Smooth Elements
Use the Edit: Smooth tool to optimize the quality of selected elements.
A node of a shell element is free, and therefore can be moved, if none of the
following statements are true:
- It is used by an element that was not selected.
- It is selected as an anchor node.
- It is attached to an edge, vertex, or meshing fixed point of a surface.
- It is used by a 1D element (whether or not that element is selected).
- It is not attached to a surface, but is on a feature line of the mesh of the selected plate or shell elements.
-
From the Discrete ribbon, click the tool.
Figure 1. 
Elements are colored according to how well they adhere to the pre-set quality requirements defined in the criteria file. - Optional:
On the guide bar, click to
to define the options used to
edit elements.
-
Select an element issue type from the guide bar.
- Quality
- Checks for quality as defined in quality criteria.
- Intersections
- Checks for intersecting elements.
- Face angles
- Checks for folded or sharp angle elements.
- Select the element(s) to smooth.
- Optional:
Select anchor nodes in the following ways:
- Hold Ctrl while left-clicking.
- Activate the Anchors selector on the guide bar then make your selection.
-
In the microdialog, select a smoothing method then
click Smooth.
- Auto
- Calculates the lengths of all of the elements’ edges to finds the extreme values. If the ratio of smallest to largest is below a certain threshold, than the Fix Shape method will be used. If the ratio of smallest to largest is above a certain threshold, than the Fix Size method will be used.
- Fix Size
- Moderates variations in element edge size through the mesh using a modified Laplacian over-relaxation that correctly handles a mixture of quad and tria elements.
- Fix Shape
- Moderates variations in element aspect ratio through the mesh using a modified isoparametric-centroidal over-relaxation that correctly handles a mixtures of quad and tria elements.
- Fix Angle
- Globally minimizes the average deviation of element angles from
their ideal values.
Figure 2. 
- Q.I. Warm, Q.I. Good, Q.I. Ideal
- Sets the quality of the optimization target to the corresponding value on the quality index.
Note: Always set up proper Criteria before performing smoothing operations. This helps to achieve better element quality results.