Exercise 2 - The User Interface

Exercise 2 – The User Interface
Introduction
In this exercise, you will familiarize yourself with different aspects
of the FEMAP User Interface including:
 Modify FEMAP Preferences
 Customize Toolbars
 Use the Data Table to list and sort results
The preferences and units used in this exercise are:

Solid Geometry Scale Factor: Millimeters
Force: N
Pressure: MPa
Density: Tonne / mm3
CT2060 - Femap 101 for Femap v11 – Student Workbook – Rev A 2-1
© Siemens AG 2013 All rights reserved. Siemens PLM Software
Step 1: Modify your preferences for FEMAP
Start Femap v11.
 From either a desktop icon, or from the Windows Start menu,

select the icon for Femap v11.
Set your Femap preferences for the correct Geometry Scale

Factor.
 Select the command, File, Preferences.
 In the Preferences dialog box, select the Geometry/Model

tab.
 Under the Geometry Preferences option group, set the

Geometry Scale Factor to Millimeters.
 Do NOT click the OK or Cancel button as you will set other

preferences.
Set the default view library.
 In the Preferences dialog box, select the Library/Startup tab.
 Click the View Browse button ( ) to select a view library.
 In the View Library File dialog box, navigate to the Libraries

and Settings folder in your class file location and select the
file, view.esp.
 Click Open to set the view library.
 Click the Material Browse button to select a material library.
 Select the file mat_eng_mm-N-tonne-degC-Watts.esp and

click Open to set the material library.
 Again, leave the Preferences dialog box open.
Set the NX Nastran output location.
The default location of the NX Nastran output files (.log, .f04

and .f06) is the current working folder.
 Select the Interfaces tab in the Preferences dialog box.
 Under the Nastran Solver Options section, set the option for
Direct Output To to 2..Specified Directory.
 Click the Output Directory browse button.
 Select the folder, NX_Nastran_Scratch in the Browse for

Folder dialog box.
 Click OK to apply the selection.

Set Femap scratch file location.
 Select the Database tab in the Preferences dialog box.
 Click the Browse button under the Scratch Directory group.
 Select the folder Femap_Scratch under the main class file

folder, and click OK.
Confirm your new Femap preferences setting.
 Click OK to confirm your new Femap preferences setting.
This will update your preferences in the file, femap.ini

located in your class files folder.
Open a new Femap model file.
 Click the New Model icon on the Model toolbar.
The reason for opening a new model file is to set the

Open/Save method for with Femap’s new scratch file
location active. You can confirm this by opening the
Femap_Scratch folder in the Windows Explorer and see that
a new folder has been created to hold the scratch files for
the new model file.
Set the optimum file open and save method.
 Under the Database Performance group, click the

Read/Write Test button.
 In the Femap with NX Nastran dialog box, click Yes to run

the read/write test routine.
This may take a few minutes, and in your Messages pane,

you will see the progress of the test.
 Note to see if the Open/Save Method has been modified to

optimize performance on your PC.
Since this is a change to the database performance settings for

Femap, you will have to confirm your new Femap preferences
and then restart Femap for these changes to take place.
 Click OK in the Preferences dialog box to apply the changes

to your preferences.
 Exit Femap.
 Start Femap v11.
Step 2: Customize the View Toolbar
In this step you will modify a FEMAP toolbar and store your
modification in a FEMAP layout file.
Select the Tools, Toolbars, Customize command.
You can also right-click in an open area next to a docked

toolbar and select Customize from the context-sensitive menu
or click the Down Arrow on a docked toolbar and then select
Customize.
Select the Commands tab in the Customize dialog box.
CT2060 - Femap 101 for Femap v11 – Student Workbook – Rev A 2 - 10

Add the View, Visible command to the View toolbar.
 Highlight View in the Categories list, then scroll down in the

Commands section, select Visible and drag the command to
the View toolbar as shown below.
 To close the Customize dialog box, click the Close button.

Save the toolbar layout so that it can be restored later.
 Select the File, Preferences command.
 In the Preferences dialog box, select the User Interface tab.
 Click the Save Layout button in the Toolbars section

 In the Save Layout To dialog box, save the file as femap101

in your class Libraries and Settings folder.
 In the Save Layout dialog box, check all the options on and
click OK. Do not close the Preferences dialog box.

Enable the option for FEMAP to remember dialog box positions

in your current FEMAP session.
 In the Preferences dialog box User Interface tab, in the

Menus and Dialog Boxes section, enable the option for
Remember Dialog Positions.
 Click OK to apply the changes to your FEMAP preferences.

Step 3: Open and Populate the Data Table
In this step, you will open a FEMAP model previously analyzed

with NX Nastran and list the results into the Data Table.
Select the File, Open command or select the Open Model icon
on the Model toolbar.
 In the Open dialog box, select the file, ex2-Fanpost.modfem

from your class files Geometry folder.
 Click the Open button.

 Your model should appear as follows:
Open the Data Table.
 On the Panes toolbar, click the Data Table icon.

