Assembly FEM updates

CAD assembly updates

For associative assembly FEM components, if the CAD assembly on which the assembly is based is modified, the assembly FEM is out-of-date, and the Update button is available in the Home tab→Context group. CAD assembly changes that will update your assembly FEM include:

• New components

• Removed components

• Moved components

The following figure shows (clockwise from top) an assembly FEM; the associated CAD assembly; using Move Component to move the center pin 50 mm along the X-axis; and clicking Update to update the assembly FEM. The final image shows the center pin component FEM repositioned to match the modified CAD assembly.

The following table summarizes the effect of updates on your assembly FEM structure when the CAD assembly is modified.

Modification to CAD assembly	Effect on assembly FEM on update
New component added	The new component appears in the Simulation Navigator as an unmapped (ignored) CAD component.
Component removed	The result depends on the options specified in the Update Options dialog box:If you choose Keep as Unmapped, the corresponding component FEM remains as a non-associative child of the assembly FEM.If you choose Remove, the corresponding component FEM is removed from the assembly FEM, and all connections depending on that component are deleted.
Component moved	The result depends on the options specified in the Update Options dialog box:If you choose Always Reposition, the mapped component FEM is repositioned to match the new position of the CAD component.If you choose Never Reposition, changes to CAD component positioning do not affect the positioning of component FEMs.If you choose Prompt, the software notifies you of each repositioned CAD component. Click Reposition to reposition the component FEM, or Skip to keep it in its current position.

To specify update options for your assembly FEM, in the Simulation Navigator, right-click the assembly FEM node and choose Update Options.

Freeze Assembly Updates

To prevent changes to the CAD assembly component positions from updating your assembly FEM, in the Simulation Navigator, right-click the assembly FEM node and choose Freeze Assembly Updates.

Freeze Assembly Updates applies only to CAD component positioning. Even when Freeze Assembly Updates is selected, any components that are added to or removed from your CAD assembly will affect your assembly FEM as specified by your Update Options settings, as described in the table above.

CAD component updates

For associative component FEMs, if the associated CAD component is modified, the component FEM has a status of Update Pending. To update all of the component FEMs in the assembly FEM, right-click the assembly FEM or simulation node and choose Assembly Checks→Component Update Pending.

Component FEM updates

The assembly FEM file references existing component FEMs; it does not store data about the component FEMs mesh, materials, and so on. Any change made to a component FEM is immediately available in the assembly FEM, and no update is necessary.

However, changes to the number of nodes or elements in the component FEM may invalidate FE-based connections in the assembly FEM. You may need to re-create FE-based connections in the assembly FEM if the component FEM mesh is modified. Geometry-based connections are updated based on the mesh recipe. See 1D Connection for more information about geometry-based versus FE-based 1D connections.

Changes to component FEMs are immediately reflected in the assembly FEM.

How do I

Resolve label conflicts in your assembly FEM files

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Assembly FEMs

Associative versus non-associative assembly FEMs

Working with subassembly FEMs

Managing large assembly FEMs using the Simulation Navigator and Simulation File View

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Assembly FEM updates, Simcenter 3D 2021.1 Series

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