Visualization

Visualization of thickness, layers, and orientations.

2D Detailed Thickness and Layers

Visualization toolbar options for elements and plies.

Element and Ply Visualization

The exact visualization of ply layers in a composite material requires the use of both the Composite Visualization and Element (complexity) Visualization options.

These options work in tandem to determine exactly how composite layers will display in HyperMesh.

Access these options from the Visualization toolbar.
  • (1D/2D Element Representation)
  • (Composite Visualization)
2D Traditional Element Representation ()
HyperMesh represents composite layers, when visible, as 2D shells:


Figure 1. Layers Off


Figure 2. Composite Layers


Figure 3. Layers with Fiber Direction
2D Detailed Element Representation ()


Figure 4. Layers Off


Figure 5. Composite Layers


Figure 6. Layers with Fiber Direction
2D Traditional and Detailed Element Representation ()


Figure 7. Layers Off


Figure 8. Composite Layers


Figure 9. Layers with Fiber Direction


Figure 10. Layers with Fiber Direction for Continuum Shells. Original element geometry is shown in transparent mode, so that differences in elemental versus property thickness can be easily seen.

Material Reference Orientation

Material reference orientation of composite laminates.

The material reference orientation of a composite laminate defines zero degree fiber direction from which ply orientations rotate. Visualizations are performed using the Material Reference Orientation dialog.

  1. From the Composite Browser, right-click the white space and select Orient > Material Reference Review from the context menu.
  2. In the dialog, click the Material System tab.
For further details, see Material Reference Orientation.


Figure 11.

Orientation Review

Plot and modify common coordinate systems used in CAE analysis.

The Orientation Review tool provides visualization of commonly used coordinate systems. Additionally, there are several methods to manipulate the orientation of certain coordinate systems.

The tabs in the Orientation Review dialog are defined in the following table.
Tab Functionality
Element System Plot the default local system for 1D, 2D or 3D elements.
Nodal System Plot systems associated with nodes. Typically used to review displacement and reference systems in the OptiStruct and Nastran user profiles.
Orientation Plot and manipulate the order of nodes, sets default element coordinate systems.
Material System Plot the material coordinate system on elements.
Ply Directions Plot the 1, 2 and/or 3 directions of plies.
Ply Normals Plot and correct the ply normal of plies.

Elemental System

Plot the default element coordinate system for 1D, 2D, or 3D elements.

Elemental systems are dependent on the element type and solver type. For example, the image below shows the default element system for OptiStruct and Nastran CQUAD4 elements.


Figure 12.
Set options according to the table below.
Table 1.
Option Action
Pick Elements Select elements on which to plot x, y, and/or z element system directions.

Elemental System Usage

How to use the Elemental System tab.

  1. From the menu bar, click Tools > Orientation Review.
  2. From the Orientation Review dialog, click the Elemental system tab.
  3. Use the Elements selector to select elements.
  4. Define the display options.
  5. Select one of the following:
    • Apply - Show the system display
    • Clear - Clear the plot generated by this tab
    • Clear All - Clear all plots generated by Orientation Review


    Figure 13.

Nodal System

Plot systems associated with nodes.

Typically used to review displacement and reference systems in the OptiStruct and Nastran user profiles.

Set options according to the table below.
Option Action
Pick Nodes Select nodes on which to display system information.
System Determines system type to plot. Specific to OptiStruct and Nastran displacement and reference systems on GRID card. Choose from:
  • Displacement – Plot the system associated to the CD field of the GRID card. The global system will be plotted if the GRID has no assigned CD.
  • Reference – Plot the system assigned to CP field of the GRID card. The global system will be plotted if the GRID has no assigned CP.

Nodal System Usage

How to use the Nodal System tab.

  1. From the menu bar, click Tools > Orientation Review.
  2. From the Orientation Review dialog, click the Nodal system tab.
  3. Use the Nodes selector to select nodes.
  4. Set System to Displacement.
  5. Select one of the following:
    • Apply - Display the displacement system assigned to each selected node
    • Clear - Clear the plot generated by this tab
    • Clear All - Clear all plots generated by Orientation Review


    Figure 14.

Element Orientation

Plot and manipulate the order of nodes that sets default element coordinate systems.

Element orientations for most solvers are determined by the sequence of nodes on the element card. This tab provides several methods of node renumbering to change element coordinate system x or z axis.

Set options according to the table below.
Option Action
Pick Elements Select the elements on which to manipulate node numbering.
Function This provides several methods of reviewing elemental system directions and changing node ordering. Choose from:
  • Display normals – plot the current element normals for selected elements (2D, 3D elements).
  • Reverse normals – reverse the current element normals for selected elements (2D, 3D elements).
  • Reverse 1D – reverse the node ordering of 1D elements.
  • Display N1-N2 dir. – display the direction from N1-N2. Intended for 2D elements in OptiStruct or Nastran profiles.
  • Align N1-N2 dir. – see table row below.
Align N1-N2 dir. Methods Set the N1-N2 direction of selected elements as close as possible to the input method, without remeshing. The tool will not change the element normal. Intended for legacy OptiStruct and Nastran use cases. In typical cases, use material orientation methods to set material directions. The following methods are available:
  • By element – use this element as a template for selected element N1-N2 directions.
  • By system axis – use selected system axis for N1-N2 direction.
  • By vector – use input vector for N1-N2 direction.

