Interactive exploration of three-dimensional deflections on vibrating structures using linked multiview displays

A software was developed to explore and compare structural deflections under different conditions. Modal analyzes of the same structure with slight variations were previously calculated through finite element method (FEM). Four modal analyzes of a guitar top plate (at different stages of its construction) were compared as an example using the developed visualization software. The resulting FEM meshes were imported to the developed application due to the incapability of the FEM software for real time visualization of the results of different modal analysis data. In the main screen of the developed software were shown several mode shapes. The user picks any mode shapes to compare, and their 3-D controllable versions appear in full or in divided screen versions (depending on the number of modes picked). The developed software allowed the models to be freely turned, zoomed, and moved using any standard laptop. The whole software characteristics brings a powerful technique to researchers and teachers, exploring and explaining some details in 3-D structural deflections, often limited and showing only static 2-D images.