Finite element result in arbitrary point

[johan_ekh]

Hi all,
I have to write a small program that reads the results from a finite
element analysis and calculates some results in arbitrary points.
The results could be either nodal or element based.

What would be the best approach to do this?

I've thought about using the shape functions to calculate the
results but in a general 3D model with curved element edges I
don't even know how to determine what element the arbitrary
point belongs to.

Another idea would be to forget about the shape functions and
use a weighted average based on either the integration points
or the nodes, but would that be accurate?

Any suggestions are welcome!

Best regards,
Johan

[luben]

hihi johan, IMO the interpolation method is a good try, and the result is good enough for engineering purpose(as long as the FE result set is good enough). Most stresses are smooth and it is reasonable to interpolate