Solid Mesh - Manual (Hexahedral Mesh) PropertyManager

The Hexahedral Mesh PropertyManager lets you mesh your model with solid hexahedra elements. The program uses a surface mesh to capture the geometry of the part and transforms the surface mesh data to solid mesh with hexahedra elements.

To open the Solid Mesh (Manual) - Hexahedral Mesh PropertyManager:

  1. Create a solid mesh with the Manual method.
  2. The Solid Mesh - Manual (Hexahedral Mesh) PropertyManager appears in the mesh creating process after you create a surface mesh, and resolve any mesh quality issues.

Hexahedral Mesh - Type

Voxel Creates a solid mesh with square orthogonal hexahedra. The voxel mesh could fail in capturing accurately the geometry of detailed features or high-curvature surfaces.
Marching Creates a mesh with both surface triangle elements and orthogonal hexahedral elements through the volume. The mesh display shows the surface mesh. Create a cross-section to view the hexahedral mesh formulation. The marching mesh captures the geometry of detailed features or curved surfaces more accurately than the voxel mesh.
Non-Orthogonal Voxel Creates a solid mesh with non-orthogonal hexahedra to capture more accurately the shape of the part. The surface mesh should be of good quality (no holes, intersecting elements, or non-manifold elements).
Voxel hexahedral mesh Non-orthogonal hexahedral Voxel mesh Marching mesh with hexahedral and surface triangle elements (cross-section)

Volume Mesh Calculation

Normal Surface Mesh Select when the surface mesh has good quality. A good surface mesh has no holes, intersecting elements, or non-manifold elements.
Refined Surface Mesh Select when the surface mesh contains holes, intersecting elements, or non-manifold elements. The program will try to repair the surface mesh before proceeding with the creation of the hexahedral mesh. This process takes longer computational time.

Global Mesh Size

Specify Value Defines the size of the hexahedra elements.
By Number of Elements Defines the number of hexahedra elements along the three axes. The hexahedra may be orthogonal.

X-axis

Number of hexahedra elements along the X axis.

Y-axis

Number of hexahedra elements along the Y axis.

Z-axis

Number of hexahedra elements along the Z axis.
Capture Feature Edges Automatically detects the feature edges where the angle between two shell triangles is less than 135 º. These feature lines must be parallel to the X axis, Y axis or Z axis. This function allows the creation of a solid mesh consisting of hexahedra which more accurately fit the surface mesh.
Mesh Control Available for Non-Orthogonal Voxel.

Applies mesh control to selected elements.

Visible

Mesh control is applied to selected elements only.

Through

Mesh control is also applied to elements located behind the selected elements.

Hexahedral Cell Size

Sets the minimum size for the Non-Orthogonal voxel.
Maximum Element Size Available for Non-Orthogonal Voxel.

Sets the maximum size of the hexahedra elements.
Minimum Element Size Available for Non-Orthogonal Voxel.

Sets the minimum size of the hexahedra elements.
Create Mesh Transforms the surface mesh to a hexahedral mesh.
Refine Mesh Refines the current hexahedral mesh.
Delete Mesh Deletes the current hexahedral mesh

Section Clipping Settings

Creates a cross-section of the solid mesh on display.
+ X Controls the cross-section boundary along the +X axis.
- X Controls the cross-section boundary along the -X axis.
+ Y Controls the cross-section boundary along the +Y axis.
- Y Controls the cross-section boundary along the -Y axis.
+ Z Controls the cross-section boundary along the +Z axis.
- Z Controls the cross-section boundary along the -Z axis.
Reset Resets the cross-section display back to the default settings.