Before you generate a mesh, use this tool to set local mesh densities in selected areas of an imported CAD part, IGES surface, region, or curve.
To access the
Define Mesh Density dialog to change the mesh density relative to the global mesh density, click
(). Ensure that CAD layers are turned ON.
As you select entities in the CAD model, they are listed in the window on the left side of the dialog. Higher-level entities are broken down into components. For example, the individual curves of a region are displayed as sub-entries of the region. As a consequence, you can set the mesh density for specific sides of a region.
Note: Every entity that is part of a mesh control group is highlighted in the model. You can specify the color in
() by changing the
Highlighted color.
() by changing the
Highlighted color.
Dialog elements
-
Dialog element Explanation Sort by - Face ID: List of faces, sorted by name;
- Area: Small to large: List of faces ordered from the smallest to the largest;
- Area: Large to small: List of faces ordered from the largest to the smallest.
Note: By highlighting the small areas, these last two options identify all entities that require specific mesh controls settings.
Explorer view Displays the entity of your model. For example, a face is displayed as 
(F.....), followed by its face number. Click
the arrow next to the entity to reveal an expanded view of sub-entities relative to it. For example, edges (ED...).
Note: Selecting a higher-level entity does not automatically select all its sub-entities. For example, to select both the face and the edges listed underneath, select all these entities individually.Choose the entities you want to modify from the tree, or directly on your model, using Ctrl key. Your selection is highlighted within the tree.
Note:- To make it easier to select a specific entity, choose the type of the entities you want to select in the drop-down menu situated in
. For example, selecting
CAD Edge only allows edges selection on the model.
- Selecting directly from the CAD model may take some time for models with a many faces.
Add>> Click Add >> to add highlighted entities from the left side explorer view, to the current Mesh control group. Tip: Before clicking Add >>, you can check the number of entities selected right below the lower-right corner of the Explorer view pane.Note: An entity can be part of one unique mesh control group. If you try to add an entity that is already part of a mesh control group to another mesh control group, an error message appears. Click Move to continue your operation and move the entity from the first group to the second. Click Discard to cancel the operation for all conflicting entities and move the selected entities that are not part of any mesh control group exclusively. Click Cancel to cancel the add operation.List all entities If the tree is empty, click the model to display the selected body only, or select List all entities to populate the tree with all bodies. Depending on the model, it could take some time to list all entities. Global mesh settings Allows you to specify a global mesh density to be applied to the model as a whole. This panel is synchronized with the global mesh settings, meaning that if you change a value here, it also changes in the Generate mesh panel. - Edge length: Enter a target mesh size. This value is then applied globally to the entire model surface, where each node is separated by the specified edge length.
- Chord angle: Enter a target chord angle. This value is then applied globally to the entire model surface.
- Minimum number of elements through thickness [4:40]: Enter the minimum number of elements through thickness, for 3D meshes only.
- Preview: Use Preview to display nodes on the edges. Select or deselect this option, then click Apply.
Mesh control name Displays the name of the current mesh control group, for example Mesh control 1. Click the arrow on the right of the box to display all existing mesh control group within a drop-down menu. To change the parameters or add or delete entities in a mesh control group, select it from the drop-down menu.
Tip: Click the name of the mesh control group to rename it and press Enter when done.+ (Add a mesh control group) Creates a mesh control group. For example, use the Ctrl key to select several entities on the model, then click +. A mesh control group containing your selection is created. Rename the mesh control group Click this button to rename the current mesh control group, then type a new name. - (Delete the mesh control group) Deletes the displayed mesh control group. Explorer view Displays all entities of the current mesh control group. To add more entities, select them from the left side explorer view or in the CAD model, then click Add>>. <<Remove To remove entities from a mesh group, select them from the list on the right, then click <<Remove. Tip: Use the Ctrl key to select multiple entities to remove.Apply global mesh settings This option is deselected by default. Check this box to apply the Global mesh settings, defined on the bottom right side of the panel, to the displayed mesh control group. Mesh control group settings Enables you to specify the target mesh sizes and chord angle for the selected surface or region listed in the window on the right. - Edge length: Specifies the target edge length value to be applied to the mesh control group.
- Number of divisions: Once you have selected a curve or a group of curves, use this option to specify the number of segments you would like to divide the curve into.
For example, if you have a curve of 120 mm that you want to divide into 10 segments, you will end up with 10 curves of 12 mm each.Note: The number of divisions and the edge length are mutually exclusive, and automatically adjust each other.
- Chord angle: Specifies the target chord angle to be applied to the mesh control group.
Note: Chord angle can not be applied to edges.
- Minimum number of elements through thickness [4:40]: Enter the minimum target number of elements through thickness, for CAD bodies and 3D meshes only.
Note: Even if only one entity is selected in right side Explorer view, the Mesh control group settings affect all entities of the mesh control group.Clear All Deletes all existing mesh control groups. OK Applies the changes and closes the dialog. Apply Applies the changes without closing the dialog. Cancel Closes the dialog without saving the changes. Help Provides access to information relevant to this dialog.