MSC.Patran is an open-architecture, general purpose, 3D Mechanical Computer
Aided Engineering (MCAE) software package with interactive graphics providing
a complete CAE environment for linking engineering design, analysis and
results evaluation functions.
MSC.Patran is the industry's acknowledged leading finite element modeler
enabling the user to conceptualize, develop and test a product through
computer-based simulation prior to making manufacturing and material commitments.
Key Features
- Direct access of CAD geometry
- Complete integration with MSC analysis solvers as well as external,
third-party analysis codes
- Motif-compliant, mouse-driven graphical user interface
- Interactive, context sensitive on-line help system
- PATRAN Command Language (PCL) for development of custom engineering
modules and complete integration of in-house analysis codes
- Mapped 1D, 2D and 3D mesh generation
- Loads, boundary conditions, material and element properties
that can be applied directly to geometry
- Graphical creation and display of time-dependent loads and temperature-dependent
material properties
- Comprehensive results postprocessing capabilities including
fringe, contour, isosurface, streamline, animation, vector and
XY-plotting
- Geometry creation and editing tools
- Network licensing
- Extensive color graphics
- Automatically generated command session files that are editable
and reusable for parametric studies
- Neutral file compatibility with previous versions of MSC.Patran
|
Direct
Access of CAD Geometry
MSC.Patran enables direct access to geometry from leading CAD systems
for creating finite element models. With direct access, geometry remains
intact in the CAD format and is not approximated. All finite elements,
loads, boundary conditions and material properties can be associated to
the geometry.
Geometry Access Features
- Direct access of IGES files from any CAD system:
- Geometric entity types that can be accessed include; points, lines,
curves and surfaces
- Finite element entity types that can be accessed include nodes
and elements
- Geometry is imported into MSC.Patran database without any translation
or modification
- Export of IGES files:
- Geometry entity types that can be accessed include; points, lines,
curves, surfaces, and solids
- Finite element entity types that can be accessed include nodes,
elements and coordinate frames
- Parasolid access
Basic
Geometry Creation
MSC.Patran contains a set of geometry creation tools in addition to
the direct CAD access capabilities for generating finite element model
geometry.
Geometry Creation Features
- Comprehensive library of commands to generate and manipulate geometric
entities:
- Basic entity types include points, curves, surfaces and solids
- Advanced entity types include trimmed surfaces, triparametric
solids, volumes and B-rep solids
- Consistent menu structure used to build all entity types
- Various creation options include: translate, rotate, scale, mirror,
glide, normal, extract, fillet, XYZ, extrude, revolve, decompose,
intersect, manifold, project, and many more
- Option to combine many surfaces (including overlays, gaps and
holes) into a single trimmed surface for meshing purposes
- Ability to chain many curves into a single curve
- Options for geometry creation via group transformations
- Local coordinate systems in any location and orientation
- Cartesian, cylindrical and spherical coordinate systems options
- Ability to calculate mass properties for geometry and finite elements
Integration
with MSC.Marc
MSC.Patran's Analysis Preferences Feature enables the user to customize
the analysis environment for use with MSC.Marc analysis code. Code-specific
menus and forms enable the input of data required for the analysis code
of choice, minimizing the need to learn multiple sets of code-specific
terminology.
Analysis Preferences Features
- Preferences can be selected for:
- Custom forms available for code-specific data input:
- Loads
- Boundary conditions
- Element properties
- Material properties
- MPCs
- Solution type and parameters
Graphical
User Interface
MSC.Patran's graphical user interface is a forms-based, mouse-driven
menu system for the operation of all tasks. It is designed to be easy
to learn and use.
User Interface Features
- Compliant with OSF Motif standard
- Full-screen menu system
- Command interrupt capability
- User input from the mouse, dials, or keyboard
- Both "drag-box" and "polygon" screen picking
- Command Undo capability
- Identification of entities by labels or by cursor picking
- Entity re-numbering features
- Ability to access any MSC.Patran system application at any time
- Customizable, icon-based "Toolbar" feature for easy access to frequently
used commands
- User-definable forms creation and menu capabilities
Interactive
On-line Help
MSC.Patran's Help system provides a "context-sensitive" hypertext mechanism
enabling the user to quickly navigate through the entire on-line document
to find informa tion on topics of interest.
