How to get max/min envelope printout over a range of load cases or subcoms

Hi Toby, have you looked at the MSC.Explore tool inside Patran? Here is a link to the user guide- it might be just what you are looking for.

 

https://simcompanion.mscsoftware.com/infocenter/index?page=content&id=DOC9237&actp=search&viewlocale=en_US&searchid=1582304818225

 

Here is a link to a Webinar:

 

https://simcompanion.mscsoftware.com/infocenter/index?page=content&id=WM75&actp=search&viewlocale=en_US&searchid=1582304818225

 

Don

Hi Don, Thanks for the reply. Yes I know I can do it in Patran. But the whole idea behind my question is that it should be possible to get what I want in the Nastran output file. I can often save a lot of time by just running nastran deck and getting the answers in the f06 file. No need to run Patran if we already have the answer in the Nastran output file. Maybe we are getting to the time when we are not supposed to be looking in the Nastran output files and instead just rely on separate GUI post processor programs.  I hope not.  I stared using Nastran in 1985 with punch cards.  There was no Patran back then, and we sure got along fine. 

 

One of the my most basic expectations from a world-leading FEA program is to be able to get filtered and sorted solution results in the f06 file. I expect to be able to get maximum and minimum values over element or grid sets, and thankfully that can be done with Nastran right now.  But it does not look like there is a way with Nastran commands to request the max/min summary over a group of load cases. Instead we get a max/min summary for each individual load case with no enveloping capability over load cases that I am aware of.  Also, I would like to request that MSC add the capability to request max/min summary tables on a material basis instead of only element or grid sets. This is a very basic and yet immensely powerful capability that is long overdue: a max/min summary table in the f06 file based on material sets or element property sets with enveloping over user specified load cases or subcoms.  Maybe nobody else besides me sees the benefit. 

I'll open up an Enhancement Request and also a case under your name to cross reference. Having a customer linked to an enhancement request helps!

 

You beat me by 3 years on first using Nastran- I remember those days well...