two material properties: relative permeability and resistivity.

They also must not terminate interior to the model with boundary conditions that
would allow current to enter or exit the conductor. Termination points of a conductor
may only exist on a plane of symmetry.
Boundary Conditions
Only bodies can be scoped to a conductor. Solid conductor bodies must have at
least one voltage excitation and either a second voltage excitation or a current ex-
citation. Also, two solid conductor bodies may not 'touch' each other, that is, they
must not share vertices, edges, or faces.
To establish current in the conductor, you must apply excitation to at least two locations on
the conductor, typically at terminals. For example, you could:
• apply a voltage drop at two terminals of a conductor body residing at symmetry planes.
• ground one end of a conductor (set voltage to zero) and apply the net current at the
terminal's other end.
17.6.2.28.2.2. Voltage Excitation for Solid Source Conductors
This feature allows you to apply an electric potential (voltage) to a solid source conductor body.
A voltage excitation is required on a conductor body to establish a ground potential. You may
also apply one to apply a non-zero voltage excitation at another location to initiate current
flow. Voltage excitations may only be applied to faces of the solid source conductor body and
can be defined as constant or time-varying.
To apply a voltage excitation to a solid source conductor body, right-click the Conductor object
under the Magnetostatic environment object in the tree whose Conductor Type is set to
Solid, and select Voltage from the Insert drop-down menu, or click the Voltage option on
the Context tab.
You define the voltage by magnitude and phase angle in the Details pane, according to the
equation below.
V = Vocos(ωt+ϕ)
Vo is the magnitude of the voltage (input value Voltage), ω is the frequency, and ϕ is the phase
Note:
Voltage excitations may only be applied to solid source conductor bodies and at
symmetry planes.
Boundary Conditions
An applied voltage drop across the terminals of a conductor body will induce a current. In this
simple example, the current in the conductor is related to the applied voltage drop, using the
equations shown below. ΔV = applied voltage drop, I = current, ρ = resistivity of the conductor
(material property), L = length of the conductor, and Area = cross section area of the conductor.
ΔV = IR
R = (ρ*L)/Area
17.6.2.28.2.3. Current Excitation for Solid Source Conductors
This feature allows you to apply a current to a solid source conductor (p. 1755) or stranded source
conductor (p. 1759) body. Use this feature when you know the amount of current in the conductor.
To apply a current excitation to a conductor body, right-click the Conductor object under the
Magnetostatic environment object in the tree whose Conductor Type is set to Solid, and
select Current from the Insert drop-down menu, or click the Current option on the Context
tab. A positive current applied to a face flows into the conductor body. A negative current
applied to a face flows out of the conductor body. For a stranded source conductor, positive
current is determined by the y-direction of a local coordinate system assigned to each solid
body segment that makes up the conductor.
You define the current by magnitude and phase angle in the Details pane, according to the
equation below.
I = Iocos(ωt+ϕ)
Io is the magnitude of the current (input value Current), ω is the frequency, and ϕ is the phase
Note:
Current excitations may only be applied to a face of a solid source conductor body
at symmetry planes. An excitation must be accompanied by a ground potential set
at another termination point of the conductor body on another symmetry plane.
No current may be applied to a conductor body face that is interior to the model
domain. The symmetry plane on which the current excitation is applied must also
have a magnetic flux-parallel boundary condition.
An applied current to a conductor face will calculate and distribute the current within the
conductor body. A ground potential (voltage = 0) must be applied to a termination point of
the conductor body.
Both the applied current and voltage constraints must be applied at a symmetry plane.
17.6.2.28.2.4. Stranded Source Conductor Body
This feature allows you to tag solid multiple bodies as a stranded source conductor for modeling
wound coils. When assigned as a stranded source conductor, additional options are exposed
for applying electric boundary conditions and current excitation to the conductor.
Model a stranded source conductor using only isotropic materials and multiple solid bodies.
Local coordinate systems assigned to these bodies (via the Details pane) are the basis for de-
termining the direction of the current that you later apply to a stranded source conductor. The
model should include a separate solid body to represent each directional "turn" of the conductor.
Assign a local coordinate system to each body with the positive current direction as the y-dir-
ection for each of the local coordinate systems. An illustration is shown below.
Boundary Conditions
After creating the body segments and assigning coordinate systems, right-click the Magneto-
static environment object in the tree and select Source Conductor from the Insert drop-down
menu, or click the Source Conductor option on the Context tab. Select all body segments,
then scope the bodies to the conductor and, in the Details pane, set Conductor Type to
Stranded, then enter the Number of Turns and the Conducting Area (cross section area of
conductor). The stranded conductor is now ready for you to apply a current. A step-by-step
example is presented in the Current Excitation for Stranded Source Conductors (p. 1760) section.
Note:
Conductors require two material properties: relative permeability and resistivity.

They also must not terminate interior to the model with boundary conditions that
would allow current to enter or exit the conductor. Termination points of a conductor
may only exist on a plane of symmetry.
17.6.2.28.2.5. Current Excitation for Stranded Source Conductors
Stranded source conductor bodies are applicable to any magnetic field problem where the
source of excitation comes from a coil. The coil must have a defined number of coil "turns."
Stranded source body geometry is limited to straight geometry or circular arc geometry sections
with constant cross-section (see below)
Source loading for a coil is by a defined current (per turn) and a phase angle according to the
equation below.
Io is the magnitude of the current (input value Current), ω is the frequency, and ϕ is the phase
angle. For a static analysis, ωt = 0. The direction of the current is determined by the local co-
ordinate systems you assign to each of the solid bodies that make up the stranded source
conductor. A positive or negative assigned value of current will be with respect to that orient-
ation.
Use the following overall procedure to set up a Stranded Source Conductor and apply a current
to the conductor:
1. Define local coordinate systems that have the y-direction point in the direction of positive
current flow.
• Use Cartesian coordinate systems for straight geometry sections and cylindrical coordinate
systems for "arc" geometry sections.
2. Assign a local coordinate system to each stranded source conductor body in the Details
pane of the body under the Geometry folder.
3. Right-click the Magnetostatic environment object in the tree and select Source Conductor
from the Insert drop-down menu, or click the Source Conductor option on the Context
tab.
• Scope the Source Conductor to all of the solid bodies.
Boundary Conditions
• Set Conductor Type to Stranded.
• Enter the Number of Turns and Conducting Area for the conductor.
For the Conducting Area, select a face that represents the conductor's cross-sectional
area and read the surface area that displays in the Status Bar (p. 38) located at the bottom
of the screen display.
The Source Conductor graphic and Details pane listing is shown below.
4. Right-click the Conductor object in the tree and select Current from the Insert drop-down
menu, or click the Current option on the Context tab.
• Set Magnitude as constant or time-varying.
• Set Phase Angle.
The Current automatically is scoped to the same bodies as the Source Conductor.
The displayed current arrows give you visual validation that the current direction has
been properly defined by the assigned local coordinate systems for each conductor body.
Changing either the Type of Source Conductor or any coordinate system will invalidate
the setup.
17.6.2.29. Motion Load

The application interacts with motion simulation software such as Dynamic Designer™ from MSC,
and MotionWorks from Solid Dynamics. This is not the motion feature that is built into the Mechan-
ical application. For information on the motion features built into the Mechanical application, see
the Rigid Dynamics Analysis (p. 557) and Transient Structural Analysis (p. 671) sections.
Motion simulation software allows you to define and analyze the motion in an assembly of bodies.
One set of computed results from the motion simulation is forces and moments at the joints between
the bodies in the assembly. For the procedure on inserting these load, see Inserting Motion
Loads (p. 1764). These loads are available for static structural analyses.
Single Body Capability

Insert Motion Loads is intended to work only with a single body from an assembly. If more than
one body is unsuppressed in the Model during Import, you will receive an error message stating
that only one body should be unsuppressed.
Frame Loads File

The application reads a text file produced by the motion simulation software. This file contains the
load information for a single frame (time step) in the motion simulation. To study multiple frames,
create multiple environment objects for the Model and import each frame to a separate environment.
The frame loads file includes joint forces and inertial forces which "balance" the joint forces and
gravity.
Inertial State
If the part of interest is a moving part in the assembly, the frame loads file gives the inertial state
of the body. This includes gravitational acceleration, translational velocity and acceleration, and
rotational velocity and acceleration. Of these inertial "loads" only the rotational velocity is applied
in the environment. The remaining loads are accounted for by solving with inertia relief (see below).
If the part of interest is grounded (not allowed to move) in the motion simulation, corresponding
supports need to be added in the environment before solving.
Joint Loads
For each joint in the motion simulation, the frame loads file reports the force data - moment, force,
and 3D location - for the frame. Features are also identified so that the load can be applied to the
appropriate faces, edges, or vertices within the application. These features are identified by the
user in the motion simulation software before exporting the frame loads file. For all non-zero mo-
ments and forces, a corresponding "Moment" and "Remote Force" are attached to the face(s), edge(s)
or vertex(ices) identified in the frame loads file.
The Remote Force takes into account the moment arm of the force applied to the joint.
Boundary Conditions
Solving with Inertia Relief

Inertia relief is enabled when solving an environment with motion loads. Inertia relief balances the
applied forces and moments by computing the equivalent translational and rotational velocities
and accelerations. Inertia relief gives a more accurate balance than simply applying the inertia loads
computed in the motion simulation.
If Weak Springs are enabled, the computed reaction forces in the weak springs should be negligible.
This option will automatically be turned on if you import any motion loads.
Note:
Material properties have to be manually set to match density used in motion analysis.
Modifying Parts with Motion Loads

If you modify a part having a motion load, you should rerun the solution in the motion simulator
software (for example, Dynamic Designer) and re-export the loads to the Mechanical application.
Then, in the Mechanical application, you must update the geometry, delete the load (from the En-
vironment object) and re-insert the motion load.
Modifying Loads
You can modify loads that have been inserted, but you should only do so with great care. Modifying
loads in the Mechanical application after importing from the motion simulation software will nullify
the original loading conditions set in the motion simulation software. Therefore, you need to examine
your results in the Mechanical application carefully.
Inserting Motion Loads

You must make sure the files and data are up to date and consistent when analyzing motion loads.
Use the following procedure to ensure that the correct loads are applied for a given time frame.
To insert motion loads after solving the motion simulation:
1. Advance the motion simulation to the frame of interest.
2. Export the frame loads file from the motion software.
3. Attach the desired geometry.
4. Choose any structural New Analysis type except Rigid Dynamics and Random Vibration.
5. Suppress all bodies except the one of interest.
6. Click the environment object in the tree, then right-click and select Insert> Motion Loads.
7. Select the Frame Load file that you exported from Dynamic Designer.
8. Click Solve. If more than one body is unsuppressed in the Model corresponding to the envir-
onment object, you will receive an error message at the time of solution stating that only one
body should be unsuppressed.
9. View the results.
The exported loads depend on the part geometry, the part material properties, and the part's location
relative to the coordinate system in the part document. When any of these factors change, you
must solve the motion simulation again by repeating the full procedure. Verify that material prop-
erties such as density are consistent in the motion simulation and in the material properties.
Insert Motion Loads is intended to work with a single body only. Results with grounded bodies
(bodies not in motion in the mechanism) are not currently supported.
If an assembly feature (such as a hole) is added after Dynamic Designer generates its Joint attach-
ments for FEA, the attachments may become invalid. These attachments can be verified by opening
the Properties dialog box for a Joint and selecting the FEA tab. An invalid attachment will have a
red "X" through the icon. To correct this problem, manually redefine the joint attachments using
the FEA tab in the Joint Properties dialog.
A .log file is created when motion loads are imported. This troubleshooting file has the same name
(with an .log extension) and file location as the load file. If the .log file already exists, it is overwritten
by the new file.
17.6.2.30. Fluid Solid Interface

A Fluid Solid Interface boundary condition is used to identify the surface region where the transfer
of loads to and from external fluid solvers CFX or Fluent occur.

Mechanical Structural - Fluent (p. 1766)
Mechanical Acoustics (p. 1767)
Mechanical Thermal - Fluent (p. 1767)
Applying a Fluid Solid Interface Boundary Condition (p. 1768)
Analysis Types
Fluid Solid Interface is available for the following analysis types:
• Coupled • Transient Structural (p. 671)

Field (p. 380)
• Harmonic
Acoustics • Transient Thermal Analysis (p. 686)
Boundary Conditions
• Modal • Thermal-Electric Analysis (p. 667)

Acoustics
• Static
Structural (p. 658)
Important:
If you are using System Coupling (p. 841) to perform coupled simulations, Ansys recom-
mends that you use the System Coupling Region (p. 1769) object to define the interfaces.
Note:
• A Static Structural (p. 658) analysis coupled with other physics is intended to work with
one substep (specified in the Analysis Settings). When a Fluid Solid Interface is present,
program controlled sub-stepping will always use one substep regardless of any non-
linearities present. See Steps and Step Controls for Static and Transient Analyses (p. 1579)
under the Configuring Analysis Settings (p. 1501) section of the Help.
• When one or more FSI loads are present:
– Any components defined in the Mechanical APDL input file are exported using
the CMWRITE command to the file, file.cm, before the solution is completed.
This aids the post-processing of results in CFD-Post.
– The Environment object provides the context menu (right-click) option, Write
System Coupling Files. For supported analysis types, this option creates an
input (.dat) file as well as a System Coupling Participant (.scp) file that is
needed to run a System Coupling analysis (p. 841) using one of System Coupling's
user interfaces.
• There is currently a limitation associated with making a name change to your Fluid
Solid Interface object in Mechanical. The Setup cell on the Project Schematic for
System Coupling is not automatically updated. You need to perform an action in the
application in order to update the Setup cell so that it receives the new name.
Mechanical Structural - Fluent

Fluid-solid interfaces define the interfaces between the solid or shell elements in the Mechanical
system and the fluid in the Fluent system. These interfaces are defined on faces in the Mechanical
model. During the execution of the simulation, System Coupling (p. 841) orchestrates the exchange
of data across these interfaces, allowing the Mechanical application and Fluent to send boundary
condition results back and forth to one another (one or two-way communication is available).
Mechanical's Static Structural and Transient Structural systems can be coupled with Fluent for a
fluid force and structural displacement analysis, or a fluid-thermal-structural analysis. For more in-
formation about settings and elements needed for the thermal-structural analysis, see Coupled
Field Co-Simulation Using System Coupling (p. 851).
The integer Interface Number, found in the Details pane, is incremented by default each time a
new interface is added. This value can be overridden if desired.
Note:
For Coupled Field Static and Coupled Field Transient analyses, the application defines
interfaces between acoustic and structural regions using the Fluid Solid Interface object.
To define the interaction between elements in Mechanical and Fluent, use the System
Coupling Region (p. 1769) object.
Mechanical Acoustics
Fluid-solid interfaces define the interfaces between the acoustic and the structural regions. These
interfaces are defined on acoustic region faces. You can use the contextual (right-click) menu option
Create Automatic > FSI on the environment object to automatically identify Fluid Solid Interfaces.
Mechanical Thermal - Fluent

Fluid-solid interfaces define the interfaces between the thermal solid or shell elements in the
Mechanical system and the fluid in the Fluent system. These interfaces are defined on faces in the
Mechanical model. Data is exchanged across these interfaces during the execution of the simulation
as described in Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) - One-Way Transfer Using System Coupling (p. 849).
For transferring temperature and heat flows from Mechanical, interfaces may only be defined on
the following types of faces:
• On faces having heat fluxes.
• On faces having convections.
• On faces with a temperature load.
• On faces without any loads specified (adiabatic). In this case, only temperatures are exchanged.
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Fluid Solid Interface boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Fluid Solid Interface boundary condition include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell

The supported topology selection options for Fluid Solid Interface include:
• Face
Boundary Conditions
Applying a Fluid Solid Interface Boundary Condition

To apply a Fluid Solid Interface:
1. Based on the analysis type, from the Environment Context tab, select the Fluid Solid Interface
option from either the Loads or Conditions drop-down menu. Alternatively, right-click the
Environment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Fluid Solid Interface.
2. Define the scoping for the object. Face scoping is supported either through geometry picking
or the use of a Named Selection.


selection tool.

Displays the type of geometry (Face) and the number of geometric entities
(for example: 2 Faces) to which the boundary has been applied using the
selection tools.

Named Selection.
– Named Selection: Visible when the Scoping Method is set to Named

Named Selections.
Definition Type: Read-only field that displays boundary condition type - Fluid Solid
Interface.
Interface Number: Incremental value for each new interface. This value can be
overridden if desired.
Export Results: Thermal analyses only. The default value for this property is No.
When this property is set to Yes, thermal data is written to .axdt files for use
with External Data and System Coupling (p. 841), which can connect to Fluent
to transfer thermal data to a CFD analysis for a one-way transfer of static data.
The file format for an External Data File (.axdt) is described in the External Data
File Format Help section in the Workbench User Guide.
Data to Transfer [Expert]: The default for this property is Program Controlled.
When set to All System Coupling Data Transfers, the fluid solid interface
regions can participate in force, displacement, and thermal coupling through
System Coupling (p. 841). You need to set All System Coupling Data Transfers
for Mechanical to participate in a thermal-structural analysis.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Fluid Solid Interface section of the ACT API Reference
Guide.
17.6.2.31. System Coupling Region

The System Coupling Region condition is used to expose surface and volume regions for use in
couplings to other products using System Coupling (p. 841).

Mechanical Structural - AEDT/Maxwell (p. 1770)
Applying a System Coupling Region Boundary Condition (p. 1770)
System Coupling Region References (p. 1772)
Analysis Types
System Coupling Region is available for the following analysis types:
• Coupled Field • Steady-State Thermal Analysis (p. 663)

Static (p. 395)
• Coupled Field
Transient (p. 399) • Thermal-Electric Analysis (p. 667)
• Static
Structural (p. 658)
• Transient
Structural (p. 671)
Note:
• For all Coupled Field analyses, the application supports the System Coupling Region
object when the analysis includes either structural or thermal physics, or both physics
types.
Boundary Conditions
• When resuming legacy databases that includes a System Coupling Region marked
as underdefined when only structural or thermal physics was included, Mechanical
now automatically marks the object as fully defined. However, in Workbench, the
Setup cell in workbench may still indicate an underdefined condition. This condition
is resolved automatically when the system is solved.
Mechanical Structural - AEDT/Maxwell

System Coupling Region interfaces define the interfaces between thermal solids in the Mechanical
system by making available thermal stress to the Maxwell system. These interfaces are defined on
bodies alone in the Mechanical model. Data is exchanged across these interfaces during the solution
process between the systems. To enable coupling steps, see Completing Participant Setups in the
System Coupling User's Guide.
To transfer temperature and heat flow loading conditions from Mechanical, you must define the
interfaces faces only and on volumes with thermal stresses. When scoped to a face, a System
Coupling Region boundary condition is used to identify the interface where the transfer of loads
to and from external fluid solvers CFX or Fluent occur. And, when scoped to a body, it enables the
exchange of thermal stress information from the external Maxwell solver.
Additional System Coupling references (p. 1772) are available at the end of the section.
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the System Coupling Region boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the System Coupling Region boundary condition include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell

The supported topology selection options for System Coupling Region include:
• Body
• Face
Applying a System Coupling Region Boundary Condition

To apply a System Coupling Region:
1. On the Environment context tab, right-click and select Insert > System Coupling Region. You
can also right-click in the Geometry window when the Environment object is active and select
Insert > System Coupling Region.
Note:
This object is inserted into the Outline differently based on the analysis type.
During structural analyses, it is inserted via the Loads drop-down menu and
during thermal analyses it is inserted via the Conditions drop-down menu.
2. Define the scoping for the object. Body and Face scoping is supported either through geometry
picking or the use of a Named Selection.
The Environment object provides the context menu (right-click) option, Write System Coupling
Files. For supported analysis types, this option creates an input (.dat) file as well as a system
coupling (.scp) file that is needed to run a System Coupling (p. 841) analysis that was created in
one of System Coupling 's user interfaces.


selection tool.

Displays the type of geometry (Body) and the number of geometric entities
(1 Body) to which the boundary has been applied using the selection tools.

Named Selection.

Named Selections.
Definition Type: Read-only field that displays boundary condition type System Coupling
Region.
Interface Number: Incremental value for each new interface. This value can be
overridden if desired.
Export Results: Thermal analyses only. The default value for this property is No.
When this property is set to Yes, thermal data is written to .axdt files for use
with External Data and System Coupling (p. 841), which can connect to Fluent
to transfer thermal data to a CFD analysis for a one-way transfer of static data.
Boundary Conditions
The file format for an External Data File (.axdt) is described in the External Data
File Format section in the Workbench User's Guide.
Data to Transfer [Expert]: Options include Program Controlled (default) and

All System Coupling Data Transfers. When set to All System Coupling Data
Transfers, the coupling interface regions can participate in force, displacement,
and thermal coupling through System Coupling (p. 841).
Note:
The Data to Transfer expert setting is used only to run coupled

field analyses using command snippets, which is no longer
necessary because coupled field co-simulations (p. 851) are now
supported for System Coupling in Workbench.
Note:
• For an analysis that does not include a Physics Region object

(a single analysis), you must set this property to All System
Coupling Data Transfers to enable the interface regions to
participate in structural-thermal coupling.
• For the Coupled Field Static and Coupled Field Transient

analyses, this property is read-only. Based on the scoping of
this object and the physics type of the corresponding Physics
Region object, the application determines the participating
interface regions.
System Coupling Region References

Note the following additional references for the use of the System Coupling Region:
• Participant Variables and Quantity Types Supported by System Coupling
• Completing Participant Setups
• Additional Participant Setup Considerations
• Defining Geometry Transformations for Models with Different Orientations
17.6.2.32. Rotating Force

The Rotating Force boundary condition is available for a Full Harmonic Response analysis when
the Coriolis Effect property in the Rotodynamics Controls category of the Analysis Setting is set
to On, Stationary Reference Frame. The default setting is Off. If the analysis does not specify the
Solution Method as Full and the Coriolis Effect property is not turned on, the boundary condition
is not valid.
You specify a Rotating Force as a force rotating synchronously or asynchronously.
When you set the Calculated From property to Unbalanced Mass, the force is a specific synchronous
force due to Mass Unbalance. The application calculates the actual unbalanced rotating force as
show here:
FUnb = m * r * Ω2 = Unb * Ω2
Where:
FUnb = Actual Unbalanced Force due to Unbalanced Mass.
m = Magnitude of mass unbalance (input value from Mass field).
r = Distance from the mass unbalance to the spin axis (input value from Rotating Radius field).
Unb = Unbalanced Force or Mass Unbalance = m * r (computed value shown in Unbalanced Force
field).
Ω = Rotational velocity of the structure.
When you set the Calculated From property to Direct Input, the force is a general harmonic rotating
forces and it can be applied synchronously or asynchronously based on the value of the Synchronous
Ratio property.
For specific technical information, see the General Asynchronous Rotating Force and Specific Syn-
chronous Forces: Mass Unbalance topics of the Harmonic Analysis with Rotating Forces on Rotating
Structures section in the Mechanical APDL Theory Reference.
Tips and Hints

Note the following:
• The axis of the Rotating Force should coincide with or be parallel to one of the Global Co-
ordinate (X, Y, or Z) axes.
• You can create either a specific synchronous configuration or a general rotating asynchronous
configuration, but not a combination of the two. A combination would require that two
SYNCHRO commands be issued on two different components. The Mechanical Ansys
Parametric Design Language (MAPDL) Solver does not support the use of multiple SYN-
CHRO commands. The solver overwrites any existing SYNCHRO definitions when the com-
mand is issued.
Important:
The Rotating Force boundary condition does not support multiple spool or rotor/stator
problems.
Boundary Conditions

Applying a Rotating Force Boundary Condition (p. 1774)
Analysis Types
Rotating Force is only available for Harmonic Response (p. 502) analyses using the Full Solution
Method.
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Rotating Force boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation

Rotating Force is always applied to all bodies of a model.
Magnitude Options
The Rotating Force boundary condition is defined as a constant.
Applying a Rotating Force Boundary Condition

To apply a Rotating Force:
1. Specify the Analysis Settings of the Harmonic Response (p. 502) analysis accordingly.
2. On the Environment Context tab, open the Loads drop-down menu and select Rotating Force.
Alternatively, right-click the Environment tree object or within the Geometry window and select
Insert>Rotating Force.
Note:
By default, the application scopes the Rotating Force boundary condition to All
Bodies. This includes connections (that is, bearings, springs, beams, etc.).
3. Select a desired geometry selection filter, Body, Face, or Edge and then select the Click to
Define field of the Axis property. Select the desired entity to define as the axis of rotation, and
then click Apply.
Note:
• For a Face selection, the axis of rotation is normal to the selected face.
• For an Edge selection, the axis of rotation is along the selected edge.
• This axis should coincide with or be parallel to one of the Global Coordinate (X, Y,
or Z) axes.
4. Specify the Define By property. The options specify where the force is applied on your model.
Tip:
The properties of the Location category define the point where the Rotating Force
is applied on the model. Ansys recommends that you do not use a Remote Point to
specify this point.
5. Specify the Calculated From property. Options include Unbalanced Mass (default) and Direct
Input. This property defines how the force is generated, either based on the mass of the structure
or a Magnitude entry.
6. Using the options of the Hit Point Selection property, specify whether the application selects
a node or a Remote Point as the point on the axis where the Rotating Force (F Command) is
applied. Options include Mesh Node (default) and Remote Point. Ansys recommends that you
use a Remote Point for this property's definition.

The properties available in the Details pane are described below.
Scope Define By: A read-only field displaying how the object is scoped - Geometry
Selection.
Geometry: A read-only field displaying the geometries that the object is scoped
to - All Bodies.
Axis: This property defines the axis of rotation of the scoped geometry and its
direction of rotation.
Location Define By: This property specifies how the force is applied on your model.
The Define By property options, listed below, specify where the force is applied
on your model:
Boundary Conditions
Coordinates
You use this default setting to either:
• Select a user-defined coordinate system from the Coordinate

System property. For all other Define By options, the Coordin-
ate System property is read-only.
• Manually define coordinates using the X/Y/Z Coordinate

properties.
This is the only option that provides the Location property.
Geometry Selection
The Geometry property becomes visible when the Define By property

is set to Geometry Selection. Select the Geometry property field and
select the desired geometry. Displays the type of geometry and the
number of geometric entities (for example: 1 Face, 2 Edges) based on
specified Location.
Named Selection
The Named Selection property becomes visible when the Define By

property is set to Named Selection. This field provides a drop-down
list of available user-defined Named Selections.
Remote Point
The Remote Points property becomes visible when the Define By

property is set to Remote Point. This field provides a drop-down list
of available user-defined Remote Points. In order for this property to
be an available option of the Define By property, you need an existing
Remote Point to be defined.
Note:
Selecting a Remote Point on the rotational axis disables

the Unbalanced Force property because the Rotating
Radius is zero.
X Coordinate/Y Coordinate/Z Coordinate: These properties are only available

for as input properties when the Define By property is set to Coordinates.
Otherwise these properties are read-only.
Location: Specify a geometric entity on your model to apply the Rotating Force.
Body, Face, and Edge selections are supported.
Defini- Type: Read-only field that describes the object - Rotating Force.
tion
Calculated From: Options include Unbalanced Mass (default) and Direct Input.
Mass: Entry field when the Calculated From property is set to Unbalanced
Mass. Enter a desired mass value.
Rotating Radius: This property displays when you set the Calculated From
property to Unbalanced Mass. The application automatically updates the value
of this property if you make a change to the selection of the Location property.
This field becomes read-only when the Define By property is set to Remote
Point.
Unbalanced Force: Visible and read-only when the Calculated From property
is set to Unbalanced Mass. Unbalanced Force = Mass * Rotating Radius.
Synchronous Ratio: Entry field when the Calculated From property is set to
Direct Input. The default value is 1.
Magnitude: Entry field when the Calculated From property is set to Direct
Input.
Phase Angle: Specify a phase shift angle that defines how the load can be out
of phase with another load. Boundary conditions supported with the Phase
Angle property enable you to specify a phase shift that defines how the loads
can be out of phase with one another. You can specify the preferred unit for
phase angle (in fact all angular inputs) to be degrees or radians using the Units
menu on the Home tab.
Hit Point Selection: This property specifies whether the application selects a
node or a Remote Point as the point on the axis where the Rotating Force (F
Command) is applied. Options include Mesh Node (default) and Remote Point.
Ansys recommends that you use a Remote Point for this property's definition.
Remote Point for Hit Point: Visible when the Hit Point Selection property is
set to Remote Point. This field provides a drop-down list of available Remote
Points.
Suppressed: Include (No - default) or exclude (Yes) the boundary condition

form the solution.
Informa- The Information category provides read-only information for the following
tion properties:
Hit Points
• Hit Point: Node Id: this information property displays the node
identifier at the Hit Point location. It has certain requirements
and conditions, including:
– The Hit Point Selection property must be set to Mesh Node
– A valid mesh must be generated.
– A valid node needs to exist at the Hit Point location. If no

node is found, then no information is displayed.
Boundary Conditions
– When the Hit Point Selection property is set to the Remote
Point option, this property requires a valid Remote Point and
then displays the Named Selection created in ds.dat file.
• Hit Point: Location X
• Hit Point: Location Y
• Hit Point: Location Z
Axis Locations
Axis Location coordinates are always with respect to Global Coordinate

System.
• Axis Location X
• Axis Location Y
• Axis Location Z
Axis Components
Axis coordinates and Components gives information of where and how

the axis is oriented. Axis Components are always unit vectors with
respect to Global Coordinate System.
• Axis Component X
• Axis Component Y
• Axis Component Z

• The CORIOLIS command is issued to account for gyroscopic damping effect resulted from rota-
tional velocity defined via CMOMEGA.
• The SYNCHRO command is issued based on specific synchronous/general asynchronous definition

of all of the Rotating Forces.
• The CMOMEGA command is issued based on axis definition of all of the Rotating Forces.
• The F command is applied at Hit Point location based on specific synchronous/general asynchron-
ous definition of Rotating Force.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Rotating Force section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
17.6.2.33. Imported CFD Pressure

The Imported CFD Pressure boundary condition enables you to apply the pressure loading data
contained in a Fluent-Mechanical coupling data (.cgns) file on the model. The boundary condition
maps the complex pressure values contained in the file over structural entities.

Applying an Imported CFD Pressure Boundary Condition (p. 1780)
Analysis Types
Imported CFD Pressure is only available for the Harmonic Acoustics analysis type when a Structural
Physics Region is defined.
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Imported CFD Pressure boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Imported CFD Pressure boundary condition include:
• Solid
• Shell

The supported topology selection options for Imported CFD Pressure include:
• Face
Define By Options
Imported CFD Pressure’s loading is defined using the loading data of an imported Fluent-Mechan-
ical coupling data (.cgns) file.
Boundary Conditions
Applying an Imported CFD Pressure Boundary Condition

To apply an Imported CFD Pressure:
1. On the Environment Context tab, open the Loads drop-down menu and select Imported CFD
and select Insert > Structural > Imported CFD Pressure.
2. Define the Scoping Method as Geometry Selection or Named Selection and then specify the
geometry.
3. Using the CFD Pressure File property, select the desired file for import.
Note:
Only one Imported CFD Pressure boundary condition is allowed per Environment.



Selection. Only face selection is supported. Displays the type of
geometry (Face) and the number of geometric entities (for example:
1 Face, 2 Faces) to which the boundary has been applied using the
selection tools.
• Named Selection: Indicates that the geometry selection is defined by

a Named Selection. Only face-based Named Selections are supported.

Named Selections.
Defini- Type: Read-only property that displays the boundary condition type - Imported
tion CFD Pressure.
CFD Pressure File: This property opens a dialog you use to and browse to and
select the desired file.

The pressure loading data is applied using the FLUREAD command by creating the SURF154
element on the selected topology.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Imported CFD Pressure section of the ACT API Reference
Guide.
17.6.3. Support Type Boundary Conditions

The boundary conditions contained under the Support heading are listed below.
Fixed Support (p. 1781)
Displacement (p. 1784)
Remote Displacement (p. 1792)
Velocity (p. 1799)
Impedance Boundary - Explicit Dynamics only
Frictionless Support (p. 1802)
Compression Only Support (p. 1804)
Cylindrical Support (p. 1807)
Simply Supported (p. 1809)
Fixed Rotation (p. 1811)
Elastic Support (p. 1814)
17.6.3.1. Fixed Support

This boundary condition prevents a selected geometric or mesh entity from moving or deforming.

Scoping Types (p. 1783)
Boundary Conditions
Applying a Fixed Support Boundary Condition (p. 1783)

Analysis Types
Fixed Support is available for the following analysis types:

Analyses (p. 380)
• Modal (p. 521)
• Harmonic
Response (p. 502)
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Fixed Support boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation. Fixes one or more faces, edges, or vertices.
• 2D Simulation. Fixes one or more edges or vertices.
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Fixed Support boundary condition include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell

The supported topology selection options for Fixed Support include:
• Body: Supported for rigid bodies in an Explicit analysis.
• Face
• Edge. A fixed edge is not realistic and leads to singular stresses (that is, stresses that approach
infinity near the fixed edge). You should disregard stress and elastic strain values in the vicinity
of the fixed edge.
• Vertex
– A fixed vertex fixes both translations and rotations on faces or line bodies.
– A fixed vertex is not realistic and leads to singular stresses (that is, stresses that approach in-
finity near the fixed vertex). You should disregard stress and elastic strain values in the vicinity
of the fixed vertex.
– This boundary condition cannot be applied to a vertex scoped to an end release (p. 1320).
• Node
• Element Face
Note:
If you are using a surface body model, see the Simply Supported (p. 1809) boundary con-
dition section.
Scoping Types
Fixed Support does not require a scoping type because no loading data is required.
Magnitude Options
Fixed Supports do not have loading data.
Applying a Fixed Support Boundary Condition

To apply a Fixed Support:
1. On the Environment Context tab, click Supports>Fixed Support. Alternatively, right-click the
Environment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Fixed Support.
2. Define the Scoping Method.




a Named Selection.
Boundary Conditions
Named Selections.
Definition Type: Read-only field that describes the object - Fixed Support.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Fixed Support section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
17.6.3.2. Displacement
Displacements are applied at the geometry level. They require that one or more flat or curved faces
or edges or one or more vertices to displace relative to their original location by one or more
components of a displacement vector in the Global Coordinate System or local coordinate system,
if applied (p. 1095).
Important:
Due to an internal processing requirement, if you specify a user-defined (local) Coordinate

System when defining this boundary condition, the nodal coordinate system axes may
differ from the local Coordinate System axes. As needed, you can verify the actual nodal
orientation in the Mechanical APDL application.
Also, for more information about how the application manages nodal DOF constraints,
see the Converting Boundary Conditions to Nodal DOF Constraints (Mechanical APDL
Solver) (p. 1889) section.
Displacement as a Base Excitation
Displacement can also be defined as a base excitation during a Mode-Superposition (MSUP) Transient
or a MSUP Harmonic Response analysis. You scope base excitations to a boundary condition. You
can scope multiple base excitations to the same boundary condition, but the base excitations
cannot have same direction specified (via the Direction property).
Important:
When duplicating an analysis within Mechanical that includes loads with the Base Excit-
ation property set to Yes (Acceleration and/or Displacement), these loads will lose their
scoping during the duplication process.


Applying a Displacement Boundary Condition (p. 1788)
Analysis Types
Displacement is available for the following analysis types:
• Coupled Field Analyses (p. 380) • Modal (p. 521)
• Explicit Dynamics • Modal Acoustics
• Harmonic Acoustics • Static Structural (p. 658)
• Harmonic Response (p. 502) • Transient Structural (p. 671)
Note:
Full Harmonic
Response
analyses
support
non-zero
displacements
for Compon-
ent/Compon-
ents: Real -
Imaginary
loading types.
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Displacement boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation. Displaces one or more faces, edges, or vertices.
• 2D Simulation. Displaces one or more edges or vertices.
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Displacement boundary condition include:
• Solid
Boundary Conditions
• Surface/Shell

The supported topology selection options for Displacement include:
• Body: Supported for rigid bodies in an Explicit analysis.
• Face
– Non-zero X-, Y-, and Z-components. The face retains its original shape but moves relative to
its original location by the specified displacement vector. The enforced displacement of the
face causes a model to deform.
– For Zero Y-component, no part of the face can move, rotate, or deform in the Y-direction.
– For blank (undefined) X- and Z-components, the surface is free to move, rotate, and deform
in the XZ plane.
• Edge
– Enforced displacement of an edge is not realistic and leads to singular stresses (that is, stresses
that approach infinity near the loaded edge). You should disregard stress and elastic strain
values in the vicinity of the loaded edge.
– Non-zero X-, Y-, and Z-components. The edge retains its original shape but moves relative to
its original location by the specified displacement vector. The enforced displacement of the
edge causes a model to deform.
– For Zero Y-component, no part of the edge can move, rotate, or deform in the Y-direction.
– For blank (undefined) X- and Z-components, the edge is free to move, rotate, and deform in
the XZ plane.
• Vertex
– Non-zero X-, Y-, and Z-components. The vertex moves relative to its original location by the
specified displacement vector. The enforced displacement of the vertex causes a model to
deform.
– For Zero Y-component, the vertex cannot move in the Y-direction.
– For blank (undefined) X- and Z-components, the vertex is free to move in the XZ plane.
– This boundary condition cannot be applied to a vertex scoped to an End Release (p. 1320).
• Nodes
• Element Face
Note:
• Multiple surfaces, edges, or vertices can be selected.
• Avoid using multiple Displacements on the same face/edge/vertex and on

faces/edges/vertices having shared faces/edges/vertices.
Define By Options
The supported Define By options for the Displacement boundary condition include:
• Components
– Entering a zero for a component prevents deformation in that direction.
– Entering a blank for a component allows free deformation in that direction.
– In a cylindrical coordinate system X, Y, and Z are used for R, Θ, and Z directions. When using
a cylindrical coordinate system, non-zero Y displacements are interpreted as translational dis-
placement quantities, ΔY = RΔΘ. Since they are treated as linear displacements it is a reason-
able approximation only, for small values of angular motion ΔΘ.
– For Explicit Dynamics analyses, when using a cylindrical coordinate system, the Y component
(that is, Θ direction) of a displacement constraint is defined as a rotation.
• Components: Real - Imaginary: Supported for Harmonic Response Analysis only. Define direct
loading without Phase Angle.
• Normal To: Supported for 3D Faces only.
• Normal To: Real - Imaginary: Supported for Harmonic Response Analysis only. Define direct
loading without Phase Angle.
• Magnitude - Phase: Supported for Displacement as a Base Excitation during Harmonic Response
analysis only.
• Real - Imaginary: Supported for Displacement as a Base Excitation during Harmonic Response
analysis only.
Magnitude Options
The supported Magnitude options (p. 1588) for Displacement include the following:
• Constant
• Tabular (Time Varying): Not supported for Harmonic Response analysis.
• Tabular (Frequency Varying): Supported for Harmonic Response analysis only.
Boundary Conditions
• Tabular (Spatially Varying): Not supported for Explicit Dynamics and Harmonic Response analyses.
• Function (Time Varying): Not supported for Harmonic Response analysis.
• Function (Spatially Varying): Not supported for Explicit Dynamics and Harmonic Response analyses.
• Free: Not supported for Displacement as a Base Excitation.
Note:
Solution Restarts (p. 1917) are only supported for Tabular data modifications.
Applying a Displacement Boundary Condition

To apply a Displacement:
1. On the Environment Context tab, select the Displacement option from the Structural group.
Insert>Displacement.
2. Define the Scoping Method and select a geometric or mesh entity.
3. Select the method used to define the Displacement: Components (default), Components:
Real - Imaginary, Normal To, or Normal To: Real - Imaginary.
4. Define the Coordinate System and axial displacements or the Distance, of the Displacement
5. As needed, set the Rev Dir for Inv Steps property to Yes. See the description below for require-
ments.
To apply Displacement as a Base Excitation when the Solver Type property is defined as Mode-
Superposition during a Transient (default setting for a Transient configured to a Modal solution)
or a MSUP Harmonic Response analysis:
1. In the Definition category of the Details pane, set the Base Excitation property to Yes.
2. The Boundary Condition property provides a drop-down list of the boundary conditions
that correspond to the Displacement. Make a selection from this list. Valid boundary con-
dition option for excitations include:
• Fixed Support
• Displacement
• Nodal Displacement
• Spring: Body-to-Ground
3. The Absolute Result property is set to Yes by default. As needed, change the value to No
if you do not want to include enforced motion.
Note:
If you apply more than one base excitation (either Displacement or Accelera-
tion), the Absolute Result property needs to have the same setting, either Yes
or No.
4. To use complex definition entries, change the Define By property setting to Real - Imagin-
ary from Magnitude - Phase (default).
5. Define the loading inputs: Magnitude, Phase Angle (only in MSUP Harmonic Response),
and Direction.
Note:
You can scope Acceleration or Displacement as a base excitation to the

same boundary condition, but the base excitations cannot have same direc-
tion specified (via the Direction property).

• Geometry Selection: default setting, indicating that the boundary

condition is applied to a geometry/geometries or mesh entity that are
selected using a graphical selection tool.
– Geometry: visible when the Scoping Method is set to Geometry

Selection. Displays the type of geometry (Body, Face, etc.) or mesh
entity (Element Face) and the number of geometric/mesh entities
(for example: 1 Body, 11 Nodes) to which the boundary has been
• Named Selection: indicates that the geometry selection is defined by

a Named Selection.
– Named Selection: visible when the Scoping Method is set to Named

Selection. This field provides a drop-down list of available
Boundary Condition (Displacement as a Base Excitation only): drop-down list

of available boundary condition options for application.
Definition Type: read-only field that describes the object - Displacement.
Boundary Conditions
Base Excitation (Displacement as a Base Excitation only): No is the default
setting. Set to Yes to specify the Displacement as a Base Excitation.
Absolute Result (Displacement as a Base Excitation only): This option allows

you to include enforced motion with (Yes - default) or without (No) base
motion.
Define By. options include:
• Normal To: Requires entries for the following:
– Distance. This is the distance of displacement, that is, a magnitude.
• Normal To: Real - Imaginary (Harmonic Analysis (p. 502) only): real and
imaginary distance. Requires the specification of the following inputs:
– Distance - Real
– Distance - Imaginary
• Components: option to define the loading type as Components (in

the Global Coordinate System or local coordinate system, if applied).
Requires the specification of at least one of the following inputs:
– Coordinate System: drop-down list of available coordinate systems.

Note:
If you apply a Displacement to mesh nodes, the Coordin-

ate System property becomes read-only and is
automatically set to Nodal Coordinate System.
Note:
Selection of a Coordinate System rotated out of the global

Cartesian X-Y plane is not supported in a 2D analysis.
• Components: Real - Imaginary (Harmonic Analysis (p. 502) only): option

to define the loading type as real and imaginary components (in the
Global Coordinate System or local coordinate system, if applied).
Requires the specification of at least one of the following inputs:
– Coordinate System: Drop-down list of available coordinate systems.

– X Component - Real: Defines magnitude (Real) in the X direction.
– X Component - Imaginary: Defines magnitude (Imaginary) in the X

direction.
– Y Component - Real: Defines magnitude (Real) in the Y direction.
– Y Component - Imaginary: Defines magnitude (Imaginary) in the Y

direction.
– Z Component - Real: Defines magnitude (Real) in the Z direction.
– Z Component - Imaginary: Defines (Imaginary) magnitude in the Z

direction.
• Magnitude - Phase (Displacement as a Base Excitation for Harmonic

Response only): Requires entries for the following:
– Magnitude
– Phase Angle (Harmonic Analysis only)
• Real - Imaginary (Displacement as a Base Excitation for Harmonic

Response only): real and imaginary magnitude. Requires the specification
of the following inputs:
Rev Dir for Inv Steps: This property is only available when the following
Advanced Analysis Settings (p. 1547) properties are defined:
• Inverse Options property is set to Yes.
• End Step equals the setting of the Number of Steps property.
Boundary Conditions
Options include No (default) and Yes. Setting this property to Yes inverts the
direction of your specified Displacement and is displayed by the change in
direction of the displacement annotation in the Geometry window.
Suppressed: include (No - default) or exclude (Yes) the boundary condition.

Step Con- Step Varying: Options include No (default) and Yes. When you select No, the
trols Remote Load is applicable at all defined steps. When set to Yes, only the load
(Visible for step selected in either the RPM Selection or Step Selection properties
Harmonic described below is applicable.
Response
analysis RPM Selection: This property displays when the Multiple Step Type property
with is set to RPM. Specify a Step Selection value from the values available in the
multiple RPM Value property of the Analysis Settings object to use for the Remote
load steps Load.
defined)
Step Selection: This property displays when the Multiple Step Type property
of the Analysis Settings object is set to Load Step. Specify a Step Selection
value from the values available in the Load Step Value property of the Ana-
lysis Settings object to use for the Remote Load.

The following Mechanical APDL commands and considerations are applicable when Displacement
is defined as a base excitation in a Mode Superposition Transient analysis or a Mode Superposition
Harmonic Response analysis.
• Magnitude (constant or tabular) is always represented as a table in the input file.
• Base excitation is defined using the D command under the Modal restart analysis (under
Modal analysis in case of standalone Harmonic Response analysis).
• Base excitation is applied using the DVAL command during a Mode Superposition Transient
analysis or Mode Superposition Harmonic Response analysis.
Note:
Displacement can be defined as base excitation in a Modal linked Harmonic Response

and Modal linked Transient analysis only when the upstream Modal analysis Solver
Type (p. 1512) is set to Program Controlled (provided program sets solver type in-
ternally to Direct or Supernode) or Direct or Supernode.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Displacement section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
17.6.3.3. Remote Displacement

The Remote Displacement boundary condition enables you to apply both displacements and rotations
at an arbitrary remote location in space. You specify the origin of the remote location under Scope
category in the Details by picking or by entering the XYZ coordinates directly. The default location
of the origin is at the centroid of the model. You specify the displacement and rotation under
Definition.
A Remote Displacement is classified as a remote boundary condition. For a listing of all remote
boundary conditions and their characteristics, see the Remote Boundary Conditions (p. 1856) section.

Applying a Remote Displacement Boundary Condition (p. 1796)
Details Properties (p. 1796)
Example Applications (p. 1798)
Analysis Types
Remote Displacement is available for the following analysis types:

Analyses (p. 380)
• Harmonic
Response (p. 502)
• Modal (p. 521)[a]
[a] For a Modal analysis, only zero magnitude Remote Displacement values are valid. These
function as supports. If non-zero magnitude remote displacements are needed for a Pre-
Stress Modal analysis, apply the Remote Displacement in the static structural environment.
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Remote Displacement boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Remote Displacement boundary condition include:
Boundary Conditions
• Solid
• Surface/Shell

The supported topology selection options for Remote Displacement include:
• Face
• Edge
• Vertex. This boundary condition cannot be applied to a vertex scoped to an end release (p. 1320).
• Nodes
• Element Face
Applying Remote Loads to a Straight Edge
If you apply a remote load to a straight edge (with colinear nodes) of a deformable surface
body or a solid body, the application applies the load to the edge as well as the neighboring
nodes of the element faces of the deformable surface body or the solid body, respectively. This
The following example shows how the application applies a Remote Displacement, scoped to
a straight edge, to the neighboring element face nodes. In this example, the imbalance of
constraint equations created on the blocks might result in unwanted non-zero moment reactions.
You can minimize this by using either a lower order mesh or a coarser higher order mesh. For
more information, see the Surface-Based Constraints section of the Mechanical APDL Contact
Technology Guide.
Define By Options
The supported Define By options for the Remote Displacement boundary condition include:
• X Component
• Y Component
• Z Component
• X Rotation
• Y Rotation
• Z Rotation
Magnitude Options
The supported Magnitude options (p. 1588) for Remote Displacement include the following:
• Constant
Boundary Conditions
• Free
Note:
Solution Restarts (p. 1917) are only supported for Tabular data modifications.
Applying a Remote Displacement Boundary Condition

To apply a Remote Displacement:
1. On the Environment Context tab, click Supports>Remote Displacement. Alternatively, right-

click the Environment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Remote Dis-
placement.
3. Specify the origin of the remote location or enter the XYZ coordinates. The default location is
at the centroid of the geometry.
4. As needed, set the Rev Dir for Inv Steps property to Yes. See the description below for require-
ments.
5. Specify the translational and rotational displacement components.
Note:
Because a Remote Displacement is a remote boundary condition, it can make use of re-
mote points that were either specifically defined or created internally by the application.
As a visual check, you can display connection lines between your scoping and the remote
point by selecting the Remote Point Connections option of the Style (p. 83) group
(Display tab).
Details Properties
The selections available in the Details are described below.



a Named Selection.
Named Selections.
• Remote Point: Indicates that the geometry selection is defined by a

Remote Point.
– Remote Points: Visible when the Scoping Method is set to Remote

Point. This field provides a drop-down list of available user-defined
Remote Points.
Coordinate System: Drop-down list of available coordinate systems. Global

Coordinate System is the default.
Z Coordinate
Y Coordinate
X Coordinate
Note:
Selection of a Coordinate System rotated out of the global Cartesian

X-Y plane is not supported in a 2D analysis.
Location: The location of a Remote Displacement can be defined in the Global

Coordinate System or in a local Cartesian coordinate system (p. 1095). It is by
default at the centroid of selected geometry.
Definition Type: Read-only field that describes the object - Remote Displacement.
X Component: Defines distance (+/-) in the X direction.
Y Component: Defines distance (+/-) in the Y direction.
Z Component: Defines distance (+/-) in the Z direction.
X Rotation: Defines rotational distance (+/-) in the X direction.
Y Rotation: Defines rotational distance (+/-) in the Y direction.
Z Rotation: Defines rotational distance (+/-) in the Z direction.
Rev Dir for Inv Steps: This property is only available when the following
Advanced Analysis Settings (p. 1547) properties are defined:
Boundary Conditions
Options include No (default) and Yes. Setting this property to Yes inverts the
direction of your specified Remote Displacement and is displayed by
the change in direction of the displacement annotation in the Geometry window.
Behavior (p. 1385): Rigid, Deformable, Coupled, or Beam. The Beam option
specifies a connection from the remote load to the model using linear massless
beam elements. If the Scope Method property is set to Remote Point, the
boundary condition will then assume the Behavior defined in the referenced
Remote Point as well as other related properties.
Material: This property is available when the Behavior property is set to Beam.
Select a material to define material properties for the beams used in the
connection. Density is excluded from the material definition.
Radius: This property is available when the Behavior property is set to Beam.
Specify a radius to define the cross section dimension of the circular beam used
for the connection.
Advanced Pinball Region: Specify the radius of the sphere (length unit). The displacement is
applied to the elements that are within the pinball region.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Remote Displacement section of the ACT API Reference
Guide.
Example Applications
A common application is to apply a rotation on a model at a local coordinate system. An example
is shown below along with a plot of the resulting Total Deformation (p. 2122).
Total Deformation Result Example
17.6.3.4. Velocity

Applying a Velocity Boundary Condition (p. 1800)
Analysis Types
Velocity is available for the following analysis types:
• Explicit Dynamics - For Explicit Dynamics analyses, the Y Component (that is, Θ direction) of a
velocity constraint defined with a cylindrical coordinate system has units of angular velocity.
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Velocity boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
Boundary Conditions
• 2D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Velocity boundary condition include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell

The supported topology selection options for Velocity include:
• Body
• Face
• Edge
• Vertex
– Avoid using multiple velocities on the same vertex.
Define By Options
The supported Define By options for the Velocity boundary condition include:
• Normal To: Supported for 3D Faces only.
• Components
– Entering a zero for a component sets the Velocity to zero.
– Entering a blank for a component allows free velocity in that direction.
Magnitude Options
The supported Magnitude options (p. 1588) for Velocity include the following:
• Constant
• Free
Applying a Velocity Boundary Condition

To apply a Velocity:
1. On the Environment Context tab, click Supports>Velocity. Alternatively, right-click the Envir-
onment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Velocity.
3. Select the method used to define the Velocity: Components (default) or Normal To.
4. Define the loading data based on the above selections.




a Named Selection.

Named Selections.
Definition Type: Read-only field that describes the object - Velocity.
• Normal To: Requires a Magnitude entry.
• Components: Option to define the loading type as Components (in the

Global Coordinate System or local coordinate system, if applied). Requires
the specification of at least one of the following inputs:
– Coordinate System: Drop-down list of available coordinate systems.

Boundary Conditions
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Velocity section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
17.6.3.5. Frictionless Support

You use this boundary condition to prevent one or more flat or curved faces from moving or de-
forming in the normal direction. The normal direction is relative to the selected geometry face. No
portion of the surface body can move, rotate, or deform normal to the face.
For tangential directions, the surface body is free to move, rotate, and deform tangential to the
face.
For a flat surface body, the frictionless support is equivalent to a symmetry condition.
Important:


Applying a Frictionless Support Boundary Condition (p. 1803)
Analysis Types
Frictionless Support is available for the following analysis types:

Analyses (p. 380)
• Harmonic
Response (p. 502)
• Modal (p. 521)
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Frictionless Support boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Frictionless Support boundary condition include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell

The supported topology selection options for Frictionless Support include:
Applying a Frictionless Support Boundary Condition

To apply a Frictionless Support:
1. Select the Frictionless option from the Structural group on the Environment Context tab. Al-
ternatively, right-click the Environment tree object or in the Geometry window and select In-
sert>Frictionless Support.
2. Specify Scoping Method and Geometry or Named Selection.



Boundary Conditions
a Named Selection.

Named Selections.
Definition Type: Read-only field that describes the object - Frictionless Support.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Frictionless Support section of the ACT API Reference
Guide.
17.6.3.6. Compression Only Support

Applies a compression only constraint normal to one or more faces. It is modeled internally using
Asymmetric rigid-flexible contact. A rigid target surface is constructed and/or mirrored from the
scoped faces/edges of the Compression Only Support. Therefore, the following points should be
kept in mind:
• The underlying technology is using penalty-based formulations. As a result, normal contact stiffness
can be an important parameter if nonlinear convergence issues arise. Control normal contact
stiffness using the Normal Stiffness property of the Compression Only Support object.
• Because source and target topologies are perfect mirrors of one another, be careful during non-
linear analyses to make that contact doesn't "fall off" the target face. Be sure that the contact
area on the rigid body is large enough to accommodate any potential sliding taking place during
the analysis. To avoid this, consider using a fully fixed rigid body and a nonlinear contact to replace
the Compression Only Support.
Consider the following model with a bearing load and supports as shown.
Note the effect of the Compression Only Support in the animation of total deformation.
product.
Since the region of the face in compression is not initially known, a nonlinear solution is required
and may involve a substantial increase in solution time.

Applying a Compression Only Support Boundary Condition (p. 1806)
Analysis Types
Compression Only Support is available for the following analysis types:

Analyses (p. 380)
• Harmonic
Response (p. 502)
• Modal (p. 521)
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Compression Only Support boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
Boundary Conditions
• 2D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Compression Only Support boundary condition include:
• Solid

The supported topology selection options for Compression Only Support include:
Applying a Compression Only Support Boundary Condition

To apply a Compression Only Support:
1. On the Environment Context tab, click Supports>Compression Only Support. Alternatively,

right-click the Environment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Com-
pression Only Support.
3. Specify Normal Stiffness property. If set to Manual, enter a Normal Stiffness Factor value.
4. Specify Update Stiffness property.




a Named Selection.

Definition Type: Read-only field that describes the object - Compression Only Support.
Normal Stiffness: Defines a contact Normal Stiffness factor. Options include:
• Program Controlled: This is the default setting. The Normal Stiffness Factor
is calculated by the program.
• Manual: The Normal Stiffness Factor is input directly by the user. The
Normal Stiffness Factor property displays for this setting.
Update Stiffness: Specify if the program should update (change) the contact
stiffness during the solution. Options include:
• Never: This is the default setting. Turns off the program's automatic Update
Stiffness feature.
• Each Iteration: Sets the program to update stiffness at the end of each
equilibrium iteration.
• Each Iteration, Aggressive: Sets the program to update stiffness at the

end of each equilibrium iteration, but compared to the option, Each
Iteration, this option allows for a more aggressive changing of the value
range.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Compression Only Support section of the ACT API Reference
Guide.
17.6.3.7. Cylindrical Support

For 3D simulations, this boundary condition prevents one or more cylindrical faces from moving
or deforming in combinations of radial, axial, or tangential directions. Any combination of fixed
and free radial, axial, and tangential settings are allowed.
Important:

Boundary Conditions

Applying a Cylindrical Support Boundary Condition (p. 1809)
Analysis Types
Cylindrical Support is available for the following analysis types:

Analyses (p. 380)
• Harmonic
Response (p. 502)
• Modal (p. 521)
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Cylindrical Support boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation. Cylindrical supports can only be applied to circular edges.
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Cylindrical Support boundary condition include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell

The supported topology selection options for Cylindrical Support include:
• Face: Supported for 3D Cylindrical Face only.
• Edge: Supported for 2D Circular Edge only.
Applying a Cylindrical Support Boundary Condition

To apply a Cylindrical Support:
1. On the Environment Context tab, click Supports>Cylindrical Support. Alternatively, right-click

the Environment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Cylindrical Support.




a Named Selection.

Named Selections.
Definition Type: Read-only field that describes the object - Cylindrical Support.
Radial: Fixed (default) or Free.
Axial (3D Only): Fixed (default) or Free.
Tangential: Fixed (default) or Free.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Cylindrical Support section of the ACT API Reference
Guide.
17.6.3.8. Simply Supported

This boundary condition prevents one or more straight or curved edges or a vertex or vertices from
moving or deforming. However, rotations are allowed. If you want to fix the rotations as well, use
Boundary Conditions
the Fixed Support (p. 1781) boundary condition. It is applicable for surface body models or line
models only.

Applying a Simply Supported Boundary Condition (p. 1811)
Analysis Types
Simply Supported is available for the following analysis types:
• Modal (p. 521)
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Simply Supported boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Simply Supported boundary condition include:
• Surface/Shell: Supported for Surface only.
• Wire Body/Line Body/Beam: Supported for Line only.

The supported topology selection options for Simply Supported include:
• Edge
• Vertex. This boundary condition cannot be applied to a vertex scoped to an End Release (p. 1320).
In addition, a simply supported vertex is not realistic and leads to singular stresses (that is, stresses
that approach infinity near the simply supported vertex). You should disregard stress and elastic
strain values in the vicinity of the simply supported vertex.
Applying a Simply Supported Boundary Condition

To apply a Simply Supported:
1. On the Environment Context tab: click Supports>Simply Supported. Alternatively, right-click

the Environment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Simply Supported.



number of geometric entities (for example: 1 Body, 2 Edges) to
which the boundary has been applied using the selection tools.

a Named Selection.

Definition Type: Read-only field that describes the object - Simply Supported.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Simply Supported section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
17.6.3.9. Fixed Rotation

You can apply a Fixed Rotation boundary condition to faces, edges, and vertices of a surface body.
When you only apply a Fixed Rotation support to a surface body, the geometry is free in all trans-
lational directions. However, by default, the rotation of the geometry is fixed about the axes of the
corresponding coordinate system.
Note:
• Rotation constraints are combined with other constraints that produce rotational
DOF assignments to determine which values to apply. They are combined with
Boundary Conditions
all other constraints to determine the Nodal Coordinate System orientation (fric-
tionless supports, cylindrical supports, given displacements, etc.).
• There may be circumstances in which the rotational support and other constraints
cannot resolve a discrepancy for preference of a particular node’s coordinate
system.

Applying a Fixed Rotation Boundary Condition (p. 1813)
Analysis Types
Fixed Rotation is available for the following analysis types:
• Modal (p. 521)
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Fixed Rotation boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Fixed Rotation boundary condition include:
• Surface/Shell: Supported for Surface Body only.

The supported topology selection options for Fixed Rotation include:
• Face
• Edge
• Vertex
– A fixed vertex rotation support is not realistic and leads to singular stresses (that is, stresses
that approach infinity near the fixed vertex rotation support). You should disregard stress and
elastic strain values in the vicinity of the fixed vertex rotation support.
Applying a Fixed Rotation Boundary Condition

To apply a Fixed Rotation:
• In the Details pane, select Free or Fixed for Rotation X, Rotation Y, and Rotation Z to define
the Fixed Rotation support.
1. On the Environment Context tab: click Supports>Fixed Rotation. Alternatively, right-click the
Environment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Fixed Rotation.
3. As needed, specify the coordinate system for the corresponding rotational constraint.
4. Define the rotational axes as Fixed (default) or Free.

• Geometry Selection - Default setting, indicating that the boundary

– Geometry - Visible when the Scoping Method is set to Geometry

• Named Selection - Indicates that the geometry selection is defined by

a Named Selection.
– Named Selection - Visible when the Scoping Method is set to Named

Named Selections.
Definition Type - Read-only field that describes the object - Fixed Rotation.
Coordinate System - Drop-down list of available coordinate systems. Global

Coordinate System is the default.
Boundary Conditions
Rotation X - Fixed (default) or Free.
Rotation Y - Fixed (default) or Free.
Rotation Z - Fixed (default) or Free.
Suppressed - Include (No - default) or exclude (Yes) the boundary condition.
Caution:
When parameterizing this boundary condition, a Free axis of rotation

is represented by a one (1) and Fixed with a value of zero (0) inside
the Parameter tab in Ansys Workbench (outside of Mechanical).
Entering any value other than 0 or 1 causes the application to
produce unexpected results.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Fixed Rotation section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
17.6.3.10. Elastic Support

Allows one or more faces (3D) or edges (2D) to move or deform according to a spring behavior.
Elastic Support is based on a Foundation Stiffness set in the Details pane, which is defined as the
pressure required to produce a unit normal deflection of the foundation.

Applying an Elastic Support Boundary Condition (p. 1815)
Analysis Types
Elastic Support is available for the following analysis types:

Analyses (p. 380)
• Modal (p. 521)
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Elastic Support boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Elastic Support boundary condition include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell

The supported topology selection options for Elastic Support include:
• Face
Applying an Elastic Support Boundary Condition

To apply an Elastic Support:
1. On the Environment Context tab, click Supports>Elastic Support. Alternatively, right-click the
Environment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Elastic Support.



Boundary Conditions
a Named Selection.

Named Selections.
Definition Type - Read-only field that describes the object - Elastic Support.
Foundation Stiffness
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Elastic Support section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
17.6.4. Conditions Type Boundary Conditions

The boundary conditions contained under the Conditions heading are listed below.
• Coupling (p. 1816)
• Constraint Equation (p. 1821)
• Pipe Idealization (p. 1823)
• Nonlinear Adaptive Region (p. 1826)
• Geometry Based Adaptivity (p. 1826)
• Element Birth and Death (p. 1826)
• Contact Step Control (p. 1830)
• Plastic Heating (p. 1834)
• Viscoelastic Heating (p. 1836)
17.6.4.1. Coupling
While setting up a model for analysis, you can establish relationships among the different degrees
of freedom of the model by physically modeling the part or a contact condition. However, sometimes
there is a need to be able to model distinctive features of a geometry (for example, models that
have equipotential surfaces) which cannot be adequately described with the physical part or contact.
In this instance, you can create a set of surfaces/edges/vertices which have a coupled degree of
freedom by using the Coupling boundary condition.
Coupling the degrees of freedom of a set of geometric entity constrains the results calculated for
one member of the set to be the same for all members of the set.

Applying a Coupling Boundary Condition (p. 1818)
Analysis Types
Coupling is available for the following analysis types:
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Coupling boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation. Apply to one or more faces or edges or at least two vertices.
• 2D Simulation. Apply to one or more edges or at least two vertices.
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Coupling boundary condition include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell

The supported topology selection options for Coupling include:
• Edge
Boundary Conditions
• Vertex
Applying a Coupling Boundary Condition

To apply a Coupling boundary condition:
1. On the Environment Context tab: click Conditions>Coupling. Alternatively, right-click the En-
vironment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Coupling.
Restrictions
Make sure that you meet the following restrictions when scoping Coupling;
• You cannot specify more than one Coupling (the same DOF) on the same geometric entity, such
as two edges sharing a common vertex or two faces sharing a common edge.
• Coupling should not be applied to a geometric entity that also has a constraint applied to it.




a Named Selection.

Named Selections.
Definition DOF Selection - For a Thermal-Electric analysis, select either Temperature or

Voltage, otherwise this is a read-only field displaying the DOF selection type.

Coupling is achieved through the use of the CP command.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Coupling section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
17.6.4.2. Voltage Coupling

While setting up a model for analysis, you can establish relationships among the volt degrees of
freedom of the model by physically modeling the part or a contact condition. However, sometimes
there is a need to be able to model distinctive features of a geometry (for example, models that
have equipotential surfaces) which cannot be adequately described with the physical part or contact.
In this instance, you can create a set of surfaces/edges/vertices which have a coupled degree of
freedom by using the Voltage Coupling boundary condition.
Coupling the degrees of freedom of a set of geometric entity constrains the results calculated for
one member of the set to be the same for all members of the set.

Applying a Voltage Coupling Boundary Condition (p. 1820)
Analysis Types
Voltage Coupling is available for the following analysis types:
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Voltage Coupling boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation. Apply to one or more faces or edges or at least two vertices.
• 2D Simulation. Apply to one or more edges or at least two vertices.
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Voltage Coupling boundary condition include:
• Solid
Boundary Conditions
• Surface/Shell

The supported topology selection options for Voltage Coupling include:
• Edge
• Vertex
• Nodes: Supported for Coupled field (p. 380) analyses only.
Applying a Voltage Coupling Boundary Condition

To apply a Voltage Coupling boundary condition:
1. On the Environment Context tab, click Conditions>Voltage Coupling. Alternatively, right-click

the Environment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Voltage Coupling.
Restrictions
Make sure that you meet the following restrictions when scoping Voltage Coupling.
• You cannot specify more than one Voltage Coupling on the same geometric entity, such as two
edges sharing a common vertex or two faces sharing a common edge.
• Voltage Coupling should not be applied to a geometric entity that also has a constraint applied
to it.



Selection. Displays the type of geometry (Face, Edge, etc.) and the
number of geometric entities (for example: 1 Face, 2 Edges) to which

a Named Selection.
Named Selections.
Definition DOF Selection: This is a read-only field displaying the DOF selection type -
Voltage (VOLT).

Coupling is achieved through the use of the CE command.
17.6.4.3. Constraint Equation

This feature allows you to relate the motion of different portions of a model through the use of an
equation. The equation relates the degrees of freedom (DOF) of one or more Remote Points (p. 1379)
for Coupled Field Analyses, Harmonic Response, Harmonic Acoustics, Modal, Modal (Samcef ), Static
Structural, Static Structural (Samcef ), or Transient Structural systems, or one or more joints for the
Ansys Rigid Dynamics solver.
For example, the motion along the X direction of one remote point (Remote Point A) could be
made to follow the motion of another remote point (Remote Point B) along the Z direction by:
0 = [1/mm ∙ Remote Point A (X Displacement)] - [1/mm ∙ Remote Point B (Z Displacement)]
The equation is a linear combination of the DOF values. Thus, each term in the equation is defined
by a coefficient followed by a node (Remote Point) and a degree of freedom label. Summation of
the linear combination may be set to a non-zero value. For example:
7 = [4.1/mm ∙ Remote Point A (X Displacement)] + [1/rad ∙ Remote Vertex (Rotation Z)]
Similarly, for the Ansys Rigid Dynamics solver, to make the rotational velocity of gear A (Revolute
A) to follow the rotational velocity of gear B (Revolute B), in the Z direction, the following constraint
equation should be written:
0 = [1/rad ∙ Revolute A (Omega Z)] - [1/rad ∙ Revolute B (Omega Z)]
This equation is a linear combination of the Joints DOF values. Thus, each term in the equation is
defined by a coefficient followed by a joint and a degree of freedom label. Summation of the linear
combination may be set to a non-zero value. For example:
7 = [4.1/mm ∙ Joint A (X Velocity)] + [1/rad ∙ Joint B (Omega Z)]
Note that the Joints DOF can be expressed in terms of velocities or accelerations. However, all terms
in the equation will be based on the same nature of degrees of freedom, that is, all velocities or
all accelerations.
To apply a constraint equation support:
1. Insert a Constraint Equation object by:
Boundary Conditions
a. Selecting Constraint Equation from the Conditions drop-down menu on the Context tab.
Or...
b. Right-clicking on the environment object and selecting Insert> Constraint Equation.
2. In the Details pane, enter a constant value that will represent one side of the constraint equation.
The default constant value is zero.
3. In the Worksheet, right-click in the first row and choose Add, then enter data to represent the
opposite side of the equation. For the first term of the equation, enter a value for the Coefficient,
then select entries for Remote Point or Joint and DOF Selection. Add a row and enter similar
data for each subsequent term of the equation. The resulting equation displays as you enter
the data.
Using the example presented above, a constant value of 7 is entered into the Details pane, and the
data shown in the table is entered in the Worksheet.
Note:
For Harmonic, Modal, Static Structural, and Transient Structural systems, the first
unique degree of freedom in the equation is eliminated in terms of all other degrees of
freedom in the equation. A unique degree of freedom is one which is not specified in
any other constraint equation, coupled node set, specified displacement set, or master
degree of freedom set. You should make the first term of the equation be the degree
of freedom to be eliminated. Although you may, in theory, specify the same degree of
freedom in more than one equation, you must be careful to avoid over-specification.
Constraint Equation Characteristics

• In the Worksheet, you can insert rows, modify an existing row, or delete a row.
• A local coordinate system is defined in each remote point that is used.
• The constant term is treated as a value with no unit of measure.
• Coefficients for X Displacement, Y Displacement, Z Displacement, X Velocity, Y Velocity, Z Velocity,

X Acceleration, Y Acceleration, and Z Acceleration have a unit of 1/length.
• Coefficients for Rotation X, Rotation Y, Rotation Z, Omega X, Omega Y, Omega Z, Omega Dot X,
Omega Dot Y, and Omega Dot Z have a unit of 1/angle. Note that in a velocity-based constraint
equation, coefficients use angle units and not rotational velocity units.
• If you change a DOF such that the unit type of a coefficient also changes (for example, rotation
to displacement, or vice versa), then the coefficient resets to 0.
• You can parameterize the constant value entered in the Details pane.
• The state for the Constraint Equation object will be under-defined (? in the tree) under the fol-
lowing circumstances:
– There are no rows with valid selections.
– Remote Points being used are underdefined or suppressed.
– Joints being used are underdefined or suppressed.
– The analysis type does not support this feature.
– The selected DOFs are invalid for the analysis (2D versus 3D, or remote point versus joints
DOFs).
• The graphic user interface does not check for overconstraint.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Constraint Equation section of the ACT API Reference
Guide.
17.6.4.4. Pipe Idealization

Pipe Idealization is a (boundary) condition used to model pipes that have cross-section distortion.
This is common for curved pipe structures under loading. It is related to the mesh and acts much
like a mesh control. Pipe elements are created by meshing lines or curves.
Prerequisites
1. In the Line Body’s (Geometry Object) Details pane Definition category, the Model Type option
must be set to Pipe.
2. The scoped line-body must be meshed with higher order elements. This means that the Element
Order option under the Defaults group of the Mesh Object must be set to Quadratic. If not,
the solver reports an error.
Extend Elbow Elements

You can extend the elbow elements to adjacent edges within the same body in order to reduce
the boundary effects caused by the incompatible section deformation between edges modeled as
straight pipes and high deformation pipes (elbows). If you do not want to extend the elements,
under the Extend to Adjacent Elements section of the Details panel set Extend to No. To extend
the elements, set Extend to Factor. You can then enter a Factor value, which will extend the ele-
ments to the adjacent edge up to a length of factor times selected pipe diameter. If the length
calculated by factor times pipe diameter is less than the length of one element, it will still be exten-
ded by one element.
Boundary Conditions
Support Limitations
Note the following limitations for this condition.
• If one or more of the elbow elements has a subtended angle of more than 45 degrees, a warning
is reported. The solution can proceed, or you may want to use a finer mesh for better results.
• Pipe Idealization cannot be used with symmetry.
• Although the solution will account for cross section distortions, the graphics rendering for the
results will display the cross sections in their original shape.
• Given elbow elements (ELBOW290) with inner pipe temperature specifications only, the application
will, by default, specify this inner temperature as outer temperature as well.

Applying a Pipe Idealization Boundary Condition (p. 1825)
Analysis Types
Pipe Idealization is available for the following analysis types:
• Modal (p. 521)
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Pipe Idealization boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation: Supported for Line Bodies only. Apply to one or more edges or at least two
vertices.
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Pipe Idealization boundary condition include:
• Wire Body/Line Body/Beam:

The supported topology selection options for Pipe Idealization include:
• Edge. It can only be scoped to edges that have been modeled as pipes. It can be scoped directly
to the geometry or to a Named Selection containing edges that are modeled as pipes.
• Nodes: Supported for node-based Named Selections.
Applying a Pipe Idealization Boundary Condition

To apply a Pipe Idealization:
1. On the Environment Context tab, click Conditions>Pipe Idealization. Alternatively, right-click

the Environment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Pipe Idealization.
2. Verify that in the Details panel for the Mesh object, Element Order in the Defaults group is set
to Quadratic.
3. If you choose to Extend to Adjacent Elements, enter a Factor.

Scope Scoping Method - Options include:



a Named Selection.

Named Selections.
Definition Suppressed - Include (No - default) or exclude (Yes) the boundary condition.
Formulation - Read-only field defined as Curved/Deformed.

Extend to Ad- Extend - Do not extend to adjacent elements (No) or specify as Factor (default).
jacent Ele-
ments Factor
Boundary Conditions

• Pipe element types include PIPE288 (3D two-node pipe) and PIPE289 (3D three-node pipe).
• If a Pipe Idealization is scoped to a pipe, the underneath PIPE289 elements of the pipe are
modified to ELBOW290 elements.
17.6.4.5. Nonlinear Adaptive Region

For information about this feature, see the Nonlinear Adaptive Region (p. 364) section of the Adaptivity
Analyses (p. 363) documentation.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Nonlinear Adaptive Region section of the ACT API Reference
Guide.
17.6.4.6. Geometry Based Adaptivity

For information about this feature, see the Geometry Based Adaptivity (p. 373) section of the Ad-
aptivity Analyses (p. 363) documentation.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Geometry Based Adaptivity section of the ACT API Refer-
ence Guide.
17.6.4.7. Element Birth and Death

The Element Birth and Death object enables you to activate and/or deactivate the element status
for a specific load step in your analysis.
When you deactivate an element or elements (Death), the solver does not remove elements. Instead,
the solver deactivates the elements by multiplying their stiffness (or conductivity, or other analogous
quantity) by a reduction factor so severe that the application renders the elements inactive.
Any load associated with deactivated elements:
• Zero-out of the loading vector. This includes mass, damping, specific heat, and other such
effects.
• Does not include the mass and energy of deactivated elements in the summations over the
model.
The application also sets strains to zero as soon as that element is deactivated.
Likewise, for activated elements (Alive), the application does not add the elements to the model.
They are simply reactivated. You need to first deactivate an element in order to reactivate the ele-
ment for the desired load step.
When you reactivate elements, stiffness, mass, element loads, etc., return to their original values.
The application reactivates elements with no record of strain history (heat storage, etc.); the applic-
ation considers reactivated elements to be generally strain-free. However, thermal strains are
computed for newly-activated elements based on the current step temperature and the reference
temperature. Therefore, newborn elements with thermal loads may not be stress-free as intended.
This feature is useful for analyzing excavation (as in mining and tunneling), staged construction (as
in shored bridge erection), sequential assembly (as in fabrication of layered computer chips), and
many other applications in which you can easily identify activated or deactivated elements by their
known locations.
Element Birth and Death Requirements

Review the following guidelines when applying the Element Birth and Death object:
• You cannot apply Constraint Equations to inactive DOFs. Inactive DOFs occur when a node
has no active (Alive) elements attached to it.
• You can model stress-relieving operations (such as annealing) by deactivating and then re-
activating elements.
• During nonlinear analyses, do not deactivate or reactivate elements in such a way as to

create singularities (such as sharp re-entrant corners in a structural analysis) or sudden large
changes in stiffness. Convergence difficulties may result.
• The Program Controlled setting for the Newton-Raphson Option property (Analysis Set-
tings> Nonlinear Controls (p. 1554)) automatically specifies the Full setting if a Dead element
status is detected.
• The Nonlinear Solution read-only property (Analysis Settings > Analysis Data Manage-
ment) is automatically set to the Yes setting.
• In order to obtain a good result, Ansys recommends that you set the Large Deflection
property (Analysis Settings> Solver Controls (p. 1518)) to On.
• If you deactivate a Contact Region using the Contact Step Control (p. 1830) feature or if
you deactivate the underlying elements of a Contact Region using the Element Birth and
Death feature, the application changes the status of the contact pair to far field contact
(open and not near contact). This includes bonded contact. To reestablish the pre-death
contact status when reactivating the Contact Region, you may need to deactivate both the
Contact Region and their underlying elements.
• If an element in a Static Structural analysis is killed during the first load step and then activ-
ated in the subsequent load step, any downstream Linear Perturbation analyses restarted
from the activated load step will activate the element during the first phase of the analysis.
However, if an element in a Static Structural analysis is active during the first load step and
then deactivated in the subsequent load step, any downstream Linear Perturbation analyses
restarted from the deactivated load step will deactivate the element during the first phase
of the analysis. For additional information, see the First Phase of the Linear Perturbation
Analysis in the Mechanical APDL Structural Analysis Guide.
For additional information, see the Element Birth and Death topic in the Mechanical APDL Advanced
Analysis Guide.
Boundary Conditions

Applying an Element Birth and Death Boundary Condition (p. 1829)
Analysis Types
Element Birth and Death is available for the following analysis types:

Static (p. 395)
• Coupled Field
Transient (p. 399) • Transient Structural (p. 671)
• Electric Analysis (p. 406) • Transient Thermal Analysis (p. 686)
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Element Birth and Death boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Element Birth and Death boundary condition include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell

The supported topology selection options for Element Birth and Death include:
• Body
• Elements
Applying an Element Birth and Death Boundary Condition

To apply an Element Birth and Death condition:
1. On the Environment Context tab, click Conditions>Element Birth and Death. Alternatively,
right-click the Environment tree object or within the Geometry window and select Insert>Ele-
ment Birth and Death.
2. Define your Scoping Method and select geometry.
3. Define the desired number of steps in the Step Controls (p. 1502) category of the Analysis
Settings.
4. Select a desired step in the Current Step property of the Element Birth and Death object.
5. Specify the Status of each load step as desired, Alive or Dead. The default setting for each step
is Alive. The Graph and Tabular Data windows each provide the right-click option Swap Status.
This option also changes the Status of a load step.


selection tool.

Selection. Displays the type of geometry (Body or element only) and
the number of geometric entities (for example: 1 Body, 2 Bodies) to
which the condition has been applied using the selection tools.

a Named Selection.

Selection. This field provides a drop-down list of available body- or
element-based Named Selections.
Boundary Conditions
Definition Type: Read-only field that describes the object - Element Birth and Death.

Step Controls Current Step: This property displays the currently selected Step. This step is
also highlighted in the Graph window.
Status. The options for this property include:
• Alive: Scoped bodies/elements for the current step are active.
• Dead: Scoped bodies/elements for the current step are deactivated.

The following Mechanical APDL commands and considerations are applicable for this condition.
• In order to create the Element Birth and Death component, the application uses the CM
command for body-based scoping and the CMBLOCK command for element-based scoping.
• When the application completes the creation of the Element Birth and Death components,
it issues the ALLSEL ,ALL command.
• The application issues the EKILL command when the Status is changed from Alive to Dead
or Dead at the first step.
• The application issues the EALIVE command when the Status is changed from Dead to
Alive.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Element Birth and Death section of the ACT API Reference
Guide.
17.6.4.8. Contact Step Control

The Contact Step Control condition enables you to activate or deactivate specific contact regions
on a load-step basis during your analysis. It also enables you to specify the Normal Stiffness for a
specific load step. This condition is similar to the Element Birth and Death (p. 1826) condition that
activates/deactivates element status for a specific load step.
Automatic Property Specification

Note the following application controlled actions that occur when applying the Contact Step
Control object:
• The Program Controlled setting for the Newton-Raphson Option property (Analysis Set-
tings > Nonlinear Controls) automatically specifies the Full setting if a Dead element status
is detected.
• The Nonlinear Solution read-only property (Analysis Settings > Analysis Data Manage-
ment) is automatically set to the Yes setting.
Requirement
If an element in a Static Structural analysis is killed during the first load step and then activated in
the subsequent load step, any downstream Linear Perturbation analyses restarted from the activated
load step will activate the element during the first phase of the analysis. However, if an element in
a Static Structural analysis is active during the first load step and then deactivated in the subsequent
load step, any downstream Linear Perturbation analyses restarted from the deactivated load step
will deactivate the element during the first phase of the analysis. For additional information, see
the First Phase of the Linear Perturbation Analysis in the Mechanical APDL Structural Analysis Guide.
Recommendation
In order to obtain a good result, Ansys recommends that you set the Large Deflection property
(Analysis Settings > Solver Controls (p. 1518)) to On setting.
If you deactivate a Contact Region using the Contact Step Control feature or if you deactivate
the underlying elements of a Contact Region using the Element Birth and Death feature, the
application changes the status of the contact pair to far field contact (open and not near contact).
This includes bonded contact. To reestablish the pre-death contact status when reactivating the
Contact Region, you may need to deactivate both the Contact Region and their underlying ele-
ments.
Limitations
The Contact Step Control feature does not support Convergence.

Applying a Contact Step Control Boundary Condition (p. 1832)
Analysis Types
Contact Step Control is available for the following analysis types:

Static (p. 395)
• Coupled Field
Transient (p. 399) • Transient Structural (p. 671)
Boundary Conditions
• Electric Analysis (p. 406) • Transient Thermal Analysis (p. 686)
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Contact Step Control boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Contact Step Control boundary condition include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell

Topology selection is not required for this condition. Scoping is based on contact regions.
Applying a Contact Step Control Boundary Condition

To apply a Contact Step Control condition:
1. On the Environment Context tab, click Conditions>Contact Step Control. Alternatively, right-
click the Environment tree object or within the Geometry window and select Insert>Contact
Step Control.
2. Select the desired Contact Region.
Note:
In addition to the above actions, you can drag and drop a Contact Region onto the
Environment (for example, Static Structural) object to automatically create a Contact
Step Control condition scoped to the given Contact Region.
3. Specify the Normal Stiffness property. Options include From Contact Region, Factor, or Ab-
solute Value.
4. Select a desired step in the Current Step property.
5. Specify the Status of each load step as desired, Alive or Dead. The default setting for each step
is Alive. The Graph and Tabular Data windows each provide the right-click option Swap Status.
This option also changes the Status of a load step.
6. If you specify the Normal Stiffness property as Factor or Absolute Value, specify the Normal
Stiffness Factor or Normal Stiffness Value properties for each load step. The values can also
be specified in the Tabular Data window.

Scope Scoping Method: This is a read-only property set to Contact Region.
Contact Region: Select the desired Contact Region from the drop-down list.
Definition Type: Read-only field that describes the object - Contact Step Control.
Normal Stiffness: The options for this property include the following.
• From Contact Region (default): This setting uses the Contact Region’s
definition for Normal Stiffness. The application makes no modifications
for contact normal stiffness due to the Contact Step Control. The Normal
Stiffness column is hidden in the Tabular Data window.
• Factor: This setting defines Normal Stiffness as a factor for each load
step.
• Absolute Value: This setting defines the Normal Stiffness as a value

for each load step.
Boundary Conditions
Step Controls Current Step: This property displays the currently selected Step. This step is
also highlighted in the Graph window.
Status. The options for this property include:
• Alive: Scoped Contact Region for the current step is active.
• Dead: Scoped Contact Region for the current step is deactivated.
Normal Stiffness Factor: This property becomes available when you set the
Normal Stiffness property as Factor. Enter a Normal Stiffness Factor for the
current step. This is a unit-less entry and only non-zero positive values are
supported. The usual factor range is from 0.01 - 10. For more information,
see the Normal Stiffness (p. 1160) topic in the Advanced Settings section of the
contact documentation.
Normal Stiffness Value: This property becomes available when you set the
Normal Stiffness property as Absolute Value. Enter the Normal Stiffness
Value for the current step. The unit of measure for this property is
[Force]/[Length]3 for a traction-based model and [Force]/[Length] for a
force-based model. Only non-zero positive values are supported. For more
information, see the Normal Stiffness (p. 1160) topic in the Advanced Settings
section of the contact documentation.

The following Mechanical APDL commands and considerations are applicable for this condition.
• The application issues the ESEL command to select the contact elements by type number.
• The application issues the EKILL command when the Status property is changed from Alive
to Dead or Dead at the first step.
• The application issues the EALIVE command when the Status property is changed from
Dead to Alive.
• The application issues the RMODIF command to modify the Normal Stiffness Factor
property or the Normal Stiffness Value property.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Contact Step Control section of the ACT API Reference
Guide.
17.6.4.9. Plastic Heating

The Plastic Heating boundary condition enables the thermoplastic effect, that manifests itself as
an increase in temperature, during plastic deformation due to the conversion of some of the plastic
work into heat.

Applying a Plastic Heating Boundary Condition (p. 1835)
Analysis Types
Plastic Heating is available for the following analysis types:
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Plastic Heating boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Plastic Heating boundary condition include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell: Supported for 2D only.

The supported topology selection options for Plastic Heating include:
• Body
Applying a Plastic Heating Boundary Condition

To apply a Plastic Heating:
1. On the Environment Context tab, select Plastic Heating from the Conditions drop-down menu
of the Structural group. Alternatively, right-click the Environment object or within the Geometry
window and select Insert>Plastic Heating.
3. Specify the Plastic Work Fraction.
Boundary Conditions


condition is applied to a geometry or geometries, which are chosen using
a graphical selection tool.
– Geometry: Visible when the Scoping Method is set to Geometry Se-

lection. Displays the type of geometry (Body, Face, etc.) and the number
of geometric entities (for example: 1 Body, 2 Edges) to which the
boundary has been applied using the selection tools.

Named Selection.

Named Selections.
Definition Plastic Work Fraction: This value defines the fraction of work that is
converted to heat.

• – Thermoplasticity
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Plastic Heating section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
17.6.4.10. Viscoelastic Heating

This condition converts Viscoelastic loss to heat. The Viscoelastic Heating object must be scoped
to a body whose material assignment includes the Viscoelastic material properties Prony Shear
Relaxation and Prony Volumetric Relaxation, as defined in Engineering Data.

Applying a Viscoelastic Heating Boundary Condition (p. 1837)

Analysis Types
Viscoelastic Heating is available for the following analysis types:
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Viscoelastic Heating boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Viscoelastic Heating boundary condition include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell: Supported for 2D only.

The supported topology selection options for Viscoelastic Heating include:
• Body
Applying a Viscoelastic Heating Boundary Condition

To apply a Viscoelastic Heating:
1. On the Environment Context tab, select Viscoelastic Heating from the Conditions drop-down
menu of the Structural group. Alternatively, right-click the Environment object or within the
Geometry window and select Insert>Viscoelastic Heating.
3. Specify the Viscoelastic Loss Fraction.

Boundary Conditions

condition is applied to a geometry or geometries, which are chosen using
a graphical selection tool.
– Geometry: Visible when the Scoping Method is set to Geometry Se-

lection. Displays the type of geometry (Body, Face, etc.) and the number
of geometric entities (for example: 1 Body, 2 Edges) to which the
boundary has been applied using the selection tools.

Named Selection.

Named Selections.
Definition Viscoelastic Loss Fraction: This value defines the fraction of work that is
converted to heat.

• Thermoviscoelasticity
17.6.5. Direct FE Type Boundary Conditions

The Direct Finite Element (FE) menu contains options that allow you to apply boundary conditions
directly to the nodes on the finite element mesh of a model. These boundary conditions are scoped
via node-based Named Selections (p. 1347). They differ from geometry based boundary conditions in
the fact that they are applied directly to the nodes during solution calculations whereas geometry-
based boundary conditions are applied through special loading elements such as SURF, CONTAC, or
FOLLW201 elements.
These boundary conditions are applied in the Nodal Coordinate System (except Nodal Pressure).
Direct FE boundary conditions cannot be applied to nodes that are already scoped with geometry-
based constraints which may modify the Nodal Coordinate system.
The boundary conditions contained under the Direct FE heading are listed below.
17.6.5.1. Nodal Orientation
17.6.5.2. Nodal Force
17.6.5.3. Nodal Pressure
17.6.5.4. Nodal Displacement
17.6.5.5. Nodal Rotation
17.6.5.6. EM (Electro-Mechanical) Transducer
17.6.5.1. Nodal Orientation

Nodal Orientation objects are meant to rotate the nodes to a given coordinate system that you
select in the GUI. By inserting a Nodal Orientation object and scoping it to a subset of nodes, you
can create a Nodal Coordinate System and apply nodal rotations to the scoped nodes. Later, other
node based boundary conditions (Nodal Force, Nodal Displacements, and Nodal Rotations) can use
these Nodal Coordinate Systems.
When two or more Nodal Orientations prescribe different Nodal Coordinate Systems at a single
node, the object that is added last (in the tree) is applied.

