Creating Mesh Parts by Rotation

This task shows you how to create a rotation mesh part from a parent mesh part.
This transformation is available in case of 1D, 2D and 3D mesh parts.

Open the Sample09.CATAnalysis document from the samples directory.

  • To create a 1D or 2D transformed mesh part, the FEM Surface (FMS) is required.
  • To create a 3D transformed mesh part, the FEM Solid (FMD) is required.
  • All the mesh parts must have been updated before creating a rotation mesh part.

  1. Click Rotation Mesher in the Mesh Transformations toolbar.

    The Rotation dialog box appears.

    • Mesh Part: lets you select the parent mesh part.

      Multi-selection of mesh parts is available.
      • Remove: lets you remove a selected mesh part from the Mesh Part field.
      • Remove all: lets you remove all the selected mesh parts from the Mesh Part field.
    • Rotation Parameters
      • Axis: lets you select the axis of rotation.
      • Angle: lets you select the angle of rotation.

        To reverse the rotation direction, enter a negative Angle value.
    • Capture: lets you capture updated mesh parts to condense modes.
      • No condensation: lets you decide not to condense the nodes of the transformed and the parent mesh part.
      • Condensation with the parent mesh: lets you condense the nodes of the transformed and the parent mesh part.
      • Condensation with all meshes: lets you condense the nodes of the transformed mesh part and the updated neighboring mesh parts.
      • Tolerance: lets you specify the tolerance value of the condensation (not available with the No condensation option).
      • Initialize: lets you automatically initialize the tolerance value of the condensation (not available with the No condensation option).

        The tolerance initialization does not take into account 1D elements.
        • If Condensation with the parent mesh is selected, the tolerance is initialized with the smallest size of element edges among the parent mesh.
        • If Condensation with all meshes is selected, the tolerance is initialized with the smallest size of element edges among all updated neighboring mesh parts.
      • Check: This button is active as soon as you click the Apply button. This button lets you check, using the tolerance value, if there are intersections or interferences between the transformed mesh and the captured mesh parts according to the condensation option you have selected (not available with the No condensation option).
        To know more, refer to Checking Intersections / Interferences.
    • Repeat Rotation: allows multiple copies in a single transformation mesh part.
      • Number of copies: lets you specify the number of copies.

    Note that: This transformation respects associativity.
    In other words, if a load is applied to the parent mesh part, the same load will be applied to the transformed mesh part.

  2. Select the Advanced Surface Mesh.1 mesh part.

  3. Select the axis of rotation.

  4. Enter the desired value of rotation angle.

    In this particular case, enter 90 deg as Angle value.

    You have the possibility to enter a positive or negative value to define the orientation of the rotation.

  5. Click No condensation.

  6. Enter 1 as Number of copies value.

  7. Click Apply.

    A Rotation Mesh.1 object appears in the specification tree and the rotation mesh part is created.

  8. Modify the following parameters:

    1. Enter -30 deg as Angle value.

    2. Click Condensation with the parent mesh.

    3. Enter 0.1mm as Tolerance value.

    4. Enter 2 as Number of copies value.

  9. Click Apply and then OK.

    As a result, the rotation mesh appears in the opposite direction.

    For a better visualization, select Rotation Mesh.1 in the specification tree.