Create a Contour Plot Based on Elemental Results (Including Corner Results)

  1. Open the Contour panel in the following ways:
    • From the Results toolbar, click Contour .
    • Select Plot > Contour from the Results menu.
  2. From the Contour panel, select the data type that should be used to calculate the contours from the Result type drop-down menu.
    The available result types change depending on the result file that is loaded.
    Each result type is followed by a letter that indicates the category to which it belongs. (t) indicates a tensor-type result, such as stress or strain tensors. (v) indicates a vector-type result, such as displacement, velocity, and acceleration. (s) indicates a scalar-type result. (c) indicates complex results.
    Tip: Click the expansion button to open the Choose From List dialog, where you can filter result types for quick selection.
  3. Select a data component type from the second drop-down menu in the result type section.
    The list of available components is based on the selected result type. For example:
    Result type Component options
    Displacement (v) Mag, X, Y, or Z.
    Stress (t) vonMises, Signed vonMises, Tresca, Triaxiality, Lode Param xi, Lode Param theta, P1(major), P2(mid), P3(minor), Absolute Max Principal, In-plane P1(major), In-plane P2(minor), MaxShear, Intensity, Pressure, XX, YY, ZZ, XY, YZ, or ZX
    1D stress Multiple options are listed for various elements such as: CELAS, CROD, CBAR, CBEAM, etc
    Energy (s) No component selection is necessary.
  4. Optional: If a layer definition is available for an element, you can display a contour for a specified element layer by selecting an option from the Layers drop-down menu.
    Tip: Use the Layer Filter to reduce the layer list available for aggregation for the data types which have layers (for example, plies in composite stress/stains or any vector result with layers).
    See the Layers topic for additional information.
  5. Optional: If corner data is available, activate the Use corner data check box to display color bands by interpolating available corner results within each element.
    A discontinuity of the result distribution across element boundaries can be seen.
  6. Before creating a contour plot, you may pick one or more entities from the model.
    • Click the input collector (Elements, Components, or Assemblies) and use the extended entity selection menu.
    • Pick entities directly from the model in the modeling window.
    Note: If no selection is made, the contour will be applied to displayed elements, components, or assemblies by default.
    For contour of multiple models, see the Multi-model Result Plotting topic for additional information.
    Note: For MBD models, Systems (or Markers) can also be selected. Selection will be available if the results file has any type of results that are bound to Systems/Markers (for example; forces or moments).
  7. Select the coordinate system that will be used to calculate the results from the Resolved in drop-down menu.
    The available options are dependent on the current selection for Averaging method. You can select the analysis, element, or global coordinate system, as well as a user-defined system. The System input collector is enabled when User System is selected.
    Coordinate System Description
    Global System Transforms to the global system.
    (proj: none) indicates that no projection rule is selected for shells. If a projection rule is selected (using the Projection Rule button) it is displayed, for example, (proj: y, x).
    Note: This option is available when processing envelope loadcases.
    Elemental System Transforms results to the element coordinate system. In HyperView, the element coordinate system is defined by element connectivity.
    Note: This option is not available when processing envelope loadcases.
    Material System Transforms to the material system.

    This option is only available when the Advanced Result Math template is selected in the Load Model panel and a solver input deck is loaded.

    Note: This option is not available when processing envelope loadcases.

    For plotting data types that do not have relevance to the Material system (for example, Stress with a Z1 and a Z2 data type), it is not advised that you apply the Resolved-In system of Material, because this may result in incorrect transformations.
    Ply System Transforms to the ply system.

    This option is only available when the Advanced Result Math template is selected in the Load Model panel and a solver input deck is loaded.

    Note: This option is not available when processing envelope loadcases.

    For plotting data types that do not have relevance to the Ply system (for example, Stress with a Z1 and a Z2 data type), it is not advised that you apply the Resolved-In system of Ply, because this may result in incorrect transformations.
    Analysis System Displays the vector and tensor results as they are output from the solver.
    User System Click the System input collector to select a system by ID or pick from the screen. Markers can also be selected for MBD models.

    This option is available when the results file contains a user-defined coordinate system.

    (proj: none) indicates that no projection rule is selected for shells. If a projection rule is selected in the Projection Rule dialog, it is displayed, for example, (proj: y, x).

    Note: This option is not available when processing envelope loadcases.
  8. Optional: If a tracking system has been activated in the Tracking panel, activate the Use tracking system check box to transform and resolve the results in the activated tracking system.
    Restriction: This option is not available if you are using the Modal or Linear Static animation mode.
  9. Optional: Activate the Show midside node results check box to calculate or use mid-side node results when displaying a contour plot.
    This option primarily controls what HyperView will do when the solver results file does not contain results for mid-side nodes on 2nd order elements. Refer to the Mid-side Node Elemental Results in Contour topic for details on how the calculation is performed if the solver does not output results on mid-side nodes.
    If the check box is OFF, HyperView will not show any results on the midside nodes.
    Restriction: This option is disabled whenever any of the following conditions are met:
    • Loaded results do not have 2nd order elements.
    • Results are on nodes, components, or systems.
    • Averaging mode is set to Max/Min/Extreme of corner.
    • Use corner data option is off and the averaging mode is set to None.
  10. Select an averaging method from the drop-down menu.
    See the Nodal Averaging of Elemental Results topic for additional information regarding the various averaging methods.
  11. Optional: Activate the Variation (%) check box and enter a percentage for the variation range.
    The relative difference at a node from corresponding corner values with respect to the value range from all nodes in the selected components.
    Restriction: This option is not available for all averaging methods.
    See the Variation Percentage Control topic for additional information.
  12. Click the Averaging Options button and select from the options available in the Averaging Options dialog.
    The averaging options allow you to limit the averaging of results to only a group of elements that are considered to be bound by same feature angle or face.

    Typically averaging is performed for all connected elements in a part without any regard for adjacent elements that are modeled around sharp edges or T-connections.

    Note: Feature angle averaging is only applicable when the Simple or Advanced averaging methods are used, and no Variation is selected.
    See the Averaging Options topic for additional information.
  13. Optional: Use the Envelope trace plot drop-down menu to track the results from Envelope subcases or simulations.
    Option Description
    None No Envelope subcases or simulations are tracked.
    Subcase Tracks the results from an Envelope.
    Simulation Tracks the results from an Envelope simulation.
    Note: For the envelope trace plot (subcase or simulation), a Category Legend is shown with subcases or simulations. You can choose to see the IDs or the labels of the subcases/simulations by checking or unchecking the Show Category ID option in the Edit Legend dialog. In some cases, it is useful to see the associated filename instead of the subcase/simulation label. This is also available via the *EnvelopeCategoryLabel() preference file statement (see the related documentation for *EnvelopeCategoryLabel() for additional details).
    Restriction: The Envelope Trace Plot option will be disabled if Range is selected for an Envelope subcase/simulation.
  14. Optional: Use the Value filter options to specify threshold criteria for processing results only in a specific range.
    Option Description
    Mode Select one of the following options from the drop-down menu:
    • None (default setting)
    • <= (less than or equal to)
    • >= (greater than or equal to)
    • Range
    Value Use the field(s) to specify a numerical value or range of values.
    Any entities having values outside of filter parameters will be displayed as gray in the modeling window.
    See the Value Filter topic for additional information.
  15. Activate the relevant check boxes for Display options, Legend threshold, and Result display control.
  16. Click Apply.
    The selected options are applied and the contour plot is displayed.