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Appendix A

ANSYS Native Geometry


Creation and Best Modeling
Practices
Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
Overview Training Manual

INTRO
• Importing geometry is convenient, but sometimes you may need
to create it in ANSYS. Some possible reasons:

ODUCTIO
– You may need to build a parametric model — one defined in terms of
variables for later use in design optimization or sensitivity studies.
– The geometry may not be available in a format ANSYS can read.
– The Connection product you need may not be available on your

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computer platform.
– You may need to modify or add geometry to an imported part or
assembly.

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• ANSYS has an extensive set of geometry creation tools, which we
will discuss next.

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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
A. Definitions Training Manual

INTRO
• Solid Modeling can be defined as the process of
creating solid models.

ODUCTIO
• Definitions: Volumes
– A solid model is defined by volumes, areas, lines,
and keypoints.
yp

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– Volumes are bounded by areas, areas by lines, and
lines by keypoints. Areas
– Hierarchy of entities from low to high:

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keypoints
k i t < lines
li < areas < volumes
l Lines &
– You cannot delete an entity if a higher-order entity Keypoints
is attached to it.

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Volumes
• Also, a model with just areas and below, such as
a shell or 2-D plane model, is still considered a Areas

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solid model in ANSYS terminology. Lines
Keypoints

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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Definitions Training Manual

INTRO
• There are two approaches to creating a solid model:
– Top-down

ODUCTIO
– Bottom-up

• Top-down modeling starts with a definition of volumes (or areas),


which are then combined in some fashion to create the final

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shape.

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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Definitions Training Manual

INTRO
• Bottom-up modeling starts with keypoints, from which you “build
up” lines, areas, etc.

ODUCTIO
ON
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• You may choose whichever approach best suits the shape of the
model, and also freely combine both methods.

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• We will now discuss each modeling approach in detail.

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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
B. Top-Down Modeling
g Training Manual

INTRO
• Top-down modeling starts with a definition of volumes (or areas),
which are then combined in some fashion to create the final

ODUCTIO
shape.
h
– The volumes or areas that you initially define are called primitives.
– Primitives are located and oriented with the help of the working plane.
– The combinations used to produce the final shape are called Boolean

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operations.

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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Top-Down Modeling
g Training Manual

INTRO
• Primitives are predefined geometric shapes such as circles,
polygons, and spheres.

ODUCTIO
• 2-D primitives include rectangles, circles, triangles, and other
polygons.

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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Top-Down Modeling
g Training Manual

INTRO
• 3-D primitives include blocks, cylinders, prisms, spheres, and
cones.

ODUCTIO
ON
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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Top-Down Modeling
g Training Manual

INTRO
• When you create a 2-D primitive, ANSYS defines an area, along
with its underlying lines and keypoints.

ODUCTIO
• When you create a 3-D primitive, ANSYS defines a volume, along
with its underlying areas, lines and keypoints.

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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Top-Down Modeling
g Training Manual

INTRO
• You can create primitives by specifying their dimensions or by
picking locations in the graphics window.

ODUCTIO
– For example, to create a solid circle:
• Main Menu > Preprocessor > Modeling > Create > Areas > Circle >

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Instructions

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By picking

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Area Input:
1.) Pick the center and radius in

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graphics window...

2.) Or enter in Picker Box February 7, 2006


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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Top-Down Modeling
g Training Manual

INTRO
– To create a block:
• Main Menu > Preprocessor > Modeling > Create > Volumes >Block >

ODUCTIO
Instructions

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By picking

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Volume Input:
1.) Pick the 2 diagonal corners and

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Z-depth in graphics window...

2.) Or enter in Picker Box

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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Top-Down Modeling
g Training Manual

INTRO
• Boolean operations are computations involving combinations of
geometric entities. ANSYS Boolean operations include add,

ODUCTIO
subtract,
bt t intersect,
i t t divide,
di id glue,
l and
d overlap.
l

• The “input” to Boolean operations can be any geometric entity,


g g from simple
ranging p primitives
p to complicated
p volumes imported
p

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from a CAD system.

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Input entities Boolean operation Output entity(ies)


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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Top-Down Modeling
g Training Manual

INTRO
• All Boolean operations are available in the GUI under Main Menu
Preprocessor > Modeling > Operate > Booleans

ODUCTIO
• By default, input entities of a Boolean operation are deleted after
the operation.

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• Deleted entity numbers become “free” (i.e., they will be assigned
to a new entity created, starting with the lowest available number).

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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Top-Down Modeling
g Training Manual

INTRO
• Add
– Combines two or more entities into one.

ODUCTIO
ON
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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Top-Down Modeling
g Training Manual

INTRO
• Glue
– Attaches two or more entities by creating a common boundary

ODUCTIO
b t
between them.
th
– Useful when you want to maintain the distinction between entities
(such as for different materials).

