Scale Panel

Use the Scale panel to increase or decrease an entity's dimensions.

Location: Tool page

Scaling can be proportional or non-proportional.

When working with cylindrical or spherical coordinate systems, the x scale represents the radial direction. Scaling options for angle axes are removed, meaning that in cylindrical systems the y scale = option disappears, and in spherical systems both y scale = and z scale = disappear.

To undo scaling, select the opposite function without changing the scaling factors or origin. Each click of scale + reverses a click of scale - and vice versa.

When scaling components, all of the geometry (lines, surfaces, points) and elements (nodes) contained in the selected components are automatically scaled.

If you don't select a node for the scaling origin, the global or local coordinate system's origin is used.

Since scale factors act as multipliers or divisors, they cannot be zero, and a factor of one produces no change in the corresponding direction. Decimal factors are acceptable and can be helpful when converting a model to different units of measurement.

Non-uniform scaling can distort meshes and models. Uniform scaling can distort meshes if only some of an entity's nodes are scaled.

Panel Options

Option Action
entity selector Select entities for scaling.
When you select nodes or elems, click the switch to change the selection mode.
Nodes
nodes
Select individual nodes.


Figure 1. Example: Nodes Selection
faces
Select all of the nodes on 2D and 3D faces. If there are discontinuities on a 2D face, then only the nodes inbetween the discontinuities will be selected.


Figure 2. Example: Faces Selection
2D faces ext
Select all of the nodes on a 2D face that contain discontinuities.


Figure 3. Example: 2D Faces Ext Selection
loops
Select all of the nodes on continuous free edges that make a closed loop simultaneously, such as the perimeter of a hole.
Important: Only valid for SHELL elements.


Figure 4. Example: Loops Selection
free edges
Select all of the nodes on free edges of elements. If there are discontinuities on an edge, then only the nodes on the free edges inbetween the discontinuities will be selected.
Important: Only valid for SHELL elements.


Figure 5. Example: Free Edges Selection
free edges ext
Select all of the nodes on free edges of elements that contain discontinuities.
Important: Only valid for SHELL elements.


Figure 6. Example: Free Edges Ext Selection
edges
Select all of the nodes on free edges or shared edges (butt joints, L/corner joints, and T-joints) of elements. If there are discontinuities on an edge, then only the nodes on the edge inbetween the discontinuities will be selected.
Important: Only valid for SHELL elements.


Figure 7. Example: Edges Selection
edges ext
Select all of the nodes on free edges or shared edges (butt joints, L/corner joints, and T-joints) of elements that contain discontinuities.
Important: Only valid for SHELL elements.


Figure 8. Example: Edges Ext Selection
Elements
elems
Select individual elements, or select all of the elements contained by a component or on a surface.


Figure 9. Example: Elems Selection
faces
Select all of the elements on 2D and 3D faces. If there are discontinuities on a 2D face, then only the elements in between the discontinuities will be selected.


Figure 10. Example: Faces Selection
2D faces ext
Select all of the elements on a 2D face that contain discontinuities.


Figure 11. Example: 2D Faces Ext Selection
origin Entities scale based on their position relative to an origin node. Double-click node and enter a node ID, or click once and then select a node in the modeling window to set the origin node.
coordinate system Choose a type of coordinate system.
global system
Scale entities relative to the global coordinate system.
local system
Scale entities relative to a specific local coordinate system.
Local systems can be rectangular, cylindrical, or spherical.
When no node is selected as the origin, the selected system's origin serves as the origin.
Create local systems in the Systems panel.
x scale = Specify a factor by which the selection will scale in the selected system's x direction.
y scale = Specify a factor by which the selection will scale in the selected system's y direction.
z scale = Specify a factor by which the selection will scale in the selected system's z direction.
face angle / individual selection
face angle
Angle between the normal of facets that share an element edge. A facet can either be a shell element itself, or one of the faces of a solid element. The normal of triangular facets is that of the plane defined three corner vertices. Whereas, the normal of quadrilateral facets is calculated by taking the cross-product between its two diagonals. This special treatment for quadrilaterals is because a warped shape does not lie completely on a plane.
individual selection
Select individual elements on a face or select individual free/shared edges of elements.
edge angle
Split edges that belong to a given face. When the edge angle is 180 degrees, edges are the continuous boundaries of faces. For smaller values, these same boundary edges are split wherever the angle between segments exceeds the specified value. A segment is the edge of a single element.
Important: Only available when the entity selector is set to nodes and the selection mode is set to free edges, free edges ext, edges, or edges ext.

Command Buttons

Button Action
uniform Click to specify the desired scaling factor. The x scale, y scale, and z scale fields automatically change to this value so that the scaling is proportional.
scale+ Increase the selection's dimensions relative to the coordinate system and origin chosen. The scaling factor acts as a multiplier. For example, a factor of 2 doubles the selection's dimensions.
scale- Decrease the selection's dimensions relative to the coordinate system and origin chosen. The scaling factor acts as a divisor. For example, a factor of 2 halves the selection's dimensions.
return Accept the current scaling and exit the panel.