HM-2070: Geometry and Mesh Editing Using the Quick Edit Panel file:///C:/Program Files/Altair/12.0/help/hm/hm2070.htm?toc=0&printW...

HyperMesh and BatchMesher

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.

Step 1: Load the model and create a baseline mesh.

1. Open the model base_bracket.hm.

2. From the menu bar, click Mesh > Create > 2D Automesh to open the Automesh panel.
3. Verify that the size and bias subpanel is selected.
4. Set element size = to 0.1.

5. Set mesh type: to mixed.

6. Verify that elements to surf comp is selected.
7. Click surfs >> displayed to select the displayed surfaces.
8. Click mesh.
9. Click return twice to exit the panel.

Next, 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 is controlled by a setting
in the Preferences / Meshing Options panel under topology revision. The default option is to remesh the
surface; however, one 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

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and the mounting holes on the flanges. The oblong holes will be removed. On the top surface, the mesh quality
around the five small holes will be improved by trimming in a "washer" surface around the holes.

Step 2: Simplify the geometry by removing unnecessary holes.

1. From the menu bar, click Mesh > Quick Edit.
2. For unsplit surf:, activate line(s).
3. Pick each of the six oblong holes (under the large circular holes) to remove them and re-generate the mesh.

Model after removing 6 oblong holes.

Step 3: Modify geometry around remaining small holes.

1. Adjust your view to zoom in to the notched area of the top surface.
2. For the split surf-line function, activate node.
3. Pick the node and line as indicated in the image to trim the surface.

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4. Repeat this step to create four more trim lines in the locations depicted in the following image. The end result
is that each of the four small holes is isolated in its own rectangular surface patch.

Surface trim lines isolating small holes onto individual surfaces. Note that element display has been turned off for clarity.

Step 4: Trim a washer layer into the surface around each of the four holes.
1. In the offset value field next to washer split, enter 0.05.

2. For the washer split function, activate the line(s) selector.

3. Pick each of the free surface edges around the four small holes.
4. For the adjust/set density function, activate the left line(s) selector.
This activates the adjust edge density option.
5. Click the surface edge segment to adjust the densities as shown in the image:

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6. Activate the right line(s) selector.

This activates the set edge density option.
7. Left-click one of the adjusted outer washer edges (one where the density has been changed from 7 to 8 in
the last step).
8. Right-click the remaining outer washer edges to set the element densities to 8 elements.
9. Use either the adjust or set edge density functions to make the remaining mesh adjustments, as indicated
in the following image.

10. Use a similar process to trim a washer around the remaining hole in the top surface. Once the washer is
trimmed, adjust the element density to match nodes on the inner and outer washer edges.

Step 5: Adjust the mesh around the large holes on the side surfaces.
The approach used around the large holes is to trim the surfaces into individual patches to which a mapped
meshing algorithm can be applied. Use the split surf-line function to make the following surface trims. Note that
only one side is shown and the element display has been turned off for clarity.

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The mapped meshing algorithms apply a mesh pattern template to a surface, and then map that pattern to the
specific surface size and shape. For this method to be applied certain criteria must be met, including element type
(quads only mesh) surface shape (three, four or five edges) and specific mesh density settings. In step 5, the
surfaces around the large holes were trimmed into faces that can be meshed with the map as pentagon
algorithm, provided the mesh type and density settings are correct.

Step 6: Remesh the newly trimmed surfaces.

1. Access the Automesh panel.
2. Select the 12 surface patches around the three holes on one side of the model.
3. Verify that you are working in the size and bias subpanel.
4. Verify that the meshing mode is set to interactive.
5. Set mesh type: to quads.
6. Click mesh to enter the interactive meshing module.
7. On the density subpanel, adjust the density on the six edges across the center of the holes from 1 to 2.

8. On the mesh style subpanel, set the mesh method to map as pentagon, then click set all.
9. Click mesh to regenerate the mesh.
10. Click return to accept the mesh and go back to the Automesh panel.

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11. Click return to exit the panel.

This completes this tutorial. For more practice using these methods, use the other components in the model.

Go to HyperMesh Tutorials

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