Planificación, xeración e avaliación ambiental

FEMAP is now supported on 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows Vista.

Many issues from previous “unsupported” versions of FEMAP with regards to Windows Vista, such as entity pick-ing and proper use of the Model Info tree have been addressed.

General

• Renamed Weld Property Element/Property Type to Weld/Fastener to include Fastener Elements

• Added support to create GIF, Animated GIF, TIFF, and PNG files when using File, Picture, Save command.

• Improved length-based spacing, distance along, and other length-based curve functions to perform better when highly nonlinear parametric domains exist on curves.

Menu

• Added Tools, Meshing Toolbox command to the Tools menu. See the Meshing section for more information on this dockable pane.

• Added Geometry, Curve - From Surface, Split at Locations; Geometry, Curve - From Surface, Offset Curve/

Washer; Geometry, Curve - From Surface, Pad; Geometry, Curve - From Surface, Point to Point; Geometry, Curve - From Surface, Point to Edge; and Geometry, Curve - From Surface, Edge to Edge commands to Geom-etry menu. See the GeomGeom-etry section for more information on these commands.

• Deleted Geometry, Curve - From Surface, Split at Points. See the Geometry section for more information on these commands. Replaced by Geometry, Curve - From Surface, Split at Locations.

• Added Geometry, Surface, NonManifold Add and Geometry, Surface, Recover Manifold Geometry commands to the Geometry menu. See the Geometry section for more information on these commands.

• Added Geometry, Midsurface, Offset Tangent Surfaces command to the Geometry menu. See the Geometry section for more information on this command.

• Added Modify, Associativity, Automatic command to the Modify menu. See the Mesh Associativity section for more information on this command.

• Added Modify, Update Other, Solid Facetting command to the Modify menu.

Entity Select

• Added “Combined Curves” options (Default, All Points/Curves, Points/Curves Eliminated by Combined Curves, and Combined Curves Only) to the Pick Menu in the standard Entity Selection dialog box. Only one mode can be selected at any given time.

• Added “Boundary Surfaces” options (Default, All Curves/Surfaces, Curves/Surfaces Eliminated by Boundary, and Boundary Surfaces Only) to the Pick Menu in the standard Entity Selection dialog box. Only one mode can be selected at any given time.

• Added “Add Connected Fillets” option to the Pick Menu in the standard Entity Selection dialog box. Allows you to quickly add “connected fillets” to the selection list by first choosing any number of surfaces which rep-resent fillets in your geometry. This is a helpful picking tool when using Geometry, Solid, Remove Face or the Feature Removal Tool set to “Surfaces” in the Meshing Toolbox to try and remove fillets from geometry. Only visible when selecting surfaces.

• Added “Add Tangent Surfaces” option to the Pick Menu in the standard Entity Selection dialog box. Allows you to add surfaces based on their relationship to surfaces which have already been selected. In this case, sur-faces “tangent” to any number of sursur-faces already in your selection list will be added to the list. This is a helpful command when you would like to pick all of the surfaces on “one side” of a part. Only visible when selecting surfaces.

• Updated direction of mouse wheel for Query Pick list to follow direction of mouse wheel.

Toolbars

• Added Meshing Toolbox icon to Panes Toolbar.

• Added Curve Washer, Curve Pad, Split Between Points, Split Point to Edge, and Split Edge to Edge icons to Curves on Surface Toolbar.

• Improved Select Related mode of the Select Toolbar to include coordinate systems used as definition coordinate systems for other selected Coordinate Systems and include reference nodes on beams when the nodes are related to elements, properties, or materials.

Meshing Toolbox

The Meshing Toolbox is completely new for FEMAP 10 and contains several individual tools which can be very helpful during the meshing process. There are tools which allow you to simplify geometry; create “combined” geo-metric entities for meshing purposes using several “underlying” geogeo-metric entities; change the mesh size, biasing, and other options on any number of curves interactively; move any number of nodes dynamically while seeing the mesh update; and plot the element quality in the graphics window.

The Meshing Toolbox also contains the Entity Locator, which can be used to locate Curves or Surfaces in your model which meet certain search criteria (for example, “short” curves or “sliver” surfaces which may cause prob-lems during meshing). Once the “Locator” identifies entities, you can then cycle through all of the located entities in the model one at a time and take action using the Geometry Tools in the Meshing Toolbox, when appropriate.

