View Tab

You can change the view and appearance of your model, as well as save views for future use. Most View menu items are available in the FEA Editor and Results environments.

Change model viewpoints

To change your model orientation,

1. Click ViewNavigateOrientation.
2. Select one of the 6 orthogonal views or choose Isometric or Axonometric. Or, select Reverse View to rotate the current view 180 degrees about the vertical axis of the screen.

Save and access model viewpoints

The <Current View> in the User-Defined Views dialog box is shown in the display area. If you rename this view, you also save the current view.

Save the current view as a new entry:

1. With the view in the appropriate orientation, click ViewNavigateUser-defined Views.
2. Click <Current View> in the dialog box. The Rename button activates.
3. Click Rename, enter the appropriate view name, and click OK.

Replace an existing view with the current view:

1. With the view in the appropriate orientation, click ViewNavigateUser-defined Views.
2. Click the existing view in the dialog box. The Save View button activates.
3. Click Save View and click OK.

Access or display a view:

1. Click ViewNavigateUser-defined Views.
2. Click an existing view in the dialog box and click Apply View.
3. Click OK.

Change appearance of models

For a CAD solid model in the FEA Editor environment, click ViewAppearanceVisual Style to choose between two different displays. The setting changes how the mesh is shown and what color displays when you perform a surface selection.

• With CAD Surfaces active, the theoretical CAD model surfaces and edges are shaded. Otherwise, the elements are shaded. In most situations, the difference between these two settings is negligible. If the mesh is coarse relative to the model curvature, viewing the surfaces shows a smoother shape. However, some of the mesh lines may appear to be inside or outside the volume of the CAD solid. This setting has a big effect when you view a midplane mesh. With CAD Surfaces active, the CAD model is visible, and the midplane mesh is not visible since it is inside the solid. With CAD Surfaces not active, the midplane mesh is visible but the CAD model surfaces are not visible.
• When you view the model based on surface numbers (ViewAppearanceColor BySurface), the mesh lines and surface are the same color when CAD Surfaces is active. This makes it easier to distinguish different surfaces in the model. When CAD Surfaces is not active, the mesh lines are the color associated with the surface number, but the surface shading is gray.

Click ViewAppearanceVisual StyleShaded to shade your model with no edges (feature lines) or mesh lines. Only the faces of the CAD model or elements are shaded.

Click ViewAppearanceVisual StyleEdges (FEA Editor) or Features (Results environment) to display the model with only the edges (feature lines).

Note: Edges are the perimeters of a surface in a CAD model or edge of a part you create with the 2D automatic mesher. Feature lines are determined by the angle between two adjacent elements. If the normal directions are different, or the edge is shared with a different part, then a feature line is created at the common edge between elements.

Click ViewAppearanceVisual StyleShaded with Edges (FEA Editor) or Shaded with Features (Results environment) to display the model with the edges (feature lines) and shading.

Click ViewAppearanceVisual StyleMesh to display the model with mesh lines only.

Click ViewAppearanceVisual StyleShaded with Mesh to shade the model and display mesh lines.

You can control the shading and mesh colors as follows:

• Mesh color. In the FEA Editor environment, click ViewAppearanceColor By to change mesh color. In the Results environment, click OptionsResultsPart and Mesh Preferences to change mesh color.
• Mesh color: In the FEA Editor environment, with CAD Surfaces active and edges displayed, acceptable edge lines are the same color as the part. Blue or orange edge lines indicate unmatched and multi-matched edges, respectively. This is true only if the model is colored by part (ViewAppearanceColor ByPart).
• Shading color: In the FEA Editor environment, the shading color depends on whether the part is from a CAD solid model or hand built and the attribute displayed (part, surface, and so on). OptionsSetupDefault Shade, ViewAppearance CAD Surfaces, and ViewAppearanceColor By all have an effect. In the Results environment, use OptionsResultsPart and Mesh Color Preferences.

Activate Miniaxis displays

Click ViewAppearanceUser InterfaceShow Miniaxis to activate or deactivate the miniaxis graphic in the display area. The graphic shows the orientation of the global coordinate system. To change the size or location of the miniaxis display, go to OptionsGraphics.

Change to perspective view

Click View AppearancePerspective View to switch between perspective and orthographic model views.

Display scale ruler

Click ViewAppearanceUser InterfaceShow Scale Ruler to toggle the ruler at the bottom of the display window. Go to OptionsGraphicsScale ruler to set the size of the scale ruler.

Magnify the screen

Click ViewAppearanceUser InterfaceShow Local Zoom to magnify a portion of the model. When active, the magnifier window is visible in the center of the display area. A preview window shows the magnified image in a corner of the display. The magnifier window anchors to the screen so changes in model orientation do not effect the window.

To move the magnifier window, place the cursor inside its border. The cursor changes to a double arrow icon. Hold down the left mouse button to drag the magnifier window to a new location.

Rotate models

To rotate your model in the display area, do the following:

1. Click ViewNavigateOrbit.
2. Click anywhere in the active window and hold down the mouse button.
3. Drag the cursor around the screen to achieve the appropriate model orientation.