Applying a Nodal Orientation Boundary Condition (p. 1840)
Analysis Types
Nodal Orientation is available for the following analysis types:
• Modal (p. 521)
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Nodal Orientation boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Nodal Orientation boundary condition include:
• Solid
Boundary Conditions
• Surface/Shell

The Nodal Orientation boundary condition is scoped via node-based Named Selections only. For
more information, see the Specifying Named Selections by Direct Node Selection (p. 238) Help section.
Applying a Nodal Orientation Boundary Condition

To define Nodal Orientation and apply it to nodes:
1. On the Environment Context tab, click Direct FE > Nodal Orientation. Alternatively, right-click
the Environment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Nodal Orientation.
2. Click the Named Selection drop-down list and then select the node-based Named Selection
to prescribe the scope of the boundary conditions.
3. Select the coordinate system that you want to use to define nodal orientation.

The Details pane selections are described below.
Scope Scoping Method: Read-only field that displays scoping method – Named
Selection (p. 1347).
Named Selection: Drop-down list of available node-based Named

Selections.
Coordinate System: Drop-down list of available coordinate systems. The

selected system is used to orientate the nodes in the Named Selection.
Definition Suppressed: Includes or excludes the boundary condition in the analysis.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Nodal Orientation section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
17.6.5.2. Nodal Force

Using a Nodal Force, you can apply a force to an individual node or a set of nodes. You must create
a node-based Named Selection before you can apply a Nodal Force. The Nodal Force that you apply
in Mechanical is represented as an F Command in the Mechanical APDL application.
Note:
A Nodal Force object may be added during Solution Restart (p. 1917) without losing the
restart points.

Applying a Nodal Orientation Boundary Condition (p. 1840)
Analysis Types
Nodal Force is available for the following analysis types:
• Coupled Field Analyses (p. 380) • Static Structural (p. 658)
• Eigenvalue Buckling (p. 493) • Substructure Generation (p. 546)

(for Nonlinear-based
Eigenvalue Buckling Analysis • Transient Structural (p. 671)
only)
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Nodal Force boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Nodal Force boundary condition include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell
Boundary Conditions

The Nodal Force boundary condition is scoped via node-based Named Selections only. For more
information, see the Specifying Named Selections by Direct Node Selection (p. 238) Help section.
Note:
The Nodal Force boundary condition supports spatially varying loading on the scoped
nodes for Static and Transient analyses only. For Harmonic Response and Eigenvalue
Buckling analyses, only constant loading conditions are supported.
Applying a Nodal Force Boundary Condition

To apply a Nodal Force:
1. On the Environment Context tab, click Direct FE > Nodal Force. Alternatively, right-click the
Environment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Nodal Force.
2. Click the Named Selection drop-down list and then select the node-based Named Section to
prescribe the scope of the Nodal Force.
3. Enter a magnitude for the X, Y, and Z component to define the load.
Tip:
Define a Nodal Orientation for the Named Selection to control the Nodal Coordinate
System.

Scope Scoping Method: A read-only field that displays scoping method -
Named Selection (p. 1347).
Named Selection: A drop-down list of available node-based Named

Selection.
Definition Type: A read-only field that describes the node-based object - Force.
Coordinate System: A read-only field that displays the coordinate system

- Nodal Coordinate System. The Nodal Coordinate System can be
modified by applying Nodal Orientation (p. 1839) objects.
X Component: Defines force in the X direction
Y Component: Defines force in the Y direction
Z Component: Defines force in the Z direction
You can define the Component values as a Constant, in Tabular
form as a function of varying Time or varying Step (Static Structural
only), or as a Function.
Divide Load by Nodes: Property options include Yes (default) and No.
When set to Yes, the load value is normalized by dividing the Magnitude
by number of scoped nodes. When set to No, the load value is applied
directly to every scoped node.

Analysis when Cyclic Symmetry is present in the model. Options include:
• No (default). The loading is purely cyclic. That is, the load applied
to the base sector is applied to each and every sector.
• Harmonic Index. The non-cyclic loading can be specified for one

or more harmonic indices. This is also known as "engine-order
loading" (or traveling wave excitation). A Harmonic Index entry
is required.


Type property is set to Harmonic Index. Where NS is Number of Sectors,
enter a value from:

Suppressed: includes or excludes the boundary condition in the analysis.

Load Vector Load Vector Assignment: Options include Program Controlled (default)
Controls and Manual. When set to Manual, the Load Vector Number property
(Substructure displays.
Generation (p. 546)
Analysis Only) Load Vector Number: Specify a Load Vector Number using any value
Generation analysis. If multiple loads have the same Load Vector Num-
ber, the application groups these loads during the solution process to
Boundary Conditions
generate a single load vector that is the combined effect of all grouped
loads.
Note:
• If you have a Nodal Force and a Pressure, and/or Force, and/or Hydrostatic Pressure
load that are 1) all are set to the Direct option and 2) share the same scoping, they
will create a resultant loading effect.
• When Divide Load by Nodes is set to Yes, the forces are evenly distributed across
the nodes and do not result in a constant traction.
• Two Nodal Force objects that have the same scoping do not produce a cumulative
loading effect. The Nodal Force that was specified last takes priority and is applied,
and as a result, the other Nodal Force is ignored. For Explicit Dynamics analyses, a
resultant effect is always calculated if multiple loads are applied to a node (either by
geometric entity or as a nodal force).
• A load applied to a geometric entity and a Nodal Force produce a resultant effect.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Nodal Force section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
17.6.5.3. Nodal Pressure

Using Nodal Pressure, you can apply pressure on element faces. You must create a node based
named selection before you can apply a Nodal Pressure. It is applicable for solid and surface bodies
only. Specifically, an elemental face pressure is created only if all of the nodes of a given element
face (including midside) are included. If all nodes defining a face are shared by an adjacent face of
another selected element, the face is not free and will not have a load applied.
Warning:
For application to surface bodies, the Mechanical APDL solver logic for this load is such
that if all of the nodes of a shell element are specified, then the load is applied to the
whole element face. However, if only some nodes are specified on an element and those
nodes constitute a complete external edge, then an edge pressure is created. Therefore,
it is critical that you make sure that you have not selected nodes that constitute only a
free shell edge. This is because shell edge pressures are input on a per-unit-length basis,
and Mechanical treats this load always as a per-unit-area quantity. For more information,
see the SHELL181 Element Description.
Nodal Pressures applied to shell bodies act in the opposite direction of geometry-based
pressures.
Note:
A Nodal Pressure may be added during Solution Restart (p. 1917) without losing the restart
points.

Applying a Nodal Pressure Boundary Condition (p. 1846)
Analysis Types
Nodal Pressure is available for the following analysis types:
• Coupled Field Static (p. 395) • Static Structural (p. 658)
• Coupled Field Transient (p. 399) • Substructure Generation (p. 546)
• Eigenvalue Buckling (p. 493) (for • Transient Structural (p. 671)

Nonlinear-based Eigenvalue
Buckling Analysis only)
• Harmonic Response (Full)

Analysis Using Pre-Stressed
Structural System (p. 512)
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Nodal Pressure boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Nodal Pressure boundary condition include:
• Solid
Boundary Conditions
• Surface/Shell

The Nodal Pressure boundary condition is scoped via node-based Named Selections only. For more
Note:
The Nodal Pressure boundary condition supports spatially varying loading on the scoped
nodes for Static and Transient analyses only. For Eigenvalue Buckling and Harmonic Re-
sponse analyses, only constant loading conditions are supported.
Applying a Nodal Pressure Boundary Condition

To apply a Nodal Pressure:
1. On the Environment Context tab, click Direct FE > Nodal Pressure. Alternatively, right-click
the Environment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Nodal Pressure.
2. Click the Named Selection drop-down list, and then select the node-based Named Selection
to prescribe the scope of the Nodal Pressure.
3. Enter a magnitude for the load.

Scope Scoping Method: Read-only field that displays scoping method -

Selections.
Definition Type: Read-only field that displays boundary condition type -
Pressure.
Define By: Read-only field that displays that the boundary condition
is acting Normal To the surface to which it is attached.
Magnitude: Input field to define the magnitude of the boundary

condition. This value can be defined as a Constant, in Tabular form
as a function of Time or Step (Static Structural only), or as a Function.
Note:
Spatially varying loading (Tabular/Function) is

supported for Static and Transient analyses only. For
Eigenvalue Buckling and Harmonic Response analyses,

only constant loading conditions are supported.
Suppressed: Includes or excludes the boundary condition in the

analysis.
Analysis Only)
Load Vector Number: Specify a Load Vector Number using any
value greater than 1. A setting of 1 is reserved for a pre-stress
Substructure Generation analysis. If multiple loads have the same
Load Vector Number, the application groups these loads during the
solution process to generate a single load vector that is the combined
effect of all grouped loads.
Note:
• To apply a node-based pressure, the named selections that you create must include
nodes such that they define an element face.
• Two Nodal Pressure objects that have the same scoping do not produce a cumulative
loading effect. The Nodal Pressure object that was specified last takes priority and is
applied, and as a result, the other Nodal Pressure object is ignored.
• A load applied to a geometric entity and a Nodal Pressure produce a resultant effect.
• You can apply a spatially varying Nodal Pressure to scoped nodes.
• If a Nodal Pressure and a Direct Pressure, Direct Force, or Direct Hydrostatic

Pressure share the same scoping, the Nodal Pressure always takes priority regardless
of insertion order: Mechanical will ignore the Direct Pressure, Direct Force, and Direct
Hydrostatic Pressure.

For more information on the solver representation of this load, reference the SF command in the
Mechanical APDL Command Reference.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Nodal Pressure section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
17.6.5.4. Nodal Displacement

Using Nodal Displacement, you can apply a displacement to an individual node or a set of nodes.
You must create a node based named selection before you can apply a Nodal Displacement.
Boundary Conditions

Applying a Nodal Displacement Boundary Condition (p. 1849)
Analysis Types
Nodal Displacement is available for the following analysis types:
• Coupled Field Analyses (p. 380) • Harmonic Response (p. 502)
• Eigenvalue Buckling (p. 493) • Static Structural (p. 658)

(for Nonlinear-based
Eigenvalue Buckling Analysis • Transient Structural (p. 671)
only)
• Modal (p. 521)
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Nodal Displacement boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Nodal Displacement boundary condition include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell

The Nodal Displacement boundary condition is scoped via node-based Named Selections only.
For more information, see the Specifying Named Selections by Direct Node Selection (p. 238) Help
section.
Note:
The Nodal Displacement boundary condition supports spatially varying loading on the
scoped nodes for Static and Transient analyses only. For Eigenvalue Buckling, Harmonic
Response, and Modal analyses, only constant loading conditions are supported.
Applying a Nodal Displacement Boundary Condition

To apply a Nodal Displacement:
1. On the Environment Context tab, click Direct FE>Nodal Displacement. Alternatively, right-
click the Environment tree object or right-click within the Geometry window and select In-
sert>Nodal Displacement.
prescribe the scope of the Nodal Displacement.
3. Define loads in the X, Y, and/or Z directions.
4. As needed, set the Rev Dir for Inv Steps property to Yes. See the description below for re-
quirements.
Tip:
System.


Selections.
Definition Type: Read-only field that displays boundary condition type -
Displacement.
Coordinate System: Read-only field that displays the coordinate

system - Nodal Coordinate System.
Boundary Conditions
X Component: Specify a displacement value in the X direction. The
default value is Free (no Displacement constraint applied).
Y Component: Specify a displacement value in the Y direction. The

Z Component: Specify a displacement value in the Z direction. The

You can define the Component values as a Constant, in Tabular

form as a function of varying Time or varying Step (Static Structural
only), or as a Function.
Rev Dir for Inv Steps: This property is only available when the
following Advanced Analysis Settings (p. 1547) properties are defined:
Options include No (default) and Yes. Setting this property to Yes

inverts the direction of your specified Nodal Displacement.

analysis.
Note:
• Solution Restarts (p. 1917) are only supported for Tabular data modifications.
• If a Component property is set to Function, all other Components properties auto-

matically default to the Free setting and become read-only.
• Two Nodal Displacement objects that have the same scoping do not produce a cu-
mulative loading effect. The Nodal Displacement object that was specified last takes
priority and is applied, and as a result, the other Nodal Displacement object is ignored.
For Explicit Dynamics analyses, the compatibility of multiple Nodal Displacements
applied to a node must be respected. The solver will attempt to combine the con-
straints, but if this is not possible, the solve will fail with an appropriate error message.
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Nodal Displacement section of the ACT API Reference
Guide.
17.6.5.5. Nodal Rotation

Using Nodal Rotation, you can apply a fixed rotation to an individual node or a set of nodes that
have rotational degrees of freedom (DOFs).

Applying a Nodal Rotation Boundary Condition (p. 1851)
Analysis Types
Nodal Rotation is available for the following analysis types:
• Modal (p. 521)
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the Nodal Rotation boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation
• 2D Simulation
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the Nodal Rotation boundary condition include:
• Surface/Shell

The Nodal Rotation boundary condition is scoped via node-based Named Selections only. For
more information, see the Specifying Named Selections by Direct Node Selection (p. 238) Help section.
Applying a Nodal Rotation Boundary Condition

To apply a Nodal Rotation:
1. On the Environment Context tab, click Direct FE>Nodal Rotation. Alternatively, right-click
the Environment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert>Nodal Rotation.
prescribe the scope of the Nodal Rotation.
Boundary Conditions
3. Define the X, Y, and/or Z axis as Fixed or Free. At least one Component must be defined as
Fixed.
Tip:
System.


Selections.
Definition Type: Read-only field that displays boundary condition type - Fixed
Rotation.
Coordinate System: Read-only field that displays the coordinate

system - Nodal Coordinate System.
X Component: Define the x-axis of rotation as Fixed (default) or

Free.
Y Component: Define the y-axis of rotation as Fixed (default) or

Free.
Z Component: Define the z-axis of rotation as Fixed (default) or Free.

analysis.
Note:
When parameterizing this boundary condition, a Free axis of rotation is represented by

a zero (0) and Fixed with a value of one (1) inside the Parameter tab in Ansys Workbench
(outside of Mechanical).
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the Nodal Rotation section of the ACT API Reference Guide.
17.6.5.6. EM (Electro-Mechanical) Transducer

Using the EM Transducer boundary condition, you can model simple Micro-Electro-Mechanical
Systems (MEMS) devices.

Applying an EM Transducer Boundary Condition (p. 1854)
Analysis Types
EM Transducer is available for the following analysis types:
Dimensional Types
The supported dimensional types for the EM Transducer boundary condition include:
• 3D Simulation. Node-based Named Selections only support face node selection.
• 2D Simulation. Node-based Named Selections only support edge node selection.
Geometry Types
The supported geometry types for the EM Transducer boundary condition include:
• Solid
• Surface/Shell

The EM Transducer boundary condition is scoped via node-based Named Selections only. For more
Define By Options
The loading for this boundary condition is always defined as a Voltage Difference.
Magnitude Options
The supported Magnitude options (p. 1588) for EM Transducer include the following:
Boundary Conditions
• Constant. This value can be Parameterized.
• Tabular (Time Varying). This value cannot be Parameterized.
• Tabular (Step Varying): Supported for Static Structural only. This value cannot be Parameterized.
• Function (Time Varying). This value cannot be Parameterized.
Applying an EM Transducer Boundary Condition

To apply an EM Transducer:
1. On the Environment Context tab, click Direct FE > EM Transducer. Alternatively, right-click
the Environment tree object or in the Geometry window and select Insert > EM Transducer.
2. Enter a Voltage Difference value.
3. Specify a GAP Direction, either X, Y, or Z based on the default Nodal Coordinate System or a
user-defined nodal coordinate system.
4. Enter Initial Gap and Minimal Gap values.

Scope Scoping Method: Read-only field that displays scoping method - Named Se-
lection (p. 1347).
Named Selection: Drop-down list of available node-based Named Selections.

Definition Type: Read-only field that describes the node-based object - EM Transducer.
Voltage Difference: Input field for Voltage value.
Stiffness Method: Property options include Program Controlled (default),

Augmented, and Full. The application determines which setting, Full or
Augmented, the Program Controlled option uses based upon the configuration
of your system or systems. The Program Controlled option selects the Full
setting when your Static Structural analysis includes a downstream pre-stressed
Harmonic Response or Modal analysis and the Augmented setting for all other
cases. The Full setting is required in order to obtain accurate results when your
Static Structural analysis includes a downstream pre-stressed Harmonic Response
system.
These settings are based on a system’s stiffness in an electro-mechanical

scenario. The stiffness of such systems consists of structural stiffness and
electrostatic stiffness. Because forces increase when a spring is stretched,
structural stiffness has a positive value. However, given a parallel plate
capacitor, the attraction force between the plates decreases with an
increasing gap, resulting in a negative electrostatic stiffness. As a result,
you can be presented with a negative system stiffness and the analysis can
experience convergence problems near unstable solutions.
When the Augmented option is specified for the Stiffness Method, the
application sets the electrostatic stiffness to zero, ensuring that the analysis
has a positive system stiffness, in order to address convergence issues. In
addition, once convergence is reached, the application automatically
re-establishes electrostatic stiffness for subsequent analyses.
Note:
For additional technical information about the operation of the

Stiffness Method, see the TRANS126 Element section in the
Mechanical APDL Element Reference and the EMTGEN command in
the Mechanical APDL Command Reference.

Voltage Sur- Coordinate System: Read-only field that displays the coordinate system -
face Location Nodal Coordinate System.
GAP Direction: Specify the structural DOF used, X, Y, or Z based on the Nodal
Coordinate System. This is used with the Volt DOF.
Initial Gap: Input field for initial range of motion (in GAP Direction). Can be
Parameterized.
Minimal Gap: Input field for minimal range of motion (in GAP Direction). Can
be Parameterized.
Function Unit System: Read-only field displaying the unit of measure associated with
[1] (p. 1855) the Voltage.
Angular Measure: Read-only field displaying the unit of measure for the
voltage’s angle.
Graph Con- Number of Segments: The function is graphed with a default value of 200 line
trols segments. You can change this value to better visualize the function.
[1] (p. 1855)
1. This category displays only when Voltage Difference is specified as a Function.

This boundary condition uses the EMTGEN command to generate a set of TRANS126 elements
between the surface nodes of a moveable structure and a plane of nodes, typically representing a
ground plane.
Note:
The newly created (by EMTGEN command) ground plane nodes (of TRANS126 elements)
are assumed to be fixed.
Boundary Conditions
API Reference
For specific scripting information, see the EM (Electro-Mechanical) Transducer section of the ACT
API Reference Guide.
17.6.6. Remote Boundary Conditions

The boundary conditions listed here can make use of the Remote Point (p. 1379) feature (object)
provided by Mechanical. The Remote Point associated with one of the given objects is either created
and defined by you (you create a Remote Point object that the remote boundary condition references)
or it is automatically generated by the system (you can think of it as an "internal" remote point - no
Remote Point object exists in the object tree).
When defined with a remote point, these objects are considered remote boundary conditions. The
remote point gives the object an "abstract" quality because it is not directly applied to the nodes or
vertices of a model.
However, you can directly scope a single node or vertex of your model to some of the boundary
conditions listed below, specifically Point Masses, Springs, and Joints. Using the Details pane property,
Applied By, for these objects you can switch between the settings Remote Attachment and Direct
Attachment. When directly applied, they are not considered remote boundary conditions and as a
result do not provide certain properties, such as Pinball or Formulation.
• Thermal Point Mass (p. 940)
• Joints (p. 1202)
• Spring (p. 1306)
• Bearing (p. 1324)
• Moment (p. 1688)
Remote boundary conditions have the following characteristics:
• All remote boundary conditions make use of MPC contact used in the Mechanical APDL application.
For more information, see the Geometry Behaviors and Support Specifications (p. 1385) section in
the Mechanical Help as well as the Surface-Based Constraints section in the Contact Technology
Guide - part of the Mechanical APDL Help.
• You are advised to check reaction forces to ensure that a remote boundary condition has been
fully applied, especially if the boundary condition shares geometry with other remote boundary
conditions, any type of constraint, or even MPC contact.
• Once a remote boundary condition is created, you can generate an external Remote Point based
on the scoping of the remote boundary condition using the Promote Remote Point (p. 1389) feature
(RMB menu).
Annotations are available for point masses, springs, beam connections, and bearings. You can toggle
the visibility of these annotations in the Annotation Preferences dialog box. For more information,
see Specifying Annotation Preferences (p. 273).
17.6.7. Imported Boundary Conditions

Ansys Workbench and Mechanical analysis systems enable you to import results and apply them as
boundary conditions. Mechanical enables you to import data from:
• Mechanical analysis systems as Imported Loads or through Submodeling (p. 828).
• Mechanical Result Files as Imported Loads.
• Fluids Result File as Imported Loads.
• External Data (p. 745) systems as Imported Loads.
• FLUENT CFD analyses using System Coupling (p. 841).
• HFSS, Maxwell, or Q3D Extractor applications as Imported Loads.
Additional information on Thermal-Stress (p. 858), Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) (p. 767), Ansoft -
Mechanical Data Transfer (p. 712), Icepak to Mechanical Data Transfer (p. 775), Submodeling (p. 828),
and External Data Import (p. 745) can be found in the Special Analysis Topics (p. 691) section.
This section outlines the systems that you can link for importing boundary conditions as well as the
supported boundary conditions, and it presents the steps to import and apply imported boundary
conditions. Select a link below to navigate to a desired topic.
Note:
You can work with imported loads only when you perform an analysis with data
transfer.
17.6.7.1. Supported Analysis Types and Systems

17.6.7.2. Supported Boundary Conditions
17.6.7.3. Applying Imported Boundary Conditions
17.6.7.4. Load Mapping Workflow Specification
17.6.7.1. Supported Analysis Types and Systems

The following table lists the systems that interact with one another using data transfer. The associated
imported boundary conditions (as a data type) are show in parenthesis.
Boundary Conditions
Source Analysis/System (Transfer Target Analysis

Data Type)
CFD (Convection) Steady-State Thermal, Transient Thermal, Thermal-Electric
[a] 1
CFD (Pressure) Static Structural, Transient Structural (p. ?)
CFD (Temperature) Steady-State Thermal, Transient Thermal, Thermal-Electric,
Static Structural, Transient Structural[a]
CFD (Body Temperature) Static Structural, Transient Structural, LS-DYNA
Coupled Field Harmonic (Joule Heat) Steady-State Thermal and Transient Thermal
Coupled Field Harmonic (Velocity) Stand-alone Acoustics Coupled Field Harmonic
Coupled Field Static and Coupled Static Structural and Transient Structural
Field Transient (Temperature)
Electric (Joule Heat) Steady-State Thermal, Transient Thermal
Electromagnetic (Force Density) Static Structural, Transient Structural[a]
Electromagnetic (Power Loss Density) Steady-State Thermal, Transient Thermal
Electromagnetic (Force and Moment) Harmonic Response[b]
External Files (Force, Temperature, Static Structural, Transient Structural[a]
Stress, Strain, Body Force Density)
External Files (Displacement) Static Structural, Transient Structural[a], LS-DYNA
External Files (Temperature, Steady-State Thermal, Transient Thermal, Thermal-Electric
Convection, Heat Flux, Heat
Generation)
External Files (Pressure) Harmonic Response, Explicit Dynamics, LS-DYNA, Static
Structural, Transient Structural[a], and Substructure Generation
External Files (Velocity) Acoustic Analysis
External Files - H5DPF file format Coupled Field Harmonic, Harmonic Acoustics
(Velocity)
External Files (Imported Heat Flux, Coupled Field Static, Coupled Field Transient
Imported Temperature, Imported
(Thermal Condition) Body
Temperature)
External Files (Imported Body Force Harmonic Response
Density)
Harmonic Acoustics (Velocity) Harmonic Acoustics
Harmonic Response (Velocity) Harmonic Acoustic, LS-DYNA Acoustics Analysis
Motion Harmonic Acoustic Analysis, Coupled Field Harmonic
Polyflow (Temperature) Steady-State Thermal, Transient Thermal, Thermal-Electric,
Static Structural, Transient Structural[a]
Static Structural, Transient Structural Static Structural, Transient Structural[a]
(Displacement, Temperature, Force[c],
and Moment[c])
Steady-State Thermal, Transient Static Structural, Transient Structural[a], Electric
Thermal (Temperature)
System Coupling (Force) Static Structural, Transient Structural
Source Analysis/System (Transfer Target Analysis

Data Type)
System Coupling (Heat Flow, Steady-State Thermal, Transient Thermal, Thermal-Electric
Convection, Temperature)
Thermal-Electric (Temperature) Static Structural, Transient Structural[a]
[a] Rigid dynamics solver is not supported.
[b] See the Importing Data into a Harmonic Analysis (p. 716) section for the specific steps to
perform the analysis.
[c] Supported for Beam to Shell or Solid Submodeling only
17.6.7.2. Supported Boundary Conditions

Mechanical supports the boundary conditions listed below. The availability of a boundary condition
in an analysis is dependent upon the types of systems that you have joined.
17.6.7.2.1. Imported Body Force Density
17.6.7.2.2. Imported Body Temperature
17.6.7.2.3. Imported Boundary Remote Constraint
17.6.7.2.4. Imported Convection Coefficient
17.6.7.2.5. Imported Cut Boundary Constraint
17.6.7.2.6. Imported Cut Boundary Remote Force
17.6.7.2.7. Imported Displacement
17.6.7.2.8. Imported Force
17.6.7.2.9. Imported Heat Flux
17.6.7.2.10. Imported Heat Generation
17.6.7.2.11. Imported Initial Strain
17.6.7.2.12. Imported Initial Stress
17.6.7.2.13. Imported Pressure
17.6.7.2.14. Imported Remote Loads
17.6.7.2.15. Imported Surface Force Density
17.6.7.2.16. Imported Temperature
17.6.7.2.17. Imported Velocity
17.6.7.2.1. Imported Body Force Density

When electromagnetic body forces are transferred to a structural environment, an Imported
Body Force Density object can be inserted to represent the transfer. For steps to transfer data,
see the Applying Imported Boundary Conditions (p. 1877) section.
Note:
• For a particular load step, an active Imported Body Force Density load will
overwrite other Imported Body Force Density loads that exist higher (previously
added) in the tree, on common geometry selections. For additional rules when
Boundary Conditions
multiple load objects of the same type exist on common geometry selections,
see Activating and Deactivating Loads (p. 1507).
• For large-deflection analyses, the application applies this load to the initial size
of the element, not the current size.
• Comparing Imported Body Force Density Total Forces (Source and Target) (p. 1860)
Comparing Imported Body Force Density Total Forces (Source and Target)
When your imported body force density load, imported from External Data (p. 745), is scoped to
solid bodies/elements and each source element includes volume data, a table comparing the
total force components and magnitudes for both the source and target mesh is displayed in the
Comment pane of the Imported Load Transfer Summary object, as shown below.
To display this information, you must first specify Volume in the Data Type column in the External
Data Setup page as well as a unit system and Volume1 as the Data Identifier for the desired
volume data. The example below illustrates these settings.
The application calculates each component of the total force of the source file by summing force
components multiplied by the volume of each source data row.
Important:
• This table does not display if you specify an Analytical Transformation to a coordinate
in the upstream External Data system.
• The Gallon unit in the External Data system is an Imperial (UK) Gallon and equals
4.5461e-3 cubic meter.
Limitations
Static and Transient Structural Analyses
The application does not support sending the Imported Body Force Density load to the
solver as a table. For this imported load, the Tabular Loading property controls the creation
of the data table. The values are then applied from the data table at each load step. However,
the KBC command value (Key) specified for the analysis controls the ramping or stepping
within a load step. Therefore, if the analysis time specified by the Imported Load definition
matches the load step end time, then there is no difference in solution between the Stepped
and the Ramped option (of Tabular Loading property) for the load step.
Harmonic Response Mode Superposition (MSUP) Analyses
For a Harmonic Response MSUP analyses, the Element Based Volumetric Harmonic Force
load is not supported:
• As tabular data (frequency varying).
• For analyses that include Multiple RPMs.
17.6.7.2.2. Imported Body Temperature

When temperatures are transferred to a structural, electric, or LS-DYNA analysis, an Imported
Body Temperature object is automatically inserted to represent the transfer.
If the load is applied to one or more surface bodies, the Shell Face option in the Details pane
enables you to apply the temperatures to Both faces, to the Top face(s) only, or to the Bottom
face(s) only. By default, the temperatures are applied to both the top and bottom faces of the
selection. For applicable transfers or for specific steps to transfer data, see the Imported Boundary
Conditions (p. 1857) section.
Be sure to review the following information about the requirements and considerations when
employing this loading condition.
• Operational Rules for Imported Thermal Loads (p. 1861)
• Tabular Loading Processing Specifications (p. 1862)
• General Notes (p. 1863)
• Load Vector Controls for Substructure Generation Analyses (p. 1864)
Operational Rules for Imported Thermal Loads
Observe the following operational conditions when you apply Imported Body Temperature loads
and Thermal Condition on the same geometry. For each load step:
• An active or reactivated Imported Body Temperature load overwrites any Thermal Condition
loads on common geometry selections.
• The most recently added Imported Body Temperature load, whether active or reactivated
overwrites any other Imported Body Temperature loads that exist in the tree and that
share common geometry or node selections.
Boundary Conditions
• Imported Body Temperature loads for which no commands are sent to the solver, for a
particular load step, are overwritten by a reactivated or deactivated:
– Thermal Condition load on common geometry selections.
– Imported Body Temperature load on common geometry selections.
The Imported Body Temperature will remain deleted until it gets reactivated during one
of the subsequent steps (status change from deactivated to active).
For additional rules about when multiple load objects of the same type exist on common geometry
selections, see the Activating and Deactivating Loads (p. 1507) Help.
Note:
For an active, reactivated, or deactivated loading condition, the application sends a

command to the solver. The Tabular Loading topic below describes when during the
solution process the command is sent to the solver.
Tabular Loading Processing Specifications
Processing Characteristics
Note the following tabular loading characteristics for Imported Body Temperature loads:
• When Imported Body Temperature loads are not sent using tables, the commands are
sent to the solver at load steps specified in the Data View worksheet or when the load
is reactivated or deactivated.
• For Imported Body Temperature loads specified in Tabular Data, commands are sent
to the solver only at the first active or reactivated load step.
Defining the Program Controlled Option
The Tabular Loading property has the following options:
• Program Controlled: The application selects either Ramped or Off. The selection
depends upon whether the Analysis Time (s) values in the Data View pane match
the End Time values of the Tabular Data window. If the value match, the application
selects the Off option. If they do not match, then the Ramped option is used.
• Ramped: Temperature values are Ramped based on the Analysis Time (s) table.
• Stepped: Temperature values are Stepped based on the Analysis Time (s) table.
• Off: Temperature values are applied as a constant at the end of each load step and
ramped during the load step.
Tip:
The application processes the Ramped and Off options the same except that
when using the Off option, Analysis Time values must match the End Times
exactly. Otherwise, the application generates an error message. The Ramped

option is not affected buy this limitation.
Specifying Source Time
The Source Time property includes the following options:
• All: All time points from the upstream Thermal analysis populate the Source Time (s)
column in the Data View pane. And, by default, the Analysis Time (s) column contains
the same values. When selected, a Graphics Controls category displays in the Details
pane enabling you to specify the display of the load data by Active Row or Time.
• Range: This option filters the data points from the upstream Thermal analysis based
on the minimum and maximum input values and populates the Source Time (s)
column accordingly. When selected, the additional properties, Minimum and Maximum
display. These properties enables you to enter minimum and maximum time values
for which to display results. When you enter minimum and maximum time values, a
Graphics Controls category displays in the Details pane enabling you to specify the
display of the load data by Active Row or Time.
• Worksheet (default): Manually enter desired data points to obtain load data from the
upstream Thermal analysis in order to connect them to Analysis Time of the down-
stream Structural analysis.
Based on the option that you select for the Source Time property, the Tabular Loading
property is set depending upon on whether the values of Analysis Time column match the
values of the Load Step End Times values of the Structural analysis.
General Notes
Review to the following to make sure that you properly configure your imported load.
• If you have a Nonlinear Adaptive Region (p. 1826) object present in a Static Structural ana-
lysis, the Imported Body Temperature includes the property: Apply To Initial Mesh. You
use this property to specify whether the boundary conditions are applied directly to the
initial mesh or to the newly generated mesh.
• Adaptive Convergence objects inserted under an environment that is referenced by an

Imported Body Temperature object will invalidate the Imported Body Temperature
object, and not allow a solution to progress.
• For a particular load step, an active Imported Body Temperature load will overwrite any
Thermal Condition loads on common geometry selections.
• When a Thermal Condition is specified on the Top or Bottom shell face of a surface body,
the opposite face defaults to the environment temperature unless it is otherwise specified
from another load object.
• For an assembly of bodies with different topologies, you must define a separate Imported
Body Temperature load for surface bodies.
• The values used in the solution are calculated by first converting the imported load values
into the solver unit system and then multiplying the scale value.
Boundary Conditions
• For each load step, if an Imported Body Temperature load and a Thermal Condition
load are applied on common geometry or node selections, the Imported Body Temper-
ature load takes precedence. An active Imported Body Temperature load will also
overwrite other Imported Body Temperature loads that exist higher (previously added) in
the tree, on common geometry or node selections. For additional rules when multiple
load objects of the same type exist on common geometry selections, see Activating and
Deactivating Loads (p. 1507).
• If a scale factor is specified, the values used in the solution are calculated by first converting
the imported load values into the solver unit system and then multiplying the scale value.
• For surface bodies, the thickness of each target node is ignored when data is mapped.
When importing data from an External Data system, the Shell Thickness Factor property
enables you to account for the thickness at each target node, and consequently modify
the location used for each target node during the mapping process. For additional inform-
ation, see External Data (p. 745).
• For an LS-DYNA analysis, Mechanical-Based Mapping and Source Time are not available.
Load Vector Controls for Substructure Generation Analyses
You can insert Imported Body Temperature objects into a Substructure Generation (p. 546)
analysis when Beta Options are active. The Details pane will display the Load Vector Controls
category. This category includes the following properties.
• Load Vector Assignment: Options include Program Controlled (default) and Manual. If
you select Manual, a Load Vector Number property displays, as described below, enabling
you to define the value.
• Load Vector Number (Real): Use this property to manually specify a Load Vector Number
(Real) value. This value can be any number greater than 1 – the application reserves this
value for pre-stressed Substructure Generation analyses. If multiple loads have the same
load vector number, the application groups these loads during the solution process to
generate a single load vector that is the combined effect of all grouped loads.
17.6.7.2.3. Imported Boundary Remote Constraint

The Imported Cut Boundary Remote Constraint object applies displacements and rotational
forces from beam-based coarse models to shell or solid submodels (p. 835). These loading conditions
are generated from the results defined on the nearest beam node of the coarse model. Using
this method, the application applies each displacement or rotation using remote displacement
objects that by default, are rigid.
The remote loads generated for this option are, by default, read-only. You can modify the prop-
erties of boundary condition as required by setting the Read Only property to Off.
For additional information about the supported source (coarse) and target (submodel) systems
as well as the specific steps to transfer data, see the Imported Boundary Conditions (p. 1857) section.
17.6.7.2.4. Imported Convection Coefficient

When CFD convection coefficients are transferred to a thermal analysis, an Imported Convection
Coefficient object can be inserted to represent the transfer.
To define a convection, you need a film coefficient value and a bulk temperature value. For the
Imported Convection Coefficient object, film coefficient values need to be imported from an
external source, such as External Data. Bulk temperature values can be imported from an external
source or defined internally.
Note:
A warning message will appear if negative mapped HTC values are present. Insert a
validation object and use the Source Value option to determine source nodes with
values less than zero.
For applicable transfers or for specific steps to transfer data, see the Imported Boundary Condi-
tions (p. 1857) section.
Application Options
If your model includes two bodies that share faces, one solid and one shell, the Shared Reference
Body property displays automatically. The property provides a drop-down list of the names of
the bodies that share the scoped features. For the steps to use this property, see the Convec-
tion (p. 1717) section.
Imported convection loads from External Data can be mapped and applied to either the centroids
(Elements) or Corner Nodes of the selected element faces (3D) or element edges (2D) using the
Applied To property.
Specify Reference Temperature from Line Bodies for Fluid Flow
In addition, if your model includes one or more Line Bodies (p. 900), with the Model Type property
set to Thermal Fluid, you can obtain reference temperature values from these specified Thermal
Fluid bodies.
To specify reference temperature using the Thermal Fluid bodies, you set the Fluid Flow property
(of the Fluid Flow Controls category), of the Imported Convection Coefficient object, to Yes.
When you activate the Fluid Flow property, the application automatically displays a Scoping
Method property and a Fluid Flow Scoping property in the Details pane category.
Using these scoping properties, you specify a desired edge or edges, a vertex, or a node using
either direct selection or using a Named Selection. Note the following processing methods based
on the defined scoping:
• Edge(s) on a fluid line body: Convection is accounted for with surface elements SURF151
and SURF152. The application maps the elements to the fluid elements using a distance-
based algorithm. This option uses the two nodes from the mapped fluid element to specify
the reference temperature. Note that you can use the Display Connection Lines property
to display the connection lines between the centroid of each element face/edge of the
Boundary Conditions
convection surface(s)/edge(s) to the corresponding closest node on the fluid flow scoping.
The closest node is computed using a distance-based algorithm.
Note:
The display of the connection lines may not be an accurate representation

of the connection in the solver. The solver, by default and when applicable,
uses the closes two nodes from the scoped fluid elements to specify the
reference temperature.
• Vertex/Node on a fluid line body. This option uses the specified vertex or node to specify
the reference temperature. You can specify a single node or vertex only.
17.6.7.2.5. Imported Cut Boundary Constraint

The Imported Cut Boundary Constraint (p. 1866) object applies displacements for Solid- or Shell-
Solid submodeling and displacements and rotations for Shell-Solid submodeling.
17.6.7.2.6. Imported Cut Boundary Remote Force

The Imported Cut Boundary Remote Force object applies forces (p. 1656) and moments (p. 1688)
from beam-based coarse models to shell or solid submodels (p. 835). Each remote force and mo-
ment pair share a remote point that is by default, deformable.
The remote loads generated for this option are, by default, read-only. You can modify the prop-
erties of boundary condition by setting the Read Only property to Off.
Requirements
Note the following requirements:
• In order to add beam forces to the results file and make them available for your submodel,
you need to set the Nodal Forces property (Analysis Settings>Output Controls (p. 1559)) to
On in the coarse model.
• If your submodel includes only forces and moments and has no other constraints, you
must set the Weak Springs (p. 1517) property (Analysis Settings>Solver Settings (p. 1512))
to On.
17.6.7.2.7. Imported Displacement

When displacements are transferred to a structural analysis, an Imported Displacement object
can be inserted to represent the transfer. For applicable transfers or for specific steps to transfer
data, see the Imported Boundary Conditions (p. 1857) section.
Note:
• If one or more nodes with imported displacements have nodal rotations specified
on them, Mechanical attempts to negotiate and apply the imported displacements.
The imported displacements are transformed to the nodal coordinate system and
then applied on the node(s). However, there may be cases when a suitable trans-
formation cannot be obtained (for example, [x,y,z] > [fixed, free, free] in the Global
Coordinate System becomes [fixed, fixed, free] in the nodal coordinate system if the
coordinate system is rotated about the z-axis). For such situations, Mechanical will
report a conflict.
• If an Imported Displacement and other support constraints are applied on common

geometry or node selections, you can choose to override the specified constraints
by using the Override Constraints property in the details of the Imported Displace-
ment object. By default, the specified constraints are respected and Imported Dis-
placement is applied only to the free degrees of freedom of a node.
• If you have multiple Imported Displacements scoped to common geometry or

node selections, the application could ignore some constraints and apply the Impor-
ted Displacements to only the free degrees of freedom of a node. Use the Override
Constraints property to override the specified constraints.
• If you have a Nonlinear Adaptive Region (p. 1826) object present in a Static Structural
analysis, the Imported Displacement includes the property: Apply To Initial Mesh.
You use this property to specify whether the boundary conditions are applied directly
to the initial mesh or to the newly generated mesh.
• This imported loading condition supports the Vector Display (p. 77) options.
17.6.7.2.8. Imported Force

When forces are transferred to a structural analysis, an Imported Force object can be inserted
to represent the transfer.
Force is a conservative quantity, which requires the total force (sum total over source points)
applied on the source to match the target. To achieve this, conservative mapping algorithms are
available, when importing force data.
For uniform source and target meshes, profile preserving algorithms along with an appropriate
scale factor, can also be employed to conserve the total force.
In addition to mapping data across the meshes, the import process also calculates and reports
the total force and the individual X/Y/Z components on both the source and target regions. When
mapping data using the conservative algorithm, you can validate that the total force is conserved
Boundary Conditions
between source and target. For profile preserving algorithms, this information may be used to
appropriately apply a scaling factor.
Note:
When you apply total force in the Cylindrical Coordinate System, the application
does not calculate the Force Components in Radial (X) and Tangential (Y) directions.
The application reports these components as N/A in the summary.
For specific steps to transfer data, see the Imported Boundary Conditions (p. 1857) section for ap-
plicable transfers or External Data (p. 745).
Note:
• Both conservative and profile preserving algorithms are available for importing force
data. Conservative algorithms are the default and automatically ensure that the total
force is conserved between source and target.
• Profile preserving algorithms may also be used to import force loads. When using
profile preserving algorithms, the total force on the source and target may not
match. Use the scaling factor reported in the Transfer Summary to appropriately
scale the load.
Profile preserving algorithms are not recommended to be used with non-uniform

source or target meshes.
17.6.7.2.9. Imported Heat Flux

When thermal heat is transferred to a thermal environment, an Imported Heat Flux object can
be inserted to represent the transfer.
Note:
For surface bodies, the thickness of each target node is ignored when data is mapped.
When importing data from an External Data system, the Shell Thickness Factor
property enables you to account for the thickness at each target node, and con-
sequently modify the location used for each target node during the mapping process.
For additional information, see External Data (p. 745).
17.6.7.2.10. Imported Heat Generation

An Imported Heat Generation object is created in the Imported Load folder when you transfer
Joule heating from a Coupled Field Harmonic (p. 384) or an Electric (p. 406) analysis to a thermal
analysis. For additional information about the supported source and target systems (p. 1857) as
well as the specific steps to transfer data, see the Imported Boundary Conditions (p. 1857) section.
Note:
• You can scope an Imported Heat Generation object to bodies, body-based Named
Selections, Elements, and element-based Named Selections only.
• For each time step, the total heat mapped to the target system is available in the
Imported Load Transfer Summary.
• The Joule heating, from an Electric analysis, resulting from limited contact electric
conductance is ignored during this data transfer.
• For each load step, if an Imported Heat Generation load and an Internal Heat Gen-
eration load are applied on common geometry selections, the Imported Heat Gen-
eration load takes precedence. An active Imported Heat Generation load will also
overwrite other Imported Heat Generation loads that exist higher (previously added)
in the tree, on common geometry selections. For additional rules when multiple
load objects of the same type exist on common geometry selections, see Activating
and Deactivating Loads (p. 1507).
• When you import Joule heat from a Coupled Field Harmonic analysis, the application
only considers the heating contributed from the bodies that are scoped to the
Physics Region object with the Structural and Electric properties set to Yes.
17.6.7.2.11. Imported Initial Strain

When strains are transferred to define the state of a structure at the beginning of a structural
analysis, an Imported Initial Strain object can be inserted to represent the transfer. The following
supported strain types can be chosen using Sub Type property in the details of the Imported
Initial Strain object:
• Elastic Strain
• Plastic Strain
• Equivalent Plastic Strain
You can import values for all six components of the symmetric strain tensor (XX, YY, ZZ, XY, YZ
and ZX). For more information, see the External Data Import (p. 745) section.
This imported load provides the Apply To property that enables you to map and apply the load
to either the centroids of the Elements or to the Corner Nodes of the elements for the selected
bodies. When the Apply To property is set to Corner Nodes, the imported initial strain can also
be scoped to node-based Named Selections.
Boundary Conditions
Note:
• Imported Initial Strain can only be applied at the start of the first step.
Activation/Deactivation of loads (p. 1507) is not available for Imported Strain load.
• Imported elastic strain values are not supported for bodies which have the following
material types assigned:
– Materials with kinematic hardening properties
– Gasket materials
– Hyperelastic materials
• Imported plastic strain values are not supported for bodies which have the following
– Porous media
– Rate-dependent plasticity
– Viscoplasticity
• For shell bodies, you have the option to import strain on All, Top, Middle, or Bottom
shell face(s).
• For shells with layered sections, All is the only supported option for importing strain
on shell faces.
• Initial strain can only be applied to a shell body with a default coordinate system.
If a coordinate system is specified either directly through the Coordinate System
property on the body or indirectly through the Coordinate System property on
Layered Section, then the object becomes invalid and strain cannot be imported.
Important:
Mechanical maps every individual tensor by direct interpolation of individual compon-

ents. This is numerically the simplest method but is physically inconsistent especially
in nonlinear solid mechanics applications. For more information, see the Recommend-
ations and Guidelines for Mapping of Initial Stress and Strain Data (p. 1871) section.
17.6.7.2.12. Imported Initial Stress

When stresses are transferred to define the state of a structure at the beginning of a structural
analysis, an Imported Initial Stress object can be inserted to represent the transfer.
You can import values for all six components of the symmetric stress tensor (XX, YY, ZZ, XY, YZ
and ZX). For more information, see External Data Import (p. 745).
This imported load provides the Apply To property that enables you to map and apply the load
to either the centroids of the Elements or to the Corner Nodes of the elements for the selected
bodies. When the Apply To property is set to Corner Nodes, the imported initial stress can also
be scoped to node-based Named Selections.
Note:
• Imported Initial Stress can only be applied at the start of the first step.
Activation/Deactivation of loads (p. 1507) is not available for Imported Initial Stress
load.
• Imported Initial Stress load is not supported for bodies which have the following
– Materials with kinematic hardening properties
– Gasket materials
• For shell bodies, you have the option to import stress on All, Top, Middle, or Bottom
shell face(s).
• For shells with layered sections specified, All is the only supported option for im-
porting stress on shell faces.
• Initial stress can only be applied to a shell body with a default coordinate system.
If a coordinate system is specified either directly through the Coordinate System
property on the body or indirectly through the Coordinate System property on
Layered Section, then the object becomes invalid and stress cannot be imported.
Important:
Mechanical maps every individual tensor by direct interpolation of individual compon-

ents. This is numerically the simplest method but is physically inconsistent especially
in nonlinear solid mechanics applications. For more information, see the Recommend-
ations and Guidelines for Mapping of Initial Stress and Strain Data (p. 1871) section.
17.6.7.2.12.1. Recommendations and Guidelines for Mapping of Initial Stress and Strain
Data
Mechanical maps initial stress and strain data by direct interpolation of individual components.
Numerically, this is the simplest method but it is physically inconsistent, especially in nonlinear
solid mechanics applications.
Boundary Conditions
Tensor fields associated with solid mechanics applications – such as stress, strains, and plastic
strains – are not independent of each other. The strains are related to the displacements through
the compatibility equations and the stresses are related to strains through the constitutive
equations. In addition, for plasticity, other equations like the flow rule also relate the plastic
strain tensors to the stress tensors. Hence independent interpolation of these tensors will violate
these equations which in turn will create a globally un-equilibrated state of stress in the mapped
domain. So, using these mapped quantities in nonlinear solid mechanics applications is not
recommended. However, irrespective of these limitations, if the user wants to use these mapped
fields, it is strongly recommended that he uses a dummy load step in the solver with the im-
ported initial stress/strain results and only apply new loads and/or boundary conditions if and
only if the dummy load step converges and the resulting deformation is physically consistent
with the problem. Generally, the analysis with the dummy load step will not converge with
loads generated via incorrectly mapped stress/strain fields. Even with a chance convergence
in the dummy load step, no guarantee can be given with respect to the correctness of the
results.
Mechanical provides an option to view contours of Equivalent (von-Mises) stress/strain, as

well as individual components (XX, YY, ZZ, XY, YZ and ZX) using Component property in
Details pane of Imported Initial Stress/Strain. User can insert a Mapping Validation (p. 2516) object
under the Imported Load, perform Source Value validation, and set the Display In Parent
property to On to view overlapping contours of interpolated data with source data and compare
the equivalent stress/strain from the interpolated data with the source data.
The equivalent stress and strain are calculated using the von Mises equation:
Figure 17.1: Equivalent (von-Mises) stress
Figure 17.2: Equivalent (von-Mises) strain (elastic/plastic/equivalent plastic)
17.6.7.2.13. Imported Pressure

When pressures are transferred to a structural or harmonic analysis, an Imported Pressure object
can be inserted to represent the transfer. For more procedural steps for applicable transfers, see
the Imported Boundary Conditions (p. 1857) section. Be sure to review the Additional Mapping
Options (p. 1875) outlined below.
Pressure Application Options
The Imported Pressure load provides the following properties that enable you to define how
to map and apply the load:
• Shared Reference Body: This property is a scoping feature used to apply the Imported
Pressure to shared faces or edges between two bodies. When you have properly scoped
the geometric entities, using either Geometry Selection or an appropriate Named Selection,
the property provides a drop-down list of the names of the bodies that share the scoped
features. By selecting a body from this list, you are specifying that the pressure be applied
to its surface or edge. Once selected, the Geometry or Named Selection property displays
a parenthetical of the shared face or edge, such as “(1 Shared Face/1 Shared Edge)” to
indicate the condition.
Note:
– When working with the shared edges of a 2D model, the Applied By property
must be set to Direct.
– Edges can be shared between a surface and line body, but the line body
cannot be specified as the Shared Reference Body or the property becomes
invalid.
• Apply To: This property that enables you to map and apply the load to either the centroids
of the Elements (default) or to the Corner Nodes of the elements included in the scoping.
Also see the Additional Mapping Options (p. 1875) topic below.
• Applied By: You use this property to specify the imported load as either Surface Effect
(default) or Direct. The Surface Effect option applies the pressure using the surface effect
elements created on the top of the scoped geometry. The Direct option applies the
pressure directly onto the faces (3D) or edges (2D) of the solid/shell elements.
• Apply To Initial Mesh: If you have a Nonlinear Adaptive Region (p. 1826) object present in
a Static Structural analysis, this property is displayed. You use this property to specify
whether the boundary condition is applied directly to the initial mesh or to the newly
generated mesh. The Yes setting for this property is not supported when the Applied By
property is set to Surface Effect. For more information, see the Initial-Mesh Loading and
Constraint section of the Mechanical APDL Nonlinear Adaptivity Analysis Guide.
• For Substructure Generation analyses, the Details pane displays the Load Vector Controls
category. This category includes the following properties.
– Load Vector Assignment: Options include Program Controlled (default) and

Manual. If you select Manual, a Load Vector Number property displays, as de-
scribed below, enabling you to define the value.
– Load Vector Number (Real): Use this property to manually specify a Load Vector
Number (Real) value. This value can be any number greater than 1 – the application
reserves this value for pre-stressed Substructure Generation analyses. If multiple
loads have the same load vector number, the application groups these loads during
the solution process.
– Load Vector Number (Imaginary): This property is only visible if the imported
data includes imaginary values. This value can be any number greater than 1 – the
application reserves this value for pre-stressed Substructure Generation analyses.
If multiple loads have the same load vector number, the application groups these
Boundary Conditions
loads during the solution process to generate a single load vector that is the com-
bined effect of all grouped loads.
Note:
• For large-deflection analyses, this load is applied to the original loaded area by de-
fault, not the new area. When the Applied By property is set to:
Surface Effect: KEYOPT(7) = 1 is set for the surface effect elements SURF154
and SURF153.
Direct: The SFCONTROL command is sent with associated kArea(1) value.
When importing data from an External Data (p. 745) system, the Shell Thickness
Factor property enables you to account for the thickness at each target node, and
consequently modify the location used for each target node during the mapping
process. For additional information, see External Data (p. 745).
• If you scope two Pressure objects to the same geometry, and specify the loads in
the same direction, using the Direct option, the pressures do not produce a cumu-
lative loading effect. The Imported Pressure object that you specified last takes
priority and is applied, and as a result, the application ignores the other Imported
Pressure object.
• An Imported Pressure applied using the Surface Effect option and a Imported
Pressure applied with the Direct option produce a resultant effect.
• If your analysis includes some combination of a Imported Pressure, Pressure, a

Force, and a Hydrostatic Pressure load, and 1) all are set to the Direct option and
2) share the same scoping, 3) have the same Direction, whichever load was written
to the input file last, overwrites all previous loads.
Important:
Note the following limitations when using the Direct option for Applied By property
and when the Define By property is set to Components:
• Only supported when the target solver type is Mechanical APDL.
• Not supported for vertices and edges of Solid bodies and Line Bodies.

parts.
• Not supported if the model has any crack defined under the fracture folder.
• Not supported if the analysis includes a Nonlinear Adaptive Region object, 1)

the Loaded Area property is set to Initial, and 2) the Large Deflection property
(Analysis Settings > Solver Controls (p. 1512)) set to On.
• In a multiple step analysis, if you define more than one load (Imported Pressure,
Pressure, Force, or Hydrostatic Pressure) using the Direct option and a Nodal
Pressure, and they share the same scoping, deactivation of a particular load
step in one of these loads could delete all the other loads in that load step and
following steps.
Additional Mapping Options
Imported pressure loads from External Data can be mapped and applied to either the centroids
(Elements) or Corner Nodes of the selected 3D element faces or element edges (2D) using the
Applied to property.
When the Applied To property is set to Corner Nodes, the Filter property under the Scopecategory
enables you to select a subset of the scoped element faces/edges and imports the load only on
the specified subset. To filter a subset of element faces/edges, follow the following steps:
1. Create a nodal Named Selection to select all the nodes in the region of interest.
2. Select the created named selection in the Filter property. You may also choose any pre-existing
nodal Named Selection.
The filtered subset of element edges/faces is then determined by the following:
1. The element faces/edges which have all their corner nodes defined in the filter will be included
in the mapping
2. For the element edges/faces whose corner nodes are only partially defined the filter, that is,
the faces/edges which have some corner nodes included in the filter, but not all the Include
Partial Faces/Edges property can be used to include or exclude the element faces/edges
from the scoping.
Boundary Conditions
17.6.7.2.14. Imported Remote Loads

An Imported Remote Loads object houses force and moment boundary conditions created by
an external analysis, such as Maxwell. The application automatically creates this object when your
harmonic system is linked to an upstream Maxwell system, or you can create the object manually
and import an external Maxwell file. For linked systems, you can only use these loading conditions
during a Harmonic Response analysis. When importing a Maxwell file, the application supports
Coupled Field Harmonic and Harmonic Acoustics analyses in addition to a Harmonic Response
analysis. The Environment tab contains an option to insert this object and then specify an ex-
ternal Maxwell file.
For the specific steps, see the Importing Forces and Moments (p. 717) section.
17.6.7.2.15. Imported Surface Force Density

When electromagnetic surface forces are transferred to a structural environment, an Imported
Surface Force Density object can be inserted to represent the transfer.
Important:
When making common geometry selections during an MSUP Harmonic Response

analysis (Solution Method set to Mode Superposition) with the Load Application
Type property set to either Program Controlled (default) or Nodal, an active Imported
Surface Force Density load will overwrite other Imported Surface Force Density loads
that were inserted into the Outline prior to the active load.
17.6.7.2.16. Imported Temperature

When temperatures are transferred to a thermal analysis, an Imported Temperature object can
be inserted to represent the transfer.
Note:
• For each load step, if an Imported Temperature load and Temperature load are ap-
plied on common geometry or node selections, the Imported Temperature load
takes precedence. An active Imported Temperature load will also overwrite other
Imported Temperature loads that exist higher (previously added) in the tree, on
common geometry or node selections. For additional rules when multiple load objects
of the same type exist on common geometry selections, see Activating and Deactiv-
ating Loads (p. 1507).
• If a scale factor is specified, the values used in the solution are calculated by first
converting the imported load values into the solver unit system and then multiplying
the scale value.
17.6.7.2.17. Imported Velocity

You can import velocities from an upstream Motion, Harmonic Response or Harmonic Acoustics
analysis to a downstream Harmonic Acoustics, Coupled Field Harmonic, or LS-DYNA Acoustics
analysis. The application automatically inserts an Imported Velocity object into the downstream
system to represent the transfer. For applicable transfers or for specific steps to transfer data, see
the Imported Boundary Conditions (p. 1857) section.
Note:
• You can use the Source Body property to specify a Named Selection as source data.
This option can improve performance by reducing the number of transferred source
nodes.
• For additional information, see the Load Mapping Workflow Specification (p. 1883)
section.
17.6.7.3. Applying Imported Boundary Conditions

To import loads for an analysis:
1. On the Workbench Project page, add the desired analysis that supports data transfer. Link the
Solution cell of the upstream system to the Setup cell of the downstream system, as illustrated
below. As required/desired, you can also link the Engineering Data and Geometry cells
between the systems.
Boundary Conditions
2. Double-click Setup cell of the downstream system to open the analysis in Mechanical. As illus-
trated in the following example, an Imported Load folder is automatically added under the
environment folder. And, for this example, an Imported Heat Generation (p. 1868) object was
also automatically included in the folder.
3. To add an imported load, select the Imported Load folder and make a selection from the
Environment Context tab. You can also right-click the folder, select Insert, and add the desired
load.
Note:
Imported loads can be created using the Duplicate option of the right-click context
menu.
4. Based on the load definition, whether it has been mapped or if it is a newly inserted load,
scope the loading condition to a geometric entity, mesh type, or to a geometry- or mesh-based
Named Selection. Click Apply when complete.
Note:
Supported scoping options (geometric and/or mesh) vary based on the imported
load type. For example, the following imported loads can be scoped to node-
based Named Selections.
• Imported Body Temperature (from External Data, for Submodeling [Shell-

Shell not supported], or for Thermal-Stress)
• Imported Displacement (from External Data or for Submodeling)
• Imported Force (from External Data)
• Imported Temperature (from External Data or for Submodeling)
• Imported Velocity (from External Data)
• Imported Initial Stress and Imported Initial Strain (from External Data),
when the Apply To property is set to Corner Nodes
5. Set the appropriate options in the Details pane.
6. If you are transferring from Motion to a Harmonic Acoustics or Coupled Field Harmonic analysis,
Fast Fourier Transform Controls properties will appear. These properties handle the parameters
for the conversion of time-dependent source velocities to frequency-dependent velocities.
• Source Time: Select the time domain from Motion to process. Options include All or
Range.
Boundary Conditions
• Cutoff Frequency: Select the highest frequency that can be obtained in the output of
the conversion.
Note:
Based on these two properties, the application will internally perform

resampling on the time domain data to ensure evenly spaced data, op-
timize FFT performance and output frequency data up to the Cutoff
frequency.
First, the minimum number of points is calculated using the maximum

between (source_duration x cutoff_frequency x 2) and the initial number
of points. The number of sampling points is then calculated by taking
the next 2n value after the minimum number of points.
• Window Type: Use this control to apply windowing to attenuate spectral leakage.
Available options are as follows:
– None does not use a window for FFT.
– Rectangular uses windows of
– Triangular uses windows of with
– Bartlett uses windows of with
– Hanning uses windows of
– Hamming uses windows of with
– Welch uses windows of
– Blackman uses windows of
7. Use the Data View worksheet to control the load data that is imported. The imported values
displayed in the worksheet, such as time, components, and magnitude, are based on the im-
ported data type (p. 1857). The following example of Imported Pressure data displays Magnitude,
Analysis Time, and options to specify Scale and Offset. The application displays similar
worksheet data based on the imported load type.
Note:
• For Imported Temperature and Imported Body Temperature loads, the

values used in the solution are calculated by first converting the imported
load values into the solver unit system and then multiplying the scale value.
• Specific transfer details can be found in the Special Analysis Topics (p. 691)
section.
8. If you are using the Mechanical APDL solver, loads can be applied using tables or they can be
applied at each analysis time/frequency specified in the imported load using the Tabular
Loading property. When sending as tables, the loads can either be ramped or step changed
(stepped) between the specified Analysis Times/Frequencies.
a. When ramped, the load value at step/sub-step is calculated using linear interpolation in
the range where solve step/sub-step falls.
b. When stepped, the load value specified at t2 is applied in the range (t1, t2], where (t1, t2]
is the range greater than t1 and less than or equal to t2.
Note:
• When program controlled, the loads are sent as tables when Analysis
Time(s)/Frequency(ies) not matching any step end times/maximum fre-
quency are present in the load definition. The loads are ramped for stat-
ic/steady state and harmonic analyses and step applied for transient analyses.
Important:
For an Imported Velocity (p. 1877) object, when 1) the Tabular

Loading property is set to Program Controlled, and 2) the
Mapped Data property is set to To Binary File, the application
automatically applies the load as a ramped load for the harmonic
analysis. See the Load Mapping Workflow Specification (p. 1883)
Boundary Conditions
• The loads are always sent as tables when Ramped or Stepped is chosen.
Important:
Note that these options do not change the KBC command

value (Key) which controls whether all of the loads within a
load step are linearly interpolated or step changed. In addi-
tion, certain limitations apply to loads that do not support
tabular loading, such as Imported Body Force Density (p. 1859).
The limitations are described on the Help page for the respect-
ive loads (p. 1857).
• Extrapolation is not performed when stepping/ramping the loads. If the solve

time for a step/sub-step falls outside the specified Analysis Time/Frequency,
then the load value at the nearest specified analysis time is used.
• For temperature loads, the values are ramped from reference temperature
for the first time step. For all other loads, the values are ramped from zero.
• You can choose not to send the loads as tables using the Off option. The
analysis times/frequencies specified in the load definition must match the
step end times/maximum frequency in this case for the solution to succeed.
• In a LS-DYNA analysis, the Off option is equivalent to the ramped option.
9. Import the load by right-clicking the Imported Load object and selecting Import Load.
10. When the load has been imported successfully, a contour or vector plot will be displayed in
• For vector loads types, contours plots of the magnitude (Total) or X/Y/Z component can be
viewed by changing the Component property in the Details pane. Defaults to a vector plot
(All).
• For tensor loads types, contours plots of Equivalent (von-Mises) or XX/YY/ZZ/XY/YZ/ZX

component can be viewed by changing the Component property in the Details pane. Defaults
to a Vector Principal plot (All).
• For Imported Convection loads, contours plots of film coefficient or ambient temperature
can be viewed by changing the Component property in the Details pane.
• For complex load types, such as pressure and velocity in Harmonic Response analyses, the
real/imaginary component of the data can be viewed by changing the Complex Data
Component option in the details pane.
• The Legend controls options enable you to control the range of data displayed in the
graphics window. By default, it is set to Program control, which allows for complete data
to be displayed. If you are interested in a particular range of data, you can select the
Manual option, and then set the minimum/maximum for the range.
• Many imported loading conditions support Vector Display (p. 77) options.
Note:
• When you scope imported loading conditions to elements, you may see graphic
artifacts on your model in the form of color "bleeding". Selecting the Wireframe
option (p. 83) corrects the display.
• The isoline option is drawn based on nodal values. When drawing isolines for
imported loads that store element values (Imported Body Force Density, Impor-
ted Convection, Imported Heat Generation, Imported Heat Flux, Imported
Pressure, Imported Surface Force Density, Imported Initial Stress and Imported
Initial Strain), the program automatically calculates nodal values by averaging
values of the elements to which a node is attached.
• The minimum and maximum values of source data are also available in Legend
Controls for External Data Import (p. 745), Thermal-Stress (p. 858), Submodel-
ing (p. 828), and Acoustic Coupling analyses.
11. To preview the imported load contour that applies to a given row in the Data View, use the
Active Row option in the Details pane.
Data window, and choose Activate/Deactivate at this step!. For additional rules when multiple
load objects of the same type exist on common geometry selections, see Activation/Deactivation
of Loads (p. 1507).
To export data, right-click the child load object and select Export > Export Text File.
17.6.7.4. Load Mapping Workflow Specification

When importing load data, you can select how to process the data, either by writing load data into
the input file, or using the data processing framework (DPF) to generate a binary file from which
the application processes data. Using a DPF binary file improves processing times and requirements
while reducing the size of the required files.
Supported Loads
Currently, this capability only supports Imported Velocity (p. 1877) loads imported from an upstream:
• Harmonic Response to downstream Harmonic Acoustics.
• Harmonic Response to downstream LS-DYNA Acoustics.
• Harmonic Acoustics to downstream Harmonic Acoustics.
• Coupled Field Harmonic to downstream Coupled Filed Harmonic.
Boundary Conditions
• Background (p. 1888)

This load mapping specification supports:
• For an Imported Velocity load, the Mapped Data property is only available when the parent
Imported Load (Group) object is created by an upstream analysis system with shared a Model
cell.
• Harmonic analyses specified with Multiple RPM and On Demand Expansion.
• The use of the Ansys Remote Solve Manager (RSM) or Ansys HPC Platform Services (HPS).
Application
To import loads for analysis:
1. Once you have imported the load, select the imported pressure or velocity load object
(contained under the Imported Load object) and specify the Mapped Data property. Options
include:
2.
• To Input File: The application maps data during the import process and writes the
mapped data into load tables in the input file. During the solution, the application
reads the data tables and creates load tables that are stored in memory.
• To Binary File: The application maps data when it generates the input file and
transfers mapped data using a binary file. This option creates a smaller input file
and replaces load tables with DPF load commands. For their command definitions,
see Plugin Commands.
Analysis Includes Multiple RPMs?
If your analysis includes multiple RPMs, you can use the Specify RPM property
to define the load. Note that this property is only available when the Mapped
Data property is set to To Binary File.
Specify RPM property options include:
– Single (default): This option applies the Imported Velocity on single

RPM load step. For this setting, you also need to specify a value in the
RPM Selection property. This property provides a drop-down list of
available RPM values.
Boundary Conditions
– All: Applies the Imported Velocity on all RPM load steps.
– By RPM Set: Selecting this option displays the RPM Set Numbers
property displays. Use the RPM Set Numbers property to specify the
desired RPM set or sets in the supported format (1, 2, 5-10). These values
correspond to the number of Number of Steps property defined in the
Step Controls (p. 1510) category of the Analysis Settings object.
Note:
Based on your analysis requirements, use the All or By RPM Set

options for the greatest efficiency.
3. Specify additional properties for the imported load object as needed. For descriptions of
all properties, see the Imported Load (Group) object reference page.
4. Right-click the imported load object, or its parent object, and select Import Load.
As illustrated below for an Imported Velocity example, load data is generated and displayed
in corresponding Details pane properties and the Data View worksheet. In addition, mapped
contours are displayed on the model.
Boundary Conditions
Note:
When you use either the All or By RPM Set options, the content in the Data
View table (Source Frequency/Analysis Frequency) is read-only. You can
change the value of the RPM Selection property to view different Source Fre-
quency and Analysis Frequency data.
Background
The following table describes the current mapping process and its drawbacks.
Converting Boundary Conditions to Nodal DOF Constraints (Mechanical APDL Solver)
Currently, the application… This action…

Maps data during import process.
Stores the data in Mechanical (object) • Increases the size of the database.
memory.
• Decreases performance during save and
resume.
Writes the load tables to the input file. • Increases the size of the input file.
• Decreases performance when writing the input

file.
Reads the load tables from the input file and • Increases memory requirements for the load
creates the load tables during solution. tables data.
• Increases the processing requirements to

create the load table.
The load mapping specification addresses the drawbacks of writing the load table data into the
input file and then reading and creating the load tables during the solution. Specifically, you can
control:
• How and when the application performs mapping.
• How the application transfers the mapped data to the solver.
17.7. Converting Boundary Conditions to Nodal DOF Constraints (Mech-

anical APDL Solver)
This section discusses converting structural boundary conditions on the geometry to constraints on the
mesh for analyses targeting the Mechanical APDL solver.
In the Mechanical APDL application, structural degree-of-freedom constraints can be defined at individual
nodes. Specifically, you can choose to constrain each node along any of the three axis directions (x, y,
z) of its local coordinate system to simulate the kinds of supports your model requires. In the Mechan-
ical application, however, you specify boundary conditions on the geometry, so the program must
automatically convert them into nodal constraints prior to solution. Ordinarily, this process is straight-
forward and the boundary conditions can be transcribed directly onto the nodes. In certain cases,
however, the Mechanical application may be confronted with combinations of boundary conditions
that require negotiation to produce an equivalent rendition of the effective constraints acting on the
nodes. A common case occurs in structural analyses where two or more boundary conditions are applied
to neighboring topologies, for example, Frictionless Supports applied to neighboring faces that meet
at an angle: the nodes on the edge are subject to two separate combinations of DOF constraints, one
from each Frictionless Support. The Mechanical application attempts to identify a suitable orientation
to the nodal coordinate system that accommodates both frictionless supports and, if successful, constrain
its axes accordingly. Should this attempt ever fail, the solution will be prevented and an error will be
issued to the Message Window (See The Solver Has Found Conflicting DOF Constraints (p. 2483) in the
Troubleshooting section.)
Boundary Conditions

The following boundary conditions support conversion:
• Fixed Supports (p. 1781) (Fixed Face, Fixed Edge, Fixed Vertex).
• Simply Supported (p. 1809) (Edge or Vertex)
• Fixed Rotation (p. 1811)
• Displacements (Displacements for Faces (p. 1784), Displacement for Edges (p. 1784), Displacements For
Vertices (p. 1784))
Note:
By default, if you apply a displacement using a cylindrical coordinate system, and if there
is a displacement applied in either the radial (X Component) and/or tangential (Y Com-
ponent) direction, the application applies a zero displacement on the nodes located on
the cylindrical axis (Z) for both radial and tangential directions or both components. The
application displays an informational message to indicate this situation. You can specify
a preference to make sure the application uses the Free setting for the radial/tangential
components by default when it encounters this condition. See the Loads and Boundary
Conditions (p. 320) category of the Options (p. 287) dialog.
• Frictionless Support (p. 1802)
• Cylindrical Support (p. 1807)
• Symmetry Regions (p. 1436)
Calculation Processes
The calculations that convert the boundary conditions into nodal constraints involve:
• The identification of the linear span contributed by each of the boundary conditions
• The combination of the individual spans into a final nodal constraint choice.
Angular tolerances are involved in distinguishing and combining the spans. A program controlled toler-
ance of 0.01 degrees will be used.
Note:
The calculations have a built in preference for producing nodal coordinate systems that are
closest in orientation to the global coordinate system.
Resolving Thermal Boundary Condition Conflicts
17.8. Resolving Thermal Boundary Condition Conflicts
Conflicts between boundary conditions scoped to parts and individual faces

Boundary conditions applied to individual geometry faces always override those that are scoped to a
part(s). For conflicts associated with various boundary conditions, the order of precedence is as follows:
1. Applied temperatures (Highest).
2. Convection, heat fluxes, and flows (Cumulative, but overridden by applied temperatures).
3. Insulated (Lowest. Overridden by all of the above).
Chapter 18: Solving
Go to a solution section topic:
18.1. Understanding Interface Options
18.2. Performing the Solution
18.3. Selecting Solve Modes for an Analysis
18.4. Using Solve Process Settings
18.5. Using Solution Restarts
18.6. Understanding Solve Scenarios
18.7. Specifying Solution Information
18.8. Postprocessing During Solve
18.9. Using Result Trackers
18.10. Using Adaptive Convergence
18.11. Saving and Managing Results
18.12. Writing and Reading Solution Data
18.13. Understanding Solving Units
18.1. Understanding Interface Options

When you initiate a simulation in Workbench, the application automatically specifies the solver (p. 359).
You can view the specified solver in Workbench by displaying the properties (of the Model cell) of the
analysis. The System Information category displays a Solver property. Once you open Mechanical, the
Details for the Environment object displays a Solver Target property.
Solving
Solve Options
Home Tab Context Tab
The Solve group provides options that enable you to specify some basic solution configurations and
to solve your analysis.
• The Solver Handler drop-down menu enables you to specify the desired target machine on
which to perform your solution. It contains the options My Computer (default) and My Computer,
Background. When you create remote solution options, they are also displayed in the menu.
• The Solve button/option also provides a drop-down menu that contains the same options as
the Solver Handler menu. These options initiate the solution when selected.
• The Distributed option, active by default, indicates the use of distributed-memory parallel (DMP)
processing. For more information, see the Using DMP Processing section of the Mechanical APDL
Parallel Processing Guide.
• The Cores field enables you to change the number of CPU cores to use during the solution. The
default is 4. If your computer does not have four cores, the application automatically scales to
the lower number.
Performing the Solution
• The Resource Prediction (p. 162) option opens a window that enables you to select an available
analysis and produce a prediction the computing resources needed to perform a solution for
the environment.
Important:
In the lower right-hand corner of the Solve group is an option that launches the Solve Process
Settings (p. 1906) dialog. This dialog enables you to specify solution settings for remote com-
puters as well as specific process settings to be used during the solution process.
Solution Progress Display

Once you start a solution, its progress is displayed in the Status Bar (p. 138). The status bar also displays
solution Interrupt and Stop options. If you would like the solver to halt immediately and forego writing
any outstanding restart points, select the Stop option. Using the Interrupt option, you instruct the
solver to complete its current iteration and record outstanding restart points (available for Static
Structural, Transient Structural, and Structural Optimization analyses). Neither of these options affects
previous restart points.
In addition, you can select the Progress pane to display the Solution Status window. Like the status
bar display, this window displays the progress for synchronous solutions. The window also includes a
Stop Solution button and an Interrupt Solution button. Using the UI Options (p. 323) preference setting
Progress, you can choose to always display the progress window.
Note:
• Clicking the Interrupt Solution button places a file named file.abt in the working
directory. This may be useful for those who are familiar with Mechanical APDL functionality.
• The Ansys HPC Platform Services (HPS) application does not support the Interrupt option.
18.2. Performing the Solution

This section examines the options to perform a solution, either locally or on a remote machine. Go to
a desired topic:
• Solving: My Computer (p. 1895)
• Solving: My Computer, Background and Remote (p. 1896)
• Solution Options While Processing (p. 1897)
Solving: My Computer
To perform a solution from your computer, select the My Computer option (default) and then select
the Solve option (or select [F5]) to use the default solve process settings. When you run a local solution,
a temporary file directory is created to hold the solution files. It is not until you save the project that
Solving
solution data and folders are saved to your project folder. The context menu (right-click) option Open
Solver File Directories of the Solution object enables you display the files of the temporary directory.
Once your solution is complete and successful, green check marks display on the Solution and result
objects. A red lightning bolt indicates a failed or unconverged solution. And an overlaid pause icon in-
dicates the solution could resume with the use of restart points.
Note how the following affect the solution process. When you select:
• Any object (Model, Coordinate Systems, Mesh, etc.) in the tree that is above your environment(s),
the application solves all specified environments in sequence.
• A specific environment, or any child object of that environment, the application solves only that
analysis.
Important:
Make sure that the project file path you specify for the solve does include Asian language
characters. This can result in the solution using a temporary folder rather than the Scratch
Solver Files Directory (p. 1575).
Solving: My Computer, Background and Remote

The background and remote processing capabilities of Mechanical require you to have the Ansys Remote
Solve Manager (RSM) application and/or the Ansys HPC Platform Services (HPS) application installed.
My Computer, Background
The My Computer, Background option enables you to solve on your local machine with the ability
to close the Workbench session. This option prompts you to save your project before it begins the
solution process. This enables you to close the application while the solution completes.
Remote
Using the options of the solve process settings (p. 1906) dialog, you specify a desired remote machine.
Options include:
• Ansys Remote Solve Manager (RSM). Using the RSM Configuration, you can define config-
urations that enable you submit a solve to an established compute cluster or Cloud portal.
This step may be done for you by a person designated as the RSM administrator to make
RSM queues that map to HPC queues available.
• Ansys HPC Platform Services (HPS). Ansys HPC Platform Services (HPS) enables you to
submit solutions and store solver files using multiple heterogeneous compute resources.
Also note that when you have a simulation with linked systems, HPS does not require you
to download the solution data from the upstream systems. Review the Using Ansys HPC
Platform Services (HPS) to Solve Linked Analyses (p. 1903) as well as the Understanding Ansys
HPC Platform Services (HPS) Limitations (p. 1904) sections for more information.
Review the recommendations in the Solve Modes and Recommended Usage (p. 1905) section for
configuring your solution.
Solution Options While Processing

Review the following characteristics for a remote solution as well as certain options/actions that are
available while a remote solution is being performed. In addition, note that there are specific actions
that only apply to the RSM application (p. 1899) as well as the HPS application (p. 1902):
Active solution options:
• While a background solution is in progress, the system branch is in a read-only state with the exception
that result objects can be deleted during this time. Other branches can be edited freely.
• As illustrated below, there are several context (right-click) menu options available from the Solution
object while the solution is processing.
– Stop Solution: Use this option to cancel a running job and reset the state of the environment.
This action immediately stops the solution and the application does not attempt to retrieve
any solution files (if solving on a remote server).
– Worksheet: Result Summary: This option is a general option for Mechanical solutions but is
also available for the Remote Solve Manager. It displays the Solution Summary Worksheet (p. 2065)
for the Result Summary option.
– Check Job Status: This option is available for HPC Platform Services and opens the URL path
of the current job in a browser window to display its status as well as the list of all associated
files as they are generated. Note that your solution files are stored on the web server. You can
manage the files using the HPS web interface. For example, you can choose to manually
download or delete specific files for a completed solution from the HPS server as shown. If
you are performing a solution on a linked analysis, make sure that you keep the files on the
web server until all the analyses have been solved.
• The Solution Information (p. 1927) object also offers the Stop Solution option as well as the option to
Retrieve result data. When running background and remote solutions, you can check the status of
the solution by using the Retrieve option. The object also enables you to insert result trackers (p. 1938)
during the remote solution process.
Solving
Note:
In rare instances, the Retrieve feature could fail if the necessary files do not become
available at a particular time. Simply choosing the option again will likely solve the issue.
For Result Trackers, when you use the Retrieve option

(required), the application provides the following highlighted
options to evaluate (obtain result data for) result trackers at
the given moment in the solution process.
For Result Plot Trackers, when you use the Retrieve option
(required), the application provides the Update Result option
to evaluate (obtain result data for) the result plot tracker at the
given moment in the solution process.
• Once your solution is complete, a green down arrow status symbol (p. 112) indicates that the results
are ready for download. From the context (right-click) menu of the Solution object, select the Get
Results option.
• The context menu (right-click) option Disconnect Job is available from the Solution object. The option
is available during the solution process as well as once the solution completed. This option disconnects
Mechanical from the remote handler and the application returns to the beginning of the solution
process.
• When using a Local solve process setting and a solve is in progress, do not reboot or log off the
Windows client machine. If you reboot or log off, the connection to the Linux job will be lost and
results will not be retrievable. If the Linux job has completed, then rebooting or logging off is safe.
RSM Application Only
Note the following actions that can only be performed when you specify the RSM application as
your remote target:
Solving
• If you have the RSM Output Files Download preference set to Show, the RSM File Manager
dialog displays as illustrated below, and enables you to select or clear the input/output files
you wish to download. See the Results (p. 320) category of the Options dialog to change
this preference. The default setting is to hide this dialog.
The dialog displays with certain files selected by default (illustrated below). As shown, there
is an option to turn off the display of the dialog: doing so instructs the application to
download all available files. Additional options include the check boxes beside the Input
Files and Output Files labels that automatically select all options beneath the heading as
well as a Reset button that restores default checkbox selections.
• An alternative to canceling a job is to choose Interrupt Solution in the context menu. As

in a synchronous solution, this will allow the solver to complete its current iteration and record
outstanding restart points. This option creates a file named file.abt in the working dir-
ectory.
• In the event of a network connection loss to the Remote Solve Manager, the Get Results
function prompts you with a warning message to address the connection issue. You can
perform the Get Results operation and retrieve your results information once you re-establish
a connection.
Note:
• By default, the Options dialog preference, RSM Polling Delay, specifies how often
the processing from the remote solution is polled or queried for result data. The default
setting is 5 seconds. The supported range is 1 - 6000 seconds. This control is available
from the Analysis Settings and Solution (p. 316) category of the dialog. This feature
does not prolong solution processing. Solution completion ends the polling process.
• When the compute server is a remote machine, the application transfers all necessary
data to the remote machine for evaluation. Currently there is a beta option available
from the context (right-click) menu of the Solution object: Fetch Remote Results.
This option enables you to display result content for the most recently completed load
step while the solution is running. See the Fetching an RSM Result section for more
information.
• When performing the solution on a remote machine or cluster, the Evaluate All Results
option may not automatically download the file.rst and as a result may not eval-
Solving
uate the results while the solution is running. If this is the case, you need to manually
download the file to the scratch directory to evaluate the results using this option.
HPS Application Only
Note the following Solution object context menu options that you can only perform when you
specify the HPS application as your remote target:
• Reconnect Job: This option enables you to connect to the last submitted job on HPS for the
current system. You will be able to restore the connection to the HPS job using this option
when you have reset the state of the system by either disconnecting or clearing the results
after download. This option is available until you perform a new solve.
• Clear Data on Server: This option enables you to delete all the output files of last run HPS
job on the server. This helps you manage the disc space of the remote server. This option is
available once you results download and remains available until you perform another solution.
This option cannot be used when either the current system or its linked downstream system
is running on the HPS server or if the current results have not yet downloaded.
18.2.1. Using HPC Platform Services to Solve Linked Analyses

Although HPC Platform Services (HPS) enables you to solve any Mechanical linked analyses, for the
analysis combination listed below, HPS solves without having to download the results of the upstream
systems. If your simulation includes linked systems, and all the systems are solved on the same HPS
web server, the output files of the upstream system are stored on the HPS server but are not down-
loaded before the start of the downstream analysis. HPS enables referencing of the required files on
the server between the upstream and the downstream analyses. This file referencing can save a sig-
nificant amount of solution processing time.
Without needing to download the results of the upstream system, HPS currently supports the following
linked analyses:
• Mode Superposition analyses: Mode Superposition Harmonic Response, Transient, Random Vibration,
and Response Spectrum (including Prestress)
• Prestress Modal
• Prestress Full Harmonic Response
• Prestress Eigenvalue Buckling
• Prestress Coupled Field Modal and Coupled Field Harmonic
• Static Acoustics and Modal Acoustics
• Static Acoustics and Harmonic Acoustics
Synchronous Submissions
When you initiate a solve on a downstream system or at the Model level of a system, the application
submits all the jobs for the linked systems synchronously, even if the upstream system has not com-
pleted its solution. All jobs in the HPS queue process in order. Because the application does not wait
to submit all jobs for linked systems, you can close the application once all jobs have been submitted
to conserve your license for other purposes.
Furthermore, the application automatically determines whether it needs to wait for upstream systems
to complete. This eliminates the need for you to monitor the process.
Limitations of Synchronous Submissions

The synchronous submission process is not supported if an analysis includes any of the following:
• Spot Welds
• Bolt Pretension
• Weak Springs
• EM Transducer loading condition
• Command (APDL) objects
Solving
• Contact Splitting
These features and capabilities may require the application to create additional elements or nodes
during the solution process. As a result, Mechanical would need to wait for upstream jobs to complete
in order to receive the necessary data for the downstream jobs.
Downloading Upstream Results

HPS also supports the following types of linked analyses for which the upstream results are required
to be downloaded. In such cases, the upstream results are automatically downloaded before submitting
the downstream analysis to HPS.
• Analyses involving imported loads from the upstream system such as Steady-State Thermal
and Static Structural systems and Electric Conduction and Steady-State Thermal systems.
• Steady-State Thermal and Transient Thermal systems.
Note:
• If you are performing the upstream and downstream analyses on different HPS servers,
make sure to download the results of the upstream system before submitting the
downstream system. However, we recommend submitting the linked systems to the
same server to take advantage of the file referencing capabilities of HPS.
• When you initiate a solve on a downstream system or at the Model level of a system,
and you abort the job or the job fails, all jobs currently running or that are pending stop
automatically.
Note:
As stated above, you can close the application after all systems have been submitted.
However, if your simulation includes systems that must wait for upstream processes to
complete, and/or the results to be downloaded, it may take some time for the last system
to be submitted. In this instance, you may want to submit the jobs individually if the ap-
plication needs to be closed during the solution process.
18.2.2. Understanding HPC Platform Services (HPS) Limitations

HPC Platform Services (HPS) is not supported for the following analysis types and solver selection:
Analysis Types Solvers

Additive Manufacturing Autodyn
Structural Optimization LS-DYNA
Condensed Geometry Restart
(Generation Pass)
Rigid Dynamics
Motion
Selecting Solve Modes for an Analysis
18.3. Selecting Solve Modes for an Analysis

Mechanical includes capabilities for efficiently solving various kinds of analyses taking CPU usage and
solving time into consideration. The following table defines the various solve "modes" available and
includes references to recommended usages and associated solve process settings. Further details are
discussed in the various other sections under Solving (p. 1893).
Solve Start Mode Solve Monitor Mode Recommended Usage Solve Process Settings
In Process - The Synchronous - The Analyses that are not My Computer
solve starts and solve runs and expected to be
finishes on your finalizes within the extremely CPU
computer in the same Workbench intensive.
directory where your session.
project resides.
Out of Process - The Asynchronous - The Analyses involving large My Computer, Background
solve starts and solve is not restricted models or a large or remote solve handler (RSM
finishes either on to run and finalize amount of processing or DSC)
another computer, or during any particular time and machine
on your computer but Workbench session.[a] resources, excluding
in a directory that is linked analyses and
separate from the one analyses that involve
where your project multiple convergence
resides. loops.[b]
Synchronous - The Analyses involving large My Computer, Background
solve runs and models or a large or remote solve handler (RSM
finalizes within the amount of processing Only), then click Advanced...
same Workbench time and machine button and check Solve in
session. resources, including synchronous mode (Ansys
linked analyses and only).
analyses that involve
multiple convergence
loops.
[a] When solving in asynchronous mode, you are free to continue working independently of
the solve job, or close the Workbench session and retrieve the solution results at a later
time. You can even shut down your computer if the job has been submitted to a remote
cluster (See Using Solve Process Settings (p. 1906)). An asynchronous solution is queued with
other solutions and can run either on your local machine or on a more powerful remote
machine. Background solutions are recommended for large models or simulations that re-
quire a large amount of processing time and machine resources. Sending the Solve to a
remote cluster can increase productivity when a high-end server is available on your network.
[b] Though not recommended for a linked analysis using this solve mode combination, you
can solve a linked analysis or an analysis involving multiple convergence loops provided
you solve each analysis separately, that is, you must obtain the first solution, then choose
Get Results from the context menu in the first analysis before obtaining the solution in
the second analysis. The Out of Process and Synchronous mode combination is recommen-
ded for these types of analyses because the solve can occur from a single user action. Also,
asynchronous solutions involving linked analyses that are initiated from the Project
Schematic by choosing Update will automatically achieve the same effect as choosing Get
Results, thus providing another method for solving linked analyses from a single user action.
See the Understanding Solving (p. 1893) help section for additional information.
Solving
18.4. Using Solve Process Settings

Solve process settings are individual solving configurations (p. 1905) that you set up prior to initiating
solves. Settings include specifying a synchronous or background solve, as well as solve manager machine
and queue designations for background configurations. Using the Solve Process Settings dialog box,
you can:
• Add a remote solve process
• Specify a default solve process
• Modify existing solve process settings
• Delete an existing solve process
• Rename a solve process
Solve Process Settings

