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0
HyperMesh Core Tutorials
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HM-3220: Creating a Hexahedral Mesh using the Solid Map Function ............................................................ 190
HM-3270: Using the TetraMesh Process Manager ........................................................................................... 196
Quality ....................................................................................................................................................................... 204
HM-3300: Checking and Editing Mesh .................................................................................................................. 205
HM-3320: Penetration .......................................................................................................................................... 225
Assembly ................................................................................................................................................................... 236
HM-3400: Creating Connectors ............................................................................................................................ 237
HM-3410: Creating Area Connectors .................................................................................................................... 252
HM-3420: Creating Bolt Connectors ..................................................................................................................... 257
HM-3430: Part Replacement Through Connectors............................................................................................... 261
HM-3440: Model Build and Assembly .................................................................................................................. 265
Morphing................................................................................................................................................................... 275
HM-3510: Freehand Morphing ............................................................................................................................. 276
HM-3520: Sculpting............................................................................................................................................... 280
HM-3540: Changing a Profile Using Map to Sections ........................................................................................... 283
HM-3560: Basics of Domains and Handles ........................................................................................................... 291
HM-3570: Altering Cross-Sections Using Domains ............................................................................................... 295
HM-3580: Morphing About an Axis Using Domains ............................................................................................. 297
HM-3590: Morph Adhesive Layers ....................................................................................................................... 299
HM-3600: Morph Tube to Different Configurations ............................................................................................. 303
HM-3610: Shaping a Dome Using Cyclic Symmetry .............................................................................................. 307
HM-3620: Shaping a Bead Using Cyclic Symmetry ............................................................................................... 311
HM-3625: Morph a Symmetric Part onto a New Geometry ................................................................................. 316
HM-3630: Morphing with Shapes ......................................................................................................................... 319
HM-3640: Interpolating Loads Using Shapes ........................................................................................................ 323
HM-3650: Creating Shapes Using Record ............................................................................................................. 326
HM-3660: Maintaining Area Using Constraints .................................................................................................... 330
HM-3670: Positioning a Dummy Using Limiting Constraints ................................................................................ 333
HM-3680: Preserving a Shape Using Cluster Constraints ..................................................................................... 336
HM-3690: Remeshing Domains After Morphing .................................................................................................. 341
Analysis Setup ........................................................................................................................................................... 345
HM-4000: Setting up Loading Conditions ............................................................................................................. 346
HM-4010: Formatting Model for Analysis ............................................................................................................ 354
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HM-4020: Obtaining and Assigning Beam Cross-Section Properties using HyperBeam ...................................... 364
HM-4030: Defining Composites ............................................................................................................................ 373
HM-4040: Working with Loads on Geometry ....................................................................................................... 379
HM-4060: Working with Include Files................................................................................................................... 390
HM-4070: OptiView .............................................................................................................................................. 398
Customization ........................................................................................................................................................... 400
Scripts .................................................................................................................................................................... 401
HM-8010: Add a Button to the User Page on the Utility Menu ........................................................................ 402
HM-8020: Create a Utility Menu Macro From a Command File ....................................................................... 404
HM-8030: Create a Utility Menu Macro to Create Constraints on a Plane ...................................................... 407
HM-8040: Create a Utility Menu Macro from a Tcl Script ................................................................................ 411
HM-8050: Create Forces on Nodes and Add a Button on the User Page ......................................................... 414
HM-8060: Calculate the Resultant Sum of Forces ............................................................................................ 418
HM-8070: Create Spline Surfaces on Tria Elements ......................................................................................... 422
HM-8080: Calculate the Radius of an Arc ......................................................................................................... 427
HM-8090: Create an OptiStruct PSHELL property............................................................................................. 432
Post-Processing ......................................................................................................................................................... 436
HM-9000: Exporting Data for Fatigue Analysis ..................................................................................................... 437
HM-9010: Free Body Diagram............................................................................................................................... 439
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HyperMesh Tutorials
Basics
HM-1000: Getting Started with HyperMesh
HM-1010: Opening and Saving Files
HM-1020: Working with Panels
HM-1030: Organizing a Model
HM-1040: Controlling the Display
Geometry
HM-2000: Importing and Repairing CAD
HM-2010: Generating a Midsurface
HM-2015: Auto-Midsurfacing with Advanced Extraction Options
HM-2020: Simplifying Geometry
HM-2030: Refining Topology to Achieve a Quality Mesh
HM-2040: Creating and Editing Line Data
HM-2050: Creating Surfaces from Elements
HM-2060: Creating and Editing Solid Geometry
HM-2070: Geometry and Mesh Editing Using the Quick Edit Panel
HM-2080: Modifying Models using solidThinking
HM-2090: Dimensioning
Meshing
1-D Elements
HM-3000: Creating 1-D Elements
2-D Elements
HM-3100: AutoMeshing
HM-3110: Meshing without Surfaces
HM-3120: 2-D Mesh in Curved Surfaces
HM-3130: QI Mesh Creation
HM-3140: Batch Meshing
HM-3150: Meshing a Model Using Shrink Wrap
3-D Elements
HM-3200: Tetrameshing
HM-3210: Creating a Hex-Penta Mesh using Surfaces
HM-3220: Creating a Hexahedral Mesh using the Solid Map Function
HM-3270: Using the TetraMesh Process Manager
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Quality
HM-3300: Checking and Editing Mesh
HM-3320: Penetration
Assembly
HM-3400: Creating Connectors
HM-3410: Creating Area Connectors
HM-3420: Creating Bolt Connectors
HM-3430: Part Replacement Through Connectors
HM-3440: Model Build and Assembly
Morphing
HM-3510: Freehand Morphing
HM-3520: Sculpting
HM-3530: Changing a Curvature Using Map to Geometry
HM-3540: Changing a Profile Using Map to Sections
HM-3550: Morph Volume
HM-3560: Basics of Domains and Handles
HM-3570: Altering Cross-Sections Using Domains
HM-3580: Morphing About an Axis Using Domains
HM-3590: Morph Adhesive Layers
HM-3600: Morph Tube to Different Configurations
HM-3610: Shaping a Dome Using Cyclic Symmetry
HM-3620: Shaping a Bead Using Cyclic Symmetry
HM-3625: Morph a Symmetric Part onto a New Geometry
HM-3630: Morphing with Shapes
HM-3635: Working with a HyperMesh and HyperMorph Model in HyperStudy
HM-3640: Interpolating Loads Using Shapes
HM-3650: Creating Shapes Using Record
HM-3660: Maintaining Area Using Constraints
HM-3670: Positioning a Dummy Using Limiting Constraints
HM-3680: Preserving a Shape Using Cluster Constraints
HM-3690: Remeshing Domains After Morphing
HM-3695: Working with a Parameterized File Model for Shape Variables in HyperStudy
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Analysis Setup
HM-4000: Setting up Loading Conditions
HM-4010: Formatting Model for Analysis
HM-4020: Obtaining and Assigning Beam Cross-Section Properties using HyperBeam
HM-4030: Defining Composites
HM-4040: Working with Loads on Geometry
HM-4060: Working with Include Files
HM-4070: OptiView
Customization
Scripts
HM-8010: Add a Button to the User Page on the Utility Menu
HM-8020: Create a Utility Menu Macro From a Command File
HM-8030: Create a Utility Menu Macro to Create Constraints on a Plane
HM-8040: Create a Utility Menu Macro from a Tcl Script
HM-8050: Create Forces on Nodes and Add a Button on the User Page
HM-8060: Calculate the Resultant Sum of Forces
HM-8070: Create Spline Surfaces on Tria Elements
HM-8080: Calculate the Radius of an Arc
HM-8090: Create an OptiStruct PSHELL property
Post-Processing
HM-9000: Exporting Data for Fatigue Analysis
HM-9010: Free Body Diagram
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Basics
HM-1000: Getting Started with HyperMesh
HM-1010: Opening and Saving Files
HM-1020: Working with Panels
HM-1030: Organizing a Model
HM-1040: Controlling the Display
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Tools
The HyperMesh interface contains several areas. Each is described below.
Feature
Description
Title bar
The bar across the top of the interface is the title bar. It contains
the version of HyperMesh that you are running and the name of
the file you are working on.
Menu bar
Located just under the title bar. Like the pull-down menus in
many graphical user interface applications, these menus "drop
down" a list of options when clicked. Use these options to access
different areas of HyperMesh functionality.
Toolbars
Tab area
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The graphics area is the display area for your model. You can
interact with the model in three-dimensional space in real time. In
addition to viewing the model, entities can be selected
interactively from the graphics area.
Main menu
The main menu displays the functions available on each page. You
access those functions by clicking on the button corresponding to
the function you wish to use.
Main menu
pages
The main menu pages menu divides the main menu into groups
of related functions. Only one page of the main menu is displayed
at a time.
The Geom page contains functions for creating and editing
geometry.
The 1D, 2D, and 3D pages contain element creation and editing
tools grouped according to element type.
The Analysis page contains functions to set up analysis problems
and define boundary conditions.
The Tool page contains miscellaneous tools and model checking
functions.
The Post page contains post-processing functions.
Command
window
You can type HyperMesh commands directly into this text box and
execute them instead of using the HyperMesh graphical user
interface. This window is not displayed by default, but can be
opened via the View menu.
Status bar
The status bar is located at the bottom of the screen. The left end
of the status bar displays your current location in the main menu.
By default, Geometry is displayed. The four fields on the right
side of the status bar display the current Include file, current
component collector, current part, and current load collector.
As you work in HyperMesh, any warning or error messages also
display in the status bar. Warning messages appear in green and
error messages appear in red.
Hint: You can hold the left mouse button down on top of a panel
to see a description for it in the status bar.
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Starting HyperMesh
To start HyperMesh in Windows 7, go to Start > All Programs > Altair HyperWorks > HyperMesh
Desktop or HyperMesh.
Start Directory
By default, HyperMesh uses a "start directory" for files. HyperMesh reads and writes a number of files
from the start directory:
At start up, HyperMesh reads configuration files (hm.mac, hmmenu.set, etc.).
Upon closing, HyperMesh writes out a command history file (command.cmf) and a menu settings
file (hmmenu.set).
By default, HyperMesh will read from/write to this directory for any open, save, save as, import,
or export functionality.
Image files (.jpg) created using the F6 key are saved to the start directory.
HyperMesh Help
To obtain help for a particular feature, go to the Help menu and select HyperWorks Desktop or
HyperWorks Help Home. The help is organized by product and contains the following types of
information:
How to use individual functions
Notes on interfacing HyperMesh with external data types
Tutorials
Reference guides
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Model Files
All files referenced in the HyperMesh tutorials are located in the
<install_directory>\tutorials\hm\ directory unless otherwise noted.
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on the
2. In the Open File dialog, navigate to your working directory and open the bumper_cen_mid1.hm
model file. HyperMesh loads a model containing mesh and geometry data.
Step 2: Import the HyperMesh model file, bumper_mid.hm, into the current
HyperMesh session.
1. To open the Import tab, click File > Import > Model from the menu bar, or click
Standard toolbar.
2. In the Import tab, click
on the
3. In the Open dialog, navigate to your working directory and open the bumper_mid.hm model file.
4. Click Import. HyperMesh imports the bumper_mid.hm model file on top of the existing data.
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Step 3: Import the IGES geometry file, bumper_end.iges, into the current
HyperMesh session.
1. In the Import tab, click
4. In the Select IGES file dialog, navigate to your working directory and open the bumper_end.iges
geometry file.
5. Click Import. HyperMesh imports the IGES geometry file's data.
Step 4: Import the OptiStruct input file, bumper_end_rgd.fem, into the current
HyperMesh session.
1. In the Import tab, click
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on the
Step 7: Export the models mesh data to an OptiStruct input file called
practice.fem.
1. In the Export tab, click
Step 8 (Optional): Delete all data from the current HyperMesh session by
starting a new session.
1. To open a new HyperMesh model, click File > New > Model from the menu bar, or click
Standard toolbar.
on the
2. In the HyperMesh dialog, click Yes if you would like to discard all current model data.
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Step 9 (Optional): Import the IGES geometry file you created, practice.igs.
1. To import the practice.igs file into your current session repeat step 3. HyperMesh imports the
geometry data in the file to the existing data.
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Exercise
Step 1: Open and view the model file, bumper.hm.
1. Start HyperMesh Desktop.
2. From the menu bar, click File > Open > Model.
3. In the Open Model dialog, navigate to your working directory and open the bumper.hm model file.
A model appears in the graphics area.
Step 2: In the Translate panel, select nodes from the graphics area.
1. To open the Translate panel, click Mesh > Translate > Nodes from the menu bar.
2. Click the entity selector to active it.
Note: The cyan border around the entity selector indicates that it is active.
4. In the graphics area, left-click on the corners of the elements to select a few nodes. HyperMesh
positions a small, white node at each element corner you select.
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2. In the graphics area, left-click on the element handles (the dot at the element's center) to select
several elements. HyperMesh highlights the elements you select in white.
Step 4: Select and unselect elements using the quick window selection
method.
1. Verify that the entity selector is active and set to elems.
2. In the graphics area, press SHIFT, left-click, and draw a rectangular window around a few
elements. HyperMesh selects all of the element handles inside of the rectangular window you drew.
3. To unselect the elements, press SHIFT, right-click, and draw a rectangular window around the
selected elements.
4. In the graphics area, press SHIFT and left-click. The Quick window pop-up menu appears,
containing eight icons.
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6. Release the SHIFT key and mouse button. HyperMesh selects all of the element handles inside of
the polygon window.
Step 5: Select and unselect elements by using the extended entity selection
menu.
1. Click elems >> reverse. HyperMesh unselects the elements that you selected, and selects the
elements that were not selected.
2. Click elems >> by adjacent. HyperMesh selects the elements that are adjacent to the selected
elements.
Step 6: Shade the elements, reset the selection, and select a few adjacent
elements.
1. On the Visualization toolbar, click
than wireframe mode.
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3. Using the entity selector, select a few elements that are adjacent to each other in the graphics
area.
Step 7: Specify a direction vector (N1 and N2 only) along which to translate
the selected elements.
1. On the orientation selector, click
and select N1, N2, N3 from the list of vector and plane
options, which define the direction in which to translate the selected elements.
Note: The cyan border around the N1 selector indicates that it is active. Since the entity selector is
no longer active, HyperMesh changes the color of the selected elements in the graphics area
to gray.
3. In the graphics area, select any node for N1. HyperMesh highlights the selected node in green, and
the active selector advances to N2 in the Translate panel.
4. In the graphics area, select a node near N1 for N2. HyperMesh highlights the selected node in
blue, and the active selector advances to N3 in the Translate panel.
Note: For this tutorial, you do not need to select a node for N3. Selecting N1 and N2 defines a
vector for the direction of translation. This vector goes from N1 towards N2. Selecting N3
defines a plane. The direction of translation is the positive direction of the vector normal to
the plane. The positive direction is determined by the right-hand rule.
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2. Click translate+. HyperMesh translates the selected elements in the N1 to N2 direction by N2-N1
units in the graphics area.
Note: HyperMesh places a thick black border around translate+, which indicates that it is a rapid
menu button.
3. Instead of clicking translate+, middle-mouse click. HyperMesh translates the selected elements
again by N2-N1 units.
4. Click translate- twice. HyperMesh translates the selected elements in the negative N1-N2 vector
direction, and restores them to their initial position.
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3. In the graphics area, select any node for N1. HyperMesh highlights the selected node in green, and
the active selector advances to N2.
4. In the graphics area, select a node near N1 for N2. The distance between N1 and N2 appears in
the distance = field.
Step 10: Specify a distance to translate the selected elements and then
translate them.
1. Click the second toggle and select magnitude =.
2. In the magnitude = field, highlight the value.
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3. To paste the distance= value that you copied from the Distance panel, press CTRL + V.
4. Click translate+. HyperMesh translates the selected elements in the direction from N1 to N2 by
the number of units specified in the magnitude = field.
5. Click translate- once. HyperMesh translates the selected elements in the negative N1-N2 vector
direction, and restores them to their initial position.
Step 11: Calculate 5.5 * 10.5 and specify the resulting value for magnitude
=.
1. In the magnitude= field, right-click. The HyperMesh calculator appears.
Step 12: Specify a new vector and translate the elements again.
1. To reset the direction of the translated elements, click
the active selector.
2. In the graphics area, select three nodes for N1, N2, N3 to define a plane.
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3. Click translate+ or middle-mouse click. HyperMesh translates the elements 57.75 units in the
positive direction normal to the defined plane.
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Exercise
It is recommend that you review the general overview before completing this tutorial.
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4. Click Create. The Model browser displays the current component collector geometry in bold.
Step 3: Create two geometry lines and organize them into different
components.
1. To open the Lines panel, click Geometry > Create > Lines > Standard Nodes from the menu
bar.
2. Activate the node list selector.
3. In the graphics area, select two opposite and diagonal nodes of the same element as illustrated in
the image below:
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5. In the Model browser, Component folder, right-click on rigid and select Make Current from the
context menu. HyperMesh makes the rigid component the active component.
6. In the graphics area, select two opposite and diagonal nodes of the same element, but different
than the element selected above.
7. Click create. HyperMesh creates a red line.
Note: This line is the same color the rigid component, because it is organized into the current
component, rigid.
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Step 4: Move all of the models geometry surfaces into the component,
geometry.
1. To open the Organize panel, click Geometry > Organize > Surfaces from the menu bar.
2. To go to the Collectors subpanel, click collectors.
3. Click
on the entity selector, and select surfs from the list of entities that can be collected. The
entity selector is now set to surfs.
4. Click surfs >> all. HyperMesh highlights all of the displayed surfaces in white, which indicates they
are selected.
Note: If there are surfaces that are not displayed, HyperMesh still selects them because you
selected surfs >> all.
7. Click move. Hypermesh moves the selected surfaces into the geometry component, and colors the
geometric entities yellow to match the component color.
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Step 5: Move all the models shell elements (quads and trias) into the
component, center.
In this step, you should still be in the Organize panel, collectors subpanel.
1. Click
on the entity selector, and select elems from the list of entities that can be collected.
The entity selector is now set to elems.
2. Click elems >> by collector.
3. Select the components: mid1, mid2, and end.
4. Optional: To select a component in the graphics area, left-click on it. A check mark appears in the
check box of the component you selected in the panel area.
5. Optional: To unselect a component, right-click its check box in the panel area, or right-click on it in
the graphics area.
6. To complete your component selection, click select.
7. Click dest component =.
8. Select the component center.
9. Click move. HyperMesh moves the elements in the selected components into the center
component, and colors all of the shell elements cyan blue to match the component color.
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2. In the editable field, rename the component shells and then press ENTER.
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3. Click delete entity. HyperMesh deletes the two lines you created earlier.
4. To exit the Delete panel, click return.
Step 9: Move the component, geometry, to the front in the components list.
1. To open the Reorder panel, click Collectors > Reorder > Components from the menu bar.
2. Click comps. HyperMesh displays a complete list of the models components.
3. On the right side of the panel, click the bottom switch and select name(id). HyperMesh displays
the IDs for each component next to its name. The ID for shells is 1, the ID for rigid is 5, and the ID
for geometry is 6.
Step 10: Renumber the components to be the same as their position in the
list.
1. To open the Renumber panel, click Collectors > Renumber > Components from the menu bar.
2. Go to the single subpanel.
3. Set the entity selector to comps.
4. Click comps. HyperMesh displays a complete list of the models components.
5. On the right side of the panel, click comps >> all.
6. To complete your selection, click select.
7. In the start with = field, enter 1.
8. In the increment by = field, enter 1.
9. In the offset = field, enter 0.
10. Click renumber. HyperMesh renumbers the components.
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Step 11: Create an assembly containing the components, shells and rigid.
1. In the Model browser, right-click and select Create > Assembly from the context menu.
2. In the Create Assembly dialog, enter elements in the Name field.
3. Select a Color for the assembly.
6. To add the selected components to the elements assembly, drag the components, using the left
mouse button, over the elements assembly until it highlights.
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Step 13: Move the models one constraint into the load collector,
constraints.
The existing load collector, loads, contains several forces and one constraint. In this step, you will use
the Organize panel is to move the one constraint in the load collector, constraints.
1. To open the Organize panel, click Collectors > Organize > Load Collectors from the menu bar.
2. Go to the collectors subpanel.
3. Set the entity selector to loads.
4. Select loads >> by config.
5. Click config =, and select const.
6. In the center of the panel, toggle from displayed to all.
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4. Click Create. HyperMesh creates the component, and appends it to the list.
5. In the Model browser, expand the Components folder to see that component1 is boldfaced in
the list, which indicates that it is the current component.
Step 15: Review the existing assembly elements from the Model Browser.
1. In the Model browser, expand the Assembly Hierarchy folder and then expand the elements
assembly folder. It contains two components, rigid and shells.
Note: Use can use the Assemblies panel to add components from one assembly to another
assembly. The Model browser does not allow you to do this, but you can create assemblies
from it.
Step 16: Add the components, geometry and component1, to the assembly,
assem_mid, using the Model browser.
1. In the Model browser, select the geometry and component1 components.
Tip:
To select multiple items in the Model browser one at a time, press and hold Ctrl and then
left-click the items. If you wish to select multiple items in the Model browser at once, leftclick the first item, press and hold SHIFT, and then left-click the last item in the list.
2. To add the selected components to the assem_mid assembly, drag the components, using the left
mouse button, over the assem_mid assembly until it highlights.
Note:
In the Model browser, there is no longer a boldfaced component name. This indicates
that there is no current component specified.
Step 19: Set the current component from the Model Browser.
1. In the Model browser, Component folder, right-click on shells and select Make Current from the
context menu.
Note: The shells component name is boldfaced.
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Exercise
Step 1: Retrieve the HyperMesh model file, bumper.hm.
1. Start HyperMesh Desktop.
2. From the menu bar, click File > Open > Model.
3. In the Open Model dialog, navigate to your working directory and open the bumper.hm model file.
A model appears in the graphics area.
Note: If none of the conditions are met, the center of rotation is relocated to the center of the
screen.
5. To rotate the model and view the change in rotation behavior, press CTRL + LMB.
6. Press CTRL and quick-click the LMB anywhere in the graphics area, except for on the model.
HyperMesh relocates the center of rotation square to the center of the screen.
7. To rotate the model and observe the change in rotation behavior, press CTRL + LMB.
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8. Press CTRL + Middle Mouse Button (MMB) and move the mouse around. HyperMesh draws a
white line along the path of the mouse movement.
9. Release the mouse button. HyperMesh zooms in on the portion of the model where the line was
drawn.
Note: You can also simply draw a line to zoom in on a portion of the model.
10. Press CTRL + quick-click the MMB. Hypermesh fits the model to the graphics area.
11. Press CTRL and spin the Mouse Wheel. Hypermesh zooms in or out on the model, depending on
which direction you spin the mouse wheel.
12. Move the mouse pointer to a different location in the graphics area and repeat step 2.11.
HyperMesh zooms zooms in or out on the model from where the mouse handle is located.
13. To fit the model to the graphics area, press CTRL + quick-click the MMB.
14. Press CTRL + Right Mouse Button (RMB) and move the mouse around. Hypermesh pans
(translates) the model according to the mouse movement.
Step 3: Manipulate the view of the model using the rotate functions on the
toolbar.
1. On the View Controls toolbar, left-click
(Dynamic Rotate).
2. Move the mouse pointer into the graphics area. The center of rotation square appears.
3. Press and hold the LMB, and then move the mouse around. The model rotates with the movement
of the mouse, similar to the way the model rotates when you press CTRL + LMB and move the
mouse.
4. Click the MMB on the model. The center of rotation square appears near where you clicked.
5. To exit the rotation mode, move the mouse pointer out of the graphics area or right-click.
6. On the View Controls toolbar, right-click
(Dynamic Rotate) and move the mouse pointer into
the graphics area. The center of rotation square appears.
7. To change the center of rotation, click the MMB on the model.
8. Click the LMB near the center of rotation square. The model rotates continuously in the direction of
your mouse pointer, relative to the center of rotation.
9. With the LMB still pressed, move the mouse around slowly. The direction and speed of the rotating
model changes.
Note: The farther the mouse pointer is from the center of rotation, the quicker the model rotates.
10. To rotate the model in a different direction, release the LMB, and then click it again.
11. Click the MMB anywhere in the graphics area, except on the model. The center of rotation square is
relocates to the screens center.
12. To exit the rotation mode, move the mouse pointer out of the graphics area or left-click.
Step 4: Manipulate the view of the model by using the zoom in and out
functions on the toolbar.
1. On the View Controls toolbar, left-click
(Circle / Dynamic Zoom). The Status bar displays
the message, "Circle the data to be zoomed in on."
2. Move the mouse pointer into the graphics area.
3. Press the LMB and move the mouse around in the graphics area. HyperMesh draws a white line
along the path of the mouse movement.
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4. Release the LMB. HyperMesh zooms in on the portion of the model where the line was drawn.
Note: You can also simply draw a linear line to zoom in on a portion of the model.
This function is similar to pressing CTRL + MMB to zoom into a portion of the model.
5. On the Standard Views toolbar, click
8. To open the Options panel, click Preferences > Meshing Options or Geometry Options from
the menu bar.
9. Go to the geometry or mesh subpanel.
10. In the zoom factor = field, enter 4.
11. To exit the panel, click return.
12. On the View Controls toolbar, left-click
by the larger, specified factor.
14. Move the mouse pointer into the graphics area, press the LMB, and then move the mouse pointer
up and down. HyperMesh zooms in and out on the model according to how far you move the mouse
up or down.
15. To exit the dynamic zoom mode, move the mouse pointer out of the graphics area or left-click.
Step 5: Manipulate the model view using the arrows and view panel on the
toolbar.
1. On the View Controls toolbar, right-click or left-click any of the Rotate icons ( ,
, ). The
model rotates in the direction of the arrow by the rotation angle specified in the Options panel.
2. On the Standard Views toolbar, click
3. To open the Options panel, click Preferences > Meshing Options or Geometry Options from
the menu bar.
4. In the rotate angle = field, enter 90.
5. To return to the main menu, click return.
6. On the View Controls toolbar, click any of the Rotate icons (
the new specified rotation angle, 90.
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13. In the editable field, enter my_view for the new name.
14. To display a different view of the model, click
2. Left-click next to
(Shaded Elements and Mesh Lines), and select
(Shaded Elements
and Feature Lines). HyperMesh shades the model's elements and displays the features lines,
mesh lines are no longer displayed.
3. Left-click next to
(Shaded Elements and Feature Lines), and select
Elements). HyperMesh hides the model's feature lines.
(Shaded
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2. In the Model browser, right-click and select Columns > Show FE Style from the context menu. A
new column appears in the Model browser.
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Display Mode
Wireframe Elements Element edges are displayed with lines.
Wireframe Elements Skin Only Element edges are displayed with lines for shell
elements only.
Shaded Elements The element is displayed as a filled polygon.
Shaded Elements with Mesh Lines The element is displayed as a filled polygon
with the feature edges drawn in mesh line color.
Hidden Line with Feature Lines The element is displayed as a filled polygon with
the feature edges in mesh line color.
Transparent The element is displayed as a filled transparent polygon.
Step 8: Control the visibility of various entity categories using the Model
browser.
1. In the Model browser, right-click and select Expand All from the context menu. All of the folders
in the browser expand.
2. At the top of the browser, click
entities in the model.
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3. Click
(Display none). HyperMesh turns off the display of all the component collectors.
Note: Display all, Display none, and Display reverse act globally (on all entities) if you have
not selected any of the entities in the Model browser. If a folder is selected (highlighted),
HyperMesh will perform the action only on the entities within that folder. If an individual
entity is selected, HyperMesh will perform the action only on that entity.
