General 2D Mesh

Use the General 2D Mesh tool to generate and edit mapped surface mesh

Create 2D Surface Mesh

Use the Create tool to create a surface mesh and remesh elements.

A surface mesh or "shell mesh" represents model parts that are relatively two-dimensional, such as sheet metal or a hollow plastic cowl or case. Surface meshes are placed on the outer faces of solid objects, and are used as a baseline mapping point when creating more complex 3D meshes (the quality of a 3D mesh largely depends on the quality of the 2D mesh from which it is generated).

General 2D Mesh should be the default surface mesh tool selected. To view a drop-down menu of available surface mesh methods, click the arrow on the right side of the tool.

  1. From the Mesh ribbon, 2D Mesh tools, click General 2D Mesh > Create.


    Figure 1.
  2. Optional: On the guide bar, click to define surface mesh options.
  3. Select surfaces to mesh.
    You can also select solids by changing the target from the guide bar drop-down menu.
  4. On the guide bar, click Mesh
    A mapped, all quad, mesh is generated. If a surface is determined to not be mappable, that surface is not meshed.

    Any failed surfaces remain selected when returning to the Create tool, or when Mesh mode is set to Automatic.

Tip:
  • When using the other General 2D Mesh surface mesh tools tools, you can always go back to the Create tool to add and/or remove surfaces from the meshing area.
  • On the guide bar, click to open the Advanced Selection dialog, from which you can filter geometry further by selecting a subset of entities based on additional selection methods, such as By Component or By Assembly.

Edit Edge Density and Element Size

Use the Density tool to edit element density and size along surface edges.

Before you begin, use the Create tool to define a meshing area by selecting surfaces, and create an initial mesh.
The local edge element size approximation is based on edge density value and length. Hence, it can vary slightly for two edges with the same density value.
  1. From the Mesh ribbon, 2D Mesh tools, click General 2D Mesh > Density.


    Figure 2.
  2. Optional: On the guide bar, click to define surface mesh options.
  3. Left-click to select the edge(s) to modify.
  4. In the microdialog, click the icon to switch the value being defined to either element density or element size.
  5. Edit element density or size.
    • Increase individual edge values by holding Ctrl while left-clicking on an edge; decrease individual edge values by holding Ctrl while right-clicking on an edge.
    • Scroll edge values by holding Ctrl while scrolling the mouse wheel up and down. Hovering directly over an edge will only modify that edge; hovering over empty space will modify all selected edges.
    • Specify an edge value in the microdialog and press Enter. If multiple edges are selected, a common value will be applied. If multiple edges with different edge values are selected, use the arrows in the microdialog to modify individual edge values simultaneously, without applying a common value.
  6. On the guide bar, click Update
Tip: Clear your selection by left-clicking in empty space.

Edit Mesh Biasing and Element Size Distribution

Use the Biasing tool to apply linear, exponential, or bellcurve biasing to individual edges of a surface, and edit the elements size distribution.

Before you begin, use the Create tool to define a meshing area by selecting surfaces, and create an initial mesh.

Element biasing can be used to improve element quality when transitioning from smaller to larger element sizes, and enables you to moderate the changes in aspect ratio from the start to the end.

After you have created an initial mesh, bias the placement of nodes so that their intervals are not uniform in size. For example, you can designate that the smaller intervals go near the start of the edge, near the end of the edge, near both ends with larger intervals in the middle, or near the middle of the edge.

  1. From the Mesh ribbon, 2D Mesh tools, click General 2D Mesh > Biasing.


    Figure 3.
  2. Optional: On the guide bar, click to define surface mesh options.
  3. Left-click to select the edge(s) to modify.
  4. In the microdialog, click the icon to select an element biasing type.
  5. Edit magnitude.
    • Increase individual edge values by holding Ctrl while left-clicking on an edge; decrease individual edge values by holding Ctrl while right-clicking on an edge.
    • Scroll edge values by holding Ctrl while scrolling the mouse wheel up and down. Hovering directly over an edge will only modify that edge; hovering over empty space will modify all selected edges.
    • Specify an edge value in the microdialog and press Enter. If multiple edges are selected, a common value will be applied. If multiple edges with different edge values are selected, use the arrows in the microdialog to modify individual edge values simultaneously, without applying a common value.
  6. On the guide bar, click Update
Tip: Clear your selection by left-clicking in empty space.

Edit Mesh Type and Mapping Method

Use the Face Edit tool to edit the mesh type and mapping method of individual surfaces.

Before you begin, use the Create tool to define a meshing area by selecting surfaces, and create an initial mesh.
  1. From the Mesh ribbon, 2D Mesh tools, click General 2D Mesh > Face Edit.


    Figure 4.
  2. Optional: On the guide bar, click to define surface mesh options.
  3. Select the surface(s) to edit.
  4. In the microdialog, select a mesh type and mapping method to apply to the selected edge(s).
  5. On the guide bar, click Update


Figure 5.
Tip: Clear your selection by left-clicking in empty space.

General 2D Mesh Options

Create

Element size
Set the average element size.
Mesh type
Select the algorithm to use for generating the mesh.
Element type
Select the type of elements used to create the mesh.
Edit criteria
Edit the criteria file via the Criteria Editor
Active mesh mode
Select the meshing mode, with interactive allowing access to the mesh editing tools.
Curvature based refinement
Option to turn on mesh refinement based on geometric curvature.
Method
Select the adaptive meshing method.
Minimum size factor
The minimum element size, as a factor of the average element size. Value must be less than or equal to 1.
Maximum deviation factor
The maximum allowable deviation between an element edge and a geometry edge, as a factor of the average element size.
Feature angle (adaptive mesh)
The maximum allowable break angle between adjacent elements.
Growth rate
The factor to control the rate of transition in case of element size change.
Minimum edge density
Enable a minimum number of elements along an edge.
Minimum density
Set the minimum number of elements created along an edge.
Apply if edge length <
Apply a minimum edge density when edge lengths are less than the specified value.
Link opposite edges method
Select the method for linking mesh settings on opposite edges of rectangular surfaces.
Aspect ratio <
The maximum aspect ratio to allow when linking edges.
Orthogonal alignment
Generates a more orthogonal quad-dominant mesh
Minimum size variation
Enforce a global mesh element size with minimal min/max element size variations.
Size variation
Keep elements roughly the same size.
Skewness
Prevent the mesh from producing highly-skewed elements.
Smooth across common edges with
Allow node smoothing to move nodes across adjacent surface edges whose feature angle is less than the value specified.
Feature angle (advanced)
The feature angle for common edge smoothing.

Density

Auto update
Select auto/manually remesh option.
Element size
Change the average element size.
Link opposite edges
Select if an aspect ratio should be used to link the default mesh density on opposing edges of rectangular surfaces.
Aspect ratio
Change the maximum aspect ratio to allow between large and small edge sizes of linked edges.

Biasing

Auto update
Select auto/manually remesh option.
Biasing intensity
Change the element intensity.
Link opposite edges
Select if an aspect ratio should be used to link the default mesh density on opposing edges of rectangular surfaces.

Face Edit

Auto update
Select auto/manually remesh option.

Keyboard Shortcuts & Mouse Controls

To do this Press
Append selection Ctrl + Left Mouse Click
Deselect Shift + Left Mouse Click
Increase edge value Ctrl + Left Mouse Click
Decrease edge value Ctrl + Right Mouse Click
Scroll edge value Ctrl + Middle Mouse Scroll
Edit value in microdialog Middle Mouse Scroll
Exit tool Esc