Orientation Usage – Reverse 1D

How to use the Orientation tab.

  1. From the menu bar, click Tools > Orientation Review.
  2. From the Orientation Review dialog, click the Orientation tab.
  3. Use the Elements selector to select elements.
  4. Set Function to Reverse 1D.
  5. Select one of the following:
    • Apply - Reverse selected 1D element directions
    • Clear - Clear the plot generated by this tab
    • Clear All - Clear all plots generated by Orientation Review


    Figure 15.

Orientation Usage - Align N1-N2 Direction

How to use the Orientation tab.

  1. From the menu bar, click Tools > Orientation Review.
  2. From the Orientation Review dialog, click the Orientation tab.
  3. Use the Elements selector to select elements.
  4. Set Function to Align N1-N2 dir.
  5. Set Selection Method to By element and select an element to use as a template for elements selected in Step 2.
  6. Define display options.
  7. Select one of the following:
    • Apply - Align N1-N2 directions
    • Clear - Clear the plot generated by this tab
    • Clear All - Clear all plots generated by Orientation Review


    Figure 16.

Material System

Plot the material coordinate system on elements.



Figure 17.
Set options according to the table below.
Table 2.
Option Action
Pick Elements Select elements on which to plot x, y and/or z material system directions.

Material System Usage

How to use the Material System tab.

  1. From the menu bar, click Tools > Orientation Review.
  2. From the Orientation Review dialog, click the Material system tab.
  3. Use the Elements selector to select elements.
  4. Define display options.
  5. Select one of the following:
    • Apply - Show the system display
    • Clear - Clear the plot generated by this tab
    • Clear All - Clear all plots generated by Orientation Review


    Figure 18.

Ply Directions

Plot the 1, 2 and/or 3 directions of plies.

The ply directions tab can be used to plot ply directions of ply based models. Drape ply directions can also be plotted. A vector will be plotted for each pair of thickness and orientation correction data in the drape table. For example, there will be one vector for the unidirectional ply type, two vectors (warp and weft tows) for the unidirectional weave ply type and n vectors (each passing of the product tow over a given element) for the wound ply type. For zone based layer direction visualization, use the Ply Directions panel.


Figure 19.
Set options according to the table below.
Option Action
Select ply Select a ply to plot orientation by clicking the yellow ply collector. Alternatively, use the arrows to move through the list of plies in the model.
Options Choose which ply directions to plot:
  • Fiber orientation – the nominal ply direction on the selected ply
  • Drape fiber orientation – the draped ply direction on the selected ply. This shows the additional rotation due to draping.
  • System – the ply system assigned to the ply. Only available if ply has ply system.

Ply Directions Usage

How to use the Ply Directions tab.

  1. From the menu bar, click Tools > Orientation Review.
  2. From the Orientation Review dialog, click the Ply directions tab.
  3. Use the plies selector to select a ply or use the arrows to toggle through plies.
  4. Define display options.
  5. Confirm that Fiber Orientation is selected. Optionally, select Drape fiber orientation if your model has drape tables.
  6. Select one of the following:
    • Apply - Show the ply directions for the selected ply

      Use the arrows in the ply selection to toggle through plies in the model.

    • Clear - Clear the plot generated by this tab
    • Clear All - Clear all plots generated by Orientation Review


    Figure 20.

Ply Normals

Plot and correct the ply normal of plies.

In models with T junctions that are modeled using a ply based method, plies on each side of the web will have opposite stacking directions. On one side, the element stacking direction will be consistent with the cap. On the other side it will not. See the image below of an example I-beam.


Figure 21.

The discontinuity in stacking direction on the left side of the I-beam model will be corrected using ply normals. Ply normals manipulate the direction an individual ply stacks. When the ply normal tool is used to reverse a ply normal, a drape table is created for the ply. It subtracts 2*θ from the ply orientation which is mathematically equivalent to flipping the direction the ply is stacked.

Set options according to the table below.
Option Action
Select ply Select a ply to plot orientation by clicking the yellow ply collector. Alternatively, use the arrows to move through the list of plies in the model.
Normals Choose from:
  • Display – if active, current ply normals will be displayed
  • Reverse – if active, current ply normals will be flipped
Pick elements Typically only a portion of a given ply requires that ply normals are flipped. This selection determines which elements of a ply will be flipped.

Ply Normals Usage

How to use the Ply Normals tab.

  1. From the menu bar, click Tools > Orientation Review.
  2. From the Orientation Review dialog, click the Ply normals tab.
  3. Click Apply to plot the current ply normals.
  4. Toggle the Select ply arrows until a ply is reached that requires normals to be flipped.
    Notice the discontinuity.
  5. To correct ply normals, click the Pick elements collector twice to access the element selection panel and select only those elements that need to be flipped.
  6. Select the Reverse radio button under Normals and click Apply.
    This will flip the stacking direction for just the elements of the ply at the selected elements.
  7. Select the Display radio button under Normals and click Apply.
    This will plot corrected ply normals for the ply.