HM-410-L Building Shell Elements with Surfaces

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Estimated Time:45 minutes

This lesson demonstrates how to import and automesh CAD geometry. It introduces several of
the automeshing tools in a realistic modeling context. The following procedures are included:
• Importing IGES data

• Establishing and saving a user-defined view

• Autocoloring the model

• Creating a new component (element and geometry collector)

• Setting the global element size for automeshing

• Multiple surface automeshing - without adjusting

• Splitting surfaces at their vertices (for mesh continuity)

• Deleting elements associated to a surface

• Single surface interactive automeshing

• Changing element edge densities

• Element smoothing

• Enforcing mapped mesh algorithms

• Equivalencing nodes

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Panels Covered

• import data • automesh: density

• true view • automesh: algorithm

• color • surface edit: split surf edge

• collectors • delete

• global • edges

File Needed
• automesh.igs

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Preparing to Use the Automeshing Module

Importing Geometry Data

In this step, import the IGES file, automesh.igs, containing surface data.

The Import Data panel.

Import the IGES file:

1. Select import data on pg 1 or pg 5 of the main menu.

This panel allows you to input external CAD line and surface data or finite element
models.
2. Click external to make it active.
The external interface allows you to create your own translation package. External
translators, including one for IGES, are provided.
3. Click translator = two times (once to make the field active; a second time to display a
directory listing from which you can choose the translator).

4. Select the feinput/iges translator (iges.exe on a PC).

5. Click filename = two times.

6. Select the file automesh.igs from the directory listing.

7. Click import.

8. Click return.

 You can press the ESC key or click the return menu item to exit a panel.

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The imported automesh.igs file.

Establishing and Saving a View

In this step, define a preferred view for the model and save that view for future reference by using
the true view panel.

The True View panel.

Set the view:

1. Click t on the permanent menu.

This panel allows you to change the view of your model, based on a model vector or
angles. You can also determine the current view angles.
2. Click thetax = and enter -160.

3. Click thetay = and enter 60.

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 4. Click thetaz = and enter 20.

5. Click set angles.

6. Click return.

The model after changing the view.

Save the view:

1. Select view on the permanent menu.

A pop-up window appears that allows you to save or restore five separate views.
2. Click save1.
The current view can be restored at any time by clicking restore1.
3. Move the cursor out of the pop-up window.

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Coloring the Component
In this step, assign a color to the component. All entities within a given collector share a common
color.

The Color panel.

Set the colors of the components in the model:

1. Select color on pg 1 of the main menu.

This panel allows you to change the color attributes of a collector.
2. Click auto color.
This option colors all collectors that are currently gray to randomly generated colors.
3. Click return.

Creating a New Component for the Elements

In this step, create a new collector for the elements that will be created in the automeshing
module.

The Collectors panel.

Create a new collector:

1. Select collectors on pg 1 of the main menu.

2. Click create (on the left) to make it the active subpanel.

3. Click name = and type elems (or a name of your choice).

4. Click color to display the pop-up window of color choices.

5. Select Color 15 (red).

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 6. Click create.

7. Click return.

Setting the Global Element Size

In this step, specify the element size that will be used for automeshing.

The Global panel.

Set the global element size:

1. Select global on the permanent menu.

The global panel allows you to control global model parameters that are accessed by
several different panels.
2. Click element size = and enter 3.0.

3. Click return.

Using the Automeshing Module

Multiple Surface Automeshing - Without Adjusting

In this step, use automesh to mesh the surfaces of the model without making any preliminary
adjustments.

The Multiple Surface subpanel of Automesh.

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Automesh the surfaces:

1. Select automesh on pg 2 of the main menu.

2. Click multiple surfs to make it the active subpanel.

3. Click surfs to display the extended entity selection window.

4. Click all.
All the surfaces in the HyperMesh database are selected for meshing.

5. Click the toggle, , to change the element type to quads, if it is not already selected.

6. Click mesh.

Initial mesh.

The resultant mesh has several discontinuities, as shown in the above illustration. Nodes on
some surfaces did not match up initially to nodes on adjacent surfaces due to varying edge
lengths between those surfaces. When a mesh you create is not satisfactory, you can reject the
mesh and adjust the geometry before meshing again. Use the following procedure to reject this
mesh.

