Edit Element Panel

Location: 1D, 2D, and 3D pages

In the Edit Element subpanel you can stitch two unconnected meshes by adding elements between them, split elements at weld locations, and combine and split elements to fix connectivity in the transitional area between fine and coarse mesh areas.

Create Subpanel

Use the Create subpanel to create elements manually by selecting nodes. For example, you can use this subpanel to build elements in a situation where three elements are to be joined with two elements. You can create multiple plot elements by selecting by path from the node list selector. The element type is selected, followed by the selection of nodes to create the element. The element is automatically generated as soon as the required number of nodes for the chosen element type is selected. After at least two or more nodes are selected, click create to create whatever element type is appropriate for the number of nodes selected.

For example, while creating quads, you need to create one tria. You can leave the element type as quad, select three nodes, and then click the middle mouse button to complete the selection. A tria element is generated. Similarly, while creating a hexa element, you can create any lower element type without changing the element type to be created.

When creating second order elements, make sure you set element order in the Options panel's mesh subpanel.

Option	Action
node list	Select a group of nodes from which you wish to create an element.
plot, tria, quad, tetra, pyramid, penta, hex	Choose the type of element you wish to create.
auto order	Enables the mesher to automatically determine the node order. Clear this checkbox to manually select the nodes in the appropriate order. This option may re-sequence the selected nodes to prevent the creation of inverted or folded elements.
elem types =	Select an element type to create.

Combine Subpanel

Use the Combine subpanel to combine two or more shell elements into a single quad or tria element, or combine 1D elements into larger 1D elements to coarsen a 1D mesh. The number entered for auto comb = determines the required number of elements that must be picked before the combined element is automatically generated. You can also use the middle mouse button after the elements are selected (even if you pick fewer than the auto comb = number) to proceed to combine the elements.

Option	Action
elems	Select the elements you wish to combine.
combine to quad / combine to tria	Select the type of elements result from the combination.
tolerance =	Specify a planar tolerance angle. Elements deviating from a plane by this degree or greater will not be combined.
auto comb =	Specify the number of elements to automatically combine once selected. To disable auto-combine behavior, enter 0.

Split Subpanel

Use the Split subpanel to split 1D and 2D elements, either singly or in a group. You must first select the elements to be split (or toggle to displayed elems to consider all elements in the display for splitting), then select the split-line points along which you wish to split the elements. To split an element, the split line must cross that element's boundary; where the split line crosses the element boundary determines how it will be split. If the split line crosses near a corner vertex, the split will be snapped to that node. If the split line crosses near the midpoint between two corners, a node will be added at the exact midpoint and the split will occur there.

When splitting shell elements that have 1D elements along their edges, select Consider 1Ds also to also split the attached 1D elements.

Note: This split function does not split 3D elements, nor does it split the elements at the exact location of the line. It can only split an element through the corner (node) or the middle of an element side (mid-node) in order to retain connectivity of the model.

Option	Actions
displayed elems / elems / comps	Select which elements to split. displayed elems Consider all elements in the current display to split. elems Select elements to split. comps Select components that contain the elements you wish to split.
Splitting line	Draw a line of one or more segments in the modeling window. Elements will be split along this line when you click split. Left-click to create a point along the line; right-click to remove the most recent point. There is no need to "finalize" the line series, it will persist until you click either split or delete line.
Consider 1Ds also	Split 1D elements, provided they fit the element selection criteria (visible, or selected, or part of a selected component).

Cleanup Subpanel

Use the Cleanup subpanel to select elements to clean up. Once elements are selected, click cleanup to open a new secondary panel that displays element criteria and cleanup tools. Selected elements are color coded based on how well or badly they fit the chosen criteria, and you can manually place nodes or perform an automated cleanup algorithm on the elements.

Option	Actions
displayed elems / elems	Choose between cleaning up all displayed elements, or only specific elements that you select.

Command Buttons

Button	Actions
create	Create the element
reject	Revert the most recent action, or clear the current selection.
combine	Combine the currently selected elements. This will only be necessary if you have disabled auto-combine, or wish to combine a number of elements that is less than the value of auto comb =.
split	Perform the split. Elements that the line passes through are split into two or more smaller elements.
delete line	Delete the current splitting line.
return	Exit the panel.

Cleanup Secondary Panel Options

Option	Actions
max angle, warpage, jacobian, skew, length	Select any combination of checks. Elements that you have selected are color coded according to how well they fit the checks that are selected. Red Element fails at least one of the specified checks. Yellow Element passes all checks, but is marginal (poor quality) on at least one. No color No problems are detected.
node (place node)	When this is active, left-click and drag an existing node to reposition it. The affected elements' color coding changes dynamically as you drag the node. Release the mouse button to set the node at its new location.
edge (swap edge)	When this is highlighted, click an edge to swap it between its possible locations. The number of legal positions for an edge depends on the type of elements that it lies between: For a pair of trias, there are two possible positions for their shared edge. For a pair of quads, there are three possible positions. For a quad and a tria, there are six possible positions. Each time you pick the edge, it switches to the next legal configuration.
smooth	Execute an automatic smoothing algorithm over all of the selected elements. The behavior of this process is affected by the autodecide, size corrected, shape corrected setting below.
autodecide, size corrected, shape corrected	Select the behavior of the smooth function. Shape corrected Try to keep a uniform element size. Size corrected Try to keep an ideal element shape. Autodecide For each element, dynamically decide for whether size or shape optimization is best.
undo	Revert the most recent cleanup action, including the automated smooth process.
redo	Perform the most recently undone cleanup action.
abort	Discard all changes made to the mesh and returns to the cleanup subpanel.