Results Output by OptiStruct
The tables in this section summarize the results output for different analysis types. They show the formats available for each result and the I/O Option
Entry that controls the output of the result.
The columns represent the major output streams:
Hyper3D format (.h3d file
H3D
HyperMesh format (.res file)
HM
Nastran Output2 format (.op2 file)
OP2
Nastran Punch format (.pch file)
PCH
OptiStruct ASCII format (multiple files)
OPT
Patran and Alternative-Patran formats (multiple files)
PAT
Hyper3D format for body results (_mbd.h3d file)
H3D (MBD)
Multibody results file (_mbd.mrf file)
MRF
Hierarchical data format (.h5 file)
HDF5
Linear Static Analysis and Nonlinear Static Analysis Results
H3D
HM
OP2
PCH
OPTI
PAT
HDF5
Controlling I/O Option
Nodal
Displacements
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
DISPLACEMENT
Element Strain
Energy
✓
✓
✓
✓
Element
Stresses[4]
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Element
Strains [4]
✓
✓
✓
✓
Ply Stresses
✓
✓
✓
✓
Composite
Failure Indices
✓
✓
✓
Ply Strains
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
CSTRAIN
Element
Forces
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓#
FORCE / ELFORCE
Failure output
for elements
✓
Grid Point
Stresses
✓
SPC Forces
ESE
✓
✓
STRESS / ELSTRESS
✓
✓
STRAIN
✓
✓
CSTRESS
✓
CFAILURE
FAILURE
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓#
SPCFORCE
MPC Forces
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓#
MPCFORCE
Grid Point
Forces
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓#
GPFORCE
Applied Loads
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓#
OLOAD
Contact Force
and Pressure
✓
✓
Total Force
✓
# Available only for Linear Static Analysis
GPSTRESS / GSTRESS
✓
CONTF
TOTALFORCE
Linear Steady-state Heat Transfer Analysis Results
H3D
OP2
PCH
Controlling I/O Option
Nodal Temperatures
✓
✓
✓
THERMAL
Element Fluxes and
Gradients
✓
✓
✓
FLUX
SPC Flux
✓
✓
SPCFORCE
Linear Transient Heat Transfer Analysis Results
H3D
OP2
PCH
Controlling I/O Option
Nodal Temperatures
✓
✓
✓
THERMAL
Element Fluxes and
Gradients
✓
✓
FLUX
Normal Modes Analysis Results
H3D
HM
OP2
PCH
OPTI
PAT
HDF5
Controlling I/O Option
Eigenvectors
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
DISPLACEMENT
Element
Kinetic Energy
✓
✓
✓
✓
EKE
Element
Strain Energy
✓
✓
✓
✓
ESE
✓
GPKE
Grid Point
Energy
Grid Point
Stress
✓
Element
Stresses [4]
✓
Element
Strains [4]
✓
✓
✓
✓
GPSTRESS / GSTRESS
✓
✓
✓
STRESS / ELSTRESS
✓
STRAIN
✓
Element
Forces
FORCE / ELFORCE
SPC Forces
✓
✓
✓
✓
SPCFORCE
MPC Forces
✓
✓
✓
✓
MPCFORCE
Grid Point
Forces
✓
✓
✓
✓
GPFORCE
Nodal
Pressures
(Fluid)
✓
✓
✓
Ply Stresses
✓
CSTRESS
Ply Strains
✓
CSTRAIN
Complex Eigenvalue Analysis Results
PRESSURE
H3D
OP2
PCH
Controlling I/O Option
✓
✓
✓
DISPLACEMENT
Eigenvectors
Linear Buckling Analysis Results
H3D
HM
OP2
PCH
OPTI
HDF5
Controlling I/O Option
Eigenvectors
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
DISPLACEMENT
Shell Element
Forces
✓
✓
✓
FORCE
Aeroelastic Divergence Analysis Results
Result
H3D
OP2
PCH
Controlling I/O Option
Eigenvectors
✓
✓#
✓#
DISPLACEMENT
Element Energy Loss Per
Cycle
✓
✓#
EDE
Element Kinetic Energy
✓
✓#
EKE
Element Strain Energy
✓
✓#
ESE
# In aeroelastic divergence analysis with multiple Mach numbers, only H3D output is available.
Aeroelastic Flutter Analysis
Result
H3D
OP2
PCH
Controlling I/O Option
Displacements
✓
✓
✓
DISPLACEMENT
Modal Participation
Displacements*
✓
✓#
SDISPLACEMENT
* SDISPLACEMENT output is available only for K, PK and PKNL methods of aeroelastic flutter analysis.
