Tutorial. How to use the Visualization module

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2 Page i Preface The purpose of this tutorial aims to describe certain visualization techniques in BRIGADE/Plus to facilitate and improve the users post-processing procedure.

3 Page ii Contents 1. OVERVIEW USING THE VISUALIZATION MODULE Opening an ODB-file Selecting Step/Frame and Output Variable Viewing Contour and Symbol plots Common Plot Options Display Groups Creating XY-Data from a Path Overlay Plots Animations Using Multiple Viewports... 25

4 Page 1 / Overview The bridge model used in Workshop 2, seen in Figure 1, will be used in the tutorial in order to show certain commonly used post-processing procedure. Figure 1 Geometry of the bridge used in Workshop Using the Visualization module 2.1 Opening an ODB-file The results of a BRIGADE/Plus analysis is written to an odb-file. There are several ways to open an odb-file file which are demonstrated below. 1. When opening a session of BRIGADE/Plus, Click Open Database

5 Page 2 / Select Output Database (*.odb) as the File Filter in the Open Database window that appears. 3. Select your odb-file and press OK. The odb-file for a job in the currently opened model can also be accessed from the Job module.

6 Page 3 / In the Job Manager window, accessed from the Job module, select your job from the list and press View Results to open its odb-file in the Visualization module.. An odb-file can also be accessed directly in the Visualization module. 1. Select the Visualization module from the dropdown menu selecting the modules. 2. In the Results tree on the left hand side of the viewport, double click Output Databases.

7 Page 4 / The Open Database window appears. Proceed in the same manner as when opening an odb-file from a new BRIGADE/Plus session by changing the File Filter to Output Database (*.odb) and then selecting your odb-file. 2.2 Selecting Step/Frame and Output Variable The step and frame indicates from which step and increment (frame) the results should be viewed. 1. In the Visualization module in an opened odb-file, select Result Step/Frame from the main menu. a. This will open the Step/Frame window. The Step Name list shows the included steps in the output database while the Frame list shows the included frames in the currently selected step.

8 Page 5 / 26 Note: Each Live Load and Load Group/Combination that was included in the analysis will have an own Step, named after the Live Load or Load Group/Combination. Their descriptions are always Load combination. 2. Select the step DeadWeight from the Step Name list and Frame 1 in the Frame list. 3. Press Apply, and then Field Output. This will open the Field Ouput window (also accessible by selecting Result Field Output from the main menu). The selected output variable for contour plots is selected under the Primary Variable tab.

9 Page 6 / Select SF in the Output Variable list and SF1 in the Component list. 5. Press OK. Note: The Field Output toolbar can also be used to access the Field Output window as well as directly changing the primary, deformed or symbol output variable using the dropdown menus in the figure below. 2.3 Viewing Contour and Symbol plots There are a number of ways to manipulate the options for visualizing results using contour and symbol plots which will be demonstrated by following the steps outlined below.

10 Page 7 / Activate a contour plot of the currently selected primary variable by pressing Plot Contours from the main menu. Three options exist as follows and are shown with examples in the figure below: a. On Deformed Shape: Contour results are plotted on the deformed shape of the model. b. On Undeformed Shape: Contour results are plotted on the undeformed shape of the model. c. On Both Shapes: Contour results are plotted on the deformed shape on the model together with a shaded non-contour plot of the undeformed shape of the model. Note: The contour plot can also be activated by clicking the Plot Contour icon on the left hand side of the viewport. Clicking and holding the same icon will give a selection of the different contour plot types available. 2. Select Options Contours from the main menu to open the contour plot options (can also be accessed by pressing on the left hand side of the viewport). 3. In the Limits tab, specify the maximum value of the contour scale to 1E+5 and the minimum value to -1E+5. Also, check the Show location checkbox for both the Min and Max value.

11 Page 8 / The contour plot visualized will now show the location of the maximum- and minimum calculated value for the current Primary Variable with the userspecified limits. Note that for the current primary variable with the selected values both the maximum and minimum value will be outside of the contour range. 5. In order to produce symbol plots of the current Primary Variable in the same manner as contour plots, repeat step 1-4 above but replace Contours with Symbols.

12 Page 9 / 26 Note: A symbol plot shows will show the current Primary Variable as a vector plot including the acting direction in addition to the magnitude. 2.4 Common Plot Options In addition to changing the options for specifically contour and symbol plots there also exist several options regarding the general plot state. Follow the steps outlined below for a step by step guide through some common general plot options. 1. In the main menu, select Options Common or press the icon on the left side of the viewport. a. Under the General tab of the Common Plot Options window that appears, change the deformation scale factor to Uniform and specify a user defined value. This will change the magnitude of the deformation scale when performing plots on the deformed shape. b. Also, check the radio button Feature edges. This will plot the geometry of the model without the included mesh.

