Results Output by OptiStruct

The tables in this section summarize the results output for different analysis types. They show the formats available for each result and the I/O Option Entry that controls the output of the result.

The columns represent the major output streams:

H3D: Hyper3D format (.h3d file
HM: HyperMesh format (.res file)
OP2: Nastran Output2 format (.op2 file)
PCH: Nastran Punch format (.pch file)
OPT: OptiStruct ASCII format (multiple files)
PAT: Patran and Alternative-Patran formats (multiple files)
H3D (MBD): Hyper3D format for body results (_mbd.h3d file)
MRF: Multibody results file (_mbd.mrf file)
HDF5: Hierarchical data format (.h5 file)

Linear Static Analysis and Nonlinear Static Analysis Results


	H3D	HM	OP2	PCH	OPTI	PAT	HDF5	Controlling I/O Option
Nodal Displacements	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	DISPLACEMENT
Element Strain Energy	✓	✓	✓	✓				ESE
Element Stresses^⁴	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	STRESS / ELSTRESS
Element Strains ^⁴	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓	STRAIN
Ply Stresses	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓	CSTRESS
Composite Failure Indices	✓	✓	✓		✓			CFAILURE
Ply Strains	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓	CSTRAIN
Element Forces	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓^#	FORCE / ELFORCE
Failure output for elements	✓							FAILURE
Grid Point Stresses	✓	✓	✓	✓				GPSTRESS / GSTRESS
SPC Forces	✓		✓	✓	✓		✓^#	SPCFORCE
MPC Forces	✓		✓	✓	✓		✓^#	MPCFORCE
Grid Point Forces	✓		✓	✓	✓		✓^#	GPFORCE
Applied Loads	✓		✓	✓	✓		✓^#	OLOAD
Contact Force and Pressure	✓		✓		✓			CONTF
Total Force	✓							TOTALFORCE

# Available only for Linear Static Analysis

Linear Steady-state Heat Transfer Analysis Results


	H3D	OP2	PCH	Controlling I/O Option
Nodal Temperatures	✓	✓	✓	THERMAL
Element Fluxes and Gradients	✓	✓	✓	FLUX
SPC Flux	✓		✓	SPCFORCE

Linear Transient Heat Transfer Analysis Results


	H3D	OP2	PCH	Controlling I/O Option
Nodal Temperatures	✓	✓	✓	THERMAL
Element Fluxes and Gradients	✓	✓		FLUX

Normal Modes Analysis Results


	H3D	HM	OP2	PCH	OPTI	PAT	HDF5	Controlling I/O Option
Eigenvectors	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	DISPLACEMENT
Element Kinetic Energy	✓	✓	✓	✓				EKE
Element Strain Energy	✓	✓	✓	✓				ESE
Grid Point Energy				✓				GPKE
Grid Point Stress	✓		✓					GPSTRESS / GSTRESS
Element Stresses ^⁴	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓	STRESS / ELSTRESS
Element Strains ^⁴	✓						✓	STRAIN
Element Forces					✓			FORCE / ELFORCE
SPC Forces	✓		✓	✓			✓	SPCFORCE
MPC Forces	✓		✓	✓			✓	MPCFORCE
Grid Point Forces	✓		✓	✓			✓	GPFORCE
Nodal Pressures (Fluid)	✓		✓	✓				PRESSURE
Ply Stresses	✓							CSTRESS
Ply Strains	✓							CSTRAIN

Complex Eigenvalue Analysis Results


	H3D	OP2	PCH	Controlling I/O Option
Eigenvectors	✓	✓	✓	DISPLACEMENT

Linear Buckling Analysis Results


	H3D	HM	OP2	PCH	OPTI	HDF5	Controlling I/O Option
Eigenvectors	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	DISPLACEMENT
Shell Element Forces	✓		✓	✓			FORCE

Aeroelastic Divergence Analysis Results


Result	H3D	OP2	PCH	Controlling I/O Option
Eigenvectors	✓	✓^#	✓^#	DISPLACEMENT
Element Energy Loss Per Cycle	✓		✓^#	EDE
Element Kinetic Energy	✓		✓^#	EKE
Element Strain Energy	✓		✓^#	ESE

