icon
Mechanical Application 2025 R1 |
Mechanical User's Guide |
PDF
search Mechanical User's Guide
search
back
forward
Contents
closeexpand
expand/collapse all
Overview
1. The Ansys Product Improvement Program
2. Application Interface
2.1. Interface Overview
2.2. Ribbon
2.3. Graphics Toolbar
2.3.1. Clipboard Menu
2.4. Outline
2.5. Details Pane
2.6. Geometry Window
2.7. Status Bar
2.8. Quick Launch
2.9. Ansys Cloud Sign In (Windows Only)
2.10. Help Menu
2.11. Color Theme
2.12. Ribbon Customization Options
2.13. Scoping Recovery following Geometry Update
2.14. Creating User-Defined Buttons
2.15. Windows Management
2.16. Preference Migration
2.17. Print Preview
2.18. Report Preview
2.19. Full Screen Mode
2.20. Contextual Windows
2.21. Group Tree Objects
2.22. Interface Behavior Based on License Levels
2.23. Environment Filtering
2.24. Using Macros
2.25. Setting Variables
2.26. Data Export
2.27. Keyframe Animation
2.28. Graphical Selection and Display
2.29. Hotkeys and Keyboard Shortcuts
2.30. Wizards
3. Application Preferences
4. General Analysis Workflow
5. Analysis Types
6. Geometry
7. Materials
8. Coordinate Systems
9. Connections
10. Meshing Features
11. Named Selections
12. Remote Points
13. Analysis Selection for Model-Level Objects
14. Tables
15. Symmetry
16. Analysis Settings
17. Boundary Conditions
18. Solving
19. Results
20. Commands Object
21. Python Code
22. Parameters
23. Productivity Tools
24. CAD System Information
25. Known Limitations
26. Troubleshooting
A. Glossary of General Terms
B. Data Transfer Mapping and Validation
C. Workbench Mechanical Wizard Advanced Programming Topics
Index
Application Interface |
PRINT PAGE
2.3. Graphics Toolbar
The Graphics toolbar sets the selection/manipulation mode for the cursor in the
Geometry window. The toolbar also provides commands for modifying a selection or
for modifying the viewpoint. You can turn this toolbar on and off using the
Graphics Toolbar option in the Manage option's drop-down menu located in the Layout
group on the Home tab.
You can add or remove options from this toolbar using the Customization Menu shown
below. You access this menu using the down-arrow drop-down menu at the far end of
the toolbar.
Customization Menu Option Description
Previous/Next
To return to the last view displayed in the Geometry window, click the Previous
View button on the toolbar. By continuously clicking you can see the previous views
in consecutive order.
After displaying previous views in the Geometry window, click the Next View button
on the toolbar to scroll forward to the original view.
Shaded Exteriors and Edges Displays the model in the Geometry window with shaded
exteriors and distinct edges. This option cannot be used in combination with either
the Shaded Exterior or Wireframe views.
Shaded Exteriors Displays the model in the Geometry window with shaded exteriors
only. This option cannot be used in combination with either the Shaded Exterior and
Edges or Wireframe views.
Wireframe Enable the Wireframe display mode. The model displays in the Geometry
window with a wireframe display rather than a shaded (recommended for seeing gaps
in surface bodies) display. The Wireframe option not only applies to geometry,
mesh, or named selections displayed as a mesh, but extends to probes, results, and
variable loads to enable a better understanding of regions of interest. When set,
just the exterior faces of the meshed models are shown, not the interior elements.
Selecting any of the edges options on contour results automatically closes
Wireframe mode.
Note: When active, green scoping is not drawn on probes. Also, elements are shown
on probes and results, whereas the outline of the mesh is shown on isoline contour
results.
Show Mesh Display the model's mesh. Enabling this option displays the model’s
mesh regardless of the selected tree object. When enabled, to make sure that
Annotations display properly, also turn on Wireframe mode. See the Note below.
Rotate Activates the model Rotate feature. Free rotation is the default
behavior. Also see the Manipulating the Model in the Geometry Window section.
Note: This button offers a drop-down menu to switch between free and axis-based
rotation. Switching between these menu options also defines the default behavior in
the Options dialog.
Pan Reposition your model laterally and vertically in the Geometry window.
Zoom Displays a closer view of the body by dragging the mouse cursor vertically
toward the top of the Geometry window, or displays a more distant view of the body
by dragging the mouse cursor vertically toward the bottom of the Geometry window.
Note: If you zoom in on a model at an extreme factor (over 105), you may see the
graphical display of geometry edges or mesh element edges appear distorted. These
display distortions are due to the limitations of the computer’s architecture
(precision of storing data) and the display screen resolution.
Zoom To Fit Fit the entire model in the Geometry window.
Zoom To Selection Zoom in on the currently selected item in the Geometry window.
Toggle Magnifier Window On/Off Displays a Magnifier Window, which is a shaded
box that functions as a magnifying glass, enabling you to zoom in on portions of
the model. When you toggle the Magnifier Window on, you can:
Pan the Magnifier Window across the model by holding down the left mouse button and
dragging the mouse.
