3.3.5: Beam-Joint Agent 🔷

Fig. 3.3.5.1: Defining a hinge based on geometric relations using a “Beam-Joint Agent”-component

The “Beam-Joint Agent” creates hinges on beams based on geometric relations. Fig. 3.3.5.1 shows three different but equivalent possibilities for defining a joint. The element or the group of elements where the joint(s) shall be placed is set by providing a list of element identifiers at the “AtElemsIds” input-plug. Upon assembly, the beam-joint agent crawls around in the model and places hinges when one of the following conditions apply:

• The node on the at-element connects to an element whose identifier is listed in the “ToElemIds” input.

• The node on the at-element connects to a node which has a number listed in the “ToNodeInd” input.

• The node on the at-element lies on one of the geometric items supplied in “ToGeom”. This can be points, curves, planes, breps or meshes. The tolerance for two geometric items touching in space is “LDist” as defined on model assembly (see section 3.1.1).

The meaning of “Ct”, “Cr” and “Dofs” is analogous to that of the Beam-Joints-component featured in section 3.3.6.