You access the Solve Process Settings dialog by selecting the Solve Process Settings option from
the File tab or the option on the bottom right corner of the Solve group of Model Context tab. A dialog
similar to the displays as illustrated below based. The left pane displays the available solver options.
Based on your selected solver option (My Computer, etc.), you can use the following options:
• Add Queue: Specify a remote handler. This option displays an entry pane wherein you enter a
name for your remote solution handler.
• Set As Default: Specifies the solve process as default across Workbench sessions.
• Rename: Renames the selected solve handler. You can rename any handler.
• Delete: Deletes the selected solve process. Only handlers that you create can be deleted.
Using Solve Process Settings
• Advanced: Displays the Advanced Properties dialog box associated with either My Computer,
My Computer, Background, or specified Remote handler (see below).
Note:
Each solve handle must have a unique name.
Specifying Solve Handlers
The left pane of the dialog displays the available solver handlers. These are the options available in the
Solve Handler drop-down menu from the Home tab. This portion of the dialog contains the options
My Computer (default) and My Computer, Background. When you create remote solution option, it
is also displayed in the menu, as illustrated below. Solver handler is described below.
My Computer
The setting My Computer is the default setting. When using this setting, the application solves and
finalizes the solution on the local computer in the current Workbench session.
My Computer, Background
Selecting this setting, solves on the local machine but is not restricted to finalizing in a particular
Workbench session. You need more than one solver license to use this setting. However, you can perform
Rigid Dynamics and Explicit Dynamics analyses with one solver license by selecting the Use Shared
License, if possible option on the Advanced Properties dialog box. Although solved locally, the
Solution Execution Target menu is set to RSM.
Remote
To create a solve handler for a remote location, you need to create a new handler and specify the
required properties.
Solving
1. Select the Add Queue option, you can create and name a remote solve handler. For this example,
the handler is named to be used with RSM.
2. Provided by the Solution Execution Target menu, shown below, there are two types of remote
solve handlers that are supported: RSM (Ansys Remote Solve Manager) and HPS (see Ansys HPC
Platform Services Guide). For this example, RSM is specified for the "Remote RSM" handler created
in the last step.
3. Now, based on the target you select, you specify the settings, including:
Ansys Remote Solve Manager Ansys HPC Platform Services

To create a RSM handler, define the following: To create a HPS handler, you ne
on a remote machine. You can v
• RSM Queue: This field provides a drop-down menu of all available using the Test Connection opti
queues configured using the RSM Configuration tool. If RSM queues
are not available, use the RSM Configuration tool to check your RSM As necessary, specifies the name
configurations. used for the solution on the ser
This handler requires you to spe
• HPC Configuration: Read-only field that reports the name of the RSM Name.
configuration with which the selected RSM queue is associated.
• HPC Type: Read-only field that reports the type of HPC resource to
which the job will be submitted.
• HPC Queue: Read-only field that displays the name of the HPC-side
queue with which the RSM queue is associated.
• Job Name[a]: Specify the name to be used to identify the job. For RSM,
this is the job on the HPC resource. See the Remote Solve Manager
documentation for more details.
Interface Example
Inter
[a] Your Job Name must adhere to the following naming requirements:
– Acceptable naming characters include alphanumeric characters (letter or

numbers) as well as the following characters: ~#%^&,'()-_+=/<>.
– The job name must begin with a letter or a number (i.e. an alphanumeric
character).
– The maximum length of a job name is 16 characters.
Note:
• You must specify a valid Ansys product license because a separate instance of an
Ansys application is being used.
Solving
• The license from your current Ansys Workbench client session cannot be accessed
from the remote Ansys application executable.
Note:
• For the built-in My Computer solve process, no settings are required or available.
• The solve process in red indicates that the process is selected as the default solve process
and persists across Workbench sessions.
• RSM Queue fields are required for all Remote background configurations.
• When you submit a job to a Remote Queue and you have not defined corresponding
credentials in the Accounts section of the RSM Configuration, you are prompted with the
Remote Solve Cache Credentials dialog box. Enter your User Name and Password to
continue.
• See the Submitting Solutions to Remote Solve Manager section of the Workbench User's
Guide for additional information for using the Remote Solve Manager during your solution
processes.
Note:
If you have two sessions of Mechanical open and you solve one session using either the My
Computer or My Computer, Background option, the second session will automatically use
this same setting if you execute a solution, regardless of the option selected in the handler
menu. That is, if you solve session one with the My Computer, Background option and then
solve the second session using the My Computer option, the second session solves using
the background option. You can clear the second session’s solution and resolve to correct
the situation.
Advanced Properties
Selecting the Advanced button on the Solve Process Settings dialog displays one of the following
Advanced Properties dialog boxes. The available options are based on whether you select My Computer,
My Computer, Background, or Remote.
My Computer, Background/Remote
My Computer Remote HPS
RSM
The Advanced Properties are described below.
Dis- This option is selected by default. It enables and disables the ability for a distributed
trib- solution.
ute
Solu- Note:
tion
(if This option supports the Mechanical APDL Solver and Explicit Dynamics
pos- Solver only. For specific support specifications for the Mechanical APDL
sible) Solver, see the Supported Analysis Types and Features section of the
Mechanical APDL Parallel Processing Guide for more information.
Important:
If you solve a Modal system using this setting, and you have linked the
analysis to either a Harmonic Response, Response Spectrum, or a Random
Vibration, or a follow on Mechanical APDL (turn on the Distributed property
in Project Schematic), these downstream systems must also have this setting
selected in order to properly solve. The application alerts you to this situation
with a warning message.
Max Sets the number of cores to use during the solution. The default is value is 4. Entering
num- 0 does not send any request to the Mechanical APDL solver related to the number of
ber cores to use. For shared-memory solutions, if you specify a number greater than the
of number of cores in the node, the highest available number of cores is used. However,
util- for distributed-memory solutions, you cannot specify a number greater that the available
number of physical processors.
Solving
ized For more information on parallel processing in Mechanical APDL, see HPC Licensing in
cores the Parallel Processing Guide.
For analyses using the Explicit Dynamic solver, this setting is used to determine the
number of cores unless this has been specified in the Additional Command Line
Arguments.
Note:
• Available only for the Mechanical APDL and Explicit Dynamic solvers. This
setting is not available when using the LS-DYNA solver.
• In order to run an Explicit Dynamics or Mechanical APDL solve in parallel,

you need an Ansys HPC license for additional cores after the first 4.
• For Explicit Dynamics analyses, this setting is used to determine the

number of cores unless this has been specified in the Additional Command
Line Arguments.
Hy- This option is available when the Distributed Solution check box is selected (default
brid setting). This capability reduces memory usage, more effectively uses hardware, and
Paral- improves the scalability of large models with high element load balance ratios. For
lel more information, see Chapter 5: Using Hybrid Parallel Processing (SMP + DMP) of the
(Mech- Mechanical APDL Parallel Processing Guide.
anic-
al AP- Even if this option is not checked and Distributed Solution is selected, the application
DL) may automatically choose to use the Hybrid Parallel ("auto-hybrid"). Note that when
the application performs an auto-hybrid solution, the Solution Statistics page displays
the solution process as "Automatic Hybrid" instead of "Hybrid Parallel."
Important:
The Hybrid Parallel process includes two associated settings:
Not
supported• Threads per process: Specify the number of threads for each process. The
for default value is 1. This value cannot exceed the Max number of utilized cores
Structural value. If this value is greater than the number of Max number of utilized cores,
Optimization
the application automatically reduces the threads value to be equal to the Max
analyses. number of utilized cores value.
Note:
When you active the Hybrid Parallel (Mechanical APDL) option

and the Threads per process property is set to 1, the application
performs a Forced Distributed Solution.
• Number of processes: This read-only value is calculated as:
Max number of utilized cores / Threads per process
Note:
– If the resulting value is a decimal, the application automatically

uses the lower integer.
– When Mechanical uses the lower integer, the number of utilized

cores is the product of the number of processes and threads per
process, instead of the actual number of specified cores.
Note:
There are instances when the Hybrid Parallel feature may not use the
entire number of requested cores. In this case, the remaining cores are
idle for the duration of the calculation.
Use Provides access to the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) acceleration capability offered
GPU by the Mechanical APDL solver. It supports the NVIDIA and AMD acceleration cards. To
Accel- enable the feature, select NVIDIA or AMD from the drop-down menu. HPC Platform
era- Services (HPS) does not support this option.
tion
(if See the Requirements for the GPU Accelerator in Mechanical APDL section in the
pos- Windows and Linux installation guides for specific card requirements.
sible)
Num- Specifies the number of GPU accelerator devices to be used when the Use GPU accel-
ber eration property is set to use a valid accelerator type. This value can be an integer in
of the range of 1 to 20. The default value is 1. For additional information, see the GPU
util- Accelerator Capability section of the Mechanical APDL Parallel Processing Guide.
ized
GPU
devices
Manu- Helps you specify the amount of system memory, in MB, used for the Ansys application
ally workspace and database.
spe-
cify Note:
Mech-
anic- This setting can also be used to specify memory use for the ABAQUS and
al AP- Samcef solvers. For more information, see Memory Tuning the Samcef
DL Solver (p. 1916) and Memory Tuning the ABAQUS Solver (p. 1916).
solv-
er
memory This setting is not valid when using the LS-DYNA solver.
set-
tings
Spe- Specify the amount of memory and disk space needed to run the solution. See the
cify computational Requirements topic in the Defining Tasks section of the HPC Platform
memory Services documentation for more information.
Solving
re-
quire-
ments
(HPS
Only)
Addi- Specifies arguments that you would normally enter into a command line input, for
tional example, -machine option for a distributed solution.
Com-
mand This setting is ignored for non-remote and non-background LS-DYNA calculation.
Line
Argu- Important:
ments
For Structural Optimization analyses, entries for this property only supports
the RSM or HPC settings of the Solution Execution Target property.
Addi- This field enables you to specify desired files to upload into the Remote Machine from
tional the Solution Directory of your local machine. Use a semi-colon to separate file names.
Files Use the asterisk character (*) as a wild card to automatically select multiple files for the
to Up- given criterion. For example, you can include certain files based on extension, such as
load *.PNG, and/or files with a specific string in the name.
Addi- This field enables you to specify desired files to download from the Remote Machine
tional to the Solution Directory of your local machine. Use a semi-colon to separate file names.
Files Use the asterisk character (*) as a wild card to automatically select multiple files for the
to given criterion. For example, you can include certain files based on extension, such as
Down- *.PNG, and/or files with a specific string in the name.
load
Down- Selecting this option instructs the application to automatically download the results
load once the HPS solution is complete. Ansys recommends that you keep the Mechanical
res- application open until the download finishes.
ults
auto- For linked systems that you can submit synchronously (see Using HPC Platform Services
matic- to Solve Linked Analyses (p. 1903)), the download of the results happens independently
ally of the submission. As a result, the downstream system’s solution does not need to wait
after for a completed download of the upstream results, unlike the solution process for the
solve synchronous mode that is available for RSM.
Cus- Specifies a custom Ansys application solver executable name and path. This executable
tom will be used for the Ansys application solve rather than using the default.
Ex-
ecut- Note:
able
Name Depending on the requirements of your operating system, you may
(with need to specify the path in quotations.
path)
Manu- Enter a valid User Name and Working Folder to override the RSM compute server
ally proxy settings.
spe-
cify Note:
Linux
set- • You must have write access to this folder on all potential compute proxies
tings in the queue.
• To use the RSM settings, leave this field blank.
Use Enables the use of a Shared License

Shared
Li- Note:
cense,
if pos- • This option works only for Explicit Dynamics and Rigid Dynamics analysis.
sible For more information, see Shared Licensing
• License sharing is only possible within a single Workbench session with

the solver running on the same machine. A remote solve on another
machine via RSM will require a license for the Workbench session and a
license for the remote solve.
Li- Instruct the Mechanical APDL solver to wait for an available license when solving
cense remotely via RSM.
Queuing:
Wait
for
Avail-
able
Li-
cense
Solve Select to mimic the default My Computer behavior while leveraging the computation
in power of a remote machine. See this section from the Mechanical APDL help for more
syn- information: HPC Licensing in the Parallel Processing Guide. For Explicit Dynamics
chron- analyses, this setting is used to determine the number of processors unless this has
ous been specified in the Additional Command Line Arguments.
mode
(Mech- Note:
anic-
al AP- • Applicable only for Mechanical APDL solver.
DL
solv- • Requires an additional license.
er
only)
Clear the check box to deliberately download results from a remote machine (by issuing
Get Results on a right-mouse click the Solution object). This precludes the solution
of linked analyses or multiple convergence loops automatically on a single click of the
Solving
Solve button. This is the default and enables you to close the Mechanical editor or
solve an unrelated analysis. See the Understanding Solving (p. 1893) help section for
OK Selecting the OK button commits all changes in the Solve Process Settings dialog
box and closes the dialog box. You must choose OK for the Solve Process Setting
configurations to be used when you initiate the solve.
Cancel Selecting the Cancel button closes the dialog box and ignores all changes.
18.4.1. Memory Tuning the Samcef Solver

Memory settings for the Samcef solver are specified using the Manually specify Mechanical APDL
solver memory settings option. The default value for the Workspace setting is 600 MB, and the
default value for Database is 300 MB. The amount of memory allocated to the Samcef solver is de-
termined by the following rules:
• The value of the Workspace option is the total memory available to the solve process.
• The Database memory cannot exceed 35% of the total system memory of the node. If it exceeds
this value, it is reset to 35% of the total system memory.
• If the processor architecture is 32-bit, the total memory available to the solve process cannot exceed
1 GB.
• If Database is 0, Workbench automatically sets it to 300 MB.
• If Workspace is 0, Workbench automatically sets it to twice the Database setting.
Before launching the Samcef executable, the SAM_ZONE environment variable is set to the value of
the total memory (Workspace) in words, where 1 MB = 125000 words. The SAM_DBRAM environment
variable is set to the ratio (in percent) between the Database and Workspace setting. The default
value is 50%.
18.4.2. Memory Tuning the ABAQUS Solver

Memory settings for the ABAQUS solver are specified using the Manually specify Mechanical APDL
solver memory settings option. The default value for the Workspace setting is 512 MB, and the
default value for Database is 256 MB. The amount of memory allocated to the ABAQUS solver is de-
termined by the following rules:
• The value of the Workspace option is the total memory available to the solve process.
• The Database memory cannot exceed 35% of the total system memory of the node. If it exceeds
this value, it is reset to 35% of the total system memory.
• If the processor architecture is 32-bit, the total memory available to the solve process cannot exceed
1 GB.
Workbench tunes ABAQUS memory by changing keywords and values in the ABAQUS_v6.env file
in the solve working directory:
Using Solution Restarts
• If the ABAQUS release number is less than 6.8, the keyword pre_memory is set to the Database
value and the keyword standard_memory is set to the Workspace value.
• If the ABAQUS release number is greater than or equal to 6.8, the keyword memory is set to the
Workspace value and the Database value is ignored.
Workbench does not change the memory values if they are out of bounds for the ABAQUS solver.
18.5. Using Solution Restarts

The solution process is composed of a sequence of calculations that predict a structure’s response when
applied to a specific analysis type and loading condition. Restarts provide the ability to continue an
initial or existing solution which can save time during the solve phase. This feature facilitates a variety
of workflows, which include:
1. Pausing or stopping a job to review results and then restarting the job.
2. Review and correction of a non-converging solution. Solution parameters in the analysis settings
could be fine-tuned or adjusted allowing the solution to proceed while retaining prior solution
progress. Similarly a load history can be modified to aid in the convergence.
3. Extending a solution that has already completed, for example, to allow system transients to progress
further into time.
4. Submitting post processing instructions into Mechanical APDL after the model has been fully solved.
Note:
Solution Restarts are supported in Coupled Field Analyses (p. 380), Static Structural (p. 658),
and Transient Structural (p. 671) analyses only. However, there are exceptions for these ana-
lysis types. Restarts are not supported for a:
• Purely electrostatic Coupled Field analyses.
• Static Structural analysis when computing fracture parameters with SMART Crack
Growth. See the Computation of Fracture Parameters (p. 489) discussion in the Solving
a Fracture Analysis section for more information.
• Restart Points (p. 1918)
• Generating Restart Points (p. 1918)
• Retaining Restart Points (p. 1918)
• Viewing Restart Points (p. 1919)
• Using Restart Points (p. 1919)
• Deleting Restart Points (p. 1920)
Solving
• Modifications Affecting Restart Points (p. 1920)
• Loads Supported for Restarts (p. 1924)
• Conditions Supported for Restarts (p. 1925)
• Solution Information Files During Restart (p. 1925)
• Restarts and Distributed-Memory Solutions (p. 1925)
Restart Points
Solution restarts are based on the concept of a restart point. Each restart point can be considered as a
snapshot of the system solution state at a discrete point along the sequence of calculations. The solver
stores this state of the solution in a restart file on disk. Every restart file on disk will have a corresponding
restart point in Mechanical. See Viewing Restart Points (p. 1919) below.
A solution can only be restarted from an available restart point. It is thus important to understand how
to work with these restart points.
Generating Restart Points

Restart points are automatically created by Mechanical depending on the analysis type. The program
controlled option will create one restart point at the last successful solve point for a nonlinear analysis.
However, you may directly control their frequency to alter the balance between flexibility and disk usage
with the Restart Controls (p. 1522) group of the Analysis Settings object. Restart points could be generated
at all substeps or specific substep intervals in the analysis or at none at all.
Note:
• You can manually interrupt a solution and preserve any restart points that may have been
produced from a converged iteration by clicking the Interrupt Solution button on the
Solution Status window.
• A stand-alone linear analysis will not produce any restart points with the program controlled
option. It has to be explicitly turned on using the manual setting. However, if the analysis
is linked to a follow on modal analysis, it will generate restart points by default.
Retaining Restart Points

An incomplete solution (for example, a convergence failure) will always retain the restart points. However,
for a complete solution, this is controlled by Retain Files After Full Solve property located in the Details
view of Analysis Settings under Restart Controls. This property is set to No by default and hence will
delete all restart points after the solution is completed. It can be set to Yes which will retain the restart
files for the current project.
You can change the default setting of the Retain Files After Full Solve property via the Options dialog.
Select the Options dialog option from the File tab to open the dialog. Select Analysis Settings and
Solution and under the Restart Controls category you can change the default setting.
Viewing Restart Points

Once restart points are generated, they will be visible in several forms. For an overview, select the
Analysis Settings object and refer to the Graph window where restart points are symbolized by trian-
gular markers atop the timeline. The Tabular Data window lists the restart points within each load
step.
A restart point is color coded to distinguish between replayable and a non-replayable. A replayable
solution is one which will produce the exact solution when run from start to finish or completed incre-
mentally using intermediate restart points. A blue triangle indicates a replayable restart point. A red
triangle indicates a potentially non-replayable restart point and can only be used in manual mode.
Note:
The Initial Restart Point does not represent a restart file on disk. It is only a place holder to
facilitate selection to run the solution from the beginning even when other restart points
are available.
Using Restart Points

You can manually choose the restart point to be used in a solution. Alternatively, you can configure
Mechanical to suggest one for you. To allow Mechanical to automatically select a restart point, set Restart
Type to Program Controlled. If you prefer a different point, you may specify it directly by setting Restart
Type to Manual and by:
• Choosing Current Restart Point in the Details view of the Analysis Settings object.
• Selecting the desired marker on the Graph window and choosing Set Current Restart Point in the
context menu.
Solving
• Selecting the desired cell in the Tabular Data window and choosing Set Current Restart Point in
the context menu.
The Current Restart Point in the Restart Analysis group of the Analysis Settings object will indicate
which restart point will be used the next time a solution is attempted. The current restart point in the
graph/timeline window will be denoted with a double triangle in the timeline.
The program controlled setting takes a conservative approach to guarantee a replayable solution and
will always select the last replayable restart point. In manual mode, the software will not automatically
change the current restart point and has to be selected explicitly. Picking a non-replayable restart point
in manual mode is only recommended for experienced users who understand the implications of the
results produced.
Mechanical automatically tracks how restart points are affected as you work and modify your model.
So they may get flagged as non-replayable (red triangle) or be removed altogether depending on the
operation. See Modifications Affecting Restart Points (p. 1920) for details.
Also see Restart Analysis (p. 1521) under Analysis Settings (p. 1501).
Note:
• An analysis should use the same units (set at the beginning of a solve) throughout the
solve including all restarts. If the units are changed at any restart point, the solve is aborted
and an error message is displayed.
• Named Selections (p. 1347) created/modified following the solution process are not recognized
during a restart. For example, you may wish to list the nodes of a newly created Named
Selection using the Command (p. 2407) feature. Because the Named Selection’s geometric
data was not defined during the initial solution process, no data is available for the com-
mand to process.
Deleting Restart Points

In order to delete existing restart points, you may use the Delete All Restart Points in the context
menu at the Environment and Solution folders. For more granularity, one or more restart points may
also be deleted by selecting them on either the Graph or Tabular Data windows and issuing Delete
Restart Points.
Note:
The Clear Generated Data option in the context menu from either the Solution, Environ-
ment, Model or Project objects also deletes all restart points.
Modifications Affecting Restart Points

The following table summarizes the effects of making changes to the controls of the Analysis Settings
object and the effects on restart points.
Then...
Current
Current Restart
All Non-replayable
If a change is made to one of the Restart Point set Restart
Restart Restart
following Controls… Point to the Points
Points Points may
is Set Beginning are
are be
to of the [b] Unaffected
Deleted Available
Initial[a] Modified
Load Step
[c]
Step Controls Step End Time X
Auto Time Stepping X X
Define By X X
Carry Over Time
X X
Step
Time Integration X X
Solver Controls X
Rotordynamics
X
Controls
Restart Controls X
Restart Analysis X
Non Linear
X X
Controls
Output
Stress X
Controls[d]
Strain X
Nodal Force X
Contact
X
Miscellaneous
General
X
Miscellaneous
Store Results At X X
Damping
X
Controls
Analysis Data
Save MAPDL dB X
Management
Delete Unneeded
X
Files
Solver Units X
[a] Restart Type specified as Program Controlled.
[b] It can only be selected when Restart Type is specified as Manual.
[c] When the Step End Time option in the Step Controls category is changed, the restart point
is deleted as well as all the steps after this modified restart points are deleted and are not
available, not even for manual restarts. Exception is the case when Fluid Solid Interface
load exists and all the restart points are retained.
Solving
[d] It is recommended that you not change Output Controls settings during a solution restart.
Modifying Output Controls settings changes the availability of the respective result type in
the results file. Consequently, result calculations cannot be guaranteed for the entire solution.
In addition, result file values may not correspond to GUI settings in this scenario. Settings
turned off during a restart generate results equal to zero and may affect post processing
of results and are therefore unreliable.
Note:
If you 1) restart a solution from a time point that is within a load step and 2) the Auto Time
Stepping property is set to Program Controlled, the application will include the Substep/Time
Step details for that load step based on the prior solution that was performed without restarts.
The following table summarizes the effects of step modifications on restart points.
Then...
If a change is made to one of Current Restart Point
All Restart Non-replayable Restart
the following Controls… is set to the Beginning
Points are Points may be
of the Modified Load
Deleted Available[b]
Step
Activate/Deactivate X X
Add Step/Insert Step X
Delete Step X
A solution can be restarted after modification to the load history. However, any other changes to the
definition delete all of the Restart Points.
Note:
• Displacements, Remote Displacements, and Nodal Displacements only support Tabular

data modifications. See the Loads Supported for Restarts (p. 1924) topic for a detailed list.
• Changing a Displacement boundary condition may cause the program to return to the
initial restart point, depending upon the change you make. The restart point where the
change occurred is maintained - not deleted. For example, changing the magnitude of
either of these loads from a zero value to a non-zero value, or vice versa, prompts the
application to return to the beginning of the solution process. Similarly, if you change the
independent time value of either load, the solution process restarts from the beginning.
• If you intend to read Mechanical APDL application result files (p. 1955), note that the applic-
ation will not consider loads modified before reading these files when performing the restart
analysis. To incorporate the modified loads for the restart, it is essential to first read the
Mechanical APDL application files and then proceed with adjusting the loads.
Then...
If a change is made to one of the Current Restart Current Restart Non-replayable
following Controls… Point is Set to Point is set to the Restart Points may be
Initial[a] Beginning of the Available[b]
Modified Load
Step
Modify Load
Constant X X
History
Tabular X X
Function X X
Change Load
Type (Constant,
X X
Tabular,
Function)
[a] Restart Type specified as Program Controlled.
The following table summarizes the effects of adding/modifying/deleting a Commands (p. 2407) object.
When Restart Points are available, adding a new Commands object defaults to the last step so as to
preserve the Restart Points. Adding a Commands object without Restart Points defaults to first step.
Then…
Current
If a change is made to one of the Restart Point Non-replayable
All Restart Restart
following Controls… is set to the Restart Points
Points are Points are
Beginning of may be
Deleted Unaffected
the Modified Available[b]
Load Step
Add/Modify/Delete
Under
Command X X
Environment
Snippets
Under
X
Solution/Results
Under
Model/Trunk X
Objects
Modifications such as adding or changing boundary conditions (for example, scoping changes), con-
straints, initial conditions, or editing model level objects (Geometry, Contact Region, Joint, Mesh) in-
validates and deletes existing Restart Points. Exceptions include Direct FE (p. 1838) loads with a zero
magnitude or a Pressure (p. 1630) with a zero magnitude. The restart points are retained.
Then…
If a change is made to one of the
following Controls… All Restart Points are Deleted Restart Points are
Unaffected
Add/Delete
Boundary X
Condition
Add/Delete Force (zero) X
Direct Boundary Force (non
Condition X
zero)
Solving
Then…
If a change is made to one of the
following Controls… All Restart Points are Deleted Restart Points are
Unaffected
Pressure (zero) X
Displacement X
Model Level
X
Changes
Note:
Restart is not supported for an analysis with Adaptive Convergence (p. 1947). So the presence
of an adaptive convergence will not retain any restart points.
Loads Supported for Restarts

The following table outlines which loads may be modified for a solution restart.
Load Specified As...

Load Type
Constant Tabular Function
Pressure X X X
Line Pressure X X X
Force X X X
Remote Force* (p. 1925) X X X
Moment* (p. 1925) X X X
Displacement X X N/A
Remote
X X N/A
Displacement* (p. 1925)
Rotational Velocity X X X
Rotational Acceleration X X X
Bolt Pretension X X N/A
Acceleration X X X
Earth Gravity N/A N/A N/A
Hydrostatic Pressure X N/A N/A
Bearing Load X X N/A
Joint Load X X X
Pipe Temperature X X X
Pipe Pressure X X X
Thermal Condition X X X
Imported Load N/A N//A N/A
Nodal Force X X X
Nodal Pressure X X X
Understanding Solve Scenarios
Nodal Displacement X X N/A
Note:
The Remote Force, Moment, and Remote Displacement boundary conditions support restarts
only when scoped to a Remote Point.
Conditions Supported for Restarts

The Nonlinear Adaptive Region (p. 1826) condition supports restarts. Adding a Nonlinear Adaptive
Region condition to a non-convergent and/or terminated solution may enable the solution to converge.
Solution Information Files During Restart

During a restart, solution information files (input file ds.dat and output file solve.out) from the
previous solve are retained for reference by renaming it just before the restart solve is initiated. The
naming convention is filename_loadstep_substep.ext. For example, if the previous solve oc-
curred at loadstep = 2 and substep = 5, the file name would be ds_2_5.dat and solve_2_5.out.
Files from the initial solve will be named ds_0_0.dat and solve_0_0.dat. Based on the restart
point, Mechanical will ensure that obsolete and invalid solution files are cleaned up.
Restarts and Distributed-Memory Solutions

For a distributed solution, the application merges all individual result files into a single file at the end
of the solution so that Mechanical can postprocess the results or continue a restarted solution. If you
experience a solution failure, or if the solution is stopped, before the files have been combined, you
can manually recombine the files by executing the COMBINE, RST command from the /AUX2 module
in Mechanical APDL.
Note:
The current working directory must include all of the local (file.rst) files.
Distributed Ansys needs to be launched with the same number of processes that were used
when generating the local results files.
Following the execution of the COMBINE command, the working directory includes a complete results
file (file.rst) and you may use it for any additional Mechanical post-processing or subsequent restarts.
18.6. Understanding Solve Scenarios

This section describes the various configuration steps involved for the following solving scenarios:
• Solve on the Local Machine within the Workbench process (synchronous) (p. 1926)
• Solve on My Computer in the Background (asynchronous) (p. 1926)
• Solve using HPC Platform Services (HPS) (p. 1926)
Solving
• Solve Using Remote Solve Manager (RSM) (p. 1926):
– Solve to a Remote Windows Cluster (p. 1926)
– Solve Directly from My Computer to a Remote Linux Cluster (p. 1927)
– Solve to LSF Cluster with Remote Solve Manager (p. 1927)
– Solve to Microsoft HPC Cluster with Remote Solve Manager (p. 1927)
Solve on the Local Machine within the Workbench process (synchronous)

• Use the built-in My Computer solve process setting (p. 1906).
Solve on My Computer in the Background (asynchronous)

• Use the built-in My Computer, Background solve process setting (p. 1906). The option is only functional
if Remote Solve Manager (RSM) was installed along with Workbench. RSM has a built-in "Local" queue
and server for running jobs on the client computer.
Solve using HPC Platform Services (HPS)

Use the options of the Solve Process Settings (p. 1906) dialog to select HPS as your target and specify
the settings for the remote location.
Solve Using Remote Solve Manager (RSM)

The following scenarios describe how to submit to a cluster using RSM.
Solve to a Remote Windows Cluster
Important:
RSM must be installed on your local computer. The RSM launcher service must be installed
and running on the remote cluster submit host. See Installing and Configuring the RSM
Launcher Service for Windows in the Distributed Compute Gateway User's Guide. The
Mechanical application must be installed on your local computer as well as the cluster
execution node that will be used for the solve.
This step requires the following configuration steps:
1. Define a cluster configuration for the Windows cluster in RSM. Or, if an RSM administrator has
already defined a cluster configuration, load it into your local installation of RSM. See Sharing
and Accessing Cluster Configurations in the Distributed Compute Gateway User's Guide. The cluster
configuration will contain RSM queues that map to HPC queues.
RSM will use your account credentials to submit the job on your behalf to the cluster submit
host.
If jobs will be submitted to a remote Microsoft HPC cluster, refer to Integrating RSM with a Mi-
crosoft HPC Cluster for additional considerations.
Specifying Solution Information
2. Create a solve process setting that specifies the cluster configuration and RSM queue defined
in step 1 (see Using Solve Process Settings (p. 1906)).
3. Use the Solve Process Setting created in step 2 using the Solve drop-down option.
Solve Directly from My Computer to a Remote Linux Cluster
Important:
RSM must be installed on your local computer. The RSM launcher service must be installed
and running on the remote cluster submit host. See Installing and Configuring the RSM
Launcher Service for Windows in the Distributed Compute Gateway User's Guide. The
Mechanical application must be installed on your local computer as well as the cluster
execution node that will be used for the solve.
This step requires the following configuration steps:
1. If your IT policy requires it, you may need to configure RSM to use SSH for job submission to a
remote Linux cluster.
2. Define a configuration for the Linux cluster in RSM. Or, if an RSM administrator has already
defined a configuration, load it into your local installation of RSM. See Sharing and Accessing
RSM Configurations in the Distributed Compute Gateway User's Guide. The configuration will
contain RSM queues that map to cluster queues.
3. Create a solve process setting that specifies the RSM configuration and RSM queue defined
above (see Using Solve Process Settings (p. 1906)).
4. Use the Solve Process Setting created above using the Solve drop-down option.
Solve to LSF Cluster with Remote Solve Manager
The configuration from a Mechanical application user perspective is the same as above. A Solve
Process Setting is required that specifies an LSF cluster configuration and queue to which the solve
will be submitted. For RSM and cluster configuration information, see RSM Configuration and RSM
Integration with a Cluster or Cloud Portal in the RSM User's Guide.
Solve to Microsoft HPC Cluster with Remote Solve Manager
The configuration from a Mechanical application user perspective is the same as above. A Solve
Process Setting is required that specifies an RSM queue to which the solve will be submitted. For
RSM and cluster configuration information, see RSM Configuration and Integrating RSM with a Mi-
crosoft HPC or Windows-Based Cluster in the RSM User's Guide.
18.7. Specifying Solution Information

You can track, monitor, or diagnose problems that arise during any solution as well as view certain finite
element aspects of the engineering model, using a Solution Information object, which is inserted
automatically under a Solution object of a new environment or an environment included in a database
from a previous release. You can also manually insert a Solution Information object under a Connections
object for solver feedback.
Solving
This section examines the following uses of the feature:
• Specifying Solution Information Properties (p. 1928)
• Viewing Finite Element Connections (p. 1934)
Specifying Solution Information Properties

When you select a Solution Information object in the Outline, the following properties are available
in the Details pane under the Solution Information category:
Solution Output
The Solution Output property defines how you want solution response results to display. All of
the options, described below, display results in real time as the solution progresses.
Important:
The Solution Output property is not applicable to the Connections object.
• Solver Output (default): Displays the solution output file (in text format) from the appropriate
solver (Mechanical APDL, Explicit Dynamics, etc.). This option is valuable to users who are accus-
tomed to reviewing this type of output for diagnostics on the execution of their solver of choice.
During the solution process, the default behavior of the solver output display is to scroll to the
bottom of the log. However, if you scroll the log to another position, then the application maintains
that view position. You resume automatic scrolling by pressing the End key.
Note:
The text contents may be incomplete for a distributed solution involving Harmonic
analyses or analyses featuring Cyclic Symmetry. See the DDOPTION command
• Solution Statistics: This option is supported for all Mechanical analysis systems using Mechanical
APDL solver and for LS-DYNA analysis systems. It becomes available in the property drop-down
list once you have completed your solution. Selecting this option displays the Worksheet. The
Worksheet displays statistical information about your completed solution process as well as re-
commendations about how to improve the process. Using this information, you can make decisions
to improve your solution time and performance. For example, you may decide to use a different
solver or to change the number of cores being employed.
• Solution History: This option is supported for all Mechanical analysis systems using Mechanical
APDL solver. When selected, the Solution History option displays the Worksheet that contains
two tabs to review information the solutions performed and about the evaluated results: Solution
Tracking and Result Tracking. The Solution Tracking tab tracks information such as time to
solve as well as the number of nodes and elements for each solution. The Result Tracking tab
tracks a result's minimum and maximum values for each solution. Most common result types are
supported for this feature, such as Total Deformation, stress, strain, etc.
Each tab presents a chart that graphs the data based on the data columns you select in the table.
Each table heading provides a filter as well as a checkbox. Only two check boxes can be selected
at one time. You can change chart display settings (lines or columns) as well as the labeling by
right-clicking in the chart. In addition, you can right-click on a row and select the Delete option.
Note:
You can change the default settings for the number of the solutions to be tracked
using the Maximum Solutions to Store property and turn result tracking off using
the Track Results property in the Analysis Settings and Solution (p. 316) of the Op-
tions dialog.
• Resource Prediction (p. 162): This option is available for Static Structural and stand-alone Modal
analyses and displays resource prediction information in the Worksheet. Information includes
time and memory predictions for the requested number of cores, charts of time and memory al-
locations for different core settings (maximum of 32), and suggestions, if applicable, such as
whether an alternative solver type setting (structural only) improves resource allocations or
whether there is insufficient memory.
Choosing any of the following options for the Solution Output property displays a graph of that
option as a function of Cumulative Iteration/Cycle (availability depends on the solver).
1 (p. 1932)
• Force Convergence
1 (p. 1932)
• Displacement Convergence
1 (p. 1932)
• Rotation Convergence
• Charge Convergence1 (p. 1932)
1 (p. 1932)
• Moment Convergence
• Participation Factor Summary (Modal analysis only): This option displays the Worksheet with
the label Participation Factor Summary.
Complex eigenvalues are available when the Damping property is set to Yes (except when the
Reduced Damped Solver Type is selected and the Store Complex Solution property is set to
No). When the Damping property is set to No, only the Unsymmetric Solver Type provides
complex Eigenvalues.
When you have a complex eigenvalue solution, the Participation Factor Summary Worksheet
displays Mode, Frequency, X Direction (Real), Y Direction (Real), Z Direction (Real), X Direction
(Imaginary), Y Direction (Imaginary) and Z Direction (Imaginary). Otherwise the worksheet tables
display Mode, Frequency, X Direction, Y Direction, Z Direction, Rotation X, Rotation Y and Rotation
Z.
When you select Participation Factor Summary option, the property Summary Type also displays
and its options include:
Solving
– All (default): All tables are displayed in the Worksheet, including Participation Factor, Effective
Mass, Cumulative Effective Mass Fraction, and Ratio of Effective Mass to Total Mass.
– Participation Factor: Only the Participation Factor table is displayed in the worksheet.
– Effective Mass: Only the Effective Mass table is displayed in the worksheet.
– Cumulative Effective Mass Fraction: Only the Cumulative Effective Mass Fraction table is
displayed in the worksheet.
– Ratio of Effective Mass to Total Mass: Only the Ratio of Effective Mass to Total Mass table
is displayed in the worksheet.
Important:
The unit system for all of the data displayed in the Participation Factor Summary
Worksheet is the unit system for the Solver Unit System property in the Analysis
Data Management category of the Analysis Settings object.
Note:
– The Participation Factor Summary output option is not available when Cyclic
Symmetry is active.
– If the Campbell Diagram (p. 1577) property is set to On in the Modal system's Analysis
Settings (multi-step Modal analysis), the Participation Factor Summary reported
in the Worksheet is for the last rotational velocity/load step.
• Max DOF Increment
• Line Search
• Time
• Time Increment
• Maximum Residual Force
• Kinetic Energy (Quasi-Static Solution (p. 1512) only)
• Stiffness Energy (Quasi-Static Solution (p. 1512) only)
1 (p. 1932)
• CSG Convergence (magnetic current segments)
1 (p. 1932)
• Heat Convergence
• Energy Conservation: Shows plots of total energy, reference energy, work done, and energy error.
• Momentum Summary: Shows plots of X, Y and Z momentum and X, Y and Z impulse for the
model.
• Energy summary: Shows plots of internal energy, kinetic energy, hourglass energy and contact
energy.
• Post Output: displays the output of a Post Command snippet (p. 2407).
• Optimization Output: This option displays the solution output (in text format) from the Topology
Optimizer solver.
Mechanical also provides the following convergence charts for the Structural Optimization
analysis. These options provide plots (in the Worksheet) for convergence values determined
during the solution. This is useful for determining if the simulation is nearing convergence. All of
these options have a plot for the combined objective value versus the Convergence Accuracy
as defined in the Definition Analysis Settings for the Topology Optimization environment. Note
that individual objective values can occur separately in a multi-step analysis. These options also
include a plot for the convergence of the Response Constraint that you wish to observe (Mass,
Volume, etc.).
– Objective and Mass Response Convergence: This option is the default option for a Structural
Optimization analysis. This property plots the Mass Response Convergence against the criterion
you specify in the Percent to Retain property of the Mass Constraint object (Response Con-
straint). The convergence chart will plot convergence against Percent To Retain (Min) and
Percent To Retain (Max) criterion, if the constraint is defined by Range.
– Objective and Volume Response Convergence: This property plots the Volume Response
Convergence against the criterion you specify in the Percent to Retain property of the Volume
Constraint object (Response Constraint). The convergence chart will plot convergence against
Percent To Retain (Min) and Percent To Retain (Max) criterion, if the constraint is defined
by Range.
– Objective and Global Stress Response Convergence (Static Structural analyses only): Plots
the stress response convergence against the criterion specified in the Maximum property of
the Global Von-Mises Stress Constraint object. For multi-step analyses, the application provides
fields to enable you to choose which Step Number corresponds to the stress constraint you
wish to observe.
– Objective and Local Stress Response Convergence (Static Structural analyses only): Plots the
local stress response convergence against the criterion specified in the Maximum property of
the Local Von-Mises Stress Constraint object. For multi-step analyses, the application provides
fields to enable you to choose which Step Number corresponds to the stress constraint you
wish to observe.
– Objective and Displacement Response Convergence (Static Structural analyses only): Plots
the displacement response convergence against the criterion specified in X Component (Max)/Y
Component (Max)/Z Component (Max) of the Displacement Constraint object. For multi-
step analyses, the application provides fields to enable you to choose which Step Number
corresponds to the displacement constraint you wish to observe.
– Objective and Reaction Force Response Convergence (Static Structural analyses only): Plots
the reaction force response convergence against the criterion specified in X Component (Max)/Y
Component (Max)/Z Component (Max) of the Reaction Force Constraint object. For multi-
step analyses, the application provides fields to enable you to choose which Step Number
corresponds to the reaction force constraint you wish to observe.
Solving
– Objective and Natural Frequency Convergence (applicable for Modal analyses): Plots the
Natural Frequency Response convergence against the criterion specified in the Minimum Fre-
quency and Maximum Frequency properties of the Natural Frequency Constraint object
(Response Constraint). The application provides a field to enable you to specify a Mode Number
corresponding to a natural frequency range you wish to observe.
– Objective and Manufacturing Convergence (applicable when criterion is entered for the
Maximum property of the Manufacturing Constraint object): Plots the manufacturing response
convergence against the criterion specified in the Maximum property of the Member Size
category of the Manufacturing Constraint object when the Maximum property is set to
Manual.
Note:
• The frequency at which data is written can be specified as a time step frequency or a
physical time frequency. By default information is displayed for every 100 time steps.
• For ease of viewing solutions with many substeps/iterations, the Substep Converged
and Load Step Converged lines are not displayed when the number of lines exceeds
1000. Also, graphs are shown as lines only, rather than lines and points, when the
number of points exceeds 1000.
1: All convergence plots include designations where any bisections, converged substeps, converged
steps, or remesh points occur. These designations are the red, green, blue, or orange lines (solid or
dotted) shown in the example below of a Force Convergence plot.
Newton-Raphson Residuals
This property is applicable only to Structural environments solved with the Mechanical APDL ap-
plication. It specifies the maximum number of Newton-Raphson residual forces to return. The default
is 0 (no residuals returned). You can request that the Newton-Raphson residual restoring forces be
brought back for nonlinear solutions that either do not converge or that you aborted during the
solution. The Newton-Raphson force is calculated at each Newton-Raphson iteration and can give
you an idea where the model is not satisfying equilibrium. If you select 10 residual forces and the
solution doesn't converge, those last 10 residual forces will be brought back. The following inform-
ation is available in the Details view of a returned Newton-Raphson Residual Force object:
• Results: Minimum and Maximum residual forces across the model.
• Convergence: Global convergence Criterion and convergence Value.
• Information: Time and load step information.
These results cannot be scoped and will automatically be deleted if another solution is run that
either succeeds or creates a new set of residual forces.
Charge Residuals
This property is available for all Coupled Field analyses when 1) the Electric property of the Physics
Region is set to Charge and 2) the Newton-Raphson Residual property is set to a non-zero value.
Option includes Yes and No (default). When set to Yes, the application creates Newton-Raphson
residual objects for charge data, during nonlinear solutions, that either did not converge or because
of an aborted solution. The number of residual charge objects is the same as the value entered in
the Newton-Raphson Residual property.
Identify Element Violations
This property is a diagnostic tool that enables you to identify and view elements on your model
that have failed to meet certain solver criteria during the solution process. The application generates
an error message and creates Named Selection objects that contain the elements that violate the
following criteria:
• Distortion too large (HDST)
• Elements that contain nodes that have near zero pivots (PIVT) for nonlinear analyses
• Plastic/creep strain increment is too large (EPPL/EPCR)
• Elements for which mixed u-P constraints are not satisfied (MXUP) - mixed U-P option of 18x
solid elements only
• Radial displacement (RDSP) is not converged
For the system generated Named Selections that are scoped to the failed elements, the application
generated "name" includes a reference to the specific failed criterion, such as "HDST" for a distortion
that is too large. These Named Selections are placed under the Solution Information object.
The default setting for this property is 0 (no violations are returned). This value can be set to an n,
where n is an integer value greater than 0. This value defines the last n solver iterations for which
the failed elements are stored.
The system generated Named Selections behave as user-defined element-based named selec-
tions (p. 239) and as desired, you can scope results to these named selections. In addition, unlike
other diagnostic features, these Named Selections are not automatically deleted or overwritten
upon subsequent solutions. As needed, you need to delete then manually.
You can find additional details in the Element Components That Violate Criteria topic of the
NLDIAG command section of the Mechanical APDL Command Reference. Also see the Performing
Solving
Nonlinear Diagnostics topic in the Nonlinear Structural Analysis section of the Mechanical APDL
Structural Analysis Guide.
Update Interval
This property appears only for synchronous (p. 1905) solutions. It specifies how often any of the result
tracking items under a Solution Information object get updated while a solution is in progress.
The default is 2.5 seconds.
Display Points
This property is not applicable to Connections object. It specifies the number of points to plot for
a graphical display determined by the Solution Output setting (described above).
Display Filter During Solve
This property is applicable only when using Result Tracker filtering in Explicit Dynamics analyses.
When set to Yes, it displays filtered data from Result Trackers in the Worksheet at each refresh in-
terval of the Result Tracker. As shown below, a legend is included in the Worksheet to help distinguish
the filtered data from the non-filtered data. Typically there are two curves, non-filtered data is dis-
played in red, and filtered data is displayed in green.
Note:
If an error occurs during a solve when using the Mechanical APDL solver, the Solution In-
formation worksheet may point you to files (for example, file.err) in temporary scratch
folders whose purpose is for solving only (this is the folder where Ansys actually ran). After
the solution, these files are moved back to the project structure, so you may not find them
in the scratch folders (or sub-folders).
Viewing Finite Element Connections

During the solution, the Mechanical application will sometimes create additional elements or Constrain
Equations (CE) for certain objects, such as a remote boundary condition, spot weld, joint, MPC-based
contact, or weak springs. So that you might better understand how the boundary conditions are applied,
the Mechanical application enables you to "view" these connections after a solution is completed using
the properties of the FE Connection Visibility category. Note that this display feature requires a complete
solution. For example, connections are not displayed when reading a result file.
The following properties are available in the Details view under the FE Connection Visibility category:
• Activate Visibility: Enables control on whether or not the finite element connection data is stored
during the solution. If visualization of the finite element connections will never be desired or to
maximize performance on extreme models in which many constraint equations exist, this feature can
be deactivated by setting the value to No before solving the model. Note that in the case of a multiple
step analysis, if constraint equations are present, they will be reported from the first load step. The
default value for this property can be changed under Analysis Settings and Solution (p. 316) category
of the Options dialog.
• Display: Controls which finite element connections to display. The options include:
– All FE Connectors (default)
– CE Based (As illustrated below, outlined or hollow nodes indicate use for calculation purposes
only.)
Solving
– Beam Based
– Weak Springs
– None: This option is especially useful to separate the constraint equation connections from the
beam connections. The option None is available to assist in avoiding potential performance issues
from this feature.
– Cyclic: For a solution containing a Pre-Meshed Cyclic Region (p. 1446), this option displays matching
(cyclic) node pairs if they are detected by the solver.
Important:
There is a mesh display limitation for this object when your analysis includes a Nonlinear
Adaptive Region (p. 1826) condition and a remote boundary condition. Currently, this object
only shows the base mesh for the geometry, even if it has changed, as it does when a
Nonlinear Adaptive Region condition is defined. When you have a Nonlinear Adaptive
Region condition combined with a remote boundary condition, the display of the Constrain
Equations (CE) is based on the modified mesh, not the displayed mesh (Show Mesh option
set to On). That is, the CE display is laid over the base mesh instead of a modified mesh.
• Draw Connections Attached To: Based on the availability and visibility of the bodies of your model,
this property provides the following options that draw finite element connection annotations for
those nodes that are involved in constraint equations.
– All Nodes (default): Nodes attached to available bodies.
– Visible Nodes: Nodes attached to visible bodies.
– Any node-based Named Selections (p. 1347): Nodes in the selected node-based Named Selection.
• Line Color: Assigns colors to allow you to differentiate connections. The options include:
– Connection Type (default): Displays a color legend that presents one color for constraint equation
connections and another color for beam connections.
– Manual: Displays a color that you choose.
– Color: Appears if Line Color is set to Manual. By clicking in this field, you can choose a color from
the color palette.
• Visible on Results: When set to Yes (default), the finite element connections are displayed with any
result plot (with the exception of a base mesh). When set to No, the connections are displayed only
when the Solution Information object is selected.
• Line Thickness: Displays the thickness of finite element connection lines in your choice of Single
(default), Double, or Triple.
• Display Type: enables you to view FE connections as Lines (default) or as Points. If you wish to view
the Points of a specified Named Selection, the nodes belonging to the Named Selection display as
Solving
solid colors. Any other associated nodes not belonging to the Named Selection, display with an outline
only.
Note:
Finite element connection information is not available for Response Spectrum analyses when
the Spectrum Type property is set to Single Point.
18.8. Postprocessing During Solve

This feature is only available when you solve an analysis on a remote computer or as a background
process running as a non-distributed solution. When you run the solution as a background process, you
can add new results under the Solution object or use postprocessing features such as viewing results
contours, animation, min and max labels, and so on.
Postprocessing during a solve allows you to use postprocessing tools while an analysis is still in progress.
This feature is useful for analyses that produce partial results (that is, analyses that produce intermediate
results files that are readable but incomplete) such as all Static and Transient Structural, all Static and
Transient Thermal, and Explicit Dynamics analyses.
To postprocess results during a solve:
1. Set up the Remote Solve Manager and run a solution. Make sure that the Distribute Solution option
on the Solver Process Setting (p. 1906) dialog is unchecked.
Request results for a specific time by entering the time in the Display Time field within the Details
view of the Solution object.
2. Right-click the Solution object and choose Evaluate All Results.
If you chose a specific time point that is not yet solved, the result of the most recent solved point
will be displayed in the output fields within the Details view.
Note:
When using this feature, it is important that you allow adequate time after the solve for the
results files to be created and present before any postprocessing can be successful. Requesting
a postprocessing function too prematurely could generate an error message stating that the
result file could not be opened.
18.9. Using Result Trackers

In addition to the real time solution response graphs you can view from the Solution Information
object, you can also view graphs of specific displacement and contact results as a function of time using
Result Tracker objects. These objects are inserted as branch objects under a Solution Information
object.
Using Result Trackers
Other than contact trackers that read data from the CND file (file.cnd), you cannot add new Result
Trackers to completed solutions. In order to add and solve a new result, you must clear (p. 2085) the
Solution, add a new Result Tracker, and then resolve the simulation.
Note:
• Result Trackers employ the instructions of the Mechanical APDL command, NLHIST.
• Contact Trackers reading from the CND file use the Mechanical APDL command, NLDIAG.
Application
To insert a Result Tracker object, select a Solution Information object and either choose an option
under the Result Tracker drop-down menu in the Solution Information Context tab, or right-click on
a Result Tracker object and then select Insert > and the desired result tracker type.
Note:
You can add Contact Result Trackerswhile the solution is in progress. The application
automatically sets the Enhanced Tracking property to Yes and the property is read-only.
Normal scoping requirements apply.
Result Tracker Types

The Result Tracker feature is available for the following:
• Structural Result Tracker (p. 1941)
• Thermal Result Tracker (p. 1946)
• Explicit Dynamics Result Tracker
Result Tracker Features

The following options are offered by the Result Tracker object:
• Plotting (p. 1939)
• Renaming (p. 1940)
• Exporting (p. 1940)
Plotting a Result Tracker

Any of the graphs created by either the Result Tracker or nonlinear convergence items have the fol-
lowing features:
Solving
• Multiple Result Tracker objects may be selected at the same time to create a combined chart assuming
they share the same X and Y output types (such as pressure for Y and time for X). An example is
shown here:
• The graph can be zoomed by using the ALT key + left mouse button. Moving down and to the right
zooms in, and moving up and to the left zooms out.
Caution:
Because nodes may be rotated in solutions obtained with the Mechanical APDL application,
deformation Result Trackers may not record the expected component of the deformation.
Should this occur, a warning message alerting you to this will appear after the solve in the
Details view of the Solution object, in the Solver Messages field. This situation can occur
when Result Trackers are adjacent to supported faces, lines, or vertices. One possible ap-
proach to avoid this situation is to add 3 deformation Result Trackers, one for each of the
x, y, and z directions. This will ensure that the tracker is showing all deformation of that
vertex of the model.
Renaming a Result Tracker

The Result Tracker has an option for renaming the object based on the definition of the result and
the scoping. You choose the option in the right-click (context) menu. This option is useful in having
the program create meaningful names of the result trackers. An example would be Result Tracker 5
being renamed to Pressure on Contact Region 2.
Exporting a Result Tracker

Result Tracker objects can be exported to a text file and an Excel file by selecting Export Text File
from the context (right-click) menu. This option appears in the menu after the solution is obtained. This
option enables you to save a text file of the result data. And, based on the setting of the Automatically
Open Excel preference in the Export (p. 297) category of the Options dialog, this option will also open
an excel spreadsheet that includes the result data.
Note:
You must right-click the selected object to use this Export feature. On Windows platforms,
if you have the Microsoft Office 2002 (or later) installed, you may see an Export to Excel
option if you right-mouse click in the Worksheet window. This is not the Mechanical applic-
ation Export feature but rather an option generated by Microsoft Internet Explorer.
18.9.1. Structural Result Trackers

Coupled Field Static, Static Structural, and Transient structural analyses support the following result
trackers.
• Deformation (p. 1941)
• Contact (p. 1942)
• Energy (p. 1945)
Deformation
The Deformation result tracker tracks displacement for one vertex only using the geometry picker
or a geometry-based Named Selection or a node-based Named Selection for a single node. Details
view categories and properties include:
Scope Scoping Method: Options include Geometry Selection or Named Selection.
Geometry: Visible when the Scoping Method property is set to Geometry

Selection. This field allows you to select and define a single vertex or a single node
as the geometry.
Named Selection: Visible when the Scoping Method property is set to Named
Selection.. This field provides a list of user-defined Named Selections that are either
geometry-based or node-based.
Defin- Type: Read-only field that displays the type of Result Tracker - Directional
i- Deformation.
tion
Orientation: Specifies X-Axis, Y-Axis, or Z-Axis.
Suppressed: Prior to solving, you can include or exclude the result from the analysis.
The default is value is No.
Res- Minimum: Read-only indication of the minimum value of the result tracker type.
ults
Solving
Maximum: Read-only indication of the maximum value of the result tracker type.
Note:
When using the Deformation result tracker to graph displacement for a Nonlinear Adaptive
Region (p. 1826), there is a display limitation for the graph. The tracker reads and displays
data contained in the jobname.nlh file. This file contains incremental displacement data
collected after re-meshing occurs. That is, the re-meshed model is considered as a new
reference.
Contact
The Contact result tracker is for contact outputs scoped to a given contact pair. Details view categories
and properties include:
Note:
You can add Contact Result Trackerswhile the solution is in progress. The application
automatically sets the Enhanced Tracking property to Yes and the property is read-
only. Normal scoping requirements apply.
Scope Contact Region: Specifies the particular contact region in the pair. Default names
are Contact Region and Contact Region 2.
Enhanced Tracking: This property causes your Contact Result Tracker to obtain
contact pair-based information as specified by the Type property (Number
Contacting, Penetration, etc.). This takes place during the solution phase or
following a completed solution from the CND file (file.cnd). The default setting
is Yes. See NLDIAG command for additional information. The No setting reads data
from the NLH file. See NLHIST command for additional information.
Important:
• The .cnd file is limited to 10MB. However, you can use the Variable
Manager (p. 211) feature and enter the variable, cndFileSize, to
increase the size limitation. The Value property enables you to specify
the new file size, 15 equals 15MB, etc. In addition, Ansys recommends
that you increase the value of the Update Interval property of the
Solution Information (p. 1927) object to make sure that the application
has enough time during the solution to read the file before refreshing
the data presented in the Worksheet. Without a sufficient interval, you
could see the application appear to freeze or hang.
• Enhanced Tracking results are only available when a complete solution

is performed in Mechanical 16.0 or a later version.
Contact Side: Specify the desired side of the associated Contact Region for which
you wish to obtain results, either the Contact (default) side or the Target side.
Defin- Type: Specifies the particular contact output. For each of these options, the result
i- tracking is performed on the Contact side of the pair. If you want to perform the
tion result tracking on the Target side, you should flip the source and target sides. If
this occurs you can change the contact region to Asymmetric (p. 1149) and flip the
source and target faces in order to specify the side of interest that is to be the
contact side. If Auto Asymmetric (p. 1149) contact is active (either by the Behavi-
or (p. 1149) contact region setting equaling Auto Asymmetric or by the Formula-
tion (p. 1153) setting equaling Augmented Lagrange (p. 1154) or MPC (p. 1155)) and
the contact side is chosen by the program to be disabled, the Results Tracker will
not contain any results (as signified by a value of -2 for Number Contacting output).
Contact results will be valid depending on the type of contact (for example,
edge-edge) and the contact formulation.
• Pressure: Maximum pressure.
• Penetration: Maximum penetration.
• Geometric Gap: Minimum gap. The values will be reported as negative

numbers to signify a gap. A value of zero is reported if the contact region
is in contact (and thus has a penetration). Also, if the region is in far-field
contact (contact faces are outside the pinball radius), then the gap will be
equal to the resulting pinball size for the region.
• Frictional Stress: Maximum frictional stress.
• Sliding Distance: Maximum total sliding distance (algebraic sum) when the
contact status is sticking or sliding.
• Number Sticking: Number of elements that are sticking.
• Number Contacting (default): Number of elements in contact. A value of

-1 means the contact pair is in Far-field contact (meaning the faces lie outside
the contact pinball region).
• Chattering: Maximum chattering level.
• Elastic Slip: Maximum elastic slip.
• Max Normal Stiffness: Maximum normal stiffness.
• Min Normal Stiffness: Minimum normal stiffness.
• Max Tangential Stiffness: Maximum tangential stiffness.
• Min Tangential Stiffness: Minimum tangential stiffness.
• Contacting Area: The total area of the elements that are in contact.
• Max Damping Pressure: Maximum damping pressure.
Solving
• Min Geometric Sliding Distance: Minimum total sliding distance, including
sticking, sliding, and near-field. For more information, see the GSLID output
parameter in the Mechanical APDL Contact Technology Guide.
• Max Geometric Sliding Distance: Maximum total sliding distance, including

sticking, sliding, and near-field. For more information, see the GSLID output
parameter in the Mechanical APDL Contact Technology Guide.
• Resulting Pinball: Maximum pinball radius.
• Normal Fluid Pressure: Maximum normal fluid penetration pressure. Requires

the Enhanced Tracking (p. 1942) property to be set to Yes (default).
• Tangential Fluid Pressure: Maximum tangential fluid penetration due to

fluid penetration loading. Requires the Enhanced Tracking (p. 1942) property
to be set to Yes (default).
• Fluid Pressure: Maximum fluid penetration pressure. Requires the Enhanced

Tracking (p. 1942) property to be set to No.
• Contact Depth: Average contact depth.
• Closed Penetration: Maximum closed (geometrical) penetration.
• Number with Large Penetration: Number of contact points having too

much penetration.
• Tangential Damping Stress: Maximum tangential contact damping stress.
• Volume Loss Due to Wear: Total volume lost due to wear for the contact
pair (not available for general contact).
• Strain Energy: Total strain energy due to contact constraint.
• Frictional Dissipation Energy: Total frictional dissipation energy.
• Stabilization Energy: Total contact stabilization energy.
• Number With Too Much Sliding: Number of contact points having too
much sliding for small sliding contact (p. 1156).
• Total Force From Contact Pressure X: Total Force along the X-axis due to
contact pressure.
• Total Force from Contact Pressure Y: Total Force along the Y-axis due to
contact pressure.
• Total Force from Contact Pressure Z: In a 3D model, the reported item is

the total force along the Z-axis. In a 2D axisymmetric model, the reported
item is maximum torque that can potentially act on the Y-axis.
• Total Force from Tangential Stress X: Total Force along the X-axis due to
tangential stress.
• Total Force from Tangential Stress Y: Total Force along the Y-axis due to
tangential stress.
• Total Force from Tangential Stress Z: Total Force along the Z-axis due to
tangential stress.
• Sliding Indication: Specifying this option requires that the Type property
of the specified Contact Region be set to Frictional. Sliding Indication is
calculated using the following formula.
For the equation, MU is the Friction Coefficient of the Frictional Contact.

When Sliding Indication equals -1, this indicates that the normal contact
force equals 0. When Sliding Indication equals 1, this indicates that the
Friction Coefficient equals 0 (a great deal of sliding). Any other result for the
Sliding Indication value means that there is some amount of sliding. The
higher the value, the greater the amount of sliding.
• Force Convergence: Pair-based force convergence norm and criterion used

in the local convergence check. The local convergence check is met if the
pair-based force convergence norm is less than the pair-based force
convergence criterion.
• Possible Overconstraint: Supported for contact regions using the Program

Controlled or MPC settings for the Formulation (p. 1153) property. When
extracted, negative value indicates a possible overconstraint for the scoped
contact region and contact side.
Defin- Minimum: Read-only indication of the minimum value of the result tracker type.
i-
tion Maximum: Read-only indication of the maximum value of the result tracker type.
Energy
The Details pane properties and options for energy-based result trackers are described below.
Defin- Type: This property is a read-only field that displays the type of results tracker.
i- Energy result trackers include:
tion
• Kinetic Energy
• Stiffness Energy
• Damping Energy
Solving
• Artificial Energy
• Nonlinear Stabilization Energy
Res- Minimum: Read-only indication of the minimum value of the result tracker type.
ults
Maximum: Read-only indication of the maximum value of the result tracker type.
18.9.2. Thermal Result Trackers

A Thermal Analysis supports the Temperature Result Tracker only. The Temperature can be applied
to one vertex only using the geometry selection tools or using a geometry-based Named Selection
or for a single node, node-based Named Selection.
Note:
Direct graphical node selection requires you to generate the mesh.
The Details view properties and options for the Temperature Result Tracker are described below.
• Scope:
– Scoping Method: Specifies the option Geometry Selection, Named Selection, Remote Point,
Global Minimum, or Global Maximum for a solution point.
– Geometry: Visible when Geometry Selection is specified as the Scoping Method. This property
enables you to select and define a single vertex as the geometry or a single node.
– Named Selection: Visible when Named Selection is specified as the Scoping Method. This
property provides a drop-down menu of user-defined Named Selections that are either geometry-
based or node-based.
– Remote Point
– Remote Point: Visible when Remote Point is specified as the Scoping Method. This property
provides a drop-down menu of user-defined Remote Points.
– Global Minimum
– Global Maximum
• Definition
– Type: Read-only field that displays the type of Results Tracker.
– Suppressed: Prior to solving, you can include or exclude the result from the analysis. The default
is value is No.
• Results
Using Adaptive Convergence
– Minimum: Read-only indication of the minimum value of the result tracker type.
– Maximum: Read-only indication of the maximum value of the result tracker type.
18.10. Using Adaptive Convergence

You can control the relative accuracy of a solution in two ways. You can use the meshing tools to refine
the mesh before solving, or you can use convergence tools as part of the solution process to refine
solution results on a particular area of the model. This section discusses the latter.
Through its convergence capabilities, the application can fully automate the solution process, internally
controlling the level of accuracy for selected results. You can seek approximate results or adapted/con-
verged results. This section explains how to interpret accuracy controls.
• Converged Results Control (p. 1947)
• Adaptivity (Refinement of Meshes Based on Solutions) (p. 1947)
• Adaptive Convergence in Multiple Result Sets (p. 1949)
• Ansys Workbench Product Adaptive Solutions (p. 1950)
• Notes About Accuracy (p. 1952)
Converged Results Control

You can control convergence to a predefined level of error for selected results. In the calculation of
stresses, displacements, mode shapes, temperatures, and heat fluxes, the application employs an adaptive
solver engine to identify and refine the model in areas that benefit from adaptive refinement. The cri-
teria for convergence is a prescribed percent change in results. The default is 20%. You can change this
default using the Convergence (p. 296) setting in the Options dialog box (p. 293).
Adaptivity (Refinement of Meshes Based on Solutions)

You can continue to refine the mesh based on a specific solution result. When you pick a result (Equi-
valent Stress, Total Deformation, Total Flux Density, etc.), indicate that you want to converge on
this solution. You pick a value and the solution is refined such that the solution value does not change
by more than that value.
To add convergence, click the result you added to your solution; for example, Equivalent Stress, Total
Deformation, or Total Flux Density. If you want to converge on deformation, right-click Total Deform-
ation and select Insert > Convergence. In the Details, you can specify convergence on either the
Minimum or Maximum value. Additionally, you can specify the Allowable Change between convergence
iterations.
For an adaptive solution, a solution is first performed on the base mesh, and then the elements are
queried for their solution information (such as deflection, X-stress, Y-stress, etc.). If the element's results
have a high Zienkiewicz-Zhu, or ZZ error (see the Mechanical APDL Theory Reference for more information
Solving
on adaptivity theory), the element is placed in the queue to be refined. The application then continues
to refine the mesh and perform additional solutions. Adaptivity will be more robust if your initial mesh
is with tetrahedrons. Adaptive refinement starting from a hex-dominant mesh will automatically result
in a re-meshing of the structure with tetrahedrons. The face mesh given to the tet mesher is the initial
quad mesh split into triangles. That face mesh is then filled with tetrahedrons so it is recommended
that you insert an all tetrahedron mesh method before you start an adaptive solution.
You can control the aggressiveness of the adaptive refinement by adjusting the Refinement Depth
setting under Adaptive Mesh Refinement in the Details view of a Solution object. The default value
is 2 for structural analyses, and 0 for magnetostatic analyses. The range is from 0 to 3. By default, when
adaptive convergence occurs, the program will refine to a depth of 2 elements to help ensure smooth
transitions and avoid excessive element distortion for repeated refinement. However, you can adjust
this refinement depth to a value of 0 or 1 if for a particular problem, the deep refinement is not required
and problem size is a major concern. In general, for mechanical analyses, the default value of 2 is highly
recommended. However, you can lower the value if too much refinement is occurring and is overwhelm-
ing the solution in terms of size of solution time. If you use a value less than 2, be aware of the following:
• Verify that false convergence is not occurring because of too little refinement.
• More refinements may be required to achieve the desired tolerance, which may increase the total
solution time.
The following pictures show the effects of various settings of Refinement Depth on plots of Total De-
formation.
Base Mesh: No Refinement Depth = 0

Refinement
Refinement Depth = 1 Refinement Depth = 2
For magnetostatic analyses, there are additional settings that allow you to change the percentage of
the element selected for adaptive refinement during solution. These settings use an Energy Based
percentage and an Error Based percentage. The internal selection process first uses the Energy Based
percentage to select the number of elements in the full model that have the highest values of magnetic
energy. From this number, it uses the Error Based percentage to select the number of elements with
the highest error in the particular body. Magnetic Error results are also available to display on the
geometry for verification.
These adaptive refinement settings for magnetostatic analyses are in the Refinement Controls group,
located in the Details view of the Solution object, provided you have a Convergence object inserted
under any magnetostatic result (p. 2259). An Element Selection setting in this group has the following
options:
• Program Controlled (default): The percentage of elements selected for adaptive refinement equals
the default values of 10% for the Energy Based percentage and 20% for the Error Based percentage.
• Manual: The percentage of elements selected for adaptive refinement equals the values you enter
in the Energy Based and Error Based fields that appear only when you choose Manual.
For magnetostatic analyses, Directional Force results allow seeking convergence based on Force
Summation or Torque as opposed to other results converging on Maximum or Minimum values.
Adaptive Convergence in Multiple Result Sets

You can apply adaptive convergence on multiple result sets that may include different loadings or time
points. To do so, create a result for each loading or time point and insert a Convergence object under
each result.
The following example shows Total Deformation results at two time points where a Convergence
object was inserted under each result.
Solving
Ansys Workbench Product Adaptive Solutions

Nearly every Ansys Workbench product result can be calculated to a user-specified accuracy. The specified
accuracy is achieved by means of adaptive and iterative analysis, whereby h-adaptive methodology is
employed. The h-adaptive method begins with an initial finite element model that is refined over various
iterations by replacing coarse elements with finer elements in selected regions of the model. This is
effectively a selective remeshing procedure. The criterion for which elements are selected for adaptive
refinement depends on geometry and on what Ansys Workbench product results quantities are requested.
The result quantity φ, the expected accuracy E (expressed as a percentage), and the region R on the
geometry that is being subjected to adaptive analysis may be selected. The user-specified accuracy is
achieved when convergence is satisfied as follows:
where i denotes the iteration number. It should be clear that results are compared from iteration i to
iteration i+1. Iteration in this context includes a full analysis in which h-adaptive meshing and solving
are performed.
The Ansys Workbench product uses two different criteria for its adaptive procedures. The first criterion
merely identifies the largest elements (LE), which are deleted and replaced with a finer finite element
representation. The second employs a Zienkiewicz-Zhu (ZZ) norm for stress in structural analysis and
heat flux in thermal analysis.
Table 18.1: Ansys Workbench Product Adaptivity Methods
Result Adaptive Criterion

Stresses and strains ZZ norm
Structural margins and factors of safety ZZ norm
Fatigue damage and life ZZ norm
Heat flows ZZ norm
Temperatures ZZ norm
Result Adaptive Criterion

Deformations ZZ norm
Mode frequencies LE
As mentioned above, geometry plays a role in the Ansys Workbench product adaptive method. In
general, accurate results and solutions can be devised for the entire assembly, a part or a collection of
parts, or a surface or a collection of surfaces. The user makes the decision as to which region of the
geometry applies. If accurate results on a certain surface are desired, the Ansys Workbench product
ignores the aforementioned criterion and simply refines all elements on the surfaces that make up the
defined region. The reasoning here is that the user restricts the region where accurate results are desired.
In addition, there is nothing limiting the user from having multiple accuracy specification. In other
words, specified accuracy in a selected region and results with specified accuracy over the entire model
can be achieved.

To use Convergence feature:
• To use Convergence, you must set Calculate Stress to Yes under Output Controls in the Analysis
Settings details panel. However, you can perform Modal and Buckling Analysis without specifying
this option.
• Convergence objects inserted under an environment that is referenced by an Initial Condition object
or a Thermal Condition (p. 1861) load object, will invalidate either of these objects, and not allow a
solution to progress.
• The Error (p. 2133) result that is used for convergence is based on linear stresses and as such may be
inaccurate in certain nonlinear analyses, such as when plasticity is active.
• When performing an out of process (p. 1905) solution asynchronously, wherein the solve may finalize
during another Workbench session, the application performs only one maximum refinement loop.
As necessary, you must manually perform additional loops. To solve with a single user action, solve
synchronously.
• Results cannot be converged when you have a Mesh Connection object.
• You cannot use Convergence if your system is linked to an upstream or a downstream analysis.
• Convergence is not available when you activate either of the following conditions:
– Nonlinear Adaptive Region (p. 1826)
– Contact Step Control (p. 1830)
• Convergence is not supported for:
– A model with Layered Sections.
– Meshes generated using the MultiZone Quad/Tri, MultiZone Quad, or Patch Independent mesh
methods.
– Mixed Order Meshing
Solving
– Orthotropic materials.
– Hyperelastic materials.
– Solid shell elements (the SOLSH190 series elements).
– If a Periodic Region or Cyclic Region symmetry object is defined.
– Solution Combinations (p. 2391).
Notes About Accuracy

Accuracy acceptance:
• Low levels of accuracy are acceptable for demonstrations, training, and test runs. Allow for a significant
level of uncertainty in interpreting answers. Very low accuracy is never recommended for use in the
final validation of any critical design.
• Moderate levels of accuracy are acceptable for many noncritical design applications. Moderate levels
of accuracy should not be used in a final validation of any critical part.
• High levels of accuracy are appropriate for solutions contributing to critical design decisions.
At maximum accuracy, when convergence is not sought, studies of problems with known answers yield
the following behaviors and approximated errors:
• Less than 20% error for peak stresses and strains, and minimum margins and factors of safety.
• Between 5% and 10% error for average (nominal) stresses and elastic strains, and average heat
flows.
• Between 1% and 5% error for average stress-related displacements and average calculated
temperatures.
• 5% or less error for mode frequencies for a wide range of parts.
When seeking highly accurate, converged Results, more computer time and resources will be required
than manual control, except in some cases where the manual preference approaches highest accuracy.
Given the flexible nature of the solver engine, it is impossible to explicitly quantify the effect of a par-
ticular accuracy selection on the calculation of results for an arbitrary problem. Accuracy is related only
to the representation of geometry. Increasing the accuracy preference will not make the material
definition or environmental conditions more accurate. However, specified converged results are nearly
as accurate as the percentage criteria.
Critical components should always be analyzed by an experienced engineer or analyst prior to final
acceptance.
18.11. Saving and Managing Results

Go to s section topic:
• Saving Files (p. 1953)
Saving and Managing Results
• Managing Files (p. 1953)
Saving Files
There are three ways to save your results in the Mechanical application:
• As a Mechanical APDL application database file.
To save the Mechanical application results in a Mechanical APDL application database file, click
Analysis Settings on the Outline (p. 108) and in its Details, click Yes next to Save Ansys db under
Analysis Data Management (p. 1572).
• As an input file for the Mechanical APDL application. See Writing and Reading the Mechanical APDL
Application Files (p. 1955).
• As a Mechanical application database file.
To save your solution as a Mechanical application database file, select File> Export. Select File> Save
As in the Project Schematic to save the project. The Save As dialog box appears, allowing you to
type the name of the file and specify its location.
Note:
The application creates reference files that contain analysis information that is read back into
the application during solution processing. Certain textual characters can create issues during
this reading process. Avoid the use of the following unsupported characters in your file
naming conventions and file path definition:
• Quote character (“)
• Ampersand (&)
• Apostrophe (‘)
• Greater than and less than characters (< >)
• Japanese and Chinese characters
Managing Files
During the solution, several files are created. Some of these can be deleted after the solution but some
need to be retained for postprocessing or for feeding other subsequent analyses. Since you can perform
several different analyses on a single model or even have several models in the same Mechanical applic-
ation project, you must manage the solution files in a consistent and predictable manner.
Note:
If you open a solved project and make a change to either the geometry or the mesh, Mech-
anical automatically deletes the content of the original project files (*.rst, *.out, etc.).
Solving
Consistent Directory Structure for Mechanical Application Analyses

Ansys Workbench's file management system keeps multiple databases under a single project. See Saving
and Managing Project Files for a description of the file management system.
Note:
The Analysis Settings Details view has an Analysis Data Management (p. 1572) grouping
that shows the solution directory location for each analysis.
Solution Files
Default behavior: By default an analysis in the Mechanical application saves only the minimal files re-
quired for postprocessing. Typically these include results files (file.rst, file.rth, file.rmg,
file.psd, file.mcom), input file (ds.dat), output file (solve.out), and some other files that
have valuable information about the solution ( file.BCS, file.nlh, file.gst). Of these only the
results file is generally of significant size.
For Windows users, the solution files folder can be displayed using the Open Solver Files Direct-
ory (p. 1573) feature.
Future Analysis: If the results of this analysis are to be used as a load or an initial condition in a sub-
sequent analysis then additional files may need to be saved. Declaring your intent to use this in the
future (p. 1572) will automatically save the required files and reuse them in the subsequent analysis. Refer
to Define Initial Conditions (p. 354) for details of these analyses.
Delete Unneeded Files: The solution process creates other files that are typically not needed for
postprocessing or are not used in subsequent analyses. By default, the Mechanical application deletes
these files at the end of solution. However, if for any reason, you want to keep all the files you could
choose to do so (p. 1572).
You can use the Output Controls (p. 1559) on the analysis settings page to write only the desired result
types to the .rst file (for example, if strains are not needed, you can turn them off which would create
a smaller result file). In addition, for advanced Mechanical APDL application users, Command ob-
jects (p. 2407) can be used to further limit output via the OUTRES command.
An external result file is needed to post results. The following behavior will occur:
• If you save a simulation, any simulation files (result and other required files) will be saved to the new
location.
• If you use the Duplicate Without Results option (Environment and Model objects only), all subordinate
objects are reproduced with the exception of the data for all result objects. This is based on the in-
tention that loading changes are performed and the solution process is repeated.
• If you attempt to resolve a previously solved and saved database, the corresponding saved result
files are backed up automatically in case the current solve is not saved.
• The /post1 XML transfer of result files used in previous releases is no longer used so any existing
solution Command objects which were modifying the Mechanical APDL application results to be
brought back into the Mechanical application no longer function.
Writing and Reading Solution Data
• For loads imported from External Model, the Options dialog preference, Solver File Verbosity (p. ?),
enables you to control how much information is written to the input file (ds.dat) and output file
(solve.out) during the solution process. The default does not write comments to the input and solver
file. This option provides faster processing time from the Mechanical APDL solver. There are two ad-
ditional options that enable you to increment the amount of information or to write all information
to the file.
18.12. Writing and Reading Solution Data

The application supports several options for writing input data and reading result data, including:
18.12.1. Writing and Reading the Mechanical APDL Application Files
18.12.2. Writing and Reading the LS-DYNA Application Files
18.12.3. Writing Ansys Rigid Dynamics Files
18.12.4. Writing NASTRAN Files
18.12.1. Writing and Reading the Mechanical APDL Application Files

The Solution Context (p. 65) tab includes options for writing the Mechanical APDL application input
files and for reading the Mechanical APDL application results files.
• Writing an Input File (p. 1955)
• Reading Result Files (p. 1955)
• Mechanical APDL Analysis using a Mechanical Mesh (p. 1958)
• Using Input and Result Files Together (p. 1958)
Writing an Input File

To write an input file:
1. Highlight the Solution object folder in the Outline.
2. From the Tools group on the Solution Context tab, select the Write Input File option.
3. In the Save As dialog box, specify a location and name for the input file.
Reading Result Files

To read the Mechanical APDL application result files:
1. Highlight the Solution object in the Outline, open the drop-down menu of the Read Result Files
option, and select one of the following options:
• By Copy: The application copies all files contained in this folder to the Solver Files Direct-
ory.
Solving
• By Reference: Using this option, you specify the path to the directory that includes your
result files. It does not copy any files. Note that when you are reading files on a server, you
could see a performance delay.
2. A dialog displays that enables you to open a file. Browse to the folder that contains the desired
result file, select the file, and then select the Open button.
Note:
• When reading result files from a directory other than the solver directory, the current
solution is cleared and the result files are deleted.
• When reading result files from a directory other than solver directory when using
the By Copy option, the application changes the job name to "file" when copying
the files to the solver directory. For example, "jobname.rst" would be renamed "file.rst."
• The target folder should only contain files pertinent to the solution of the selected
result file.
3. The following dialog displays. Select a desired unit system and then click OK.
Note:
By default, the application uses the unit system stored in the result file (under the
Mechanical APDL /UNITS command). The Select Results in Unit System dialog box
displays to have you verify the unit system. If you select a unit system that is different
than the one already specified result file, the application displays a warning message.
If the application does not have 1) a specified unit system (/UNITS,0), or 2) the solver
input files include the command entries /UNITS,SI or /UNITS,USER commands or 3)
the file does not include the /UNITS command, then the application alerts you that
you have updated the unit system based on your select on the Select Results in Unit
System dialog box. Possible system messages include:
• The source result file does not have the unit system information. If the result
file was generated in MAPDL, consider using the /UNITS command to annotate
the result file with the unit system information.
• Since the result file does not indicate the unit system, the following file unit
system is assumed…
4. Once solution files are either copied to the working directory or properly referenced, the application
automatically evaluates the solution.
Be sure to review the following:
Warning:
When a Mechanical system’s solution is read using the Read Result Files option, and you
want to perform a restart analysis on the system, it is recommended to restart from the
initial point. Otherwise, the restart analysis can give incorrect results due to a mismatch
of the data stored in the result files compared to the solver representation of the current
system. This can happen even if you duplicate the system used to create the result files.
For example, if your system includes bolt pretensions, the application assigns a unique
node id or an identifier set to the element id created for the bolt to each bolt pretension
object. This data is used to generate input files. Although the duplicated bolt pretensions
may have equivalent properties to that of the bolt pretensions of the system used to
generate the result files, internally they may be assigned different node ids or element id
identifiers. As a result, the bolt pretension ids don't match with the bolt pretension ids
used to generate the result files and can give incorrect results if you restart analysis from
a point other than initial point.
To restart from the initial point, set the Current Restart Point property (Analysis Settings
> Restart Analysis (p. 1521)) to Initial. Note that you can also select the context (right-click)
menu option Clear Generated Data to start your solution from the initial point.
Caution:
• Errors occur if the application result files are from a version of Mechanical that is older
than the version currently running.
• During the process of reading the results files, the application reads the file, solve.out,
for the product license. This license name needs to be included on Line 2 of this file. If
not, the application could stop processing. Scenarios exist where the application could
insert text into the first few lines of this file, cause the license to not be included in Line
2. If you experience processing anomalies, check this file and make sure it is formatted
properly.
Solving
Note:
The Read Result File option is not available if a Convergence object is specified in the
analysis.
Mechanical APDL Analysis using a Mechanical Mesh

You can use an Mechanical input file in the Mechanical APDL application to take advantage of the
meshing capabilities of Mechanical. Generate the mesh in Mechanical and write, using the Write Input
File option, the input file to a desired location. Use this input file to complete your analysis in the
Mechanical APDL application. The meshed model will contain generic element encoding - only shape
and connectivity information. Such elements can then be replaced by others that are appropriate to
your desired analysis.
Note:
Any named selection group from the Mechanical application is transferred to the Mechan-
ical APDL application as a component according to specific naming rules and conven-
tions (p. 1377).
Using Writing and Reading Files Together

The writing and reading options are useful when used together. You can use the write option, then
solve at your leisure on the machine of your choice. When the solution is done, you can use the read
option to browse to the directory that contains the Mechanical APDL application output files (for
example, result file, file.err, solve.out, file.gst, file.nlh). Workbench will then copy all files into your
solution directory and proceed to use those files for postprocessing.
The reading option only requires that the target directory include the result (.rst) file. You can also
use uncombined result files from a distributed-memory parallel processing solution instead of a single
combined result file. This requires that your Jobname is named “file” and you must also select the
file file0.rst (or file0.rth) from the directory. You may find it useful to read uncombined
result files from a solution that was stopped before the combination took place or if you requested
that the result file not be combined (DMPOPTION,RST,NO).
Note:
You must ensure that the mesh in the result file matches the mesh in Workbench. This
includes the Workbench generated mesh from the geometry as well as any nodes or ele-
ments defined in the input file (such as for contact or remote boundary conditions). Failure
to do so could result in incorrect results and unexpected behavior.
The reading Mechanical APDL application file option is available for all analysis types except rigid
dynamic analyses and shape analyses.
The writing Mechanical APDL application file option is available for all analysis types except rigid dy-
namic analyses.
System units must be specified in the Mechanical APDL application result files being read for Result
Tracker graphs to display properly. Result Tracker graphs will display in the Mechanical APDL applic-
ation result file units if the units specified when reading the files are inconsistent with those in the
files.
18.12.2. Writing and Reading the LS-DYNA Application Files

The Solution Context tab (p. 65) includes options for writing the LS-DYNA application input files and
for reading the LS-DYNA application results files.
To write the LS-DYNA application input file:
1. Highlight the Solution object folder in the tree.
2. From the Tools group on the Solution Context tab, select the Write Input File option.
3. In the Save As dialog box, specify a location and name for the input file.
To read the LS-DYNA application result files:
1. Highlight the Solution object folder in the tree.
2. From the Tools group on the Solution Context tab, select the Read Result Files option.
Note:
The Read Result File option is not available if a Convergence object is specified in the
analysis.
3. Browse to the folder that contains the LS-DYNA application result files and click Open.
4. In the dialog box that follows, select the unit system, then click OK.
Solving
The Unit System used during the solution is stored in the file file.actunits. The Select Results
in Unit System dialog box displays to have you explicitly set the unit system in which read results
are to be interpreted, which you can choose to be different from the Solver unit system defined
in the Analysis Settings. Selecting a unit system that differs from the unit system defined in the
analysis settings causes a warning message to display.
Note:
The mm, kg, kN, ms solver unit system is not currently supported with Read Result
Files.
Important:
• The application overwrites existing result files in the Solver Files Directory if these result
files names are present (perfect match or begin the same) in the folder of the LS-DYNA
application result files.
• The application does not overwrite existing result files in the Solver Files Directory if
these result files names are not already present (perfect match or begin the same) in
the folder of the LS-DYNA application result files.
• If file.actunits already exists in the Solver Files Directory or in the folder that
contains the LS-DYNA application result files, it will be overwritten by the application.
• If file.actunits does not exist in the Solver Files Directory or in the folder that
contains the LS-DYNA application result files, it will be created by the application.
Caution:
• Errors will occur if the LS-DYNA application result files are from a version of the LS-DYNA
application that is older than the version currently running.
• The procedure above instructs you to browse to the folder that contains the LS-DYNA
application result files. This folder should only contain files pertinent to that solution
because LS-DYNA copies all the files contained in this folder to the Solver Files Directory.
LS-DYNA Application Analysis from a Mechanical Application Mesh

The option for writing the LS-DYNA application file can be used to perform analyses in the LS-DYNA
application while taking advantage of the meshing capabilities within the Mechanical application.
The procedure is as follows:
1. Attach the model into the Mechanical application (p. 335).
2. Mesh the model.
3. Select the Solution folder in the tree.
4. Select Write Input File... from the tab and specify a location and name for the input file.
5. Use this input file to complete your analysis in the LS-DYNA application. The meshed model
will contain generic elements encoding only shape and connectivity information. Such elements
can then be replaced by others that are appropriate to your desired analysis.
Note:
Any named selection group from the Mechanical application is transferred to the LS-DYNA
application as a component according to specific naming rules and conventions (p. 1377).
Using Writing and Reading Files Together

The writing and reading options are useful when used together. You can use the write option, then
solve at your leisure on the machine of your choice. When the solution is done, you can use the read
option to browse to the directory that contains the LS-DYNA application output files (for example,
result file, file.err, solve.out, file.gst, file.nlh). Workbench will then copy all files into your solution dir-
ectory and proceed to use those files for postprocessing.
Note:
You must ensure that the mesh in the result file matches the mesh in Workbench. This
includes the Workbench generated mesh from the geometry as well as any nodes or ele-
ments defined in the input file (such as for contact or remote boundary conditions). Failure
to do so could result in incorrect results and unexpected behavior.
The reading LS-DYNA application file option is available for all analysis types except rigid dynamic
analyses and shape analyses.
The writing LS-DYNA application file option is available for all analysis types except rigid dynamic
analyses.
Solving
System units must be specified in the LS-DYNA application result files being read for Result Tracker
graphs to display properly. Result Tracker graphs will display in the LS-DYNA application result file
units if the units specified when reading the files are inconsistent with those in the files.
18.12.3. Writing Ansys Rigid Dynamics Files

When using a Rigid Dynamics analysis system, the Tools group on the Solution Context tab provides
the option Write Input File. You can write a file to use for co-simulation with Twin Builder (p. 864)
(.fmu), or the .fmu file can be used for co-simulation with an external tool (co-simulation leader).
For more details about the FMI standard and tools that support co-simulation with FMU, see fmi-
standard.org.
To write the Rigid Dynamics input file:
1. Highlight the Rigid Dynamics object folder (or any object under it) in the tree.
2. From the Tools group on the Solution Context tab, select the Write Input Files option.
3. In the Save As dialog box, choose the type of file to write (.fmu) and specify a location and name
for the file.
Note:
From Release 2024 R1, the Rigid Dynamics solver exports .fmu files that comply with the
FMI 2.0 standard by default.
18.12.4. Writing NASTRAN Files

This feature is supported for stand-alone Static Structural and Modal analysis types only. It enables
you to export your simulation as a NASTRAN Bulk Data file. You can use the capabilities of Mechanical
and run the resulting simulation with your choice of NASTRAN solver. Currently, the NASTRAN Export
capability is designed to export the common features of static structural and modal simulations.
However, not all features are supported. Review the following subsections for additional information
about exported what is supported as well as the limitations associated with this feature:
• NASTRAN Export Supported Features (p. 1965)
• NASTRAN Export Limitations (p. 1967)
Application
1. Select the Environment object and select the Export NASTRAN File option from the Tools group
of the Environment Context Tab (p. 64) (the option is also available via right-click on the Envir-
onment object). Based on your analysis type, one of the following dialogs displays.
You use these property options to further define how you wish to export your simulation. Review
the property descriptions (p. 1963) listed below.
Static Structural Modal
2. Click OK to begin the export process. You are prompted to enter a file name and specify the file
extension, .dat, .bdf or .nas.
Note:
The contents of each file type (.bdf, .nas, and .dat) are identical.
3. As needed, you can open the log file (filename.log) produced during the NASTRAN Export process
to review certain translation details of the export. This file is placed in the same location as your
NASTRAN file.
Property Definition
General Properties
Each dialog includes the following identical Properties:
• Grid Definition CS: This property determines which Mechanical Cartesian coordinate system
is used as the NASTRAN basic coordinate system. When set to 0 (the usual case), the
Mechanical global coordinate system will be used. You may instead choose any local
Cartesian coordinate system in Mechanical to be used as the NASTRAN basic coordinate
Solving
system, thereby translating and/or rotating the grid for export. To do so, set this property
value to the desired Mechanical coordinate system reference number.
Unless you have a specific reason for doing so, do not choose a cylindrical or other non-
Cartesian system for this property. Doing so will cause R, Θ, and, Z coordinates, for example,
to be interpreted as X, Y, and Z values, causing a cylindrical mesh to be unrolled (developed)
into a planar mesh.
• Numbering Offset: This property is used to add a specified integer offset to the numbering
of all node, element, material, property, and coordinate system IDs. This property can be
used to prevent numbering conflicts if the exported data is to be combined with data from
additional exports or other sources. Enter the offset value for the property value.
• WTMass: This property writes the parameter WTMASS into the export file to specify a
global change in Mass units. Mechanical does not use this property to scale any values
that are written to the exported file.
• Joint Stiffness: This property is used to specify the stiffness of any rigidly restrained degrees
of freedom for NASTRAN CBUSH joint elements (created from Mechanical MPC184 joint
elements). This stiffness is used as-is and is unaffected by any unit conversions. A value
greater than 1e6 may cause an ill-conditioned matrix in the NASTRAN solver.
• Time: In the case of a Mechanical model with time-varying applied loads, this property
specifies which load values are to be used as the static loads for the export. Repeating the
export with a different Time property value will calculate a new set of load values at the
new time.
• CPYRAM Elements: This option suppresses (unchecked) or allows (checked) the creation
of NASTRAN pyramid elements. Not all NASTRAN versions support pyramid elements. Using
this option, you can customize the export to the capabilities of the target NASTRAN version.
Note:
If pyramid elements are present in the Mechanical model and this option
is left unchecked (pyramid elements are suppressed), there will be voids
in the exported mesh in place of the pyramid elements.
Modal Analysis Specific Properties
The modal analysis dialog includes the additional options described below.
Case Control: From this group of options, select the type of modal analysis you want the NASTRAN
Export to do:
• Modal: Modal analysis of a constrained model, without pre-stress.
• Modal (Free-Free): Modal analysis of an unconstrained model, without pre-stress. The first
modes will be rigid body modes at nominally 0 Hz.
• Modal (Pre-Stressed): Static analysis of a constrained model, using the exported applied
loads, followed by a modal analysis of the pre-stressed model.
Modal Options: This group contains the following properties/options:
• – Modes: Specify the number of modes (increasing in frequency) to be calculated.
– Perform Ground Check: This option displays when the Modal (Free-Free) Case
Control is selected. Activating (checking) this option will direct that a ground check
be performed to discover any unintentionally constrained rigid body modes.
18.12.4.1. NASTRAN Export Supported Features

The following table summarizes which Mechanical items are supported by NASTRAN Export, and
the NASTRAN commands they are mapped to. The Mechanical items are categorized by Group and
Subgroup. This table is only a guide and should not be used as the definitive list of supported
items.
Group Subgroup Mechanical Item Generated NASTRAN

Command
Analysis Modal Modal SOL103
Modal (Free-Free) with Perform SOL103,GROUNDCHECK
Ground Check
Modal (Pre-Stressed) SOL103, STATSUB
Static Linear Static SOL101
Transient Direct Transient SOL109
Boundary Acceleration Acceleration by components GRAV
Conditions Displacement Fixed Support, by vertex SPC, spc id, grid id,
123456
Fixed Support, by vertex SPC, spc id, grid id,
123456
Fixed Support, by vertex SPC, spc id, grid id,
123456
Nodal Displacement SPC+SPCD pair
Remote Displacement, rigid, by edge SPC, spc id, grid id, dof
remote Displacement, rigid, by face SPC, spc id, grid id, dof
Remote Displacement, rigid, by SPC, spc id, grid id, dof
remote point
Remote Displacement, rigid, by SPC, spc id, grid id, dof
vertex
Remote displacement, rigid, by SPC, spc id, grid id, dof
vertex
Force Force, by edge on beam PLOAD1: P1 term
Force, by face PLOAD4: P1,N1,N2,N3
terms
Line Pressure, by edge on beam PLOAD1: P1 term
Moment, by face MOMENT
Nodal Force FORCE
Solving
Pressure, by face PLOAD4: P1 term

Remote Force, by face FORCE
Nodal Orientation Nodal Orientation object GRID: CD term
Thermal Thermal Condition, by body Thermal loads
(line/solid)
Thermal Condition, by body (surface Thermal loads
top)
Connection Contact MPC Formulation MPC
Joint Bushing CBUSH
Fixed CBUSH
General CBUSH
Revolute, rotational stiffness CBUSH
Remote Point Deformable, scoped to faces RBE3
Rigid, scoped to edges RBE2
Rigid, scoped to solid body face RBE2
Coordinate Coordinate System Defined by Geometry CORD2*
System Defined by Named Selection CORD2*
Offset CORD2*
Rotated CORD2*
Material Orientation Surface Cody Coordinate System CQUAD*/CTRIA*: MCID
term
Element Beam cross_section, ASEC PBEAM
cross_section, CHAN PBEAML,CHAN
cross_section, CSOLID PBEAML,ROD
cross_section, CTUBE PBEAML,TUBE
cross_section, HAT PBEAML,HAT
cross_section, HREC PBEAML,BOX1
cross_section, I PBEAML,I
cross_section, L PBEAML,L
cross_section, RECT PBEAML,BAR
cross_section, T PBEAML,T2
cross_section, Z PBEAML,Z
Line Body, Model Type:Beam, linear CBEAM
Link Line Body, Model Type:link CROD
Line Body, Model Type:link PROD
Shell Layered Section, by body PCOMP
Surface Body, linear CQUAD4 / CTRIA3
Surface Body, quadratic CQUAD8 / CTRIA6
Thickness, by body PSHELL
Solid Solid Body, hex20 CHEXA

Solid Body, hex8 CHEXA
Solid Body, pyr13 CPYRAM
Solid Body, pyr5 CPYRAM
Solid Body, tet10 CTETRA
Solid Body, tet4 CTETRA
Spring Longitudinal CBEAM w/ end releases
Longitudinal, force preload CBEAM w/ end releases
and TEMP
Mass Distributed Mass Scoped to Line Body PBEAM*/PROD: NSM term
Scoped to Surface Body PSHELL/PCOMP: NSM
term
Point Mass Direct vertex attachment CONM2
Remote attachment, vertex CONM2+RBE2
Property Material Isotropic MAT1
Isotropic, Temperature Dependant MAT1, MATT1, TABLEM1
Orthotropic MAT8, MAT12
Shell Preintegrated Shell Section PSHELL + 4x MAT2
18.12.4.2. NASTRAN Export Limitations

The NASTRAN Export feature is currently subject to the limitations listed below.
General
The NASTRAN Export feature is only supported for stand-alone systems (Static Structural and
Modal).
Supported Elements Types
Only the following element types are supported: 14, 21, 154, 156, 170, 173, 174, 175, 177, 180,
181, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 201, 250, 281.
Not all features of the element types above are supported. Check the NASTRAN Export log file
for messages about unsupported KEYOPT settings or element behaviors.
Pyramid Elements
Not all NASTRAN versions support pyramid-shaped 3D solid elements. For this reason, the
NASTRAN Export ignores pyramid elements in the Mechanical model by default. The menu does
have an option to include pyramid-shaped elements in the export. If pyramid elements are
present in the Mechanical model and this option is set to ignore them (left unchecked), there
will be voids in the exported mesh in place of the pyramid elements.
Solving
Element Properties
Element/Specification Limitation
LINK180 This element Is exported as CROD elements with the torsional constant
J equal to 0.1 x the cross-sectional area.
COMBIN14 For this element:
• Body-to-ground preloaded springs are not supported.
• The damping portion of the element contributes only damping

coefficients to the structural damping matrix.
• 3D torsional elements are not supported.
• Preloaded springs are exported as beams with end releases and

a temperature load applied. New properties are created for these
equivalent beams. The beam sections have orientation vectors
that reference the displacement coordinate system of the end
nodes; this may result in an improper orientation vector if the
beam nodes reference the basic coordinate system and the model
is rotated.
COMBI250 For this element:
• Assumes KEYOPT(1)=0, (lumped mass between nodes I and J).
• Offsets are not supported.

