CFAST/CWELD Connection dialog box

Connection Type
Patch Selection	Controls how you define the CFAST or CWELD connection. Patch by Property Label lets you select two different physical property tables to connect.Note: You cannot use the CFAST/CWELD Connection command to connect 2D meshes that use the same physical property table.Patch by Element lets you select 2D elements to connect.
Location Type
Type	Controls how you define the location of the CFAST or CWELD connection.**Projection Point (GS)**You can select or create a single point, node, point on an edge or curve, or a series of points or nodes in a CSV file to define the connection location. If you select or create a point, the software creates a node at that location. With this option, the software projects this location along a normal to both elements or physical property tables to determine the end locations of the connection. When you click OK or Apply, the software creates a 0D CFAST or CWELD element to represent the connection.**Target 1 (GA)/Target 2 (GB)**You can select a point or mesh point to define the connection location on both sides of the connection. When you click OK or Apply, the software creates a 1D CFAST1D or CWELD1D element to represent the connection, with the GA location as the first node and the GB location as the second node.
Connection Location (Available when Location Type is set to Projection Point (GS))
Select Curve/Edge	Available when Connection Type is set to Patch by Element.Lets you select an edge or curve along with to create a series of CFAST or CWELD elements.
Select By	Available when Connection Type is set to Patch by Property Label.Controls how you specify the locations at which to create the connection.Point lets you define the connection location by selecting one or more points. Click Select Point to select an existing point or click Point Dialog to create a new point.CSV File lets you define the connection location by importing the X, Y, Z locations of points from a comma separated value (CSV) file. If you choose this option, use the Import CSV File option to open the file that contains the point locations.Point on Curve/Edge lets you define the connection location by selecting one or more points along an edge or curve. Click Select Edge to select the edge or curve.Node lets you define the connection location by selecting one or more nodes. Click Select Node to select an existing node.
Select Point /Select Node	Available when Select By is set to Point or Node.Lets you select the points or nodes that define the connection location.
Node Labels	Available when Select By is set to Node.Lets you add nodes to the selection.Use a space or coma to separate your entries.Use a colon or a dash to add a range of node labels.For example, enter 1:10 or 1-10 to add all the node labels from 1 to 10.Use colons to add an incremented range of node labels.For example, enter:1:9:2 to add node labels 1, 3, 5, 7, 9.1:10:2 to add node labels 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10.10:1:-2 to add node labels 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1.Press enter or click Select to add your entries.To edit your selection, click Edit Node Selection .
Position Options (Available when Patch Selection is set to Patch by Property Label, Location Type is set to Projection Point (GS), and Select By is set to Point on Curve/Edge or when Patch Selection is set to Patch by Element and Location Type is set to Projection Point (GS))
Distance From Start	Lets you specify how far from the starting end of the curve to create the first connection.
Distance From End	Lets you specify how far from the second end of the curve to create the last connection.
Offset from Curve	Lets you specify a distance to offset the connections from the selected edge or curve. If you do not want to offset the connections, specify a value of 0.
Specify Vector	Lets you specify the vector along which to offset the CFAST or CWELD connections. See Vector dialog box for more information.
Creation Method	Controls the method the software uses to create the connection locations along the selected curve or edge.Select Number of Points to specify the number of connection points to create along the curve or edge. Then, use the Number of Points on Edge box to specify the total number of points to create.Select Distance Between to specify the spacing between the points along the curve or edge. With this option, the software determines the total number of points to create along the curve or edge. Then use the Distance Between Points box to specify the spacing between the connections.Select Pattern of Points to specify a pattern in which to create the connections along the curve or edge. Enter a comma or space delimited list of numbers that defines the pattern.
Maximum Number of Points/Specify Number of Points	Maximum Number of Points lets you specify the maximum number of connections to create along the curve.Specify Number of Points lets you specify the exact number of connections to create along the curve.
Physical Properties to Connect (Available when Patch Selection is set to Patch by Property Label and Location Type is set to Projection Point (GS)
Search Distance	Lets you specify the distance the software searches from the defined connection points for meshes to connect.
Connect All PIDs Within Search Distance	Controls the number of connections the software creates at a given connection point. When the software finds more than two meshes (physical property table IDs) within the search distance:If you select this option, the software creates multiple CWELD and CFAST connections between the point and each of the meshes.If you clear this option, the software creates a single CWELD or CFAST connection between the point and two of the meshes.
Side A, Side B (Available when Patch Selection is set to Patch by Property Label and Location Type is set to Target 1 (GA)/Target 2 (GB))
Select Point	Available when Location Type is set to Target 1 (GA)/Target 2 (GB))Lets you select a point or mesh point to define the location of the connection.
Type	Lets you specify the type of physical property table for sides A and B of the connection.
PID1, PID2	Lets you select the name of the physical property table to connect with the CFAST or CWELD connection.
Side A, Side B (Available when Connection Type is set to Patch by Element a
Select Element	Lets you select an element to define sides A and B of the connection.
Select Point	Available when Location Type is set to Target 1 (GA)/Target 2 (GB))Lets you select a point or mesh point to define the location of the connection.
Element Properties
Type	Lets you control whether the software creates a CFAST or CWELD type of connection.
Destination Collector
Automatic Creation	Select Automatic Creation to have the software automatically create a new destination collector for the current mesh. If you select this option, the software creates a collector using the default physical properties. The collector also inherits the material properties of the idealized part.Clear the Automatic Creation check box to choose an existing mesh collector from the Mesh Collector list.
Mesh Collector	Lets you select an existing collector. Click New Collector to use the Mesh Collector dialog box to create additional mesh collectors.
Preview
Show Result	Click Show Result to view the connections the software generates based on the options you selected. Click Undo Result if you are not satisfied with the previewed locations.

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CFAST/CWELD Connection dialog box, Simcenter 3D 2021.1 Series

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