You can magnify, reduce, or otherwise distort the shape of your model by scaling, and you can shrink each element about its centroid. Scaling modifies all nodal coordinates in each of the X-, Y-, and Z-directions. Shrinking reduces each element in size uniformly about its centroid. For example, the elements shown in Figure 37–7 have been shrunk by a factor of 0.40.
Scaling and shrinking options are plot mode-dependent; that is, you control them separately for undeformed, deformed, contour, symbol, and material orientation plots.
To scale or shrink your model:
Locate the Scaling options for the plot mode (undeformed, deformed, contour, symbol, or material orientation) that you want to customize.
From the main menu bar, select Options
plot mode; then click the Other tab in the dialog box that appears. Click the Scaling tab; the Scaling options appear.
Toggle Shrink elements to request or suppress shrinking each element about its centroid.
When Shrink elements is on, the shrink Factor slider becomes available.
Drag the Factor slider to the desired shrink factor.
A value of 0.00 indicates no shrinking. A value of 0.90 shrinks all elements to dots.
Toggle Scale coordinates to request or suppress model scaling by nodal coordinate X-, Y-, and Z-directions.
When Scale coordinates is on, scale factors become available. Click the X, Y, and Z boxes to enter scale factors for the X, Y, and Z nodal coordinates, respectively.
Click Apply to implement your changes.
Since scaling and shrinking are plot mode-dependent, the model display changes according to your specification in plots of the current mode only.
Your changes are saved for the duration of the session and will affect all subsequent plots in this mode.
