GUI Basics

Step 6: Setting the Sizes of Mesh Elements

The volumetric geometric model created in step 5 will be broken down into elements according to the Sweep scheme, according to which the surface mesh created on one side of the brick (the so-called initial surface) is "sweeped" from this side to the opposite side (the final surface). Before generating any mesh, the user must specify the size of the generated elements (or the partition interval). In the example under consideration, one element size will be set for the main part of the volume and a smaller size for the area around the hole. The number of intervals will be set directly in the direction of the pull.

To set the element size for the entire volume, do the following:

On the Command Bar, select Mode - Mesh, Entity - Volume, Action - Intervals:

Fig. 11 - Command bar view

Place the cursor in the Select Volumes input window. Click anywhere on the geometric model shown in the graphics window. Alternatively, enter 1 in this field. Select Approximate Size in the drop-down list below, enter 1.0 in the corresponding window and click Apply.

Since the brick has a length of 10 along each side, the last action is to split each straight line into 10 elements.

In order to better split the area of the hole, we set a smaller interval for the curve in the xy plane that forms the outline of the hole.

On the Command Bar (it is advisable to stretch it by width) in the Mesh mode, go to the Curve entity and the Mesh action, as shown below:

Рис. 12 - Вид панели команд

Place the cursor in the Select Curves input box. Click in the graphics window on the hole outline on one of the sides of the brick. The ID value will appear in the input box, equal to 15 or 16 (depending on the side). Below, select Equal from the drop-down list, and from the (radio) buttons, select Approximate Size.
Enter the interval size 0.5 in the corresponding window below and click Apply.

In order to generate 5 layers of elements in the direction of drawing, it is necessary to set the number of intervals on one of the lines parallel to this direction, for example, 11 (for any type of line, the term "curve" is used):

Place the cursor in the Select Curves input box. and enter 11.
Select the Interval button.
Enter the number of intervals 5 in the box below and click Apply:

Fig. 13 - Command bar view