6. Left-click in the white space of the browser. HyperMesh deselects all of the entities in the browser.
7. Click
(Display reverse). HyperMesh reverses the display and only shows the components,
instead of everything but the components.
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8. Click
(Component View). HyperMesh displays only the component collectors in the browser.
next to
(Elements).
Note: Display all, Display none, and Display reverse will no longer affect the display of the
geometry in the components.
10. Click
2. On your keyboard, press F. HyperMesh fits the displayed components to the graphics area.
3. Next to the components mid2 and end, click
the mid2 and end components.
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Step 10: Control the display of entities using the Mask panel.
1. To open the Mask panel, click
8. To mask the elements, click mask. The elements in the mid1 component and the elements you
selected from the graphics area are no longer displayed.
Note: In the Model browser, notice that the elements ( ) for the components center and mid1
are still displayed. Their display icons indicate that they are activated even though some or
all of the elements in these components are masked (hidden).
9. In the Mask panel, click unmask all, or on the Display toolbar click
(unmask all). HyperMesh
displays all of the elements in the components, center and mid1, again.
Note: The elements in the other components are not displayed. This is because these components
are not active in the Display panel.
10. To return to the main menu, click return.
Step 11: Control the display of entities using the Find panel.
1. To open the Find panel, click
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6. To find the elements, click find. HyperMesh displays the elements in the component, end.
In the Model browser, notice that the elements for the component, end, are now shown as active
( ). This is because the collector containing the entities that are to be displayed (found) must be
active.
Note: This is because the Find panel finds the entities it is supposed to find, activates (displays)
the corresponding collectors, and then masks the other entities in the collectors it activated.
In this case, the last find command displayed on the components, mid2 and rigid, in the
Model browser.
Step 12: Change the display of entities using the Mask tab.
1. In the Model browser, click on any of the white space to make sure nothing is selected.
2. Click
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3. Click
(Display all).
Note: Performing these two steps makes sure that everything is displayed in the model.
4. Click the Mask tab.
5. In the Isolate column of Components, click . HyperMesh displays only the components in the
model (elements, geometry, and connectors), and masks everything else.
6. Expand the Components branch to expose the connectors, elements, and geometry.
7. In the Hide column of Elements, click
displays the surfaces.
11. Expand the Elements branch to expose 0D/rigids, springs/gaps, 1D, 2D, and 3D.
12. In the Isolate column of 0D/Rigids, click . HyperMesh adds rigid elements to the display, and
masks the surfaces. The constraints remain displayed.
Note: When you use Isolate below the top level of the list, HyperMesh will not mask anything
outside of the top level that the entity being isolated belongs to. Rigids belong to
components at the top level, therefore Hypermesh will not mask any entities in the other top
levels.
13. In the Isolate column of Components, click
components, and masks the constraints.
Note: When you use Isolate at the top level of the list (components, groups, loadcollectors,
morphing, multibodies, and systemcollectors), HyperMesh will mask everything outside of
the entity type being isolated.
Step 13: Change the color of components using the Model browser.
1. In the Model browser, Component folder, click the Color icon next to mid1.
2. From the color pop-up, select a different color.
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Geometry
HM-2000: Importing and Repairing CAD
HM-2010: Generating a Midsurface
HM-2015: Auto-Midsurfacing with Advanced Extraction Options
HM-2020: Simplifying Geometry
HM-2030: Refining Topology to Achieve a Quality Mesh
HM-2040: Creating and Editing Line Data
HM-2050: Creating Surfaces from Elements
HM-2060: Creating and Editing Solid Geometry
HM-2070: Geometry and Mesh Editing Using the Quick Edit Panel
HM-2080: Modifying Models using solidThinking
HM-2090: Dimensioning
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Step 2: View the model in topology display toolbar and shaded mode to
evaluate its integrity.
1. Observe where the model has incorrect connectivity and missing or duplicate surfaces.
2. To open the Auto Geometry Cleanup panel, click Geometry > Autocleanup from the menu bar.
The surface edges are now colored according to their topology status.
Note: This occurs because Geometry Color is set to
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Note: The Visualization toolbar contains icons that control the display of the surfaces and surface
edges. Surfaces can be shaded with or without edges or wireframe. Right-click the icons to
access the drop-down menu for additional options. Place your mouse over the cursor to view
a description of the buttons functionality.
4. To open the Visualization browser and access the Topology options, click
Note: The Topology options control the display of the surfaces and surface edges. Surfaces can be
shaded or wireframe. The check boxes within the Visualization browser turn the display of
the different edge types and fixed points (surface vertices) on or off.
5. Select only the Free check box. The graphics area displays only the free edges.
6. Observe the free (red) edges and make note of where they are. Free edges show where there is
incorrect connectivity or gaps.
7. Observe the locations where there are closed loops of free edges. These are locations that probably
have missing surfaces.
14. To locate any errors in the geometry, rotate, zoom, and pan.
15. Note the areas to be worked on:
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A missing surface
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6. Select one of the red lines bounding one of the gaps (missing surfaces) shown in the previous
image. HyperMesh creates a filler surface to close the hole.
7. Repeat step 4.6 to create a filler surface in the other gap.
8. To exit the panel, click return.
Step 6: Combine multiple free edge pairs at one time with the equivalence
tool.
1. From the menu bar, click Geometry > Edit > Surface Edges > Equivalence.
2. Select the equiv free edges only check box.
3. Select surfs >> all.
4. Verify that the cleanup tol= is set to 0.01. This is the global cleanup tolerance that you specified
in the Options panel.
5. Click equivalence. HyperMesh combines any free edge pairs within the specified cleanup tolerance.
Most of the red free edges are combined into green shared edges. The few remaining are caused by
gaps larger than the cleanup tolerance.
Step 7: Combine free edge pairs, one pair at a time, using the toggle.
1. Go to the toggle subpanel.
2. In the cleanup tol = field, type 0.1.
3. Click one of the free edges shown in the following image. When you select the edge, it will change
from red to green, indicating that the free edge pair has been equivalenced.
4. Use toggle to equivalence the other edges shown in the previous image.
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3. With the moved edge line selector active, click the leftmost free edge.
4. With the retained edge line selector now active, select the rightmost red edge.
5. In the cleanup tol = field, enter 0.1.
6. Click replace. HyperMesh posts a message similar to, "Gap = (.200018). Do you still wish to
replace?".
7. To close the gap, click Yes.
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Step 10: Observe the model again to identify any remaining free edges, or
missing or duplicate surfaces.
1. On the Visualization toolbar, change the geometry color mode to
shade the model's geometry and surface edges.
and click
to
2. Observe the model again to identify the remaining free edges and missing or duplicate surfaces.
Note: All of the edges in the model should be displayed as green shared edges, indicating that you
have a completely enclosed thin solid part.
3. To exit the return panel, click return.
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This exercise uses CAD geometry data for a thin solid clip. Because of the small thickness of the part, it
is assumed that it will be modeled for FEA as shell elements. The elements will be created on the midplane of the part.
to change the geometry color mode to mixed. The surfaces displayed in the
graphics area represent a solid part.
Note: These visualization techniques will be necessary for viewing the newly created midsurface.
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2. In the Model browser, turn the geometry for the lvl10 component back on.
3. To open the Transparency panel, click
4. With the comps selector active, select a line or surface of the lvl10 component. HyperMesh selects
the entire component because the entity selector is set to comps.
Tip:
6. Optional: Drag the transparency slider back and forth to control the level of transparency.
7. To visualize the midsurface, rotate, zoom, and pan.
Close-up of the midsurface with the lvl10 component set to full transparency
Summary
You have now created surfaces on the mid-plane of the part. These surfaces can now be meshed or
further modifications can be made to their topology, depending on the requirements of the analysis.
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In this tutorial, you will be using CAD geometry data for a box with thin ribs inside of it. Because the
geometry consists of thin planar sections, it is assumed that it will be modeled for FEA as shell
elements. The elements will be created on the mid-planes of each section.
4. From the menu bar, click Geometry > Create > Midsurfaces > Auto.
5. In the Auto Midsurface panel, click the toggle and select closed solid.
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12. Review the generated midsurface by hiding the Body.1 component in the Model browser. Some of
the plates do not properly cross.
3. From the panel area, select the interim edit tools from the drop-down.
4. From the edit plates subpanel, click show/edit all. HyperMesh populates the Model browser with
plates that were detected by the tool.
Note: If you have not yet extracted the middle surface using either the offset+planes or
offset+planes+sweeps options, then the model will not have any plate information yet.
Plate components will not be populated in this situation.
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5. In the Model browser, hide the components Body.1 and Middle Surface.
6. Verify that the full plate surfs selector is active.
7. Select the green face. HyperMesh selects all of the plates in the ^Planar plate #0 component.
8. Hide all of the plates in the ^Planar plate #0 component by right-clicking on the green face.
9. Hide the three remaining exterior sides. HyperMesh hides the components ^Planar plate #2,
^Planar plate #3, and ^Planar plate #4.
10. Select any face from the long interior rib, as shown in the following image. This rib was split into
three groups by the algorithm, and needs to be reunited into one component.
11. Select the two remaining plates from the long interior rib.
12. Merge the three plates into a single planar plate by setting the plate type to planar.
13. Click merge plates or middle-click in the graphics area. HyperMesh combines the three plates into
a single component and displays them in the same color.
14. Merge the two remaining internal ribs.
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4. Click not a trim surface. HyperMesh organizes the selected surfaces into a new component
labeled ^Not a trim surface.
5. Click update.
6. Click return.
7. Review the generated misdurface by hiding the Body.1 component in the Model browser. There is
now a yellow edge where the plates meet, which indicates that the plates are intersected correctly.
It would have been possible to reorganize the plates and create the Not a trim surface component
at the same time.
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Summary
The model now contains surfaces on the mid-plane of the part. You used insert planes and plates
edit to ensure that there were no erroneous gaps in the generated midsurfaces. You can now mesh
these surfaces, or further modify their topology, depending on the requirements of the analysis.
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This exercise involves changing the shape of a part in order to simplify the geometry. Certain details of
the shape, such as small holes or blends, may simply not be necessary for the analysis being
performed. When these details are removed, the analysis can run more efficiently. Additionally, mesh
quality is often improved as well. Changing the geometry to match the desired shape can also allow a
mesh to be created more quickly.
Exercise
This exercise uses the model file, clip_defeature.hm. This model file contains geometry that has been
midsurfaced. Surfaces have been created on the mid-plane of the part. In this exercise, you will mesh
this model using an element size of 2.5. You can assume a simple structural analysis will be run on the
part, and thus does not require much detail. There are unnecessary features in this model that can also
be removed.
Step 2: To easily work with the midsurface, turn off the display of the lvl10
component.
If the lvl10 component is displayed, it needs to be turned off so that you can easily work on the
midsurface geometry.
1. In the Model browser, Component folder, click
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2. To open the AutoMesh panel, click Mesh > Create > 2D AutoMesh from the menu bar, or press
F12.
3. Set the entity selector to surfs.
4. In the element size = field, type 2.5.
5. From the mesh type list, select mixed.
6. Toggle the meshing mode from interactive to automatic.
7. Verify that the elems to surf comp toggle is set.
8. To select all of the displayed surfaces, click surfs >> displayed.
9. Click mesh. HyperMesh generates the mesh preview.
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For better visualization of element quality, you may need to display the geometry in wire
frame mode by clicking
on the Visualization toolbar.
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5. Click delete. HyperMesh removes the selected pinholes in the model and replaces them with fixed
points located at the center of the original pinholes. The mesh also updates according to the
changes in the geometry.
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6. Click remove.
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6. With the fillets entity selector active, right-click on one of the F fillet markers on the screen to
deselect the fillet.
7. Click remove. HyperMesh deletes all of the selected edge fillets except for the one which was
deselected in step 6.
Summary
The model is now represented in a much simpler form that suits the analysis that will be performed.
Holes, surface fillets, and edge fillets were removed that were considered too small to be captured by
the desired element size of 2.5.
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5. Repeat steps 6.2 through 6.4 for the point and line illustrated in the following image.
6. Repeat steps 6.2 through 6.4 for the point and line illustrated in the following image.
7. Repeat steps 6.2 through 6.4 for the point and line illustrated in the following image.
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7. Click two points anywhere along the edge. Do not click a third. Hypermesh places nodes on the line
for N1 and N2.
8. To open the Distance panel, press F4.
9. Go to the three nodes subpanel.
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10. Press and hold your left mouse button, move it over the edge of the hole as indicated in the
following image, and then release it when the cursor changes to a square with a dot in the center
.
11. Click three points anywhere along the edge. HyperMesh places temporary nodes on the line
representing N1, N2, and N3.
Note: The technique you used to create nodes to select where none existed before can be used in
any place where nodes need to be selected but do not exist in the model. You can create
nodes in this manner on lines, surfaces and elements. For more details, see the HyperMesh
online help. Pick the index and type, Picking Nodes on Geometry or Elements.
12. Click circle center. HyperMesh creates a node at the center of the hold.
13. To exit the Surface Edit panel, click return.
14. Activate the B selector.
15. Select the node that was just created at the center of the hole.
16. Click trim. HyperMesh trims the surfaces through the center of the hole.
17. To exit the panel, click return.
Step 8:
1. To go to the (Un)suppress panel, click Geometry > Edit > Surface Edges > (Un)Suppress
from the menu bar.
2. Select the five lines illustrated in the following image.
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3. Click suppress. HyperMesh suppresses each line, which in indicated by a blue, dashed line.
2. To open the Automesh panel, click Mesh > Create > 2D AutoMesh from the menu bar, or press
F12.
3. Verify that elem size = is set to 2.5 and the mesh type is set to mixed.
4. To select all of the displayed surfaces, click surfs >> displayed.
5. Click mesh.
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2. To open the Create Nodes panel in the XYZ subpanel, click Geometry > Create > Nodes > XYZ
from the menu bar.5
3. Enter the following X, Y, and Z coordinates listed in the table below to create five nodes. Click
create for each of the nodes.
Node
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25
-2
4. Click return.
5. To fit the size of the model to the graphics area, press f.
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6. Click return.
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4. Click return.
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8. Click return.
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Step 14: Split curves by tangent line and delete redundant line.
1. Go to the Split at Line subpanel.
2. Verify that the lines selector is active.
3. Select the semi-circular line (ID 5).
Note: The line IDs may be different.
4. Click cut line.
5. Select the left tangent line (ID 9).
6. Click split. HyperMesh splits the semi-circular line (ID 5) with the selected tangent line (ID 9).
7. Repeat steps 14.2 through 14.6 to cut the semi-circular line (ID 5) with the right tangent line (ID
8).
8. Go to the Delete panel.
9. Verify that entity selector is active and set to lines.
10. Select the semi-circular line between the two tangent lines indicated in the following image.
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Step 17: Create a line that connects two parallel lines on an X-Y plane.
1. To open the Intersect panel, click Geometry > Create > Lines > Intersect.
2. To create a line on the X-Y plane, set the orientation vector to z-axis.
3. Select Node 1 as the base node.
4. Activate the line list selector.
5. Select the two straight lines that are perpendicular to the X-Y plane indicated in the following
image. HyperMesh displays a bold, white line in the graphics area to represent the results.
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2. To open the Extend panel, click Geometry > Edit > Lines > Extend from the menu bar.
3. Toggle from distance = to to:.
4. Set the entity selector to line.
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9. Click extend-. HyperMesh extends the line to reach one surface edge.
10. To exit the panel, click return. Your model should resemble the following image.
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5. Select the vertical line through which the extended line passes indicated in the following image.
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Step 21: Trim a line by plane and delete a redundant line segment.
1. To open the Split at Plane panel, click Geometry > Edit > Lines > Split at Plane from the
menu bar.
2. Verify that the lines selector is active.
3. Select the vertical line that does not have a fillet indicated in the following image.
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1. To open the Export Geometry tab, click File > Export > Geometry from the menu bar.
2. From the File type list, select Iges.
3. From the File field, navigate to the location of your working directory and save the file.
4. From the Units field, select an export unit system.
5. Click Export. HyperMesh generates the IGES file.
Note: This file can be shared with other CAD packages such as UG, Catia, and ProE.
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The surfaces created in this process are regular surfaces that can be used for geometry editing (for
changes to a design) and meshing, and to export geometry information (in reverse engineering
applications, for example). This is particularly useful if you are trying to obtain geometry information
(surfaces) from a model containing elements only.
Exercise
This exercise uses the model file, fe_to_surf.hm. The model is the tetrahedral mesh of a bracket. It is
organized into a single component, and does not contain any entities besides the solid elements.
In this tutorial, you will reverse this process by obtaining the shell elements and then the surfaces. You
can then, for example, remesh the surfaces with a different element size, or export them as an IGES
file.
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Step 2: Use the faces panel to generate shell elements on the outside of the
solid mesh
1. To open the Faces panel, select faces from the Tool page.
2. Verify that the entity selector is set to comps.
3. Select any element. HyperMesh temporarily highlights the element, which signifies that the
component has been selected.
4. You do not have to change the tolerance field, as it does not influence the creation of face
elements.
5. Click find faces. HyperMesh creates shell elements on the free faces of the solid elements (faces
that are not shared with any other element), and places them into the ^faces component collector.
6. In the Model browser, turn off the element display of the tetras component.
7. To return to the main menu, click return.
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7. Click return.
8. To shade the model's geometry and surface edges, click
9. Review the surface by rotating and zooming in and out of the model. The delineation of the
surfaces may or may not correspond to what you may expect or wish to obtain. For example, you
may want to have three separate surfaces in some areas of the model and fewer surfaces in other
areas.
10. To go to the Delete panel, press F2.
11. Verify that the entity selector is to set surfs.
12. Click surfs >> all.
13. Click delete entity.
14. In the Model browser, turn on the element display of the ^faces component.
15. Click return.
In this step, you have learned how to use the FE surf panel to generate some surfaces that can later
be meshed. You have also seen that when the surface generation engine (From FE tool) is asked to
create surface delineation automatically, the surfaces obtained may not necessarily have the specific
delineation you wish to obtain. In order to obtain specific delineation, plot elements can be used to
define the boundaries of the various surfaces, and can be supplied to the engine (From FE tool).
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Features to be removed
12. Repeat steps 4.10 and 4.11 to remove the remaining plot elements.
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5. Rotate, zoom, and pan the model to locate the features created with a zigzag pattern, as indicated
in the following image.
Note: In the following steps, you will delete these features and create new smooth ones.
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9. Repeat steps 5.7 and 5.8 to remove the remaining plot features.
10. Activate the nodes to add features: node path selector.
11. Select the nodes indicated in following image. HyperMesh selects all of the nodes in the path
between these two nodes.
12. Click add. HyperMesh creates a new feature line.
13. Repeat steps 5.11 and 5.12 to select the nodes indicated in the previous image, and create a new
feature line.
14. Repeat the previous cleanup operations to create features to your needs. The following image
shows an example of the final features. Notice that many of the features in the cylindrical holes
have been removed.
You created plot elements that will be used in the surfaces panel to indicate the boundaries of the
surfaces to generate. These plot elements were generated in an attempt to capture the features of
the tria mesh. The number and location of plot elements generated using this approach is directly
dependent on the value that is chosen for the feature angle. In most situations, a lower feature
angle will generate more plot elements while a higher one will yield fewer plot elements.
It is often useful to experiment with different values for the feature angle as one value may bring
you much closer to the desired set of plot elements than another, significantly limiting the amount
of subsequent editing required.
In this section, you learned how to create and edit plot elements using the features panel. The
creation process was straightforward, but required some editing in order to obtain a set of plot
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elements forming closed loops only. Various tools are available to make the editing process as easy
as possible and you used the ones that would allow you to get to your goal the most effectively.
Now that both the shell elements and the plot elements delineating the surfaces are available, you
will generate surfaces on the entire model.
Surfaces generated
The surfaces generated could now be exported or used for any surface editing or meshing operation.
This concludes this tutorial. You may discard this model or save it to your working directory for your
own reference. As this tutorial showed, this is a powerful tool in generating surface data where none is
available, but needed. It also provides you with a great deal of control over the surfaces that are
generated through the use of plot elements. Automated and semi-automated ways let you create and
edit plot elements quickly and easily.
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Step 4: Subtract the cylinders volume from the rest of the part.
1. To open the Boolean subpanel, click Geometry > Edit > Solids > Boolean from the menu bar.
2. Verify that operation type: is set to simple (combine all).
3. Set operation: to A-B (remove B from A).
4. Verify that the A: solids selector is active, and then select the original solid.
5. Activate the B: solids selector, and then select the solid cylinder created in step 3.
6. Click calculate.
7. Click return.
8. To confirm the material has been removed, click
model to inspect the part.
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3. In the Model browser, View folder, right-click on View1 and select Show from the context menu.
4. Click drag a cut line.
5. To define the end points of a line that roughly divides the tetrahedral solid in half, select the two
locations indicated in the following image.
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7. Select the half of the original tetrahedral solid indicated in the following image.
8. To split the solid indicated in the following image, repeat steps 6.4 through 6.6.
10. In the Model browser, View folder, right-click on View2 and select Show from the context menu.
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11. To split the solid indicated in the following image, repeat steps 6.4 through 6.6.
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7. Release the mouse button, and left-click in the middle of the edge. A green temp node appears at
the location to indicate the selection for N1.
Note: The plane selector advances to the N2 selection.
8. In the same manner, highlight the other line shown in the previous image.
9. Release the mouse button, and select two nodes along its length.
Note: Your selection should look similar to the following image.
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6. Release the mouse button, and left-click anywhere along the edge. A purple temp node appears at
the location to indicate the selection for the base node.
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Step 11: Split the solid geometry by creating surfaces inside the solids.
1. To open the Spline/Filler subpanel, click Geometry > Create > Surfaces > Spline/Filler from
the menu bar.
2. Clear the Auto create (free edges only) and keep tangency check boxes.
3. Select the five lines indicated in the following image.
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To view a more efficient graphical representation of the solids, set the surface display mode
to
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HM-2070: Geometry and Mesh Editing Using the Quick Edit Panel
This tutorial will explore the geometry and mesh editing functions available in the Quick Edit panel.
The Quick Edit panel provides easy access to a number of geometry editing mesh editing tools. More
than a dozen functions are presented in this single panel. Many of the functions can be found in other
HyperMesh panels. These tools may be used before creating the surface mesh to simplify geometry,
correct geometry errors, or add additional geometric features to control the mesh generation.
Additionally, if a mesh already exists on the geometry, you have the option of automatically remeshing
the geometry as you modify it.
This tutorial uses the model called base_bracket.hm.
Exercise
Step 1: Retrieve model file, base_bracket.hm.
1. Start HyperMesh Desktop.
2. From the menu bar, click File > Open > Model.
3. In the Open Model dialog, open the base_bracket.hm model file.
In the next step, you will start refining the geometry and improving the mesh quality. HyperMesh has
the ability to automatically remesh a surface if any topology changes are made to the geometry. This
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function is controlled by a setting in the Preferences > Meshing Options panel under topology
revision. The default option is to remesh the surface; however, you can opt to keep or delete the
mesh instead.
For the base component, your focus will be to improve the mesh quality around the large holes in the
side surface and the mounting holes on the flanges. You will remove the oblong holes, and improve the
mesh quality around the five small holes on the top surface by trimming in a "washer" surface around
the holes.
4. Repeat steps 4.2 through 4.3 to create four more trim lines in the locations indicated in the
following image. At the end, each of the four small holes is isolated in its own rectangular surface
patch.
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Surface trim lines isolating small holes onto individual surfaces. Note that element display has been turned off for clarity.
Step 5: Trim a washer layer into the surface around each of the four holes.
1. In the offset value field, enter 0.05.
2. Activate the washer split: line(s) selector.
3. Select the free surface edges (red edges) around the four small holes. HyperMesh creates a washer
around each hole.
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9. Repeat steps 5.4 through 5.8 to set a target density and apply it to the remaining inner surface
edge's of the other three holes. All of the hole's should have a total inner element density of 8, with
each inner surface edge having an element density of 4.
10. Activate the adjust/set density left line(s) selector.
11. Left-click on one of the hole's outer surface edges indicated in the following image. HyperMesh
adjusts the element density from 3 to 4.
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15. Repeat steps 5.10 through 5.14 to set a target density and apply it to the remaining outer surface
edge's of the other three holes. All of the hole's should have a total outer element density of 8, with
each outer surface edge having an element density of 4.
Note: You may not have to adjust the density for every hole's outer surface edge, as some may
already have an element density of 4.
16. Activate the adjust/set density left line(s) selector.
17. Left-click on one of the hole's surface trim lines as indicated in the following image. HyperMesh
adjusts the trim line's element density from 3 to 4.
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21. Repeat steps 5.16 through 5.20 to set a target density and apply it to the remaining surface trim
lines that surround the other three holes. Each trim line should an element density of 4.
Step 6: Adjust the mesh around the large holes on the side surfaces.
In this step, you should still be in the Quick Edit panel.
1. Adjust your view to zoom into the three large holes on one side of the model.
2. Use the split-line function that you learned in step 4, to trim 12 surfaces patches around the large
holes as indicated in the following image.
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Note that element display has been turned off for clarity.
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11. Set the mesh method to map as pentagon, and then click set all.
12. Click mesh. HyperMesh regenerates the mesh.
13. To accept the mesh and go back to the Automesh panel, click return.
This completes this tutorial. For more practice using these methods, use the other components in the
model.
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2. To reduce the length of the model, click on one end of the rail and push.
3. To increase the height of the model, click on the bottom of the rail and pull it.
4. Your modified geometry might look something like the example below. It is now ready to be
transferred into HyperMesh Desktop.
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4. In the Select Auto Detect file dialog, navigate to your working directory and open the
rail_extrusion.stp file.
5. Click Import. The graphics area displays your modified geometry.
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HM-2090: Dimensioning
In this tutorial you will learn how to create and edit dimensions on geometry using the Dimensioning
panel. The Dimensioning panel is used to change one or more dimensions of existing geometry, thus
changing the basic shape of solids and other enclosed volumes. With the dimensioning tool, you can
select dimensions of or between surfaces, and modify those dimensions as required with the use of
dimension manipulators.
Exercise
Step 1: Open the model 2_holes.hm.
1. Start HyperMesh Desktop.
2. From the menu bar, click File > Open > Model.
3. In the Open Model dialog, open the 2_holes.hm model file.
4. With the point2 selector now active, select point 2 indicated in the previous image. HyperMesh
creates a dimension manipulator with a value of 0.375 between the two points, which represents
the thickness of the part.
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1. Click the dimension value (0.375) of the dimension manipulator created in the previous step.
2. In the editable field, enter 0.25 and then press ENTER. The part's thickness decreases.
3. Change the dimension value again from 0.25 to 0.5. The part's thickness increases.
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5. Click create. HyperMesh creates two nodes that will be used to show the starting position of the
thickness during future modifications.
11. Change the dimension value again from 0.5 to 1.0. The bottom end stays fixed.
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14. Change the dimension value again from 0.5 to 1.0. The top end stays fixed.
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3. With the point2 selector now active, select point 2 indicated in the previous image. HyperMesh
creates a dimension manipulator with a value of 0.25 between the two points, which represents the
diameter of the hole.
4. Change the dimension value from 0.875 to .25. The hole's diameter decreases.
5. Change the dimension value again from 0.25 to .5. The hole's diameter increases.
6. Create a dimension manipulator with a dimension value of 0.75 on the other hole as indicated in
the following image.
7. Change the dimension value from 0.75 to 1.0. The hole's diameter increases.
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7. Change the hole's diameter value from 0.5 to 0.25. HyperMesh remeshes the part for the change in
the hole's diameter.
