Freehand Panel

Use the Freehand panel to morph your mesh without needing domains, handles, or morph volumes.

Location: Tools page > HyperMorph module

Separate options exist for moving selected nodes directly, recording actions made in other panels, "sculpting" meshes with different virtual tools, and saving a morph as a shape.

Changes made on one subpanel do not affect the others, and are persistent so that you can switch freely between subpanels without losing any settings already made.

Move Nodes Subpanel

Use the Move Nodes panel to directly move specific nodes to new locations while morphing the surrounding mesh.

You can translate and rotate nodes, move nodes normal to a mesh, move nodes to a vector, node list, line, plane, surface, mesh, or equation, and apply a shape. For each morphing option, you can choose whether or not the morphing should be interactive. You can also control how those node movements apply to the surrounding mesh.

In the Morph options panel, Morphing subpanel, there is an option for setting the minimum step size for interactive morphing. If the distance or angle fields are set to values other than zero the morphing will be performed in discrete steps with the given step size rather than an arbitrary value based on the position of the mouse and relative to the size of the model. For example, setting the distance to 1.0 means that interactive translation will be performed in increments of 1.0, such as 1.0, 2.0, 11.0, and so on. For distance, the value is given in model units. For angle, the value is given in degrees. The minimum step size applies when using the manipulator or using the translate, rotate, or move normal options.

