In this tutorial, you will learn how to:
• | Create circle, arc, line, and tangent lines |
• | Duplicate and translate lines |
• | Edit lines by splitting and displaying their IDs |
• | Delete redundant arcs and lines |
• | Duplicate and reflect an arc |
• | Create a surface square and two parallel lines on an X-Y plane |
• | Create a fillet between two lines |
• | Exporting geometry in IGES format |
Sometimes CAE users need to create models from sketches where there is no pre-existing geometry. The tools in this tutorial will help you accomplish that task.
Exercise: Creating and Editing Line Data
In this exercise, you will learn how to create lines and surfaces.
Step 1: Create a component collector to geometry.
1. | To create a component, right-click in the Model browser and select Create > Component from the context menu, or click Collectors > Create > Components from the menu bar. |
2. | In the Create Component dialog, enter geometry in the Name field. |
3. | Click the Color swatch and select yellow from the box of colors. |
Step 2: Create nodes.
1. | On the standard toolbar, click . |
2. | To open the Create Nodes panel in the XYZ subpanel, click Geometry > Create > Nodes > XYZ from the menu bar.5 |
3. | Enter the following X, Y, and Z coordinates listed in the table below to create five nodes. Click create for each of the nodes. |
Node
|
X
|
Y
|
Z
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
25
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
37
|
4
|
0
|
5
|
25
|
5
|
0
|
5
|
-2
|
5. | To fit the size of the model to the graphics area, press f. |
Step 3: Display the node IDs.
1. | To open the Numbers panel, click on the Display toolbar. |
2. | Verify that the entity selector is set to nodes. |
3. | To select all of the nodes in the model, click nodes >> all. |
4. | Select the display check box. |
5. | Click on. HyperMesh displays the node IDs. |
Step 4: Create a circle.
1. | To open the Circle Center and Radius panel, click Geometry > Create > Lines > Circle Center and Radius from the menu bar. |
2. | Verify that the node list selector is active. |
3. | Select Node 2. This will be the location of the circle’s center. |
4. | Set the orientation vector to x-axis. |
5. | In the radius field, enter 5. |
6. | Click create. HyperMesh creates the circles's center. |
Step 5: Create an arc.
1. | To open the Arc Center and Radius subpanel, click . |
2. | Verify that the node list entity selector is active. |
3. | Select node 2. This node will be the center of the arc as well as the base for the axis of rotation. |
4. | Verify that the orientation vector is set to x-axis. |
5. | In the Radius field, enter 2.5. |
6. | In the Offset field, enter 90. |
7. | In the Angle field, enter 180. |
8. | Click create. HyperMesh creates an arc. |
9. | On the Standard toolbar, click . |
Step 6: Create a line.
1. | To open the Linear Nodes subpanel, click . |
2. | Select Node 4 and Node 5. |
3. | Click create. HyperMesh creates a line between nodes 4 and 5. |
Step 7: Duplicate and translate lines.
1. | To open the Translate panel, click Geometry > Translate > Lines from the menu bar. |
2. | Verify that the entity selector is set to lines. |
3. | Select the line that was created between nodes 4 and 5. |
4. | Click lines >> duplicate >> current comp. Hypermesh copies the new line into the current component, Geometry. |
5. | Set the orientation vector to y-axis. |
6. | In the magnitude = field, enter 10.0. |
Step 8: Edit lines by splitting at a line.
1. | To open the Line Edit panel, click Geometry > Edit > Lines > Split at Line from the menu bar. |
2. | Verify that the lines selector is active. |
3. | Select the top, right curved line of the circle indicated in the following image. |
5. | Select the line between nodes 4 and 5. |
6. | Click split. The circle has one quarter of it's radius split off from the rest. |
7. | Repeat steps 8.2 through 8.6 to select the top, left curved line of the circle and the other line that was translated in step 7. |
Step 9: Display the line IDs.
1. | Go to the Numbers panel. |
2. | Set the entity selector to lines. |
3. | Click lines >> all. HyperMesh selects all of the lines in the model. |
4. | Verify that the display check box is selected. |
5. | To display all of the line IDs, click on. |
Step 10: Delete a redundant arc.
1. | To open the Delete panel, click on the Collectors toolbar, or press F2. |
2. | Set the entity selector to lines. |
3. | Select the bottom right curved line of the circle indicated in the following image. |
4. | Click delete entity. HyperMesh deletes the redundant arc. |
5. | Select the bottom left curve and then click delete entity. |
Step 11: Duplicate and reflect an arc.
1. | To open the Reflect panel, click Geometry > Reflect > Lines from the menu bar. |
2. | Set the entity selector to lines. |
3. | Select the arc (line ID 2). |
4. | Set the orientation vector to z-axis. |
5. | Select Node 2 as the base node. |
6. | Click lines >> duplicate >> original comp to copy the new line into the current component, Geometry. |
7. | Click reflect. HyperMesh creates the lower arc. |
Step 12: Create two tangent lines.
1. | To go to the Tangents panel, click Geometry > Create > Lines > Tangent from the menu bar. |
2. | Set the entity selector to node list. |
4. | Activate the line selector. |
5. | Select the semi-circular line (line ID 5). |
Note: | Your line IDs may be different, depending on whether you needed to perform the split/delete/duplicate tasks more than once. |
6. | Click create. HyperMesh creates two tangent lines. |
7. | Select one of the tangent lines. |
8. | Repeat steps 12.3 through 12.7. |
9. | Select the other tangent line. |
10. | To exit the panel, click return. |
Step 13: Redisplay the line IDs.
