ANSYS Quick Reference

Moritz Frenzel, Manfred Bischoff

Lehrstuhl fr Statik, TU Mnchen, Prof. Dr.-Ing. K.-U. Bletzinger

Introduction
This is not an ANSYS manual! ANSYS is a general purpose finite element package whose full documentation is available
as online help and would fill half a bookshelf when printed. There are numerous tutorials and sample problems available on
the internet, but all of them serve different, and mostly specific purposes, reflecting the numerous areas of applicability of
ANSYS (structural, thermal, electrical, etc.).
This little quick reference collects hints to the most important features in the context of the course Finite Element Lab within
the Master Program in Computational Mechanics at the TU Mnchen. It is intended to serve as a help to get started with
ANSYS. After getting familiar with these basic steps it should be no problem to handle more complex applications with the
help of the aforementioned online manual.
Disclaimer: We do not take any responsibility for the information herein. This quick reference is not licensed, sponsored or
connected in any other way to ANSYS. If you downloaded this document and you are not a student of CoMe.TUM, please
drop us a note (bischoff@bv.tum.de).

General Procedure
ANSYS provides two principally different methods to issue commands: Either using a menu structure or a command line.
Professionals who use ANSYS usually work with the command line because it is more efficient and provides an easy
possibility to use readily prepared macros (often used command sequences). To get started, however, it is recommended to
use the menus. They help to lo lead you through the process of model creation, meshing, solving and plotting the results and
provide a quick overview of the possibilities that the program offers. And its much more fun.

The main steps of a typical ANSYS session are:

Create the geometrical model (keypoints, lines, areas,

volumes and their combinations)

Define the finite element model by choosing the element

type (including real constants), material data, and
applying boundary conditions and loads

Choose a solver and compute the solution

Solution

Review and analyze the results (output numbers or display

plots)

Postprocessing

Preprocessing

Command at
the input line

Preprocessing commands
Start Preprocessor
To get into the preprocessing part of ANSYS. From here all
preprocessing commands are accepted.

Main Menu > Preprocessor

Geometric Model

Modeling

Create > Keypoints

Create Keypoint
> On Working Plane
You can use keypoints as a geometric basis of the model. You can
> In Active CS
create the model bottom-up, which means first the keypoints then the
> On Line
lines, areas, etc. Alternatively, you can create the model top-down, for
example directly create a rectangle resulting in an automatic generation
of lines and keypoints. Keypoints are helpful for every geometric
operation in complex structures and also, for instance, to apply
concentrated loads and boundary conditions. They are defined by
coordinates and are numbered automatically or user defined.
Create > Lines
Create Lines

Create Arcs

Create Arbitrary
Creates an arbitrary polygonal area.
Create Rectangle

Create Circle

> Straight Line

Create > Lines > Arcs
> Through 3 KPs
> By End KPs & Rad
> By Cent & Radius
> Full Circle
Create > Area > Arbitrary
> Through KPs
> By Lines
Create > Area > Rectangle

Create > Area > Circle

> Solid Circle

/prep7

K,NPT,X,Y,Z
Defining Keypoints
in the input line is
very efficient and
therefore
recommended!

L,KPstart,KPend

A,KP1,KP2,KP3,

Copy Objects
Easy modeling of repeated geometric objects or geometries with
periodic properties. Offset depends on active coordinate system.
Model Operations
Boolean operations to merge geometric primitives or remove
intersecting areas.

> Annulus
> Partial Annulus
> By End Points
> By dimensions
Copy
> Keypoints
> Lines
> Areas
Operate Booleans> Add
> Subtract
> Divide
> Glue

Finite Element Structure

Define Element Type
Customize the list of required element types (beams, plates, shells,
etc.)
Provide Appropriate Constants for Individual Element Types
For example the element thickness
Define Material Properties
For example Youngs modulus, Poissons ratio, etc.
Assign Attributes
Assign attributes (material properties, element types) to selected parts
of the model. To make the attributes visible select numbering. Note: By
default, all the elements that are created with the mesh command,
obtain the current (i.e. last defined) attributes.

Element Type > Add/Edit/Delete

ET,ETNr,Ename

Real Constants > Add/Edit/Delete

R,SetNr,Value1,

Material Props > Material Models

Meshing > Mesh Attributes
> Keypoints
> Lines
> Areas

Mesh the Model

Create a finite element mesh for the model. Make sure to choose the
appropriate dimensionality, i.e. one-dimensional for lines (beams), twodimensional for areas (plates, shells), three-dimensional for volumes
(solid elements). Choose properties like element size, element shape,
etc. prior to meshing. Usually, using the Mesh Tool instead of the
individual commands in the mesh menu is recommendable!
MeshTool
Element Attributes
Smart Size
Size Controls

Mesh
Clear
Refine
Close

Meshing > MeshTool

Define material number, element type, real constants,

Element size for quick and dirty free meshing
Specify mesh density via subdivision of lines (best to
obtain structured and compatible meshes) or element
lengths
Generate the mesh, either free (automatic) or mapped
(structured) with triangles or quads
Clear the mesh. Has to be done for any changes in the
finite element structure!
Mesh refinement in the area of chosen elements, lines,
keypoints, etc.
Leave the MeshTool

Coupling / Ceqn > Coincident

Couple Nodes
Nodes
The Meshes of all individual areas have to be compatible. If this is not
the case one possibility would be to couple nodes at the intersections of
individual mesh patches (areas) to connect these parts. Alternatively
you can connect the areas by Boolean operations.
Loads
Loads and also boundary conditions are in general applied to the finite
element model (i.e. after meshing). If the mesh is changed, all load data
is lost!
Loads > Define Loads > Apply >
Displacement Boundary Conditions
Displacement
Defines boundary conditions for lines, areas, keypoints or nodes. All
>
On
Lines
degrees of freedom (DOF) can be addressed separately, the prescribed
> On Areas
displacement may be zero or non-zero. There is also a feature to
>