Beam Sections For beam section specifications:
• Section offsets are assumed to be relative to the shear center of

the beam.
• 'Hat' cross-sections assume average section thicknesses and bottom

flange widths.
• 'Z' cross-sections assume average flange thicknesses and widths.
• Tapered sections are not supported.
• Warping constants, shear corrections, and shear relief are not

supported.
Also review the Beam and Pipe Cross Sections documentation in the
Pre-integrated Shell Pre-integrated shell sections do not support density.
Sections
Shell Offsets Only user-defined offsets are supported (Top and Bottom are not
supported).
Connections
Remote Points: CTE is not supported for remote points or surface-based constraints.
Understanding Solving Units
Distributed Mass
When scoped to a solid body, Distributed Mass applied to a/an:
• Face of a solid body is not supported.
• Edge of a solid body is not supported.
When scoped to a surface body, Distributed Mass applied to a/an:
• Surface body must be applied to all faces of the surface body.
• Edge of a surface body is not supported.
• Surface body and also scoped to a layered section or thickness must be scoped to all
faces of the surface bodies within the layered section.
Scoped to a line body, Distributed Mass must be scoped to:
• All edges of the line body.
• Every body that has the same cross-section assignment.
Loading
For the SFE/SFEBLOCK commands:
• Imaginary components of SFE loads are not supported.
• Line pressures and forces defined on surface or solid body edges are not supported.
• An SFE load scoped to a line body assumes the element coordinate system is aligned
with the global coordinate system and the load is uniformly applied over the length of
element.
For the BFE/BFEBLOCK commands: Temperatures applied with BFE/BFEBLOCK commands are
only supported for shell element types SHELL181 and SHELL281.
Tabular force loading is only supported for Transient analyses. Otherwise, loads applied using
tabular data or functions are not supported.
Solution Options
Multiple load steps are not supported. Use the Time option in the NASTRAN Export menu to
specify the time at which time-varying loads will be exported.
18.13. Understanding Solving Units

There are a number of possible unit systems provided for the solution process in the Mechanical applic-
ation. The tables shown below present the solver unit systems for the various quantities. For a given
solution, the application detects the specified unit system and then converts all analysis quantities into
a consistent unit system prior to sending data to the solver. This makes sure that the application interprets
Solving
all unit systems for all quantities correctly for processing as the inputs and the outputs to the Mechan-
ical APDL application. Note that the GUI may display units that are different than the ones shown below.
Note:
• Units of measure specified in Commands objects (p. 2416) are not converted when they are
sent to the solver.
• All magnetostatic analyses solve in the mks system regardless of the user-defined system.
• Note the following Units (p. 47) options.
– Metric (mm, kg, N, s, mV, mA)
– Metric (mm, t, N, s, mV, mA)
– Metric (mm, dat, N, s, mV, mA)

These options differ only by Mass unit: kilogram (kg), metric ton (t), and decaton (dat).
However, the consistent unit system used for the solver is the same for all quantities, i.e.
Mass is measured in tons [t]. For the purposes of this discussion, the following descriptions
use only the first option (mm, kg, N, s, mV, mA), to represent all three of the above interface
options.
• For the unit system (mm, kg, kN, ms, mV, mA), all of the analyses that use the Solver
Target property setting, Mechanical APDL, the application solves the using the (mm, t,
N, s, mV, mA) unit system as the solving unit system.
• All "ton" designations in the table indicate metric ton.
• For additional information on unit systems for use with LS-DYNA, see Solving Units in the
LS-DYNA User's Guide.
Accelera- Angle (p. 1972) Angular Accelera- Angular Velo- Area (p. 1973)
tion (p. 1971) tion (p. 1972) city (p. 1973)
Capacit- Charge (p. 1975) Charge Dens- Conductiv- Current (p. 1976)
ance (p. 1974) ity (p. 1975) ity (p. 1976)
Current Dens- Decay Con- Density (p. 1978) Displace- Electric Conduct-
ity (p. 1977) stant (p. 1977) ment (p. 1978) ance Per Unit
Area (p. 1979)
Electric Conduct- Electric Electric Flux Electric Resistiv- Energy (p. 1982)
ivity (p. 1980) Field (p. 1980) Density (p. 1981) ity (p. 1981)
Energy Density Energy Per Film Coeffi- Force (p. 1984) Force Intens-
by Mass (p. 1982) Volume (p. 1983) cient (p. 1984) ity (p. 1985)
Force Per Angu- Fracture Energy Fre- Gasket Stiff- Heat Flux (p. 1988)
lar Unit (p. 1986) (Energy Release quency (p. 1987) ness (p. 1987)
Rate) (p. 1986)
Heat Genera- Heat Rate (p. 1989) Impulse (p. 1989) Impulse Per An- Induct-
tion (p. 1988) gular Unit (p. 1990) ance (p. 1990)
Inverse Inverse Inverse Length (p. 1992) Magnetic Field
Angle (p. 1991) Length (p. 1991) Stress (p. 1992) Intensity (p. 1993)
Magnetic Magnetic Flux Mass (p. 1994) Material Imped- Moment (p. 1995)
Flux (p. 1993) Density (p. 1994) ance (p. 1995)
Moment of Iner- Moment of Iner- Normalized Permeabil- Permittiv-
tia of tia of Value (p. 1997) ity (p. 1998) ity (p. 1998)
Area (p. 1996) Mass (p. 1997)
Poisson's Ra- Power (p. 1999) Pressure (p. 2000) PSD Accelera- PSD Acceleration
tio (p. 1999) tion (p. 2001) (G) (p. 2001)
PSD Displace- PSD PSD Mo- PSD Pres- PSD
ment (p. 2002) Force (p. 2002) ment (p. 2003) sure (p. 2003) Strain (p. 2004)
PSD PSD Velo- Relative Permeab- Relative Permit- Rotational
Stress (p. 2004) city (p. 2005) ility (p. 2005) tivity (p. 2006) Damping (p. 2006)
Rotational Stiff- RS Accelera- RS Displace- RS Strain (p. 2012) RS Stress (p. 2013)
ness (p. 2007) tion (p. 1971) ment (p. 1978)
RS Velo- Seebeck Coeffi- Section Modu- Shear Elastic Shock Velo-
city (p. 2019) cient (p. 2007) lus (p. 2008) Strain (p. 2008) city (p. 2009)
Specific Specific Square Root of Stiffness (p. 2011) Strain (p. 2012)
Heat (p. 2009) Weight (p. 2010) Length (p. 2011)
Stress (p. 2013) Stress Intensity Strength (p. 2013) Thermal Capacit- Thermal Conduct-
Factor (p. 2014) ance (p. 2015) ance - 3D Face
and 2D
Edge (p. 2015)
Thermal Conduct- Thermal Expan- Temperat- Temperature Dif- Temperature
ance - 3D Edge sion (p. 2016) ure (p. 2016) ference (p. 2017) Gradient (p. 2018)
and Ver-
tex (p. 2015)
Time (p. 2018) Translational Velocity (p. 2019) Voltage (p. 2020) Volume (p. 2020)
Damping (p. 2019)
Table 18.2: Acceleration and RS Acceleration
Unit System Measured in . . .

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A meters/second2 [m/s2]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A centimeters/second2 [cm/s2]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA millimeters/second2 [mm/s2]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA micrometers/second2 [μm/s2]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A feet/second2 [ft/s2]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A inches/second2 [in/s2]
(Bin)
mm, mg, ms millimeters/millisecond2 [mm/ms2]
Solving

[Explicit Dynamics solvers]
m, kg, s meters/second2 [m/s2]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
mm, t, s millimeters/second2 [mm/s2]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
in,lbf, s inches/second2 [in/s2]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Table 18.3: Angle

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A radians [rad]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A radians [rad]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA radians [rad]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA radians [rad]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A radians [rad]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A radians [rad]
(Bin)
Table 18.4: Angular Acceleration

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A radians/second2 [rad/s2]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A radians/second2 [rad/s2]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA radians/second2 [rad/s2]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA radians/second2 [rad/s2]
(μmks)

o
ft, lbm, lbf, F, s, V, A radians/second2 [rad/s2]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A radians/second2 [rad/s2]
(Bin)
Table 18.5: Angular Velocity

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A radians/second [rad/s]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A radians/second [rad/s]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA radians/second [rad/s]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA radians/second [rad/s]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A radians/second [rad/s]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A radians/second [rad/s]
(Bin)
mm, mg, ms radians/millisecond [rad/ms]

m, kg, s radians/second [rad/s]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
mm, t, s radians/second [rad/s]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
in,lbf, s radians/second [rad/s]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Table 18.6: Area

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A meters2 [m2]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A centimeters2 [cm2]
Solving

(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA millimeters2 [mm2]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA micrometers2 [μm2]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A feet2 [ft2]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A inches2 [in2]
(Bin)
mm, mg, ms millimeters2 [mm2]

m, kg, s meters2 [m2]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
mm, t, s millimeters2 [mm2]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
in,lbf, s inches2 [in2]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Table 18.7: Capacitance

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Farads [F]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A Farads [F]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA microFarads [μF]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA picoFarads [pF]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A Farads [F]
(Bft)

o
in, lbm, lbf, F, s, V, A Farads [F]
(Bin)
Table 18.8: Charge

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Coulombs [C]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A Coulombs [C]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA milliCoulombs [mC]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA picoCoulombs [pC]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A Coulombs [C]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A Coulombs [C]
(Bin)
Table 18.9: Charge Density

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Coulombs/meter2 [C/m2]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A Coulombs/centimeter2 [C/cm2]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA milliCoulombs/millimeter2 [mC/mm2]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA picoCoulombs/micrometer2 [pC/μm2]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A Coulombs/foot2 [C/ft2]
(Bft)
Solving

o
in, lbm, lbf, F, s, V, A Coulombs/inch2 [C/in2]
(Bin)
Table 18.10: Conductivity

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Watts/meter * degree Celsius [W/m *
°C]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A dynes/second * degree Celsius [dyne/s *
°C]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA ton * millimeters/second3 * degree Celsius
[t * mm/s3 * °C]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA picoWatts/micrometers * degree Celsius
[pW/μm * °C]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A slug * feet/second3 * degree Fahrenheit
[(lbm/32.2)ft/s3 * °F]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A slinch * inches/second3 * degree Fahrenheit
[(lbm/386.4)in/s3 * °F]
(Bin)
Table 18.11: Current

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Amperes [A]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A Amperes [A]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA milliAmperes [mA]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA picoAmperes [pA]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A Amperes [A]
(Bft)

o
in, lbm, lbf, F, s, V, A Amperes [A]
(Bin)
Table 18.12: Current Density

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Amperes/meter2 [A/m2]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A Amperes/centimeter2 [A/cm2]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA milliAmperes/millimeter2 [mA/mm2]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA milliAmperes/micrometer2 [mA/μm2]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A Amperes/foot2 [A/ft2]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A Amperes/inch2 [A/in2]
(Bin)
Table 18.13: Decay Constant

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A 1/seconds [1/s]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A 1/seconds [1/s]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA 1/seconds [1/s]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA 1/seconds [1/s]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A 1/seconds [1/s]
(Bft)
Solving

o
in, lbm, lbf, F, s, V, A 1/seconds [1/s]
(Bin)
Table 18.14: Density

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A kilograms/meter3 [kg/m3]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A grams/cm3 [g/cm3]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA tons/millimeter3 [t/mm3]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA kilograms/micrometer3 [kg/μm3]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A (slug/1)/foot3 [(lbm/32.2)1/ft3]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A (slinch/1)/inch3 [(lbm/386.4)1/in3]
(Bin)
mm, mg, ms grams/cm3 [g/cm3]

m, kg, s kilograms/meter3 [kg/m3]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
mm, t, s tons/millimeter3 [t/mm3]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
in,lbf, s (slinch/1)/inch3 [(lbm/386.4)1/in3]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Table 18.15: Displacement and RS Displacement

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A meters [m]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A centimeters [cm]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA millimeters [mm]

(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA micrometers [μm]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A feet [ft]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A inches [in]
(Bin)
mm, mg, ms millimeters [mm]

m, kg, s meters [m]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
mm, t, s millimeters [mm]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
in,lbf, s inches [in]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Table 18.16: Electric Conductance Per Unit Area

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Siemens/meter2 [S/m2]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A Siemens/centimeter2 [S/cm2]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA Siemens/millimeter2 [S/mm2]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA picoSiemens/micrometer2 [pS/μm2]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A Siemens/foot2 [S/ft2]
(Bft)
Solving

o
in, lbm, lbf, F, s, V, A Siemens/inch2 [S/in2]
(Bin)
Table 18.17: Electric Conductivity

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Siemens/meter [S/m]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A Siemens/centimeter [S/cm]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA Siemens/millimeter [S/mm]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA picoSiemens/micrometer [pS/μm]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A Siemens/foot [S/ft]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A Siemens/inch [S/in]
(Bin)
Table 18.18: Electric Field

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Volts/meter [V/m]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A Volts/centimeter [V/cm]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA milliVolts/millimeter [mV/mm]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA Volts/micrometer [V/μm]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A Volts/foot [V/ft]
(Bft)

o
in, lbm, lbf, F, s, V, A Volts/inch [V/in]
(Bin)
Table 18.19: Electric Flux Density

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Coulombs/meter2 [C/m2]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A Coulombs/centimeter2 [C/cm2]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA milliCoulombs/millimeter2 [mC/mm2]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA picoCoulombs/micrometer2 [pC/μm2]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A Coulombs/foot2 [C/ft2]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A Coulombs/inch2 [C/in2]
(Bin)
Table 18.20: Electric Resistivity

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Ohm * meters [Ohm * m]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A Ohm * centimeters [Ohm * cm]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA Ohm * millimeters [Ohm * mm]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA teraOhm * micrometers [Tohm * μm]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A Ohm * Cir-mils/foot [Ohm * Cir-mil/ft]
(Bft)
Solving

o
in, lbm, lbf, F, s, V, A Ohm * Cir-mils/inch [Ohm * Cir-mil/in]
(Bin)
Table 18.21: Energy

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Joules [J]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A ergs [erg]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA milliJoules [mJ]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA picoJoules [pJ]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A slug * feet2/second2 [(lbm/32.2)ft2/s2]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A slinch * inches2/second2 [(lbm/386.4)in2/s2]
(Bin)
mm, mg, ms microJoules [μJ]

m, kg, s Joules [J]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
mm, t, s milliJoules [mJ]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
in,lbf, s slinch * inches2/second2 [(lbm/386.4)in2/s2]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Table 18.22: Energy Density by Mass

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Joules/kilograms [J/kg]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A dynes * centimeters/grams [dyne * cm /g]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA milliJoules/tons [mJ/t]

(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA picoJoules/kilograms [pJ/kg]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A feet2 /seconds2 [ft2/s2]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A inches2/seconds2 [in2/sec 2]
(Bin)
mm, mg, ms Joules/kilograms [J/kg]

m, kg, s Joules/kilograms [J/kg]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
mm, t, s milliJoules/tons [mJ/t]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
in,lbf, s inches2/seconds2 [in2/sec 2]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Table 18.23: Energy Per Volume

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Joules/meter3 [J/m3]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A ergs/centimeter3 [erg/cm3]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA milliJoules/millimeter3 [mJ/mm3]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA picoJoules/micrometer3 [pJ * um3]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A slug * foot2/second2 * feet3[(lbm/32.2) *
ft2/s2 * ft3]
(Bft)
Solving

o
in, lbm, lbf, F, s, V, A slinch * inch2/second2 * inch3 [(lbm/386.4)
* in2/s2 * in3)]
(Bin)
Table 18.24: Film Coefficient

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Watts/meter2 * degree Celsius [W/m2 * °C]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A dyne/second * centimeter * degree Celsius
[dyne/s * cm * °C]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA tons/second3 * degree Celsius [t/s3 * °C]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA picoWatts/micrometer2 * degree Celsius
[pW/μm2 * °C]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A (slug/1)/second3 * degree Fahrenheit
[(lbm/32.2)1/s3 * °F]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A (slinch/1)/second3 * degree Fahrenheit
[(lbm/386.4)1/s3 * °F]
(Bin)
Table 18.25: Force

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Newtons [N]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A dynes [dyne]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA ton * millimeters/second2 [t * mm/s2]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA microNewtons [μN]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A slug * feet/second2 [(lbm/32.2)ft/s2]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A slinch * inches/second2 [(lbm/386.4)in/s2]
(Bin)
mm, mg, ms milliNewtons [mN]

m, kg, s Newtons [N]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
mm, t, s Newtons [N]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
in,lbf, s pound force (lbf )
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Table 18.26: Force Intensity

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Newtons/meter [N/m]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A dynes/centimeter [dyne/cm]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA tons/second2 [t/s2]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA microNewtons/micrometer [μN/μm]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A (slug/1)/second2 [(lbm/32.2)1/s2]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A (slinch/1)/second2 [(lbm/386.4)1/s2]
(Bin)
mm, mg, ms Newtons/meter [N/m] or
milliNewtons/millimeter [mN/mm]
m, kg, s Newtons/meter [N/m]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
mm, t, s Newtons/millimeter [N/mm]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Solving

in,lbf, s pound force/inch [lbf/in]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Table 18.27: Force Per Angular Unit

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Newtons/radian [N/rad]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A dynes/radian [dyne/rad]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA Newtons/radian [N/rad]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA microNewtons/radian [μN/rad]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A pounds mass/radian [lbf/rad]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A pounds mass/radian [lbf/rad]
(Bin)
Table 18.28: Fracture Energy (Energy Release Rate)

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Joules/meter2 [J/m2]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A erg/centimeter2 [erg/cm2]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA milliJoules/millimeter2 [mJ/mm2]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA picoJoules/micrometer2 [pJ/μm2]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A slug * feet2/seconds2 * feet2 [(lbm-ft2)/(s2)
* ft2
(Bft)

o
in, lbm, lbf, F, s, V, A slinch * inch2/seconds2 * inch2 [(lbm-in2)/(s2)
* in2
(Bin)
Table 18.29: Frequency

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Hertz[Hz]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A Hertz[Hz]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA Hertz[Hz]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA Hertz[Hz]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A Hertz[Hz]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A Hertz[Hz]
(Bin)
Table 18.30: Gasket Stiffness

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Pascals/meter [Pa/m]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A dynes/centimeter3 [dyne/cm3]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA tons/second2 * millimeter2 [t/s2 * mm2]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA megaPascals/micrometer [MPa/μm]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A slug/second2 * foot2 [(lbm/32.2)/s2 * ft2]
(Bft)
Solving

o
in, lbm, lbf, F, s, V, A slinch/second2 * inch2 [(lbm/386.4)/s2 * in2]
(Bin)
Table 18.31: Heat Flux

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Watts/meter2 [W/m2]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A dynes/second * centimeter [dyne/s * cm]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA tons/second3 [t/s3]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA picoWatts/micrometer2 [pW/μm2]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A (slug/1)/second3 [(lbm/32.2)1/s3]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A (slinch/1)/second3 [(lbm/386.4)1/s3]
(Bin)
Table 18.32: Heat Generation

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Watts/meter3 [W/m3]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A dynes/second * centimeter2 [dyne/s * cm2]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA tons/second3 * millimeter [t/s3 * mm]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA picoWatts/micrometer3 [pW/μm3]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A (slug/1)/second3 * foot [(lbm/32.2)1/s3 * ft]
(Bft)

o
in, lbm, lbf, F, s, V, A (slinch/1)/second3 * inch [(lbm/386.4)1/s3 *
in]
(Bin)
Table 18.33: Heat Rate

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Watts [W]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A dyne * centimeters/second [dyne * cm/s]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA ton * millimeters2/second3 [t * mm2/s3]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA picoWatts [pW]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A slug * feet2/second3 [(lbm/32.2) * ft2/s3]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A slinch * inches2/second3 [(lbm/386.4) *
in2/s3]
(Bin)
Table 18.34: Impulse

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Newton * second [N * s]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A dyne * second [dyne * s]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA Newton * second [N * s]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA microNewton * second [μN * s]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A pounds mass * second [lbf * s]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A pounds mass * second [lbf * s]
(Bin)
mm, mg, ms microNewton * second [μN * s]
Solving

m, kg, s Newton * second [N * s]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
mm, t, s Newton * second [N * s]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
in,lbf, s pound force * second (lbf * second)
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Table 18.35: Impulse Per Angular Unit

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Newton * second/rad [N * s/rad]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A dyne * second/radian [dyne * s/rad]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA Newton * second/rad [N * s/rad]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA microNewton * second/radian [μN * s/rad]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A pounds mass * second/radian [lbf * s/rad]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A pounds mass * second/radian [lbf * s/rad]
(Bin)
Table 18.36: Inductance

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Henries [H]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A Henries [H]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA milliHenries [mH]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA teraHenries [TH]
(μmks)

o
ft, lbm, lbf, F, s, V, A Henries [H]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A Henries [H]
(Bin)
Table 18.37: Inverse Angle

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A 1/radians [1/rad]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A 1/radians [1/rad]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA 1/radians [1/rad]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA 1/radians [1/rad]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A 1/radians [1/rad]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A 1/radians [1/rad]
(Bin)
Note:
The units presented above are applicable when the Units are set to Radians. The applicable
units are 1/degree [1/o] when the Units are set to Degrees.
Table 18.38: Inverse Length

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A 1/meter [1/m]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A 1/centimeter [1/cm]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA 1/millimeter [1/mm]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA 1/micrometer [1/μm]
Solving

(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A 1/foot [1/ft]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A 1/inch [1/in]
(Bin)
Table 18.39: Inverse Stress

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A 1/Pascal [1/Pa]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A centimeters2/dyne [cm2/dyne]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA second2 * millimeters/ton [s2 * mm/t]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA 1/megaPascal [1/MPa]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A second2 * feet/slug [s2 * ft/(lbm/32.2)]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A second2 * inch/slinch [s2 * in/(lbm/386.4)]
(Bin)
Table 18.40: Length

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A meters [m]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A centimeters [cm]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA millimeters [mm]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA micrometers [μm]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A feet [ft]
(Bft)

o
in, lbm, lbf, F, s, V, A inches [in]
(Bin)
mm, mg, ms millimeters [mm]

m, kg, s meters [m]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
mm, t, s millimeters [mm]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
in,lbf, s inches [in]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Table 18.41: Magnetic Field Intensity

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Amperes/meter [A/m]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A Oersteds [Oe]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA milliAmperes/millimeter [mA/mm]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA picoAmperes/micrometer [pA/μm]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A Amperes/foot [A/ft]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A Amperes/inch [A/in]
(Bin)
Table 18.42: Magnetic Flux

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Webers [Wb]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A Maxwells [Mx]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA milliWebers [mWb]
Solving

(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA Webers [Wb]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A Lines
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A Lines
(Bin)
Table 18.43: Magnetic Flux Density

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Teslas [T]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A Gauss [G]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA milliTeslas [mT]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA teraTeslas [TT]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A Lines/foot2 [lines/ft2]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A Lines/inch2 [lines/in2]
(Bin)
Table 18.44: Mass

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A kilograms [kg]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A grams [g]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA kilograms [kg]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA kilograms [kg]
(μmks)

o
ft, lbm, lbf, F, s, V, A slug [lbm/32.2]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A slinch [lbm/386.4]
(Bin)
mm, mg, ms milligrams [mg]

m, kg, s kilograms [kg]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
mm, t, s tons [t]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
in,lbf, s slinch [lbm/386.4]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Table 18.45: Material Impedance

mm, mg, ms milligrams/millimeter2/second [mg/mm2/s]

m, kg, s kilograms/meter2/second [kg/m2/s]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
mm, t, s tons/millimeter2/second [t/mm2/s]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
in,lbf, s slinch/inch2/second [slinch/in2/s]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Table 18.46: Moment

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Newton * meters [N * m]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A dyne * centimeters [dyne * cm]
(cgs)
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA microNewton * micrometers [μN * μm]
Solving

(μmks)
(Bft)
in2/s2]
(Bin)
mm, mg, ms microNewton * meters [μN * m]

m, kg, s Newton * meters [N * m]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
mm, t, s Newton * millimeters [N * mm]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
in,lbf, s pound force * inch [lbf * in]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Table 18.47: Moment of Inertia of Area

o
(mks)
(cgs)
(nmm)
(μmks)
(Bft)
(Bin)

[ LS-DYNA solver]

[ LS-DYNA solver]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Table 18.48: Moment of Inertia of Mass

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A kilogram * meter2 [kg * m2]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A gram * centimeter2 [g * cm2]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA ton * millimeter2 [t * mm2]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA kilogram * micrometer2 [kg * μm2]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A slug * feet2 [(lbm/32.2) * ft2]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A slinch * inch2 [(lbm/386.4) * in2]
(Bin)
mm, mg, ms milligram * millimeter2 [mg * mm2]

m, kg, s kilogram * meter2 [kg * m2]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
mm, t, s ton * millimeter2 [t * mm2]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
in,lbf, s slinch * inch2 [slinch * in2]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Table 18.49: Normalized Value

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A unitless
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A unitless
Solving

(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA unitless
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA unitless
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A unitless
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A unitless
(Bin)
Table 18.50: Permeability

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Henries/meter [H/m]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A Henries/centimeter [H/cm]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA milliHenries/millimeter [mH/mm]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA teraHenries/micrometer [TH/μm]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A Henries/foot [H/ft]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A Henries/inch [H/in]
(Bin)
Table 18.51: Permittivity

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Farads/meter [F/m]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A Farads/centimeter [F/cm]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA microFarads/millimeter [μF/mm]
(nmm)

o
μm, kg, μN, C, s, V, mA picoFarads/micrometer [pF/μm]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A Farads/foot [F/ft]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A Farads/inch [F/in]
(Bin)
Table 18.52: Poisson's Ratio

o
(mks)
(cgs)
(nmm)
(μmks)
(Bft)
(Bin)
mm, mg, ms unitless

m, kg, s unitless
[ LS-DYNA solver]
mm, t, s unitless
[ LS-DYNA solver]
in,lbf, s unitless
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Table 18.53: Power

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Watts [W]
Solving

(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A dyne * centimeters/second [dyne * c/s]
(cgs)
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA picoWatts [pW]
(μmks)
(Bft)
in2/s3]
(Bin)
mm, mg, ms milliWatts [mW]

m, kg, s Watts [W]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
mm, t, s Newton * millimeters/second [N * mm/s]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
in,lbf, s pound force * inch/second [lbf * in/s]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Table 18.54: Pressure

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Pascals [Pa]
(mks)
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA ton/second2/millimeters [t/s2/mm]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA megaPascals [MPa]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A (slug/1)/second2/foot [(lbm/32.2)1/s2/ft]
(Bft)

o
in, lbm, lbf, F, s, V, A (slinch/1)/second2/inch [(lbm/386.4)1/s2/in]
(Bin)
mm, mg, ms kiloPascals [kPa]

m, kg, s Pascals [Pa]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
mm, t, s megaPascals [MPa]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
in,lbf, s pounds/inch2 [lb/in2]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Table 18.55: PSD Acceleration

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A (meters/second2)2/Hertz [(m/s2)2/Hz]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A (centimeters/second2)2/Hertz [(cm/s2)2/Hz]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA (millimeters/second2)2/Hertz [(mm/s2)2/Hz]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA (micrometers/second2)2/megahertz
[(μm/s2)2/MHz]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A (feet/second2)2/Hertz [(ft/s2)2/Hz]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A (inch/second2)2/Hertz [(in/s2)2/Hz]
(Bin)
Table 18.56: PSD Acceleration (G)

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A G2/Hertz [G2/Hz]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A G2/Hertz [G2/Hz]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA G2/Hertz [G2/Hz]
Solving

(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA G2/Hertz [G2/Hz]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A G2/Hertz [G2/Hz]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A G2/Hertz [G2/Hz]
(Bin)
Table 18.57: PSD Displacement

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A meters2/Hertz [m2/Hz]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A centimeters2/Hertz [cm2/Hz]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA millimeters2/Hertz [mm2/Hz]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA micrometers2/megaHertz [μm2/MHz]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A feet2/Hertz [ft2/Hz]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A inches2/Hertz [in2/Hz]
(Bin)
Table 18.58: PSD Force

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Newtons2/Hertz [N2/Hz]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A dynes2/Hertz [dyne2/Hz]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA ((kilograms.millimeters)/second2)2/Hertz [((kg
* mm)/s2)2/Hz]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA microNewtons2/Hertz [μN2/Hz]
(μmks)

o
ft, lbm, lbf, F, s, V, A ((pounds * mass/32.2) *
feet)/second2))2/Hertz [((lb * m/32.2) *
(Bft) ft/s2))2/Hz]
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A ((pounds * mass/32.2) *
inches)/second2))2/Hertz [((lb * m/32.2) *
(Bin) in/s2))2/Hz]
Table 18.59: PSD Moment

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A (Newtons * meters)2/Hertz [(N * m)2/Hz]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A (dynes * centimeters)2/Hertz [(dyne *
cm)2/Hz]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA ((kilograms * millimeters2)/Second2)2/Hertz
[((kg * mm2)/s2)2/Hz]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA (microNewtons * micrometers)2/Hertz [(μN
* μm)2/Hz]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A ((pounds * mass/32.2) * feet2)/second2)
2
/Hertz [((lb * m/32.2) * ft2)/s2)2/Hz]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A ((pounds * mass/386.4) *
inches2)/second2)2/Hertz [((lb * m/386.4) *
(Bin) in2)/s2)2/Hz]
Table 18.60: PSD Pressure

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Pascals2/Hertz [Pa2/Hz]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A (dynes/centimeter2)2/Hertz [(dyne/cm2)2/Hz]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA (kilograms/(millimeter * second2))2/Hertz
[(kg/(mm * s2))2/Hz]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA megaNewtons2/Hertz [MPa2/Hz]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A (slug/(foot * second2))2/Hertz [((lbm/32.2)/(ft
* s2))2/Hz]
(Bft)
Solving

o
in, lbm, lbf, F, s, V, A (slinch/(inch * second2))2/Hertz
[((lbm/386.4)/(in * s2))2/Hz]
(Bin)
Table 18.61: PSD Strain

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A (meters/meter)2/Hertz [(m/m)2/Hz]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A (centimeters/centimeter)2/Hertz
[(cm/cm)2/Hz]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA (millimeters/millimeter)2/Hertz
[(mm/mm)2/Hz]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA (micrometers/micrometer)2/Hertz
[(μm/μm)2/Hz]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A (feet/foot)2/Hertz [(ft/ft)2/Hz]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A (inches/inch)2/Hertz [(in/in)2/Hz]
(Bin)
Table 18.62: PSD Stress

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Pascals2/Hertz [Pa2/Hz]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A (dynes/centimeter2)2/Hertz [(dyne/cm2)2/Hz]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA (kilograms/(millimeter * second2))2/Hertz
[(kg/(mm * s2))2/Hz]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA megaNewtons2/Hertz [MPa2/Hz]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A (slug/(foot * second2))2/Hertz [((lbm/32.2)/(ft
* s2))2/Hz]
(Bft)

o
in, lbm, lbf, F, s, V, A (slinch/(inch * second2))2/Hertz
[((lbm/386.4)/(in * s2))2/Hz]
(Bin)
Table 18.63: PSD Velocity

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A (meters/second)2/Hertz [(m/s)2/Hz]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A (centimeters/second)2/Hertz [(cm/s)2/Hz]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA (millimeters/second)2/Hertz [(mm/s)2/Hz]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA (micrometers/second)2/megahertz
[(μm/s)2/MHz]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A (feet/second)2/Hertz [(ft/s)2/Hz]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A (inches/second)2/Hertz [(in/s)2/Hz]
(Bin)
Table 18.64: Relative Permeability

o
(mks)
(cgs)
(nmm)
(μmks)
(Bft)
Solving

o
in, lbm, lbf, F, s, V, A unitless
(Bin)
Table 18.65: Relative Permittivity

o
(mks)
(cgs)
(nmm)
(μmks)
(Bft)
(Bin)
Table 18.66: Rotational Damping

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Newton * meter * seconds/radian [N * m *
s/rad]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A dyne * centimeter * seconds/radian [dyne
* cm * s/rad]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA ton * millimeter2 * seconds/second2 * radian
[t * mm2 * s/s2 * rad]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA microNewton * micrometer * seconds/radian
[μN * μm * s/rad]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A slug * foot2 * seconds/second2 * radian
[(lbm/32.2) * ft2 * s/s2 * rad]
(Bft)

o
in, lbm, lbf, F, s, V, A slinch * inch2 * seconds/second2 * radian
[(lbm/386.4) * in2 * s/s2 * rad]
(Bin)
Table 18.67: Rotational Stiffness

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Newton * meters/radian [N * m/rad]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A dynes * centimeters/radian [dyne * cm/rad]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA ton * millimeters2/second2 * radian [t *
mm2/s2 * rad]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA microNewton * micrometers/radian
[μN*μm/rad]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A slug * feet2/second2 * radian [(lbm/32.2) *
ft2/s2 * rad]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A slinch * inches2/second2 * radian
[(lbm/386.4) * in2/s2 * rad]
(Bin)
Table 18.68: Seebeck Coefficient

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Volts/degree Celsius [V/°C]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A Volts/degree Celsius [V/°C]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA milliVolts/degree Celsius [mV/°C]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA Volts/degree Celsius [V/°C]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A Volts/degree Fahrenheit [V/°F]
(Bft)
Solving

o
in, lbm, lbf, F, s, V, A Volts/degree Fahrenheit [V/°F]
(Bin)
Table 18.69: Section Modulus

o
(mks)
(cgs)
(nmm)
(μmks)
(Bft)
(Bin)

[ LS-DYNA solver]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
in,lbf, s inch3 [in3]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Table 18.70: Shear Elastic Strain

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A radians [rad]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A radians [rad]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA radians [rad]

(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA radians [rad]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A radians [rad]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A radians [rad]
(Bin)
Table 18.71: Shock Velocity

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A seconds/meters [s/m]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A seconds/centimeters [s/cm]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA seconds/millimeters [s/mm]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA seconds/micrometers [s/μm]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A seconds/feet [s/ft]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A seconds/inches [s/in]
(Bin)
Table 18.72: Specific Heat

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Joules/kilogram * degree Celsius [J/kg * °C]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A dyne * centimeters/gram * degree Celsius
[dyne*cm/g * °C]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA millimeters2/second2 * degree Celsius
[mm2/s2 * °C]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA picoJoules/kilogram * degree Celsius [pJ/kg
* °C]
(μmks)
Solving

o
ft, lbm, lbf, F, s, V, A feet2/second2 * degree Fahrenheit [ft2/s2 *
°F]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A inches2/second2 * degree Fahrenheit [in2/s2
* °F]
(Bin)
mm, mg, ms Joules/kilogram * degree Kelvin [J/kg * °K]

m, kg, s Joules/kilogram/degree Kelvin [J/kg/°K]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
mm, t, s milliJoules/ton/degree Kelvin [mJ/t/oK]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
in,lbf, s inch2/second2/°F [in2/s2/°F]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Table 18.73: Specific Weight

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Newtons/meter3 [N/m3]
(mks)
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA tons/second2 * millimeters2 [t/s2 * mm2]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA microNewtons/micrometer3 [μN/μm3]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A (slug/1)/second2 * feet2 [(lbm/32.2)1/s2 * ft2]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A (slinch/1)/second2 * inch2 [(lbm/386.4)1/s2
* in2]
(Bin)
mm, mg, ms megaNewtons/meter3 [MN/m3]

m, kg, s Newtons/meter3 [N/m3]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
mm, t, s Newtons/millimeter3 [N/mm3]

[ LS-DYNA solver]
in,lbf, s pound force/inch3 [lbf/in3]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Table 18.74: Square Root of Length

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A meter0.5 [m0.5]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A centimeter0.5 [cm0.5]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA millimeter0.5 [mm0.5]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA micrometer0.5 [μm0.5]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A feet0.5 [ft0.5]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A inch0.5 [in0.5]
(Bin)
Table 18.75: Stiffness

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Newtons/meter [N/m]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A dynes/centimeter [dyne/cm]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA Newtons/millimeter [N/mm]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA microNewtons/micrometer [μN/μm]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A pound force/foot [lbf/ft]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A pound force/inch [lbf/in]
(Bin)
Solving

mm, mg, ms Newtons/meter [N/m] or
milliNewtons/millimeter [mN/mm]
m, kg, s Newtons/meter [N/m]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
mm, t, s Newtons/millimeter [N/m]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
in,lbf, s pound force/inch [lbf/in]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Table 18.76: Strain and RS Strain

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A meter/meter [m/m]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A centimeter/centimeter [cm/cm]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA millimeter/millimeter [mm/mm]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA micrometer/micrometer [μm/μm]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A feet/foot [ft/ft]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A inch/inch [in/in]
(Bin)
mm, mg, ms millimeter/millimeter [mm/mm]

m, kg, s meter/meter [m/m]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
mm, t, s millimeter/millimeter [mm/mm]
[ LS-DYNA solver]

in,lbf, s inch/inch [in/in]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Table 18.77: Strength

o
(mks)
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA ton/second2 * millimeters [t/s2 * mm]
(nmm)
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A (slug/1)/second2 * foot [(lbm/32.2)1/s2 * ft]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A (slinch/1)/second2 * inch [(lbm/386.4)1/s2 *
in]
(Bin)

[ LS-DYNA solver]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Table 18.78: Stress and RS Stress

o
(mks)
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA ton/second2 * millimeters [t/s2 * mm]
Solving

(nmm)
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A slug/second2 * foot [(lbm/32.2)/s2 * ft]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A slinch/second2 * inch [(lbm/386.4)/s2 * in]
(Bin)

[ LS-DYNA solver]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Table 18.79: Stress Intensity Factor

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Pascal * meter0.5 [Pa * m0.5]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A dyne * centimeter–2 * centimeter0.5 [dyne *
cm–2* cm0.5]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA ton * millimeter–1 * second–2 * millimeter0.5
[ton * mm–1 * s–2 * mm0.5]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA megaPascal * micrometer0.5 [MPa * μm0.5]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A lbm_ft * feet–1 * second–2 * feet0.5 [lbm_ft
* ft–1 * s–2 * ft0.5]
(Bft)

o
in, lbm, lbf, F, s, V, A lbm_inch * inch–1 * second–2 * inch0.5
[lbm_in * in–1 * s–2 * in0.5]
(Bin)
Table 18.80: Thermal Capacitance

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Joules/degree Celsius [J/°C]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A ergs/degree Celsius [erg/°C]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA milliJoules/degree Celsius [mJ/°C]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA picoJoules/degree Celsius [pJ/°C]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A BTU/degree Fahrenheit [BTU/°F]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A BTU/degree Fahrenheit [BTU/°F]
(Bin)
Table 18.81: Thermal Conductance - 3D Face and 2D Edge

For Thermal Conductance on 3D Faces and 2D Edges, the units are the same as those for Film
Coefficient (p. 1984).
Table 18.82: Thermal Conductance - 3D Edges and Vertices

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Watts/degree Celsius [W/°C]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A dyne * centimeter/second * degree Celsius
[dyne * cm/s * °C]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA ton * millimeter2/second3 * degree Celsius
[t * mm2/s3 * °C]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA picoWatts/degree Celsius [pW/°C]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A slug * feet2/second3 * degree Fahrenheit
[slug * ft2/s3 * °F]
(Bft)
Solving

o
in, lbm, lbf, F, s, V, A slinch * inch2/second3 * degree Fahrenheit
[slinch * in2/s3 * °F]
(Bin)
Table 18.83: Thermal Expansion

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A 1/degree Celsius [1/°C]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A 1/degree Celsius [1/°C]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA 1/degree Celsius [1/°C]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA 1/degree Celsius [1/°C]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A 1/degree Fahrenheit [1/°F]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A 1/degree Fahrenheit [1/°F]
(Bin)
mm, mg, ms microJoules/degree Kelvin [μJ/°K]

m, kg, s 1/degree Kelvin [1/°K]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
mm, t, s 1/degree Kelvin [1/°K]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
in,lbf, s 1/degree Fahrenheit [1/°F]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Table 18.84: Temperature

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A degrees Celsius [°C]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A degrees Celsius [°C]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA degrees Celsius [°C]

(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA degrees Celsius [°C]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A degrees Fahrenheit [°F]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A degrees Fahrenheit [°F]
(Bin)
mm, mg, ms degrees Kelvin [°K]

m, kg, s degrees Kelvin [°K]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
mm, t, s degrees Kelvin [°K]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
in,lbf, s degrees Fahrenheit [°F]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Table 18.85: Temperature Difference

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A degrees Celsius [°C]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A degrees Celsius [°C]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA degrees Celsius [°C]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA degrees Celsius [°C]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A degrees Fahrenheit [oF]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A degrees Fahrenheit [°F]
(Bin)
Solving

mm, mg, ms degrees Kelvin [°K]
Table 18.86: Temperature Gradient

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A degrees Celsius/meter [°C/m]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A degrees Celsius/centimeter [°C/cm]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA degrees Celsius/millimeter [°C/mm]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA degrees Celsius/micrometer [°C/μm]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A degrees Fahrenheit/foot [°F/ft]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A degrees Fahrenheit/inch [°F/in]
(Bin)
mm, mg, ms degrees Kelvin/millimeter [°K/mm]
Table 18.87: Time

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A seconds [s]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A seconds [s]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA seconds [s]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA seconds [s]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A seconds [s]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A seconds [s]

(Bin)
mm, mg, ms milliseconds [ms]

m, kg, s seconds [s]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
mm, t, s seconds [s]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
in,lbf, s seconds [s]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Table 18.88: Translational Damping

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Newton * seconds/meter [N * s/m]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A dyne * seconds/centimeter [dyne * s/cm]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA ton * millimeter * seconds/second2 *
millimeter [t * mm * s/s2 * mm]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA microNewton * seconds/micrometer [μN *
s/μm]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A slugfoot * seconds/second2 * foot
[(lbm/32.2)ft * s/s2 * ft]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A slinchinch * seconds/second2 * inch
[(lbm/386.4)in * s/s2 * in]
(Bin)
Table 18.89: Velocity and RS Velocity

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A meters/second [m/s]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A centimeters/second [cm/s]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA millimeters/second [mm/s]
(nmm)
Solving

o
μm, kg, μN, C, s, V, mA micrometers/second [μm/s]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A feet/second [ft/s]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A inches/second [in/s]
(Bin)
mm, mg, ms meters/second [m/s] or
millimeters/millisecond [mm/ms]
m, kg, s meters/second [m/s]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
mm, t, s millimeters/second [mm/s]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
in,lbf, s inches/second [in/s]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Table 18.90: Voltage

o
m, kg, N, C, s, V, A Volts [V]
(mks)
cm, g, dyne, oC, s, V, A Volts [V]
(cgs)
mm, kg, N, oC, s, mV, mA milliVolts [mV]
(nmm)
μm, kg, μN, oC, s, V, mA Volts [V]
(μmks)
ft, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A Volts [V]
(Bft)
in, lbm, lbf, oF, s, V, A Volts [V]
(Bin)
Table 18.91: Volume

o

(mks)
(cgs)
(nmm)
(μmks)
(Bft)
(Bin)

[ LS-DYNA solver]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
[ LS-DYNA solver]
Chapter 19: Results
The Help for Results is organized in the following sections based on analysis type as well as the treatment
and usage for the various result options.
19.1. Introduction to the Use of Results
19.2. Result Outputs
19.3. Result Definitions
19.4. Result Scoping
19.5. Structural Results
19.6. Line Pressure Result
19.7. Volume Result
19.8.Thermal Results
19.9. Magnetostatic Results
19.10. Electric Results
19.11. Fatigue Results
19.12. Noise, Vibration, and Harshness
19.13. Forced Response
19.14. User Defined Results
19.15. Python Result
19.16. User Defined Criteria
19.17. Result Utilities
19.1. Introduction to the Use of Results

Generating results to understand the behavior of an analyzed model is fundamental to any analysis in
Mechanical. The application supports a variety of result types and tools to facilitate this process.
Capabilities include:
• Display result contours over the entire, or a portion, of the model for various solution quantities, such
as displacement, stress, temperature, and electric field density.
• Customized result access using user-defined results (p. 2294).
• Chart (p. 2036) minimum and maximum values over time for multiple result sets.
• Options (p. 70) to quantify and visualization result contours that represent vectors, iso-surfaces, slice
planes, path operations, surface cuts, and capped iso-surfaces.
Results
• Probes (p. 2025) to calculate abstract engineering quantities such as reaction forces, reaction moments,
and virtual strain gauges.
• Export result data in a variety of formats, such as ASCII files for raw data, static images such as .png,
.avi animations, as well as HTML reports.
Result Application
To apply results:
• Highlight the Solution object and select a result, result probe, or result tool from the options on the
Solution Context Tab (p. 65).
Or...
• Right-click the Solution object, select Insert, and then choose from the result options.
Note:
See the User Defined Result (p. 2294) section of the Help for more information about the spe-
cification and definition of this result type.
Once inserted into the tree, you need to scope (p. 2099) your result objects to geometric or meshing
entities of the model.
Note:
• When using the Mechanical APDL solver, the default solver, the Mechanical post processor
caches the result and nodal (X, Y, Z) data in single precision format (rather than double
precision) in order to conserve memory. This processing requirement can affect accuracy.
For an analysis with high precision requirements, the implication can be significant. Note
the following comparison of Displacement result values for the MAPDL application versus
the Mechanical application.
UX UY UZ
MAPDL POST1 0.487107183574E-004 0.758421247657E-004 0.103875499252E-003
Displacement
Values
Mechanical 4.871071724e-005 7.58421229e-005 1.038754999e-004
Displacements
Values
• If you suppress any result object, the application clears all generated data.
• Because of software limitations, Mechanical currently cannot display the results of some
types of nodes and elements. For example, a total deformation display in Mechanical ex-
cludes the deformations of nodes that are not attached to elements (like nodes associated
with remote points).
Result Outputs
• Mechanical requires the mesh information to be present on the Mechanical APDL result
file in order to postprocess. Therefore, result files created from Mechanical APDL cannot
have the /CONFIG,NORSTGM option set to 1 (the default is zero).
19.2. Result Outputs

The following topics related to result outputs are covered in this section.
19.2.1. Contour Results
19.2.2. Probes
19.2.3. Chart and Table
19.2.4. Line Chart Results (LS-DYNA Only)
19.2.5. Contribution Graph Results
19.2.6. Coordinate Systems Results
19.2.7. Interpolation of Result Values
19.2.8. Line Body Results
19.2.9. Path Results
19.2.10. Result Set Listing
19.2.11. Surface Results
19.2.12. Solution Summary Worksheet
19.2.13. Vector Plots
19.2.1. Contour Results

Most result types can be displayed using contours or vectors. The Result Context Tab (p. 65) applies
to Solution level objects that display contour or vector results.
19.2.2. Probes
Probes enable you to find results at a point on the model, or minimum or maximum results on a
body, face, edge, or vertex; to find results on objects in the tree, such as elastic support or weak
springs; or to obtain reaction forces and moments at supports.
Important:
Line Body Scoping Limitation
The application does not currently support the Coordinate System setting for the
Location Method property when scoping probes to line bodies.
Results
Shell Geometry Considerations
1. Probe results at the mid-surface location of a shell geometry are obtained by inter-
polating the Top and Bottom layer result values. (This differs from Contour results
which directly extracts the mid-surface location from the solver.)
2. When probes are scoped to a Coordinate System, the application first identifies the
element corresponding to the scoped location, using a hit-detection algorithm.
Once the element is identified, the application gathers the averaged nodal results
for that element and then uses shape functions to find the interpolated result value
at the scoped location. This interpolated value will account for both the Top and
Bottom layer values for shell geometries.
Probe Scoping Limitation for Models with Changing Mesh
If you are using a feature that automatically changes the mesh during the solution
process, such as the Nonlinear Adaptive Region (p. 1826) object or SMART Crack
Growth (p. 471), any result probe scoped to the corresponding body will not evaluate.
Probe Scoping Limitation for Symmetry
Certain probes, such as a Reaction probe, support mesh scoping (node, element, or
element face) through the Boundary Condition it is scoped to. However, if you specify
Symmetry in your analysis, the application does not support mesh scoping on any
probe.
Interpolation Limitation
Values for positions inside of an element may differ from hand-calculated values, espe-
cially for certain user defined result expressions. See the limitations topic in the Inter-
polation of Result Values (p. 2052) section.
This section examines the general function of the probe tool in Mechanical as well as the specific
probe types that are available in the Mechanical application. It also describes the Details options as-
sociated with the probe object.
19.2.2.1. Probe Types and Application Overview
19.2.2.2. Probe Details View
19.2.2.1. Probe Types and Application Overview

The application supports the following probe types:
• Structural Probes (p. 2197)
• Thermal Probes (p. 2257)
• Magnetostatic Probes (p. 2263)
• Electric Probes (p. 2265)
• Volume Probe (p. 2254)
Result Outputs
Review the following section topics, especially the requirements and limitations:
• Scoping (p. 2027) (Requirements (p. 2028) and Limitations (p. 2028))
• Results Output Coordinate System (p. 2030)
• Limitations of Geometry-Based Probes (p. 2030)
Application
You insert probes from the Solution object. Probes are available from the Probe drop-down menu
on the ribbon or through the right-click context menu. You specify the probe using the properties
of the Details pane. Following the solution, the display of the probe reveals the displaced mesh
for the specified time. The probe result shows values over time and for a specified time. Based on
the probe type, the Details pane displays result data specific to that type, such as maximum or
minimum values over time, emitted radiation, etc.
Note:
You cannot turn off the time history for result probes.
Scoping
Probes are customized for the particular result type, therefore, different probes enable different
scoping mechanisms. For example, you can scope a reaction probe to a boundary condition while
a stress probe allows you to scope to an x, y, z location (Hit Point Coordinate (p. 100) option) on
the geometry. Refer to the "Characteristics" column of the tables in the linked probe type sections
above for scoping details. The Location Method property provides the available scoping options
(Geometry Selection, Named Selections, Remote Points, etc.).
Understanding When Scoping is Interpolated
When you create a probe by selecting a specific x, y, z location on the model (using the Hit
Point Coordinate (p. 100) option) or using a coordinate system, Mechanical chooses a singular
element of a singular body that contains the x, y, z location. In the event the probe lies between
two bodies, the application still only picks one of the two bodies (and one element) to use for
the result calculation. Result values are interpolated from the element's nodes to the x, y, z
location.
When picking a specific x, y, z location, you can obtain the probe result directly at the closest
corner node, without extra interpolation, by right-clicking on the probe object in the tree and
choosing Snap to mesh nodes from the context menu. The identification number of the closest
Results
corner node is displayed as the Node ID in the Details pane of the probe in the Results category.
See the Interpolation (p. 2052) section for additional information.
Note:
Line Body
If you attempt to intersect probes with a line body, Mechanical issues a warning
message. No results (such as stresses or displacements) will appear in the Details of
the probe.
Surface Body
For surface bodies with expanded thickness, because the snapping location is located
on the expanded mesh, while other items such as the original x, y, z location and
the node ID are on the non-expanded mesh, you are advised to turn the visual ex-
pansion (p. 87) off in order to best view these items.
Element Face
Only reaction probes support element face scoping.
Caution:
The application does not support probes applied to objects that you have scoped to
multiple Remote Points, either directly or indirectly, such as a spring scoped to a Remote
Point that is itself defined by multiple Remote Points.
Specific Scoping Requirements
Note the following specifications when scoping a probe:
• When you create a probe by scoping a vertex, edge, face, or volume, the results reported
for the probe are for the undisplaced nodes and elements. The displaced location of the
probe (if any) is not used in any way to calculate results.
• If a probe is scoped to any suppressed or hidden parts, then the probe will not solve or
evaluate results. This strategy exists to prevent numeric contributions from elements and
nodes that are not scoped.
Scoping Limitations
Review the following probe limitations:
Reaction, Summation, Torque, Et. Al.
As a result of an element selection limitation, the application can select unscoped adjacent
elements that will then contribute to a probe's result.
When you set the Location Method property to Geometry Selection, the scoping algorithm
initially selects a group of nodes on the highlighted geometry (face, edge, etc.). The al-
Result Outputs
gorithm then selects any elements attached to those nodes and can include unscoped
adjacent elements, that is, elements not contained in the scoping (green highlight).
As a result, probe types that have element-nodal results, such as Structural Force Reac-
tion/Moment Reaction (p. 2212) and Magnetostatic Force Summation/Torques (p. 2263), the
scoping algorithm selects these unscoped adjacent elements and these additional elements
can contribute to the probe results.
Although a limitation, this behavior enables you to compare element-nodal probes to

nodal probes scoped to boundary conditions. For example, an element-nodal Force Reac-
tion (p. 2212) probe scoped to a face can be compared to a nodal probe scoped to a
boundary condition that occupies the face.
Volume, Energy, Joule Heat, Et. Al.
When the result that is associated with a probe is purely elemental (one value per element
regardless of the number of nodes), then the probe does not include elements from un-
scoped bodies. For example, a Volume (p. 2254) probe scoped to a body provides the exact
volume of the body.
Note:
Bodies that are separated by contact do not share result nodes. In this case,
results from elements on unscoped bodies are not included.
Shells
Shell element node-based results (like stress and strain) exist at the top, bottom, and middle
of the shell element (or the layer). Therefore, a shell node can have three values for a given
layer.
For result probes on shell models that are scoped by Geometry Selection, the probe normally
considers the top value and bottom values at the scoped nodes and picks either the
maximum or minimum value. Based on the probe type, the Spatial Resolution property
enables you to select whether the application uses the maximum or minimum value.
If you scope your probe to a Coordinate System, the application performs an interpolation
using the values at the top and bottom of the shell.
With these situations in mind, your scoping may present results with unexpected or non-
intuitive values.
For example, consider a probe scoped to a coordinate system that is situated near a vertex
at the mid-plane. For this situation, the interpolation is a simple arithmetic average. However,
what if the Top value at the node is -1000 and the Bottom value at the same node is
1000, a very real scenario for shell models. The coordinate system probe would report (-
1000 + 1000)/2 = 0.
Now consider the probe scoped by geometry to the same Vertex. It would report max(-
1000, 1000) = 1000 if the Spatial Resolution property was set to Use Maximum.
Results
Results Output Coordinate System

Some probes such as the Directional Deformation probe allow the results to be calculated and
displayed in a coordinate system of your choice. Some other probes such as a Spring probe allow
results to be output only in a specific coordinate system. Refer to Orientation Coordinate System:
entry under the "Characteristics" column in the probe tables (see links above) regarding what co-
ordinate systems are allowed and what the default coordinate system is. You can use Orientation
in the Details of the probe to change the output coordinate system.
Note:
When the Orientation Coordinate System is Global Cartesian, the triad (p. 243) symbol is
not displayed. The exception is for Torque probes in magnetostatic analyses, where the
global triad is displayed and the direction vector is placed at the global origin.
Limitations of Geometry-Based Probes

The following table shows the limitations of geometry-based probes. If you make incorrect selections
in the Details for any of the probes, all the probes under solution remain unsolved.
Components and
Must be Scoped All Result
Probe Scope Principals Result
to a rigid part Selection invalid
Selection invalid
Deformation X
Stress X X
Strain X X
Vertices,
[a]
Thermal Flux Edges, X
[a] Faces, or
Flux Density X
[a] Volume
Flux Intensity X
Velocity X
Acceleration X
Position X
[a]
Angular Velocity X
Angular
X
Acceleration[a]
[a] Not supported in explicit dynamics analyses.
19.2.2.2. Probe Details View

The following table describes the Probe Details view categories and properties. All Probes provide
the same Details view categories, however, based on the probe type and/or how you specify the
probe properties; the availability of the properties can differ.
Result Outputs

Definition Type
This read-only property displays the selected type of probe.
Location Method
Sets the probe location. Based upon the probe type, Location Method
options include:
Geometry Selection
Default setting, indicating that the probe is applied to a geometry

or geometries (X, Y, Z points, edge/edges, vertex/vertices, face/faces,
or body/bodies), which are chosen using a graphical selection tools.
If you select a point using the Hit Point Coordinate selection tool
(see Graphics Toolbar (p. 100)), the read-only X,Y, Z Coordinate
properties display and show the coordinate locations.
Geometry: Visible when the Location Method is set to Geo-

etc.) and the number of geometric entities (for example: 1 Body,
2 Edges) to which the boundary has been applied using the
selection tools.
Coordinate System
Use this property to set the location according to a user-defined

coordinate system. This choice displays a Location drop-down list
where you pick the particular coordinate system. The X,Y,Z Coordin-
ates of the location are also displayed.
Coordinate System: Visible when the Location Method is set

to Coordinate System. Provides a drop-down list of available
coordinate systems.
Remote Points
Use this property to scope the probe to a remote point.
Remote Points: Visible when the Location Method is set to

Remote Points. Provides a drop-down list of available remote
points.
Caution:
The application does not support probes applied to

objects that you have scoped to multiple Remote Points,
either directly or indirectly, such as a spring scoped to
Results
a Remote Point that is itself defined by multiple Remote

Points.
Boundary Condition
This Location Method option is available for Force Reaction and

Moment Reaction probes in structural analyses. It is also available
for the Reaction Probe in thermal, electric, and thermal-electric (as
Heat Reaction) analyses. And it is available for the Radiation Probe
in thermal as well as thermal-electric analyses. Use this property to
scope the probe to an existing boundary condition.
Boundary Condition: Visible when the Location Method is set

to Boundary Condition. This property provides a drop-down
list of available boundary conditions.
Spring
Use this property to scope a Force Reaction probe to an existing

body-ground spring that you select from a drop-down list of
available body-ground springs.
Spring: This associated property is visible when the Location

Method is set to Spring. This property provides a drop-down
list of available body-ground springs.
Contact Region
Use this property to scope Force Reaction, Moment Reaction, and

heat Reaction (thermal analyses only) probes to an existing contact
region that you pick from a Contact Region drop-down list.
Contact Region: Visible when the Location Method is set to

Contact Region. This property provides a drop-down list of
available contact regions.
Beam
Use to scope the probe to an existing boundary condition that you

pick from a Beam drop-down list.
Beam: Visible when the Location Method is set to Beam.

Provides a drop-down list of available beams objects.
Mesh Connection
Use this property to scope the probe to an existing mesh connection

in the tree.
Result Outputs

Mesh Connection: Visible when the Location Method is set to
Mesh Connection. This property provides a drop-down list of
available mesh connection objects.
Surface
Use the scope to probe to a surface and study reactions on cutting

planes.
Surface: Visible when the Location Method is set to Surface.

Provides a drop-down list of available surface objects.
Geometry: This property corresponds to the Surface property
when the Location Method is set to Surface. Select a geometry
Body.
Boundary Condition
This property is available for a number of probe types. It provides a

drop-down list of available boundary conditions that you use to scope
the probe to.
Orientation
Sets the direction of the coordinate system specified by the Coordinate

System described above.
Spring
This property displays when the Location Method is set to Spring. It

provides a drop-down list of available body-ground springs that you
use to scope the probe to.
X coordinate
A read-only property that displays X Axis value for the Coordinate

System property.
Y coordinate
A read-only property that displays Y Axis value for the Coordinate

System property.
Z coordinate
A read-only property that displays Z Axis value for the Coordinate

System property.
Results

Summation
Displayed only for Moment Reaction probes when Orientation is also

displayed. Allows you to specify the summation point where the
moment reaction is reported.
• Centroid: The simple calculated average; unweighted by length, area,

or volume.
• Orientation System; The coordinate system you specified with the

Orientation setting.
By
Harmonic Response Analysis Only.
This property displays for the Force Reaction and Moment Reaction
probes. Property options include:
Frequency
When this option is specified, a Frequency entry property and the

Sweeping Angle property also display.
Set

Maximum Over Frequency
When this option is specified, the Sweeping Angle property also

displays.
Frequency of Maximum

Maximum Over Phase
When this option is specified, the Frequency property and Phase

Increment property also display.
Phase of Maximum
When this option is specified, a Frequency entry property and

Phase Increment property also display.
Extraction
Displayed only for Force Reaction and Moment Reaction probes when
the Location Method is set to Contact Region or Mesh Connection.
Result Outputs

Options for Contact Region Setting
When the Location Method is set to Contact Region, options

include:
• Contact (Underlying Element)
• Target (Underlying Element)
• Contact (Contact Element) (p. 2223) (Force Reaction Probe only)
Options for Mesh Connection Setting
When the Location Method is set to Mesh Connection, options

include: Primary or Secondary.
Orientation Method
Only displayed for a Joint Probe. Options include Joint Reference

System and User Specified.
Options Result Selection
The options for this property vary based on the selected type of probe.
See the Overview and Probe Types (p. 2026) section for additional
information based on your desired probe type.
Display Time
End Time or Time Step.
Spatial Resolution
When edges, vertices, faces, or bodies are selected as the Geometry,

this property displays. It allows you to calculate the maximum (Use
Maximum) or minimum (Use Minimum) result values across the given
geometry selection.
Result Type
This property provides a list of available results for a Joint Probe.
Results This category provides read-only properties of result you select in the
Result Selection or Result Type drop-down list. The Node ID is displayed
if you used the Snap to mesh nodes feature.
Maximum Value This category provides read-only properties that vary based on the probe
Over Time type. They display maximum values of the results you select over time in
stepped analysis.
Minimum Value This category provides read-only properties that vary based on the probe
Over Time type. They display minimum values of the results you select over time in
stepped analysis.
Results

Information Based on the probe type, the following read-only result-based properties
may be provided by this category.
• Time
• Load Step
• Substep
• Iteration Number
• Surface Area
Note:
• When you set Location Method to Coordinate System, the probe traverses the
primary axes to determine where the hits occur on the model. The hit closest to the
origin of the coordinate system is used. This behavior is similar to placing a laser at
the origin of the system and then shooting the laser sequentially along positive and
negative direction of x, y, z axis.
• Probe objects scoped to x, y, z picked locations (using the Hit Point Coordinate se-
lection tool) are achieved in such a way that a projection of the picked location in
screen coordinates occurs onto the model based on the current view orientation, in
other words, normal to the display screen onto the model at the picked location on
the screen. If the geometry is updated, the update of the projection will follow the
original vector that was established "behind the scenes" when the x, y, z pick was first
made. Therefore the update of Probe objects scoped to x, y, z picking locations may
not appear to be logical since it follows a vector that was established dependent on
a view orientation when the original pick was made.
• The details view of the probe shows either the maximum or the minimum result values
but not both.
19.2.3. Chart and Table

The Home tab (p. 42) option Chart is a feature that enables you to chart loading and result data
versus time, versus additional loading conditions, as well as versus other result data. This includes
the loading conditions and/or results of different analyses. For example, you may wish to compare
the displacement responses from two different transient analyses with multiple damping characteristics.
• Create a Chart (p. 2037)
• Determining Data Points (p. 2037)
Result Outputs
• Details Pane Content (p. 2037)
• Graph Display (p. 2039)
• Tabular Data Display (p. 2040)
Overview
You use the Chart feature to:
• Chart load(s) and result(s) vs time.
• Chart multiple harmonic response plots vs. Frequency.
• Change x-axis to plot a result against a load or another result.
• Compare results across analyses.
• Visualize and compress data into an easy-to-understand report.
Create a Chart
1. Select the objects you wish to chart. You can select multiple objects of interest. In doing so, note
that:
• You can choose objects in the tree that belong to different analyses of a model. However
all objects must belong to the same Model.
• Only loads, probes and results that can be contoured are added to the chart.
• For result items the variation of minimum and maximum values is plotted as a function
of time
2. Select the Chart button on the Home tab (p. 42). This adds a new Chart object to the Outline.
You can add multiple charts.
Determining Data Points

You can choose a mixture of loads and results that may even span different analyses. In these cases
there can be a mismatch between the time points at which the loads are defined and the time points
at which results are available. For example in case of a nonlinear transient stress analysis under constant
load, the load has a single value but there can be many time points where results are available. The
below interpolation scheme is used to create charts when such mismatch occurs.
• Loads are interpolated or extrapolated to the time points at which result values or other load
values.
• Results are not interpolated or extrapolated.
Details Pane Content

The Details categories include:
Results
Definition
Outline Selection: This property lists how many objects are used in the chart. Clicking on the
number of objects highlights the objects in the tree allowing you to modify the selection if needed.
Chart Controls
• X-Axis: By default the data of the selected objects are plotted against time. You may choose
a different load or result quantity for the x-axis. For example you can plot a Force – Deflec-
tion curve by choosing the deflection to be the X-axis.
• Plot Style: display as Lines, Points, or Both (default).
• Scale:
– Linear (default) - plot as linear graph.
– Semi-Log (X) - X-Axis is plotted logarithmically. If negative axis values or a zero

value exists, this option is not supported and the graph plots linearly.
– Semi-Log (Y) - Y-Axis is plotted logarithmically. If negative axis values or a zero

value exists, this option is not supported and the graph plots linearly.
– Log-Log - X-Axis and Y-Axis are plotted logarithmically. If negative axis values or a
zero value exists, this option is not supported and the graph plots linearly.
• Gridlines: Show gridlines for plotting 2D X-Y curves.
– Both - The gridlines for both the X-axis and Y-axis are shown.
– X Axis - The gridline for the X-axis is shown.
– Y Axis - The gridline for the Y-axis is shown.
– None - No gridlines are shown.
Axis Labels
This category includes the X-Axis and Y-Axis properties. You can enter appropriate labels for the
X and Y axes. In doing so, note that:
• The X and Y axes always show the units of the item(s) being charted. These units are ap-
pended to any label that you enter.
• When multiple items are plotted on the Y-axis the units are determined as follows: If all
the items plotted on the Y-axis have the same units then the unit is displayed. For example,
if all items are of type deformation and the active unit system is British Inch unit system
then the unit is displayed as Inch. If the items plotted on the Y-axis are of different types
for example, stress and strain then Normalized is displayed for unit.
• When determining pairs of points to plot on the chart when X-axis is not time be aware
that time is still used to determine the pairs of points to plot when an item other than
Result Outputs
time is used for the x-axis. Both the X-axis quantity and the Y-axis quantity must share a
common time point to be considered a valid pair.
Report
• Content: By default both the chart as well as the data listing of the objects gets added to
reports. Instead you may choose to only add the chart or only add the data listing or exclude
the chart from report. Note that only tabular data or chart data with two or more points
is displayed in the report.
• Caption: You may enter a caption for the chart. The caption will be included in the report.
Input Quantities
Any valid load object added to the chart gets displayed under Input Quantities. If a load has
multiple components then each component will get a line in this details group.
Output Quantities
Any valid result object added to the chart gets displayed under Output Quantities. If a result has
multiple components then each component will get a line in this details group.
• Input/Output Quantities:
Note:
When using Input and Output Quantities, note that:
• Naming and legend: Each object added to a chart is assigned a name and a legend label.
The name is simply the object name in the tree if there are no components associated
with the object. An example would be a Y displacement probe. For objects that have
multiple components the component direction or name will get added to the object
name. For example adding ‘Equivalent Stress’ result item to a chart will result in two
items getting added – ‘Equivalent Stress (min)’ and ‘Equivalent Stress (max)’.
• Each name is preceded by a one letter label such as [A] or [B]. This label is also displayed
on the corresponding curve in the chart and is used to associate the object name with
the curve.
• The default setting is to display the item in the chart and data grid. You can exclude an
item by setting this field to Omit. Omitting an item removes the corresponding data
from both data grid and chart. Be aware that an item chosen for X-axis cannot be
omitted and this field will be reset to Display for that item.
Graph Display
• Legend: You can use the right-click context menu options Show Legend/Hide Legend to display
or hide annotations in the Graph window for the selected Chart.
• Normalization: Scaling of Y-axis is determined as follows.
Results
– Single item on Y-axis: Scaling is based on the minimum and maximum values of the item
plotted
– Multiple items on Y-axis that have same unit type: Scaling is based on the minimum and
maximum values of the items plotted. For example, plot applied pressure load and a stress
result against time.
– Multiple items on Y-axis that have different unit types: In this case each curve is normal-
ized to lie between 0 and 1, that is the minimum value is treated as zero and the maximum
value as one. The label of the Y-axis reflects this by appending Normalized to any user spe-
cified label. Note that the data grid displays the actual values always.
Tabular Data Display

The data contained in the Tabular Data window is read-only and reflects the data for the specified
object/objects.
19.2.4. Line Chart Results (LS-DYNA Only)

For LS-DYNA analyses, use the Line Chart object to plot a two-dimensional graph in the X and Y dir-
ections, for supported input data. Currently, input data for Line Chart objects can come from:
• User Defined Results (p. 2294).
• Result Trackers (p. 1938).
• Result charts, such as waterfall diagrams.
• Line Chart objects.
• Data from the Solution Information (p. 1927) object.
• Imported text files (of supported formats).
• User-defined datasets created using scripting APIs.
Application
Use the following steps to specify a Line Chart object. The feature is very flexible and enables you
to change the data and plots with ease.
1. Insert the object by highlighting the Solution object and either selecting the Line Chart option
from the Solution (p. 65) Context Tab or right-clicking and selecting Insert > Line Chart.
You can also right-click within the Geometry window and select Insert > Line Chart.
2. Specify the Source Type property. Options include Existing Objects and Imported File.
3. Use the Source Object to specify objects in the Outline or to select an external file. When the
Source Type property is set to:
• Existing Objects, use the Source Object property to manually select the objects in the
Outline you wish to chart. You can select multiple objects.
Result Outputs
• Imported File, use the option of the Source Object property to display a dialog to browse
to a directory location and select a file.
Note:
When importing a file, the application supports tab separated X-Y Data file
format as well as LS-PrePost Data Export format. See the Example File
Formats (p. 2042) topic below for examples of these formats.
4. Once the above property is defined, the object plots the data. At this point you can apply an
operation or filer to your dataset.
Important:
The Operation Type and Filter Type properties are only supported for objects
or files that include one dataset.
Operation Type
Operation Type options include:
• None (default): Reset any previous operations and redisplay the plot of the original
dataset.
• Integration: Generate and plot a new dataset based on the integral operation.
• Differentiation: Generate and plot a new dataset based on the differentiation opera-
tion.
Filter Type
Filter Type property options include:
• None (default): Reset any previous filters and redisplay the plot of the original dataset.
• Butterworth: Apply a Butterworth filter to create and plot a new dataset.
• SAE: Apply a SAE filter to create and plot a new dataset.
When you specify a filter, the following additional properties display:
• Cutoff Frequency: Define a cutoff frequency value for the applied filter.
• Cutoff Frequency Limit: A read-only property that displays the cutoff frequency limit
for the current dataset. This limit indicates the maximum value for the cutoff frequency
Results
that can still supports filtering. This value helps you fine tune your Cutoff Frequency
property entry.
Note:
You cannot use the options of the Operation Type property and the Filter Type
property in combination. Specifying an Operation Type automatically causes the
Filter Type property to be set to None, and vice versa.
5. You can use the Display Original property to display the original curve as well as the plot you
have creating using an operation or filter. Options include No (default) and Yes.
6. Create additional charts as desired.
Examples File Formats

Tab Separated X-Y Data Format
Time Force Reaction
s N
0 0 0.01 3.17E+05
0.02 7.04E+06
... ...
LS-PrePost Data Export Format

Curveplot
Time
butterworth
Glstat Data
int-0 #pts=1001 5.00E-02 1.00E+08*
Minval=0.0000000000e+00 at time= 0.0000000000*
Maxval=1.00e+08 at time= 5.00
0 0
0.05 3.17E+05
0 .17.04E+06
… …
19.2.5. Contribution Graph Results

You use contribution features and result types to study the dynamic behaviors of your structure to
improve your design. Contribution features enable you to perform targeted post processing by filtering
complex response data to determine which bodies, frequencies, mode shapes, panels, and orders
have the highest response at specific mode shapes and frequencies. As illustrated below, an Energy
Contribution result displays the peak value on a specific body for a defined number of bodies and
modes.
Result Outputs
Supported contribution types include:

19.2.5.1. Panel Contribution
19.2.5.2. Order Contribution
19.2.5.3. Mode Contribution
19.2.5.4. Energy Contribution
19.2.5.1. Panel Contribution

The Panel Contribution option enables you to visually compare the results of one or more solid
bodies as a mosaic chart. You use this feature to create a "panel" for each body included in your
model. However, you can only scope the supported result to the faces of a body. Using these faces,
the application calculates results for each panel (body) included in the face-based scoping.
Panel Contribution is available only for the waterfall diagram and frequency response result types,
and for only two analysis types, Harmonic Acoustic (Waterfall Diagram only) and Harmonic Re-
sponse (p. 502) analyses.
• Result Types Supporting Panel Contribution are based on Analysis Type (p. 2043)
• Apply Panel Contribution (p. 2044)
• Viewing the Panel Contribution (p. 2044)
Result Types Supporting Panel Contribution are based on Analysis Type

The result types that support the Panel Contribution option are based on the analysis type you
select, and include:
Harmonic Response
For a Harmonic Response (p. 502) analysis, the Panel Contribution option supports the
following results:
• Waterfall Diagram (p. 2242): Velocity Waterfall Diagram, Acceleration Waterfall

Diagram, ERP Waterfall Diagram, ERP Level Waterfall Diagram.
Results
• Frequency Response (p. 2149): Deformation, Velocity, Acceleration, Equivalent Ra-

diated Power, Equivalent Radiated Power Level.
Harmonic Acoustic
For a Harmonic Acoustic analysis, the Panel Contribution option supports the Velocity
Waterfall Diagram, Acceleration Waterfall Diagram, ERP Waterfall Diagram, ERP Level
Waterfall Diagram.
Apply Panel Contribution

1. Select a supported result type.
2. In the Details pane, set the Panel Contribution property (Panel Contribution category) to
Yes.
3. Specify the scoping of the supported result. Scoping Method property options include:
• Geometry Selection: Displays an associated Geometry property. Use this property to

pick a desired face or faces on the model.
• Named Selection: Displays an associated Named Selection property. Use this property
to select a desired face-based Named Selection from the drop-down menu.
• Named Selections: Displays an associated Named Selections property. Use this property
to display the drop-down menu, press and hold the [Ctrl] key, and select multiple face-
based Named Selections from the list.
Face selections for a Named Selection must be included in a single body.
4. Right-click the result and select Evaluate the Result.
For the Geometry Selection and Named Selection options, the application automatically
creates a panel for each body contained in the scoped geometry. For Named Selections, each
Named Selection defines a panel.
Viewing the Panel Contribution

When you set the Panel Contribution option to Yes, the Chart and Tabular Display category
displays the Display Panel property. Set the Display Panel property to Yes to view the mosaic
chart referencing the panel contribution.
Result Outputs
The mosaic chart displays frequency values versus result values, such as decibels (dB), as shown
below.
The result data displayed in the in the Graph and Tabular Data windows is based on the selection
of the Filter By property, either RPM or Order, the RPM value you specify in the RPM property,
and how you filter the RPMs or orders using their entry properties. Based on your entries, the result
data replots accordingly. Here is an example of result data filtered by Order, for a specific RPM
and a range of order values.
Results
The graph displays result values along the Y-axis. As stated, when using the Panel Contribution
option, you must scope the result to faces, either through direct geometry selection or using face-
based Named Selections.
When you scope a result directly to geometry or to an individual Named Selection, the chart labels
the Y-axis with the name of the body or bodies corresponding to the specified geometry or Named
Selection, as shown above.
If you scope a result to multiple Named Selections, the chart labels the Y-axis with the name of
each specified Named Selection.
Additional Details pane properties related to the panel contribution, under the Chart and Tabular
Display category, include:
• Show Text on Mosaic: Display the result values of each frequency for the panels. Options
include No (default) and Yes.
• Panels to Display: Select the number of panels you want to display. The default option is
set to All. Otherwise, enter a value for the number of desired panels to display. A value
other than All displays the number of panels based on your entry. To reset the property to
All, enter zero (0).
The application displays the panels based on which panels have the highest peak value (the
maximum value of a row). For the mosaic chart, the bottom row represents the top panel
and for the tabular data, the top panel is located in the first row or rows, followed by the
second, third panel, etc.
19.2.5.2. Order Contribution

The order contribution feature enables you to filter result data and display the highest response at
specific mode shapes and frequencies. This feature is only available for standalone or linked MSUP
Harmonic Response analyses. This feature only supports multiple step RPMs (Multiple Step Type
property set to RPM). You use the capabilities of this feature in combination with the following
result types.
• Velocity Waterfall Diagram
• Acceleration Waterfall Diagram
• ERP Waterfall Diagram
Result Outputs
Viewing the Order Contribution

Order contributions are always computed. When you set the Display Order property to Yes, you
see a bar chart under in the Graph window. It is recommended that you filter data orders with a
single RPM value and specify a Top Orders property value for easier result interpretation.
Details pane properties related to the contribution, under the Chart and Tabular Display category,
include:
• Display Order: Use this property to filter graph and tabular data by frequency or order for
given RPM values. Options include Yes and No (default). When set to No, the application
displays result data by Frequency plotted in a line chart. When set to Yes, the application
displays result data by Order plotted in a bar chart.
Note:
You cannot use this property in combination with the Panel Contribution
option.
• Filter By: Use this property to specify whether to filter the result data in the Graph and
Tabular Data windows by RPM (default) or Order. These options filter result data for either
setting of the Display Order property.
• RPM: This is an entry property to further filter graph and tabular data using a single RPM
value, multiple values, or a range of RPM values. When entering multiple values, you can
separate the entries by a comma (5, 10, 20), enter a range of values separated by a hyphen
(5-20), or you can enter a combination of individual and range entries, such as 5, 10, 30-40.
• Order: This is an entry property to further filter graph and tabular data using a single order
value, multiple values, or a range of order values. For Order property entries, you can enter
multiple values, separated by a comma (12, 16, 24) as well as range values separated by a
hyphen (28-40), or a combination of entries, such as 12, 16, 24, 28-40.
Note: For each order value you enter, the application includes all values within a decimal
range of ±0.5 in the Graph and Tabular Data windows. For example, for the entry, 5,10 the
selected order range is 4.5-5.5 and 9.5-10.5.
• Top Orders: This property displays when you set the Display Order property to Yes to filter
graph and tabular data by Order. Use this property to display the "top" order values. That
is, it displays those orders that most affect the result. Top orders display in descending se-
Results
quence. The default setting is All (entry of 0). The property supports integer value entries,
for example, 5, for the top five orders.
19.2.5.3. Mode Contribution

For the Mode Contribution (p. 2252) result, you can filter result data in the Graph and Tabular Data
windows and present the data in a mosaic chart highlighting the modal coefficient for each mode
shape for each analysis frequency. Using the display options of the result, you can filter the visibility
for the top contributing mode shapes and analysis frequency range.
Viewing the Mode Contribution

The application plots modal coefficient values in the Graph and Tabular Data windows per mode
shape (Y Axis) versus the analysis frequency range specified in the Step Controls (p. 1510) of the
Analysis Settings object of the analysis.
include:
• Load Step Number: You first select a load step to use to filter data. Load steps are specified
using the Number of Steps property in the Step Controls (p. 1510) of the Analysis Settings
object. Zero (0) is not a supported entry.
• Display Mode: Use this property to filter graph and tabular data by mode for given frequency
values. Options include Yes and No (default). When set to No, the application displays result
data plotted in a bar chart. When set to Yes, the application displays result data by Mode
value plotted in a mosaic chart.
• Mode to Display: This is an entry property to further filter graph and tabular data using a
single mode value, multiple mode values, or a range of mode values. The number of available
modes is determined by the setting of the Max Modes to Find property in the Analysis
Settings. For property entries, you can enter multiple values, separated by a comma (12,
16, 24) as well as range values separated by a hyphen (28-40), or a combination of entries,
such as 12, 16, 24, 28-40.
• Frequency: This is an entry property to further filter graph and tabular data by frequency
value.
Result Outputs
19.2.5.4. Energy Contribution

For the Energy Contribution (p. 2252) result, you can filter result data in the Graph and Tabular Data
windows and present the data in a mosaic chart highlighting potential elemental energies for each
body and every mode shape.
Note:
For this result, you must set the On Demand Expansion property (Options (p. 1531)) to
Yes and the Volume and Energy property (Output Controls (p. 1559)) to Yes.
Viewing the Energy Contribution

The mosaic chart displays automatically for this result. Using the display options of the result, you
filter the visibility of the top contributing bodies and mode shape/mode shape range. The application
plots energy values in the Graph and Tabular Data windows per body (Y Axis) versus the number
of modes (Max Modes to Find) specified in the Options (p. 1531) category of the Analysis Settings.
include:
• Bodies to Display: Select the number of bodies you want to display. The default option is
set to All. A value other than All displays the number of bodies based on your entry. To reset
the property to All, enter zero (0). The application displays the bodies that have the highest
peak value (the maximum value of a row). For the mosaic chart, the bottom row represents
the highest values and for the tabular data, the highest values are in the first row or rows.
• Mode: This is an entry property to further filter graph and tabular data using a single mode
value, multiple mode values, or a range of mode values. The number of available modes is
determined by the setting of the Max Modes to Find property in the Analysis Settings.
For property entries, you can enter multiple values, separated by a comma (12, 16, 24) as
well as range values separated by a hyphen (28-40), or a combination of entries, such as 12,
16, 24, 28-40.
Results
19.2.6. Coordinate Systems Results

