Run the Structural Analysis and Review Its Results

Run the analysis to simulate the load conditions that you applied to the model.

When performing a durability analysis, it is a good practice to run the structural analysis first. This way, you can verify that you defined the simulation model correctly and that the scenario applies all loads, restraints, and contact interactions as intended.

  1. From the Simulate section of the action bar, click Model and Scenario Checks .

    This command generates the mesh first and then checks the validity of the features you defined using the action bar and tree.

  2. Close the Model and Scenario Checks Status dialog box.
  3. From the Simulate section of the action bar, click Simulate .
  4. From the Location options, select Local interactive.
  5. Accept the other default options, and click OK to run the analysis.

    The Simulation Status dialog box shows the progress of the simulation and displays messages from the solver. The solver typically generates many warnings even when you defined the model correctly. You can use these warnings to diagnose modeling errors in cases where the simulation does not generate the expected results or if the simulation does not complete.

    The simulation runs in the foreground. While the simulation runs, you cannot perform any other actions in your session until your simulation completes. When the simulation completes, Physics Results Explorer opens.
  6. Review the results, and confirm that the three load cases give the expected qualitative results.

    For example:

    • Ensure that there is no free body motion that might result from an underconstrained model.
    • Confirm that the three load cases cause deformation in the expected locations and directions for the defined loads.