how to edit CSYS definition for element orientation management: MCID

[potrero]

NX 5.0.5 Advanced Simulation

When using orthotropic material properties, ie in a layup using Quad4's, it is important to define element orientation, and not simply utilize the element's inherent individual orientation.

One can do this by enabling the MCID option after selecting the mesh in question. Creation of an MCID orientation also causes creation of a datum coordinate system. However, it doesn't seem that there is a way to see which coordinate system belongs to a particular mesh.

This can be a problem when there are a large number of meshes in an FEM.

In particular it seems that the logical interface would be to be able to edit the MCID csys orientation by right-clicking the mesh. However, there doesn't seem to be this option; only the option to redefine MCID orientation by creating a NEW datum csys.

Additionally, selecting the created CSYS's and probing Information doesn't show which mesh uses that CSYS for its MCID.

Am I incorrect in these observations? If not, it looks like this is an area ripe for improvement in NX.

Thanks.

 

[potrero]

A bit more on element orientation:

It is helpful that multiple meshes can reference one CSYS.

It would be very nice if there was a way to display the longitudinal and transverse vectors for a mesh's elements (ie: this would allow one to clearly view the 1 & 2 or X & Y directions for the resulting orthotropic properties)

There is an example of what I'm describing (vector representations of element coordinate systems) in the NX5.0.5 documentation in the page titled: "Element, material and ply orientation".

.../UGDOC/html_files/advanced/index.html?goto=advanced/attribute_editor_op.html&vars=-aux

 

[potrero]

Still wondering if it is possible to display the orientation of a shell or laminate mesh... Any ideas?