Some of the more common ANSYS commands used for structural analysis: Categor y Comm and Description keypoint

definition straight line creation Syntax k,kp#,xcoord,ycoord,zcoord l,kp1,kp2

Basic k Geometry l larc

circular arc line larc,kp1,kp2,kp3,rad (from (kp3 defines plane) keypoints) circular line creation (creates keypoints) spline line through keypoints see online help

circle

spline

spline,kp1,kp2, ... kp6

a al v

area definition a,kp1,kp2, ... kp18 from keypoints area definition from lines volume definition from keypoints volume definition from areas create volume from area extrusion a,l1,l2, ... l10 v,kp1,kp2, ... kp8

va

va,a1,a2, ... a10

vext

see online help

vdrag

create volume see online help by dragging area along path rectangle creation rectng,x1,x2,y1,y2

Solid rectng Modeling (Primitive s)

block cylind

block volume creation cylindrical volume creation spherical volume creation

block,x1,x2,y1,y2,z1,z2 cylind,rad1,rad2,z1,z2,theta1,th eta2 sphere,rad1,rad2,theta1,theta2

sphere

prism cone torus Boolean aadd Operation s aglue

various volume see online help creation commands adds separate aadd,a1,a2, ... a9 areas to create single area creates new areas by glueing (properties remain separate) aglue,a1,a2, ... a9

asba

creat new area asba,a1,a2 by area substraction create new area by area intersection volume boolean operations defines element type aina,a1,a2, ... a9

aina

vadd vlgue vsbv vinv Elements et & Meshing type

see online help

et,number,type may define as many as required; current type is set by type type,number

set current element type pointer define real constants for elements

r,number,r1,r2, ... r6 may define as many as required; current type is set by real

real

sets current real constant pointer sets material properties for elements sets current material property pointer sets size or number of divisions on lines

real,number

mp

mp,label,number,c0,c1, ... c4 may define as many as required; current type is set by mat mat,number

mat

esize

esize,size,ndivs use either size or ndivs

eshape controls see online help element shape lmesh amesh vmesh Sets & ksel Selection nsel lsel asel nsla mesh line(s) mesh area(s) mesh volume(s) lmesh,line1,line2,inc or lmesh,all amesh,area1,area2,inc or amesh,all vmesh,vol1,vol2,inc or vmesh,all

select a subset see online help of keypoints select a subset see online help of nodes select a subjset see online help of lines select a subset see online help of areas select nodes see online help within selected area(s) select everything i.e. reset selection defines a DOF allsel

allsel

Constrain dk

dk,kp#,label,value

ts d

constraint on a labels: keypoint UX,UY,UZ,ROTX,ROTY,ROTZ,ALL defines a DOF d,node#,label,value constraint on a labels: node UX,UY,UZ,ROTX,ROTY,ROTZ,ALL defines dl,line#,area#,label (anti)symmetry labels: SYMM (symmetry); ASYM DOF (antisymmetry) constraints on a line defines a defines a force at a node fk,kp#,label,value labels: FX,FY,FZ,MX,MY,MZ f,node#,label,value labels: FX,FY,FZ,MX,MY,MZ

dl

Loads

fk f

Plotting Commands: kplot lplot aplot vplot nplot eplot /rep gplot ! all selected keypoints ! all selected lines ! all selected areas ! all selected volumes ! all selected nodes ! all selected elements ! replot (= refresh) ! does a multi-plot
These plot commands can also do a "range" of entities: VPLOT,3,7 ! plots volumes 3 thru 7 APLOT,4 ! plots only area no. 4 LPLOT,11,21,10 ! plots lines 11 and 21 nplot,1 ! plots all nodes with node no. shown

pldi pldi,2 plns,s,eqv plns,s,x plns,temp ples,serr plvar,2 Listing Commands: nlist ! all selected nodes

multi-plot settings (under PlotCtrls) determine which entities you see ONLY in POST1 (the general postprocessor): PLDI ! deformed shape plot PLDI,2 ! deform. shape + undeform. edge PLNS,xx,yy ! contour nodal solution results PLES,SERR ! elem. solution plot of SERR

ONLY in POST26 (the time-history postprocessor): PLVAR,m,n,o ! graphs variables m, n, o

These list commands can also do a "range" of entities: VLIST,3,7 ! lists volumes 3 thru 7

ALIST,4 ! lists only area no. 4 elist ! all selected elements klist ! all selected keypoints LLIST,11,21,10 ! lists lines 11 and 21 llist ! all selected lines alist ! all selected areas vlist ! all selected volumes These list commands can also do a "range" etlis ! all element types mplis ! all material properties MPLIST,1 ! lists only material 1 properties RLIST,3,5 ! lists real const. 3, 4, and 5 rlist ! all real constants cslis ! all coordinate systems ONLY in POST1 (the general postprocessor) prrs ! reaction solution prvar,2 ! time-hist. variable 2 ONLY in POST26 (the time-history postprocessor) PRVAR,m,n,o ! lists variables m, n, o

Enter different "processors" /prep7 ! /solu ! /post1 ! /post26 ! postproc. preprocessor finish ! exit from any processor solution processor /exit ! leave ANSYS, saves DB general postprocessor /exit,nosa ! quit ANSYS, no DB time-history

Selecting allsel vsel,s,p asel,s,p lsel,s,p ksel,s,p picking nsel,s,p esel,s,p picking ! ! ! ! ! everything xSEL,n,.... from all volumes by picking from all areas by picking where n is: from all lines by picking S = "from full" from all keypoints by R = "from current set" U = "unselect" ! select from all nodes by picking A = "also select" ! select from all elements by select select select select select