*DIM

*DIM, Par, Type, IMAX, JMAX, KMAX, Var1, Var2, Var3, CSYSID
Defines an array parameter and its dimensions.

APDL: Parameters

Argument Descriptions

Par

An alphanumeric name used to identify this parameter. For table arrays, Par can contain up to 240 characters. The names of other arrays must not exceed 32 characters. Par must begin with a letter and contains only letters, numbers, and underscores. Examples are ABC, A3X, and TOP_END.

Parameter names that begin with an underscore (for example, _LOOP) and names of other conventions (such as command, function, label, component, and assembly names) are invalid to avoid confusion when the program reads in user input.

Type

Array type:

ARRAY --: Arrays are similar to standard FORTRAN arrays (indices are integers) (default). Index numbers for the rows, columns, and planes are sequential values beginning with one. Used for 1-, 2-, or 3D arrays.
ARR4 --: Same as ARRAY, but used to specify 4-D arrays.
ARR5 --: Same as ARRAY, but used to specify 5-D arrays.
CHAR --: Array entries are character strings (up to 8 characters each). Index numbers for rows, columns, and planes are sequential values beginning with one.
TABLE --: Array indices are real (non-integer) numbers which must be defined when filling the table. Index numbers for the rows and columns are stored in the zero column and row "array elements" and are initially assigned a near-zero value. Index numbers must be in ascending order and are used only for retrieving an array element. When retrieving an array element with a real index that does not match a specified index, linear interpolation is done among the nearest indices and the corresponding array element values (*SET). Used for 1-, 2-, or 3D tables.
TAB4 --: Same as TABLE, but used to specify 4-D tables.
TAB5 --: Same as TABLE, but used to specify 5-D tables.
STRING --: Array entries are character strings (up to IMAX each). Index numbers for columns and planes are sequential values beginning with 1. Row index is character position in string.

IMAX

Extent of first dimension (row). (For Type = STRING, IMAX is rounded up to the next multiple of eight and has a limit of 248). Default = 1.

JMAX

Extent of second dimension (column). Default = 1.

KMAX

Extent of third dimension (plane). Default = 1.

Var1

Variable name corresponding to the first dimension (row) for Type = TABLE, TAB4, or TAB5. Default = Row.

Var2

Variable name corresponding to the second dimension (column) for Type = TABLE, TAB4, or TAB5. Default = Column.

Var3

Variable name corresponding to the third dimension (plane) for Type = TABLE, TAB4, TAB5. Default = Plane.

CSYSID

An integer corresponding to the coordinate system ID number. Default = 0 (global Cartesian).

Notes

Up to three dimensions (row, column, and plane) may be defined using ARRAY and TABLE. Use ARR4, ARR5, TAB4, and TAB5 to define up to five dimensions (row, column, plane, book, and shelf). An index number is associated with each row, column, and plane. For array and table type parameters, element values are initialized to zero. For character and string parameters, element values are initialized to (blank). A defined parameter must be deleted (*SET) before its dimensions can be changed. Scalar (single valued) parameters should not be dimensioned. *DIM,A,,3 defines a vector array with elements A(1), A(2), and A(3). *DIM,B,,2,3 defines a 2x3 array with elements B(1,1), B(2,1), B(1,2), B(2,2), B(1,3), and B(2,3). Use *STATUS,Par to display elements of array Par. You can write formatted data files (tabular formatting) from data held in arrays through the *VWRITE command.

If you use table parameters to define boundary conditions, then Var1, Var2, and/or Var3 can either specify a primary variable (listed in Table 106: *DIM - Primary Variables) or can be an independent parameter. If specifying an independent parameter, then you must define an additional table for the independent parameter. The additional table must have the same name as the independent parameter and may be a function of one or more primary variables or another independent parameter. All independent parameters must relate to a primary variable.

Tabular load arrays can be defined in both global Cartesian (default), cylindrical, spherical, or local (see below) coordinate systems by specifying CSYSID, as defined in LOCAL. Coordinate system CSYSID must exist prior to issuing the *DIM command.

