Creating Meshes by Extracting Elements

You can create 1D and 2D meshes by extracting elements from the edges of a 2D mesh or from the surface of a 3D mesh, respectively. The extracted, or coating, meshes are useful when you need a different element type on the edge of a 2D part or the surface of a 3D part. For example, you might need bar or beam elements to represent stiffeners along the edge of a 2D part.

This task shows you how to:

Before you begin: A 2D or a 3D mesh must exist and must be updated.
See Also
Meshing Geometries
Group
Updating Meshes

Create a 1D Mesh from a 2D Mesh

You can create a 1D mesh by extracting edge elements from an existing 2D mesh.

  1. From the Mesh section of the action bar, click Coating 1D Mesh .
  2. Optional: Enter a Name for the coating 1D mesh.
  3. Select one or more 2D meshes.

    The selected meshes must be up to date.

    The following table lists the extracted elements for each solid element type:
    2D elements Extracted elements
    TR3 BAR
    TR6 BAR3
    QD4 BAR
    QD8 BAR3
  4. In the Extraction type list, select one of the following:
    • All edges to generate a 1D element for each edge of the 2D meshes.
    • Boundary edges to generate a 1D element for each boundary edge of the 2D meshes.
    • Internal edges to generate a 1D element for each internal edge of the 2D meshes.
    • Constrained edges to generate a 1D element for each constrained edge of the 2D meshes.
    • Non constrained edges to generate a 1D element for each unconstrained edge of the 2D meshes.
    • None to generate a 1D element only for local specifications.
  5. Optional: Add Local Specifications to include or exclude element edges from the set that you want to extract.
    1. Click .
    2. Select edges from the model or select groups from the tree.

      The Select toolbox allows you to choose a selection method for adding geometry supports.

      • Click to select entities manually. This is the default method.
      • Click to select edges and to propagate edge selection along the direction indicated by the arrow.

      Important: You can only select 1D geometries or 1D groups created under a mesh. You cannot select groups created under the Groups container.

    3. Toggle on Include or Exclude, respectively, to add or remove the edge selection.
    4. Click OK.
  6. Click one of the following:
    • OK to save the parameters that you defined, to create the mesh, and to close the dialog box. To generate and visualize the mesh, you must update it.
    • Mesh to save the parameters you defined and to create, update, and generate the mesh.

      The PLM Update progress bar appears. The mesh dialog box remains open to allow further edits.

    • Cancel to cancel the modifications and to close the dialog box.
    If you click OK or Mesh, the mesh specification is created and appears in the tree.

Create a 2D Mesh from a 3D Mesh

You can create a 2D mesh by extracting face elements from an existing 3D mesh.

  1. From the Mesh section of the action bar, click Coating 2D Mesh .
  2. Optional: Enter a Name for the coating 2D mesh.
  3. Select one or more 3D meshes.

    The selected meshes must be up to date.

    The following table lists the extracted elements for each solid element type:
    3D elements Extracted elements
    TE4 TR3
    TE10 TR6
    HE8 QD4
    HE20 QD8
    WE6 TR3

    QD4

    WE15 TR6

    QD8

  4. In the Extraction type list, select one of the following:
    • Boundary faces to generate a 2D element for each boundary face of the 3D meshes.
    • None to generate a 2D element only for local specifications.
  5. Optional: Add Local Specifications to include or exclude element faces from the set that you want to extract.
    1. Click .
    2. Select faces from the model or select groups from the tree.

      The Select toolbox allows you to choose a selection method for adding geometry supports.

      • Click to select entities manually. This is the default method.
      • Click to select faces and to propagate face selection to nearby faces.

      Important: You can only select 2D geometries or 2D groups created under a mesh. You cannot select groups created under the Groups container.

    3. Toggle on Include or Exclude, respectively, to add or remove the face selection.
    4. Click OK.
  6. Click one of the following:
    • OK to save the parameters that you defined, to create the mesh, and to close the dialog box. To generate and visualize the mesh, you must update it.
    • Mesh to save the parameters you defined and to create, update, and generate the mesh.

      The PLM Update progress bar appears. The mesh dialog box remains open to allow further edits.

    • Cancel to cancel the modifications and to close the dialog box.
    If you click OK or Mesh, the mesh specification is created and appears in the tree.