ansys.mapdl.core.Mapdl.psf#

Mapdl.psf(item='', comp='', key='', kshell='', color='', **kwargs)#

Shows surface load symbols on model displays.

Mechanical APDL Command: /PSF

Command default:

No surface load symbols are displayed.

Parameters:

itemstr

Labels identifying the surface load to be shown; see /PSF - Valid Item and Component Labels.

compstr

Labels identifying the surface load to be shown; see /PSF - Valid Item and Component Labels.

keyint or str

Key to turn surface load symbols on or off:

0 - Off (default).
1 - On, shown as face outlines. Line surface loads ( sfl ) on solid model plots are shown as arrows.
2 - On, shown as arrows.
3 - On, shown as color filled surfaces. Line and area surface loads ( sfl and sfa ) on solid model plots are shown as arrows.

kshellint or str

Visibility key for shell elements.

0 - Off (default), surface load symbols are displayed only on visible load faces.
1 - On, surface load symbols are displayed even if load face is not visible.

colorstr

Visibility key for contour legend.

ON - The symbols (arrows or face outlines) will show up in color with the legend showing the corresponding color labels (default).
OFF - The contour legend will not be displayed. The symbols (arrows or face outlines) will show up in grey. The size of the arrows will be proportional to the applied load.

Notes

psf determines whether and how to show surface loads on subsequent model displays.

If surface loads are applied to solid model entities, only solid model plots show the load symbols; node and element plots do not show them unless the loads are transferred ( sftran or sbctran ). Similarly, solid model plots do not show the load symbols if surface loads are applied to nodes and elements. For node and element plots of shell element models, the surface load symbols are shown only if the load face is visible from the current viewing direction.

The effects of the /PSF command are not cumulative (that is, the command does not modify an existing setting from a previously issued psf command). Only the setting specified via the most recent psf command applies.

If you issue a postprocessing (POST1) plot command that produces result contours (such as plnsol ), psf has no effect. This behavior prevents conflicting contours in the graphics window.

When using the radiosity method ( Item = RDSF and Comp = ENCL) with Key = 2, the radiation arrows point outward from any element face.

psf,STAT displays current psf settings, and psf,DEFA resets them back to default.

Other useful commands are pnum,SVAL,1 to show the values of the surface loads, vscale to change arrow lengths, and pbc and pbf to activate other load symbols.

For beam elements, only the colors representing shear (GREEN) and normal (RED) pressures are displayed for the arrows. The color of these arrows does not correspond to the magnitudes in the contour legend. The length of these arrows does, however, correlate to the relative magnitude of the pressures.

For elements SURF159, SOLID272, SOLID273, PIPE288 and PIPE289, psf is not available when displaying elements with shapes determined from the real constants or section definition ( eshape ). For PIPE288 and PIPE289, only external loads applied via sfbeam are displayed.

This command is valid in any processor.

/PSF - Valid Item and Component Labels#

Item	Comp	Description	Comments
PRES [ psf_labels_fn_1 ]	NORM (or blank)	Applied pressure normal to the face (real component only).	For element types other than `SURF153`, `SURF154` and `SURF156`.
	NORM	Applied pressure normal to the face (real component).	For element types `SURF153`, `SURF154` and `SURF156` with KEYOPT(2) = 0. For supported structural elements with `KCSYS` = 0. [ psf_labels_fn_2 ]
	TANX	Applied pressure in the element tangential x direction (real component).
	TANY	Applied pressure in the element tangential- y direction (real component).
	INRM	Applied pressure normal to the face (imaginary component).
	ITNX	Applied pressure in the element tangential x direction (imaginary component).
	ITNY	Applied pressure in the element tangential y direction (imaginary component).
	LOCX	Applied pressure in the local x direction (real component).	For element types `SURF153`, `SURF154` and `SURF156` with KEYOPT(2) = 1. For supported structural elements with `KCSYS` = 1. [ psf_labels_fn_2 ]
	LOCY	Applied pressure in the local y direction (real component).
	LOCZ	Applied pressure in the local z direction (real component).
	ILCX	Applied pressure in the local x direction (imaginary component).
	ILCY	Applied pressure in the local y direction (imaginary component).
	ILCZ	Applied pressure in the local z direction (imaginary component).
	RVEC	Applied pressure in the user-defined direction (real component).	For supported structural elements with `KCSYS` = 2. [ psf_labels_fn_2 ]
	IVEC	Applied pressure in the user-defined direction (imaginary component).
CONV	HCOEF	Applied convection (film coefficient).
CONV	TBULK	Applied convection (bulk temperature).
RAD	EMIS	Applied radiation (emissivity).
RAD	TAMB	Applied radiation (ambient temperature).
RDSF	EMSS	Radiation emissivity.
RDSF	ENCL	Enclosure number.
FSIN		Fluid-solid interface number.
HFLUX		Applied heat flux.
FSI		Acoustic fluid-structure interface flag.
IMPD		Applied acoustic impedance.
SHLD	COND	Applied conductivity.
SHLD	MUR	Applied relative permeability.
MXWF		Maxwell force flag.
INF		Exterior surface flag.
CHRGS		Applied electric surface charge density.
BLI		Boundary layer impedance flag.

Pressure loads apply to the element coordinate system (KEYOPT(2) = 0). Adjust appropriately for a local coordinate system (KEYOPT(2) = 1). See, and in the Element Reference.

KCSYS is specified when issuing sfcontrol.