8-node Brick Normal Orientation

[mylesp]

I am wondering how you change the normal orientation of brick solids. It is quite easy to flip normals for quad plates but haven't found a way with solids. Is there a way to change the solid normals in FEMAP to all face the same direction or are there any API scripts that could do this?

 

[BlasMolero]

Hello!,
I think you are confused: Normal vectors with solid CHEXA elements is not a plot you can get, I tested in FEMAP V11 using “F6 > Category=Labels, Entities .. > Options=Element – Directions > NORMAL STYLE = 1..Normal Vectors, with Show Direction=0n”. Only RIGHT-HAND RULE & RIGHT-HAND RULE FIRST EDGE produce a plot in the screen.

And using “WINDOW > SHOW ENTITIES > ELEMENTS > Show Normal” produce any plot either.

Then probably you may have activated the option “F6 > Category=Labels, Entities .. > Options=Element – Coordinate System > Label Mode = 1..ID, with Show Coord Sys=0n”. This way you have a plot of XYZ arrows for every solid element.

If not the case, and in fact you are able to plot NORMAL VECTORS, then make sure you have solid CHEXA elements because an explanation could be that you have 2-D PLANAR ELEMENTS in your model, that in fact is possible to produce normal plots in the screen. Revise on MODEL INFO tree the classification you have under MODEL > ELEMENTS > “BY TYPE = solid, Linear” and “BY SHAPE = Brick, 8-noded”.

Best regards,
Blas.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Blas Molero Hidalgo
Ingeniero Industrial
Director

IBERISA
48011 BILBAO (SPAIN)
WEB:

http://www.iberisa.com

Blog de FEMAP & NX Nastran:

http://iberisa.wordpress.com/

 

[mylesp]

I might be somewhat mistaken as you pointed out, Blas so let me clarify.

I believe what you said is right. I am viewing the right-hand rule plot of the solid hex elements, and directly related to that, I am viewing the individual element coordinate system.

My question is can you reorient the individual element coordinate system or right-hand rule first edge?

My end desire is to have all the element's individual faces orientated in the same direction (ie face 1 => negative z, face 2 => positive z, face 3 => negative y, etc). I have found that element coordinate systems will not be all oriented the same on the global coordinate system.

Thanks for the help!