LESSON 21

Post-Processing of
Time-Dependent Results
49.26

47.23

45.19

18.70 43.15

41.11

39.07

37.04

35.00

32.96

30.92

49.26 28.89

26.85

24.81

22.77
Y
20.73

Z X 18.70
default_Fringe :
Max 49.26 @Node 172
Min 18.70 @Node 1759

Objectives:
■ Examine the results of a transient thermal analysis.

■ Create Fringe and X-Y Plots.

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 LESSON 21 Post-Processing of Time-Dependent Results

Model Description:
In this exercise you will examine the analysis results of the microcircuit model by rendering
a variety of plots of the model. You will perform a transient animation. The model was
analyzed using MSC/THERMAL.

Suggested Exercise Steps:

■ Create a new database named microcircuit.db.

■ Change the Tolerance to Default and the Analysis Code to

MSC/THERMAL.

■ Import the neutral file microcircuit.out. Change the

model view to an isometric view, set the render style to
Hidden Line, and turn off all the entity labels.

■ Read into the Microcircuit database the following five MSC/

THERMAL result files, nr1.nrf.01, nr2.nrf.01,
nr3.nrf.01, nr4.nrf.01 and nr5.nrf.01.

■ Create Fringe Plots of the Temperature values for all the

imported result files.

■ Create the Spectrum range, range_1, where the range’s

maximum and minimum values are 62and 18, respectively.
Create the Fringe plots of the Temperature values using the
Range_1 result range.

■ Create an XY-Plot of Temperature versus Time for three

Node point locations.

■ Modify the XY-Plot by changing the Legend size and

location so the curve titles will lie inside the Legend border.
Change the Legend Title to Temperature versus Load
Case Index.

Exercise Procedure:
1. Create a new database and name it microcircuit.

File/New...
New Database Name: microcircuit

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 OK

The viewport (PATRAN’s graphics window) will appear along with a

New Model Preference form. The New Model Preference sets all
the code specific forms and options inside MSC/PATRAN.

In the New Model Preference form set the Analysis Code to

MSC/THERMAL.

Tolerance: ◆ Default
Analysis Code: MSC/THERMAL
Analysis Type: Thermal
OK

2. Import the neutral file microcircuit.out. Change

the model view to an isometric view, set the render style to
Hidden Line, and turn off all the entity labels.

First, import the neutral file.

File/Import...
Object: Model
Source: Neutral
Neutral Files: microcircuit.out
Apply

A confirmation window will appear. MSC/PATRAN echoes the title

line of the selected file and queries if this is the correct file. Click Yes.

Yes

A message will appear asking if neutral file should be committed to

PATRAN3 database. Click Yes.

Yes

Change the view and display by using the following toolbar icons:

Iso 1 View Hidden Line

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LESSON 21 Post-Processing of Time-Dependent Results

Your model should look like the one shown below.

Z X

3. Read into the microcircuit database the following five

MSC/THERMAL result files:
nr1.nrf.01, nr2.nrf.01,
nr3.nrf.01, nr4.nrf.01
and nr5.nrf.01.

◆ Analysis
Action: Read Result
Object: Result Entities
Select Results File...
Filter: ./*.nrf.*
Filter
Available Files: nr1.nrf.01

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 Select File

Filter
/dallas/users/gamel/pf/forms/*.nrf.*

Directories Available Files

/dallas/users/gamel/pf/forms/.
/dallas/users/gamel/pf/forms/. nr1.nrf.01
/dallas/users/gamel/pf/forms/. nr2.nrf.01
nr3.nrf.01
nr4.nrf.01
nr5.nrf.01

Selected Results File

/dallas/users/gamel/pf/forms/nr1.nrf.01

OK Filter Cancel

OK
Select Rslt Template File...
Files: pthermal_1_nodal.res_tmpl
OK
Apply

Perform this operation for the remaining four remaining results files:
nr2.nrf.01, nr3.nrf.01,
nr4.nrf.01 and nr5.nrf.01.

Note: You will only have to select the new result file and not the
template file since MSC/PATRAN will use the previous template.

4. Create Fringe Plots of the Temperature values for all the

imported result files.