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Reject the mesh:

1. Click reject.

2. Click return.

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If some of your surfaces fail to mesh when you use the multiple surface subpanel to
mesh several surfaces, use the save failed feature to save the failed surfaces. Then
use the single surface subpanel of automesh to fix the surfaces one at a time.

Splitting Surfaces at Adjacent Surface Vertices

In this section, split the surface edges wherever there is an adjacent surface vertex in order to
force mesh continuity. When a surface edge is split, a new vertex is created at that point. Nodes
are forced to vertices during automeshing, leading to a continuous mesh across surfaces. After
splitting the surface edges, follow the steps in the next section of the lesson to create a new
mesh.

Split the surface edges:

1. Select surface edit on pg 1 of the main menu.

2. Click split surf edge to make it the active subpanel.

3. Click the toggle, , to use split at vertices.

4. Click surfs to display the extended entity selection window.

5. Click all.

6. Click split.

7. Click return.

Multiple Surface Automeshing - After Adjusting Vertices

In this section, use the automeshing module again. The mesh created this time will be
continuous across surfaces.

Automesh the modified surfaces:

1. Select automesh on pg 2 of the main menu.

2. Click multiple surfs to make it the active subpanel.

3. Click reset mesh params to: to make it active.

HyperMesh resets the mesh parameters by recalculating the element densities based on
the new lengths.
4. Click surfs to display the extended entity selection window.

5. Select all.

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 6. Click the toggle, , to change the element type to quads, if it is not already selected.

7. Click mesh.
Notice the mesh is now continuous.

Surfaces with a continuous mesh.

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Selective Surface Meshing
In this section, re-mesh individual surfaces A and B (see illustration below) so that each has two
elements across the rear outer edge. The automesh: single surface panel allows interactive
control of the automeshing module. In the example, delete the existing elements on surfaces A
and B first, then change the number of elements on the rear outer edge.

Surfaces A and B.

Delete the elements on surfaces A and B:

1. Press the F2 function key.

2. Click the input collector switch, , and select elems, if it is not presently selected.

3. Click elems to display the extended entity selection window.

4. Select by surface on the pop-up window.

5. Pick surfaces A and B by clicking on their pick handles in the graphics area (pick handles
do not have to be displayed to be selected).

6. Click select.
The elements on the surfaces selected will be highlighted.
7. Click delete.

8. Click return once to go back to the automesh panel.

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The Single Surface subpanel of Automesh.

Re-mesh surface A:

1. Click single surface to make it the active subpanel of automesh.

2. Pick surface A in the graphics area.

While holding the left mouse button down, move the cursor toward the pick handles of the
surface you want to select. When the correct surface is highlighted, release the mouse
button.
3. Click mesh to access the automeshing module.
A preview of the node locations appears along the edges of the surface.

The element density of surface A before adjusting.

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 4. Click density to make it the active subpanel.

5. Click adjust edge to make it active, if it is not already.

6. Use the left mouse button to click the number 1 on the back edge of the surface,
changing it to 2.

7. Click mesh.
A green preview of the mesh appears.

 When adjust edge is active, you can adjust the density by selecting the number closest
to the midpoint of the edge you want to change. Use the left mouse button to increase,
or the right mouse button to decrease the element density.

Another way to change the element density is to select the number, and while holding
either the right or left mouse button down, drag the mouse up or down. This will rapidly
increase or decrease the element edge density.

You can also use set edge to set the element density of one or more edges to the
value specified in the elem density = data entry field.

Finally, recalc edge will recalculate the element densities along edges, based on the
element size specified.

In the next section, experiment with changing the number of elements in the rear back edge of the
same surface to see the differences in resulting meshes. Notice how the element density of 4
yields a simple mapped rectangular mesh while densities of 3 or 2 make use of the advancing
front algorithm.

Try different element densities on surface A:

1. Click the number 2 with the left mouse button on the back edge of surface A, changing it
to 3.

2. Click mesh.

3. Click the number 3 on the back edge, changing it to 4.

4. Click mesh.

5. Click the number 4 with the right mouse button two times to change the value back to 2.

6. Click mesh.

7. Click return to accept the mesh (abort exits the automeshing module without saving
the mesh).

The green preview elements are placed into the current component collector and are then
displayed in the same color as that component.

