Selection groups are a convenient means of grouping multiple parts, surfaces, edges, or vertices into a single group. You can select these groups of objects simply by clicking the Selection Group item added within the browser when a group is created. This feature is convenient for controlling the visibility of multiple parts or surfaces and for defining surface-to-surface contact in complex models, to name two examples. With the Simulation Mechanical 2015 Product Enhancements release, we have expanded the applicability of selection groups.
The following five commands have been enhanced to recognize and work with Selection Groups:
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Mesh
CAD Additions Bolt
When defining the hole through which a bolt will pass, multiple surfaces are typically involved. In addition, if outside surfaces have been split in the area of a bolted connection, there may be more than one bolt head or nut contact surfaces. You can now use a surface group to define these bolted connection surfaces.
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Mesh CAD Additions Joint
The holes at which joints are created often consist of two or more surfaces. You can now use a surface group to define these joint hole surfaces.
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Draw Design Centroid Creator
This tool creates a construction vertex at the centroid of a surface or a set of surfaces. Optionally, the Centroid Creator also creates line elements (spokes ) connecting every point of the surface set to the centroid point. When the spokes option is enabled, you can also define a second set of surfaces and line elements, resulting in a second centroid. A single line element is generated connecting the two centroids and the two sets of spokes. You can now use a surface group to specify the centroid creator surface sets.
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Draw Design Contact Elements
This tool creates line elements between two sets of vertices, defined using Assign Set 1 and Assign Set 2. The line elements can be used as contact (gap) elements, but can also be trusses, splines, springs, or any other type of line element.
You can specify the vertices by selecting them directly or by selecting the parts, surfaces, edges, or lines containing the desired vertices. You can now use selection groups containing any of the supported entity types to assign sets 1 and 2.
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Draw Modify Point Move
When multiple vertices are selected, you can use this command to move every vertex the same relative distance, as specified by the DX, DY, and DZ values. You can now use a vertex group to define the points to move.