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Visualizing 3D Geometry and Fiber Draping
In complex structures, sometimes it becomes important to visualize the 3D solid geometry which corresponds to a composite laminate modeled using the surface geometry. It gives a clear picture of the number of layers as well as laminate thickness in different regions of the structure. In order to visualize this, a default plot is added in the Layered Shell and Shell interfaces as shown in FigureĀ 3-14.
Figure 3-14: 3D solid geometric representation (scaled in thickness direction) of a composite laminate having six layers.
In addition to visualizing the stacking sequence of a laminate, visualization of the fiber draping direction on the physical geometry is also useful. A default plot is added in the Layered Shell and Shell interfaces as shown in FigureĀ 3-15.
Figure 3-15: First principal material direction showing the fiber draping direction in each layer of a composite cylinder.