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Typical error message found in the LUSAS Solver text output file (*.OUT):

***ERROR*** CARTESIAN SETS MAY NOT BE SET FOR MATERIAL MODEL TYPE 16 (CHKMAS PROCESSOR) 

This error occurs because an orthotropic material assigned to shell/plate meshed surfaces cannot be orientated to a local coordinate system if the "Thick" material option is specified. 

The "Solid" orthotropic material option can be chosen instead in order to allow the local coordinate to be used, and this is compatible with thick shell elements. The additional property inputs required for solid elements, which are not required for shells, simply being ignored for the thick shells.

When assigning the orthotropic material a dialog will appear called "Material Assignment". To orientate the material to a previously defined local coordinate, select the option "Use local coordinates attribute" and choose the local coordinate attribute from the list. A local coordinate can be defined direclty here by choosing "New..." in the afforementioned list, or via the Attributes menu>Local Coordinate.  The Local Coordinate attribute is not assigned to any model features directly for this purpose. The orientation of the material can be check by going to the Properties of the Attributes layer and the Material tab, by clicking Settings and choosing a direction to display.

For elements other than thick shells, check the Element Reference Manual for the orthotropic material models that are compatible. This and all other manuals can be accessed via Help>Help Topics in Modeller. 

More on Model 16 - orthotropic materials

Orthotropic material constants

Orthotropic Material Restrictions

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