Results for each model are partitioned into identifiable sets called Result Cases. A Result Case may correspond to a static load case, a load step in a nonlinear analysis, a mode shape in a normal mode analysis, or a myriad of other analysis types. Result Cases generally correspond to Load Cases from an analysis run as defined and set up in Patran. The terminology between Load Case and Result Case is interchangeable in many cases. However it is possible in Patran to import results that are not associated to a Load Case. For this reason result sets are referred to as Result Cases as opposed to Load Cases.

Each item in the listbox filled with result sets corresponds to only one Result Case. Each Result Case is associated with one or more global variables. Global variable are results that are global to a particular set of result and not each individual finite element entity. All results have at least one global variable, that being the LOAD CASE INDEX. This is basically an internal ID of the Result Case. Other global variables can include mode number, frequency, time, and design cycles/variables. The global variables can be used:

The Patran result postprocessor treats all Result Cases on an equal basis. There is no distinction between a static, nonlinear analysis, transient, or modal analysis except as indicated in its title. A result type can exist in one or more Result Cases. Once a group of Result Cases are selected, the associated result types are retrieved from the database. Duplicate and conjugate (for complex results) result types are removed. The result type labels are listed in the Result listboxes. An item in a result listbox may represent one or more result types in the database.

The Patran results postprocessor has no pre-defined result types. The tool attaches no internal significance to the labels of the result types. Result processing is completely based on the result attributes. The external translators that import results determine which labels to assign to which results from the analysis program output. Once translated and stored in the Patran database, the source of these results are transparent to the results postprocessor.

The Patran results postprocessor allows for selection of multiple Result Cases for processing. This functionality is important for animation, xy plots, load case combination, and finding the maximum/minimum of results across load cases. More information about result data types is presented below,

Results may be scalar, vector, or tensor quantities. The data type of each result is determined and set by the result translator. Scalar results have no coordinate system attributes, but vector and tensor results are always associated with some coordinate system. A tensor is defined as a symmetric matrix of rank 2 which is stored as six associated values (xx, yy, zz, xy, yz, zx). Unless otherwise noted, vectors and tensors always denote the components that represent them in a certain coordinate system. See Coordinate Systems, 27.

The plot types are associated with the data type and the associativity of the results as follows:

The data type of the results can be changed to make its associated plot type available for plots. This change may involve a derivation and/or coordinate system definition. See Derivations, 8.

Results are associated with either nodes or elements, but not both. This associativity characterizes the result type. If a particular result exists both as a nodal result and an element result (e.g., energy), the result translator must create two result types with distinct result labels.

You cannot change this associativity and, once defined, the attribute along with the data type determines the available plot types. Some plot types only deal with a particular associativity (e.g., deformed plot only for nodal vector results, tensor plot only for element tensor results) but other plot types deal with both (e.g., fringe plot, xy plot, report). Some processing methods are only applicable to either nodes or elements, whereas other methods are applicable to both.

If a processing method involves elements, but results are associated with nodes, the results at these nodes will be assigned to the elements sharing the common nodes. Interpolation functions are then used to compute results at any point within the element from the results at element nodes. See Averaging, 15.

The converse is also true. If a processing method involves nodes, but results are associated with elements, the results within the elements will be extrapolated out to the nodes. See Extrapolation, 21. To report results at the nodes from elemental data, the contribution at a node from each surrounding element is averaged to a single scalar value (or vector or tensor depending on the data type). When derived results are requested from vector or tensor data, the order in which averaging and derivation are done is important. Control of this order is given to the user which can give different answers.

The Patran Results Processor can process complex results. Each result type has an attribute to indicate its numerical form:

If results are complex, the option to display the values as real, imaginary, magnitude, or phase are computed (in temporal space) at a particular phase angle.

The result at any angle is:

or

where corresponds to purely real results and corresponds to purely imaginary results.

Magnitude and phase of complex results are computed from real and imaginary result pairs as

which is then converted to range .

Except for the numerical form, conjugate results must have the same attributes as those of their paired results. They must belong to the same Result Case, same data type, same associativity, same layer-position, same nodes/elements, and for element results, computed at the same output location within elements.

Once converted to single form (i.e., real, imaginary, magnitude, phase angle or at a particular phase angle), results are treated the same way as non-complex results.

For plate or shell elements, results can be computed at a particular location through the thickness. For composite elements, results can be computed for a particular layer, and/or at a particular location in the thickness of a layer. These two through-thickness positions are collapsed into an attribute called layer position. Each layer position specifies a unique layer ID (0 for homogeneous elements) and a unique location within the layer (labelled NON-LAYERED for solids). The labels for layer positions created by the results translators indicate the actual location of the output points.

For homogeneous beams or bars, each layer position corresponds to an output location in the beam section. The layer position attributes contain the actual physical coordinates of the output points. All other layer position coordinates are dimensionless parametric coordinates. For layered beams/bars, the results are treated like plates and shells. The labels for layer positions in beams indicate the actual locations of the output points.

For homogeneous beams or bars, a dummy layer-position is created so that it has a layer position ID for access. Composite solids are treated as composite plates/shells.

The Patran Results Postprocessor only uses the ID of the layer position to retrieve its associated results. The labels for layer position are transparent to the processor.

Each result in Patran has to be associated with a node or an element ID. A result that is associated with the whole result case is called a global variable, such as time or frequency. Results can be displayed only if their associated nodes/elements exist in the targeted entities for any given plot type. A variety of options exist to specify at which entities to target result plots:

Results in the database can belong to a superset or subset of these ID lists, but only the results that belong to the elements/nodes effected by the intersection of these lists are able to be displayed.

Element results can be computed at any point in the element. The location of the output point is part of an attribute called element position. The element position contains, among other things, the parametric coordinates of the output. The result translators create these attributes and assigns them to the element results. It makes no difference to the Patran Results Processor if this point is one of the element nodes, the element faces, the element edges, the Gaussian quadrature points, or the element centroid. The coordinate system type depends on the element topology.

It is important to note that: