Department of Engineering

PATRAN

MSC Home Page

****** PATRAN (2005 R2) is now the DEFAULT version. Type patran to run it.

Contents

Key Features

• Direct integration to CAD geometry through MSC/PATRAN's Single Geometric Model (SGM) capability, including :

  - Direct access of geometry from leading CAD system such as:

  CADDS 5, CATIA, EUCLID-IS, Pro/Engineer, Unigraphics

  - Direct access of CAD geometry in IGES format froma any CAD sustem

• Loads, boundary conditions, element and material properties can be applied directly to the CAD geometry.
• Analysis integration with leading analysis software products such as ABAQUS, ANSYS, MARC and MSC/NASTRAN through the use of MSC/PATRAN's "Preferences" feature.
• MSC/PATRAN analysis solver integration

  - Structural analysis

  - Thermal analysis

  - Fatigue analysis (not available in the teaching system)

  - Computational Fluid Dynamics analysis (not available in the teaching system)

• New mouse-driven graphical user interface for ease of use and ease of learning

  - OSF/Motif compliant

  - X-window-based

  - Forms based

  - Mouse-driven

• New on-line interactive Help system with entire User Manual accessible from within MSC/PATRAN.
• Comprehensive state-of-the-art meshing capabilities:

  - Mapped mesher for solids and surfaces

  - Paver for 2D automatic surface meshing

  - Autosolid tetrahedral mesher

• Complete material modeling capabilites ranging from linear isotropic to composite materials. Graphical creation of time-dependent material properties for complex analysis.
• Complete set of tools for interactive post-processing of results, including:

  - fringe, contour and deformed shape plots

  - isosurface and threshold plots

  - streamline and streamsurface plots

Commands to run the program

1. First of all log in using your user ID and password. Click on the PATRAN icon under APPLICATIONS.

   When you start a session of PATRAN the database created is of size 1-2 MBytes. Additional disk space usage is proportional to the size of the problem being analysed. Please ensure that your quota allows for this. Contact the operators if you require the quota to be increased.

2. To quit the program choose 'Exit' under 'File...'

Manuals

Mini Manuals

The following Guides refer to the old HP system. Once you are logged in and created or changed directory the "patran" command can be used.
• PATRAN Beginner's Guide (for Version 2005 R2) (52 pages) [15 May 2007] considers a simple 2 dimensional linear elastic problem to introduce PATRAN. For analysis it uses the ABAQUS Program. It also deals with the pre and post processing aspects.

  PATRAN Beginner's Guide (PDF Format)(for Version 2005 R2) (52 pages) [15 May 2007].

  On-line Manuals

• MSC/PATRAN user manual - Start up the PATRAN program look under Help.

Hardcopy Output

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

MSC PATRAN Support

MSC PATRAN Training

MSC PATRAN Tutorials