Overview

Results Postprocessing > Cursor Plots > 2.1 Overview

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2.1 Overview

For an overview of how the Results Application works please see Introduction to Results Postprocessing, 1. Cursor plots interactively display labels of either scalar, vector or tensor results on the model. To specifically make or modify a cursor plot select Create or Modify from the Action pull-down menu on the Results Display form; and select Cursor from the Object pull-down menu. Then set the Cursor type to Scalar, Vector or Tensor from the Method pull-down menu.

Application Form


Method	Scalar cursor plots display labels representing the scalar result value at the selected entities. Vector cursor plots display three labels, one for each of the vector components, in a column vector format. Tensor cursor plots display six labels in the lower triangular portion of a 3x3 matrix. Typically results for tensor cursor plots are stress components.
Attributes and Options Toggles
• Select Results	This default setting establishes the application form to select the results used for the cursor plot.
• Display Attributes	Changes the application form to shows display attributes available.
• Plot Options	Changes the application form to show the plot options available.
Select Result Case(s)	Specifies a results case to use for the cursor plot.
Select Cursor Result	Sets the result from the available scalar, vector, or tensor results list.

Creating and Modifying a Cursor Plot

There is only a slight difference between Create and Modify. The main difference is that Create must be used to make a new Cursor plot and Modify is used to change an existing one. If you try to modify an existing plot with Create you will be asked for overwrite permission whereas Modify assumes that the action is desired, so no overwrite permission is requested.

To create a Cursor plot the following basic steps must be followed:

1. Set the Action to Create or Modify, the Object to Cursor and the Method to Scalar, Vector or Tensor.

2. Select a Result Case or Cases from the Select Results Case(s) listbox.

3. Select a result from the Select Scalar, Vector or Tensor Result listbox.

4. If more than one layer is associated with the results, select the layer (using the Position button) you wish to plot. These can be top or bottom results of shell elements, beam locations or laminate layers.

5. Optionally change the result Quantity. This is only possible if the selected result allows for this. If a tensor result has been selected for a vector Cursor plot, it must be resolved to a vector value. If a tensor or vector result has been selected for a scalar Cursor plot, it must be resolved to a scalar value. The various resolutions are:


Tensor to Vector:	Minimum Principal, Middle (intermediate) Principal, Maximum Principal, Component, Minimum Principal 2D, Maximum Principal 2D
Vector to Scalar:	Magnitude, X component, Y comp., Z comp.
Tensor to Scalar:	von Mises, XX, YY, ZZ, XY, YZ, XZ, Maximum Principal, Middle Principal, Minimum Principal, Hydrostatic, 1st Invariant, 2nd Invariant, 3rd Invariant, Tresca, Max Shear, Octahedral. See hypertextparatextDefault Fontp.\


Vector to Scalar:	Magnitude, X Component, Y Component, Z Component
Tensor to Scalar:	von Mises, XX, YY, ZZ, XY, YZ, ZX, Maximum Principal, Middle Principal, Minimum Principal, Hydrostatic, 1st Invariant, 2nd Invariant, 3rd Invariant, Tresca, Max Shear, Octahedral. See hypertextparatextDefault ¶ Fontp.\ ).

6. Optionally, change the target entity type. This is done in the Target Entity pull-down menu at the bottom of the main Select Results form.

7. Optionally change display attributes, or invoke other plot options by changing these settings using the two other icons at the top of the form. These are described in detail later in this chapter.

8. Press the Apply button when ready to create the Cursor plot.

9. The Apply button causes the Cursor Data form to be created and displayed. The user may now select entities at which results values are desired. The result values are recorded in the spreadsheet on the Cursor Data form.

To modify an existing Cursor plot, simply follow the above procedure with the Action set to Modify. However, you must first select an existing plot using the Existing Cursor Plots button on the main form where results are selected. When an existing Cursor plot is selected, all results, attributes, and options in the various widgets associated with that plot are updated to reflect that plot’s settings. You may then proceed to modify the plot.

By default a Cursor plot with the name

default_Cursor will be created unless the user specifically gives a different name. Multiple Cursor plots can be created by giving cursor plots unique names. Only one Cursor plot can be posted to the viewport. Each viewport can have its own Cursor plot or other plot types posted.

Each plot can have its own attributes. Each plot can also target or be displayed on separate entities and have its own associated options. These are detailed in the next sections.

Component selection is represented as XX, YY, and ZZ for the three component directions of any coordinate system. These translate into r, ?, z and r, ?, ? for cylindrical and spherical coordinate systems respectively.

Cursor Data Form

To display this form go to the Results Application

1. Set AOM menus to Create/Cursor/Scalar

2. Select a Result Case, select a cursor result and hit the apply button. (Note: There must be a results model and results in the database.

