Share

Output Grapher Reference

Displays graphs and numerical values of all the input and output variables in a simulation during and after the simulation completes. The Output Grapher contains a toolbar, a browser, a time steps pane, and a graph window . There are also context menus with content based on the location of the cursor when you right-click.

Access:

Ribbon: Dynamic Simulation tab Results panel Output Grapher

To have several Output Graphers open simultaneously, click the icon multiple times.

Note: Output Grapher parameters, like Dynamic Part Motion and Input Grapher parameters, are not available in the Parameters dialog box.

With the Output Grapher, you can:

  • Display a graph of any simulation variable.
  • Apply Fast Fourier Transform to one or more simulation variables.
  • Save simulation variables.
  • Compare current variables to variables you save from a previous simulation.
  • Derive variables from calculations using simulation variables.
  • Prepare simulation results for FEA.
  • Send simulation results to Excel and in a text file.

Output Grapher variable names

Take the same name as in the Dynamic Simulation browser. They are as follows:

Parts

Part name (assigned during part creation), a colon (:), and the number of the simulation.

Joints

Joint number (assigned according to the order of joint creation), a colon (:), the type of joint, and, in parentheses, the names of the two joint parts.

Variables

Variable abbreviation and square brackets surrounding the joint number and, in some cases, a period (.) and the number of the degree of freedom. Variable abbreviations are

  • P for position. (Formerly p)
  • V for velocity. (Formerly v)
  • A for acceleration. (Formerly a)
  • U for articular efforts. (Formerly U)
  • U_imposed for driving force. (Formerly Ukin)
  • Force for force. (Formerly fr)
  • Moment for moment (torque). (Formerly mm)
  • Force [1] for contact force. Force[2] and so on, for multiple points. (Formerly frc)
  • Status_contact for the contact status. (formerly status_ct)

    For no contact, status is 0, and for permanent contact, status is 1. When status is 0.5, there is an impact followed by a rebound.

  • Status_rolling for the sliding status. (Formerly roll_ct)

    For sliding along the X axis of the joint coordinate system , status is 0; for sliding along the -X axis of the joint coordinate system, status is -1; and for rolling (but no sliding), status is 1.

  • Force for spring force. (Formerly frs)

    For a spring, a frs greater than 0 is traction and a frs less than 0 is compression.

  • Extent_length for spring length. (Formerly ls)
  • Extent_v for velocity (that is, spring strain rate). (Formerly vs)

    The variable vs is the relative linear velocity of the tie points of the spring.

  • Force for rolling and sliding joint force. (Formerly frl)
  • Moment for rolling and sliding joint moment. (Formerly mml)
  • Pen_max for maximum penetration of this 3D contact joint. (Formerly pen_max)
  • Num_points for the number of contact points of this 3D contact joint. (Formerly nb_cp)
  • Force_max for the maximum force exerted by this 3D contact joint. Formerly frcp_max)
  • Force_ref1 for the force exerted on the first part by the second part. (Formerly frcp1)
 
  • Moment_ref1 for the moment (that is, torque) exerted on the first part by the second one. (Formerly mmcp1)

    The resultant of the forces and the moments are expressed in the first part coordinate system. The moment is reduced to the origin of the first part coordinate system.

  • Force_ref2 for the force exerted by on the second part by the first part. (Formerly frcp2)
  • Moment_ref2 for the moment (that is, torque) exerted on the second part by the first part. (Formerly mmcp2)

    The resultant of the forces and the moments are expressed in the second part coordinate system. The moment is reduced to the origin of the second part coordinate system.

  • P for the trace position. (Formerly p_ptr)
  • V for the trace velocity. (Formerly v_ptr)
  • A for the trace acceleration. (Formerly a_ptr)
  • Force for the external load force. (Formerly fr_ptr)
  • Moment for the external load moment. (Formerly mm_ptr)
  • Force for unknown force. (Formerly fr ‘?’)
  • Moment for unknown moment. (Formerly mm ‘?’)

Vectors have a second set of square brackets surrounding X, Y, or Z; for example, Force:1[X].

