Create Solid Map Mesh from Multiple Solids

Create a new 3D mesh from multiple, mappable solids.

Before you being, ensure that the solids have been partitioned so that they are either one directional or three directional mappable. Refer to, Partition Solids for Mappability.

Also make sure you have an existing 2D mesh, which will be used to extrapolate the 3D solid map mesh. When creating mesh from the Multi Solids subpanel, a 3D mesh can be automatically created directly on solids as long as the solids you select are already mappable.

HyperWorks X can create volume meshes on multiple shapes at the same time, allowing you to mesh solid parts faster.
Note: Complex parts must still be partitioned into multiple simpler solids. Creating volume meshing on multiple shapes simultaneously does not always work for a large numbers of solids, even if they are all mappable. In some cases you may need to mesh them a few at a time or even, in extreme cases, individually.
  1. From the Mesh ribbon, 3D Mesh tools, click the Hex tool.


    Figure 1.
  2. Select the Multi Solids subpanel.
  3. Use the solids selector to select the desired solids.
  4. Define the direction of mesh mapping.
    1. For source hint, select the “beginning” surface.
    2. For dest hint, select the “ending” surface.
  5. Select the meshing mode.
    • Choose automatic to automatically create the 3D solid mesh.
    • Choose interactive to manually define mesh density and element mesh patterns before creating a final mesh.
  6. In the elem size field, enter the size to be used when initially distributing the nodes to the edges.
  7. For source shells, select the type of elements to use when creating the resulting output solid mesh.

    This defines the 2D mesh on the initial surface of the solid, and will dictate the output element type when meshing the solids.

    • Choose mixed to use hexa and penta elements.
    • Choose quad to create hexa elements.
    • Choose trias or R-trias to create only penta elements (right-angle pentas in the case of R-trias).
  8. Select which component to put the newly-created elements.
    • Choose elems to solid/surf comp to organize elements in the same component that contains the solid and its surfaces.
    • Choose elems to current comp to organize new elements in the current component.
  9. To smooth the elements on the resulting face of the solid to improve the resulting mesh quality, select the smooth dest checkbox.
  10. To keep the solid elements generated more perpendicular to the surface faces in the along direction, select the apply orthogonality to along checkbox.
  11. To halt the meshing routines upon the creation of a bad jacobian solid element, select the stop meshing on bad jacobian checkbox.
  12. To force the mesh to honor any prior edge node density settings when creating the temporary surface mesh, select the previous settings checkbox.
  13. Click mesh.
    If the automatic mesh mode is selected, a solid mesh is created. If interactive mesh mode is selected, temporary 2D shell meshes are created and the node seeding density is assigned to all of the along edges and the Density subpanel opens.