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Entities and Solver Interfaces
A solver interface is made up of a template and a FE-input reader.
Named Entities
Entities which are given a name but are not collected or organized into containers.
Plies
Ply entities define composite lamina.
Shapes
Shapes of an FEA ply and how they are defined.
Shapes Defined by Elements
Elements that represent the shape of an FEA ply.

Welcome
What's New
View new features for Altair HyperWorks 2024.1.
Get Started
Learn the basics and discover the workspace.
Tutorials
Learn more about the Altair HyperWorks suite of products with interactive tutorials.
Startup Procedures and Customizations
Start and configure the applications.
Tool Finder
View a list of deprecated panels and their newer, equivalent workflows.
Manage Files and Data
Create, open, import, and save models.
Sessions and Report Templates
Set up sessions and create report templates.
Interface with External Products
Solver interfaces supported in HyperMesh.
Entities and Solver Interfaces
A solver interface is made up of a template and a FE-input reader.
- Collectors and Collected Entities
  Collectors are named organizational containers for collected entities. Collected entities are nameless entities which must reside within one, and only one, collector. Collected entities are mutually exclusive to a collector.
- Named Entities
  Entities which are given a name but are not collected or organized into containers.
  - Accelerometers
    Accelerometer entities measure acceleration in the simulation.
  - Ale Fsi Projection
    Ale Fsi Projection entities provide a coupling method for simulating the interaction between a Lagrangian material set (structure) and ALE material set (fluid).
  - Ale Reference System Curve
    Ale Reference System Curve entities defines a motion and/or a deformation prescribed for a geometric entity, where a geometric entity may be any part, part set, node set, or segment set.
  - Ale Reference System Group
    Ale Reference System Group entities used to associate a geometric entity to a reference system type.
  - Ale Reference System Node
    Ale Reference System Node entities defines a group of nodes that control the motion of an ALE mesh.
  - Ale Reference System Switch
    Ale Reference System Switch entities allows for the time-dependent switches between different types of reference systems, that is, switching to multiple PRTYPEs at different times during the simulation.
  - Ale Smoothing
    Ale Smoothing entities constraint keeps an ALE secondary node at its initial parametric location along a line between two other ALE nodes.
  - Ale Tank Test
    Ale Tank Test keyword provides curve through an engineering approximation when control volume airbags only require two engineering curves to define gas inflator and those two curves can be experimentally measured but the ALE inflator needs one additional state variable - the inlet gas velocity which is impractical to obtain.
  - Analysis
    Analysis entities stores settings and entities for composite stress toolbox calculations.
  - Attachments
    Attachments facilitate the ease of joining subsystems.
  - Blocks
    Block entities are enclosed volumes represented by a "box" or block.
  - Bodies
    Body entities define a kinematic assembly made of FE parts or nodes.
  - Boxes
    Box entities are enclosed volumes, which are represented by a box.
  - Charts
    Chart entities plot X and Y data in the form of raw values. They also plot tables created in HyperMesh with the Matrix Browser or results data loaded for post-processing.
  - Comments
    Comments provide a convenient way to add lines of text in the solver deck, which are considered as commented lines by the solver.
  - Constrained Extra Nodes
    Constrained extra node entities define and store the keywords *CONSTRAINED_EXTRA_NODES_NODE and *CONSTRAINED_EXTRA _NODES_SET.
  - Constrained Rigid Bodies
    Constrained rigid bodies entities define and store the keyword *CONSTRAINED_RIGID_BODIES.
  - Constraints
    Constraints define kinematic constraints on a node's degrees of freedom.
  - Contact Surfaces
    Contact surface entities define and store contact definitions typically used in contact analysis.
  - Control Volumes
    Control volume entities define and store control volumes typically used in safety analysis.
  - Cross Sections
    Cross section entities store cross section definitions used in a crash analysis.
  - Curves
    Curve entities define and store xy data and are associated with a plot entity.
  - Damping
    In LS-DYNA, damping entities define damping applied on the parts and nodes in case of *DAMPING_GLOBAL. In Radioss, damping entities used to set Rayleigh mass and stiffness damping coefficients are applied to a set of nodes used to stabilize the results.
  - Dummy
    Dummy entities are defined by bodies representing the different kinematic assemblies of the dummy.
  - Element Behaviors
    Element behaviors define additional elemental features coupled to the referenced elements, such as Failure, Deletion, and so on.
  - Element Clusters
    Element clusters are used to describe an assembly of elements for post-processing and failure control.
  - Engine Files
  - Failures
    Failures describe material failure criteria to be coupled to material models.
