Topology Preferences

From the File menu, select Preferences > HyperMesh > Topology to define the following topology preferences.

CAD

Show updates immediately

CAD models from Inspire can read parameters. This option immediately runs Inspire in the background to update the geometry as changes happen.

Note: From the Topology ribbon, Edit pull-down menu, use CAD Update to make changes and update the geometry only once.

Inspire installation directory

To update CAD geometry in Inspire, specify the Inspire installation directory path.

Import Options

Click Import Options to display the CAD Import Preferences dialog.

Define the necessary options under Assembly, Topology, and User defined, then click Apply and OK.

Display

Surface lines

The default number of u-v lines to draw on new surfaces.

Note: Displaying surface lines helps visualize a surface better, but it can slow down the redraw speed of a large model. Use the Surf Lines panel to change the number of surface lines on existing surfaces.

Cleanup Tolerance

Geometry

Set the cleanup tolerance to Automatic or Manual.

Set an allowable limit to modify the geometry while cleaning it. Modifying the CAD geometry includes equivalencing edges, deleting fillets, and eliminating extraneous vertices.

Since you approximate the geometry with a finite element mesh, the cleanup tolerance must be less than the node tolerance used in the mesh generation.

Node

For Manual, specify the tolerance used to maintain the finite element data in the model. Any two nodes are coincident if the distance between them is less than the value.

Feature Angle

Geometry

Determines when to add (creating two surfaces from one) or remove (merging two surfaces into one) a new vertex to model geometry.

When entities are selected by face, attached adjacent surfaces are progressively selected if the feature angle between them is less than or equal to the mesh feature angle.

The geometry feature angle detects features upon geometry import.

Mesh

Specify the maximum distance that the selected entity must be within to be included in the selection. When entities are selected by face, attached adjacent elements are progressively selected if the feature angle between them is less than or equal to the mesh feature angle. This also affects automatic mesh cleanup.

Element

Default size

Specify a default edge length for elements, in the same units that the loaded model was created in (mm, inches, and so on). This determines the default values whenever meshing, such as in the Freeform tool.

Element order

Use first-order (corner nodes only) or second-order (corner and mid-edge nodes) elements when meshing.

Beamsection default thickness

Change the default thickness for the beamsection shell part.

Creation

Create mode

Create surfaces as CAD or FE geometry.

Create in

Choose a method for organizing the geometry.

Current

Organize new geometry in the current component.

Original

Organize new geometry in the same component to which the selected geometry belongs. The surface is kept in the component that is chosen first.

New

Organize new geometry in the new part.

Mesh organization

Select the component to place new mesh in.

Auto-stitching

For tools that use surface creation, determine how new surfaces are created and stitched to the model.

Within same component

Auto-stitch created surfaces to adjacent surfaces that belong to the same component.

Across any component

Auto-stitch created surfaces to all adjacent surfaces.

From attached to selection

Stitch created surfaces to the surfaces attached to the selected surfaces or edges.

From selection only

Only stitch created surfaces to other selected surfaces, or surfaces that have edges or vertices selected.

Create mesh

Select a meshing method for the newly created geometry when Mesh is selected on the guide bar.

Freeform

Create 2D mesh with various algorithms.

Mapped

Create 2D mapped mesh.

Topology Revision

CAD

Select the method for handling your model when the geometry's topology changes.

Delete mesh

Deletes the mesh from the affected surfaces.

Disassociate mesh

Disassociates the mesh from the affected surfaces.

Remesh

Automatically remeshes the affected surfaces.

Number of layers

Define the zone to remesh or rebuild on the topology revision.

Transformation

Select a method to control the 2D remesh and connectivity with the surrounding mesh on a CAD surface transformation.

Keep and break

On a surface transformation, the mesh is kept in the original position without remeshing by breaking the connectivity with the surrounding mesh.

Move and break

On the surface transformation, the mesh moves along the surface without remeshing by breaking the connectivity with the surrounding mesh.

Keep mesh along matched topology

Skips the remesh when the geometry topology is matched with the finite element edge.

Remesh does not occur if the geometry topology is changed along the finite element edge.

Remesh tetra mesh

Updates the tetra elements associated with the solid geometry locally when the geometry is modified with operations like Boolean, solid trim, or surface offset. If the boundary layer or hex elements are present, those are replaced with tets upon update.

There are two required conditions.

1. Associate all tetra elements to solid geometry.
2. An associated surface mesh must be present. If the surface mesh is nonexistent, generate boundary elements using the Face tool.

FE Geometry

Keep mesh

Keeps the existing mesh on the finite element topology revision.

Remesh

Remeshes the surrounding mesh on the finite element topology revision.

Rebuild

Rebuilds the surrounding mesh on the finite element topology revision.

Number of layers

Define the zone to remesh or rebuild on the topology revision.

Mesh Sync

Element values

Retains element properties, offsets, nodal thicknesses, orientation, and 1D element values while remeshing.

Loads and BCs

Retains loads and boundary conditions that are applied to nodes when remeshing.

Sets

When remeshing changes the model, automatically attempt to update sets accordingly.

Advanced

Allow 2D-3D set segment re-parenting

Set segments applied to coincident 2D or 3D elements are re-parented to underlying elements if one is deleted.

Allow duplicate IDs

Allows properties in different groups to have the same ID. Duplicate properties cannot exist in the same group.

Mixed property warning

Displays a warning when components contain both direct and indirectly assigned properties.