Mechanical APDL Basic Analysis Guide

Results mapped on to a surface do not account for discontinuities (e.g., material discontinuities) but
are based on the currently selected set of elements. Selecting the proper set of elements is critical to
valid surface operations, and improper selection will either result in failed mapping, or produce invalid
results.

To clear result sets from the selected surfaces (except GCX, GCY, GCZ, NORMX, NORMY, NORMZ, DA),
issue SUMAP,RSetname,CLEAR. To form additional labeled result sets by operating on existing surface
result sets, use the SUEVAL,SUVECT or SUCALC commands.

7.2.2.3. Reviewing Surface Results

You can use the SUPL command to visually display your surface results, or use the SUPR command to
get a tabular listing.

SUPL of a single result set item is displayed as a contour plot on the selected surfaces. You can also
obtain a vector plot (such as for fluid velocity vector) by using a special result set naming convention.
If SetName is a "vector prefix" (i.e., if SetNameX, SetNameY, and SetNameZ exist), the program plots
these vectors on the surface as arrows.

Example for vector plot:

SUCREATE,SURFACE1,CPLANE! create a surface called "SURFACE1"

SUMAP,VELX,V,X! map x,y,z velocities with VEL as prefix

SUMAP,VELY,V,Y

SUMAP,VELZ,V,Z

SUPLOT,SURFACE1,VEL! this will result in a vector plot of velocities

Display of facet outlines on the surface plots is controlled by /EDGE command similar to other postpro-
cessing plots.

7.2.2.4. Performing Operations on Mapped Surface Result Sets

Three commands are available for mathematical operations among surface result sets:

• The SUCALC command lets you add, multiply, divide, exponentiate and perform trigonometric operations
  on all selected surfaces.


• The SUVECT command calculates the cross or dot product of two result vectors on all selected surfaces.


• The SUEVAL command calculates surface integral, area weighted average, or sum of a result set on all
  selected surfaces. The result of this operation is an APDL scalar parameter.

7.2.2.5. Archiving and Retrieving Surface Data to a File

You can store your surface data in a file, so that when you leave POST1, it can be retrieved later. You
use the SUSAVE command to store your data. Once you have saved the information for your surface,
you use the SURESU command to retrieve it.

You can opt to archive all defined surfaces, all selected surfaces or only a specified surface. When you
retrieve surface data, it becomes the currently active surface data. Any existing surface data is cleared.

The following input listings provides examples of archiving and retrieving operations.

/post1

! define spherical surface at WP origin, with a radius of 0.75 and 10 divisions per 90 degree arc

sucreate,surf1,sphere,0.75,10

wpoff,,,-2! offset working plane

! define a plane surface based on the intersection of working plane

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Reviewing Results in POST1