  • Steps_internal for values for the internal calculations between two images. (Formerly internal_step)
  • Hyperstatic for the values for redundancies. (Formerly hyperstatic)
  • Shock for the values for the status of contact between the two components of the contact joint. (Formerly shock)

You can rename variables but exercise caution when renaming. The object vector components (X, Y, or Z) cannot be renamed. When an output variable is renamed, a collision check is performed. The variable is renamed if there are no other output variables of the same name.

Toolbar

Contains commonly used commands.

 

Clears all simulation results from the Output Grapher.

Note: Assembly files can increase dramatically in size after performing a simulation. To reduce the size of the file, open the Output Grapher while in construction mode, clear all simulation results, and save the assembly. You lose only the results of the current simulation.
 

Unselects all variables.

 

Opens the Load File dialog box. Specify the name of the file containing the simulation variables you want to import.

 

Opens the Save Simulation dialog box. Save all simulation results.

 

Opens the New Curve dialog box. Define calculations using available simulation variables.

 

Opens the Trace dialog box. Define new traces using the options and selecting the location in the graphics region. A new trace is added using the cached simulation information. Additional traces can be added using this command. The cached simulation information is used to plot the trace.

 

Opens the Reference Frame dialog box. Define new reference frames using the inputs and graphic region selections

 

Opens the Export to FEA dialog box. Select components you want to run analysis on.

 

Displays the precise calculations for simulation events. You can click any calculation result and see it in the output graph. It enables access to exact moments of contact, and so on, for the event.

 

Copies the graph window. Paste it into another document, such as a Microsoft Word document.

 

Opens the Print dialog box. Print the current graph window display.

 

Automatically scales the curve displayed in the graph window so that you can see the entire curve.

 

Activates the zoom window command for use in the Output Grapher. Two left-clicks define a zoom rectangle. Using the mouse wheel you can also pan and zoom.

 

Exports the results currently displayed in the graph window to Microsoft Excel.

Browser

Displays all of the available simulation variables.

At any time after joint creation, you can see the joint variables in the Output Grapher. To show the curve and the numerical values associated with a variable, click the selection box to the left of the variable. You can select as many variables as you want at any time during the simulation.

Level 1

Simulation name.

When leaving the run simulation environment and returning to the construction environment, the Output Grapher browser background is grayed and this node shows a red lightning bolt .This signifies that the results in the Output Grapher are now considered stale or out of date. This is because any modifications made in the construction environment since running that simulation are not reflected in the current Run results. The simulation results are updated each time the simulation is run.

Level 2

A folder for every joint in the model. Joints automatically created are in the Standard Joints folder. Additional joints are kept in folders by joint type. There are also folders for traces, time steps that are exported to FEA, Reference Frames, external loads, unknown forces, and user variables.

Joints appear by joint type and have the name of the joint, including the component parts, in parentheses.

Level 3 for joints

Force and moment folders for standard, rolling, and sliding joints. Standard joints also have folders for positions; velocities; accelerations; articular efforts force and its vector components, if available; and driving force and its vector components, if available.

For 2D contact joints, there is a force folder and two selection boxes (for Status_contact and Status_rolling).

For spring/damper/joint contact joints, there is a force folder and two selection boxes (for Extent_length and Extent_v).

For 3D contact joints, there are all of the following:

  • Maximum penetration selection box.
  • Number of contact points selection box.
  • Maximum force selection box.
  • Force (part 1) selection boxes.
  • Moment (part 1) selection boxes.
  • Force (part 2) selection boxes.
  • Moment (part 3) selection boxes.

For time steps, the folder Export to FEA is used.

Level 3 for traces, external loads, and unknown forces folders

For traces folders, there are positions, velocities, and accelerations folders.

For external loads and unknown forces folders, there are force and moment folders.

Level 3 for user variables

The User variables folder contains the general variables of the mechanism and any values for new curves.

General variables are Steps_internal, Hyperstatic, and if for a contact joint, Shock selection boxes.

  • Steps_internal is the number of internal calculations between two images.
  • Hyperstatic is the number of redundancies.

    The degree of hyperstatism can vary during the simulation if the mechanism contains contact joints.

