Mesh Edit Panel

Location: 2D page or Connectors module

Note:

When you access this panel from within the connectors module, the default settings for its entry criteria are different. Please refer to that section for help specific to performing connector imprints.

Use the Mesh Edit panel to extend a mesh to meet another mesh and form a good connection between them, or to imprint overlapping meshes so that they match one another.

Panel Layout

The Mesh Edit panel consists of two subpanels: one for extending mesh, and another for imprinting mesh. The functions you perform in one panel will not carried over to the other panel. If you switch between the Imprint and Extend panels while working, you will not lose any of your work.

The subpanels are listed on the left edge, while entry criteria for each subpanel's functionality displays in one or two columns in the middle of the panel. The right-most edge contains command buttons used to execute the functions or undo their results.

mesh_edit_panel

Subpanels and Inputs

The Mesh Edit panel contains the following subpanels and command buttons:

Use the Imprint subpanel to sync or line up meshes from different, overlapping components to facilitate a better modeling connection between them.

For example, mesh imprinting may be used to match up brackets that hold parts together, or to match up two different parts (components) that must be fastened to one another. By lining up the meshes of separate components on a node-by-node basis, connections such as welds, adhesives, or even bolts can be accurately modeled.

Mesh imprinting can also be used to resolve connector issues in which quad-based transition meshes of close-set connectors interfere with each other.

mesh_edit_imprint_example

The underlying tube is remeshed to match the plate, while retaining the mesh of both components.

Panel Inputs

Input

Action

source: comps / elems / node list

Use the switch to choose between selecting elements, components, or nodes. In either case, this mesh will be considered the "source" for all further considerations, such as the projection path or which mesh remains after the imprint.

destination: comps / elems

Use the switch to choose between selecting elements or components. In either case, this mesh will be considered the "destination" for the source mesh.

projection: normal to destination / along vector

Select the direction that the source mesh is projected.

•	normal to destination (default) extends the mesh from the source in a direction that is normal to the destination mesh.

•	along vector enables the standard plane and vector selector, which can be used to define the direction.

remain: source / destination / both

Select which of the original meshes to retain.

In the examples below, the blue plate is the source, while the orange tube is the destination.

mesh_imprint_remain_source

Using remain: source

mesh_imprint_remain_destination

Using remain: destination

mesh_imprint_remain_both

Using remain: both. Notice there are two layers of blue mesh now. The original
component mesh and the destination imprint.

check max distance

Fails imprints if the distance between any portion of the source and destination exceeds the value that specify in the distance field.

elems to destination comp

Absorbs the imprint source elements into the destination component, discarding the original component's mesh.

It is similar to the remain: destination option, except that the end result is the modified mesh within the destination component only.

mesh_imprint_elems_to_destinationcomp

The source mesh (blue, top) becomes part of the destination mesh (yellow).

create patch between imprints

Creates a new patch between the imprints. If nodes are selected in the source selector, the new patch will be organized in the current component by default. You can elect to have elements organized in the destination component.

Only available when remain is set to both.

remesh: stitch only / layers / all

Defines how smoothly the imprint is made.

•	stitch only connects elements without remeshing. This option is not generally recommended.

•	layers specifies a maximum number of layers, of surrounding elements, that can be part of the remesh (much like washer layers).

•	all potentially remeshes the entire source and destination components in an effort to produce the best imprint mesh.

mesh_imprint_stitchonly

remesh: stitch only

mesh_imprint_remeshlayers

remesh: layers

mesh_imprint_remeshall

remesh: all

feature angle:

When the destination mesh contains an angle greater than this number of degrees, the imprint will not overlap that line in the destination.

settings: auto detect

Clear this check box to specify an element type (quad, tria, mixed, R-trias, or quads only) and element size to use during remesh.

This check box only displays if remesh is set to layers or all.

anchor node

Select the nodes to be inserted or fixed in the final destination mesh during mesh imprinting when remeshing is performed.

mesh_imprint_anchor_nodes

Use the Extend subpanel to create smoothly-meshed connections between different components that do not quite touch, but are meant to. Meshes can be imprinted so that both components are remeshed to match, or so that the source component is remeshed to match the destination component, and vice-versa. You can also merge the elements of the source component into the destination component.

For example, mesh extension can be used to cleanly join discontinuous meshes. The angle at which they join is not a limitation.

mesh_edit_extend_tubesexample

Here, one component (pink) is extended to join two others (blue and tan).