Using a 2D mesh to seed a 3D mesh

Estimated time to complete: 5–15 minutes

In this tutorial, you will define a 2D mesh on fillets and then use that mesh to seed a 3D mesh.

1: Setup

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

  2. Click the link below:

    Download the part

  3. Extract the file to your knuckle folder.

  4. Start Simcenter 3D or NX.

  5. Open knuckle.prt.

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: Create the FEM and Simulation files

File

  • All Applications→Pre/Post

  Simulation Navigator

  •   knuckle.prt

  •   New FEM and Simulation

  •   Create Idealized Part

  • Solver

    Simcenter Nastran

  • Analysis Type

    Structural

  • OK

    all dialog boxes

The FEM is the work part. The Simulation file is the displayed part.

4: Select and mesh the fillets

Create a 2D mesh on the fillets. This 2D mesh will be used to seed a 3D mesh of the solid.

  2D Mesh (Home tab→Mesh group)

  • Type Filter (Top Border bar)

    Polygon Body

  • Method (Top Border bar)

    Fillet Faces

  •  

      Smart Selector Options (Top Border bar)

  • Fillet Maximum Radius

    5 mm

    OK

      Smart Selector Options dialog box

  •   the part

    No entities are selected because the maximum fillet radius was too small for this model.

  •  

      Smart Selector Options

  • Fillet Maximum Radius

    10 mm

    OK

      Smart Selector Options dialog box

  •   the part

    37 objects are selected and highlighted.

     

     

  • Type

    CTRIA6

  • Element Size

    8 mm

  •  

     

      Export Mesh to Solver

    Because this mesh will be used only to seed the 3D mesh and will not be used in the analysis, exporting it to the solver is unnecessary.

  • OK

     2D Mesh dialog box

5: Create a 3D mesh

Now that you have a 2D seed mesh on the fillets, create a 3D mesh on the part. The software uses the location of the nodes in the 2D mesh to generate the 3D elements through the volume.

 3D Tetrahedral (Mesh group)

  •   the polygon body

  • Type

    CTETRA(10)

  •   Automatic Element Size (Element Size)

  • OK

     

     

  Save

File

  • Close→All Parts