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Meshing
1-D Elements
HM-3000: Creating 1-D Elements
2-D Elements
HM-3100: AutoMeshing
HM-3110: Meshing without Surfaces
HM-3120: 2-D Mesh in Curved Surfaces
HM-3130: QI Mesh Creation
HM-3140: Batch Meshing
HM-3150: Meshing a Model Using Shrink Wrap
3-D Elements
HM-3200: Tetrameshing
HM-3210: Creating a Hex-Penta Mesh using Surfaces
HM-3220: Creating a Hexahedral Mesh using the Solid Map Function
HM-3270: Using the TetraMesh Process Manager
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1-D Elements
HM-3000: Creating 1-D Elements
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8. Activate the node A selector, and select the lower node indicated in the following image.
9. With the node B selector now active, select the upper node indicated in the previous image.
HyperMesh creates the two-noded bar element.
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2-D Elements
HM-3100: AutoMeshing
HM-3110: Meshing without Surfaces
HM-3120: 2-D Mesh in Curved Surfaces
HM-3130: QI Mesh Creation
HM-3140: Batch Meshing
HM-3150: Meshing a Model Using Shrink Wrap
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HM-3100: AutoMeshing
In this tutorial, you will:
Learn how to mesh all of the surfaces at once, specifying different element sizes and element
types
Practice changing the element density along surface edges
Practice checking element quality and changing the mesh pattern by changing the mesh
algorithm
Learn how to preview the mesh on all the unmeshed surfaces
Practice changing the element type and node spacing (biasing) along surface edges
Learn how to remesh surfaces
The optimal starting point for creating a shell mesh for a part is to have geometry surfaces defining the
part. The most efficient method for creating a mesh representing the part includes using the
Automesh panel and creating a mesh directly on the parts surfaces.
Exercise
This exercise uses the model file, channel.hm.
Step 2: Mesh all the parts surfaces at once using an element size of 5 and
the mixed element type (quads and trias).
1. To open the AutoMesh panel, click Mesh > Create > 2D AutoMesh from the menu bar, or press
F12.
2. Go to the size and bias subpanel.
3. Verify that the entity selector is set to surfs.
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At this point, you could be done using the Mesh panel to mesh the part. The mesh quality is very
good. However, you will remain in the meshing module to perform the next steps, which demonstrate
how to use various subpanels to interactively control the creation of the mesh.
Step 4: Mesh the surface having three fixed points interior to its surface.
In this step, you should be in the AutoMesh panel, size and bias subpanel.
1. Leave all options in the subpanel as they are.
2. Select the surface that has three fixed points interior to its surface indicated in the following image.
Step 5: Fit only the surface being meshed to the graphics area.
1. To fit the surface to the graphics area, click f or click local view >> fill in the density subpanel.
Step 6: From the graphics area, specify a new element density along surface
edges.
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Left-click on the edges element density number to increase it by one, or right-click on the
element's density number to decrease it by one.
or
Click and hold the mouse pointer on the edges element density number and drag your mouse
up to increase the number or down to decrease the number.
3. Click mesh. HyperMesh updates the preview mesh based on the change.
Step 7: From the density subpanel, specify a new element density along
surface edges.
In this step, you should still be in the density subpanel.
1. In the elem density= field, enter 10.
2. Activate the set: edge selector.
3. Select the element density number of the edge indicated in the following image to change its value
to 10.
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4. Click mesh. HyperMesh updates the preview mesh based on the change.
5. Click set all to. HyperMesh changes all of the edge's densities to 10.
6. Click mesh. HyperMesh updates the preview mesh based on the change.
Step 8: From the density subpanel, specify a new element size to adjust
element densities along surface edges.
1. In this step, you should still be in the density subpanel.
2. In the elem size= field, enter 7.
3. Activate the calculate: edge selector.
4. Select the element density number of the edge indicated in the following image to calculate it based
on an element size of 7. HyperMesh calculates the new number to create elements as close as
possible to 7.
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5. Click mesh. HyperMesh updates the preview mesh based on the change.
6. Click recalc all. HyperMesh calculates and changes all of the edge's densities based on an element
size of 7.
7. Click mesh. HyperMesh updates the preview mesh based on the change.
Step 9: Change all edge element densities to reflect the initial element size
of 5.
1. In the elem size= field, enter 5.
2. Click recalc all.
3. Click mesh. HyperMesh updates the preview mesh based on the change.
4. To accept the mesh and go back to the size and bias subpanel, click return.
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5. Verify that none of the elements have a jacobian less than 0.7.
6. Under quads, enter 45 in the min. angle < field.
7. Click min angle. The minimum interior angle found among all of the quad elements is 46.46.
8. Under quads, enter 135 in the max. angle > field.
9. Click max angle. The maximum interior angle found among all of the quad elements is 136.58.
Step 12: Change the ribs mesh pattern by changing the mesh method used
for its surface.
1. Go to the mesh style subpanel. The edge's element density numbers have disappeared, and there
is now a small icon interior to the rib's surface. This icon indicates that HyperMesh is currently using
the free (unmapped) mesh method to mesh the surface.
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Step 13: Check the quality of the ribs preview mesh again.
1. Go the checks subpanel.
2. Check for elements having an aspect ratio greater than 5.
Highest value reported is _____.
3. Check for elements having a jacobian less than 0.7.
Lowest value reported is _____. In this case, the free (unmapped) mesh has a better jacobian than
the map as rectangle mesh.
4. Check for quad elements having a min angle less than 45.
Smallest value reported is _____.
5. Check for quad elements having a max angle greater than 135.
Highest value reported is _____.
Step 14: Change the ribs mesh method back to free (unmapped).
1. Go to the mesh style subpanel.
2. Under mesh method, use the switch to select free (unmapped).
3. Under mesh method, click set all.
4. Click mesh. HyperMesh updates the preview mesh based on the change.
5. To accept the mesh as final and go back to the Mesh panel, click return.
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Step 16: Change the element type for some surfaces to trias.
1. Go to the mesh style subpanel.
2. Under elem type, click toggle surf. HyperMesh displays
interior to each surface, which
indicates that the mixed element type (quads and trias) is currently being used to mesh the
surface.
3. Under elem type, use the switch to change the mesh type to trias.
4. Under elem type, activate the set surf selector.
5. On the two surfaces indicated in the following image, left-click on
trias ( ).
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6. Click mesh. HyperMesh updates the preview mesh based on the change.
Left-click on the edges biasing intensity number to increase it by 0.1, or right-click on the
edge's biasing intensity number to decrease it by 0.1.
or
Click and hold the mouse pointer on the edges biasing intensity number and drag your mouse
up to increase the number or down to decrease the number.
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5. Click mesh. HyperMesh updates the preview mesh based on the change.
to change it from the linear bias style to the bellcurve ( ) bias style.
13. Click mesh. HyperMesh updates the preview mesh based on the change.
14. To accept the final mesh and go back to the Mesh panel, click return.
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Surfaceless meshing is defined as the creation of mesh using points, lines, and nodes rather than
surfaces. Some parts may have missing surfaces and some parts may not have any surfaces at all and
are instead defined by line data. Either way, a mesh still must be created. HyperMesh has a number of
panels that you can use to create a mesh based on geometry rather than surfaces.
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Step 2: Create a concentric circle around a hole on the top face using the
scale panel.
There are three circles on the upper region of the bracket, which represent three holes in the bracket.
Two of the holes have concentric circles around them. This configuration allows you to create a radial
mesh pattern around the holes. The following steps will show you how to create a concentric circle
around the third hole.
1. To open the Scale panel, click Geometry > Scale > Lines from the menu bar, or select Scale
from the Tool page.
2. Click uniform and enter 2.0 in the scale= field.
3. To open the Distance panel, press F4.
4. Go to the three nodes subpanel.
5. Verify that the N1 node selector is active.
6. Press and hold your left mouse button, move it over the circle representing the hole as indicated in
the following image, and then release it when the cursor changes to a square with a dot in the
center
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Step 3: Create a radial mesh between each of the concentric circles using
the spline panel.
1. To open the Spline panel, click Mesh > Create > 2D Elements > Spline from the menu bar, or
select Spline from the 2D page.
2. Verify that the entity selector is set to lines.
3. Select all six circular lines.
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10. To accept the mesh and go back to the Spline panel, click return.
Step 4: Mesh the rest of the top face using the spline panel.
1. With the entity type set to lines, select the four lines defining the perimeter of the top face and
the three circular lines defining the outside perimeter of the three radial meshes.
2. Click create. The meshing module opens.
3. To accept the mesh and go back to the main menu, click return twice.
Step 5: Mesh the back face of the bracket using the line drag panel.
1. To open the Line Drag panel, click Mesh > Create > 2D Elements > Line Drag from the menu
bar, or click Line Drag from the 2D page.
2. Go to the drag geoms subpanel.
3. Set the drag selector to line list.
4. Select the line that is on the perimeter of the existing mesh and adjacent to the brackets back face
as indicated in the following image.
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6. Select one of the two lines defining the back face that are perpendicular to the selected line to drag
as indicated in the following image.
Step 6: Mesh the bottom face of the bracket using the ruled panel.
1. To open the Ruled panel, click Mesh > Create > 2D Elements > Ruled from the menu bar, or
select Ruled from the 2D page.
2. Verify that the top entity selector is set to node list.
3. Click node list >> by path. The entity selector changes to node path.
4. Select the end nodes located on the back face edge that borders the bottom face, as indicated in
the following image. HyperMesh selects all of the nodes between the two selected nodes.
5. Click node path >> show node order. HyperMesh highlights and numbers the nodes to show the
order in which they have been selected.
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8. Switch the creation method from mesh, keep surf to mesh, w/o surf.
9. Select the auto reverse check box.
Note: When elements are generated, the edges used to create them can be ordered in different
directions. The order of the edges is determined by the order in which the nodes are selected
or the direction of the selected line(s). If the direction is different for each selection, then a
mesh that crosses itself, similar to a bow tie, will be created. To prevent this, the auto
reverse option ensures elements are generated with a similar order on each side of the
mesh.
10. Click create. The meshing module opens.
11. To accept the mesh and return to the main menu, click return twice.
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Mesh of rib
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Chordal deviation is a meshing algorithm that allows HyperMesh to automatically vary node densities
and biasing along curved surface edges to gain a more accurate representation of the surface being
meshed.
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Step 3: Set the chordal deviation parameters and create the mesh.
In this step, you will mesh a set of surfaces using the maximum deviation parameter to control the
element densities and biasing.
1. Go to the edge deviation subpanel.
2. In the min elem size = field, enter 1.000.
Tip:
To cycle through the parameter settings, press TAB after typing in a value.
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Step 4: Set the chordal deviation parameters and create the mesh.
In this step, you will use the same chordal deviation settings from the previous step, but reduce the
maximum angle parameter to compare the effects.
1. In the max angle = field, enter 20.000.
2. Select surfs >> by collector >> angle ctrl.
3. Click select.
4. Click mesh. HyperMesh creates the mesh on the surfaces.
Step 5: Set the chordal deviation parameters and create the mesh.
In this step, you will use the same chordal deviation parameters from the previous step except for the
maximum element size parameter. The maximum element size parameter is increased to allow the
algorithm to create larger and fewer elements along planer and less curved surface edges.
1. In the max elem size = field, enter 30.000.
2. Select surfs >> by collector >> max size ctrl.
3. Click select.
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2. On the right-hand side of the panel, note the value for comp. Q.I.=. It should read 85.09.
Tip:
Keep this number in mind so that you can judge how much progress you make in improving
the element quality.
3. Click cleanup tools. The QI criteria is replaced by a series of yellow buttons, each representing a
tool for element cleanup.
Use these options on the hole in the mesh to reposition nodes on the hole's edges, change the
radius of the holes, and link holes with their washers so that the washers rotate or resize along
with changes made to the holes.
radial
Use this option to alter the radius of a hole (and, optionally, the washer).
To alter the radius of the hole, click and drag a node in the graphics
area. The element orientation remains constant, but the hole may
become larger or smaller based on the input. There are additional
controls to enable or disable automatic remeshing when altering the hole
dimensions.
radius: (and edit This field displays the current radius of the hole that the selected node
check box)
belongs to. By default it is a display-only field.
If you do not want to click and drag a node in the graphics area, you can
select the edit check box and specify a desired radius. Once you click a
node in the desired hole, the radius will change to the specified value.
angular
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Use this option to move the nodes around the edges of the hole without
changing the hole diameter or the spacing between nodes.
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This field displays the current angle of the hole that the selected node
belongs to, relative to its original (unmodified) starting position. By
default it is a a display-only field.
If you do not want to click and drag a node in the graphics area, you can
select the edit check box and specify a desired angle. Once you click a
node in the desired hole, the angle will change to the specified value.
Use this option to simultaneously change the hole's radius and the
orientation of nodes around its edge. Like the angular option, the node
spacing remains proportionally consistent, though actual spacing will be
scaled in accordance with changes in the hole radius.
radial and
angular: (and
edit check
boxes)
These fields display the current angle and radius of the hole that the
selected node belongs to. By default they are both a display-only field.
circumferential
Used primarily on openings like slots, this option rotates the nodes along
the circumference of the slot without altering the hole's size or
shape/orientation. The capability works on enclosed slots or holes, it is
not designed to work on slots with an opening.
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If you do not want to click and drag a node in the graphics area, you can
select both edit check boxes and specify a desired angle and radius.
Once you click a node in the desired hole, the angle and radius will
simultaneously change to the specified values.
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circumferential
(and edit check
box)
This field displays the current arc length of the hole that the selected
node belongs to. By default it is a display-only field.
link washers
If you do not want to click and drag a node in the graphics area, you can
select the edit check box and specify a desired arc length. Once you click
a node in the desired hole, the arc length will change to the specified
value.
remesh number
of layers:
Use the following place node options to reposition some of the nodes in the mesh and change
the shape of the surrounding elements. To reposition a node in the mesh, click and drag it.
The affected elements will change color as you reposition the node to indicate their quality
grade at the node's current position. Observe how the comp. Q.I. changes.
along surface / Use this toggle to determine which direction the node will move. To move
normal to
the node along the plane or curvature of the surface, select along
surface
surface. To move the node directly away from the surface in a normal
direction, select normal to surface.
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Movement along surface; note that the node cannot normally exceed the edge of the mesh.
To move the nodes past the edges of a mesh boundary, select this check
box. This option is only available when along surface is selected.
move
midnodes
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To move the midnodes associated with the node you are moving, select
this check box. This option is useful when you are working with second
order elements.
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Each time you click an edge in the graphics area, it switches to the next valid configuration. If
an edge swap will not improve element quality, a message to that effect displays in the status
bar. To force the swap anyways, click the edge a second time. Additional clicks will cycle
through the possible edge positions. The number of possible edge positions depends on the
types of elements involved.
For a pair of trias, there are two possible positions for their shared edge. For a pair of quads,
there are three possible positions. For a quad and a tria, there are six possible positions.
7. Experiment with the node optimize tool.
Use the Node Optimize tool to automatically move a selected node to optimize the overall
quality of its surrounding elements. The options along surface, normal to surface, and along
and normal to surface work exactly as described for the place node tool. The only difference
is that node optimize moves the node automatically, while place node requires you to choose
the location manually.
To move the midnodes attached to the node you are optimizing, select the with attached
midnodes check box. This option is useful when you are working with second order elements.
Try selecting some of the nodes on the mesh. In particular, select nodes of elements that are
highlighted red, since these have the worst quality. You should see each node move as it is
selected, improving the surrounding mesh quality. Notice what happens to the value of the
comp. Q.I., it should improve as you select more nodes.
Use the Element Optimize tool to automatically optimize the shape of the selected element and
the elements surrounding it. It is similar to Node Optimize, except that its effects are widerspread.
To move the midnodes attached to the element you are optimizing, select the with attached
midnodes check box. This option is useful when you are working with second order elements.
Try selecting some of the elements on the mesh. In particular, select elements that are
highlighted red, since these have the worst quality. You should usually see the shape of the
element change as it is selected, improving the surrounding mesh quality. Notice what happens
to the value of the comp. Q.I. , it should improve as you select more elements.
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Function
target quality
index=
The target value you would like the quality index to be after the
smoothing operation. This value is not guaranteed from smoothing.
The smooth operation will attempt to hit this target.
time limit
If you are working with large models, select this check box to ensure
the smoothing routine does not take more time than you want to
allow.
feature angle
The Smooth panel evaluates the angle between the normals of two
adjacent elements. If this angle is equal to or greater than the value
specified in this field, HyperMesh will not allow the nodes shared by
the elements to move.
If use current criteria file is selected, HyperMesh will use the current
criteria file for your Q.I. settings.
If criteria file is selected, you can select and use a different criteria
file for your Q.I. settings. If a criteria file is specified, leave this option
blank.
recursive
optimization
procedure / single
optimization step
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Function
use current criteria If use current criteria file is selected, HyperMesh will
in QI panel
use the current criteria file for your Q.I. settings.
If criteria file is selected, you can select and use a
different criteria file for your Q.I. settings. If a criteria file
is specified, leave this option blank.
Smooth across
common edges
feature angle
Keep/ Redo /
Break connectivity
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11. Use the qualityindex panel to check the quality index of this mesh, and compare it to the previous
mesh.
12. Look at the value for the comp. Q.I.= field. It should be 0.12, which is much lower that the 85.10
value of the mesh you originally generated.
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Batch Mesher is a tool that can perform geometry cleanup and automeshing (in batch mode) for given
CAD files. Batch Mesher performs a variety of geometry cleanup operations to improve the quality of
the mesh created for the selected element size and type. Cleanup operations include: equivalencing of
"red" free edges, fixing small surfaces (relative to the element size), and detecting features.
Batch Mesher also performs specified surface editing/defeaturing operations such as: removal of
pinholes (less than specified size), removal of edge fillets, and addition of a layer of washer elements
around holes.
All user-defined criteria determines the quality index (QI) of a model. The QI value is used to assess
the potential of each geometry cleanup and meshing tool, and apply them accordingly. QI optimized
meshing and node placement optimization are performed to obtain the best quality meshing. Final
results are stored in a HyperMesh database file.
Tools
To start Batch Mesher on Windows:
Click on the Start menu > All Programs > Altair HyperWorks > BatchMesher.
Or
Type hw_batchmesh with the full path (~altairhome\hm\batchmesh\hw_batchmesh).
Exercise
Step 1: Open BatchMesher.
1. Start BatchMesher as described above.
2. In the Input model directory field, click
Note: In this exercise, you will use files located in the <installation_directory>\tutorials\hm
directory.
3. In the Output directory, click
Input model directory.
4. Optional: Move all of the .hm output files to the corresponding directory of the input model by
selecting the Relocate .hm files to input model directory checkbox.
5. On the right-hand side of BatchMesher, click
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6. From the Type of Geometry list, select the appropriate CAD data type. For this tutorial, use the
geometry already loaded in HyperMesh, therefore select HyperMesh.
Note: A filter will help select applicable HyperMesh models for batch meshing.
7. Select the following model files: part1.hm, part2.hm and bm_housing.hm.
Tip:
8. Click Select.
3. Double-click the Mesh Type field, and then enter a name for the mesh type.
4. Double-click the Criteria File field, and then click
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Step 4: On the Run Setup tab, begin defining a configuration for the batch
mesh run.
1. For each geometry file, click the Mesh Type field and select the predefined mesh types as follows:
2. For the Geometry file bm_housing.hm, click the Post-Mesh field and select the procedure you
created in Step 3.
Note: This will run the tetramesher on all available shell elements after batch meshing.
3. Click Submit to initiate the run, or click Submit At to submit the job at a specified time.
BatchMesher switches to the Run Status tab. As the three jobs run, the Status changes from
Working to Pending to Done.
4. Obtain more details on a single job when its status is Working by selecting the job and then
clicking Show Details. A detailed summary appears with a table containing information about the
model during each step of the batch meshing process, such as the number of failed elements and
the quality index.
5. Once a job's status is Done, click Load Mesh. BatchMesher loads the mesh into HyperMesh for
model interrogation.
6. Obtain an overall run status of all the jobs by clicking Run Details once all of the jobs have been
meshed.
7. While the jobs are running, you can pause or cancel them. If you pause a job, it can be resumed
immediately or you can have it resume at a specific time.
8. Once the BatchMesher session has been setup with file directories and mesh types, you can save it
as a config file and load it at a future time.
9. It is also possible to load an entire set of models that have already been batch meshed in order to
take advantage of the Load Mesh option in the Run Status tab.
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10. If you make modifications to your criteria or parameter files, you can submit a run again.
BatchMesher will place the new files in a separate sub-directory.
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From the Criteria tab, you can set the target element size, element criteria, and the method
that is used to calculate the values. You can also select the Advanced Criteria Table check
box to enabled additional options that give you more control over the intermediate QI values,
however, it is usually not necessary to edit these options in order to obtain a good quality mesh.
The Use min length from timestep calculator check box is also available for explicit solver
models. If you select this check box, the overall minimum element size will be set by this option
and the top element checks will be disabled.
From the Parameters tab, you can set all of the meshing controls over various geometric
features. Parameters are grouped into sections; you can click the small downward-arrows next
to each section to show and hide that section. The number of parameters is extensive; for more
details, see the Parameters Editor topic in the BatchMesher help.
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You can use the Shrink Wrap tool to generate an enclosed volume or solid mesh. This tools is
typically used to approximate and simplify an existing model.
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Step 2: Create a loose shell shrink wrap mesh in the loose_gap component.
1. If the model's geometry and surface edges are not shaded, click
3. Open the Shrink Wrap panel by clicking Mesh > Create > Shrink Wrap Mesh from the menu
bar.
4. Switch the tight wrap toggle to loose wrap.
5. Verify that the entity selector is active and set to comps.
6. From the graphics area, select the component. HyperMesh highlights the entire component.
7. In the element size= field, enter 4.
8. Click mesh. HyperMesh generates the shrinkwrap.
9. In the Model browser, Component folder, right-click on surfaces and select Hide from the
context menu.
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3. From the graphics area, review the model to see the features.
4. Right-click on the block component and select Hide from the context menu.
Step 4: Create a loose shell shrink wrap mesh in the loose component.
1. In the Model browser, Component folder, right-click on loose and select Make Current from the
context menu.
2. Click comps >> block.
Note: Deselect any other components, if necessary.
3. Click select.
4. In the element size= field, enter 10.
5. Click mesh. HyperMesh generates the shrinkwrap.
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The 3D mesh fills the model's volume, rather than only covering its outer surfaces.
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Step 7 (Optional): Change the minimum jacobian to 0.3 for optimized mesh.
In this step, you should still be in the mask panel.
1. Click unmask all.
2. Open the Delete panel by pressing F2.
3. Click elems >> displayed.
4. Click delete entity.
5. Open the Shrink Wrap panel.
6. Click comps >> block.
Note: Deselect any other components, if necessary.
7. Click select.
8. In the minimum jacobian field, enter 0.3.
9. Click mesh. HyperMesh generates the shrinkwrap.
Note: This mesh is smoother than it was when the minimum jacobian had higher values.
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3-D Elements
HM-3200: Tetrameshing
HM-3210: Creating a Hex-Penta Mesh using Surfaces
HM-3220: Creating a Hexahedral Mesh using the Solid Map Function
HM-3270: Using the TetraMesh Process Manager
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HM-3200: Tetrameshing
In this tutorial, you will learn about:
Volume tetra mesher
Standard tetra mesher
Checking tetra element quality
Remeshing tetra elements
HyperMesh provides two methods for generating a tetrahedral element mesh. The volume tetra
mesher works directly with surface or solid geometry to automatically generate a tetrahedral mesh
without further interaction with you. Even with complex geometry, this method can often generate a
high quality tetra mesh quickly and easily.
The standard tetra mesher requires a surface mesh of tria or quad elements as input, and then
provides you with a number of options to control the resulting tetrahedral mesh. This offers a great
deal of control over the tetrahedral mesh, and provides the means to generate a tetrahedral mesh for
even the most complex models.
You can use the Tetramesh panel to fill an enclosed volume with first or second order tetrahedral
elements. A region is considered enclosed if it is entirely bounded by a shell mesh (tria or quad
elements), where each element has material on one side and open space on the other.
Exercise
This tutorial uses the model called housing.hm in the <installation_directory>\tutorials\hm
folder.
Step 2: Use the volume tetra mesher and equilateral triangles to create a
tetra mesh for the cover.
1. Open the Tetramesh panel by clicking Mesh > Create > Tetra Mesh from the menu bar.
2. Go to the Volume tetra subpanel.
3. Set the Enclosed volume selector to surfs .
4. Select one of the surfaces in the model.
5. Verify that the 2D type is set to trias and the 3D type is set to tetras.
These options control the type of elements that HyperMesh creates for the surface mesh and solid
mesh of the part.
6. Verify that the toggle is set to Elems to Current Comp.
This option allows HyperMesh to place the newly created elements in the current component
collector.
7. Verify that the Use curvature and Use proximity checkboxes are clear.
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11. Inspect the mesh pattern that the volume tetra mesher created.
Tetra mesh created in the volume tetra subpanel using equilateral triangles (2D: trias)
Step 3: Use the volume tetra mesher and right triangles to create a tetra
mesh for the cover.
In this step, you should still be in the Volume tetra subpanel.
1. Select one of the surfaces in the model.
2. Set the 2D type to R-trias.
3. Click mesh. HyperMesh creates the tetra mesh.
4. Inspect the mesh pattern that the volume tetra mesher created and compare it to the first mesh
that you created.
Note: The 2D type: R-trias setting tends to create tetra elements with triangular faces that are
right triangles (90-45-45 angles), while the 2D type: trias setting tends to create
equilateral triangles (60-60-60 angles).
Tetra mesh from the volume tetra subpanel and right triangles (2D type: R-trias)
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Step 4: Use the volume tetra mesher to create a tetra mesh with more
elements along curved surfaces.
In this step, you should still be in the Volume tetra subpanel.
1. Select one of the surfaces in the model.
2. Select the Use curvature checkbox.
The option causes more elements to be created along areas of high surface curvature. Thus, curved
areas such as fillets will have more and smaller elements, which capture those features with higher
resolution.
3. In the Min elem size field, enter 1.0.
4. Verify that the Feature angle is set to 30.
5. Click mesh. HyperMesh creates the tetra mesh.
6. Inspect the mesh pattern that the volume tetra mesher created and compare it to the previous
meshes you created. You can see that more small elements are created around the fillets.
Tetra mesh from the volume tetra subpanel with the use curvature check box selected
Step 5: Use the volume tetra mesher to create a tetra mesh with more
elements around small features.
In this step, you should still be in the Volume tetra subpanel.
1. Select one of the surfaces in the model.
2. Select the Use proximity checkbox.
This option causes the mesh to be refined in areas where surfaces are smaller, which results in a
nice transition from small elements on small surfaces to larger elements on larger, adjacent
surfaces.
3. Click mesh. HyperMesh creates the tetra mesh.
4. Inspect the mesh pattern that the volume tetra mesher created and compare it to the previous
meshes you created. You can see that more elements are created around the surfaces with small
angles.
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Tetra mesh from the volume tetra subpanel with the Use curvature and Use proximity check boxes selected.
Step 6: Prepare the display to tetra mesh the hub component using the
standard tetra mesher.
1. In the Model browser, turn off the display of every component's geometry except for hub.
2. Turn off the display of every component's elements except for hub and tetras.
Note: There are tria shell elements in the hub component, and no elements in the tetras
component.
3. Return to the main menu by clicking return.
Step 7 (Optional): Review the connectivity and quality of the tria mesh to
validate its integrity for the standard tetra mesher.
In this step you will use the Edges and Check Elems panels to make sure that there are no free
edges or very small angles in the tria shell mesh.
1. Open the Edges panel by clicking Mesh > Check > Components > Edges from the menu bar.
2. Verify that the entity selector is set to comps.
3. Select a tria element on the hub component. HyperMesh highlights the entire component.
4. Click find edges. The status bar displays a message that reads, "No edges were found. Selected
elements may enclose a volume."