Tip:

• You can define a point about which to rotate your model. Right-click in the active window. If you are on a vertex, you can select Rotate on Vertex to define the vertex as the rotation center. You can select Rotate on Model Center to rotate about the centroid of the model. You can also select Specify Center of Rotation to specify a coordinate about which to rotate.
• Alternatively, you can rotate the model using the mouse buttons as defined in OptionsMouse Options.
• To only rotate about one of the global axes, hold down the X, Y, or Z key. Keep the key depressed while you rotate the model.
• You can use the arrow keys on your keyboard to rotate the model about the perpendicular axes in the screen. Press the right or left arrow keys to rotate the model about the vertical axis . Press the up or down arrow keys to rotate the model about the horizontal axis. Press the S key while pressing the arrow keys to rotate the model about the axis normal to the screen. Press the X, Y, or Z keys to rotate about the respective axis. Each time you press an arrow key, the view rotates by an amount specified in ToolsOptionsGraphicsRotation Increment.
• To control whether the shaded model or wireframe displays when you rotate the model, go to OptionsSetupWhen model is moving (FEA Editor environment). For the Results environment, use Result OptionsViewNo Shading When Moving Model.

Zoom views dynamically

To zoom in or out on your model, do the following:

1. Click ViewNavigateZoomZoom.
2. Click anywhere in the active window and hold down the mouse button.
3. Drag the cursor up or down to zoom in or out. Whether upward movement zooms in or out is defined under OptionsMouse Options. The Mouse Options also defines alternate key combinations to zoom using the mouse.

   Alternatively, you can press down the mouse wheel and the <Shift> key and drag the curser around the screen. You can also rotate the mouse wheel to zoom in or out.

Zoom views using a rectangle

To zoom in or out on your model, click ViewNavigateZoomWindow and define the opposite corners of your rectangle.

If the CTRL key is held, the mouse clicks define the center and corner of the rectangle.

Pan views dynamically

To pan your model view, do the following:

1. Click ViewNavigatePan.
2. Click anywhere in the active window and hold down the mouse button.
3. Drag the cursor to pan the model view.

   Alternatively, you can pan the model using the mouse buttons defined in OptionsMouse Options.

Previous model view

To display the previous view of your model, click ViewNavigatePrevious View. Click the command again to return to the original view.

Zoom models to windows

To display your entire model in the display, click ViewNavigateEnclose. The orientation of your model does not change.

Control how models are colored

In the FEA Editor environment, click ViewAppearanceColor By to select the property (part, surface, layer or edge) that defines the color for mesh lines (and edges of a CAD model).

If you select Part or Surface, the model (or elements) and mesh lines display in that color. For other properties, the mesh lines use the appropriate color, but the model (or element) shading follows OptionsSetupDefault Color.

The color of construction objects follows OptionsSketching.

Miscellaneous display options

In the FEA Editor environment, on the View tab, Visibility or Appearance panel, use the following options to control the display of entities.

• Internal Mesh When you automatically solid mesh a part, the interior lines do not display by default. This is true for CAD models and hand-built models that you solid mesh with the command Mesh Mesh Create Solid Mesh. To apply a load to nodes inside the solid, display the interior lines so that you can select the nodes. Click View Visibility Object Visibility Internal Mesh to toggle the display of the interior lines.
  Note: By default, interior lines generate in a CAD solid model when you perform an analysis. If you require the solid mesh before the analysis, deactivate the option MeshMesh3D Mesh SettingsModel Meshing SettingsOptionsGeneral Perform solid meshing at time of analysis before generating the surface mesh. Alternatively, select the parts to solid mesh, right-click, and choose CAD Mesh OptionsCreate Solid Mesh. Also, it is not necessary to display the interior lines when you apply a load to the part.
• Loads and Constraints Displays FEA Objects such as boundary conditions and forces.
• Construction Objects Displays all construction objects such as construction lines and construction circles.
• Endpoint Vertices Displays an X at the ends of each line segment, at the nodes/ vertices of the elements.
• Midside Vertices Displays an X at the midside nodes for parts that include midside nodes.
• Auxiliary Vertices Displays auxiliary nodes which define beam element orientation. The auxiliary nodes display as small circles.
• Construction Vertices Displays construction vertices as solid blue squares.
• Sketch Planes Displays all drawing planes. This setting is equivalent to when you right-click Planes in the tree view and select Visibility of All.
• Element Orientations Displays beam element and spring element orientations. Choose to display the local Axis 1, Axis 2, and/or Axis 3 directions, using red, green, and blue arrows, respectively. Axis 1 points in the direction from the I node towards the J node. Axis 2 lies in the plane formed by the element and the K node. Axis 3 follows the right-hand rule with Axis 1 and 2.
• Rotating Frame of Reference Directions Displays the rotating frame of reference directions, used for fluid flow analysis. A red line that extends from the vertices points in the direction of rotation. This setting is equivalent to when you right-click Rotating Frames of Reference in the tree view and select Visibility of All.
• Nodal Coordinate Systems Displays the local coordinate system miniaxis symbols at the nodes assigned to any local coordinate system. The red line points in the direction of the local X axis, the green line points in the direction of the local Y axis, and the blue line points in the direction of the local Z axis. This command is equivalent to when you right-click Coordinate Systems in the tree view and select Visibility of All.
  Tip: You can remember the line color by comparing RGB to XYZ.
  Note: Local X,Y,Z depends on whether the coordinate system is rectangular, cylindrical, or spherical.
• Only Bad CAD Features Displays unmatched or multi-matched CAD model feature lines (edges). These edges can be problematic for meshing. All other edges are hidden. For more information, see Feature Matching.
• CAD Rendering Options controls shading accuracy for the surface of a CAD solid model. For shading purposes, CAD surfaces are represented by a series of tessellation surfaces. Although this is usually transparent, in some situations, adjustment of the tessellation surface size results in a smoother curved surface. For example, a 5-inch diameter hole can be represented with a tessellation size of 0.5-inch, but a 0.5-inch diameter hole looks like a square with this size of rendering. If you select parts of the model before you activate the command, you can choose between Apply to all parts and Apply to selected parts.