Nodes

Nodes are the most basic finite element entity. A node represents a physical position on the structure being modeled.

A node is used by an element entity to define the location and shape of that element. It is also used as temporary input to create geometry entities.

A node may contain a pointer to other geometric entities and can be associated directly to them.

Nodes are considered to be used if they are referenced in the definition of an element, system, vector, group, load, equation, or are referenced by any card image on any Engineering Solutions entity. Unused nodes and any loads that are attached to unused nodes are automatically deleted.

Nodes cannot be organized into components. Nodes can also be organized into Engineering Solutions include files, which defines the solver include file they will be exported to.

A node as displayed a small circle or sphere, depending on the mesh graphics mode. Its color is always yellow.

Create Nodes

  • xyz - Creates by specifying (x,y,z) coordinates (Nodes panel).
  • on geometry - Creates at graphically selected locations on points, lines, surfaces and planes (Nodes panel).
  • arc center - Creates nodes at the center of the arc that best approximates the input set of nodes, points or lines (Nodes panel).
  • extract parametric - Creates nodes at parametric locations on lines and surfaces (Nodes panel).
  • extract on line - Creates evenly spaced or biased nodes on a selection of lines (Nodes panel).
  • interpolate nodes - Creates evenly spaced or biased nodes by interpolating between existing nodes in space (Nodes panel).
  • interpolate on line - Creates evenly spaced or biased nodes by interpolating between existing nodes on a line (Nodes panel).
  • interpolate on surface - Creates evenly spaced or biased nodes by interpolating between existing nodes on a surface (Nodes panel).
  • intersect - Creates nodes at the intersection of geometric entities: lines/lines, lines/surfaces, lines/solids, lines/planes, vector/lines, vector/surfaces, vector/solids and vector/plane (Nodes panel).
  • temp nodes - Creates nodes by duplicating existing nodes or creating nodes on existing geometry or elements (Temp Nodes panel).
  • circle center - Creates nodes at the center of the circle defined by exactly three nodes (Distance panel).
  • duplicate - Creates nodes by duplicating existing nodes. This is available in many panels when the "duplicate" advanced entity selector is available on a nodes input collector.
  • on screen - Creates nodes by pre-selecting existing geometry or elements and clicking on the locations to create the nodes. This is available in any panel that has a node or node list input collector (Picking nodes on geometry or elements).
  • Misc. API commands that do not have an associated panel.

Edit Nodes

  • clear - Deletes temp nodes (Temp Nodes panel).
  • associate - Associates nodes to fixed points, surface edges and surfaces by moving them onto those entities (Node Edit panel).
  • move - Moves nodes along surfaces (Node Edit panel).
  • place - Places nodes on a surface at a specified location (Node Edit panel).
  • remap - Moves nodes by mapping them from one line or surface edge to another (Node Edit panel).
  • align - Aligns/projects nodes to an imaginary line (Node Edit panel).
  • find - Create temp nodes by finding FE nodes associated with other FE entities (Find panel).
  • translate - Moves nodes along a vector direction (Translate panel).
  • rotate - Rotates nodes about a vector axis (Rotate panel).
  • scale - Scales the dimensions of nodes either proportionally or uniformly (Scale panel).
  • reflect - Reflects nodes about a plane to create a mirror image (Reflect panel).
  • project - Projects nodes onto a plane, vector, line/surface edge or surface (Project panel).
  • position - Translates and rotate nodes into new positions (Position panel).
  • permute - Switches the coordinates of nodes (Permute panel).
  • renumber - Renumbers nodes (Renumber panel).
  • Misc. API commands that do not have an associated panel.

Query Nodes

  • card editor - With an appropriate template loaded, the card editor can be used to review node information (Card Editor panel).
  • distance - Finds the distance between two nodes (Distance panel).
  • shortest distance - Finds the shortest distance between entities (Shortest Distance dialog).
  • angle - Finds the angle between three nodes (Distance panel).
  • organize - Moves nodes into different include files (Organize panel).
  • numbers - Displays the IDs of nodes (Numbers panel).
  • count - Counts the total or displayed nodes (Count panel).
  • Misc. API commands that do not have an associated panel.

Supported Solver Cards

Solver cards supported for nodes.

Abaqus

Card Description
*NFILL Generates nodes for a region of a mesh by filling in nodes between two bounds.
Note: Resolved to individual entities on import, and are written back on export the same way.
*NGEN Generates nodes incrementally.
Note: Nodes can only be created incrementally between two nodes.

Nodes generated along a parabola or curve are not supported (LINE=P or C parameter is not supported).

SYSTEM parameter is currently unsupported.

Resolved to individual entities on import, and are written back on export the same way.
*NODE Defines nodal coordinates.
Note: The SYSTEM parameter is created automatically during export based upon the type of reference coordinate system that is assigned to the nodes.

The card image for a node is displayed in global Cartesian coordinates in Engineering Solutions.

ANSYS

Card Description
N Defines a node.
N Defines a node.
N Defines a node.
NBLOCK Defines a node.

EXODUS

Card Description
NODE  

LS-DYNA

Card Description
*NODE Defines a node and its coordinates in the global coordinate system.
Note: Card can be previewed, but not edited.
*NODE_RIGID_SURFACE Defines a rigid node and its coordinates in the global coordinate system.
Note: Card can be previewed, but not edited.

Nastran

Card Description
GRID Defines the location of a geometric grid point, the directions of its displacement, and its permanent single-point constraints.
Note: Permanent single point constraint field supported for feinput only. On export, equivalent SPC cards are output.
SPOINT Defines scalar points.
Note: Supported the same way GRID is supported. On import or export, all nodes that are designated to be SPOINT will be converted to nodes at the origin.

OptiStruct

Card Description
GRID Defines the location of a geometric grid point of the structural model, the directions of its displacement, and its permanent single-point constraints.
Note: Bulk Data Entry

Exported in large field format by the optistructlf template.
SPOINT Defines sets of single-point constraints, enforced displacements for static analysis, and thermal boundary conditions for heat transfer analysis.
Note: Bulk Data Entry

Ideally a scalar point has no location, but in Engineering Solutions it is represented as a node.

PAM-CRASH

Card Description
CNODE/ Defines a common node.
NODE/ Defines a node.
Note: Use the find_cnodes summary template to highlight all CNODE nodes as temporary nodes.

Permas

Card Description
$COOR Defines nodal points and their coordinates.

Radioss

Card Description
/CNODE Defines the coordinate of common node, which could be merged to the nearest selected NODE or CNODE.
Note: Block Format Keyword
/NODE Defines the coordinate of node, which is fundamental unit of graphic in structure.
Note: Block Format Keyword

Samcef

Card Description
.NOE Defines the coordinates of the nodes of the structure.