# PCH output for SDISPLACEMENT is available only in sorting = SORT1.
Frequency Response Analysis Results
HDF5
XYPUNCH
Controlling I/O
Option
✓
DISPLACEMENT
H3D
HM
OP2
PCH
OPTI
Nodal
Displacements
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Modal
Participation
Displacements
✓
✓
✓
Element
Energy Loss
Per Cycle
✓
✓
✓
EDE
Element
Kinetic Energy
✓
✓
✓
EKE
✓
SDISPLACEMENT
✓
Element Strain
Energy
Nodal
Velocities
✓
Modal
Participation
Velocities
✓
Nodal
Accelerations
✓
Modal
Participation
Accelerations
✓
Element
Stresses [4] , 2
✓
Element
Strains [4] , 2
✓
Modal
Stresses [3]
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
STRESS / ELSTRESS
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
STRAIN
✓
✓
✓
STRESS / ELSTRESS
Modal Strains
✓
✓
✓
STRAIN
Element
Forces 1
✓
✓
✓
✓
SPC Forces
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
[3]
✓
ESE
✓
✓
MPC Forces
✓
✓
VELOCITY
✓
✓
SVELOCITY
✓
ACCELERATION
✓
✓
SACCELERATION
✓
FORCE / ELFORCE
SPCFORCE
MPCFORCE
Grid Point
Forces
✓
✓
Grid Point
Stresses
✓
Power Flow
Field
✓
POWERFLOW
Ply Stresses
✓
CSTRESS
Ply Strains
✓
CSTRAIN
Sound Power
✓
Sound
Intensity
✓
SINTENS
Sound
Pressure Level
✓
SPL
Applied Load
Vectors
✓
Composite
Failure Indices
✓
GPFORCE
✓
✓
GPSTRESS / GSTRESS
✓
✓
OLOAD
CFAILURE
1. Element Forces include CELAS2, CBUSH, CBAR/CBEAM, CROD/CONROD.
2. Element Stress/Stress include CBEAM/CBAR, Plate elements, Solid elements.
Coupled Frequency Response Analysis of Fluid-structural Models (Acoustic Analysis) Results
Nodal
Displacements
H3D
OP2
PCH
✓
✓
✓
HDF5
Controlling I/O Option
DISPLACEMENT
Modal Participation
Displacements
✓
✓
✓
Nodal Velocities
✓
✓
✓
Modal Participation
Velocities
✓
✓
✓
Nodal Accelerations
✓
✓
✓
Modal Participation
Accelerations
✓
✓
✓
Nodal Pressures
(Fluid)
✓
✓
✓
Element Stresses
✓
✓
✓
STRESS / ELSTRESS
Element Strains [4]
✓
✓
✓
STRAIN
Element Forces
✓
✓
✓
FORCE / ELFORCE
SPC Forces
✓
✓
✓
SPCFORCE
✓
✓
MPCFORCE
✓
✓
GPFORCE
[4]
MPC Forces
✓
SDISPLACEMENT
VELOCITY
✓
SVELOCITY
ACCELERATION
✓
SACCELERATION
✓
PRESSURE
Grid Point Forces
✓
Power Flow Field
✓
POWERFLOW
Ply Stress
✓
CSTRESS
Ply Strain
✓
CSTRAIN
Applied Forces via
ACSRCE
✓
✓
✓
OLOAD
Transient Analysis Results
H3D
HM
OP2
PCH
OPTI
Nodal
Displacements
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Modal
Participation
Displacements
✓
✓
✓
Nodal Velocities
✓
✓
✓
Modal
Participation
Velocities
✓
✓
✓
Nodal
Accelerations
✓
✓
✓
Modal
Participation
Accelerations
✓
✓
✓
Element
Stresses [4]
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
STRESS / ELSTRESS
Element Strains
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
STRAIN
Failure output
for elements
✓
SPC forces
✓
[4]
✓
✓
HDF5
Controlling I/O Option
DISPLACEMENT
✓
✓
SDISPLACEMENT
VELOCITY
✓
✓
SVELOCITY
ACCELERATION
✓
SACCELERATION
FAILURE
✓
✓
SPCFORCE
Grid point
forces
✓
✓
✓
Modal Stresses
✓
✓
✓
STRESS / ELSTRESS
Modal Strains
✓
✓
✓
STRAIN
Element Forces
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
MPCFORCE
[3]
[3]
MPC Forces
✓
GPFORCE
✓
FORCE / ELFORCE
Ply Stresses
✓
✓
✓
CSTRESS
Ply Strains
✓
✓
✓
CSTRAIN
Composite
Failure Indices