  - Features
    Feature entities track and manage certain geometric features.
  - Fields
    Fields are an incredibly versatile functionality that enable the creation of model entities based on spatially varying input data.
  - Frequency
    The Frequency entity supports the solver keywords to set up NVH, Durability, or Acoustic analysis.
  - Frictions
    Frictions entities define friction coefficients between parts.
  - Groups
    Group entities define and store interfaces and rigid walls typically used in contact analysis.
  - Hourglass
    Hourglass entities define hourglass and bulk viscosity properties which are referenced via HGID in the *PART command.
  - Initial States
    This entity is used to define the physical stress and strain initial state in elements like beams, shells, solids, and thick-shells. This entity is supported in the LS-DYNA profile.
  - Integration Rules
    Integration Rule entities specify user-defined integration points for beam and shell elements.
  - Interface Component
    Interface Component entities create an interface in interface file for use in subsequent linking calculations.
  - Interface Linking
    Interface Linking Discrete keyword link node(s) to an interface in an existing interface file.
  - Joints
    Joint entities define a connection between two rigid bodies. Joint elements reference property and orientation information.
  - Laminates
    Laminate entities define the list of stacked plies which make up a laminated structure.
  - Load Steps
    Load step entities define and store load cases for a given analysis.
  - Load Step Inputs
    Load step inputs organize and manage the IDs of analysis parameter bulk cards.
  - Material Behaviors
    This entity defines additional material features coupled to the referenced material, like: Failure, Permeability, Porosity, Thermal, Fatigue, Cohesive, Inelasticity, and so on.
  - Materials
    Material entities define and store material definitions for a model.
  - Mechanism Constraints
    Mechanism Constraint entities define kinematical constraints on a body at a specified node or point location.
  - Mechanisms
    Mechanism entities are the root of the hierarchy in the Mechanism Browser.
  - Mesh Groups
    Mesh Groups, also called Assemblies, are specific to the EXODUS profile.
  - Output Blocks
    Output block entities define and store solver output requests.
  - Parameters
    Parameter entities parameterize FE entity and geometric entity attributes.
  - Perturbations
    Perturbation entities provide a means of defining deviations from the designed structure, such as buckling imperfections. Define the stochastic variation in the material models with the STOCHASTIC keyword option.
  - Plies
    Ply entities define composite lamina.
    - Material and Thickness
      Material and thickness values of the ply.
    - Fiber Orientation
      The direction of fibers within a ply.
    - Shapes
      Shapes of an FEA ply and how they are defined.
      - Shapes Defined by Elements
        Elements that represent the shape of an FEA ply.
      - Shapes Defined by Geometry
        Plies defined by geometry.
    - Ply Types
      Ply material product types.
    - Stacking
      Stacking plies in a laminate.
    - Supported Solver Cards
      Ply entity solver card support.
    - Visualization
      Visualizing ply properties.
  - Plots
    Plot entities associate and organize curve entities within a xy plot window.
  - Positions
    Position entities allow you to apply a Transformation sequence on set of nodes or SolverSubmodels.
  - Pretensioner
    Pretensioner entities define pretensioners.
  - Properties
    Property entities define and store 1D, 2D, and 3D property definitions for a model.
  - RBE3
    RBE3's are interpolation constraint elements, where the motion of a dependent node is defined as the weighted average of the motions of a group of independent nodes.
  - Reference Geometries
    Reference Geometries define the reference shape of foam or airbag components.
  - Regions
    Region entities store information used to facilitate and automate modeling practices and processes. It enables a selection which can be common across design changes or other models, provided region data is the same.
  - Retractors
    Retractor entities define retractors.
  - Rigids
    Rigid elements are created in a space between two nodes of a model where a rigid connection is desired.
  - Rigid Bodies
    Rigid bodies entities define and store the keywords *RBODY and *RBADD.
  - Rigid Walls
    Rigid wall entities provide a method for treating a contact between a rigid surface and nodal points of a deformable body. In the LS-DYNA and Radioss user profiles, rigid walls can be created in the Model and Solver browsers.
  - Sections
    Section entities define and store a model's 1D and 2D properties.
  - Sensors
    Sensor entities define and store sensors typically used in safety analysis.
  - Sequences
  - Sets
    Set entities define and store lists of entity IDs for entities, sets of sets, or lists of set IDs.
  - Slip Rings
    Slip ring entities define sliprings.
  - Solver Masses
    Solver masses are used to model lumped mass finite element mesh.
  - State Equations