Option	Action
edge bounding method	Available when you morph nodes with selected fixed nodes and affected elements. Partitioned Partition all of the affected elements according to the values set in the Domain panel, Partitioning subpanel before applying morphing. Inferred Edges Create local domains for the affected elements for the purpose of applying the morphing. Create edge domains along the boundaries of the affected elements which will regulate morphing. Free Edges Create a general domain for the affected elements for the purpose of applying the morphing. The movement of nodes along the boundaries of the affected elements is unregulated. Domain Edges If you have already created domains, those domains will be used to determine the way the morphing is applied to the model. Morph All Nodes Using a proximity based algorithm, potentially morph every node in the model relative to the distances between the nearest moving node and the nearest fixed node. Krig All Nodes Using the kriging algorithm, potentially morph every node in the model except for the fixed nodes. The options used for kriging can be modified in the Morph Options panel, Domain Solvers subpanel which can be accessed by clicking options. Note: A practical upper limit on the number of moving nodes you can have is 3000. Computers with above average memory and CPU available may be able to support larger number of moving nodes comfortably. Morph Within Envelope Using a proximity based algorithm, potentially morph every node in the model relative to the distances between the nearest moving node and to either the edge of the envelope or the nearest fixed node (if selected). The envelope can either be defined as a discrete distance using the fix at distance option, or as a multiple of the magnitude of the perturbation applied to the nearest moving node using the fix at multiple option. If the fix nodes option is selected, this method will act identically to Morph All Nodes. For options Morph All Nodes, Krig All Nodes, and Morph Within Envelope, the influence of the moving nodes extends beyond the mesh to which they are attached, thus you will need to fix or exclude any nodes that you do not want to have morphed. If you wish to exclude the nodes which are not displayed, set the selector below the fixed nodes selector to exclude undisplayed. Excluded nodes will neither be morphed nor will they affect the morphing. If you wish the nodes which are not displayed to act like fixed nodes, set the selector below the fixed nodes selector to fix undisplayed. Fixed nodes will influence the morphing by reducing the amount of morphing of any nearby nodes. If the selector is set to morph undisplayed, HyperMorph will morph any undisplayed nodes which are not fixed. Figure 1 shows how the different methods affect the mesh morphing using the move nodes tool. For the partitioned option, the inner edge closest to the moved nodes is unaffected since an edge domain is internally created for it. For the inferred edges option, no inner edges were created and thus the inner edge ends up curved as its nodes follow the moving nodes. For the free edges option, no outer edges were created either and thus the outer edges end up curved as well as the inner ones. For the morph all nodes and krig all nodes options, note the differences in the methods, especially the smoothness of the kriging algorithm. For the morph within envelope option, note how the mesh inside the envelope is linearly perturbed relative to the distance from the moving node and that no fixed nodes are required. Figure 1. Example: Edge Bounding
movement direction	Choose the direction that the affected nodes are projected. normal to geom Map nodes to the selected geometry in a direction normal to the geometry (which may be a different direction for each node). along vector Map nodes in the direction specified by the vector. normal to elems Map nodes in a direction normal to the elements on which the nodes lie, which may be a different direction for each node. Note: Available during any "move to" type of morph.
movement type	Choose the type of movement. manipulator Click and drag one of the three arrows of the manipulator to translate the nodes, click and drag one of the three arcs of the manipulator to rotate the nodes about the center of the manipulator, or click and drag one of the three square planes of the manipulator to move the nodes in a plane. Figure 2. Triad Manipulator. Click on the manipulator to translate it along a vector, rotate it about an axis, or translate it in a plane. Select or unselect nodes while the manipulator is active, changing which nodes are affected by the manipulator. If no nodes are selected, the manipulator will disappear. The position of the manipulator will be set at the center of the selected nodes unless an origin node has been specified, in which case the manipulator will remain at the specified node until the manipulator is moved. Selecting new nodes will update the position of the manipulator unless an origin node is specified. Selecting or updating an origin node will reposition the manipulator at the new node without morphing the model. An origin node is helpful when you wish to rotate entities about a given point. The orientation of the manipulator will be aligned with the global axes by default. You may update the orientation of the manipulator to be aligned with a local coordinate system or to a specified vector or plane by using the toggles and selectors below the manipulator selector. Reorienting the manipulator in this way will not morph the model. You may create more than one manipulator at a time by switching the toggle between single manipulator and multiple. When switched to multiple, click new manip to create a new manipulator by selecting one or more moving nodes. The different manipulators may have different selected entities and different parameters, and can be moved independently of one another. Moving a manipulator, clicking a manipulator, or simply moving the mouse over one of the manipulators will cause the panel to be updated to parameters for that manipulator, allowing you to change the parameters or the entities associated with them if you desire. The manipulators can be set to be active or inactive by switching the toggle to either manip:active or manip:inactive. When active the manipulators will morph the model when