Note: The tetra mesher requires a closed volume of shell elements.
5. Return to the main menu by clicking return.
6. Open the Check Elements panel by clicking Mesh > Check > Elements > Check Elements from
the menu bar.
7. Verify that you are in the 2-d subpanel.
8. Identify the elements that have an aspect ratio greater than 5.
Aspect ratio is the ratio of the longest edge of an element to its shortest edge. This check helps you
to identify sliver elements. All of the hubs shell elements pass the check; all of the elements have
an aspect ratio less than 5.
9. Identify the tria elements that have an angle less than 20.
This check helps identify sliver elements. All of the hubs shell elements pass the check; all the
elements have angles greater than 20. The surface mesh is suitable for creating a tetra mesh.
10. Return to the main menu by clicking return.
Step 8: Create a tetra mesh for the hub using the standard tetra mesher.
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1. In the Model browser, Component folder, right-click on tetras and select Make Current from the
context menu.
2. Open the Tetra Mesh panel.
3. Go to the Tetra mesh subpanel.
4. Verify that the Float trias/quads to tetra mesh entity selector is set to comps.
Note: By using this entity selector, HyperMesh will swap the diagonal for any pair of surface trias,
which will result in a better tetra mesh quality. If you would rather keep the diagonal, see
step 8.6.
5. Select a shell element on the hub component. HyperMesh highlights the entire component.
6. Optional: Keep the diagonal as is by activating the Fixed trias/quads to tetra mesh entity
selector and setting it to comps.
7. Click mesh. HyperMesh generates the tetrahedral elements.
Step 10: Isolate the element with the tetra collapse smaller than 0.2 and
find the elements surrounding it.
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Step 11: Remesh the hubs displayed tetra elements to improve their tetra
collapse.
1. Open the Tetra Mesh panel.
2. Go to the Tetra remesh subpanel.
3. Click 3D elements: elems >> displayed.
4. Click remesh. HyperMesh regenerates this area of the mesh.
5. Return to the main menu by clicking return.
6. Open the Check Elements panel.
7. Find out if the tetra collapse has improved for the displayed elements by clicking tet collapse. The
status bar indicates that the minimum tetra collapse is larger than the value reported before the
tetra elements were remeshed.
8. Return to the main menu by clicking return.
Summary
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You have created a tetra mesh for both parts in the model using different tetra meshing procedures.
Either method can be used to mesh parts, depending on the needs of the analysis. The tetra remesh
function was used in this tutorial to show how to quickly fix the quality of tetra elements.
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For some analyses, it is desirable to use a mesh of hexahedral and pentahedral elements. This is
especially true for parts which have a large thickness compared to the element size being used, or for
parts that have many features and/or changes in thickness. Castings or forgings are good examples.
Step 2: Mesh the top surface of the base, including the L-shaped surface.
1. In the Model browser, Component folder, right-click on base and select Make Current from the
context menu.
2. Right-click on base again and select Isolate from the from the context menu. HyperMesh hides all
of the components except for base.
3. Open the AutoMesh panel by clicking Mesh > Create > 2D AutoMesh from the menu bar.
4. Go to the size and bias subpanel.
5. Shade the model's geometry and surface edges by clicking
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7. Select the surfaces on the top of the base, including the L-shaped surface at the intersection of the
base and the arm.
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Step 4: Prepare the display for meshing the arms curved segment.
1. In the Model browser, Component folder, right-click on arm_curve and select Show from the
context menu.
2. Open the Mask panel by pressing F5.
3. Click elems >> by config.
4. Click config= and select the hex8 configuration.
5. Click select entities. HyperMesh selects all of the elements with a configuration of hex8 in the
model.
6. Click mask. HyperMesh masks the elements.
7. Return to the main menu by clicking return.
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5. Click three locations along the selected line. The active selector advances from N1 to N2 to N3,
and HyperMesh create the temporary nodes on the selected curved line of the arm.
6. Click circle center . HyperMesh creates the node at the center.
Note: You will use this node in the next step when you mesh the arm.
Step 6: Create hexa elements in the curved portion of the arm using spin.
1. In the Model browser, Component folder, right-click on arm_curve and select Make Current
from the context menu.
2. Open the Spin panel by clicking Mesh > Create > 3D Elements > Spin from the menu bar.
3. Go to the spin elems subpanel.
4. Click 2d elems: elems >> by window.
5. Select the plate elements within the L-shaped cross section of the arm as indicated in the following
image.
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9. Select the center node you created in step 5 for the base node (B).
10. In the on spin = field, enter 24.
Note: This option determines how many layers of hex elements HyperMesh creates when the plate
elements are spun.
11. Click spin -.
12. Return to the main menu by clicking return.
Step 8: Prepare the display for meshing the second arm segment.
1. From the Model browser, turn on the display of the arm_straight and ^faces components.
Step 9: Mesh the L-shaped set of surfaces between the arm_straight and
boss components.
1. In the Model browser, Component folder, right-click on arm_straight and select Make Current
from the context menu.
2. Open the Automesh panel.
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3. Select the three surfaces lying on the intersection between the arm_straight and boss
components as indicated in the following image.
Note: These surfaces are all in the arm_straight component.
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9. Create the elements and go back to the main menu by clicking return twice.
Step 10: Use linear solid to build the mesh between the two sets of shell
elements.
1. Open the Linear Solid panel by clicking Mesh > Create > 3D Elements > Linear 3D from the
menu bar.
2. Activate the from: elems selector.
3. Select the ^faces elements lying on the intersection between the first and second arm segments
as indicated in the following image.
Tip:
Quickly select all of the necessary elements by selecting one of the elements and then
clicking from: elems >> by face.
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5. Adjust the density of each edge to obtain a mesh that matches the following image.
Step 14: Generate hexas for the boss using the Solid Map panel.
1. Open the Solid Map panel by clicking Mesh > Create > Solid Map Mesh from the menu bar.
2. Go to the general subpanel.
3. Click the source geom switch and select none.
4. Activate the dest geom: surf selector.
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5. Select the top surface of the boss as indicated in the following image.
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2. Open the Solid Map Mesh panel by clicking Mesh > Create > Solid Map Mesh from the menu
bar.
3. Go to the one volume subpanel.
4. Under along parameters, enter 1 in the elem size= field.
5. Activate the volume to mesh: solid entity selector.
6. Select the small cube-shaped solid, as indicated in the following image.
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7. Click mesh.
8. Shade the model's elements and mesh lines by clicking
Step 3: Create a shell mesh with the Automesh panel to control a mesh
pattern.
1. Open the Automesh panel by clicking Mesh > Create > 2D AutoMesh from the menu bar.
2. Go to the size and bias subpanel.
3. Select the surface as indicated in the following image.
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Step 4: Mesh the solid volume on which the surface mesh was created in
Step 3.
1. Open the Solid Map Mesh panel.
2. Go to the one volume subpanel.
3. Select the volume shown in the following image.
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Note: The goal is to ensure that each solid is either 1-directional or 3-directional mappable.
3. From the menu bar, click Preferences > Colors.
4. In the Color dialog click the Geometry tab.
5. Optional: Under By mappable display mode (solids), click the color swatches to adjust the
display color of the following:
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1dir. map: Visualization for solids that can be mapped, for 3D meshing, in one direction.
3dir. map: Visualization for solids that can be mapped, for 3D meshing, in three directions.
ignored map: Default visualization for solids that require partitioning to become mappable.
not mappable: Visualization for solids that have been edited, but still require further
partitioning to create mappable solids.
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Once in the mappable visualization mode, it is clear that there is one 3-directional mappable solid and
the rest are 1-directional mappable.
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9. Accept the solid element mesh and return to the Solid Map Mesh panel by clicking return.
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Exercise
Step 1: Initiate the Process Manager.
1. Start a new session in the TetraMesh Process Manager by clicking Mesh > Create >
TetraMesh Process > Create New from the menu bar.
2. In the Create New Session dialog, enter a name for the session in the New Session Name field.
Note: Creating a session name and saving the session allows you to stop the process before
completion and then load it again at a later time, picking up the process at the point it was
left off.
3. In the Working Folder field, navigate to the location of your working directory.
4. Click Create. The Process Manager opens in the tab area.
in
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If this did not correct all of the free edges, increase the Tolerance value until all of the free
edges are equivalenced.
2. Click Auto Organize. HyperMesh organizes all of the holes in the model less than 10 units into two
component collectors, each with a different color.
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4. In the Hole Parameters Table, Num Circumference Elems column, enter 12 in each row.
Note: The Num Circumference Elems field governs the number of elements that will be meshed
around the hole.
5. In the Longitudinal Elem Size column, enter 1 in each row.
Note: The Longitudinal Elem Size field dictates the unit size of the elements through the length
of the hole.
6. Click Auto Organize.
7. Click ACCEPT.
3.
Click ACCEPT.
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5. Click proceed. The Organize panel opens with the surfaces pre-selected and ready to move into a
new component called grp_Faces.
6. Click move.
7. Click return.
8. Click
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5. Click ACCEPT.
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7. Click AutoCleanup. A dialog appears with a message that reads, "Cleanup process performed on
32 failed elements. No failed elements remain."
Note: This confirms that all failed edges have been fixed and there are no further errors in the
model.
8. Optional: Use the Manual tab to manually check the model for free edges and t-junctions, and fix
any that are found. There is also an option to display normals. Use these options to find and fix any
errors.
9. Click ACCEPT.
Note: The Tetramesh Process Manager automatically places any elements that fail the AutoCleanup
procedure in the user mark. This allows for easy retrieval of problem elements. You can
employ the tools from the standard HyperMesh panels to fix these remaining elements.
7. Press Shift + left-click, and then drag a box to include roughly half of the model.
8. Click mask.
Note: Your tetra mesh should look similar to the following image.
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Quality
HM-3300: Checking and Editing Mesh
HM-3320: Penetration
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Exercise
This exercise uses the model file, cover.hm.
Step 2: Review the models free edges to identify shell element connectivity
problems.
1. To open the Edges panel, do one of the following:
From the menu bar, click Mesh > Check > Components > Edges.
From the main menu, go to the Tool page and click edges.
(Edges).
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4. Click find edges. HyperMesh creates a red 1D element along each shell element edge that is free
(one or more of the nodes on the element's edges are not shared by the adjacent elements), and
organizes them into a new component named ^edges.
Note: If the first character of a component's name is ^, the component and its contents will not be
written to the input file when the model is exported.
5. Observe the red, 1D elements (free edges), and try to identify gaps in the continuity of the mesh.
Tip:
7. Continue to identify which red, free edges do not belong in the model.
Step 3: Correct the shell element connectivity problems using the Edges
panel.
1. In the tolerance= field, enter 0.01.
2. In the graphics area, select any element. HyperMesh selects the component containing the element
you selected.
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Find the maximum tolerance value that you can safely use without collapsing the elements
by pressing F10 to go to the Check Elems panel, 2d subpanel, and clicking length. The
Status bar reads " The min length is 1.49." This message indicates that you can safely use
a tolerance value < 1.49, without causing any elements to collapse when identified nodes
are equivalenced. Return to the Edges panel by clicking return.
Step 4: Review the models free edges again to confirm that all of the shell
element connectivity problems have been corrected.
In this step, you should still be in the Edges panel.
1. Click find edges. HyperMesh creates a red, 1D element along each shell element edge that is free.
2. Observe the red, 1D elements (free edges). Are there any red, free edges that should not belong if
the mesh was continuous, or if all of the elements were connected?
Note: Red, free edges should only exist on the perimeter of the part and on the periphery of the
internal holes.
3. In the Model browser, turn off the element display of the shells component.
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4. Verify that all of the free, red edges belong in the model.
Step 5: Display the element normals and adjust them to point in the same
direction.
1. To open the Normals panel, do one of the following:
From the menu bar, click Mesh > Check > Elements > Normals.
From the main menu, go to the Tool page, then click normals.
(Normals).
5. In the graphics area, select any element. HyperMesh selects the component containing the element
you selected.
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6. Click display. HyperMesh draws vectors from the element centroids, which indicate the direction of
the element normals.
Note: The arrows do not all point from the same side of the part. For some analyses, the element
normals should point from the same side.
7. In the size = field, enter the size which the normal should be in model units.
Note: When size = is set to 0, the vector will be 10% of the screen.
8. Click display.
9. Toggle vector display to color display.
10. Click display. HyperMesh displays, on each side of the part, the element normals using the colors
red and blue.
Note: The red side of the elements is the positive normal direction, while the blue side is the
negative normal direction.
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12. In the graphics area, select an element as indicated in the following image.
13. Click adjust. All of the elements on both sides of the part are the same color, red or blue.
Note: The Status bar reads: "[X] elements have been adjusted."
14. Optional: If after adjusting the normals there are still elements on one side of the part which are of
different color, set the switch to elem under Orientation, select the elements that are of a
different color, and then click reverse.
15. Click return.
Step 6: Review the quality of the elements using the check elems panel.
1. To open the Check Elems panel, do one of the following:
From the menu bar, click Mesh > Check > Elements > Check Elements.
From the main menu, go to the Tool page, then click check elems.
Press F10.
(Check Elements).
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5. In the graphics area, click an element. A window appears that lists each quality check result for the
element.
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9. Under quads, verify that the min angle < is set to 45.
10. Click min angle to determine if any quad elements have an angle of less than 45.
Note: A couple of the elements on the rib have an angle of less than 45.
11. Under quads, verify that the max angle > field is set to 135.
12. Click max angle.
Note: Several elements on the rib have an angle greater than 135.
Step 7: Remesh the elements on the rib using the Automesh panel.
1. To open the Automesh panel, do one of the following:
From the menu bar, click Mesh > Create > 2D AutoMesh.
Press F12.
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10. In the density subpanel, left-click on the ribs hypotenuse edge density number to increase it to 9
as indicated in the following image.
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11. Left-click on the ribs shortest edge density number to increase it to 5 as indicated in the following
image.
12. Keep all of the other element edge densities the same.
13. Go to the mesh style subpanel.
14. Under mesh method, set the last option to free (unmapped).
15. Under mesh method, click set all.
16. Preview the mesh by clicking mesh.
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Note: None of the elements failed the minimum and maximum angle checks, and only a couple of
the elements have a jacobian of less than 0.7. The smallest jacobian is 0.68, which can still
be considered good quality.
19. Accept the mesh and return to the main menu by clicking return.
Step 8: Use the Smooth panel to adjust the node placement on the
rectangular plane of the remeshed elements.
1. Open the Smooth panel by clicking Mesh > Cleanup Elements > Smooth.
2. Go to the plates subpanel.
3. Activate the smooth: elems selector.
4. Select an element on the rectangular plane of the remeshed elements.
5. Click elems >> by face.
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9. Click return.
Step 9: Remove tria elements from another area of the model using the edit
element panel, split and combine subpanels.
1. Go to the 2D page.
2. Click edit element.
3. Go to the split subpanel.
4. Verify that the splitting line: points selector is active.
5. Click the four screen points as indicated in the following image. HyperMesh draws temporary line
segments to connect the points.
Tip:
Right-click to undo the last line segment drawn, or click delete line to start over and
reselect points.
6. Click split. HyperMesh splits the elements that have a line passing through them.
Note: The resulting mesh should look like the mesh in the following image, with two pairs of
adjacent tria elements.
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9. Select the two adjacent tria elements as indicated in the following image.
10. Click combine. HyperMesh combines the two tria elements into one quad element.
11. Repeat 11.9 and 11.10 to combine the other two tria elements into one quad element.
Step 10: Modify washer radius and optimize element quality by using
Cleanup tools.
1. From the 2D page, click qualityindex.
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14. Select the red and yellow elements in the model. When you select an element, HyperMesh adjusts
it to have the best quality possible based on the criteria specified in the Quality Index panel.
Note: If you select a red element, it may turn yellow or it may no longer have a color assigned. If
you select a yellow element, it may no longer have a color assigned.
Step 11: Add a ring of radial elements around the smaller of the two holes.
1. Open the Utility tab by clicking View > Browsers > HyperMesh > Utility from the menu bar.
2. Click Geom/Mesh.
3. Click Add Washer.
4. In the Add Washer along Circular Holes dialog, double-click Nodes.
5. Select one of the nodes on the edge of the smaller hole as indicated in the following image.
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5. Verify that the source selector is set to comps, and then select the IMPRINT1 component.
6. Verify that the destination selector is set to comps, and then select the shells component.
7. From the remain drop-down list, select destination.
Note: This option takes existing elements/components that can be imprinted into destination
elements/components, and changes their direction and destination.
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9. Click create.
Violet source elements are imprinted in destination (yellow), element organized into yellow component.
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Yellow destination elements are imprinted to Violet elements, and elements are organized into the yellow component.
7. Verify that the destination selector is set to comps, and then select the shells component.
8. From the projection list, select along vector.
9. Activate the N1 selector.
10. Select N1 and N2, as indicated in the following image, to define the direction.
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HM-3320: Penetration
In this tutorial, you will learn how to:
Run the penetration check
Review the intersection results
Fix the intersection results
Interrogate the penetration results
Fix the penetration results
Tools
To access the Penetration panel:
From the menu bar, click Mesh > Check > Components > Penetration.
From the Tool page, select penetration.
Use the Penetration panel to check the integrity of your model, visualize problem areas, and fix
problem areas. You can check elements, components and groups. Typically you would use the group
check to check contact definitions (for example, Abaqus/LS-DYNA).
You can also use this panel to check components for element penetration and intersection. Penetration
and intersection can be used individually or collectively. Penetration is defined as the overlap of the
material thickness of shell elements, while intersection is defined as elements passing completely
through one another.
Example of intersection
Example of penetration
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Strategy
Use the following guidelines for conducting checks:
Checks can be run on both 2D and 3D elements, 2D elements only, or 3D elements only.
Select include self interference to include components that bend and pass through
themselves. This occurs rarely and is expensive when running the check. By default, this
checkbox is cleared.
By default the check is set to all interferences, meaning both intersection and penetration. The
intersections only option and the penetrations only option are also available.
Select allowable interference depth to ignore penetrations and intersections that are less than
the value specified. By default, this checkbox is cleared.
Select uniform thickness to assign a global thickness to all components.
Select thickness multiplier to multiply the existing thicknesses in the model.
When the penetration check is invoked, a new penetration tab opens in the browser area.
The results are split into intersections and penetrations with the number of components that are
clashing in brackets. In the example below, two components are intersecting and eleven components
have material penetration. Expand each section for more detail as to which components have failed.
The ID, Elems, Depth, and Comps columns provide information on which components' IDs are
involved, the number of failed elements, the depth of penetration (not applicable for intersections),
and the number of components affected in the penetration/intersection. Each of the columns can be
sorted by clicking the column header. At the bottom of the tab area there is a message bar which will
detail the status of the check, the number of failed elements, and any warnings and errors as the
checks are invoked.
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Access additional options and tools within the penetration and intersection check by right-clicking in
the Penetration tab. A context menu will appear and provide additional options to fix either
penetrations or intersections, depending on whether the penetration parent/child folder or intersection
folder has been highlighted.
Click Options to configure the display of the tab, fix intersections and penetrations, and change the
display of depenetration vector.
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The fixing of penetrations and intersections falls into two categories: automatic and manual. These
capabilities will be discussed in more detail in the tutorial.
Exercise
This exercise uses the model file, penetration_check.hm.
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7. Observe the model using various visualization options available in HyperMesh (rotation, zooming,
and so on).
4. Click select.
5. Click check. Once the check is complete, the Penetration tab populates with two intersections and
11 penetrations.
The tab is populated by a parent/child or master/slave relationship. As an example, looking at the
intersections, the top line shows the component Rocker Fwd Top Panel RH (parent), and then
below is component Rocker Inner Panel RH (child). It is important to understand that there is
always a reciprocal relationship; the second entry is Rocker Inner Panel RH (parent) and then
the component Rocker Fwd Top Panel RH (child). In this case there is a one-to-one relationship.
It is especially important to understand this when there is a one-to-many relationship (for example,
Rocker Inner Panel RH under penetrations). Clicking the parent component will always show that
component plus all the components below (children). Clicking a child component will show that
component with the parent component only.
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Description
3. Under Intersections, in the Rocker Fwd Top Panel RH folder, select the Rocker Inner Panel
RH component. HyperMesh automatically fits the screen to the failed intersecting elements.
3. Click
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6. Click
Note: After the elements have been moved by a value of 4, they no longer intersect.
7. Click
(Recheck).
8. In the dialog that appears, which reads "Current intersection/penetration results will be lost by
rechecking the model. Would you like to continue?", click Yes.
Note: There are no intersections, and only 11 penetrations remain.
8. In the dialog that appears asking if you would like to continue, click Yes.
Note: Automatic Recursive Intersection Fix automatically runs through all of the passes, whereas
the Automatic Intersection Fix runs through one pass at a time. Most fixes require multiple
passes.
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3. View different types of display results for penetration by clicking the following visualization options:
.
contour
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vectors
Remember that the columns can be sorted. For example, if you were only interested in the worst
offending penetrations then sorting by the depth column will reorganize the tree structure, while
still retaining the parent/child relationship.
In this particular example, for component C-Pillar Bot Inner Panel RH, there are 18 elements
that have failed (parent and child), the maximum penetration depth is 0.159, and there is only one
component penetrating.
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In the previous example, you locked the component, C-Pillar Bot Inner Panel RH. The lock symbol
appears multiple times to correspond with the multiple references to the same component. To unlock
the component, right-click again on the locked component and select Unlock Component from the
context menu. For the purpose of this tutorial you will not be using the lock functionality.
To fix the penetrations in the model you will use the Iterative Fix:
1. In the Penetrations tab, right-click on Penetrations and select Automatic Recursive
Penetration Fix from the context menu.
2. In the dialog that appears, asking if you would like to continue, click Yes.
Note: After the process has finished, a majority of the penetrations have been fixed. Three
penetrations remain which require manual editing to fix.
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Assembly
HM-3400: Creating Connectors
HM-3410: Creating Area Connectors
HM-3420: Creating Bolt Connectors
HM-3430: Part Replacement Through Connectors
HM-3440: Model Build and Assembly
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Exercise
This exercise uses the model file, frame_assembly.hm. Weld the two front trusses by creating
connectors between geometry surfaces at pre-defined weld points.
on the
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7. Observe the model using various visualization options available in HyperMesh (rotation, zooming,
and so on).
Step 2: Display only the assembly assem_1 for elements and geometry.
1. In the Model browser, click
(Model View).
Note: This options turns on/off both elements and geometry when you perform right-click
operations in the Model browser.
4. Right-click on assem_1 and select Isolate from the context menu. HyperMesh only displays the
components that are in the assem_1 assembly.
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Step 4: Create welds between the geometry for the two front trusses at the
pre-defined weld points.
Connectors can be created automatically or manually. The automatic approach creates and realizes
connectors automatically. The manual approach allows you to create and realize connectors manually.
Realization is the process in which the connector creates the weld entity.
Use the Spot, Bolt, Seam, and Area panels to create connectors automatically within the Connector
browser, and use the create and realize subpanels to create connectors manually.
1. Open the Spot panel by right-clicking in the Connector Entity browser and selecting Create >
Spot from the context menu.
2. Go to the spot subpanel.
3. Verify that the current component is Con_Frt_Truss.
Note: The current component is always boldfaced in the Model browser, Component folder.
7. Click select.
8. Set the connect what selector to comps.
9. Click comps.
10. Select the components Front_Truss_1 and Front_Truss_2.
11. Click select.
12. In the tolerance = field, enter 5.
Note: The connector will connect any selected entities within this distance of itself.
13. Click type= and select weld.
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14. Under connect what, switch the toggle from elems to geom.
15. Click create. HyperMesh automatically creates and realizes six connectors (Status bar reads, "6
spot connectors created, 6 realized."), and organizes them as geometry (not elements) in the
current component collector, Con_Frt_Truss.
Note: Green connectors indicate that the creation of the weld entity was successful. There are four
states of connectors: realized (green
), unrealized (yellow
), failed (red
), and
modified ( ). If connectors were created manually, the color of the connectors changes from
yellow to green, which indicates that they are realized into weld elements. As mentioned
above, if you create connectors automatically they will be green immediately as there is no
interim unrealized (yellow) state.
HyperMesh also adds fixed points to the surfaces at the ends of the weld elements to guarantee
connectivity between the weld elements and the shell mesh that will be created on the surfaces.
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3. Right-click on Front_Truss_1 and select Find Attached from the context menu. HyperMesh finds
the components that are attached to Front_Truss_1 through the connectors.
Note: Front_Truss_1 and Front_Truss_2 are now both highlighted in the Link Entity browser,
which indicates that they are displayed in the graphics area.
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10. Zoom into the area with a connector and note how the fixed point created from the weld has
ensured that the mesh seeding passes through the weld.
11. Click return.
Step 7: Display only the assembly assem_2 for elements and geometry.
In this step you will display the reinforcement plate that needs to be welded to the two front trusses.
1. In the Model browser, set the entity selection to
Step 8: Create connectors between the shell mesh of the front trusses and
the reinforcement plate at pre-defined points.
In this step you will manually create connectors between the shell elements of the front trusses and
reinforcement plate at pre-defined weld points.
1. In the Model browser, Component folder, right-click on Con_Truss_Plate and select Make
Current from the context menu.
2. Open the Spot panel.
3. Go to the create subpanel.
4. Set the location selector to points.
5. Click points >> by collector
6. Select the component Con_Truss_Plate.
7. Click select.
8. Set the connect what selector to comps.
9. Click comps.
10. Select the components: Front_Truss_1, Front_Truss_2, and Reinf_Plate.
11. Click select.
12. Under connect what, switch the toggle from geom to elems.
13. Set the num layers to total 2.
14. Set connect when to now.
15. Click create. HyperMesh creates eight spot connectors with comp links (Status bar reads "8 spot
connectors created with comps links.") at the selected weld points, and organizes them into the
current component collector, Con_Truss_Plate.
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Note: In the Connector Entity browser, these eight connectors are currently grouped as
undefined.
16. In the Connector Entity browser, expand the undefined folder.
Note: The connectors in this folder are colored yellow, which indicates that they are unrealized.
3. In the Connector Entity browser, right-click on the selected connectors and select Rerealize from
the context menu. The selected connectors realize into the weld elements.
Note: The mesh has not been remeshed to connect the two components.
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4. In the Connector Entity browser, select the four remaining unrealized connectors (9, 10, 13, 14).
Hint: These connectors are displayed along the bottom of the Reinf_Plate component.
6. In the Connector Entity browser, right-click on the unrealized connectors and select Rerealize
from the context menu. HyperMesh realizes the selected connectors, and remeshes the mesh to
connect the two components.
The two front trusses welded to the reinforcement plate with weld elements at the connectors
Step 10: Display only the assembly assem_3 for elements and geometry.
1. In the Model browser, set the entity selection to
2. On the Visualization toolbar, click
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Weld the two right rails to each other and to the two front trusses by creating connectors from a master connectors file.
Step 11: Create connectors to connect the right rails to each other and to
the front trusses by importing a master connectors file.
1. From the menu bar, click File > Import > Connectors.
2. In the Import tab, click
Step 12: Realize the connectors in the component CE_Locations into weld
elements.
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1. In the Model browser, Component folder, right-click on CE_Locations and select Make Current
from the context menu.
2. In the Connector Entity browser, click the undefined folder. The Entity Editor opens and
displays the undefined connectors corresponding data.
3. In the Entity Editor:
4. In the Connector Entity browser, right-click on the selected connectors and select Rerealize from
the context menu.
Right rails welded to each other and to the front trusses with weld elements at the connectors
Step 13: Display only the assembly assem_4 for elements and geometry.
