Creating Paths

You can create a custom path from nodes, points, or elements, or mesh edges.

This task shows you how to:

See Also
Creating an X-Y Plot from a Path

Create Paths from Points

You can create a path from data points that you define with X-, Y-, and Z-coordinates.

  1. From the Setup section of the action bar, click Path .
  2. Optional: Enter a Name for the path.
  3. From the Type options, select Points.
  4. Click points directly on the model to create the data points for your path.

    Alternatively, you can click to add a new row and enter the X-, Y-, and Z-coordinates manually.

  5. Click to delete a single row or click to delete all rows.

    You can also click to clear the contents of any cell.

  6. Select Snap to nodes to align the proposed point with the nearest node.
  7. Select Follow model to force the proposed points to deform with the model when the scale factor, step, frame, or load case is changed.
  8. Optional: Click to show or hide the mesh.
  9. Optional: Select Create XY to create an X-Y plot from the path you defined, immediately on closure of the Path dialog box.
  10. Click Apply or click OK to commit the changes and to close the dialog box.

Create Paths from Nodes

You can create a path from nodes that you select in the model. When you create paths from nodes, you select a part and then specify a label or range of labels.

  1. From the Setup section of the action bar, click Path .
  2. Optional: Enter a Name for the path.
  3. From the Type options, select Nodes.
  4. Click nodes directly on the model to create the data points for your path.

    Alternatively, you can click to add a new Labels row and enter the label value or range of label values.

  5. Click to delete a single row or click to delete all rows.
  6. Optional: Click to show or hide the mesh.
  7. Optional: Select Create XY to create an X-Y plot from the path you defined, immediately on closure of the Path dialog box.
  8. Click Apply or click OK to commit the changes and to close the dialog box.

Create Paths from Elements

You can create a path from elements that you select in the model. When you create paths from elements, you select a part and then specify a label or range of labels.

  1. From the Setup section of the action bar, click Path .
  2. Optional: Enter a Name for the path.
  3. From the Type options, select Elements.
  4. Click elements directly on the model to create the data points for your path.

    Alternatively, you can click to add a new Labels row and enter the label value or range of label values.

  5. Click to delete a single row or click to delete all rows.
  6. Optional: Click to show or hide the mesh.
  7. Optional: Select Create XY to create an X-Y plot from the path you defined, immediately on closure of the Path dialog box.
  8. Click Apply or click OK to commit the changes and to close the dialog box.

Create Paths from Mesh Edges

You can create a path from mesh-based edges that you select in the model. Mesh-based edges are edges that are attached to an element and a face.

  1. From the Setup section of the action bar, click Path .
  2. Optional: Enter a Name for the path.
  3. From the Type options, select Mesh Edges.
  4. Select a model selection Method:
    OptionDescription
    Individually Picks the closest edge with each mouse click. The direction of the path is based on the edge connectivity.
    By feature angle Picks a feature edge. Physics Results Explorer selects all other feature edges that are connected to the selected feature edge within the specified feature angle. You can specify the direction the feature edge propagates. The edge propagates until you specify an end node or until the angle between a neighboring edge and the current edge is greater than the feature angle (for example, a T-junction).
    By shortest distance Picks the shortest distance between the selected edge and the end node.
  5. Click to change the direction of the path created by the model selection method.
  6. Click to delete a single row or click to delete all rows.

    For Mesh edges selections, you cannot add a new row ahead of time; new rows are added only when you select a new edge on the model.

Physics Results Explorer creates a path from the specified options. If you selected Create XY, the X-Y plot is generated immediately from the path data. Otherwise, you can create the X-Y plot later from the saved path data.