Some of the more common ANSYS commands used for structural

analysis:

Category

Command

Description Syntax

BasicGeometry

k keypoint definition

k,kp#,xcoord,ycoord,zcoord

l straight line creation

l,kp1,kp2

larc circular arc line(from keypoints)

larc,kp1,kp2,kp3,rad(kp3 defines plane)

circle circular line creation(creates keypoints)

see online help

spline spline line through keypoints

spline,kp1,kp2, ... kp6

a area definition from keypoints

a,kp1,kp2, ... kp18

al area definition from lines

a,l1,l2, ... l10

v volume definition from keypoints

v,kp1,kp2, ... kp8

va volume definition from areas

va,a1,a2, ... a10

vext create volume from area extrusion

see online help

vdrag create volume by dragging area along path

see online help

Solid Modeling(Primitives)

rectng rectangle creation

rectng,x1,x2,y1,y2

block block volume creation

block,x1,x2,y1,y2,z1,z2

cylind cylindrical volume creation

cylind,rad1,rad2,z1,z2,theta1,theta2

sphere spherical volume creation

sphere,rad1,rad2,theta1,theta2

prismconetorus

various volume creation commands

see online help

Boolean Operations

aadd adds separate areas to create single area

aadd,a1,a2, ... a9

aglue creates new areas by glueing(properties remain separate)

aglue,a1,a2, ... a9

asba creat new area by area substraction

asba,a1,a2

aina create new area by area intersection

aina,a1,a2, ... a9

vaddvlguevsbvvinv

volume boolean operations

see online help

Elements &Meshing

et defines element type

et,number,typemay define as many as required; current type is set by type

type set current element type pointer

type,number

r define real constants for elements

r,number,r1,r2, ... r6may define as many as required; current type is set by real

real sets current real constant pointer

real,number

mp sets material properties for elements

mp,label,number,c0,c1, ... c4may define as many as required; current type is set by mat

mat sets current material property pointer

mat,number

esize sets size or number of divisions on lines

esize,size,ndivsuse either size or ndivs

eshape controls element shape

see online help

lmesh mesh line(s) lmesh,line1,line2,incor lmesh,all

amesh mesh area(s) amesh,area1,area2,incor amesh,all

vmesh mesh volume(s)

vmesh,vol1,vol2,incor vmesh,all

Sets &Selection

ksel select a subset of keypoints

see online help

nsel select a subset of nodes

see online help

lsel select a subjset of lines

see online help

asel select a subset of areas

see online help

nsla select nodes within selected area(s)

see online help

allsel select everythingi.e. reset selection

allsel

Constrain dk defines a DOF dk,kp#,label,value

ts constraint on a keypoint

labels: UX,UY,UZ,ROTX,ROTY,ROTZ,ALL

d defines a DOF constraint on a node

d,node#,label,valuelabels: UX,UY,UZ,ROTX,ROTY,ROTZ,ALL

dl defines (anti)symmetry DOF constraints on a line

dl,line#,area#,labellabels: SYMM (symmetry); ASYM (antisymmetry)

Loads fk defines a fk,kp#,label,valuelabels: FX,FY,FZ,MX,MY,MZ

f defines a force at a node

f,node#,label,valuelabels: FX,FY,FZ,MX,MY,MZ