moved. When inactive the manipulators will only change their own position and orientation when moved. translate Apply a perturbation to affected nodes. rotate Apply a rotation to affected nodes. move normal Move the nodes in the positive normal direction of attached elements. For non-planar elements, the normal average is used. move to vector Move affected nodes to a specified vector. move to node list Move affected nodes to a spline curve defined by picking nodes in your model. move to line Move affected nodes to a specified line or line list. move to plane Move affected nodes to a specified plane. Use the plane and vector selector to define the desired plane, and place the base node where you wish its center to lie in the model. move to surface Move affected nodes to a specified surface(s). move to mesh Move affected nodes to a specified group of elements. move to equation Move the nodes to a path or shape defined mathematically. Specify a function F(xyz) or use the selector to choose from a variety of standard shapes (sphere, cylinder, and so on). The function may contain x, y, and z variables with the rest being numbers or expressions. If using the selector to obtain a function for a standard shape, you should replace constants a, b, c, r, and R with numbers. The surface defined when the function is set to zero will be used as the target surface for the mapping. Use the prev and next buttons to create additional pages for your function if there is not enough space in the first page. apply shape Choose an existing shape that defines the node perturbations that you wish to apply.
affected elements	When you perform any freehand morph with some fixed nodes defined, use this collector to select affected elements. The affected elements will morph to accommodate the movements of the moving nodes and the bounds imposed by the fixed nodes. The scope of their deformation is influenced by the edge bounding method chosen, the mv bias, and the fx bias. If you are using the morph all nodes, krig all nodes, or morph within envelope options, you do not need to select affected elements.
at origin / at system / at node	When using move to equation, tchoose the start point for the function. at origin Starts the function at the default global coordinate system's origin (0,0,0). at node Select a node to serve as the starting point. at system Select a local coordinate system. Its origin serves as the starting point.
calculate using: all elements / elems	When using move normal, choose to use either all elements when calculating the normal direction or to use only the elements you select.
calculate using: averaged norms / smoothed norms/ cfd corners	When using move normal, choose how the normal direction is determined. averaged normals Define the normal direction for each node as the average of only the elements touching the node. smoothed normals Calculate the average normal direction for all elements and then smooth them so that transitions near corners are not abrupt. cfd corners Use a sophisticated algorithm to smooth the normals for all the elements such that the elements will not get folded when their nodes are morphed. Figure 3 shows how the mesh is projected to a curved surface using each available option. For cases where your mesh contains sharp corners, the cfd corners option will produce the smoothest projections. However, it can be time consuming, and for meshes without such sharp corners the smoothed normals option will work quickly while giving good results. For a gently flowing mesh, the averaged normals option can also give a smooth final mesh. Figure 3. Example: Calculate Using Methods
deg	When you rotate, specify the desired number of degrees to rotate the moving nodes into this numeric box.
dist=	When you select fix at distance, specify the distance between the edge of the envelope and the moving nodes. Only nodes within the envelope will get morphed.
dist / X/Y/Z/syst	When you translate or move normal, choose to define either the distance to translate (in model units) with the direction defined by the along plane & vector selector, or to specify the distance and direction via X, Y, and Z components (and optionally, a local coordinate system for the components.
extend edges	Extend the edges of the surfaces or mesh in a direction perpendicular to the normal at the closest point on the surfaces or mesh. If this checkbox is selected, the moving nodes will be projected on to an extended representation of the surfaces or mesh, enabling you to project nodes beyond the edge of the surfaces or mesh as well as within any holes. If this checkbox is not selected, the moving nodes will be projected on to the interior or edges of the surfaces or mesh, which may end up distorting the morphed mesh. In Figure 4, three surfaces are floating above an angled mesh. All of the nodes of the mesh are selected as moving nodes and they are projected to the surfaces in the normal to geom direction. With extend edges selected, the moving nodes are moved either to the surfaces or to virtual surfaces which extend perpendicular to the normal direction at the edge of the surface. Note how the nodes end up placed inside the hole in the center of the largest surface. Without extend edges selected, the moving nodes are moved to the nearest point of the surfaces. Note how several layers of moving nodes end up compressed at the edge of the surfaces and around the edge of the hole. Figure 4. Note: Available when using move to surf or move to mesh.