On Keypoints

> On Nodes
automatically generate symmetric and antisymmetric boundary
conditions (Caution: The program needs to guess the symmetry plane
from the given model because it does, of course, not know the real
structure. Always verify that that the generated boundary conditions are
correct).
Loads > Define Loads > Apply >
Concentrated Loads and Moments

Pressure Loads
To apply pressure loads, i.e. loads that are perpendicular to the given
geometric entity
Delete Loads and Boundary Conditions

Force/Moment
> On Keypoints
> On Nodes
Loads > Define Loads > Apply >
Pressure
> On Lines
> On Areas
> On Nodes
Loads > Delete >
> All Load Data
> Displacement
> Force/Moment
> Pressure

Solution Commands
Main Menu > Solution
Start Solution Part
Now only solution commands are accepted at the input line.
Analysis Type > Soln Control
Control the Solution Procedure
Several solution options, mostly for non-linear computations
Solve > Current LS
Solve Problem
Solves the current finite element system of equations (applying iterative
incremental schemes in the case of non-linear problems). Be sure to
select everything prior to solving!

/Solu

Postprocessing Commands
Start Postprocessor
Now only postprocessing commands are accepted at the input line
Generate result plots
After a successful computation you can create various plots of the
results like deformations, stresses, etc. You can choose between nodal
solutions mostly used for deformation results and element solutions,
usually for stress plots. To change appearance of plots use plotctrls.
Generate List of Results
All data can also be listed as numbers, e.g. nodal values for the
displacements etc.
Work with sections / Path operations
To display results at user defined sections, for example to perform
equilibrium checks, paths have to be defined. Along these paths all data
can be plotted and listed. It is also possible to do certain computations,
for example to obtain a moment out of stress values and coordinates
(i.e. the excentriticity). Note: All path data will be lost when leaving
POST1 (but you can store the data in a file).
To visualize a stress distribution on a path:
- define a path
- map the corresponding values onto the path by defining a name and
the specified value, e.g. stress in x-direction (SX). Mind the option of
average results over the element!
- plot the corresponding path items either on the geometry (adjust the
scale factor!) or on a special graph (which allows more items in one
plot).
- The following procedure is an example to obtain a moment for an
equlibrium check: map the stresses on the path; do multiply this item
with the geometry distance (e.g. YG) and give it a new item-name;
do integrate this new item over the geometry; the result is shown in
the output window (DOS-Box).

Main Menu > General Postproc

Plot Results
> Deformed Shape
> Contour Plot > Nodal Solu
> Contour Plot > Element Solu
> -Vector Plot- Predefined
List Results

Path Operations
> Define Path > By Nodes
> On Working Pl
> By Location
> Delete Path
> Plot Paths
> Recall Path
> Map onto Path
> Plot Path Item > On Graph
> Plot Path Item > On Geometry
> Plot Path Item > List Path
Items
> Various Calculations
> Archive Path >Store/Retrieve

/Post1

Note: The number of intersections, defined in the specifications at the

beginning, control the accuracy of the plot and the subsequent
computations (like integration).
Work with Element Tables
To visualize certain element results it is necessary to define element
tables. They can be plotted, listed, sorted, etc. It is possible to select
certain elements.

Element Table
> Define Table
> Plot Elem Table
> List Elem Table
> Find Maximum/Find Minimum

Utility Menu
File

File controls, handling of job name.

Write DB Log File

Creates a text file (ascii) with all commands of the whole history of the current session. It is sensible to save
your work up to a certain stage once in a while (can be used later like an undo option).
Read commands out of text file (see above).
View the current Log File.

Read Input from

List > Log File

Everything

Selecting parts of the finite element model. All subsequently issued commands refer exclusively to the current
selection. By default (at the beginning of your project) everything is selected.
Select individual entities of the model (nodes, elements, lines, areas keypoints) either graphically (By Num/Pick)
or with the help of certain properties (e.g. coordinates).
Selects everything. Has to be done each time before starting a computation!

List

Provides the possibility to list every kind of information like working-files, program-status, geometrical data, finite
element data, etc.

Plot

To plot all individual objects. Useful during modeling to organize the screen.

Multi-Plots

To obtain a general replot.

PlotCtrls

Controls all plot options. As there is a huge number of options, only the most important are listed below.

Pan, Zoom, Rotate

Numbering

Opens a window for easy controlling of zoom, viewing angle, etc. To view the entire model click Fit
As all objects and attributes are numbered it is sometimes useful to plot the numbers. Especially for element
attributes with different materials or real constants.
Useful to display boundary conditions and forces (also as arrows instead of face outlines)
It is possible to change the number of contours to control the quality of the plot.

Select
Entities

Symbols
Style > Contours >

Uniform Contours
Animate > Deformed
Results
Redirect Plots
Capture Image
MultiWindow Layout

WorkPlane

Nice tool to animate your computation and see what happens (non-linear problems).
Export into other graphic standards. Redirect to screen to switch it back.
For screenshots to compare different plots.
More than one window.
Work Plane controls

Display Working
Shows working plane triad.
Plane
WP Settings
Tool to control working plane as grid, activate snapping, etc.
Change Active CS to Changes coordinate system to cartesian, cylindrical or spherical for all modeling commands (lines,
keypoints,). During preprocessing the status is shown in the title of the graphics window.

Parameters
Scalar Parameters

Parameters are used as variables. For example a load can be defined as a variable F and then set to different
values. Useful in general, needed for optimization problems.
Tool to define, set and check all parameters.