/PSF, Item, Comp, KEY, KSHELL, Color
Shows surface load symbols on model displays.
Item, CompLabels identifying the surface load to be shown; see Table 217: /PSF - Valid Item and Component Labels.
KEYKey to turn surface load symbols on or off:
KSHELLVisibility key for shell elements.
0 | — | Off (default), surface load symbols are displayed only on visible load faces. |
1 | — | On, surface load symbols are displayed even if load face is not visible. |
ColorVisibility key for contour legend.
ON | — | The symbols (arrows or face outlines) will show up in color with the legend showing the corresponding color labels (default). |
OFF | — | The contour legend will not be displayed. The symbols (arrows or face outlines) will show up in grey. The size of the arrows will be proportional to the applied load. |
The /PSF command determines whether and how to show surface loads on subsequent model displays.
If surface loads are applied to solid model entities, only solid model plots show the load symbols; node and element plots do not show them unless the loads are transferred (SFTRAN or SBCTRAN). Similarly, solid model plots do not show the load symbols if surface loads are applied to nodes and elements. For node and element plots of shell element models, the surface load symbols are shown only if the load face is visible from the current viewing direction.
The effects of the /PSF command are not cumulative (that is, the command does not modify an existing setting from a previously issued /PSF command). Only the setting specified via the most recent /PSF command applies.
If you issue a postprocessing (POST1) plot command that produces result contours (such as PLNSOL), the /PSF command has no effect. This behavior prevents conflicting contours in the graphics window.
When using the radiosity method (Item = RDSF and Comp = ENCL) with Key = 2, the radiation arrows point outward from any
element face. When using SURF154 with KEYOPT(2)
= 1, set the Item to PRES and leave the Component Label blank.
/PSF,STAT displays current /PSF settings, and /PSF,DEFA resets them back to default.
Other useful commands are /PNUM,SVAL,1 to show the values of the surface loads, /VSCALE to change arrow lengths, and /PBC and /PBF to activate other load symbols.
For beam elements, only the colors representing shear (GREEN) and normal (RED) pressures are displayed for the arrows. The color of these arrows does not correspond to the magnitudes in the contour legend. The length of these arrows does, however, correlate to the relative magnitude of the pressures.
For elements SURF159, SOLID272, SOLID273, PIPE288 and PIPE289, the /PSF command is not available when displaying elements with shapes determined from the real constants or section definition (/ESHAPE). For PIPE288 and PIPE289, only external loads applied via the SFBEAM command are displayed.
This command is valid in any processor.
Table 217: /PSF - Valid Item and Component Labels
| Item | Comp | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| PRES [1] | NORM (or blank) | Applied pressure normal to the face (real component only). | For element types other than SURF153, SURF154 and SURF156. |
| NORM | Applied pressure normal to the face (real component). | For element types SURF153, SURF154 and SURF156 with KEYOPT(2) = 0. | |
| TANX | Applied pressure in the element tangential x direction (real component). | ||
| TANY | Applied pressure in the element tangential- y direction (real component). | ||
| INRM | Applied pressure normal to the face (imaginary component). | ||
| ITNX | Applied pressure in the element tangential x direction (imaginary component). | ||
| ITNY | Applied pressure in the element tangential y direction (imaginary component). | ||
| LOCX | Applied pressure in the local x direction (real component). | For element types SURF153, SURF154 and SURF156 with KEYOPT(2) = 1. | |
| LOCY | Applied pressure in the local y direction (real component). | ||
| LOCZ | Applied pressure in the local z direction (real component). | ||
| ILCX | Applied pressure in the local x direction (imaginary component). | ||
| ILCY | Applied pressure in the local y direction (imaginary component). | ||
| ILCZ | Applied pressure in the local z direction (imaginary component). | ||
| CONV | HCOEF | Applied convection (film coefficient). | |
| TBULK | Applied convection (bulk temperature). | ||
| RAD | EMIS | Applied radiation (emissivity). | |
| TAMB | Applied radiation (ambient temperature). | ||
| RDSF | EMSS | Radiation emissivity. | |
| ENCL | Enclosure number. | ||
| FSIN | Fluid-solid interface number. | ||
| HFLUX | Applied heat flux. | ||
| FSI | Acoustic fluid-structure interface flag. | ||
| IMPD | Applied acoustic impedance. | ||
| SHLD | COND | Applied conductivity. | |
| MUR | Applied relative permeability. | ||
| MXWF | Maxwell force flag. | ||
| INF | Exterior surface flag. | ||
| CHRGS | Applied electric surface charge density. | ||
| BLI | Boundary layer impedance flag. |
Pressure loads apply to the element coordinate system (KEYOPT(2) = 0). Adjust appropriately for a local coordinate system (KEYOPT(2) = 1). See Figure 153.2: Pressures in the Element Reference.