-TYPE, TYPE

Here, TYPE must be selected from DEFAULT, STRUCTURE, MESH, or COMPARTMENT. When this option is used, the selected data appropriate to the TYPE specified will be extracted from the database, converted into "strings" which can be plotted, and stored in a different portion of the database. If an &PICTURE command is issued within the &SURFACE MENU, then blocks will be used instead of the current TYPE. The TYPE DEFAULT will show all exterior compartments and any beams which have load attributes.

There are two levels of control over the data to be plotted. First, one can select parts of the model by using the options for a &REP_SEL command issued prior to selecting a TYPE. Only data selected will then be passed to the picture painter. Additional control is available in the picture painter itself. Each string is assigned names for: NAME, BODY, PART, ENDS. PARENT, and PIECE. The "NAME" of a string is the element names if it is a structural element or connector, the panel name if it is a panel, or the load group name if it is a load group attribute. The "BODY" and "PART" are the obvious choices except for connectors where their BODY and PART is GROUND. The "ENDS" of a string are simply the points at the ends of the string.

"PARENT" and "PIECE" are a bit more abstract and the definition depends on the type of string. For structural elements with load attributes the "PIECE" is SLAT and for those without load attributes, it is SELE. The "PARENT" for all structural elements is the element class. For connectors, the piece is CONNECTOR and the parent is the element class. For panels, the piece is the piece name and the parent is the compartment name. For load group attributes the piece is either: #BUOY, #TUBE, #AREA, #PLATE, #WEIGHT, or #LSET depending upon how it was defined, and the parent is the load group name. If one is viewing pictures from the &SURFACE_MENU, then block names replace compartment and piece names in the above scheme.

To obtain pictures of the panels which will be used in a three dimensional diffraction analysis, one should use the TYPE MESH. With this TYPE, one can use the option -DETAIL and MOSES will generate a refined mesh for plotting which corresponds to current settings of the -M_DIST option of the &PARAMETER command.

In addition to these "names", the strings have numbers associated with them. In general, these numbers are a ratio, a cdr, a stress, and a deflection. Only nodes will have a deflection associated with them. These numbers can be used in the picture painter to alter the color mapping so that one can pictorially represent something other than the configuration. Only joints, beams, and plates have a cdr or cumulative damage ratio. Connectors have a ratio which corresponds to their current unity ratio. Compartments have a ratio which is their current percent full. The numbers associated with the structural elements are assigned in the Structural Post-Processing Menu. Until one enters this menu, all numbers will be zero. For nodes, the ratio is the maximum punching shear unity ratio for all load cases, the deflection is the last deflection reported with a JOINT DISPLACEMENT command, and the stress is zero. For beams, the ratio is the maximum code check ratio for all load cases, the stress is the largest Von Mises stress divided by is yield that is reported by a BEAM command, and the deflection is zero. These numbers are stored in the database so that at any time after the Structural Post-Processing, one can issue &PICTURE and see the results.