Fatigue User’s Guide > Vibration Fatigue > Postprocessing Results
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Postprocessing Results
By selecting the Results button located on the main MSC Fatigue setup form, a Results form will appear. Each of the actions on the Results form is explained in detail in the following sections.
Figure 8‑12 Postprocessing Options
Read Results
With the Action set to Read Results on the Results form, the MSC Fatigue analysis results can be read into the database. If the same database being used contains finite element results, then the database will now have fatigue results and finite element results. Each fatigue job is known as a Results Load Case under the Results application. The only things that differentiate them from a FEM load case are their results titles. This section will explain how to effectively postprocess fatigue results including:
Displaying Fringe plots, writing reports, and X-Y plots (see Fringe Plots, Text Reports, XY Plots, 81).
Setting color Spectrums (see Using Spectrums and Ranges, 83). When results are imported, a new spectrum is created for you called fatigue_spectrum. This spectrum is simply the standard_spectrum color scheme in reverse so that the short fatigue lives can be displayed in red (hot) and long fatigue lives in blue (cold). This is opposite of the way stress results are displayed with the standard_spectrum. It is your responsibility to set the spectrum to the one that you want.
Displaying result Values. When results are imported, a new range is also created for you in log increments called log_range. Some values such as Damage of Life are hard to visualize with a standard range of evenly spaced ranges. A log range helps spread the color bands out on results that may range from a small number to a very large (infinite life) number. Again you are responsible for selecting the range that best fits the displayed results.
Explanation of results that can be processed:
 
Parameter
Description
Irregularity Factor
This is the irregularity factor parameter which is defined as the number of upward crossings over the number of peaks. The value may take on any number between zero and one.
Root Mean Square
The rms value.
Damage (per Second)
Damage - the reciprocal of life.
Life (seconds)
Life value in seconds.
Log of Damage
Log value of damage. The interpretation of which is 10value.
Log of Life
Log value of life.
Angle Range
This is the maximum range of the angle (in radians) between the principal and the local x-axis as used for a stationarity check.
List Results
If the Action is set to List Results on the Results form, the PFPOST will be spawned. A discussion of PFPOST can be found in Reviewing Results (PFPOST), 328.
This module allows easy access to important tabular results such as the most damaged nodes or elements, irregularity factors and other damage parameters. The tabular listing of the results is explained in Results Postprocessing, 652.
Re-Analyze
If the Action is set to Re-Analyze on the Results form, the option executes the external MSC Fatigue module, FEVIB and puts the user in interactive mode for a global vibration fatigue analysis. This program may also be started from the operating system prompt by typing the symbol fevib. The detailed operations of FEVIB for reanalyze is described in Global Vibration Fatigue Analysis, 632.
Design Optimization
If the Action is set to Optimize on the Results form, the option executes the external MSC Fatigue module, FEVIB and places the user directly in the Design Optimization option. This program may also be started from the operating system prompt by typing the symbol fevib. The detailed operations of FEVIB for optimize is described in Design Optimization, 634.
Sensitivity Plot
If the action is set to Plot Sensitivity on the Results form, the user can select the XY Plot they wish to view.
Use the Delete, UnPost, and Post buttons to delete, unpost, or plot the xy data, respectively. The difference between delete and unpost is that delete removes all curve information and the plot from the viewport and the database, while unpost just hides the viewport but the information in the database is retained.
Extract PSD
If the Action is set to Extract PSD on the Results form, the option executes the external MSC Fatigue module, FEVIB and places the user directly in the Output Power Spectrum option. This program may also be started from the operating system prompt by typing the symbol fevib. The detailed operations of FEVIB and how to extract the combined stress response PSDs are described in Output Power Spectrum, 650.
Identify Location
If the Action is set to Identify Location on the Results form, the user has the choice of identifying the location with the Most Damage, the Worst Safety Factor, the Most Biaxiality, the Least Prop. Loading, or the Largest Mobility.
When the Apply button is clicked, an arrow pointing to the location and a circle will be drawn to indicate the node of interest. If the location is an element it will be highlighted. The corresponding value will be place on the graphics screen and also in the databox on the form.
If no results exist for the particular quantity, a message to this effect will be displayed. Keep in mind that the results must be imported into the database and the jobname corresponding to the results must be in the Jobname databox on the main form. Also, to find the correct results, the program keys off of the Analysis Type. So be sure that the Analysis Type is set correctly on the main form, otherwise it will look for the wrong analysis type results. If the same results have been imported more than once, only the first will be detected. It is a good idea to delete previous results datasets from the database before importing new results if this feature is to be used. that is to say, results of the same type with the same jobname.