The following topics are addressed in this section:
19.2.6.1. Nodal Coordinate Systems Results
19.2.6.2. Elemental Coordinate Systems Results
19.2.6.3. Rotational Order of Coordinate System Results
Important:
If a given result experiences any change in position due to the loading conditions, such
as a displacement or deformation, the Geometry window always displays this position
change in the Global Coordinate System (per global XYZ coordinate triad). If you have
specified a local coordinate system for your result, the application exposes all data contained
in the Details view as well as the Tabular Data window based the local coordinate system
entry. Furthermore, if applicable, the application always displays result contour colors in
the Geometry window based on a specified local coordinate system.
19.2.6.1. Nodal Coordinate Systems Results

Every node in a model is associated with a coordinate system that, by default, is aligned with the
global Cartesian coordinate system. If any of the X, Y, or Z axes of an individual node is rotated,
the resulting coordinate system will typically not be aligned with the global Cartesian coordinate
system. Using this feature, you can display nodal result rotations either as Euler rotated triads at
each node location, or as contours that represent an Euler rotation angle about an individual nodal
axis. Boundary conditions are highly dependent upon Euler angles.
To display nodal coordinate systems results:
Highlight the Solution object, and choose one of the following options from the Coordinate Sys-
tems drop-down menu. A corresponding object will be inserted in the tree.
• Nodal Triads: Displays an XYZ triad at each node representing the resulting rotation of the node's
coordinate system compared to the global Cartesian coordinate system. See Rotational Order of
Coordinate System Results (p. 2052) for details.
• Nodal Euler XY Angle: Displays a contour plot representing the magnitude of the resulting Euler
angle rotation at each node about the Z axis.
• Nodal Euler YZ Angle: Displays a contour plot representing the magnitude of the resulting Euler
angle rotation at each node about the X axis.
• Nodal Euler XZ Angle: Displays a contour plot representing the magnitude of the resulting Euler
angle rotation at each node about the Y axis.
Note:
For the Mechanical APDL solver, nodal coordinate systems will not vary from time step
to time step.
Result Outputs
19.2.6.2. Elemental Coordinate Systems Results

Every element in a model is associated with a coordinate system that, by default, is aligned with
the global Cartesian coordinate system. If any of the X, Y, or Z axes of an individual element is ro-
tated, the resulting coordinate system will typically not be aligned with the global Cartesian coordin-
ate system. Using this feature, you can display elemental result rotations either as Euler rotated
triads at each element's centroid, or as contours that represent an Euler rotation angle about an
individual elemental axis. Shell stresses are highly dependent upon Euler angles.
Note:
Euler rotated triads and contours of Euler rotation angles are determined by the element
type and not all elements types are supported. If no result data is available for the cor-
responding element type, then the triads display as global triads.
To display elemental coordinate systems results:
Highlight the Solution object, and choose one of the following options from the Coordinate Sys-
tems drop-down menu. A corresponding object will be inserted in the tree.
• Elemental Triads: Displays an XYZ triad at each element centroid representing the resulting ro-
tation of the element's coordinate system compared to the global Cartesian coordinate system.
See Rotational Order of Coordinate System Results (p. 2052) for details.
Note:
You may need to use the Wireframe viewing mode (p. 83) to see a particular triad in
an element.
• Elemental Euler XY Angle: Displays a contour plot representing the magnitude of the resulting
Euler angle rotation at each element centroid about the Z axis.
• Elemental Euler YZ Angle: Displays a contour plot representing the magnitude of the resulting
Euler angle rotation at each element centroid about the X axis.
• Elemental Euler XZ Angle: Displays a contour plot representing the magnitude of the resulting
Euler angle rotation at each element centroid about the Y axis.
Note:
For the Mechanical APDL solver, it is possible for elemental coordinate systems to vary
from:
• Time step to time step.
• Node to node. In this case, Mechanical displays the angles for the first node in the
node number sequence. For line elements, like beams, the result file does not contain
the elemental Euler angles and as a result Mechanical calculates the coordinate system
from the (x, y, z) positions of the nodes (including the orientation node). Currently,
Results
Mechanical does not have access to the internal nodes created by the solver. Because
of these calculations, the triad for a line element can differ from the triad displayed
by the Mechanical APDL application if you have issued the //PSYMB,ESYS,ON command
and the Mechanical APDL application has access to the Mechanical APDL db file.
19.2.6.3. Rotational Order of Coordinate System Results

The following rotational convention is used for both Nodal Coordinate Systems Results (p. 2050) and
Elemental Coordinate Systems Results (p. 2051):
1. The first rotation is called ... Euler XY and is in the X-Y plane (X towards Y, about Z).
2. The second rotation is called ... Euler YZ and is in Y1-Z1 plane (Y1 towards Z1, about X1).
3. The third rotation is called ... Euler XZ and is in X2-Z2 plane (Z2 towards X2, about Y2).
X1, Y1, and Z1 refer to the coordinate system axes after the initial rotation about the global Z axis.
X2, Y2, and Z2 refer to the coordinate system axes after the initial rotation about the global Z axis
and subsequent rotation about X1.
See Figure : Euler Rotation Angles from the Modeling and Meshing Guide for a pictorial representation
of this convention.
19.2.7. Interpolation of Result Values

Interpolation is a result calculation performed when you wish to study results at a location where no
nodes exist. For example, Path results (p. 2055), Surface results (p. 2063), and some probes result ob-
jects (p. 2026) can consist of arbitrary (that is, non-node-based) locations. To calculate a result at these
types of locations, Mechanical employs an interpolation algorithm. For a given x, y, z in the object,
the algorithm identifies the element that contains x, y, z. If x, y, z is not contained in any element,
the algorithm produces no results.
A Newton's Method loop, with the aid of element shape functions and their derivatives, attempts to
converge to the natural (element) coordinates corresponding to the global x, y, z. Using the natural
coordinates, the element shape functions, and the results at the element's nodes, Mechanical computes
the interpolated result value for the global x ,y, z location.
Limitations and Conditions

Interpolation primarily applies to degree of freedom results such as temperatures, displacements, and
node-based element results like thermal flux, stress, and strain.
Therefore, it is recommended that you not use interpolation for results such as node-based element
reactions (EHEAT/ENFO). The application allows for these calculations, but they are not good candidates
for interpolation. In addition, you should not sum interpolated results of these types; such as to cal-
culate total heat or total force.
Result Outputs
Convergence
There is no assurance that convergence actually occurs. If Newton fails to converge, natural co-
ordinates of (0, 0, 0) are chosen. Currently, no warnings are issued for convergence problems.
High Order Elements
Contours for high-order elements are displayed by decomposing element faces into low-order
primitives. This decomposition introduces extra display-only nodes at the centroids of element
faces. The values at these nodes are generated by interpolating the computed results and can
differ from manually calculated values, especially when dealing with expressions which introduce
discontinuities in the result field, such as SX/abs(SX).
Expression-Based User Defined Results
Interpolation should be limited to simple linear combinations of results.
If the application performs an interpolation on an expression-based User Defined Result (p. 2294),
it generates the final result based on the order of the calculations taking place. For example,
given the expression SX^3, for the cube of normal stress in the X direction, at each node the ap-
plication calculates SX^3 values. The interpolation occurs next for each (x,y,z) that requires a result
and the application interpolates nodal values of SX^3. The critical point is that this procedure
would produce different results if it first interpolated the nodal values of SX to the x,y,z values
and then calculated SX^3.
Given a complex expression, such as (SEQV / SX)^3, the final interpolated results on a line or a
surface could may be counter intuitive. This is why it is recommended that interpolation be limited
to simple linear combinations of results.
19.2.8. Line Body Results

This section examines specific characteristics for results applied to line bodies. Go to a section topic:
• Beam Section Results (p. 2053)
• Stress and Strain Results for Line Coating (Axisymmetric Shell) (p. 2054)
Beam Section Results

Using the Beam Section Results property of the Solution object, you can choose whether to display
beam results using expanded data when you specify your line body as a beam/pipe that includes
cross sections (SECDATA). The choice of whether or not to use expanded data significantly impacts
the evaluation, display, and storage requirements for a given line body result. Property options include:
• No (default): This setting enables you to reduce the amount of result data created by the result.
However, the application displays the beam contour results using only the nodal results (one
value per node).
Results
• Yes: For this setting, the application displays beam results with realistic contours that can vary
along all coordinates, show stresses and strains as well as deformations, such as torsional rota-
tion.
Note:
Ansys recommends that you set the Beam Section Results property to Yes working with
beam and pipe elements. This makes sure that the actual contour values, the deformed
shape, and result animations are all using the "true" expanded beam results.
Note:
• The application always uses expanded results when displaying animations.
• Probe annotation (p. 74) labels always display expanded results.
Stress and Strain Results for Line Coating (Axisymmetric Shell)

If you scope a Line Coating to stress and strain results (p. 2129), the result displays as a colored line
only. Unlike beams, there is no visible element expansion (no visible cross section).
In addition, the Position property displays for stress and strain results scoped to a Line Coating. For
the option Top/Bottom, the application only displays Bottom results and generates an associated
Message.
Limitations
Note that line body result capabilities have certain limitations, including:
Result Outputs
• Beam strains/stresses always use the solution coordinate system, even if you specify the
global coordinate system.
Because your model may contain solid/shell elements (which support the Global Coordinate
System) as well as beams, the stress display of the entire model can contain results in different
coordinate systems. Therefore, you will experience under-defined beam stress/strain results,
that is, results that will not solve or evaluate, if you perform the following:
1. Scope a component stress/strain to any line body and;
2. Choose any coordinate system other than the global coordinate system or the solution
coordinate system.
Note:
If you have shell or solid bodies in your model, you can choose a local coordinate
system as long as you do not scope it to any line body.
• Pipes idealized using elbow elements are not supported.
• User Defined and User Integrated cross-sections are not supported.
• Do not currently perform Path interpolation on expanded beams or pipes for element-node-
based data, like stress and strain.
• Linearized stress and stress error (SERR) and equivalent strain are not supported.
19.2.9. Path Results

A Path (p. 911) is categorized as a form of construction geometry that is represented as a spatial curve.
Path results are evaluated at discrete points along this curve.
• Scoping a Path to a Result (p. 2056)
• Scoping Two Point Path Results (p. 2057)
• Scoping Edge Path Results (p. 2060)
• Understanding Interpolation and Paths (p. 2061)
Results
Scoping a Path to a Result

If you have already defined a path (p. 911), you can view the path results by highlighting the result
object, and in the Details, setting Scoping Method to Path, then choosing the name of the particular
path that you defined.
Note:
Path results are not supported for models using periodic symmetry.
In Explicit Dynamics models, the path results are not supported for geometries that
use an Eulerian reference frame.
An example path result plot is shown below.
In this example, the Number of Sampling Points for the Path object was set to 47. Results were
calculated for each of these 47 points as shown in the Graph below.
Result Outputs
Scoping Two Point Path Results

When you define a Path using two points (Two Points or X Axis Intersection options), for each point
in the Path, Mechanical selects only one body from which to calculate the results. If you scope a Path
to multiple bodies, Mechanical calculates the results from the body with the highest identifier as
defined in the CAD application. Generally, the part/body with the highest identifier is the one most
recently added. No averaging is done for a Path result across bodies, regardless if the setting of the
Average Across Bodies property.
If a Path traverses multiple surface or solid bodies and if a Path point lies on the interface between
the distinct bodies, the application only displays the body used to create the result. For example, as
illustrated here, a Path is defined by the edge between two surface bodies. Note that both bodies
are scoped. However, the result contours on the Path are only based on body A.
In the first two images, a body (A and B) is specified in the Geometry property for the result. Only
one body is displayed in the Geometry window. And, note that the stresses for Body A and Body B
differ. In the third image, the result is scoped to both bodies. The stresses displayed for this third
image match those of Body A because it has the highest identifier and therefore selected by the ap-
plication by default.
Results
Result Outputs
Results
Scoping Edge Path Results

When you define a Path using the Edge option and the Path traverses at least one line body, then
for element-nodal results, such as stress, scoped to the Path, each node in the Path collects data from
every scoped body and element that touch the node. Therefore, if a result is specified as Averaged,
all the elements touching a node contribute to the averaged value at that node. If the result is specified
as Unaveraged, all the elements touching a node contribute to the contour of the result at that node.
For a Path defined by the Edge option that does not traverse a line body, no behavior change occurs.
The results solve as they would for non-path Edge scoping.
Note:
In previous releases, edge-based Paths that traversed at least one line body allowed at
most two elements to contribute to a result at any path node.
Result Outputs
Understanding Interpolation and Paths

For a given path, Mechanical examines each element in the set of scoped bodies to determine the
set of elements which contain a point on the path. A path point may reside on a face of an element,
in the interior of an element, or in no element. The set of path points is, in essence, a set of interpol-
ation points.
Assume, for example, that you request a normal x-axis stress result on the path (that is, SX). For a
given interpolation point (x,y,z) lying on the face or residing in the interior of an element, Mechan-
ical finds the natural (or normalized) coordinates of the point within the element. Mechanical then
interpolates the corner values of SX, using the natural coordinates and shape functions, to find a
value for SX at (x,y,z).
Important:
1. If an interpolation point (x, y, z) lies on a face, edge, or a vertex that is shared by multiple
elements, the application selects one element only to be used for result calculations.
Because the application selects the element, there is no simple method to accurately
identify the element selected.
2. If the result for a path is an element-nodal unaveraged result, the results at the inter-
polation point are interpolated from the unaveraged nodal stresses of the host element
(x, y, z) only. Subsequently, the graph of the unaveraged result may not be smooth or
differentiable.
19.2.10. Result Set Listing

Once you solve a Static Structural, Transient Structural, or a thermal analysis, select the Solution object
to display the Tabular Data window. The window displays time and load step values. This is a default
feature. This data is a list of result sets. From the table, you can select a row and create certain results
for a particular Set Number. Each row in the table is associated with the Result Set option of the By
property and the value of the Set Number property for the supported result types (Total Deformation,
Equivalent Total Strain, and Equivalent Total Stress).
Results
The following example of the Tabular Data window illustrates the context menu for a structural ana-
lysis. Common selection/copy/export options are available as well as the ability to create new Total
Deformation, Equivalent Strain, and Equivalent Stress results based on an available result set. However,
these options are only available if displacement, strain, and stress data is present in the results file.
If you are performing a thermal-based analysis, a menu option is available to create Temperature
Results.
Result Outputs
The Changed Mesh portion of this display is only applicable if your analysis has specified a Nonlinear
Adaptive Region (p. 1826) condition or a SMART Crack Growth (p. 471) object. This column displays
whether the application regenerated the mesh during the solution and it displays only when mesh
regeneration takes place.
19.2.11. Surface Results

If you have already defined a surface (p. 918), you can view the surface results by first adding a
standard result or user defined result (p. 2294), and in the Details view of the result object, setting
Scoping Method to Surface, then choosing the name of the particular surface that you defined.
Note:
Surface results are not supported for models using periodic or cyclic symmetry.
The Details view for a surface result contains an additional item called Average, which can be para-
metrized.
For example, average stress over the surface is given by:
{ ∫ Stress(X, Y, Z) dAREA} / {TOTAL_AREA}
For some results, the Details view will also contain a Total quantity, such as Total Force, which also
can be parametrized.
The Total quantities are presented in the following table. Currently, if you desire a Total quantity for
Heat Flux, Magnetic Flux Density, Current Density, or Electric Flux Density, you must choose a
vector user defined result. Total Force (as integrated from principal stress vectors) is available to both
standard and user defined results.
Identifier Result Surface Integral

TFVECTORS Heat Flux Heat Rate
BVECTORS Magnetic Flux Density Magnetic Flux
DVECTORS Electric Flux Density Charge
JTVECTORS, JCVECTORS Current Density Current
Results
SVECTORS (also see Vector Stress Tensor Force

Principals (p. 2133))
Interpolation of Data on a Surface

For a given surface (such as the intersection of a cutting plane and a finite element mesh), Mechan-
ical examines each element in the set of scoped bodies to determine if any element edge was inter-
sected by the surface. A surface may intersect multiple edges of a finite element, so Mechanical
maintains a list of all (x,y,z) points and all element IDs from the edge intersections. This set of in-
tersection points is, in essence, a set of interpolation points.
For example, you request a normal x-axis stress result on the surface (that is, SX). For a given inter-
polation point (x,y,z) lying on an edge of an element, Mechanical finds the natural (or normalized)
coordinates of the point within the element. Mechanical then interpolates the corner values of SX,
using the natural coordinates and shape functions, to find a value for SX at (x,y,z).
Force and Moment Reactions

For a pre-defined surface, a surface probe enables you to study reactions on cutting planes. You can
extract generated member forces and reactions through a model by using a reaction probe scoped
to a surface.
For this probe type, you must explicitly select the bodies to be sliced. You cannot apply this to "all
bodies." You then specify for the Extraction detail whether you want to study nodes in front or behind
the plane. The probe will only operate on elements cut by the plane (and only nodes on those elements
which are on the selected side of the plane). Note that the surface probe will display nodal forces for
all nodes that are involved in the reaction calculation.
Result Outputs
Surface Displays and Fracture

Mechanical analyzes for duplicates the sets of (x,y,z) for the facets in a surface construction object
and compresses it by discarding all duplicate (x,y,z) sets. Mechanical employs compression to reduce
the size of the data cache and to improve performance.
For each remaining (x,y,z) in the surface, Mechanical derives via interpolation the results (like displace-
ments and stresses) from precisely one element. That is, even if an (x,y,z) resides in many elements,
Mechanical only fetches the displacements from one element.
Hence, interpolated displacements at the (x,y,z) may currently fail to demonstrate the proper deform-
ation of a crack.
19.2.12. Solution Summary Worksheet

Once your solution is complete, you can display the Solution Quantities and Result Summary page
of the Worksheet (p. 186) by either selecting the Worksheet button on the Home (p. 42) tab or by
right-clicking on the Solution object and selecting the option Worksheet: Result Summary.
As illustrated in the images below, the Worksheet Solution Quantities and Result Summary provides
the following options at the top of the page:
Results
Available Solution Quantities
This option provides a list of the User Defined Results available in the result file. See the
Application (p. 2296) section of the User Defined Results (p. 2294) section of the Help for the
steps to use the Worksheet content available for this option.
Material and Element Type Information
This option displays a summary of all the Material and Element Type data present on the
results file. You can use this data as a scoping option (p. 2105) for new result calculations. See
the Result File Item Worksheet Features (p. 2069) topic below for the features available for this
Worksheet selection.
Result Outputs
Important:
If your analysis includes a Condensed Part and a result is using the Result File
Item option for the Scoping Method, Material IDs and Element Name IDs are
not available for the Material and Element Type Information selection on the
Solution Quantities and Result Summary page.
Solver Component Names
This option lists the Mechanical APDL Solver components present on the results file. These
components are 1) node- or element-based groupings, 2) node- and element-based Name
Selections that were written to the result file from Mechanical, or 3) components that the
solver needed to generate in order to properly solve the analysis. Solver generated compon-
ents typically contain an underscore (i.e. "_") at the beginning of the Component Name. You
can use these components a scoping option (p. 2105) for new result calculations. See the Result
File Item Worksheet Features (p. 2069) topic below for the features available for this Worksheet
selection.
Results
Result Summary
This option provides a tabular display of the minimum and maximum values of the available
results, the associated unit of measure, and time step values.
Result Summary Features

For the results displayed by the Result Summary option, each table entry provides the right-click
option, Go To Selected Items In Tree, to select and then graphically display the corresponding result
object.
If a result is included in the tree but not yet evaluated, indicated by a yellow thunder bolt icon, the
Worksheet displays a value of zero (note table entries above).
Result types supported by this feature include:
Result Outputs
• Normal Contour/Vector type results such as Stress, Temperature, and Deformation.
• User Defined Results.
• Force and Moment Reaction Probes.
• Joint Probes reporting Force or Moment.
• Spring Probes.
• Bolt Pretension Probes.
Result File Item Worksheet Features

As described below, the Worksheet for the Material and Element Type Information and Solver
Component Names options offers a number of use features.
Collapsing Consecutive IDs
The Collapse Consecutive IDs option is available for the Material and Element Type Information
Worksheet display. As highlighted, this option organizes like materials and/or elements into sin-
gular rows in the table as opposed to creating a lengthy table list that repeats the same ID inform-
ation. This option is active by default. Note that Element Type IDs do have a consecutive range
of values and that this option displays this range when collapsed.
Results
Contextual Menu Options
You can right-click on a table listing to display options that enable you to automatically create a
result. Based on your analysis type, the options include Create Total Deformation Result, Create
Equivalent Stress Result, and Create User Defined Result (p. 2296) for structural analyses and
Create Temperature Result and Create User Defined Result (p. 2296) for thermal analyses.
Important:
If you are performing a Fracture analyses (p. 410) that includes a crack (p. 427), the ap-
plication automatically generates three Named Selections for the top and bottom face
nodes as well as for the crack front nodes (if the Crack Faces Nodes property is set
to On). The application displays these Named Selections in the Solver Component
Names summary, as shown above (CRACKT_SUR_01, CRACKT_SUR_02, and CRACKT).
The right-click options for these three table cells produce results that display contour
colors at the scoped nodes only (as defined by the Named Selections). The remainder
of the part displays as grey and translucent, as illustrated in the following example.
Result Outputs
The contextual menu also includes the option Plot Selection. This option displays the elements
or nodes on your model that are associated with the data (row or rows) selected in the Worksheet.
In order to see these associated nodes and/or elements, you need to move the Worksheet so
that you can also see the Geometry window. Refer to the Moving and Docking topic in the Win-
dows Management (p. 160) section.
Note:
Double-clicking a single Worksheet row also plots the node selections for that
row. This feature only works for a singular selection.
Previous and Next Selections
For the Materials and Element Type Information and the Solver Component Names selections,
when your Worksheet includes more than 200 rows of data, the table provides First/Previous
and Next/Last (double-click) options, as illustrated below. These options display at the end of
Results
the table as well as at the beginning of the table (once you have advanced to a new page). They
enable you to page through the data and/or jump to the beginning and the end of the Worksheet.
19.2.13. Vector Plots

Certain result items can be displayed using vectors such as the vector principal stresses or vector
principal strain results. Similarly total deformation, total velocity and total acceleration can also be
displayed using vectors. Using the Graphics button, you can display results as vectors with various
options for controlling the display. See the Vector Display (p. 77) section for more information.
19.3. Result Definitions

The following topics related to result definitions are covered in this section.
19.3.1. Applying Results Based on Geometry
19.3.2. Specifying Result Coordinate Systems
19.3.3. Applying Decibel (dB) Weighting Filters
19.3.4. Defining Result Identifiers
19.3.5. Understanding the Material Properties Used in Postprocessing
19.3.6. Clearing Result Data
19.3.7. Understanding Averaged and Unaveraged Contour Results
19.3.8. Working with Multiple Result Sets
19.3.9. Displaying Surface Body Results (including Layered Shell Results)
19.3.10. Reviewing Unconverged Results
19.3.11. Handling of Degenerate Elements
19.3.12. Understanding Result Data Display Issues
Important:
Note the following application result calculations applicable to Coordinate System selection.
Quantities such as Equivalent Stress (SEQV) and Thermal Flux Sum (TFSUM) are derived from
entities like tensors and vectors.
If the tensors or vectors are in the Solution Coordinate System and if the elemental coordinate
systems vary from element to element (that is, shell model), then the process of averaging
can affect Equivalent Stress values, as well as the values of other derived quantities.
Result Definitions
Therefore, if you specify the Solution Coordinate System option for the Coordinate System
property, you cannot expect the averaged SEQV solution to be the same as when you specify
the Global Coordinate System option for the Coordinate System property.
Furthermore, for results that can display unaveraged contour results, if you specify Unaveraged
for the Display Option property, the SEQV solution for Solution Coordinate System is the
same as the solution for Global Coordinate System setting.
19.3.1. Applying Results Based on Geometry

The results available for your analysis may depend on the selected geometry type (Solid, Surface, or
Line). The tables below describe how to match geometry and result types (available on the Solution
Context (p. 65) tab).
• Static Structural Analysis (p. 2073)
• Transient Analysis (p. 2074)
• Modal and Eigenvalue Buckling Analyses (p. 2075)
• Random Vibration Analysis (p. 2075)
• Response Spectrum Analysis (p. 2076)
• Steady-State Thermal and Transient Thermal Analyses (p. 2077)
• Harmonic Response Analysis (Deformation, Strain, Stress) (p. 2077)
• Harmonic Response Analysis (Frequency Response, Phase Response, User Defined Result) (p. 2078)

Solution Tab Options
Geometry Deforma- Strain Stress Toolbox User Defined Result
tion (p. 2122) (p. 2129) (p. 2129) (p. 2294)
Solid Body Total, Direc- All choices All choices Stress Yes
tional (p. 2162), Fa-
tigue
(p. 2283), Con-
tact
(p. 2184)[a]
Surface Body Total, Direc- All choices All choices Stress (p. 2162), Yes
tional Fa-
tigue (p. 2283),
Results
Con-
tact (p. 2184)[a]
Line Body: Total, Direc- All choices, All Con- Yes
Beam (p. 900) tional except applicable tact (p. 2184)
[a]
Equivalent choices, ,
(von-Mises), except Error Beam (p. 2192)
Equivalent
Plastic,
Equivalent
Creep,
Equivalent
Total
Line Body: Total, Direc- None None Con- Yes
Pipe tional tact (p. 2184)
[a]
,
Beam (p. 2192)
[a] Contact results are not reported and are not applicable to the edges, MPC Contact, or the
Target side of asymmetric contact.
Transient Analysis
tion (p. 2122) (p. 2129) (p. 2129) (p. 2294)
Solid Body All choices All choices All choices Stress (p. 2162), Yes
Fa-
tigue (p. 2283),
Con-
tact (p. 2184)
[a]
Surface All choices All choices All choices Stress Yes

Body (p. 2162), Fa-
tigue
(p. 2283),
Contact
(p. 2184)
Line Body: All All choices, All Con- Yes
Beam (p. 900) except applicable tact (p. 2184)
[a]
Equivalent choices, ,
(von-Mises), except Error Beam (p. 2192)
Equivalent
Plastic,
Equivalent
Creep,
Equivalent
Total
Result Definitions
Line Body: All None None Con- Yes

Pipe tact (p. 2184)
[a]
,
Beam (p. 2192)
[a] Contact results are not reported and are not applicable to the edges, MPC Contact, or the
Target side of asymmetric contact.
Modal and Eigenvalue Buckling Analyses

tion (p. 2122) (p. 2129) (p. 2129) (p. 2294)
Solid Body Total, Direc- All All choices None Yes
tional applicable
choices,
except En-
ergy
Surface Total, Direc- All All choices None Yes
Body tional applicable
choices,
except En-
ergy
Line Body: Total, Direc- All choices, All None Yes
Beam (p. 900) tional except applicable
Equivalent choices,
(von-Mises), except Error
Equivalent
Plastic,
Equivalent
Creep,
Equivalent
Total
Line Body: Total, Direc- None None None Yes
Pipe tional
Random Vibration Analysis

tion (p. 2122) (p. 2129) (p. 2129) (p. 2294)
Solid Body Directional, Normal, Equivalent None No
Directional Shear (von-Mises),
Velocity, Normal,
Directional Shear
Acceleration
Surface Body Directional, Normal, Equivalent None No
Directional Shear (von-Mises),
Results
Velocity, Normal,
Directional Shear
Acceleration
Line Body: Directional, Normal, Equivalent None No
Beam (p. 900) Directional Shear (von-Mises),
Velocity, Normal,
Directional Shear, Mem-
Acceleration brane
Stress,
Bending
Stress
Line Body: Directional, None None None No
Pipe Directional
Velocity,
Directional
Acceleration
Response Spectrum Analysis

tion (p. 2122) (p. 2129) (p. 2129) (p. 2294)
Solid Body Total, Direc- Normal, Equivalent None No
tional, Direc- Shear (von-Mises),
tional Velo- Normal,
city, Direc- Shear
tional Accel-
eration
Surface Body Total, Direc- Normal, Equivalent None No
tional, Direc- Shear (von-Mises),
city, Direc- Shear
tional Accel-
eration
Line Body: Total, Direc- Normal, Equivalent None No
Beam (p. 900) tional, Direc- Shear (von-Mises),
city, Direc- Shear, Mem-
tional Accel- brane
eration Stress,
Bending
Stress
Line Body: Total, Direc- None None None No
Pipe tional, Direc-
tional Velo-
city, Direc-
tional Accel-
eration
Result Definitions
Steady-State Thermal and Transient Thermal Analyses

Geometry
Thermal (p. 2254) User Defined Result (p. 2294)
Solid Body Temperature, Total Heat Flux, Yes
Directional Heat Flux, Error
Surface Body Temperature, Total Heat Flux, Yes
Directional Heat Flux, Error
Line Body: Beam (p. 900) Temperature (p. 2255) Yes
Line Body: Thermal Flow All choices No
Geometry
Electromagnetic (p. 2259) User Defined Result (p. 2294)
[a]
Solid Body All choices Yes
Surface Body Not Applicable Yes
Line Body None Yes
[a] Electric Potential can only be scoped to conductor bodies.
Electric Analysis
Geometry
Electric (p. 2264) User Defined Result (p. 2294)
Solid Body All choices Yes
Surface Body Yes Yes
Line Body Yes Yes
Harmonic Response Analysis (Deformation, Strain, Stress)

Geometry
Deformation (p. 2122) Strain (p. 2129) Stress (p. 2129)
[a]
Solid Body All choices All choices, except Energy, All choices
Thermal, Equivalent
Plastic
Surface Body All choices[a] All choices, except Energy, All choices
Thermal, Equivalent
Plastic
Line Body: Beam All choices All choices, except All choices
Equivalent (von-Mises),
Energy, Thermal,
Equivalent Plastic,
Results
Equivalent Creep,
Equivalent Total
Line Body: Pipe All choices None None
[a] See the Harmonic Analysis (p. 502) section for more information.
Harmonic Response Analysis (Frequency Response, Phase Response, User Defined

Result)
[a]
Geometry Frequency Response Phase Response[a] User Defined
Result (p. 2294)
Solid Body All choices All choices Yes
Surface Body All choices All choices Yes
Line Body All choices All choices Yes
[a] See the Harmonic Analysis (p. 502) section for more information.
19.3.2. Specifying Result Coordinate Systems

The application, by default, creates a global coordinate system for your model when it is imported.
A variety of environmental objects use the Global Coordinate System option during the analysis.
A Coordinate System property is available for results that change with respect to a coordinate system,
such as Normal Stress. For the applicable result types, the Coordinate System property provides a
drop-down list of available coordinate system options, which include:
• Global Coordinate System (default setting)
• User-defined local coordinate systems (p. 1096)
• Solution Coordinate System (p. 2079)
The Global Coordinate System setting is the default setting. However, you can create local coordinate
systems (p. 1096) and apply them to individual result objects. Also, the Solution Coordinate System
(p. 2079) option is available for circumstances such as examining surface and line bodies that align
themselves on a per element basis. Note, in some scenarios, result contours in the Solution Coordinate
System can appear to be a random collection of colors.
Note:
• If a given result experiences any change in position due to the loading conditions, such
as a displacement or deformation, the Geometry window always displays this position
change in the Global Coordinate System (per global XYZ coordinate triad). If you have
specified a local coordinate system for your result, the application exposes all data
contained in the Details view as well as the Tabular Data window based the local co-
ordinate system entry. Furthermore, if applicable, the application always displays result
contour colors in the Geometry window based on a specified local coordinate system.
Result Definitions
• The Mechanical APDL solver treats a "cylindrical" coordinate system as a set of Cartesian
coordinate systems aligned with the specified cylindrical system at each point in the
model. See the Additional POST1 Postprocessing section in the Mechanical APDL Basic
Analysis Guide for additional technical information.
• For Probes, the Orientation property specifies coordinate systems.
19.3.2.1. Solution Coordinate System

Solution Coordinate System is an option of the Coordinate System property in the Details view
for most result objects. If you are familiar with the Mechanical APDL application commands, Solution
Coordinate System is an implementation of the RSYS,SOLU command, where for element results,
such as stress, a coordinate system is produced for each element. If these individual element co-
ordinate systems are aligned randomly, you can re-align them to a local coordinate system to obtain
a uniform alignment. Viewing results in the element solution coordinate system has value since
results in a local coordinate system aligned with a certain shell direction are typically more mean-
ingful than results in a global coordinate system. For example, seeing bending and in-plane stresses
have meaning in a local coordinate system, but have no meaning in a global coordinate system.
See the Additional POST1 Postprocessing section in the Mechanical APDL Basic Analysis Guide for
Important:
For Beam and Pipe elements:
• The following stress and strain component results are displayed in the element
coordinate system:
– Normal X, Y, and Z
– Shear XY, YZ, and XZ
• When a Line Body (p. 900) is specified as a beam/pipe that includes cross sections
(SECDATA), beam strains/stresses always use the Solution Coordinate System,
even if you specify the global coordinate system. To calculate beam strains/stresses,
you need to set the Beam Section Results property of the Solution object to
Yes.
Application
The following are typical applications for viewing results in a solution coordinate system:
• Viewing results in a particular direction for surface bodies or "solid shell" bodies, that is, solids
meshed with the Solid Shell element option (see the Meshing Help: Sweep description in the
Method Control section).
• Viewing results in a random vibration, spectrum, or surface bodies in an explicit dynamics analysis.
Results for these analysis types only have meaning in a solution coordinate system.
Results
Background
The meshing of surface bodies and solid shell bodies result in coordinate systems whose alignment
is on a per element basis, in contrast to solid body element types whose coordinate systems are
aligned with the global coordinate system by default. Surface body alignment on a per element
basis can lead to results with totally random alignment directions as shown below.
To produce meaningful results for surface body and solid shell bodies, you can re-align the random
direction of each element's solution coordinate systems to a uniform direction of a local coordinate
system. An example is shown below.
Procedure
To correct for random coordinate system alignments in surface bodies and solid shell bodies, and
to ensure a consistent alignment:
1. For each part, create a local coordinate system (p. 1095) to specify the alignment of the elements
of the part.
Result Definitions
2. Choose the Solution Coordinate System option for the result.
Note:
• The Coordinate System setting for result objects in a random vibration or spectrum
analysis is set to Solution Coordinate System by default and cannot be changed
because the results only have meaning when viewed in the solution coordinate system.
• In Explicit Dynamics analyses, the solution coordinate system only has meaning for
results on surface bodies. For results with the Solution Coordinate System selected,
all bodies scoped to the result with body types other than shell bodies will have the
results displayed in the global coordinate system.
• The solution coordinate system is only supported for beam elements in LS-DYNA
analyses for results.
19.3.3. Applying Decibel (dB) Weighting Filters

For Harmonic Response analyses, the application enables you to specify A-, B-, and C-frequency-
weighting for the Equivalent Radiated Power Level (p. 2150) (ERPL) and Equivalent Level Waterfall Dia-
gram (p. 2242) result options.
Application
For the supported results, set the dB Weighting property to either A, B, or C to produce results in
decibels in order to calculate results perceptible to human hearing.
Weighting Calculations
Weightings are calculates as shown below.
A-Weighting
B-Weighting
C-Weighting
Results
19.3.4. Defining Result Identifiers

Using the Identifier property, you can assign a unique name to a result.
Requirements
Note the rules for creating an identifier. An Identifier entry:
• Can begin with a letter or an underscore character.
• Can contain any number of letters, digits, or underscores.
• Is not case sensitive, however, functions (p. 2302) should always use lowercase (sqrt, max, min, etc.).
• Is not affected by the order in which they are entered. For example, for Identifiers A and B, the
expression for:
– Result 1 can equal: B = 2*A, and:
– Result 2 can equal: A = UX
Ansys recommends that you use the proper order and try to define dependents first. For example,
define A, B, C and then D = A^2+B^2+C^2
• Cyclic dependencies are blocked, such as the following:
– Result 1: A = UX + C
Result Definitions
– Result 2: C = 2 * A - 1
• Correspond to an array over all nodes (or all elements):
– Length = number of nodes (or elements)
– Width = 1, 3, or 6 columns
Combining with Expressions

You can use a previously specified user-defined result to create a new user-defined result by including
its Identifier in an Expression if both the previously specified and the new user-defined result are
scoped to the same geometry. When you include an Identifier in an Expression, settings in the
previously specified user-defined result (parent) can cause property settings in the new user-defined
result (child) to be ignored. For example, if you scope the parent result to shell elements and the
Position property is set to Top/Bottom, the application evaluates the child object using the
Top/Bottom setting regardless of the Position property setting of the child result.
Note:
Ansys recommends that when you assign an identifier to the expression, that you rename
the object with the same name/identifier.
Evaluated Results and Downstream Processing

You can edit the Identifier property for an evaluated result. Doing so affects any downstream results
that use the Identifier as part of their Expression. The application will automatically clear these results
and mark them Obsolete.
Note:
The application includes a preference that will attempt to automatically update

downstream Expression fields that include revised Identifiers. In the preference dialog,
under the Results category, set the Update Dependent Expressions on Identifier
Change to Yes. The default is No.
Important:
Be careful when using this preference. Automatically replacing expressions may cause
failures or result in inadvertent errors.
Limitations of the Identifier Property

There are several problematic scenarios that can arise when you use the Identifier property for an
existing result to create a new result. For each scenario, changing an item in the Details of the new
result causes the new result to be unreliable.
For example, the Display Time of a result is only relevant when the expression consists of built-in
identifiers. Unlike user-defined identifiers, built-in identifiers retain their time dependence through
Results
the evaluation of the expression. To reveal the built-in identifiers for a given solver, examine the
Worksheet view on the Solution folder.
Note:
Mechanical may not necessarily issue a warning or error message for these situations.
For example, what if the Identifier of the original result is "Original". Further, suppose that the Ex-
pression of the new result is "2 * Original". Consider the following:
• Different choices of By Time or By Result Set
• Different choices of the value of Display Time or Set
• Different choices of Coordinate System
• Different choices of Yes/No for Calculate Time History
• Different choices for Use Average
19.3.5. Understanding the Material Properties Used in Postprocessing

The material properties listed below are used in postprocessing calculations to produce the displays
of probe and contour results. For reference, the corresponding labels (Lab argument) for the MP
command in Mechanical APDL are included in parentheses.
• Elasticity modulus (EX, EY, EZ)
• Shear modulus (GXY, GYZ, GXZ)
• Poisson's ratio (NUXY, NUYZ, NUXZ)
• Thermal conductivities (KXX, KYY, KZZ)
• Magnetic permeability (MURX, MURY, MURZ)
The following results, together with their identifiers (see User Defined Results (p. 2294)), are directly
affected by the material property values:
• Equivalent Strain (p. 2130) - uses only NUXY Poisson's ratio
1. Plastic (EPPL) and Creep (EPCR) strain always use NUXY = 0.5.
2. Elastic (EPEL), Thermal (EPTH) and Total (EPTO) default to 0.0.
• Structural Error (p. 2133) - uses elasticity modulus, shear modulus and Poisson's ratio.
• Thermal Error (p. 2256) - uses thermal conductivities
• Magnetic Error (p. 2263) - uses magnetic permeability
An error message is generated if an associated material property is not defined when evaluating
Structural, Thermal or Magnetic Error result.
Result Definitions
If Poisson's ratio is not defined when evaluating Equivalent Strain, the Poisson's ratio will assume a
zero value.
Other results affected by material property values include Stress Tool (p. 2162) and Fatigue Tool (p. 2267)
results.
Note:
If a material property is temperature dependent, it is evaluated at the reference temperature

of the body to be used in the computation for the result.
19.3.6. Clearing Result Data

You can clear results and meshing data from the database using the Clear Generated Data option
from the File tab, or using the right-click (context) menu option. This reduces the size of the database
file, which can be useful for archiving.
To clear all results data, simply select the Solution object and choose the Clear Generated Data
menu item from the File tab or from a right-mouse click menu. You can clear individual results by
selecting a result object before choosing the Clear Generated Data option.
Important:
• A geometry or mesh change clears all results data.
• The application clears the solution and the results if the mesh becomes obsolete. See
Clearing Generated Data in the Meshing User's Guide.
19.3.7. Understanding Averaged and Unaveraged Contour Results

• Display Option (p. 2087)
• Average Across Bodies: Using the Feature (p. 2088)
• Averaging Element Nodal Results (p. 2089)
• Corner Node Calculation Examples (p. 2090)
Overview
Normally, contour results in the Mechanical application are displayed as averaged results. Some results
can also display as unaveraged contours. Averaged contours distribute the average elemental nodal
results across element and geometric discontinuities. A user option exists that allows you to control
Results
whether results are also averaged across body boundaries that contain a conformal mesh. The default
setting does not calculate an average across bodies.
Using the Mechanical APDL application terminology, unaveraged contour results display as element
nodal contours that vary discontinuously even across element boundaries. These contours are determ-
ined by linear interpolation within each element and are unaffected by surrounding elements (that
is, no nodal averaging is performed). The discontinuity between contours of adjacent elements is an
indication of the gradient across elements.
Results that include the unaveraged contour display option are elemental-nodal quantities such as
stress or strain. This option is not available for degree of freedom results such as displacements.
Nodal averaging of element quantities involves direct averaging of values at corner nodes. For higher-
order elements, midside node results are then taken as the average of the corner nodes.
In Mechanical, there are two distinct techniques for calculating averaged principal nodal results. The
calculation for the first technique is as follows (using stress as the result in question):
1. Average the component (X, Y, Z, XY, YZ, XZ) stress values from the elements at a common node.
2. Calculate the principal stresses from the averaged component values
The calculation for the second technique is as follows:
1. Calculate the principal stress values (from the six component strains) on a per element basis.
2. Average these values from the elements at a common node.
For principal tensor results excluding equivalent strain, the first technique is normally used to calculate
the results. For equivalent stress, stress/strain intensity, max shear stress/strain, and principal
stresses/strains, the first technique is used to calculate the results. For equivalent strains, which are
calculated by the Mechanical APDL solver, the second technique is used. For random vibration ana-
lysis, equivalent stresses are calculated by the Mechanical APDL solver using the Segalman method,
so the second technique is also used. See the Average Across Bodies: Using the Feature (p. 2088) topic
below for additional discussions. Also see the AVPRIN command in the Mechanical APDL Commands
Reference.
Note:
If an elemental result is scoped to a surface body, then there may be two sets of results
at each node (Top and Bottom) and sometimes a third set of results (Middle). At release
12.0, if the solver writes Middle results to the result file, then Mechanical displays these
results if the Shell Face setting in the Details view equals Middle (Membrane). If the
solver did not write Middle results to the result file, then Mechanical displays the average
of Top and Bottom if the Shell Face setting in the Details View is Middle (Membrane).
For a given node on the shell, the application will average Top results, separately average
Bottom results, and separately average Middle results. When you export a result in the
application that is set to Top/Bottom, you may note that a node number is repeated in
the Excel file. This is because both the Top and Bottom stresses are listed.
Result Definitions
Beginning at Release 16.0, Mechanical supports the Top/Bottom/Middle positions for

layered solid bodies. Therefore, layered solid elements mimic expanded shell elements,
which display as having a thickness between the Top face and Bottom face.
Display Option
The Display Option property enables you to display contour results as:
• Unaveraged: Displays unaveraged results.
• Averaged (default): Displays averaged results.
• Nodal Difference: Computes the maximum difference between the unaveraged computed result
(for example, total heat flux, equivalent stress) for all elements that share a particular node.
• Nodal Fraction: Computes the ratio of the nodal difference and the nodal average.
• Elemental Difference: Computes the maximum difference between the unaveraged computed
result (for example, total heat flux, equivalent stress) for all nodes in an element, including midside
nodes.
• Elemental Fraction: Computes the ratio of the elemental difference and the elemental average.
• Elemental Mean: Computes the elemental average from the averaged component results.
Caution:
Although you can select the above options, certain result types do not support them.
For example, the application will generate a Warning if you specify Nodal Difference
or Nodal Fraction for elemental results, such as Volume, and the result will not be
evaluated. This is also true if you select Elemental Difference, Elemental Fraction, and
Elemental Mean for nodal results, such as displacement.
Note:
For result displays on shells, when the Display Option property is set to Elemental
Mean and the Position property is set to Top/Bottom, the mean value will include
values from both the top and bottom of the shell. You can view the Elemental Mean
for either the top or bottom of the shell by using the Position property setting Top or
Bottom.
Characteristics of unaveraged contour displays:
• Because of the added data involved in the processing of unaveraged contour results, these results
take a longer time to display than averaged results.
• Occasionally, unaveraged contour result displays tend to resemble a checkerboard pattern.
• Capped Isosurface displays can have missing facets.
Results
Average Across Bodies: Using the Feature

When you select Averaged as the Display Option, the Average Across Bodies property displays in
the Integration Point Results category. Setting this property to Yes (the default value is No) enables
you to average the result across the separate bodies on your model. This post-processing feature is
supported for most averaged element nodal contour results (like stress, strain, and thermal flux).
For example, for a node shared between two bodies, the average stress contributed to it by each
body is typically different. Using the Average Across Bodies feature, the average stress value for this
node will be the average of the stress values from all "scoped" elements (elements that contain this
node) from both bodies. This enables you to display a smoother result contour at the interface of the
bodies that share a node. If bodies do not share nodes, then the feature has no effect.
Calculation Condition Notes
Note the following requirements for averaging results across bodies.
• A principal value is averaged when Mechanical averages results across bodies for principal and
vector sums. Calculated results, such as the types listed below, are averaged according to the fol-
lowing definitions:
1) Tensor or vector components (corresponding to X,Y,Z,YZ,YZ,XZ) at the node in question

are averaged within each body connected to that node, and,
2) A principal value, such as S1 or SEQV or TFSUM, is calculated at the node in question
for each body connected to that node, and,
3) A weighted average is calculated from these principal values. This is different than the
usual method (except for Equivalent Strain) where components are averaged and then the
principal value is computed.
Example Averaged Result Types
– Principal Stresses (1, 2, 3) – Strain Intensity (INT)
– Stress Intensity (INT) – Equivalent Strain (EQV)
– Equivalent Stress (EQV) – Total Thermal Flux
– Principal Strains (1, 2, 3)
The following result illustrations illustrate the outcomes between not performing an average calcu-
lation, performing an average calculation that is not across bodies, and performing an average
calculation that is across bodies.
Result Definitions
No Averaging No Averaging Across Averaging Across

Bodies Bodies
• If the associated bodies have different material properties, such as Poisson's ratios, then, because
this feature averages quantities like equivalent elastic strain at common nodes, you may see unex-
pected results at the interfaces. The Poisson Ratio employed to calculate elastic equivalent in one
body may be significantly different from the Poisson Ratio employed to calculate elastic equivalent
in a different body. Therefore, in this scenario, averaging across bodies at the interface is not re-
commended.
• If you choose to compare this feature against Mechanical APDL PowerGraphics with AVRES,1,FULL
in effect, PowerGraphics employs the effective Poisson's ratio in the AVPRIN,KEY,EFFNU command.
The EFFNU value may not match the Poisson's ratios in all bodies. PowerGraphics also calculates
equivalent strain from the average component strains if KEY (in the AVPRIN command) is set to
ZERO. As a result, there may be differences between this feature and PowerGraphics when the
AVRES,1,FULL command is employed.
Support Limitations
The following results features are not supported:
• Probe results
• Results in cyclic symmetry analyses
• Results on line bodies
Body Type Calculations
If the scoping of your result includes both solid and surface bodies, the application will average across
the solid body first and then performs a separate averaging across the surface body. These results
are averaged separately because surface body elements element includes bottom and top results for
each node on the top/bottom surface. The solid body element has only one result at a node (as there
is no bottom/top).
Averaging Element Nodal Results

For most element nodal results (like stresses and strains), the Mechanical solvers write only the un-
averaged corner node values to the result file. No element nodal results are written for mid-side
nodes. This difference is of critical importance.
To derive the value at a mid-side node, the Mechanical post processor must employ the values at the
corner nodes. There are three distinct techniques for this process:
Results
1. For line elements, such as unexpanded beam and pipe stress, Mechanical calculates the average
of the unaveraged values of those corner nodes which share an edge with the mid-side
node - corner nodes, node I and node J. See Case 1 below.
2. For solid elements (i.e. shell, hexahedron, tetrahedron, wedge, and pyramid elements), the
technique calculates the mid-side node results from the averaged corner nodes. See Case
2 below.
3. For contact elements, the technique calculates the mid-side node results by averaging the
un-averaged values of adjacent corner nodes. Note: A result max may be at a mid-side node.
See Case 3 below.
Corner Node Calculation Case 1

Consider the following example consisting solely of high order line elements, where:
• Element 1 contains nodes 1, 2, and 12.
• Nodes 12, 23, and 34 are mid-side nodes.
If:
• The element nodal solution for element 1 is 0.0 and 0.0 for nodes 1 and 2.
• The element nodal solution for element 2 is 100 and 80 for nodes 2 and 3.
• The element nodal solution for element 3 is 3 and 0.0 for nodes 3 and 4.
The unaveraged solution is then:
• The value at node 12 is the average of the values at the associated element's end points,
namely 0.0.
namely 90.
namely 1.5.
Result Definitions
For the averaged solution of nodes 2 and 3:
• The value at node 2 is 50.
• The value at node 3 is 41.5.
Note that the value at the mid-side node 23 (90) exceeds the values at the end points.

Result averaging for solids: mid-side node results are the average of the averaged corner node values.
Raw Data Averaged Corner Nodes
Mid-Side Nodes Calculated from Averaged Corner Nodes
Results

Result averaging for contacts: calculate the final mid-side node results by averaging intermediate
mid-side values.
Raw Data Averaged Corner Nodes
Mid-Side Nodes Calculated from Averaged Corner Nodes
Result Definitions
Note:
Result maximum in this case may be at a mid-side node.
19.3.8. Working with Multiple Result Sets

Many analyses produce multiple result sets over a domain, such as time in a static or transient struc-
tural analysis, or frequency/phase in a harmonic analysis, or cyclic phase in a cyclic modal analysis.
The By property options enable you to specify how you wish to review result contours from multiple
result sets. The options available to you depend on the type of analysis being performed.
Structural Analysis
• Time (default): This option displays the results for a particular Time in the solution
history. By default, this is the end time. For a solution that includes steps and substeps,
you can use the Display Time property to specify a desired time value.
If you specify a time that lies between two times that exist in the result file, the applic-
ation interpolates the results, except in these cases:
– For non-fracture tool results in an additive manufacturing analysis (with

birth/death), the set with time closest to the specified time is used.
– For non-fracture tool results in a changing mesh environment, if the mesh in

the set before the specified time differs from the mesh in the set after the
specified time, the set with time closest to the specified time is used.
– For fracture tool results when there are no mesh changes between the earlier
and later times and there is no additive manufacturing, the set before the
specified time is used.
Results
– For fracture tool results when there are either mesh changes between the
earlier and later times or there is additive manufacturing, the set with time
closest to the specified time is used.
• Result Set: This option displays the contour result for a given Result Set contained
in the result file. By default, this value is the last set, which is to say, if only one set is
available, then that is the specified Result Set. For a solution that includes load steps
and substeps, you specify the desired chronological set number using the Set Number
property. You must enter a valid set number.
• Maximum Over Time or Time of Maximum: Each node/element/sample point is

swept through the result sets to find its maximum result. Either the result itself is re-
ported (sometimes referred to as a "peak hold") or the time at which the peak occurred
is reported.
• Minimum Over Time or Time of Minimum: Each node/element/sample point is swept

through the result sets to find its minimum result. Either the result itself is reported
or the time at which the minimum occurred is reported.
Harmonic Analysis
• Frequency (default): This option displays the contour result for a Frequency in the
solution history. By default, this is the final frequency value. For a solution that includes
steps and substeps, you can use the Frequency property to specify a desired value.
Like Time, if you enter a frequency that is not equal to an existing value in the result
file, the application interpolates the result.
Note:
The application does not attempt to interpolate result values when (1) your
Harmonic Response analysis is using the Mode Superposition method or
(2) the Multiple Steps property of the Analysis Settings is set to Yes. For
these cases, the application selects the closest frequency value available
in the result history of the file.
• Set: results display for specified sets.
• Maximum Over Frequency or Frequency of Maximum: With these options chosen,

the phase specified in the Sweeping Phase property is held constant and each
node/element/sample point is swept through frequency range to find its maximum
result.
• Maximum Over Phase or Phase of Maximum: With these options chosen, frequency
is held constant and each node/element/sample point is swept through a phase
period of 0° to 360° at specified increments to find its maximum result. You can control
the increment using the Phase Increment entry.
Result Definitions
• Maximum Over Cyclic Phase or Cyclic Phase of Maximum: Each node/ele-

ment/sample point is swept through a phase angle of 0° to 360° in 10 degree incre-
ments find its maximum result.
Note:
Maximum Over Cyclic Phase and Cyclic Phase of Maximum require that
you specify the Harmonic Index property as greater than zero.
Harmonic Analysis and Calculating Derived Results
A Harmonic analysis result can be expressed using the following complex notation:
For the Harmonic analysis By property options above, the application calculates
derived results. Derived results are calculated from component results. The above
notation is the basis for each component result whose values are then combined to
create a derived result.
In addition, Phase must also be considered. The phase computation is applied on

each component before the derived result is calculated. The application derives
phase:
• Explicitly as specified by the Sweeping Phase property, or:
• Implicitly as defined by the Phase Increment property (using the phase

period of 0° to 360° at the specified increment).
For example, Equivalent (von-Mises) Stress, σeqv, is a derived result because it is

evaluated from the stress components σxx, σyy, σzz, σxy, σyz, and σzx, from different
directions, respectively. Therefore, it is calculated in the following equation for the
general situation:
Where each tensor component has been computed as show here (θ is the Sweeping
Phase value):
σxx = σxx - real ∗ cosθ − σxx - imag ∗ sinθ
σyy = σyy - real ∗ cosθ − σyy - imag ∗ sinθ
σzz = σzz - real ∗ cosθ − σzz - imag ∗ sinθ
σxy = σxy - real ∗ cosθ − σxy - imag ∗ sinθ
σyz = σyz - real ∗ cosθ − σyz - imag ∗ sinθ
σzx = σzx - real ∗ cosθ − σzx - imag ∗ sinθ
Results
Modal Analysis (Cyclic Only)
• Cyclic Phase (default)
• Maximum Over Cyclic Phase or Cyclic Phase of Maximum. Each node/ele-

ment/sample point is swept through a phase angle of 0° to 360° in 10 degree incre-
ments find its maximum result. This result is applicable during a cyclic modal analysis
only.
19.3.9. Displaying Surface Body Results (including Layered Shell Results)

For surface bodies, stress and strain results at the top and bottom faces are displayed simultaneously,
by default. (See Understanding Surface Body Shell Offsets (p. 890) for information on identifying the
top and bottom faces.) The contours vary linearly through the thickness from the top face to the
bottom face. However you can choose to display only the Top, Middle, or Bottom stress/strains in
the Details view of the result item. Selecting Top, Middle, or Bottom will display the result at the
selected location as a uniform contour through the thickness.
Middle Stresses
• Normal and Shear results
The middle stresses are calculated at the shell mid-surface or at each layer mid-surface if layers are
present. The Middle option for Shell gives the actual result values at the mid-surface if the solver
was directed to calculate these results. In Mechanical APDL terminology, the solver computes results
at mid-surface if KEYOPT(8) for the shell element is set to 2 at the time of element creation. Other-
wise, the Middle results are computed as the average of the Top and Bottom results, that is, (Top
+ Bottom) / 2. Note that these results are valid only for linear analyses.
• Equivalent and Principal results
These results are derived from the Normal and Shear results. Hence the Normal and Shear com-
ponent results for Middle are computed first, and then the Equivalent and Principal results are
derived.
Element Nodal results (like stress/strain), as well as EDIR- and PNUM-type Elemental results, can be
plotted on a specific layer or on a specific ply by entering the desired Layer number (Layer only) or
by scoping (p. 2099) the result to a specific Ply using the Sub Scope By property in the Details view
of the result object. Elemental results outputting volume or energy are calculated for the entire element,
regardless of the requested layer.
If the Layer specified does not exist for a particular surface body, the display of the result will be
translucent with zero values for minimums and maximums on that body. If you enter 0 for Layer, it
defaults to the Entire Section.
Note:
• A Layer number must be specified to calculate the Middle stresses and strains. If you
set Layer to 0 (Entire Section) while Shell is Middle, the Shell option will become invalid.
Similarly, if you have Layer set to Entire Section and you try to set Shell to Middle, Shell
will become invalid.
Result Definitions
• If there is a Layered Section in the model, convergence is not supported for results.
• If Layer is Entire Section, Top stresses and strains are for the top surface of the topmost
layer and the Bottom stresses and strains are for the outer surface of the bottom layer.
• If a Layered Section is present in the model and you enter a number larger than the
maximum number of layers that exists in the model, the Layer field will become invalid.
• All stress tool results and all fatigue tool results are unsupported if Layered Sections are
present in the model.
• Only results from the section top and bottom are available on hyperelastic layered shells.
Thus no results will be reported on such bodies if the layer is not set to 0 "Entire Section".
• Imported Plies are not supported for an Explicit Dynamics analysis.
Layered Solid Body Results

Certain solid elements in the Mechanical APDL element library (including SOLID185, SOLID186, and
SOLSH190) support stress and strain results on layers. These layered solid elements are created on
solid bodies.
At Release 16.0, these elements support the Layer property, which specifies the layer to calculate
Shell result values. This property specifies a Layer number. In addition, the Position property appears
only for stress and strain results scoped to surface bodies or to a layer. This property is specified as
either Top/Bottom, Top, Middle, or Bottom.
For the elements, the convention is that the Bottom corresponds to nodes I-J-K-L and the Top cor-
responds to nodes M-N-O-P.
Note:
If the model does not include surface bodies or layered sections, the Layer and Position
properties do not display in the Details view and the application displays layer results in
Top/Bottom format.
For Explicit Dynamics Layer Results

Normal/shear stresses and strains are available in global and solution coordinate systems.
Stress and strain results for individual layers may be selected by using the Layer property in the result’s
Details view. Only a single result is available per layer.
19.3.10. Reviewing Unconverged Results

A nonlinear analysis may fail to converge due to a number of reasons. Some examples may be initially
open contact surfaces causing rigid body motion, large load increments, material instabilities, or large
deformations that distort the mesh resulting in element shape errors.
Results
In the Mechanical application, you can review this unconverged result as well as any converged results
at previous time points. These results are marked in the legend of contour/vector plots as ‘Unconverged’
indicating that these results must be used only for debugging purposes. Note that a plot of Newton-
Raphson residuals (p. 1927) is a very useful tool to identify regions of your structure that led to the
convergence difficulty.
Note:
• Results in Solution Combination objects that use partial solutions will not be solved.
You can view partial results but cannot use them in further post/solution work.
• Newton-Raphson residuals (p. 1927) is a very useful tool to identify regions of your structure
that led to the convergence difficulty.
• The handling of unconverged solutions is the same for both probes and results, with
the following exception: reaction probes scoped to a Compression Only boundary con-
dition cannot display results if the solver did not converge.
19.3.11. Handling of Degenerate Elements

The finite element method can create elements that are classified as degenerate. For example, a quad
element, with four nodes 1, 2, 3, and 4, may contain duplicate nodes 3 and 4. In this case, node 3
and 4 are located at the same (x, y, z).
The degenerate quad element (above, right) contains three distinct nodes and four distinct integration
(Gauss) points. Mechanical APDL's solver calculates element nodal results (like stress and strain and
flux, et. al.) at each of the integration points. Hence, element nodal results in the MAPDL result file
are stored as though an element is not degenerate (even when it is degenerate). For the element
(above, right), the file would contain stress and strain and flux listings for four nodes, 1, 2, 3, and 4.
At nodes that share the same (x,y,z) in an element, it is not necessarily true that the element nodal
results are equal for each coincident node. Depending upon the analysis, the element nodal results
for the element (above, right) at node 3 may not equal the element nodal results at node 4. During
the post processing phase, Mechanical drops the values of all but the first duplicate node at an (x,y,z).
The element (above, right) would display the stress and strain and flux contours for nodes 1, 2, and
3 (but not 4).
Result Scoping
19.3.12. Understanding Result Data Display Issues

When defining a result, it is necessary to make sure that you have made selections that are supported
by the application. Normally, the application generates a message indicating that the result type is
not available but there are instances when result information is not provided, that is, the application
will not display contour information or it will display generically colored contour information.
Note that:
• Result objects must be scoped to geometry that supports the elements and nodes used by
the body; failing to do so will cause Mechanical to display result contours in grayscale. For
example, stress results do not exist on gasket elements. Therefore, if you scope a stress result
to a gasket body, the result displays in grayscale.
• All possible result data is not provided by a result file. If you create an expression in a user-
defined result that is not applicable to the analysis, such as Total Deformation during in a
thermal analysis, then the result display will have no contour colors.
• The solver can create elements such as surface effect as well as interface elements. Results
cannot be scoped to these elements. For example, because of software limitations, contour
colors for surface effect results will not be shown, even though the surface effect elements
cover meshed elements on the body.
19.4. Result Scoping

The topics of this section examine the methods to scope your results.
19.4.1. Geometry and Mesh
19.4.2. Path Construction Geometry
19.4.3. Surface Construction Geometry
19.4.4. Result File Items
19.4.5. Surface Coatings
19.4.7. Imported Condensed Parts
19.4.1. Geometry and Mesh

• Supported Scoping Types (p. 2100)
• Result Object Scoping Requirements (p. 2100)
• Node-Based Scoping Characteristics (p. 2100)
• Element-Based Scoping Result Evaluation (p. 2100)
• Separating Result Data by Entity (p. 2101)
• Geometry Selection Limitation for Node-Based Results (p. 2104)
Results
Supported Scoping Types

All result objects can be scoped to:
• Geometry selections - edges, a single vertex, faces, parts, bodies, or the entire assembly (All Bodies).
• Geometry-based Named Selections (p. 1347).
• Node selections (p. 232) of the underlying mesh.
• Node-based Named Selections (p. 238)
• Element or Element Face selections (p. 239) of the underlying mesh.
• Element or Element Face-based Named Selections (p. 239).
Result Object Scoping Requirements

Make sure that your result objects conform to the following:
• If you scope a result to one or more geometric entities (body, face, edge, or vertex) and subsequently
suppress all of the bodies associated with the scoped entities, the application, by default, sets the
scoping to All Bodies. However, the application still stores the suppressed geometric entity set for
future reference. Therefore, if any of the bodies associated with the scoped entities are later unsup-
pressed, the result scoping is set back to the originally defined (unsuppressed) geometric entities.
If this behavior is undesirable, it is recommended that you use a Named Selection to define the
scoping of the result.
• Once a solution is computed, the scope of the result object cannot change. You must either add
a new result object with the desired scope, or you can right-click that result item, and choose Clear
Generated Data to change its scope.
• Result scoping has an effect on convergence. Refinement does not happen outside the scope for
a given convergence control. Multiple convergence controls are possible, however.
Node-Based Scoping
The following are known characteristics related to node-based scoping:
• If all nodes of an element face are scoped, then Mechanical will draw contour bands on the entire
face.
• If some nodes of an element face are not scoped, then Mechanical will draw the face as transparent
and draw the scoped nodes in contour colors.
• As is the case with other scoping that occurs within a body (such as vertex or edge), any applicable
averaging is done considering all of the nodes on a body.
Element-Based Scoping Result Evaluation

Unlike results scoped to geometries or nodes, results scoped to elements evaluate only the scoped
elements. No adjacent elements are considered. The example results shown below illustrate this be-
Result Scoping
havior. Refer to the Averaged vs. Unaveraged Contour Results (p. 2085) section of the Help for additional
information on this topic. The following results illustrate contour bands for all nodes.
Global Averaged Result Global Unaveraged Result
Max. = 205 and Min. = -50 Max. = 276 and Min. = -74
The following results illustrate contour bands for elements only.
Result Scoped to Three Elements

Result Scoped to One Element
Max. = 205: Matches the Global Averaged
Max. = 276: Matches the Global
Result
Unaveraged Result
Min. = -74: Matches the Global Unaveraged
(Min. Value = 127)
Result
Separating Result Data by Entity

In the Definition category of the Details pane, result objects include the property: Separate Data
by Entity. Options include Yes and No (default). This property enables you to display individual
minimum and maximum values for each scoped entity of the result, such as 2 bodies, 3 Faces, 5 ele-
ments, etc. Be sure to review the limitations (p. 2103) listed below before using this property.
When set to No, result data displays normally, and the Tabular Data window displays one column
for the global Minimum and one column for the global Maximum value for each time step.
Results
When you set this property to Yes, the application calculates and displays local Minimum and Max-
imum values for each scoped entities and displays each separately in the Tabular Data window. For
the scoped entities, each column header in the window displays either a Node ID, Element ID, or the
title "Reference" for geometric entities. Note that the global minimum and maximum values are not
displayed when the property is set to Yes.
Result Scoping
Limitations
Note that the Separating Result Data by Entity property does not support:
• Vector Principal Stress and Vector Principal Strain results.
• Fatigue Results (Fatigue Tool), Contact Results (Contact Tool).
• Solution Combination results.
• Results scoped to a Construction Geometry Path or Surface.
• Results with the Display Option property set to Ply Maximum.
• Coordinate System Results: Nodal Triads, Nodal Euler XY/YZ/XZ Angle, Elemental Triads,
Elemental Euler XY/YZ/XZ Angle.
Results
Geometry Selection Limitation for Node-Based Results

Illustrated below are two bodies that share a singular face but that are not in contact.
When you scope a node-based result type, such as deformation, to either of the faces, contour results
are displayed on only one of the faces. As shown, this face may not be the one you selected.
To display contour results on both bodies with a shared face for a node-based result type (only),
create a Named Selection for the shared face, and scope to the Named Selection.
Result Scoping
Tip:
To display contour results on both bodies of a shared face for any result type, clear the
result, create a Named Selection on one of the faces, and solve the simulation. Open the
Worksheet (p. 2065) from the Solution object and select Solver Component Names. On
this page of the Worksheet, you will see a node-based component for the Named Selection.
You can now scope your node-based result to this component to produce the desired
results for both faces of the associated bodies.
19.4.2. Path Construction Geometry

When you defined a path (p. 911) in your analysis, you may wish to scope results directly on this
defined path. In order to do so, you can set the Scoping Method of the result object to Path and
then choose the name of the particular path that you defined. This enables you to produce Path
Results (p. 2055) as a result output.
19.4.3. Surface Construction Geometry

When you defined a surface (p. 918) in your analysis, you may wish to scope results directly on this
defined surface. In order to do so, you can set the Scoping Method of the result object to Surface
and then choose the name of the particular surface that you defined. This enables you to produce
Surface Results (p. 2063) as a result output.
19.4.4. Result File Items

The result object Scoping Method option, Result File Item, enables you to scope a result to the
following Mechanical APDL Solver generated data items generated in the result (.rst) file, once you
have performed a solution:
• Material IDs: The material ID assigned to the element by Mechanical APDL.
Results
• Element Name IDs: Mechanical APDL element name string such as BEAM188, SOLID185, and
SURF154. In addition, for this option, you can enter an element group label, such as "beam",
to include all beam element types. Supported group labels include:
– COMBIN
– SURF – FOLLW
– MASS – TARGE – FLUID
– LINK – CONTAC – PRETS
– PLANE– BEAM – MPC
– SOLID – PIPE – INTER
– SHELL – ELBOW – SOLSH
See the Element Library section of the Mechanical APDL Element Reference for a complete listing
of all available elements.
• Element Type IDs: The element type ID assigned to the element by Mechanical APDL.
• Component Name: Component names are created by the Mechanical APDL Solver. Components
are node- or element-based groupings, node- and element-based Name Selections that were
written to the result file from Mechanical, or components that the solver needed to generate
in order to properly solve the analysis. Solver generated components typically contain an un-
derscore (i.e. "_") at the beginning of the Component Name.
• Element IDs and Node IDs: During the mesh process, the application assigns each element
and node of the model an ID. The application sends the ID values to the solver during the
solution process. Once complete, you can scope one or more element or node IDs to a result.
In addition, the solver may generate new elements, not included in the original mesh, in order
to process loads, contact conditions, or support conditions. The application also assigns an ID
to these elements as well as the elements corresponding nodes. You can also use these system
generated element and node IDs for further post processing.
This scoping option is unique in that it obtains data from the result file following the solution. This
section examines the following topics for this feature. Select a link to jump to that topic.
• Background (p. 2106)
• Examples (p. 2109)
Background
During the solution process, Mechanical identifies nodes and elements contained in the mesh and
sends this data to the solver for analysis processing. An element is identified by an element type
number, an element name and a material number. A typical element name, such as SOLID285, con-
sisting of a group label (SOLID) and a unique, identifying number (285).
Additional elements, nodes, and groups of nodes or elements, not included in the original mesh, may
also be created to process loads, contact conditions, or support conditions, that are required to
Result Scoping
properly solve the analysis. Once the solution is complete, the data is written to the result file, and
the element data, as well as material data, becomes available to you.
In addition, during the solution process, node and element Name Selections are also written to the
result file and may be selected for scoping. The Mechanical solve process may also create additional
components for use in solving the analysis. The components typically contain an underscore (i.e. "_")
at the beginning of the Component Name.
The application presents this information in the Solution Summary Worksheet (p. 2065), using the
Material and Element Type Information and Solver Component Names options. As illustrated
below, the Worksheet option Material and Element Type Information lists Material IDs, Element
Name IDs, and Element Type IDs generated during the solution as well as other appropriate inform-
ation such as Element Shape. The Solver Component Names option lists the solver generated
Component Name as well as the Component Type (nodes or elements) and the Number of Entities.
The Component Name always includes an underscore prefix.
Material and Element Type Information
Note:
The Material and Element Type Information option does not display elements for a
Material ID value of 0.
Important:
If your analysis includes a Condensed Part and a result is using the Result File Item
option for the Scoping Method, Material IDs and Element Name IDs are not available
for the Material and Element Type Information selection on the Solution Quantities
and Result Summary page.
Solver Component Names
Results
Application
Once you solve your analysis, you can select the Result File Item option for the Scoping Method of
the desired result object in the Details view, as illustrated below for a total Deformation result.
When you specify the Scoping Method as Result File Item, the following additional properties display
in the Details view:
• Item Type: The options for this property include Materials IDs (default), Element Name IDs,
Element Type IDs, and Component Name.
• Solver Component IDs: Based on the option selected in the Item Type property, you enter
the appropriate ID or Component Name in this property as listed in the Worksheet. The default
value is All. You can enter a number or a number range (that is, 1, 2, 3, or 2-5). For Element
Name IDs, you enter a element name, such as BEAM188, or you can simply enter "beam" to
include all beam element types.
• Global IDs: This property is used to scope results to bodies that have the Model Type property
set to Reinforcement. This property is not applicable to bodies with any other Model Type
setting. The application assigns a global ID to each body contained under the Geometry object,
in the order that they are listed. That is, the first body in the tree has a global ID of 1 and so
on in descending order for each object. As a result, you must determine the Global ID of your
reinforcement bodies based on their position in the tree. The default setting for the Global
IDs property is All. You can enter an individual ID, or a range of IDs based on the number of
Result Scoping
reinforcement bodies. See the Reinforcement Specification Using Mesh-Independent Meth-

od (p. 786) for additional information about performing reinforcement analyses.
Note:
• The assignment of a Global ID is not affected (changed) if you Group (p. 202) body
objects.
• You may encounter a rare case when you are scoping a result to a solver component
for a body that contains multiple materials. In this instance, set the Mesh Source
property (Solution object) to the option Result File.
Examples
Here is an example model. It includes four line bodies as well as two user-created beam connections.
Examining the Worksheet following a solution process for the material and element data, we have
the following. We are going to further examine the beam connections that correspond with Materials
15 and 16 (Element Type ID as well).
Results
The following sequence of Total Deformation results illustrate the Result File Type scoping options,
Material ID, Element Type ID, and Element Name ID. Note that the Material ID and Element Type ID
present the same result data using different scoping options.
For this example, we generalized the Element Name and used "Beam." This generates results for the
additional (four) line bodies of the model as well as the beam connections.
Result Scoping
19.4.5. Surface Coatings

You can apply a Surface Coating (p. 943) to your model using the option from the Modify group on
the Geometry Context Tab (p. 58). You can apply one or more of these coatings, or layers, to the
faces of your model. This feature places shell elements of a specified material and thickness on the
selected face or faces of your model.
Once properly defined, you can use these surface coating definitions as a Scoping Method for results.
The Surface Coating scoping option is supported by most result types, including User Defined (p. 2294)
results. During the solution process, the Mechanical APDL solver specifies the elements as either
SHELL181 (low order) or SHELL281 (high order).
Important:
To retrieve normal stress component Sz, where z is the shell’s normal direction, you must
make sure of the following:
1. KEYOPT(10) = 1 and,
2. Pressure loads are applied directly to the shell structure.
If these settings are not specified, the application reports the Sz results as zero in the ele-
ment coordinate system. Furthermore, applying loads such as displacements, forces, or
Results
pressures using the Surface Effect option of the Applied By property, also does not retrieve
Sz results. See the SHELL181 and SHELL281 Element Reference sections for more information.
Important:
During a Cyclic Symmetry analysis, the application does not expand Surface Coating results.
A Surface Coating is defined in the following example.
Surface Coating is an available option for the Scoping Method property.
Result Scoping
When the Scoping Method is set to Surface Coating, an associated Surface Coating property displays
and is used to select the coating defined under the Geometry object (Surface Coating Ex.). If multiple
coatings were specified, they would display in the drop-down list of this Surface Coating property.
The default option for this property is All.
Results
Here is the evaluated result.
Result Scoping

For a Composite Analysis (p. 692), elemental strain and elemental stress results, elemental coordinate
system (p. 2051) results, User Defined Results (p. 2294) (for Structural analyses), and heat flux results (for
Thermal Analyses), can be scoped to Analysis Ply objects using the Sub Scope By property and the
corresponding Ply property. The result calculation uses the intersection of the specified Ply and the
Geometry property scoping. When scoping ply objects, the associated geometry selection needs to
be based on either bodies or elements (p. 239). Body- and element-based Named Selections (p. 239)
are supported. In addition, for shell topologies, you can scope to a face (which represents an entire
element).
Note:
Direct graphical node or element selection requires you to generate the mesh and have
the Show Mesh tool turned on.
Automated Result Scoping for Composites
The Imported Plies object, as well as all of its child objects, offer an automated option for creating
results, including User Defined Results (p. 2294). Right-clicking on a ply object provides the following
dynamic menu options that enable you to create and scope a result at the same time.
Results
Depending upon the level within the Imported Plies object that you select, you can create individual
results, as shown below, or you can create a group of results.
This example shows the creation of results for all of the individual plies within a ply group. The feature
created a group of six results and scoped them accordingly. Once you create a group, the rules for
Group Tree Objects (p. 202) apply.
Result Scoping
If your analysis includes multiple environments, only supported environments display on the menu
and, only result objects supported by the given scoping display as the menu extends. As illustrated
in the following example, multiple supported environments are selected and the supported result
types for the Transient Thermal selection are the only options available. See the Result Context
Tab (p. 65) section for additional information about how results are graphically represented following
a solution.
19.4.7. Imported Condensed Parts

When your analysis includes an Imported Condensed Part, the Scoping Method option Imported
Condensed Part becomes available for Total Deformation results that enables you to specify the
scoping of the result on all bodies of the model as well as the expansion of the imported condensed
parts. An example of this scenario is shown below.
This capability requires that you export the solution of a Substructure (p. 546) analysis using the Use
Pass and On Demand Expansion option and that your current analysis have the On Demand Expan-
sion Option (p. 1531) property set to Yes.
Results
Example Scoping Scenario

Here is an example of a model that includes an Imported Condensed Part. The imported condensed
part is shown in red wireframe form.
Result Scoping
Here is a deformation result for the Scoping Method set to Geometry Selection and the Geometry
property set to All Bodies. The imported condensed part not expanded.
Here is a deformation result for the Scoping Method set to Imported Condensed Part option for
All Bodies. The expanded imported condensed part is now included.
Results
19.5. Structural Results

The following structural result topics are addressed in this section:
19.5.1. Deformation
19.5.2. Stress and Strain
19.5.3. Stabilization Energy
19.5.4. Strain Energy
19.5.5. Damage Results
19.5.6. Linearized Stress
19.5.7. Contact Results
19.5.8. Frequency Response
19.5.9. Phase Response
19.5.10. Stress Tools
19.5.11. Fatigue (Fatigue Tool)
19.5.12. Fracture Results (Fracture Tool)
19.5.13. Composite Failure Tool
19.5.14. Composite Sampling Point Tool
19.5.15. Contact Tool
19.5.16. Bolt Tool
19.5.17. Beam Tool
19.5.18. Beam Results
19.5.19. Structural Probes
19.5.20. Response PSD Tool
19.5.21. Gasket Results
19.5.22. Campbell Diagram Chart Results
Structural Results
19.5.23. Waterfall Diagrams

19.5.24. Contribution Results
Stress Tools (p. 2162) are used to determine the following results:
• Maximum Equivalent Stress Safety Tool (p. 2163)
• Maximum Shear Stress Safety Tool (p. 2165)
• Mohr-Coulomb Stress Safety Tool (p. 2166)
• Maximum Tensile Stress Safety Tool (p. 2168)
Structural Probes (p. 2197) can be used to determine the following results:
• Deformation
• Strain
• Position (p. 2207)
• Velocity
• Angular Velocity
• Acceleration
• Angular Acceleration
• Energy (p. 2210)
• Flexible Rotation Probe
• Force Reaction (p. 2212)
• Moment Reaction (p. 2212)
• Joint (p. 2224)
• Response PSD (p. 2227)
• Spring (p. 2230)
• Bearings (p. 2230)
• Beam (p. 2231)
• Bolt Pretension (p. 2231)
• Generalized Plane Strain (p. 2232)
Results
19.5.1. Deformation
Physical deformations can be calculated on and inside a part or an assembly. Fixed supports prevent
deformation: locations without a fixed support usually experience deformation relative to the original
location. Deformations are calculated relative to the part or assembly world coordinate system.
Component deformations (Directional Deformation)
Deformed shape (Total Deformation vector)
The three component deformations Ux, Uy, and Uz, and the deformed shape U are available as indi-
vidual results.
Scoping (p. 1586) is also possible to both geometric entities and to underlying meshing entities (see
example below). Numerical data is for deformation in the global X, Y, and Z directions. These results
can be viewed with the model under wireframe (p. 71) display, facilitating their visibility at interior
nodes.
• Limitation (p. 2122)
• Scoping Deformation Results to Mesh Nodes (p. 2124)
• Working with Deformations (p. 2128)
• Velocity and Acceleration Deformations (p. 2129)
• Considerations for Random Vibration Analyses (p. 2129)
Limitation
Note:
The application currently has a limitation. If you have a Line Body model and the Model
Type property is set to either Beam or Pipe (elements), and the Beam Section Results
property of the Solution object is set to Yes, the application does not display result contours
in the Solution Coordinate System. This is true even if you set the Coordinate System
property of a result object to Solution Coordinate System. The contours will display in
the Global Coordinate System.
Structural Results
This limitation is also applicable if you are performing a Response Spectrum analysis
where the Coordinate System property is read-only and set to Solution Coordinate
System. Result contours display in the Global Coordinate System. In this scenario, you
can display the contours in the Solution Coordinate System by setting the Beam Section
Results property to No.
Results
Scoping Deformation Results to Mesh Nodes

The following example illustrates how to obtain deformation results for individual nodes in a model.
The nodes are specified using criteria based named selections.
1. Create a named selection by highlighting the Model object and select the Named Selection option
from the Insert (p. 44) group of the Model Context tab.
2. Highlight the Selection object and in the Details, set the Scoping Method property to Worksheet.
Structural Results
3. In the Worksheet, add a row and specify the following. Refer to Specifying Named Selections
using Worksheet Criteria (p. 1351) for assistance, if needed.
• Entity Type = Mesh Node.
• Criterion = Location X.
• Operator = Greater Than.
• Value = 0.1.
4. Add a second row with Criterion = Location Y, Value = 0.2, and all remaining items set the same
as the first row.
5. Add a third row with Criterion = Location Z, Value = 0.3, and all remaining items set the same
as the first row. The table should appear as follows:
6. Click the Generate button. The Geometry property displays the number of nodes that meet the
criteria defined in the Worksheet.
Results
7. After applying loads and supports to the model, add a Total Deformation result object, highlight
the object, set Scoping Method to Named Selection, and set Named Selection to the Selection
object defined above that includes the mesh node criteria. Before solving, annotations are displayed
at each selected node as shown below.
Structural Results
8. Solve the analysis. Any element containing a selected node will display a contour color at the
node. If all nodes on the element are selected, the element will display contour colors on all facets.
Element facets that contain unselected nodes will be transparent. An example is shown below.
Results
Note that all element facets are drawn, not just the facets on the surface or skin of the model.
To possibly reduce clutter for complex models, the size of the dots representing the nodes can
be changed by selecting the Large Vertex Contours option from the Display group of Result
Context Tab (p. 65).
Working with Deformations

Deformations can be used to:
• Set Alert objects.
• Control accuracy and convergence and to view converged results.
• Study deformations in a selected or scoped area of a part or an assembly.
Important:
The deformation result can exhibit a node-based display limitation. If a node represents a
remote point, the application does not process result data for it and as a result, Mechanical
does not display result data. Deformed shapes, deformation contour colors, and deformation
MIN/MAX values can differ from the displays (and listings) of Mechanical APDL commands,
such as PRNSOL, PLNSOL, and MONITOR.
Structural Results
Velocity and Acceleration Deformations

In addition to deformation results, velocity and acceleration results are also available for Transient
Structural (p. 671), Harmonic Response (p. 502) (Full and MSUP), Rigid Dynamics (p. 557), Random Vibra-
tion (p. 531), and Response Spectrum (p. 540) analyses. Both total and directional components are
available for the Transient Structural and Harmonic Response analyses but only directional components
are available for Random Vibration and Response Spectrum (Total Deformation is not available).
Considerations for Random Vibration Analyses

For Random Vibration analyses, only component directional deformations are available because the
directional results from the solver are statistical in nature. The X, Y, and Z displacements cannot be
combined to get the magnitude of the total displacement. The same holds true for other derived
quantities such as principal stresses.
Directional Deformation, Directional Velocity, and Directional Acceleration result objects in Random
Vibration analyses also include the following additional items in the Details:
• Reference - Read-only reference indication that depends on the directional result. Possible indications
are:
– Relative to base motion for a Directional Deformation result.
– Absolute (including base motion) for a Directional Velocity or Directional Acceleration result.
• Scale Factor - A multiple of standard deviation values (with zero mean value) that you can enter
which determines the probability of the time the response will be less than the standard deviation
value. By default, the results output by the solver are 1 Sigma, or one standard deviation value.
You can set the Scale Factor to 2 Sigma, 3 Sigma, or to User Input, in which case you can enter
a custom scale factor in the Scale Factor Value field.
• Probability - Read-only indication of the percentage of the time the response will be less than the
standard deviation value as determined by your entry in the Scale Factor field. A Scale Factor of
1 Sigma = a Probability of 68.3 %. 2 Sigma = 95.951 %. 3 Sigma = 99.737 %.
19.5.2. Stress and Strain

Stress solutions allow you to predict safety factors, stresses, strains, and displacements given the
model and material of a part or an entire assembly and for a particular structural loading environment.
A general three-dimensional stress state is calculated in terms of three normal and three shear stress
components aligned to the part or assembly world coordinate system.
The principal stresses and the maximum shear stress are called invariants: that is, their value does
not depend on the orientation of the part or assembly with respect to its world coordinate system.
The principal stresses and maximum shear stress are available as individual results.
The principal strains ε1, ε2, and ε3 and the maximum shear strain γmax are also available. The principal
strains are always ordered such that ε1> ε2> ε3. As with principal stresses and the maximum shear
stress, the principal strains and maximum shear strain are invariants.
You can choose from the following stress/strain results:
Results
19.5.2.1. Equivalent (von Mises)

19.5.2.2. Maximum, Middle, and Minimum Principal
19.5.2.3. Maximum Shear
19.5.2.4. Intensity
19.5.2.5. Vector Principals
19.5.2.6. Error (Structural)
19.5.2.7.Thermal Strain
19.5.2.8. Equivalent Plastic Strain
19.5.2.9. Accumulated Equivalent Plastic Strain
19.5.2.10. Equivalent Creep Strain
19.5.2.11. Equivalent Total Strain
19.5.2.12. Membrane Stress
19.5.2.13. Bending Stress
Normal (X, Y, Z) and Shear (XY, YZ, XZ) stress and strain results are also available.
It is assumed that whatever holds true for stress applies to strain as well. However, the relationship
between maximum shear stress and stress intensity does not hold true for an equivalent relationship
between maximum shear strain and strain intensity.
For more information about Stress/Strain, see the Mechanical APDL Theory Reference.
Considerations
Note the following important aspects of stress and strain results:
• The degree of uncertainty in the numerical calculation of Stress answers depends on your ac-
curacy preference. See Using Adaptive Convergence (p. 1947) for information on available options
and their effect on Stress answers.
• Although a rare occurrence, for results defined by the expressions EPTO and EPTT (total
mechanical strains and total mechanical strains and thermal strains), Mechanical will not create
contours for these expressions for an element if the element records lengths of the individual
strains EPEL/EPPL/EPCR/EPTH in the result file. See the PRESOL command for complete
definitions.
• Mechanical does not currently support swelling strain (EPSW) and does not use it in the calcu-
lation of total strains.
• Mechanical does not support standard stress and strain results for gasket results (p. 2237).
However, if you specify a body as a gasket and the Mechanical APDL key option KEYOPT(8) is
set to 1, (KEYOPT(8)=1), for the gasket element, you can view regular stress/strain result contours
using a post commands snippet.
19.5.2.1. Equivalent (von Mises)

Equivalent stress is related to the principal stresses by the equation:
Structural Results
Equivalent stress (also called von Mises stress) is often used in design work because it allows any
arbitrary three-dimensional stress state to be represented as a single positive stress value. Equivalent
stress is part of the maximum equivalent stress failure theory used to predict yielding in a ductile
material.
The von Mises or equivalent strain εe is computed as:
where:
ν' = effective Poisson's ratio, which is defined as follows:
• Material Poisson's ratio for elastic and thermal strains computed at the reference temperature
of the body.
• 0.5 for plastic strains.
Note:
Currently, for Linked MSUP analyses with the Expand Results From detail under Output
Controls set to Modal Solution, the Mechanical APDL solver does not calculate equivalent
strains. If you choose to display equivalent strain results, you will see zero contours.
19.5.2.2. Maximum, Middle, and Minimum Principal

From elasticity theory, an infinitesimal volume of material at an arbitrary point on or inside the
solid body can be rotated such that only normal stresses remain and all shear stresses are zero. The
three normal stresses that remain are called the principal stresses:
σ1 - Maximum
σ2 - Middle
σ3 - Minimum
The principal stresses are always ordered such that σ1 > σ2 > σ3.
Results
19.5.2.3. Maximum Shear

The maximum shear stress τmax, also referred to as the maximum shear stress, is found by plotting
Mohr's circles using the principal stresses:
or mathematically through:
For elastic strain, the maximum shear elastic strain γmax is found through:
γmax = ε1 - ε3
since the shear elastic strain reported is an engineering shear elastic strain.
19.5.2.4. Intensity
Stress intensity is defined as the largest of the absolute values of σ1 - σ2, σ2 - σ3, or σ3 - σ1:
Stress intensity is related to the maximum shear stress:
σI = 2τmax
Elastic Strain intensity is defined as the largest of the absolute values of ε1 - ε2, ε2 - ε3, or ε3 - ε1:
Elastic Strain intensity is equal to the maximum shear elastic strain:
εI = γmax
Structural Results
Equivalent Stress (and Equivalent Elastic Strain) and Stress Intensity are available as individual
results.
Note:
Computation of Equivalent Elastic Strain uses Poisson’s ratio. If Poisson’s ratio is tem-
perature dependent then the Poisson’s ratio value at the reference temperature of the
body is used to compute the Equivalent Elastic Strain.
19.5.2.5. Vector Principals

A Vector Principals plot provides a three-dimensional display of the relative size of the principal
quantities (stresses or elastic strains), and the directions along which they occur. Positive principals
point outwards and negative ones inwards.
Plots of Vector Principals help depict the directions that experience the greatest amount of normal
stress or elastic strain at any point in the body in response to the loading condition. The locus of
directions of maximum principal stresses, for example, suggests paths of maximum load transfer
throughout a body.
You specify this result as you would any other result. The default scoping is All Bodies, but supported
options include geometry, named selection, Path, Surface, Result File Item and Surface Coating.
Once evaluated, the Tabular Data window displays the Minimum and Maximum result values for
each principal component at each step.
In addition, you can export the result to a Microsoft Excel (.xls) file. This file provides six fields of
data, including the maximum, middle, and minimum principal quantities (stresses or elastic strains)
as well as the Mechanical APDL application Euler angle sequence. The Euler angle sequence (the
CLOCAL command in MAPDL) produces a coordinate system whose X, Y and Z-axis are the directions
of maximum, middle and minimum principal quantities, respectively. Denoted as ThetaXY, ThetaYZ,
and ThetaZX, the sequence orients the principal coordinate system relative to the global system.
You can graphically review these results in the Geometry window using the options of the Vector
Display (p. 77) group on the Result Context Tab.
Note:
Vector principal results do not support amplitude data.
19.5.2.6. Error (Structural)

You can insert an Error result based on stresses to help you identify regions of high error and
therefore show where the model would benefit from a more refined mesh in order to get a more
accurate answer. You can also use the Error result to help determine where Mechanical will be re-
fining elements if Convergence (p. 1947) is active. The Error result is based on the same errors used
Results
in adaptive refinement (p. 1947). Information on how these errors are calculated is included in POST1
- Error Approximation Technique, in the Theory Reference.
Note:
• The Error result is based on linear stresses and as such may be inaccurate in certain
nonlinear analyses (for example, when plasticity is active). Furthermore, the Error
result is currently restricted to isotropic materials. You may wish to refer to the Struc-
tural Material Properties section of the Engineering Data help for additional information.
• A Error result does not support being scoped to a reinforcement element (REINF263,
REINF264, or REINF265) and if selected, these elements would report a value of zero.
Presented below are example applications of using the Error result in a Structural simulation.
3D Model:
2D Model, Base Mesh:
2D Model, Adaptive Refinement (Convergence Added):
2D Model, With Mesh Control:
Structural Results
19.5.2.7. Thermal Strain

Thermal strain is computed when coefficient of thermal expansion is specified and a temperature
load is applied in a structural analysis. To specify the coefficient of thermal expansion, you must
set Thermal Strain Effects (p. 347) to Yes in the Details of the part or body objects before initiating
a solve.
Each component of thermal strain is computed as:
Where:
- thermal strain in one of the directions x, y, or z.
- Secant coefficient of thermal expansion defined as a material property in Engineering Data

(see "Chapter 2.4 Linear Material Properties" in the Element Reference of the Mechanical APDL ap-
plication Help for more information about the secant function).
- reference temperature or the "stress-free" temperature. This can be specified globally for the
model using the Reference Temperature field of Static Structural or Transient Structural analysis
types. Optionally you can also specify the reference temperature as a material property for cases
such as the analysis for cooling of a weld or solder joint where each material has a different stress-
free temperature.
19.5.2.8. Equivalent Plastic Strain

The equivalent plastic strain gives a measure of the amount of permanent strain in an engineering
body. The equivalent plastic strain is calculated from the component plastic strain as defined in
the Equivalent (p. 2130) stress/strain section.
Most common engineering materials exhibit a linear stress-strain relationship up to a stress level
known as the proportional limit. Beyond this limit, the stress-strain relationship will become nonlinear,
but will not necessarily become inelastic. Plastic behavior, characterized by nonrecoverable strain
or plastic strain, begins when stresses exceed the material's yield point. Because there is usually
little difference between the yield point and the proportional limit, the Mechanical APDL application
assumes that these two points are coincident in plasticity analyses.
Results
In order to develop plastic strain, plastic material properties must be defined. You may define plastic
material properties by defining either of the following in the Engineering Data:
• Bilinear Stress/Strain curve.
• Multilinear Stress/Strain curve.
Note:
Yield stresses defined under the Stress Limits section in the Engineering Data are used
for the post tools only (that is, Stress Safety Tools and Fatigue tools), and do not imply
plastic behavior.
19.5.2.9. Accumulated Equivalent Plastic Strain

The Accumulated Equivalent Plastic Strain result is the summation of the Equivalent Plastic
Strain (p. 2135) result increment for each step. Equivalent Plastic Strain is calculated from plastic
strain components directly and Accumulated Equivalent Plastic Strain is integrated from the
equivalent incremental plastic strain along the deformation path. This result is an indicator for the
hardening of an engineering body. Accumulated Equivalent Plastic Strain is based on the altern-
ating loading and the values are always increasing (like plastic work).
Accumulated Equivalent Plastic Strain and Equivalent Plastic Strain are equal for proportional,
monotonic loading, only.
Large Deflection Effects

Note that the display of this result changes based on the setting of the Large Deflection property.
When the property is set to On, the result displays zero values for any body with non-linear mater-
ials, as illustrated for the three body part shown below.
Structural Results
Setting the property to Off, the same body with non-linear materials displays transparently. This
display is like the Equivalent Plastic Strain result that displays non-linear materials transparently
regardless of the Large Deflection property setting.
19.5.2.10. Equivalent Creep Strain

Creep is a rate-dependent material nonlinearity in which the material continues to deform under
a constant load. The material deforms under an initial applied load and the load diminishes over
time with an increase in deformation or creep strain. The equivalent creep strain gives a measure
Results
of the amount of the creep strain in an engineering body. The equivalent creep strain is calculated
from component creep strains.
In order to develop creep strain, creep material properties must be defined. You may define creep
material properties by choosing one of the available 13 creep models in Engineering Data. This
result type is available in Mechanical only after you have selected a creep material for at least one
prototype in the analysis.
19.5.2.11. Equivalent Total Strain

The equivalent total strain gives a total value of strain in any engineering body. The total strain
components are calculated by addition of components of elastic, plastic, thermal, and creep strains
and then equivalent total strain is calculated from total strain components. This result type is
available in Mechanical only if at least one of the other three strain results is available for post
processing. In Mechanical APDL this strain in called Total Mechanical and Thermal Strain.
19.5.2.12. Membrane Stress

Membrane stress calculates the stresses along the thickness of the shell in longitudinal direction,
in transverse direction, and in plane shear. The result is available only for shell bodies and solids
that are meshed using the thin-solid meshing option. Each element of the body can display indi-
vidual stress values and give a checkboard appearance to the result contours. The results are calcu-
lated in the element coordinate system.
Shell membrane stress tensor (s11m, s22m, s12m) is the average of the in-plane stress tensor (s11(z),
s22(z), s12(z)) along the shell thickness direction:
Where:
t is the total shell thickness,

z is the thickness location where the in-plane stress is evaluated.
Unlike linearized stress in other elements, a pre-defined path through the shell thickness is not re-
quired in order to compute shell membrane stress.
Note:
Make sure that the Output Control (p. 1559), General Miscellaneous is set to Yes or your
results may be under-defined.
Structural Results
19.5.2.13. Bending Stress

The result is available only for shell bodies and solids that are meshed using the thin-solid meshing
option and are calculated in the element coordinate system. Each element of the body can display
individual stress values and give a check-board appearance to the result contours.
Shell bending stress tensor (s11b, s22b, s12b) represents the linear variation portion of the in-plane
stress tensor (s11(z), s22(z), s12(z)) along the shell thickness direction:
Where:
t is the total shell thickness,

z is the thickness location where the in-plane stress is evaluated.
Note:
Make sure that the Output Control (p. 1559), General Miscellaneous is set to Yes or your
results may be under-defined.
19.5.3. Stabilization Energy

Stabilization can help with convergence problems, but it can also affect accuracy if the stabilization
energy or forces are too large. Although Ansys automatically reports the stabilization force norms
and compares them to internal force norms, it is still very important to check the stabilization energy
and forces to determine whether or not they are excessive. If the stabilization energy is much less
than the potential energy (for example, within a 1.0 percent tolerance), the result should be acceptable.
Stabilization energy is not available to the Samcef or ABAQUS solver.
When stabilization energy is large, check the stabilization forces at each DOF for all substeps. If the
stabilization forces are much smaller than the applied loads and reaction forces (for example, within
a 0.5 percent tolerance), the results are still acceptable. Such a case could occur when an elastic system
is loaded first, then unloaded significantly. It is possible that the final element potential energy is
small and stabilization energy is relatively large, but all stabilization forces are small. Currently, stabil-
ization forces are accessible in the .OUT file.
Even when both stabilization energy and forces are too large, the results could still be valid. Such a
scenario is possible when a large part of an elastic structure undergoes large rigid body motion (as
in a snap-through simulation). In such a case, the stabilization energy could be large as well as the
stabilization force for some DOFs at some substeps, but the results could still be acceptably accurate.
Nevertheless, consider the results along with other support data and use your own discretion.
Results
To insert a Stabilization Energy result, highlight the Solution object in the tree, then select Stabil-
ization Energy from the Solution Context Tab (p. 65) or right-click the object and choose Insert>
Energy> Stabilization Energy.
The following figure shows an example stabilization energy contour plot:
19.5.4. Strain Energy

Energy stored in bodies due to deformation. This value is computed from stress and strain results. It
includes plastic strain energy as a result of material plasticity.
The Strain Energy result is available in the Energy drop-down menu of the Results group on the
Solution Context (p. 65) tab. The option is also available from the context (right-click) menu of the
Solution object (Insert> Energy> Strain Energy).
19.5.5. Damage Results

Mechanical supports a number of damage results using non-linear material models, including the
Mullins Effect, Progressive Damage, and Physical Failure Criteria.
Mullins Effect
The Mullins effect is a phenomenon resulting from load-induced changes to constitutive response
exhibited by some hyper elastic materials, especially filled polymers. The effect is most evident during
cyclic loading, where the unloading response is more compliant than the loading behavior. During
the process of cyclic loading, stress-strain curve for these materials is dependent on the maximum
previous load, where the load is the strain energy of the virgin hyper elastic material. As the maximum
previous load increases, changes to the virgin hyper elastic constitutive model also increase, due to
the Mullins effect. Below the maximum previous load, the Mullins effect changes are not evolving:
however, the Mullins effect still modifies the hyper elastic constitutive response based on the maximum
previous load. If the load increases beyond the maximum previous all time value, the result is an irre-
versible and instantaneous softening of the material, which causes a hysteresis in the stress-strain
response.
Structural Results
The Mullins effect is modeled with the modified Ogden-Roxburgh pseudo-elastic model (TB,CDM,,,,PSE2)
and is applicable to any nearly or purely incompressible hyperelastic model (TB,HYPER). For more
information on the Mullins effect, see Mullins Effect Model.
Mechanical supports two results for the Mullins Effect: Mullins Damage Variable and Mullins Max.
Previous Strain Energy.
The Mullins Damage Variable is a unitless scale range from 0, at which the material is completely
damaged without any stiffness, to 1, at which the material is intact, without any loss of stiffness.
At a given time step, the Mullins Max. Previous Strain Energy result is the maximum value of strain
energy of the virgin material in the time interval [0, t0], where t0 is the beginning of a time step.
Depending on the unit system you choose, this result chooses the appropriate unit of energy. A
typical unit is the Joules (J) unit.
Progressive Damage
Progressive Damage is associated with the damage phenomenon that occurs in composite materials.
When a composite material is subjected to loading, the matrix and fiber controlled types of failure
can occur both separately or sequentially. After a certain point, the material experiences enough
damage in the form of the local failures that the material can no longer sustain the load. These local
failures govern the ultimate load that the material can withstand.
Progressive Damage uses material damage initiation (TB, DMGI) and evolution criteria (TB, DMGE) to
analyze the progressive damage in composites. While Physical Failure Criteria analyzes the failure
criteria, Progressive Damage analyzes the progression of the damage.
Damage Initiation Criteria defines the criteria type for determining the onset of material damage
under loading. Depending upon the failure mode selected here, the respective failure criteria will be
computed for "Physical Failure Criteria". The available failure modes for damage are:
• Maximum Strain
• Maximum Stress
• Puck
• Hashin
• LaRc03
• LaRc04
The Damage Evolution Law defines the material damage evolution law (or the way a material degrades)
following the initiation of damage. The stiffness reduction takes a value of 0 to 1, where 0 is no
damage and 1 is completely damaged.
For more information, see Damage-Evolution Law and Fiber-Reinforced Material Damage in the
Mechanical APDL documentation.
The Progressive Damage model supports the following results:
Results
Result Description
Damage Status The Damage Status result will be an enum type with values of
0, 1, or 2, where
• 0 -- undamaged
• 1 -- partially damaged
• 2 -- completely damaged
Fiber Tensile Damage The Fiber Tensile Damage Variable result value will be in the
Variable range of 0 to the “Tensile Fiber Stiffness Reduction” value set in
the Damage Evolution Law. That is, if you set the Tensile Fiber
Stiffness Reduction to 0.6, the range of Fiber Tensile damage
variable result will be in the range of 0 to 0.6.
A value of 0 for this result means undamaged and a value of 1

means completely damaged. The result has no units.
Fiber Compressive The Fiber Compressive Damage Variable result value will be in
Damage Variable the range of 0 to the “Compressive Fiber Stiffness Reduction”
value set in the Damage Evolution Law. That is, if you set the
Compressive Fiber Stiffness Reduction to 0.6, the range of Fiber
Tensile damage variable result will be in the range of 0 to 0.6.

