Default Options - Mesh

You set the default meshing options for new studies.

The mesh that the software generates depends on:
  • Active meshing options for the study (specified in the Mesh PropertyManager)
  • Mesh control specifications (specified in the Mesh Control PropertyManager)
  • Interactions and connectors defined in the Connections folder

Mesh quality

Draft Assigns four corner nodes to each solid element. Assigns three corner nodes to each shell element.

Use draft quality meshing for a quick evaluation.
High Assigns 10 nodes to each solid element: four corner nodes and one node at the middle of each edge (a total of six midside nodes). Assigns six nodes to each shell element: three corner nodes and three midside nodes.
Use the High quality option for final results and for models with curved geometry.
Jacobian points Available for High quality mesh only. Sets the number of integration points to be used in checking the distortion level of tetrahedral elements. The recommended value is 16 Gaussian points. See Simulation Help: Mesh Quality Checks for more details.
The software performs the Jacobian check by default for High quality mesh. It is recommended to use the At Nodes option when using the p-method to solve static problems.

Mesh type

Mesh all solid bodies with solid mesh Meshes all solid, sheet metal, and weldment bodies with a solid mesh. This makes preparing the model for meshing quicker, but might increase the overall solution time.

At a study level, you can override the mesh assignments that this option specifies. In a simulation study tree, right-click the top Parts folder, and select Treat all sheet metals as shells or Treat all weldments as beams.

Mesh Parameters

Standard Activates the Voronoi-Delaunay meshing scheme for subsequent meshing operations.
Curvature-based Activates the curvature-based meshing scheme for subsequent meshing operations. The mesher creates more elements in higher-curvature areas automatically (without the need for mesh control).
The Curvature-based mesher can check for interference between bodies before meshing. If interferences are detected, meshing stops and you can access the Interference Detection PropertyManager to view the interfering parts or components. Make sure to resolve all interferences before you mesh again. Interference detection is available only when you define bonded interaction with common nodes at touching boundaries.
The Curvature-based mesher supports the creation of common nodes between touching solid faces, and touching edges of sheet metal bodies and surface bodies.
Blended curvature-based Select to mesh models that have failed to mesh with the Standard or the Curvature-based mesher. When you use identical mesh settings, the Blended curvature-based mesher typically generates higher-quality elements with smaller Jacobian and aspect ratios than the Curvature-based mesher. It also often uses fewer elements.

The Blended curvature-based mesher does not support the option to enforce common mesh nodes between touching boundaries. All bodies are meshed independently.

In SOLIDWORKS Simulation Professional and SOLIDWORKS Simulation Premium, the Blended curvature-based mesh supports multithreading and parallel multicore processing.
Automatic transition Automatically applies mesh controls to small features, holes, fillets, and other fine details of the model.

Clear Automatic transition before meshing large models with many small features and details to avoid generating unnecessarily large numbers of elements.

Automatic transition OFF Automatic transition ON
Default number of elements on a circle Sets the minimum number of elements the mesher creates at curvatures. See How Element Size Is Determined.

Advanced Settings

Remesh failed parts independently

Regenerates independent meshes for parts that share common mesh nodes but failed to bond. Constraint equations enforce a bonding condition between parts that mesh independently.

Use this option for solid mesh only.
Reuse mesh for identical parts in an assembly (Blended curvature-based mesher only)

When you select this option, an improved mesh algorithm based on the Blended curvature-based mesher identifies identical parts that are repeated in an assembly. The algorithm saves time by reusing the same mesh for the identical parts instead of meshing each of them independently.

You cannot reuse a mesh for these cases:
  • Parts that have split or imprinted surfaces (for example head and nut imprints for bolt connectors), or parts with beam joints bonded to surfaces.
  • Repeated identical bodies within a part. Bodies within a part, including repeated bodies, are meshed independently.
  • Parts with beam meshes. Only solid and shell meshes can be reused.

If a study contains a part that does not support this option, the algorithm ignores the part. In this case, the part is meshed independently.

The Reuse mesh for identical parts in an assembly option is available with the SOLIDWORKS Simulation Premium and SOLIDWORKS Simulation Professional licenses.
Automatic trials for solids Automatically retries to mesh the model using a different global element size. You control the maximum number of trials allowed and the factors by which the global element and tolerance are scaled for each trial.
Number of trials Sets the maximum number of mesh trials.
Factor for element size for each trial Sets the multiplying factor to calculate the new global element size.
Factor for tolerance for each trial Sets the multiplying factor to calculate the new tolerance.
If the distance between two nodes is smaller than this value, the nodes are merged unless otherwise specified by contact conditions. The tolerance cannot exceed 30% of the element size.
Render beam profile and shell thicknesses (slower) Displays the cross sections of the structural members and the shell thicknesses in mesh plots.

When cleared, beam elements are displayed as hollow cylinders regardless of their cross section shape. You can override this option in the Mesh Quality PropertyManager.
Run contact solver after meshing for contact visualization plot After the mesh formulation, the solver detects the elements that participate in contact formulation. You can view these solver-based contact pairs in the Contact Visualization plot.