Vector and tensor results can be transformed into any of the following coordinate systems. The AsIs coordinate system, any user defined local system (CID), the projection of any CID, the Patran global system, material, element IJK, or the default coordinate system. See Coordinate Systems, 27 for the description of each coordinate system type. AsIs is the default option.

The scale factor is a numerical multiplier that is applied to the data after all other numerical operations have transformed the raw analysis data to its final form.

By specifying a filter value, you can create a gate that will be used to include values below a maximum, above a minimum, between a certain range, or exclude a range of values. The default option is none. If filtering is used, contour lines will only be rendered on elements that contain values allowed by the filter.

For element based result quantities that must be displayed at node locations an Averaging Domain must be specified. As the element’s analysis result is moved to the element’s node locations multiple values can occur at nodes that are shared by adjacent elements. The Averaging Domain options describe to Patran which of the multiple result values you want to resolved to a single value. For more details, see Averaging, 15.

The Averaging Method describes to Patran the order of operations that will be applied to the selected results data and the operation type that will be used to resolve multiple values to a single value at the model’s node locations. For example, the Derive/Average option will cause the user specified quantity derivation (e.g. Principal stress, extract the x-component of translational displacement) to occur first, before a simple average is applied to resolve multiple results that occur at the shared element’s node locations. For more details see Averaging, 15.

Many times, element based results must be moved from their initial element location to another location (e.g. element integration points to element node locations). The Extrapolation Method defines which algorithm will be used for this operation. For more details, see Extrapolation, 21.

If the result value you have chosen to post process is complex, then an option button will appear that allows you to show the results real, complex, magnitude, or phase representation.

This toggle button will activate the Define PCL Expression button

The sub form that will appear when you press this button will allow you to further modify the selected result data by applying a user defined PCL expression. For more details, see PCL Expressions, 9.

This listbox displays all existing Contour plots. If you select an existing plot from the listbox, the plot’s definition will be used to define each sub formsub form’s various options.

Contour plots can be saved by name and recalled later for editing. Saved Contour plots can be posted, unposted and deleted as shown in Post/Unpost, 29 and Delete, 32 respectively. Once a plot has been named, its definition is automatically persisted in the Patran database when you hit the Apply button to create the plot.