# In aeroelastic divergence analysis with multiple Mach numbers, only H3D output is available.

Aeroelastic Flutter Analysis


Result	H3D	OP2	PCH	Controlling I/O Option
Displacements	✓	✓	✓	DISPLACEMENT
Modal Participation Displacements*	✓		✓^#	SDISPLACEMENT

* SDISPLACEMENT output is available only for K, PK and PKNL methods of aeroelastic flutter analysis.

# PCH output for SDISPLACEMENT is available only in sorting = SORT1.

Frequency Response Analysis Results


	H3D	HM	OP2	PCH	OPTI	HDF5	XYPUNCH	Controlling I/O Option
Nodal Displacements	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓	DISPLACEMENT
Modal Participation Displacements	✓		✓	✓		✓		SDISPLACEMENT
Element Energy Loss Per Cycle	✓		✓	✓				EDE
Element Kinetic Energy	✓		✓	✓				EKE
Element Strain Energy				✓				ESE
Nodal Velocities	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓	VELOCITY
Modal Participation Velocities	✓		✓	✓		✓		SVELOCITY
Nodal Accelerations	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓	ACCELERATION
Modal Participation Accelerations	✓		✓	✓		✓		SACCELERATION
Element Stresses ^⁴	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	STRESS / ELSTRESS
Element Strains ^⁴	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	STRAIN
Modal Stresses ^³	✓		✓	✓				STRESS / ELSTRESS
Modal Strains ^³	✓		✓	✓				STRAIN
Element Forces	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	FORCE / ELFORCE
SPC Forces	✓		✓	✓	✓			SPCFORCE
MPC Forces			✓	✓				MPCFORCE
Grid Point Forces	✓		✓	✓	✓			GPFORCE
Grid Point Stresses	✓			✓				GPSTRESS / GSTRESS
Power Flow Field	✓							POWERFLOW
Ply Stresses	✓							CSTRESS
Ply Strains	✓							CSTRAIN
Sound Power	✓
Sound Intensity	✓							SINTENS
Sound Pressure Level	✓							SPL
Applied Load Vectors	✓		✓	✓	✓			OLOAD
Composite Failure Indices	✓							CFAILURE

Coupled Frequency Response Analysis of Fluid-structural Models (Acoustic Analysis) Results


	H3D	OP2	PCH	HDF5	Controlling I/O Option
Nodal Displacements	✓	✓	✓		DISPLACEMENT
Modal Participation Displacements	✓	✓	✓	✓	SDISPLACEMENT
Nodal Velocities	✓	✓	✓		VELOCITY
Modal Participation Velocities	✓	✓	✓	✓	SVELOCITY
Nodal Accelerations	✓	✓	✓		ACCELERATION
Modal Participation Accelerations	✓	✓	✓	✓	SACCELERATION
Nodal Pressures (Fluid)	✓	✓	✓	✓	PRESSURE
Element Stresses ^⁴	✓	✓	✓		STRESS / ELSTRESS
Element Strains ^⁴	✓	✓	✓		STRAIN
Element Forces	✓	✓	✓		FORCE / ELFORCE
SPC Forces	✓	✓	✓		SPCFORCE
MPC Forces		✓	✓		MPCFORCE
Grid Point Forces	✓	✓	✓		GPFORCE
Power Flow Field	✓				POWERFLOW
Ply Stress	✓				CSTRESS
Ply Strain	✓				CSTRAIN
Applied Forces via ACSRCE	✓	✓	✓		OLOAD

