In order to fully utilize the power of the postprocessor, a thorough understanding of how the results are stored and manipulated is important. To avoid confusion or the possibility of misinterpreting the graphical displays, the following definitions should be understood.

There are really only three results types, either scalar, vector, or tensor. Aside from these there are other aspects of results data as stored in the database that need to be understood. The following table summarizes these:

When postprocessing results, you should be able to answer these questions about any data that is to be evaluated:

The Results application provides various different plot types for results visualization. These plots, sometimes referred to as tools or plot tools, allow graphical examination of analysis results using a variety of imaging techniques and also simultaneous display of multiple plots to aid in the understanding of interactions between results. The following table summarizes the plots available followed by a description of each.

Deformation plots are used to display the current model and posted plot tools in a deformed state. Care must be taken when applying other plots on a deformation plot when more than one deformation plot is posted since multiple deformation plots can easily clutter the graphics. An optional display of an undeformed model is controlled as an attribute of the deformation tool. The targeting of deformation tools to anything other than nodes and elements or groups of nodes and element is not allowable. Deformations may be used to display any nodal vector data.

Fringe plots map color to surfaces or edges based on the result data defined for the tool. Fringes are developed from nodal-averaged scalar values. Fringes may be plotted on the model’s element faces or edges. The fringe tool will supersede all existing or default color and shading definition for the entities at which the fringe is targeted.

Contour Line plots display contour lines representing result data selected. Contours line plots are developed from nodal-averaged scalar values. Contour lines may be plotted on the model’s element faces or edges.

Marker plots display nodal or element based scalar, vector or tensor results as icons or arrows at the result locations. Markers may be targeted at model features such as nodes, corners, and edges or faces of elements. Individual scalar, vector and tensor plots are described below but are known generically as marker plots.

Cursor plots display nodal or element based scalar, vector or tensor results as labels. There are three types of cursor plots: (1) Scalar, (2) Vector or (3) Tensor. Scalar, vector and tensor result quantities are displayed as one, three and six labels, respectively. Labels may be targeted at model features such as nodes and elements. Cursor plots are interactive and the labels are displayed on the model as the user selects the entities. The result value labels maybe displayed in a spreadsheet and written to a file, if desired.

Scalar plots display nodal or element based scalar data and are considered special types of marker plots. Scalars may be colored and scaled based on value and may be targeted at various model features such as node, faces and edges of elements, and corners.

Vector plots display nodal or element based vector data as component or resultant vectors and are considered special types of marker plots. Vectors may be colored and scaled based on magnitude and may be targeted at various model features such as node, faces and edges of elements, and corners.

Tensor plots display an iconic representation of a symmetric tensor and are considered a special type of marker plot. Tensors may be oriented in the axes of principal stress or the tensor’s defined coordinate system. Tensors may be defined by element- or nodal-based tensor data. Nodal tensors are mapped from element tensors and are used when a tensor marker tool is targeted at other tools. Tensors may be targeted at nodal- and element-based model features.

Animation of most plot types is fully supported. Deformations can be animated in modal or ramped styles as well as true deformations from transient analyses. Animations from other plot types can accompany a deformation animation such as a stress field fringe plot or they can be animated separately from the deformation. Animation can be turned on or off from any existing plot or can be designated at creation time or when modifying a plot. The number of animation frames and other parameters such as the speed of animation are all easily controllable.

Freebody plots display a freebody diagram on a selected portion of the model. The plots are in the form of vector plots showing either the individual components or resultant values. Individual components that make up the total freebody diagram can also be plotted separately such as reaction forces, nodal equivalenced applied forces, internal element forces and other forces such as those from MPCs, rigid bars, or other external influences. New loads and boundary condition sets can be created from a freebody plot.

Graph plots are XY plots generally consisting of a results value versus some variable such as time or frequency or possibly a model attribute such as distance from a hole or edge or another results value.

The Results application provides the means of Creating, Modifying, Deleting, Posting and Unposting these plots as well as means for dynamically manipulating these plots for interactive results imaging. Each plot created has assigned attributes which determine its characteristics. All plots have the following attributes.

Result plots may be displayed on selected model entities or other selected plot tools. The model based targets may be defined by a list of posted groups, by all posted entities in the current viewport, or by individual nodes or elements or by elements with certain attributes. The model entities and tools which may act as targets for Results application plots are described below.

Elements indicate that results will be displayed on all selected elements of the model. For graphs and reports the information can be extracted from the centroid, the element nodes or element data as stored in the database.

Free faces describe those element faces common to only one element. This includes faces lining the outside surface of a model or those inside surfaces exposed to internal voids. Free faces are appropriate targets for displays such as fringe plots which are normally displayed on the surface of the model or on a cutting plane through the model.

All Faces display results on each face of each element.

Free Edges display results on edges common to only one element. Use this target type when displaying results on the same edges which are used to draw the model when Free Edge is selected as the finite element display method.

All Edges display results on all element edges. Using this target selection allows mapping of results onto a wireframe representation of the model.

Nodes display the selected results at each nodal location of the model. Tensor and vector plots may all be displayed at nodal locations.

Corners display the selected results at nodes which are common to only one element. Tensor and vector plots may all be displayed at corner locations.

Paths display the selected results along a defined path. The path can be defined as either a series of beams or element edges, geometric curves, or selected points (either geometric or FEM based). This target type is used with Graphs plots.

The following table summarizes the valid targets for all plot tools. When specifying target entities in most cases you must specify both the target entities to which the plot will be assigned and the attributes or additional display information. The table below shows target entity versus attribute and which plots types are valid (D=deformation, F=fringe, Cl = Contour Lines, S= Scalar, V=vector, T=tensor, Cu=Cursor, G=graph, R=report).

More detailed information on the numerical methods can be found in Numerical Methods (Ch. 13).

Patran displays results labels on plots so that all labels are started at the free end of the line segment (away from the node or element centroid); and continue to the right, independent of the arrow. Often the label is obscured.

For vector and tensor plots, you can now set the label to appear at the free end of the line segment, and position it so that it appears centered with respect to the arrow. All labels are pushed “away” from the segments (i.e., an arrow that goes from the screen center to the left will have the label end at the arrowhead instead of the begin at the arrowhead, as in the past). To enable the label placement feature, you need to add a preference to the Patran db using:

       db_add_pref(524,2,0,TRUE,0.0,"") 

       db_set_pref_logical(524,TRUE) 

from the patran command window input text data box. This will remain in effect for the life of the database.

When the "VECTORTEXTCENTERED" preference (524) is in effect, the label text associated to results vectors, result tensors, lbc marker "arrows", property "arrows", and arrow created using "gm_draw_result_arrow":