fixed nodes / fix unselected / fix ast distance / fix at multiple:	Fix nodes Manually select which nodes will remain fixed during morphing. Nodes which are not selected as moving nodes or fixed nodes will be morphed based on how far they are between the nearest moving node and the nearest fixed node. The morphing applied to those unselected nodes will be based on the magnitude of the perturbation of the nearest moving nodes and reduced based on how close they are to the nearest fixed node. Fix unselected Automatically fix all of the nodes which aren't selected as moving nodes. Note: This might result in sharp transitions between the moving nodes and the surrounding mesh. Fix at distance Specify a distance to fix nodes. HyperMorph will automatically fix all nodes which lie at or outside that distance from the moving nodes. You are also able to select nodes within that distance to be fixed during the morphing. Once the nodes outside the given distance are automatically fixed, this option will work identically to the fix nodes option, except when using the morph within envelope approach. The morph within envelope approach will create a virtual layer of fixed nodes at the specified distance around all of the moving nodes. Unselected nodes between the moving nodes and either this layer or the nearest fixed node (if selected) will be morphed proportionally based on the distances between the unselected nodes and the bounding entities. The difference between morphing within an envelope and morphing between moving and fixed nodes becomes clear when there are no fixed nodes near the moving nodes. In such a case, morphing within an envelope will always reduce the perturbations applied to the unselected nodes based on how far they are away from moving nodes, while the other methods will apply perturbations (and sometimes large ones) to all nodes which are not close to fixed nodes. Fix at multiple Specify a multiplier. HyperMorph will automatically fix all nodes which lie at or outside a distance calculated by multiplying the perturbation of the nearest moving node by the given multiplier. You are also able to select nodes within that distance to be fixed during the morphing. Once the nodes outside the calculated distance are automatically fixed, this option will work identically to the fix nodes option, except when using the morph within envelope approach. The morph within envelope approach will create a virtual layer of fixed nodes at the calculated distance around all of the moving nodes. Unselected nodes between the moving nodes and either this layer or the nearest fixed node (if selected) will be morphed proportionally based on the distances between the unselected nodes and the bounding entities. The difference between morphing within an envelope and morphing between moving and fixed nodes becomes clear when there are no fixed nodes near the moving nodes. In such a case, morphing within an envelope will always reduce the perturbations applied to the unselected nodes based on how far they are away from moving nodes, while the other methods will apply perturbations (and sometimes large ones) to all nodes which are not close to fixed nodes. In Figure 5, note the differences in the morphing due to the option selected for fixing nodes. When using the fix nodes option (with krig all nodes selected in the case shown), nodes far from the fixed nodes are morphed in a manner nearly identical to the nearest moving node. When using the fix unselected option, only the moving nodes are morphed. When using the fix at distance option (with morph within envelope selected), the morphing is spread linearly through the envelope based on how far away each morphed node is from the nearest moving node. When using the fix at multiple option (with morph within envelope selected), the morphing envelope is greater where the moving nodes move the farthest and thus those moving nodes have a larger affect on the mesh. Figure 5. Example: Fix at Multiple
fx bias	This numeric box displays when you morph nodes with selected fixed nodes. It affects the behavior of the nodes to be morphed. Higher values keep morphed nodes closer to the fixed nodes, reducing local distortion.
interactive: on/off	Drag handles across the screen using the mouse after clicking morph. Morphing occurs in real time, rather than in a single "jump" based on input distances or angles upon clicking the button. Note: When morphing by a manipulator all morphing is done interactively.
moving nodes:	Pick the nodes that will move. When using apply shape, this collector is replaced by a shape collector to allow you to pick an existing shape.
mult	When morphing by apply shape, apply a multiplier to the effect of the shape. The default value of 1 uses the shape at its default size/strength, while higher numbers increase its effect on nodes and decimal values between zero and one decrease its effect.
mult=	When you select fix at multiple, specify the distance between the edge of the envelope and the moving nodes. Only nodes within the envelope will get morphed.
mv bias	Affects the behavior of morphed nodes. Higher values result in morphed nodes following the moving nodes more closely, reducing local distortion. Note: Available when you morph nodes with selected fixed nodes.
node a, node b	The target is defined as the vector from node a to node b. Note: Available when the movement type is set to move to vector.
offset=	When moving nodes to a vector, node list, line, plane, surface, or mesh you have the option of setting how far the nodes will be offset from the target. Although the nodes will be moved in the specified projection direction, the offset will be the absolute distance, in model units, the nodes will end up from the target regardless of the direction in which they were moved. A positive value for the offset will place the nodes short of the target, a negative value for the offset will place the nodes beyond the target, and an offset of zero will place the nodes on the target.
offset in all dir. / offset along proj.	When moving nodes to a vector, node list, line, plane, surface, or mesh while using a non-zero offset, choose an offset method. offset in all dir Measure the offset from each node to the closest point on the target. offset along proj Measure the offset from each node to the target along the direction of projection. In Figure 6, three nodes are being offset from a plane along a vector which is at a forty-five degree angle to the plane normal. When offset in all dir is selected, the offset is measured from each node to the closest point on the target plane, in this case along the plane normal. When offset in proj is selected, the offset is measured from each node to the plane along the projection vector. Notice that when using the offset in proj option, the nodes can end up closer to the nearest point on the target than the value of the offset. Figure 6. Example: Offset in All Dir. and Offset in Proj.
optional fixed nodes	Add any fixed nodes inside the envelope to be used for morphing. The morphing of any nodes near these fixed nodes will be reduced.
options	Opens the Morph Options panel.
rotate about	Use the standard plane & vector selector to define an axis around which to rotate the moving nodes.