✓
Applied Load
Vectors
✓
Equivalent
Radiated Power
✓
CFAILURE
✓
✓
✓
OLOAD
ERP
Transient Analysis via Fourier Transformation Results
H3D
HM
OP2
PCH
OPTI
Controlling I/O Option
Nodal
Displacements
✓
✓
✓
✓
DISPLACEMENT
Nodal Velocities
✓
✓
✓
✓
VELOCITY
Nodal
Accelerations
✓
✓
✓
✓
ACCELERATION
Pressure (for
Infinite Element
Analysis)
✓
✓
DISPLACEMENT
Steady State Analysis
Steady State analysis refers to subcases with ANALYSIS=STEADY where a combination of Frequency Response and Linear static subases are converted into
and results are output in the Transient domain.
H3D
HM
OP2
PCH
Controlling I/O Option
Nodal
Displacements
✓
DISPLACEMENT
Stresses
✓
STRESS
Equivalent Radiated
Power (ERP)
✓
ERP
Random Response Analysis Results
OP2
Displacement
(PSD, RMS and RMS
(Cumulative))
PCH
H3D
HDF5
Controlling I/O Option
✓#
✓
✓
DISPLACEMENT, XYPEAK /
XYPLOT / XYPUNCH
✓#
✓
✓
VELOCITY, XYPEAK / XYPLOT /
XYPUNCH
✓#
✓
✓
ACCELERATION, XYPEAK /
XYPLOT / XYPUNCH
✓
✓
✓1
FORCE / ELFORCE, XYPEAK /
XYPLOT / XYPUNCH
✓
✓
✓
✓2
STRESS / ELSTRESS, XYPEAK /
XYPLOT / XYPUNCH
✓
✓ [1]
✓
✓2
STRESS / ELSTRESS
✓
✓
✓2
STRAIN, XYPEAK / XYPLOT /
XYPUNCH[2]
✓
✓2
STRAIN
✓
✓
SPCFORCE
✓
✓3
CSTRESS
✓
✓3
CSTRAIN
Acoustic panel
participation factors
✓
✓
PFPANEL
Cross-power
spectral density
function
✓
✓
RCROSS
Velocity
(PSD, RMS and RMS
(Cumulative))
Acceleration
(PSD, RMS and RMS
(Cumulative))
Element Force
(PSD and RMS)
Element Stress
(PSD)
Element Stress
(RMS)
Element Strain
(PSD)
Element Strain
(RMS)
✓#
SPC Force
(PSD, RMS and
RMS)
Composite Stress
(PSD and RMS)
Composite Strain
(PSD and RMS)
1. Supported elements for ELEMENT FORCE(HDF5,H3D): CBAR, CBEAM, CBUSH
2. Supported elements for ELEMENT STRESS/STRAIN( (HDF5): CBAR, CBEAM, CQUAD4, CTRIA3, CQUAD8, CTRIA6, CHEXA, CPENTA, CTETRA, CSHEAR
3. Supported elements for CSTRAIN(HDF5): CQUAD4, CTRIA3, CQUAD8, CTRIA6
# In case of .pch format, only PSD and RMS results are available
Response Spectrum Analysis Results
H3D
HM
OP2
PCH
✓
✓
DISPLACEMENT
✓
ACCELERATION
✓
STRESS / ELSTRESS
Nodal
Displacements
✓
Nodal
Accelerations
✓
Element Stresses
✓
✓
Element Strains
✓
✓
Element Forces
✓
OPTI
Controlling I/O Option
STRAIN
✓
FORCE
✓
MPC Forces
MPCFORCE
Multibody Dynamics Analysis Results
H3D
HM
OP2
H3D
(MBD)
Nodal
Displacements
✓
✓
✓
✓
Nodal Velocities
✓
✓
✓
VELOCITY
Nodal
Accelerations
✓
✓
✓
ACCELERATION
Element Stresses
✓
✓
✓
✓
STRESS / ELSTRESS
Element Strains
✓
✓
✓
✓
STRAIN
[4]
[4]
MRF
Controlling I/O Option
DISPLACEMENT
Body time history
✓
System time
history
✓
Marker time
history
✓
REQUEST
Element and Joint
Forces
✓
MBFORCE
Fatigue Analysis Results
H3D
Controlling I/O Option
Element Life
✓
LIFE
Element Damage
✓
DAMAGE
CMS Generation (Flex-Body Generation) Results
H3D
OP2
MNF
Controlling I/O Option
Displacements
✓
✓
DISPLACEMENT
Element Stresses
✓
✓
STRESS / ELSTRESS
Element Strains
✓
✓
STRAIN
Element Forces
✓
✓
FORCE / ELFORCE
✓*
✓*
(CBEAM/CBAR/CROD)
Grid Point Stress (Solid
elements)
Grid Point Strain
✓**
GPSTRESS / GSTRESS
✓**
GPSTRAIN
Multi Point Constraint
Force
✓
MPCFORCE
Grid Point Forces
✓
GPFORCE
* Only output for Solid elements.
