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LittleUsefulThingswithFemapandNXNastran

Thesearemypickofthepack:
SettingPreferences:GraphicsandNXNastrans64bitSolver
MeshingToolbox,BlankingandHiddenCuttingPlaneTool
CtrlZtobringuptheLocateDialogBoxwhileyouareinanotherDialogBox
ThePCGLSSIterativeSolver
UsingtheSaveandLoadViewOptiontocustomizeyourViewWindow
FullFieldBeamStresses:AdvancedPost|BeamCrossSection
FemapsAPILanguage
NXNastranparam,bailout,1
FemapsandNXNastranHelpDocumentation
November 2011
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FemapsPreferenceSettings:
StartupandPaste/PrintGraphics

1. Save your view settings (see later slide)

and then have Femap use these
settings upon startup
November 2011

2. Fix the resolution of screen captures for

MS Word or PowerPoint or whatever.
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FemapsPreferenceSettings:
PeskyGeometryReferences,NXNastran64bit
SolverandHousekeeping

1. When you import geometry,

Femap can tag a reference to this
file. This can be annoying since 1
every time you use this model file,
Femap will prompt you to check
for a change.
2. Setting to turn on NX Nastrans 64
bit solver. If you have more than 8
GBytes of RAM and are running
large models (>500,000 nodes) this
option can significantly increase
the solve speed of the model. 2
3. Lets you pick where you want to
put all the solver files (F06, log, F04,
November 2011

etc.) I like having everything in

the Scratch directory. Femaps
model file saves the important 3
stuff.
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MeshingToolbox,BlankingandHiddenCutPlane

MeshingToolbox: Youshouldjustplay
aroundwithit.Also,wehaveseveral
goodtutorialsonusingtheMeshing
Toolbox,plusFemapsOnLinehelphas
sometipsandtricks.Why?Anefficient,
goodlookingmeshisthecornerstoneto
allanalysiswork.

Blanking:Onthegraphicattheright,I
haveblankedseveralproperties(thetop
headandshell).Youcanalsoblankby
elementtype,material,etc.Ihardlyever
usegroupsanymore.Thiswasahuge
productivityimprovement.
November 2011

HiddenCutPlane: Itistuckedaway
undertheViewStyleIcon(seegraphic).
Themodeliscutdownthemiddle.Very
usefulforpeeringintocomplexmodels.
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CtrlZtobringuptheLocateDialogBoxwhileyou
areinanotherDialogBox

ThisisquitethelittleFemapsecret,butitisinthemanual.SeetheFemapUserManualSection4.2.4:

Youmaybeasking
yourselfhowIwoulduse
this,butthinkofallthe
timesyouhaveusedthe
Geometry/Solid/Slice
toolandneededto
locatedadimension!Or
wantedtosnaptoapoint
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(Ctrl+P)withinanother
box
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ThePCGLSSIterativeSolver

Ifyouarerunninga10nodetetrahedralmodel
withalimitednumberofrigidlinksandbeam
elements(ithasproblemswithplateelements
duetosomefundamentalFEnumerical
challenges),thisisthesolverforyou.Whenyou
setupyouranalysisjobwithintheAnalysis
ManagerjustsetthesolvertheElementalIter:
November 2011
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UsingtheSaveandLoadViewOptionto
customizeyourViewWindow(PartIofII)

FemapsViewWindowis
actuallyaminidatabase.
Inthedefaultmode,it
comesupwiththelabel
Untitled.ThisView
Windowsactuallystores
allyourViewOptions
andyourViewSelect
options.Itwillalso
rememberyour
backgroundcolorand
orientationofthemodel.
November 2011
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UsingtheSaveandLoadViewOptionto
customizeyourViewWindow(PartIIofII)

Onceyouhaveeverythingconfiguredthewayyouwantit(elementcolors,contourtype,transparent
background,etc.),youcangiveyourViewWindowanameandsaveitusingtheVisibilitytab.Oncesaved,
youcanreloaditintoadifferentmodelbyusingLoadView:
November 2011
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AdvancedPost|BeamCrossSection
TheBeamDreamOptionforStresses

StandardNXNastranbeamoutputistodeliver Femapnowoffersthecapabilitytogeneratethecomplete
stressesatfourstressrecoverypoints: stressprofileacrossanytypeofbeamsection.Youstartin
View/AdvancePost/BeamCrossSection.
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Note:Femapisactuallyperforminga2Dstressanalysisoverthecrosssection.
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FemapsAPILanguage

FemapsAPIisamazing.
Ifyouwanttocustomize
theinterfaceandavoid
repetitivetasks itcan
doitall.ThePredictive
Engineeringwebsitehas
examplesandtutorials.
TheUsernameis
PredictiveAccess.
November 2011
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NXNastranparam,bailout,1

Iknowyouareprobably
wonderingwhattheheckthisis
about..
Whenyouhaveamodelthatis
spinningoffintospace(a
constraintproblem)andyouare
strugglingtofigureoutwhatpart
ofyourmodelisnotsufficiently
constrained,youcanalwaysjust
forceNXNastrantosolveand
thendebugthefinalsolution.
JustgototheNastranBulkData
November 2011

Optionspageandhitthebutton
StartTextandinthedialogbox
typeinparam,bailout,1
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FemapsandNXNastranHelp
Documentation

WhenIdomyFemapandNX
Nastrancourse,Ialwaysspenda
fewminutestalkingaboutthe
documentationthatcomeswith
FemapandNXNastran.Itis
impressive.Itisextremely
valuableandwillsaveyoudaysof
analysistimeifyouspendafew
hoursreadingthroughwhatis
available.Allofthisisinstalledin
yourcurrentseatofFemap.Just
openFemapandgotoHelp.
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FemapsandNXNastranHelp
DocumentationandWebBrowsers

Lastly,thisisalittlebitboringbutitwillmakeyourlikeeasierwhenworkingwiththeFemapHelp:

Concept: YouhaveaspecificbrowserthatyoulikeandwouldlikehaveFemapalwaysusethisspecificbrowserforitsonlineHelp
System(pleasenotethatGoogleChromeisnotsupported).
ThistrickletsyousetFemapsHelpsystemtoaspecificbrowser.

OpentheFEMAP.INIfile(Note:itisahiddenfileandyoullneedtoletWindowsshowhiddenfiles)andenterthefollowingbelow
anyexistingtext:
[User]
BrowserPath="(actualpathtobrowserincluding.exefilename)
(e.g.,onmysystemitwas:BrowserPath=c:\ProgramFiles(x86)\InternetExplorer\iexplore.exe)
BrowserURLOnly=1

Pleasenote,youmustenterboththeBrowserPathandBrowserURLOnly=1linesforthistowork.

Concept:YouuseWindowsInternetExplorer(IE)anditpromptsyouEVERYtimetoenableActiveXcontrols.Thistrickallowsyou
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todisabletheIErequirement.

InIE:"Tools,InternetOptions
Click"Advanced"tabin"InternetOptions"dialogbox
ScrolldowntoSecuritysectionand"check"theboxfor "AllowActiveContenttoruninfilesonMyComputer