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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Top-Down Modeling
g Training Manual

INTRO
• Overlap
– Same as glue, except that the input entities overlap each other.

ODUCTIO
ON
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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Top-Down Modeling
g Training Manual

INTRO
• Subtract
– Removes the overlapping portion of one or more entities from a set of

ODUCTIO
“b
“base”
” entities.
titi
– Useful for creating holes or trimming off portions of an entity.

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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Top-Down Modeling
g Training Manual

INTRO
• Divide
– Cuts an entity into two or more pieces that are still connected to each

ODUCTIO
other
th byb common boundaries.
b d i
– The “cutting tool” may be the working plane, an area, a line, or even a
volume.
– Useful for “slicing
g and dicing”
g a complicated
p volume into simpler
p

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volumes for brick meshing.

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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Top-Down Modeling
g Training Manual

INTRO
• Intersect
– Keeps only the overlapping portion of two or more entities.

ODUCTIO
– If there are more than two input entities, you have two choices:
common intersection and pairwise intersection
• Common intersection finds the common overlapping region
among all input entities.

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• Pairwise intersection finds the overlapping region for each pair of
entities and may produce more than one output entity.

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Common o Pairwise
Intersection Intersection

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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Top-Down Modeling
g Training Manual

INTRO
• Partition
– Cuts two or more intersecting entities into multiple pieces that are still

ODUCTIO
connected
t d to
t each h other
th byb common boundaries.
b d i
– Useful, for example, to find the intersection point of two lines and still
retain all four line segments, as shown below. (An intersection
operation would return the common keypoint and delete both lines.)

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L2 L6
L1 Partition L3

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L4
L5

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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Top-Down Modeling
g Training Manual

INTRO
• Demo:
– “Drill” a hole by subtracting a circle from a rectangle (or a cylinder

ODUCTIO
f
from a block)
bl k)
– Create two overlapping entities, save db, and do the overlap
operation. Now resume db and add the entities. Note the difference
between the two operations. (Glue is similar to overlap.)

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– Interesting model:
• block,-2,2, 0,2, -2,2
• sphere,2.5,2.7

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• vinv,all ! intersection

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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
C. Workshop Training Manual

INTRO
• Refer to your Workshop Supplement for instructions on:
WAPP-A 1. Pillow Block

ODUCTIO
ON
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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
D. Bottom-Up Modeling
g Training Manual

INTRO
• Bottom-up modeling begins with a definition of keypoints, from
which other entities are “built up.”

ODUCTIO
• To build an L-shaped object, for example, you could start by
defining the corner keypoints as shown below. You can then
y simply
create the area by p y “connecting g the dots” or by
y first

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defining lines and then defining the area by lines.

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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Bottom-Up Modeling
g Training Manual

INTRO
• To define keypoints:
– Main Menu > Preprocessor > Modeling > Create >

ODUCTIO
K
Keypoints
i t
– Or use the K family of commands: K, KFILL,
KNODE, etc.

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• The only data needed to create a keypoint is the keypoint number
and the coordinate location.
– Keypoint number defaults to the next available number.

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– The coordinate location may be provided by simply picking locations
on the working plane or by entering the X,Y,Z values.

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How are the X,Y,Z values interpreted? It depends on the active
coordinate system.

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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Bottom-Up Modeling
g Training Manual

INTRO
• There are many ways to create lines, as shown here.

ODUCTIO
• If you define
d fi areas or volumes,
l ANSYS will
ill automatically
t ti ll generate
t
any undefined lines, with the curvature determined by the active
CS.

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• Keypoints must be available in order to create lines.
Create > Lines > Create > Lines > Create > Lines > Operate >
Lines Arcs Splines Extrude

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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Bottom-Up Modeling
g Training Manual

INTRO
• Creating areas using bottom-up method requires keypoints or
lines to be already defined.

ODUCTIO
• If you define volumes, ANSYS will automatically generate any
undefined areas and lines, with the curvature determined by the
active CS.

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Create > Areas > Operate > Extrude
Arbitraryy

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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Bottom-Up Modeling
g Training Manual

INTRO
• Creating volumes using bottom-up method requires keypoints or
areas to be already defined.

ODUCTIO
Create > Volumes > Operate
p > Extrude

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Arbitrary

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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Bottom-Up Modeling
g Training Manual

INTRO
• Boolean operations are available for entities created by both top-
down and bottom-up modeling approaches.

ODUCTIO
• Besides Booleans, many other operations are available:
– Extrude
– Scale

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– Move
– Copy
– Reflect

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– Merge
– Fillet

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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Bottom-Up Modeling
g Training Manual

INTRO
Extrude

ODUCTIO
• To quickly create volumes from existing areas (or areas
from lines, and lines from keypoints).

