Tensor Panel

The Tensor panel allows you to view tensor plots of stress and strain directions and magnitudes for various solvers from elemental values. To access the Tensor panel, click on the Tensor button on the Results toolbar, or select Plot > Tensor from the Results menu.

tensor_plot_panel

Tensor panel

The following options are applied to the model when you click Apply.

Result type	Select the result data type that should be used to display the tensor plot. Only tensor result type data, indicated with a (t), are available for selection.
Layers	Create a tensor plot for a specified element layer when a layer definition is available for an element. 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. The options that control how layers will be displayed are:

	Solver specific layer options	Solver dependent label(s). For example, Z1 and Z2 indicates the lower and upper layers of shells in a Nastran model.
	Layer Filter	Reduce the layer list available for the data types which have layers (for example, plies in composite stress/stains or any vector result with layers).

Use corner data	When corner data is available and Average at node is checked, the Use corner data option is enabled. If the option is activated, corner data is used to calculate the tensor averaging to nodes.
Selection	Before creating a tensor plot, you must pick one or more entities from the model. You can do this by picking entities directly from the screen, using the quick window selection, or clicking the Elements or Components input collector and using the extended entity selection menu. If no selection is made, the tensor will be applied to displayed elements or components by default. See Selecting Entities Using the Input Collector for more information on selecting entities. For tensor or multiple models see MultiModel Result Plotting for additional information.
Resolved in	This drop-down menu allows you to select the result coordinate system that will be used to plot the results. You can select the analysis, element, or global coordinate system as well as a user-defined system. The System input collector is enabled when User System is selected.

	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 HyperView, the element coordinate system is defined by element connectivity.
	Material System	Transforms to the material system. This option is only available when the Advanced Result Math template is selected in the Load Model panel and a solver input deck is loaded. For plotting data types that do not have relevance to the Material system (for example, Stress with a Z1 and a Z2 data type), it is not advised that you apply the Resolved-In system of Material, because this may result in incorrect transformations.
	Ply System	Transforms to the ply system. This option is only available when the Advanced Result Math template is selected in the Load Model panel and a solver input deck is loaded. For plotting data types that do not have relevance to the Ply system (for example, Stress with a Z1 and a Z2 data type), it is not advised that you apply the Resolved-In system of Ply, because this may result in incorrect transformations.
	Analysis System	Displays the vector and tensor results as they are output from the solver.
	User System	This option is available when the results file contains a user-defined coordinate system. Click the System input collector to select a system by ID or pick from the screen. (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).

Projection Rule

Opens the Projection Rule dialog where you can select the primary and secondary axes from either the global or user-defined system (selected for Resolved in). When the primary axis is perpendicular to the shell plane, the secondary axis is used.

projection_rule_dialog

Average at
node

Average at node averages elemental tensors to nodes. If no tensors are available at corners, tensors from centroidals will be used. You can enable HyperView 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. HyperView assumes that different components are defined with different properties or materials, therefore the elemental results are not averaged across the component boundary.

Show midside node results

Activating this check box enables HyperView to calculate and show the tensors at the mid-side nodes if it is not available in the results file.

This option is disabled whenever any of the following conditions are met:

•	Model does not have 2nd order elements.

•	Average at node option is turned off.

Tensor format

Select the tensor format for the plot by selecting Principal or Component.

Show

Load or display any component of a tensor by checking the options:

If you select Principal - the P1(Major), P2(Mid), or P3(Minor) options are available.

If you select Component - the XX, YY, ZZ, XY, YZ, and ZX options are available.

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 HyperView 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.

The following options are automatically applied to the model as you enter information.

Display tab
	Size scaling	After you have applied tensor settings to a model, you can change the tensor display by scaling the size of the tensor. The size scaling only applies to the normal components (XX, YY, ZZ). Shear components are drawn inside, proportional to the element size.

		By Magnitude	The tensor size is displayed relative to the value of the tensors. Scale value allows you to increase or decrease the size according to a scaling value.
		Normalized	The tensor is stretched or reduced according to the element size so that the largest component fits in the element.
		By	This option is active only when By magnitude is chosen. Setting this allows you to increase or decrease the scale factor, which in turn affects the length of the arrows.

Draw mode

After applying a tensor to the model, you can change the tensor drawing mode to either of the following:

		Regular	Common data types like stresses and strains in the tensor format are shown with arrows (default). Shear components are drawn as opposing arrows in the plane in which they are acting. Shell element forces are recommended to be drawn in this mode also.
		Moment	Shell element moments are appropriate to draw in this mode.
		Crow's Foot	Draws a plot of three vectors on a shell element (known as a Crow’s foot plot). Any three vectors can be chosen, however this mode is typically used to review in-plane loads on a shell element.
		Arrow/ None	Display the tensor as an arrow or a straight line. Note - Not applicable if Crow's Foot is selected.

Color by

After you display tensors on a model, you can change the tensor color based on either direction or value.

		Value	Applies colors based on values and the legend settings.
		Direction	Changes the colors for the P1 (Major), P2 (Mid), or P3 (Minor) directions. To change a color, click the color box to display the color palette. Select a different color.

