Config Edit Panel
Use the Config Edit panel to make changes to the configuration of existing elements.
Location: 1D, 2D, and 3D pages
Use this panel when you want to modify the element configuration of a model. For example, if you have a model that includes a section of quad elements that were given the initial configuration of plates, but that section is really best represented by beam behavior, you may change the configuration from plate to beam. Using Config Edit panel allows the quad elements to be changed into beam elements.
Another convenient use of the Config Edit panel is it enables you to pair this option with the function to generate plot elements, which are similar to gap elements, but have no properties. An example is where you have created a complex structure made up of two planes each containing a thousand elements. If, after creating your model, you determine that you would like to have 1000 gap elements between those two planes, you can create plot elements between all those nodes by using linear 1D. After the plot elements have been created, it is possible to change the plot elements to gap elements by changing the value of the configuration to that of gaps. It is then possible to assign gap properties to those gap elements and to run the model. This eliminates having to create the gap elements individually.
Panel Options
| Option | Action |
|---|---|
| entity selector | Select elements whose configuration you wish to change. |
| new config | Enter a new configuration for the elements, or click to select a configuration. |
Command Buttons
| Button | Action |
|---|---|
| switch | Change the configuration of the selected elements to the specified new config. |
| reject | Revert a change. |
| return | Exit the panel. |
Comments
- When you change an element configuration, the values stored with the element are set to zero. You can update these values in the appropriate panels.
- When you change the configuration, the order of the nodes on the old element is maintained on the new element.
- Element configuration changes are only allowed if the new element configuration has at least as many nodes as the old configuration.
- RBE3 elements can be converted to rigidlink elements and rigidlink elements can be converted to RBE3 elements, but other element types can not be converted to RBE3 or rigidlink elements.