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<a name = "hj-top"> </a><table class = "table1" id = "table11"><tr><td><table class = "DocHeader"><tr><td class = "DocHeader1" colspan = "2"><h1>Supported Element Types</h1></td></tr><tr><td class = "DocHeader4" colspan = "2"/></tr><tr><td class = "DocHeader3" colspan = "2"><table class = "DocThemeIntro" id = "table12"><tr><td class = "Intro1Only"><p class = "header"><p class = "abstract">
<span class = "shortdesc">The supported element types are discussed within this section.</span>

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<div class = "body conbody">
<p>The analysis model can contain arbitrary element types and supplementary
options.</p>
<p>Only design nodes that are attached to certain element types can be
  used in shape and bead optimization, see 
  <a class = "xref" href = "tso-c-usr-shape-desArea-desVar.htm#tso-c-usr-shape-desArea-desVar" title = "Design variables for shape optimization are defined when assigning a node group to the design area.">About Design Variables (DV_SHAPE)</a>
  and 
  <a class = "xref" href = "tso-c-usr-bead-designArea-desVar.htm#tso-c-usr-bead-designArea-desVar" title = "Design variables that are usable in bead optimization setups are introduced. Valid are all nodes of shell elements.">Design Variables (DV_BEAD)</a>
  for details. All other element types are allowed if they are not modified during the optimization. Only
certain element types for defining the restriction areas of elements
are permitted.</p>
<p>Some further restrictions might apply regarding specific design responses.
Check remarks for this.</p>
<table class = "table" id = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258"><caption/><colgroup><col/><col/><col/></colgroup><thead class = "thead">
<tr class = "row">
<th class = "entry" id = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__1"><p><span class = "ph">Tosca Structure</span>
                          Element type</p></th>
<th class = "entry" id = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__2"><p><span class = "ph">MSC Nastran®</span>
                         Element type</p></th>
<th class = "entry" id = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__3"><p>Design element</p></th>
</tr>
</thead><tbody class = "tbody">




<tr class = "row">
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__1"><p>SOLID_BRICK_8</p></td>
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__2"><p>CHEXA</p></td>
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__3"><p>C, S, STS, F</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class = "row">
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__1"><p>SOLID_BRICK_20</p></td>
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__2"><p>CHEXA</p></td>
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__3"><p>C, S, F</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class = "row">
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__1"><p>SOLID_TETRA_4</p></td>
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__2"><p>CTETRA4</p></td>
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__3"><p>C, S, STS, F</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class = "row">
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__1"><p>SOLID_TETRA_10</p></td>
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__2"><p>CTETRA10</p></td>
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__3"><p>C, S, STS, F</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class = "row">
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__1"><p>SOLID_PENTA_6</p></td>
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__2"><p>CPENTA</p></td>
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__3"><p>C, S, F</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class = "row">
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__1"><p>SOLID_PENTA_15</p></td>
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__2"><p>CPENTA</p></td>
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__3"><p>C, S, F</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class = "row">
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__1"><p>SHELL_QUAD_4</p></td>
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__2"><p>CQUAD4</p>
                      <p>CQUAD8</p>
	                  <p>CQUAD</p>
	                  <p>CQUADR</p>
	                  <p>CSHEAR</p>
	                  <p>CQUADX</p></td>
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__3"><p>C, S, F</p>
                      <p>C, S, F</p>
                      <p>C</p>
                      <p>C, S, F</p>
                      <p>C,S, F</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class = "row">
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__1"><p>SHELL_QUAD_8</p></td>
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__2"><p>CQUAD8</p>
                      <p>CQUAD</p>
                      <p>CQUADX</p></td>
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__3"><p>C, S, F</p>
                      <p>C</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class = "row">
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__1"><p>SHELL_TRIANG_3</p></td>
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__2"><p>CTRIA3</p>
                      <p>CTRIA6</p>
                      <p>CTRIAR</p>
                      <p>CTRIAX</p>
                      <p>CTRIAX6</p></td>
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__3"><p>C, S, F</p>
                      <p>C, S</p>
                      <p>C, S, F</p>
                      <p>C</p>
                      </td>
</tr>
<tr class = "row">
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__1"><p>SHELL_TRIANG_6</p></td>
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__2"><p>CTRIA6</p>
                      <p>CTRIAX</p>
                      <p>CTRIAX6</p></td>
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__3"><p>C, S, F</p>
                      <p>C</p>
                      </td>
</tr>

<tr class = "row">
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__1"><p>BEAM_3D</p></td>
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__2"><p>CBAR</p>
                      <p>CBEAM</p>
                      <p>CBEND</p>
                      <p>CBUSH</p></td>
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__3"><p>can be used as restriction element for shape
                         optimizations</p></td>
</tr>
<tr class = "row">
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__1"><p>GAP_2_ND</p></td>
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__2"><p>CGAP</p></td>
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__3"/>
</tr>
<tr class = "row">
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__1"><p>MASS_1</p></td>
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__2"><p>CONM1</p>
                      <p>CMASS1</p></td>
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__3"/>
</tr>
<tr class = "row">
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__1"><p>DUMMY_ELEM_TYPE</p></td>
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__2"><p>all not supported element types</p></td>
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__3"/>
</tr>
<tr class = "row">
<td class = "entry" headers = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__1 tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__2 tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-elements__ab952258__entry__3" colspan = "3"><p>C=allowed for controller-based optimization (bead, shape, and topology)</p>
                                    <p>S=allowed for sensitivity-based topology optimization</p>
                                    <p>STS = allowed for sensitivity-based shape optimization using internal sensitivity calculation routines</p>
                                    <p>F=allowed for the design responses that use the element-based reaction and internal forces</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p>More solver-specific information about the sensitivity-based algorithm is found in <a class = "xref" href = "tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-remSensBasedOpt.htm#tso-c-usr-solver-mscNastran-remSensBasedOpt" title = "Within this section, some remarks concerning sensitivity-based optimization are summarized.">Remarks for Sensitivity-Based Optimizations</a>.
For sensitivity-based bead optimization, see <a class = "xref" href = "tso-c-usr-beadOpt-beadSensRemarks.htm#tso-c-usr-beadOpt-beadSensRemarks" title = "Special pitfalls and hints for sensitivity-based bead optimization are shown.">Special Remarks Using Sensitivity-Based Algorithm</a>.</p>
<table class = "Remark" id = "table132"><tr><td class = "Remark"><span class = "run-in.important">Important:
				</span><span class = "notecontent"><p><ul class = "ul">
<li class = "li">Elements with linear or quadratic element formulations are supported.
Mixed elements types are not permitted. A model can contain linear as
well as quadratic elements.</li>
<li class = "li">Shell structures are optimized in form
and not in thickness in shape optimization. This means that the "shell
edges" need to be modified, not the shell layers.</li>
<li class = "li">Shell elements are not admitted for stresses in topology optimization.</li>
</ul></p></span></td></tr></table>

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