Matrix Tensile Damage The Matrix Tensile Damage Variable result value will be in the
Variable range of 0 to the “Tensile Matrix Stiffness Reduction” value set
in the Damage Evolution Law, that is, if you set the Tensile Matrix
Stiffness Reduction to 0.6, the range of Fiber Tensile damage
variable result will be in the range of 0 to 0.6.

Matrix Compressive The Matrix Compressive Damage Variable result value will be in
Damage Variable the range of 0 to the “Compressive Fiber Stiffness Reduction”
value set in the Damage Evolution Law, that is, if you set the
Compressive Fiber Stiffness Reduction to 0.6, the range of Fiber
Tensile damage variable result will be in the range of 0 to 0.6.

Shear Damage Variable The Shear Damage Variable result value will be in the range of 0 to
1. This value is computed using the results of Fiber Tensile Damage
Variable, Fiber Compressive Damage Variable, Matrix Tensile Damage
Variable, and Matrix Compressive Damage Variable. The result has no
units.
Energy Dissipated Per The Energy Dissipated Per Volume result value will be a positive
Volume real number.
Structural Results
Result Description
This result uses a unit of "Energy/Volume" in the unit system you
choose.
Physical Failure Criteria

The respective failure criteria are computed for the failure modes chosen in the damage initiation
criteria. While the damage variables give you an idea where the damage is located and its likely dir-
ection of propagation, the Physical Failure Criteria helps you determine how much more load the
material can handle.
These failure criteria are computed based on the parameters given using the material damage initiation
(TB, DMGI) and evolution criteria (TB, DMGE). For more information, see Progressive Damage (p. 2141),
above, as well as Damage-Evolution Law, Fiber-Reinforced Material Damage, and Physical Failure
Criteria in the Mechanical APDL documentation.
The Physical Failure Criteria model supports the following results:
Result Description
Max Failure Criteria The Max Failure Criteria is computed based on the maximum of Fiber
Tensile Failure Criterion, Fiber Compressive Failure Criterion, Matrix
Tensile Failure Criterion, and Matrix Compressive Failure Criterion.
Fiber Tensile Failure The Fiber Tensile Failure Criterion result value will be a positive
Criterion integer. A value of 0 indicates no failure, while 1 is a complete failure.
A value above 1 indicates the material has completely failed. The
higher this number, the higher the load above the prescribed limits,
although specifics are dependent on the stress limits you set and the
amount of loading applied.
Fiber Compressive Failure The Fiber Compressive Failure Criterion result value will be a positive
Matrix Tensile Failure The Matrix Tensile Failure Criterion result value will be a positive
Matrix Compressive Failure The Matrix Compressive Failure Criterion result value will be a positive
Results
19.5.6. Linearized Stress

The Linearized Stress results calculate membrane, bending, peak, and total stress along a straight line
path in the Mechanical application. To calculate linearized stress, you must first define a straight line
path object using Construction Geometry under Model. A path you define for linearized stress can
be of type Two Points or of type X axis Intersection and should have at least 47 sample points. The
number of points must be an odd number: otherwise the result will not solve and an error message
will be issued. The path must be straight and entirely within the model’s elements. The X axis Inter-
section option is recommend as it ensures that the start and end points are inside the mesh and that
the path is straight. Note that the Two Points method obtains the points from the tessellation of the
geometric model, and if the geometry faces are curved, the points might not be inside the mesh. For
these situations, you can use the Snap to mesh nodes feature (see Path (p. 911)) to ensure that the
two points are contained within the mesh.
Linearized stress does not support the Edge path type. To calculate linearized stresses:
1. In the object tree, select the Solution object.
2. On the Solution Context Tab (p. 65), open the Linearized Stress drop-down menu and select
your desired stress.
3. In the Details, select the Path (p. 911) you have defined to calculate the linearized stress.
4. Select the coordinate system you have used for the model.
5. As desired, for 3D analyses (only), set the Zero Through-Thickness Bending Stress property to
Yes to ignore out-of-plane bending stresses (SX, SXY, SXZ) in the linearized bending stress calcu-
lations.
6. Click Solve to calculate linearized stress along the path.
Geometry Select bodies that contribute toward stress calculation

Path The path you define to calculate the linearized stresses
Type Types of linearized stresses available
Coordinate System Coordinate systems you can select for stress calculation
About Linearized Stress

When the result is evaluated, component stress values at the path points are interpolated from the
appropriate element's average corner nodal values. Stress components through the section are linear-
ized by a line integral method and are separated into constant membrane stresses, bending stresses
varying linearly between end points, and peak stresses (defined as the difference between the actual
(total) stress and the membrane plus bending combination).
The Details shows Membrane, Bending, Membrane + Bending, Peak, and Total stresses. The
bending stresses are calculated such that the neutral axis is at the midpoint of the path.
Principal stresses are recalculated from the component stresses and are invariant with the coordinate
system as long as stress is in the same direction at all points along the defined path. It is generally
recommended that calculations be performed in a rectangular coordinate system (global Cartesian).
Structural Results
The Details also includes the following three choices for the 2D Behavior (2D analysis (p. 906) only)
property: Planar, Axisymmetric Straight, and Axisymmetric Curve. These choices are available only
for 2D geometries (for example, plane stress).
For Axisymmetric Straight and Axisymmetric Curve, the Details includes entries for Average Radius
of Curvature and Through-Thickness Bending Stress.
The Average Radius of Curvature represents the in-plane (X-Y) average radius of curvature of the
inside and outside surfaces of an axisymmetric section. If the radius is zero, a plane or 3D structure
is assumed. The curve radius is in the current units.
An Axisymmetric Straight analysis always has an infinite radius of curvature (which is denoted by
a value of -1).
The choices for Through-Thickness Bending Stress are:
• Include: Include the thickness-direction bending stresses.
• Ignore: Ignore the thickness-direction bending stresses.
• Include Using Y Dir. Formula: Include the thickness-direction bending stress using the same formula
as the Y (axial direction) bending stress. Also use the same formula for the shear stress.
If the Average Radius of Curvature is non-zero, Mechanical reports the linearized stresses in the
section coordinates (SX – along the path, SY – normal to the path, and SZ – hoop direction). In this
case, the choice of Coordinate System in the Details is ignored.
If the Average Radius of Curvature is zero, Mechanical reports the linearized stresses in the active
results coordinate system.
For 3D geometries only, the property Zero Through-Thickness Bending Stress is displayed. It includes
the following options:
• No (default): The application performs calculations as in previous revisions.
• Yes: When this option is selected, the bending stresses SX, SXY, SXZ are set to zero and the
principal bending stress calculation for S1, S2, S3, SINT, and SEQV are performed using these
zeroed components. The direction of the positive X-axis of the result’s Coordinate System must
be the same as the direction of the specified Path (Start to End).
Notes on Linearized Stress

• The line integral method is the same as that used in the Mechanical APDL command PRSECT, RHO,
KBR, and KBR3D.
• Mechanical does not support the Solution Coordinate System for this result.
• The Worksheet reports the linearized component and principal stresses for each stress category at
the beginning, mid-length, and end of the section path.
Results
19.5.7. Contact Results

If your model contains Contact Regions, you can define the contact results listed below under the
Solution object by inserting a Contact Tool (p. 2184). See the Reviewing the Results section of the
Contact Technology Guide for additional information.
• Gap
• Penetration
• Pressure
Important:
The application only reports contact pressure results for corner nodes. However, the
possibility exists that the contact element has contact with at least one mid-side node
while the corner nodes are not in contact. As a result, the element may have a closed
contact status even though the reported contact pressure is zero. To verify the contact
status for contact elements in this situation, list the following ETABLE quantities: SMISC,13
(PRES): NMISC,41 (STAT): NMISC,43 (CNFX): NMISC,44 (CNFY): and NIMSC,45 (CNFZ). Also
note you can specify these quantities, such as SMISC,13, in a User Defined (p. 2296) result
using an appropriate Expression (SMISC13).
• Frictional Stress: Available only for evaluating contact conditions after solution.
Note:
– To reflect total contact pressures or frictional stress, you must either set the Behavior
(p. 1149) option to Asymmetric or Auto Asymmetric, or manually create an asymmetric
contact pair (p. 1176).
– For node-to-surface contact, Pressure will display zero results. To display the associated
contact force, you must insert a user defined result (p. 2305) called CONTFORC. This is
also the case for the General Axisymmetric feature, which employs node-to-surface
contact.
• Sliding Distance: Available only for evaluating contact conditions after solution. The total sliding
distance (SLIDE) is the maximum total sliding distance (algebraic sum) when the contact status is
sticking or sliding (STAT = 2, 3). It contains contributions from the elastic slip and the frictional slip.
Elastic slip due to sticking represents the reversible tangential motion from the point of zero tan-
gential stresses. Ideally, the equivalent elastic slip does not exceed the user-defined absolute limit.
The higher the tangent stiffness, the smaller the resulting elastic slip. The pair-based elastic slip
can be monitored using the Contact Result Tracker (p. 1942).
• Fluid Pressure: Fluid penetration pressure (surface-to-surface contact only). Note that command
snippets are required to apply the loading to create this result. For more information, see Applying
Fluid-Pressure-Penetration Loads in the Contact Technology Guide.
• Status. Status codes include:
Structural Results
– -3 - MPC bonded contact.
– -2 - MPC no-separation contact.
– 0 - open and not near contact.
– 1 - open but near contact.
– 2 - closed and sliding.
– 3 - closed and sticking.
The labels Far, Near, Sliding, and Sticking are included in the legend for Status.
Note:
– MPC-based contact definitions use negative values. They indicate the intentional re-
moval of one or more contact constraints to prevent over-constraint.
– Contact that has been deactivated via Auto Asymmetric behavior will be displayed
with a status of Far-Open. Results for deactivated pairs can be suppressed in the
Contact Tool by changing Both to either Contact or Target as necessary.
If you choose to display contact results with a display option other than Unaveraged, then Mech-
anical uses all elements in the selected regions to calculate the result. That is, Mechanical averages
contact across regions regardless of whether you scoped the result via Geometry Selection or via the
Worksheet.
For example, if you set the display option to Averaged, then the displayed result for a node is the
average of all values (from all selected elements) at that node. Contact elements can be coincident,
which may be difficult to discern visually, and Mechanical does not display unaveraged contact results
if it detects coincident elements in the scoping. However, Mechanical calculates and displays averaged
contact results for coincident elements.
In addition, if more than one face on a non-contact element (such as a solid element) includes contact
elements, Mechanical does not display unaveraged contact results because the application cannot
assign multiple contact values to a node.
The images below illustrate how contact results are affected by the different scoping types. The
model consists of two blocks contacting a third block.
Results
Using the Worksheet method, one Contact Tool was scoped to the contact pair on the left, and an-
other one was scoped to the contact pair on the right. This allows you to view the contact results for
each contact pair individually. The contact status for the contact pair on the left is shown below.
The contact status for the contact pair on the right is shown below.
A third Contact Tool scoped to the surface of the large block (using the Geometry Selection method)
enables you to view the contact status averaged over that surface, as shown below.
Structural Results
Contact Results Restrictions

Note the following restrictions regarding contact results:
• When a contact result is scoped to a face of an assembly, a contact result may not be obtained in
certain cases, especially if the scoped face is not a part of any contact region.
• Contour contact results are not reported for 3D edge contact.
• If you use the Generate Initial Contact Results option on a Contact Tool contained in the Con-
nections folder, and use the Worksheet to scope these Initial Contact results, the application displays
the contour results for the geometry scoping of the contact pairs, not the individual contact ele-
ments. Therefore, and as illustrated above by the third Contact Tool scoped to a surface, the results
appear as if the scoping is to the geometric faces.
• If the contact status of all nodes of a contact element is FAR (or 0), then 16.0 will report all contact
results as undefined.
• For any contact result, the averaged contact results at 16.0 can display values that differ from values
of previous revisions, if:
– (a) two contact elements share nodes, and,
– (b) one of the elements has a FAR contact status, and,
– (c) one of the elements does not have a FAR status.
This is because, prior to 16.0, the elements with FAR status reported values that were ZERO. At
16.0, these elements have no values and are not involved in the averaging process.
19.5.8. Frequency Response

Frequency response results enable you to plot graphs that display how the given response (stress,
strain, etc.) varies with frequency.
Results
• Result Options (p. 2150)
• Scoping (p. 2151)
• Result Calculations (p. 2152)
• Display Options (p. 2155)
• Creating Contour Result from Frequency Response Results (p. 2157)
Result Options
The Frequency Response menu of options is accessed from the Solution object context tab, or by
right-clicking the Solution object, or an existing result object, and selecting Insert > Frequency Re-
sponse. Menu options include:
• Stress
• Strain (elastic)
• Deformation
• Velocity
• Acceleration (frequency only)
• Force Reaction
• Equivalent Radiated Power
• Krylov Residual Norm
You can view these options as a value graphed along a specified frequency range. In addition, you
can parameterize these frequency results. The plot will include all the frequency points at which a
solution was obtained. When you generate frequency response results, the default plot (Bode) shows
the amplitude and phase angle.
Equivalent radiated power results estimate the radiated structure-borne sound power from a vibrating
structural surface. These results are available in 3D Harmonic Response (p. 502) and Harmonic Acoustics
(if you define a structural Physics Region) analyses. The result is evaluated on faces that you select,
either using face geometry section or face-based Named Selections, and the result is displayed on a
graph over the specified frequency range. You specify the frequency range using the Specified setting
for the Frequency Range property. When you generate frequency response results, the plot shows
Equivalent Radiated Power (ERP) or Equivalent Radiated Power Level (ERPL) as a function of the
Structural Results
frequency. See the expressions described below as well as the PLAS command for the ERP and ERPL
acoustic quantities.
Note:
You can specify a weighting filter (p. 2081) (A, B, and C) for the Equivalent Radiated Power
Level result.
Important:
For Equivalent Radiated Power and Equivalent Radiated Power Level results, if the
Multiple Step Type (p. 1510) property is set to RPM in the Analysis Settings, the result file
must exist for the result to be displayed.
Scoping
These results support the following scoping options:
• Geometry selection (vertex, face, edge, or nodes)
• Contact Regions
• Beam Connections (p. 1315)
• Support Boundary Conditions (p. 1781) (Fixed Support, Displacement, Frictionless Support, Cyl-
indrical Support)
• Remote Points (p. 1379)
Note:
Equivalent Radiated Power and Equivalent Radiated Power Level results must be scoped
to surfaces.
Note:
Direct graphical node selection requires you to generate the mesh and have the Node
selection option (p. 100) active.
Limitations
If the Store Results At All Frequencies property in the Options category (p. 1531) of the Analysis
Settings is set to No, the Frequency Response results for force reactions cannot be extracted.
Results
Result Calculations
The following equations describe how frequency graphs are defined and plotted for the supported
types.
Stress and Strain Results
The strain result is calculated using the displacement result. Using the Young’s Modulus and strain
result, the stress result can be evaluated. Because of this reason, the stress and strain results are
in phase with the displacement result.
Deformation Result
The displacement vector on a structure subjected to harmonic loading may be expressed as:
EQUATION 1
The Frequency Response chart for displacement is calculated by expressing Equation (1) in time
domain as follows:
EQUATION 2
where:
Velocity Result
The equation for velocity can be obtained by taking a time derivative of Equation (1). The fre-
quency response for velocity in time domain is calculated as follows:
EQUATION 3
where:
Structural Results
Acceleration Result
The equation for acceleration can be obtained by taking a double time derivative of Equation
(1). The frequency response for acceleration in time domain is calculated as follows:
EQUATION 4
where:
Force Reaction
The Frequency Response for Force Reaction is calculated by replacing displacement with force in
Equation (2) as shown below.
EQUATION 5
where:
(Amplitude)
(Phase Angle)
Equivalent Radiated Power
Equivalent Radiated Power (ERP) is expressed as:
Results
Where:
= speed of sound (equal to 343.25 m/s).

= mass density (equal to 1.2041 kg/m3).
= radiation factor (equal to 1).
= normal velocity of vibrating structural surface
Equivalent Radiated Power Level
The Equivalent Radiated Power Level (ERPL) is expressed as:
ERPL = 10 Log (ERP/Wref )
Where Wref is the reference sound power (equal to 10-12W).
Krylov Residual Norm
This result plots error estimations (residuals) across a frequency range for the harmonic distribution.
The result displays the lowest residual value at the frequency where the Krylov subspace is built.
High residual values indicate the error between the actual and the approximated solution for a
given high frequency. The plot can provide information on how to best split the whole frequency
range into multiple ranges. The Krylov Residual Norm is calculated using the following equation:
Where:
is the applied force.

is the approximated force using the Krylov method.
For , K, M, and C are the system matrices and the Residuals are calculated
for all the solved frequency points ωi.
Structural Results
Example Plot
Display Options
Panel Contribution and Data Filtering
For the Deformation, Velocity, Acceleration, Equivalent Radiated Power, and Equivalent Ra-
diated Power Level result types, the Details pane provides the following property categories:
• Panel Contribution (p. 2043): Visually compare the results of multiple solid bodies or of
specified Named Selections as a mosaic chart.
• Chart and Tabular Display: Filter result data in the Graph and Tabular Data windows.
This category also includes properties related to Panel Contribution if the option is active.
Display Property
The Display Property property of the frequency response results provides the following results
values for graphs:
• Real
• Imaginary
• Real and Imaginary
• Amplitude
• Phase Angle
• Bode (default setting - plots both Amplitude and Phase Angle)
Chart Viewing Style Property
The Chart Viewing Style property provides the following options to plot results for a scale of an
axis:
• Linear: this option plots the result values linearly.
Results
• Log X: this option plots the X-Axis logarithmically. If negative axis values or a zero value
exists, this option is not supported and the graph plots linearly.
• Log Y (default when graph has Amplitude): this option plots the Y-Axis is plotted logarith-
mically. If negative axis values or a zero value exists, this option is not supported and the
graph plots linearly.
• Log-Log: this option plots the X-Axis and Y-Axis logarithmically. If negative axis values or
a zero value exists, this option is not supported and the graph plots linearly.
For edges, faces, surface bodies, and multiple vertex selections (which contain multiple nodes),
the results can be scoped as minimum, maximum, or average using the Spatial Resolution option.
This option is also available for frequency and phase response results scoped on a single vertex.
Note:
The Spatial Resolution option is especially important for results scoped to a shell
vertex, where the default option, Use Average, may yield unexpected results.
The Use Minimum and Use Maximum settings of the Spatial Resolution option are based on
the amplitude and are therefore reported from the location with either the largest or smallest
amplitude. The Use Average setting calculates the average by calculating the real and imaginary
components separately.
Note:
You cannot use the Mechanical application convergence capabilities for any results
item under a harmonic analysis. Instead, you can first do a convergence (p. 1947) study
on a modal analysis (p. 521) and reuse the mesh from that analysis.
Presented below is an example of a Frequency Response plot:
Structural Results
The average, minimum, or maximum value can be chosen for selected entities. Stress, Strain,
Deformation, Velocity, and Acceleration components vary sinusoidally, so these are the only
result types that can be reviewed in this manner. (Note that items such as Principal Stress or
Equivalent Stress do not behave in a sinusoidal manner since these are derived quantities.)
Creating Contour Result from Frequency Response Results

You can use Frequency Response result types (not including Velocity and Acceleration) to generate
new result objects of the same type, orientation, frequency. The phase angle of the contour result
will be opposite in sign with the same magnitude as the frequency response result type. The sign of
the phase in the Sweeping Phase property of the contour result is reversed so that the response
amplitude of the frequency response plot for that frequency and phase defined by the Duration
property matches with the contour results. To create a Contour Result in a Harmonic Analysis:
1. Select and right-click the desired Harmonic result in the solution tree.
2. Choose Create Contour Result.
Results
As illustrated here, you can see how the feature automatically scopes the Type, Orientation, Coordin-
ate System, Frequency, and Sweeping Phase.
Structural Results
The Reported Frequency in the Information category is the frequency at which contour results were
found and plotted. This frequency can be potentially different from the frequency you requested.
Results
19.5.9. Phase Response

Like Frequency Response results, Phase Response results plot the minimum, average, or maximum
Stress, Strain, or Deformation for selected graphical entities (vertex, face, edge, or nodes) or a Named
Selection (p. 1347). An example of a Phase Response plot is illustrated below.
However, unlike Frequency Response plots that show a response amplitude over a frequency range,
Phase Response plots show a response over a phase period, so you can determine how much a re-
sponse lags behind the applied load.
The following functions outline the relationships of response amplitude, phase response graphs, and
result contours (with associated caveats):
Response Amplitude
Response Amplitude is defined as the maximum value of the following expression:
value = sqrt(real*real + imag*imag)
Where real and imag represent all real and imaginary result values from the result file for the se-
lected frequency.
Phase Response Graph
Phase Response results report the following quantities at the nearest frequency requested from
the Frequency property.
Structural Results
For the properties contained in the Results category:
Amplitude = sqrt(real*real + imag*imag)
Phase Angle =
Real = real
Imaginary = imag
And the graph is the image of the following, where Sweeping Phase is allowed to vary across a
user specified Duration:
value = Amplitude * cos( phase)

Where:
phase = (Phase Angle + Sweeping Phase)
Note:
Take caution when comparing the values in the Output column of the Tabular
Data for a Phase Response against maximum values of contour displays.
Result Contour
To draw result contours in a Harmonic Response analysis, the application uses the phase you
specify in the Sweeping Phase property to evaluate the expression:
value = real*cos(phase) - imag*sin(phase)
Results
Where real and imag represent all real and imaginary result values from the result file for the se-
lected frequency.
Because the formula for the Phase Response graph differs from the formula for the contour, an Output
value for the graph does not necessarily equal a maximum for a contour result at the same frequency.
General Approach to Harmonic Response Analysis Postprocessing
Generally speaking, you would look at Frequency Response plots at critical regions to ascertain what
the frequency of interest may be. In conjunction with Phase Response plots, the phase of interest
is also determined. Then, you can request Stress, Strain, or Deformation contour plots to evaluate
the response of the entire structure at that frequency and phase of interest.
Limitations
For a Mode Superposition Harmonic Response analysis (standalone or linked), if the Store Results At
All Frequencies property in the Options category (p. 1531) of the Analysis Settings is set to No, the
Phase Response results can be scoped to geometric entities only (node-based scoping is not allowed).
If the Store Results At All Frequencies property in the Options category (p. 1531) of the Analysis
Settings is set to No, the Frequency Response results for force reactions cannot be extracted.
19.5.10. Stress Tools

You can insert any of the following stress tools in a Solution object by choosing Stress Tool in the
Toolbox drop-down menu of the Solution Context Tab (p. 65) or by right-clicking on the Solution
object and selecting Insert > Stress Tool:
• Maximum Equivalent Stress Safety Tool (p. 2163)
• Maximum Shear Stress Safety Tool (p. 2165)
• Mohr-Coulomb Stress Safety Tool (p. 2166)
• Maximum Tensile Stress Safety Tool (p. 2168)
Important:
Currently, the application places a limit on the maximum value of a Safety Factor
result at 15 and the Safety Margin result at 14. As needed, you can create a User
Defined Result (p. 2294) to exceed these maximum values.
Note:
After adding a Stress Tool object, you can change the specific stress tool using the
Theory property.
The Stress Tools make use of the following material properties:
• Tensile Yield Strength
Structural Results
• Compressive Yield Strength
• Tensile Ultimate Strength
• Compressive Ultimate Strength
Safety Tools in the Ansys Workbench Product

The Ansys Workbench product uses safety tools that are based on four different stress quantities:
1. Equivalent stress (σe).
2. Maximum tensile stress (σ1).
3. Maximum shear stress (τMAX)
This uses Mohr's circle:
where:
σ1 and σ3 = principal stresses.
4. Mohr-Coulomb stress
This theory uses a stress limit based on
where:
19.5.10.1. Maximum Equivalent Stress Safety Tool

The Maximum Equivalent Stress Safety tool is based on the maximum equivalent stress failure
theory for ductile materials, also referred to as the von Mises-Hencky theory, octahedral shear stress
theory, or maximum distortion (or shear) energy theory. Of the four failure theories supported by
the Mechanical application, this theory is generally considered as the most appropriate for ductile
materials such as aluminum, brass and steel.
The theory states that a particular combination of principal stresses causes failure if the maximum
equivalent stress in a structure equals or exceeds a specific stress limit:
Expressing the theory as a design goal:
Results
If failure is defined by material yielding, it follows that the design goal is to limit the maximum
equivalent stress to be less than the yield strength of the material:
An alternate but less common definition states that fracturing occurs when the maximum equivalent
stress reaches or exceeds the ultimate strength of the material:
Options
Define the stress limit in the Details under Stress Limit Type. Use either Tensile Yield Per Mater-
ial, or Tensile Ultimate Per Material, or enter a Custom Value. By default, Stress Limit Type
equals Tensile Yield Per Material.
Select one of the following Stress Tool results from the Result group of the Stress Tool tab or by
right-clicking and selecting Insert > [result type]:
Safety Factor
Safety Margin
Stress Ratio
Notes
• The reliability of this failure theory depends on the accuracy of calculated results (p. 1947) and the
representation of stress risers (peak stresses). Stress risers play an important role if, for example,
yielding at local discontinuities (for example, notches, holes, fillets) and fatigue loading are of
concern. If calculated results are suspect, consider the calculated stresses to be nominal stresses,
and amplify the nominal stresses by an appropriate stress concentration factor Kt. Values for Kt
are available in many strength of materials handbooks.
• If fatigue is not a concern, localized yielding will lead to a slight redistribution of stress, and no
real failure will occur. According to J. E. Shigley (Mechanical Engineering Design, McGraw-Hill,
1973), "We conclude, then, that yielding in the vicinity of a stress riser is beneficial in improving
the strength of a part and that stress-concentration factors need not be employed when the
material is ductile and the loads are static."
Structural Results
• Alternatively, localized yielding is potentially important if the material is marginally ductile, or if

low temperatures or other environmental conditions induce brittle behavior.
• Yielding of ductile materials may also be important if the yielding is widespread. For example,
failure is most often declared if yielding occurs across a complete section.
• The proper selection and use of a failure theory relies on your engineering judgment. Refer to
engineering texts such as Engineering Considerations of Stress, Strain, and Strength by R. C. Juvinall
(McGraw-Hill) and Mechanical Engineering Design by J. E. Shigley (McGraw-Hill) for in-depth dis-
cussions on the applied theories.
19.5.10.2. Maximum Shear Stress Safety Tool

The Maximum Shear Stress Safety tool is based on the maximum shear stress failure theory for
ductile materials.
The theory states that a particular combination of principal stresses causes failure if the Maximum
Shear (p. 2132) equals or exceeds a specific shear limit:
Where the limit strength is generally the yield or ultimate strength of the material. That is, the shear
strength of the material is typically defined as a fraction (f < 1) of the yield or ultimate strength:
In a strict application of the theory, f = 0.5. Expressing the theory as a design goal:
If failure is defined by material yielding, it follows that the design goal is to limit the shear stress
to be less than a fraction of the yield strength of the material:
An alternate but less common definition states that fracturing occurs when the shear stress reaches
or exceeds a fraction of the ultimate strength of the material:
Options
Define coefficient f under Factor in the Details. By default, the coefficient f equals 0.5.
Results
Safety Factor
Safety Margin
Stress Ratio
Notes
• The reliability of this failure theory depends on the accuracy of calculated results and the repres-
entation of stress risers (peak stresses). Stress risers play an important role if, for example, yielding
at local discontinuities (notches, holes, fillets, etc.) and fatigue loading are of concern. If calculated
results are suspect, consider the calculated stresses to be nominal stresses, and amplify the
nominal stresses by an appropriate stress concentration factor Kt. Values for Kt are available in
many strength of materials handbooks.
• If fatigue is not a concern, localized yielding will lead to a slight redistribution of stress, and no
real failure will occur. According to J. E. Shigley (Mechanical Engineering Design, McGraw-Hill,
1973), "We conclude, then, that yielding in the vicinity of a stress riser is beneficial in improving
the strength of the part and that stress-concentration factors need not be employed when the
material is ductile and the loads are static."
• Alternatively, localized yielding is potentially important if the material is marginally ductile, or if

low temperatures or other environmental conditions induce brittle behavior.
• Yielding of ductile materials may also be important if the yielding is widespread. For example,
failure is most often declared if yielding occurs across a complete section.
19.5.10.3. Mohr-Coulomb Stress Safety Tool

The Mohr-Coulomb Stress Safety Tool is based on the Mohr-Coulomb theory for brittle materials,
also known as the internal friction theory.
The theory states that failure occurs when the combination of the Maximum, Middle, and Minimum
Principal (p. 2131) equal or exceed their respective stress limits. The theory compares the maximum
Structural Results
tensile stress to the material's tensile limit and the minimum compressive stress to the material's
compressive limit. Expressing the theory as a design goal:
where σ1 > σ2 > σ3: σ3 and the compressive strength limit assume negative values even though
you must actually enter positive values for these quantities. Also, a given term is only used if it in-
cludes the correct sign. For example, σ1 must be positive and σ3 must be negative. Otherwise, the
invalid term is assumed to be negligible.
Note that the Mohr-Coulomb Stress Safety tool evaluates maximum and minimum principal stresses
at the same locations. That is, this tool does not base its calculations on the absolute maximum
principal stress and the absolute minimum principal stress occurring (most likely) at two different
locations in the body. The tool bases its calculations on the independent distributions of maximum
and minimum principal stress. Consequently, this tool provides a distribution of factor or margin
of safety throughout the part or assembly. The minimum factor or margin of safety is the minimum
value found in this distribution.
For common brittle materials such as glass, cast iron, concrete and certain types of hardened steels,
the compressive strength is usually much greater than the tensile strength, of which this theory
takes direct account.
The design goal is to limit the maximum and minimum principal stresses to their ultimate strength
values by means of the brittle failure relationship:
An alternative but less common definition compares the greatest principal stresses to the yield
strengths of the material:
The theory is known to be more accurate than the maximum tensile stress failure theory used in
the Maximum Tensile Stress Safety tool, and when properly applied with a reasonable factor of
safety the theory is often considered to be conservative.
Options
Define the tensile stress limit in the Details under Tensile Limit Type. Use either Tensile Yield Per
Material, or Tensile Ultimate Per Material, or enter a Custom Value. By default, Tensile Limit
Type equals Tensile Yield Per Material.
Define the compressive stress limit in the Details under Compressive Limit Type. Use either Comp.
Yield Per Material, or Comp. Ultimate Per Material, or enter a Custom Value. By default, Com-
pressive Limit Type equals Comp. Yield Per Material.
Results
Safety Factor
Safety Margin
Stress Ratio
Notes
• The use of a yield strength limit with brittle materials is not recommended since most brittle
materials do not exhibit a well-defined yield strength.
• For ductile and some other types of materials, experiments have shown that brittle failure theories
may be inaccurate and unsafe to use. The brittle failure theories may also be inaccurate for certain
brittle materials. Potential inaccuracies are of particular concern if the accuracy of calculated an-
swers (p. 1947) is suspect.
• The reliability of this failure criterion is directly related to treatment of stress risers (peak stresses).
For brittle homogeneous materials such as glass, stress risers are very important, and it follows
that the calculated stresses should have the highest possible accuracy or significant factors of
safety should be expected or employed. If the calculated results are suspect, consider the calcu-
lated stresses to be nominal stresses, and amplify the nominal stresses by an appropriate stress
concentration factor Kt. Values for Kt are available in many strength of materials handbooks. For
brittle nonhomogeneous materials such as gray cast iron, stress risers may be of minimal import-
ance.
• If a part or structure is known or suspected to contain cracks, flaws, or is designed with sharp
notches or re-entrant corners, a more advanced analysis may be required to confirm its structural
integrity. Such discontinuities are known to produce singular (that is, infinite) elastic stresses: if
the possibility exists that the material might behave in a brittle manner, a more rigorous fracture
mechanics evaluation must be performed. An analyst skilled in fracture analysis can use the
Mechanical APDL application to determine fracture mechanics information.
19.5.10.4. Maximum Tensile Stress Safety Tool

The Maximum Tensile Stress Safety tool is based on the maximum tensile stress failure theory for
brittle materials.
Structural Results
The theory states that failure occurs when the maximum principal stress (p. 2131) equals or exceeds
a tensile stress limit. Expressing the theory as a design goal:
The maximum tensile stress failure theory is typically used to predict fracture in brittle materials
with static loads. Brittle materials include glass, cast iron, concrete, porcelain and certain hardened
steels.
The design goal is to limit the greatest principal stress to be less than the material's ultimate strength
in tension:
An alternate definition compares the greatest principal stress to the yield strength of the material:
For many materials (usually ductile materials), strength in compression and in tension are roughly
equal. For brittle materials, the compressive strength is usually much greater than the tensile
strength.
The Mohr-Coulomb theory used in the Mohr-Coulomb Stress Safety tool is generally regarded as
more reliable for a broader range of brittle materials. However, as pointed out by R. C. Juvinall
(Engineering Considerations of Stress, Strain, and Strength, McGraw-Hill, 1967), "There is some evidence
to support its use with porcelain and concrete. Also, it has been used in the design of guns, as
some test results on thick-walled cylinders tend to agree with this theory."
Options
Safety Factor
Safety Margin
Results
Stress Ratio
Notes
• The use of a yield strength limit with brittle materials is not recommended since most brittle
materials do not exhibit a well-defined yield strength.
• For ductile and some other types of materials, experiments have shown that brittle failure theories
may be inaccurate and unsafe to use. The brittle failure theories may also be inaccurate for certain
brittle materials. Potential inaccuracies are of particular concern if the accuracy of calculated an-
swers is suspect.
• The reliability of this failure criterion is directly related to treatment of stress risers (peak stresses).
For brittle homogeneous materials such as glass, stress risers are very important, and it follows
that the calculated stresses should have the highest possible accuracy or significant factors of
safety should be expected or employed. If the calculated results are suspect, consider the calcu-
lated stresses to be nominal stresses, and amplify the nominal stresses by an appropriate stress
concentration factor Kt. Values for Kt are available in many strength of materials handbooks. For
brittle nonhomogeneous materials such as gray cast iron, stress risers may be of minimal import-
ance.
• If a part or structure is known or suspected to contain cracks, flaws, or is designed with sharp
notches or re-entrant corners, a more advanced analysis may be required to confirm its structural
integrity. Such discontinuities are known to produce singular (that is, infinite) elastic stresses: if
the possibility exists that the material might behave in a brittle manner, a more rigorous fracture
mechanics evaluation must be performed. An analyst skilled in fracture analysis can use the
Mechanical APDL application program to determine fracture mechanics information.
19.5.11. Fatigue (Fatigue Tool)

See the Fatigue Results (p. 2267) section.
19.5.12. Fracture Results (Fracture Tool)

Use the Fracture Tool object to insert and then define fracture results for the crack types (p. 427)
specified in your analysis. All fracture results are child objects of the Fracture Tool. Use its properties
to evaluate result data.
• Define a Fracture Tool for Crack Selection (p. 2171)
• Define Fracture Results for Crack Selection (p. 2173)
Structural Results
• Extract Fracture Results from a Result File (p. 2177)
Define a Fracture Tool

To define a Fracture Tool:
1. Select the Solution object, open the Toolbox drop-down menu from the Solution Context tab,
and select the Fracture Tool option. Based on the settings of the Fracture Controls (p. 1529) of
the Analysis Settings object, a result object, such as SIFS (K1), is automatically included under
the Fracture Tool.
2. Set the Scoping Method property to Crack Selection (default). To read results into the application
using the Result File Item option, see the Extract Fracture Results from a Result File (p. 2177)
topic below.
3. Specify the Crack Selection Mode property as either Single Crack (default) or All Cracks. When
you specify All Cracks, the child result objects of the tool display the Tabular and Graph Data
category. Use this to further select specific crack(s) of interest that are available in your model.
See the Defining a Fracture Result topic below.
For the Single Crack option, the following additional properties display:
• Crack Selection: Specify the crack on which to evaluate results.
• Crack Front Number: Specify the crack front(s) on which to evaluate results. Options in-
clude All Crack Fronts (default), which is equal to setting the property to zero (0) or you
can enter a specific Crack Front Number (contained in the Details of the crack front named
selection object) to evaluate results for that crack front only.
Results
For the above crack front, the Fracture Tool could be specified as shown below.
Structural Results
Important:
If you specify the All Cracks option, the use of Fracture Probes is not supported.
Define Fracture Results

Review the Methods Used for Calculating the Fracture Parameters topic in the Understanding the
Fracture Parameters section of the Mechanical APDL Fracture Analysis Guide for more information
about fracture results.
Results
To define a fracture result:
1. From the Fracture Tool Context tab, select desired results. Options include:
• SIFS Results>SIFS(K1) inserts a Mode 1 Stress Intensity Factor result.
• SIFS Results>SIFS(K2) inserts Mode 2 Stress Intensity Factor result.
• SIFS Results>SIFS(K3) inserts Mode 3 Stress Intensity Factor result.
• J-Integral (JINT) inserts a J-Integral result.
Note:
– The computation for the J-Integral result includes the effect of body forces.
– The application enables you to compute the Equivalent SIFS Range result in
addition to one fracture parameter result (SIFS results or J-Integral) when the
SMART Crack Growth associated to the crack is of type Fatigue (Crack Growth
Option = Fatigue).
• VCCT Results>VCCT(G1) inserts Mode 1 Energy Release Rate result.
• VCCT Results>VCCT(GT) inserts Total Energy Release Rate result.
• Material Force>Material Force (X Axis) inserts Total Material Force result in the X Axis of the
local crack front node coordinates.
• Material Force>Material Force (Y Axis) inserts Total Material Force result in the Y Axis of the
• Material Force>Material Force (Z Axis) inserts Total Material Force result in the Z Axis of the
• T-Stress
• C*-Integral
Note:
The C*-Integral result is only valid when the analysis includes a creep material, and
the Creep Effect property of the Creep Controls (p. 1529) is set to On.
Structural Results
• Equivalent SIFS Range (available when specified crack is associated with Fatigue SMART
Crack Growth)
Tip:
You can use the Type and Subtype properties of a result to change result parameters
as desired.
2. Define the properties of each result. Options specific to fracture results include:
• Contour Start: Specifies the first contour number for which the result will be plotted in
the graph and displayed in the tabular data. The value must not be greater than the value
of Contour End. This option is applicable to SIFS, JINT, Material Force, T-Stress and C*-
Integral types of fracture result.
• Contour End: Specifies the last contour number for which the result will be plotted in
the graph and displayed in the tabular data. The value must not be greater than value of
the Solution Contours option specified for the associated crack object. Since the maximum
of 10 contours can be plotted in Graph window at one point of time, the difference
between Contour End and Contour Start must not be greater than 9. This option is ap-
plicable to SIFS, JINT, Material Force, T-Stress and C*-Integral types of fracture result.
• Active Contour: Specifies the contour number for which the results are plotted in the
Geometry window. By default, it takes the "Last" value as in the Contour End property.
This option is applicable to the SIFS, JINT, Material Force, T-Stress and C*-Integral result
types. The Geometry window displays the graphical result for the active contour. The "1"
in the Geometry window indicates the start of the crack front, while "3" indicates the end
of the crack front.
Results
The results are plotted in the Graph window for all contours, starting from the Contour
Start value and ending at the Contour End value. The X axis in the Graph window indic-
ates the distance along the crack front. The start of the crack front has a value of zero,
and the end of the crack front has the maximum value. The Tabular Data window displays
the data points in a table format.
Note:
When the Crack Selection Mode property of the Fracture Tool is set to All
Cracks, and more than one crack is defined in the model:
• The Contour Start and Contour End properties are not available.
Structural Results
• If the Active Contour property is set to Last, it uses the lowest solution
contour value of all the cracks to compute the result.
For information on other Details options, see Results and Result Tools (Group) object reference
section.
Extract Fracture Results from a Result File

When you have saved a results file (file.rst) from another fracture analysis, you can read this file
into a different analysis and extract the result data with a Fracture Tool. Note the following require-
ments:
• For a Pre-Meshed Crack (p. 468), you can evaluate the fracture results and probes without de-
fining the crack in the new analysis, but with similar boundary conditions.
• For all other crack types (p. 427), your analysis must include a defined Fracture folder, a
matching mesh (including crack mesh), as well as defined boundary conditions.
Use the following steps to specify a Fracture Tool and to extract the fracture results and probes from
the result file.
1. Read the results file into your analysis. As needed, review the Writing and Reading the Mechan-
ical APDL Application Files (p. 1955) section.
2. Select the Solution object, open the Toolbox drop-down menu from the Solution Context tab,
and select the Fracture Tool option. Based on the settings of the Fracture Controls (p. 1529) of
the Analysis Settings object, a result object, such as SIFS (K1), is automatically included under
the Fracture Tool.
3. Set the Scoping Method property to Result File Item.
4. From the Fracture Tool Context tab, select and insert desired results.
5. From the drop-down list of the Solver ID property, select the appropriate solver ID value for
each result. You can now evaluate the specific results.
19.5.13. Composite Failure Tool

The Composite Failure Tool is a post-processing option that you can use for composite ply structures
that were modeled using Ansys Composite PrepPost (ACP).
This section addresses the following topics:
• Result Types (p. 2178)
• Composite Failure Tool Promotion (p. 2180)
Results
Overview
This tool provides result data that corresponds to that of the failure definition in ACP Post. In addition,
and as illustrated below, the Details properties for the object provide a set of failure criteria and
functionality. You enable these failure criteria using the properties of the Reinforced Ply Criteria
category (see Composite Failure Tool Result Objects). The Worksheet provides additional details for
each criteria enabling you to make further specifications.
The properties of the Composite Failure Tool enable you to configure your own combined failure
criteria for the strength assessment of composites. Both established and basic as well as recent and
advanced failure criteria are included in the program and you can combine them with the goal to
incorporate all relevant failure modes which turn up in a composite structure. This helps to design
robust structures and to work efficiently. A discussion related to the best practices for using this tool
is available in the Guide to Composite Failure Criteria topic in the Ansys Composite PrepPost User's
Guide.
Result Types
The Composite Failure Tool supports the following result objects:
Safety Factor (SF)
This result type is an indication of the margin to failure. That is, the applied load multiplied
by the safety factor determines the failure load. Failure is experienced when you have a Safety
Factor less than 1.
Structural Results
SF x F applied = F f
Safety Factor values that are greater than one indicate a positive margin to failure and values
less than one indicate a negative margin. Safety Factor values are always greater than zero.
Inverse Reserve Factor (IRF)
This result type is an inverse margin to the Safety Factor. The failure load can be defined as
the load value divided by IRF. Failure is experienced when you have an Inverse Reserve Factor
greater than 1.
IRF = 1/SF
The critical values of reserve factors lie between zero and one, whereas the non-critical values
range from one to infinity. Whether the results are shown in numeric form or as contour
plots, the non-critical values tend to be emphasized in comparison to critical values.
Safety Margin
The Safety Margin result is obtained from the safety factor. Failure is experienced when you
have a Safety Margin less than 0.
SM = SF - 1
A positive safety margin indicates the relative amount that the applied load can be increased
before reaching failure load. Correspondingly, a negative safety margin indicates how much
the applied load should be decreased. Safety margins are typically expressed as percentages.
User-Defined Results
See the User-Defined Results (p. 2294) section of the Mechanical Help.
Also see the Composite Failure Tool (Group) object reference page for additional information about
these result types.
Application
To define results using the Composite Failure Tool:
1. Make sure that your composite analysis is properly defined.
2. Highlight the Solution object and select Composite Failure Tool from the Toolbox drop-down
menu or highlight the Solution object, right-click, and then select Insert > Composites >
Composite Failure Tool. The Composite Failure Tool becomes the active object in the tree, it
contains an Inverse Reserve Factor result object by default, and the Worksheet displays.
3. Specify the Defined By property as Direct Input (default) or Composite Failure Criteria
Definitions. In order to select Composite Failure Criteria Definitions, you must first specify
failure criteria in the Reinforced Ply Criteria category and promote the Composite Failure Tool.
This creates the required criteria object and you must specify in the Composite Failure Criteria
property that becomes available when you select the Composite Failure Criteria Definitions
option. Review the above Composite Failure Tool Promotion topic as needed.
Results
4. Specify failure criteria by turning the properties of the Reinforced Ply Criteria category of the
Details On or Off. The Worksheet aromatically displays and populates with the criteria that you
have specified. You can further customize the criteria using the check boxes available in the
Worksheet. In addition, further failure criteria changes can be made in the Worksheet, specifically,
Weighting values.
5. Insert results objects as desired (Inverse Reserve Factor, Safety Factor, and Safety Margin)
from the Composite Failure Tool Context tab or using the right-click context menu.
6. For individual result objects, specify elemental max or ply-wise results using the options of the
Sub Scope By property, Entire Section (default) or Ply. Based on your selection, either Ply
Maximum or Elemental Maximum displays in the Display Option property.
7. The properties Show Critical Failure Mode, Show Critical Layer, and Threshold for Text
Visualization are used to configure the overlaid text plot as shown below. The acronyms indicate
the failure mode and the indices the critical layer where failure occurs. The text labels are not
shown if they are below the defined threshold which is, by default, 0.25. If working with very
large models, it is suggested that you set a meaningful threshold so that thousands of text labels
do not display. This makes it easier to examine the structure and improves the performance.
8. Show On Reference Surface: Use this property when you import a model from Ansys Composite
PrepPost (ACP) that includes a specified Reference Surface. Options include No (default) and Yes.
When set to No, the solid mesh displays the worst failure and mode per solid element. When
set to Yes, the result displays the worst failure, per solid stack, on the shell mesh of the specified
Reference Surface only.
9. Composite Failure Tool promotion may occur as desired.
Composite Failure Tool Promotion

The purpose of this feature is to enable you to create and share one or more combinations of failure
criteria by using them in various tools or across analyses. Through the promotion feature, as illustrated
below, you can promote a defined Composite Failure Tool to the Composite Failure Criteria Definitions
object. By default, the promoted object maintains the name of the original object, such as the default
tool name, "Composite Failure Tool."
Structural Results
After promotion, the properties of the corresponding Composite Failure Tool object become read
only, except for the Defined By and the Composite Failure Criteria properties.
Results
19.5.14. Composite Sampling Point Tool

• Worksheet Display (p. 2183)
Overview
The Composite Sampling Point Tool is a post-processing option that you can use for composite ply
structures that were modeled using Ansys Composite PrepPost (ACP). See the Sampling Points section
in the Ansys Composite PrepPost User's Guide for more information.
This tool works in tandem with the Composite Failure Tool. That is, to generate and display result
data, you must scope the Composite Sampling Point Tool to existing Composite Failure Criteria.
This criteria is created by promoting a defined Composite Failure Tool object. Be sure to review the
Composite Failure Tool (p. 2177) section as it is a prerequisite for using this feature.
Also see the Composite Sampling Point object reference section.
Application
To define results using the Composite Sampling Point Tool:
Structural Results
1. Make sure that your composite analysis is properly defined.
2. Define and promote a Composite Failure Tool.
3. With the Composite Failure Tool selected, right-click and select Insert > Composites > Com-
posite Sampling Point Tool. The application inserts a Composite Sampling Point Tool object.
It is automatically the active object and by default, includes the child object Composite Sampling
Point.
Note:
You can also insert a Composite Sampling Point Tool by right-clicking the Solution
object or in the geometry windows and selecting Insert > Composites > Composite
Sampling Point Tool.
4. Specify the Composite Failure Criteria property. The Worksheet displays automatically and
contains the criteria as specified in the Composite Failure Criteria object.
5. Select the Composite Sampling Point child object.
6. Using the Geometry property, select the desired faces on your geometry. The sampling point is
created at the location of hit point on the geometry face and the direction of the sampling point
is aligned with the face normal.
7. Solve or evaluate the results of the analysis. Once complete, the Worksheet displays automatically.
Select desired result data from the available options (Layup, Text, Strain,, etc.). The example
worksheet show below illustrates result data. This example illustrates that you can use the Text
group to display the material, thickness, and angle as text labels for every ply in the plot. The
angle displayed for modeling and production plies always matches the design angle in the
modeling ply and material definitions.
Note:
The worksheet does not display result content using the units specified in the Units
option.
Worksheet Display
The Worksheet displays the thickness distributions using the options of the Layup group as well as
the post-processing results (Strain, Stress, and Failure groups) as 2D plots. Stresses and strains shown
in the 2D plot display the values at the interpolated element center at the top and bottom of the
layer. The 2D failure plot shows the worst IRF, RF or MoS factor of all failure criteria, failure modes
evaluated, and integration point level. In addition, the display can show failure modes as text labels
for every ply. And you can enable the polar properties of the laminate using the options of the Polar
Properties group. In addition, there are several worksheet user interactions available, including:
• Left Mouse Button: Select and hold to move the content of all columns vertically. Select and hold
on an individual column to move content horizontally.
Results
• Mouse Wheel: This key zooms in and out on the vertical axis of all columns. Combine this action
with the [ctrl] key to zoom in and out along the horizontal axis on individual columns.
• Right Mouse Button: Place the cursor over a graph location and then right-click and hold to display
a tooltip that includes comma separated values for a stress, strain, failure, (left tooltip value) and
a thickness (right tooltip value) for that associated worksheet value.
• Core Scale Factor: This entry visually scales the core layer's thickness in order to allow more space
within the columns to draw the other layers. This is especially useful when the core layer is much
larger than other layers. The default value is 1. You can enter smaller values incrementally to reduce
the size of the displayed core layer.
• Escape Key: Reset all charts to original view.
• Note:
The Polar Properties chart does not support user interactions.
19.5.15. Contact Tool

The Contact Tool enables you to examine contact conditions on an assembly both before loading,
and as part of the final solution to verify the transfer of loads (forces and moments) across the various
contact regions. The Contact Tool is an object you can insert under a Connections object for ex-
amining initial contact conditions, or under a Solution or Solution Combination branch object for
examining the effects of contact as part of the solution. The Contact Tool enables you to conveniently
scope contact results (p. 2146) to a common selection of geometry or contact regions. In this way, all
applicable contact results can be investigated at once for a given scoping.
A Contact Tool is scoped to a given topology, and there exist two methods for achieving this: the
Worksheet method and the Geometry Selection method. Under the Worksheet method, the Contact
Structural Results
Tool is scoped to one or more contact regions. Under the Geometry Selection method, the Contact
Tool can be scoped to any geometry on the model. Regardless of the method, the scoping on the
tool is applied to all results grouped under it.
To use a Contact Tool, prepare a structural analysis for an assembly with contacts. You then use
either the Geometry Selection or Worksheet scoping method for results.
Important:
If you are importing PCB traces from External Data, the trace materials must include the
necessary structural properties to generate initial contact results, or the application gener-
ates an error. See the ECAD Analysis using Trace Mapping (p. 692) section for more inform-
ation.
Evaluating Initial Contact Conditions
Note:
To calculate initial contact results, the Contact Tool assumes small deflection. This assump-
tion affects the resulting pinball radius of the scoped contacts if their Pinball Region
property is set to Program Controlled.
To evaluate initial contact conditions using the Worksheet method:
1. Insert a Contact Tool in the Connections folder (Contact Tool from the Connections Context
tab or right-click the Connections object and then select Insert > Contact Tool). The tool is in-
serted and includes a default Initial Information child object.
2. In the Details of the Contact Tool, ensure that Worksheet (the default) is selected in the Scoping
Method field. The Worksheet appears. Scoped contact regions are those that are checked in
the table.
3. You can modify your selection of contact regions in the Worksheet using the following proced-
ures:
• To add or remove pre-selected groups of contact regions (All Contacts, Nonlinear Contacts,
or Linear Contacts), use the drop-down menu and the corresponding buttons.
• To add any number of contact regions, you can also drag-drop or copy-paste any number of
contact regions from the Connections folder into the Contact Tool in the Tree View. Also,
one or more contact regions can be deleted from the Contact Tool worksheet by selecting
them in the table and pressing the Delete key.
• To change the Contact Side of all contact regions, choose the option in the drop-down menu
(Both, Contact, or Target from the drop-down menu and click the Apply button).
• To change an individual Contact Side, click in the particular cell and choose Both, Contact,
or Target from the drop-down menu.
Results
4. Add contact result objects of interest under the Contact Tool folder using the option of the
Contact Tool Context tab. Or, you can right-click the tool and select Insert > [desired result].
The specific contact result objects are inserted.
5. Obtain the initial contact results using a right mouse button click the Contact object, or Contact
Tool object, or any object under the Contact Tool object, then choosing Generate Initial Contact
Results from the context menu. Results are displayed as follows:
• When you highlight the Initial Information object, a table appears in the Worksheet that
includes initial contact information (p. 2189) for the contact regions that you specified in step
2 above. You can display or hide the various columns (p. 187) in the table. The table rows display
in various colors that indicate the detected contact conditions. A brief explanation of each
color is provided in the legend that is displayed beneath the table. Copies of the legend ex-
planations are presented below in quotes, followed by more detailed explanations.
– Red: "The contact status is open but the type of contact is meant to be closed. This applies
to bonded and no separation contact types."
Workbench has detected an open contact Status (p. 2146) condition, which is invalid based
on the definitions of Bonded and No Separation contact types (p. 1147). It is very likely that
the model will not be held together as expected. The geometry of the contact may be too
far apart for the closed condition to be satisfied. Review of the Contact Region definition
is strongly recommended.
– Yellow: "The contact status is open. This may be acceptable."
Workbench has detected an open contact Status (p. 2146) condition on a nonlinear contact
type, Frictionless, Rough, or Frictional, which is probably acceptable under certain conditions
as stated in their descriptions (p. 1147).
If the Status is Far Open, the Penetration and the Gap will be set to zero even though the
Resulting Pinball (p. 1165) is non-zero.
Note:
Currently, contact results are not saved to results (.rst) file for all contact elements
that are outside the pinball region to optimize the file size. Results for Far-field
contact elements were reported as zero in prior releases.
– Orange: "The contact status is closed but has a large amount of gap or penetration. Check
penetration and gap compared to pinball and depth."
Workbench has detected that any of the following contact results are greater than 1/2 of
the Resulting Pinball, or greater than 1/2 of the Contact Depth: Gap, Penetration, maximum
closed Gap, maximum closed Penetration. This could lead to poor results in terms of stiffness
of the contacting interface. Ansys recommends that you alter the geometry to reduce the
gap or penetration.
– Gray: "Contact is inactive. This can occur for MPC and Normal Lagrange formulations. It can
also occur for auto asymmetric behavior."
Structural Results
Refer to the individual descriptions for the MPC and Normal Lagrange formulations (p. 1152),
and the description for Auto Asymmetric behavior (p. 1149).
Note:
The "not applicable" designation, N/A appears in the following locations and situations:
• All result columns when the contact pair is inactive (row is gray, or Inactive appears
under the Status column).
• The Geometric Gap column for Frictionless (p. 1147), Rough (p. 1148), or Frictional
(p. 1148) contact Types (p. 1147) and an Interface Treatment (p. 1168) set to Add
Offset (p. 1169), Ramped Effects.
• When you highlight any of the contact result objects, the Geometry tab appears and displays
the graphical result for the contact regions that you specified in step 2 above.
To evaluate initial contact conditions using the Geometry Selection method:
1. Select one or more bodies that are in contact.
2. Insert a Contact Tool in the Connections folder (Contact Tool from the Connections Context
tab or right-click the Connections folder and then select Insert > Contact Tool). The tool is in-
serted and includes a default Initial Information child object.
Note:
The scoping of the Initial Information object is only available using the Worksheet
method. Selecting bodies as in Step 1 above has no effect on Initial Information
results.
3. In the Details of the Contact Tool, select Geometry Selection in the Scoping Method field. The
bodies that you selected in step 1 are highlighted in the Geometry tab.
4. Add contact result objects of interest under the Contact Tool folder using the option of the
Contact Tool Context tab. Or, you can right-click the tool and select Insert > [desired result].
The specific contact result objects are inserted.
5. Obtain the initial contact results using a right mouse button click the Contact object, or Contact
Tool object, or any object under the Contact Tool object, then choosing Generate Initial Contact
Results from the context menu. When you highlight any of the contact result objects, the Geo-
metry tab appears and displays the graphical result for the bodies that you selected in step 1.
Results
Evaluating Contact Conditions After Solution
Note:
The default method will be the last one that you manually chose in the Scoping Method
drop-down menu. If you have already selected geometry, the Scoping Method field
automatically changes to Geometry Selection. The default however will not change until
you manually change the Scoping Method entry.
To evaluate contact conditions after solution using the Worksheet method:
1. Insert a Contact Tool from the Toolbox drop-down menu on the Solution Context tab or right-
click the Solution folder and then select Insert > Contact Tool > Contact Tool). The tool is in-
serted and includes a default Status child object.
2. In the Details, select Worksheet in the Scoping Method field. The Worksheet appears. Scoped
contact regions are those that are checked in the table.
3. You can modify your selection of contact regions in the Worksheet using the following proced-
ures:
• To add or remove pre-selected groups of contact regions (All Contacts, Nonlinear Contacts,
or Linear Contacts), use the drop-down menu and the corresponding buttons.
• To add any number of contact regions, you can also drag-drop or copy-paste any number of
contact regions from the Contact folder into the Contact Tool in the Tree View. Also, one or
more contact regions can be deleted from the Contact Tool worksheet by selecting them in
the table and pressing the Delete key.
• To change the Contact Side of all contact regions, choose the option in the drop-down menu
(Both, Contact, or Target from the drop-down menu and click the Apply button).
• To change an individual Contact Side, click in the particular cell and choose Both, Contact,
or Target from the drop-down menu.
4. Add more contact results as needed in the Contact Tool folder (Contact> [Contact Result, for
example, Pressure] from the Contact Tool Context tab, or right mouse button click Contact
Tool, then Insert> [Contact Result, for example, Pressure]).
5. Solve database. Upon completion, you will see contact results with the common scoping of the
Contact Tool.
To evaluate contact conditions after solution using the Geometry Selection method:
1. Select one or more bodies that are in contact.
2. Insert a Contact Tool from the Toolbox drop-down menu on the Solution Context tab or right-
click the Solution folder and then select Insert > Contact Tool > Contact Tool). The tool is in-
serted and includes a default Status child object. Because you have already selected one or more
bodies, Geometry Selection is automatically set in the Scoping Method field within the Details.
Structural Results
3. Add more contact results as needed to the Contact Tool folder either by right-clicking on the
object and selecting Insert > [desired result] or using the options of the Contact Tool Context
tab.
4. Solve database. Upon completion, you will see contact results with the common scoping of the
Contact Tool.
The configuration of the Contact Tool, in particular the location (Solution vs Solution Combination)
and the scoping method, affects the availability of results. A Contact Tool in the Solution Combination
folder has the limitation that it supports only pressure, frictional stress, penetration and distance.
Limitation
Note that when the Contact Tool, whether inserted under the Connection folder or the Solution
object, has a limitation for coincident contact elements. If you have 1) two contact conditions,
and each condition shares elements from one of the bodies, and 2) in the Worksheet you have
selected only one row for the contact conditions, the application uses the element data for both
contact conditions to produce the Contact Tools Results (p. 2146) content. The numerical values at
the shared node are contributed by all the contact elements that touch it.
To make sure that you have correct contact results, 1) obtain User Defined (p. 2296) results from
the Available Solution Quantities of the Solution Summary Worksheet (p. 2065) and 2) scope the
User Defined results using the Result File Item and Element Type IDs options. This enables you
to specify only the desired contact elements. You can obtain Element Type IDs from the Mater-
ial and Element Type Information option of the Solution Summary Worksheet.
19.5.15.1. Contact Tool Initial Information

When a Contact Tool is inserted under the Connections object, it includes a default object, Initial
Information. This object provides the following information from the Worksheet.
• Name: Contact Region name.
• Contact Side: Selected contact side, either Contact or Target.
• Type: contact type, Bonded, No Separation, Frictionless, Rough, Frictional.
• Status: the status of the contact, Open, Closed, Far Open.
• Number Contacting: the number of contact or target elements in contact.
• Penetration: the resulting penetration.
• Gap: the resulting gap.
• Geometric Penetration: the penetration that initially exists between the Contact and Target
surfaces.
• Geometric Gap: the gap that initially exists between the Contact and Target surfaces. For Fric-
tional or Frictionless contact, this is the minimum gap. For Bonded or No Separation contact,
this is the maximum closed gap detected.
• Resulting Pinball: user specified or the Mechanical APDL application calculated pinball radius.
Results
• Contact Depth: average contact depth of elements.
• Normal Stiffness: the calculated maximum normal stiffness value.
• Tangential Stiffness: the calculated maximum tangential stiffness value.
• Real Constant: the contact Real Constant number.
• Possible Overconstraint: This field displays if there is a possible over constraint between multiple
bonded contacts using MPC formulation. You can set the MPC option manually or it can be used
by the Program Controlled option. The field displays Yes for over-constrained contact, otherwise
it displays No. The field can also display N/A if there is an inactive side of the contact or for non-
bonded contact regions.
The following table outlines how to interpret the Gap and Penetration columns in the Initial Contact
Information when there is a true initial geometric gap at the contact interface.
Contact Type Interface Offset Status Penetration Gap Geometric Geometric

Treatment Penetration Gap
True
Bonded or No
NA NA Closed 0 0 0 Geometric
Separation
Gap
Bonded or No Far
NA NA 0 0 0 0
Separation Open
Frictionless,
Add Offset, Far
Rough, or 0 0 0 0 0
No Ramping Open
Frictional
Frictionless, Add Offset,
Far
Rough, or Ramped 0 0 0 0 NA
Open
Frictional Effects
True
Frictionless, < True True
Add Offset, Near Geometric
Rough, or Geometric 0 0 Geometric
No Ramping Open Gap -
Frictional Gap Gap
Offset
True
Frictionless, Add Offset, < True
Near Geometric
Rough, or Ramped Geometric 0 0 NA
Open Gap -
Frictional Effects Gap
Offset
Offset -
Frictionless, > True True
Add Offset, True
Rough, or Geometric Closed 0 0 Geometric
No Ramping Geometric
Frictional Gap Gap
Gap
Offset -
Frictionless, Add Offset, > True
True
Rough, or Ramped Geometric Closed 0 0 NA
Geometric
Frictional Effects Gap
Gap
The following table outlines how to interpret the Gap and Penetration columns in the Initial Contact
Information when there is a true initial geometric penetration at the contact interface.
Structural Results
Contact Interface Offset Status Penetration Gap Geometric Geometric

Type Treatment Penetration Gap
Bonded or True
No NA NA Closed 0 0 Geometric 0
Separation Penetration
Bonded or
Far
No NA NA 0 0 0 0
Open
Separation
Offset +
Frictionless, Add | Offset | < True
True
Rough, or Offset, No Geometric Closed 0 Geometric 0
Geometric
Frictional Ramping Penetration Penetration
Penetration
Add Offset +
Frictionless, | Offset | < True
Offset, True
Rough, or Geometric Closed 0 Geometric NA
Ramped Geometric
Frictional Penetration Penetration
Effects Penetration
| – Offset | | – Offset
Frictionless, Add True
> Near | - True
Rough, or Offset, No 0 Geometric 0
Geometric Open Geometric
Frictional Ramping Penetration
Penetration Penetration
Add | – Offset | | – Offset
Frictionless, True
Offset, > Near | - True
Rough, or 0 Geometric NA
Ramped Geometric Open Geometric
Frictional Penetration
Effects Penetration Penetration
19.5.16. Bolt Tool

When examining numerous bolt loads, use the Bolt Tool to obtain bolt-specific results.
Note:
If you are doing bolt analysis, you may wish to use the Bolt Tools Add-on (p. 1069) to quickly
create bolt geometries.
Scoping
You scope the Bolt Tool to defined Bolt Pretension (p. 1679) boundary conditions that you activate
using the Worksheet. Bolt Pretension boundary condition and Worksheet usage are the only sup-
ported methods for specifying the data of a Bolt Tool. Therefore, all of the support and scoping re-
quirements of the Bolt Pretension boundary condition must be considered.
Result Types
The Bolt Tool provides the following results:
• Adjustment: This represents the displacement that occurs from the pretension. In Mechanical
APDL terms, this is the displacement reported from the pretension node. This result is also
available for reporting regardless of how the bolt is defined.
Results
• Working Load: This represents a constrained force reaction from the pretension load. In
Mechanical APDL terms, this is the constrained reaction reported from the pretension node.
This is essentially the sum of all the forces acting through the pretension cut. This result is
applicable for load steps when the load is defined by either Locked or Adjustment or Incre-
ment.
Application
To define results using the Bolt Tool:
1. Make sure that all Bolt Pretension (p. 1679) loads are properly defined.
2. Highlight the Solution object and select Bolt Tool from Toolbox drop-down menu on the
Solution Context Tab (p. 65). You can also right-click the Solution object and select Insert > Bolt
Tool > Bolt Tool. The Bolt Tool becomes the active object in the tree, it contains an Adjustment
result object by default, and the Worksheet displays.
3. All existing Bolt Pretension loads populate the Worksheet. By default, all loads are applied, as
shown by the activated check boxes for each table row. You can modify the table entries as
needed.
Add Adjustment and Working Load results to the tool as required.
In addition, the following right-click menu options are available in the Worksheet:
• Scope To All Bolts
• Clear Scoping
• Activate all Selections
• Deactivate all Selections
19.5.17. Beam Tool

You can apply a Beam Tool to any assembly in order to view the linearized stresses on beam (line)
bodies. It is customary in beam design to employ components of axial stress that contribute to axial
loads and bending in each direction separately. Therefore, the stress outputs (which are linearized
stresses) associated with beam bodies have been focused toward that design goal.
Note:
Review the following limitations for the Beam Tool:
• The Beam Tool is intended for beam models that feature structural results.
• The Beam Tool does not support bending or combined stress results when scoped
to a geometry that:
– Includes a User Integrated cross-section (or):
Structural Results
– Includes a user-defined cross-section when the Cross Section (For Solver)

property (p. 903) is set to the Pre-Integrated option. Specify the Mesh setting
for this property in order to obtain the stress results.
– Originated from the SpaceClaim Eurocode Library.
• The Beam Tool is not supported for Modal, Harmonic Response, Eigenvalue Buckling,
Random Vibration, Response Spectrum, Rigid Dynamics, or Structural Optimization
analyses.
• Certain User Defined Results, such as BEAMDIRECT, could be available for an analysis
(above) that does not support the Beam Tool, however, these results are not One-
Sigma results.
• The Beam Tool is not available to the ABAQUS AUTODYN, LSDYNA, or Samcef
solvers.
The Beam Tool is similar to the Contact Tool (p. 2184) in that the tool, not the results themselves
control the scoping. By default, the scoping is to all beam bodies. You can change the scoping in the
Details, if desired.
To insert a Beam Tool, highlight the Solution object then select Beam Tool from the Toolbox drop-
down menu. Three beam stress results are included under the Beam Tool object: Direct Stress,
Minimum Combined Stress, and Maximum Combined Stress. You can add additional beam stress
results or deformation results (p. 2122) by highlighting the Beam Tool object and choosing the partic-
ular result from the Beam Tool Context tab. As an alternative, you can right-click the Beam Tool and
select Insert > Beam Tool > [desired result].
Presented below are definitions of the beam stress results that are available:
• Direct Stress: The stress component due to the axial load encountered in a beam element.
• Minimum Bending Stress: From any bending loads a bending moment in both the local Y and Z
directions will arise. This leads to the following four bending stresses: Y bending stress on
top/bottom and Z bending stress on top/bottom. Minimum Bending Stress is the minimum of
these four bending stresses.
• Maximum Bending Stress: The maximum of the four bending stresses described under Minimum
Bending Stress.
• Minimum Combined Stress: The linear combination of the Direct Stress and the Minimum
Bending Stress.
• Maximum Combined Stress: The linear combination of the Direct Stress and the Maximum
Bending Stress.
Caution:
• Be cautious when adding Beam Tool results to the Solutions Combination (p. 2391)
object. As stated above, the Beam Tool minimum and maximum results can originate
from one of four different physical locations. As a result, the application could add
Results
solution results from different physical locations. For this reason, carefully review stress
results used with the Solutions Combination feature.
• Beam Tool results characterize the elastic behavior of a beam body only. You must be
keenly aware of this when interpreting Beam Tool results on beam bodies whose ma-
terial behaviors may become nonlinear. Large discrepancy can exist between the linear-
ized Beam Tool results and the actual material stresses obtained from nonlinear con-
stitutive relationships. Review the BEAM188, BEAM189, PIPE288, and PIPE289 element
descriptions for more information.
• For the Maximum Bending Stress and Minimum Bending Stress result types, the ap-
plication compares the Y & Z bending stresses on the top and bottom of the beam.
These four basic bending stresses are contained in the local element coordinate system.
They are not rotated to any other coordinate system prior to calculation.
Beta Feature: Currently, when you activate the Beta Option from the Workbench Project page (Tools
> Options > Appearance ), two new expressions (p. 2300) are generated in the Worksheet: BEAM-
MIX_TOTAL_COMBINED and BEAMMAX_TOTAL_COMBINED. These expressions enable you to create
a User Defined Result for the linear combination of the Direct Stress and the sum of the minim-
um/maximum Y bending stress and minimum/maximum Z bending stress (Total Minimum Combined
Stress and Total Maximum Combined Stress).
19.5.18. Beam Results

Beam results can be applied only to line body edges and are defined as follows in reference to the
solution coordinate system of each beam or pipe element:
• Axial Force: the force along a beam element axis (X component).
• Bending Moment: the moment in the plane perpendicular to the beam element axis (Y and Z
components).
• Torsional Moment: the moment about the beam element axis (X component).
• Shear Force: the force perpendicular to the beam element axis (Y and Z components).
• Shear-Moment Diagram (p. 2195): simultaneously illustrates the distribution of shear forces, bending
moments and displacements, as a function of arc length along a path consisting of line bodies.
To apply a beam result, define a path by using edges, on the line body edges as described in "Defining
a Path using an Edge" in Path (p. 911). For Shear-Moment Diagrams, the defined line body edges must
be contiguous.
Beam results are not available to the Samcef or ABAQUS solver.
Note:
• User Defined Result (p. 2294) equivalents of the above results are BEAM_AXIAL_F,
BEAM_BENDING_M, BEAM_TORSION_M, and BEAM_SHEAR_F.
Structural Results
• An Axial Force display will not include an arrow (that is, a vector). The force consists of
only the X component. A positive force denotes tension: a negative force denotes
compression.
• If a path is coincident with an edge, beam results from scoping to the path may not
match beam results from scoping to the edge. The path for beams only allows contribu-
tions from beam elements with both endpoints in the path. An edge can allow contribu-
tions from elements that have only one node on the edge.
19.5.18.1. Shear-Moment Diagram

A shear-moment diagram is a beam result (p. 2194) that you can apply only to paths, which simultan-
eously illustrates the distribution of shear forces, bending moments and displacements, as a function
of arc length along the path consisting of line bodies.
These three quantities are included in a shear-moment diagram because they are so closely related.
For example, the derivative of the moment is the shear:
dM/dx = V(x)
You can pre-define the path by selecting a contiguous set of line body edges, then inserting a
Shear-Moment Diagram object in the tree. Insert from the Beam Results drop-down menu on
the Solution Context tab, or by a right-click the Solution folder and choosing Insert> Beam Results
from the context menu.
With the Shear-Moment Diagram object highlighted, the Path, Type and Graphics Display settings
in the Details control the curves you can display in the Worksheet or the Graph window. Descrip-
tions are presented below. When the X, Y, or Z component is indicated, they are in the local coordin-
ate system whose X axis is directed instantaneously along the beam. The Y and Z axes can be in-
spected using an Element Triad (p. 2051) result. All Type and Graphics Display directions are refer-
enced to this axis.
• Path: The specific path to which the shear-moment diagram is to apply. For ease of use, before
inserting the Shear-Moment Diagram object, you can define the path by selecting a contiguous
set of line body edges. You can choose to use this path or any other pre-defined paths (p. 911)
that you have created for other path results (p. 2055).
• Type: The shear-moment diagram to display. Choices are:
– Total Shear-Moment Diagram
– Directional Shear-Moment Diagram (VY-MZ-UY)
– Directional Shear-Moment Diagram (VZ-MZ-UZ)
• Graphics Display: Controls which quantity is plotted in the Graph window and reported as
Minimum and Maximum values in the Details.
Example in Worksheet:
Results
You can toggle the display of all the Max and Min annotation labels by right-clicking anywhere in
the top diagram and choosing Hide/Show Annotation Labels.
Example in Graph and Tabular Data Windows:
Example of Tracking Graph with Path Position:
When you click anywhere along the Length axis, the vertical bar and length that display corresponds
to the position of the + annotation on the path as shown below.
Structural Results
19.5.19. Structural Probes

This section provides:
• A general description of structural probe types (p. 2198).
• An explanation of the differences for rigid body probes (p. 2207) during Explicit Dynamics analyses.
Additional Probe Information

See the Probes (p. 2025) section for further information. In addition, see the following sections for details
on these probe types:
19.5.19.1. Position
19.5.19.2. Energy
19.5.19.3. Reactions: Forces and Moments
19.5.19.4. Joint Probes
Results
19.5.19.5. Response PSD Probe

19.5.19.6. Spring Probes
19.5.19.7. Bearing Probes
19.5.19.8. Beam Probes
19.5.19.9. Bolt Pretension Probes
19.5.19.10. Generalized Plain Strain Probes
19.5.19.11. Contact Distance Probes
19.5.19.12. Fracture Probes (Fracture Tool)
Structural Probe Types

The following structural probe types are available.
Applicable
Probe Type Output Characteristics
Analysis Types
Deformation Coupled Deformation: Scope to: Flexible bodies, a single
Field Static, X axis, Y rigid body, or Remote Point.
Coupled axis, Z axis,
Field Total Scope by: Bodies (single body only
Transient, if rigid), location (Hit Point
Static Coordinate (p. 100)), vertex, edge,
Structural, face, user-defined Coordinate
Transient System, or user-defined Remote
Structural, Point.
Rigid
Dynamics, Orientation coordinate system: Any:
Explicit defaults to Global Cartesian.
Dynamics,
LS-DYNA
Strain Coupled Strain: Scope to: Flexible body only.
Field Static, Components,
Coupled Principals, Scope by: Bodies, location (Hit Point
Field Normal X, Coordinate (p. 100)), vertex, edge,
Transient, Normal Y, face.
Static Normal Z,
Structural, XY Shear, Orientation coordinate system: Any:
Transient YZ Shear, defaults to Global Cartesian.
Structural, XZ Shear,
Explicit Minimum
Dynamics Principal,
Middle
Principal,
Maximum
Principal,
Intensity,
Equivalent
(von-Mises)
Structural Results
Applicable
Analysis Types
Stress Coupled Stress: Scope to: flexible body only.
Field Static, Components,
Coupled Principals, Scope by: Bodies, location (Hit Point
Field Normal X, Coordinate (p. 100)), vertex, edge,
Transient, Normal Y, face.
Static Normal Z,
Structural, XY Shear, Orientation coordinate system: Any:
Transient YZ Shear, defaults to Global Cartesian.
Structural, XZ Shear,
Explicit Minimum
Dynamics,LS-DYNA Principal,
Middle
Principal,
Maximum
Principal,
Intensity,
Equivalent
(von-Mises)
Position (p. 2207) Coupled Result Scope to: Rigid body only.
Field Static, Selection: X
Coupled axis, Y axis, Scope by: Bodies, coordinate system.
Field Z axis
Transient, Orientation coordinate system: Any:
Static defaults to Global Cartesian.
Structural,
Transient
Structural,
Rigid
Dynamics,
Explicit
Dynamics
Flexible Coupled Rotation of Scope to: User-defined Remote Point
Rotation Field Static, X, Y, and Z or a Body. Note that this probe
Probe Coupled axes (in the requires rotational degrees of
Field Global freedom data (ROTX/ROTY/ROTZ),
Transient, Coordinate which is commonly associated with
Static System shell and beam bodies, but not solid
Structural, only) bodies. If unavailable, the application
and Transient displays result values of 0.[a]
Structural
Velocity Coupled Velocity: X Scope to: Flexible or rigid body.
Field axis, Y axis,
Transient, Z axis Scope by: Bodies (single body only
Transient if rigid), coordinate system (rigid
Structural, bodies only), location (Hit Point
Rigid Coordinate (p. 100)), vertex, edge,
Dynamics, face.
Results
Applicable
Analysis Types
Explicit Orientation coordinate system: Any:
Dynamics, defaults to Global Cartesian.
LS-DYNA
Angular Coupled Angular Scope to: Rigid body only.
Velocity Field Velocity: X
Transient, axis, Y axis, Scope by: Bodies.
Transient Z axis
Structural, Orientation coordinate system: Any:
Rigid defaults to Global Cartesian.
Dynamics
Acceleration Coupled Acceleration: Scope to: Flexible or rigid body.
Field X axis, Y
Transient, axis, Z axis Scope by: Bodies (single body only
Transient if rigid), coordinate system (rigid
Structural, bodies only), location (Hit Point
Rigid Coordinate (p. 100)), vertex, edge,
Dynamics, face.
Explicit
Dynamics, Orientation coordinate system: Any:
LS-DYNA defaults to Global Cartesian.
Angular Coupled Angular Scope to: Rigid body only.
Acceleration Field Acceleration:
Transient, X axis, Y Scope by: Bodies.
Transient axis, Z axis
Structural, Orientation coordinate system: Any:
Rigid defaults to Global Cartesian.
Dynamics
Energy (p. 2210) Coupled For Static Scope to your model using the
Field Structural Geometry property: System Energy
Harmonic, and is the default setting. Otherwise, only
Coupled Transient body scoping is supported for either
Field Static, Structural: flexible or rigid bodies.
Coupled Kinetic,
Field Strain, Scope by using the Result Selection
Transient, Damping, property:
Static Artificial,
Structural, and • For Transient Structural and
Transient Nonlinear Static Structural: All (default)
Structural, Stabilization. energy types or per body for
Rigid the Kinetic, Strain, Damping,
Dynamics, For Rigid Artificial, or Nonlinear
Explicit Dynamics: Stabilization options.
Dynamics Kinetic,
Potential, • For Transient Rigid: All
External, (default) energy types or per
and Total part for the Kinetic,
Structural Results
Applicable
Analysis Types
For Potential, External, and
Coupled Total options.
Field
Harmonic: Note:
Kinetic,
Potential, For the
and External and
Damping Total
options, you
For
must use the
Coupled
System
Field Static
Energy
and
setting for
Coupled
the
Field
Geometry
Transient:
property
Kinetic,
setting.
Strain,
Damping,
Artificial,
Nonlinear • For Coupled Field Harmonic:
Stabilization, All (default) energy types or
and Total. per body for the Kinetic,
Potential, and Damping
For Explicit options.
Dynamics:
Internal, • For Coupled Field Static and
Kinetic, Coupled Field Transient: All,
Plastic Kinetic, Strain, Damping,
Work, Artificial, Nonlinear
Hourglass, Stabilization, and Total.
Contact,
• For Explicit Dynamics: All
and Total
(default) energy types or per
body for the Internal,
Kinetic, Plastic Work,
Hourglass, Contact, and
Total options.
Volume (p. 2254) Coupled Volume Scope to: Body.

