Midmesh Panel

Use the Midmesh Panel to automatically generate a mesh at the midplane location, directly from the input geometry (components, elements, solids or surfaces), without first creating a midsurface.

Create Subpanel

Use the Create subpanel to control the resulting midmesh output.
entity selector
Select the source used to create the midmesh.
Destination component
Select which component newly created midmeshes are placed in.
Ignore flat edges
Do not imprint flat edges from the input geometry onto the midmesh.


Figure 1. Option Off


Figure 2. Option On
Flatten connections
Aligns/flattens the midmesh at ribs/connections.


Figure 3. Option Off


Figure 4. Option On
Step offset mode
This option allows finer control of how stepped geometry (one side continuous surface, and opposite side steps) is captured. This option is valid only when flatten connections is enabled. Values can be:
Automatic – Steps of different thickness across a common base surface are automatically offset to a uniform distance from the base surface.
Middle everywhere – Each step will be placed in the middle everywhere.
Middle of thickest plate – All steps that share a common base are moved to the middle of the thickest step. This might place portions of the midmesh outside the solid.
Middle of thinnest plate – All steps that share a common base are moved to the middle of the thinnest step.


Figure 5.
Edit criteria
Set the minimum size and target element size settings in the criteria file to control the resulting midmesh via the Criteria File Editor.
Extraction size
The midmesh extraction size. By default, this is taken as the target element size from the criteria file. This can be set smaller than the target size, though that is not recommended unless there are problems extracting at the target size.
Minimum size
Minimum element size allowed in the finalized mesh. This in combination with the ‘suppress proximity edges factor’ and 'combine non-manifold edges factor’ can ensure that the output mesh is ready for rebuild with the same criteria.

Can only be modified in the Criteria File Editor.

Suppress proximity edges factor
The minimum size factor for removing edges within proximity. Edges closer than this factor times minimum size will be suppressed.


Figure 6. Option Off


Figure 7. Option On
Combine non-manifold edges factor
The minimum size factor for joining non-manifold edges. Non-manifold edges closer than this factor times minimum size will be combined.


Figure 8. Option Off


Figure 9. Option On
Defeature ribs width factor
The minimum size factor for removing small ribs. Ribs closer than this factor times minimum size will be suppressed. Default is 0.9.
Defeature openings with width <
The maximum width for removal of small holes and openings.


Figure 10. Option Off


Figure 11. Option On
rebuild mesh...
Opens the Rebuild Mesh Panel.
thickness map...
Opens the Map Midmesh Thickness dialog.
comparison...
Opens the Comparison Tool dialog.

Edit Edge Subpanel

Use the Edit Edge subpanel to repair 1D topology edges.
create mid-edge
Create a new mid-edge, optionally using the input geometry as a guide:
Figure 12. Before
Figure 13. Without Guides
Figure 14. With Guides
  
split by two nodes
Create a new edge between two nodes.


Figure 15. Before


Figure 16. After
split by node-edge
Create a new edge between a node and an edge, using a shortest, tangential or mixed path.


Figure 17. Before


Figure 18. Shortest Path


Figure 19. Tangential Path
Figure 20. Mixed Path
delete edge
Delete an edge.


Figure 21. Before


Figure 22. After
t-edge align
Align/flatten a t-connection edge to a surface.


Figure 23. Before


Figure 24. After
by geom edge
Align mesh edges to input geometry lines and smooth the mesh:


Figure 25. Before Align


Figure 26. After Align
Imprint geometry edges onto the midmesh:
Figure 27. Imprint Before
Figure 28. Imprint After
replace node
Opens the Replace Panel.
edit element
Opens the Edit Element Panel.
edges
Opens the Edges Panel.
delete
Opens the Delete Panel.
align nodes
Opens the Node Edit panel, align node subpanel.
project
Opens the Project Panel.
rebuild mesh...
Opens the Rebuild Mesh Panel.
thickness map...
Opens the Map Midmesh Thickness dialog.
comparison...
Opens the Comparison Tool dialog.

Edit Face Subpanel

Use the Edit Face subpanel to correct issues with midmesh faces.
fill face
Create a mesh within a closed 1D topology loop, attempting to keep tangency. Optionally, the 1D loop can be deleted, keeping only free and non-manifold edges.


Figure 29. Before


Figure 30. After
repair face
Attempt to fix topological problems (holes/gaps/cracks, intersections, slivers, overlaps) in the mesh and remesh the face.


Figure 31. Before


Figure 32. After
detect intersections
Detect intersecting element clusters and holes/gaps/cracks, and create element sets for further handling.


Figure 33. Before
Figure 34. After
align face
Align a selection of elements to an input geometry surface:
Figure 35. Before
Figure 36. After
An optional offset can be specified to align the mesh at a given distance away from the surface:
Figure 37. Offset
Optional locking of boundary nodes of the selection will treat them as anchors:
Figure 38. Lock
replace node
Opens the Replace Panel.
edit element
Opens the Edit Element Panel.
delete
Opens the Delete Panel.
project
Opens the Project Panel.
rebuild mesh...
Opens the Rebuild Mesh Panel.
thickness map...
Opens the Map Midmesh Thickness dialog.
comparison...
Opens the Comparison Tool dialog.