Creating Load Sets and Load Cases

You can use load sets and load cases to efficiently simulate multiple loading scenarios within a single step.

A load set can be thought of as a container for restraints and loads. A load case is a container for load sets.

This task shows you how to:

See Also
About Load Sets and Load Cases
Step Configuration

Create Load Sets

A load set is a combination of restraints and loads used to define a particular loading condition. You can also add more restraints or loads to a load set that already contains some.

Before you begin: Before creating a load set, the step in which it is to be applied must be active in the context selector:

  1. From the Loads section of the action bar, click Load Set .
  2. Optional: Enter a descriptive Name.
  3. Optional: Click Use features to pick restraints or loads that are already defined in another load set. You can reuse these features in the current load set with the following options:

    • Scale factor: A multiplier used to scale the amplitude values.
    • Amplitude: An amplitude curve that defines the magnitude of the load during the step. For a base motion load in a harmonic response step, this amplitude must define the frequency spectrum of the base motion and must be tabular.
    • Phase angle: The phase angle for the amplitude curve of a base motion load in a harmonic response step. This value determines the real (in-phase) and imaginary (out-of-phase) parts of the magnitude. A phase angle of 0° indicates a value with no imaginary component.

  4. Click OK. If you have not reused any features from other load sets, this load set is empty at the moment.

The new load set becomes the active context in the context selector, named Load Set.x by default. Any restraints or loads that you now create will be contained in this load set. As long as the load set name is shown in the context selector, all restraint and load features you create will be added to this load set.

Instead of immediately defining the restraints and loads to add to the new load set, you can leave it empty for now and create additional load sets by repeating steps 1-4.

Note: Any standalone restraints or loads that you create outside of load sets will not be available for inclusion in any load set. These features are always active within the step in which you create them.

Add Restraints or Loads to Load Sets

Before you begin: If you previously created an empty load set, you must choose it in the context selector before adding restraints or loads.
  1. From the context selector, choose the desired load set. For example: Load Set.3.
  2. Switch to the Restraints or Loads section of the action bar.
  3. Define as many new restraints and loads as desired. All of these features are automatically added to the current load set.
  4. When you are done adding restraints and loads, change the context selector to a different load set or step.

To check the current contents of any load set from the Feature Manager, double-click it or right-click it and select Edit.

Tip: The currently active load set is shown in the Definition column of the Feature Manager.

Create Load Cases

A load case is a group of one or more load sets that is applied in a static perturbation step or a harmonic response step.

Before you begin: Before creating a load case, the step in which it is to be applied must be active in the context selector:

  1. From the Loads section of the action bar, click Load Case .
  2. Optional: Enter a descriptive Name.
  3. Click Use load sets to add previously defined load sets to this load case.

    You can apply a Scale factor to each included load set.

  4. Click OK.