Transient Analysis Results


	H3D	HM	OP2	PCH	OPTI	HDF5	Controlling I/O Option
Nodal Displacements	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		DISPLACEMENT
Modal Participation Displacements	✓		✓	✓		✓	SDISPLACEMENT
Nodal Velocities	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		VELOCITY
Modal Participation Velocities	✓		✓	✓		✓	SVELOCITY
Nodal Accelerations	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		ACCELERATION
Modal Participation Accelerations	✓		✓	✓		✓	SACCELERATION
Element Stresses ^⁴	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		STRESS / ELSTRESS
Element Strains ^⁴	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		STRAIN
Failure output for elements	✓						FAILURE
SPC forces	✓		✓	✓			SPCFORCE
Grid point forces	✓		✓	✓	✓		GPFORCE
Modal Stresses ^³	✓		✓	✓			STRESS / ELSTRESS
Modal Strains ^³	✓		✓	✓			STRAIN
Element Forces	✓		✓	✓	✓		FORCE / ELFORCE
MPC Forces			✓	✓			MPCFORCE
Ply Stresses	✓		✓	✓			CSTRESS
Ply Strains	✓		✓	✓			CSTRAIN
Composite Failure Indices	✓						CFAILURE
Applied Load Vectors	✓		✓	✓	✓		OLOAD
Equivalent Radiated Power	✓						ERP

Transient Analysis via Fourier Transformation Results


	H3D	HM	OP2	PCH	Controlling I/O Option
Nodal Displacements	✓	✓	✓	✓	DISPLACEMENT
Nodal Velocities	✓	✓	✓	✓	VELOCITY
Nodal Accelerations	✓	✓	✓	✓	ACCELERATION
Pressure (for Infinite Element Analysis)	✓			✓	DISPLACEMENT

Steady State Analysis

Steady State analysis refers to subcases with ANALYSIS=STEADY where a combination of Frequency Response and Linear static subases are converted into and results are output in the Transient domain.


	H3D	Controlling I/O Option
Nodal Displacements	✓	DISPLACEMENT
Stresses	✓	STRESS
Equivalent Radiated Power (ERP)	✓	ERP

Random Response Analysis Results


	OP2	PCH	H3D	HDF5	Controlling I/O Option
Displacement (PSD, RMS and RMS (Cumulative))		✓ ^#	✓	✓	DISPLACEMENT, XYPEAK / XYPLOT / XYPUNCH
Velocity (PSD, RMS and RMS (Cumulative))		✓ ^#	✓	✓	VELOCITY, XYPEAK / XYPLOT / XYPUNCH
Acceleration (PSD, RMS and RMS (Cumulative))		✓ ^#	✓	✓	ACCELERATION, XYPEAK / XYPLOT / XYPUNCH
Element Force (PSD and RMS)		✓	✓		FORCE / ELFORCE, XYPEAK / XYPLOT / XYPUNCH
Element Stress (PSD)	✓	✓	✓		STRESS / ELSTRESS, XYPEAK / XYPLOT / XYPUNCH
Element Stress (RMS)	✓	✓ ^¹	✓		STRESS / ELSTRESS
Element Strain (PSD)		✓	✓		STRAIN, XYPEAK / XYPLOT / XYPUNCH ^²
Element Strain (RMS)			✓		STRAIN
SPC Force (PSD, RMS and RMS)		✓ ^#	✓	✓	SPCFORCE
Composite Stress (PSD and RMS)			✓		CSTRESS
Composite Strain (PSD and RMS)			✓		CSTRAIN
Acoustic panel participation factors			✓	✓	PFPANEL
Cross-power spectral density function			✓	✓	RCROSS

# In case of .pch format, only PSD and RMS results are available

Response Spectrum Analysis Results


	H3D	OP2	PCH	Controlling I/O Option
Nodal Displacements	✓	✓	✓	DISPLACEMENT
Nodal Accelerations	✓		✓	ACCELERATION
Element Stresses	✓	✓	✓	STRESS / ELSTRESS
Element Strains	✓	✓		STRAIN
Element Forces	✓		✓	FORCE
MPC Forces	✓			MPCFORCE

