Boundary Conditions
Define how your component is supported: fixed, displaced, or symmetric.
If you only have 2 minutes
Define how your component is supported and which surfaces are constrained. Every model needs at least one boundary condition to prevent rigid body movement.
Boundary condition types
| Type | When to use | | --- | --- | | Fixed support | All degrees of freedom locked, bolted or welded face | | Prescribed displacement | Defined movement in one direction: press-fit, pretension | | Symmetry | Half or quarter model, loads and geometry are symmetric | | Cyclic symmetry | Repeating geometry: fans, turbine blades, flanges |
Workflow
Select a surface or edge in the 3D viewer, then assign the appropriate boundary condition type. The platform shows immediate visual feedback with colour coding.
Over-constraining distorts results. Fix only the faces that are genuinely attached to structure, not every face you can click on. Too many fixed supports make the part artificially stiff and underestimate stress.
Checking your setup
After assigning boundary conditions, verify visually that:
- The correct faces are highlighted
- The part cannot move as a rigid body in any direction
- No surfaces are over-constrained beyond what the physical situation requires