# 3.9.8: Principal States Transformation 🔷

With the **“Principal States Transformation”**-component one can define a tensor via first and second principal vectors **“Vec1”** and **“Vec2”** and get the components for a given direction **“DirX”**. This allows to e.g. calculate the bending moments or in-plane forces of a shell for a section perpendicular to **“DirX”**. **“N”** specifies the direction normal of a plane onto which **“Vec1”** and **“Vec2”** get projected before performing the transformation.

{% file src="<https://442610158-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MCkDlhlZpqUmakSqOrp-2335387569%2Fuploads%2FehAT9NoB5SnuxFzILixD%2FPrincipal_States_Transformation.gh?alt=media&token=02b99d7f-9f5a-4257-942d-963f766b568d>" %}
