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Simulations

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    Procedures | References

    When you enter the Frame Analysis environment, the last active simulation opens. If there is no simulation yet, only three commands are available: Create Simulation, Frame Analysis Settings, and Finish Frame Analysis. Click Create Simulation to define your simulation criteria.

    An assembly document can contain one or more simulations.

    • Simulation Type
    • Materials
    • Sections
    • Loads
    • Constraints
    • Releases
    • Rigid Links
    • Evaluating the structural loading conditions and frequency.
    • Comparing the results of using different materials and parameters.
    • Analyzing behavior of different frame structures.

    Note: Inventor creates a set of nested folders and nodes for each simulation.

    In setting up a simulation, consider specific questions, such as:

    • What is the design objective for this simulation?
    • What materials to use?
    • What beam sections to use?
    • How are the loads and constraints applied?
    • Which beams and nodes to include in the simulation?
    • How are the connections in the model assigned?

    As you refine a design, analyze the results of the simulation to determine the relationships between the criteria. Then proceed to the next step or iteration of the design.

    • Static Analysis evaluates structural loading conditions.
    • Modal Analysis evaluates natural frequency modes.

     

    Procedures:

    Create a simulation

    When you start the Frame Analysis environment, the only available command guides you to Create Simulation as a first step. An assembly can keep multiple simulations with different properties.

    To create a simulation:

    icon_cmd_inv_fea_cmd_create_sim_32x32.png

    1. On the ribbon, click Frame Analysis tab ac.menuaro.gif Manage panel ac.menuaro.gif Create Simulation . The beam model is automatically converted into idealized nodes and beams to conduct structural analysis. The graphics window displays beams, nodes, and the gravity glyph.
    2. The Create New Simulation dialog box displays.
      • Specify the Simulation name.
      • On the Simulation Type tab, specify the type of simulation. If you select Modal Analysis, specify further options such as Tolerance or Number of Iterations.
      • On the Model State tab, specify Model representations to use (Design View, Positional Representation, and Level of Detail), and iAssembly member name, if applicable.
    3. Click OK.

     

    Activate a simulation

    To activate an inactive simulation, double-click the inactive simulation node in the browser. The action:

    • Selects and activates the simulation.
    • Collapses non-active simulation nodes.
    • Expands the active simulation nodes providing access to the design criteria for the simulation.

    The active simulation has a white background in the browser. Inactive simulations have a gray background. You can immediately identify which simulation you are working with and editing.

    Browser update notices

    icon_updates_deferred.png

    		When switching between simulations, the Results can become stale. You see a browser node decoration, lightning bolt, indicating the need to run the simulation. To update the Results, click Simulate icon_stress_run_sim.png in the Solve panel. Or, click the Simulation node in the browser, right-click, and select Simulate.

     

    Copy a simulation

      To produce variations of a simulation, use the Copy Simulation command on the context menu of a simulation.

      You can copy a simulation that contains beams and nodes that are not updated from a source assembly. In such case, the Update is started automatically and all beams and nodes are updated to reflect an assembly at a specific state. The beams and nodes within the original simulation are not updated however.

      To copy a simulation:

    1. Right-click the simulation you want to copy and select Copy Simulation.
    2. A copy of the simulation is created and numbered consecutively. The copy is now the active simulation. You can edit it to produce the variation.

      Limitations of Copy Simulation

    • Associativity between the copied object and the pasted object is not maintained.
    • You can copy only one simulation at a time.

     

    References

    Create New Simulation

    Access:

    		 Ribbon: Frame Analysis tab ac.menuaro.gif Manage panel ac.menuaro.gif Create Simulation icon_cmd_inv_fea_cmd_create_sim_32x32.png

    Displays the Edit Simulation Propertiesdialog box where you define the type of simulation you want to run. Once you click OK to create the simulation, the following occurs:

    • The browser populates with a simulation node.
    • Nested within the Simulation node are subnodes for the nodes, beams, material overrides, sections, rigid links, releases, constraints, loads, results, and status.
    • The available commands on the Frame Analysis ribbon enable.

     

    Create New Simulation - Simulation Type tab

    Simulation properties are unique for each simulation. The properties are populated with values from the Frame Analysis Settings and representation information from the assembly. Then, based on the simulation needs, you specify the properties. The dialog box contains general controls and tabs for specific controls.

    Simulation Type properties provide you the option to select either Static or Modal analysis and properties associated to those types. If the simulation requires something other than the default, modify the settings as needed.

    Access:

    Presented as the Create New Simulation dialog box when Create Simulation command is used.

    Presented as the Edit Simulation Properties dialog box when you right-click the Simulation browser node and click Edit Simulation.

    The Simulation Type tab is displayed by default.

    Name

    		Assign a name that defaults to Simulation, followed by a colon and a numeric indicator indexed from 1 to 'n'. Each new simulation is named with the next higher value. The name is used for all user-visible references to the simulation.

    Static Analysis

    Evaluate the model without motion to determine stresses and displacement.

    Modal Analysis

    Determine the natural frequencies of vibration for the model.

     Compute Preloaded Modes

    Select to compute stress on a model and then compute modes for the prestressed condition.

    This option is on, by default.

     Maximum Number of Modes

    Enter the number of calculated modes.

     Tolerance

    Specify the maximum value of tolerance that is to be achieved during iterative analysis of a structure. The default value is 0.0001.

    You can enter the value in a different linear unit than the default document value.

     Number of Iterations

    Enter the maximum number of iterations. The default value is 8.

    If the entered number is exceeded and the required tolerance is not achieved, calculations of the structure stop.

    OKAccepts the setting modifications and applies them to the selected simulation.
    CancelCancels the current dialog box session. Modifications made during the session that have not been applied are discarded.
    ApplySets or revises the simulation settings based on current dialog box values.

     

    Simulation Properties - Model State tab

    On the Model State tab, specify the assembly representations you want to use in relation to the simulation. Additionally, if the component is part of an iAssembly factory you can specify which member is presented in the simulation.

    Access:

    Presented as the Create New Simulation dialog box when the Create Simulation command is used.

    Presented as the Edit Simulation Properties dialog box when you right-click the Simulation browser node and click Edit Simulation Properties.

    Name

    		A user assigned name that defaults to Simulation, followed by a colon and a numeric indicator indexed from 1 to 'n'. Each new simulation is named with the next higher value. The name is used for all user-visible references to the simulation.

    Representations

    Each assembly simulation maintains an association to each representation type. As you activate different simulations, the corresponding representation is activated for that simulation. You can change the representation association at any time. If you do so after a simulation has been run, the results can be out of sync. If so, rerun the simulation.

     Design View

    Specifies the design view representation to use with the simulation.

     Positional

    Specifies the positional representation to use with the simulation. Use positional representations to place components into a specific position or relationship with other components.

     Level of Detail

    Specifies the level of detail representation to use with the simulation. This selection can help simplify the model thereby reducing simulation and meshing time.

    iAssembly 
     Member

    Specifies the iAssembly member to be associated with the simulation. If the component is a factory member, the member selection is disabled.

     

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