Use the 3D solid or gasket elements option to define the *SURFACE card by specifying face identifiers for individual solid and gasket elements. These faces are displayed by special face elements.
In order to create surface, you need to select the underlying solid or gasket elements first.
Click Elements to open the Element Selector panel, and then select the underlying 3D solid or gasket elements from the graphic area. Selected elements are highlighted. Click Reset to resets the selected elements.
You can then define the face identifiers for the selected solids in two ways: (a) by creating a solid skin and manually picking the faces from the skin, (b) by picking nodes on a specific face and sweeping through a break angle. Under Select faces by, select Solid skin for (a) and Nodes on face for (b).
(a) Solid skin enables the following:
Button |
Action |
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Faces |
Creates a temporary skin of the selected solids. Opens the Element Selector panel, from which you can select face elements from this skin. The selected faces are highlighted. Click Reset to reset the selected faces and delete the skin.
The skin will initially have the same color as the current surface. You can change the skin color using Solid skin color button. |
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Add |
Adds the selected faces to the current surface and creates special face elements for display. It also checks for duplicate faces and displays a message if any are found.
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Reject |
Rejects the recently added faces. |
(b) Nodes on face enables the following:
Button |
Action |
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Nodes |
Opens the Node Selector panel, from which you can select nodes from the graphic area. Three nodes (or two corner nodes) from the same solid element must be picked to define a face of that solid. The selected nodes are highlighted. The corresponding Reset button resets the selected nodes.
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Add |
Finds all faces from the selected solids that fall within a specified break angle of the face(s) defined by nodes. These faces are then added to the current surface and create special face elements for display. It also checks for duplicate faces and displays a message if any are found.
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Reject |
Rejects the recently added faces. |
See Also:
3D Shell, Membrane, or Rigid Elements