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- Figure 1 – SPlane Interface
Purpose:
The SPlane interface is used to create section planes that can be used to perform section cuts of the model for further analysis. Various methods of cutting model cross sections are available, and the model can be animated in section cut mode.
The cross section plane can be fixed to space, fixed to the model and a lagrangian type section cutting is also available. If the model is fringed with plastic strains prior to cutting section, then the section cut will be fringed also. Model can be clipped on either side of the section plane by Off/Clip-/Clip+.
Controls:
FixS – Fixed in Space means that the section plane will not move once defined.
FixM – Fixed to Model means that the section plane can move if the nodes used to define it move.
Lagr – Lagrangian means that a group of elements is cut initially, and then those same elements are tracked throughout the animation (and are not confined to a flat plane as the model deforms). This option is most similar to *DATABASE_CROSS_SECTION.
1p+NL – Define plane with 1 point and a normal
BasePt – Define base point by entering x, y, z coordinates
BaseNd – Define base point by picking/entering a node ID
- X: Enter base point x-coordinate
- Y: Enter base point y-coordinate
- Z: Enter base point z-coordinate
- Node: Enter node number for base point
NormX
Set x-component of normal vector to 1
NormY
Set y-component of normal vector to 1
NormZ
Set z-component of normal vector to 1
(User also has the option to manually enter the x, y, and z-components in the fields provided)
N1-N2 – Define plane with 2 nodes (node 1 on plane, node 2 indicates normal vector)
Node1 – Enter or pick node 1
Node2 – Enter or pick node 2
3Nds – Define plane with 3 nodes
Node1 – Enter or pick node 1
Node2 – Enter or pick node 2
Node3 – Enter or pick node 3
2Nds+D – Define plane by picking 2 nodes and a direction cosine
Node1 – Enter or pick node 1
Node2 – Enter or pick node 2
DcosX
Enter X directional cosine component
DcosY
Enter Y directional cosine component
DcosZ
Enter Z directional cosine component
Centroid
Use centroid of model as base point
Reset
Clear base point and normal settings
- Clipping Mode: Choose clipping mode (Off/Clip+/Clip-)
Kp cuts – Keep and display all section cuts
Clr
Clear all section cuts
- This sub-panel allows changing color and with of section cut lines, projecting the section cut to true view and turning part thickness and vector plotting of element quantities at section level. Section cuts can be exported in various formats.
ShowPl – Show section plane with model
ShMesh – Show section plane as mesh
Outline – Show 3D model outline with section
- Grid Size: Enter grid size for mesh
- LnWidth: Set section cut line width
- LnColor: Set section cut line color
Color/Cut – Use different color for each section cut
Thickness – Draw section cut with thickness
Project View
Project view section cut normal to section plane
- VP: Draw vector n section cut
- X/Y/Z – The X/Y/Z component of vector on/off
- Vector Size: Set vector size for vector point
- Format: choose desired output format (Keyword/VDA/IGES/Coord+V)
- State: Enter state number for the section data to be written
Write
Start writing section data to file
Curr State
Write section data for current state
Crush
Plot intrusions relative to a plane
- Allows plotting crush of a point in the model with respect to a plane. This plane can be fixed to space or moving with the model.
- LnWidth: Select intrusion plotting line width
- LnColor: Select intrusion plotting line color
- Plot Type: Select history plot type
- Node ID: Enter or pick a node ID to compute intrusion
Plot
Plot intrusion line data in current XY-Plot window
New
Plot intrusion line data in a new XY-Plot window
Padd
Add intrusion line data to current XY-Plot window
Clear
Clear picked/entered node IDs
Raise
Raise all open XY-Plot windows
Pop
Open and Raise all closed XY-Plot windows
Model
Display normal model
Meas
Activate section cut measure interface
- Various measurements methods are available on section cuts: coordinate, distance, 3pt-angle, 3pt-radius and 2ln-angle. Although the main application for this is for metal forming simulations, it has wide range of applications in other fields.
- Coordinate: Choose quantity to be measured
Clear All
Clear all measured highlight
Clear Last
Clear last picked position
Line
Activate section cut line plot interface
- Section cut line plotting allows for plotting section properties (like shell thickness) on xy-plots. x-axis on the xy-plot is the length of the section cut line developed to a straight line. The main application of this is in metal forming simulations.
Plot
Plot section distance vs fringe component in current XY-Plot window
New
Plot section distance vs fringe component in a new XY-Plot window
Padd
Add section distance vs fringe component data to current XY-Plot window
Raise
Raise all open XY-Plot windows
Pop
Open and Raise all closed XY-Plot windows
Flip
Flip the XY curve in the x-axis
Force
Open section force plot interface
- LS-DYNA has a facility to calculate and output section forces by user defining *DATABASE_CROSS_SECTION. This interface allows sections to be defined interactively and LS-PrePost computes the section quantities if shell resultants are available in d3plot files. Generally this data is available in d3plot files unless it is turned off by the use of *DATABASE_EXTENT_BINARY options.
- Menu: Select items for plotting
Plot
Plot section variable vs time in current XY-Plot window
New
Plot section variable vs time in a new XY-Plot window
Padd
Add selected data to current XY-Plot window
Raise
Raise all open XY-Plot windows
Pop
Open and Raise all closed XY-Plot windows
Clear
Clear selected items in the list
Save
Activate save plane and cut interface
- Section plane definitions can be saved and loaded. This allows users define sections once and save them for future model revision use. Often users want to cut a cross section on various model iterations at the same specific location.
- Fname: Click to browse directory or enter filename
- Pname: Enter name for this section definition
Save
Save current plane definition to buffer
Write
Write plane definitions from buffer to file
Read
Read plane definitions from file to buffer
Clear
Clear all plane definitions in buffer
Sel
Select plane definition from list as current plane
Del
Delete elected plane definition from buffer
Done
Exit section plane interface
SPlane Bottom Panel:

- Figure 2 – SPlane Bottom Panel
- Base Pt. Location: Dynamic display of base point coordinate (Xpos/Ypos/Zpos)
- Increment Type: choose section cut step increment type (#ofCuts/Duistance)
mp anim
animate moving plane along the normal
Upd Bspt
Update base point with the current position
Clear Kpsc
Clear kept section cuts in memeory