Undock and unlock the Data Table.
 Undock the Data Table and resize it.
 Click the Unlock icon on the control panel for the Data Table.
This will allow the Data Table to be updated and modified.
Note that the message in the Data Table changes to: “There
are no entities in the Data Table. Select entities to add.”

Display a summary of minimum and maximum results.
 Select the command, List , Output , Summary to Data Table.
 In the Send Output Vectors to Data Table dialog box, click

OK to accept the defaults.
 In the Entity Selection – Results to Add to Data Table dialog

box, click the check box for 1..Distributed Pressure Load,
then, click OK.

 The Data Table will appear as follows (after widening some

of the columns):
List selected elemental results to the Data Table.
 Select the command, List, Output, Results to Data Table.
 In the Send Results to Data Table dialog box, accept the

defaults by clicking OK.

 In the Results to Add to Data Table dialog box, leave the

check box for Output Sets, 1..Distributed Pressure Load
checked.
Under Output Vectors, click the Quick Filter pull-down and

select 8..Stress. This will limit the listing to stress output
vectors only as shown on the next page.

Enable (check the check box) for the following Output

Vectors:
60016..Solid Max Prin Stress

60018..Solid Int Prin Stress
60031..Solid Von Mises Stress
 Click OK to confirm Output Set(s) and Vector(s) selection.
 Click Select All in the Entity Selection dialog box then click
OK to confirm your selection.
 Click OK to populate the Data Table.

Highlight the element with the highest Von Mises stress.
 In the Data Table, click the Show When Selected icon and
select the Transparent Highlight option from the drop-down
menu.
 Click the column header for 1..Distributed Pressure Load,

60031..Solid Von Mises Stress two times to sort the results
from high to low.

 Click the first row to highlight the element with the highest
average Von Mises stress. You may need to rotate and
zoom around the area with the element highlighted to more
clearly visualize the element.
Save your model and close Femap.
 Save your model.
 Close Femap.


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Exercise 2 – The User Interface

 Modify FEMAP Preferences

 Use the Data Table to list and sort results

The preferences and units used in this exercise are:

Step 1: Modify your preferences for FEMAP

Start Femap v11.

 From either a desktop icon, or from the Windows Start menu,

Set your Femap preferences for the correct Geometry Scale

 Select the command, File, Preferences.

 In the Preferences dialog box, select the Geometry/Model

 Under the Geometry Preferences option group, set the

 Do NOT click the OK or Cancel button as you will set other

Set the default view library.

 In the Preferences dialog box, select the Library/Startup tab.

 Click the View Browse button ( ) to select a view library.

 In the View Library File dialog box, navigate to the Libraries

 Click Open to set the view library.

 Click the Material Browse button to select a material library.

 Select the file mat_eng_mm-N-tonne-degC-Watts.esp and

 Again, leave the Preferences dialog box open.

Set the NX Nastran output location.

The default location of the NX Nastran output files (.log, .f04

 Select the Interfaces tab in the Preferences dialog box.

 Click the Output Directory browse button.

 Select the folder, NX_Nastran_Scratch in the Browse for

 Click OK to apply the selection.

 Select the Database tab in the Preferences dialog box.

 Click the Browse button under the Scratch Directory group.

 Select the folder Femap_Scratch under the main class file

Confirm your new Femap preferences setting.

 Click OK to confirm your new Femap preferences setting.

This will update your preferences in the file, femap.ini

 Click the New Model icon on the Model toolbar.

The reason for opening a new model file is to set the

Set the optimum file open and save method.

 Under the Database Performance group, click the

 In the Femap with NX Nastran dialog box, click Yes to run

This may take a few minutes, and in your Messages pane,

 Note to see if the Open/Save Method has been modified to

Since this is a change to the database performance settings for

 Click OK in the Preferences dialog box to apply the changes

 Start Femap v11.

Step 2: Customize the View Toolbar

Select the Tools, Toolbars, Customize command.

You can also right-click in an open area next to a docked

Select the Commands tab in the Customize dialog box.

CT2060 - Femap 101 for Femap v11 – Student Workbook – Rev A 2 - 10

Add the View, Visible command to the View toolbar.

 Highlight View in the Categories list, then scroll down in the

 To close the Customize dialog box, click the Close button.

CT2060 - Femap 101 for Femap v11 – Student Workbook – Rev A 2 - 11

Save the toolbar layout so that it can be restored later.

 Select the File, Preferences command.

 In the Preferences dialog box, select the User Interface tab.

 Click the Save Layout button in the Toolbars section

CT2060 - Femap 101 for Femap v11 – Student Workbook – Rev A 2 - 12

 In the Save Layout To dialog box, save the file as femap101

CT2060 - Femap 101 for Femap v11 – Student Workbook – Rev A 2 - 13

Enable the option for FEMAP to remember dialog box positions

 In the Preferences dialog box User Interface tab, in the

 Click OK to apply the changes to your FEMAP preferences.

CT2060 - Femap 101 for Femap v11 – Student Workbook – Rev A 2 - 14

Step 3: Open and Populate the Data Table

In this step, you will open a FEMAP model previously analyzed