1. In the Model browser, set the entity selection to
Weld to the two front trusses by duplicating and reflecting selected connectors created from the master connectors file
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Step 15: Duplicate the connectors created from the master connectors file
and reflect them.
1. In the Model browser, Component folder, right-click on CE_Locations and select Show from the
context menu.
2. Open the Reflect panel by clicking Connectors > Reflect > Connectors from the menu bar.
3. Set the entity selector to connectors.
4. Click connectors >> by collector.
5. Select CE_Locations.
6. Click select.
7. Click connectors >> duplicate >> current comp. HyperMesh duplicates the displays the
connectors, and organizes them into the current component, CE_Locations_Dup.
8. Set the orientation selector to x-axis.
Note: This is the axis normal to the plane of interest.
9. Specify a base node to reflect about by double-clicking B.
10. Click x=. HyperMesh activates the x=, y=, and z= fields.
Note: Their values are all 0.000 by default, which is the base point you want to reflect about.
11. Return to the reflect panel by clicking return.
12. Click reflect. HyperMesh reflects the connectors.
13. Click return.
Note: The connectors are yellow, which indicates that they are unrealized.
Step 16: Update the connectors for the left rails to link them to the left rail
components.
1. In the Connector Entity browser, expand the RBAR folder.
2. Sort the connectors by their state by clicking State. HyperMesh organizes all of the realized
connectors at the top of the list.
Tip:
You may need to increase the size of the tab area to see the State column.
3. Click State again. HyperMesh organizes all of the unrealized connectors at the top of the list.
4. In the Link1 and Link2 columns, review the the unrealized connectors.
Note: Some of the connectors are linked to the components, Right_Rail_1 and Right_Rail_2.
This data is from the rails_frt_truss.mwf file that you imported. These links need to be
updated to reflect the components, Left_Rail_1 and Left_Rail_2.
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6. In the Entities column, right-click on the selected connectors and select Update Link from the
context menu.
7. In the Update window, Search column, set the Link Type to comps.
8. In the Search column, click the Link Select field.
9. In the panel area, click component.
10. Select the component, Right_Rail_1.
11. Click proceed. HyperMesh inserts Right_Rail_1 into the Link Select field.
12. In the Replace column, set the Link Type to comps.
13. In the Replace column, click the Link Select field.
14. In the panel area, click component.
15. Select the component, Left_Rail_1.
16. Click proceed. HyperMesh inserts Left_Rail_1 into the Link Select field.
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3. In the Connector Entity browser, right-click on the selected unrealized connectors and select
Rerealize from the context menu. HyperMesh realizes the selected connectors into weld elements.
Step 18: Verify that all connectors are realized and identify the pairs of
adjacent connectors.
1. In the Connector Entity browser, expand the RBAR folder.
2. From the State column, verify that all of the connectors are realized.
3. Zoom into one of the two areas where the front trusses are connected to the rail components.
Note: At these two areas, there are pairs of adjacent connectors.
4. On the Visualization toolbar, click
5. In the Visualization tab, click
(Visualization Options).
(Connectors).
6. Under Color by, select Layer. HyperMesh changes the connectors color to purple because under
Layers, 2t is defined by the color purple.
Note: This option indicates that each of these connectors link two components. Because each pair
of connectors creates a series of two weld elements, you can combine each pair into a single
connector, which links the three components together.
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Note: The Status bar reads "12connectors added by 'displayed'. Total selected 12."
3. Click unrealize. HyperMesh unrealizes the connectors, and deletes the weld elements associated to
them.
4. Click return.
4. In the Connector Entity browser, right-click on the selected connectors and select Rerealize from
the context menu. HyperMesh realizes the connectors.
5. Verify that there are now three links for the six connectors you just updated.
6. On the Visualization toolbar, click
7. In the Visualization tab, click
(Visualization Options).
(Connectors).
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Step 23: Display only the assembly assem_5 for elements and geometry.
1. In the Model browser, set the entity selection to
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Exercise
This exercise uses the model file, frame_assembly_1.hm. Area connectors must be meshed in order to
work properly. When the connectors location is existing FE mesh elems, the connector automatically
gets meshed to match the elements chosen. However, after creating an area connector on surfs, lines,
or along nodes, you must use the automesh options (which display when you select one of these
locations types) to create a mesh on the connector area.
area
create
realize
on the
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5. Open the Area panel by right-clicking in the Connector Entity browser and selecting Create >
Area from the context menu.
6. Set the location selector to elems.
7. Select one element on the top flange of the Left_Rail_1 component as indicated in the following
image.
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21. In the Connector Entity browser, right-click on the unrealized adhesive connector and select
Rerealize from the context menu.
For the other set of flanges you will manually create an area connector and mesh it accordingly.
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9. Click select.
10. Click create.
Note: The default mesh size for these mesh independent area connectors (when choosing by
nodes/lines/surfs) is 10. However, you can specify a different elem size if needed.
11. Go to the edit subpanel.
12. Select remesh.
13. Use the location: connectors selector to select the area connector you just created in step 4.10.
14. In the element size= field, enter 3.
18. In the Connector Entity browser, right-click on the unrealized connector and select Rerealize
from the context menu.
19. Inspect the new adhesive created.
Note: When creating area connectors from elements, HyperMesh automatically meshes the area
connector using the current mesh. If the area connector is created from nodes, lines, or
surfaces and the default mesh is unsuitable from the area subpanel, then you can apply a
manual mesh.
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Exercise
This exercise uses the model file, frame_assembly_2.hm. The Bolt panel creates connectors based on
holes within the connected components, using spiders or washers at each end of an RBE connector.
When the Bolt panel is active, only bolt-type connectors display in the graphics area; graphics for
other connector types are suppressed until you exit the panel. The Bolt panel contains three
subpanels:
bolt
create
realize
on the
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Step 2: Display only the assembly assem_5 for elements and geometry.
1. In the Model browser, click
(Model View).
Note: This options turns on/off both elements and geometry when you perform right-click
operations in the Model browser.
4. Right-click on assem_5 and select Isolate from the context menu. HyperMesh only displays the
components that are in the assem_5 assembly.
5. Right-click on the Con_Rear_Truss component and select Make Current from the context menu.
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7. Click select.
8. In the tolerance= field, enter 50.
Note: The connector will connect any selected entities within this distance of itself.
9. Click type= and select bolt (general).
Note: Re-realizing the connector will allow you to see the different bolt types.
10. Click realize & hole detect details.
11. In the max dimension = field, enter 60 to ensure that the diameter of the picked hole will be
captured.
12. Click return.
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Bolted connection
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Exercise
This exercise uses the model file, frame_assembly_3.hm. A new part is needed in the assembly. In
this tutorial you will learn how to delete the original component, import a new part, and update the
connections. You will also export the connector information to a single file, and then export the entire
FE input deck and observe how the connector information is preserved.
on the
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2. From the menu bar, click File > Import > Model.
3. Under File selection, click
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Step 4: Using the Connector Browser, update the connector links to the new
component.
1. In the Connector browser, Link Entity browser, right-click on Rear_Truss_1 and select Find
Attached from the context menu.
2. In the Connector Entity browser, right-click on any of the highlighted connector names and select
Update Link from the context menu.
3. In the Update window, click the Link Select field in the Search column.
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2. In the Export to file dialog, navigate to the location where you would like to save the XML file and
click Save.
3. In a text editor, open the XML file.
4. Inspect the file and observe how the connector information has been saved.
Note: In the future, you can use the XML file to import connectors.
Step 7: Export the finite element deck and observe how the connector
information is preserved.
1. From the menu bar, click File > Export > Solver Deck.
2. From the File type list, select OptiStruct.
3. From the Template list, select standard format.
4. In the File field, click
5. In the Save OptiStruct file dialog, select a name and location for the file to be saved to.
Note: Be sure to use the .fem extension.
6. To view additional export options, click
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Exercise
This tutorial uses the following files.
BOM_input.xml
Connectors.hm
Realizations.hm
Center_Rail_Conn_v1.xml
Center_Rail_Conn_v2.xml
Longitudinal_Rail_Connectors.xml
Step 1: Start HyperMesh Desktop and Load the OptiStruct User Profile
1. Start HyperMesh Desktop 14.0.
2. In the User Profile dialog, select OptiStruct.
3. Click OK.
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6. Click OK. All available CAD representations are imported into the session.
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10. In the BatchMesh dialog, click Yes to load the new representations for the eight parts.
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4. In the BatchMesh dialog, click No. The new NVH 15mm representations will not be loaded into the
session, but they have been added to the repository. If you invoke the Load tab of the Change
Representations dialog, you will see that eight NVH 15mm representations have been created.
3. Click Import.
4. In the Part browser, you will see the newly imported connector parts.
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4. Click OK. A component containing connectors has been added to the part.
5. Repeat steps 1 - 4 to add connector representations to the Center Rail Connectors v2 and
Longitudinal Rail Connectors parts using the following representation files.
Part
Representation File
Center_Rail_Conn_v2.xml
Longitudinal_rail_connectors.xml
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Set Export to Custom to ensure that inactive parts are not written to the solver deck.
4. Click Export.
5. Save the model as frame_assembly.hm.
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3. The Spotweld component, in the Realizations.hm file, references a material that has the same ID
as a material that already exists in the current session, therefore under Entity Management, set
Materials to Keep Existing Attributes.
4. Click Import. Connector parts are imported and organized in the Part browser.
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Note: Connector links are defined via Parts to ensure that connectors realize even if you,
accidentally, renumber all of the entities in the model.
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3. For the Master Model, enter 1,000,000 in the Min field and 1,500,000 in the Max field.
4. Set the Correction Option for Nodes and Elements to Insert in Gaps.
5. Correct ID overflow by right-clicking on the Master Model and selecting Correct > Overflow from
the context menu.
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Morphing
HM-3510: Freehand Morphing
HM-3520: Sculpting
HM-3530: Changing a Curvature Using Map to Geometry
HM-3540: Changing a Profile Using Map to Sections
HM-3550: Morph Volume
HM-3560: Basics of Domains and Handles
HM-3570: Altering Cross-Sections Using Domains
HM-3580: Morphing About an Axis Using Domains
HM-3590: Morph Adhesive Layers
HM-3600: Morph Tube to Different Configurations
HM-3610: Shaping a Dome Using Cyclic Symmetry
HM-3620: Shaping a Bead Using Cyclic Symmetry
HM-3625: Morph a Symmetric Part onto a New Geometry
HM-3630: Morphing with Shapes
HM-3635: Working with a HyperMesh and HyperMorph Model in HyperStudy
HM-3640: Interpolating Loads Using Shapes
HM-3650: Creating Shapes Using Record
HM-3660: Maintaining Area Using Constraints
HM-3670: Positioning a Dummy Using Limiting Constraints
HM-3680: Preserving a Shape Using Cluster Constraints
HM-3690: Remeshing Domains After Morphing
HM-3695: Working with a Parameterized File Model for Shape Variables in HyperStudy
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on the
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5. Use the moving nodes and fixed nodes selectors to select the nodes indicated in the following
image.
6. Use the affected elements selector to select the elements between the fixed nodes and moving
nodes.
7. In the mv bias and fx bias fields, keep the default values (1.00).
8. Click morph. HyperMesh alters the blade of the propeller.
Note: The length of the propeller blade increased by 100. The fixed nodes did not move.
HyperMesh stretched the affected elements evenly to maintain element quality. The
stretching of the elements took place between the moving nodes and the fixed nodes.
9. Restore the propeller back to its original shape by clicking undo.
11. Leave the other parameters and options set to their default values.
12. In the Model browser, View folder, right-click on View1 and select Show from the context menu.
13. Use the moving nodes and fixed nodes selectors to select the nodes indicated in the following
image.
14. Use the affected elements selector to select the elements between the fixed nodes and moving
nodes. A manipulator appears.
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15. Optional: Move the manipulator to a different location by activating the origin: nodes selector and
selecting another node as the origin.
17. Translate the nodes by clicking and dragging one of the three yellow arrows of the manipulator.
18. Rotate the nodes about the center of the manipulator by clicking and dragging one of the three
yellow arcs of the manipulator.
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21. Create more than one manipulator at a time by setting the single manipulator/multiple toggle to
multiple.
22. Create a new manipulator by clicking new manip and selecting one or more moving nodes.
Note: The different manipulators may have different selected entities and different parameters,
and can be moved independently of one another.
23. Move a manipulator by clicking a manipulator or simply moving your mouse over a manipulator.
HyperMesh updates the panel to the parameters associated to that manipulator. You can change
the parameters or the entities associated with them if you desire.
24. Make manipulators active or inactive by switching the manip:active/manip:inactive toggle. When
active, the manipulators morph the model when you move them. When inactive, the manipulators
will only change their own position and orientation when you move them.
Summary
Method 1: The length of the propeller blade increased by 100. The fixed nodes did not move. The
affected elements were stretched evenly to maintain element quality. The stretching of the elements
took place between the moving nodes and the fixed nodes.
Method 2: The length of the propeller blade increased depending on how you dragged the handles
along the three arrows, arcs, or right angles of the manipulator to respectively translate, rotate, or
move the nodes. The fixed nodes did not move. The affected elements were stretched evenly to
maintain element quality. The stretching of the elements took place between the moving nodes and
the fixed nodes.
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HM-3520: Sculpting
Exercise: Conforming a Seat to a Dummy Profile
The objective of this exercise is to take a dummy pelvis profile and imprint it onto a seat.
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Summary
Using just a few steps you have been able to take a fairly complicated profile and impose it on to
another mesh.
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8. Click map.
Summary
The profile of the bumper is changed to follow the new section line.
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15. For fixed nodes use Shift + Left Mouse Button to select all the nodes as shown in figure 2.
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Summary
The roof of the car has been morphed while the mesh quality has been maintained.
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Exercise: Changing the Shape of the B-pillar with the Help of Morph Volume
This exercise shows how to smoothly change the shape of a B-pillar via morph volumes.
on the Standard
6. Click the four red circles indicated in the image below to draw a window. HyperMesh creates a
morph volume, which encloses the area.
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8. Click morph.
9. To verify that the b-pillar is morphed, rotate the model.
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12. Leave the other parameters and options set to their default values.
13. On the Standard Views toolbar, click
14. Press and hold SHIFT, then drag your mouse around the the eight handles indicated in the image
below. A manipulator appears.
15. Optional: You can select another node as the origin to set the manipulator in a different position.
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17. To translate the nodes, click and drag, graphically, one of the three yellow arrows of the
manipulator.
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24. To create a new manipulator, click new manip and then graphically select one or more moving
nodes.
Note: The different manipulators may have different selected entities and different parameters,
and can be moved independently of one another.
25. To move a manipulator, click a manipulator or simply move your mouse over a manipulator.
HyperMesh updates the panel to the parameters associated to that manipulator. You can change
the parameters or the entities associated with them if you desire.
26. To make manipulators active or inactive, switch the manip:active/manip:inactive toggle. When
active, the manipulators morph the model when you move them. When inactive, the manipulators
will only change their own position and orientation when you move them.
Summary
In both methods, you morphed the b-pillar in a smooth fashion with minimum distortion to the
elements.
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Step 4: Split the edge domain of the radius to have more control when
morphing.
1. Click the edit edges subpanel in the Morphing > Domains panel.
2. Verify that the split option is selected.
3. With the domain selector active, select the edge domain of the parts radius as indicated in the
Figure 2.
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The node selector automatically becomes active once the edge domain is selected. Click the
domain selector to make it active and see that you selected the desired edge domain.
Figure 4: Node selection to further split the edge domain of the radius
Step 5: Add local handles to the 2-D domain on the parts left side.
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The handles selected in step 6.2 above follow the handle you are dragging.
All of the elements belonging to the selected local handles 2-D domain are affected by moving
that local handle.
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The 2-D domains non-selected local handles act like anchors (they do not move).
The nodes on the edge domains and between any two non-selected local domains do not move.
13. With the handles selector active, select one or more global handles.
14. Click morph.
15. Click on and drag any global handle to morph the part.
Summary
The following occurs as the selected global handle is moved:
The handles selected in Step 6.2 above follow the handle you are dragging.
The non-selected global handles act like anchors (they do not move).
All of the elements, local handles and edge domains are affected.
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When the circular edge domain is selected, the radius box populates with the current radius value.
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Summary
The gauge thickness of the spring wire is changed from 7.5 to 12.0.
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Figure 2: Domains and base node to select for altering the coil radius
10. For domains (under edge and 2D) select the 2-D domain and the two edge domains.
11. For the base node for the z-axis select the node as shown in Figure 2.
12. Keep the default settings for the remaining options.
13. Activate add to current.
14. In the radius field, type 20.
15. Click morph.
Summary
Twenty units are added to the coil radius.
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Tools
Domains will be created using 3D domains > by component. Thickness will be altered using alter
dimensions.
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4. Activate the divide by comps and partition 2D domains options. The panel should appear as in
the following image:
3. To reduce the number of domains and handles shown on the screen, click the Mask tab.
4. Click the + next to Morphing to expand it.
5. Click the + in the Show column for Local Domains/Handles to display the domains and handles
for only the displayed elements.
6. Hide the ^morphface component in the Model Browser.
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24. Once you are done viewing your animation and verifying that it is as intended, you can return to
the main panel area.
With this step you have successfully completed morphing one of the middle layers of the four-layer
model.
Optional: Using the process shown above, increase the thickness of Adhesive_Inner component by
5 units.
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Tools
Domains, morph
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7. Click the + in the Show column for the Local Domains/Handles to display the domains and
handles for only the displayed elements.
8. Change your view to a left view.
9. Change the domain type to 2D domains.
10. Change the elements selector from all elements to elems.
11. Select the elements as displayed in the following picture.
Step 4: Increase the outer diameter of the middle section of the tube.
1. Click Morphing > Morph to open the Morph panel.
2. Go to the alter dimensions subpanel.
3. Set the dimension type to radius.
4. Set the center calculation to by edges.
5. Switch the mesh to wireframe.
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6. Select the two edge domains and the 2D domain as shown in the following figure.
2. Use the Mask panel to display only the tube inner elements of the component ^morphfaces.
HINT: Select a couple of elements on the face you want to keep. Select elements by face followed
by elements reverse. This will reverse the selection to the elements you do not want and will
allow you to mask out those elements.
3. Click return to return to the Domains panel.
4. To reduce the number of domains and handles shown on the screen, click the Mask tab.
5. Click the + next to Morphing to expand it.
6. Click the + in the Show column for the Local Domains/Handles to display the domains and
handles for only the displayed elements.
7. Click Morphing > Morph to open the Morph panel.
8. Go to the alter dimensions subpanel, set the dimension type to radius.
9. Select domains >> displayed. This selects the two inner edge domains as well as the 2D domain
for the tube inner.
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Summary
Using morphing operations, dimension changes have been successfully performed on a tubular mesh.
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x density = 3
y density = 8
z density = 5
buffer % = 5
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4. Verify that the options by edges and free are selected (see image below).
5. Using the image below as reference, select the line to the left of the tangency at the top of the
center circle.
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Notice that after selecting the tangency, the two arrows are replaced with a single arrow.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 on the three other tangencies shown in the image below:
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Summary
Using morph volumes with appropriate tangencies, and by creating symmetries you are able to create
a dome-shaped feature at the bottom of the bottle.
Remarks
There are four different methods to define the continuity between the morph volumes.
Free makes morph volume edges independent of other edges.
Fixed connectivity allows you to prescribe the angle at the end of an edge.
Master-slave maintains tangency between two morph volume edges while keeping the master
edge independent of the slave edge. (When the master edge moves, the slave edge follows, but
when the slave edge moves, the master edge does not have to follow.)
Continuous maintains tangency between two morph volume edges while allowing both edges to
affect each other.
The default setting in morph volume is always set to tangent which is continuous edge connectivity.
This definition can always be changed in the update edges subpanel, based upon the morphing
needs.
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In this exercise you will first create a bead using the default continuous edge connectivity. You will
then update the edges to free and see how it affects the bead creation.
x density = 3
y density = 8
z density = 5
buffer % = 5
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2. From the menu bar, select Morphing > Create > Morph Volumes, then select the
split/combine subpanel.
3. Set the toggles to split mvols and by edges.
4. Set single split to 0.8.
5. Select an edge of Morph Volume 1 (Figure 2).
6. Click split.
7. Set single split to 0.2.
8. Select an edge of Morph Volume 2 (Figure 2).
9. Click split.
10. Click return to exit the panel.
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As the bead is created, the upper and lower portions of the bottle deform too (figure 4). This is not
the intention, as you want to create a bead without affecting the other parts of the bottle.
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7. Click morph.
Summary
Using morph volumes with appropriate tangencies and symmetries you were able to create a bead on
the given bottle.
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Tools
3-D domains, symmetry, interactive morphing.
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As the handles are moved, you will see that the mesh starts conforming to the new geometry.
Summary
Notice how each cog on the gear is updated. Taking advantage of the symmetry in this part, you are
able to morph it much quicker.
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5. Click convert.
Note: All the seven hexa elements are converted into morph volumes.
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Note: A reflected shape has been created and applied on the other prong.
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The name of the shape, created by reflecting, has the same name as the original shape with a
suffix 1.
Note: The two or more shapes have been created and applied to the other yoke. The name of the
first new shape (on the other yoke) will have a suffix 2 because it is the second copy of the
first shape and the second shape will have a suffix of 11 as it is the first copy of the
reflected shape.
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Figure 1: Model
Note: The temperature loads have been converted into shape vectors.
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The shape vectors are proportional to the temperature loads on the corners of the cube and the
distances from those corners.
The name of the converted shape is the same as the temperature load collector.
Figure 3: The base and the node for translating the shape
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Summary
Using shapes you have been able to interpolate temperatures from the corners of a volume on to an
object located in that volume.
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3. Select the nodes between the selected nodes to align the nodes to the 1st end: and 2nd end: nodes.
4. Repeat the same process to align the next row of nodes (figure 3).
5. Select the nodes between the selected nodes to align the nodes to the 1st end and 2nd end nodes.
6. Repeat the same process to align the next row of nodes (figure 4).
5. Click undo all to bring the model to its original position before morphing.
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3. Click create.
4. Click return to exit the panel.
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Summary
The shape (Morph1) is reflected to the other side. Also, the reflected shape has the same name with
the suffix 1. The changes that you made on one side are thus transferred to the other side.
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Step 2: Create a shape to define the degree of freedom for the mesh.
1. From the menu bar select Morphing > Free Hand and select the move nodes subpanel.
2. Switch the method to translate.
3. Key in
x = 0;
Y = -5 (negative 5);
Z=0
4. Under moving nodes: click nodes >> by sets and select move_node.
5. Click select.
6. Under fixed nodes: click nodes >> by sets and select fix_node.
7. Click select.
8. Under affected elements: click elems >> displayed.
9. Click morph.
10. Go to the save shape subpanel.
11. For name =, enter Shape1.
12. Toggle the save option to as node perturbations.
13. Click save.
14. Click undo all to bring the model to its original position before morphing.
This initial shape defines the direction in which the nodes have the freedom to move, as the shape of
the windshield is changing, thus enabling us to keep the area at a constant.
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Note: The constraint is created. The symbol for the constraint is a matching-mesh.
9. Right-click Shape and select Hide in the Model Browser.
10. Right-click MorphingConstraint and select Hide in the Model Browser.
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) icon.
Summary
Using morph constraints, you able to change the shape of the windshield, while keeping its area
constant.
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6. Set distance= 2.
This will ensure that there is a distance of 2 units between the dummy and the seat after the
morphing is complete.
7. Use nodes >> by collector and select cushion.
8. Click select.
9. Use elems >> by collector and select dummy.
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x=0
y=0
z = 80
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Summary
Using limiting constraints, you are able to move a mesh such that it moves an adjoining mesh along
with it, thus preventing penetration between the two of them.
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X val = 500
Y val = 0
Z val = 0
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The front end is stretched 500 units. Since the front wheels are also the part of the morph volumes
they became elliptical after morphing. This is not desirable. You will undo this morphing, constrain
the wheels and re-do it.
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Figure 4
Summary
Using cluster constraints and morph volumes you are able to stretch the cab of the pickup without
distorting the wheels.
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Figure 1: Model
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Summary
Using this technique, you can update the mesh in regions that might have undergone excessive
elemental deformation during morphing. Since the domains and handles are maintained, it allows you
to conduct further morphing if need be.
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Analysis Setup
HM-4000: Setting up Loading Conditions
HM-4010: Formatting Model for Analysis
HM-4020: Obtaining and Assigning Beam Cross-Section Properties using HyperBeam
HM-4030: Defining Composites
HM-4040: Working with Loads on Geometry
HM-4060: Working with Include Files
HM-4070: OptiView
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on the
Click the Color icon, and select a color for the load collector.
3. Repeat steps 3.1 and 3.2 to create second load collector labeled constraints.
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4. Open the Constraints panel by clicking BCs > Create > Constraints from the menu bar.
5. Go to the create subpanel.
6. Set the entity selector to lines.
7. Select the six lines on the perimeter of the channels bottom surface as indicated in the following
image.
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11. In the size = field, enter 5. HyperMesh reduces the display size of the constraints.
12. Select the label constraints checkbox. HyperMesh displays a label for each constraint.
Note: The labels identify what dofs are assigned to the constraints.
13. Exit the main menu by clicking return.
Step 5: Map the constraints (OPTISTRUCT SPC) on the geometry lines to the
channel nodes associated to the lines.
1. Open the loads on geometry panel by clicking BCs > Loads on Geometry from the menu bar.
2. Click loadcols.
3. Select the load collector, constraints.
4. Click select.
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5. Click map loads. HyperMesh creates a constraint at each node associated to the geometry lines.
6. Click return.
7. In the Model browser, Component folder, turn off the display of geometry for all component
collectors.
Step 6: Prepare to create forces (OPTISTRUCT FORCE) on the bracket for the
pressing load case.
1. In the Model browser, View folder, right-click on View3 and select Show from the context menu.
2. In the Load Collector folder, right-click on pressing_load and select Make Current from the
context menu.
Note: The pressing_load load collector is now the current load collector, and any loads created
will be placed in this collector.
3. Right-click on pressing_load and select Show from the context menu.
Step 7: Create two forces (OPTISTRUCT FORCE) on the bracket for the
pressing load case.
1. Open the forces panel by clicking BCs > Create > Forces from the menu bar.
2. Go to the create subpanel.
3. Set the entity selector to nodes.
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Step 8: Define the load step for the pressing load case.
1. Create a Load Step by right-clicking in the Model browser and selecting Create > Load Step
from the context menu. HyperMesh creates and opens a load step in the Entity Editor.
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In the Select Loadcol dialog, select constraints and then click OK.
In the Select Loadcol dialog, select pressing_load and then click OK.
Step 9: Display and mask the load step (the load collectors defined in the
load step).
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1. In the Model browser, Load Step folder, right-click on pressing_step and select Hide from the
context menu. HyperMesh hides the pressing_load and constraints load collector
2. Right-click on pressing_step again and select Show from the context menu.
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The purpose of using a finite element (FE) pre-processor is to create a model that can be run by a
solver. HyperMesh interfaces with many FE solvers and all of them have unique input file formats.
HyperMesh has a unique template(s) for each solver it supports. A template contains solver specific
formatting instructions, which HyperMesh uses to create an input file for that solver.
on the
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Step 4: Review and edit the existing steel materials card image by
accessing the card editor from the Model browser.
This material is defined for the channel.
1. In the Model browser, Material folder, click steel. The Entity Editor opens and displays the
material's corresponding data.
Note: The card image indicates the material is of OptiStruct type MAT1.
2. In the Entity Editor, NU (Poisson's Ratio) field, change the value from 0.3 to 0.28.
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5. In the Select Material dialog, select steel and then click OK. HyperMesh assigns the material.
