Create Geometry Data

If geometry is not available from a CAD system, you can create or edit geometry in HyperMesh.

  • Create and edit lines.
    Option Description
    Lines Create lines in a variety of methods, including: from points, at tangents, and at the intersection of other geometry.
    Line Edit Edit existing lines in a variety of methods such as combine, split, smooth, or extend.
    Circles Create circles or arcs.
  • Create and edit surfaces.
    Option Description
    Surfaces Create surfaces from existing lines or nodes by different methods, such as spline, drag, or spin.
    Primitives Create standard shaped surfaces or solid entities, including squares, spheres, cones, and cylinders.
    Surface Edit Edit existing surfaces by trimming, extending, or shrinking.
    Defeature Edit existing surfaces by removing individual features such as holes or fillets.
  • Create and edit points and nodes.
    Option Description
    Nodes Create new nodes. Several methods are available.
    Temp Nodes Add or remove nodes used only for geometry creation or editing.

Create NURBS Surfaces

A NURBS (non-uniform rational B-spline) surface is a parametric surface defined by control points, knots and weights.

Use the ruled, spline/filler, and drag/spin subpanels of the Surfaces panel to create NURBS surfaces.
The spline option creates a surface through 3D lines. If you select a set of lines that do not form a closed loop, HyperMesh will connect the disconnected lines with straight lines, and create a spline surface and/or mesh in the enclosed area. There is no limit on the number of lines used to create a mesh/surface.


Figure 1. . Lines form one path because they intersect at four points.


Figure 2. . Lines form more than one path and cause an error.

The tolerance setting on the Options panel is used to determine the intersections between lines. If the tolerance is too small and an intersection cannot be found, HyperMesh reports an error when you attempt to create the surface.

Lines that contain sharp edges can cause problems when you create a surface. These lines result in a more complex surface, which takes longer to create, and slows the automeshing process. These sharp edges are sometimes the result of data created on other CAD/CAM systems and brought into HyperMesh via a translator. These lines may need to be "smoothed" by using the line edit panel or replaced with a new, smooth, line by using the Lines panel.


Figure 3. . Creating a surface with these lines results in a relatively complex surface.


Figure 4. . The "circular" shaped line has been replaced with a smooth line, which results in a much simpler surface. In some cases the sharp edges are required to represent the model and should not be smoothed.
The skin option can create a skinned surface through a set of lines.


Figure 5. . Lines used to define a skinned surface.


Figure 6. . A skinned surface created from the lines.
The ruled option can create a ruled surface between two lines.


Figure 7. . Lines used to create a ruled surface.


Figure 8. . A ruled surface created from the lines.