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For an overview of how the Results Application works, please see
Introduction to Results Postprocessing, 1. To specifically make or modify a contour line plot, select Create or Modify from the Action pull-down menu on the Results application form and select Contour from the Object pull-down menu.
The lines rendered in a contour line plot show the locations within the model where a specific result value exists. Contour line plots can be rendered with and without labels. Characters (e.g. a, b, c, etc.) are used for the contour line labels. When labeling is turned off, you must use the contour line color to determine the numerical value each line represents by matching the color with the viewport’s spectrum range. Since there can be only one spectrum for all plots shown within a Patran viewport, you will see that the contour line values are indicated with characters placed at the mid-location of the spectrum’s numerical intervals. The contour line value is the average of its interval’s maximum and minimum range values. If a Fringe plot is also shown in the viewport, its color bands relate to the range of values represented by each color band.
Only the two options, Create and Modify, exist for the Action method of the tool. The functional difference between these is as follows. Create must be used to derive a new contour plot whereas Modify is used to change an attribute of an existing contour plot. If you choose to Modify an existing plot, you can identify the existing plot by pressing the Existing Contour Plot button on the top of the form.
After you set the Action to either Create or Modify you will need to perform the following steps to completely define your contour plot.:
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2. Next, select a contour result type from the Select Contour Result listbox. | |
3. If the result is associated to positions within your simulation model (e.g. layer, shell, or beam section positions), you should select the Position button and specify the position for the result type. | |
4. A result Quantity can be optionally selected. This will cause Patran to calculate this quantity from the result type you have selected in step 2 above. | |
5. After performing steps 1-4 you have now defined the numerical value the contour plot will represent. To specify which portion of the model plot will be rendered (i.e. plot target), its graphical display attributes, or to further specify various numerical operations that you would like to apply to the result data you will need to select the second through fourth icons respectively. | |
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7. Press the Apply button when you are ready to create the contour plot. | |
When creating a contour plot you can specify its name so you can define multiple contour plots with varying definitions. The plot name is entered within the Plot Options sub form (i.e. the fourth icon described in step 5). If you do not specify a name the default name, default_contour,will be used. Multiple contour plots can only be created and posted by defining separate names. Multiple contour plots can be posted to the same viewport or to separate viewports. Each viewport can have multiple plot types posted within it.
The following sections discuss in detail the various options that are found in the plot sub forms that correspond to the steps shown above.
