Simulations

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:

On the ribbon, click Frame Analysis tabManage panelCreate 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. 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. Click OK.

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

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 in the Solve panel. Or, click the Simulation node in the browser, right-click, and select Simulate.

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.