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3. In the Select Property dialog, select channel and then click OK. HyperMesh assigns the property
channel to the component channel.
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Step 9: Calculate the section properties for the bar elements (OptiStruct
CBEAM) by using HyperBeam.
1. Open the HyperBeam panel by clicking Properties > HyperBeam from the menu bar.
2. Go to the standard section subpanel.
3. Set the standard section library to HYPERBEAM.
4. Set the standard section type to solid circle.
5. Click create. HyperMesh invokes the HyperBeam module.
Note: The solid, green circle represents the cross section. Under the local coordinate system you
should see the number, 10.0000, which is the circles radius.
6. Under Parameter Definition, click the Value field next to Radius (r) and change the value from
10 to 3. HyperMesh updates the values in the Data pane to reflect the circle's new diameter.
7. In the Model browser, right-click on circle_section.1 and select Rename from the context menu.
8. In the editable field, rename the section 6mm_Beam_Sect.
9. Close the HyperBeam module and return to your HyperMesh session by clicking File > Exit from
the menu bar.
10. Return to the main menu by clicking return.
Step 10: Create a property collector named bars_prop for the bar elements
(OptiStruct).
1. In the Model browser, right-click and select Create > Property from the context menu.
HyperMesh creates and opens a property in the Entity Editor.
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7. In the Select Beam Section dialog, select 6mm_Beam_Sect and then click OK. HyperMesh
assigns the beam section, and populates the parameter fields in the PBEAM card with the data in
the 6mm_Beam_Sect beam section.
Step 11: Update the CBEAM elements in the bolts component to use the
PBEAM Property.
1. In the Model browser, Component folder, click bolts. The Entity Editor opens and displays the
component's corresponding data.
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3. In the Select Property dialog, select bars_prop and then click OK. HyperMesh assigns the
property bars_prop to the component bolts.
Step 12: Define a H3D file to be output from OptiStruct by using the control
cards panel.
1. Open the Control Cards panel by clicking Setup > Create > Control Cards from the menu bar.
2. In the Card Image, select the control card FORMAT.
Note: In the card image, the FORMAT line is set to H3D. This specifies OptiStruct to output
results to a Hyper3D (H3D) file, which can be viewed in the HyperView Player. A HTML
report file will be output and the H3D file will be embedded in it.
3. In the number_of_formats = field, enter 2. A second FORMAT line appears in the card image.
4. In the second FORMAT line, click H3D and then select HM.
Note: This option specifies OptiStruct to output the results to a HyperMesh binary results file,
allowing the results to be post-processed within HyperMesh.
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Note: The FORMAT button is now green, which indicates that the card will be exported to the
OptiStruct input file.
6. Return to the main menu by clicking return.
The load step (OptiStruct SUBCASE) named pressing_step which you defined in HyperMesh
Under the load step, the load collector ids (OptiStruct load and constraint set identification
numbers)
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8. Note the load collectors, pressing_load and constraints. Also, note their collector ID and color
ID. When the model is imported into HyperMesh, the loads are organized into these load collectors
and have these IDs and colors.
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In FEA, beams are typically modeled as 1D elements. In this tutorial you will become familiar with the
modeling of beam sections for 1D elements (beam, bar, and rod) in HyperMesh. The focus is on
obtaining and assigning beam-section properties, not on creating beam elements themselves.
Model geometry
The model geometry represents different types of cross-sections used in this tutorial: standard, shell,
and solid. The model consists of a solid cylinder attached to a hollow trapezoidal structure, which is
further joined to an irregularly shaped solid component (see previous image).
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on the
From the menu bar, click Geometry > Create > Nodes > Extract on Line.
Using the lines selector, select the circular line defining the base of the cylinder.
Click create. HyperMesh generates three nodes on the line, two of which are located at the
same location (since the circular line is a line that closes upon itself).
Click return.
Note: With the two independent locations left, you can measure the diameter.
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2. Use the Distance panel to measure the distance between the two nodes diametrically opposed.
From the menu bar, click Geometry > Check > Nodes > Distance.
Use the N1 and N2 selectors to select the two nodes, which are diametrically opposed, on the
circular line that defines the base of the cylinder. The distance= field reads 110 units, which
indicates the distance between the two nodes and the diameter of the circle.
Click return.
Click create. The HyperBeam module opens with a solid circle cross-section displayed in the
center panel. The left pane (HyperBeam view) lists the cross-sections defined in the model,
and the right pane (Results window) displays the results for the various beam properties
computed for the dimensions displayed.
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Under Parameter Definition, click the Value field next to Radius (r).
In the editable field, enter 55 and then press ENTER. The value of the diameter updates, along
with the quantities computed for the cross-section in the Results window. These properties
are calculated based on the dimensions that were input. For example, HyperBeam calculates the
area of this cross-section, its moments of inertia, and its torsional constant.
Note: Alternatively, drag the graphical handles, which represent the diameter of the cross-section,
until the diameter changes to the desired value.
5. Assign the name Solid Circle to this cross-section in the HyperBeam view.
In the HyperBeam view, right-click on the name of the cross-section under the auto1 folder
and select Rename from the context menu.
6. Return to HyperMesh by clicking File > Exit from the menu bar.
The information that was computed is automatically stored in a beamsect collector with the name
you specified for the section. This beamsect collector will later be used to populate the fields of a
property card.
Note: Since geometry information was available, this cross-section could have been defined as a
solid section using the solid section subpanel. A standard section was used instead because
it did not require selection, although it required a diameter measurement.
You may save your HyperMesh model to your working directory at this point.
In this step, a beam cross-section for standard sections was created using HyperBeam. You also
learned how to specify the dimensions for the standard section, and how to save this section for
subsequent use.
Use the various panels, such as the Distance panel, to find the thickness of this feature. The thickness
of the feature is equal to 2 units.
1. Create a shell section using the lines in the shell_section component.
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Click select.
Set section based node to plane base. HyperMesh activates the base node selector.
While left-clicking, move the mouse on top of one of the mid-plane lines as shown in the image
above. Click anywhere on the highlighted line to define the base node.
Note: The cross section plane option allows the software to define the plane for calculating beam
cross-sectional properties based on the entity (lines/element) selection. A user-controlled
plane can also be defined by changing the cross-section plane using the toggle.
When using the fit to entities option, you can select a reference node for the plane if you
want properties about a point other than the section centroid. This is done using the section
base node option. This node defines the origin of the coordinate system that serves as the
reference when computing the various beam cross-section properties. All the properties are
calculated both about the centroid and about the node you select.
Shell section
The coordinates of the centroid are calculated with respect to the user-defined coordinate system
appearing at the node location specified earlier. The coordinates of the shear center are calculated
both from the centroid and from the origin of the section. Local Ys and Zs are the coordinates of
the shear center with respect to the origin of the section, while principal Vs and Ws are the
coordinates of the shear center from the centroid of the section.
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In the Model browser, right-click on shell_section.1 and select Edit from the context menu.
The Edit Shell Section dialog opens.
In the Part thickness field, enter 2. HyperMesh updates the values for the beam properties
computed in the Results window.
Click Update.
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While left-clicking, hover over a line or the surface until the surface highlights. Click anywhere
on the highlighted entity to select a base node.
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Click create. The HyperBeam module opens, meshes the area enclosed by the selected curves
with quadrilateral elements, and calculates the properties using these elements.
Solid section
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In HyperMesh, you can assign the beam properties computed in HyperBeam and stored in a beamsect
collector to your solver beam property card. To achieve this, create a property collector with the solver
beam property card of interest, and assign the beamsect collector to the property collector.
When creating an actual beam element, assign the property collector to the element itself.
1. Create a property collector with a PBEAM card and assign the Solid Circle beamsect collector to it.
Create a property collector by right-clicking in the Model browser and selecting Create >
Property from the context menu. HyperMesh displays the property in the Entity Editor.
The properties calculated using HyperBeam are automatically assigned to the PBEAM card. Observe
that the values of the parameters (A, I1a, I2a, I12a, J, etc.) are extracted from the properties of
the selected section.
2. Use the Bars panel to create a beam element with the standard_section property assigned, and a
direction vector set to the global x-axis.
Click the lower-left switch and select vectors as the option to define the orientation of the
beam.
Activate node A.
While left-clicking, hover over the line that runs though the cylinder until it is highlighted. Select
two nodes at the ends of the line for node A and node B.
The beam element is created and placed into the beam component.
Note: When creating beam elements, the z-axis is defined by the two nodes selected as node A
and node B. The direction of the cross-section (x- or y-axis) is defined either by using
components, vectors, or a direction node. Due to the nature of this solid circle, how you
define the x- or y-axis is unimportant.
Changes made to a beamsect collector (for example, through editing of a cross-section) are also
automatically applied to any property collector referencing this beamsect collector.
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Summary
In this tutorial, you experimented with the tools and techniques for modeling beam cross-section and
obtaining their properties using HyperBeam. You learned how to edit cross-sections and assign their
properties to property collectors, which can then be assigned to 1-D elements.
For more details on how to create 1-D elements, review the tutorial, Creating 1-D Elements. Additional
techniques for creating 1-D elements from connector entities are discussed in the tutorial, Creating
Connectors.
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on the
Step 3: Update all of the elements to the correct element types for
OptiStruct.
1. Open the Element Type panel by clicking Mesh > Assign > Element Type from the menu bar.
2. Click elems >> all. HyperMesh selects all of the element types (1D, 2D, and 3D).
3. Click update.
4. Return to the main menu by clicking return.
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8. Click color and select a display color for the review vectors or lines.
9. In the size = field, enter 2.0.
Note: This value specifies, in model units, how large the review vectors are when displayed.
10. Click assign.
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Note: This function assigns the ID of the coordinate system to the selected elements. This can be
verified by reviewing the MCID field of the CQUAD4 card populated with System ID 1 for
the currently loaded OptiStruct user profile. How each analysis code interprets this
information varies. For OptiStruct, refer to the CQUAD4 and PCOMP(G) bulk data cards in
the Bulk Data Section of the OptiStruct Reference Manual. For visualization purposes
HyperMesh also projects the x-axis of the selected coordinate system onto the face of the
shell elements to define the x-axis of the material coordinate system. If you later modify the
system, the element material coordinate directions change implicitly.
16. Exit the Card Previewer by clicking return.
17. Exit the Card Edit panel and return to the Composites panel by clicking return.
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6. Click color and select a display color for the review vectors or lines.
7. Click set.
8. Open the Card Edit panel.
9. Set the entity selector to elems.
10. Select any element in the model.
11. Click edit.
12. In the Card Previewer dialog, review the card.
Note: This function assigns a material angle of 45 degrees to the selected elements, which for
OptiStruct is defined as the angle 45 degrees from the vector direction connecting node1
and node2 of the shell element (that is, the element coordinate system x-axis) using right
hand rule. In order to use right hand rule, the normal direction of the element must be
known and can be determined from the Tools page, Normals panel. This can be verified by
reviewing the THETA field of the CQUAD4 card populated with a 45-degree angle for the
currently loaded OptiStruct user profile. Each element in this case will have a THETA of 45
degrees. How each analysis code interprets this information varies. For OptiStruct, refer to
the CQUAD4 and PCOMP(G) bulk data cards in the Bulk Data Section of the OptiStruct
Reference Manual. For visualization purposes HyperMesh defines a vector using OptiStruct
convention on the face of the shell elements to define the x-axis of the material coordinate
system. This option should be used only in situations where great care has been taken to
assure that the node1-node2 direction of the shell elements are initially aligned properly.
13. Exit the Card Previewer.
14. Exit the Card Edit panel and return to the Composites panel.
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on the
Step 2: Create three load collectors for constraints, forces, and pressure
loads.
In this step, create load collectors to organize constraints, forces, and pressure loads in.
1. In the Model browser, right-click and select Create > Load Collector from the context menu.
HyperMesh creates and opens a load collector in the Entity Editor.
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Click the Color icon, and select a new color for the load collector.
3. Repeat steps 2.1 and 2.2 to create two more load collectors named pressure and forces.
Note: Different boundary conditions can now be created.
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Step 3: Fully constrain the bottom eight lines of the c-channel using the
Constraints panel.
1. In the Model browser, Load Collector folder, right-click on constraints and select Make Current
from the context menu.
2. Open the Constraints panel by clicking BCs > Create > Constraints from the menu bar.
3. Go to the create subpanel.
4. Set the entity selector to lines.
5. Select the eight lines defining the bottom portion of the c-channel as indicated in the following
image.
Lines to constrain
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11. Optional: Display the degrees of freedom labels by selecting the label constraints checkbox.
Step 4: Apply a pressure of 25 units normal to the top three surfaces using
the Pressures panel.
1. In the Model browser, Load Collector folder, right-click on pressure and select Make Current
from the context menu.
2. Open the Pressures panel by clicking BCs > Create > Pressures from the menu bar.
3. Go to the create subpanel.
4. Set the first switch to entities.
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Step 5: Create forces at the eight corners of the three top surfaces.
1. In the Model browser, Load Collector folder, right-click on forces and select Make Current from
the context menu.
2. Open the Forces panel by clicking BCs > Create > Forces from the menu bar.
3. Go to the create subpanel.
4. Set the entity selector to points.
5. Select the eight fixed points defining the corners of the c-channels top surfaces as indicated in the
following image.
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Loads on geometry
Tip:
If you organized some loads in the wrong load collector, use the Organize panel to move the
loads into the right collector.
In the previous steps you created various types of loads on various geometric entities: lines, surfaces,
and fixed points. The ultimate goal is to apply these loading conditions to finite elements. In the
following steps you will create the elements to apply the loading conditions to.
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Meshed c-channel
In this step, you created a shell mesh on the surfaces. In the following step you will map the loads that
were applied to geometric entities to these finite elements.
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6. Repeat steps 7.1 through 7.5 to map the pressure loadcol to the mesh. HyperMesh maps the
pressure loads previously applied to the surfaces to the nodes of the mesh associated to these
surfaces
Note: These pressure loads are placed in the same load collector as the ones applied to the
geometry.
2. From the menu bar, click File > Export > Solver Deck.
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4. In the Select OptiStruct file dialog, navigate to your working directory and save the file.
5. View advanced export options by clicking
In this section you experimented with exporting loads applied to geometric entities and elements in the
Export tab. You learned that with different combinations of the all/displayed options and loads
displayed in the Model browser, you can control what information gets exported.
Step 9: Modify the mesh and remap the loads to the new mesh.
When loads are applied to geometry, you can re-applying them to different meshes as many times as
you want. This functionality is particularly useful when you want to remesh a model without having to
delete complicated loads or boundary conditions. After remeshing, you can easily remap loads or
boundary conditions that have been applied to geometric entities to the new mesh, while loads applied
to elements are automatically deleted when the elements themselves are deleted.
Note: If you delete geometric entities to which loads are applied to, the loads will be deleted. The
deletion of geometric entities will not affect any loads applied to the mesh.
In this step, you will remesh the surfaces.
1. Go to the Automesh panel.
2. Click surfs >> displayed.
3. In the element size = field, enter 0.5.
4. Leave all other options used earlier unchanged.
5. Click mesh. The automesher deletes the existing elements, and creates a completely new set
based on the new element size.
Note: HyperMesh removes the loads that were applied to the initial mesh since the elements are
no longer there.
6. Click return.
New mesh
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Step 10: Map all the loads on geometry to the new mesh using the Load on
Geom panel.
In this step you will remap the loads applied to the geometry to the new mesh.
1. Open the Loads on Geometry panel by clicking BCs > Loads on Geometry from the menu bar.
2. Click loadcols.
3. Select the following load collectors: constraints, pressure, and forces.
4. Click select.
5. Click map loads. HyperMesh applies the loading conditions initially defined for the geometric
entities to the new mesh, and places the various loading conditions into the same load collector as
the corresponding ones applied to the geometry.
Note: You did not have to display these loads to map them.
In this step, you experimented with the remapping of loads applied to geometric entities to a new
mesh. Loads applied to geometric entities can be mapped several times to the different finite element
entities attached to these geometric entities. For example, this functionality is useful in a situation
where a mesh had to be changed, and it saved you from having to recreate loads on the elements.
Summary
In this tutorial, you used several boundary condition creation panels to generate constraints and
various loading conditions on geometric entities. You then experimented with the mapping of these
loads on the geometry to finite elements. You also familiarized yourself with the rules that govern the
export of loads on geometric entities.
No consideration to the creation of specific card images that need to accompany the various loading
conditions was given. For more information on how to generate the various loading conditions for
different solvers, refer to the Modeling / Solver Specific section of the HyperMesh tutorials.
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While HyperMesh supports include formulations for several other solvers, you will use LS-DYNA 970
input decks for the purpose of this tutorial.
Many FEA solvers allow you to organize your input deck into separate files, and provide a mechanism
to read all files linked to a single input deck. This capability is commonly known as "includes."
HyperMesh provides several options for importing such models, one of which preserves the include
structure upon import. The Include view in the Model browser is available to manipulate these
includes. The Include view lets you create, review, edit, organize, and update the contents of any
HyperMesh model into various include files. Every entity in HyperMesh then belongs to either the
master model or one of its include files.
Step 1: Load the LS-DYNA user profile and import the model.
In this step you will load the LS-DYNA user profile, import the LS-DYNA decks (master file and include
files) defining the model, and preserve the organization of the data into the various include files.
1. Start HyperMesh Desktop.
2. In the User Profile dialog, select LsDyna, Keyword970.
Note: Selecting a solver user profile sets the FE input reader to this solver and loads the solvers
FE output template. It also loads a macro menu with numerous tools specific to this
interface. The graphical user interface is also tailored to this solver with panel names and
options renamed or removed to match its terminology as much as possible.
3. Click OK.
4. From the menu bar, click File > Import > Solver Deck.
Note: The Import - Solver Deck tab contains the following advanced options for importing
include files:
Merge: merges all of the data in the individual includes into a master model, and then imports
the master model into HyperMesh as a single model. HyperMesh has no knowledge regarding
individual include files with this option.
Skip: reads INCLUDE statements as control cards and ignores the data within the include files.
None of the contents of the include files are processed.
Preserve: preserves the INCLUDE statements, and processes the contents of the include files.
The contents of the include files are "marked" to remember which include file they belong to.
When the deck is exported from HyperMesh, if desired, all of the entities that are marked as
belonging to include files get written back to that include file. The entire file structure (the
master file and all of its include files) are rewritten from the HyperMesh database.
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8. Click Import. HyperMesh imports the master.k deck, and the wheels.key, frame.key and
engine.key include files, which are also present in the same directory. The truck model defined
with a master deck and several include files were imported into HyperMesh while preserving the
organization of the data between the various files.
Truck model
Step 2: Review the model organization using the Include view in the Model
browser.
You can access the Include view (
) in the Model browser. In this view you can create, review,
edit, organize, and update the contents of a model into various include files. From the right-click
context menu you can access additional Include view functions. For a complete description of the
options available, refer to Model Browser's include view.
In this section, you will launch the Include view, review the structure of the model and its organization
into the various includes, and experiment with some of the display and configuration options available.
1. In the Model browser, click
structure.
Note: The Master Model is at the top level of the include browser. Data, which does not have any
references to an include file, is stored in the master model. Each include file is represented
by
along with its file name. Each include can be expanded to reveal its contents. The
contents of each include is grouped into folders containing each type, next to which appears
the total number of entities of that type. Each of the folders can be expanded to review the
individual entities in that folder. The browser can be configured to show only specific entities
of interest.
2. Expand the include, engine.key.
3. Review its content, which consists of components, materials, and properties.
4. Expand the Component folder, which consists of six component collectors.
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5. Review the contents of the other includes as well as the contents of the folders belonging to the
Master Model. The wheels.key include contains, for example, components, control volumes,
groups, materials, properties, and sets.
Note: While most entities are presented in this tree, elements and nodes are not listed, as this
would not be practical for larger models.
6. In the Model browser, right-click and select Collapse All from the context menu. All of the folders
collapse.
7. Right-click on Master Model and experiment with the Show and Hide display options in the
context menu.
8. Visually review the components that each include contains by isolating the include you wish to
review using the Isolate only option in the context menu.
In this section, you launched the Include view and reviewed the structure of the model and its
organization into the various includes. You also customized the Include view and used some of the
display options to modify the display of the model in the graphics area.
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3. In the Model browser, right-click and select Configure Browser from the context menu.
4. In the Browser Configuration dialog, select the Columns tab.
Note: From the Columns tab you can can define which columns are displayed in the Model
browser when you are in the Include View.
Step 4: Create new includes, reorganize the model, and locate entities in
includes.
Whether you import includes or are simply starting from a flat HyperMesh model, you can create new
includes in your database using the Include View, and organize entities into them using the
Organize panel. You can also select entities (using the standard SHIFT and CTRL keys) from the
Include view and drag them between two includes or between the master model and an include.
To determine which include a specific entity belongs to, you can use the Organize panels locate
function.
In this section, create a new include for the doors and organize the corresponding collectors into it
using the Organize panel. Finally, determine which include a certain material belongs to using the
locate function.
1. In the Model browser, Include View, right-click on Master Model and select Create > Include
File from the context menu. HyperMesh adds a new include under the master model with an
editable name, and displays it in bold, which signifies that it is the current include.
Note: You can add includes under the master model or under includes themselves.
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2. In the editable field, enter the name doors.key for the new include.
Note: You can rename or make current a new include using the right-click context menu.
3. Open the Organize panel by clicking organize from the Tool page.
4. Go to the includes subpanel.
5. Set the entity selector to comps.
6. Click dest = and select doors.key as the destination for the components.
7. Click comps.
8. Select the components: SHELL: DOOR-LEFT, SHELL: DOOR-RIGHT, and SHELL: DOORWINDOWG-LEFT.
9. Click select.
10. Click move. HyperMesh moves the selected components into the doors.key include.
Note: An expand/collapse icon is added next to the doors.key include, which indicates that data
has been placed under it.
11. Expand the doors.key include, Component folder to review the components that you moved.
12. Hide all of the includes except doors.key. HyperMesh displays the elements organized in this
include in the graphics area.
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15. Click locate. HyperMesh displays a list of all the materials available in this model.
16. Select the material, MATL1_38. HyperMesh updates the dest= field to show which include (or
master) file this particular material belongs to. In this case, it belongs to the wheels.key include.
Step 5: Import new data into an include and export the model.
By default, the Master Model is always the current file (displayed in bold in the Include view) and
any new entities you create or import into HyperMesh will be automatically placed in it. You can use
the Make Current option from the Include view context menu to make any include the current
include. When you create a new include, this include will automatically become the current include.
You can use the Include File Options function in the Include view context menu to define export
options for individual include files. Using this option, you can define whether the include file should get
exported, when the export function is used, and where the file should be exported.
The Export - Solver Deck tab contains the following advanced options for exporting models that
contain include files:
Merge: merges all of the data in individual include files into a single master model during export.
The exported file does not contain references to any include files.
Preserve: exports all the data in individual include files separately to their corresponding files.
The references to these includes in the master model file are also maintained.
In this section, you will create a new include in the master model labeled barrier.dyn, and then
import a barrier model into it. You will then review the include file options for each one of the includes
in the model and modify them as needed. Lastly, you will export the model, while also preserving the
includes.
1. In the Include view, right-click on Master Model and select Create > Include File from the
context menu.
2. In the editable field, enter the name barrier.dyn for the new include.
Note:
The new include is displayed in bold, which indicates that it is now the current include
and any new data created or imported into HyperMesh will be placed in it.
3. From the menu bar, click File > Import > Solver Deck. The Import tab opens.
4. In the File field, navigate to the <install_directory>\tutorials\hm\ directory and open the
barrier.dyn file.
5. Click Import. Hypermesh imports the barrier.
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File path- type in or browse for the directory in which the include is to be exported.
Do not export - When this check box is selected, HyperMesh will not export include when you
export the model. When this check box is clear, HyperMesh exports the include when you export
the model. This check box is automatically selected when you read includes into HyperMesh that
have their permission set to read only, as well as includes that are referenced by the master
include using absolute paths.
The frame.key, wheels.key and engine.key includes are all referenced by the master.k
include, that you imported initially using relative paths (edit the master.k file to verify this), but
their permissions were set to read only. In order to export these includes, clear the Do not
export check box.
8. For the engine.key, frame.key and wheels.key includes, clear the Do not export check box and
then click Set.
9. Right-click on an include and select Export All Includes from the context menu. The Export all
includes dialog opens.
10. In the File name field, enter the location and name of the master model and click OK. HyperMesh
exports all of the include files as individual files.
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Note: This option is equivalent to exporting the master model from the Export - Solver Deck tab
( ) with the preserve includes check box selected. When you want to export a single file,
use the export subpanel and set export option to merge includes.
11. Go to the directory you selected in the previous step and verify that all of the includes have been
exported with the names set in the Include view.
In this tutorial you used the include browser to manage the use of includes in your truck model.
Several options for import, display, organization, and export were used.
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HM-4070: OptiView
In this tutorial, you will:
Import an optimization model
Create a new set of optimization entities
Organize these into optimization problems
Run both problems
View results
Exercise
Step 1: Launch HyperMesh and set the user profile to OptiStruct.
Step 2: Import the cclip.fem file.
1. Select Import Solver Deck
Figure 1
3. Right-click the Optimization Problems folder and click Create > Optimization Problem.
HyperMesh creates an optimization problem and opens it in the Entity Editor.
4. In the Entity Editor, name this problem Topology.
5. Drag and drop all the entities from the repository into the newly created problem.
Note: You can drag and drop entities from the repository into problems or problems into problems.
Any combination of selected entities can be dragged and dropped.
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Give the free size design variable a meaningful name so you can easily drag and drop.
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Customization
Scripts
HM-8010: Add a Button to the User Page on the Utility Menu
HM-8020: Create a Utility Menu Macro From a Command File
HM-8030: Create a Utility Menu Macro to Create Constraints on a Plane
HM-8040: Create a Utility Menu Macro from a Tcl Script
HM-8050: Create Forces on Nodes and Add a Button on the User Page
HM-8060: Calculate the Resultant Sum of Forces
HM-8070: Create Spline Surfaces on Tria Elements
HM-8080: Calculate the Radius of an Arc
HM-8090: Create an OptiStruct PSHELL property
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Scripts
HM-8010: Add a Button to the User Page on the Utility Menu
HM-8020: Create a Utility Menu Macro From a Command File
HM-8030: Create a Utility Menu Macro to Create Constraints on a Plane
HM-8040: Create a Utility Menu Macro from a Tcl Script
HM-8050: Create Forces on Nodes and Add a Button on the User Page
HM-8060: Calculate the Resultant Sum of Forces
HM-8070: Create Spline Surfaces on Tria Elements
HM-8080: Calculate the Radius of an Arc
HM-8090: Create an OptiStruct PSHELL property
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Tools
The User page is available on the Utility menu. To access the User page:
1. From the menu bar, click View > Browsers > HyperMesh > Utility.
2. At the bottom of the Utility menu, click the User button
Command files and Tcl/Tk scripts can be added to the userpage.mac file. When HyperMesh starts, it
first looks for the userpage.mac file in the directory from which it launches, and then in the installation
directory. UNIX users also have the option of putting the userpage.mac file in their home directory.
The userpage.mac file controls the display and available operations on the User page of the
HyperMesh Utility menu. In order to invoke a command file or Tcl/Tk script from the User page, a
button must be defined inside the userpage.mac file. The *createbutton command is used to define
the button and its characteristics. The syntax for this command is:
*createbutton(page, name, row, column, width, COLOR, helpString, macroName [ , arg1
])
where:
page
The page number on which the button is to appear. For the User
page, this value is 5.
name
row
The row in which to place the button. The number of visible rows
depends on your monitors graphics resolution. A positive value
indicates an absolute row number. A 0 indicates the next highest
available row. A negative value indicates the number of rows to
skip. Rows begin at the bottom of the menu.
column
The column where the button starts (0-10). Columns begin to the
right of the menu.
width
COLOR
The color of the button. The available button colors are: RED,
BLUE, GREEN, CYAN, MAGENTA, YELLOW, GRAY, and BUTTON
(background). The color name must appear in capital letters.
helpString
The string to be displayed in the menu bar when the middle mouse
button is pressed and the button is clicked, enclosed in quotes: " ".
macroName
arg1
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Exercise
In this exercise, you will create a button on the User page that will launch the lighting.tcl dialog
from the HyperMesh installation.