13 Page 10 / Press OK. Plot the deformed shape only by selecting Plot Deformed Shape in the main menu or by pressing left to the viewport. 3. In the main menu, select Plot Allow Multiple Plot States (can also be selected by pressing the icon to the left of the viewport). This will allow for several plot states to be plotted at once in the same viewport. 4. From the main menu, select Plot Undeformed Shape (can also be selected by pressing the icon to the left of the viewport). This will add a translucent undeformed shape to the currently viewed undeformed shape in the viewport.

14 Page 11 / In the main menu, select Options Superimpose (can also be selected by pressing left of the viewport). This will open the Superimpose Plot Options window which is used for defining plot options for the translucent undeformed shape of the model when allowing the use of multiple plot states. 6. In the Basic tab, select Feature edges to remove the mesh of the undeformed translucent shape of the model and press Apply. 7. Switch over to the Other tab and select Translucency. Slide the bar to the left to increase translucency and to the right to reduce the translucency of the undeformed shape. Uncheck Apply translucency to completely turn off this option.

15 Page 12 / Press Apply. 9. Deactivate the undeformed plot state by pressing the icon. 10. From the main menu, select View ODB Display Options. 11. Under the General tab in the ODB Display Options window that appears, check Render beam profiles and Render shell thickness. Press Apply. This will visualize the underlying thickness and beam profile associated with these type of entities in the viewport.

16 Page 13 / Switch over to the Entity Display tab. Check Show boundary conditions and press Apply. The applied boundary conditions will now be visualized in the viewport. If other entities such as connector-, mass-/ inertia- and/or spring elements are included in the model their visualization can be turned on under this tab as well. 2.5 Display Groups The use of display groups is very useful for only showing certain parts of the model. Follow the steps outlined below for a walkthrough of managing different display groups. 1. From the main menu, select Tools Display Group Manager or press the icon in the Display Group toolbar seen below. 2. In the ODB Display Group Manager window that appears, press Create. This will open the Create Display Group window. In this window, options can be made to hide or show certain parts of the model. a. The Item list shows what entity type should be removed, added or replaced in the viewport. b. The Method list is used for defining how the Item should be selected. 3. Select Elements in the Item list and Element sets from the Method list. The list on the right hand side shows the available element sets that can be added or removed from the viewport.

17 Page 14 / Select the element set EXAMPLEBRIDGE-1.SUPERSTRUCTURE_MO and press Replace. This will replace the current viewport showing the entire bridge to only showing the superstructure of the bridge. 5. Press Save as and name the display group Superstructure_Only. Press OK. 6. In the Create Display Group window, select the element set EXAMPLEBRIDGE-1.SUBSTRUCTURE_MO and press Replace. 7. Press Save as, name the display group Substructure_Only. Press OK 8. Press Dismiss in the Create Display Group window.

18 Page 15 / The saved Display Groups can now be found in the Name list of the ODB Display Group Manager window. 10. In the Name list of the ODB Display Group Manager select both Substructure_Only and Superstructure_Only by holding the Ctrl-key when selecting. Press Plot. This will plot both the superstructure and the substructure simultaneously in the viewport while excluding the remaining parts of the bridge 11. The Display Group Instances list can be used to modify how the currently plotted display groups should be viewed. Check Lock in this list for the Substructure_Only display group.

19 Page 16 / Switch the current plot state for the viewport by pressing the icon. This plot state change will now only effect the Superstructure_Only display group which is unlocked in the ODB Display Group Manager.

20 Page 17 / Creating XY-Data from a Path Creating XY-data and XY-plots from a path is very useful for quantifying and visualizing the results along a selected path. Follow the steps outlined below to understand how to create this type of data. 1. Press the Replace All icon in the Display Group toolbar to display the entire model. 2. Open the Common Plot Options and check Feature edges under the Basic tab and press Apply to easier facilitate the selection of paths. 3. From the main menu, select Tools Path Manager. This will open the Path Manager window. 4. Press Create. Name the path Longitudinal_MidDeck_Path, select Node list as Type and press Continue.