On-line Help Features
- Fully-interactive
- Topical help
- Context-sensitive help
Finite
Element Modeling
MSC.Patran finite element modeling system permits the user to directly
access model geometry and to quickly develop finite element meshes.
Automatic Surface Mesher:
- Arbitrary 2D surface meshing
- User specification of element size globally and/or in individual regions
- Automatic mesh smoothing assures best quality mesh
- Mesh density controls including curvature checks
- Geometry source independent surface meshing
- Advanced algorithm ensures that elements with the best shape are created
at edges and other areas of interest
- p-element mesh option reduces number of elements for optimal p-element
analyses
Automatic Solid Mesher:
- Tetrahedral element meshing
- Arbitrary, geometry source, independent 3D solids meshing
- Extensive mesh density controls including curvature checks
- Advanced algorithm ensures that elements with the best shape are created
at boundaries and other areas of interest
Mapped Mesher:
- Generalized 1D, 2D, and 3D finite element meshing
- Multiple mesh generation options avail able using a single command:
- Uniform mesh spacing
- Non-uniform mesh spacing includes one-way, two-way and curvature-based
biases
- Mesh transition regions
- Mesh seeding
- Arbitrary mesh transitions for 1D, 2D and 3D elements
- Complete mesh generation by specifying 1D, 2D or 3D element edge length
- User-controlled mesh smoothing
- Surface mesh between two curves
Mesh Sweeper:
- 1D, 2D and 3D elements created from lower-order elements
- Numerous sweep methods available:
- Arc
- Radial Cylindrical
- Extrude
- Radial Spherical
- Glide
- Glide-Guide
- Normal
- Spherical Theta
- Vector Field
- Loft solid elements between existing topologically similar Quad meshes
General Meshing Features
- Extensive element library that includes linear, quadratic and cubic
order elements:
|
Element Shape
|
Number of Nodes
|
| Bar |
2 3 4
|
| Triangle |
3 4 6 7 9 13
|
| Quadrilateral |
4 5 8 9 12 16
|
| Tetrahedral |
4 5 10 11 14 15 16 40
|
| Wedge |
6 7 15 16 20 21 24 52
|
| Hexahedral |
8 9 20 21 26 27 32 64
|
- Specialty elements that include:
- Mass
- Spring
- Damper
- Spring-to-Ground
- Degree-of-Freedom Lists
- Multipoint Constraint (MPC) relationships
- Automatic creation of higher-order elements with mid-edge, mid-surface
or centroidal nodes
- Element replication and manipulation through the translate, rotate,
mirror and scale operators
- Node and element modification:
- Local spatial manipulation, replacement, addition, deletion, splitting
and re-definition of an individual or group
- Local and global modifications without changing the solid geometry
- Generate several analysis-dependent meshes from one geometry
- Option to create congruent nodes for zero-length elements such as
gaps and slide lines
- Automatic equivalencing of duplicate nodes:
- Topological or geometric methods
- Select nodes individually, by group, by region or entire model
- Checks for element collapse and specialty elements
- Option to preview nodes to be equivalenced
- Node exclusion option
- Full user control over node and element numbering, as well as specific
XYZ locations
- Verification features ensure the complete ness of every analysis model:
- Aspect ratio, warp, skew, taper and reversed normal checking for
shell elements
- Normal and tangent offset checking for higher-order shell elements
- Aspect ratio, edge angle, twist, face skew, face taper, face warp,
tet collapse, connectivity and duplicate element checking for solid
elements
- Jacobian tests (Variation and Zero) for most elements
- Graphical display of properties, materials, and boundary conditions
- Graphical identification of all element free edges and free faces
- Options to optimize solution sequence for bandwidth and wavefront
analysis solvers:
- Compacts and/or re-sequences nodes and elements
- Utilizes Cuthill-McKee and Gibbs-Poole-Stockmeyer solution techniques
- Ability to associate meshes with geometric points, curves, surfaces
or solids if not performed during creation or if imported from another
source
- Mesh creation options via group transformations
- Options for creating elements from faces or edges of other elements
- Ability to project nodes to a plane, surface, curve or specific XYZ
locations
- Zip or unzip element meshes
Functional
Assignments
In MSC.Patran, the term "functional assignments" refers to the application
of loads and boundary conditions, as well as the selection of element
and material properties.