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Re-mesh and smooth elements on surface B:

1. Pick surface B while still in the automesh: single surface subpanel.

2. Click mesh.

3. Click density to make it the active subpanel.

4. Use the left mouse button to click the number 1 on the back edge of the surface,
changing it to 2.

5. Click mesh.

6. Click smooth to improve the element quality.

The greatest distance any node moved during smoothing is displayed on the header bar.
7. Click smooth again.

8. Click return to accept the mesh.

The next step is to re-mesh the long flange labeled surface C, forcing a rectangular mapped
mesh. Typically, the autodecide option in the algorithm subpanel will choose the best meshing
algorithm for each surface. In this case, surface C is not initially recognized as rectangular
because of the intermediate hard point along the bottom edge. Consequently, the advancing front
meshing algorithm was used.

Surface C.

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Delete the existing elements on surface C:

1. Press the F2 function key.

2. Click the input collector switch, , and select elems, if it is not presently selected.

3. Click elems to display the extended entity selection window.

4. Select by surface.

5. Pick surface C in the graphics area.

6. Click select.
The elements on surface C are selected.
7. Click delete.

8. Click return.

Re-mesh surface C:

1. Click single surface to make it the active subpanel.

2. Pick surface C in the graphics area.

3. Click mesh.

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The original meshing algorithm for Surface C.

Change the meshing algorithm:

1. Click algorithm to make it the active subpanel.

2. Click the switch, , under mesh algorithm: to display the pop-up window of mesh
algorithm options.

3. Select map as rectangle on the pop-up window.

4. Click the shield icon, , on surface C.

The shape of the icon changes to a rectangle, .

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The new meshing algorithm.

5. Click mesh.
This produces a rectangular mapped mesh.
6. Click return to accept the mesh.

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Now re-mesh the two short top flanges labeled surfaces D and E, forcing mapped rectangular
meshes. You do not have to change the mesh algorithm. These surfaces will be recognized as
rectangular regions if you change the element density on each free edge to match the
corresponding opposite edge.

Surfaces D and E.

Delete the elements on surfaces D and E:

1. Press the F2 function key.

2. Click the input collector switch, , and select elems as the input collector, if it is not
currently selected.

3. Click elems to display the extended entity selection window.

4. Select by surface.

5. Pick surfaces D and E by clicking on their borders in the graphics area.

6. Click select.
Elements on the two surfaces will be highlighted.
7. Click delete.

8. Click return.

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Re-mesh surface D:

1. Pick surface D by clicking on its border.

2. Click mesh.

3. Change the density on the free edge of surface D from 4 to 6 to match the opposite edge.

4. Click mesh.

5. Click return.

Re-mesh surface E:

1. Pick surface E by clicking on its border.

2. Click mesh.

3. Change the density on the free edge of surface E from 7 to 6 to match the opposite edge.

4. Click mesh.

5. Click return.

6. Click return.

The final mesh.

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Checking the Mesh Quality
The finite element mesh created by using the previous steps is now continuous with good quality
elements. However, duplicate nodes exist along the common edges of the surfaces. In this next
step, find the free edges of the model and equivalence the duplicate nodes to tie this structure
together.

The Edges panel.

Preview and equivalence duplicate nodes:

1. Select edges on pg 3 of the main menu.

2. Click the leftmost switch, , and select comps, if it is not currently selected.

3. Pick an element on the screen to identify which component to equivalence.

4. Click tolerance = and enter the value 0.1.

5. Click preview equiv to view the duplicate nodes.

6. Click equivalence.

To save your model:

1. Select files on any page of the main menu.

2. Click files = twice.

3. Type a path and a file name.

4. Click save.

To exit HyperMesh:

1. Click return to access the main menu.

2. Click quit to end the HyperMesh session.

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Conclusion
This concludes the Building Shell Elements with Surfaces lesson. You have completed exercises
that demonstrated how to:

• Import IGES data

• Create a new component

• Set global element size

• Mesh single and multiple surfaces

• Split surfaces

• Delete elements

• Change element edge densities

• Use element smoothing

• Specify a mesh algorithm

• Equivalence nodes

Additional Resources
To learn more about: See:
Using the Automeshing Module Chapter 8, “Automatic Mesh Generation” in the
HyperMesh User’s Manual.

Using the Automeshing subpanels Pages 10 - 20 in the HyperMesh Reference Manual.

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