Specifying user defined KEYOPTs for ANSYS

Many ANSYS elements have key options called KEYOPTs that you can use to define properties for the element. In Pre/Post, you use element table modeling objects to specify element KEYOPTs. For example, for SHELL181 elements, you use the SHELL181ET dialog box to define the element's KEYOPTs, such as the element integration option to use.

As ANSYS updates the available KEYOPTs and KEYOPT values for an element, Pre/Post incorporates those updates However, the latest ANSYS release may include support for KEYOPTs that are not yet supported in Pre/Post. When this occurs, you can use user defined KEYOPTs in Pre/Post to specify KEYOPTs or KEYOPT values that are supported in ANSYS but not yet supported in Pre/Post.

KEYOPTs definition method option

In ANSYS element table modeling object dialog boxes, such as PIPE288 ET or SOLID226ET, you can use the KEYOPTS Definition Method list to control how you define the KEYOPTs for that element:

• Select Standard to use the options in the dialog box to specify KEYOPTs and values that are supported in Pre/Post.

• Select User defined to manually specify all KEYOPTs and values as user defined. Select this option to specify ANSYS KEYOPTs that are not currently supported in Pre/Post. You can then use the Specify Field option in the User Defined KEYOPTS group to create a table field that specifies the appropriate KEYOPT numbers (field 1) and values (field 2) for that element. Note: When you export or solve the input file, Pre/Post does not validate the user defined KEYOPTs. You must ensure that the data that you specify is valid.

• Select Mixed to specify options in the dialog box to specify both currently supported KEYOPTs and values and to also specify user defined KEYOPTs and values.

Limitations for user defined KEYOPTs

You cannot specify user defined KEYOPTs for the following types of legacy ANSYS elements:

• BEAM4

• BEAM44

• CONTAC12

• CONTAC52

• LINK8

• LINK10

• PLANE42

• PLANE82

• SHELL57

• SHELL63

• SHELL91

• SHELL93

• SHELL99

• SOLID45

• SOLID92

• SOLID95

• SOLID191

Customer default for importing user defined KEYOPTs

When you import ANSYS files (.inp, .cdb, .rst, .rth) that contain a mix of supported and unsupported KEYOPTs, Pre/Post by default sets the KEYOPTS Definition Method option in the appropriate element table modeling object dialog box. If you want to import all KEYOPTs as user defined only, you can select the Import all KEYOPTS as user defined KEYOPTS customer default.

For example, consider an input file that contains SOLID186 elements with a KEYOPT(17) that has value (4) that is not supported in Pre/Post:

KEYOPT with a value that is not supported by Pre/Post

• If you select the Import all KEYOPTS as user defined KEYOPTS default, the software imports all KEYOPTs as user defined.All KEYOPTs are imported as user defined

• If you do not select the Import all KEYOPTS as user defined KEYOPTS default, the software imports the supported KEYOPTs as standard KEYOPTs and the unsupported KEYOPT as a user defined KEYOPT.KEYOPTs are imported as a mix of supported and user defined KEYOPTs

Importing and exporting ANSYS input files that contain user defined KEYOPTs

When you import an ANSYS input file:

• If all KEYOPTs and their values were originally defined in Pre/Post, the software imports them as standard KEYOPTs.

• If none of the KEYOPTS were originally defined in Pre/Post, the software imports them as user defined KEYOPTs.

• If some of the KEYOPTS were originally defined in Pre/Post but some were not, the software imports them as mixed.

When you export an ANSYS input file:

• If you used dialog box options to specify a standard value for a KEYOPT, and you also used a table field to specify a user defined value for the same KEYOPT, then the software exports the user defined value only.

• If you used dialog box options to specify a standard value for a KEYOPT and you also used a table field to specify a user defined value for the same KEYOPT and you left the value field in the table empty, the software does not export any value for the KEYOPT. This occurs because the missing user defined value overrides the standard value.

• The software does not export any KEYOPT, including a user defined KEYOPT, that has a value of 0 (the default value).

Special considerations import and export considerations for KEYOPTs for certain element types

• In the MPC184ET dialog box, the KEYOPT(1) Element behavior list specifies the joint type for the MPC184 elements. The other available KEYOPT options depend on the type that you select from this list. For example, if you select (7) Universal, there are no other available KEYOPTS, but you need to define values for the SECDATA (orientation angle) and SECJOINT commands.You cannot define the SECDATA and SECJOINT commands as user defined. You must use the dialog box options in Pre/Post to define their values.If you import MPC184 elements where the value for KEYOPT(1) is user defined (set to a value that is not supported in Pre/Post), the software may not import any associated SECDATA or SECJOINT commands.

• For certain element types, the availability of some KEYOPTs depends on the setting of another KEYOPT. For KEYOPTs that depend on the settings of other KEYOPTs, the value of the dependent KEYOPT may not import correctly if the associated KEYOPT is user defined. For example:In the FLUID116ET dialog box, the KEYOPT(2) option is available only when you set the KEYOPT(1) list to (0) Pressure and temperature DOF or (1) Temperature DOF only. For example, if KEYOPT(1) is user defined, the software may not import KEYOPT(2) correctly.In the TARGE170ET dialog box, the KEYOPT(4) Constraint DOF option is available only when KEYOPT(2) Rigid target nodes is set to (1) Specified by user. If KEYOPT(2) Rigid target nodes is set to (1) Specified by user, but you specify KEYOPT(4) as user defined, the software imports both KEYOPTs as user defined.In the SURF154ET dialog box, you can select the Auto-detect KEYOPT(4) value check box to have the software determine the value for KEYOPT(4). If you set the KEYOPTS Definition Method list to Mixed, the software may not preserve the KEYOPT values through a round trip process (export the input file and then later re-import it). The round trip process may work if you set the KEYOPTS Definition Method list to Standard or User defined, and you use a consistent method to define the KEYOPTs and values.In the SURF152 ET dialog box, you can select the Auto-detect KEYOPT(4) and KEYOPT(5) values or check box to have the software determine the values for KEYOPTs (4) and (5). If you set the KEYOPTS Definition Method list to Mixed, the software may not preserve the KEYOPT values through a round trip process (export the input file and then later re-import it). The round trip process may work if you set the KEYOPTS Definition Method list to Standard or User defined.

Where do I find it?

ANSYS KEYOPT element table modeling objects

Application	Pre/Post
Prerequisite	A FEM or Simulation file as the work part and displayed partANSYS as the specified solver
Command Finder	Modeling Objects

Import all KEYOPTS as user defined KEYOPTS default

Menu	File→Utilities→Customer Defaults
Location in dialog box	Simulation→Pre/Post→ANSYS→Import tab

How do I

Create an ANSYS KEYOPT table

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Specifying user defined KEYOPTs for ANSYS, Simcenter 3D 2021.1 Series

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