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Welcome
What's New
View new features for SimSolid 2025.
Get Started
Learn the basics and discover the workspace.
Tutorials
Discover SimSolid functionality with interactive tutorials.
Interface with External Products
Interfaces that support SimSolid output file format.
Geometry
Information about treatment and properties of geometric entities in SimSolid.
Assembly
Summary of available functionality for defining the properties and behavior of parts in the model.
Connections
Connections are used to define the association of different regions of interest between parts in an assembly.
Create Analysis
Create an analysis for your project.
Boundary Conditions
Boundary Conditions available for SimSolid.
Post Processing
Run analyses and view a variety of results in SimSolid.
- Run Analysis
  Solve an analysis or design study.
- Results
  Results provide performance insight for the simulation.
  - Results Info
    You can view summary information for all parts in a given Project Tree branch.
  - Results Export
    You can export deformed shape in ssg/stl format for all parts in a given Project Tree branch.
  - Display Contour Plot
    Show results in a continuous or banded tone contour plot.
  - Modify Results Plot
    Adjust the display attributes for the results plot.
  - Refine Results Plot
    Choose a refinement level for your results plot.
  - Pick Info
    Obtain results at one or more points/faces on the model.
  - Display Results Graph
    Show a graph of a quantity of interest along a path of a part surface.
  - Display Bolt/Nut Resultant Forces
    Display a table of resultant bolt and nut forces.
  - Display Bolt Internal Forces
    Display axial force, shear force and bending moment on the bolts. The output is available along different sections of the bolt that are defined by connections with neighboring parts. Maximum forces/moments across all the sections are also output.
  - Display Rivet Forces
    Display a table of loads on a rivet.
  - View Cable/Rod Reactions
    View the summary of reactions at selected cables/rods.
  - View Reactions at Supports
    View a summary of the reactions at selected supports.
  - View Resultant Force at Connections
    View resultant force and moment for selected connections.
  - View Reaction Force for Parts
    View the total reaction force and moments for selected parts.
  - View Spot Weld Resultant Forces
    Display a table of spot weld resultant forces.
  - View Seam Weld Reactions
    Display a table of seam weld resultant forces and stresses.
  - View Fatigue History
    Review fatigue history for each event at points of interest.
  - View Spot Weld Fatigue Results
    Display a table of spot weld fatigue results in SN fatigue analyses with spot welds present in the design study.
  - View Seam Weld Fatigue Results
    Display a table of seam weld fatigue results in SN fatigue analyses with seam welds present in the design study.
  - Potential Material Failure Analysis
    Safety factor plots are used to characterize zones of possible material failure.
  - Create Linear Superposition of Results
    View derived result that combines multiple load cases together.
  - Create Envelope of Results
    Identify the most significant result out of all selected analyses.
  - View Parts Ranked by Amplitude
    Show a list of parts ranked by movement amplitude.
  - View Parts Ranked by Response
    Show a list of parts ranked by the response.
  - Modal Participation Factors
    - View Modal Participation Factors
      View modal participation, effective mass, and cumulative mass.
  - Display Time/Frequency Step
    Control which time or frequency step is displayed for dynamic response data.
  - Plot Partial Dynamic Response
  - Plot Dynamic Reaction Force
    View dynamic reaction forces.
  - Non-linear Results
    Results display for all non-linear analysis types.
  - Results Images/Animations
    The Bookmark Browser allows you to capture images of your simulation modeling and results, caption the images, and export your gallery as image and/or animation files.
  - Structural Thermal
    View results for thermal transient or thermal imported linked structural analysis.
  - Squeak and Rattle Response
    View results for squeak and rattle analysis.
  - Find Collisions
    Find possible collisions on all deformed parts in assembly for structural and multi-load analysis.
  - Results on Datum Plane
    A datum plane can be used either as a clipping plane or to review results.
Design Study
Design studies allow you to quickly evaluate and compare the structural performance from different design scenarios.
Verification Problems
Solved verification models.
Frequently Asked Questions
This section provides quick responses to typical and frequently asked questions regarding

Modal Participation Factors

Mode Shapes

Every structure has the tendency to vibrate at a given set of natural frequencies. Each natural frequency is associated with a shape, called mode shape, that the model tends to assume when vibrating at that frequency.

Modal participation factors: SimSolid calculates modal participation, effective mass, and cumulative mass factors for each mode in a specified global or local coordinate reference frame for only flexible modes. Rigid body modes will be ignored.

Modal participation factors are scalars that measure the interaction between the modes and the directional excitation in a given reference frame. Larger values indicate a stronger contribution to the dynamic response.

$Modal participation factor, γ_{i} = \{ϕ_{i}^{T}\} [M] \{V\}$

Where,

$\{V\}$

Unit translational direction vector

$\{ϕ\}$

Normalized mode shape

$[M]$

Mass matrix
Modal participation factor ratio: The modal participation factor ratio is the modal participation factor for each translational direction divided by the maximum modal participation factor of all the modes for that direction. So, each of the three directions will have a value of 1.0 for the mode that has the maximum modal participation factor, and the other modes will have a value less than 1.0.
Effective mass factors: The Effective mass factors associated with each mode represent the amount of system mass participating in that mode in a given excitation direction. This value is given as a percentage of the total system mass.

$Effective mass = γ_{i}^{2}$

Effective mass along direction is the square of modal participation factor of that direction. Therefore, a mode with a large effective mass will be a significant contributor to the system’s response in the given excitation direction.

A common rule of thumb for linear dynamic analysis is that a mode should be included if it contributes more than 1-2% of the total effective mass.
Cumulative mass: The cumulative mass for mode n is the sum of the effective mass factors for modes 1 through n. A common rule of thumb for linear dynamic analysis is to include sufficient modes such that the cumulative mass is at least 80% in the predominant direction of excitation vibration.