1. | Go to the Numbers panel. |
2. | Set the entity selector to lines. |
4. | Verify that the display check box is selected. |
5. | Click on. HyperMesh displays all of the line IDs. |
6. | To exit the panel, click return. |
Step 14: Split curves by tangent line and delete redundant line.
1. | Go to the Split at Line subpanel. |
2. | Verify that the lines selector is active. |
3. | Select the semi-circular line (ID 5). |
Note: | The line IDs may be different. |
5. | Select the left tangent line (ID 9). |
6. | Click split. HyperMesh splits the semi-circular line (ID 5) with the selected tangent line (ID 9). |
7. | Repeat steps 14.2 through 14.6 to cut the semi-circular line (ID 5) with the right tangent line (ID 8). |
8. | Go to the Delete panel. |
9. | Verify that entity selector is active and set to lines. |
10. | Select the semi-circular line between the two tangent lines indicated in the following image. |
11. | Click delete entity. HyperMesh deletes the semi-circular line. |
12. | To exit the panels, click return twice. |
Step 15: Create a component collector for surfaces.
1. | In the Model browser, right-click and select Create > Component from the context menu. |
2. | In the Create component dialog, enter surfaces in the Name field. |
3. | Click the Color icon, and select purple. |
Step 16: Create a surface square on an X-Y plane.
1. | From the main menu, go to the 2D page and select Planes. |
2. | Go to the Square subpanel. |
3. | Set the orientation vector to z-axis. |
4. | Select Node 1 as the base reference node. |
5. | Switch mesh, keep surf to surface only. |
6. | In the size= field, enter 30. |
7. | Click create. HyperMesh creates a square surface. |
8. | To exit the panel, click return. |
Step 17: Create a line that connects two parallel lines on an X-Y plane.
1. | To open the Intersect panel, click Geometry > Create > Lines > Intersect. |
2. | To create a line on the X-Y plane, set the orientation vector to z-axis. |
3. | Select Node 1 as the base node. |
4. | Activate the line list selector. |
5. | Select the two straight lines that are perpendicular to the X-Y plane indicated in the following image. HyperMesh displays a bold, white line in the graphics area to represent the results. |
6. | Click create. HyperMesh creates the line. |
7. | To exit the panel, click return. |
Step 18: Switch the current working component surfaces to geometry.
1. | In the Model browser, Component folder, right-click on geometry and select Make Current from the context menu. |
Note: | From this point on, when you create any new elements or geometry, HyperMesh will place them in the geometry component collector. |
Step 19: Extend a line to a surface edge.
1. | On the Standard Views toolbar, click . |
2. | To open the Extend panel, click Geometry > Edit > Lines > Extend from the menu bar. |
3. | Toggle from distance = to to:. |
4. | Set the entity selector to line. |
5. | Activate the top line selector. |
6. | Select the line that you created in step 17 (the line that passes through Node 1) as the line to be extended. HyperMesh places a red V at the beginning of the line to be extended. |
7. | Activate the lower line selector. |
8. | Select the lower-right edge of the purple plane indicated in the following image. |
9. | Click extend-. HyperMesh extends the line to reach one surface edge. |
10. | To exit the panel, click return. Your model should resemble the following image. |
Step 20: Create a fillet between two lines.
1. | To open the Fillet subpanel, click Geometry > Create > Lines > Fillet from the menu bar. |
2. | Select the Trim original lines check box. |
3. | In the Radius= field, enter 5. |
4. | Activate the 1st line selector. |
5. | Select the vertical line through which the extended line passes indicated in the following image. |
6. | Activate the 2nd line selector. |
7. | Select the extended line that you created in step 19. The status bar reads, "Please select fillet quadrant", which indicates that HyperMesh wants you to select a reference location for the fillet. |
8. | Select the top, right X for the fillet quadrant indicated in the following image. HyperMesh creates a fillet. |
9. | To return to the Lines panel, click return. |
Step 21: Trim a line by plane and delete a redundant line segment.
1. | To open the Split at Plane panel, click Geometry > Edit > Lines > Split at Plane from the menu bar. |
2. | Verify that the lines selector is active. |
3. | Select the vertical line that does not have a fillet indicated in the following image. |
4. | Set the orientation vector to z-axis. |
5. | Select Node 1 as the base node. |
6. | Click split. HyperMesh splits the line by the X-Y plane. |
7. | Go to the Delete panel. |
8. | Set the entity selector to lines. |
9. | Select the small line segment under the X-Y plane. |
10. | Click delete entity. HyperMesh removes the line segment. |
11. | To exit the panels, click return twice. |
Step 22: Remove all temp nodes.
1. | To go to the Temp Nodes panel, click Mesh > Delete > Nodes from the menu bar, or press Shift + F2. |
2. | Click clear all. HyperMesh removes all of the temp nodes. |
3. | To exit the panel, click return. |
Step 23: Change the rendering mode.
1. | To shade the model's geometry and surface edges, click on the Visualization toolbar. The plane (purple) becomes shaded instead of wire frame. |
Step 24: Export all geometry as an IGES file.
1. | To open the Export Geometry tab, click File > Export > Geometry from the menu bar. |
2. | From the File type list, select Iges. |
3. | From the File field, navigate to the location of your working directory and save the file. |
4. | From the Units field, select an export unit system. |
5. | Click Export. HyperMesh generates the IGES file. |
Note: | This file can be shared with other CAD packages such as UG, Catia, and ProE. |
See Also:
HyperMesh Tutorials