Field Static,
Coupled Scope by: Body.
Field
Transient,
Static
Structural,
Transient
Structural,
Steady-State
Results
Applicable
Analysis Types
Thermal,
Transient
Thermal,
Electric, and
Thermal-Electric.
Force Coupled Force Scope to: Flexible body, vertex, edge,
[b] Field Reaction: X
Reaction (p. 2212) face[d], or element faces. In Explicit
analyses, axis, Y axis, Dynamics analyses probes can also
Static Z axis be scoped to faces, edges, and
Structural, vertices of a rigid body. You can also
Transient scope to a section plane on a body
Structural, by specifying Surface as the Loca-
Modal, tion Method.
Harmonic
Response, Scope by: Boundary Condition[e],
Random Contact Region (p. 2223), Remote
Vibration,
Response Points[f ], Beams[f ], Springs[f ], Mesh
Spectrum, Connection (p. 2223), Surface[g], or
Explicit Named Selection.
Dynamics[c]
Orientation coordinate system: Any
Cartesian: defaults to Global
Cartesian. Solution Coordinate
System (p. 2079) is the only valid
option for Random Vibration and
Response Spectrum.
Moment Coupled Moment Scope to: Flexible body, vertex, edge,
Reaction (p. 2212) Field Reaction: X face[d], or element faces. In Explicit
[b] analyses, axis, Y axis, Dynamics analyses probes can also
Static Z axis be scoped to faces, edges, and
Structural, vertices of a rigid body. You can also
Transient scope to a section plane on a body
Structural, by specifying Surface as the Loca-
Modal, tion Method.
Harmonic,
Random Scope by: Boundary Condition[e],
Vibration, Contact Region (p. 2223), Remote
Response
Spectrum, Points[f ], Beams[f ], Mesh
Explicit Connection (p. 2223), Surface[g], or
Dynamics[c] Named Selection.
Orientation coordinate system: Any

Cartesian: defaults to Global
Cartesian. Solution Coordinate
System (p. 2079) is the only valid
option for Random Vibration and
Response Spectrum.
Structural Results
Applicable
Analysis Types
Summation point: Centroid or
orientation coordinate system.
Joint (p. 2224) Static See Joint Scope to: Joints only.
Acoustics, Probes (p. 2224)
Static Orientation coordinate system: The
Structural, Orientation Method property for
Transient joint probes is a read-only property
Structural, set to Joint Reference System.
Coupled However, even though this property
Field Static, indicates the Joint Reference
Coupled System, the evaluated result displays
Field in the evolved coordinate system
Transient, based on the rotation of the joint.
Explicit This property only supports Cartesian
Dynamics, coordinate systems. The Joint
LS-DYNA, Reference System option is the
LS-DYNA same for all joint result types (p. 2224).
Restart
Analysis, Summation point: Always at joint
Rigid for Moment.
Dynamics
Analysis, and
Ansys
Motion[h]
Spring (p. 2230) All analysis Elastic Scope to: Spring only.
types Force , [i]
including Orientation coordinate system:
Damping
Rigid Spring axis only.
Force[j],
Dynamics
Elongation,
and
Velocity[k]
LS-DYNA[h]
Bearing (p. 1324) Coupled Elastic Scope to: Bearing only.
Field Force 1,
analyses, Elastic Orientation coordinate system:
Static Force 2, Bearing axes only.
Structural, Damping
Transient Force 1,
Structural, Damping
Modal, Force 2,
Harmonic Elongation
Response, 1,
Random Elongation
Vibration, 2, Velocity
Response 1, Velocity
Spectrum 2
Beam (p. 2231) Coupled Axial Force, Boundary Condition: Select beam.
Field Static, Torque,
Results
Applicable
Analysis Types
Coupled Shear
Field Force at I,
Transient, Shear
Static Force at J,
Structural, Moment at
Transient I, and
Structural, Moment at
LS-DYNA[h] J
Bolt Coupled Adjustment Scope by: Boundary condition (Y
Pretension (p. 2231) Field Static, (Static and pretension bolt condition).
Coupled Transient
Field Structural), Orientation coordinate system:
Transient, Tensile Along pretension direction only.
Static Force
Structural,
Transient
Structural,
Random
Vibration,
Response
Spectrum
Generalized 2D: Static Rotation: X, Orientation coordinate system: Any:
Plane Structural, Y: Moment: defaults to Global Cartesian.
Strain (p. 2232) Transient X, Y: Fiber
Structural Length
Change:
Force
Response Random X axis, Y Scope to: Flexible body only.
[l] Vibration axis, and Z
PSD (p. 2227)
axis. Scope by: Location (Hit Point
Coordinate (p. 100)) and vertex.
Displacement,
Stress, Orientation Coordinate System:
Strain, Solution Coordinate System (p. 2079)
Acceleration, is the only valid option for Random
Velocity Vibration.
Contact Rigid The varied Scope to: Contact Region.
Distance (p. 2232) Dynamics distance
Only
Structural Results
Applicable
Analysis Types
between Scope by: Contact Region.
the Con-
tact and
Target
sides of the
specified
Contact
Region for
each time
point in
the
analysis.
[a] Solid bodies, which are composed of solid elements, have no rotational degrees of freedom,
and therefore calculate maximum x, y, and z values as zero (Axis specified under the Results
category equals 0). However, if a solid body shares nodes with shell bodies or line bodies
and if the scoping includes the solid body only, then this probe can report non-zero values
(resulting from the shared nodes). But these rotation values may not represent the rotation
of the body as a whole. Furthermore, if the body shares nodes with an element whose
nodes include rotational degrees of freedom, such as contact or spring elements, or some
condition that has inherent motion, the probe may also produce rotation values that do
not represent the rotation of the body.
[b] Force Reactionand Moment Reaction probes:
• Will not solve if scoped to a Contact Region that includes a rigid body.
• Do not support Mesh Connections for Modal and Harmonic Response analyses.
• Do not support the Location Method option Contact Region when the correspond-
ing Contact Region is scoped to element faces.
• A limitation exists when the scoping of a probe is applied to a geometric entity

(Location Method = Geometry Selection) that shares more than one body. The
(unscoped) elements that are adjacent to the scoped body contribute to the probe's
results.
[c] For Explicit Dynamics, the only valid options for the Location Method property are Geo-
metry or Boundary Condition.
[d] When you scope this result to geometry, including contact surfaces and cut surfaces, the
application calculates the probe using element-nodal data. These calculations are equivalent
to those of the FSUM command. That is, the sums for each component direction for the
total selected node set and the nodal force and moment contributions of the selected
elements attached to the node set.
Note:
You should examine your results carefully for geometry scoping. If all
elements are selected, the sums of the result are usually zero except
where constraints or loads are applied. Element-nodal results for geo-
metry-based scoping should be the same as the node-based results when
you specify Boundary Condition as the Location Method if the geo-
metry-based scoping is the same as the boundary condition scoping.
However, because of certain limitations associated with how Mechanical
calculates scoping, and perhaps based on a model's geometry, the applic-
ation may produce unexpected element-nodal results.
[e] When you specify Boundary Condition as the Location Method, the application calculates
Force Reaction or Moment Reaction probes using nodal data. These calculations are
Results
equivalent to those of the PRRSOL command, which provides the total reaction solution
for the selected nodes.
[f ] Remote Points must be constrained and Beams and Springs must be grounded.
[g] Setting the Location Method to Surface requires that you specify the following additional
properties:
• Surface: Select a construction Surface (p. 918) created using the Construction Geo-
metry (p. 911) feature.
• Geometry: Select the body or bodies that the construction Surface intersects (slices
through).
• Extraction: Option include Mesh From Positive Side (default) and Mesh From
Negative Side. The probe only examines the elements cut by the plane and only
the nodes of those elements which are on specified side of the plane, positive or
negative. The positive side is in the positive local Z direction from the construction
surface and negative side is in the negative local Z direction.
Note:
Surfaces used for reaction probes do not currently intersect all geometries.
For example, the feature does not intersect line bodies or bodies that
include a joint, spring, or MPC contact.
Note:
This option has certain inherent limitations. The probe’s results can be
affected by:
• An application employed tolerance as you cut through the mesh. This

calculation creates a small thickness value. This could allow nodes not
included in the construction surface to be used in the solution.
• Facets shared by elements included in the construction surface.
• Loads and constraints that produce a solution in the body that is es-
sentially zero.
If you experience doubts about your result values, compare reactions

scoped to a surface against the reaction solutions scoped to boundary
conditions and scoped to contact elements.
[h] For LS-DYNA, if your project was solved in a version earlier than 2020 R1, you will not be
able to evaluate the following probes: Spring, Beam Connection, and Joint.
[i] Random Vibration and Response Spectrum analyses support the Elastic Force result only.
[j] The Damping Force result is calculated for Transient Structural analysis only when damping
is defined.
[k] Velocity result is calculated only for Static Structural, Transient Structural, Rigid Dynamics,
and LS-DYNA analyses.
[l] The Response PSD Probe (p. 2227) provides an excitation response plot across the frequency
domain of an input PSD load. It also evaluates the root mean square (RMS) and expected
frequency of a response PSD. It is assumed that the excitations are stationary random pro-
cesses from the input PSD values.
Note:
• Refer to the Probe Details View (p. 2030) section for additional information about the
above scoping options.
Structural Results
• For more information about Explicit Dynamics, see Force Reaction and Moment Reaction
Result Trackers for Explicit Dynamics in the Explicit Dynamics Analysis Guide.
• For a linked Mode-Superposition Harmonic Response analysis, the Expand Results From
property (see Output Controls (p. 1559)) in the Harmonic Response analysis must be set
to Harmonic Solution in order to support the Elongation result.
• For a linked Mode-Superposition Transient Structural analysis, the Expand Results From
property (see Output Controls (p. 1559)) in the Transient Structural analysis must be set
to Transient Solution in order to support the Elongation result and, if damping is
defined, the Damping Force result.
Differences in Probes Applied to Rigid Bodies

The following table describes the differences between probes applied to rigid bodies in an Explicit
Dynamics analysis, compared to probes applied to rigid bodies in a Static Structural or Transient
Characteristic Explicit Dynamics Analysis Static Structural or Transient

Structural Analysis
How rigid part is Meshed with solid element containing Meshed as a single element
meshed multiple nodes. containing a single node.
Centroid of the rigid Need not be represented by any node Results at the single node represent
part in the mesh. The Mechanical the displacement, velocity, etc. at
application computes the part centroid the centroid of the part.
by averaging the element centroids.
Each element centroid is the average
of the element's nodes.
Display of minimum Probe applied to rigid body Probe applied to rigid body does
and maximum results displays both the minimum and not display both the minimum and
maximum results at a given time maximum results at a given time
because there are multiple because there is only one element
elements and nodes reporting and one node reporting results.
results.
The position probe represents the

sum of the minimum (or
maximum) displacement with the
average nodal coordinate.
19.5.19.1. Position
For this probe, result “positions” are created for time points along selected coordinate system axis
or axes. These result values are plotted in the Graph window. This probe must be scoped to a rigid
body. It is supported for Static Structural, Transient Structural, Rigid Dynamics, and Explicit Dynamics
analyses.
Using the result values in Tabular Data, you can animate the scoped body in motion. In addition,
if you set the Result Selection property to All, the Position probe provide a unique graphical
Results
display feature. It displays a “trace” or red line that follows the movement of the scoped body. The
trace is based on the result values of the scoped body for all three axes over time (as contained in
Tabular Data). The example below shows a rotation. Linear movements are also supported. The
small red ball shows the current position along the curve.

With the Rigid Dynamics Solver, the position probes can also be used to report the location of the
resulting contact force. In order to get the contact force location, the Location Method field must
be set to Contact Region. Then the Contact Region drop-down allows you to select the contact
region for which the position will be reported.
Note:
Contact regions between the same pair of parts are merged into a single contact region.
Consequently, the probes will report the same values for the entire contact region.
If the contact is open, the position probe will report zero for all components, leading to
abrupt jumps to the global origin in the trajectory plot. In some situations, the position
probe seems to report erratic location information. Typically, in a cylinder/plane frictionless
contact, the contact forces/torque can be equally reported anywhere along the contact
line as in (a) below. The position in the plane perpendicular to the contact line is perfectly
consistent in that case as in (b) below.
Structural Results
(a) contact probe viewed in X-Y
(b) contact probe viewed in X-Z
Results
19.5.19.2. Energy
This probe and the available energy outputs for the supported analysis types are listed below.
Piezoelectric and thermal coupled Coupled Field Structural and Coupled Field Transient analyses
support the following energy outputs:
Kinetic: Kinetic energy due to the motion of parts in the analysis.

Strain: Energy stored in bodies due to deformation. This value is computed from stress and
strain results. It includes plastic strain energy as a result of material plasticity.
Damping: Represents the average elastic and electric losses.
Artificial: Total artificial energy of the selected body(s). The artificial energy is a sum of hourglass
control energy and energy generated by in-plane drilling stiffness from shell elements (applies
to all elements where meaningful). It also includes artificial energy due to contact stabilization.
Nonlinear Stabilization: Total energy dissipation due to numerical stabilization in the selected
body(s).
Total: This is the sum of all energies in the analysis.
A Piezoelectric analysis (Coupled Field Harmonic) supports the following energy outputs:

Potential: Sum of elastic strain energy and dielectric energy.
Damping: Represents the average elastic and electric losses.
body(s).
The Static Structural and Transient structural analyses supports the following energy outputs:

Strain: Energy stored in bodies due to deformation. This value is computed from stress and
strain results. It includes plastic strain energy as a result of material plasticity.
Damping: Total damping energy of the selected body(s).
body(s).
A Rigid Dynamics analysis supports the following energy outputs:
Structural Results
Kinetic: Kinetic energy due to the motion of parts in a transient analysis is calculated as
½ *mass* velocity2 for translations and ½ *omegaT*Inertia*omega for rotations.
Potential: This energy is the sum of the potential energy due to gravity and the elastic
energy stored in springs and deformable bodies. The potential energy due to gravity is
proportional to the height of the body with respect to a reference ground. The reference
used in a Rigid Dynamics analysis is the origin of the global coordinate system. Because
of this, it is possible to have a negative potential energy (and negative total energy) de-
pending on your model coordinates. The elastic energy includes energy due to deformation
of spring(s) in a rigid body dynamic analysis and is calculated as ½ * Stiffness * elongation2.
The elastic energy of the deformable bodies is calculated as where K is the stiffness
matrix and U is the elastic displacement.
External: This is all the energy the loads and joints bring to a system.
Total: This is the sum of potential, kinetic and external energies in a Rigid Dynamics ana-
lysis.
Note:
Energy results are not available for Rigid Dynamics analysis on a body per-body basis.
An energy probe scoped on a body will return the energy of the whole part to which
body belongs.
Note:
For stop, contact, and imperfect joints (radial gap, spherical gap and in-plane radial gap),
the energy loss due to non-perfectly elastic collision (restitution factor<1) and/or friction
is not taken into account in the external energy. Therefore, the total energy balance is
not maintained and is expected to decrease.
An Explicit Dynamics analysis supports the following energy outputs:
Internal:
This is the energy stored in bodies due to deformation. This includes both Plastic Work
and Hourglass Energies.
Kinetic:
Kinetic energy due to the motion of parts in the analysis.
Plastic:
This energy is the plastic strain energy as a result of material plasticity.
Hourglass:
The 2D and 3D Lagrangian volume and shell elements use hourglass control to remove
zero energy modes of deformation. The forces of the hourglass control algorithms dissipate
energy in resisting the zero energy modes of deformation.
Results
For this analysis, this energy is calculated and accumulated in the element internal energy.
The hourglass energy is also accumulated independently to the internal energy to allow
users to interrogate and assess the relevance of hourglass energy in a simulation.
Contact:
Contact energy is accumulated on a per body basis as:
For the purpose of energy accountancy, the contact energy is added to the work done on
the system.
Total:
This is the sum of internal and kinetic energies in the analysis.
19.5.19.3. Reactions: Forces and Moments

You can obtain reaction forces and moments using Force Reaction probes or Moment Reaction
probes. At the solver level, the output of reaction forces and moments is controlled via the Mech-
anical APDL OUTRES command. Support types marked RSOL are governed by the RSOL option,
which refers to nodal constraint reactions. Those marked NLOAD and MISC are governed by the
NLOAD and MISC options, which refer to the elemental nodal loads and elemental miscellaneous
data, respectively. In addition, some analysis and support types require you turn them on in the
Output Controls. If no setting is specified for a reaction type, the output occurs automatically.
When you request a Force Reaction or a Moment Reaction in a Cartesian coordinate system at a
specific time point by setting Display to Single Time Point in the Details for Static Structural and
Transient Structural Analysis, the Force Reaction or Moment Reaction is displayed by an arrow in
the Geometry window. Force Reaction uses a single arrowhead and Moment Reaction uses double
arrowhead. The arrows are drawn on the deformed mesh.
Similarly, when the force or moment reaction results are requested based on Frequency or Set
Number and Phase Angle for Harmonic analysis or Mode Number for Modal analysis, the base of
the arrow of the moment probe is placed at the Summation Point (or "centroid": the simple calcu-
lated average: unweighted by length, area, or volume). However, a Moment Reaction probe whose
Location Method is a remote point will place the base of the arrow at the location of the remote
point. In this case, there is no detail for Summation Point, and Mechanical does not employ a moment
arm calculation. The moments are precisely the nodal moments for the remote point in the result
file (as printed by the PRRSOL command in Mechanical APDL).
Large Scale Deformation

For large scale deformation analyses (NLGEOM,ON), both Mechanical APDL and Mechanical use
the displaced mesh when calculating moment arms for moment probes:
moment_arm = (x+ux,y+uy,z+uz) - (sx,sy,sz)
Structural Results
Where sx,sy,sz is the setting of the Summation property, x,y,z is the nodal location, and
ux,uy,uz is the displacement at the node location.
Important:
Currently for Mechanical, the specified Summation is not modified (or offset) to
account for the displacements (or deformations).
When NLGEOM ,OFF is specified, the displacements are not used in the moment arm calculation:
moment_arm = (x,y,z) - (sx,sy,sz)

For the Rigid Dynamics solver, when force or moment reaction probes use Contact Region for the
Location Method, it allows you to display the resulting contact forces on a specific contact region.
The contact region can be picked using the Contact Region drop-down menu. The Contact Force
menu allows you to display either the Total force, the Normal, or the Tangent force. By definition,
frictionless contact always reports a normal force and the tangent force reports zero for all compon-
ents.
Note:
Contact regions between the same pair of parts are merged into a single contact region.
Consequently, the probes will report the same values for the entire contact region.
Reaction Type Output Settings

The following topics discuss each type of reaction, the option that controls the output, and any
required setting in the Output Controls. In addition, at the end of the section there is a listing of
Support Requirements and Limitations (p. 2221). Make sure you review this content.
• Fixed Boundary Conditions (p. 2214)
• Compression Only Support (p. 2216)
• Elastic Support (p. 2216)
• Weak Springs (p. 2217)
• Grounded Beam (p. 2217)
• Contact (p. 2218)
• Remote Point (p. 2218)
• Grounded Spring (p. 2219)
Results
• Mesh Connection (p. 2220)
• Geometry (p. 2220)
• Surface (p. 2221)
Fixed Boundary Conditions

For fixed boundary conditions, including:
• Face, Edge, and Vertex Rotations (do not include Force reactions)
• Displacements for Faces, Edges, and Vertices
• Cylindrical Support
• Frictionless face
• Simply Supported Edge and Vertex
• Finite Element (FE) Connection Boundary Conditions (Nodal Displacement and Nodal Rotation)
Reaction Output Controlled By

Type
Static The output of these options are controlled by the RSOL option of the
Transient - OUTRES command.
Full
Modal The output of these options are controlled by the RSOL option of the
Harmonic OUTRES command.
Response -
To enable the output, set Calculate Reactions = Yes in the Output
Full
Controls.
Harmonic If results are expanded from a modal solution, then the output of these
Response - options are controlled by both the RSOL and NLOAD options of the
Mode-Superposition OUTRES command. You must set the Calculate Reactions property
Transient - to Yes and the Nodal Forces property to either Yes or Constrained
Mode-Superposition Nodes in the Output Controls.
Note:
Constrained Nodes is the preferred option, as the

results file size will be smaller and the process time
shorter.
Structural Results

Type
Otherwise, the output of these options are controlled by the RSOL
option of the OUTRES command. Set Calculate Reactions = Yes in
the Output Controls.
Important:
Force and Moment Reaction probes cannot be evaluated

when you specify damping in combination with setting the
Expand Results From property to either Harmonic Solution
or Transient Solution. Review the MXPAND command in
the Mechanical APDL Command Reference for additional
information about this limitation.
Response In the upstream Modal analysis, under the Analysis Settings Output
Spectrum Controls (p. 1559), you must set the Nodal Forces property to either
Random Yes or Constrained Nodes and set the Store Modal Results property
Vibration to Program Controlled or For Future Analysis.
Note:
The Constrained Nodes setting is the preferred setting

because the results file size will be smaller and the
processing time shorter.
Remote Displacement
Reaction Type Output Controlled By

Transient - Full OUTRES command.
Response -
Full
Response
Spectrum
Random
Vibration PSD
Mode-Superposition
Results

Transient - OUTRES command. You must set both Calculate Reactions and Nodal
Mode-Superposition Forces to either Yes or Constrained Nodes in the Output Controls.
Note:
Constrained Nodes is the preferred option, as the results

file size will be smaller and the process time shorter.
Otherwise, the output of these options are controlled by the RSOL option
of the OUTRES command. Set Calculate Reactions = Yes in the Output
Controls.
Important:
Force and Moment Reaction probes cannot be evaluated when

you specify damping in combination with setting the Expand
Results From property to either Harmonic Solution or
Transient Solution. Review the MXPAND command in the
Mechanical APDL Command Reference for additional information
about this limitation.
Compression Only Support
Reaction
Output Controlled By
Type
Transient OUTRES command. Reaction probes scoped to a Compression Only boundary
- Full condition cannot display results if the solver did not converge.
Elastic Support

Type
Static The output of these options are controlled by the NLOAD option of the OUTRES
Transient command.
- Full
To enable the output, set Nodal Forces = Yes in the Output Controls.
Imported Displacement

Type
Static The output of these options are controlled by the RSOL option of the OUTRES
Transient command.
- Full
Structural Results
Weak Springs

Type
Static The output of these options are controlled by the RSOL option of the OUTRES
Transient command.
- Full
Grounded Beam

Transient Full OUTRES command.
Response -
To enable the output, set Calculate Reactions = Yes in the Output
Full
Controls.
Response - options are controlled by both the RSOL and NLOAD options of the OUTRES
Mode-Superposition command. You must set both Calculate Reactions and Nodal Forces to
Transient - either Yes or Constrained Nodes in the Output Controls.
Mode-Superposition
Note:
Constrained Nodes is the preferred option, as the results

file size will be smaller and the process time shorter.
Otherwise, the output of these options are controlled by the RSOL option
of the OUTRES command. Set Calculate Reactions = Yes in the Output
Controls.
Important:
Force and Moment Reaction probes cannot be evaluated when

you specify damping in combination with setting the Expand
Results From property to either Harmonic Solution or Transient
Solution. Review the MXPAND command in the Mechanical
APDL Command Reference for additional information about this
limitation.
Results
Contact

Static The underlying element options are controlled by the NLOAD option
of the OUTRES command. To enable the output, set Nodal Forces
= Yes in the Output Controls.
Transient - Full The contact element options are governed by the MISC option of
the OUTRES command. To enable the output, set either the Contact
Miscellaneous or General Miscellaneous property to Yes in the
Output Controls.
Modal
Standalone
Harmonic
Response - Full
Standalone
These analysis types do not support contact reactions using the
Harmonic
contact element option. They only support contact reactions using
Response -
the underlying element option.
Mode-Superposition
Harmonic You control the underlying element options using the NLOAD option
Response of the OUTRES command. To enable the output, set the Nodal
Analysis Linked Forces property to Yes in the Output Controls category.
to Modal
Analysis
Transient -
Linked to Modal
Analysis
Remote Point
Reaction
Type
Static
The output of these options are controlled by the RSOL option of the
Full
OUTRES command.
Harmonic
Response - To enable the output, set Calculate Reactions = Yes in the Output
Full Controls.
Mode-Superposition OUTRES command. You must set both Calculate Reactions and
Structural Results
Reaction
Type
Nodal Forces to either Yes or Constrained Nodes in the Output
Controls.
Note:

shorter.

Transient - option of the OUTRES command. Set Calculate Reactions = Yes in
Mode-Superposition the Output Controls.
Important:

Expand Results From property to either Harmonic Solution
or Transient Solution. Review the MXPAND command in
the Mechanical APDL Command Reference for additional
information about this limitation.
Grounded Spring

Static
The output of these options are controlled by the RSOL option of the
Full
OUTRES command.
Harmonic
Response - To enable the output, set Calculate Reactions = Yes in the Output
Full Controls.
Mode-Superposition OUTRES command. You must set both Calculate Reactions and
Nodal Forces to either Yes or Constrained Nodes in the Output
Controls.
Transient - Note:
Mode-Superposition
shorter.
Results

option of the OUTRES command. Set Calculate Reactions = Yes in
the Output Controls.
Important:

Expand Results From property set to either Harmonic
Solution or Transient Solution. Review the MXPAND
command in the Mechanical APDL Command Reference for
additional information about this limitation.
Random
Vibration To enable the output, set Calculate Reactions = Yes in the Output
Response Controls of the upstream Modal analysis.
Spectrum
Mesh Connection

Static
The output of these options are controlled by the NLOAD option
Transient - Full of the OUTRES command.
Modal
To enable the output, set Nodal Forces = Yes in the Output
Transient -
Controls.
Mode-Superposition
Geometry
Reaction
Type
Static The underlying element options are controlled by the NLOAD option of the
OUTRES command.
Structural Results
Reaction
Type
To enable the output, set Nodal Forces = Yes in the Output Controls.
Transient Note:
- Full
Mechanical supports geometry/mesh scoping for vertices, edges,
faces, and element faces only.
Important:
If you scope a Force Reaction or Moment Reaction probe to a geometric entity (Location
Method = Geometry Selection) that shares more than one body, the adjacent elements
not included in the geometric/mesh scoping contribute to the probe's results.
Surface

Static The output of these options are controlled by the NLOAD option of
Transient - Full the OUTRES command.
Transient - To enable the output, set Nodal Forces = Yes in the Output Controls.
Mode-Superposition
Named Selections

Type
Static The underlying element options are controlled by the NLOAD option of the OUTRES
Transient - command. To enable the output, set Nodal Forces = Yes in the Output Controls.
Full
Support Requirements and Limitations

Be sure to thoroughly review the following:
• Force Reaction probes support Cartesian or cylindrical coordinate systems. Moment Reaction
probes support Cartesian coordinate systems only.
• For solved Force Reaction and Moment Reaction probes, the arrow that displays for the probe
represents a resultant vector, regardless of the axial direction that you specify in the Result Se-
lection property of the probe. Vector displays in Mechanical always use the Global Coordinate
System.
• A Moment Reaction probe cannot be scoped to a Grounded Spring.
• For the Moment Reaction probe, the Summation property is available for most Location
Method property selections and enables you to select Centroid or Orientation System for your
Results
scoped entity. If your selected Location Method does not display this property, the application
automatically uses the centroid of the scoped entity for the moment calculation.
• A reported reaction may be inappropriate if that support shares a face, edge, or vertex with an-
other support, contact pair, or load. This is because the underlying finite element model will have
both loads and supports applied to the same nodes.
If a model contains two or more supports that share an edge or vertex, use caution in evaluating
the listed reaction forces at those supports. Calculation of reaction forces includes the force acting
along bounding edges and vertices. When supports share edges or vertices the global summation
of forces may not appear to balance. Reaction forces may be incorrect if they share an edge or
face with a contact region.
• For a Moment Reaction scoped to a contact region, the location of the summation point may
not be exactly on the contact region itself.
• If you set Extraction equal to Contact (Underlying Element) or Target (Underlying Element)
in the Details of either a Force Reaction or Moment Reaction probe, the reaction calculations
work by summing the internal forces on the underlying elements under a contact region. These
probes can also extract reaction data from surface effect elements. The application creates surface
effect elements during the solution process to simulate loads, such as pressures. However, the
application does not currently display surface effect elements from the Mesh object or the
Connections object.
Therefore, a reported reaction may be inappropriate on a contact face if that face shares topology
with another contact face/edge or external load (such as a force or fixed support), which would
contribute to the underlying elements' internal force balance. In addition, during a Transient
analysis, inertial and damping forces are also included. Another possible scenario could arise for
MPC contact of solid surfaces. In this case, if a gap is detected, the solver may build constraints
on an additional layer into the solid mesh from the TARGET elements. This produces a more ac-
curate response but will invalidate any reactions from the underlying solid elements of the TARGET
elements. If symmetric contact is chosen, be careful to verify which side becomes active for the
TARGET elements so that the correct reaction can be determined.
• When scoping Force Reaction or Moment Reaction probes to geometry, it is possible that there
may be elements (and as a result, element-based reactions) that are currently unavailable for
summing purposes. For example, you scope a pressure to a face on your geometry. The solution
process also applies surface effect elements to the same face to simulate the pressure loading.
The probes, scoped to geometry, currently cannot extract reaction data from the surface effect
elements and therefore, in the case of this example, only the underlying solid/shell/line elements
of the original mesh contribute reaction data to the probe results.
• If mesh elements overlap, reaction probes scoped using the Geometry Selection method may
produce unexpected or unreliable results. Select the Mesh object to examine whether elements
from one body cross an edge and overlay elements of other bodies.
• For Modal analysis, reaction results in damped modal analysis provide a By field option in the
result definition to compute results based on Mode Number, Phase of Maximum, and Maximum
Over Phase.
• For a Harmonic Response analysis, reaction results support all options of the result definition
available for other harmonic results, and are reported based on the nearest frequency results
available: no interpolation is done.
Structural Results
• In order to evaluate reactions successfully for a standalone Mode Superposition Harmonic Response
analysis that has the Clustering property set to On, you need to also make sure that either the
Stress, Strain, Nodal, or the General Miscellaneous properties in the Analysis Settings>Output
Controls are also set to Yes.
• Reaction results sweep through a phase period of 0o and 360o at a specified increment. In previous
releases of Mechanical (14.5 and earlier), the default value for this increment was 1o in order to
determine the Phase of Maximum and the Maximum Over Phase values. For Harmonic Response
analyses only, the phase increment can be controlled using the Phase Increment option. A Phase
Increment entry can be between 1o and 10o. The default Phase Increment value is 10o but for
legacy database results it is 1o.
• For Random Vibration and Response Spectrum analysis, reaction results can only be scoped to
a Remote Displacement boundary condition. Animation of reaction results is not supported for
modal and harmonic analysis.
• Since Beam Connections are, by definition, three dimensional in nature, the reactions object
scoped to grounded beams may produce reactions in all three directions/axes for two-dimensional
analysis. The Tabular Data view will reflect the reactions in all three axes, while the Results view
will only reflect values in two axes. The total reactions will be calculated taking into account the
reaction components in all three axes.
• For a force reaction scoped to a contact region, if you set Extraction = Contact (Contact Element),
the reaction calculations come directly from the contact elements themselves. This results in ac-
curate force reactions even when the contact region overlaps with other boundary conditions,
such as other contact regions, supports, etc. Characteristics of the Contact (Contact Element)
setting are that MPC contact is not supported, nor are reactions from the Target (Underlying
Element) side. This feature should only be used with Asymmetric contact and requires that either
the Contact Miscellaneous or the General Miscellaneous property be set to Yes in the Output
Controls. A limitation of the Contact (Contact Element) setting is when you use linear contact
(that is, either Bonded or No Separation contact types) with loads that are unrealistically very
high or very low in magnitude. These situations can produce inaccurate force reactions.
Furthermore, in certain rare cases that involve large or concentrated initial interference and/or
thermal expansion applications, the reactions calculated by the contact element option may
differ from those calculated by the underlying elements. If you experience such as scenario, the
underlying element approach is more accurate. Try to tighten the tolerances of the Newton-
Raphson Option property under the Nonlinear Controls (p. 1555) category of the Analysis
Settings (also see the CNVTOL command) to improve the contact element reaction calculations.
• When a probe is scoped to a Mesh Connection, the Mechanical application reports the following
reactions:
– Forces and Moments summed from the element nodal forces and moments in the result file.
– The Extraction detail determines which elements (Primary or Secondary) contribute to the
force or moment sum.
• The Surface option of the Location Method property enables you to study reactions on cutting
planes. You can extract generated member forces and reactions through a model by using a re-
action probe scoped to a Surface (p. 918) object. For this probe type, you must explicitly select
the body or bodies (via the Geometry property) to be sliced. You then specify for the Extraction
Results
property based upon whether you want to study the nodes in front or behind the plane. The
Force Reaction probe operates the on elements cut by the plane (and only the nodes on those
elements that are on the selected side of the plane). The application uses a slice algorithm for
the Surface option. Because of very slight numerical accuracy issues, such as the number of
significant digits used, the algorithm may not capture all expected nodes.
The application can also fail to include a node based on how you slice an element. For example,
if a slice plane produces a degenerate polygon, which can happen when a planar shell has only
one node in the slice plane, the reaction calculation does not use the node from the element.
For a Moment Reaction probe, when you set the Location Method property to Surface, you
must select a body or bodies for the surface to cut. If the Summation property is set to Centroid
and you select multiple bodies, the application will use the average the centroids of the bodies
for the summation point. The application does not use weighting by volume or by mass for this
averaging.
Note:
This calculation is different that the calculation used to determine the origin of
a coordinate system where geometry consists of multiple bodies.
Important:
Do not apply reaction probes to cutting planes that intersect a boundary condition
because the reported reactions become unreliable.
Note:
– Based on the Extraction property option you select, the probe uses the nodes
of the cut elements, either from the positive or the negative side, of the spe-
cified coordinate system. This requires the application to create certain toler-
ances along the plane as well as calculated roundoffs of the points. Based on
these calculations, the application could produce unexpected results. If the re-
actions of each side, positive and negative, differ significantly, you should
change the location of the Surface plane slightly.
– Surfaces used in reaction probes do not currently intersect all geometries, such
as line bodies, joints, springs, and MPC contact.
– Currently, surface probes cannot intersect a plane strain or an axisymmetric

model and consequently no results display for this scoping.
19.5.19.4. Joint Probes

The joint type you select determines which results are available in the Result Types property of
the Joint Probe. See the Joint Types (p. 1208) section for a description of the available joint types
as well as free degrees of freedom.
Structural Results
• Supported Analysis Types (p. 2225)
• Joint Probe Types (p. 2225)
• Characteristics and Requirements (p. 2226)

The following analysis types support the use of joint probes:
• Static Acoustics
• LS-DYNA
• LS-DYNA Restart Analysis
• Rigid Dynamics Analysis (p. 557)
• Motion
Joint Probe Types

The following table presents each of the joint probe results available through the Result Type
drop-down menu in the Details.
Result Type Property Option Applicable Joint Type(s)

Total Force All
Total Moment All except Slot and Spherical
Relative Displacement All except Revolute, Universal, and Spherical
Relative Velocity All except Revolute, Universal, and Spherical
Relative Acceleration All except Revolute, Universal, and Spherical
Relative Rotation All except Translational
Relative Angular Velocity All except Translational
Relative Angular Acceleration All except Translational
Damping Force Bushing
Damping Moment Revolute, Cylindrical, Bushing, and Spherical
Constraint Force Revolute, Cylindrical, and Bushing
Constraint Moment Revolute, Cylindrical, and Bushing
Elastic Moment Revolute, Cylindrical, Bushing, and Spherical
Results
Result Type Property Option Applicable Joint Type(s)

Elastic Force Bushing
Friction Force Translational, Cylindrical
Friction Moment Revolute, Cylindrical, and Spherical
Status Spherical
Characteristics and Requirements

Review the following characteristics and requirements to ensure that you properly configure your
result.
• A joint defines the interface between two bodies. One of the bodies is referred to as a Reference
body and the other as the Mobile body. The results from the joint measure the relative motion
of the mobile body with respect to the reference body.
• A joint definition also includes specification of a local "reference" coordinate system for that joint.
All results from the joint are output in this reference coordinate system.
• The reference coordinate system moves with the reference body. Depending on the motion of
the reference body it might be difficult to interpret the joint results.
• All of these results have X, Y, and Z components in the reference coordinate system.
• Joint probes produce angular results in terms of intrinsic angles. The application calculates these
results in an order, first X, then Y, and then Z, where Y is in the new position once rotated about
the X axis, and Z is the new position once rotated about the Y axis.
• Relative rotation is expressed in Euler angles. When all three rotations are free, the general joint
cannot report an angle that accounts for the number of turns. A typical behavior will be to switch
from +π radians to -π radians for increasing angles passing the π limit, as illustrated below.
• For spherical and general joints the output of relative rotations is characterized by the Cardan
(or Bryant) angles: the rotation around the joint Y axis is limited to between -90 degrees to +90
degrees. When this rotation magnitude value reaches 90 degrees, the output may "jump" to the
opposite sign.
• The convention for the deformations differs for joints in a Rigid Dynamics analysis vs. those in a
Transient Structural or Explicit Dynamics analysis. For the Rigid Dynamics type, the reference of
zero deformation is taken after the model has been assembled, and the initial conditions have
been applied. For the Transient Structural and Explicit Dynamics analysis types, the initial location
of bodies is used as reference, before applying initial conditions.
• You can request a force or moment at a specific time point using the Display Time property.
The result is displayed by an arrow in the Geometry window. Force will use a single arrowhead
and moment will use double arrowhead.
Structural Results
• Joints compute no reactions forces or moments for the free degrees of freedom of the joint.
However, Displacement, Velocity, Acceleration, Rotation, Rotational Velocity and Rotational Accel-
eration conditions - generate forces and moments, that are reported in the constraint force and
moment.
• For analyses using the Mechanical APDL solver, the application calculates Total Force or Total
Moment by adding the following values from miscellaneous output of general joint element:
– Constraint Force/Moment
– Stop Force/Moment
– Lock Force/Moment
– Elastic Force/Moment
– Damping Force/Moment
– Friction Force/Moment
The inverse of the total is then used to convert the applied loads to the reaction loads.
You may wish to review NMISC and SMISC values of a joint element in the MPC184 General Joint
Element Description section of the Mechanical APDL Element Reference.
• Joint forces and moment conditions are not reported in the joint force and moment probe.
• Joint force and moment are by definition the action of the reference body on the moving body.
For the Mechanical APDL and Explicit Dynamics solvers, the joint constraint forces and moments
are reported in the joint reference coordinate system. The elastic forces/moments and damping
forces/moments in the joints are reported in the reference and mobile axes of the joint which
follow the displacements and rotations of the underlying nodes of the joint element. When using
the Ansys Rigid Dynamics solver, the joint forces and moments components are always reported
in the joint reference coordinate system.
• For analyses using the Mechanical APDL solver, joint force and moment probes are not supported
for Body-Body fixed joints when rigid bodies are present in the model. If these outputs are im-
portant, consider forcing the use of Joint elements via the Solver Element Type property for
the fixed joint.
• For LS-DYNA analyses, only the Total Force and Total Moment results are available.
19.5.19.5. Response PSD Probe

The Response PSD probe provides a spectrum response of a structural component subjected to a
random excitation. Response PSD is plotted as square of spectrum response over excitation frequency
range. The plot provides an information as to where the average power is distributed as a function
of frequency. The square root of the area under the response PSD is the so-called root-mean-square
(RMS) value. It is a one-sigma, or one-standard-deviation, value in a statistical term. The centroid
of the area under the response PSD probe, with respect to frequency, is referred to as the "expected
frequency."
Results
You can use the Response PSD Tool (p. 2237) to control the sampling points of the Response PSD
probe.
The Details View properties and selections for the Response PSD object are described below.
Property Control Description

Definition Type Read-only property: Response PSD.
Location The response PSD probe is a point-based result. You use this
Method property to specify how the location is defined. Options include
Geometry Selection (default), Coordinate System, and Remote
Point. For the Geometry Selection option, the application only
supports vertex selection. For the Coordinate System option,
you need to employ a user-defined coordinate system that
specifies a specific location for evaluation. You can also specify a
user-defined Remote Point defined on geometry. If you specify
this probe on a surface body using vertex or coordinate system
scoping, review the notes (p. 2229) at the end of the section for
calculation differences.
Geo- Appears if Scoping Method is set to Geometry Selection.
metry
Orienta- Read-only control: Only Solution Coordinate System is allowed
tion for this result.
Location Appears if Location Method is set to Coordinate System.
X Co- Read-only field that displays coordinate that is based on the
ordinate Location property of the coordinate system.
Y Co- Read-only field that displays coordinate that is based on the
Z Co- Read-only field that displays coordinate that is based on the
Refer- Two options are available for the response PSD result evaluation:
ence Relative to base motion (or relative motion) and Absolute
(including base motion). For the Relative to base motion, the
response of any location in a structural component is calculated
in term of a relative motion between the base and the structural
component, and vice versa.
Remote Appears if Location Method is set to Remote Points.
Points
Sup- Include (No) or exclude (Yes) the result in the analysis.
pressed
Options Result Result Type: The result types include three basic motion
Type characteristics (Displacement, Velocity and Acceleration), Stress
(including normal and shear) and Strain (including normal and
shear).
Result Defines the direction, in Solution Coordinate System, in which
Selec- response specified in the result type is calculated.
tion
Structural Results
Property Control Description

Selected Defines the frequency range for RMS calculation. Options include
Fre- Full (default) and Manual. The Full setting uses the entire
quency excitation frequency range.
Range
Range Appears if Selected Frequency Range property is set to Manual.
Minim- This property specifies the minimum frequency of the range.
um
Range Appears if Selected Frequency Range property is set to Manual.
Maxim- This property specifies the maximum frequency of the range.
um
Results Node ID A read-only property that displays the mesh Node ID used for the
Response PSD probe result. The application selects the node
nearest to the specified scoping of the probe.
RMS Read-only field that displays value calculated during solution.
Value
RMS Per- Read-only field that displays the percentage of the
centage root-mean-square of the selected frequency range over the entire
available frequency range.
Expec- Read-only field that displays the value calculated during the solution.
ted Fre-
quency
Note:
• For surface bodies solving for stress results, when you scope the Response PSD probe
to a coordinate system, the application uses a specific algorithm, called “hit detect,”
that is based on the Newton–Raphson method. This algorithm is different than the
one used for vertex scoping. Because the shell element has a thickness as well as both
top and bottom stresses, the hit detect algorithm chooses to define the associated
element as a hexagonal solid element. For the element that contains the origin of the
coordinate system, the application calculates a stress tensor at this location through
interpolation and includes contributions from all bottom and top nodal stresses. The
application interpolates result values based on the element's shape functions. As a
result, the mode shape input for the probe’s calculation can be different for coordinate
system scoping versus vertex scoping, and therefore the application may produce
results that are different for each scoping method. This may be the case even if you
scope the vertex or the coordinate system to the same location.
• The values for this response probe may differ compared to the results generated by
the RPSD command (see Response PSDs in POST26) in Mechanical APDL. This is due
to a difference in the number of sampling points as well as frequencies taken by the
probe versus the Mechanical APDL command. To manually control the sampling points
of the Response PSD probe, use the Response PSD Tool (p. 2237). This enables you to
improve the accuracy of the result.
Results
• The Response PSD probe uses the value 9.81456 m/s2 for acceleration due to gravity.
This value is consistent with the default value of acceleration due to gravity used in
PSDUNIT command.
• The square root of the area under a PSD curve represents the root mean square (rms)
value of the excitation. The application computes this value using the linear
trapezoidal rule and it can be different than the contour result.
19.5.19.6. Spring Probes

You can use a probe (p. 2025) to display the following longitudinal result items from a spring.
Elastic Force: The force is calculated as (Spring Stiffness * Elongation). The force acts along the
length of the spring.
Damping Force: Damping force is calculated as (Damping Factor * Velocity) and acts to resist
motion.
Elongation: The elongation is the relative displacement between the two ends of the springs.
The elongation could be positive (stretching the spring) or negative (compressing the spring).
Velocity: Velocity is the rate of stretch (or compression) of the spring. This quantity is only
calculated in a Static Structural, Transient Structural, LS-DYNA, and Rigid Dynamics analysis.
Note:
During a Static Structural analysis, velocity is calculated as the difference of the relative
displacement of two nodes (defining the spring) divided by the duration of the time
step.
19.5.19.7. Bearing Probes

A Bearing is essentially a two-spring-damper system that is aligned in any two coordinate axes of
a coordinate system: primarily a rotating plane.
For rotations in the X-Y plane, the result items for the first axis are in X direction and the results
for the second axis are in Y direction. The application adds a suffix (number 1 and 2) to each result
item. The X-Z and Y-Z rotation planes also use this convention.
You can use a Bearing probe to display the following result items.
Elastic Force 1
The force is calculated as (Spring Stiffness * Elongation). The force acts along the length of the
spring along the first axis.
Elastic Force 2
The force is calculated as (Spring Stiffness * Elongation). The force acts along the length of the
spring along the second axis.
Structural Results
Damping Force 1
Damping force is calculated as (Damping Factor * Velocity) and acts to resist motion along the
first axis.
Damping Force 2
Damping force is calculated as (Damping Factor * Velocity) and acts to resist motion along the
second axis.
Elongation 1
The elongation is the relative displacement between the two ends of the spring in the first axis.
The elongation could be positive (stretching the spring) or negative (compressing the spring).
Elongation 2
The elongation is the relative displacement between the two ends of the spring in the second
axis. The elongation could be positive (stretching the spring) or negative (compressing the
spring).
Velocity 1
Velocity is the rate of stretch (or compression) of the spring in the first axis. This quantity is
only calculated in a Transient Structural analysis.
Velocity 2
Velocity is the rate of stretch (or compression) of the spring in the second axis. This quantity is
only calculated in a Transient Structural analysis.
19.5.19.8. Beam Probes

The Beam Probe results provide you the forces and moments in the beam from your analysis. Using
the Beam Probe you can determine the Axial Force, Torque, Shear Force at I, Shear Force at J, Moment
at I, Moment at J. You can also add the Force reaction and Moment Reaction probes to view reaction
force moment for the beam. To add beam probes:
1. Select the Solution object.
2. On the Solution Context tab, select the Probe drop-down menu and select Beam.
3. In the Details, specify the desired Boundary Condition from the drop-down list.
4. Under Options category, select a desired result from the Result Selection property.
19.5.19.9. Bolt Pretension Probes

When a Bolt Pretension (p. 1679) load is applied, the Mechanical application reports the following
reactions:
Adjustment: This represents the displacement that occurs from the applied pretension measured
at the point where the bolt is sliced. In Mechanical APDL terms, this is the displacement reported
Results
from the pretension node. This result is also available for reporting regardless of how the bolt is
defined.
Working Load/Preload Reaction: This represents a constrained force reaction from the pretension
load. It is the reaction from the applied constraint when a bolt is either specified as Locked, Adjust-
ment, or Increment, and reports a zero value during a step in which you have applied the preload
(since there is no reaction at the bolt slice during preload step). In Mechanical APDL terms, this is
the constrained reaction reported from the pretension node. This is essentially the sum of all the
forces acting through the pretension cut. This result is only applicable for load steps when the load
is defined by either Locked or Adjustment or Increment.
19.5.19.10. Generalized Plain Strain Probes

When a Generalized Plane Strain (p. 1696) load is applied (2D application), the Mechanical application
reports the following reactions:
• Fiber Length Change: Fiber length change at ending point.
• Rotation X Component: Rotation angle of end plane about x-axis.
• Rotation Y Component: Rotation angle of end plane about y-axis.
• Force: Reaction force at end point.
• Moment X Component: Reaction moment on end plane about x-axis.
• Moment Y Component: Reaction moment on end plane about y-axis.
19.5.19.11. Contact Distance Probes

For Rigid Dynamics systems, you can specify a Contact Distance probe. This probes produces a
distance result, per time point, between the Contact and Target sides of a specified (or system
generated) Contact Region.
Scoping
You scope this probe directly to an existing Contact Region.
Structural Results
Output
The application presents the Contact Distance probe results in the Graph and Tabular Data win-
dows.
Results
In addition, the application automatically inserts a tether (red line) between the contact sides. You
can then animate the result to visually observe the change in contact distance over time, as illustrated
below.
19.5.19.12. Fracture Probes (Fracture Tool)

When the crack selected in the Crack Selection property of your Fracture Tool is associated with
a SMART Crack Growth (p. 471) object, a Probe group of options is available in the Fracture Tool
Context tab and includes the fracture parameter probes listed below. Fracture probes enable you
to view the time history of a fracture parameter (that is, SIFS, Crack Extension, etc.) for a specific
crack front node along the crack front (tip) only.
• J-Integral (JINT)
• SIFS (K1)/(K2)/(K2)
• Crack Extension
• Total Number of Cycles*
• Equivalent SIFS Range*
* Available when the Crack Growth Option property, of SMART Crack Growth object, is set to
Fatigue.
Also see the Fracture Probes object reference page.
• Extract Fracture Probe Results from a Result File (p. 2235)
• Display Features (p. 2235)
• Charting Fracture Probes (p. 2236)
Structural Results
Extract Fracture Probe Results from a Result File

When you have saved a results file (file.rst) from another fracture analysis, you can read this
file into a different analysis and extract the result data with a Fracture Tool. Note the following
requirements:
• For a Pre-Meshed Crack (p. 468), you can evaluate the fracture probes without defining the
crack in the new analysis, but with similar boundary conditions.
• For all other crack types (p. 427), your analysis must include a defined Fracture folder, a
matching mesh (including crack mesh), as well as defined boundary conditions.
Use the following steps to specify a Fracture Tool and to extract fracture results and probes from
the result file.
1. Read the results file into your analysis. As needed, review the Writing and Reading the Mech-
anical APDL Application Files (p. 1955) section.
2. Select the Solution object, open the Toolbox drop-down menu from the Solution Context
tab, and select the Fracture Tool option. Based on the settings of the Fracture Controls (p. 1529)
of the Analysis Settings object, a result object, such as SIFS (K1), is automatically included
under the Fracture Tool.
3. Set the Scoping Method property to Result File Item.
4. From the Fracture Tool Context tab, select and insert desired probe results.
5. From the drop-down list of the Solver ID property, select the appropriate solver ID value for
each result. You can now evaluate the specific results.
Display Features
Once evaluated, probe results are plotted against time in the Graph window as illustrated below
for a SIFS probe.
Another graphical display feature is that, when you have a fracture probe object selected, crack
surfaces display in green in the Geometry window, as illustrated below. Furthermore, you can also
see the tip of the crack.
Results
Using the Crack Length Percentage property, you can move the probe along the crack front. Be-
cause the results vary along the crack front, you can use this percentage entry to select a point
along the tip you wish to examine. By changing the Crack Length Percentage you should receive
different time history plots. An example is illustrated below.
Crack Length Percentage 0% Crack Length Percentage 70%
Charting Fracture Probes

Using the data generated by fracture probes, you can employ the New Chart and Table (p. 2036)
option to plot your probes results against time or against one another. For example, the result of
a SIFS probe is plotted versus the result of a Crack Extension probe is illustrated below.
Structural Results
19.5.20. Response PSD Tool

You can apply a Response PSD Tool to any Random Vibration (p. 531) analysis (only) in order to
control the frequency sampling of Response PSD probes (p. 2227).
Scoping and Result Types

When inserted, the Response PSD Tool automatically generates a Response PSD probe (p. 2227) as
its child object. You then properly scope both objects as desired.
Application
To define results using the Response PSD Tool:
1. Display the Toolbox drop-down menu on the Solution Context tab (p. 65) and select Re-
sponse PSD Tool or right-click the Solution object or in the Geometry window and select
Insert>Response PSD Tool>Response PSD Tool.
2. A Response PSD Tool object is placed under Solution object and includes a Response PSD
probe. As needed, modify the following properties:
• Include All Excitation Frequencies: Options include Yes (default) and No. Selecting
Yes includes all excitation frequencies in the sampling. The No option includes min-
imum and maximum excitation frequencies in addition to the frequency samplings
for natural frequencies.
• Include User Defined Frequencies: Options include Yes and No (default). Selecting
Yes enables you to manually enter frequencies in the Tabular Data table (User Defined
Frequency Steps).
• Clustering Frequency Points: The minimum value for this property, and default, is
20. This property enables you to define the number of frequencies generated for both
sides of the natural frequencies for response PSD result evaluations. If your response
PSD curve contains a number of spikes, you can add more frequency points to obtain
a more accurate RMS result, however: this increases evaluation time.
3. Properly scope the properties of the Response PSD probe (p. 2227).
Note:
When a Response PSD probe is scoped to surface body, the application always reports
the node result value using the smaller of the two values reported for the top and bottom
layers.
For additional information, see the object reference page for the Response PSD Tool.
19.5.21. Gasket Results

Gasket results are structural results associated with Ansys interface elements. When used with Ansys
structural elements, interface elements simulate an interface between two materials. The behavior at
these interfaces is highly nonlinear.
Results
To mesh a body using interface elements, use one of two ways:
1. Highlight the Body object in the tree and set Stiffness Behavior (p. 348) to Gasket. In this case,
a Gasket Mesh Control will be added as a child of the gasket body in the model tree. You need
to define the source face of the gasket in the Gasket Mesh Control to define the gasket material
orientation.
2. Highlight the Body object in the tree and set the Stiffness Behavior (p. 348) to Flexible. In this
case, you need to define a Gasket Mesh Control in the mesh folder.
The following gasket results are available in the Mechanical Application:
• Normal Gasket Pressure - corresponding to Mechanical APDL command PLNSOL,GKS,X
• Shear Gasket Pressure - corresponding to Mechanical APDL commands PLNSOL,GKS,XY and

PLNSOL,GKS,XZ
• Normal Gasket Total Closure - corresponding to Mechanical APDL command PLNSOL,GKD,X
• Shear Gasket Total Closure - corresponding to Mechanical APDL commands PLNSOL,GKD,XY and
PLNSOL,GKD,XZ
These results are only available in the solution coordinate system (p. 2079).
Warning:
Mechanical only supports the above gasket results. Note that there is a Mechanical APDL
key option (KEYOPT(8)=1) that enables you to produce gasket results for standard stresses
and strains (S, EPEL, and EPTH) on the interface elements. Mechanical gasket results do
not support this key option and produce results with values of only zero. However, if you
have the keyopt enabled, you can use a Commands (APDL) object to independently produce
these stress results using the /POST1 command.
In addition, when using KEYOPT(8)=1, all Elemental Coordinate Systems (p. 2051) results will
incorrectly display in the Global Coordinate System.
Review the individual element references for the Ansys interface elements for KEYOPT(8)
element output quantities.
19.5.22. Campbell Diagram Chart Results

A Campbell diagram chart result is only valid in Modal analyses. The Campbell diagram chart result
is mainly used in rotor dynamics for rotating structural component design. When a structural compon-
ent is rotating, an inertial force is introduced into the system. The dynamic characteristics of the
structural component change as a result of the inertia effect, namely, gyroscopic effect. To study
changes in dynamic characteristics of a rotating structure, more than one solve point in Rotational
Velocity (p. 1619) is required.
Structural Results
Prerequisites
In addition to being applicable to only Modal analyses, you must ensure that the following Analysis
Settings are activated in order to properly apply a Campbell Diagram. Select the Analysis Settings
object in your Modal Analysis and perform the following settings:
• Under Solver Controls: Damped = Yes.
• Under Rotordynamics Controls:
– Coriolis Effect = On, Stationary Frame of Reference
– Campbell Diagram = On
In addition, a Rotational Velocity (p. 1619) boundary condition must be created in order to properly
scope the Campbell Diagram.
Applying a Campbell Diagram

To insert a Campbell diagram chart result, highlight the Solution object in the tree, then select
Campbell Diagram from the Solution Context Tab (p. 65), or right-click the object and choose In-
sert>Campbell Diagram.
The following is an example of a Campbell diagram result chart:
In this chart, each line represents a frequency evolution of a whirl mode with respect to increased
rotational velocities. The whirl frequency value of an eigenmode at each rotational velocity is also
listed in the table. For each whirl mode, it is either labeled as forward (FW) or backward (BW) whirl
direction. In some cases, when there is no evident whirl direction, the whirl frequency is labeled as
Results
UNDETERMINED. If a whirl mode is identified as FW, the rotating structural component whirls the
same direction as the rotation direction, and vice versa. If a whirl mode is evaluated to be unstable
(marked as UNSTABLE), the whirl orbit will evolve into a divergent trajectory, instead of an elliptical
trajectory.
In addition to whirl modes, a line (black color) of any ratio between whirl frequency and rotational
velocity is plotted. The intersection between this line and each whirl mode is indicated with a red
triangular marker. The rotational velocity corresponding to this intersection is called critical speed.
At critical speed, the rotating structural component will experience a peak as the rotating frequency
resonates with the natural whirl frequency.
The Campbell diagram chart result can be customized in Details of Campbell Diagram as follows:
Scope
• Rotational Velocity Selection: This field displays the user-defined Rotational Velocity of the ana-
lysis for which the Campbell diagram chart result is evaluated. If one is not defined, the field is
highlighted in yellow and displays the value None.
Campbell Diagram Controls

• Y Axis Data: The data type options include: Frequency (default), Stability, Logarithmic Decrement,
and Modal Damping Ratio.
• Critical Speed: Option for users to display critical speeds. The default is Yes. Requires you to provide
a value in the Ratio field. The option is only valid for frequency.
• Ratio: Value used to evaluate critical speeds. The default value is 1.0.
• Sorting: Option to display data in a sorted mode manner when some modes are crossing/intercept-
ing each other. The default is Yes.
• Stable Motion Sign: This option displays when you specify Logarithmic Decrement for the Y
Axis Data property. This option controls the sign of Logarithmic Decrement value for stable motion.
The options include Stable - Negative (default) and Stable - Positive.
Structural Results
Note:
Any change made in these fields requires a result re-evaluation.
Axis
Note:
Two different unit types, rad/s and RPM, are available to define rotational velocity in the
chart. The selection can be made in Units option on the Home tab.
• X Axis Label: Allows users to provide a customized label for rotational velocity.
• X Axis Range: There are two options to display the rotational velocity data range: Program Con-
trolled and User Defined. The default setting is Program Controlled, which uses minimum and
maximum determined by the system. The option of User Defined allows users to provide a cus-
tomized range to be used in the chart. The minimum and maximum values are displayed in the X
Axis Minimum and X Axis Maximum fields following the result evaluation.
• X Axis Minimum: Minimum rotational velocity value is displayed according to the selection made
in X Axis Range.
• X Axis Maximum: Maximum rotational velocity value is displayed according to the selection made
in X Axis Range.
• Y Axis Label: Allows users to provide a customized label for Frequency, Stability, Logarithmic
Decrement, or Modal Damping Ratio depending on the selection made in Y Axis Data.
• Y Axis Range: The options include Program Controlled and User Defined, to display the frequency,
stability, logarithmic, or modal damping ratio value range depending on the selection made in Y
Axis Data property. The default setting, Program Controlled, uses the minimum and maximum
determined by the system. The option of User Defined enables you to provide a customized range.
The minimum and maximum values are displayed in the Y Axis Minimum and Y Axis Maximum
fields following the result evaluation.
• Y Axis Minimum: Minimum frequency, stability, logarithmic decrement, or modal damping ratio
value is displayed according to the selection made in Y Axis Range property.
Results
• Y Axis Maximum: Maximum frequency, stability, logarithmic decrement, or modal damping ratio
value is displayed according to the selection made in Y Axis Range property.
19.5.23. Waterfall Diagrams

For a multi-step Harmonic Response (p. 502) analysis that specifies RPMs as the step type, the applic-
ation supports the following waterfall result options:
• Velocity Waterfall Diagram (also available for Motion analysis)
• Acceleration Waterfall Diagram (also available for Motion analysis)
• ERP Waterfall Diagram
• Far-field Sound Power Level Waterfall Diagram and Far-field SPL Mic Waterfall Diagram
(Acoustic Waterfall Diagrams)
Note:
• Because waterfall diagrams plot large amounts of data, the application provides several
features, such as zoom and the use of probes, to manipulate the display. See the Waterfall
Diagram Display Features (p. 2243) below for more information.
• You can specify a weighting filter (p. 2081) (A, B, and C) for the ERP Level Waterfall Dia-
gram result.
• Waterfall diagrams based on a Motion analysis use a Short Time Fourier Transform
(STFT) algorithm. See Results and Result Tools (Group) in the Mechanical Object Reference
for details of the associated parameters.
Tip:
The Velocity and Acceleration waterfall diagrams currently support mesh-based scoping
as a beta feature.
Structural Results
Waterfall Diagram Display Features

Because Waterfall Diagrams can plot significant amounts of data, display features exist to examine
and present the data to suit your particular needs. The Waterfall Data category of the Details pane
for a result contains these display features.
Select the titles below to see how each option/property affects the display.
Results
Zooming
The worksheet for waterfall results include a small box in the lower left-hand corner, as high-
lighted below. Use this box to zoom in on the diagram. Select a corner of this option and drag
the cursor to enlarge the area of the diagram contained within the zoom option. A smaller
control is placed inside the zoom option once you drag a corner. Use this control to pan across
the diagram to change the selected zoom area. Double-click the control to return the view to
the default.
Note:
• Hide the display of the zoom feature in the worksheet by setting the Show Zoom
Pan Control property to No.
• When zooming in on an area of the diagram, the values of the Minimum/Maximum

X Axis and Minimum/Maximum Y Axis properties automatically update based
on your selection.
In addition, as shown below, you can select the [Alt] key and then select directly in the diagram
to zoom on an area. Once you [Alt] + click in the diagram, drag your cursor left-to-right to en-
large a desired area. [Alt] + click and drag your cursor from right-to-left to return the view to
the default.
Structural Results
Results
Specifying Probes
Use the Probe option to place probes displaying result values anywhere on the diagram. As
you run the cursor over the result values, the probe displays a result value and a coordinate (X
and Y) location. If you select a location that does not include data, the selection is ignored. Use
the Delete option to delete probes by clicking on a probe’s anchor.
Note:
Probes are automatically removed from the diagram if you 1) select a different object
or 2) change the unit system.
Structural Results
Interpolate Data
By default, waterfall diagrams display interpolated and actual values. To display only the actual
values, without interpolation, set the Interpolate Data property to Yes (the default is No).
Results
Displaying Order Lines
To display the values included in the order lines only, set the Use the Scope to Order Lines
property to Yes (the default is No).
Structural Results
Specifying Upper/Lower Bands
The application populates the Lower Band and Upper Band property values following the
solution. These values represent a range of available data points. Not all regions of the diagram
include data. Once available, you can manually specify a value for the lower or upper contour
band to redistribute (in equal increments) the display. This can be beneficial when you have
groupings of result data points at one end of the color assignment. Use the Reset Bounds
button on the diagram to reset changes.
Results
Plotting Min/Max Data
The application calculates the values of the Minimum/Maximum X Axis and Minimum/Maximum
Y Axis properties during the solution and automatically plots the values on the axes of the
diagram. The diagram only displays values within this range. You can modify the range of these
properties by manually entering frequency or RPM values presented on the diagram or in the
associated result column of the Tabular Data window.
Note:
These values automatically update when you zoom in or out on an area of the dia-
gram.
Structural Results
Displaying Graph Window Legend
Once you have displayed result data, you can:
• Right-click in the Graph window and select Show Legend (or Hide Legend) to display
graph annotations. This example shows a specific set or Order numbers to simplify the
display.
• Select one or more of the numeric rows in the Tabular Data window to highlight the
value(s) in the graph.
Results
The highlight applys to the legend value as well.
19.5.24. Contribution Results

You use contribution result types to study the dynamic behaviors of your structure in order to improve
your design. Contribution features enable you to perform targeted post processing by filtering complex
response data to determine which bodies and mode shapes have the highest response at specific
mode shapes and frequencies. Supported contribution results include the following. See the Contri-
bution Graph Results (p. 2042) section for more information about using these results.
Energy Contribution
For Modal (p. 521) analyses only, you can specify an Energy Contribution result for potential energies.
These results produce Mosaic Chart highlighting total elemental energies for each body and every
mode shape. This result requires you to set the On Demand Expansion property (Options (p. 1531))
to Yes and the Volume and Energy property (Output Controls (p. 1559)) to Yes.
You access this result from the Contribution menu on the Solution tab or using the context (right-
click) menu options Insert > Contribution > Energy Contribution.
Mode Contribution
Use the Mode Contribution result for Mode Superposition (MSUP) Harmonic Response analyses,
either standalone or linked. This result supports multiple steps specified as RPM or as Load Step using
the Multiple Step Type (Step Controls (p. 1510)) property. These results produce a mosaic chart high-
lighting the modal coefficient for each mode shape for each analysis frequency. Using the display
options of the result, you can filter the visibility for the top contributing mode shapes and analysis
frequency range.
Volume Result
You access this result from the Contribution menu on the Solution tab or using the context (right-
click) menu options Insert > Contribution > Mode Contribution.
Use the Load Step Number property, of the Details pane Scope category, to specify a load step from
which you wish to obtain result values. The default setting is 1. Supported entries are based on the
value of the Number of Steps property (Analysis Settings > Step Controls (p. 1510)).
19.6. Line Pressure Result

You can scope this result type to a Construction Geometry Path (p. 911).
The Line Pressure result is supported for the following analysis types:
• Static • Steady-State Thermal

Structural
• Transient
Structural • Electric
• Modal • Thermal-Electric
• Harmonic • Response Spectrum

Response
• Eigenvalue
Buckling
19.7. Volume Result

You can scope this result type to bodies and elements, either through direct geometry or element se-
lection or using direct geometry-based or element-based Named Selections. You can also scope the
result using the Result File Item (p. 2105) option. The default setting for the Scoping Method property
is Geometry Selection and the Geometry property is set to All Bodies. The Volume result displays
the Total volume of your scoping as well as the Minimum and Maximum volume of all elements that
result from the loading. This result is useful for visualizing the volume of elements when structural
loading is applied.

The Volume result is supported for the following analysis types:
• Coupled • Steady-State Thermal

Field
Analyses • Transient Thermal
• Static • Electric
Structural
• Transient
Structural • Response Spectrum
Results
• Modal
• Harmonic
Response
• Eigenvalue
Buckling
19.7.1. Volume Probe

The Location Method options for the Volume probe includes Geometry Selection. Geometry selec-
tions include bodies and mesh elements. Once evaluated, the probe displays the time history of the
total volume computed over the geometry selection. See the Probe Details View (p. 2030) section for
a description of all other Details view properties.

The Volume probe is supported for the following analysis types:
• Coupled Field Static
• Coupled Field Transient
• Electric
19.8. Thermal Results

The following thermal result topics are addressed in this section:
19.8.1.Temperature
19.8.2. Heat Flux
19.8.3. Heat Reaction
19.8.4. Error (Thermal)
19.8.5.Thermal Flow Results
19.8.6.Thermal Probes
19.8.7.Thermal Contact Results
Thermal Probes (p. 2257) can be used to determine the following results:
Thermal Results
• Temperature
• Heat Flux
• Heat Reaction
Note:
Currently, thermal analyses do not support the Contact Tool (p. 2184).
19.8.1. Temperature
In a steady-state or transient thermal analysis, temperature distribution throughout the structure is
calculated. This is a scalar quantity.
Scoping allows you to limit the temperature display to particular geometric entities. Similarly scoping
allows you to get reactions at specific boundary condition objects. Temperature results can be displayed
as a contour plot. You can also capture the variation of these results with time by using a probe.
19.8.2. Heat Flux

The Mechanical application calculates the heat flux (q/A, energy per unit time per unit area)
throughout the body. Heat flux can be output as individual vector components X, Y or Z.
You can display the X, Y, and Z components of heat flux in different coordinate systems.
Scoping allows you to limit the heat flux display to particular geometric entities. Similarly scoping
allows you to get reactions at specific boundary condition objects. Heat flux results can be displayed
as a contour plot. You can also capture the variation of these results with time by using a probe.
Plots of Vector Heat Flux

A Vector Heat Flux plot provides the direction of heat flux (relative magnitude and direction of flow)
at each point in the body.
The following graphic illustrates an example showing a high temperature area at the top and a low
temperature area at the bottom. Note the direction of the heat flow as indicated by the arrows.
Results
Request Vector Heat Flux plots in the same way that you would request any other result. After inserting
the result object in the tree and solving, click the Graphics button (p. 77) in the Result Context tab.
19.8.3. Heat Reaction

You can obtain heat reaction (q, energy per unit time) at locations where a temperature, imported
temperature, convection, or radiation boundary condition is specified. Heat reaction is a scalar.
To obtain a heat reaction result, insert a Reaction probe (p. 2023) and specify an existing Boundary
Condition, Geometry, Contact Region, or Surface construction geometry. See Thermal Probes (p. 2257)
19.8.4. Error (Thermal)

The values for this result have no unit of measure. The description of this result is the same as Error
(Structural) (p. 2133) except that heat flux is the basis for the errors instead of stresses. However, the
structural error result differs in that it has an energy-based unit of measure (Joule, etc.).
19.8.5. Thermal Flow Results

You use the following flow-based result types for 2D and 3D thermal fluid flow analyses. Your model
must include a line body (p. 900) that you specify as Thermal Fluid for these result types to be available
for selection.
• Fluid Flow Rate: rate of fluid flow through the specified Line Body.
• Fluid Heat Conduction Rate: heat flow rate due to conduction within the fluid.
Thermal Results
See FLUID116 in the Mechanical APDL Element Reference. The Output Data topic examines the solution
output for these results.
19.8.6. Thermal Probes

The following thermal probe types are available.
Probe Type Applicable Analysis Types Output

Temperature Coupled Field Static, Coupled Field Temperature: overall
Transient, Steady-State Thermal and
Transient Thermal
Heat Flux Coupled Field Static, Coupled Field Heat Flux: X axis, Y axis, Z axis
Transient Thermal
Heat Reaction[a] Coupled Field Static, Coupled Field Heat: overall

Transient Thermal
Results
Probe Type Applicable Analysis Types Output
Radiation[a] Coupled Field Static, Coupled Field Outgoing Net Radiation,

Transient, Steady-State Thermal and Emitted Radiation, Reflected
(see note below) Transient Thermal Radiation, Incident Radiation
[a] Not available to the Samcef or ABAQUS solver.
Note:
• Refer to the Probe Details View (p. 2030) section for additional information about the
above scoping options.
• If you receive a negative value for the Outgoing Net Radiation result, then the applic-
ation is detecting that heat is entering the scoped entity.
• For 2D plane stress models the Radiosity Solver method assumes an infinite third dimen-
sion so the Radiation Probe results will be proportional to the Workbench model
thickness.
• For plane and cyclic symmetries the Radiation Probe results are calculated for the full
symmetry model.
See the Probes (p. 2025) section for further information.
19.8.7. Thermal Contact Results

If your model contains Contact Regions, you can define the contact results as listed below under
the Connections object or the Solution object by inserting a Contact Tool. See the Reviewing the
Results section of the Mechanical APDLContact Technology Guide for additional information.
Thermal Flux: available only for evaluating contact conditions after solution. This data represents
the total heat flux at the contact surface.
Status: status codes include:
• -3: MPC bonded contact.
• -2: MPC no-separation contact.
• 0: open and not near contact.
• 1: open but near contact.
• 2: closed and sliding.
• 3: closed and sticking.
Magnetostatic Results
The labels Far, Near, Sliding, and Sticking are included in the legend for Status.
Note:
• MPC-based contact definitions use negative values. They indicate the intentional removal
of one or more contact constraints to prevent over-constraint.
• Contact that has been deactivated via Auto Asymmetric behavior will be displayed with
a status of Far-Open. Results for deactivated pairs can be suppressed in the Contact
Tool by changing Both to either Contact or Target as necessary.
Please review the descriptions, restrictions, and caveats for contact results and displays that are included
in the Contact Results (p. 2146) section under Structural Results (p. 2120).
19.9. Magnetostatic Results

A magnetostatic analysis offers several results items for viewing. Results may be scoped to bodies and,
by default, all bodies will compute results for display. You can use the Details view to view vector results
in several ways. Magnetic Flux Density, Magnetic Field Intensity, and Force represent the magnitude of
the results vector and can be viewed as a contour or as a directional vector. Any directional solution
represents direction vector components (X, Y, Z) of the vector. They may be displayed as a contour.
The following electromagnetic result topics are addressed in this section:

19.9.1. Electric Potential
19.9.2.Total Magnetic Flux Density
19.9.3. Directional Magnetic Flux Density
19.9.4.Total Magnetic Field Intensity
19.9.5. Directional Magnetic Field Intensity
19.9.6.Total Force
19.9.7. Directional Force
19.9.8. Current Density
19.9.9. Inductance
19.9.10. Flux Linkage
19.9.11. Error (Magnetic)
19.9.12. Magnetostatic Probes
Magnetostatic Probes (p. 2263) can be used to determine the following results:
• Flux Density
• Field Intensity
• Force Summation
• Torque
Results
• Energy
• Magnetic Flux
Known Limitation
In some instances, during the solution process for magnetic analyses, the application may automatically
generate new elements that are not included in the original mesh or within a geometry body. Further-
more, these elements may contain magnetic force (FMAG) results.
These elements are considered to be supplementary elements. If one of these supplementary elements
share a node with an element from the original mesh, the forces from the supplementary elements can
contribute to the force value at the shared node.
Regardless of whether you scope results to a body, the supplementary elements may still contribute
to the force results at nodes of the scoped body.
Using the /POST1 command, you can counteract this effect by unselecting the element type associated
with the supplementary elements with the command string: ESEL,U,TYPE.
19.9.1. Electric Potential

Electric potential represents contours of constant electric potential (voltage) in conductor bodies.
This is a scalar quantity.
19.9.2. Total Magnetic Flux Density

Magnetic Flux Density is computed throughout the simulation domain and is a vector quantity. Se-
lecting this option allows you to view the magnitude of the vector as a contour or as a directional
vector.
19.9.3. Directional Magnetic Flux Density

Magnetic Flux Density vector components are computed throughout the simulation domain. Selecting
this option allows you to view individual vector components (X, Y, Z) as a contour.
19.9.4. Total Magnetic Field Intensity

Magnetic Field Intensity is computed throughout the simulation domain and is a vector quantity.
Selecting this option allows you to view the magnitude of the vector as a contour or as a directional
vector.
19.9.5. Directional Magnetic Field Intensity

Magnetic Field Intensity vector components are computed throughout the simulation domain. Selecting
this option allows you to view individual vector components (X, Y, Z) as a contour.
19.9.6. Total Force

Total Force results represent electromagnetic forces on bodies. This is a vector quantity. Selecting
this option allows you to view the magnitude of the vector as a contour or as a directional vector.
19.9.7. Directional Force

Vector components of force and torque are computed throughout the simulation domain. They are
meaningful only on non-air bodies. Selecting this option allows you to view individual vector force
components (X, Y, Z) as a contour. The total summed forces and torque are available in the Details
view. For example, requesting the z component of directional force/torque will report the net force
acting in the z direction and the net torque acting about the z axis of the specified coordinate system.
19.9.8. Current Density

Current density can be computed for any solid conductor body. It is displayed as a vector and is best
viewed in wireframe mode. You can use the Vector group to adjust the vector arrow viewing options.
You can use the element-aligned option in the Vector group for current density vectors, but not the
grid-aligned option.
19.9.9. Inductance
Inductance can be computed for conductor bodies. It is defined as a measure of the differential
change in flux linkage to the differential change in current. This is represented by the equation below,
where dψ is the differential change in flux linking conductor j produced by a differential change in
current for conductor i. Note that this is valid for linear and nonlinear systems, the inductance will
be a function of current.
Inductance is often used as a parameter in electric machine design and in circuit simulators.
A conductor body must have a current load to be considered in inductance calculations. Inductance
results are presented in the Worksheet View. The results are presented in table form. The example
below shows inductance results for a two-conductor system. The diagonal terms represent self-induct-
ance, while the off-diagonal terms represent mutual inductance. In this case, L11 = 1e - 4, L22 = 8e -
4, L12 = L21 = 4e - 4 Henries.
Cond1 Cond2
(H) (H)
Cond1 1e-4 4e-4
Cond2 4e-4 8e-4
The Details view for inductance allows you to define a Symmetry Multiplier. Use this if your simulation
model represents only a fraction of the full geometry. The multiplier should be set to compensate
Results
for the symmetry model. For example, if you create a half-symmetry model of the geometry for sim-
ulation, set the Multiplier to '2.' Changing the multiplier will update the Worksheet results.
Note:
• Computing inductance can be time-consuming and should only be used if needed.
• Loads (Voltage, and Current) must be constant when Inductance is specified. Tabular
and function loads are not supported.
• Inductance can only be used with a single step, single substep solution. User settings
to the contrary will be overridden.
• Inductance requires the Direct solver setting (default) for the Solver Type property of
Analysis Settings. User settings to the contrary will be overridden.
19.9.10. Flux Linkage

Flux linkage can be computed for any system incorporating a conductor. Solving for flux linkage cal-
culates the flux, ψ, linking a conductor. This is commonly referred to as the "flux linkage." For nonlinear
systems, the flux linkage will be a function of current. Flux linkage is also a function of stroke (for
example, displacement of an armature).
Flux linkage is often used to compute the emf (electromotive force) in a conductor, defined using
the equation below, where V is the electromotive force, typically expressed in volts.
Conductor bodies must have defined current loads to be considered in flux linkage calculations. Flux
linkage results are presented in the Worksheet View. The results are presented in table form. The ex-
ample below shows flux linkage results for a two-conductor system.
Flux Linkages
(Wb)
Cond1 5e-4
Cond2 10e-4
The Details view for flux linkage allows you to define a Symmetry Multiplier. Use this if your simulation
model represents only a fraction of the full geometry. The multiplier should be set to compensate
for the symmetry model. For example, if you create a half-symmetry model of the geometry for sim-
ulation, set the Multiplier to '2.' Changing the multiplier will update the Worksheet results.
Note:
• Computing flux linkage can be time-consuming and should only be used if needed.
• Loads (Voltage, and Current) must be constant when flux linkage is specified. Tabular
and function loads are not supported.
• Flux linkage can only be used with a single step, single substep solution. User settings
to the contrary will be overridden.
• Flux linkage requires the Direct solver setting (default) for the Solver Type property of
Analysis Settings. User settings to the contrary will be overridden.
19.9.11. Error (Magnetic)

The description of this result is similar to Error (Structural) (p. 2133) except that flux density is the basis
for the errors instead of stresses.
When all materials are linear, Workbench uses relative permeability (MURX, MURY, MURZ) values
which are available in the material properties.
When nonlinear materials are present, Workbench does not extract relative permeability from the
material properties. Instead, for a given element, Workbench first sums the flux density vectors of the
result nodes to form a vector called B. Workbench next sums the field intensity vectors of the result
nodes to form a vector called H.
MURX, MURY, and MURZ are all assigned the value ( |B|/|H| ) / MUZERO, where:
• |B| is the length of the B vector,
• |H| is the length of the H vector,
• MUZERO is free space permeability.
If the H vector has a zero length, the contribution of this element to the energy error will be set to
0.
19.9.12. Magnetostatic Probes

The following magnetostatic probe types are available.
Probe Type Applicable Analysis Types Output Characteristics

Flux Density Magnetostatic Flux Density: X axis, Y axis, Z axis Scope to: body.
Scope by: bodies,
Orientation coord
Field Intensity Magnetostatic Flux Intensity: X axis, Y axis, Z axis Scope to: body.
Scope by: bodies,
Orientation coord
[a]
Force Summation Magnetostatic Force Sum: X axis, Y axis, or Z axis; Scope to: body.
Symmetry Multiplier
Scope by: bodies.
Orientation coord
Results
Probe Type Applicable Analysis Types Output Characteristics

[b][a]
Torque Magnetostatic Torque: X axis, Y axis, or Z axis; Symmetry Scope to: body.
Multiplier
Scope by: bodies.
Orientation coord
Summation: Orien
Energy Magnetostatic Magnetic Co-energy Scope to: body.
Scope by: System

[c]
Magnetic Flux Magnetostatic Magnetic Flux Scope to: body.
Scope by: edge.

