Engineering Solutions

Bars panel

Bars panel

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Bars panel

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Use the Bars panel to create, review, or update bar2 or bar3 elements.

 

Panel Usage

A bar element is an element created in a space between two or three nodes of a model where beam properties are desired. The nodes are related to each other based on the properties of the bar or beam element connecting them. Properties associated with bar elements include vector orientation, offset vectors that end at A and B, or at A, B, and C, and pin flags to tell it what degree of freedom should carry through the beam.

Note:Terminology sometimes varies between different solvers.  For example, the "pins" referred to on this panel are also sometimes called "beam releases".

Bar elements are element config 60 (bar2) and 63 (bar3) and are displayed as a line between two nodes with BAR2 or BAR3 written at the centroid of the element.

Consult the help for your solver to determine whether or not it supports bar2 or bar3 elements.

 

Subpanels and Inputs

The Bars panel contains the following subpanels and command buttons:

hmtoggle_arrow1Bar2

Panel Inputs

Input

Action

node A

Use this button to determine one end of the bar.

node B

Use this button to determine the second end of the bar.

orientation

This determines how the bars are oriented in 3D space.  Click the switch and select from either vector, components, node or plane:

•Components: Select this if the direction of the local y axis of the bar is to be specified by typing in the X, Y, and Z components.
•Node: Use this option to select a node to specify the vector orientation.
•Vector: Use the standard plane and vector selector to determine the orientation of the bar.
•Plane: Select Plane if you want the vector to be parallel to a plane based on the global coordinate axes.

N1, N2, N3

Displays when vector is selected as the entity. Choose three points to define a plane whose normal (determined via the right-hand rule) will serve as the vector.

x axis, y axis, z axis, vector

Displays when vector is selected as the entity. Select one of the global axes, or select the desired vector.

orientation in basic/displacement

Displays when components is selected for the orientation.  This determines the bar's orientation relative to how the bar element's coordinate system is defined:

•Orientation in basic uses the default system of the grid points that define the element.
•Orientation in displacement applies only if the referenced grid points have a displacement system defined.

x comp, y comp, z comp

Appears when the selection from the entities switch is components. Type in the x, y, and z components.

direction node

Appears when the selection from the entities switch is node. Use this option to select a node to specify the vector orientation.

x direction / y direction

Appears when the selection from the entities switch is node or plane.

Parallel to

Use the switch to select a combination of the global coordinate axes that describes the plane you wish the bar to be parallel to.

pins a = / pins b

Enter the degrees of freedom which are not intended to transmit force.

Note:Terminology sometimes varies between different solvers. For example, the "pins" referred to on this panel are also sometimes called "beam releases".

property =

Select a collector whose properties the bar should share.

elem types =

Click the button and select a type of element for the bars.  Available types depend on the current solver profile.

offsets in basic/displacement/elemental

This determines the bar's offset direction(s), depending on how the bar element's coordinate system is defined:

•offsets in basic uses the default system of the grid points that define the element.
•offsets in displacement applies only if the referenced grid points have a displacement system defined.
•offsets in elemental are offsets in directions defined by the bar element's own orientation system.
Note:These options are solver-specific, so not all options apply to  every solver profile. Check your solver documentation for details on how exactly these coordinate systems are defined and relate to bar elements.

offset values

Enter the ax, ay, az, bx, by, and bz values for the bar offsets.

Because bar elements are modeled as one-dimensional objects, these values represent the distance between the real-world edge of a bar and its center axis.  For example, if the bar was cylindrical in shape, A and B would determine where the edge of the bar attached to another element, but the offsets would represent the radius of the cylindrical bar and therefore would identify where the bar’s central axis lay in relation to the connection points.

 
hmtoggle_arrow1Bar3

Panel Inputs

Input

Action

node A

Use this button to determine one end of the bar.

node B

Use this button to determine the midpoint of the bar.

node C

Use this button to determine the other end of the bar.

Orientation

This determines how the bars are oriented in 3D space.  Click the switch and select from either vector, components, node or plane:

•Components: Select Components if the direction of the local y axis of the bar is to be specified by typing in the X, Y, and Z components.
•Node: Use this option to select a node to specify the vector orientation.
•Vector: Use the standard plane and vector selector to determine the orientation of the bar.
•Plane: Select Plane if you want the vector to be parallel to a plane based on the global coordinate axes.

N1, N2, N3

Displays when vector is selected as the entity. Choose three points to define a plane whose normal (determined via the right-hand rule) will serve as the vector.

x axis, y axis, z axis, vector

Displays when vector is selected as the entity. Select one of the global axes, or select the desired vector.

orientation in basic/

orientation in displacement

Displays when components is selected for the orientation.  This determines the bar's orientation relative to how the bar element's coordinate system is defined:

•Orientation in basic uses the default system of the grid points that define the element.
•Orientation in displacement applies only if the referenced grid points have a displacement system defined.

x comp, y comp, z comp

Appears when the selection from the entities switch is components. Type in the x, y, and z components.

direction node

Appears when the selection from the entities switch is node. Use this option to select a node to specify the vector orientation.

x direction / y direction

Appears when the selection from the entities switch is node or plane.

