Editing Mesh

This task shows how to edit surface elements both in the Surface Mesher workshop and in the Advanced Surface Mesher workshop.

Thanks to the full cursor editing, you can preview and then update dynamically the quality analysis results on the mesh. When quality criteria are respected, you will see the change in finite element color. You can also move nodes on geometry, edit finite elements (splitting, swapping, and so forth) or smooth the mesh.

Mesh Editing on:

using either the contextual menu or:

  1. Click Edit Mesh in the Edition Tools toolbar.

    The Edit Mesh dialog box appears.

    • Smooth around modifications: allows optimizing the shape of the element so that split elements meet desired Analysis criteria:
      Note that as the Auto smooth option is inactive in the Edit Mesh dialog box, the surrounding elements are not modified and therefore do not enhance the quality whatever the modifications you perform.
      • Smooth around modifications option activated (the shape of the neighbor elements is altered in order to have the best possible quality of the elements).

         

      • Smooth around modifications option de-activated (the shape of the neighbor elements is not altered)
    • Combine around modifications: allows combining two triangles into a quadrangle of good quality (when possible).
      • Combine around modifications option activated.
    • Swap around modifications: allows dragging a node on a surface.
    • Propagate to neighbour domains: allows propagating smoothing modifications from one domain to a neighboring one.
    • Global Optimization: lets you launch again the Quality Analysis.

    2. Surface Elements

    Using the Contextual Menu

    You can split or condense elements:

  2. Position the Condense element symbol very close to a node and right-click.

    In this case, we de-activated all the options from the Edit Mesh dialog box.

    Target vs opposite node
    Before

    Condensed node
    After

    3. Dynamic Update of Element Quality Analysis (colors change, if needed)

  3. Position the cursor over one quadrangle element.

    You can now cut the mesh element diagonally according to the position of the cursor.

    • Before (quadrangle mesh)

      When you go over the quadrangle mesh you want to cut, both a symbol () and orange-highlighted cut mesh preview appear on this mesh.
    • After (cut mesh according to the position of the cursor)

    4. Full Mouse Mesh Editing

    You can drag nodes on surfaces

  4. Select a node and move it to the desired location.

    The quality of the elements updates according to the location you assign to the node.

    5. Automatic Smooth on Nodes

    You can smooth elements by letting the algorithm update the mesh elements location.

  5. Click on a node.

    The node is automatically moved to the optimum location. The quality of the elements updates according to this new location.

    6. Edges

    Contextual Menu

  6. Right-click a segment.

    Once you selected an option from the contextual menu, when you go over the quadrangle mesh you want to edit, both the corresponding symbol and orange-highlighted edited mesh preview appear on this mesh.

    • : allows removing edges you previously created manually when splitting a quadrangle element
      In this case, we activated all the options, right-clicked an edge and activated the Remove edge contextual menu.

      edge selected

      deleted edge

    • : allows condensing nodes on edges or a node on another node.
      •  In this case, we activated all the options, right-clicked an edge and activated the Condense nodes contextual menu.

      edge selected

      condensed node

      • In this new case, we de-activated all the options, positioned the Condense symbol very close to a node and right-clicked.
    • : allows inserting a node on an edge
      • In the case below, we de-activated the Auto combine and Auto swap options, right-clicked an edge and activated the Insert node contextual menu.

        edge selected

        inserted node

      • In the case below, we activated the Auto combine options, right-clicked an edge and activated the Insert node contextual menu.

        edge selected

        inserted node

    • : allows swapping between two edges.
      When you make a swap between a triangle and a quadrangle, whatever the edge new position, the resulting mesh will always be a triangle and a quadrangle. The preview will be a good help.
      • Two Quadrangle Elements:

        edge selected

        swapped edge

      • A Quadrangle and a Triangle:

        One TR/one QD before

        One TR/one QD after