Stitching edges

Estimated time to complete: 15–25 minutes

In this tutorial, you will learn how to use the Stitch Edge command.

1: Setup

  1. On your desktop or the appropriate network drive, create a folder named boom.

  2. Click the link below:

    Download the part

  3. Extract the file to your boom folder.

  4. Start Simcenter 3D or NX.

  5. Open boom_fem.fem.

2: Reset dialog box memory

The options you select in dialog boxes are preserved for the next time you open the same dialog box within a given session. Restore the default settings to ensure that the dialog boxes are in the expected initial state for each step of the activity.

File

Preferences→User Interface

  • Options

  •   Reset Dialog Memory

  • OK

     
3: Make the midsurface the work layer

Menu 

  • Format→Layer Settings

  • Work Layer

    5

  • Enter

     

    Layer 5, which contains the midsurface, becomes the work layer.

  •  

     

  •  1

    Layer 1, which contains the solid geometry, is hidden.

     

  •  

    Close

     

Examine the midsurfaces. Zoom in and notice that there are gaps between the midsurfaces. The original part had component surfaces that are perpendicular to one another. When the midsurfaces were created for each component in the assembly, the midsurfaces did not intersect.

 

4: Examine the assembly

To learn how the model is constructed, explore the components in the assembly. Examine the mesh collectors and associated physical property tables.

Polygon Geometry

  •  BOOM_TOP

    The component is highlighted in the graphics window.

  • Familiarize yourself with the rest of the assembly by selecting and highlighting the remaining BOOM components.

  • 2D Collectors

  • BOOM TOP

  • Edit

    In the Mesh Collector dialog box, note that the BOOM physical property table is defined.

  • Edit (Shell Property)

    Note that this mesh collector uses the AISI_STEEL_1008–HR material, and has a default thickness of 36.0 mm.

  • Cancel

     all dialog boxes

  • Continue to examine the other mesh collectors.

5: Change the display to static wireframe

Change the display to Static Wireframe so that you can more easily select edges.

  Static Wireframe (Top Border bar→Rendering Style list)

  •  

6: Stitch the first rib to the top

Stitch the top edge of the boom rib to the boom top.

  Stitch Edge (Home tab→Polygon Geometry group)

  •  

     

  • Method

    Manual

  • Geometry To Stitch

    Edge to Face

  •  

  •  

     

  • (Select Face)

  •     the face on the BOOM_TOP component that is near the top of the rib

  • Apply

     

     

  • The edge of the rib is now stitched to the face. The purple line, which indicates a free edge, is now a solid blue line. This shows that the edges are stitched.

  • Leave the Stitch Edge dialog box open for the next step.

7: Stitch the ears to the faces of the boom top

The Stitch Edge dialog box is still open from the previous step.

Using the steps you learned previously, stitch the bottom edges of each boom ear to faces of the boom top. Note that there are two edges on the bottom of each ear. For each ear, select both edges and the two faces to stitch them to.

When you finish, the edges should look like those in the following figure.

8: Stitch top edges to side faces

To analyze this assembly, you need to stitch the top of the model to both the left and right sides of the model. However, to simplify this activity, you will work only with the right side. First, change the display to shaded.

  Shaded with Edges (Top Border bar→Rendering Style list)

Next, stitch top edges to faces on the right side.

  Stitch Edge (Polygon Geometry group)

  •  the eight edges of BOOM_TOP that are next to the right side (zoom in to see these edges)

  •  

     

  • (Select Face)

  •  the five faces of BOOM_RIGHT

  • Apply

     

  • Leave the Stitch Edge dialog box open for the next step.

9: Stitch bottom edges to right side faces

The Stitch Edge dialog box is open from the previous step.

Stitch edges of the boom bottom to the faces on the right side.

  •  the seven edges of BOOM_BOTTOM that are next to the right side (zoom in to see these edges)

  •  

     

  • (Select Face)

  •  the five faces of BOOM_RIGHT

  • OK

     

 

 Static Wireframe (Top Border bar→Rendering Style list)

10: Stitch the rib to the right side

Using the steps you learned previously, stitch the edge of the boom rib (1) to a face on the boom right side (2).

11: Stitch the top of the second rib to the top

Examine the assembly. You just stitched the BOOM_RIB_1 component to the right side of the part. You now need to stitch the BOOM_RIB_2 component to the right side of the part, but this time you will use a different workflow.

Using the steps you learned previously, stitch the edge of the BOOM_RIB_2 component (1) to the face of the BOOM_TOP component (2).

Rotate the assembly until you can see where the edge of the BOOM_RIB_2 component is relative to the BOOM_RIGHT component. You can see that there is a large gap between the edge and the face.

 Save

At this point, you could use abstraction tools to remove sliver surfaces and then continue stitching the remaining surfaces. For a continuation of these steps, see Splitting and collapsing edges.

File

  • Close→All Parts