A point scoped result tracker is either associated with a node or element center, depending on the variable selected.
Note: The point scoped trackers are only available for an Explicit Dynamics analysis. Point scoped trackers may only be inserted prior to the analysis being solved.
You can use one of two Location Methods to specify the location of point scoped Explicit Dynamics result trackers:
Geometry Selection
Set Location Method to Geometry Selection.
Select a vertex on the geometry or a node on the mesh.
Click in the Geometry field, then click Apply.
For nodal results, the results tracker will record the results of the variable at the node or the vertex the tracker is scoped to. For elemental results, the results tracker will record the results of the variable in an element attached to the node or vertex the tracker is scoped to.
User Defined Location
Set Location Method to User Defined Location.
Specify the coordinates in the X, Y, Z Coordinate fields. You can do this in one of two ways:
Selecting a point using the Hit Point Coordinate icon on the Graphics Toolbar.
Choose Click to Change in the Location field.
Press the Hit Point Coordinate toolbar button.
Move the cursor across the model and notice that the coordinates display and update as you reposition the cursor.
Click the desired location. A small crosshair appears at this location. You can click again on another location, which changes the crosshair location.
Click Apply in the Location field. The location coordinates display in the X, Y, Z Coordinate fields. You can change the location by repositioning the cursor, clicking at the new location, then clicking Click to Change and Apply, or by editing the X, Y, Z Coordinate fields in the Details view.
Note: This method does not specify a vertex or node to track as in the Geometry Selection method, but is purely a method of selecting x, y, and z coordinates in the X, Y, Z Coordinate fields.
Selecting a point by entering coordinates directly in the Details view
Type the coordinates into the X, Y, Z Coordinate fields in the Details view.
For trackers that record element results, the tracker will record the results of an element in which the specified coordinates reside. If the coordinates entered do not correspond to an element location, the result tracker will not record any data.
For trackers that record nodal results, the tracker will record the results of the node that is closest to the specified coordinates provided the node is within half an element's dimension of the coordinates. If no such node is found, the tracker will not record any data.
If the coordinates specified lie on the boundary of multiple elements or are coincident with multiple nodes, the tracker will record the results of the first element/node it finds. The only way to ensure a particular node is tracked is to use the geometry selection option.
The directional and non-directional point scoped result trackers available for Explicit Dynamics analyses are shown in the tables below. The Details view properties for each are shown.
Directional Point Scoped Results Trackers
The properties available in the Details view for Deformation, Position, Velocity, Acceleration, Strain, or Stress are described in the following table.
| Category | Fields/Options/Description |
|---|---|
| Scope |
Geometry – Select vertex. |
| Definition |
Location Method – Select geometry or a user defined location. Coordinate System – Assigned to user defined location. X, Y, Z Coordinate – Position of the user defined location. Location – Select user defined location. Type – Select deformation, velocity, acceleration, strain, or stress type. Orientation – X, Y, or Z direction. Suppressed – Prior to solving, you can include or exclude the result from the analysis. The default is value is . |
| Results |
Minimum – Read-only indication of the minimum value of the result tracker type. Maximum – Read-only indication of the maximum value of the result tracker type. |
| Filter |
Type – Specify low-pass filtering opton. |
Note: Strain results trackers are not available for Euler bodies.
Non-Directional Point Scoped Results Trackers
The properties available in the Details view for Internal Energy, Temperature, Pressure or Density are described in the following table.
| Category | Fields/Options/Description |
|---|---|
| Scope |
Geometry – Select vertex. |
| Definition |
Type – Read only. Location Method – Select geometry or a user defined location. Coordinate System – Assigned to user defined location. X, Y, Z Coordinate – Position of the user defined location. Location – Select user defined location. Suppressed – Prior to solving, you can include or exclude the result from the analysis. The default is value is . |
| Results |
Minimum – Read-only indication of the minimum value of the result tracker type. Maximum – Read-only indication of the maximum value of the result tracker type. |
| Filter |
Type – Specify low-pass filtering option. |
Note: Density results trackers are not available for surface and line bodies and beam elements.
Importing Point Scoped Result Trackers From a File
Choosing from the Result Trackers drop-down menu in the Context tab enables you to import point scoped result trackers from a file. The format of the file should be as in the following example:
cm 1;2;3;velx;velocity;x 1.4;2.5;3.745;My Deformation;Deformation;Total 10;20;30;prin max strain;strain;principal1 10;20;30;middle strain;strain;principal2
The first line specifies the units of the values in the file. Acceptable inputs for this are: "m", "cm", "mm", "in", "ft", or "um".
The subsequent lines contain the data for each tracker to be inserted. The first three numbers are the x,y,z location values. The fourth entry is the user-given name—the one that will be seen in the tree. The 5th and 6th entries are type and subtype.
Acceptable entries for type and subtype are:
type = "velocity", "acceleration" or "deformation" with subtypes of "x","y","z" or "total"
type = "position", "temperature", "pressure", "energy" or "density" (no subtype used)
type = "stress" or "strain" with subtypes of "xx", "yy", "zz", "xy", "yz", "zx", "principal1", "principal2", "principal3", "equivalent"
All values in each line should be separated by a semicolon. Any lines that are not properly formatted will be skipped; no tracker will be inserted for them.