The cursor plot differs from the other graphical results plots, in that there is not an immediate graphical feedback when the Apply button is pushed on the main form The Cursor Data form is displayed instead. The user may then graphically select desired entities at which to display the result value labels. This form must be displayed for the cursor tool in order to the allow the selection of the targeted entities type. Once this form is exited the cursor tool will no longer be active. If the user wishes to use select more entities for an existing tool then the user must post the tool which will re-display this form.

Cursor Report Setup

The Cursor Report Setup form is used to change the default report setup for the Cursor plot. The cursor reports can be formatted in a variety of ways and with many options.

To display this form go to the Results Application

1. Set AOM menus to Create/Cursor/Scalar

2. Select a Result Case, select a cursor result and hit the apply button. (Note: There must be a results model and results in the database.)

3. Hit the Report Setup button on the Cursor Data form.

Cursor Report Format

The Cursor Report Format is used to set the specific format of the data output to file including title text and alignment, pagination, column labels and the output format of the data. The formatting options are described in Cursor Report Format Options table.

[To display this form go to the Results Application

1. Set AOM menus to Create/Cursor/Scalar

2. Select a Result Case, select a cursor result and hit the apply button. (Note: There must be a results model and results in the database.)

3. Press the Report Setup button on the Cursor Data form and click Format...

Cursor Report Format

Below are descriptions for all the fields and settings for formatting cursor reports.

Table 2‑1 Cursor Report Format Options


Item	Description
File Width	Sets the number of characters that can fit in the width of a page including spaces. The default is 128 characters.
Lines/Page	Sets the number of lines per page. The default is 52 lines per page.
Top Margin	Sets the number of lines used to form a top margin. The bottom margin is set by the number of Lines/Page.
Left Margin	Sets the number of characters used to make a left margin. The right margin is set by the File Width.
Pagination	If you wish to use pagination turn this toggle ON. The Page Number setting will appear to set the beginning page number. No footer or header information will be printed.
Page Number	Set the beginning page number with this option. This databox only appears if Pagination has been turned ON.
Edit	This is an option menu for editing the Title, Footer, or Header. No Footer or Header is allowed if pagination is OFF. This text box below this menu will update to allow for editing of the selected text.
Alignment	Alignment of the report can be from the left margin, right margin or the report can be centered.
Title/Header/Footer Text Format	This textbox allows for inclusion and modification of a Title, Header or Footer. Which is set for editing is determined by the Edit option menu above this text box. A %I% may be placed in any of these text boxes to include the page number if Pagination has been turned ON. A %rN% may also be included for adding additional blank lines. These formatting characters are explained below.
Input Column/ Label/Format	This is a databox that becomes active to allow for changes in the actual Column Labels or Value Formats. Simply click on a cell in the spreadsheet that appears below this databox and the databox will become active to allow you to change the cells contents.
Column	This is the column number with its associated label and value format.
Column Label	This is the label that appears above the column of results. By default it is the same as results quantities selected. To change a label, select the cell and then change the value in the databox above. Press the Enter or Return key to effect the change.
Value Format	Results formats are listed in this column. They specify how the actual results values will be formatted in the report. They consist of the format characters surrounded by percentage signs. To change one of these formats, click on the cell that contains the format to change and enter your changes in the databox above the spreadsheet. Press the Enter of Return key to effect the change. The different characters and combinations acceptable for these formats is explained in .

Format Strings

The format string is a description of how to convert integer, real, and string data to a formatted output. It is necessary to use a format string in the Value Format column in the spreadsheet to specify how to format the results values in the report. Some of these formats can also be used in the Title, Header and Footer. The format string is a simple character string which contains both raw text to output, and format specifiers, enclosed by a set of percent characters, which control how data items are formatted and output. Upper case letters (I, F, E, etc.) are interpreted literally and lower case letters are to be substituted with the appropriate values.

To change a value format simply click the mouse button with the cursor in the cell whose format you wish to change. Then in the Input databox above the spreadsheet change the value format to what you want and then press the Return or Enter key.

