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Line Mesh panel

Line Mesh panel

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Line Mesh panel

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Use the Line Mesh panel to create a chain of one-dimensional elements such as beams along a line. This functionality is used for creating beam models or beam representations of structural models. Line mesh can be created from lines or node lists. Once the selection is complete, click mesh to preview the node seeding of the mesh.  It also invokes the density and biasing subpanels, similar to those in the automeshing module, allowing you to interactively modify the element density and biasing.

Line mesh (continuous chain of one-dimensional elements) can be created for a selection of lines or list of nodes (node list).

Subpanels and Inputs

There are no subpanels on the Line Mesh panel. All inputs and command buttons are located on the main panel.

 

Panel Inputs

Input

Action

Lines / Node List

Use the switch to determine where to create the mesh.

Line Selection

•If the selection contains more than one line, each line is individually meshed with the global element size (set in the mesh subpanel of the Options panel).  Therefore, they are not considered as a continuous line if the lines are connected.  For example, for three lines that are continuous, each having a length of three units: when line meshed global element size is five units, one element is created for each line (total three elements) rather than two elements for all three lines together.
•If the lines being meshed are connected, meaning their ends are within node tolerance (set in the mesh Options panel) of each other, the line mesh created is connected.  It also means that the 1-D elements created share common nodes.
•For individual lines that are not smooth and have a drastic change in direction (break angle), you can choose one of the following options:

 

Node Selection

•Each pair of sequential nodes in the node list is considered as a segment to line mesh.  Therefore, a minimum of one 1-D element is seeded for each pair.  The number of 1-D elements between each pair of nodes is determined by global element size.
•The 1-D element created maintains connectivity with the selected nodes in the node list.  If the nodes of the node list belong to an existing FE mesh, the new 1-D elements created share common nodes with them.

Segment is whole line / breakangle =

segment is whole line treats the entire line as a single segment and seeds your mesh nodes accordingly, ignoring break angles.

break angle = uses the specified angle to determine points at which to split the line into segments that can be individually controlled.

element size =

Use this to specify a size for the 1-D elements.

element config

You can select the configuration of 1-D elements to be created from the list in the popup menu.

Note:Each 1-D element can have different types depending on the solver template.  Use the Elem Types panel to set the necessary element type for the intended 1-D element. For example, a spring element can be used to create a CELAS1, CELAS2, CBUSH, CDAMP1, or CDAMP2 type of element in Nastran. Line mesh is created with the current element type set in the Elem Types panel.

For the bars element configuration, additional options for defining offsets and orientation are available.

Offsets

This set of numeric boxes appear only for Bar type element configurations.

Define the required x, y and z offsets for a and b locations.

Orientation

This switch only displays for bar type configurations, and is located under the element size = numeric box.  It determines cross section orientation for which the bar properties are defined. The orientation can be defined in one of the four methods:

•auto – the orientation is automatically determined in a plane normal to the selected line at that location. The orientation for each bar element varies based on the curvature of the line being meshed.
•vector – orientation is defined via a vector (N1,N2,N3) or along global axes.
•component – orientation is defined as X, Y and Z components of the global axes.
•node – orientation is defined using a chosen orientation node and an the y or z direction.

property =

Click the button to select an optional property collector.  The 1-D elements created (such as bars or springs) automatically get assigned to these property collectors.

Note:This option is valid only for solver templates that define a property directly to 1-D elements.  Some solvers such as Abaqus and LS-DYNA allow properties to be defined only to the components and not directly to the elements.

add elems to current component / add elems to line component

Specify where to organize the 1D line mesh elements after they are created.

 

Command Buttons

The following action buttons appear:

Input

Action

mesh

Once you click mesh to create a 1-D line mesh, secondary panels that allow you to change the density and biasing of the 1-D elements are displayed.  You can interactively adjust the density (and biasing) of 1-D elements along a line segment, set the element densities of one or more segments to a specified value, and so on using these secondary panels.

reject

Undoes the most recent meshing action.

return

Exits the panel.