Shrink Wrap Panel

Location: 2D page

Shrink wrap can be generated using two algorithms: Loose or Tight. These determine how closely the resulting mesh adheres to the details of the underlying model, and are best suited to different use cases which will vary for any given use. In both wrap types, the steps necessary to generate a shrink wrap are identical.

Loose Shrink Wrap: Generate a loose-fitting shrink wrap mesh that generally conforms to the model.
Tight Shrink Wrap: Generate a tight-fitting mesh that adheres closely to the underlying model, capturing as many features as possible.

Figure 1. Coarse STL Mesh Used as Input	Figure 2. Shell Mesh Wrapped Around the Original STL Mesh

Panel Options

Option	Action
entity selector	Select entities to wrap.
features	Select feature lines on the model that must be retained. When meshed, elements will not cross over these lines. Figure 3.
tight wrap / loose wrap	tight wrap Conforms more strictly to the underlying geometry. Figure 4. Tight Wrap - 2mm loose wrap Abstracts geometry to a greater degree. Figure 5. Loose Wrap - 2mm. A loose wrap results in less fine detail, particularly around the pulleys and exhaust pipes. Note: Not available when wrapping nodes or points.
patch holes	If your model contains holes that you wish the shrink wrap to cover over as if they did not exist, enable the patch holes checkbox, and enter the sub-options accordingly. max gap size / max hole size Specify a value for the max gap size and max hole size. Holes refer to more-or-less circular or oblong openings, while gaps refer to void spaces between components. In both cases, holes or gaps larger than the specified value (in model units) will not be patched over. create hole elements Retain the elements used to patch the holes for verification purposes. The holes will be placed into their own collector called ^patched_holes, which displays in the Model Browser. Note: Not available when wrapping nodes or points.
element size =	Specify the target element size for the shrink wrap mesh. Note: Actual element size will vary depending on the model's features in order to improve mesh quality.
generate solid mesh	Create the shrink wrap as a solid mesh rather than a shell mesh. This results in a mesh with no void space inside, rather than a hollow "bag" of mesh around the geometry.
mesh orientation: global system /local system	Choose whether to orient the mesh according to the global coordinate system, or a local one. This can strongly affect how the mesh follows the underlying geometry. Figure 6. Shrink Wrap Output Using Global System . The mesh pattern runs diagonally across the pipes in the foreground. Figure 7. Shrink Wrap Output Using Local System. The mesh pattern is well aligned with the pipes in the foreground.

Command Buttons

Button	Action
mesh	Create the new shrink wrap mesh according to the input values.
reject	Undo the most recent shrink wrap mesh creation.
features	Open the Features panel, where you can define feature lines in the model that should be preserved during the meshing process.
return	Exit the panel.