Form: Plot Function Trace Display Definition, Display Plot Function Traces
After a Time History function and a Time History load case have been defined and an analysis has been run, click the Display menu > Show Plot Functions command or the Define menu > Named Set > Plot Function Traces command to display the Plot Function Trace Display Definition form. Use the form to specify the analysis case and the function to be displayed.
Note: The Display menu command enables the plot function to be displayed, printed and captured as a .bmp file. The Define menu command can be used to save the settings specified for the display, print or capture so that those settings can be quickly and easily applied to another plot function.
Analysis Case (Multi-Stepped Cases) drop-down list. Choose the analysis case for which the plot function is to be displayed.
Choose Plot Functions area
Define Plot Functions button. Click this button to display the Plot Functions form. Use the form to add, modify, or delete plot functions.
List of Functions display area. All available functions are listed in this display area.
Select a plot function from this list by highlighting it.
Click the Add button to move the selected plot function into the Vertical Functions display list. The plot functions in this list will be displayed on the vertical axis.
Remove button. Highlight a function in the Vertical Functions display area and click the Remove button to remove the function from the list of functions to be displayed.
Show button. With a function highlighted in the List of Functions display area, click the Show button to display the form used to define the function. No changes can be made to the form in this mode. To make changes, click the Define Plot Functions button and choose the appropriate function type.
Review and where appropriate make selections or provide data for the other areas of the form:
Horizontal Plot Function drop-down list. Choose a plot function from the drop-down list to plot the variations of one function against another. The function(s) chosen in the Vertical Functions display area will be displayed, showing the variations with the function chosen from this drop-down list.
Selected Plot Function Line Options area. If the options in this area of the form are not available, highlight a function name in the Vertical Functions display list.
Solid Line, Dashed Line, Dotted Line options. Choose the option for displaying the function line.
Vertical Scale Factor option. Use this edit box to specify the vertical scale factor. The default is 1.
Line Color. The function line will display in the color shown. To change that color, click the Line Color display box to display the Color form. Click on the new color in the palette and click the OK button to close the Color form.
Time Range and Reset Defaults button. Use the From and To edit boxes to specify the time range. Use the Reset Defaults button to restore the default settings. By default, the full time range is selected.
Axis Range Override area. If necessary, specify the Horizontal maximum/minimum and Vertical maximum/minimum values for displaying the plot. The values specified here override the Vertical Scale Factor and Time Range values.
Axis Labels area. Use the Horizontal and Vertical edit boxes to specify labels for the axes of the plot.
Grid Overlay check box. When this check box is checked, the function will be plotted on a graph-paper type grid.
After the other options on the form have been specified, your choices can be saved as a "named set," which can be recalled late (note that this accomplishes the same thing as using the Define menu > Named Set > Plot Function Traces command). This is useful if you want to use the same options repeatedly. Clicking the Save Named Set button accesses the Plot Function Traces Named Sets form. Type a name in the Plot Function Set edit box and click the Add New PF Set button to save the current settings on the Plot Function Trace Display Definition form as a Named Set. Highlight an existing Named Set, type a new name in the Plot Function Set edit box, and then click the Change PF Set button to change the name of the Named Set. Highlight a Named Set and click the Delete PF Set to deleted the highlighted Named Set.
Show Named Set button. Click this button to access the Select Plot Function Traces Named Set form; use that form to select a Named Set defined using the Save Named Set button. Using a Named Set will make automatic selections on the Plot Function Trace Display Definition form with regard to the settings described in this topic.
Display button. Click the Display button to display the Display Plot Function Traces form on which functions are displayed graphically. A small Legend window displays the maximum and minimum numerical values for the functions and another small window just below it displays the coordinates of the pointer. The commands on the form's File menu can be used to print the plot or capture the point as a .bmp file.
Note: The plot displays graphically only when the Display menu > Show Plot Functions command is used to access the Plot Function Trace Display Definition form.
Done button. Click the Done button to close the form.
Example: Use of this command is demonstrated in Problem L and Problem O.