Some of the more common ANSYS commands used for structural analysis: Categor y Comm and Description keypoint

definition straight line creation Syntax k,kp#,xcoord,ycoord,zcoord l,kp1,kp2

Basic k Geometry l larc

circular arc line larc,kp1,kp2,kp3,rad (from (kp3 defines plane) keypoints) circular line creation (creates keypoints) spline line through keypoints see online help

circle

spline

spline,kp1,kp2, ... kp6

a al v

area definition a,kp1,kp2, ... kp18 from keypoints area definition from lines volume definition from keypoints volume definition from areas create volume from area extrusion a,l1,l2, ... l10 v,kp1,kp2, ... kp8

va

va,a1,a2, ... a10

vext

see online help

vdrag

create volume see online help by dragging area along path rectangle creation rectng,x1,x2,y1,y2

Solid rectng Modeling (Primitive s)

block cylind

block volume creation cylindrical volume creation spherical volume creation

block,x1,x2,y1,y2,z1,z2 cylind,rad1,rad2,z1,z2,theta1,th eta2 sphere,rad1,rad2,theta1,theta2

sphere

prism cone torus Boolean aadd Operation s aglue

various volume see online help creation commands adds separate aadd,a1,a2, ... a9 areas to create single area creates new areas by glueing (properties remain separate) aglue,a1,a2, ... a9

asba

creat new area asba,a1,a2 by area substraction create new area by area intersection volume boolean operations defines element type aina,a1,a2, ... a9

aina

vadd vlgue vsbv vinv Elements et & Meshing type

see online help

et,number,type may define as many as required; current type is set by type type,number

set current element type pointer define real constants for elements

r,number,r1,r2, ... r6 may define as many as required; current type is set by real

real

sets current real constant pointer sets material properties for elements sets current material property pointer sets size or number of divisions on lines

real,number

mp

mp,label,number,c0,c1, ... c4 may define as many as required; current type is set by mat mat,number

mat

esize

esize,size,ndivs use either size or ndivs

eshape controls see online help element shape lmesh amesh vmesh Sets & ksel Selection nsel lsel asel nsla mesh line(s) mesh area(s) mesh volume(s) lmesh,line1,line2,inc or lmesh,all amesh,area1,area2,inc or amesh,all vmesh,vol1,vol2,inc or vmesh,all

select a subset see online help of keypoints select a subset see online help of nodes select a subjset see online help of lines select a subset see online help of areas select nodes see online help within selected area(s) select everything i.e. reset selection defines a DOF allsel

allsel

Constrain dk

dk,kp#,label,value

ts d

constraint on a labels: keypoint UX,UY,UZ,ROTX,ROTY,ROTZ,ALL defines a DOF d,node#,label,value constraint on a labels: node UX,UY,UZ,ROTX,ROTY,ROTZ,ALL defines dl,line#,area#,label (anti)symmetry labels: SYMM (symmetry); ASYM DOF (antisymmetry) constraints on a line defines a defines a force at a node fk,kp#,label,value labels: FX,FY,FZ,MX,MY,MZ f,node#,label,value labels: FX,FY,FZ,MX,MY,MZ

dl

Loads

fk f