Parallel to

Use the switch to select a combination of the global coordinate axes that describes the plane you wish the bar to be parallel to.

pins a = / pins b

Enter the degrees of freedom which are not intended to transmit force.

Note:Terminology sometimes varies between different solvers.  For example, the "pins" referred to on this panel are also sometimes called "beam releases".

property =

Select a collector whose properties the bar should share.

elem types =

Click the button and select a type of element for the bars.  Available types depend on the current solver profile.

offsets in basic/displacement/elemental

This determines the bar's offset direction(s), depending on how the bar element's coordinate system is defined:

•offsets in basic uses the default system of the grid points that define the element.
•offsets in displacement applies only if the referenced grid points have a displacement system defined.
•offsets in elemental are offsets in directions defined by the bar element's own orientation system.
Note:These options are solver-specific, so not all options apply to  every solver profile. Check your solver documentation for details on how exactly these coordinate systems are defined and relate to bar elements.

offset values

Enter the ax, ay, az, bx, by, and bz values for the bar offsets.

Because bar elements are modeled as one-dimensional objects, these values represent the distance between the real-world edge of a bar and its center axis.  For example, if the bar was cylindrical in shape, A and B would determine where the edge of the bar attached to another element, but the offsets would represent the radius of the cylindrical bar and therefore would identify where the bar’s central axis lay in relation to the connection points.

 
hmtoggle_arrow1Update

Use the Update subpanel to modify the values assigned to existing bar2 or bar3 elements.

 

Panel Inputs

Input

Action

elems

Use this selector to indicate the bar elements that you want to update.

Orientation

This determines how the bars are oriented in 3D space.  Click the switch and select from either vector, components, node or plane:

•Components: Select Components if the direction of the local y axis of the bar is to be specified by typing in the X, Y, and Z components.
•Node: Use this option to select a node to specify the vector orientation.
•Vector: Use the standard plane and vector selector to determine the orientation of the bar.
•Plane: Select Plane if you want the vector to be parallel to a plane based on the global coordinate axes.

N1, N2, N3

Displays when vector is selected as the entity. Choose three points to define a plane whose normal (determined via the right-hand rule) will serve as the vector.

x axis, y axis, z axis, vector

Displays when vector is selected as the entity. Select one of the global axes, or select the desired vector.

orientation in basic/

orientation in displacement

Displays when components is selected for the orientation.  This determines the bar's orientation relative to how the bar element's coordinate system is defined:

•Orientation in basic uses the default system of the grid points that define the element.
•Orientation in displacement applies only if the referenced grid points have a displacement system defined.

x comp, y comp, z comp

Appears when the selection from the entities switch is components. Type in the x, y, and z components.

direction node

Appears when the selection from the entities switch is node. Use this option to select a node to specify the vector orientation.

x direction / y direction

Appears when the selection from the entities switch is node or plane.

Parallel to

Use the switch to select a combination of the global coordinate axes that describes the plane you wish the bar to be parallel to.

pins a = / pins b

Enter the degrees of freedom which are not intended to transmit force.

Note:Terminology sometimes varies between different solvers.  For example, the "pins" referred to on this panel are also sometimes called "beam releases".

property =

Select a collector whose properties the bar should share.

elem types =

Click the button and select a type of element for the bars.  Available types depend on the current solver profile.

offsets in basic/displacement/elemental

This determines the bar's offset direction(s), depending on how the bar element's coordinate system is defined:

•offsets in basic uses the default system of the grid points that define the element.
•offsets in displacement applies only if the referenced grid points have a displacement system defined.
•offsets in elemental are offsets in directions defined by the bar element's own orientation system.
Note:These options are solver-specific, so not all options apply to  every solver profile.  Check your solver documentation for details on how exactly these coordinate systems are defined and relate to bar elements.

offset values

Enter the ax, ay, az, bx, by, and bz values for the bar offsets.

Because bar elements are modeled as one-dimensional objects, these values represent the distance between the real-world edge of a bar and its center axis.  For example, if the bar was cylindrical in shape, A and B would determine where the edge of the bar attached to another element, but the offsets would represent the radius of the cylindrical bar and therefore would identify where the bar’s central axis lay in relation to the connection points.

 
hmtoggle_arrow1Command Buttons

The following action buttons appear throughout the subpanels:

Button

Action

update

Update the bars with the changed information.

review

When you review a bar element, the bar is drawn in the offset position with the local axis and other information displayed. In addition, the values of the offsets of the bar are displayed on the panel.

You can use review to create bar elements similar to existing bar elements.  First, use the review function to select a bar element, then use the values that display in the data entry fields to create a new bar.

reject

Revert the mostly recently performed action.

return

Exit the panel.