Define Surface Monitors

Surface monitors for all defined boundaries are created automatically. However, additional surface monitors can be created using the Surfaces tool.

  1. Form the Solution ribbon, click the Surfaces tool.


    Figure 1.
  2. Select surfaces.
    If you select a surface that is shared between solids, click the arrow to toggle which side of the surface to consider for surface output.


    Figure 2.
  3. Optional: Using the Thin Solids selector, you can define surface outputs on thermal shell faces as well.
    The output can be defined as away from the parent surface or adjacent to it.
    Note: You can only select thin solids if layers have been defined using the Thin tool.
  4. In the dialog, define the output frequency and/or output time interval at which results are extracted.
  5. From the guide bar, execute the command in the following ways:
    • Click to confirm your selection and remain in the tool.

      This allows you to continue creating instances and helps you visualize and edit instances with the legend.

    • Click to confirm your selection and exit the tool.
Tip: When defining boundary conditions, Create linked surface output is enabled by default. This option automatically updates the Surfaces tool. To adjust the linked surface output settings, click .

Surface Output

The options in the Surfaces tool specify the output of the average of quantities integrated through the surface. The averaged quantities are output to the disk. By default, AcuSolve writes out this output at the last time step of the simulation.

Output frequencies

Integrated
Specifies time frequency at which to output integrated surface quantities. If zero this option is ignored.
Statistics
Specifies time frequency at which to output statistics of surface nodal quantities. If zero this option is ignored.
Nodal
Specifies time frequency at which to output surface quantities at the nodes of the surface. If zero this option is ignored.

Output time intervals

Integrated
Specifies time step frequency at which to output integrated surface quantities. If zero this option is ignored.
Statistics
Specifies time frequency at which to output statistics of surface nodal quantities. If zero this option is ignored.
Nodal
Specifies time step frequency at which to output surface quantities at the nodes of the surface. If zero this option is ignored.
Number of saved states
Specifies the number of solution steps to retain on disk. If zero all solution time steps are retained.