Record Subpanel

Use the Record subpanel to record the movement of nodes applied in other panels and save those movements as a morph that can be undone, redone, and saved as a shape.

You can then go outside of the Freehand panel and use any tool in HyperWorks to move the nodes in the model to new positions. When you return to this panel and click finish, those node movements will be transformed into a morph which can be undone, redone, or saved as a shape.

This feature can be particularly useful when using the Quality Index panel to adjust a basic morph for the sake of mesh quality. For example, after morphing, go to the Record subpanel and click start, go to the Quality Index panel to adjust and fix any poorly-formed elements resulting from the morph, and then return to the Record panel and click finish.

In Figure 7, sculpting resulted in poorly-shaped elements (highlighted in the left image). Adjustments made in the Quality Index panel resolved the problems on the left side of the mesh to produce the image on the right. By recording the node movements in the Quality Index panel those node movements can be saved as part of a shape and can be undone.

Option	Action
edge bounding	Partitioned Partition all of the affected elements according to the values set in the Domain panel, Partitioning subpanel before applying morphing. Inferred Edges Create local domains for the affected elements for the purpose of applying the morphing. Create edge domains along the boundaries of the affected elements which will regulate morphing. Free Edges Create a general domain for the affected elements for the purpose of applying the morphing. The movement of nodes along the boundaries of the affected elements is unregulated. Domain Edges If you have already created domains, those domains will be used to determine the way the morphing is applied to the model. Morph All Nodes Using a proximity based algorithm, potentially morph every node in the model relative to the distances between the nearest moving node and the nearest fixed node. Krig All Nodes Using the kriging algorithm, potentially morph every node in the model except for the fixed nodes. The options used for kriging can be modified in the Morph Options panel, Domain Solvers subpanel which can be accessed by clicking options. Note: A practical upper limit on the number of moving nodes you can have is 3000. Computers with above average memory and CPU available may be able to support larger number of moving nodes comfortably. Morph Within Envelope Using a proximity based algorithm, potentially morph every node in the model relative to the distances between the nearest moving node and to either the edge of the envelope or the nearest fixed node (if selected). The envelope can either be defined as a discrete distance using the fix at distance option, or as a multiple of the magnitude of the perturbation applied to the nearest moving node using the fix at multiple option. If the fix nodes option is selected, this method will act identically to Morph All Nodes. For options Morph All Nodes, Krig All Nodes, and Morph Within Envelope, the influence of the moving nodes extends beyond the mesh to which they are attached, thus you will need to fix or exclude any nodes that you do not want to have morphed. If you wish to exclude the nodes which are not displayed, set the selector below the fixed nodes selector to exclude undisplayed. Excluded nodes will neither be morphed nor will they affect the morphing. If you wish the nodes which are not displayed to act like fixed nodes, set the selector below the fixed nodes selector to fix undisplayed. Fixed nodes will influence the morphing by reducing the amount of morphing of any nearby nodes. If the selector is set to morph undisplayed, HyperMorph will morph any undisplayed nodes which are not fixed. Figure 1 shows how the different methods affect the mesh morphing using the move nodes tool. For the partitioned option, the inner edge closest to the moved nodes is unaffected since an edge domain is internally created for it. For the inferred edges option, no inner edges were created and thus the inner edge ends up curved as its nodes follow the moving nodes. For the free edges option, no outer edges were created either and thus the outer edges end up curved as well as the inner ones. For the morph all nodes and krig all nodes options, note the differences in the methods, especially the smoothness of the kriging algorithm. For the morph within envelope option, note how the mesh inside the envelope is linearly perturbed relative to the distance from the moving node and that no fixed nodes are required. Figure 8. Example: Edge Bounding Note: Available when you apply and morph the moved nodes.
affected elements	The affected elements will morph to accommodate the movements of the moving nodes and the bounds imposed by the fixed nodes. The scope of their deformation is influenced by the edge bounding method chosen, the mv bias, and the fx bias. If you are using the morph all nodes, krig all nodes, or morph within envelope options, you do not need to select affected elements.