Meshing Toolbox Icons

Toggle Tools menu - By default, all 7 of the “tools”

will be visible in the Meshing Toolbox.

Using the drop-down menu from this icon, you can make all of the tools visible or hidden at once using

“Toggle All Tools”, individually toggle them on and off by choosing the individual “tool name” (for example, Feature Suppression) from the menu, or decide to show only one “set” of tools at a time by selecting the appropriate “tool set name” (for example, Geometry Tools). When a tool is visible, there will be a check mark next to it in the list.

Here is a short description of each “set” of tools:

Geometry Tools

• Feature Suppression - Basically, this tool allows you to use the same options available in the Mesh, Mesh Con-trol, Feature Suppression command interactively. You may suppress loops (curves of internal holes on surfaces and solids, “base curves” of bosses and extrusions on solids), curves (usually relatively small in size), and sur-faces (usually sliver sursur-faces, not fillets or chamfers). Suppressed geometry still exists in the model and can be

“restored” at any time. See "Feature Suppression Tool"

Toggle Tools

ties to simplify geometry, is offered in other FEMAP commands. This tool brings them together in one place where they can be used interactively. Removing “Loops” basically mimics the functionality of the Geometry, Surface, Remove Hole command, while removing “Surfaces” essentially uses the same process as Geometry, Solid, Remove Face. Finally, removing “Curves” uses portions of the Geometry, Solid, Cleanup command along some other methodology to try and remove redundant curves. In the case of “Aggressive Removal”, localized geometry around the selected curve may be slightly altered to accommodate the curve no longer being part of the geometry. See "Feature Removal Tool"

• Combined/Composite Curves - In some cases, combining several smaller curves along the edge of a surface will allow you to create a higher quality mesh on the surface. This tool allows you to combine curves by choos-ing the curves themselves or a point that two curves share. A “Composite Curve” will be created in FEMAP, which will be used for mesh sizing purposes instead of the underlying curves. There are also options for split-ting a “composite curve” at a selected point or removing any of the underlying curves. See "Combined/Com-posite Curve Tool"

• Combined/Boundary Surfaces - Much like creating “composite curves” to improve mesh quality, it may be a good idea to combine several surfaces into a “Boundary Surface”. This tool uses the same concept as the Geom-etry, Boundary Surface, From Surfaces on Solid command. This can be especially helpful when there are “sliver surfaces” next to a much larger surface. By combining the selected surfaces into one “boundary surface”, all of the internal curves can be ignored during the meshing process. “Boundary surfaces” can be created by selecting a curve shared by multiple surfaces or choosing the surfaces themselves. Also, any underlying surface can be removed from a boundary surface or “split” along a chosen curve. See "Combined/Boundary Surface Tool"

Meshing Tools

• Mesh Sizing - Combines the options used to set mesh sizing and node spacing on curves (Mesh, Mesh Control, Size on Curve) with the “Add, Subtract, and Set To” functionality of the Mesh, Mesh Control, Interactive com-mand. When using the Auto Remesh option in the Meshing Toolbox you will be able to see the mesh update “on the fly” after each change to sizing or node spacing, while you also monitor the element quality update (Mesh Quality Toggle “On”). There are also options for matching any number of selected curves to a “Master Curve”, as well as setting biasing and length based sizing without changing the number of elements on the curve. See

"Mesh Sizing Tool"

Mesh Editing Tools

• Mesh Locate - There may be times when you would like to make small changes to an existing mesh simply by moving one or several nodes without changing the number of elements. This tool will allow you to do this while making sure that as you move the node or nodes dynamically, they remain attached to specified solid(s), sur-face(s), and curve(s), or if you have no geometry, follow the overall topology of the selected standalone mesh.