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Tools
In order to execute command file commands or Tcl scripts from a button on any of the HyperMesh
Utility Menu pages, a Utility Menu macro must first be defined. A Utility Menu macro contains
valid command file or templex commands that execute the appropriate operations, and is defined using
the *beginmacro and *endmacro commands. Macros may accept data passed to them using the
arguments $1, $2, etc. Each argument specifies where the values should be substituted. These
macros are defined within the .mac files, including the userpage.mac file.
The following skeleton code shows the format of a Utility Menu macro:
*beginmacro(macroname)
command statements go here
*endmacro()
Utility Menu macros consist of HyperMesh Tcl modify commands.
Exercise
Create a Utility Menu macro from a command file that saves the model and add a button on the User
page that will launch the macro:
1. Define the task.
2. Delete the existing command.cmf file. This file is located in either the start-in directory or the
current working directory.
3. Perform the operations in HyperMesh that the script should run.
4. Extract the commands from the command.cmf file.
5. Add the commands to the userpage.mac file.
6. Modify as necessary and add macro wrapper commands *beginmacro and *endmacro.
7. Add macro button using *createbutton that calls the new macro defined in Step 6.
8. Reload the current .mac file into HyperMesh to load the modified userpage.mac.
9. Test the macro.
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The current command.cmf file is located in the current working directory. When first opening
HyperMesh, the file is created in the directory HyperMesh is launched from. As soon as you begin
working in HyperMesh all executed commands are written to the command.cmf file. If the file already
exists, the commands are appended to the file. Deleting the file allows HyperMesh to create a new file
and allows the user to easily find the relevant commands.
Step 6: Modify as necessary and add Utility Menu macro wrapper commands.
1. Remove the path in the *writefile command so that it looks like:
*writefile("temp.hm",0)
2. Enclose the commands from Step 5 between the wrapper commands *beginmacro and *endmacro.
In the *beginmacro command, name the macro macroSave.
*beginmacro(macroSave)
*writefile("temp.hm",0)
*endmacro()
The macro name macroSave will be used to connect the button with the macro via the macroName
field in the *createbutton command.
3. Add the command *answer(yes) after the *writefile command.
The command *answer(yes) automatically answers yes if prompted to overwrite the file in the
event temp.hm already exists.
4. Save the userpage.mac file.
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Step 8: Reload the current .mac file into HyperMesh to load the modified
userpage.mac.
To reload the current macro menu .mac file while HyperMesh is open, select Preferences > Menu
Config from the menu bar and click on retrieve next to macro file. Make sure to load the proper
.mac file from the hm\scripts\<profile name> directory based on the current user profile, or load the
default hm.mac in the hm\bin\<platform> directory if no user profile is loaded.
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Tools
In order to execute command file commands or Tcl scripts from a button on any of the HyperMesh
Utility Menu pages, a Utility Menu macro must first be defined. A Utility Menu macro contains
valid command file or templex commands that execute the appropriate operations, and is defined using
the *beginmacro and *endmacro commands. Macros may accept data passed to them using the
arguments $1, $2, etc. Each argument specifies where the values should be substituted. These
macros are defined within the .mac files, including the userpage.mac file.
The following skeleton code shows the format of a Utility Menu macro:
*beginmacro(macroname)
command statements go here
*endmacro()
Utility Menu macros consist of HyperMesh Tcl modify commands.
Load collectors can be created and edited using the Model Browser. Simply right-click in the Model
Browser and select Create > Load Collector to create one. To edit the name, color, or card image
of a load collector, right click on the load collector name in the Model Browser and select Edit
The Constraints panel can be accessed from the menu bar by selecting BCs > Create > Constraints
The Constraints panel allows you to create and update constraints.
Exercise
In this exercise you will create a Utility Menu macro from a command file that creates constraints on
a plane and add a button on the User page that will launch the macro:
1. Define the task.
2. Delete the existing command.cmf file. This file is located in either the start-in directory or the
current working directory.
3. Perform the operations in HyperMesh that the script should run.
4. Extract the commands from the command.cmf file.
5. Add them to the userpage.mac file.
6. Modify as necessary and add macro wrapper commands *beginmacro and *endmacro.
7. Add macro button using *createbutton that calls the new macro defined in Step 6.
8. Reload the current .mac file into HyperMesh to load the modified userpage.mac.
9. Test the macro.
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The macro name macroEdge_Const will be used to connect the button with the macro via the
macroName field in the *createbutton command.
2. Change the *createmark(nodes,1) command to *createmark(nodes,1) "on plane" 0 0 0 1 0
0 0.5 1 0
"on plane" is one of many selection methods available. This method allows the selection of only
entities that lie within a tolerance (in this case, 0.5) of the plane defined at the point (0,0,0) with
normal vector (1,0,0). In this exercise, this is the YZ plane. See the Entity Selector online help
topic for further details.
The final macro should look like:
*beginmacro(macroEdge_Const)
*collectorcreate(loadcols,"constraints","",11)
*createmark(nodes,1) "on plane" 0 0 0 1 0 0 0.5 1 0
*loadcreateonentity(nodes,1,3,1,0,0,0,0,0,0)
*endmacro()
This creates a button on page 5 (User page), names it, places it in the 20th row, starts it at column
0, makes it 10 columns wide, gives it the color green, provides a help string and references the
macro macroSave defined in Step 6.
2. Save the userpage.mac file.
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Step 8: Reload the current .mac file into HyperMesh to load the modified
userpage.mac.
To reload the current macro menu .mac file while HyperMesh is open, select Preferences > Menu
Config from the menu bar and click on retrieve next to macro file. Make sure to load the proper
.mac file from the hm\scripts\<profile name> directory based on the current user profile, or load the
default hm.mac in hm\bin\<platform> if no user profile is loaded.
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Tools
In order to execute command file commands or Tcl scripts from a button on any of the HyperMesh
Utility Menu pages, a Utility Menu macro must first be defined. A Utility Menu macro contains
valid command file or templex commands that execute the appropriate operations, and is defined using
the *beginmacro and *endmacro commands. Macros may accept data passed to them using the
arguments $1, $2, etc. Each argument specifies where the values should be substituted. These
macros are defined within the .mac files, including the userpage.mac file.
The following skeleton code shows the format of a Utility Menu macro:
*beginmacro(macroname)
command statements go here
*endmacro()
Utility Menu macros consist of HyperMesh Tcl modify commands.
Exercise
In this exercise you will create a Tcl script from the command file commands, create a Utility Menu
macro that runs the Tcl script and add a button on the User page that will launch the macro:
1. Define the task.
2. Delete the existing command.cmf file. This file is located in either the start-in directory or the
current working directory.
3. Perform the operations in HyperMesh that the script should run.
4. Extract the commands from the command.cmf file.
5. Create a Tcl script by converting the commands to Tcl format and modifying as necessary.
6. Create a new Utility Menu macro that runs a Tcl script.
7. Add macro button using *createbutton that calls the macro created in Step 6 with the appropriate
Tcl script filename.
8. Reload the current .mac file into HyperMesh to load the modified userpage.mac.
9. Test the macro.
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The current command.cmf file is located in the current working directory. When first opening
HyperMesh, the file is created in the directory HyperMesh is launched from. As soon as you begin
working in HyperMesh all executed commands are written to the command.cmf file. If the file already
exists, the commands are appended to the file. Deleting the file allows HyperMesh to create a new file
and allows the user to easily find the relevant commands.
Step 5: Create a Tcl script names savefile.tcl, convert the commands to Tcl
format and modify as necessary.
1. Create a new file named savefile.tcl using any text editor.
2. Paste the *writefile command copied from the command.cmf file inside the savefile.tcl file.
3. Remove all () and , and replace them with spaces. Also remove the . The command should
look like:
*writefile temp.hm 0
4. Add the command *answer yes after the *writefile command.
The command *answer yes automatically answers yes if prompted to overwrite the file in the
event temp.hm already exists. Notice that there are no parentheses.
5. Save the savefile.tcl script in the current working directory.
*beginmacro("EvalTcl")
*evaltclscript($1,0)
*endmacro()
The macro name EvalTcl will be used to connect the button with the macro via the macroName field
in the *createbutton command.
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Step 8: Reload the current .mac file into HyperMesh to load the modified
userpage.mac.
To reload the current macro menu .mac file while HyperMesh is open, select Preferences > Menu
Config from the menu bar and click on retrieve next to macro file. Make sure to load the proper
.mac file from the hm\scripts\<profile name> directory based on the current user profile, or load the
default hm.mac in hm\bin\<platform> if no user profile is loaded.
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Tools
In order to execute command file commands or Tcl scripts from a button on any of the HyperMesh
Utility Menu pages, a Utility Menu macro must first be defined. A Utility Menu macro contains
valid command file or templex commands that execute the appropriate operations, and is defined using
the *beginmacro and *endmacro commands. Macros may accept data passed to them using the
arguments $1, $2, etc. Each argument specifies where the values should be substituted. These
macros are defined within the .mac files, including the userpage.mac file.
The following skeleton code shows the format of a Utility menu macro:
*beginmacro(macroname)
command statements go here
*endmacro()
Utility menu macros consist of HyperMesh Tcl modify commands.
Load collectors can be created and edited using the Model Browser. Simply right click in the Model
Browser and select Create > Load Collector to create one. To edit the name, color, or card image
of a load collector, right click on the load collector name in the Model Browser and select Edit
The Forces panel can be accessed from the menu bar by selecting BCs > Create > Forces.
The Forces panel allows you to create and update forces.
Exercise
In this exercise you will create a Tcl script from the command file commands, create a Utility Menu
macro that runs the Tcl script and add a button on the User page that will launch the macro:
1. Define the task.
2. Delete the existing command.cmf file. This file is located in either the start-in directory or the
current working directory.
3. Perform the operations in HyperMesh that the script should run.
4. Extract the commands from the command.cmf file.
5. Create a Tcl script by converting the commands to Tcl format and modifying as necessary.
6. Create a Utility Menu macro that runs a Tcl script.
7. Add macro button using *createbutton that calls the macro created in Step 6 with the appropriate
Tcl script filename.
8. Reload the current .mac file into HyperMesh to load the modified userpage.mac.
9. Test the macro.
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Toggle from magnitude % option to uniform size option for load size and set the value to
15.
9. Click create.
option in the
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*beginmacro("EvalTcl")
*evaltclscript($1,0)
*endmacro()
The macro name EvalTcl will be used to connect the button with the macro via the macroName field
in the *createbutton command.
2. Save the userpage.mac file.
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Step 8: Reload the current .mac file into HyperMesh to load the modified
userpage.mac.
To reload the current macro menu .mac file while HyperMesh is open from the menu bar select
Preferences > Menu Config and click on retrieve next to macro file. Make sure to load the proper
.mac file from the hm\scripts\<profile name> directory based on the current user profile, or load the
default hm.mac in hm\bin\<platform> if no user profile is loaded.
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Tools
The Tcl commands if, foreach and expr will be used to add logic and mathematical functions to the
script. The command hm_getentityvalue is used to extract information from HyperMesh entities,
based on data names.
Data names are generic references to the information that physically define an entity in the HyperMesh
environment. An example of this is the x, y, and z coordinates that define a node location in threedimensional space. The available data names for each entity can be found in the HyperMesh Reference
Guide Data Names topic.
Data names are accessed using the hm_getentityvalue command. This command uses the data
names available for an entity to return the particular value of interest. The command will return a
value that is either a string or a numeric value, depending on the command syntax and the value
stored in that particular data name field. The basic syntax of the command is:
hm_getentityvalue entity_type id data_name flag
where entity_type is the requested entity type (elements, loads, nodes, etc.), id is the entity ID, the
data_name is the data field name of interest, and flag is either 0 or 1 depending on whether the
command should return a numeric value (0) or a string (1).
To retrieve the x-component of a force with ID 12, the following command can be used:
set force_x [hm_getentityvalue loads 12 "comp1" 0]
Note: To assign the value from the command to a variable, the command is placed within square
brackets.
Exercise
Create a Tcl script to compute the resultant sum of a given selection of forces. This requires that the
script read data from the force entities and manipulate the data to calculate the resultant. To calculate
the resultant of the forces, retrieve the x, y, and z components of the forces and compute a vector
sum.
1. Define the process.
2. Determine the data names to use to extract the force components.
3. Create the Tcl script and add logic as necessary.
4. Test the script.
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Step 2: Determine the data names to use to extract the force components.
The following table lists several relevant data names for force loads:
comp1
comp2
comp3
config
entitytype
node
inputsystemid
reference system ID
Steps 3-9: Create the Tcl script and add logic as necessary.
A Tcl script to perform this function might be similar to the following:
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Step 6: Begin an if loop which checks to see if the variable loads_list has
values. If it does, proceed with the macro.
Before calculating the resultant of the forces selected, we should check to make sure that the variable
loads_list has values in it. This is done by using an if loop. In the if loop below, we are checking
that the variable loads_list is not empty. Add the following line to the TCL file to initialize the if
loop:
if {$loads_list != ""} {
Step 7: Use a foreach loop to iterate through each load in the list loads_list
and extract the x, y, and z components using the hm_getentityvalue
command and the appropriate data name.
Using a foreach loop, each load in the list loads_list will be iterated through. Within the foreach
loop, each load is referenced by load_id and then the component value is added to the previous loads
components value. For example, lets look at the x component. Using the set command, the variable
x_comp_sum is defined as the previous value of x_comp_sum, plus the x component of the current load.
The x component of the current load is retrieved by using the hm_getentityvalue command and the
data name comp1 (all the available data names for loads are shown in the table above). This process is
done for the y and z components as well. Add the following 4 lines to the TCL file:
foreach load_id $loads_list {
set x_comp_sum [expr $x_comp_sum + [hm_getentityvalue
loads $load_id "comp1" 0]];
set y_comp_sum [expr $y_comp_sum + [hm_getentityvalue
loads $load_id "comp2" 0]];
set z_comp_sum [expr $z_comp_sum + [hm_getentityvalue
loads $load_id "comp3" 0]];
}
Step 9: Complete the if loop and report an error message if no loads are
found.
To complete the if loop, add an else statement. Remember the if statement checked to see if the
variable loads_list was not empty. This else statement returns an error message to the user to let
them know that no loads were selected.
} else {
hm_errormessage "No loads selected";
}
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The user will always select force loads, as opposed to moments, pressures, etc.
The forces are applied to nodes, as opposed to comps or sets, and are valid to sum.
All of the forces are applied in the same coordinate system so that it is valid to sum the
component values directly.
If any of these assumptions are not true, the values returned by the script may be invalid.
Additional conditional logic can be programmed to check for each of these situations and an error
message can be returned or they can be handled appropriately.
5.
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The result of the macro is shown in the status bar. Either a message with the resultant force is
shown or else there is a note saying that no loads were selected.
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Tools
The Tcl commands if, foreach, and incr will be used to add logic to the script. The command
hm_getentityvalue is used to extract information from HyperMesh entities, based on data names.
Data names are generic references to the information that physically define an entity in the HyperMesh
environment. An example of this is the x-, y-, and z-coordinates that define a node location in threedimensional space. The available data names for each can be found in the HyperMesh Reference Guide
Data Names topic.
Data names are accessed using the hm_getentityvalue command. This command uses the data
names available for an entity to return the particular value of interest. The command will return a
value that is either a string or a numeric value, depending on the command syntax and the value
stored in that particular data name field. The basic syntax of the command is:
hm_getentityvalue entity_type id data_name flag
where entity_type is the requested entity type (elements, loads, nodes, etc), id is the entity ID,
the data_name is the data field name of interest, and flag is either 0 or 1 depending on whether the
command should return a numeric value (0) or a string (1).
To retrieve the x-component of a force with ID 12, the following command can be used:
set force_x [hm_getentityvalue loads 12 "comp1" 0]
Note that to assign the value from the command to a variable, the command is placed within square
brackets.
Exercise
Create a Tcl script that creates spline surfaces from the nodes of selected tria elements. This requires
that the script read data from the element entities. To create the spline surfaces, retrieve the 3-node
IDs of the tria elements.
1. Define the process.
2. Determine the data names to use to extract the element type and node IDs.
3. Create the Tcl script and add logic as necessary.
4. Test the script.
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Step 2: Determine the data names to use to extract the element type and
node IDs.
The following table lists several relevant data names for tria elements:
config
node1
node2
node3
Steps 3-14: Create the Tcl script and add logic as necessary.
A Tcl script to perform this function might be similar to the following:
Step 5: Begin an if loop which checks to see if the variable elems_list has
values. If it does, proceed with the macro.
Before continuing with the macro, we should check to make sure that the variable elems_list has
values in it. This is done by using an if loop. In the if loop below, we are checking that the variable
elems_list is not empty. Add the following line to the TCL file to initialize the if loop:
if {$elems_list != ""} {
Step 6: Initialize a variable which counts the number of times the foreach
loop is entered.
The variable success_count is initialized and set to 0. This variable is used to count the number of
times the foreach loop (defined in Step 7) is entered. We will use this variable at the end of the
script. Add the following line to the TCL script:
set success_count 0;
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Step 7: Use a foreach loop to iterate through each element in the list
elems_list and then set a variable config which stores the element
configuration. This is extracted using the hm_getentityvalue command and
the appropriate data name.
Using a foreach loop, each element in the list elems_list will be iterated through. Within the
foreach loop, each load is referenced by elem_id and then the variable config is defined. This
variable is set to the result of the hm_getentityvalue which uses the element data name config to
report the configuration of the element. A tria element will have an element configuration of 103 while
a quad element will have a configuration of 104. Add the following 2 lines to the TCL file:
foreach elem_id $elems_list {
set config [hm_getentityvalue elems $elem_id "config" 0];
Step 8: Begin an if loop which checks to see if the variable config has a
value of 103. If it does, proceed with the macro.
Using an if loop, the variable config is checked to see if it doesnt have a value of 103. A value of
103 means that the element configuration is a tria element. If the value is not equal to 103, the
continue statement is used to move outside of the foreach loop. If the value is the config variable is
103, then the macro is continued. Add the following lines to the TCL script:
if {$config != 103} {
continue;
}
Step 9: Set 3 variables which contain the node id of each of the nodes used
to define the tria element.
Three variables are defined (node1, node2, and node3) which represent the 3 nodes that define the tria
element. These 3 nodes will be used to create the spline surface. Using the hm_getentityvalue
command and the element data names node1, node2, and node3 along with the pointer id, the node id
is retrieved and assigned to the appropriate variable. Add the following 3 lines to the TCL script:
set node1 [hm_getentityvalue elems $elem_id "node1.id" 0];
set node2 [hm_getentityvalue elems $elem_id "node2.id" 0];
set node3 [hm_getentityvalue elems $elem_id "node3.id" 0];
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Step 11: Create a node mark which contains the 3 nodes defined in Step 9
and then use the *splinesurface command to create a spline surface using
the nodes in the mark.
Using the *createmark, mark 1 for nodes is created and it contains the 3 nodes defined in the variables
node1, node2, and node3.
*createmark nodes 1 $node1 $node2 $node3;
*splinesurface nodes 1 0 1 1;
Step 12: Increase the variable success_count which is used to count the
number of times the foreach loop is entered. Then, close the foreach loop.
Using the incr command, the variable success_count is increased. Following this command, a } is
used to close the foreach loop. Add the following 2 lines to the TCL script:
incr success_count;
}
Step 13: Clear the node and element marks, and then use the hm_usermessage
command to report the number of spline surfaces created.
Using the command *clearmark, mark 1 for the nodes and elements is cleared. Following these
commands, the hm_usermessage command is used to report the number of spline surfaces created.
The variable success_count is used to do this. Because this variable was increased each time the
foreach loop was entered and the element configuration was 103, this variable kept a count of the
number of spline surfaces that were created. Add the following 3 lines to the TCL script:
*clearmark nodes 1;
*clearmark elems 1;
hm_usermessage "$success_count splines created."
Step 14: Add an else statement which compliments the if statement which
checked to see if the elems_list variable was empty. If it is empty, the else
statement is executed.
The else statement compliments the if statement defined in Step 5 which checks to see if the
elems_list variable is empty. If it is empty the else statement is executed. Inside the else
statement, the hm_errormessage command is used to report to the user that no elements were
selected. Following the hm_errormessage command, the if statement is closed using a }. Add the
following 3 lines to the TCL script file:
} else {
hm_errormessage "No elements selected";
}
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Tools
The Tcl commands if and expr will be used to add logic and mathematical functions to the script. The
command hm_getentityvalue is used to extract information from HyperMesh entities, based on data
names.
Data names are generic references to the information that physically define an entity in the HyperMesh
environment. An example of this is the x, y, and z coordinates that define a node location in threedimensional space. The available data names for each entity can be found in the HyperMesh Reference
Guide Data Names topic.
Data names are accessed using the hm_getentityvalue command. This command uses the data
names available for an entity to return the particular value of interest. The command will return a
value that is either a string or a numeric value, depending on the command syntax and the value
stored in that particular data name field. The basic syntax of the command is:
hm_getentityvalue entity_type id data_name flag
where entity_type is the requested entity type (elements, loads, nodes, etc), id is the entity ID,
the data_name is the data field name of interest, and flag is either 0 or 1 depending on whether the
command should return a numeric value (0) or a string (1).
To retrieve the x-component of a force with ID 12, the following command can be used:
set force_x [hm_getentityvalue loads 12 "comp1" 0]
Note that to assign the value from the command to a variable, the command is placed within square
brackets.
Exercise
Create a Tcl script that determines the radius of a user selected arc. One point on the line and the
center of the arc will need to be calculated.
1. Define the process.
2. Determine the data names to use to extract the node coordinates.
3. Create the Tcl script and add logic as necessary.
4. Test the script.
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Step 2: Determine the data names to use to extract the node coordinates.
The following table lists several relevant data names for nodes:
globalx
globaly
globalz
Steps 3-12: Create the Tcl script and add logic as necessary.
A Tcl script to perform this function might be similar to the following:
Step 5: Begin an if loop which checks to see if the variable line_list has
values. If it does, proceed with the macro.
Before continuing with the macro, we should check to make sure that the variable line_list has
values in it. This is done by using an if loop. In the if loop below, we are checking to see if the
variable line_list is empty. If the variable is empty, an error message is given to the user. Also,
using the elseif statement in the if loop, we can check to see if more than one line is selected. If
more than one line is selected, an error message is reported. If neither of those conditions are met,
the macro proceeds under the else statement. Add the following line to the TCL file to define the if
loop:
if {$line_list == ""} {
hm_errormessage "No lines selected";
} elseif {[llength $line_list] != 1} {
hm_errormessage "Only one line may be selected";
} else {
Step 6: Create 3 nodes on the line selected and then create a node at the
circle center of the 3 nodes. Add those nodes to a variable.
Use the *nodecreateonlines command to create 3 nodes on the line which is in mark 1. This is done
with the first command below. Then, use the *createcenternode to create a node at the center of a
circle formed by the three nodes that were just created in the *nodecreateonlines command. These
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three nodes are referenced by using -1. -2, and -3 which reference the last node created, the
second to last node created, and the third to last node created. Then, the nodes are added to the
nodes mark 1 using the *createmark command. Again, the nodes are referenced using -1, -2, -3,
and -4 to add the last 4 nodes created to the mark. Finally, the nodes in mark 1 are added to the
variable node_list. Add the following 4 lines to the TCL script:
*nodecreateonlines lines 1 3 0 0;
*createcenternode -1 -2 -3;
*createmark nodes 1 -1 -2 -3 -4;
set node_list [hm_getmark nodes 1];
Step 7: Use the lindex command to get the node id of the first node in the
list node_list. Then get the x, y, and z coordinates for the node.
Set a variable called id which contains the node id for the first node in the list node_list. The id for
the first node is retrieved using the lindex command which takes the variable node_list and using
the index 0, retrieves the first node id in the list. Then, using the variable id and the
hm_getentityvalue command with the node data names x, y, and z, the x, y, and z coordinates for
the node are set to the variables x1, y1, and z1. Add the following 4 lines to the TCL script:
set id [lindex $node_list 0];
set x1 [hm_getentityvalue nodes $id "x" 0];
set y1 [hm_getentityvalue nodes $id "y" 0];
set z1 [hm_getentityvalue nodes $id "z" 0];
Step 8: Use the lindex command to get the node id of the last node in the
list node_list. Then get the x, y, and z coordinates for the node.
Set a variable called id which contains the node id for the last node in the list node_list. The id for
the first node is retrieved using the lindex command which takes the variable node_list and using
the index 3, retrieves the first node id in the list. Then, using the variable id and the
hm_getentityvalue command with the node data names x, y, and z, the x, y, and z coordinates for
the node are set to the variables x2, y2, and z2. Add the following 4 lines to the TCL script:
set id [lindex $node_list 3 ];
set x2 [hm_getentityvalue nodes $id "x" 0];
set y2 [hm_getentityvalue nodes $id "y" 0];
set z2 [hm_getentityvalue nodes $id "z" 0];
Step 9: Define three variables which are the x, y, and z distance between
the two nodes defined in the last two steps.
Three variables are defined which are simply the x, y, and z distance between the two nodes defined in
Steps 7 and 8. The component difference between each node is calculated using the coordinates
defined in Steps 7 and 8 and the TCL command expr. Add the following 3 lines to the TCL script:
set dx [expr $x1 - $x2];
set dy [expr $y1 - $y2];
set dz [expr $z1 - $z2];
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Step 10: Define a variable called radius which uses the variables dx, dy, and
dz to calculate the radius of the line which is a circle or an arc.
Using the three variables which were defined in the previous step (dx, dy, and dz) the magnitude of
the distance is calculated. This distance corresponds to the radius of the arc/circle which is defined by
the line selected. To calculate the radius, the expr command is used. Add the following line to the
TCL script:
set radius [expr sqrt(($dx*$dx) + ($dy*$dy) + ($dz*$dz))];
Step 12: Report to the user the radius of the selected line.
Using the hm_usermessage command, the value of the variable radius is reported to the user. Also,
close the if loop which was started back in Step 5. Add the following two lines to the TCL script:
hm_usermessage "Radius = $radius";
}
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The Tcl command if will be used to add logic to the script. The commands *dictionaryload and
*attributeupdatedouble are used to assign information to the property collector.
Solver-specific data created from the HyperMesh template system is stored in card images. Each piece
of data that defines a card image has a text string (data name) and a numeric attribute ID. An
example is the Youngs Modulus for a material.
Templates exist for each solver supported by HyperMesh and are located in sub-folders under the
<altair_home>\templates\feoutput directory. These templates define every solver-specific attribute
including data names, attribute IDs, card image formats, and the format of the data upon export. The
*defineattribute command is used to define attribute data names and IDs in a template file.
In order to determine the commands required to create template-specific data, it is best to run through
the process in HyperMesh and to review the commands that are written to the command.cmf file.
Property collectors can be created and edited using the Model Browser. Simply right click in the
Model Browser and select Create > Property to create one. To change the name, color, or card
image of a property collector, right click on the property name in the Model Browser and select Edit
Exercise
Create a Tcl script to create a property collector and assign a thickness. This requires that the script
prompt the user for a name and a thickness value.
1. Define the process.
2. Delete the existing command.cmf file. This file is located in either the start-in directory or the
current working directory.
