Beyond Moldflow Insight

API: Examining Warpage deflection for Out of Roundness and Concentricity

This script determines the roundness of a group of nodes which might be around the edge of any round feature or hole. It also reports the location of the circle center, radius and concentricity before and after warp.

Left picture: original model, Round Boss and selected nodes for the script.

Right picture: warped shape

The concentricity reports the movement (deflection) of the circle center, therefore like all other deflection results, it is dependent on the anchor plane defined. The “Out of Roundness” does not depend on the anchor plane defined.

Selected nodes are assumed to be planar before deflection and to be on the perimeter of a circle. This calculation works even if the nodes are unevenly spaced, non-symmetric or do not form a complete circle.

This script works for Midplane, DD and 3D. It works for small or large deflection analyses.

Script: Download Roundness2

 *  To get these scripts to work in Scandium (Labs-Release Link: Web: Labs-Scandium), you need to change the CreateObject call to say “Scandium.Synergy” instead of “Synergy.Synergy”.

Many thanks to Dr. Franco Costa for the script and his support for this article. 

Setting a different mold opening direction for Clamp Force calculation

The analysis output log reports the maximum clamp force required during molding (see Green Square). The calculation of this result is based on the mold opening direction being in the z-direction (as shown in the image on the left). If the model is orientated differently (as shown in the image on the right), the Clamp force result does not reflect the mold situation and so will be incorrect.

Sometimes you do not want to rotate your model to align the mold opening direction with the z-direction.  There can be a couple of reasons for this. One example: Automotive suppliers model their parts in the “car line” orientation and often prefer to keep them in this orientation.

In case you do not wish to rotate the model, but require the clamp force to be reported in the right direction (as shown by the orange arrow in the image on the right) you have two choices:

1.    Define a Local Coordinate System which aligns with the mold opening direction. After the flow analysis has completed, create a Custom Plot, selecting the “Clamp Force on Parting Plane” plot type and selecting the desired axis of the Local Coordinate System. This will produce an XY-Plot of the clamp force evolution from the available intermediate pressure results. This works for all mesh types, however it does not update the clamp force reported in the analysis log.

 

2.    If you want the analysis log to report the correct clamp force for the true mold opening direction you can use a script BEFORE you start the analysis to define the parting plane. (This only works with the Midplane and Dual-Domain flow solver). Select three nodes that lie on the parting plane and then run the script, or enter the node labels of the three nodes when prompted by the script. The clamp force result is now predicted in the direction of the green arrow (see picture below), based on the selected nodes and not in the z-direction of the global coordinate system.

Download Set_Parting_Plane

*  To get the script to work in the Scandium Technology Preview, you need to change the CreateObject call to say “Scandium.Synergy” instead of “Synergy.Synergy”.

Many thanks to Franco Costa for the script and this article.

Easy way to input small constant time interval to “Write at specified times” of “Intermediate Output” using macro

When you want very fine animation frames or specified times for intermediate result, you need to edit "Write at specified times" of "Intermediate Output" settings.
It is very time consuming when input the small time interval to "Write at specified times" of "Intermediate Output" tab manually.

I would like to introduce easy way to input the small constant time interval using macro and Microsoft Excel.
This example is for Dual Domain settings. But, you can use similar way for Midplane and 3D settings.

1. Recording the macro with a few pseud times input

You can record the macro as follows;
Select [Tools] tab, [Record Macro] for macro recording start, [Process Settings], [Advances option], [Edit] of Solver parameters, [Intermediate Output] tab, [Write at specified times],[Edit times].
After that, input the pseud times 0.01 and 0.02 to "Results Output Settings" window.
Close each dialog with [OK] and stop the macro recoding using [Stop Recording] of [Tools] tab.

2．Confirm the recorded VBS file

Open the recorded VBS file with notepad and confirm the "DVec.AddDouble" lines. You can see the pseud times 0.01 and 0.02 with "DVec.AddDouble" command.