Table 2‑2 Value Format Strings for Formatting Text Report Numbers


Format	Description
%%	The simplest form of format specifier is a double percent to produce a single percent in the final output. Used if you want a percent character in the Title, Header or Footer.
%Im%	Integer (I) specifier. This format specifier takes an integer value such as a node or element (entity) ID or other integer result for formatting. The value of “m” is the minimum number of characters to produce from the format. If “m” is omitted, then the exact number of characters necessary to hold the integer is used. The exact format produced is an optional minus sign followed by one or more digits. The default for integer data is %I6%.
%Fm.n%	Fixed (F) float specifier. This format specifier takes a real results value for formatting in fixed point notation. The value of m is the minimum number of characters to produce from the format. If m is omitted, then the exact number of characters necessary to hold the conversion is used. The value of n is the number of decimal digits to produce. If omitted, then all significant digits will be produced. The exact format produced is an optional minus sign followed by zero or more digits, a decimal point, and zero or more digits. At least one digit will precede or follow the decimal point. The default for real data is %F12.6%.
%Em.n.p%	Exponential (E) float specifier. This format specifier takes a real value for formatting in scientific exponential notation. The value of m is the minimum number of characters to produce from the format. If m is omitted, then the exact number of characters necessary to hold the conversion is used. The value of n is the number of decimal digits to produce. If omitted, then all significant digits will be produced. The value of p is the number of digits to display before the decimal point, and defaults to one. If zero is specified, then a single zero precedes the decimal point. The exact format produced is an optional minus sign followed by zero or more digits, a decimal point, zero or more digits, a capital E, a plus or minus sign, and two decimal digits. At least one digit will precede or follow the decimal point. The default value for read data is the F format.
%Gm.n.p%	General (G) float specifier. This format specifier takes a real value for formatting in either F or E format. The format used depends on the value of the number to convert. In general, if the exponent is small, the F format will be used, otherwise the E format is used. See the descriptions of the F and E formats.
%Sm%	String (S) specifier. This format specifier takes the next string value from the character data array for formatting. The value of m is the minimum number of characters to produce from the format. If m is omitted, then the exact number of characters in the string is used. The default value for string data is %S32%.
%rN%	New (N) line specifier. This format specifier causes a new line to be started. The previous line is output as is, and formatting starts at column one of the new line. The value of r is a repeat count for skipping multiple lines. If output is to a string, then new line characters will be written to the string. This is used in the Title, Header and Footer text.

Variables

Variables can be placed in titles, footers, or headers of reports. The variables available are shown in the table below. Be sure to place the $ symbol in front of the variable otherwise it will not be recognized as a variable.

Table 2‑3 Value Format Strings for Formatting Text Report Numbers


Format	Description
$LC_NAME	This is the Result Case (load case) name.
$SC_NAME	This is the subcase name.
$PRES_NAME	This is the primary result name.
$SRES_NAME	This is the secondary result name.
$LYR_NAME	This is the result layer name.
$DATE	The current date and time in the format dd-mmm-yy hh:mm:ss.
$PAGE	The current report page number.
$NNODES	The number of nodes in the report. Variable is printed in I9 format if left aligned. Valid for nodal report only, sorted by Result Case. Typically used to create Patran nodal (nod) result files.
$MAXNOD	The highest ID of a node in the file. Variable is printed in I9 format if left aligned. Valid for nodal report only, sorted by Result Case. Typically used to create Patran nodal (nod) result files.
$DEFMAX	The maximum value encountered within the file. Variable is printed in E15.6 format if left aligned. Valid for nodal report only, sorted by Result Case. Typically used to create Patran nodal (nod) result files.
$NDMAX	The ID of the node with the maximum value. Variable is printed in I9 format if left aligned. Valid for nodal report only, sorted by Result Case. Typically used to create Patran nodal (nod) result files.
$NWIDTH	The number of columns in the file. This will be the number of results quantities output to the report. Note that the Entity Id which is the first column of most reports by default is not included in NWIDTH. It is actually the number of columns of real, floating point data. Typically this is used to create Patran nodal (nod) and elemental (els) result files.
$DATA_TITLE	The register title. You must use the built in function res_data_title() to set a title for your register. Once this title is set, then it will show up when you use $DATA_TITLE.
$PRODUCT	The Patran product/version.
$DB_NAME	The name of the current database.
$JOB_NAME	The name of the analysis job.
$CODE_NAME	The name of the analysis code as set under Preferences/Analysis.
$GV:<name>	The name and value of an associated global variable such as time, frequency, eigenvector, etc. If a global variable is one word then all that is needed is to specify that global variable after the colon, i.e., $GV:Time. However, if a global variable name has a space in it or, that is, consists of more than one word, you must surround the name with single quotes, i.e., $GV:’Design Cycle.’ Failing to do this will results in the variable picking up only the first word and will not find the correct global variable and will report garbage. Using this variable in the header and footer when multiple results cases (multiple GVs) will only use the first global variable encountered.
$LEFT	Aligns the current line of text to the left, overriding the global page alignment.
$MIDDLE	Aligns the current line of text to the middle, overriding the global page alignment.
$RIGHT	Aligns the current line of text to the right, overriding the global page alignment.

Sorting Options

Results can be sorted in a report and sorting is controlled via this form which is available from the Cursor Report Setup form by pressing the Sort button.