• If the area is meshed, you can extrude the elements

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along with the areas
areas.

• Four ways to extrude areas:


– Along normal — creates volume by normal offset of areas
[VOFFST] .

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– By XYZ offset — creates volume by a general x-y-z offset
[VEXT]. Allows tapered extrusion.
– About axis — creates volume by revolving areas about an
axis ((specified
p by
y two keypoints)
yp ) [VROTAT].
[ ]

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– Along lines — creates volume by “dragging” areas along a
line or a set of contiguous lines [VDRAG].

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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Bottom-Up Modeling
g Training Manual

INTRO
• Scaling is typically needed when you want to convert the geometry to a
different set of units, say from inches to millimeters.

ODUCTIO
• To scale a model in ANSYS:
– First save the database -- Toolbar >
SAVE_DB or SAVE command.

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– Th Main
Then M i M Menu > PPreprocessor > O
Operate
t >
Scale > Volumes (choose the highest-level
entity available in the model)
• [Pick All] to pick all volumes

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• Th
Then enter desired
d i d scale
l factors
f for
f
RX, RY, RZ and set IMOVE to “Moved”
instead of “Copied”
– Or use the VLSCALE command:

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• vlscale,all,,,25.4,25.4,25.4,,,1
l l ll 25 4 25 4 25 4 1

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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Bottom-Up Modeling
g Training Manual

INTRO
Move

• To translate or rotate an entity


y by
y

ODUCTIO
specifying DX,DY,DZ offsets.
– DX,DY,DZ are interpreted in the active CS.
– To translate an entity, make the active CS
Cartesian.

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– To rotate an entity,
entity make the active CS
cylindrical or spherical.
Transfer
– Or use the commands Rotate from csys,0
• VGEN, AGEN, LGEN, KGEN -30° to csys,11

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• Another option is to transfer coordinates
to a different system.
– Transfer occurs from the active CS to a
specified CS.
– This operation
p is useful when you
y need to

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move and rotate an entity at the same time.
– Or use the commands

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• VTRAN, ATRAN, LTRAN, KTRAN

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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Bottom-Up Modeling
g Training Manual

INTRO
Copy

ODUCTIO
• To generate multiple copies of an
entity.

• Specify the number of copies (2 or

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greater) and the DX
DX,DY,DZ
DY DZ offset for
Copy in
each copy. DX,DY,DZ are interpreted
local
in the active CS.
cylindrical
CS
• Useful to create multiple holes
holes, ribs,
ribs

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protrusions, etc.

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Create outer

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areas by
skinning

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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Bottom-Up Modeling
g Training Manual

INTRO
Reflect

ODUCTIO
• T reflect
To fl t entities
titi about
b t a plane.
l

• Specify the direction of reflection:


– X for reflection about the YZ plane

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– Y for XZ plane
– Z for XY plane

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All directions
di ti are interpreted
i t t d in
i the
th
active CS, which must be a Cartesian
system.

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What is the direction of
reflection in this case?
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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Bottom-Up Modeling
g Training Manual

INTRO
Merge

ODUCTIO
• To attach two entities together by removing coincident keypoints
keypoints.
– Merging keypoints will automatically merge coincident higher-order entities, if
any.

• Usually required after a reflect


reflect, copy
copy, or other operation that causes

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coincident entities.

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Reflect

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Merge or glue
required

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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Bottom-Up Modeling
g Training Manual

INTRO
Fillet

ODUCTIO
• Line fillet requires two intersecting lines with a
common keypoint at the intersection.
– If the common keypoint does not exist, do a
partition operation first.

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– ANSYS does not update the underlying area (if any)
any),
so you need to either add or subtract the fillet
region.

• Area filleting
g is similar. Create

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fillet

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Create

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Subtract from
base area area

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Appendix – A. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Bottom-Up Modeling
g Training Manual

INTRO
• Demo:
– Resume r.db (if necessary)

ODUCTIO
– Create two keypoints for the axis,
axis at (0,0)
(0 0) and (0,1),
(0 1) then extrude the area by
revolving about the axis 60º
– Resume r.db
– Make copies of the rib tangentially about the Y-axis:

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• Create
C t a llocall cylindrical
li d i l CS att global
l b l origin,
i i with
ith THYZ = -90
90
• Generate 7 total copies (6 new ones) with DY=15
– Create the three outer “skin” areas using ASKIN,P
– Resume r.db

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– Create a 0.5R fillet between the top and right lines. (Notice that the lines
attached to the area have been modified. This is allowed in some cases.)
– Create the triangular fillet area by lines (AL,P), then subtract it from the main
area.