Loads and Boundary Conditions:
- Options to directly apply functional assignments to geometry and/or
finite element mesh in several ways:
- Continuously
- Concentrated at a point
- Along an edge
- Within a plane, cylinder or sphere
- Across a surface
- Through a solid
- Custom forms for analysis-specific input
- Wide range of loading and constraint options that include:
- Force and moment
- Pressure and surface traction
- Displacement (imposed or constrained)
- Temperature
- Heat source (point, area or volumetric)
- Convection
- Heat flux
- Multiple application regions to relate nodal or elemental data to
other nodes and elements
- Fields which can be created from mathematical functions for application
of variable loads
- Capability to interpolate results between dissimilar finite element
meshes (i.e., thermal - structural)
- Load case creation for multiple application of loads and boundary
conditions
Materials and Element Properties
- Supported material models include:
- Isotropic, orthotropic, anisotropic, composite, thermal isotropic,
thermal orthotropic and thermal anisotropic
- Spatially varying densities and fiber directions
- Assigned directly to geometry and/or finite element models
- Ability to synthesize composite material properties:
- Symmetrical and asymmetrical laminates
- Halpin-Tsai
- Short-fiber composites
- Defined as; stress-, strain-, strain rate-, temperature- or frequency-dependent
properties
- MSC.Mvision material information can be directly imported into MSC.Patran
using the optional Materials product
- Up to 96 assignable properties per property definition
- All data values can be color-coded and displayed for visualization
and verification
- Each property value is automatically given an analysis code-specific
name
Results
Evaluation
MSC.Patran can quickly and clearly display analysis results in structural,
thermal, fatigue, fluid, magnetic terms, or in relation to any other application
where the resultant values are associated with their respective finite
elements or nodes.
Postprocessing Features
- Multiple resultant color-coding and display types:
- Contours
- Color fringes
- Continuous-color fringe bands
- Blended fringe bands
- Element fill plots
- Vector arrows
- Element tensor plots
- Value plots
- Deformed shape plots
- Isosurfaces
- Streamlines
- Stream surfaces
- Marker plots
- Engineering X-Y plots
- Thresholds
- An unlimited number of adjustable color look-up tables
- Resultant color range can be assigned:
- Semi-automatically
- Manually
- To identify minimum, maximum or both
- Resultant value display options include:
- Display at element centroid or node
- Display of nodal values for nodes on visible surfaces only
- Display based on user's selected nodes and elements
- On-screen printed title options include:
- Automatic or manual placement anywhere
- Adjustable size and color spectrum with associated values
- Optionally displayed
- Device-dependent feature for solid shaded and continuous-fringe transient
animation
- Results can be displayed as deformed geometry superimposed upon undeformed
geometry:
- Wireframe or hidden-line
- Deformed animation
- Adjustable exaggeration factor
- Results can be displayed as contour lines or fringe bands superimposed
onto deformed or undeformed hidden-line geometry
- Animation of wireframe, hidden line and solid-shaded images may be
performed on any load or time dependent resultant data:
- Mode shapes
- Deformed shapes
- Contour plots
- Fringe plots
- Continuous fringe plots
- Element color fill plots
- Tensor and vector data can be displayed using a variety of options:
- Showing magnitude, orientation and direction of nodal and/or element
results
- Superimposed onto deformed or undeformed geometry
- With optional labels applied
- With color-coded or single color tensors
- With scaled tensors
- With global, element, external element file, and alternate coordinate
frames
- Distribution of results along beam elements are shown using X-Y plots:
- Up to three simultaneously displayable plots
- Measures distance between first and last beam versus resultant
value (shear, moment)
- Results can be generated and displayed at any point along a beam
element
- Results can be plotted versus another result, global variable
or along an arbitrary path
- Imaging features help decipher results:
- Display at any selected node or element
- Identication of minimum and/or maximum values
- Display of all values
- Evaluation of results across screen-clipping planes
- Alternate color look-up tables
- Unlimited multiple windows
- Extensive label control
- Hardcopy images can be generated for all plots and displays