** Output for Solid and Shell elements.
CMS DMIG Residual Run (FE DMIG) Results
The following results can be recovered within the superelements in the DMIG residual run (for instance, using CBN DMIG). They should also be specified in
the initial DMIG generation run and then in the subsequent residual run for them to be recovered within the superelement in the residual run. For ERP and
EKE results, even if only STRESS and STRAIN are specified in the generation run, they can still be recovered in the residual run, as the ERP and ESE output
are derived from STRESS and STRAIN results.
H3D
OP2
PCH
Controlling I/O Option
Displacements
✓
✓
✓
DISPLACEMENT
Element Stresses
✓
✓
✓
STRESS / ELSTRESS
Element Strain
✓
✓
✓
STRAIN
Element Forces
(CBEAM/CBAR/CROD)
✓
FORCE / ELFORCE
Grid Point Stress (Solid
elements)
✓*
GPSTRESS / GSTRESS
Equivalent Radiated
Power
✓
ERP
Element Strain Energy
✓
ESE
* Only output for solid elements.
Explicit Dynamic Analysis Results (ANALYSIS=NLEXPL)
H3D[5]
HM
OP2
PCH
OPTI
Controlling I/O Option
Nodal
Displacements
and Rotations
✓
DISPLACEMENT
Nodal Velocities
✓
VELOCITY
Nodal
Accelerations
✓
ACCELERATION
Element Stresses
✓
STRESS / ELSTRESS
Element Strains
(including Plastic
strain)
✓
STRAIN
CBUSH Element
Forces
✓
FORCE / ELFORCE
Element Strain
energy and Strain
energy density
✓
ESE
Grid Point Stress
✓*
GPSTRESS / GSTRESS
For rate
dependent
plasticity
problems,
Equivalent Strain
rate and Plastic
Strain rate results
are output. If the
problem is
elastic, these
values are zero.
✓*
Grid Point Strain
GPSTRAIN
* Only available for solid elements.
Optimization Results
H3D
HM
OP2
PCH
OPT
PAT
Controlling I/O Option
Element
Density
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
DENSITY
Element
Thickness
✓
✓
THICKNESS
Ply Thickness
✓
✓
THICKNESS
% Thickness
✓
✓
THICKNESS
Shape
✓
✓
SHAPE
References
1. Only RMS Stress (total over all frequencies) are output to the PCH file. RMS Stress (cumulative up to a particular frequency) are not output to PCH file.
2. XYPLOT output request is not supported for Shell Strains.
3. The Structural Modal Stresses and Strains and Residual Vectors are output in Modal Frequency Response Analysis via the STRESS (MODAL) and STRAIN
(MODAL) options. A possible use-case for Modal Strains is to setup Modal FRF/Modal Transient Analysis and use the Modal Participation Factors and
Modal Strains as input for Fatigue Analysis.
4. The element stress and strain results written to the various output streams are not always the same. Refer to the following pages for more details on
the stress results available in the different output streams.
5. For Explicit Dynamic Analysis H3D results are output in *_expl.h3d file.
0
