Checking and orienting the directions of 1D elements

Use the 1D Element Directions command to ensure that the orientation of your 1D elements is consistent. For beam elements, the vector from the element's first node to its second node defines its direction. You can use options in the 1D Element Directions dialog box to:

• Display the direction of 1D elements.

• Reverse the direction of 1D elements.

• Change the orientation of selected 1D elements to match the orientation of a specified seed element.

You can use the 1D Element Directions command to validate that the directions of 1D elements are consistent and appropriate before you solve.

Checking and reversing element directions

You can check the directions of:

• All displayed elements.

• Selected elements.

The software displays a triad on each element that points from node 1 to node 2.

After you check the elements’ directions, you can use the Reverse Direction option to reverse the direction of the elements. When you click Reverse Direction, the software reverses the direction of the selected elements. When you reverse a 1D element's direction, you reverse the connectivity of that element. For example, if the software created the element's nodes in the order of 1,2, the order becomes 2,1 when the connectivity is reversed.

Changing the orientation of an element's direction

Use the Orient Directions by Seed Element option to orient the directions of 1D elements to match the direction of a selected seed element. The seed element is an element whose orientation is in the desired direction.

You can use the Orient Directions by Seed Element option to quickly modify the directions of 1D elements so that they are consistent.

Example

The following graphic shows a model of a ladder that is meshed with 1D elements.

For example, the 1D Element Directions command can be used here to validate and change the direction of the 1D elements along the ladder's top rung.

Original direction of the selected 1D element element displayed.	The new direction of the selected 1D element after the Reverse Direction option was used.

Where do I find it?

Application	Pre/Post
Prerequisite	A FEM file as the work part and displayed part
Command Finder	1D Element Directions

Learn more

Checking your finite element model

Checking for free and non-manifold element edges

Aligning the first edges of 2D elements

Checking and orienting the normals of 2D elements

Checking and orienting the normals of 3D element faces

Checking aerodynamic panel meshes

Checking for duplicate elements and nodes

Detecting interference and clearance issues between faces

Checking CAE model consistency

Checking the association of nodes to geometry

Checking the completeness of your model prior to a solve

Computing mechanical loads

Quick links

Command reference

Pre/Post video examples

Bulk Entry Descriptions

Simcenter 3D tutorials

Browse Simcenter 3D help by product area

Checking and orienting the directions of 1D elements, Simcenter 3D 2021.1 Series

© 2020 Siemens

window.mainLanguage="en_US"

window.delivId=""

window.projectId=""

MathJax.Hub.Config({ TeX: { extensions: ["autoload-all.js"] }, tex2jax: { displayMath: [ ] }, "SVG": { scale: 125 } });