Enforced Displacements
Enforced displacements are used when you don't know the magnitude of a force applied to a part, but you do know how much the part displaces as a result of that force.

Apply an Enforced Displacement
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On the Structure ribbon, select the Enforced
Displacements tool.
Tip: To find and open a tool, press Ctrl+F. For more information, see Find and Search for Tools. -
Click the point on the model where you want to apply the enforced displacement.
Hold the Ctrl key to apply the enforced displacement to
multiple features on the same part.
- Hold down the Shift key as you click to create a concentrated enforced displacement on a circular spot.
- Hold down the Ctrl key as you click to apply the enforced displacement to multiple features on the same part.
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Define the magnitude of the displacement.
- Click and drag the orange arrow.
- Enter a value in the text field of the microdialog.Tip: Use f(x) to create or assign variables for Design Explorer studies.
- To reverse the direction of the enforced displacement, click the +/- button on the microdialog.
- Right-click and mouse through the check mark to exit, or double-right-click.
Tip:
- Enforced displacements essentially act as a force, and can be applied to a point, edge, or face. When applied to a hole, they are applied to the hole center rather than the face.
- Whenever possible, enforced displacements should only be applied to non-design spaces. Once created, you can move an enforced displacement away from the part to place it at a distance using the Move tool on the microdialog.
- Use the right-click context menu to include or exclude an enforced displacement from a load case.
Microdialog Options
Double-click on an enforced displacement arrow to enter editing mode, which opens a microdialog.
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Change the direction of the enforced displacement. |
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Enter a magnitude of the enforced displacement. |
f(x) | Create or assign a displacement variable. |
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Click the icon to enter/exit Multi-Selection mode. In this mode, you can click a feature to add/remove it from the selection. Outside of this mode, you need to hold down Ctrl while clicking. |
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Translate or rotate the enforced displacement using the Move tool. |
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Align the enforced displacement to an axis or normal to the face. |
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Click to orient the enforced displacement by entering component vectors for x, y, and z. (For example, entering 1, 0, 0 would orient it in the positive x direction.) |
Mouse Controls and Keyboard Shortcuts
Ctrl | Apply the enforced displacement to multiple features on the same part. |
Right-click and mouse through the check mark to exit, or double-right-click. | Exit the tool. |