Add a Section Forces node to compute the integrated section forces on a cross section. The cross section can consist of more than one boundary in a solid, but all the selected boundaries must be planar and located in the same plane. The section forces are computed in a local coordinate system. The local section forces are denoted as follows:

The details are described under Coordinate System Selection below.

Select the boundaries that define the cross section over which the section forces are to be computed. As a default, it is assumed that the cross section is contiguous. This assumption can be relaxed by selecting the Allow disconnected boundaries checkbox under the Cut Plane section.

Select the Allow disconnected boundaries checkbox for the case that the cross section is defined by boundaries that are not all adjacent to each other. As a default, this situation will generate a warning message, and no results are computed.

Select the Symmetry plane checkbox if the section forces are to be computed for a cross section for which only one half is modeled due to symmetry. When selected, choose a Symmetry type — Symmetry or Antisymmetry, matching the type of symmetry conditions being used. Also, you need to select a boundary in the symmetry plane in the Symmetry Plane Selection section.

This section is only visible if the Symmetry plane checkbox is selected. In that case, select one boundary in the symmetry plane to identify its location and orientation. The symmetry plane should be orthogonal to the cut plane.

Physics tab with Solid Mechanics or Solid Mechanics, Explicit Dynamics selected in the Model Builder tree: