Elements |
 
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Elements |
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Flexcom has two options for defining the finite element model connectivity:
•Direct specification
•Element generation
These options are largely self-explanatory.
Direct specification involves specifying an element number and the two Nodes on the element. For the element generation option, you specify a master element (which must be directly specified) and instruct the program to generate a number of similar elements by copying the master element node numbering pattern. As an example, if Element 1 is defined as connecting Nodes 4 and 6, and this is then specified as a master element, then the first generated element connects Nodes 6 and 8, the second Nodes 8 and 10, and so on up to the specified Number of Elements.
Note that (i) this Number of Elements includes the master element, and (ii) you may optionally specify the increment to be used in assigning element numbers to the generated elements (the default value is 1). So in the example above, if you specify 4 as the number of elements, then 3 elements are generated in addition to the master element. If the user-specified increment is 2, these are numbered Elements 3, 5 and 7.
•*ELEMENT is used to specify the finite element connectivity of the structural model.
•*LINES is used to define a line (and sections within that line), by specifying relevant set names, lengths, start and end locations, and mesh generation settings.