Body loads comprise forces that are distributed over a solid volume. Probably the most familiar of these is the gravitational force acting on a mass to give it weight.

Body loads are applied by connecting to the volumetric loads input on the Scan&Solve stress solver component. When several body loads are applied simultaneously, the simulation sums their contributions.

Gravitational loads simulate the structural effects of a body's self-weight. For gravitational loads, “up” from the center of the Earth is the +Z direction.

Rotational body loads simulate the effect of rotating a body around an axis. A rotational body load consists of 3 components: angular velocity, angular acceleration, and the axis of rotation. The positive direction of the rotation is determined using the right hand rule: using your right hand, point your thumb in the direction of the axis. The fingers of the right hand will point in the “positive” direction.

The angular velocity term (in radians/sec) simulates the centrifugal effects that tend to throw a body's material away from the axis of rotation.

The angular acceleration term (in radians/sec^2) simulates the effect of rotational acceleration around the axis of rotation. A positive angular acceleration tends to drag the body's material in the positive rotational direction.

Linear acceleration loads are specified by entering the components of a linear acceleration vector field in fractions of Earth's g. The inputs are the direction of the acceleration field (a vector) in which the body is immersed and the magnitude of acceleration in g's. The material in the body will tend to be pulled in the direction of the acceleration vector.