Visualizing Deformations

Deformed Mesh images are used to visualize the finite element mesh in the deformed configuration of the system, as a result of environmental action (loading). Deformed Mesh Image objects can belong to Static Case Solution objects sets or to Frequency Case Solution objects sets.

This task shows how to generate Deformed Mesh images on parts.

You can use the sample23.CATAnalysis document from the samples directory for this task.

Before You Begin:

	Go to `View -> Render Style -> Customize View` and make sure the `Edges points, Shading` and `Materials` option are active in the Custom View Modes dialog box.
	Compute the solution. For this, click the Compute icon .

1. Click the Deformation icon

.
The Deformed Mesh object appears in the specification tree under the active Static Case Solution objects set.

The Deformed Mesh on the part is visualized.

2. Double-click the Deformed Mesh object in the specification tree to edit the image.
The Image Fem Editor dialog box appears.

Under the Mesh tab, the Display on Deformed Mesh switch and the Shrink Coefficient let you modify the image characteristics.

If you click the Selections tab (only available with the ELFINI Structural Analysis product), the dialog box now lets you select mesh entities for a given connection.

These mesh entities are either all the elements included in the mesh part or the elements or nodes associated to the geometry supporting a specification. This is available for all types of specifications: Mesh specifications, Connections, Loads, Restraints and Masses.

The mesh entity you select in the dialog box (whatever the type) corresponds to the visualized selection.

3. Click OK to quit the Image Fem Editor dialog box.
The image corresponding to the settings you defined is now visualized.

You can use the right mouse click (key 3) on a Deformed Mesh Image feature in the specification tree and select the option called Activate/Deactivate to turn the corresponding image on or off.

Products Available in Analysis Workbench

The ELFINI Structural Analysis product offers the following additional features:

With a right mouse click (key 3) on a Deformed Mesh feature in the specification tree:

Report: this option generates a report in .html and .txt formats.

You could also start by creating a Finite Element Model containing a Frequency Analysis Case, and compute a Frequency Solution prior to beginning this task.

In that case, if you double-click the Deformed Mesh Image object in the specification tree to edit the image, a different Image Fem Editor dialog box is displayed:

In addition to the Mesh tab, it also contains the Frequencies and Selections tab.

Frequencies tab
By pressing the Frequencies tab you display the list of modes with the associated frequencies. You can then activate separately each mode of this multi-occurrence solution.

You can modify the image characteristics by activating the various options.

Selections tab
By pressing the Selections tab, you can multi-select images, mesh elements or grouped specifications for a given connection.