fixed nodes / fix unselected / fix at distance / fix at multiple	Fix nodes Manually select which nodes will remain fixed during morphing. Nodes which are not selected as moving nodes or fixed nodes will be morphed based on how far they are between the nearest moving node and the nearest fixed node. The morphing applied to those unselected nodes will be based on the magnitude of the perturbation of the nearest moving nodes and reduced based on how close they are to the nearest fixed node. Fix unselected Automatically fix all of the nodes which aren't selected as moving nodes. Note: This might result in sharp transitions between the moving nodes and the surrounding mesh. Fix at distance Specify a distance to fix nodes. HyperMorph will automatically fix all nodes which lie at or outside that distance from the moving nodes. You are also able to select nodes within that distance to be fixed during the morphing. Once the nodes outside the given distance are automatically fixed, this option will work identically to the fix nodes option, except when using the morph within envelope approach. The morph within envelope approach will create a virtual layer of fixed nodes at the specified distance around all of the moving nodes. Unselected nodes between the moving nodes and either this layer or the nearest fixed node (if selected) will be morphed proportionally based on the distances between the unselected nodes and the bounding entities. The difference between morphing within an envelope and morphing between moving and fixed nodes becomes clear when there are no fixed nodes near the moving nodes. In such a case, morphing within an envelope will always reduce the perturbations applied to the unselected nodes based on how far they are away from moving nodes, while the other methods will apply perturbations (and sometimes large ones) to all nodes which are not close to fixed nodes. Fix at multiple Specify a multiplier. HyperMorph will automatically fix all nodes which lie at or outside a distance calculated by multiplying the perturbation of the nearest moving node by the given multiplier. You are also able to select nodes within that distance to be fixed during the morphing. Once the nodes outside the calculated distance are automatically fixed, this option will work identically to the fix nodes option, except when using the morph within envelope approach. The morph within envelope approach will create a virtual layer of fixed nodes at the calculated distance around all of the moving nodes. Unselected nodes between the moving nodes and either this layer or the nearest fixed node (if selected) will be morphed proportionally based on the distances between the unselected nodes and the bounding entities. The difference between morphing within an envelope and morphing between moving and fixed nodes becomes clear when there are no fixed nodes near the moving nodes. In such a case, morphing within an envelope will always reduce the perturbations applied to the unselected nodes based on how far they are away from moving nodes, while the other methods will apply perturbations (and sometimes large ones) to all nodes which are not close to fixed nodes. In Figure 5, note the differences in the morphing due to the option selected for fixing nodes. When using the fix nodes option (with krig all nodes selected in the case shown), nodes far from the fixed nodes are morphed in a manner nearly identical to the nearest moving node. When using the fix unselected option, only the moving nodes are morphed. When using the fix at distance option (with morph within envelope selected), the morphing is spread linearly through the envelope based on how far away each morphed node is from the nearest moving node. When using the fix at multiple option (with morph within envelope selected), the morphing envelope is greater where the moving nodes move the farthest and thus those moving nodes have a larger affect on the mesh. Figure 9. Example: Fix at Multiple
fx bias	This numeric box displays when you morph nodes with selected fixed nodes. It affects the behavior of the nodes to be morphed. Higher values keep morphed nodes closer to the fixed nodes, reducing local distortion.
moved nodes: apply / apply and morph	In Figure 10, the record feature is used to record a single node on the right side of the mesh being moved using the Distance panel. The middle image uses apply; the right image uses apply and morph with the corner nodes selected as fixed, and all elements selected as affected elements, so the whole mesh stretches. Figure 10.
mv bias	Affects the behavior of follower nodes. Higher values result in stretched or "follower" nodes following the moving nodes more closely. Note: Available when you morph nodes with selected fixed nodes and affected elements.
options	Opens the Morph Options panel.

