Section Cut

Restriction: Only available in the Nastran and OptiStruct solvers in the Aerospace user profile. The tool supports 1D (CBAR, CBEAM, CROD) and 2D elements and multi materials, but is limited to metallic isotropic materials.

From the menu bar, click Aerospace > Beams > Section Cut.

Use this tool to intersect a selection of elements, 1D and 2D, and evaluate sectional properties:

Area moments of inertia
Flexural stiffness
Torsional stiffness
Neutral axis position

The tool can create multiple sections at a time and hence generate beam linking each section.

Table 1. Section Cut Description
Option	Values	Description	Result
Section method	By Plane Auto	Define how sections are defined.	If Auto, all section options are disabled except Number of cuts.
Section system	Global Local	Define which system section's normal is defined.	If local, a system selector is activated.
Section normal	Normal axis Reverse normal Global vertical axis	Define section cut normal axis. Global vertical axis is projected on plane to define the local vertical axis.	Defines section plane and local axis.
Section location	Offset from origin Nodes/points	Define section's base: Picking node/point list By offset from origin and cuts	Ends section definition.
Elements to include	Element selector	Select elements to include in section cut.	Defaults to displayed elements if no selection.
Calculate inertia	Neutral axis Centroid Base point	Position where area moments of inertia are reported.	Centroid is geometric barycenter while neutral axis is calculated as weighted average center.
Include shells	True/false Use offset	Consider shell elems from selection. Consider or not offset on shells.	Shells are supposed to be perpendicular to section. Intersection is then a rectangle with height equal to thickness.
Include beams	True/false Use offset	Consider beam elems from selection. Condsider or not beam offset.	Consider contribution of beam sections to total area and MoI.
Include rods	True/false	Consider rod elems from selection.	Rod elements contribute only to total area.
Create element set	True/false	Generate a set of elements intersected by the section.	One entity set per section. Can be viewed in Review mode.
Create section cut data	True/false Detail data	Generate a table with all sectional properties per section.	One table entity where each row is a section. Columns are sectional property attributes. This table is used in review mode.
Create node	True/false Centroid Neutral axis Both	Create a node at the section's center or neutral axis or at both locations.	Node(s) created at each section.
Create beamsection	True/false Keep lines	Create a beamsection from shell intersection only. Keep or delete lines created at plane intersection with shells.	One beamsection per section. Lines in either current or new components.
Create beam	True/false Centroid Neutral axis	Creates a beam element between two successive sections.	1D beams with property assigned.

Expected Results

In the example below a fuselage is cut using eight nodes sampled along the x axis. Beam elements were created at centroid (in a new component) and beamsections where generated while keeping lines. The result after clicking Apply is shown in the image below.

After clicking Review the tool opens a table with sectional properties. By selecting a cell in column Table ID a graphic object displays the section intersection with mesh, with a sphere at each intersected 1D element. Clicking Plot draws selected data name along the element path.