  • Shock is the status of contact between the two components of a contact joint.

    0 indicates no impact for exact contact joints.

    1 indicates an impact in a contact joint.

    2 indicates other events (separation, passing from rolling to sliding or from sliding to rolling).

Level 3 for time steps

Time steps for which Dynamic Simulation exports the motion loads to Stress Analysis. Select the time steps from the time steps column in the time steps pane.

Level 4 for standard joints

Selection boxes for:

  • Positions.
  • Velocities.
  • Accelerations.
  • Articular effort forces and their vector components, if available.
  • Driving forces and their vector components, if available.

    The value of the driving force or moment corresponds to the imposed motion, if any.

Level 4 for standard, rolling, and sliding joints

Force and force vector components selection boxes, and moment and moment vector components selection boxes.

By default, the three vector components of the force and the three vector components of the moment are given in the joint coordinate system.

Level 4 for force joints (2D contact joints and spring/damper/jack joints)

Force and force vector selection boxes.

The variable Force[Z] is the ordinary vector component of the contact force applied by the parent part and expressed, by default, in the joint coordinate frame. The variable Force[Z] is the normal vector component and the variable Force[X] is the tangential vector component.

Level 4 for traces

Selection boxes for

  • positions
  • velocities
  • accelerations

Level 4 for unknown forces

Force and force vector component selection boxes, and moment and moment vector component selection boxes.

Note: Imported simulations have the same hierarchy.

Special conditions

 

Identifies a joint that is insufficiently defined.

 

Identifies a part selected for export to FEA, but blocked for some reason (for example, if contacts are defined on the selected part).

Time steps pane

Displays all time steps that have values for the selected variables. Click the box to the left of a time step to copy the values to the appropriate part file for stress analysis.

The header in the time steps pane contains the following:

 

Opens a context menu containing Clear All and Generate Series of time steps to analyze the part.

Use these commands to control the information you copy to the part file for stress analysis.

Times

Heads a column listing every time step for which there is data. When you right-click anywhere in this column, a context menu opens.

Note: After you calculate an unknown force, the heading for this column becomes Step number. You can select a step number for export for FEA.

Values

Displays one column for every variable selected in the browser. The name of the variable heads a column of values corresponding to the time steps in the times column. When you right-click anywhere in this column, a context menu opens.

While all available time steps and related values for the selected variables are in the time steps pane, only a few are visible at a time. Scroll up and down to see additional time steps. To make a time step visible instantly, double-click the time step in the graph window.

Graph window

Displays curves of values for selected variables.

You can view results in the graph window during or after a simulation.

Panning

Using the middle mouse button or wheel, click and drag in the graph window to pan the curves.

Zoom

To zoom the graph window dynamically, roll the mouse wheel. The zoom behavior is the same as the default zoom wheel behavior in Inventor. Roll the wheel toward the front of the mouse to zoom out, roll the wheel toward the rear of the mouse to zoom in. Double-click the middle mouse button to Zoom All and fit the curve in the graph window.

Zoom Window

To resize the graph window and curves, click Zoom Window and in the graph window using the left mouse button, click to define one corner of a rectangle. Drag the mouse to the appropriate location and left-click again to define the diagonal corner of the rectangle. The graph window view and curve are magnified proportionally to the rectangle you defined.

  • Use Zoom Window to look more closely at Output curves.
  • Use Auto Scale to fit the curve to the graph window.
  • You can also change the height or width independently by using the window controls for the overall window or the controls for interior window panes.

When you right-click in the graph window, a context menu opens. The contents of the context menu depend upon what is selected.

Context menu options

The following are the options that may appear on a context menu.

Add Line or Arrow

Adds a line to the graph window. To move the line, move one or both of the grips (that is, boxes) on the end of the line. Right-clicking 1 of the grips opens another context menu.

Available only when you right-click in the graph window.

  • Properties

Opens the Line/Arrow Properties dialog box, enabling you to change the color, thickness, dotted line, and style of the selected line or arrow.

Available only when you right-click a line or an arrow that was added to the graph window.

  • Foreground

Places the selected line or arrow in front of everything else in the graph window.