There are also options to move the selected nodes by a defined amount, continually smooth the mesh as the nodes are moved, and allow the moved nodes to no longer be attached to surfaces or curves. Much like the Mesh Sizing tool, you can also turn on the Mesh Quality Toggle and monitor the element quality “real time” as the nodes are moved. See "Mesh Locate Tool"

• Mesh Quality - Creating a mesh with high quality elements is essential to the accuracy of a Finite Element model. When the Mesh Quality Toggle in the Meshing Toolbox is set to “on”, this tool allows you to graphically see an element quality value plotted on each element similar to a contour/criteria plot. There are several differ-ent elemdiffer-ent quality types which can be selected and each type has default automatic values, but user-defined values can also be specified. Also, the minimum and maximum distortion values for the specified “quality type”

are listed in the bottom fields of the tool. See "Mesh Quality"

Entity Locator menu - The Entity Locator is very helpful in finding “Short Edges” and “Sliver/Small Surfaces”

which may be causing meshing issues. It may also make it easier to locate “free edges” in troublesome geometry.

This menu contains commands for toggling the Entity Locator on and off, cycling through the entities currently in the Entity Locator, removing the current entity from the Entity Locator or clearing it entirely, as well as creating a group from the entities currently in the Entity Locator or sending them to the Data Table.

• Toggle Entity Locator - When this icon is toggled “on”, the Entity Locator is ready to be filled with entities and the Locator fields will be available in the Meshing Toolbox. Depending on which entity type is selected in the Search For drop-down list, Curves or Surfaces, the Locator fields change. The Locate Options and Show

Options can be used to modify how the Entity Locator searches for entities and then displays them. Also, the entities loaded in the Entity Locator update after each change made in the Locator fields, unless Auto Locate is turned “off” in the Locate Options section.

Once entities are loaded into the Entity Locator, use the following commands to move from entity to entity. By default, the “current entity” in the Entity Locator will be “highlighted” in the graphics window using the display options currently set in the Style portion of the Windows, Show Entities command (See Section 6.3.2.3, "Window, Show Entities..."). There are other options for automatically rotating the model and zooming in to get a better view of the entity. See the Locate Options and Show Options sections in the Locator section for more information.

• Next - Makes the next entity in the Entity Locator the “current entity”.

• Previous- Makes the previous entity in the Entity Locator the “current entity”.

• Current - “Re-highlights” the “current entity” in the Entity Locator. This can be helpful if you have regener-ated or rotregener-ated the model.

• First - Makes the “first” entity in the Entity Locator the “current entity”. When using Search Methods based on physical size, the smallest “located” entity will be the “first” entity.

• Last - Makes the last entity in the Entity Locator the “current entity”. When using Search Methods based on physical size, the largest “located” entity will be the “last” entity.

• Do Not Locate - Places the current entity into a group which is then automatically specified in the Not In Group field of the Locate Options.

• Remove - Removes the current entity from the Entity Locator until cleared or new search criteria are entered.

• Clear Locator - Simply clears the Entity Locator of all entities.

• Create Group - Creates a new group with all of the entities currently in the Entity Locator or adds/removes/

excludes those entities from an existing group.

• Add to Data Table - Adds all entities currently loaded in the Entity Locator to the Data Table. The Data Table needs to be “open” in the User Interface and “unlocked” for the command to be available.

Search For - Indicates the entity type, Curves or Surfaces, the Entity Locator will currently be able to “locate” in the model. Depending on the entity type, different Locator fields become available.

Locator fields and buttons when Search For is set to Curves:

Search Method - Specifies the method the Entity Locator uses to “find, then load” itself with specific Curves in the model. Depending on the Search Method, other options may become available.

Here are descriptions of the different Search Methods:

Note: Once either Next or Previous has been selected, the icon will “persist” at the top of the Entity Locator menu in the Meshing Toolbox. This enables you to easily go to the “next” or “previous” entity simply by clicking the icon. When you reach the “last” entity in the Entity Locator, the Next icon will automati-cally become the Previous icon and vice versa.

tor using criteria specified in the current Based On option.

When Based On is set to:

Global Mesh Size - Curves whose length is shorter than the speci-fied % of Mesh Size (default) will be loaded into the Entity Loca-tor.

Curve Length - Curves will only loaded into the Entity Locator which are Shorter Than a user-specified value. You may type the value in directly or specify the value by clicking the “Select Curve to Set Length” icon button, then choosing any curve on the screen.