21 Page 18 / This will open the Edit Node List Path. 6. Select Add Before to select the nodes of the path from the viewport. Select the mid-deck node on each side of the bridge as the respective start- and end node of the path as seen in the figure below. 7. Select Done in the prompt appearing under the viewport and then OK in the Edit Node List Path window. 8. From the main menu, select Tools XY Data Manager or press the XY Data Manager icon to the left of the viewport. 9. In the XY Data Manager window that appears, select Create.

22 Page 19 / Select Path as the source in the Create XY Data window that appears and press Continue. 11. This will open the XY Data from Path window. Make the following options: a. Select the previously created path in the Path dropdown menu. b. Check the Undeformed checkbox as the Model shape. c. Check Include intersections under Point Locations. d. Select True Distance under X Values. e. Select the DeadWeight step and corresponding Frame 1 and U3 as the field output variable (selected by pressing Field Output) under Y Values. 12. Press Save As. Name it Longitudinal_MidDeck_U3 and press OK.

23 Page 20 / In the XY Data Manager window, select the previously created XY data from path and press Plot.

24 Page 21 / Overlay Plots Overlay plots are used to plot several layers in the same viewports. For example, some parts of the bridge/structure can be translucently plotted while the contour for some parts are displayed. This can be useful for plotting the results of a part located inside another part while still maintaining a reference of where the contour plotted part is located. Follow the steps outlined below to successfully create such plot using the Overlay Plot Layer Manager. 1. Open the Display Group Manager, select Superstructure_Only and then press Plot. 2. Switch the plot state to Deformed by pressing the icon. 3. Open the Common Plot Options window by pressing the icon. 4. Switch to the Other tab and check Apply translucency and press Apply. 5. Open the Overlay Plot Layer Manager by selecting View Overlay Plot in the main menu.

25 Page 22 / Press Create to create a layer of the current plot in the viewport. Name it Superstructure_translucent_layer. 7. Open the Display Group Manager, select Substructure_Only and then press Plot. 8. Switch the plot state to Contour on Deformed Shape by pressing the icon (don t forget to unlock this display group in the ODB Display Group Manager). 9. Create a layer using the Overlay Plot Layer Manager. Name the layer Substructure_contour_layer. 10. The created layers can now be seen in the Overlay Plot Layer Manager. 11. Press Plot Overlay in the Overlay Plot Layer Manager to plot the two layers simultaneously.

26 Page 23 / Animations Animations are especially useful for visualizing the result from a dynamic analysis but can also be used to visualize an animation of the structure from a non-loaded state to a loaded state. Follow the steps outlined below to get an understanding of how to perform animations and to change the options associated with the animation 1. Select Animate Scale Factor or press the on the left hand side of the viewport. This will perform an animation scaling the contour, symbol and deformed variable depending on selected plot options from 0 to Use the following icons on the upper right hand side of the viewport to pause, play and change the currently viewed scale factor in the viewport. 3. Access the animation options by selecting Options Animation from the menu or by pressing the icon on the left hand side of the viewport. This will open the Animation Options window. a. Select Loop to play the scale factor animation over and over until pausing the animation. b. Slide the Frame Rate to the left to slow down the speed of the animation and slide it to the right to increase the speed.

27 Page 24 / Press Apply for the changes to take effect in the current animation.

28 Page 25 / 26 Note: There also exist a Time History animation type which will create an animation over time or selected steps and frames. This animation type is more suitable for nonlinear analyses where several increments are needed to find a converged solution or for dynamic analyses in the time domain. 2.9 Using Multiple Viewports The use of multiple viewports is very convenient for comparing different results or visualizing different parts of the model side by side. Follow the steps outlined below for a walkthrough of common and useful procedures when using multiple viewports. 1. From the main menu, select Viewport Create. This will create a new viewport. All viewports in the current BRIGADE/Plus session can be viewed in the bottom of the dropdown list shown when pressing Viewport in the main menu. 2. Select Viewport Tile vertically to tile the existing viewports side by side. 3. Switch the active viewport by selecting the non-checked one when pressing Viewport in the main menu. Another option to switch viewport is by simply pressing anywhere on the frame of the non-active viewport window. Any options made will currently only effect the currently active viewport. 4. From the main menu, select Viewport Linked Viewports. This will open the Linked Viewports window. Check the Link Viewports to activate linking separate viewports. The Options determine which options should affect the linked viewports and Linked Viewports list determines which viewports currently in the session that should be linked to each other.

29 Page 26 / Accept the default values and press Apply. Viewport 1 and Viewport 2 are now linked. Changing the view, plot state or plot options in either viewport will now effect the other one in the same manner. Change the Options in the Linked Viewports window to change which options should be linked between viewports.