Available only when you right-click a line or an arrow that was added to the graph window.

  • Background

Places the selected line or arrow behind everything else in the graph window.

Available only when you right-click a line or an arrow that was added to the graph window.

  • Delete

Deletes the selected line or arrow.

Available only when you right-click a line or an arrow that was added to the graph window.

Add Part

Hides the Output Grapher window and enters the selection command. Select the parts you want to export to FEA.

Add Reference Frame

Displays the Reference Frame dialog box and begins the operation of specifying a new Reference Frame

Add Text

Adds a text box that you can use to annotate a curve.

Available only when you right-click in the graph window.

Add Trace

Displays the Trace dialog box and places you in the operation of defining the output you want to create a trace for. Then, using the cached output, creates a trace at the location you specify. If the simulation was not run, the trace is drawn during the simulation.

Auto Scale

After a zoom or translation, redraws all displayed curves so that all of the curves appear in the graph window.

Available from the toolbar [] and when you right-click in the graph window.

Clear All

Clears all check marks from time steps in the time steps pane.

Available when you right-click or a time step selection box in the time steps pane.

Copy

Places this selection on the clipboard for pasting into another document.

Available from the toolbar [] and when you right-click in the graph window.

Curve Properties

Opens the Dynamic Simulation Properties dialog box, enabling you to set properties for the curve displaying the selected variables.

Available when you right-click a variable in either the browser or the time steps pane or when you right-click in the graph window.

Delete [in time steps pane]

Clears all variables in the selected column in the time steps pane.

Available when you right-click a variables column in the time steps pane.

Delete [in graph window]

Deletes the selected line or arrow in the graph window.

Available only when you right-click a line or arrow that has been added to the graph window.

Delete Curve

Deletes the new curve.

Available only when you right-click a new curve variable from the User variables folder.

Delete from Tree

Delete the imported simulation. You can also use the Del key.

Available when you right-click of the folder containing an imported simulation.

Edit Curve

Reopens the New curve dialog box, enabling you to edit the curve definition.

Available only when you right-click a new curve variable from the User variables folder.

Export to FEA

Selects the time step and exports data associated with the time step to FEA.

If you select AIP Stress Analysis from the Dynamic Simulation Settings dialog box, this command writes the data to the appropriate part file. If you select ANSYS Simulation from the Dynamic Simulation Settings dialog box, this command writes the data to the text file you created in that dialog box.

Available only when you right-click a time step selection box in the time steps pane.

Export to sketch

Exports the selected trace to a 2D or 3D sketch, enabling you to design parts, holes, grooves, and so on, that connect to the component whose movement was traced.

Available when you right-click a trace.

Express results in coord. system of

Calculates the selected variable vectors relative to the selected coordinate frame.

Available when you right-click force and moment variables for standard, rolling, and sliding joints, or an External Load node in the Output Grapher browser.

  • joints "parent" frame

This value is the coordinate system of the first component selected during creation of this joint.

  • joints "child" frame

This value is the coordinate system of the second component selected during creation of this joint.

  • absolute frame

This value is the coordinate system of the mechanism.

  • User Defined
Lists existing Reference Frames. You can create new ones using the New command.
  

Generate series

Opens the Generate Time Steps dialog box, enabling you to generate time steps for FEA.

Available when you right-click or a time step selection box in the time steps pane.

Note: You can select only time steps for export to FEA. When viewing results after calculating an unknown force, the column on the left side of the Time steps pane says Step number, instead of Time steps. You cannot generate a series of time steps for export for FEA.

Global

Processes the entire curve for all simulation variables. Use this option with Search min, max, or 0.

Available only when you right-click in the values column in the time steps pane.

Grapher Options

Opens the Grapher Options dialog box, enabling you to modify the display in the graph window.

Available when you right-click any folder or variable in the Output Grapher browser, anything in the times column or in the values column in the time steps pane, or anywhere in the graph window.

Import Simulation

Opens the Load File dialog box, enabling you to specify the name of the file containing the simulation variables you want to import.

Available from the toolbar [] and when you right-click any folder or variable in the Output Grapher browser.