Multibody Dynamics Analysis Results


	H3D	HM	OP2	H3D (MBD)	MRF	Controlling I/O Option
Nodal Displacements	✓	✓	✓	✓		DISPLACEMENT
Nodal Velocities	✓	✓	✓			VELOCITY
Nodal Accelerations	✓	✓	✓			ACCELERATION
Element Stresses ^⁴	✓	✓	✓	✓		STRESS / ELSTRESS
Element Strains ^⁴	✓	✓	✓	✓		STRAIN
Body time history					✓
System time history					✓
Marker time history					✓	REQUEST
Element and Joint Forces					✓	MBFORCE

Fatigue Analysis Results


	H3D	Controlling I/O Option
Element Life	✓	LIFE
Element Damage	✓	DAMAGE

CMS Generation (Flex-Body Generation) Results


	H3D	OP2	MNF	Controlling I/O Option
Displacements	✓	✓		DISPLACEMENT
Element Stresses	✓	✓		STRESS / ELSTRESS
Element Strains	✓	✓		STRAIN
Element Forces (CBEAM/CBAR/CROD)	✓	✓		FORCE / ELFORCE
Grid Point Stress (Solid elements)	✓*	✓*	✓**	GPSTRESS / GSTRESS
Grid Point Strain			✓**	GPSTRAIN
Multi Point Constraint Force		✓		MPCFORCE
Grid Point Forces		✓		GPFORCE

* Only output for Solid elements.

** Output for Solid and Shell elements.

CMS DMIG Residual Run (FE DMIG) Results

The following results can be recovered within the superelements in the DMIG residual run (for instance, using CBN DMIG). They should also be specified in the initial DMIG generation run and then in the subsequent residual run for them to be recovered within the superelement in the residual run. For ERP and EKE results, even if only STRESS and STRAIN are specified in the generation run, they can still be recovered in the residual run, as the ERP and ESE output are derived from STRESS and STRAIN results.


	H3D	OP2	PCH	Controlling I/O Option
Displacements	✓	✓	✓	DISPLACEMENT
Element Stresses	✓	✓	✓	STRESS / ELSTRESS
Element Strain	✓	✓	✓	STRAIN
Element Forces (CBEAM/CBAR/CROD)	✓			FORCE / ELFORCE
Grid Point Stress (Solid elements)	✓*			GPSTRESS / GSTRESS
Equivalent Radiated Power	✓			ERP
Element Strain Energy	✓			ESE

* Only output for solid elements.

Explicit Dynamic Analysis Results (ANALYSIS=NLEXPL)


	H3D^⁵	Controlling I/O Option
Nodal Displacements and Rotations	✓	DISPLACEMENT
Nodal Velocities	✓	VELOCITY
Nodal Accelerations	✓	ACCELERATION
Element Stresses	✓	STRESS / ELSTRESS
Element Strains (including Plastic strain) For rate dependent plasticity problems, Equivalent Strain rate and Plastic Strain rate results are output. If the problem is elastic, these values are zero.	✓	STRAIN
CBUSH Element Forces	✓	FORCE / ELFORCE
Element Strain energy and Strain energy density	✓	ESE

Optimization Results


	H3D	HM	OP2	PCH	OPT	PAT	Controlling I/O Option
Element Density	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	DENSITY
Element Thickness	✓	✓					THICKNESS
Ply Thickness	✓	✓					THICKNESS
% Thickness	✓	✓					THICKNESS
Shape	✓	✓					SHAPE

References

¹ Only RMS Stress (total over all frequencies) are output to the PCH file. RMS Stress (cumulative up to a particular frequency) are not output to PCH file.

² XYPLOT output request is not supported for Shell Strains.

³ The Structural Modal Stresses and Strains and Residual Vectors are output in Modal Frequency Response Analysis via the STRESS (MODAL) and STRAIN (MODAL) options. A possible use-case for Modal Strains is to setup Modal FRF/Modal Transient Analysis and use the Modal Participation Factors and Modal Strains as input for Fatigue Analysis.

⁴ The element stress and strain results written to the various output streams are not always the same. Refer to the following pages for more details on the stress results available in the different output streams.

⁵ For Explicit Dynamic Analysis H3D results are output in *_expl.h3d file.