Engineering Solutions

Find panel

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Find panel
Find panel

Use the Find panel to locate entities in a database. You can use the Find Entities subpanel to find individual elements in your model.

When you find entities, you will often want to turn on the IDs, or save them to the user mark. At the very least, when you find a hidden entity, it will be displayed.

The Find Attached subpanel finds entities that are attached to other entities. For example, after you have selected an element, you may use this function to view the elements that are attached to it, allowing you to move progressively through the model, row by row. The Find Attached subpanel allows you to find entities that are attached to geometry or FE entities.

The Between subpanel allows you to find entities that are shared by two or more of the selected entities. For example, you could find nodes that are shared between selected components or surfaces, and so on.

Subpanels and Inputs

The Find panel contains the following subpanels:

Panel Inputs

Input

Action

entity selector

Select the data type of the entities to find.

When you select nodes or elems, click the switch to change the selection mode.

nodes

Select individual nodes.

faces_edges_nodes

faces

Select all of the nodes on 2D and 3D faces.

If there are discontinuities on a 2D face, then only the nodes inbetween the discontinuities will be selected.

faces_edges_faces_nodes

2D faces ext

Select all of the nodes on a 2D face that contain discontinuities.

faces_edges_2d_face_ext_nodes

loops

Select all of the nodes on continuous free edges that make a closed loop simultaneously, such as the perimeter of a hole.

Only valid for SHELL elements.

faces_edges_loops_nodes

free edges

Select all of the nodes on free edges of elements.

If there are discontinuities on an edge, then only the nodes on the free edges inbetween the discontinuities will be selected.

Only valid for SHELL elements.

faces_edges_free_edges_nodes

free edges ext

Select all of the nodes on free edges of elements that contain discontinuities.

Only valid for SHELL elements.

faces_edges_free_edges_ext_nodes

edges

Select all of the nodes on free edges or shared edges (butt joints, L/corner joints, and T-joints) of elements.

If there are discontinuities on an edge, then only the nodes on the edge inbetween the discontinuities will be selected.

Only valid for SHELL elements.

faces_edges_edges_nodes

edges ext

Select all of the nodes on free edges or shared edges (butt joints, L/corner joints, and T-joints) of elements that contain discontinuities.

Only valid for SHELL elements.

faces_edges_edges_ext_nodes

elems

Select individual elements, or select all of the elements contained by a component or on a surface.

faces_edges_entities

faces

Select all of the elements on 2D and 3D faces.

If there are discontinuities on a 2D face, then only the elements inbetween the discontinuities will be selected.

faces_edges_faces

2D faces ext

Select all of the elements on a 2D face that contain discontinuities.

faces_edges_2d_faces_ext

numbers

Displays the numbers of the entities.

found nodes: on mark / temp nodes

Only displays when nodes is chosen as the entity.

free lines / surf edges

Only displays when lines is chosen as the entity

free edges

Only displays when surf edges is chosen.

shared edges

Only displays when surf edges is chosen.

non-manifold edges

Only displays when surf edges is chosen.

suppressed edges

Only displays when surf edges is chosen.

display: only connector

Only displays when connectors is chosen as the entity.

display: connector and FE

Only displays when connectors is chosen as the entity.

face angle / individual selection

Face angle

The face angle is the angle between the normal of facets that share an element edge. A facet can either be a shell element itself, or one of the faces of a solid element. The normal of triangular facets is that of the plane defined three corner vertices. Whereas, the normal of quadrilateral facets is calculated by taking the cross-product between its two diagonals. This special treatment for quadrilaterals is because a warped shape does not lie completely on a plane.

Only available when the entity selector is set to nodes or elems and the selection mode is set to faces, 2d faces ext, free edges, free edges ext, edges, or edges ext.

Individual Selection

Select individual elements on a face or select individual free/shared edges of elements.

Only available when the entity selector is set to nodes or elems and the selection mode is set to faces, free edges, or edges.

edge angle

Splits edges that belong to a given face.

When the edge angle is 180 degrees, edges are the continuous boundaries of faces. For smaller values, these same boundary edges are split wherever the angle between segments exceeds the specified value. A segment is the edge of a single element.

Only available when the entity selector is set to nodes and the selection mode is set to free edges, free edges ext, edges, or edges ext.

Panel Inputs

Input	Action
entity selector	Select the data type of the entities to find.
attached to selector	The data type of the entities to which the entities you want to locate are attached. When you select elems, click the switch to change the selection mode. elems Select individual elements, or select all of the elements contained by a component or on a surface. faces Select all of the elements on 2D and 3D faces. If there are discontinuities on a 2D face, then only the elements inbetween the discontinuities will be selected. 2D faces ext Select all of the elements on a 2D face that contain discontinuities.
numbers	Displays the numbers of the entities.
found nodes: temp nodes/ on mark	Only displays when nodes is chosen as the entity.
face angle / individual selection	Face angle The face angle is the angle between the normal of facets that share an element edge. A facet can either be a shell element itself, or one of the faces of a solid element. The normal of triangular facets is that of the plane defined three corner vertices. Whereas, the normal of quadrilateral facets is calculated by taking the cross-product between its two diagonals. This special treatment for quadrilaterals is because a warped shape does not lie completely on a plane. Only available when the entity selector is set to nodes or elems and the selection mode is set to faces, 2d faces ext, free edges, free edges ext, edges, or edges ext. Individual Selection Select individual elements on a face or select individual free/shared edges of elements. Only available when the entity selector is set to nodes or elems and the selection mode is set to faces, free edges, or edges.
edge angle	Splits edges that belong to a given face. When the edge angle is 180 degrees, edges are the continuous boundaries of faces. For smaller values, these same boundary edges are split wherever the angle between segments exceeds the specified value. A segment is the edge of a single element. Only available when the entity selector is set to nodes and the selection mode is set to free edges, free edges ext, edges, or edges ext.

Panel Inputs

Input	Action
nodes / connectors	Select the data type of the entities to find.
entity selector	The data type of the entities to which the entities you want to locate are between. When you select elems, click the switch to change the selection mode. elems Select individual elements, or select all of the elements contained by a component or on a surface. faces Select all of the elements on 2D and 3D faces. If there are discontinuities on a 2D face, then only the elements inbetween the discontinuities will be selected. 2D faces ext Select all of the elements on a 2D face that contain discontinuities.
numbers	Displays the numbers of the entities.
face angle / individual selection	Face angle The face angle is the angle between the normal of facets that share an element edge. A facet can either be a shell element itself, or one of the faces of a solid element. The normal of triangular facets is that of the plane defined three corner vertices. Whereas, the normal of quadrilateral facets is calculated by taking the cross-product between its two diagonals. This special treatment for quadrilaterals is because a warped shape does not lie completely on a plane. Only available when the entity selector is set to elems and the selection mode is set to faces or 2d faces ext. Individual Selection Select individual elements on a face or select individual free/shared edges of elements. Only available when the entity selector is set to elems and the selection mode is set to faces.

See Also:

Alphabetical List of Panels