Increase the zoom of the Magnifier Window by adjusting the mouse wheel, or by
holding down the middle mouse button and dragging the mouse upward.
Recenter or resize the Magnifier Window using a right mouse button click and
choosing an option from the context menu. Recenter the window by choosing Reset
Magnifier. Resizing options include Small Magnifier, Medium Magnifier, and Large
Magnifier for preset sizes, and Dynamic Magnifier Size On/Off for gradual size
control accomplished by adjusting the mouse wheel.
Standard model zooming, rotating, and picking are disabled when you use the
Magnifier Window.
Select Label only.
Mode
Display a drop-down menu of options that define how geometry, node, or element
selections are made:
Single Select
Box Select
Box Volume Select
Lasso Select
Lasso Volume Select
These options are used in conjunction with the selection filters (Vertex, Edge,
Face, Body, Node, Element)
Note: Selection shortcuts:
When you place your cursor within the Geometry window, you can change your
selection mode from Single Select to Box Select by holding the right mouse button
and then clicking the left mouse button.
When you place your cursor within the Geometry window, and given a generated mesh,
and the Node or Element selection option is active, holding the right mouse button
and then clicking the left mouse button scrolls through the available selection
options (single section, box selection, box volume, lasso, lasso volume).
Smart Select For Single Select mode, use this option to select or highlight
vertices, edges, and faces on the model without needing to specify a selection
filter (Vertex, Edge, or Face). Use the [Ctrl] key or hold down the left-mouse
button to select multiple entities. When you make a selection, an icon displays
that enables you to select the parent body for the current selection(s). This
option supports the Select All, Zoom To Selection, and Mini Selection Toolbar
features. This option does not currently support depth picking.
Vertex Activate Vertex geometry selection option.
Edge Activate Edge geometry selection option.
Face Activate Face geometry selection option.
Body Activate Body geometry selection option.
Node Activate Node mesh selection option.
Element Face Activate Element Face mesh selection option.
Element Activate Element mesh selection option.
Hit Point Coordinate Available only if you are setting a location, for example,
a local coordinate system. This option enables the exterior coordinates of the
model to display adjacent to the cursor and updates the coordinate display as the
cursor is moved across the model. If you click with the cursor on the model, a
label displays the coordinates of that location. This feature is functional on
faces only. It is not functional on edges or line bodies.
Note: You can change the default display settings for the font (size, style,
color) used with this feature by changing the settings of the Probe Tool and Hit
Point Coordinate preference in the Graphics category of the Options dialog.
Label Select and drag and drop an annotation label anywhere on the corresponding
scoping. Not all objects support this option.
Imported Data Highlight For certain data imported through the External Model
system, this option enables you to highlight the graphical representation of the
data in the Geometry window. This option behaves just like you were selecting a row
in the Worksheet for the imported data. See the User Interface Options topic in the
Importing Mesh-Based Databases section for more information.
Direction Chooses a direction by selecting a single face, two vertices, or a
single edge (enabled only when Direction field in the Details view has focus). See
Pointer Modes.
All Select all geometric entities of your model based on the current selection
filter type (vertex, edge, face, or body). Ctrl+A also performs this action.
Invert Automatically select entities of the same type (face, edge, etc.) that
are not currently selected. Any selection made before selecting this option is
removed.
Display Graph Display the content of the Graph window in the Geometry window.
Clipboard Information To help you keep track of what is contained in the
Clipboard, once you make selections (or add or change) the Clipboard menu displays
the current number of entities contained in the Clipboard, such as 1 Body, as
illustrated above. When no selections are contained in the Clipboard, this field
contains the text string "Empty." Also note that the status bar displays active
Geometry window selections.
Extend Adds adjacent faces (or edges) within angle tolerance, to the currently
selected face (or edge) set, or adds tangent faces (or edges) within angle
tolerance, to the currently selected face (or edge) set. See the Extend Selection
Menu topic for additional information about these options.
Select By Display a drop-down menu of selection options. See the Select group
topic in the Selection Tab section for more information.
Convert Display a drop-down menu of options to change your currently selected
geometric entity or mesh item to a different geometric entity or mesh item. See the
Convert To group topic in the Selection Tab section for more information.
Viewports Split the Geometry window into multiple windows.
Sync Viewports Synchronize the Viewports display in each window to reorient/move
(pan, zoom, rotate) your model in each window simultaneously.
Front/Back/Right/Left/Top/Bottom These options reorient the display of your
model.
Accelerated Display Improve the display time for mesh and result objects.
Reset Toolbar Reset the Graphics Toolbar to the default display configuration.
Note: As illustrated below, annotations may not always display properly when the
Show Mesh option is activated. Turning on Wireframe mode accurately displays
annotations when Show Mesh is selected.
« 2.2.7. Learning and Support Tab
2.3.1. Clipboard Menu »
Contains proprietary and confidential information of ANSYS, Inc. and its
subsidiaries and affiliates.
Release 2025 R1 - © ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.