Load List

Loads (that is, opens) a list containing variable selections so that you do not have to select the variables again.

Available when you right-click anything in the Output Grapher browser.

Local

Processes only the zoomed section of the curve for all simulation variables. Use this option with Search min, max, or 0.

Available only when you right-click in the values column in the time steps pane.

New Curve

Creates a variable from existing variables, classical arithmetic and Boolean operators, and functions of real numbers.

Available from the toolbar [] and from the context menu when you right-click anything in the Output Grapher browser.

Post-Processing

Opens a context menu to create a curves-based module and phase on a Fast Fourier Transformation.

Available when you right-click variables in either the Output Grapher browser or in the values column in the time steps pane.

  • FFT - Module
  • FFT - phase
  • FFT - Reference

Print

Opens the Print dialog box, enabling you to print the current graph window display

Available from the toolbar [] and when you right-click in the times or values column in the time steps pane or anywhere in the graph window.

Reduced at origin of

Calculates the selected variable vectors relative to the origin of the selected coordinate system.

Available only when you right-click a moment folder node for standard, rolling, and sliding joints, or an external load moment node in the Output Grapher browser.

  • joints "parent" frame

This value is the coordinate system of the first component selected during creation of this joint.

  • joints "child" frame

This value is the coordinate system of the second component selected during creation of this joint.

  • absolute frame

This value is the coordinate system of the mechanism.

Save List

Opens the Save List dialog box, enabling you to save a list of selected variables.

Available when you right-click anywhere in the Output Grapher browser.

Save Simulation

Opens the Save Simulation dialog box, enabling you to save the currently displayed simulation variables.

Available from the toolbar [] and when you right-click anywhere in the Output Grapher browser, in the Times or Values columns in the time steps pane, or anywhere in the graph window.

Save Values as

Opens the Save Values as filter, enabling you to capture only values at time steps at selected intervals. You can then save the filtered values in a text file. Instead of saving all values, you can save one value of every two, three, four, or five, and so on.

Available when you right-click the times or values column in the time steps pane.

Search 0

Searches for, and shows, the time steps when the value of this variable is 0.

Available only when you right-click the values column in the time steps pane.

Search Max.

Searches for, and shows, the time steps when the value of this variable is at its maximum.

Available only when you right-click the values column in the time steps pane.

Search Min.

Searches for, and shows, the time steps when the value of this variable is at its minimum.

Available only when you right-click the values column in the time steps pane.

Select

Displays the selected variable as a curve in the graph window. It also shows the time step values and the corresponding result values in the time steps pane.

The selected variable is displayed on the Y axis of the graph.

The default is unselected.

Available when you right-click variables in the Output Grapher browser.

Removing the check mark removes the curve from the graph window and the values from the time steps pane.

Select as Series End

Sets the time step that is last in the time step series you want to export to FEA.

The selected variable is displayed on the Y axis of the graph.

The default is the last time step for which there is data.

Available when you right-click time steps in the time steps pane.

Removing the check mark sets the last time step for which there is data as the time series end.

Select as Series Start

Sets the time step that is first in the time step series you want to export to FEA.

The selected variable is displayed on the Y axis of the graph.

The default is the first time step for which there is data.

Available when you right-click time steps in the time steps pane.

Removing the check mark sets the first time step for which there is data as the time series start.

Set Alert

Enables a change of background color according to the values for the selected variable.

Available when you right-click variables in the Output Grapher browser.

Set as Reference

Sets the selected variable as the reference for all other variables.

In the Output Grapher browser, the variable's selection box becomes green, and in the time steps pane, the times column shows the time corresponding to the image in the graph window and the values column shows the values for the variable set as reference.

By default, time is the reference.

Available when you right-click variables in the Output Grapher browser.

Removing the check mark sets the reference back to time.

Unselect all Curves

Unselects all variables and removes the curves of the variables from the graph window and the values for the variables from the time steps pane.

Available from the toolbar [] and when you right-click anything in the Output Grapher browser or in the times or values column in the time steps pane.

Parent page: Results of Dynamic Simulation

Was this information helpful?