Results of a transient analysis are stored as separate result cases for

each time step. For example, if a transient run contains 1000 steps the
MSC⁄PATRAN database will contain 1000 result cases.

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LESSON 21 Post-Processing of Time-Dependent Results

You will create a Fringe plot of the Temperature values for each of the
time steps.

◆ Results
Action: Create
Object: Fringe
Select Result Case(s)... Select All Result Cases
Select Fringe Result... Temperature

5. Click on the Animation Options.

Animation Method: Global Variable

Select Global Variable: Load Case Index
Number of Frames: 5
Interpolation: None

6. Click on the Select Results.

Animate
Apply

When done viewing animation, stop animation and deselect the

animation button.

Animate

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 Slow animation if necessary. Stop animation when ready. Check off
the animation button to disable animation. The model should look
similar to the one shown in the figure below.
61.13
25.01
58.72

56.32

53.91

51.50

49.09

46.68

44.28

41.87

39.46

37.05

34.64
61.13

32.24

29.83
Y
27.42

X 25.01
Z default_Fringe :
Max 61.13 @Node 190
Min 25.01 @Node 1780

7. Click on the Display Attributes button.

8. Create the Spectrum range, range_1, where the range’s

maximum and minimum values are 62 and 18,
respectively. Create Fringe plots of the Temperature
values once again using range_1.

Range...
Define Range
Create...
New Range Name: range_1
OK
Start: 62
End: 18

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LESSON 21 Post-Processing of Time-Dependent Results

Calculate
Apply
Assign Target Range to Viewport
Cancel
Set Range: range_1
Post Range to Viewport
OK

9. Create an XY-Plot of temperature versus time for three

node point locations.

MSC/PATRAN allows you to plot transient results in the form of XY

plots. In these plots the X-axis is either time or frequency, and the
Y-axis is a dependent variable such as temperature. Create one by
doing the following:

Action: Create
Object: Graph
Method: Y vs X
Select Result Case(s)... select all cases
Y: Result
Select Y Result: Temperature
X: Global Variable
Variable: Load Case Index

10. Click on the Target Entities button.

Target Entity: Nodes

Node IDs: see picture below

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 Select the three nodes shown in the figure below. The selected nodes’
ID’s are 319, 199 and 1716.

62.00

59.07

56.13

18.70 53.20

50.27

47.33

44.40

41.47

Select these 38.53

Nodes 35.60

49.26 32.67

29.73

26.80

23.87
Y
20.93

Z X 18.00
default_Fringe :
Max 49.26 @Node 172
Min 18.70 @Node 1759

Apply

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LESSON 21 Post-Processing of Time-Dependent Results

Your XY-Plots should look like the ones shown below.

Legend
Node 319: Temperature
Node 1376: Temperature
Node 1716: Temperature

36.00

30.00

T
e 24.00
m
p
e
r
a 18.00
t
u
r
e 12.00
,

6.000

0.
0. .8500 1.700 2.550 3.400 4.250 5.100

The curves become a part of your database.

11. Change the x-axis scale so the numbers shown is the Load
Case Number.

◆ XY Plot
Action: Modify
Axis: Axis
Scale...
Number of Primary Tick Marks: 6
Apply
Cancel

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 12. Modify the XY-Plot by changing the legend size and
location so the curve titles will lie inside the legend border.
Change the legend title to Temperature versus Load
Case Index.

◆ XY Plot
Action: Modify
Object: Legend...
X Location (%): 47
Y Location (%): 13
Text: Temperature versus Load
Case Index
Apply
Cancel

The new XY-Plot is shown below

Temperature vs Load Case Index

Node 199: Temperature
Node 319: Temperature
Node 1716: Temperature

39.00

32.50

26.00

19.50

13.00

6.500

0.
0. 1.000 2.000 3.000 4.000 5.000

The XY Window and all its attributes are stored in the database.

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LESSON 21 Post-Processing of Time-Dependent Results

13. Unpost the XY Window.

Action: Post
Object: XY Window...
Post/Unpost XY Windows: deselect window by <ctrl>
clicking on Results Graph
Apply

The XY Window should disappear from the screen. In future should

you wish to re-display this XY Window, you would simply re-post it.
No need to read in template and XY data files, everything is stored.

When done, close the database.

File/Quit

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