Operational Hierarchy
Operational Hierarchy
Operations in PRIMER act internally using a "hierarchy" of entity types, and it is important that you appreciate how this is applied. A cut down summary of this internal hierarchy is:
| Highest level | ===> | Lowest level | ||
| DUMMIES | CONTACTS | ELEMENTS | L.CURVES | |
| MODELS | SETS | PARTS | RIG WALLS | NODES |
| MATERIALS | GEN STIFF | BND CONDS | LOADS | |
| SECTIONS | AIRBAGS |
When you select an object for operations it implicitly selects all entities below its level, but not those at or above its own level.
For example selecting a model has the effect of operating on everything in that model, while selecting a MATERIAL in that model acts as follows:
- The MATERIAL selects PARTs , ELEMENTs , etc that refer to it;
- The ELEMENTs select NODEs on them;
- The BOUNDARY CONDITIONs might select L.CURVES , etc.
But note that selecting a PART does not (directly) affect a contact surface that references that part; although operating on its nodes might affect the contact geometry. Likewise selecting an ELEMENT will affect its nodes, but not boundary conditions applying to those nodes.