Convert Shapes

Convert a shape to node perturbations, handle perturbations, an mvol shape, forces, temperatures, pressures, or displacements.

1. From the Mesh ribbon, click the Shapes tool.

   
   
   Figure 1.

   The Edit Shapes dialog opens.
2. Right-click on a shape and select Convert.
   The Convert Options dialog opens.
3. Select an option from the Convert shapes drop-down menu.

   Conversion option	Action
   to node perturbations	Convert the selected shapes to pure node perturbations. Shapes converted to node perturbations will be unaffected by changes to domains and handles but take up more memory.
   to handle perturbations	Convert the selected shapes to handle perturbations if possible or a combination of handle and node perturbations if it is not possible to capture the shape with pure handle movements. Shapes converted to handle perturbations may be affected by changes to domains and handles but take up less memory.
   to mvol shape	Convert a shape which perturbs nodes or handles attached to morph volumes into one which has only handle perturbations for handles on morph volumes. All other perturbations are discarded. If the shape is applied it will morph any nodes registered to the affected morph volumes. Unlike to handle perturbations, this option will not preserve node perturbations due to things such as active constraints, and is useful for reverting a shape into pure handle movements and reapplying it with a different set of active constraints.
   to forces	Create a new load collector for each selected shape with the XYZ perturbations at each node of each shape converted into XYZ values of force vectors at each node for each load collector. The original shape will be preserved and does not need to be converted to node perturbations before conversion to forces.
   to temperatures	Create a new load collector for each selected shape with the magnitude of the perturbations at each node of each shape converted into temperature values at each node for each load collector. The node perturbations may lie along any axis and positive and negative temperatures can be preserved by making sure that the nodes are perturbed in only positive or negative directions. The original shape will be preserved and does not need to be converted to node perturbations before conversion to temperatures.
   to pressures	Create a new load collector for each selected shape with the XYZ perturbations at each node of each shape converted into XYZ values of pressure vectors at each element for each load collector. Note: Pressures must be averaged from nodes to elements during the conversion and thus some information maybe lost. This conversion method has two options. normal to elems Align the pressures with the element normals regardless of the direction of the node perturbations. If not, the pressures will be created in the direction of the node perturbations. apply to partially affected elems Apply reduced pressures to all elements touching a perturbed node. If not, a pressure will only be created for elements where every node is perturbed. The original shape will be preserved and does not need to be converted to node perturbations before conversion to pressures.
   to displacements	Create a new load collector for each selected shape with the XYZ perturbations at each node of each shape converted into XYZ values of enforced displacements at each node for each load collector. This conversion method has the option fix directions with zero perturbations which, if checked, will create an enforced displacement for all three translational components for a node even if the displacement for one or two of those components is zero. If not checked, any translations which have zero perturbations will not have an enforced displacement created in that direction. The original shape will be preserved and does not need to be converted to node perturbations before conversion to displacements.

4. Click OK.