Creating a Hexahedral Mesh using the Solid Map Fun

CreatingaHexahedralMeshusingtheSolidMapFunction-HM-3200Forthistutorial,itisrecommendedthatyoucompletetheintroductorytutorialGettingStartedwithHyperMesh-HM-1000,andthetutorialCreating2-DElementsfromSurfacesusingtheAutomeshFunction-HM-3100.Workingknowledgeoftheautomeshingsecondarypanelandthecreationof2-Delementsaredefinitepre-requisites.Inthistutorialyouwilllearnhowtomodelacomplexpartusingsolidhexahedralelements,andhowtoapproachavolumebybreakingitdownintoindividualportionsthatcanbemeshedmoreeasily.WhileHyperMeshprovidesanautomaticvolumemesherusingtetrahedralelements,thereisnosuchenginefortheautomaticcreationofhexahedral(brick)elements.Inthistutorial,thestandardtechniqueofcreatingfirst2-Delementsinpreparationforthegenerationofthe3-Dhexahedralelementswillbeapplied.WhileseveralpanelsinHyperMeshallowyoutocreatesolidhexahedralelements,thistutorialwillputadditionalfocusontheuseofthesolidmappanelforthecreationofhexahedralelements.Theothermainmeshingtoolsusedwillbetheautomesh,spin,andlinearsolidpanels.Formoreinformationregardingthesepanels,pleaserefertothePanelssectionoftheHyperMeshon-linehelp,orclicktheHyperMeshhelpbuttonwhileinthepaneltoactivateitscontextsensitivehelp.Thistutorialrequiresaboutonehourtocompleteandusesafilelocatedintheinstall_directory/tutorials/hm/directory.Fordetailedinstructionsonhowtolocatetheinstallationdirectoryinstall_directoryatyoursite,seeFindingtheInstallationDirectoryinstall_directory.Toloadandreviewthemodelfile:Inthissection,retrievetheHyperMeshmodelfile,andreviewtheorganizationofthegeometryintocomponentcollectors.1.Usethefilespaneltoretrievethefilecontrol_panel_hex.hmfromtheinstall_directory/tutorials/hm/directory.2.FromtheDisppageofthemacromenu,setVisopts:3toshadethesurfacesinthemodelanddisplaysurfaceedgesintopologymode.Controlarm3.Gotothedisppaneltoreviewthecomponentcollectorspre-definedinthemodel.Themodeisorganizedintoseveralcomponentcollectorsthathavebeenpre-definedbasedonthegeometryofthecontrolarm.Theinitialsetofsurfaceshasbeenbrokendownintologicalareastofacilitatethecreationofsolidelements.Thegeometryhasalsobeencleanedupbasedonthevariousareas.Whilethistutorialdoesnotincludethestepsfordividingupthevolume,meshingthevariouspartswillputintolightthereasonsforthesechoices.Inthesubsequentsections,wewillhexmeshthevariouspartsdefinedbythecomponentcollectorsinthismodelexceptforthesurfacescomponent.Thislastcomponenthasalsobeencleanedupandbrokendownintosomeareas,butwillserveasapracticeareaoncethetutorialiscompleted.Tomeshtheneck1region:Themaindifficultyofhexmeshingliesinensuringthatgroupsofsolidelementscanbejoined.Whileitisofteneasytocreatehexelementsinmostareasofapart,thechallengecomesfromcreatingthetransitionbetweenthevariousgroupsandthisiswhatoftenrequiresplanning.Inthismodel,cylinder1,cylinder2andarmarecomponentsthat,individually,canbemeshedfairlyeasily.Theareasthatseparatethemthough,offersomeuniquechallengesinthesensethatattheend,allelementshavetomatchup.This,inturn,affectsthewaythesimplerareasshouldbemeshed.Inthissection,startbycreatinghexelementsintheneck1volumethatrepresentsthetransitionbetweencylinder1andcenter_area.Startbycreating2-Delementsusingtheruledpanel,andthencreateonelayerofsolidelementsintothisvolumeusingthesolidmappanel.1.Usethedisppaneltoturnoffallthegeometryexcepttheneck1component.Observethegeometryavailabletodefinethisvolume.Thisdeterminestheapproachtouse.Thebottomareawillbecommontothesolidsforneck1andcenter_area.Thisiswherethesetwoportionsneedtomatchupandthiswhereyoucreatethe2-Delements.2.UsetheDisppageofthemacromenutosetVisopts:0.3.Usetheglobalpaneltosetthecurrentcomponenttoneck1.4.Usetheruledpaneltocreateanall-quadmeshintheareadefinedbysurfaceedgesandthepre-definedadditionallines.-Fromthe2Dpage,gototheruledpanel.-Settheupperentityselectortolinelistandselectonesurfaceedgedefiningthelongersideofthearea(seefigurebelow).-Setthelowerentityselectortolinelistandselecttheoppositesurfaceedge(seefigurebelow).Surfacesedgestoselect-Settheswitchtomesh,delesurf.-Verifyautoreverseisactivated.-Clickcreate.-Usethedensitysub-paneloftheautomeshingsecondarypaneltoadjustedgetoadensityof5foralledges.-Clickmeshtopreviewthemesh.Previewedmesh-Clickreturntoacceptthismeshandgobacktotheruledpanel.-Withtheupperselectorsettolinelist,selectthetwosurfaceedgesandonelineasshowninthefigurebelow.-Setthelowerselectortonodelistandselectthenodesshowninthefigurebelow.Lineandnodeselection-Clickcreate.-Usethedensitysub-paneltoadjustthedensityonthelinesto7elements.-Clickmeshtopreviewthemesh.-Clickreturntoaccepttheelements.-Repeatthestepsabovefortheremainingopenareaandobtainthemeshdescribedinthefigurebelow.NoteItisveryimportanttoensurethatonlyquadelementsarecreated.Inthesubsequentstepswewilladdadimensiontotheshellelementstoobtainthehexahedralelements.Withthisapproach,anytriashellelementswouldproducepentaelements.Ifthedensitiesmentionedabovedonotproduceonlyquadelements,modifythemtoobtainonlyquads.Finalshellmeshinshadedmode5.Usetheedgespaneltoensurecontinuityoftheshellmesh.-FromtheToolpage,gototheedgespan