41 docs tagged with "elements"

A string of 1D elements can be created using the Sculpt > 1D element operations > Add string of 1D elements menu command. The procedure is as follows.

The most direct way of sculpting in individual new elements is to use the Add Elements Sculpt Tool. New elements can also be created in sculpt by copying and splitting existing elements. The Adding a string of 1D elements also allows for simple sculpting of elements.

Where relevant, tables are output for those items identified in the case, node, element and member lists. Changing a list from the default to a specific selection refines the content of the table.

It is possible to use analysis stages to reassign properties between different analysis stages. This option check for such incompatibilities. For example if an element has a property mapping for an analysis stage the stress calculation may not be consistent between analysis cases. In such a case there is no valid way to determine stresses for a combination case.

The overall colour of graphic views, such as whether colour or monochrome, or whether light or dark background, can be adjusted via the Graphic fonts and styles settings.

This one dialog box is used to connect 1D elements or members, depending on the context in which it is opened.

1D elements that intersect, within a defined tolerance, can be connected by being split at the point of intersection and joined to a common node using the Sculpt > 1D element operations > Connect 1D elements menu command.

The Convert orientation node to angle command may be used to replace specified orientation nodes with orientation angles that result in unchanged orientations for a set of beam (etc.) elements or members.

If a model is defined in the Design layer then it is relatively straightforward to create an analysis model from this. For the selected members the Model > Coordination Tools > Create Elements from Members option or toolbar button allow the generation of appropriate 1D, 2D, 3D elements and rigid constraints.

This dialog can be accessed from the Model > Coordination tools > Create members from elements menu command.

Models are generated and edited in the Design layer. The Model > Coordination tools > Delete elements from members option or toolbar button both permit rapid removal of the elements associated with a member, to allow the member to be updated prior to regeneration of the analysis model.

Nodes and elements can be deleted using the Edit > Delete (Del) menu command.

The Disconnect elements dialog box is used to disconnect elements from the existing structure at a specified nodal position. New nodes are created at the original positions and the selected elements are then attached to the new nodes. Joints may be created to join the original nodes with the new.

Elements can be disconnected from the existing structure at a specified nodal position using the Sculpt > Disconnect elements menu command.

Another type of constraint that can be applied is in the form of element offsets. These are used where the ends of the element are effectively rigid and it is required to offset the flexible part of the element. The actual element can then be thought of as shorter than the node to node length of the element with the gaps filled in with “rigid links”. Element offsets are most useful where the span of a beam is less that the column to column centre-line distance or where the effect of eccentricity on the element is important.

An Element is an entity that is analysed. Its topology and position is defined using Nodes and Offsets. Its orientation is defined by the element axis set which depends on the topology of the element and the orientation node and angle. Its end fixity is defined partly by the behaviour of the Element Type and partly by the element Releases.

A set of nodes, elements or members must be selected prior to opening this dialog box, to serve as the basis of the extrusion.

The sculpt extrude command generates nodes and elements by a specified number and length of increments. The extrusion is based on either a polyline or a set of nodes or elements and is generated along an axis of a specified axis set or along an alignment, if any exist.

Swaps the top and bottom faces of 2D elements.

Flipping a 1D element has the effect of reversing the direction of the local x axis. Flipping a 2D element turns that element upside-down. The flip operation adjusts the position of any element releases or offsets with respect to the element topology to result in these remaining at the same position in space.

The Highlight coincident elements command highlights all elements found to have the same topologies as another, regardless of topology sequence.

Element edges can be highlighted using the Graphics > Display > Highlight edges menu command. The Highlight edges option is also available in the Graphic settings dialog box.

1D elements that form a linear string, within the straightness tolerance (ref. Preferences > Sculpting > Straightness tolerance), can be joined up into one element using the Sculpt > 1D element operations > Join string of 1D elements menu command. (This documentation is also applicable to the Sculpt > Geometric entity operations > Join string of lines menu command.)

At times there are very stiff sections in a model and generally it is not good to model these simply by creating very stiff elements as this can lead to ill-conditioning problems. It is better to replace the elements in these regions with link elements or rigid constraints. The action of link elements and rigid constraints is substantially the same, the main difference being that a rigid constraint can include many nodes while a link element can only include two nodes, but has some additional linkage options.

This dialog is accessible from the Model > Manage data menu command. It is only enabled when results are not present.

These dialogs can be accessed from the Model > Manage User Modules menu command.

Linear 2D elements (i.e. Tri3 and Quad4) can be converted to quadratic (i.e. Tri6 and Quad8, respectively) using the Sculpt > 2D element operations > Modify linear 2D to Quadratic menu command. The procedure is as follows.

Quadratic 2D elements (i.e. Tri6 and Quad8) can be converted to linear (i.e. Tri3 and Quad4, respectively) using the Sculpt > 2D element operations > Modify quadratic 2D to linear menu command. The procedure is as follows.

The right-click menu that is displayed when the cursor is pointing at an element offers commands to view the current attributes of the element, to open the Element, Property and Material wizards for that element and to open the Elements, Property and Materials Table views at the record that relates to that element.

This dialog box is presented in several guises depending on the context in which it is opened; it is used to move or copy nodes, elements or members.

The sculpt move and copy commands operate similarly. Both can operate on nodes, elements or members. Both operate by shifting, rotating or reflecting the selected items. The amount of shift can be specified by a polyline.

The Elements / members page of the Labels and display methods dialog box is where various types of element related labels may be switched on for display in the current Graphic view.

The Refine quad elements dialog box is used to refine Quad4 and Quad8 elements at a specified corner by splitting the elements in the following manner:

There are several cursor modes available for sculpting the geometry of a model. New nodes and elements can be created, the attributes of existing nodes can be modified and existing nodes can be moved (resulting in elements attached to these moving). These operations are carried out by first selecting the appropriate sculpt tool cursor mode and then using the cursor on the graphical image. The sculpt tools may be selected from the Sculpt toolbar or the Sculpt > Sculpt geometry cursor modes menu.

Elements may be drawn shrunk by using the Graphics > Display > Shrink menu command. Shrink is also available on the Graphic Display toolbar.

Spinning a 2D element has the effect of rotating the element about its z axis such that the second edge becomes the first etc. The spin operation adjusts the position of any element releases or offsets with respect to the element topology to result in these remaining at the same position in space.

This one dialog box is used to split 1D elements or members, depending on the context in which it is opened.

The Split quad elements dialog box is used to split Quad4 and Quad8 elements into a number of elements of the same type maintaining element releases and offsets as originally defined. The split is specified in terms of an equal number of elements along edges 1 and 3 and an equal number along edges 2 and 4.

The Split tri elements dialog box is used to split Tri3 and Tri6 elements into either Tri or Quad elements maintaining element releases and offsets as originally defined.

1D and 2D elements can be split. Various methods are available for doing this, as described below.

The process of design can leave members being assigned new sections, leading to incompatibility between the sections assigned to members and those assigned to the corresponding elements.