MSC.Patran's Free Body Tool

For MSC.Patran users, MSC.Patran has a post-processing tool (in the Results module) for creating Freebody plots from Nastran results data. To use it you must request that
Patran calculate the grid point force balance at all of the nodes in the model. This is done by adding the line GPFORCE=ALL to the case control section of the Nastran deck.

This tool performs 3 very distinct functions represented in Patran by 3 different methods.

Results > Create > Freebody > Loads
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This tool displays a freebody plot of the structure based on all internal/external loads or just the applied loads or constraint loads.

Results > Create > Freebody > Interface
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This tool displays net loads at structural interfaces.

Results > Create > Freebody > Displacement
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This tool creates a discrete FEM field of displacements at the freebody boundary which can be used for global/local modelling.

For further information regarding the Freebody tool, you can download a 51 page PDF document describing how it works and how to use it here:

  http://www.mscsoftware.com.au/support/faq/patran/images/Patran_Freebody_Tool.pdf