## E. Preprocessors

First, for a given physical problem, the user must definethe kind of analysis required (static, modal, harmonic, and transient). Theuser must also choose the type(s) of elements needed to describe the regionunder study: elastic, piezoelectric, magnetostrictive or fluid elements,bi-dimensional, three-dimensional or axisymmetrical elements, plane stress,plane strain, plate or shell elements, etc.