Apply Tensor Settings to Elements in a Model

  1. From the View Controls toolbar, click .
  2. From the Tensor panel, select the name of the data type that should be used to calculate the tensor plot from the Result type drop-down menu.
    Only tensor result type data, indicated with a (t), are available for selection.
    Tip: Click the expansion button , to open the Choose From List dialog where you can filter result types for faster selection.
  3. Optional: If a layer definition is available for an element, you can create a tensor plot for a specified element layer by selecting an option from the Layers drop-down menu.
    The settings will be applied to all layers defined in the model. If an element has no layer definition, as with solids, the tensors are displayed regardless of layer selection.
    Note: Solver specific layer options are also available. Solver dependent label(s), Z1 and Z2 for example,indicate the lower and upper layers of shells for a Nastran model.
    Tip: Use the Layer Filter to reduce the layer list available for aggregation for the data types which have layers (for example, plies in composite stress/stains or any vector result with layers).
  4. Optional: If corner data is available and Average at node is checked, activate the Use corner data check box to calculate the tensor averaging to nodes.
  5. Before creating a tensor plot, you must pick one or more entities from the model.
    • Click the entity type input collector (Elements or Components) and use the extended entity selection menu.
    • Pick entities directly from the model in the modeling window.
    Note: If no selection is made, the tensor will be applied to displayed elements or components by default.
  6. Select the coordinate system that will be used to plot the results from the Resolved in drop-down menu.
    Coordinate System Description
    Global System Transforms to the global system.

    (proj: none) indicates that no projection rule is selected for shells. When a projection rule is selected (using the Projection Rule button) it is displayed, for example, (proj: y, x).
    Elemental System Transforms results to the element coordinate system. In HyperLife, the element coordinate system is defined by element connectivity.
    Analysis System Displays the vector and tensor results as they are output from the solver.
    User System Click the System input collector to select a system by ID or pick from the screen.
    Note: This option is available when the results file contains a user-defined coordinate system.

    (proj: none) indicates that no projection rule is selected for shells. When a projection rule is selected (using the Projection Rule… button) it is displayed, for example, (proj: y, x).
  7. Optional: Activate the Average at node check box to average elemental tensors to nodes.
    If no tensors are available at corners, tensors from centroidals will be used. You can enable HyperLife to use corner tensors by checking User corner data. Since average tensor to node is required to transfer all the tensors to a uniform system for accurate calculation, only the global system or one user-defined system is allowed when Average at node is selected.
    When averaging at nodes is activated for elemental results, the results for the nodes shared by two or more components will not be averaged. HyperLife assumes that different components are defined with different properties or materials, therefore the elemental results are not averaged across the component boundary.
  8. Optional: Activate the Show midside node results check box to calculate and show the tensors at the mid-side nodes if it is not available in the results file.
    Restriction: This option is disabled whenever any of the following conditions are met:
    • The model does not have 2nd order elements.
    • The Average at node option is turned off.
  9. Select the format for the plot from the Tensor format drop-down menu.
    • Principal
    • Component
  10. Load or display any component of a tensor by selecting from the options available under Show.
    • For Principal, activate the P1(Major), P2(Mid), or P3(Minor) check box(es).
    • For Component, activate the XX, YY, or ZZ coordinates check box(es).
    The shear components of a Strain tensor, XY, YZ, or ZX, are typically available from different solvers in either the Engineering shear form or the Tensor shear form. The relationship between the two forms is that Engineering shear form is twice that of Tensor shear form. Whenever the strain tensor has to be transformed, or the principals and VonMises need to be calculated, the shear components in Tensor shear form are applied. A HyperLife tensor plot always represents the shear components of the Strain in the Tensor shear format, in order to represent a complete tensor. The Contour panel however, will show the shear components of the strain tensor as they are output from the solver. Check the corresponding Solver documentation to understand what form the shear strains are output.
  11. Click Apply.
    The tensor settings are applied to the selected elements on the model.