The following constraints apply when specifying a local coordinate system for your tabular loads:

Only Cartesian, cylindrical and spherical coordinate systems are supported
Angle values for Y in cylindrical or spherical coordinate systems must be input in degrees and must be positive values between 0 and 360 degrees (0 Y 360)
Angle values for Z in spherical coordinate system must be input in degrees and must be positive values between -90 and +90 ( -90 Z 90)

If specifying a 4- or 5-D array or table, four additional fields (LMAX, MMAX, Var4, and Var5) are available. Thus, for a 4-D table, the command syntax would be:

*DIM,Par,Type,IMAX,JMAX,KMAX,LMAX,Var1,Var2,Var3,Var4,CSYSID

For a 5-D table, the command syntax is:

*DIM,Par,Type,IMAX,JMAX,KMAX,LMAX,MMAX,Var1,Var2,Var3,Var4,Var5,CSYSID

You cannot create or edit 4- or 5-D arrays or tables via the GUI.

For more information, see Array Parameters.

Table 106: *DIM - Primary Variables

Primary Variable	Label for `Var1, Var2, Var3, Var4, Var5`
Time	TIME
Frequency	FREQ
X-coordinate location	X
Y-coordinate location	Y
Z-coordinate location	Z
Temperature	TEMP
Velocity	VELOCITY
Pressure	PRESSURE ^[a]
Geometric gap/penetration	GAP
Cyclic sector number	SECTOR
Multistage Harmonic Index	MSHI
Harmonic-based load^[b]	NHINDEX
Amplitude of the rotational velocity vector	OMEGS
Eccentricity	ECCENT
Phase shift	THETA
Element number	ELEM
Node number	NODE
Concentration	CONC

^[a]Specify PRESSURE as the independent variable (not PRES).

^[b]Used in a Harmonic Balance Method (HBM) analysis (see Applying Loads and Constraints in an HBM Analysis in the Harmonic Balance Method Analysis Guide).

The X, Y, and Z coordinate locations listed above are valid in global Cartesian, or local (Cartesian, cylindrical and spherical) coordinate systems. The VELOCITY label is applicable only to the calculated fluid velocity in element FLUID116.

When using PRESSURE as a primary variable, the underlying element must have the pressure DOF associated with it, or it must be a supported contact element.

The gap/penetration label (GAP) is only used for defining certain contact element real constants.

The frequency label (FREQ) is valid for harmonic analyses only.

The node and element labels (NODE and ELEM) allow you to use node and element numbers as primary variables, and their axis values should be integers.

The OMEGS, ECCENT, and THETA primary variables only apply to the COMBI214 element. The amplitude of the rotational velocity (OMEGS) is an absolute value, so only positive values of OMEGS are valid. The eccentricity (ECCENT) and phase shift (THETA) labels are only valid for nonlinear analyses.

If you use table parameters to define boundary conditions, the table names (Par) must not exceed 32 characters.

In thermal analyses, if you apply tabular loads as a function of temperature but the rest of the model is linear (for example, includes no temperature-dependent material properties or radiation), you should turn on Newton-Raphson iterations (NROPT,FULL) to evaluate the temperature-dependent tabular boundary conditions correctly.

When tabular input is used to define a load via the F or D commands, the applied load may be incorrect in the following situation. This occurs when multiple solutions are performed such that the solution processor is entered multiple times (that is, the command sequence /SOLU, SOLVE, FINISH is repeated) and the SET command is used in the general postprocessor (/POST1) to read the results file (.rst) between solutions. This is because the applied load becomes a fixed value in the .rst file and cannot be changed to the values defined by the tabular input. The workarounds are to avoid reading the .rst file between solutions or reissue the F or D command that uses tabular input in each solution step.

This command is valid in any processor.

The Mechanical APDL GUI does not support parameter names that are longer than 32 characters. If a name contains more than those characters, it will be truncated.

Menu Paths

Utility Menu>Parameters>Array Parameters>Define/Edit