- [Instructor] This video describes how to convert
truss-like geometry into FEA truss elements.
You'll see, also, the appropriate methods
of setting up loads and boundary conditions.
So go to the File, Open,
and choose simple_truss SolidWorks part.
If you're working with a SolidWorks version prior to 2018
or you don't have this SolidWorks file available,
then choose All Files in the dropdown
to enable you to see all the file types,
and I've got that set here.
And instead, you're going to choose
the file simple_truss Power Solid.
So we're going to choose the SolidWorks part.
And if you click on these two parts here,
you can see we've got two Boss-Extrude solid bodies.
They form the legs of the truss structure
we're going to be creating.
I can go into one of these and look at the sketch
that was used to create that.
So let's edit the sketch.
We can see that it's just a simple 2.5 by two inch
solid cross section.
So close out of that, discard the changes.
If we look at the general view and zoom in here,
if we look at the intersection of the two bodies,
you can see there's no former jointing at all.
It's just a notional positioning
of the bodies at the moment.
No definitive joint geometry has been created.
If we set the view to the front,
and now we can click on New Study,
let's name this 3d solid truss.
We'll keep the study as static analysis and just check OK.
Now expand the two solid body objects.
We're going to apply connection between these two trusses.
So we don't want to bond them.
So come down to Component Contacts,
right mouse click and delete.
Right mouse click on SolidBody 1 again
and select Treat as a Beam.
Notice the icon changes from a solid part
to a beam indication.
Now, right mouse click and edit the definition.
We're going to change this to a truss.
Check OK.
The icon changes appearance.
I'm not really sure it's truss like,
but try to remember it
so you can check all settings are correct.
Let's go to SolidBody 2, Treat as Beam.
The default is Beam.
So again, right mouse click, edit the definition,
change it to a truss, check OK.
Now we're going to create a material
that will match the one in the classical truss benchmark.
Right mouse click and Apply Material to All Bodies.
Now let's select New Library.
Let's call this example materials.
Right mouse click, select New Category,
call this truss benchmark,
right mouse click and add new material,
and we'll call this truss.
The key thing we're looking for is Young's modulus
of one e to the six PSI.
The other units don't matter,
but we'll set Poisson's ratio to 0.3,
and we required to input a yield strength.
So let's make that 20,000.
Click Apply and click Close.
And a new object has been created called JointGroup.
Right mouse click on this
and Edit and select all the beams by default.
In our case, the geometry feature truss body just touches.
So there's no need for a tolerance
to search for joints between bodies.
Click on Calculate to create nodes at the joints.
Click OK.
Right mouse click on Fixtures and choose Fixed Geometry.
Now select the two grounded joint ends.
Check OK.
This has constrained the translational degree of freedom.
So it's set up a pin-jointed connection to ground
at both ends.
Right mouse click on Fixtures, choose Fixed Geometry again,
select Reference Geometry.
Now pick the joint at the top.
Now we need to choose some reference geometry.
Open up the geometry tree and choose Front Plane,
which is the xy plane.
Select the constraint normal to the plane
and this will stop out-of-plane motion of the truss.
Check OK.
Right mouse click on External Loads and select Force.
Select the joints option, pick the joint at the top,
and choose a reference system.
Choose the same front plane.
We set along the plane direction one,
which is in the x direction, 10,000 pounds force.
And along direction two, which is the y direction,
again, 10,000 pounds force.
Click OK.
Now right mouse click on Mesh and select Create Mesh.
Now, there's one truss element created
between each joint node,
and there's no option to change this mesh sizing,
as expected.
Now we click Run This Study.
And we'll investigate the results in the next video.
So in this video, we've seen how to
create the truss elements from geometry.
We've seen how to set up the loads
and the boundary conditions.