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Mental model ~5 min · ~50 min remaining

Boundary conditions as a model

Constraints and loads define the problem; they must be audited before SOLVE.

Mental model — Boundary conditions are part of the model

An ideal fixed support is not simply “where the part touches a wall.” It is the mathematical assumption that specific degrees of freedom have prescribed values. A nodal force is not merely a decorative arrow either: it has a magnitude, sign, direction, point of application, and reference system.

A solution can converge with wrong conditions

The solver can easily solve a completely blocked beam or a load six times greater than intended. Algebraic convergence does not correct the physical model.

Quick check

Why audit DLIST and FLIST before SOLVE?