3. Create the list of constant time interval with Microsoft Excel

This example describes how to create the list of constant time interval from 0.01 to 2.0 with Microsoft Excel.

3.1 Create the list of constant time interval from 0.01 to 2.0

Input the value 0.01 - 0.02 to Microsoft Excel, select 0.01 - 0.02, then select lower right of the area and pull down the area. You can create the list of constant time interval easily.

3.2 Add "DVec.AddDouble" command

Insert Sheet Columns, input "DVec.AddDouble" to 1st cell, then Select lower right of the area and pull down the area.

4. Open and Edit the VBS file with Notepad

Replace pseud "DVec.AddDouble" lines with the list of constant time interval on Microsoft Excel using copy and paste, and then save the VBS file.

5. Run the macro

Select [Tools] tab, [Play Macro] and select the edited VBS file. The Macro adds the list of constant time interval automatically.

3D Probe XY plot – how to regenerate plot for comparison when new, modified study.

Background.
The Probe XY plot uses a part surface position, and is more free in that respect than a node or element position. After you select a location on the part surface, the opposite side of the part is automatically identified and draws a XY plot of the result against distance through the part. You do not key-in a start coordinate, node or element in the Autodesk Moldflow Synergy user interface.


When a Study “A”, with 3D mesh type, using Probe XY plot result, and a new Study “B”, maybe changed in some respect of the design and meshed or re-meshed, and you would like to compare the Probe XY plot result between Study “A” and Study “B”, there is a way to do this by using a macro/API. Macro recording can be used to retrieve the Probe XY plot curve coordinates, and apply the coordinates on another study. 

How to do this.
First, make sure the project is opened in the first Autodesk Moldflow Synergy user interface started. The reason is that macros/scripts can only run in first Autodesk Moldflow Synergy user interface started.

1. In Study “A”: Create the result Probe XY plot (Right-click Results > New plot…)
2. Turn it off, with no curves created
3. Turn on macro recording (Tools > Record Macro)
4. Display the Probe XY Plot, and click on the model to create the probe XY curves
5. Stop the macro recording and save the recording in vbs file. (Tools > Stop Recording)
6. Save Study “A”
7. Open Study “B”
8. Create the result Probe XY plot (Right-click Results > New plot…)
9. Run the macro/vbs (Tools > Play Macro)

If you place the macro in the project folder such as “C:\My AMSI 2013 Projects\commands” folder, the macro can be executed from the command line:
View > User Interface > Command Line
Enter the macro/script name in the dialog and click Go (or hit <enter>) 

Limitation.
The Probe XY plot name in both studies needs to be the same, for the script to find the plot name.
If it is to be applied to another Probe XY plot name, the FindPlotByName2 can be renamed to reflect the plot name.

Example of recording.
SetLocale("en-us")
Set Synergy = CreateObject("synergy.Synergy")
Synergy.SetUnits "Metric"
Set PlotManager = Synergy.PlotManager()
Set Plot = PlotManager.FindPlotByName2("Temperature:Probe XYPlot", "Temperature (3D)")
Set Viewer = Synergy.Viewer()
Viewer.ShowPlot Plot
Set Viewer = Synergy.Viewer()
Set Plot = Viewer.ActivePlot()
Set Vector = Synergy.CreateVector()
Set Vector_1 = Synergy.CreateVector()
Vector.SetXYZ 57.439607, 16.15544, 2.5125
Vector_1.SetXYZ 57.439607, 16.15544, 0.012500048
Plot.AddProbePlotProbeLine Vector, Vector_1
Plot.Regenerate
Set Vector = Synergy.CreateVector()
Set Vector_1 = Synergy.CreateVector()
Vector.SetXYZ 61.076388, 61.82434, 2.2625
Vector_1.SetXYZ 61.076388, 61.82434, 0.26250005
Plot.AddProbePlotProbeLine Vector, Vector_1
Plot.Regenerate 

Reminder note: macros/scripts can only run in first Autodesk Moldflow Synergy user interface started.