Values tab

tensor_panel_values_tab_hv

Principal values

Displays the values of individual principals (P1, P2, P3) at the tips of the arrows.

This option is only available if the Tensor format is set to Principal.

Principal prefix

Displays the prefixes of the individual principals ("P1 =", "P2 =", "P3 =").

This option is only available if the Tensor format is set to Principal.

Normal values

Displays the values of individual normal components (XX, YY, ZZ).

This option is only available if the Tensor format is set to Component.

Normal prefix

Displays the prefixes of the individual normal components ("XX =", "YY =", "ZZ =").

This option is only available if the Tensor format is set to Component.

Shear values

Displays the values of individual shear components (XY, YZ, ZX).

This option will only be active if the Tensor format is set to Component.

Shear prefix

Displays the prefixes of the individual shear components ("XY =", "YZ =", "ZX =").

This option will only be active if the Tensor format is set to Component.

Font

Click the Font button, , to display the Font Selector dialog. This dialog allows you to select the font type, font style, and font size for the tensor plot prefix and value labels.

Color

Click the Color box to select a tensor plot text color from the pop-up dialog.

The displayed text for the components varies by the selected Draw mode:

•	Regular - XX, YY, ZZ, XY, etc.

•	Moment - Mx, My, Mz, Mxy, etc.

Precision

Sets the precision of values displayed in the graphics area.

Format

Sets the format of values displayed in the graphics area.

Legend threshold

Max

Enter the value to be assigned to the highest color in the contour plot. Activate the Max check box to apply the value.

The new value is also changed in the Values section of the Edit Legend dialog.

If a value entered for threshold Max is invalid, it will not be applied and the panel will be updated to reflect the actual state.

Min

Enter the value to be assigned to the lowest color in the contour plot. Activate the Min check box to apply the value.

The new value is also changed in the Values section of the Edit Legend dialog.

If a value entered for threshold Min is invalid, it will not be applied and the panel will be updated to reflect the actual state.

Multiplier

Enter the multiplier for scaling all the result values.

Edit Legend

Opens the Edit Legend dialog where you can change the legend.

Result display control

Overlay
result display

Overlays contour, tensor, and vector results in the same window. If all results are displayed simultaneously, available memory may be affected.

Clear Tensor

Removes tensors from a model and returns the model to its original state.

Create
Plot Style

Opens the Create/Update Tensor Plot Style dialog, which allows you to create or update a result plot style based on the current settings of the tensor.

create_update_tensor_plot_style_dialog

A tensor plot needs to be current in order to create a new style or modify an existing one. All the settings of the tensor plot (corner data options, averaging, resolved in systems, default data type/components, tensor format, display options, legend, etc.) are captured in the named style.

Query Results

Opens the Query panel where you can view and export properties and other information related to nodes, elements, components, and systems contained in the active model.

Note	The Envelope utility is not intended for use with tensor or vector plots. If it is used with a tensor or vector plot, HyperView will simply draw the last loadstep in the derived loadstep list.

How Do I....

1.	From the Result type drop-down menu, select the name of the data type that should be used to calculate the tensor plot. Only the tensor format data types are available for you to choose.

2.	Select an option from the Layers drop-down menu.

3.	Activate the Use corner data check box, if applicable.

4.	Under Selection, pick one or more elements or components from the model by clicking the entity type input collector button, .

5.	Under Resolved in, select Analysis System, Element System, Global System, or User System. For User System, click the System input collector to select a system by ID.

6.	Under Tensor format, select Principal or Component.

-	If you select Principal, select P1(Major), P2(Mid), or P3(Minor) under Show.

-	If you select Component, select XX, YY, ZZ, XY, YZ, or ZX under Show.

7.	Click Apply. The tensor settings are applied to the selected elements on the model.

1.	In the Tensor panel, from the Display tab, for Size scaling select By Magnitude or Normalize. The default is Normalize with a value of 1.

2.	If you select By Magnitude, enter a value. The tensor size is displayed according to the value specified. In addition you can enter a value in the By field to increase or decrease the scale factor.

3.	If you select Normalize, the tensor is stretched or reduced according to the element size so that the largest component fits in the element.

1.	In the Tensor panel, from the Display tab, for Color by select Direction.

The tensor is displayed with the colors defined by the buttons. The three buttons are enabled and the default colors for the tensor are:

•	Red for P1 (Major) or XX

•	Green for P2 (Mid) or YY

•	Blue for P3 (Minor) or ZZ

•	Yellow for XY

•	Light Blue for YZ

•	Purple for ZX

3.	Click the color box to display the color palette. Pick a different color for the P1 Major, P2 Mid, or P3 Minor tensor, or the XX, YY, ZZ, XY, YZ, or ZX tensor, if necessary.

1.	In the Tensor panel, from the Display tab, for Color by select Value. The tensors are displayed according to the legend colors.

2.	For Legend threshold, activate the check boxes and enter values for Max, Min, and Multiplier, if you want to change the settings.

3.	Click Edit Legend to modify the legend values and colors.

4.	Click Apply to save the settings.