Shortest Curves - Finds the shortest “specified % of All Curves” in the model (For example, if set to 5, it will find the bottom 5% of curves, based on length) and loads them into the Entity Locator.

This value can be set from 0 to 25 using the “slider bar” or a value can be entered directly (if value is higher than 25, loads all curves satisfying that criteria into the Entity Locator, then returns to 25).

•Free Edges - Locates all edges in a Solid which are not stitched to another surface. “Free Edges” in a Solid usually indicate “gaps” or

“holes” in the geometry, meaning the Solid does not fully enclose a volume and is probably not viable for solid meshing (tet or hex). If multiple surfaces are “stitched” together but do not enclose a vol-ume (Sheet Solid) or “joined” using the Geometry, Surface, Non-Manifold Add command (General Bodies), then “free edges” may also indicate “gaps” or “holes” between surfaces. Of course, “free edges” in this type of geometry may be inter-nal holes/loops or the outside edge of the stitched/joined “part”, which are normal.

• NonManifold Edges - Locates all “NonManifold” edges in the geometry. Only geometry that has been joined using the Geometry, Surface, NonManifold Add command (General Bodies) will have any of these edges. Typi-cal “NonManifold Edges” are found where surfaces come together at “T-junctions” or a surface has been “Non-Manifold added” to a Solid.

• From Group - Loads all Curves in a specified Group into the Entity Locator.

“Free Edges” of set of surfaces

“Stitched” together

“Free Edges” of surfaces joined using “NonManifold Add”

Two Examples of

“NonManifold Edges”

Surfaces joined using “NonManifold Add” Surface and Solid joined using “NonManifold Add”

Show ‘#’ Curves button - By default, when you initially place Curves in the Entity Locator, ALL of the “found”

Curves will be highlighted in the graphics window using the display options currently set in the Style portion of the Windows, Show Entities command (See Section 6.3.2.3, "Window, Show Entities..."). Like Windows, Show Entities and the “Show When Selected” capabilities of the Data Table and Model Info tree, once the view has been redrawn or regenerated the “highlighting” is removed and the view is restored to how it appeared before the “show” com-mand. If you want to “highlight” the curves again, simply click the Show ‘#’ Curves button.

Locator fields and buttons when Search For is set to Surfaces:

Search Method - Specifies the method the Entity Locator will use to “search and locate” specific Surfaces in the model. Depending on the Search Method, other options may become available.

Here are descriptions of the different Search Methods:

• Surface Geometry - This method is used in conjunction with any combination of the Small Surfaces, Slivers, Spikes, and By Area options. If none of these options are turned on (checked), no surface geometry will be loaded into to the Entity Locator.

Small Surfaces (Fit In Radius value) - Surfaces which completely fit inside a sphere with a specified radius (defined by Fit In Radius value) will be loaded into the Entity Locator. Enter the Fit In Radius value directly or click the “Measure Distance” icon button to specify the sphere radius by picking two locations graphically. Default value is equal to the default Merge Tolerance in the model.

Slivers (Sliver Tolerance value) - Surfaces which have high aspect ratios and small areas are known as “Slivers”.

Examining a surface’s “maximum width” is often a good indication of whether a surface is a “sliver” or not. Sur-faces with a “maximum width” smaller than the Sliver Tolerance will be loaded into the Entity Locator. Enter the Sliver Tolerance value directly or click the “Measure Distance” icon button and choose two locations graphically to specify a distance. Default value is equal to the default Merge Tolerance in the model.

Spikes (Spike Width value) - Much like “slivers”, Surfaces with “spikes” also have high aspect ratio and small area.

The main difference is that only a portion of the surface fits this criteria, not the entire surface. When this option is on and a “spike” on a surface is detected (smaller than Spike Width), FEMAP will try and remove the “spike”, while keeping the rest of the surface intact. Enter the Sliver Tolerance value directly or click the “Measure Dis-tance” icon button and choose two locations graphically to specify a distance. Default value is equal to the default Merge Tolerance in the model.

By Area (Area Less Than value) - Surfaces which have an Area Less Than the specified size will be loaded into the

By Area (Area Less Than value) - Surfaces which have an Area Less Than the specified size will be loaded into the