Define a finite element model (FEM) representation of your
geometry that contains the finite element mesh and associated properties.
An FEM representation is an alternative representation of 1D, 2D, or 3D geometries. After you
associate an FEM with a simulation, it is a good practice to examine its meshes. You can
also modify the mesh specifications to control both the size and type of elements,
replace the existing mesh, and create multiple meshes for use with the simulation.
The size of the elements in a mesh is generally determined by the
dimensions of the model geometry and aims to balance the desired accuracy of
the results against the time it takes to run the simulation. Typically, a
smaller element size will yield more accurate results but will also result in
an increased run time. In this example the mesh parameters were chosen and
tested to provide accurate results in a short time. The element size is
approximately 5% the size of the assembly geometry.
From the Setup section of the Assistant, click Finite Element
Model
.
Create and initialize a FEM manually by selecting Manual
as the initialization method.
From the Mesh type options, select
Tetrahedron Mesh.
Select Quadratic
as the element order.
Enter a mesh size of 2mm and a sag ratio of
0.7.
Click OK.
The FEM representation of your model appears in the model category of the tree.
Tip:
You can do the following to show the mesh:
Press F3 to display the tree if it is not visible.
From the Assistant, click Mesh and
select Update
.
If the Update Report
dialog box appears, click Close.
If the 3D area does not display the mesh, right-click Finite Element
Model> Nodes and Elements in the tree, and click
Hide/Show
.
You will be asked to select faces from the model in subsequent steps, which
is difficult when the mesh is displayed. Click Hide/Show
a second time to hide the mesh. Hide/Show toggles the
display off and on.