[a] A limitation exists when the scoping of a Force Summation or a Torque probe is applied
to a geometry entity (Location Method = Geometry Selection) that shares more than one
body. The (unscoped) elements that are adjacent to the scoped body contribute to the
probe's results.
[b] Torque results represent the torque on a body due to electromagnetic forces. Torque is
specified about the origin of a coordinate system. By default, the global coordinate system
is used. To change the specification point, create a local coordinate system and specify the
results about the new origin. The torque result is listed in the Details pane.
[c] Magnetic Flux is computed along the scoped edge. The scoping should produce a single
continuous path along the edge. Flux is reported as magnitude only.
See the Probes (p. 2025) section for further information.
19.10. Electric Results

The application supports the electric results described below. In addition, see the Electric Probes (p. 2265)
and Frequency Response for Electric Results (p. 2266) sections for additional result options.
Result Description
Electric Represents contours of constant electric potential (voltage) in conductor bodies. This is
Voltage a scalar quantity.
Total Electric Is computed throughout the simulation domain and is a vector sum quantity. Selecting
Field this result enables you to view the total magnitude of the vectors as a contour.
Intensity
Directional Its vector components are computed throughout the simulation domain. This result
Electric Field enables you to view individual vector components (X, Y, Z) as contours.
Intensity
Total Electric Is computed throughout the simulation domain and is a vector sum quantity. Selecting
Flux Density this result enables you to view the total magnitude of the vectors as a contour.
Electric Flux enables you to view individual vector components (X, Y, Z) as contours.
Density
Total Available for Coupled Field Harmonic, Coupled Field Static, and Coupled Field Tran-
Electrostatic sient analyses. This result to computed throughout the simulation domain and is a vector
Force sum quantity. Specifying this result enables you to view the total magnitude of the vectors
as a contour.
Electric Results
Result Description
Directional Available for Coupled Field Harmonic, Coupled Field Static, and Coupled Field Tran-
Electrostatic sient analyses. The vector components for this result are computed throughout the
Force simulation domain. This result enables you to view individual vector components (X, Y,
Z) as contours.
Total Current Can be computed for any solid conductor body. It is displayed as a vector and is best
Density viewed in wireframe mode. You can use the Vector Display group to adjust the vector
arrow viewing options. You can use the element-aligned option in the Vector Display
group for current density vectors, but not the grid-aligned option.
Current enables you to view individual current density vector components (X, Y, Z) as contours.
Density
Joule Heat Occurs in a conductor carrying an electric current. Joule heat is proportional to the square
of the current, and is independent of the current direction.
Note:
• This result is not supported when generated by non-zero contact

resistance.
• During a Coupled Field Harmonic (p. 384) (piezoelectric) analysis, this

result only contributes damping losses from coupled elements. Any
structural elements do not contribute to the result.
19.10.1. Electric Probes

The following electric probe types are available. Refer to the Probe Details View (p. 2030) section for
additional information about the above scoping options. Also see the Probes (p. 2025) section for further
information.
Probe Type Applicable Output Characteristics

Analysis Types
Electric Coupled Field Voltage Scope to: body.
Voltage Static, Coupled
Field Transient, Scope by: bodies, location (Hit
and Electric Point Coordinate (p. 100)), vertex,
edge, face.
Field Coupled Field X axis, Y axis, Z Scope to: body.
Intensity Static, Coupled axis, Total
edge, face.
Orientation coordinate system:

any; defaults to Global Cartesian.
Results
Probe Type Applicable Output Characteristics

Analysis Types
Current Coupled Field X axis, Y axis, Z Scope to: body.
Density Static, Coupled axis, Total
edge, face.
Orientation coordinate system:

any; defaults to Global Cartesian.
Charge Coupled Field Overall Charge Scope to: Boundary Condition
Reaction Harmonic, Reaction in
Coupled Field Coulomb (C)
Static, Coupled
Field Transient
Impedance Coupled Field Overall Scope to: Boundary Condition
Harmonic Impedance in
Ohms
Reaction Coupled Field Current: overall Scope to: body.
Static, Coupled
Field Transient, Scope by: Boundary Condition.
and Electric
Joule Heat Coupled Field Power Scope to: body only.
Harmonic,
Electric Scope by: body.
Analysis,
Thermal-Electric
Analysis, and
Coupled Field
Transient
Quality Coupled Field Quality Factor Scope to: body only.
Factor Harmonic and
Coupled Field Scope by: body only.
Transient
Electromechanical Coupled Field Electromechanical Scope to: body only.
Coupling Harmonic, Coupling
Coefficient Coupled Field Coefficient Scope by: body only.
Static, and
Coupled Field
Transient
19.10.2. Frequency Response for Electric Results

For Coupled Field Harmonic analyses, the application supports the following electric frequency response
results. The application plots the amplitude of these result values versus the frequency range in a
graph displayed in the Worksheet. By default, the application also plots Amplitude versus Phase Angle.
See the Frequency Response (p. 2149) and Phase Response (p. 2160) section for additional information.
• Voltage: This result supports geometry or Named Selection scoping.
Fatigue Results
• Charge Reaction: This result supports Boundary Condition scoping. It represents the reaction force
for the degrees of freedom for the voltage.
• Impedance: This result supports Boundary Condition Scoping only. It represents the resistance of
current flow. It is computed using charge as follows.
For this result, the charge Q is retrieved at the terminal and then current is defined as: and
, then
Resulting Impedance =
19.11. Fatigue Results

Fatigue provides life, damage, and safety factor information and uses a stress-life or strain-life approach,
with several options for handling mean stress and specifying loading conditions. An example of the
strain-life approach is a part/body with notch where, although the nominal response is elastic, the local
response may present as a plastic. Review the following sections with regards to fatigue material
properties, the theory of the calculations associated with the material properties, loading conditions,
and results.
19.11.1. Fatigue Material Properties
19.11.2. Fatigue Stress Life versus Strain Life
19.11.3. Frequency-Based Fatigue
19.11.4. Fatigue Analysis Application
19.11.5. Fatigue Results
19.11.6. Fatigue Combination
19.11.7. Mechanical Embedded DesignLife UI
19.11.1. Fatigue Material Properties

Engineering Data contains example materials which may include fatigue curves populated with data
from engineering handbooks. You can also add your own fatigue curves. The Fatigue Tool will use
the information from these curves for each material in the model when calculating life, damage, safety
factors, etc. If Young's Modulus is temperature dependent, then the fatigue calculations are carried
out using the Young's Modulus computed at the reference temperature of the body.
For the strain-life approach, the materials must have Strain-Life Parameters defined. For the Stress-
Life approach, the materials must have S-N Curve defined. To add this data to a material follow the
Add Material Properties procedure (see Adding Material Properties in the Engineering Data User's
Guide).
Strain-Life Parameters
The following four strain-life parameter properties and the two cyclic stress-strain parameters
must have data defined:
• Strength Coefficient
Results
• Strength Exponent
• Ductility Coefficient
• Ductility Exponent
• Cyclic Strength Coefficient
• Cyclic Strain Hardening Exponent
S-N Curve
The alternating stress, or stress-life (SN), mean curve data can be defined with respect to mean
stress, r-ratio, or temperature. The Interpolation method (Log-Log, Semi-Log, or Linear) can be
defined. The curve data must be defined to be greater than zero.
• Mean Stress
Use this definition if experimental SN data was collected at constant mean stress for individual
SN curves.
• R-Ratio
Use this definition if multiple SN curves were collected at a constant r-ratio. The r-ratio is defined
as the ratio of the second loading to the first: r = L2 / L1. Typical experimental r-ratios are -1
(fully reversed), 0 (zero-based), and .1 (to ensure that a tensile stress always exists in the part).
• Temperature
Use this definition if multiple SN curves were collected at different temperatures.
If you choose the Temperature Field Variable while defining an S-N Curve material property,
and you enter multiple S-N Curves (Cycles/Alternating Stress) for different Temperatures, the
Fatigue Tool (p. 2278) automatically uses the appropriate S-N curve for the interpolation based
on the temperature at each node of the body.
Note:
– The Fatigue Tool supports temperature dependent fatigue for Static Struc-
tural and Transient Structural analyses only, and not for frequency-based fa-
tigue.
– When you specify stress-life (SN) mean curve data with respect to Temperat-
ure and the Type property of the Fatigue Tool is set to Non-Proportional,
the application uses an average temperature for the calculations.
It is possible to define multiple SN curves to account for different mean stress or r-ratio values.
The values of mean stress/r-ratio values are only important if multiple curves are defined in the
Engineering Data workspace and the Mean Stress Curves option is specified for the Mean Stress
Theory property in the Fatigue Tool (p. 2278).
Fatigue Results
Linear/Bilinear S-N Curve
For a Frequency-Based Fatigue analysis, the S-N Curve material properties enable you to examine
frequency-based fatigue formulations using either a linear or bi-linear curve for Stress (S) versus
the number of life cycles (N). Material property options include:
• Linear
Use this definition for single slope SN curve data.
• Bi-Linear
Use this definition for when you have two sloped of SN curve data.
Refer to the next section, Fatigue Stress Life Versus Strain Life (p. 2269), for additional information about
strain-life parameters.
Note that in Engineering Data, in the Display Curve Type drop-down menu, you can plot either a
Strain-Life or Cyclic Stress-Strain curve.
19.11.2. Fatigue Stress Life versus Strain Life

Within the Ansys fatigue module, the first decision that needs to be made in performing a fatigue
analysis is which type of fatigue analysis to perform, Stress-life or Strain-life. Stress-life is based on
empirical S-N curves which are modified by a variety of factors. Strain-life is based upon the Strain
Life Relation Equation where the Strain-life Parameters are values for a particular material that best
fit the equation to measured results. The Strain Life Relation Equation requires a total of 6 parameters
to define the strain-life material properties: four strain-life parameter properties and the two cyclic
stress-strain parameters. The Strain Life Relation Equation is shown below:
The two cyclic stress-strain parameters are part of the equation below:
Where:
= Total Strain Amplitude
= 2 x the Stress Amplitude

= Modulus of Elasticity
Results
= Number of Cycles to Failure
= Number of Reversals to Failure
And the parameters required for a Strain Life analysis include:
= Fatigue Strength Coefficient

= Fatigue Strength Exponent (Basquin’s Exponent)
= Fatigue Ductility Coefficient
= Fatigue Ductility Exponent
= Cyclic Strength Coefficient
= Cyclic Strain Hardening Exponent
Note in the above equation, total strain (elastic + plastic) is the required input. However, running a
finite element analysis to determine the total response can be very expensive and wasteful, especially
if the nominal response of the structure is elastic. An accepted approach is to assume a nominally
elastic response and then make use of Neuber’s equation to relate local stress/strain to nominal
stress/strain at a stress concentration location.
To relate strain to stress we use Neuber's Rule:
Where:
= Local (Total) Strain
= Local Stress
= Elastic Stress Concentration Factor
= Nominal Elastic Strain
= Nominal Elastic Stress
The Fatigue Tool assumes nominal elastic behavior and therefore , and by simultaneously
solving Neuber's equation along with cyclic strain equation, we can calculate the local stress/strains
(including plastic response) given only elastic stress input. Note that this calculation is nonlinear and
is solved using iterative methods. In addition, Ansys fatigue calculations use a value of 1 for the
Elastic Stress Concentration Factor ( ), assuming that the mesh is refined enough to capture any
stress concentration effects. in this case is not be confused with the Stress Reduction Factor option
which is typically used in a Stress-life analysis to account for factors such as reliability and size effects.
Important:
The Strain-life approach is currently only valid for linear stress analyses (elastic material
models only).
Fatigue Results
19.11.3. Frequency-Based Fatigue

Mechanical enables you to perform Frequency-Based Fatigue analyses using the Harmonic Response
and Random Vibration analysis types or using a combination of the two.
Random Vibration Analysis
When analyzing the dynamic response of the structure, the application uses the frequency
domain for calculations and therefore loading is a function of frequency or random vibrations.
Examples of this include:
• Electronic vibration in PCB board
• Automobile engine vibrations
• Vibrations of a helicopter in flight
• Vibrations of a shaker table
• Natural vibrations of structures due to sea waves or winds

Refer to the Fatigue Material Properties for Random Vibration (Spectral) Fatigue (p. 2271) and
Fatigue Result Methods for Random Vibration (Spectral) Fatigue (p. 2275) sections for additional
technical details for Frequency-Based Fatigue calculations for Random Vibration analyses.
Harmonic Response Analysis
If the response of the system is harmonic in nature, not random, the application uses the
maximum stress response for a either a single target frequency or sweeping multiple target
frequencies, along with the duration of exposure to calculate the fatigue effects. Refer to the
Fatigue Result Methods for Harmonic Fatigue (p. 2277) for additional information for Harmonic
Fatigue analyses.
Combination Analysis
You can also choose to calculate fatigue damage from Random Vibration and Harmonic
analyses and then use the Fatigue Combination (p. 2290) object to combine the effects in order
to analyze the total damage to the system.
19.11.3.1. Fatigue Material Properties for Random Vibration (Spectral) Fatigue

All Frequency-Based Fatigue formulations are driven by the material’s relationship between Stress
(S) and number of life cycles (N). This S-N relation can be defined in the Engineering Data Workspace
using any of the following:
• Linear S-N Curve (p. 2272)
• Bi-linear S-N Curve (p. 2273)
Results
• S-N Curve Table (p. 2274)
Important:
• For Frequency-Based Fatigue calculations, you need to employ at least one of

the SN Curve formulations listed above in order to proceed with a solution.
• For both the Linear S-N Curve and the Bi-linear S-N Curve, the reference units for
the parameters is [Pa]. No other unit or unit system is currently supported.
• In the various S-N Curve formulas covered here, the "S" value always refers to
Stress Amplitude.
As long as you define material properties using one of the above formulas, you can perform Fre-
quency-Based Fatigue calculations.
Linear S-N Curve Formula
This is a single segment S-N Curve formula of the form:
Where:
A = Fatigue Strength Coefficient

m = Fatigue Strength Exponent
Fatigue Results
S = Stress Amplitude (in Pa)
Note:
The value "m" is the inverse negative slope of the Linear S-N Curve.
Bi-Linear S-N Curve Formula
This is a two segment S-N Curve formula of the form:
&
Where:
A = First Fatigue Strength Coefficient

m = First Fatigue Strength Exponent
C = Second Fatigue Strength Coefficient
r = Second Fatigue Strength Exponent
SQ = Stress Amplitude at Transition Point (in Pa)
NQ = Number of cycles at Transition Point
Using the Derive from property in Engineering Data Workspace, select one of two methods of
definition:
• Coefficients and Exponents: Users define A, m, C, and r.
• Transition Point: define m, r, NQ, and SQ.
All other properties are automatically calculated.
Note:
The "m" and "r" values are the inverse negative slopes of the Bilinear S-N Curve.
Results
S-N Curve Table
As illustrated below the default data for the S-N Curve is contained in the Engineering Data
Workspace tabular data of corresponding Alternating Stresses and Cycles of life.
Note:
If only the SN table is provided (and not the Linear/Bilinear parameters themselves), then
the solver will use the first and last points of the table to perform a linear interpolation
using equation and arrive at the required parameters of A and m. Once the A
and m values are obtained, we can proceed with the solution normally. If either of the
parameters (Linear/Bilinear) are provided directly through the material definition, they
will be used directly. (The table, if present, will be ignored in this case).
Fatigue Results
19.11.3.2. Fatigue Result Methods for Random Vibration (Spectral) Fatigue

There are three different formulations of Random Vibration (Spectral) Fatigue that are currently
supported.
Steinberg Formulation
Steinberg Formulation utilizes all three stress occurrences (1σ, 2σ, 3σ) and their rate of occurrence
along with the Miner’s rule in order to compute the total fatigue damage of the system.
Where:
= actual number of cycles at or below the 1σ level (0.6831 ).
= allowable number of cycles (from fatigue curve) at 1σ, 2σ, 3σ stress levels.
are obtained by using the S-N relation and the (1σ, 2σ, 3σ) stresses to find the
corresponding number of cycles. If the Bilinear curve is used, the solver chooses the appropriate
curve to interpolate on, based on the value of the stresses.
is defined as the statistical frequency which is obtained as follows:
Results
Where:
= RMS Stress Velocity Result (stress based on velocity result)
= RMS Stress Result
Note:
equal a user-specified measure of stress.
Narrow Band Formulation
Narrow Band formulation is a generalized method where the stress ranges are assumed to have
a Rayleigh distribution. The formula to calculate Fatigue damage is given by,
Where:
= Statistical frequency
t: Exposure Duration
σ: Equivalent Alternating Stress
: Gamma function.
A, m: SN curve properties from the equation NSm = A, where S = Stress Amplitude.
If we are using the Bilinear form of the SN curve, this formula changes to:
where:
and:
Fatigue Results
is the stress point of intersection of the two SN Curves.
= lower incomplete gamma function.
Wirsching Formulation
The Wirsching Formulation can be described as a correction factor to the Narrow Band Formu-
lation in order to account for Wideband scenarios. Instead of using a different, more complicated
method for Wideband cases, we calculate Fatigue Damage using Narrow Band formulation and
simply apply the Wirsching correction factor to it, as shown:
Where is the wide band correction factor.
Where:
= 0.926-0.033
= 1.587 - 2.323
= Bandwidth Factor
= Irregularity Factor
= Spectral Moments
is the fatigue strength exponent obtained from the Linear SN Curve.
Since Wirsching does not have a specialized formula for the Bilinear SN Curve, the average of
the two fatigue strength exponents (m and r) is used in the Bilinear case.
19.11.3.3. Fatigue Result Methods for Harmonic Fatigue

If the response of the system is harmonic in nature, not random, the application uses the maximum
stress response for a either a single target frequency or sweeping multiple target frequencies, along
with the duration of exposure to calculate the fatigue effects.
There are three different options available for Harmonic fatigue calculations:
• Single Frequency: The stress at the defined Frequency is considered for the fatigue analysis.
This stress is used along with the defined SN Curve to interpolate for the fatigue life.
• Multiple Frequencies: You can manually specify frequency values and their corresponding
Exposure Durations. Stresses at each of these distinct frequencies are considered for the
fatigue analysis and fatigue damage is accumulated.
Results
• Sine Sweep: You can manually specify frequency values and their corresponding Scale
Factors. A Sine Sweep analysis is performed from the lowest to highest frequency value in
steps of 0.5 Hz using the Sweep Rate (to account for total exposure time) and the appropriate
amplitude scaling at each step. The fatigue damage is accumulated.
Note:
In the Harmonic Response fatigue analysis, the:
• S-N Curve Table will take precedence and it will be used if available. If the table
is not present, then the solver will use either the Linear/Bilinear parameters,
whichever is present, to construct a pseudo curve and that will be used for the
interpolation.
• Stress is always assumed to be fully reversed.
19.11.4. Fatigue Analysis Application

After you have defined the stress-life or strain-life curves for all materials in your model, you can
choose your fatigue options and run the fatigue analysis.
The Fatigue Tool option is available from the Toolbox drop-down menu on the Solution Context
Tab (p. 65) or through the right-click context menu.
Worksheet View
The Worksheet displays by default when you insert the Fatigue Tool during a Static Structural or
Harmonic Response analysis. It displays default data, in graph form, based on the property settings
of the object. The display changes as you make changes to the associated properties. In addition,
this graphical Worksheet display is available for the options of the Graph Results menu. See the Fatigue
Tool (Group) object reference page for additional information.
Property Definition
Once inserted into the tree, based on your analysis type, define the Details View properties as described
below:
• Fatigue Strength Factor (Kf ) (p. 2279)
• Loading Type (p. 2279)
• Scale Factor (p. 2280)
• Analysis Type (p. 2280)
• Mean Stress Theory (p. 2280)
• Method Selection (p. 2281) (Random Vibration analysis only)
• Stress Component (p. 2281)
Fatigue Results
• Exposure Duration (p. 2281) (Random Vibration and Harmonic Response analyses only)
• Frequency Selection (p. 2281) (Harmonic Response analysis only)
• Frequency (p. 2282) (Harmonic Response analysis only)
• Sweep Rate (p. 2282) (Harmonic Response analysis only)
• Units Name (p. 2282)
• 1 "Unit" is Equal To (p. 2282)
• Bin Size (p. 2282)
• Use Quick Rainflow Counting (p. 2282)
• Infinite Life (p. 2283)
• Maximum Data Points To Plot (p. 2283)
Fatigue Strength Factor (Kf)

This property defines the fatigue strength reduction factor. This setting enables you to adjust the
stress-life or strain-life curve(s) by a specified factor while the fatigue analysis is running. The default
value is 1. You set the property by making an entry or you can use the slider feature associated with
the property. The slider represents the entry range from minimum (0.01) to maximum (1). You use
this property to account for a "real world" environment that may be harsher than a rigidly-controlled
laboratory environment in which the data was collected. Common fatigue strength reduction factors
to account for such things as surface finish can be found in design handbooks.
Loading Type
The options of the Type property are described below. Their availability is based upon your analysis
type.
• Zero-Based (r=0)
• Fully Reversed (r=-1)
• Ratio
• History Data
• Non-Proportional (available only for stress-life applications)
Note:
• The Zero-Based (r=0), Fully Reversed (r=-1), and Ratio options are all constant amp-
litude, proportional loading types and are graphically illustrated in the Worksheet.
• The History Data option enables you to import a file containing the data points. This
option is a non-constant amplitude proportional loading type. This data is depicted in
a graph on the Worksheet. You can specify the number of data points this graph will
Results
display using the Maximum Data Points To Plot (p. 2283) property in the Options cat-
egory.
• The Non-Proportional option is a non-proportional constant amplitude loading type

for models that alternate between two different stress states (for example, between
bending and torsional loading). Problems such as an alternating stress imposed on a
static stress can be modeled with this feature. Non-proportional loading is only supported
for Fatigue Tool objects used with Solution Combination (p. 2391) where you select
exactly two stress states (only two Base Cases present in the Solution Combination
Worksheet).
Scale Factor
This setting scales the load magnitude. For example, if you set this to 3, the amplitude (and mean)
of a zero-based loading will be 1.5 times the stress in the body. The graph in the Worksheet window
will update to reflect this setting. This option is useful to see the effects of different finite element
loading magnitudes without having to run the complete structural analysis repeatedly. Note that this
scale factor is applied after the stresses have been collapsed from a tensor into a scalar. Thus any
multiaxial stress collapse methods that are sensitive to the sign (Von-Mises, Maximum Shear, Maximum
Principal) may not give the same answer had the scale factor been applied to the environment load
itself.
Analysis Type
Define the fatigue analysis as either Stress Life or Strain Life.
Mean Stress Theory

This setting specifies how the mean stress effects should be handled.
• If Analysis Type is set to Stress Life, choose from None (default), Goodman, Soderberg, Gerber,
ASME Elliptical, and Mean Stress Curves. The Goodman, Soderberg, Gerber, and ASME Elliptical
options use static material properties along with S-N data to account for any mean stress while
Mean Stress Curves use experimental fatigue data to account for mean stress. You can specify
the default setting for this property using the Mechanical application Fatigue settings (p. 298) in
the Options dialog box (p. 293).
• If Analysis Type is set to Strain Life, choose from None, Morrow, and SWT (Smith-Watson-Topper).
Note:
A sample plot of each of these theories is shown at the bottom of the Worksheet view.
This plot does not use live data, but is rather a generic representation of each theory. For
more information on these theories, see "Metal Fatigue In Engineering" by Ralph I. Stephens,
et. al.
Fatigue Results
Method Selection
This property is only available for Random Vibration analyses. The options include: Narrow Band,
Steinberg (default), and Wirsching. This setting specifies the method to calculate the Probability
Density Function (PDF) from the available PSD stress response.
Stress Component
Because stresses are multiaxial but experimental fatigue data is usually uniaxial, the stress must be
converted from a multiaxial stress state to a uniaxial one. A value of 2 times the maximum shear
stress is used. You can choose from several types, including component stresses, von Mises, and a
signed von Mises, which takes the sign of the absolute maximum principal stress. The signed von
Mises is useful for accounting for any compressive mean stresses.
Note:
For a fully reversed case (no mean stress), the Max Principal and Abs Max Principal
options will give the same result because alternating stress is always calculated using
Abs Max Principal stress.
Exposure Duration
This property is only available for Random Vibration and Harmonic Response analyses. It specifies the
duration (in time) the loading is applied. The resulting damage is for this entire duration. The default
setting is one second (1). This means that the calculated damage is based on damage per second.
In a Harmonic Response analysis, the number of cycles is internally calculated as the Exposure Duration
multiplied by the chosen frequency.
Frequency Selection
This property is only available for Harmonic Response analyses. You use this property to select a
analysis. Options include:
• Single Frequency (default): This option specifies that only the stress at the defined Frequency
is considered for the fatigue analysis.
• Multiple Frequencies: This option enables you to manually specify frequency values and their
corresponding Exposure Durations in the Tabular Data window. Stresses at each of these
distinct frequencies are considered for the fatigue analysis and fatigue damage is accumulated.
• Sine Sweep: This option enables you to manually specify frequency values and their corres-
ponding Scale Factors in the Tabular Data window. A Sine Sweep analysis is performed from
the lowest to highest frequency value in steps of 0.5 Hz using the Sweep Rate and the appro-
priate amplitude scaling at each step. The fatigue damage is accumulated.
Results
Frequency
This property is only available for Harmonic Response analysis. It specifies the frequency (in Hz) for
which the stress response is calculated and used for the fatigue analysis. The phase angle for which
the maximum stress occurs is automatically chosen for a chosen frequency.
Sweep Rate
The Sweep Rate property is only available for Harmonic Response analysis. It is only available when
the Sine Sweep option is selected for the Frequency Selection property. This property specifies the
rate of frequency sweep in Hz/s units.
Units Name
This property enables you to specify the name for the Life Units. The unit options include:
• cycles • hours
• blocks • days
• seconds • months
• minutes • User Defined
User Defined
Selecting the User Defined option displays the Custom Units Name field. Enter the name for your
customized unit name in this field. The specified unit is reflected in the Details view for all applicable
fatigue settings.
1 "Unit" is Equal To
Where "unit" is either cycle or block based on the Units Name selection. Modify the field’s value
based on the desired number of cycles or blocks for the units.
Bin Size
This option appears only if Type is set to History Data (non-constant amplitude loading). This setting
defines how many divisions the cycle counting history should be organized into for the history data
loading type. Strictly speaking, this is number specifies the dimensions of the rainflow matrix. A larger
bin size has greater precision but will take longer to solve and use more memory.
Use Quick Rainflow Counting

This option appears only if Type is set to History Data (non-constant amplitude loading). Since
rainflow counting is used, using a "quick counting" technique substantially reduces runtime and
memory, especially for long time histories. In quick counting, alternating and mean stresses are sorted
into bins before partial damage is calculated. This means that with quick counting active, calculations
will be performed for maximum of binsize. Thus the accuracy will be dictated by the number of bins.
Without quick counting, the data is not sorted into bins until after partial damages are found and
Fatigue Results
thus the number of bins will not affect the results. The accuracy of quick counting is usually very
good if a proper number of bins are used when counting. To see the effects of using quick counting,
compare the results of constant amplitude loading to simulated constant amplitude loading from a
load history file. With quick counting off, the result should match exactly but with quick counting on,
there will be some error depending on the bin size and alternating stress value in relation to the
midpoint of the bin the count is sorted into.
Infinite Life
Stress Life Analysis
This option appears only if Type is set to History Data (non-constant amplitude loading) and defines
what life will be used if the stress amplitude is lower than the lowest stress on the SN curve. It may
be important in how damaging small stress amplitudes from the rainflow matrix are.
Strain Life Analysis
Since the strain-life method is equation based it has no built-in limit, unlike stress-life for which the
Fatigue Tool uses a maximum life equal to the last point on the SN curve. Thus to avoid skewed
contour plots showing very high lives, you can specify Infinite Life in a strain-life analysis. For example,
if you set a value of 1e9 cycles as the Infinite Life, the maximum life reported is 1e9.
Maximum Data Points To Plot

This option is only applicable for History Data loading and allows you to specify the number of data
points to display in the corresponding graph that appears in the Worksheet. The default value is
5000 points. The graph displays the full range of points and all points are used in the analysis. However,
depending on the value you set, every second or third point may not be displayed in the interest of
avoiding clutter and making the graph more readable.
19.11.5. Fatigue Results

Once you insert a Fatigue Tool object into your analysis, you select from the result options listed
below. By default, the results are scoped to All Bodies. However, you can modify scoping and apply
it to individual parts or faces as desired. If you are working with a shell model, note that the application
always specifies the top face value.
The result options are provided on the Fatigue Tool Context menu or by right-clicking on the object
and selecting Insert > [desired result].
Note:
The application does not support the Fatigue Tool when you have symmetry specified in
the analysis.
Contour Results Graph Results

• Life (p. 2284) • Rainflow Matrix (History Data
only) (p. 2286)
• Damage (p. 2284)
Results
Contour Results Graph Results

• Safety Factor (p. 2284) • Damage Matrix (History Data
only) (p. 2286)
• Biaxiality Indication (p. 2285)
• Fatigue Sensitivity (p. 2287)
• Equivalent Alternating
Stress (p. 2285) • Hysteresis (p. 2288)
Life
This result contour plot shows the available life for the given fatigue analysis. If loading is of constant
amplitude, this represents the number of cycles until the part will fail due to fatigue. If loading is
non-constant, this represents the number of loading blocks until failure. Thus if the given load history
represents one month of loading and the life was found to be 120, the expected model life would
be 120 months.
During a constant amplitude analysis, if the alternating stress is lower than the lowest alternating
stress defined in the S-N curve table, the application uses the Life result for that point. In addition,
for this case, the application imposes a limit of 1e06 cycles if the Linear S-N curve definition is used.
Damage
Fatigue damage is defined as the design life divided by the available life. The default design life may
be set through the Options dialog box (p. 293). A damage of greater than 1 indicates the part will
fail from fatigue before the design life is reached.
Note:
When you set the Type property to History Data Loading, and specify a Damage result,
the damage per stress cycle is the reciprocal value of the Infinite Life property value if
the stress cycle is below the Endurance limit. As a result, loading histories that have numer-
ous stress cycles below the endurance limit may exhibit a greater accumulated damage
value than expected. You can mitigate this effect by setting a high Infinite Life value.
Safety Factor
This result is a contour plot of the factor of safety (FS) with respect to a fatigue failure at a given
design life. The maximum FS reported is 15.
These are the steps at each node to calculate Safety Factor:
1. Calculate the alternating and mean stress tensor.
2. Collapse alternating and mean stress from tensor to scalar using selected stress component.
3. Calculate Safety Factor from the mean stress equation using Seqv as queried from the SN
curve for the design life.
1/FS = Salt/Seqv + SMean/SUltimate
Fatigue Results
Biaxiality Indication
This result is a stress biaxiality contour plot over the model that gives a qualitative measure of the
stress state throughout the body. Note the following biaxiality values:
• -1 = Pure shear
• 0 = Uniaxial stress
• 1 = Pure biaxial state
For non-proportional loading, specify the desired biaxiality using the Method property. Options include:
• Average: The application will sum the biaxiality for both single load cases and divide by 2.
• Standard Deviation: This calculation is the difference between single load case biaxiality and
Average biaxiality. Therefore, a small Standard Deviation indicates behavior that is close to
proportional loading whereas a large Standard Deviation indicates a significant change in the
principal stress directions.
Equivalent Alternating Stress

The equivalent alternating stress is the stress we use to query the SN curve after accounting for
multiaxial loading and mean stress effects. This result is not valid if the loading has non-constant
amplitude, (that is, Loading Type = History Data). The result is useful for cases where the design
criterion is based on the equivalent alternating stress that you specify.
These are the steps at each node to calculate Equivalent Alternating Stress:
1. Calculate the alternating and mean stress tensor.
2. Collapse alternating and mean stress from tensor to scalar using selected stress component.
3. Calculate the Equivalent Alternating Stress using the desired empirical stress theory, as
specified by the Mean Stress Theory property of the Fatigue Tool object. For example, when
you set the Mean Stress Theory property to Goodman, the Equivalent Alternating Stress
calculation becomes:
EqvAltStress = Salt/(1 - SMean/SUltimate)
Therefore, that is the value reported as Equivalent Alternating Stress and this is used to query Fatigue
Life from the SN Curve.
Important:
If you specify a Mean Stress Theory and static failure is predicted, the reported equivalent
alternating stress is reported as 1e32 Pa (this value is always reported when there is static
failure).
Results
Rainflow Matrix (History Data only)

This graph depicts how many cycle counts each bin contains. This is reported at the point in the
specified scope with the greatest damage.
The Navigational Control at the bottom right-hand corner of the graph can be used to zoom and pan
the graph. You can use the double-sided arrow at any corner of the control to zoom in or out. When
you place the mouse in the center of the Navigational Control, you can drag the four-sided arrow to
move the chart points within the chart.
Damage Matrix (History Data only)

Similar to the rainflow matrix, this graph depicts how much relative damage each bin has caused.
This result can give you information related to the accumulation of the total damage (such as if the
damage occurred though many small stress reversals or several large ones).
The Navigational Control at the bottom right hand corner of the graph can be used to zoom and pan
Fatigue Results
Fatigue Sensitivity
This plot shows how the fatigue results change as a function of the loading at the critical location
on the scoped region. Sensitivity may be found for life, damage, or factory of safety. For instance, if
you set the lower and upper fatigue sensitivity limits to 50% and 150% respectively, and your scale
factor to 3, this result will plot the data points along a scale ranging from a 1.5 to a 4.5 scale factor.
You can specify the number of fill points in the curve, as well as choose from several chart viewing
options (such as linear or log-log).
The Navigational Control at the bottom right hand corner of the graph can be used to zoom and pan
To specify a result item, you must be under a Solution object.
Results
Hysteresis
In a strain-life fatigue analysis, although the finite element response may be linear, the local elast-
ic/plastic response may not be linear. The Neuber correction is used to determine the local elast-
ic/plastic response given a linear elastic input. Repeated loading will form close hysteresis loops as a
result of this nonlinear local response. In a constant amplitude analysis a single hysteresis loop is
created although numerous loops may be created via rainflow counting in a non-constant amplitude
analysis. The Hysteresis result plots the local elastic-plastic response at the critical location of the
scoped result (the Hysteresis result can be scoped, similar to all result items). Hysteresis is a good
result to help you understand the true local response that may not be easy to infer. Notice in the
example below, that although the loading/elastic result is tensile, the local response does venture
into the compressive region.
Loading/Elastic Response
Fatigue Results
Corresponding Local Elastic Plastic Response at Critical Location
Results
19.11.6. Fatigue Combination

When you are running multiple analyses that are using the Fatigue Tool and Damage results, you
can use the Fatigue Combination object to combine or sum-up the damage results, generated by
individual Fatigue Tools , from each analysis. The feature enable you to create a sum total of the
damage results from multiple systems.
Important:
If you have imported a legacy database (wbpj or wbpz), you must first clear the data of
any existing Fatigue Tools, and re-evaluate the results, in order to then use the Fatigue
Combination feature.
Workflow
From the Workbench Project Schematic, configure your analysis. The example illustrated here includes
a combination of Modal, Harmonic Response, and Random Vibration analyses.
For your target analyses, insert Fatigue Tools and Damage results.
Important:
For the Fatigue Combination feature to work correctly, the first Damage result in each
Environment must be scoped to All Bodies.
Fatigue Results
Select the Model object, right-click the mouse and select Insert > Fatigue Combination.
Results
As illustrated below, when you select the Fatigue Combination object, the Worksheet displays. The
Worksheet enables you to add rows and specify, from a drop-down menu, the desired Environment,
Fatigue Tool, and you can specify a Scale Factor of the Damage results that you wish to sum. The
default Scale Factor is 1.
No Details view categories or properties exist for this object. See the Fatigue Tool object reference
page for the Details associated with Damage results.
Once the Worksheet is complete, insert a Damage result to the Fatigue Combination object using
the Fatigue Combination option or by right-clicking the mouse on the Fatigue Combination object
or in the Geometry window and select Insert > Damage. As needed, specify available Damage object
properties. Once complete, evaluate the result.
Noise, Vibration, and Harshness
19.11.7. Mechanical Embedded DesignLife UI

The Mechanical Embedded DesignLife UI is an add-on to the Ansys Mechanical User Interface that
makes the fatigue analysis capabilities of the nCode DesignLife product available from within the
Mechanical environment. The nCode DesignLife product is a partner product from HBM Prenscia.
For more information see DesignLife Add-on in the Mechanical Add-ons Guide.
19.12. Noise, Vibration, and Harshness

NVH is an add-on to the Ansys Mechanical User Interface that enables you to preprocess/postprocess
Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH) results:
• It streamlines Modal Assurance Criterion (MAC) calculations through FEA-Experimental model com-
parison.
• It is able to reconstruct elastic stress/strain fields from modal superposition/harmonic analyses or

tests.
• It allows computation of the Frequency Response Function (FRF) in terms of Compliance, Mobility or
Accelerance.
• It offers a pre-test environment that allows identification of optimum sensor and exciter locations for
vibration tests.
Results
• It offers an XML Converter Wizard to convert electromagnetics load data from .csv format (created
by an external analysis, such as Maxwell) to .xml format (compatible with the Imported Remote
Loads object in Mechanical).
Note:
The NVH Add-on is only available on the Windows operating system.
For more information about this add-on, see NVH Toolkit Add-on in the Mechanical Add-ons Guide.
19.13. Forced Response

The Forced Response application is an add-on to the Ansys Mechanical user interface that enables you
to use cyclic modeling to investigate the aeromechanics and reliability of turbomachinery blade rows.
For more information about this add-on, see Forced Response Add-on in the Mechanical Add-ons Guide.
19.14. User Defined Results

This section examines the purpose, operation, and use of the User Defined Result feature of Mechan-
ical.
19.14.1. Overview
19.14.2. Characteristics
19.14.3. Application
19.14.4. Node-Based Scoping
19.14.5. User Defined Result Expressions
19.14.6. Unit Description
19.14.7. User Defined Results for the Mechanical APDL Solver
19.14.8. User Defined Results for the Ansys Rigid Dynamics Solver
19.14.1. Overview
Based on the settings of the Output Controls (p. 1559), the application writes result quantities, such
as stresses and strains, to the result file during the solution process. These quantities are displayed
in the Solution Quantities and Result Summary Worksheet (p. 2065) (illustrated below). The User Defined
Result feature enables you to create result objects for these quantities or use these quantities to
derive more complex Expressions (p. 2300) involving them, such as adding and summing result values.
User Defined Results
Refer to the following sections for descriptions of user defined result entries in the worksheet:
• User Defined Results for the Mechanical APDL Solver (p. 2305)
• User Defined Results for Explicit Dynamics Analyses
19.14.2. Characteristics
General:
• All analysis types and solver targets can produce User Defined Results. A User Defined Result may
be unique to a particular solver and analysis. After clicking on the Solution object, you must click
the Worksheet to produce the complete listing of the results that are applicable to the analysis
type and solver being used.
• All result types can be combined except for results which have different dimensions. For example,
displacement vectors, which contain 3 items, cannot be added to stress tensors, which contain 6
items.
• User Defined Results which are elemental (such as stress or strain results) can be displayed as aver-
aged or unaveraged results (p. 2085). It takes Mechanical longer to display a result which is not aver-
aged.
Like most result types that display using contours, user defined results:
• Are scoped to a geometry (vertex, edge, face, body), named selection (geometry, node-based, or
element-based), path, or surface. However, you cannot scope user defined results based on Contacts
to a path or surface.
• Require a set, time, and frequency/phase, to be fully specified (depending on the analysis type).
Results
• Requires the selection of Response Type (Displacement/Velocity/Acceleration/Other Result) option

for Random Vibration and Response Spectrum analysis types.
• In a Random Vibration Analysis, you need to select a Scale Factor to get a result corresponding
to the Probability (read-only).
• Display minimum/maximum values and a Graph.
• Display nodal averaged data.
• Can be added to a Chart (p. 2036)
• Can be examined using probe annotations, slice planes, isosurface, etc.
• Can be cleared.
• Can be duplicated.
Unlike other contour results, user defined results:
• Can have a variable unit category assigned to its contour.
• Become obsolete if a user defined result is dependent upon another user defined result that has
been modified, cleared, or deleted. In this instance, the graphic of the geometry displays without
results.
• User defined results cannot employ Probes.
19.14.3. Application
User defined results enable you to define expressions using mathematical operators. For example,
you can enter the mathematical combination UX+UY in the Expression (p. 2300) field and then retrieve
a new result.
• Insert a User Defined Result (p. 2296)
• Specify Properties (p. 2297)
• File Format Requirements (p. 2299)
Insert a User Defined Result

Use one of the following methods to insert the object:
• Select the User Defined Result option on the Solution Context tab.
• Right-click the Solution object and the select the Insert > User Defined Result option.
• After the solution is complete and with the Solution object selected, select the Worksheet option
from the Home (p. 42) tab to display the Solution Quantities and Result Summary Worksheet (p. 2065).
Right-click on a desired result (row) in the worksheet and select Create User Defined Result (see
figure below).
The application automatically names the object and populates an expression when you use the
worksheet to create a user defined result, while the other two insertion methods above require
you to manually define the result. Until you become familiar with this feature, it is recommended
that you insert user defined results using the worksheet to ensure results are valid and applicable
for the particular analysis type and solver used in your simulation.
Note:
NMISCxxx and SMISCxxx results are not displayed in the worksheet and can only be accessed
by typing in the keyword directly. See User Defined Results for the Mechanical APDL
Solver (p. 2305) for details.
Specify Properties
Once you insert a User Defined Result object, specify the properties.
Manually Define the Result Automatic Result Generation

via Worksheet
1. If you create a user defined result manually, you need to When you create the
first specify the Source property. Options include result using the
Expression and Imported File, as illustrated below. Worksheet, the
Results
Manually Define the Result Automatic Result Generation

via Worksheet
application automatically
names the object and
populates the Expres-
sion (p. 2300) property.
Except for an Identifi-

er (p. 2082) property, all
remaining details are also
automatically generated
based on the information
provided by the result
type, such as Input Unit
System (Metric) and Out-
put Unit (Displacement)
as shown in the example
below.
2. Are you defining an expression or importing a result file?
Expression? Imported File?

Enter your Select the Imported File option.
desired result This option displays the Imported
expression. File Name property. Use this
property to select and import the
desired file.
Important:
If you're using an imported file, be sure

to review the limitations (p. 2299) and file
format requirements (p. 2299) below.
3. Select a desired Output Unit.
4. Evaluate your results.
Note:
See the User Defined Result Expressions (p. 2300)

and Unit Description (p. 2304) sections for more
information.
Limitations for Imported Files

Note the following when specifying an imported file:
• The data must be based on the same mesh as the current mesh in Mechanical. This feature is
currently only supported for solid meshes.
• The file must be specified using a supported format (see below).
• The result displays basic contours only and does not support animation, time history, deform-
ations, etc.
• You cannot change the scoping of imported result data. The application displays result contours
based on the scoping included in the imported file only.
File Format Requirements

It is your responsibility to make sure that your result file conforms to the following formats. The format
for the following entries is just as if the results were exported from Mechanical or LSPrepPost. As
such, syntax rules apply. Any change, especially within a header or a column name, may invalidate
the entry.
Format 1: Exported from Mechanical

<No header>
| Node/Elem Number | Result Value |
1 42.5
2 65.8
…
See the Exporting Results (p. 2379) section.
Format 2: Exported from AM Solve

AM Result File
ANSYS 20## R# BUILD ##.# UP20210811 WINDOWS x64
MM/DD/YYYY 00:00:00
Title: Example--Static Structural (A5)
| Node/Element Number | X Coordinate | Y Coordinate | Z Coordinate | Result Value |
1 42.5
2 65.8
…
Format 3: Exported from LS-DYNA PrepPost

*KEYWORD
$SOLID_ELEMENT_RESULTS
1 42.5
2 65.8
…
…
/END
Results
19.14.4. Node-Based Scoping

In regard to usage, suppose two user defined results (with identifiers A and B, respectively) are scoped
to ScopeA and ScopeB. The algorithm to draw the contours for C = A + B (scoped to ScopeC) proceeds
as follows:
• The results A and B are combined on all common bodies (determined from ScopeA and ScopeB
and referred to as CommonBodies).
• The scope (ScopeC) of the newly defined result C is then employed: the contours of C are
drawn on the intersection of ScopeC and CommonBodies.
Note, each of ScopeA, ScopeB, and ScopeC can be any set of geometric entities: vertices, edges, faces,
bodies, or named selections (consisting of geometric entities or even nodes in the mesh).
Example 19.1: Nodal Scoping
Assumptions: A is scoped to bodies 1 and 2 and B is scoped to two faces, one in body 2 and one in
body 3. The combination C = A+B is scoped to two vertices, one in body 2, and the other in body 3.
Result: A+B will be computed on nodes common to the underlying bodies of A and B; these nodes
will exist only in body 2. Then the combination C = A + B will be displayed only on the vertex belonging
to body 2 (the one belonging to body 3 is not in the intersection of the two original scoping bodies).
19.14.5. User Defined Result Expressions

The term "expression" has more than one use when defining user defined results. An expression is:
• Primarily, the combination of mathematical values, based on syntax rules (p. 2302) and the available
math operations (p. 2302).
• A column displayed on the Solution Worksheet that indicates the result type.
• An entry field in the Details view of a user defined result where you enter mathematical values,
such as UX+UY+UZ.
The example of the Solution Worksheet shown below highlights the Expression column.
When a User Defined Result is applied (p. 2296), the content of the above column populates the Ex-
pression field of the user defined result's Detail View. In this example, UX.
Note:
You can manually enter an expression using the Expression property. An expression
must include a variable and not only a combination of constants. For example, the
expressions "3" or "3+5"are not supported. However, "3 + UX" or "6 + VOLUME" are
accepted expressions. This expression result is evaluated for each node or element,
depending upon the variable you use.
The content of the Expression field can be modified using mathematical operators to further define
the expression. As shown below, you can combine the X, Y, and Z components and then retrieve a
new customized result.
Results
Expression Syntax
Expressions support the following syntax:
• Operands: ( ‘+’, ‘-‘,’*’, ‘/’, ‘^’, ‘**’)
• Functions: (sqrt(), min()…) - always use lower case
• Numbers: (scalar quantities such as 1.0, 25, -314.23, or 2.5e12)
• Identifiers (p. 2082): unique user defined names
Supported Mathematical Operations

The following is a list of the mathematical operations currently supported for user defined results.
The shorthand notation "s" defines a single-valued quantity (constant values such as 1.34) and "a"
defines an array. An array is distinguished by its dimension which includes the length, based on the
number of rows (that is, number of nodes or elements), and the width, consisting of 1, 3, or 6 columns
depending on the type of result stored.
• Addition (+): s1+s2, a1+a2, a+s (s+a is not supported)
• Subtraction (-): s1-s2, a1-a2, a-s
• Multiplication (*): s1*s2, a1*a2, a*s, s*a
• Division (/): s1/s2, a1/a2, a/s
• Power of (^ or **): s1^s2, a1^a2, a^s, s^a, (undefined if s1 = 0 and s2 < 0 or if s1<0 and s2 is a non-
integer). The characters "**" perform the same action as the caret symbol (^) and you can use them
interchangeably.
• Log base ten (log10): log10(s), log10(a), (s and a > 0.0)
• Square root (sqrt): sqrt(s), sqrt(a), (s and a should be >= 0.0)
• Dot product (dot): dot(a1,a2) (results in a single-column array consisting of the inner products, one
for each row of a1 and a2; therefore, a1, a2 should have the same dimensions)
• Cross product (cross): cross(a1,a2) (a1, a2 must have 3 columns)
• Add Comp (addcomp): If the argument, such as "uvectors," has 3 columns, they are added to produce
a single-column array. If the argument is a single-column array, the result will be a scalar summing
all the array entries. This operation returns a variable with a different dimension than its argument
, such as addcomp (UVECTORS). This particular expression is evaluated as a scalar (one value) on a
per node/element contour result. However, as another example, such as addcomp (VOLUME) eval-
uates to a singular number and this is not a valid value to be displayed as a contour result. To make
this case valid, you can convert to an expression containing valid variables instead, for example:
addcomp(VOLUME) + VOLUME - VOLUME.
This expression evaluates to a constant result value for all of the elements of the body to which it
is scoped.
• Maximum (max): s = max(s1,s2), a = max(a1,a2)
• Minimum (min): s = min(s1,s2), a = min(a1,a2)
• Absolute Value (abs): s = abs(s1), a=abs(a1)
• Trigonometric Functions (sin, cos, tan): sin(s), cos(s), tan(s), sin(a), cos(a), tan(a) (s and a are both in
radians)
• Inverse Trigonometric Functions (asin, acos, atan): asin(s), acos(s), atan(s), asin(a), acos(a), atan(a)
(return values are in radians; where -1 <= s <= 1 and -1 <= a <=1 for asin and acos)
• atan2: atan2(s1,s2), atan2(a1,a2) (return values are in radians; calculates the arctangent of s1/s2 or
a1/a2 and uses the sign of the arguments to determine the quadrant of the returned angle)
Note:
• A comma "," is used as the separator, if a period "." is used the decimal sign.
and...
A semi-colon ";" is used as the separator, if a comma "," is used the decimal sign.
• The current expression list does not allow input parameters from the Parameter Work-
space. Only output parameters are allowed for Min and Max values of a user defined
result.
• All operations involving two vector arrays must have the same dimensionality.
Results
• Any result whose expression contains the addcomp function must be scoped to exactly
one body.
19.14.6. Unit Description

The units of a user defined result are defined by the following Detail view settings:
• Input Unit System: A read-only field that displays the active Mechanical application unit system.
To evaluate an expression, a user defined result's units must be converted to the Input Unit System.
As a result, the expression is most easily verified when the intervening data is viewed in the Input
Unit System.
• Output Unit: The physical dimension assigned to a user defined result. It determines which factors
are used to convert the result from its Input Unit System to the current unit system selection. A
large list of unit types is available. Because you can assign such a wide variety of unit types to a
result, Ansys recommends that you choose carefully and be consistent.
Units are defined in a two step process.
1. Before you evaluate an expression, the units are converted to the Input Unit System.
2. Once evaluated, values are converted from the input system to the active Mechanical application
unit system using the appropriate factor.
For example, given the following user defined result expressions with MKS (m, kg, N, ºC, s, V, A) units:
• FORCE_MKS=FSUM
• STRESS_MKS=SEQV
• DISP_MKS=USUM
If you change the unit system to CGS (cm, g, dyne, ºC, s, V, A) and create a new user defined result
with Expression=FSUM+SEQV+USUM while assigning Volume as the Output Unit, you will produce
the following user-defined results:
Custom Identifier Expression Input Unit System Output Units

FORCE_MKS FSUM Metric (m, kg, N, s, V, A) Force
STRESS_MKS SEQV Metric (m, kg, N, s, V, A) Stress
DISPL_MKS USUM Metric (m, kg, N, s, V, A) Displacement
VOLUME_CGS FSUM+SEQV+USUM Metric (cm, g, dyne, s, V, A) Volume
The expression VOLUME_CGS is easy to verify for its Input Unit System, CGS. If FSUM=3 dyne, SEQV=17
dyne/cm² and USUM=2 cm, (as seen in when CGS is selected in the Mechanical application),
VOLUME_CGS produces the value 22 cm³. Any subsequent changes to the unit system in the Mech-
anical application cause each of the user defined results to convert based on their required factors.
In this manner, VOLUME_CGS will use a factor of 1000 to convert from Metric CGS to Metric mm,
because it represents a Volume. FORCE_MKS, STRESS_MKS and DISPL_MKS will convert differently,
based on the selected Output Units.
19.14.7. User Defined Results for the Mechanical APDL Solver

This section examines supported expressions for the User Defined Result as well as certain require-
ments and limitations for their use with the Mechanical APDL solver.
Refer to the PRNSOL and PRESOL command pages in the Mechanical APDL application Commands
Reference for descriptions of most Component and Expression entries in the table. Some other
entries are self-explanatory (SUM for example). VECTORS refer to vector plot (p. 2072) results that include
arrows in the display.
The following tables for node- and element-based results list additional User Defined Result names
not included in the PRESOL/PRNSOL listings. The Solution object Worksheet lists these result options
following a solution (see Application (p. 2296)). Using this data, you can explicitly define your User
Defined Result, such as Total Deformation by using the component deformations across all of the
nodes in the model, identified by UX, UY, and UZ. You can use these component values to mathem-
atically produce a user defined result for Total Deformation: SQRT(UX^2+UY^2+UZ^2).
• Node-Based Result Expressions (p. 2306)
• Element-Based Result Expressions (p. 2307)
• Characteristics, Requirements, and Limitations (p. 2310)
– Display Option (p. 2310)
– Contact Results (p. 2311)
– SPSD Results (p. 2311)
– Nodal Average Results (p. 2311)
– PNUM Command Results (p. 2311)
– Nonlinear Analysis Components (p. 2312)
– Solution Coordinate System Results (p. 2313)
• User Defined Results Not Displayed in Worksheet (p. 2313)
• Limitations of Vector Displays (p. 2314)
Important:
Review the Notes (p. 2310) below for specific requirements and characteristics regarding
certain User Defined Results as well as the topics for User Defined Results Not Displayed
in Worksheet (p. 2313) and Limitations of Vector Displays (p. 2314).
Results
Node-Based Result Expressions

The following table lists the available expressions that you can use to define your User Defined
Result. Node-based user defined results are most often associated with degree of freedom solutions
(like nodal reactions).
Name Description
AMPS Nodal electric current (reaction)
CSG Nodal magnetic current segments (reaction)
DOMG Nodal rotational accelerations in a structural transient dynamic analysis (analogous to
PRNS,DMG)
F Nodal structural forces (reaction)[a]
HEAT Nodal thermal heat flow (reaction)
LOC Nodal locations (x,y,z)
LOC_DEF Deformed nodal locations (x+ux,y+uy,z+uz)
M Nodal structural moments (reaction)[a]
MVP_AZ Nodal Z magnetic vector potential in an axisymmetric electromagnetic analysis (analogous
to PRNS,A)
NDIR Nodal THXY, THYZ, and THZX values. The NDIRVECTORS display consists of triads.
NAR_EPEL Component (X, Y, Z, XY, YZ, XZ) strain and Principal (1, 2, 3, INT) elastic strain.[b]
NAR_EPCR Component (X, Y, Z, XY, YZ, XZ) strain and Principal (1, 2, 3, INT) creep strain.[b]
NAR_EPPL Component (X, Y, Z, XY, YZ, XZ) strain and Principal (1, 2, 3, INT) plastic strain.[b]
NAR_EPTH Component (X, Y, Z, XY, YZ, XZ) strain and Principal (1, 2, 3, INT) thermal strain.[b]
NAR_EPTO Component (X, Y, Z, XY, YZ, XZ) strain and Principal (1, 2, 3, INT) total strain.[b]
Equivalent elastic strain.[b]
NAR_EPELEQV_RST
Equivalent creep strain.[b]
NAR_EPCREQV_RST
Equivalent plastic strain.[b]
NAR_EPPLEQV_RST
Equivalent thermal strain.[b]
NAR_EPTHEQV_RST
Equivalent total strain.[b]
NAR_EPTOEQV_RST
NAR_S Component (X, Y, Z, XY, YZ, XZ) stress and Principal (1, 2, 3, INT, EQV) stress.[b]
OMG Nodal rotational velocities in a structural transient dynamic analysis (analogous to
PRNSOL,OMG)
R Nodal rotations in a structural analysis (analogous to PRNSOL,ROT)
REULER Structural rotations displayed as Euler triads.
UACOUSTICNodal displacement for an Acoustic Environment which equals the pressure value divided
by the product of density and gravity.
UALL UALL is the nodal displacement solution (X, Y, or Z structural displacement or vector sum)
that is displayed even if the node is deactivated using the EKILL/EALIVE commands. If all
elements are LIVE/ACTIVE, then the UALL result is exactly the same as the U result. This
result can be useful in the study of Additive Manufacturing.
[a] The application computes the result values of Forces and Moments (FX/MX, FY/MY, FZ/MZ,
FSUM/MSUM, and FVECTORS/MVECTORS) only at constrained nodes. Consequently, if you
create a User Defined Result from one of these values and scope it to a Construction
Geometry Path (p. 911), it is possible that no contours will display. Since Mechanical cannot
properly interpolate the nodal values at the path point if a path point touches an element
with unconstrained nodes, it displays no contour color.
[b] See the Nodal Average Result (p. 2311) note below.
Element-Based Result Expressions

The following table lists the available expressions that you can use to define your element-based User
Defined Result. Element-based user defined results can exist at the nodes (like stress and strain) or
can exist at the centroid (like volume).
Name Description
AI Element nodal acoustic intensity (pressure times the complex conjugate of the acoustic
velocity vector (PG)). Components include AIX, AIY, AIZ, AISUM, and AIVECTORS.
Note:
• This result is derived from the pressure and velocity results at the corner
nodes.
• This result is not based upon the sound intensity solution (SNDI).
SPSD Element nodal equivalent stress as calculated by the solver. See SPSD Result (p. 2311) note
below.
SFPRES Surface pressure load applied to SOLID187 elements in models with cracks. The load is
defined by the SF command in the solution. The SFPRES result is displayed as a vector
normal to the element face.
ELEMENTAL_REAL
Element real data from the Mechanical APDL R command.
ELEMENTAL_STATUS
Element birth/death status associated with the EKILL command. If element is DEAD, the
status is 1; if element is not DEAD, status is 0..
EPCREQV_RST Element nodal equivalent creep strain as calculated by the solver.
EPELEQV_RST Element nodal equivalent elastic strain as calculated by the solver.
EPPLEQV_RST Element nodal equivalent plastic strain as calculated by the solver.
EPTTEQV_RST Element nodal equivalent total strain (plus thermal strain) as calculated by the solver,
that is, EPTTEQV_RST is total mechanical and thermal strain: EPTTEQV_RST = EPELEQV_RST
+ EPPLEQV_RST + EPCREQV_RST + EPTHEQV_RST.
EPTOEQV_RST Element nodal equivalent total strain as calculated by the solver, that is, EPTOEQV_RST
is total mechanical strain: EPTOEQV_RST = EPELEQV_RST + EPPLEQV_RST + EPCREQV_RST.
ETOP Element nodal densities used for topological optimization (same as TOPO).
BEAM Element nodal beam stresses: direct, minimum bending, maximum bending, minimum
combined, maximum combined.
SVAR Element nodal state variable data.
CONTJHEA Element nodal Joule heat for CONTA174.
CONTFORC Element nodal contact normal forces for CONTA175.
CONTFNODE Component (X, Y, Z) contact element forces.[a]
Results
Name Description
CONTHNODE Contact element heat.[a]
CONTAREA Contact element area.[a]
BEAM_AXIAL_FElement nodal axial force vectors for BEAM188/189.
BEAM_BENDING_M
Element nodal bending moment vectors for BEAM188/189.
BEAM_TORSION_M
Element nodal torsion moment vectors for BEAM188/189.
BEAM_SHEAR_F
Element nodal shear force vectors for BEAM188/189.
BEAMDIRECT Direct Stress, the stress component due to the axial load encountered in a beam element.
BEAMMIN_BENDING
Minimum Bending Stress. From any bending loads a bending moment in both the local
Y and Z directions will arise. This leads to the following four bending stresses: Y bending
stress on top/bottom and Z bending stress on top/bottom. Minimum Bending Stress is
the minimum of these four bending stresses.
BEAMMAX_BENDING
Maximum Bending Stress, the maximum of the four bending stresses described under
Minimum Bending Stress.
BEAMMIN_COMBINED
Minimum Combined Stress, the linear combination of the Direct Stress and the Minimum
Bending Stress.
BEAMMAX_COMBINED
Maximum Combined Stress, the linear combination of the Direct Stress and the Maximum
Bending Stress.
PIPE_INTERNAL_PRESSURE
Internal pressure at integration point for PIPE288.
PIPE_EXTERNAL_PRESSURE
External pressure at integration point for PIPE288.
PIPE_EFFECTIVE_TENSION
Effective tension at integration point for PIPE288.
PIPE_HOOP_STRESS
Maximum Hoop Stress at integration point for PIPE288/PIPE289.
ENFO Element nodal reaction forces for structural analyses.
ENMO Element nodal reaction moments for structural analyses.
EHEAT Element nodal heat values for thermal analyses.
CURRENTSEG Element nodal magnetic current segments.
VOLUME Element volumes.
ENERGY Element potential and kinetic energies.
RIGID_ANG Element Euler angles for MASS21 elements (rotation about x-axis, rotation about y-axis,
rotation about z-axis).
CONTSMISC Element summable miscellaneous data for contact elements. CONTSMISC is completely
analogous in implementation to SMISC (see "User Defined Results Not Displayed in
Worksheet" below), except that CONTSMISC, for display purposes, extrapolates the single
elemental value to the corner nodes.
CONTNMISC Element non-summable miscellaneous data for contact elements. CONTNMISC is
completely analogous in implementation to NMISC (see "User Defined Results Not
Displayed in Worksheet" below), except that CONTSMISC, for display purposes, extrapolates
the single elemental value to the corner nodes.
EDIR Elemental THXY, THYZ, and THZX values: (1) currently only angles of first node in solution
record are employed; (2) the EDIRVECTORS display consists of triads.
ECENT Element centroids (x,y,z)
PNUMTYPE Element type reference numbers.[b]
Name Description
PNUMREAL Real constant set numbers.[b]
PNUMMAT Material set numbers.[b]
PNUMSEC Section numbers.[b]
PNUMESYS Element coordinate system numbers (note: a 0 value corresponds to the global Cartesian
system).[b]
PNUMELEM Mechanical APDL element ID.[b]
PNUMENAM Mechanical APDL element identifying number (such as 181 for SHELL181 elements).[b]
Element type reference numbers for contact elements.[b]
CONTPNUMTYPE
Real constant set numbers for contact elements.[b]
CONTPNUMREAL
Material set numbers for contact elements.[b]
CONTPNUMMAT
Section numbers for contact elements.[b]
CONTPNUMSEC
Element coordinate system numbers for contact elements.[b]
CONTPNUMESYS
Mechanical APDL Element ID for contact elements.[b]
CONTPNUMELEM
Mechanical APDL element identifying number for contact elements.[b]
CONTPNUMENAM
SMISC Element summable miscellaneous data.
NMISC Element non-summable miscellaneous data.
EFFNU_ZERO_EPTOEQV
Element nodal equivalent total strain (EPEL + EPPL + EPCR) as calculated by the
post-processor.
For average results, the solver averages the element nodal component strains at
common nodes and performs a Von Mises calculation with effective Poisson's Ratio
set to ZERO.
EFFNU_ZERO_EPTTEQV
Element nodal equivalent total strain plus thermal strain (EPEL + EPPL + EPCR +
EPTH) as calculated by the post-processor.
For average results, the solver averages the element nodal component strains at
common nodes and performs a Von Mises calculation with effective Poisson's Ratio
set to ZERO.
LAYNUMBER Number of layers, as defined by the section database, for a shell element. If no
section database exists, the number of layers is displayed as zero.
LAYTHICK Thickness of a layer, as defined by the section database, for a shell element. The
layer number is specified using the Layer property. If the Layer property is set to
Entire Section, the thickness of the entire element is displayed.
LAYMATERIAL Material number for an element, displayed in a manner similar to Mechanical APDL's
graphic for /PNUM,MAT,1. If a shell element contains layers defined by the section
database and if the Layer property is set to a layer number greater than 0, then the
material number for the layer is displayed.
LAYANGLE Angle of a layer's coordinate system with respect to the element coordinate system,
as defined by the section database, for a shell element. The layer number is specified
by the Layer property. If the Layer property is set to Entire Section, a value of zero
is displayed.[b]
LAYOFFY Section offset in the Y direction, as defined by the section database, for a shell
element. The Y offset is the same for all layers.
Results
Name Description
THERMAL_FLUID_HT_COND_RATE
Rate of fluid flow through a specified Line Body (p. 900).
THERMAL_FLUID_FLOW_RATE
Heat flow rate due to conduction within the fluid of a Line Body.
MESH_ELEMENT_QUALITY
Composite quality of meshed elements.
MESH_ASPECT_RATIO
Aspect ratio for triangles and quadrilaterals of meshed elements.
MESH_JACOBIAN_RATIO
Jacobian Ratio of meshed elements.
MESH_WARPING_FACTOR
Warping Factor of meshed elements.
MESH_PARALLEL_DEVIATION
Parallel Deviation of meshed elements.
MESH_MAXIMUM_CORNER_ANGLE
Maximum Corner Angle of meshed elements.
MESH_SKEWNESS
Skewness of meshed elements.
MESH_ORTHOGONAL_QUALITY
Orthogonal Quality of meshed elements.
MESH_CHARACTERISTIC_LENGTH
Characteristic Length of meshed elements.
COMBI250_F Structural force (reaction) using element COMBI250. Components include X, Y, Z, Sum,
and Vectors.
COMBI250_M Structural moment (reaction) using element COMBI250. Components include X, Y, Z, Sum,
and Vectors.
TARGFPRS This expression displays fluid penetration pressure at the target side of a contact condition.
The application stores this data in the result file for the target element.
[a] The solver does not calculate these element nodal results. The application calculates these
results using the centroid value of each scoped element and divides that value by the
number of nodes included in the element. The application then assigns this derived value
to each node. This creates an elemental-nodal result. The application does not perform any
interpolation for these calculations.
[b] See the PNUM (p. 2311) note below.
Note:
The section database is created by the Mechanical APDL SECDATA command.
Characteristics, Requirements, and Limitations

Review the following specific characteristics, requirements, and limitations associated with certain
User Defined Results.
Display Option
If the Display Option is set to:
• Averaged: For the ENFO, EHEAT, and CURRENTSEG expressions, the result at each node
represents the sum (or contributions) of all the elements that contain the node.
• Unaveraged: The ENFO expression is analogous to PLESOL,FORCE.
Node-based Element Reaction Results
If your User Defined Result contains an expression which is performing mathematical operations
on elemental nodal Reaction results, such as ENFO, ENMO, EHEAT, CURRENTSEG, etc., the value
shown in the Total/Average column of the Details pane could be incorrect. For these types of
user defined results, Ansys recommends that you export all result values and manually calculate
the Total/Average to verify the values.
Contact Results
By default, Contact Results (p. 2146) (accessible through User Defined Results (p. 2294) via CONTSTAT
or CONTFLUX) are not written to the result file in a thermal analysis.
SPSD Result
SPSD is a User Defined Result that is unique to the Mechanical APDL result file. For any element
that supports stresses, the SPSD result represents the equivalent stress, for each corner node in
the element, as stored on the result file. Hence, SPSD is the equivalent stress as calculated by the
Mechanical APDL solver for the corner nodes. For this result, SPSD is the expression displayed in
the Type column and Stress is displayed in the Output Unit column. Prior to release 13.0, SPSD
represented the equivalent stress as calculated from component stresses during postprocessing,
that is, it was not calculated by the Mechanical APDL solver.
Nodal Average Result
Note the following Nodal Average Result (NAR) requirements. NAR results are:
• Supported by Mechanical APDL solver only.
• Controlled by the OUTRES,NAR command.
• Results averaged across all bodies.
• Displayed in the Global Coordinate System only.
• Not supported the MAXSHEAR component.
• Not supported for Random Vibration Analyses and Response Spectrum analyses.
• Not supported for Equivalent Strain data (zero is reported) for the element LINK180.
Note:
If you use the OUTRES command in a Commands (APDL) object to 1) disable a

tensor result and 2) enable the corresponding NAR, the application only supports
the Averaged option for the Display Option and Average Across Bodies prop-
erties for the specified result. Furthermore, the label "Nodal Averaged Result" is
displayed in the legend of the Geometry window for the result.
PNUM Command
Displays of /PNUM results are analogous to EPLOTs with the following commands in Mechanical
APDL:
• /PNUM,TYPE,1
• /PNUM,REAL,1
Results
• /PNUM,MAT,1
• /PNUM,SEC,1
• /PNUM,ESYS,1
• /PNUM,ELEM,1
For example, the range of the values of the PNUMTYPE result vary from the smallest element
type to the largest element type, as created by Ansys ET commands.
Important:
Mechanical supports up to 200 SVAR results (SVAR1, ..., SVAR200). Do not exceed this
value. If more than 200 SVAR results exist in the result file, Mechanical does not evaluate
or display any SVAR results. All SVAR results in the result file are ignored.
Note:
• PNUM results are available for all analysis types.
• When you are analyzing shell elements, the PNUMMAT result displays a Material
Number for each layer when the following conditions are met:
– The shell element contains layers defined by the section database (via
SECDATA command).
And...
– The Layer property of the User Defined Result is set to a number greater than
0.
Nonlinear Analysis Components
During a nonlinear analysis (Large Deflection property set to Yes), the application generates the
following components for the Nonlinear (NL) Item of the PLESOL command.
Component Description
SEPL Equivalent stress (from stress-strain curve).
SRAT Stress state ratio.
HPRE Hydrostatic pressure.
EPEQ Accumulated equivalent plastic strain.
CREQ Accumulated equivalent creep strain.
PLWK Plastic work per volume/plastic strain energy density.
CRWK Creep strain energy density.
ELWK Elastic strain energy density.
SGYT Yield stress (tensile).
Component Description
PEQT Equivalent plastic strain (tensile).
[a] This expression is the equivalent of the command PLESOL,SEND,PLASTIC.
[b] This expression is the equivalent of the command PLESOL,SEND,CREEP.
[c] This expression is the equivalent of the command PLESOL,SEND,ELASTIC.
[d] No Mechanical APDL equivalent.
Solution Coordinate System Results
If you evaluate a User Defined Result with Element-Nodal result quantities (e.g., stress) that are
1) averaged, or 2) interpolated, the application could produce incorrect result values when using
the Solution Coordinate System. Commonly, you see this situation when using shell bodies,
where the individual element coordinate systems may not be aligned with each other. Some ex-
amples of averaging or interpolation operations include calculating the result value on a node
shared between two elements, calculating the result value on a midside node from corner nodes,
and calculating result values on paths/surfaces. Standard element-nodal results in Mechanical are
always automatically evaluated in Global Coordinate System, and therefore do not face this
problem.
User Defined Results Not Displayed in Worksheet

For the Mechanical APDL solver, there are User Defined Results associated with summable miscellaneous
data (SMISC) and non-summable miscellaneous data (NMISC) on the result file. These results are not
listed in the Solution Worksheet. Because this data can be voluminous, by default, Mechanical does
not write it to the result file for all element types in the model (examples of MISC records always
written to the result file include beam, joint, and spring element types). You activate miscellaneous
output for all elements or just contact elements using the Output Controls (p. 1559) available in the
Details of the Analysis Settings (p. 1501) object. Mechanical has adopted a convention that miscellaneous
data for contact elements be called CONTSMISC and CONTNMISC. This means that SMISC and NMISC
data will only display on non-contact elements and that CONTSMISC and CONTNMISC data will only
display on contact elements. You can also request and store state variables such as USERMAT or
USERCREEP if you wish to utilize user-defined materials. Like miscellaneous data, SMISC and NMISC,
the state variables do not display in the Solution Worksheet. You access state variables using the ex-
pression field entry SVAR followed by the state variable number.
To display these results:
1. Select the User Defined Result option on the Solution Context tab.
2. In the Details view Expression field, type the string SMISC or NMISC followed by the sequence
number which indicates the desired datum.
For example, to display the 2nd sequence number for SMISC, enter SMISC2 for the Expression. The
graphics contour display will be similar to the Mechanical APDL display for the command
PLESOL,SMISC,2. When you evaluate this result, the Details view will show no units and no coordinate
system for this data. That is, no unit conversions and no coordinate transformations are performed.
If you enter a data expression that does not exist on the result file, the result will not be evaluated.
To display the 2nd sequence number for summable miscellaneous data on scoped contact elements,
enter CONTSMISC2 for the Expression.
Results
Limitations of Vector Displays

The following limitations are associated with vector display for user defined results:
• BEAM_SHEAR_FVECTORS (based upon section shear forces, SFy and SFz, in the BEAM188 SMISC
record).
• BEAM_BENDING_MVECTORS (based upon the bending moments, My and Mz, in the BEAM188
SMISC record).
The beam is defined by nodes I(end 1) and J(end 2) and an optional orientation node K. Depending
upon direction from node I to node J, the displayed vector for these results may be flipped 180 degrees.
19.14.8. User Defined Results for the Ansys Rigid Dynamics Solver
The following table lists the available User Defined Result expressions for the Ansys Rigid Dynamics
Solver. These expressions are available in the Solution Summary Worksheet (p. 2065) following the
solution.
Note:
Even though S and/or EPEL values may be available in the worksheet, these stress and
strain values are not written to the rigid solver file. Their availability may be a result of
flexible parts existing in the model.
Type Description/Components
U Displacements: X, Y, Z, SUM, VECTORS
A Accelerations: X, Y, Z, SUM, VECTORS
V Velocities: X, Y, Z, SUM, VECTORS
OMG Rotational Velocities: X, Y, Z, SUM, VECTORS
DOMG Rotational Accelerations: X, Y, Z, SUM, VECTORS
CFFTOT Total Contact Force: X, Y, Z, SUM
CFT- Total Contact Torque: X, Y, Z, SUM
TOT
CFFNOR Normal Contact Force: X, Y, Z, SUM
CFT- Normal Contact Torque generated by Normal Force: X, Y, Z, SUM
NOR
CFFTAN Tangent Contact Force: X, Y, Z, SUM
CFT- Tangent Contact Torque (torque generated by tangent force): X, Y, Z, SUM
TAN
CF- Contact Force Location: X, Y, Z
LOC
CDIST Contact Distance Value
CDPTC Location of Contact Side for Contact Distance: X, Y, Z
CDPTT Location of Target Side for Contact Distance: X, Y, Z
Python Result
19.15. Python Result

The Python Result object enables you to evaluate output quantities by executing an Iron-python script
based on the Data Processing Framework (DPF) post-processing toolbox.
Go to a desired topic:
19.15.1. Insert the Python Result Object
19.15.2. Understanding Data Processing Framework
19.15.3. Using DPF with the Python Result Feature
19.15.4. Limitations of the Python Result Object
19.15.5. Workflow Examples
19.15.6. Animation
Python Result Disclaimer
The Python Result feature advances capabilities for you to create and evaluate a variety of scripts.
Since the core architecture of this object works like a generic Python interpreter, you are free to
use all that Python has to offer.
However, if your goal is to transfer information back to Mechanical in the form of a standard output,
such as contours, tables, charts, etc., there are limitations to what Mechanical can handle and display.
There are also performance considerations for complicated calculations within the script.
The examples provided in this section illustrate the most commonly used scenarios with a variety
of inputs (geometry and finite element scoping, time and frequency selection, data sources, etc.)
and outputs (Contours, deformations, table/charts) that Mechanical currently supports for this feature.
We encourage you to be cautious while using this feature. Python and DPF offer many features,
however, there are limits to what Mechanical can do in terms of supported outputs.
19.15.1. Insert the Python Result Object

To insert a Python Result into the Outline:
1. From the Solution object, insert a Python Result object from either the contextual (right-click)
menu (Insert > Python Result) or selecting Python Result option on the Solution Context ribbon
tab. The Python Result pane automatically includes template script content. The default content
is based on the selected analysis type, as illustrated below
Results
2. Write your desired scripts. When the text of the Python Result object is modified, the object
becomes under-defined as the Python code is no longer connected to the callback. It is necessary
to connect the code changes once completed or the code will not be executed. Note that as
soon as you start editing the text in the editor, the Python Result object will become under-
defined, and the Details pane will indicate that the Connected property of the Python Result
object has become false. At this point, once you are finished making your code changes or use
the right-click context menu on the object in the tree to Connect the Python Result object.
3. Right-click the object and select Connect. Make sure that the Connected property of the object
shows the value True.
Python Result
Note:
If you make a change to the script once it is "connected" causes the object to become
“undefined” (question mark icon). Select the Connect option again to update the object.
Results
19.15.2. Understanding Data Processing Framework

The Data Processing Framework (DPF) is designed to provide numerical simulation users/engineers
with a toolbox for accessing and transforming simulation data. DPF can access data from solver result
files as well as several neutral formats (csv, hdf5, vtk, etc.). Various operators are available enabling
the manipulation and the transformation of this data. DPF is a workflow-based framework that enables
simple as well as complex evaluations by chaining operators. The data in DPF is defined based on
physics agnostic mathematical quantities described in a self-sufficient entity called field. This allows
DPF to be a modular and easy to use tool with a large range of capabilities. It is a product designed
to handle large amounts of data.
In summary, DPF can be explained through the following concepts:
• Operator: Is the only object used to create and transform the data. It is composed of a “core”
(which will operate the calculation part), along with input and output “pins.” Those pins allow
the user to provide input data to each operator. When the operator is evaluated, it will process
Python Result
the input information to compute its output ones. Operators can be chained together to create
workflows.
• Workflow: Is the global entity that you will use. Built by chaining operators, it will evaluate
the data processing defined by the used operators. It needs input information, and it will
compute the requested output information. See workflows' examples below.
• Data Sources: Are one or more files in which analysis results can be found.
• Field: Is the main simulation data container. In numerical simulations, results data are defined
by values associated with entities (scoping), and these entities are a subset of a model (support).
In DPF, field data is always associated to its scoping and support, making the field a self-de-
scribing piece of data.
For example: For a Field of a nodal displacement, the displacements are the simulation data,
the associated nodes are the scoping. The field also contains homogeneity and the unit of the
data to complete the data definition to have it self-described.
Those are the four main data types. For any data processing, the workflow can be compared
with a black box (illustrated below) in which some operators are chained, computing the in-
formation it is made for.
Results
Other Data Types

Additional data types include:
• Fields container: A fields container is a container of fields. It is used for example in transi-
ent/harmonic/modal or multi - steps static analysis,
• Support: Is the physical entity to which the field is associated. For example, it can be a mesh,
a geometrical entity, time, or frequency values.
• Scoping: Is a subset of the model's support. Typically, scoping can represent nodes ids, element
ids, time steps, frequencies, joints, etc. Therefore, the scoping can describe a spatial subset
and / or a temporal one on which a Field is scoped. It is a part of the support.
Location
Location is the type of topology associated to the data container. DPF uses, for example, three different
spatial locations, that are Nodal, Elemental, and ElementalNodal for finite element data. The Nodal
type (resp. Elemental) describes data computed on the Nodes (resp. on the Element itself ). These
nodes and elements are identified by an Id – typically a node or element number. An ElementalNodal
location describes a data defined on the Nodes of the elements, but you will need to use the Element
Id to get it. Thus, you can define Elemental or Nodal scoping.
You can find the PDF-based documentation following the process presented below, using the
Scripting option on the Automation tab.
The documentation will be generated at the requested location:

import mech_dpf
import Ans.DataProcessing as dpf
doc_op = dpf.operators.utility.html_doc()
doc_op.inputs.output_path.Connect(r'MY_FILE_PATH\MY_FILE_NAME.html')
doc_op.Run()
19.15.3. Using DPF with the Python Result Feature

When you add a Python Result object, the following script template is automatically included. The
different parts of the script are described below:
Script Description
def post_started(sender, analysis): PART 1, call
define_dpf_workflow(analysis
define_dpf_workflow
(auto generated).
# Uncomment this function to enable retrieving results from the table/chartPART 2, optional
# def table_retrieve_result(value): callback function
# import mech_dpf for retrieving
# import Ans.DataProcessing as dpf results from the
# wf = dpf.Workflow(this.WorkflowId) table/chart.
# wf.Connect('contour_selector', value)
Get the stored
# this.Evaluate()
workflow by id and
Python Result
Script Description
set the input value
to the workflow.
Evaluate the
workflow.
def define_dpf_workflow(analysis): PART 3, start
define_dpf_workflow
import mech_dpf PART 3.1, load dpf
mech_dpf.setExtAPI(ExtAPI) environment.
dataSource = dpf .DataSources(analysis.ResultFileName) PART 3.2, take the

file in the current
analysis system that
contains the source
results (a
dataSource).
u = dpf.operators.result.displacement() PART 3.3, create
nrm = dpf.operators.math.norm_fc()
needed operators
# timeScop = dpf.Scoping() PART 3.4, optional,
# timeScop.Ids = [1]
# u.inputs.time_scoping.Connect(timeScop) set time scoping to
the operator
u.inputs.data_sources.Connect(dataSource) PART 3.5, make the
nrm.Connect(u)
connections
between the
elements
dpf_workflow = dpf.Workflow() PART 3.6, create the
dpf_workflow.Add(nrm)
workflow and add
operators.
dpf_workflow.Add(u) PART 3.7, optional,
# dpf_workflow.SetInputName(u, 0, 'time')
# dpf_workflow.Connect('time', timeScop) set time scoping to
the workflow.
dpf_workflow.SetOutputContour(nrm) PART 3.8, set the
dpf_workflow.Record('wf_id', False)
this.WorkflowId = dpf_workflow.GetRecordedId() workflow’s output and
record it.
Note:
• Part 2 is optional and allows the user to retrieve results from the table/chart. More details
and use case can be found in next section.
• Part 3.1 imports the DPF environment. This will load all the mandatory DPF tools allowing
you to use workflows, operators, fields container, etc.
• Part 3.2 shows how you can access the result file from the current environment that the
Python Result is operating under.
• Part 3.3 shows how you can access various operators available in the DPF libraries.
Results
• Part 3.4 is optional and is to get results of desired time steps by setting time scoping
to the operator.
• Part 3.5 shows how to make connections between operators. All operators have certain
inputs that they expect and certain outputs that they produce. Output from one operator
can be connected as an input to another.
• Part 3.6 consists of creating the workflow to evaluate and adding operators into it. All
participating operators must be connected to a workflow.
• Part 3.7 is optional and allows to set the desired input to the workflow (the given example
is to set the time scoping to the input of the workflow, which works the same as Part
3.4.)
• Then, part 3.8 shows how to set the output result you want (here it will be the output
gotten from the norm operator). The recording step returns the workflow id, allowing
you to get back the stored workflow using this scripting line:
dpf_workflow = dpf.Workflow(WorkflowId)
19.15.4. Limitations of the Python Result Object

The following are known limitations related to the Python Result object. In addition to these limita-
tions, you may encounter additional scenarios where the feature is not supported. Review the Python
Result Disclaimer (p. 2315) for more information.
• It is recommended to clear and re-evaluate a Python Result after resuming Mechanical to get
the deformation scale factor and retrieving results from the table/chart work.
• Not all analysis types are supported.
• Not all non-standard element types/mesh features are supported, such as Nonlinear Adaptive
Region, Reinforcements, and General Axisymmetric.
• Some result object APIs are not supported, such as Legend manipulation, Plot Data API.
• Not all result types are supported, such as Complex Results, Heat Flux, beam strains/stresses.
• There is limited access to result types in LS-DYNA.
• Certain interface operations are not supported, such as Cut/Copy/Paste, Duplicate, and Evaluate
from Workbench.
19.15.5. Workflow Examples

The examples content uses the script under the function:
define_dpf_workflow(analysis)
This is the script in Part 3, where the parameter analysis is referring to the analysis system which the
current Python Result object belongs to.
Python Result
Go to an example:
19.15.5.1. Display Results for Shared Shell Topologies
19.15.5.2.Total Deformation
19.15.5.3. Von Mises Stress
19.15.5.4. Retrieving Total Deformation from Table/Chart for Time Point
19.15.5.5. Strain Tensors - Named Selection Scoping
19.15.5.6.Total Deformation Scoped on Time Step using Property Provider
19.15.5.7.Total Deformation Scoped on Geometry using Property Provider
19.15.5.8. Migrating to New Python Result
19.15.5.1. Display Results for Shared Shell Topologies

This workflow is an example of how to display results on shells for multiple bodies that share topo-
logy. In this case, displacement results. The unique feature of this example is that the result field
is created from scratch.
import mech_dpf
mech_dpf.setExtAPI(ExtAPI)
dataSource = dpf.DataSources(analysis.ResultFileName)
Script Example
#Read a mesh from a results file
mesh_op = dpf.operators.mesh.mesh_provider()
mesh_op.inputs.data_sources.Connect(dataSource)
mesh = mesh_op.outputs.mesh.GetData()
#Create a field of results from scratch with these attributes

#Location : "Nodal"
#Mesh support : mesh
#Shell Layers definition: Layer Independent
#Geometries with shells can be defined by:
#NoneLayer
#LayerIndependent,
#TopBottom
#TopBottomMid
my_field = dpf.FieldsFactory.CreateScalarField(numEntities=0, location='Nodal')

my_field.MeshedRegionSupport = mesh
my_field.eShellLayers = dpf.enums.shellLayers.LayerIndependent
#Adding the results at nodes to the field (here with no physical sense)
for i in mesh.NodeIds:
my_field.Add(i,[float(i)])
#Use the forward operator to plot the field

forward = dpf.operators.utility.forward_field()
forward.inputs.field.Connect(my_field)
dpf_workflow = dpf.Workflow()
dpf_workflow.Add(forward)
dpf_workflow.SetOutputContour(forward,dpf.enums.GFXContourType.FENodalScoping)
this.WorkflowId = dpf_workflow.GetRecordedId()
Results
For this specific use-case of shared topology with shell elements, you can face issues concerning
the result display. If the eShelLayers attribute is not set, the shared shell elements (here at the
edge between the two topologies) will not appear.
To ensure that the contours on these shared elements are displayed, you must ensure that the at-
tribute eShelLayers is set when creating the field.
Python Result
19.15.5.2. Total Deformation

This elementary workflow enables you to read a displacement from an analysis and compute its
norm.
import mech_dpf
my_data_sources = dpf.DataSources()
my_data_sources.SetResultFilePath(analysis.ResultFileName)
u_op = dpf.operators.result.displacement()
u_op.inputs.data_sources.Connect(my_data_sources)
norm_op = dpf.operators.math.norm_fc()
norm_op.Connect(u_op)
wf = dpf.Workflow()
wf.Add(u_op)
wf.Add(norm_op)
wf.SetOutputContour(norm_op) #to get the contour result

wf.SetOutputWarpField(u_op) #to get the warping result (displacement field needed to be used)
wf.Record("wf_id", True)
this.WorkflowId = wf.GetRecordedId()
Results
19.15.5.3. Von Mises Stress

This workflow enables you to read the stress tensors for a range of time steps from an analysis, to
average those elemental nodal tensors to a nodal location, and to compute it's Von Mises equivalent.
This workflow is an example of how to use the time scoping pin. This pin expects a scoping input
and enables you to choose the time or frequency sets of the results.
import mech_dpf
my_data_sources = dpf.DataSources(analysis.ResultFileName)
my_time_scoping = dpf.Scoping()
my_time_scoping.Ids = [1] # the first set
s_eqv_op = dpf.operators.result.stress_von_mises()
s_eqv_op.inputs.requested_location.Connect('Nodal')
s_eqv_op.inputs.data_sources.Connect(my_data_sources)
s_eqv_op.inputs.time_scoping.Connect(my_time_scoping)
dpf_workflow.Add(s_eqv_op)
dpf_workflow.SetOutputContour(s_eqv_op)
dpf_workflow.Record('wf_id', True)
Python Result
Beam Result Evaluation

To enable result evaluation on beams, you need to add the following three lines to the script:
Note:
Only unaveraged results (p. 2085) are supported.
s_eqv_op.inputs.requested_location.Connect('ElementalNodal')
s_eqv_op.inputs.read_beams.Connect(True)
dpf_workflow.SetOutputName(my_data_sources, "my_data_source")
Results
19.15.5.4. Retrieving Total Deformation from Table/Chart for Time Point

This workflow is an example of retrieving results at a desired time point from the table/chart to
review results in the Geometry window. The full script (not just Part 3) is shown below for a better
view.
def post_started(sender, analysis):# Do not edit this line
define_dpf_workflow(analysis)
# Uncomment this function to enable retrieving results from the table/chart

def table_retrieve_result(value):# Do not edit this line
import mech_dpf
wf = dpf.Workflow(this.WorkflowId)
wf.Connect('contour_selector', value)
this.Evaluate()
def define_dpf_workflow(analysis):
import mech_dpf
dataSource = dpf.DataSources(analysis.ResultFileName)
u = dpf.operators.result.displacement()
nrm = dpf.operators.math.norm_fc()
timeScop = dpf.Scoping()
timeScop.Ids = [1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9]
u.inputs.time_scoping.Connect(timeScop)
u.inputs.data_sources.Connect(dataSource)
Python Result
nrm.Connect(u)
dpf_workflow.Add(u)
dpf_workflow.Add(nrm)
# dpf_workflow.SetInputName(u, 0, 'time')
# dpf_workflow.Connect('time', timeScop)
dpf_workflow.SetOutputContour(nrm)
First, uncomment the callback function table_retrieve_result (value) in Part 2 from the default script.
Moreover, multiple time points scoping is suggested to attach to the workflow. Evaluate the python
result. The tabular data and chart will reflect the time points chosen in the script. Select the time
point in the Tabular Data window, then click the right mouse button and select Retrieve This Result.
19.15.5.5. Strain Tensors - Named Selection Scoping

This workflow is an example of the use of mesh scoping for the input of a result reader. Here, you
can extract a mesh scoping (a set of spatial entities: node or elements for example) from a named
selection created in Mechanical or Mechanical APDL. This mesh scoping is then used as an input
for a strain tensors reader. The output of this workflow is the elemental mean of normal elastic
strain on X axis scoped only on the named selection.
import mech_dpf
my_data_sources = dpf.DataSources(analysis.ResultFileName)
ns_op = dpf.operators.scoping.on_named_selection()
ns_op.inputs.data_sources.Connect(my_data_sources)
# first version with elemental scoping

ns_op.inputs.requested_location.Connect('Elemental')
ns_op.inputs.int_inclusive.Connect(1)
ns_op.inputs.named_selection_name.Connect('SELECTION')
strain_op = dpf.operators.result.elastic_strain_X()
strain_op.inputs.data_sources.Connect(my_data_sources)
strain_op.inputs.mesh_scoping.Connect(ns_op.outputs.mesh_scoping)
# make an elemental average on the elemental nodal field

to_elemental_op = dpf.operators.averaging.to_elemental_fc()
to_elemental_op.Connect(strain_op)
dpf_workflow.Add(ns_op)
dpf_workflow.Add(strain_op)
dpf_workflow.Add(to_elemental_op)
Results
dpf_workflow.SetOutputContour(to_elemental_op, dpf.enums.GFXContourType.FEElementalScoping)
dpf_workflow.Record('wf_id', True)
Note:
• The Name Selection name must match what was used in the input file. For example,
if you are using the MAPDL solver, irrespective of the name used in Mechanical, the
name of the selection is written as an upper-case string in the input file.
• Regarding the location of the strain operator (ElementalNodal location), and using the
elemental averaging operator, it shows how to chain several operators.
• A better scoping representation can be utilized by setting a proper enum for different
contour scoping types:
dpf_workflow.SetOutputContour(to_elemental_op, dpf.enums.GFXContourType.FEElementalScoping)
19.15.5.6. Total Deformation Scoped on Time Step using Property Provider

This workflow enables you to read a displacement from an analysis and compute its norm at a
specified time step by using the Property Provider (p. 2434) pane. The Property Provider pane
enables you to add custom properties to the Python Result object.
Below is the Property Provider tab in the Python Result.
Python Result
Comment Line 5 as shown below to add the properties for the python result. Assume there are 10
steps in the current analysis. Line 31 can also be modified for a better time set scoping.
Results
Right-click on the Python Result object and select Reload.
The properties

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Mechanical User's Guide

ANSYS, Inc. Release 2024 R2

© 2024 ANSYS, Inc. Unauthorized use, distribution or duplication is prohibited.

U.S. Government Rights

Published in the U.S.A.

2.20.5. Graphics Annotations Window ............................................................................................ 196

3.3.1. Connections ......................................................................................................................... 293

5.2.6. Coupled Field Transient Analysis ........................................................................................... 399

5.8.2.4.1. Constraint Equation ............................................................................................ 602

5.15.4.2.1. Importing Forces and Moments ......................................................................... 717

5.15.17.3. System Coupling Related Settings in Mechanical ...................................................... 846

6.13.1.8.1. External Model CDB Commands ...................................................................... 1010

9.7.2.5. Slot Joint ................................................................................................................... 1211

11.8. Displaying Interior Mesh Faces ................................................................................................... 1372

15.1.3.1. Pre-Meshed Cyclic Symmetry ................................................................................... 1446

17.6.2.18. Convection ............................................................................................................ 1717

17.6.5.6. EM (Electro-Mechanical) Transducer ......................................................................... 1852

18.12.4.1. NASTRAN Export Supported Features ..................................................................... 1965

19.5.1. Deformation ..................................................................................................................... 2122

19.5.21. Gasket Results ................................................................................................................ 2237

25.2.31. Problems Unique to Background (Asynchronous) Solutions ............................................. 2475

C.8.6.1. data .......................................................................................................................... 2532

C.8.9.3.20. set-status ........................................................................................................ 2557

18.46. Moment ........................................................................................................................................ 1995

• Application Interface (p. 37)

• Steps for Using the Application (p. 327)

• Analysis Types (p. 363)

• Specifying Geometry (p. 875)

• Setting Up Coordinate Systems (p. 1095)

• Setting Connections (p. 1111)

• Configuring Analysis Settings (p. 1501)

• Setting Up Boundary Conditions (p. 1585)

• Using Results (p. 2023)

• Understanding Solving (p. 1893)

• Commands Objects (p. 2407)

• Setting Parameters (p. 2441)

How the Program Works

• brand and type of CPU

• number of processors available

• amount of memory available

• brand and type of graphics card

• operating system and version

• values of environment variables used by the product

Session: Characteristics of the session, such as the:

• interactive or batch setting

• total CPU time used

• product license and license settings being used

• product version and build identifiers

• command line options used

• number of processors used

• amount of memory used

• errors and warnings issued

• meshing, solving, postprocessing, etc., actions

• times the Help system is used

• times wizards are used

Model: Statistics of the model used in the simulation, such as the:

• number of material types, loading types, boundary conditions, species, etc.

• number and types of coordinate systems used

• system of units used

• dimensionality (1-D, 2-D, 3-D)