Local Angle |
  
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Local Angle |
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Local angle is a way to rotate the local coordinate system of a shell about its local z axis. It can be useful for situations such as a mesh has been created, but the orientations of some of the shells differ. Having a group of shells oriented the same way can facilitate the interpretation of output such as moment about the local y axis.
Remember that each shell has a local coordinate axis system. The local z axis is always perpendicular to the shell. To visualize the way a positive local angle will affect a particular shell, point your right thumb in the direction of the local z axis. The natural curl of your right fingers indicates the direction of rotation of the shell's local coordinate system when subjected to a positive local angle.
To assign a local angle to a shell, select the shell and then click Create (or Modify) > Member Properties > Local Angles. Either way, the Element Local Angle dialog opens. It allows for the specification of an angle to be applied to selected shells. (It also can be applied to members, which is covered in the section on Properties for Members.)
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