Numerical Variables (VARIABLE)

Numerical variables are an important feature in SIMULIA Tosca Structure. In the simplest case, a numerical variable is used to write the contents of a database to the screen or to a file. Some commands in SIMULIA Tosca Structure can only be addressed with variables so that the numerical variables must be defined in advance. Other commands become more flexible when using variables. Conditions for logical variables (LOGICAL) are set by numerical variables.

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VARIABLE

Numerical variables are defined with the VARIABLE command. They can be assigned to constraint values or to data from the database.

  • DEF_TYPE = FIX fixed value
  • DEF_TYPE = SYSTEM load case independent and load case dependent value

The access to the database (that is, to the analysis or optimization results) can be precisely specified by:

  • Type of contents.
  • Definition of the selection area: any node or element group.
  • Type of selection within the selection group: minimum (MIN), average (AVERAGE) or maximum (MAX) value, sum (SUM) or number of entries (COUNT) within the group.
  • Selection of the load case and type of the load case selection.

In addition to direct database access, numerical variables can also be defined with mathematical operators (DEF_TYPE = OPER) (ITEM VAR_OPER = ADD, SUB, MULT, DIV, MIN, MAX, ABS or COMBINE) using 2 to 4 numerical variables (or up to 10 variables for COMBINE). In addition, the change for a numerical variable in comparison to previous iterations can also be defined as a variable (DELTA).

The following list represents a selection of the many possibilities to extract results from a database, for a complete list refer to the definition of the VARIABLE command in the commands manual:

  • load case dependent contents (determined for a specific load case or for all load cases):
    • Stress (principal stress or equivalent stress).
    • Displacements (components or total displacement).
    • Equivalent stress.
  • load case independent contents:
    • Number of iterations.
    • Displacement values of the nodes through the material expansion or material shrinkage (shape/bead optimization).
    • Lengths of the free, fixed, or total surface.
    • Element volumes.
    • Moments of inertia.
    • Center of gravity.