Analysis Tab

To access the Analysis tab of the Options dialog box, use either of the following commands:

• Application Menu Options, or
• Tools Options Application Options.

Then, click on the Analysis tab.

Defaults Section

Specify the preferred program defaults for each of the following options:

• Set Units: Click this button to access the Unit System dialog box. The selection you choose here becomes the default unit system for newly created models. Click OK to accept your selection or click Cancel to abort. The default Modeling Units are displayed to the left of the Set Units button. For more information, see the Select a Units System page.
• Analysis Type: Ask each time: When this checkbox is activated, you are prompted to choose an analysis type when creating models or importing CAD models for the first time. When unchecked, the analysis type is set automatically according to your default analysis type selection. The default analysis type is displayed beneath the Ask each time checkbox.
• Set Analysis Type: This button is disabled when the Ask each time option is activated. Click Set Analysis Type to see a pop-up list of the available analysis types. The one you click becomes the default.
  Note: You can also set a default by activating the Use as default analysis type checkbox within the Choose Analysis Type dialog box. This dialog box appears when importing CAD models for the first time.

Automated Tasks Section

Specify the preferred program behavior for each of the following options:

• Ask to show mesh results after CAD meshing: If this check box is activated, then you will be prompted about whether or not you want to view the results of meshing a CAD solid model. If the check box is not activated, then you will not be prompted. In either case, the mesh results can be reviewed at any time by clicking MeshMeshView Mesh Results.
• Show decoder warnings and continue analysis: If this check box is activated, the analysis will start even when the model contains a geometry warning. When a warning occurs, the appropriate decoder log file (either group.ldx or ds.ldd) is displayed in a Notepad window. You should check whether the warnings have an effect on the analysis or not. (Some warnings are not serious enough to affect the results, so proceeding with the analysis can be acceptable.) The status of the check box has no affect if there are no warnings.

  If a warning occurs and the Show decoder warnings and continue analysis box is unchecked, you will receive following message:

  The model contains errors due to geometry problems. Do you wish to view those errors?

  This prompt halts the analysis until you choose Yes or No.

  If an error occurs, the analysis will not proceed, regardless of whether the Show decoder warnings and continue analysis box is checked or not.

  Note: Decoding is the process of converting the lines of the mesh into elements, the FEA objects into actual loads and boundary conditions, and so on. Decoding occurs during the Verifying Model stage of performing an analysis and when the model is checked (AnalysisAnalysisCheck Model).
• Use large displacement as default for nonlinear analyses: Nonlinear structural analyses can perform calculations based on small displacement theory or large displacement theory. If the Use large displacement as default for nonlinear analyses option is activated, then the Analysis Type option will be set to Large Displacement by default. Otherwise, the Analysis Type will be set to Small Displacement.

  To override the default analysis type setting, use the Analysis Type pull-down menu within the Element Definition dialog box for each part.

  The default analysis type setting affects all new models and new parts. The analysis type for existing parts, created before changing the default analysis type, will not be affected.

• Default Modeling Units: Click this button to specify the default units to use when you create a new model. For convenience, choose the units that you use most frequently. The default units generally apply only to hand-meshed models; the units for most CAD models are determined from the CAD model.
  Note: If a different unit system is needed for a particular model, you can be specify it when you create the model rather than changing the default units system. To do so, click the Override Default Units button on the New dialog box.) For additional information on the unit systems, refer to the page: Selecting a Units System.