Node Edit Panel

Use the Node Edit panel to associate nodes to a point, line, or surface/solid face; move nodes along a surface; place a node at a point on a surface; remap a list of nodes to a line; or project nodes to an imaginary line passing through two nodes.

Location: Geom page

Settings are preserved if you switch between subpanels, but selections of nodes, surfaces, and so on are not.

Associate Subpanel

Use the Associate subpanel to create an association between the selected nodes and a selected piece of geometry. Nodes are projected to the geometry, provided the distance to the selected geometry is within the search tolerance. The tolerance is used to create a search sphere at each of the selected nodes. If the selected geometry is found within that search sphere, the node is projected to the closest point on the geometry. An association is made within the database between the nodes (and corresponding elements) and geometry, so any subsequent selection routines can reference either entity. For example, if creating a boundary condition (such as a force, pressure, or constraint) on the geometry, the boundary condition will be applied to the nodes and or elements upon export.

A typical use case would be to apply slight geometry revisions to an existing model.
Note: A large tolerance value may result in collapsed elements since the nodes are projected directly to the closest point on the geometry with no consideration for the element connectivity or shape.
In Figure 1, the brown elements extend beyond the boundaries of the red surface. The elements are in a plane, but the surface is curved away from the plane.


Figure 1.
All of the nodes were selected to associate to the surface. When a small tolerance is specified, only those nodes close enough to the surface are projected and associated to it. In Figure 2, the five highlighted nodes were associated.
Note: The distortion in the elements where only some of the four nodes are associated to the surface.


Figure 2.
When a larger tolerance is used, all of the elements around the boundary of the surface are distorted as the nodes are projected out of their original plane and onto the surface as shown in Figure 3.


Figure 3.
Option Action
geometry selector Select the geometry to which the nodes will be associated.
nodes Select the desired nodes.
tolerance Nodes farther from the point/line/surf/solid than this value will not become associated to it. This allows you to perform a quick mass-node selection (such as when using window selection) without actually associating nodes that should not be associated to the chosen geometry.

Move Node Subpanel

Use the Move Node subpanel to move nodes in the global coordinate system. Select the nodes to move, define a direction and a step size. Nodes can be moved in the positive or negative direction defined by the movement vector. Works only on nodes that are associated to a surface and for moving nodes on that surface, not off the surface. Does not work for nodes on edges of a surface or for nodes not associated to a surface.
Option Action
nodes Select the desired nodes.
plane and vector selector Specify the direction for the node(s) to move, either by defining an axis, vector, or a plane (in which case the noes will move in the plane's positive normal direction as determined via the right-hand rule).
step size Specify the distance that the selected nodes will travel in the specified direction each time move+ or move- are clicked.

Place Node Subpanel

Use the Place Node subpanel to move a single node to a specific location on a destination surface. After selecting the surface, select the node to be placed. Once the node is selected, click the new location for that node on the surface.


Figure 4.
Option Action
destination surf Select the surface onto which you wish to place the node.
node to place Select the desired node, then click the desired location on the selected surface. The node relocates automatically.

Remap Subpanel

Use the Remap subpanel to remap a series of nodes to a selected line list.


Figure 5. Selected Nodes Mapped to the Surface Edge. Selected nodes become evenly distributed across the surface edge.
Option Action
node list Select the series of nodes that you wish to remap.
line list Select the line(s) to which you wish the node list to relocate.

Align Node Subpanel

Use the Align Node subpanel to snap one or more nodes to an imaginary line connecting two other selected nodes. Any number of nodes may be aligned once a line is defined.


Figure 6. Align Nodes. The first image shows the two selected nodes that define an infinite line. The second image shows that any nodes selected will be projected to that line.
Option Action
1st end: node Select a node that defines one end of the imaginary line.
2nd end: node Select a node that defines the other end of the imaginary line.

Once both nodes are selected, you are prompted to pick the nodes that you wish to align.
nodes/node Choose whether to select one or more nodes.

When set to nodes, click align after you are finished selecting nodes.
use ratio Specify a ratio to align nodes.
Note: Available when aligning one node at a time.

Command Buttons

Option Action
associate Associate the selected nodes with the selected geometric entity.
reject Undo the most recent node edit.
move+ Move the nodes in the direction specified by the specified step size.
move- Move the nodes opposite to the direction specified by the specified step size.
remap Relocate nodes to a selected line list.
return Exit the panel, finalizing any edits made (you cannot reject an edit after leaving the panel, even if you return later.)