Creating an X-Y Plot from a Path

You can create an X-Y plot to measure the change in variables along a custom path you created.

Before you begin: You must first create a path by selecting points from a point list, parts list, or node list.
See Also
Creating Paths
Creating X-Y Plots from History Data
  1. From the Plots section of the action bar, click X-Y Plot from Path .
  2. Optional: Enter a Name for the X-Y plot.
  3. Select the Path you want to use for data extraction.

    If no path has been created yet, click to create a path.

  4. From x-values, select one of the following:
    OptionDescription
    Sequence Id X-values correspond to the order in which each point occurs in the path result list.
    True distance X-values correspond to each point's actual distance along the path in model space coordinates. The first X-value is zero. The second X-value will be the actual distance of the second point from the first point. Each subsequent X-value will the sum of the previous X-value and the actual distance between the current point and the previous point.
    Normalized distance X-values correspond to each point's distance along the path as a fraction of the total length of the path, such that the X-values range from 0 to 1.
    X-distance X-values correspond to each point's actual distance along the path in the X-coordinate direction, starting with zero.
    Y-distance X-values correspond to each point's actual distance along the path in the Y-coordinate direction, starting with zero.
    Z-distance X-values correspond to each point's actual distance along the path in the Z-coordinate direction, starting with zero.
    X-coordinate X-values correspond to each point's actual X-coordinate value.
    Y-coordinate X-values correspond to each point's actual Y-coordinate value.
    Z-coordinate X-values correspond to each point's actual Z-coordinate value.
  5. Select the Intervals:
    OptionDescription
    Intersection Additional points are added to each section of the path. The location of each additional point corresponds to the intersection of the path with the edges or faces of meshed elements along the path.
    Equally spaced The number of equally-spaced intervals in each section of the path. For example, if you define three intervals, two equally-spaced points are added to each section of the path.

    Note: With either option, the intermediate points along the path are computed using the display coordinates. If the model shape is set to deformed, then deformed coordinates are used (with the scale factor taken into account). If the model shape is set to undeformed then the base coordinates are used. Consider the model shape when activating intervals, as this may result in some of the intermediate points lying outside of the model. Results cannot be extracted for points lying outside the model.

  6. Select a Template to populate the dialog box with a specific set of variables pertaining to the chosen template.

    Any customizations that you make will reset the template to <none>.

  7. Select the Variable and its Quantity to display for the y-axis.

    Quantities include values such as magnitude or vector components.

  8. Optional: For composites, specify the Ply and Location of the active section points.
  9. Render values at nodes, elements, or element nodes.
  10. Optional: In plots of the STATUS variable, failed elements are hidden by default. Select Show failed elements to display them in the plot.
  11. Optional: Select Averaging options.

    This option is available only for contour plots or point symbols and only for display of elements. It determines if result value averaging should occur and, if so, where the averaging should occur.

  12. Optional: Select Compute quantity before averaging to compute the variable values before averaging is applied.

    This option is available only when the Averaging and Quantity options are visible. It is hidden if Phase angle or any of the Envelope options are selected from the Complex settings.

  13. Optional: Select Do not include duplicate points to eliminate repeated points in the data.

    When Averaging is used, repeated points might be produced in the data.

  14. Optional: Select Deactivate existing x-y plots to hide all active plots before showing the new plot.
  15. Click OK.

The X-Y Plots Viewer displays the graph. You can view more than one curve at a time. You can also view X-Y plot parameters in the Feature Manager and in the tree. See Feature Manager for more information.