FEM ElementGeometry1D

Material editor

Beam rotation

FEM

FEM ElementGeometry1D
Menu location
Model → Element Geometry → Beam cross section
Workbenches
FEM
Default shortcut
C B
Introduced in version
-
See also
FEM tutorial

Solvers
CalculiX, Mystran, Z88

Description

ElementGeometry1D is used to define cross sections for beam elements. Currently, the following types of cross sections are available: rectangular, circular and pipe.

Usage

1. There are several ways to invoke the command:
   • Press the Beam cross section button.
   • Select the Model → Element Geometry → Beam cross section option from the menu.
2. Choose the type of cross section and specify the necessary dimensions:
   • Rectangular: width and height,
   • Circular: diameter,
   • Pipe: outer diameter and thickness.
3. Optionally, press the Add button in the task panel and then click on the edge you want to have a prescribed cross section. If the edge selection is free, all the remaining edges (whose cross section is not defined by other FEM ElementGeometry1D objects) will be automatically assigned.

Properties

• DataSection Type: specifies the type of the beam section (Rectangular, Circular or Pipe)
• DataCirc Diameter: diameter of circular section, used if DataSection Type is Circular
• DataPipe Diameter: outer diameter of pipe section, used if DataSection Type is Pipe
• DataPipe Thickness: thickness of pipe section, used if DataSection Type is Pipe
• DataRect Height: height of rectangular section, used if DataSection Type is Rectangular
• DataRect Width: width of rectangular section, used if DataSection Type is Rectangular

Limitations

• Other types of cross sections available in CalculiX (elliptical, box and general) are not currently supported. One can edit the input file to use them.

Notes

• For viewing results from CalculiX solver on the mesh expanded to the prescribed cross section, property Beam Shell Result Output 3D in the FEM SolverCalculixCxxtools needs to be set to True.
• Some sections require specific element types:
  • circular section - 2nd order elements
  • pipe section - 2nd order elements with reduced integration (introduced in version 1.0: reduced integration is enabled by default for beam elements and can be switched using the Beam Reduced Integration property of the CalculiX solver)
• This feature uses the *BEAM SECTION card in CalculiX.

Material editor

Beam rotation

FEM

FEM

• FEM Analysis

• Materials: Solid, Fluid, Nonlinear mechanical, Reinforced (concrete); Material editor

• Element geometry: Beam (1D), Beam rotation (1D), Shell (2D), Fluid flow (1D)

---

Constraints

• Electromagnetic: Electrostatic potential, Current density, Magnetization

• Fluid: Initial flow velocity, Initial pressure, Flow velocity

• Geometrical: Plane rotation, Section print, Transform

• Mechanical: Fixed, Displacement, Contact, Tie, Spring, Force, Pressure, Centrif, Self weight

• Thermal: Initial temperature, Heat flux, Temperature, Body heat source

• Overwrite Constants: Constant vacuum permittivity

---

• Mesh: Mesh Netgen, Mesh GMSH, Mesh boundary layer, Mesh region, Mesh group, Nodes set, Mesh to mesh

• Solve: CalculiX Standard, Elmer, Mystran, Z88; Equations: Deformation, Elasticity, Electrostatic, Electricforce, Magnetodynamic, Magnetodynamic 2D, Flow, Flux, Heat; Solver: Solver control, Solver run

• Results: Purge, Show; Postprocessing: Apply changes, Pipeline from result, Warp filter, Scalar clip filter, Function cut filter, Region clip filter, Contours filter, Line clip filter, Stress linearization plot, Data at point clip filter, Filter function plane, Filter function sphere, Filter function cylinder, Filter function box

• Utilities: Clipping plane, Remove clipping planes, Open FEM examples; Mesh clear, Mesh display info

---

• Additional: Preferences; FEM Install, FEM Mesh, FEM Solver, FEM CalculiX, FEM Concrete; FEM Element Types

User documentation

• Getting started
• Installation: Download, Windows, Linux, Mac, Additional components, Docker, AppImage, Ubuntu Snap
• Basics: About FreeCAD, Interface, Mouse navigation, Selection methods, Object name, Preferences, Workbenches, Document structure, Properties, Help FreeCAD, Donate

---

• Help: Tutorials, Video tutorials
• Workbenches: Std Base, Assembly, BIM, CAM, Draft, FEM, Inspection, Material, Mesh, OpenSCAD, Part, PartDesign, Points, Reverse Engineering, Robot, Sketcher, Spreadsheet, Surface, TechDraw, Test Framework

---

• Addons: Addon Manager, External workbenches, Scripting and macros

---

• Hubs: User hub, Power users hub, Developer hub