Fall 2011, MET 415/425

Prof. Dave Johnson, psuprofdj@psu.edu, Penn State - Erie, The

Behrend College

ANSYS COMMANDS and Acronyms

ACRONYMS:
Definition

Menu Path

maximum deflection

General
Postproc >
Plot Results >
Deformed
Shape - or Contour Plot
(look in the
legend)

Structural % Error in Energy Norm

General
Postproc >
Plot Results >
Deformed
Shape (look in
the legend)

Structural Error Energy

General
Postproc >
Plot Results >
Contour Plot >
Element Solu
> Error
Estimation >
Structural
Error Energy

SMN

minimum result value on plot

General
Postproc >
Plot Results >
Contour Plot
(legend)

SMNB

General
Postproc >
result value, minimum bound estimate Plot Results >
Contour Plot
(legend)

DMX

SEPC

SERR

SMX

SMXB

maximum result value on plot

General
Postproc >
Plot Results >
Contour Plot
(legend)

result value, maximum bound

estimate

General
Postproc >
Plot Results >
Contour Plot
(legend)

Plotting Commands:
kplot
lplot
aplot
vplot

!
!
!
!

nplot
eplot
/rep

! all selected nodes

! all selected elements
! replot (= refresh)

gplot

all
all
all
all

selected
selected
selected
selected

keypoints
lines
areas
volumes

! does a multi-plot

These plot commands can also do a

"range" of entities:
VPLOT,3,7 ! plots volumes 3 thru 7
APLOT,4 ! plots only area no. 4
LPLOT,11,21,10 ! plots lines 11 and
21
nplot,1 ! plots all nodes with node
no. shown
multi-plot settings (under PlotCtrls)
determine which entities you see

pldi
pldi,2
plns,s,eqv
plns,s,x
plns,temp
ples,serr

ONLY in POST1 (the general

postproc.):
PLDI
! deformed shape plot
PLDI,2 ! deform. shape +
undeform. edge
PLNS,xx,yy ! contour nodal solution
results
PLES,SERR ! elem. solution plot of
SERR

plvar,2

ONLY in POST26 (the time-history

postproc)
PLVAR,m,n,o ! graphs variables m,
n, o

Listing Commands:
nlist
elist
klist
llist
alist
vlist

!
!
!
!
!
!

all
all
all
all
all
all

selected
selected
selected
selected
selected
selected

nodes
elements
keypoints
lines
areas
volumes

These list commands can include

a "range" of entities:
VLIST,3,7 ! lists volumes 3 thru 7
ALIST,4
! lists only area no. 4
LLIST,11,21,10 ! lists lines 11 and
21

all
all
all
all

These list commands can include

element types
"range"
material properties MPLIST,1 ! lists only material 1
real constants
props
coordinate systems RLIST,3,5 ! lists real const. 3, 4,
and 5

etlis
mplis
rlist
cslis

!
!
!
!

prrs

! reaction solution

prvar,2 ! time-hist. variable 2

ONLY in POST1 (the general

postprocessor)
ONLY in POST26 (the time-history
postprocessor)
PRVAR,m,n,o ! lists variables m,
n, o

Enter different "processors"

/prep7
/solu
/post1
/post26

!
!
!
!

finish ! exit from any

preprocessor
processor
solution processor
/exit
! leave ANSYS, saves DB
general postproc.
/exit,nosav ! quit ANSYS, no DB
time-history postpr
is saved

Selecting
ALLSEL
! select everything
VSEL,S,P ! select from all volumes by picking
ASEL,S,TYPE,,1 ! select areas elem type (1)
LSEL,S,LENG,,0.5,0.7 ! select lines by len
KSEL,S,loc, ! select keypoints by picking
NSEL,S,loc,x,0,4 ! select nodes by location
ESEL,S,MAT,,1 ! select elements by material
ASLV,S, ! select areas on selected volumes
NSLL,S,1 ! select nodes on lines (incl. ends)
ASEL,S,EXT ! select areas on exterior of vols
ESLN,S,0 ! select elements w/any node selected

xSEL,n,....
where n is:
S = "from full"
R = "from
current set"
U = "unselect"
A = "also
select"