HV-3090: Create Envelope Loadsteps

Learn how to create an envelope loadstep from existing loadsteps and contour an envelope loadstep.

This exercise uses the results files bezel.h3d and bezel_iter2.h3d located in the animation folder.
To access the envelope loadstep utility, you can use one of the following methods:
  • Right-click in the Results Browser and select Create > Derived Load Case > Envelope.

    OR

  • Click the Derived Load Cases button on the Result toolbar and set the Type to Envelope.

    OR

  • Select Results > Create > Derived Load Steps from the menu bar and set the Type to Envelope.


Figure 1.

This utility allows you to create envelope loadsteps using existing loadsteps and their simulation steps. Envelope loadsteps are saved to the session file. Using this utility, you can also create derived loadstepsand linear superposition loadsteps. See the Derived Load Cases topic for additional information.

Create a Derived Loadstep

  1. Load the bezel.h3d file, located in the animation folder, as both the model and results files.
  2. From the Results Browser, right-click and select Create > Derived Load Case > Envelope.
    All existing loadsteps and corresponding simulations are listed.
    Figure 2.
  3. Select Subcase 1 (Step_X), Subcase 2 (Step_Y), and Subcase 3 (Step_Z) from the list of loadsteps on the left.
  4. Click the right arrow button , to append the selected loadsteps to a new envelope loadstep.
  5. Leave the scale values for the selected loadsteps set to the default value of 1.0.
    In this tutorial the results will not be scaled when creating the envelope loadstep.
    Figure 3.
  6. Verify that the Type options are set to Envelope and Max.
  7. Click Apply to create the envelope loadstep.
  8. Click on the Rename button.
  9. Type Envelope_Max in the Rename dialog and click OK.
  10. Click on the button, to view the envelope loadstep that was created.
    If there is more than one Derived Load Case displayed in the list, you can click on a derived load case to display the loadsteps which were used to create that derived load case in the table area on the right.
  11. Click on the button, to view the initial loadsteps in the results file.
  12. Click on the New button.
  13. Repeat steps 3 - 11, however this time select Envelope and Min as the Type options (instead of Envelope and Max previously selected in step 6) and also rename the envelope loadstep as Envelope_Min in step 9 (instead of Envelope_Max).
  14. Click OK to close the dialog.

Contouring the Envelope Loadstep

  1. From the Results Browser, use the Change load case drop-down menu to set the load case to Envelope_Max.
    Figure 4.
    Note: The Results Browser can be turned on or off using the Browsers > HyperView > Results option located within the View pull-down menu.

    The Change load case toolbar visibility can also be toggled on/off using the Configure Browser option (located in the Results Browser context menu).

  2. Go to the Contour panel.
  3. For Result type, select the Element Stresses (2D & 3D) (t) option.
  4. For Result type, select the Element Stresses (2D & 3D) (t) option.
  5. Verify that the vonMises option is selected in the second Result type drop-down menu (located below Element Stresses (2D & 3D) (t)).
  6. For Entity with layers, select Max.
    Note: Min option is not available for Entity with layers; this is because the current loadstep is set to a max envelope loadstep.
  7. Click Apply, to apply the contour.
    The maximum value of stress among all layers is contoured for each element among all three loadsteps used in the max envelope loadstep.
  8. The Envelope trace plot option is now activated. Select Subcase from the drop-down menu, and then click Apply.
    This option allows you to track the results from Envelope subcases or simulations.

    Observe how the legend is now only displaying values of 1, 2, and 3. These values correspond to the subcases contained in the current loadstep.

  9. From the Envelope trace plot drop-down menu select None, and then click Apply to return to the stress contour.
  10. Click on the Clear Contour button.
  11. Repeat steps 1 - 10, using Envelope_Min in step 2 (instead of Envelope_Max) and Min in step 7 (instead of Max).

Adding Simulation Steps from Another File

  1. From the Results Browser, expand the Loadcases and then the Derived Loadcases folders.
  2. Right-click on Envelope Max and select Edit from the context menu.
  3. Click on the Result Files button to add loadsteps and simulations from another result file.
  4. In the Update Result Files window, browse and select the result file bezel_iter2.h3d.
    Figure 5.
  5. Click Close.
    Figure 6.

    The loadsteps and simulations from the second results file will be added to the list of available loadsteps and simulations and can be used in creating derived loadsteps, linear superposition loadsteps, and envelope loadsteps.