Sculpting Subpanel

Use the Sculpting subpanel to mold a mesh with a variety of virtual tools, such as creating hemispherical divots, cone-shaped projections, or molding sections with feature lines.

Areas of the mesh can be pushed or pulled to reshape it, creating either indentations or projections on the mesh.

Tool shapes include ball, cone, cylinder, node list, line, plane, surface, and mesh. Use different tools to simplify the creation of different types of deformation. For example, use the ball along a node list or line list to create a curved channel with a rounded bottom and ends, but use the cone to create a channel with a V-shaped bottom. Similarly, the ball can create a hemispherical divot or protrusion, while the cone can create a conical pit or spike. The following images illustrate use of the "ball" tool to create a raised ridge along a node list.

Option	Action
affected elements	Select the elements you wish to be subject to the sculpting. In this way, you can preserve parts of the mesh during sculpting (by simply not picking them).
angle =	When sculpting with the cone tool, specify the angle of the cone's taper.
base	The base node serves as a "handle" for the tool. The base node is moved along the path and the tool moves relative to the base node. Note: Available for node list, line, surface, or mesh.
mesh compression	full mesh compression Do not preserve the spacing between the nodes for any affected element. Elements may end up getting squashed flat. Recommended for shell meshes which are being sculpted relatively normal to their surface so that the full mesh compression effectively "irons out" any wrinkles in the surface of the mesh. compress by factor Set a value between 0 and 1. The relative amount of compression (or expansion) which can be applied to the affected elements before the sculpting is "passed on" to neighboring elements. Higher values mean more mesh compression. Lower values will better preserve the elements' original shape. compress by distance Set a value for the distance around the tool where mesh compression (or expansion) is performed. If elements are compressed by the tool, the compression will be spread out away from the tool but only through the specified distance. In other words, if you set a value of 30 for the compression distance, all the mesh compression will occur within 30 units away from the tool. Note: Compress by factor and compress by distance work in the same way, uniformly compressing the mesh, but they differ in what they allow you to control. Compress by factor allows you to control the amount of compression per element while compress by distance allows you to control the area within which compression takes place. fea linear or fea non-linear Choose either auto props or user props. Select user props if you have added properties and materials to your model appropriate for the type of analysis to be performed ( OptiStruct or Radioss) and want to use those instead, otherwise select auto props. Then select the fixed nodes for the sculpting. HyperMorph will perform an FEA solution using either OptiStruct or Radioss to determine the deformation of the affected elements using the nodes affected by the tool and the fixed nodes as enforced displacements. Note: Non-linear analysis, while more time consuming, is more appropriate for extreme mesh compression conditions and generally results in better element quality compared to linear analysis. Figure 13.
move direction	Define the direction that nodes are moved when sculpted. The two options are to use a standard plane and vector selector to define a vector, or to sculpt in the mesh element's normal direction.
offset =	Specify the offset to determine how far the tool will be offset from the path in the move direction.
options	Opens the Morph Options panel.
radius =	When sculpting with the ball or cylinder tool, specify the size of the tool.
sculpting tool	Choose the basic shape that will be used for sculpting. When sculpting with a cylinder or plane, a new (unlabeled) plane and vector selector displays under the tool label. Use this (including a base node) to define the cylinder's axis, or the plane tool itself. Figure 14. Ball. The ball tool has been applied to a node list. Figure 15. Cone. The cone tool has been applied to a node list with an offset. The tip of the cone is moved along the node list, which, if the node list was selected along the mesh to be sculpted, will not result in any morphing. Use an offset to push the cone past the surface of the mesh as shown in the example. Figure 16. Cylinder. A cube has been sculpted with a cylinder tool at a single point. Notice the mesh compression extending into the body of the mesh Figure 17. Node List. A cube has been sculpting with a node list (gray circles) along a path (white circles). Figure 18. Line. A line tool is used to sculpt a mesh. Notice how the base point (purple circle) is used to locate the line relative to the path (white circles). Figure 19. Plane. A plane tool is used to sculpt a solid cube. A single node is used for the path and mesh compression of 0.5 is selected. Notice that the sculpt direction is different from the plane normal. Figure 20. Surface. A surface is used to sculpt a mesh. A single node is used for the path (which ends up getting morphed due to the mesh compression). Notice the effect of the taper angle (45 degrees) on either side of the tool and how it prevents large mesh distortions at the tool edge. Figure 21. Mesh. A mesh tool is used to sculpt another mesh. Since the path lies on the target mesh and the base node is at the leading face of the tool, an offset was used to create the sculpting.
taper angle =	When sculpting with a node list, line, surface, or mesh tool, specify a taper angle for the tool to alter the taper of the resulting deformation. The taper of the tool is like a shroud around the tool extending opposite of the sculpt direction, at the given angle. For instance, the taper for a point is a cone. The taper helps to smooth transitions between sculpted and non-sculpted regions.
tool path	Choose the path along which the tool will be moved; the center of the tool follows the path. through nodes Sculpt along a user-specified node list. along line Sculpt along an existing line of the model geometry. interactive Perform freehand sculpting, using the mouse to determine the path. This option reveals a button that opens a new interactive sculpting subpanel.

Save Shape Subpanel

Use the Save Shape subpanel to save a current morph as a shape.

Option	Action
as handle perturbations / as node perturbations	Shapes saved as handle perturbations take up less space and can change if the domains and handles for the model are changed. If you edit the domains and handles in a model that has saved shapes or morphs on the undo/redo list, you will be given the option to preserve those shapes as node perturbations. If you click yes, the shapes will retain their original form. If you click no, the shapes will be unchanged internally, but may be appear different due to changes in the influences of the perturbed handles.
color	Select a color for the current shape.
name =	Specify a name for a new shape, or click the button twice to select an existing shape.

Command Buttons

Button	Action
finish	Stop morphing macro recording.
morph	Perform the morphing (move nodes).
move +	Sculpt in the positive direction relative to the move direction input. Figure 22.
move -	Sculpt in the negative direction relative to the move direction input.
redo	Redo the last morphing action.
redo all	Redo all recent morphing actions.
save	Save the current shape.
start	Begin recording a complex morph macro.
undo	Undo the last morphing action.
undo all	Undo all recent morphing actions.