The Element Properties application provides the ability to: (1) define sets of analysis code specific element properties, and (2) apply, or associate these sets with selected finite elements. Element properties are created in named groups that are referred to as sets. The general use of Fields in defining sets is supported. Element Property sets also reference material properties created in the Materials top menu selection. Element Property sets remain in the database unless specifically deleted and thus provide an archival record. The ability to display individual properties, both in tabular form or visually on the model, is also provided.

A group of properties (e.g., thickness, mass, density, material name), that when taken together, provide all necessary information to define a specific element type as required by the selected analysis code. Sets have an associated name and number. Names are supplied by the user, and numbers are assigned in sequence by Patran. The only place you will see numbers displayed is in the Show/Marker Plot option. This is because text information cannot currently be displayed as marker annotation.

Each Element Property set is associated with a specific element type of a specific analysis code.

A Field is a scalar or vector quantity that is a function of up to three independent variables. It can be defined by tables or PCL expressions, and can be applied to both the definition of material properties and element properties. Examples would be a thickness distribution of a shell, or the stress-strain behavior in a material. Fields are defined in the Fields application switch. In Element Properties, names that are prefixed by f: are field names.

These are the graphic symbols that appear on the screen and provide visual feedback of the location, magnitude and direction of displayed element properties. They appear as the result of a Show/Marker Plot action. To remove them from the screen, turn off the “General Marker” display in the Display/Functional Assignments menu or click on the clear display icon (broom).

Virtually all element properties can be displayed as fringe plots on the model. Select the Show/Scalar Plot option and then the property to be displayed. To remove the plot from the screen, select the Display/Entity Types menu and change the Render Style to Wireframe or click on the clear display icon (broom).

A table which lists all elements with the selected property in the current viewport or all viewports in sequence along with the associated Set Name(s), Property Type, and Value.

A property is any information required to define FEM element properties as required by an analysis code. These include thickness, spring constants, areas, degrees-of-freedom, offsets, directions, masses, etc. Each property has a name and is of a specific type.

Each property has an associated property type. There are nine different property types: Integer, Real Scalar, Real Scalar List, Vector, Material Name, Character String, Node, Coordinate Frame, and Nodal Field Name. Every Property is classified as one of these types.

The Element Properties application has the capability of creating, modifying, deleting and showing sets of element properties. Element properties associated with all of the analysis codes listed under Preferences/Analysis are supported.

The Element Property sets that can be created also depend on the type of analysis being performed. Three different types are currently supported: Structural, Thermal, and Fluid Dynamic (CFD). Several analysis codes support both structural and thermal analyses.

Element properties are created and stored in the database as sets. Each set has a unique name and is associated with one analysis type (e.g., structural), one analysis code (e.g., MSC Nastran), and one element type (e.g., QUAD4). If the analysis code or analysis type preference is changed, the existing element property sets are modified to use the closest matching element type in the new preference environment. All applicable property data is automatically transferred.

Existing sets can be identified by selection within the respective Existing Sets listboxes, manual entry (modify and delete) of the set name, or visually selecting associated entities from the screen. If more than one unique property set results from a screen selection, all unique property set names associated with the screen-picked entities will be displayed alphabetically in a Selection Listbox to allow the final selection of a single existing property set. The delete operation has a slightly different behavior where all of the screen-picked property set names will be echoed in a To Be Deleted listbox.

Sets can be visually displayed on the screen by markers which show the location, type, magnitude, and direction of the selected property. Sets can also be displayed as tables.

A powerful capability is the display of any set scalar data directly on the model as a fringe plot. For display purposes, data is treated as “results,” with full user control over the spectrum, method, shading, etc. Data display is scalar, of course, but the data can be any nonvector element property.

The use of PCL commands in defining properties is supported indirectly. First, use the PCL option in the Fields function to create the desired input data distribution. The field can be used in the Element Properties function by simply selecting it from a listbox display.