MSC.Patran Plot Set Utility

2 Development Focus  The Plot Set utility provides the ability to define and group many Patran post processing tools  Drastically reduce the time and provide accurate repeatability of post-processing large complex engineering data sets  Designed to capture the knowledge of a Company's domain experts and the relevant details of its engineering process  Ensures a consistent and more importantly, a replicable engineering environment

3 Development Focus  By using the concept of attribute iterators, the Plot Set utility allows users to define an almost unlimited number of result images  can vary relative to any plot attribute  with very few entries and/or user interaction  Each tool definition is contained in a single row of the Plot Set  Each cell within a row contains a portion of the tools definition  Results Data and numerical process to be applied to the data, graphical attributes of the plot, and model entities where the plot will occur  Plot Set iterators are then used to produce the plots formed by all the possible combinations of cell specifications

4 User Scenarios  To generate all relevant result images with the following specifications:  Two result cases  Fringe plots for 4 Stress Tensor quantities  Von Mises, X Component, Y Component & Max Principal  Two unique graphics attribute sets  Two unique plot target entity sets  That’s 32 possible combinations  That’s 32 possible combinations!!

5 User Scenarios  Generate the Fringe templates first with desired attributes  Graphics attribute 1  Display: Element Edges  Element Shrink Factor: 0.35  Show Max/Min Label: Off  Averaging Domain: None  Extrapolation: Centroid  Graphics attribute 2  Display: Free Edges  Element Shrink Factor: 0  Show Max/Min Label: Off  Averaging Domain: None  Extrapolation: Shape Fn.

6 User Scenarios  Utilize “Use From Value” to create the template  Template name: Fringe_attribute_1

7 User Scenarios  Repeat to create to create the second template  Template name: Fringe_attribute_2

8 User Scenarios  In order to input the Results Data and numerical process to be applied to the data, graphical attributes of the plot, and model entities where the plot will occur  Blank Plot Set must be created first

9 User Scenarios  Use the EDIT action to specify/modify plot data & attributes Use Edit… button to activate the EDIT Spreadsheet

10 User Scenarios  Use “Add Row…” option to populate the spreadsheet

11 User Scenarios  Row 1 is automatically populated  With previously defined row name and plot row type  Click on “Results” cell to specify values

12 User Scenarios  Highlight desired results  Two result cases  4 Stress Tensor quantities  We will leave the Result Case Combination method to “NONE”, and Layer Location to “At Z1”.

13 User Scenarios  Go back to main EDIT spreadsheet and click on “Attributes” cell to specify graphics attributes  Use both Fringe Result Templates  Set the view to Isometric View  Use standard spectrum & range  You have the flexibility to change the viewport, view, spectrum & range settings

14 User Scenarios  Go back to main EDIT spreadsheet and click on “Targets” cell to specify plot target entities

15 User Scenarios  Two targets will be created  One with Current Viewport  One with Element  Specify only a small subset of the model

16 User Scenarios  All Results Data and numerical process to be applied to the data, graphical attributes of the plot, and model entities where the plot will occur have been adequately defined  Plots can be created in  Patran viewport  Using “Preview Only”  As JPEG files  Turning off “Preview Only” option  Plot Sets are automatically saved in the database

17 User Scenarios  Here are some examples of the 32 images created Result Case 1, von Mises, Fringe Template 1 & current viewport target Result Case 1, von Mises, Fringe Template 2 & current viewport target Result Case 1, von Mises, Fringe Template 1 & selected elements target Result Case 1, von Mises, Fringe Template 2 & selected elements target

18 User Scenarios  Here are more examples of the 32 images created Result Case 1, X Component, Fringe Template 1 & current viewport target Result Case 1, X Component, Fringe Template 2 & current viewport target Result Case 1, X Component, Fringe Template 1 & selected elements target Result Case 1, X Component, Fringe Template 2 & selected elements target