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Appendix – Workshops
E. Workshops Training Manual

INTRO
• Refer to your Workshop Supplement for instructions on:
WAPP-A 2. Connecting Rod – Bottom-Up Approach

ODUCTIO
WAPP-A 3. Connecting Rod – Importation/Clean-up

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Appendix – A. Best Modeling Practices
F. Best Modeling
g Practices Training Manual

INTRO
• This section is intended to give users advice on best modeling
practices that will help the user avoid corrupt databases.

ODUCTIO
– Put as much of your ANSYS input as you can into an input file file. Even simple
items such as material data and real constant data, so that your analysis is
easier to debug (and even parameterize).
– Do not keep ‘deletes’ in your database. Use the input file edit a volume or a
element size setting instead of deleting volumes or clearing a mesh
mesh.

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– Perform element attributes (xATT) and Boolean operations BEFORE
meshing. (Absolutely no Booleans after meshing.)
– Don't use NUMMRG,KP to pull together non-coincident keypoints.
– Examine any imported geometry for slivers
slivers, voids
voids, edges not meeting
meeting, or

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any other geometrical issue.
– Ideally, creating the geometry in ANSYS is best for meshing, however some
users must import geometry. Users first option should be to use a
connection product and import a SAT,
SAT Parasolid,
Parasolid etc file.
file As a last resort

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IGES files can also be imported. (Note: It has been some users experience
that the time spent in repeatedly ‘cleaning-up’ IGES files, makes the

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purchase of a Connection Product more than worth the minimal cost.) Try
all methods and see what works best for your case.

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Appendix – A. Best Modeling Practices
...Best Modeling
g Practices Training Manual

INTRO
• More Suggestions…
– Do element attribute assignment on solid model geometry (xATT). Don’t

ODUCTIO
use EMODIF or global
l b l settings
tti (TYPE
(TYPE, MAT
MAT, REAL) unless
l you needd tto.
– Make backup copies periodically (such as jobname.db1, jobname.db2, etc.).
– Check the *.err file for all error messages and understand why warning
messagesg are p printed.

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– Use the /EDGE command to display common lines between all adjacent
element faces. With the edge key on, an element plot displays only the
element edges without coplanar share element edges. The NSEL,S,EXT
command will select external nodes for the selected set of elements
elements. After

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plotting these nodes, the user should only see the nodes on the edges of
the selected elements, any other nodes demonstrate problem locations.
– Do not perform any Booleans operations while you have any concatenated

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lines or areas in the model
model.
– Don’t divide a line by a meshed line – always clear the mesh before
performing Booleans.

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– Delete any FE-based elements (ie: contact, pretension, surface effect
elements) before clearing a mesh.
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Appendix – A. Best Modeling Practices
...Best Modeling
g Practices Training Manual

INTRO
• More Suggestions…
– Import all geometry at one time - ie.: don’t import, mesh, import.

ODUCTIO
– Don't subtract or overlap coincident or tangent geometry.
For example: block,,1,,1,,1 block,,1,,1,,1 vsbv,1,2.
– Minimize use of hardpoints.
– Minimize use of dragging and skinning.
skinning

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– Minimize use of cylindrical and spherical coordinate systems to create
geometry bottom-up from keypoints.
– Where surface or rotation are required, for cylinders, spheres, torus, etc.,
extrude
t d the
th wire
i around d an axisi andd th
then ttrim
i th
the surface
f as necessary.

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This will eliminate the COONS patch problem by providing more precise
NURBS surfaces from the extrusion process.
– Use COONS patches generated on non-cartesian coordinate systems only

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as the last resort. When these are used and the results are needed for
Boolean operations use these surfaces or their associated volumes last in
your operations.

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– If using
g multiple
p load step p files ((LSWRITE),) do this last since .s00 files only
y
contain loadings for FE data.
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Appendix – A. Best Modeling Practices
...Best Modeling
g Practices Training Manual

INTRO
• More Suggestions…
– Start with very simple models, using a few elements of the element type

ODUCTIO
d i d and
desired d start
t t with
ith simple
i l material
t i l properties
ti b before
f upgrading
di tto, say, a
hyperelastic material model.
– Take a Verification Manual problem with a known solution and then start
tweaking that towards what you are trying to do.

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– Use the same numbering even though it is redundant – such as TYPE 1,
REAL 1, MAT 1 for one part, and TYPE 2, REAL 2, MAT 2, for another part.
This makes attribute assignment easy to keep track of.
– Start with a working database and record all Boolean operations in a text

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file. If something goes wrong, you can just edit the file and your db will be
fine.
– If the database is corrupt, you can resume the database and archive the file

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with the CDWRITE as a last resort
resort.
– Take the time before modeling to plan your approach - this will save you a
lot of time down the road.

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