    State Equations are used to describe the thermodynamic equation relating material state variables under a given set of physical conditions, such as pressure, volume, temperature, or internal energy. State Equations are useful in describing the properties of fluids, mixtures of fluids, and so on.
  - Tables
    Table entities collect data points.
  - Tags
    Tag entities tag a piece of information, called the body, onto a node, element, line, surface, point, or solid within the model. They can be used to reference an entity across multiple versions of the same model.
  - Terminations
    Termination entities provides an alternative way to stop the calculation before the termination time is reached.
  - Titles
    Title entities attach a title box with text to the modeling window, or to a node, element, load, or system.
  - Transformations
    Transformation entities define solver transformations, and are used to define a transformation sequence in a Position entity, to be applied on a set of nodes or on a SolverSubmodel.
- Morphing Entities
  Entities used for morphing the shape of FE model.
- Optimization Entities
  Entities used to set up optimization problems.
- Control Cards
  Control card entities create solver control cards such as results file I/O options, CPU and memory limits, and others.
- Undefined Entities
  Undefined entities are entities that will not be written to the solver deck.
- Solver Encryption Entities
  The encryption of solver entities is used to translate entity data into an undisclosed language.
- Element Property and Material Assignment Rules
  Element property and material assignment rules are based on the current user profile (solver interface).
- Supported Cards
  Supported cards organized by solver.
Browsers
Browsers provide a structured view of model data, which you can use to review, modify, create, and manage the contents of a model. In addition to visualization, browsers offer features like search, filtering, and sorting, which enhance your ability to navigate and interact with the model data.
Sketching
Create and edit 2D parametric sketch geometry.
Topology
Create, edit, and cleanup geometry.
FE Geometry
FE geometry is topology on top of mesh, meaning CAD and mesh exist as a single entity. The purpose of FE geometry is to add vertices, edges, surfaces, and solids on FE models which have no CAD geometry.
Meshing and Elements
Explore the different types of mesh you can create in HyperMesh and create and edit 0D, 1D, 2D, and 3D elements.
Model Build and Assembly
Create, organize and manage parts and subsystems.
Composites
HyperMesh composites modeling.
Connectors
Create connections between parts of your model.
Morph
Rapidly change the shape of the FE mesh without severely sacrificing the mesh quality.
Skeleton Modeling
Create a reduced ordered model to facilitate optimization at the concept phase.
Design Space
Workflow to support topology optimization model build and setup.
Optimization
Setup an Optimization in HyperMesh.
Design Explorer
Multi-disciplinary design exploration and optimization tools.
Validate
Validate the model built before running solver analysis.
Analyze
Models require loads and boundary conditions in order to represent the various physics and/or physical equivalents to bench and in-use testing.
Axisymmetry
Reduce a full 3D model with axisymmetric surfaces while accounting for imperfections.
Concept Modeling
Tools and workflows that are dedicated to rapidly creating new parts for specific use cases, or amending existing parts. The current capabilities are focused on stiffening parts.
Crash and Safety
Tools used for crash and safety analysis.
Airbag
Use airbag folder utilities and export a resulting airbag in a Radioss deck.
Aerospace
Essential utility tools developed using HyperMesh-Tcl.
Aeroelasticity
Import an aeroelastic finite element model with Nastran Bulk Data format.
Certification
Framework to plug certification methods to assess margin of safety from the model and result information.
PhysicsAI
Use PhysicsAI to build fast predictive models from CAE data. PhysicsAI can be trained on data with any physics or remeshing and without design variables.
Results Data
Results data can be post-processed using both HyperMesh and HyperView.
Developer
The Developer ribbon contains tools for automation and customization.
Plot Data
HyperGraph is a data analysis and plotting tool with interfaces to many file formats.
Multibody Modeling
MotionView is a general pre-processor for Multibody Dynamics.
Media Files
MediaView plays video files, displays static images, tracks objects, and measures distances.
Tabulate Results
Use TableView to create an Excel-like spreadsheet.
Text Files
TextView math scripts reference vector data from HyperGraph windows to automate data processing and data summary.
Publishing and Reporting
Create, define, and export reports.

Shapes Defined by Elements

Elements that represent the shape of an FEA ply.

The shape (area) of an FEA ply is defined by selecting elements that most closely represent the complex shape of a physical ply. Typically, if an element's centroid exists within the bounds of the physical ply shape, that element is considered part of the FEA ply shape. The corresponding FEA ply shape is defined by the gray shaded elements of the associated FEA mesh.

In the figure below, an elliptical physical ply shape is defined by the brown line.