Bars Panel

Location: 1D page

Bar Elements

1D elements created in a space between two or three nodes of a model where beam properties are desired.

The nodes are related to each other based on the properties of the bar or beam element connecting them. Properties associated with bar elements include vector orientation, offset vectors that end at A and B, or at A, B, and C, and pin flags to tell it what degree of freedom should carry through the beam.

Bar elements are displayed as a line between two nodes with BAR2 or BAR3 written at the centroid of the element.

Bar2: Configuration 60 - 1D (1st order) elements with 2 nodes used to model axial, bending, and torsion behavior. Bar2 elements have a property reference, an orientation vector, offset vectors and ends A and B, and pin flags at ends A and B.
Bar3: Configuration 63 - 1D (2nd order) elements with 3 nodes used to model axial, bending, and torsion behavior. Bar3 elements have a property reference, an orientation vector, offset vectors and ends A and B, and pin flags at ends A and B.

Bar2 Subpanel

Option	Action
node A / node B	Select one node at each end of the bar.
orientation	Select how bars are oriented in 3D space. Vector Use the standard plane and vector selector to determine the orientation of the bar. Select three points to define a plane whose normal serves as the vector using the N1 N2 N3 selectors. Specify a global axes by selecting x axis, y axis, z axis. Specify a desired vector by selecting vector. Components Determine the bar's orientation relative to how the bar element's coordinate system is defined. Orientation in basic Use the default system of the grid points that define the element. Orientation in displacement Applies only if the referenced grid points have a displacement system defined. Specify the direction of the local y axis of the bar by entering the X, Y, and Z components. Node Select a node to specify the vector orientation using the direction node selector. Plane Make the vector parallel to a plane based on the global coordinate axes. Select a combination of the global coordinate axes that describe the plane you wish the bar to be parallel to.
pin a / pin b	Specify the degrees of freedom which are not intended to transmit force. Note: Terminology varies between different solvers. For example, what is referred to as "pins" in this panel is sometimes called "beam releases".
property=	Select the collector whose properties the bar should share.
elem types=	Select a type of elements to use when creating the bar.
offsets in basic / displacement / elemental	Select the bar's offset direction(s), which depend on how the bar element's coordinate system is defined. offsets in basic Use the default system of the grid points that define the element. offsets in displacement Applies only if the referenced grid points have a displacement system defined. offsets in elemental Offset in the directions defined by the bar element's own orientation system.
offset values	Specify the ax, ay, az, bx, by, and bz values for the bar offsets. Because bar elements are modeled as 1D objects, these values represent the distance between the real-world edge of a bar and its center axis. For example, if the bar was cylindrical in shape, A and B would determine where the edge of the bar would attach to another element, but the offsets would represent the radius of the cylindrical bar and therefore would identify where the bar’s central axis lay in relation to the connection points.

Bar3 Subpanel

Option	Action
node A	Select a node at one end of the bar.
node B	Select a node at the midpoint of the bar.
node C	Select a node at the other end of the bar.
orientation	Select how bars are oriented in 3D space. Vector Use the standard plane and vector selector to determine the orientation of the bar. Select three points to define a plane whose normal serves as the vector using the N1 N2 N3 selectors. Specify a global axes by selecting x axis, y axis, z axis. Specify a desired vector by selecting vector. Components Determine the bar's orientation relative to how the bar element's coordinate system is defined. Orientation in basic Use the default system of the grid points that define the element. Orientation in displacement Applies only if the referenced grid points have a displacement system defined. Specify the direction of the local y axis of the bar by entering the X, Y, and Z components. Node Select a node to specify the vector orientation using the direction node selector. Plane Make the vector parallel to a plane based on the global coordinate axes. Select a combination of the global coordinate axes that describe the plane you wish the bar to be parallel to.
pin a / pin b	Specify the degrees of freedom which are not intended to transmit force. Note: Terminology varies between different solvers. For example, what is referred to as "pins" in this panel is sometimes called "beam releases".
property=	Select the collector whose properties the bar should share.
elem types=	Select a type of elements to use when creating the bar.
offsets in basic / displacement / elemental	Select the bar's offset direction(s), which depend on how the bar element's coordinate system is defined. offsets in basic Use the default system of the grid points that define the element. offsets in displacement Applies only if the referenced grid points have a displacement system defined. offsets in elemental Offset in the directions defined by the bar element's own orientation system.
offset values	Specify the ax, ay, az, bx, by, and bz values for the bar offsets. Because bar elements are modeled as 1D objects, these values represent the distance between the real-world edge of a bar and its center axis. For example, if the bar was cylindrical in shape, A and B would determine where the edge of the bar would attach to another element, but the offsets would represent the radius of the cylindrical bar and therefore would identify where the bar’s central axis lay in relation to the connection points.

Update Subpanel

Use the update subpanel to modify the values assigned to existing bar2 or bar3 elements.

Option	Action
elems	Select the bar elements that you want to update.
orientation	Select how bars are oriented in 3D space. Vector Use the standard plane and vector selector to determine the orientation of the bar. Select three points to define a plane whose normal serves as the vector using the N1 N2 N3 selectors. Specify a global axes by selecting x axis, y axis, z axis. Specify a desired vector by selecting vector. Components Determine the bar's orientation relative to how the bar element's coordinate system is defined. Orientation in basic Use the default system of the grid points that define the element. Orientation in displacement Applies only if the referenced grid points have a displacement system defined. Specify the direction of the local y axis of the bar by entering the X, Y, and Z components. Node Select a node to specify the vector orientation using the direction node selector. Plane Make the vector parallel to a plane based on the global coordinate axes. Select a combination of the global coordinate axes that describe the plane you wish the bar to be parallel to.
pin a / pin b	Specify the degrees of freedom which are not intended to transmit force. Note: Terminology varies between different solvers. For example, what is referred to as "pins" in this panel is sometimes called "beam releases".
property=	Select the collector whose properties the bar should share.
elem types=	Select a type of elements to use when creating the bar.
offsets in basic / displacement / elemental	Select the bar's offset direction(s), which depend on how the bar element's coordinate system is defined. offsets in basic Use the default system of the grid points that define the element. offsets in displacement Applies only if the referenced grid points have a displacement system defined. offsets in elemental Offset in the directions defined by the bar element's own orientation system.
offset values	Specify the ax, ay, az, bx, by, and bz values for the bar offsets. Because bar elements are modeled as 1D objects, these values represent the distance between the real-world edge of a bar and its center axis. For example, if the bar was cylindrical in shape, A and B would determine where the edge of the bar would attach to another element, but the offsets would represent the radius of the cylindrical bar and therefore would identify where the bar’s central axis lay in relation to the connection points.

Command Buttons

Button	Action
update	Update the bars with the changed information.
review	Review the bar element, or create bar elements similar to existing bar elements. When you review a bar element, the bar is drawn in the offset position with the local axis and other information displayed. In addition, the values of the offsets of the bar are displayed on the panel. To create bar elements click review to select a bar element, then use the values that display in the data entry fields to create a new bar.
reject	Revert the mostly recently performed action.
return	Exit the panel.