Imaging
Imaging encompasses the complete graphics capability found within the
MSC.Patran product, including graphic shading and visual verification
prior to analysis. Imaging features a number of options that take advantage
of specialized hardware capabilities, including local view manipulation,
local shading, multiple liy minimum, maximum or both
- Resultant value display options include:
- Display at element centroid or node
- Display of nodal values for nodes on visible surfaces only
- Display based on user's selected nodes and elements
- On-screen printed title options include:
- Automatic or manual placement anywhere
- Adjustable size and color spectrum with associated values
- Optionally displayed
- Device-dependent feature for solid shaded and continuous-fringe transient
animation
- Results can be displayed as deformed geometry superimposed upon undeformed
geometry:
- Wireframe or hidden-line
- Deformed animation
- Adjustable exaggeration factor
- Results can be displayed as contour lines or fringe bands superimposed
onto deformed or undeformed hidden-line geometry
- Animation of wireframe, hidden line and solid-shaded images may be
performed on any load or time dependent resultant data:
- Mode shapes
- Deformed shapes
- Contour plots
- Fringe plots
- Continuous fringe plots
- Element color fill plots
- Tensor and vector data can be displayed using a variety of options:
- Showing magnitude, orientation and direction of nodal and/or element
results
- Superimposed onto deformed or undeformed geometry
- With optional labels applied
- With color-coded or single color tensors
- With scaled tensors
- With global, element, external element file, and alternate coordinate
frames
- Distribution of results along beam elements are shown using X-Y plots:
- Up to three simultaneously displayable plots
- Measures distance between first and last beam versus resultant
value (shear, moment)
- Results can be generated and displayed at any point along a beam
element
- Results can be plotted versus another result, global variable
or along an arbitrary path
- Imaging features help decipher results:
- Display at any selected node or element
- Identication of minimum and/or maximum values
- Display of all values
- Evaluation of results across screen-clipping planes
- Alternate color look-up tables
- Unlimited multiple windows
- Extensive label control
- Hardcopy images can be generated for all plots and displays
X-Y Plotting
Features
- Multiple input methods:
- Keyboard input
- External text file input
- Flexible format for X-Y value-pairing:
- Data entered as X-Y pairs
- Only Y data entered (uses default X value and increment)
- Unlimited simultaneous plots:
- Plots can be overlaid
- Plot size is adjustable
- Unlimited curves per plot:
- Data displayed as points only (scatter), piecewise linear lines,
least squares or spline curves
- Adjustable color, style (solid, dotted or dashed) and thickness
- Fifteen unique identification symbols
- Axes definition:
- Adjustable color, style (solid or dashed), thickness and length
- Legends:
- Color, size, border lines, background color and number of entities
are selectable
- Titling:
- Custom titles for the entire screen, each plot, each axis, each
curve, and/or each legend
- Adjustable font color and size
- Adjustable X and Y scales:
- Linear or logarithmic
- Generated automatically, manually or by providing a range
PATRAN
Command Language
The PATRAN Command Language (PCL) is the programming language at the
heart of MSC.Patran. PCL is a high-level, block-structured language that
provides many features found in traditional programming languages. It
can be used to write application or site-specific commands and menus,
perform variational modeling, and to more completely integrate with commercial
or in-house software programs.
PCL Features
- In-line expressions
- Compilable command libraries
- Wide selection of forms and widgets for custom graphical user interfaces
- Subroutines and function calls with recursion
- Functions be grouped into classes
- Conditional branching instructions
- IF, THEN, ELSE
- SWITCH, CASE, DEFAULT
- BREAK, CONTINUE
- Conditional looping instructions
- REPEAT, UNTIL
- WHILE, END WHILE
- FOR, TO, BY, END FOR
- LIST, END LIST
- User-definable form creation capabilities which allow menu options
to execute other PCL functions
- Database read and write utilities
- Integer, real, logical, string variables and constants
- Local, global, static and classwide variable s
- Arrays of any variable data type
- Virtual memory arrays and management features
- Debug and trace facilities
- Array sorting and searching
- String functions
