Create coordinate systems

You can define Cartesian, cylindrical, or spherical coordinate systems in the Simulation file or the FEM file:

• In the FEM file, use additional coordinate systems during manual node and element creation and to define nodal displacement and reference coordinate systems.

• In the Simulation file, use additional coordinate systems when defining component-based boundary conditions.

Coordinate systems in Simulation Navigator

Coordinate systems you create in the FEM or Simulation file are listed in the Simulation Navigator:

CSYS
1 – csys

Right-click a coordinate system in the Simulation Navigator to rename, edit, or delete it, or to view information about that coordinate system.

Creating cylindrical or spherical coordinate systems with the CSYS dialog box

In the appropriate dialog boxes in Pre/Post, when you select Cylindrical or Spherical from the CSYS list, you use the standard CSYS dialog box to define the position and orientation of the coordinate system. However, in the CSYS dialog box, all options are presented in terms of a Cartesian coordinate system (X,Y,Z) even if you are defining a cylindrical or spherical coordinate system. You must make the appropriate mental substitutions for the Cartesian options in the dialog box when you create a cylindrical or spherical coordinate system (R,T,Z for cylindrical and R,T,P for spherical).

For example, suppose you wanted to use assign a cylindrical or spherical coordinate system to a set of nodes. You could:

1. Select Cylindrical from the CSYS list in the Assign Nodal CSYS dialog box.

2. Click CSYS Dialog .

3. Select X-axis, Y-axis, Origin from the Type list.Note: You can use any of the options in the Type list to define a cylindrical or spherical coordinate system.

4. Use the Origin Point options to specify the point at which the axes intersect.

5. Use the X-axis options to specify the vector that defines the R-axis.

6. Use the Y-axis options to specify the vector that defines the T-axis (θ).

7. Click OK.

Where do I find it?

Application	Pre/Post
Prerequisite	An active FEM or Simulation file
Simulation Navigator	Right-click the CSYS folder and choose New CSYS
Menu	Insert→Model Preparation→Coordinate System

Learn more

Simulation coordinate systems

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Create coordinate systems, Simcenter 3D 2021.1 Series

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