FBD Displacement

Plot displacements and rotations at nodes.

From the Post ribbon, click the Displacement tool.

The tool contains the following:

Entity Set: Define one or more sets
Properties: Shows all properties of the selected sets
loadcases: List of subcases available inside all of the imported result files
FBD Plot and Display: Visualization options

The workflow is:

Create a set
Set the properties of a selected set
Select a loadcase
Set the options of the free-body plot
Plot free-body displacements and rotations for the selected loadcase

Create a Set

To create a set, right-click and select Create.

Set Properties of a Selected Set

Select a set.

The properties display.

Name: The name of the selected set.
ID: The ID of the selected set.
Card Image: This property is optional. Defines the card for the set.
Entity IDs: Available if None has been defined as Card Image, and non-ordered or ordered as Set Type. Select what nodes and elements will belong to the set. If an element set has been selected, the free-body displacement will use all nodes belonging to the selected elements.

Select a Loadcase

Select a loadcase to plot free-body displacements and rotations.

Free-Body Plot and Display

Define visualization options for the free-body plot.

FBD Plot: Resolve In: Selects the coordinate system to plot free-body displacements and rotations. Options vary depending on the solver.
FBD Plot: System: Available if a user-defined system has been selected.; Selects the coordinate system to plot free-body displacements and rotations.
FBD Plot: Tolerance: Displacements and rotations with an absolute value lower than the tolerance are not displayed.
FBD Plot: Translation: Defines what displacement component will display.
FBD Plot: Rotation: Defines what rotation component will display.
FBD Plot: Show values: Defines if free-body vector values will display.
FBD Plot: Summary table: Creates tables with free-body displacements and rotations for the selected sets and loadcases.

Figure 3.

Figure 4.
FBD Plot: Load Creation: Creates an include file where free-body displacements and rotations are properly realized as loads (enforced displacements) for that model for selected sections and selected loadcases.
FBD Plot: Create Fields: Creates field entities with free-body displacements and rotations for the selected sets and selected loadcases.
Display: Size Scaling: Defines how free-body vectors will be scaled for visualization.
Display: Arrow Length (%): Scales free-body vectors for visualization.
Display: Color: Change the color of each force or moment component.
Display: Vector Heads: Defines if the free-body vector points to the node or out of it.
Display: Vector Style: Change the style of free-body vectors.
Display: Numeric Format: Defines what free-body vector values will be displayed in fixed or scientific format.; Defines the amount of decimal places.

Plot Free-Body Displacements and Rotations

Plot free-body displacements and rotations for the selected loadcase.

On the FBD Plot tab, click Apply to show free-body vectors.
On the FBD Plot tab, click Clear to hide vectors.