3. Perform the operations in HyperMesh that the script should run.
4. Extract the commands from the command.cmf file.
5. Create a Tcl script by converting the commands to Tcl format and modifying as necessary.
6. Test the script.
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The current command.cmf file is located in the current working directory. When first opening
HyperMesh, the file is created in the directory HyperMesh is launched from. As soon as you begin
working in HyperMesh, all executed commands are written to the command.cmf file. If the file already
exists, the commands are appended to the file. Deleting the file allows HyperMesh to create a new file
and allows the user to easily find the relevant commands.
6. Click Create.
7. Activate the T field and enter a thickness value.
8. Click return.
Step 5: Create a Tcl script by converting the commands to Tcl format and
modify it as necessary.
1. Create a new Tcl file using any text editor.
2. Paste the copied commands from the command.cmf file inside the Tcl file.
3. Remove all () and , and replace them with spaces. Also place semi-colons (;) at the end of each
line. The commands should look something like:
*collectorcreateonly properties "my_prop" "" 11;
*createmark properties 2 "my_prop";
*dictionaryload properties 2
"C:/Altair/hw12.0/templates/feoutput/optistruct/optistruct" "PSHELL";
*initializeattributes properties my_prop;
*attributeupdatedouble properties 1 95 1 1 0 0.25;
These commands can now be run to duplicate the creation of the PSHELL property. However, simply
running these commands as-is is not very flexible. The property ID, name and values are all hard
coded. The template file location in the *dictionaryload command is also hard coded. Finally, there
are a lot of extra commands that set unnecessary attributes.
4. In the *attributeupdatedouble command, the ID of the property is hard coded. In order to make
this flexible, you need to replace the hard coded ID with the ID of the new property collector:
(Changes to the above commands are shown below in bold print).
*collectorcreateonly properties "my_prop" "" 11;
*createmark properties 2 -1
set prop_id [hm_getmark props 2];
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*dictionaryload properties 2
"C:/Altair/hw12.0/templates/feoutput/optistruct/optistruct" "PSHELL";
*attributeupdatedouble properties $prop_id 95 1 1 0 0.25;
Supplying an ID of -1 to the *createmark command can be used to select the most recently created
entity.
5. The template file path is also hard coded. You can make this flexible using the hm_info command:
*collectorcreateonly properties "my_prop" "" 11;
*createmark properties 2 "my_prop";
set prop_id [hm_getmark props 2];
*dictionaryload properties 2 "[hm_info -appinfo SPECIFIEDPATH
TEMPLATES_DIR]/feoutput/optistruct/optistruct" "PSHELL";
*attributeupdatedouble properties $prop_id 95 1 1 0 0.25;
The user also needs to be prompted to enter a property name and thickness value. You can then
substitute those variables in the relevant commands:
set prop_name [hm_getstring "Name="];
set prop_thick [hm_getfloat "Thickness="];
*collectorcreateonly properties "$prop_name" "" 11;
*createmark properties 2 "$prop_name";
set prop_id [hm_getmark props 2];
*dictionaryload properties 2 "[hm_info -appinfo SPECIFIEDPATH
TEMPLATES_DIR]/feoutput/optistruct/optistruct" "PSHELL";
*attributeupdatedouble properties $prop_id 95 1 1 0 $prop_thick;
6. Finally, You need to add logic to test in order to make sure that the property name and thickness
values are valid:
set prop_name [hm_getstring "Name="];
if {$prop_name == ""} {
hm_errormessage "No name specified.";
return;
} elseif {[hm_entityinfo exist properties $prop_name byname] == 1} {
hm_errormessage "Property already exists.";
return;
}
set prop_thick [hm_getfloat "Thickness="];
if {$prop_thick == "" || $prop_thick <= 0.0} {
hm_errormessage "Invalid thickness value specified.";
return;
}
*collectorcreateonly properties "$prop_name" "" 11;
*createmark properties 2 "$prop_name";
set prop_id [hm_getmark props 2];
*dictionaryload properties 2 "[hm_info -appinfo SPECIFIEDPATH
TEMPLATES_DIR]/feoutput/optistruct/optistruct" "PSHELL";
*attributeupdatedouble properties $prop_id 95 1 1 0 $prop_thick;
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1. From the menu bar, select View > Command Window to display the Command Window at the
bottom of the screen.
2. Click and drag to open the Command Window from the top or bottom edge of the screen.
3. Use the source command to execute the script. For example:
source filename.tcl
It is often necessary to debug Tcl scripts using the Command window. This allows you to run the Tcl
script and easily review error messages, as well as print out debug information. Additional details can
be found in the Creating Tcl Scripts and Running Tcl Scripts sections.
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Post-Processing
HM-9000: Exporting Data for Fatigue Analysis
HM-9010: Free Body Diagram
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Note: You can write out stress/strain information for all of the time steps, or you can choose a
range from a starting time step to an ending time step, or you can choose a selection of
time steps manually from the available list.
The next sub-step is to select the entities for which the finite element analysis results file is written.
Note: The type of entity you select is based upon the data group you selected. Select nodes if the
data group you selected refers to nodal results. Similarly, select elements if the data group
you selected refers to elemental results. Select sets to choose a predefined entity set
comprised of nodes or elements corresponding to a data group with nodal/elemental results,
respectively. If the data group results and the entity type are not the same, HyperMesh
displays the error message, "Results file doesnt contain nodal values."
7. Set the selector to elems.
8. Click elems >> by window.
9. Draw the window as shown in the following image.
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Spar2 element set from the global loads model (middle Spar) with free body loads extracted.
Detailed model of Spar2 with free body loads applied as BCs from global loads model.
Exercises
This tutorial contains the following exercises:
Exercise 1: Creating Shear Moment Diagrams and Potato Plots from Global Loads Model using
Resultant Force and Moment Functionality
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Exercise 1: Creating of Shear Moment Diagrams and Potato Plots from Global
Loads Model using Resultant Force and Moment Functionality
This exercise uses the model file, icw_ex1.hm.
7. Open the Nodes panel by clicking Geometry > Create > Nodes > Interpolate Nodes from the
menu bar.
8. Using the node list selector, select the nodes on the top and bottom of the left side.
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13. Go to the create by axis direction subpanel to create a system with origin at the left end and xaxis along the length of the spar.
14. Using the origin selector, select the left-middle node.
15. Using the x-axis selector, select the right-middle node for x-axis node.
16. Using the xy plane selector, select the left-top node for the xy-plane node.
An element set that contains the nodes that define the cross-section and determines which
"side" the resultant force and moment vectors are to be calculated. Only elements connected to
the nodes that define the cross-section, on one side or the other, need to be included in the
element set. However, additional elements can be included for visualization purposes with no
effect on the calculations.
A summation node that can be any node in the model or that can be automatically set to the
calculated centroid of the defined cross-section. Centroidal calculations are performed using
nodal coordinates that make up the cross-section only, hence element thicknesses associated
with the elements attached to the section are not considered. As such, there could be slight
differences in the calculated centroid and the "true" centroid of the section if thicknesses vary
throughout the section or the section is overly idealized.
(Optional) A result system that defines the coordinate system for which the resultant force and
moment vectors are transformed into and output for the selected cross-section(s).
2. In the FDB Cross-section Manager tab, click the arrow next to Advanced options to display the
Auto create cross-section form.
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7. Click proceed.
8. In the FBD Cross-section Manager tab, click Nodes twice.
9. Select the left-top and left-bottom nodes which define the first cross-section for Spar2.
10. Click proceed.
11. In the Element set prefix field, enter Spar2_E.
12. In the Node set prefix, enter Spar2_N.
Since the cross-section manager utility creates the necessary element and node sets, you must
define a prefix string for both element and node sets. This string will be appended by an
incremental number to give each created set a unique name. Optional input includes numbering
offset which defines an initial number for which the appended set numbers will begin.
13. Verify that the Sets accumulate checkbox is selected.
14. Click Accept.
A spreadsheet populates with the definitions of the cross-sections generated by the Auto create
cross-sections utility.
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15. Select the Display sections checkbox, and then select any section in the spreadsheet to review
the selected cross-section.
The graphics area will be updated with the element set, node set, sum node, and result system that
define the selected cross-section. Optionally, if you select the Show model checkbox, the entire
model will be visible in the graphics area with the selected cross-section highlighted in red and the
remainder of the model transparent.
16. Select the first cross-section in the spreadsheet (Spar2_E1; Spar2_N1), hold SHIFT, and select the
last cross-section (Spar2_E8; Spar2_N9) to select the cross-sections for updating their result
system.
17. Update any single or multiple cross-sections by selecting the cross-sections from the spreadsheet
using CTRL/SHIFT and then selecting Summation Node or Result System to update these
definitions for all selected cross-sections.
18. Click Result System twice.
19. Select the system located at the left-middle end of Spar2 (system 102 created in Step 1).
20. Click proceed.
Note: You may have to display the Longeron2 system collector from the Model browser (Model
tab) to display system 102.
All cross-sections update to result system 102. Note that system 102 has the x-axis along the
length of the spar, y-axis located at the neutral axis of the beam in the plane of the web, and z-axis
perpendicular to the web of the beam. Also note that the sum node is set to the default centroid,
which automatically calculates the centroid of each cross-section and at which the resulting
resultant force and moment calculations will be performed. The result system is the system for
which all resultant force and moment result vectors will be transformed into and output.
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Step 3: Extract resultant force and moment data for all cross-sections of
Spar2 for all load cases.
1. Open the Resultant Force and Moment tab by clicking Post > Free Body > Resultant Force
and Moment from the menu bar.
2. In the .op2/xdb field, open the icw.op2. The selected .op2 file loads into the HyperMesh
database for use with all FBD utilities until another .op2 file is selected. It also populates the
Subcases list box with all subcases in the selected .op2 file that contain Grid Point Force
(GPFORCE) data. See the FBD documentation in the HyperMesh User's Guide for more details.
3. From the Loadsteps list, select all of the loadsteps using the filter buttons on the top of the list box
or with CTRL/SHIFT.
4. From the Cross-sections list, select all of the Spar2 cross-sections previously defined using the
filter buttons on the top of the list box or with CTRL/SHIFT.
5. Review the following table for a description of the Output options for the resultant force and
moment utility.
Function
Description
Coordinate System
Zero tolerance
Create load
collectors
Show summary
table
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15. Optional. Open the .csv (comma separated) file directly with Microsoft Excel by using Windows
Explorer and double-clicking the file, icw_res_force_moment.csv.
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This file contains the same results as the summary table in the previous image, but is available for
import into standard spreadsheet or text editor programs.
16. Optional. Open the .fbd file, icw_res_force_moment.fbd, in any standard text editor program.
By default, files are put into the HyperMesh start directory unless you specify another directory or
enter a file name.
This file contains the same results as the summary table in the previous image, but in a compact
format for use with HyperGraph in generating shear moment diagrams and potato plots of resultant
force and moment data for various cross-sections.
17. Close the Resultant Force and Moment tab.
Vector review of the Resultant Force and Moment results in the graphics area is covered in the next
step.
Step 4: Use FBD Results Manager to review resultant force and moment
vectors in graphics area.
1. From the menu bar, select Post > Free Body Results Manager to open the FBD Results
Manager tab.
2. Click Element Set twice.
3. Click set, and select Spar2_E2.
4. Click proceed.
5. In the FDB Results Manager window, activate the Show model check box to display the entire
model with the selected element set highlighted in red and all other elements transparent. This
feature will help you easily locate the element set within the model.
6. For Results type, select Resultant Force and Moment.
This operation scans the database for available loadsteps with resultant force and moment results
and populates the Loadsteps: list box.
7. For Loadsteps, select SUBCASE1.
This operation scans the database for available node sets with resultant force and moment results
and populates the Node sets: list box.
8. For Node sets, select Spar2_N3.
This operation will scan the database for available force and moment vector results and will enable
the check boxes for those force and moment vectors which are available.
9. For Display options, select Fy (shearthe results coordinate system had y-axis in the plane of the
web) and Mz (principal bending momentthe results coordinate system had z-axis perpendicular to
the plane of the web).
To determine the result coordinate system applied to a given cross-section of interest, use the FBD
Cross-Section Manager to review the defined cross-section. This operation will show the element
set, node set, results system, and sum node defined for the selected cross-section. Optionally,
select other force components to review their magnitude and direction in the graphics area. Single
or multiple force and moment vector results can be displayed in the graphics area to facilitate data
mining and reporting.
10. (Optional) Select Update load collector color and select color to change the color of the selected
load vectors.
The new color setting applies only to the load components selected and is saved in the database.
Therefore, this option can be used to recolor any single or multiple load vectors for any FBD result.
11. Click Accept to visualize the resultant force and moment vectors in the graphics area.
12. (Optional) Continue to review resultant force and moment vectors following Steps 4.2-4.14 for
additional cross-sections.
13. Click Reset to clear the display and reset the form.
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2. On the toolbar, use the pull-down menu to switch to the HyperGraph 2D client.
3. From the menu bar, select Tools > Free Body Diagrams > Potato Plot to open the Potato Plot
dialog.
4. Click fbd file (
The available cross-sections and loadstpes within the .fbd file are loaded into the form.
5. From the Sections list, select cross-section Spar2_E1_Spar2_N1 as the cross-section for which to
generate potato plots.
Potato plots generate a single plot for each selected cross-section which contains data points for all
selected loadsteps Potato plots effectively "take a slice" through shear moment diagrams at a
given cross-section for all selected loadsteps. Since Spar2_E1_Spar2_N1 is the wing root section
for Spar2, it will be the largest loaded section and hence can be utilized to determine the critical
loadsteps for Spar2. Potato plots can facilitate critical loadstep determination by identifying
maximum and minimum loads on given cross-section. In this case, you are going to be interested
in identifying maximum and minimum shear and moment forces, Fy and Mz respectively. There are
other methods for determining critical loadsteps and standard practices and methods should be
examined and utilized.
6. From the Loadsteps list, select all loadsteps using filter buttons next to the list box or using
CTRL/SHIFT.
7. On the Potato Plots tab, for X component select Fy (shear).
8. For Y Component, select Mz (principal bending moment).
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Step 6: Generate shear moment diagrams for Spar2 for selected subcases.
1. Click the Add Page
2. From the menu bar, select Tools > Free Body Diagrams > Shear Moment Plot to open the
Shear Moment Plot panel.
3. Click fbd file (
The available cross-sections and loadsteps within the .fbd file are loaded into the form.
4. From the Sections list, select all sections related to Spar2 (Spar2_E1_Spar_N1 through
Spar2_E8_Spar2_N9) using filter buttons next to the list box or using CTRL/SHIFT.
5. From the Loadsteps list, select SUBCASE 9, SUBCASE 11, SUBCASE 14, and SUBCASE 16 the
critical loadsteps determined in Step 6.5.
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6. On the VMT Plots tab, for X component select X. The (X) X component is selected because the
resultant force and moment extraction coordinate system was performed with coordinate system
102 which has the x-axis along the length of the Spar.
Options for X component include X, Y, or Z coordinates as defined from the coordinate system
selected to perform the resultant force and moment extraction (Step 3, part 6).
7. On the VMT Plots tab, for Y component select Fy and Mz to plot the shear and principal bending
moment for Spar2.
To determine the result coordinate system applied to a given cross-section of interest, use FBD
Cross-Section Manager to review the defined cross-section. This operation will show the element
set, node set, results system, and sum node defined for the selected cross-section and can help in
identifying which components of force or moment are required for the desired plot.
8. (Optional) On the Plot Titles tab, type a Title and Subtitle.
9. On the Plot Options tab, for Reverse sign select cross-section Spar2_E1_Spar2_N1 in the top
drop-down list.
10. Select Reverse selected section in the bottom drop-down list.
The option allows for methods to reverse the sign of the results from any single or multiple crosssections. The option is useful since, for this particular plot, all cross-sections were defined coming
from the right. However the first section [Spar2_E1_Spar2_N1], since it has no elements to the
left of this cross-section, can only be defined from the left. Cross-sections, defined by the nodes
and elements within their respective sets, can be defined coming from the left or right depending
on the elements chosen for any given nodal cross-section definition. Therefore any given crosssection can be defined from the left or from the right. The only difference in the results defined
either way is that the results will be opposite in sign but equal in magnitude. Either way, for a
shear moment diagram, it is important that all selected cross-sections be defined coming from the
same direction so that the resulting plot is valid.
11. Verify that the Envelop results check box is deactivated.
If you only want the maximum/minimum selected Y components to be plotted from all selected
loadsteps for each cross-section, activate the envelop check box. For this tutorial, do not activate
this check box.
12. For Layout, select the layout of plots desired.
This option affects the number of resulting plots that will be generated. The options are: One plot
per loadstep, One plot per Y Component, and One curve per plot. The total number of curves
that are generated is always (Curves = number or loadsteps * number of Y components). In this
example, since you selected four loadsteps and two Y components, there are a total of eight curves
that will be extracted. The number of plots that these eight curves will be displayed on depends on
the layout selection. With the option One Plot per loadstep, there are four plots since there are
four loadsteps; each plot with both selected Y components, or in this case shear and moment on a
single plot for each loadstep. The results of this layout option are shown in first picture, following.
With the option, One Plot per Y component, there are two plots since there are two Y
components, each plot with all four selected loadsteps, or in this case shear on one plot and
moment on another plot for all four selected loadsteps. The results of this layout option are shown
in the second picture, following. Try both options.
13. Click Apply to generate the shear moment plots.
These plots can be used with traditional mechanics of materials calculations such as S = My/I and T
= VQ/IT to calculate stresses for various cross-sections. The plots provide the M (bending or Mz)
and V (shear or Fy) values to these equations which when coupled with cross-section properties
which can be calculated using HyperBeam (from the main menu, select the1D page, then select
HyperBeam), allows for the calculation of the cross-section stresses.
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Exercise 2: Extracting Free Body Diagrams from Global Loads Model and
Transferring to Detailed Model as Boundary Conditions Submodeling
Techniques
This exercise uses the model file, icw_ex2.hm.
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Step 1: Extract free body diagrams for Spar2 using FBD Forces utility.
1. If continuing from Exercise 1, proceed; otherwise open HyperMesh and load the model file,
icw_ex2.hm.
2. From the menu bar select Post > Free Body > Force to open the FBD Forces tab.
3. If the icw.op2 file is currently loaded, proceed; otherwise, from the .op2 file: browser, select
icw.op2.
The selected .op2 file loads into the HyperMesh database for use with all FBD utilities until another
.op2 file is selected. It also populates the Subcases list box with all subcases in the selected .op2
file that contain Grid Point Force (GPFORCE) data. See the FBD documentation in the HyperMesh
User's Guide for more details.
4. In the Loadsteps list, select SUBCASE 9, SUBCASE 11, SUBCASE 14, and SUBCASE 16, the
critical subcases determined in Exercise 1, Step 5.
5. In the Entity selection area, click Element Set twice.
6. Click set, then select the Spar2 element set.
7. Click proceed.
Elements that represent Spar2 are now displayed in the graphics area. To turn on element shading,
click Shaded Elements and Mesh Lines (
).
10. Click Summation Node twice, select the left-bottom node, and then click proceed.
This summation node is the node for which all free body force and moment vector results will be
summed about to generate a single equivalent resultant force and moment vector. Note that for a
free body (all loads), the summation about any point must be zero. Therefore, this feature is
typically used to verify that the extraction produced a free body with zero summation. However, if
a free body other than (all loads) is performed, the selection of the summation node can be used to
determine the equivalent resultant force and moment vector for the extracted free body (applied
load only or reaction loads only) which in general will not be zero and can be of interest.
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Review the following table for a description of the Output options for the FBD Forces utility.
Output Function
Description
FBD type
Zero tolerance
Create load
collectors
Show summary
table
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17. (Optional) Open the icw_fbd_forces.csv file directly with Microsoft Excel by double-clicking the
file in Windows Explorer. This file contains the same results as the summary table in the previous
image, but is available for import into standard spreadsheet or text editor programs.
18. Click Close to exit the FBD Forces utility.
Vector review of the FBD forces results in the graphics area is covered in the next step.
Step 2: Use FBD Results Manager to review FBD force vectors in graphics
area.
1. From the menu bar, select Post, then Free Body Results Manager to open the FBD Results
Manager tab.
2. Click Element Set twice.
3. Click set, then check Spar2.
4. Click select.
5. Click proceed.
6. (Optional) Activate the Show model check box to display the entire model with the selected
element set highlighted in red and all other elements transparent. This feature will help you easily
locate the element set within the model.
7. For Results type, select FBD Forces All Loads.
This operation scans the database for available loadsteps with FBD Forces All Loads results and
populates the Loadsteps list box.
8. For Loadsteps, select SUBCASE 9.
This operation will scan the database for available force and moment vector results and will enable
the check boxes for those force and moment vectors that are available.
9. For Display options, select Fy (shearthe results coordinate system had y-axis in the plane of the
web).
To determine the result coordinate system applied to a given cross-section of interest, use FBD
Cross-Section Manager to review the defined cross-section. This operation will show the element
set, node set, results system, and sum node defined for the selected cross-section. Optionally,
select other force components to review their magnitude and direction in the graphics area. Single
or multiple force and moment vector results can be displayed in the graphics area to facilitate data
mining and reporting.
10. (Optional) Select Update load collector color and select color to change the color of the selected
load vectors.
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The new color setting applies only to the load components selected and are saved in the database.
Therefore, this option can be used to recolor any single or multiple load vectors for any FBD result.
11. Click Accept to make visible the FBD force vectors in the graphics area.
12. (Optional) Continue to review FBD Forces All Load vector results following steps 2.6 2.13
for additional loadsteps and force/moment components.
13. Click Reset to clear the display and reset the form.
14. Click Close to exit the FBD Results Manager utility.
Step 3: Use FBD Export Manager to export FBD Forces to .fem file.
1. From the menu bar, select Post, then Free Body Export Manager to open the FBD Export
Manger tab.
2. Click Element Set twice.
3. Click set, then select Spar2.
4. Click proceed.
5. For Results type, select FBD Forces All Loads.
This operation scans the database for available loadsteps with FBD Forces All Loads results and
populates the Loadsteps list box.
6. For Loadsteps, Select SUBCASE 9, SUBCASE 11, SUBCASE 14, SUBCASE 16.
7. Check the options for Create appropriate loadsteps, and for Output file, browse to the desired
location and enter spar2_fbd_forces.fem.
8. Click Add to Export.
This operation turns on the display of all load collectors associated with the currently selected FBD
result type for all selected loadsteps. Additional loadsteps can be selected and accepted, which will
append to the current display on each click of accept. In addition, a new element set or FBD result
type can be selected and appended to the current display on each click of accept. To clear the
display click Reset.
9. Click Export.
This operation will export the currently displayed loads and all other associated/required cards to
the output file selected. This file can subsequently be imported into another HyperMesh database
(typically called the detailed model) and the loads contained therein can be "attached" to the
structure of the detailed model as boundary conditions with the addition of a rigid body constraint.
This process will be carried out in the next step.
10. Click Reset.
This operation clears the current display.
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Step 4: Import FBD forces from .fem file into detailed model and solve.
1. Load the model file, spar2_ex2.hm.
2. From the menu bar, select File > Import > Solver Deck to open the Import tab.
3. Select File type: OptiStruct, and browse for file: spar2_fbd_forces.fem.
4. Click Import.
This operation imports the free body loads from the global model into the detailed model of Spar2.
The next process is to "attach" the free body loads to the detailed model, perform some clean-up
operations, define new loadsteps with the free body loads and a rigid body constraint, and solve the
detailed model. This process will be accomplished in the remainder of this step.
5. From the menu bar, select Mesh, then Check, then Nodes, then Equivalence to go to the Edges
panel.
The nodes of the imported loads are equivalenced with those of the detailed model which are
overlaying each other as a consequence of importing the free body loads.
6. Toggle the selector from comps to elems.
7. Click elems >> displayed.
8. Click preview equiv.
Eighteen nodes should be found, one at each load.
9. Click equivalence to combine nodes that were imported and attached to the loads with those that
are a part of the detailed mesh of Spar2.
Note: When the detailed Spar2 mesh was constructed, attention to where these interface nodes
were located was taken into account by placing fixed points on the surfaces at these
locations. The fixed points maintain a node at that location from the automesher and thus
guarantee that a node will exist where a load is located. This method is only one of several
potential methods. Other options could include importing the loads which do not line up with
any other nodes in the detailed mesh and then connecting the loads to the detailed mesh
with R-type elements (RBE2 or RBE3). Several other possibilities could also exist and best
methods and practices should be considered depending on the problem type.
10. Click return to exit the Edges panel.
11. Click Delete
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Create a load collector for the rigid body constraint definition. From the menu bar, select
Collectors, then Create, then Load Collectors to to open the Create Load Collector dialog
box.
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Click create.
Note: This operation sets the current load collector to the newly created Const load collector.
The current load collector is the collector which any newly created load (constrains in this
case) are placed into.
Assign an analysis system to the nodes for which the rigid body constraint will be applied. From
the menu bar, select Mesh, then Assign, then Node Analysis System to go to the Systems:
Assign subpanel.
Click system.
Select system 102 on left-middle end (x-axis along length, y-axis along web, z-axis normal to
web).
Note: You may have to display the Longeron2 system collector from the Model browser
(Model tab) to display system 102.
Assign a constraint to left-bottom node. From the menu bar, select BCs, then Create, then
Constraints to go to the Constraints panel.
Click create.
Click create.
Select dof3.
Make sure all other dofs are unselected.
Click create.
19. To update the loadsteps for all four free body load cases, perform the following:
From the menu bar, select Setup, then Edit, then LoadSteps to go to the LoadSteps panel.
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Click update.
Repeat steps for SUBCASE 11, SUBCASE 14, and SUBCASE 16.
20. From the menu bar, select Setup > Create > Control Cards to go to the Control Cards panel.
21. Click FORMAT.
22. For number_of_formats enter 2, and then hit ENTER on the keyboard.
There are now two FORMAT buttons.
23. Click each FORMAT button and set them to HM and OUTPUT2, respectively.
24. Click return to specify output file formats for HyperMesh .res (HM) and .op2 which can be used in
HyperView to post-process the results.
25. Click GLOBAL_OUTPUT_REQUEST
26. Click DISPLACEMENT and STRESS.
27. Click return to request displacement output for both output formats.
28. Click return to exit the Control Cards panel.
29. From the menu bar, select File > Save As, and save the model as spar2_ex2_analysis.hm.
30. From the Analysis page, click OptiStruct to run the model.
31. For run options, toggle to analysis.
32. For export options, toggle to all.
33. Click OptiStruct to export the solver deck and run the analysis in OptiStruct. If optiskip appears
in the options field, clear the field before clicking OptiStruct.
34. Once OptiStruct finishes, click return to exit the OptiStruct panel.
35. In the Post menu, click Deformed panel and review the results of the analysis.
36. Click Simulation = and select SUB9 PosShear PosMoment PosT.
37. Click data type = and select Displacements.
38. Click deform to produce the deformed shape of Spar2 in the graphics area for the selected
simulation.
39. Click return to exit the Deformed panel.
40. In the Post menu, click contour to go to the Contour panel and review the results of analysis.
41. Click Simulation = and select SUB9 PosShear PosMoment PosT.
42. Click data type = and select Von Mises Stress.
43. Select the legend subpanel.
44. Toggle find maximum to maximum = and enter 100000.
45. Click contour to produce the contour plot in the graphics area.
46. (Optional) Continue to use the contour panel to review additional results.
47. Click return to exit the Contour panel.
48. (Optional) From the menu bar, select File, then Save.
This operation saves the current HyperMesh database, spar2_ex2_analysis.hm.
49. From the menu bar, select File, then Exit to exit HyperMesh.
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