added plotel flag

models/bwb/bwb_saero.bdf

@@ -23,9 +23,9 @@ PARAM,WTMASS,0.00259
 PARAM,BAILOUT,-1
 PARAM,PRTMAXIM,YES
 PARAM,POST,-1
-PLOTEL,1,2356,7996
-PLOTEL3,2,2356,7996,20032
-PLOTEL4,3,2356,7996,20032,10342
+PLOTEL,2,2356,1002
+PLOTEL3,10,2356,7996,20032
+PLOTEL4,20,2356,7996,20032,10342
 GRID        1001         742.959    270. 89.4568
 GRID        1002         762.586    270. 91.2146
 GRID        1003         782.242    270. 92.6235

pyNastran/converters/nastran/gui/nastran_io.py

@@ -1976,27 +1976,14 @@ def _build_plotels(self, model: BDF) -> None:
         nplotels = len(model.plotels)
         if not nplotels:  # pragma: no cover
             return
+
         gui: MainWindow = self.gui
+        nastran_settings: NastranSettings = gui.settings.nastran_settings
+        if not nastran_settings.is_plotel:
+            return
 
-        log = model.log
-        lines = []
-        tris = []
-        quads = []
-        for eid, element in sorted(model.plotels.items()):
-            etype = element.type
-            node_ids = element.node_ids
-            if etype == 'PLOTEL':
-                lines.append(node_ids)
-            elif etype == 'PLOTEL3':
-                tris.append(node_ids)
-                #n1, n2, n3 = node_ids
-                #lines.append([n1, n3])
-                #lines.append([n1, n2])
-                #lines.append([n2, n3])
-            elif etype == 'PLOTEL4':
-                quads.append(node_ids)
-            else:  # pragma: no cover
-                log.warning(f'skipping {etype} eid={eid}')
+        lines, tris, quads = plotels_to_groups(model)
+        color = nastran_settings.plotel_color
 
         elements_list = []
         etypes_list = []
@@ -2018,13 +2005,10 @@ def _build_plotels(self, model: BDF) -> None:
             representation = 'surface'
 
         name = 'plotel'
-        nastran_settings: NastranSettings = self.settings.nastran_settings
-        color = nastran_settings.plotel_color
         gui.create_alternate_vtk_grid(
             name, color=color, line_width=2, opacity=0.8,
             point_size=5, representation=representation,
-            is_visible=True)
-
+            is_visible=False)
         alt_grid: vtkUnstructuredGrid = gui.alt_grids[name]
         vtk_points: vtkPoints = alt_grid.GetPoints()
 
@@ -2045,7 +2029,6 @@ def _build_plotels(self, model: BDF) -> None:
         #gui.follower_nodes[name] = unids
 
         xyz_cid0 = gui.scale_length(xyz_cid0)
-        #vtk_points.SetNumberOfPoints(nnodes)
         vtk_points = numpy_to_vtk_points(xyz_cid0, points=vtk_points)
         alt_grid.SetPoints(vtk_points)
 
@@ -3874,3 +3857,25 @@ def __init__(self, node_id: np.ndarray, data: np.ndarray):
         nnode = len(node_id)
         self.node_gridtype = np.zeros((nnode, 2), dtype='int32')
         self.data = data.reshape(1, nnode, 3)
+
+
+def plotels_to_groups(model: BDF) -> tuple[
+                                       list[tuple[int, int, int]],
+                                       list[tuple[int, int, int]],
+                                       list[tuple[int, int, int, int]]]:
+    log = model.log
+    lines = []
+    tris = []
+    quads = []
+    for eid, element in sorted(model.plotels.items()):
+        etype = element.type
+        node_ids = element.node_ids
+        if etype == 'PLOTEL':
+            lines.append(node_ids)
+        elif etype == 'PLOTEL3':
+            tris.append(node_ids)
+        elif etype == 'PLOTEL4':
+            quads.append(node_ids)
+        else:  # pragma: no cover
+            log.warning(f'skipping {etype} eid={eid}')
+    return lines, tris, quads

pyNastran/gui/gui_objects/settings.py

@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@
     'nastran_is_shell_mcids',
     'nastran_is_rbe',
     'nastran_is_aero',
+    'nastran_is_plotel',
 
     'nastran_displacement', 'nastran_velocity',
     'nastran_acceleration', 'nastran_eigenvector', 'nastran_temperature',

pyNastran/gui/menus/preferences/preferences.py

@@ -184,6 +184,7 @@ def __init__(self, data, win_parent=None):
         self._nastran_is_shell_mcids = data['nastran_is_shell_mcids']
         self._nastran_is_rbe = data['nastran_is_rbe']
         self._nastran_is_aero = data['nastran_is_aero']
+        self._nastran_is_plotel = data['nastran_is_plotel']
 
         self._nastran_stress = data['nastran_stress']
         self._nastran_plate_stress = data['nastran_plate_stress']
@@ -440,6 +441,10 @@ def _set_widgets_nastran(self):
         self.nastran_is_aero_checkbox.setToolTip('Create aero panel (CAERO/SPLINE/SET) visualization')
         self.nastran_is_aero_checkbox.setChecked(self._nastran_is_aero)
 
+        self.nastran_is_plotel_checkbox = QCheckBox('PLOTELs')
+        self.nastran_is_plotel_checkbox.setToolTip('Create PLOTELs')
+        self.nastran_is_plotel_checkbox.setChecked(self._nastran_is_plotel)
+
         self.nastran_create_coords_checkbox = QCheckBox('Coords')
         self.nastran_create_coords_checkbox.setChecked(self._nastran_create_coords)
 
@@ -886,6 +891,7 @@ def _get_grid_nastran_layout(self) -> QGridLayout:
         grid_nastran.addWidget(self.nastran_is_3d_bars_update_checkbox, irow, 2)
         irow += 1
         grid_nastran.addWidget(self.nastran_is_mass_update_checkbox, irow, 0)
+        grid_nastran.addWidget(self.nastran_is_plotel_checkbox, irow, 1)
         return grid_nastran
 
     def _get_grid_nastran_results_layout(self) -> QGridLayout:
@@ -975,6 +981,7 @@ def _set_nastran_connections(self):
         self.nastran_create_coords_checkbox.clicked.connect(partial(on_nastran, self, 'create_coords'))
         self.nastran_is_shell_mcids_checkbox.clicked.connect(partial(on_nastran, self, 'is_shell_mcids'))
         self.nastran_is_aero_checkbox.clicked.connect(partial(on_nastran, self, 'is_aero'))
+        self.nastran_is_plotel_checkbox.clicked.connect(partial(on_nastran, self, 'is_plotel'))
         self.nastran_is_rbe_checkbox.clicked.connect(partial(on_nastran, self, 'is_rbe'))
         self.nastran_is_constraints_checkbox.clicked.connect(partial(on_nastran, self, 'is_constraints'))