Associate Nodes to Geometry

Use the Edit Elements: Associate tool to find non-associated nodes, review them, and associate to target geometry.

This is useful in cases where you load CAD and FE separately.

  1. From the Elements ribbon, click the Edit Elements > Associate tool.


    Figure 1.
  2. Make sure Associate is selected on the guide bar drop-down.
  3. Optional: Click Find.
    A scan is done for associated and non-associated nodes. By default, the non-asssociated nodes are added to the node selector on the guide bar. A legend indicates which nodes are associated and to which geometry entities.


    Figure 2.

    To reset the preview, click next to the Find button or uncheck all the boxes in the legend.

  4. Associate nodes in one of two ways:
    Option Description
    Automatic
    1. Keep all non-associated nodes that were found or clear the selector pick a sub-set.
    2. Provide an associate tolerance either in the microdialog or the options menu.
    The tool will automatically identify the underlying target geometry and associate selected source nodes.
    Note: In the case of dirty geometry, such as distorted surfaces or oversimplified geometry, automatic association might fail for local regions. In such scenarios, it is recommended to select source and target to accomplish association.
    Manually
    1. Keep all non-associated nodes that were found or clear the selector and pick a smaller sub-set.
    2. Check the Choose target option on the guide bar.
    3. Choose a single target entity (solid/surface/line/point).
    4. Click on the guide bar to define the associate and snap tolerances.
      Associate tolerance
      In the case of manual association, you must provide an appropriate associate tolerance. Nodes which are out of tolerance are excluded from association. Auto-association works on the logic of matching topology, nodes/mesh, and its underneath CAD.


      Figure 3.
      Snap tolerance
      Distance between nodes and closest vertices. In case of manual association, you need to provide the node snapping tolerance. However, in case of auto-association, the snap tolerance is automatically derived.


      Figure 4.

      Global “tolerance” is not used here, meaning selected nodes are always associated/re-associated to selected geometry entities.
  5. Check the Move nodes option to project source nodes onto the target entity along with the association.


    Figure 5. Input


    Figure 6. Selected nodes are associated to underneath surface without moving nodes


    Figure 7. Selected nodes are associated to underneath surface and nodes are projected onto it
  6. On the guide bar, click one of the following:
    • - Apply and stay in the tool
    • - Apply and close the tool
    • - Exit the tool without applying

Disassociate Nodes

  1. Change the drop-down on the guide bar to Disassociate.
  2. Select the surfaces or solids on which nodes and elements should be disassociated.
  3. Click one of the following:
    • - Apply and stay in the tool
    • - Apply and close the tool
    • - Exit the tool without applying