Element Quality dialog box

Elements to Check
Elements to Check	Specifies which elements to check.DisplayedChecks all currently displayed elements.SelectedLets you select the elements to check.
Select Object	Appears when Elements to Check is set to Selected.Lets you select the elements to check in the graphics window.
Stacked Smart Selector Methods	Opens the Smart Selector Methods dialog box where you can specify a progression of smart selection filters.For more information, see Smart Selector Methods dialog box.
Element LabelsNote: The ability to select elements by label is not available in Design Simulation.	Appears when Elements to Check is set to Selected.Sets the elements to check by their label ID:Use a space or comma to separate the label IDs.Use a colon or dash to specify a range of element label IDs.For example, type 1:10 or 1-10 to specify all the element labels from 1 to 10.Use colons to specify an incremental range of element label IDs:Type 1:9:2 to specify element labels 1, 3, 5, 7, 9.Type 1:10:2 to add element labels 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10.Type 10:1:-2 to add element labels 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1.After you specify the element labels, click Select .To see more of the element labels or to use the cut, copy, and paste commands, click Edit Element Selection .
Checking Options
Warning and Error Limits	Lets you specify the quality threshold values below or above which the software issues a warning, as well as the values below or above which the software issues an error.
Error Limits Only	Lets you specify the quality threshold values below or above which the software issues an error.
General Geometry Checks
The options available depend upon your solver environment. For more information, see Solver neutral element quality checks.
Calculate Geometric Properties	Available when at least one element is selected in the graphics window and at least one check box is selected in the General Geometry Checks group.Opens the Information window and displays the values for the selected items.For example, if the Minimum Element Edge Size < check box is selected, the Information window displays the minimum element edge length for the selected elements.
Minimum Element Edge Size <	Lets you check your mesh for element edges smaller than a particular length, and set the error limit.When Checking Options is set to Warning and Error Limits, you can also set the warning limit.
Maximum Element Edge Size >	Lets you check your mesh for element edges larger than a particular length, and set the error limit.When Checking Options is set to Warning and Error Limits, you can also set the warning limit.
2D Element Area <=	Lets you check your 2D mesh elements for surface areas less than or equal to a particular size, and set the error limit.When Checking Options is set to Warning and Error Limits, you can also set the warning limit.You can specify the default values in the Customer Defaults dialog box (Simulation→Pre/Post→Element Quality Check - Neutral→2D Element Area→Warning Limit and Error Limit).Note: With Design Simulation, you can check 2D mesh elements only if the mesh was created using another application, such as Pre/Post.
3D Element Volume <=	Appears when the active solution uses any solver except Simcenter Nastran, NX Design Simulation, MSC Nastran, Simcenter 3D Multiphysics, or LS-DYNA.Lets you check your 3D mesh elements for volumes less than or equal to a particular size, and set the error limit.When Checking Options is set to Warning and Error Limits, you can also set the warning limit.You can specify the default values in the Customer Defaults dialog box (Simulation→Pre/Post→Element Quality Check - Neutral→3D Element Volume→Warning Limit and Error Limit).
Tet Collapse >	Lets you identify tetrahedral elements that have a volume that is close to zero. The software calculates the ratio of the maximum edge length to the height of a vertex. This value approaches zero as the volume of the element approaches zero.
Solver Specific Geometry Checks
The options available depend upon your solver environment. For more information, see Solver and element type specific Quality Checks dialog box.
Use Element Type Specific Values	Lets you specify different quality threshold values depending on the element’s type.
Edit Element Type Specific Values	Available when the Use Element Type Specific Values check box is selected.Opens the solver-specific Quality Checks dialog box so that you can set the error limits for the selected options.When Checking Options is set to Warning and Error Limits, you can also set the warning limits.
List Element Type Specific Values	Available when the Use Element Type Specific Values check box is selected.Opens the Information window and displays which quality checks are currently selected as well as the current error limits.When Checking Options is set to Warning and Error Limits, you can also see the warning limits.
Calculate Volume	Appears when the Use Element Type Specific Values check box is cleared and the active solution uses Simcenter Nastran, NX Design Simulation, MSC Nastran, Simcenter 3D Multiphysics, or LS-DYNA as the specified solver. Available when at least one element is selected.Opens the Information window and displays the minimum 3D volume for the selected elements.
Display Settings
Warning Color	Appears when Checking Options is set to Warning and Error Limits.Opens the Color dialog box so that you can specify the color to use for elements that violate the specified warning limits.
Error Color	Opens the Color dialog box so that you can specify the color to use for elements that violate the specified error limits.
Show Element Labels	Displays the labels of elements that violate the specified warning or error limits.
Hide Input Meshes/Show Input Meshes	Hides or shows the meshes that contain the selected elements.This might allow any elements that do not pass the quality check to stand out more prominently.
Output Settings
Output Group Elements	Specifies whether or not to create an output group for elements that do not pass the quality check.NoneDoes not create an output group for elements that do not pass the quality check.FailedCreates an output group for elements that violate the specified error limits.WarningAppears when Checking Options is set to Warning and Error Limits.Creates an output group for elements that violate the specified warning limits.Failed and WarningAppears when Checking Options is set to Warning and Error Limits.Creates an output group for elements that violate the specified warning and error limits.
Report	Specifies whether or not to create a report of the results of the element quality check.All reports include the number of elements that were checked, the worst value for each quality threshold checked, and the result for each element that violated the specified limits.NoneDoes not create a report.FailedCreates a report for elements that violate the specified error limits.WarningAppears when Checking Options is set to Warning and Error Limits.Creates a report for elements that violate the specified warning limits.Failed and WarningAppears when Checking Options is set to Warning and Error Limits.Creates a report for elements that violate the specified error and warning limits.AllCreates a report that lists the quality values for all elements included in the check, regardless of whether or not they violate the specified error or warning limits.The report appears in the Log File window. An (E) next to a value indicates an error; a (W) indicates a warning.
Format	Appears when Report is set to anything other than None.Specifies the format to use for the quality values in the report.AutomaticDisplays the values with six decimal places. When an absolute value is greater than 9999999, the report displays the value using scientific notation.For example, a value of 29.517280147 is displayed as 29.517280.FixedDisplays the values with the specified number of decimal places. When an absolute value is more than 9999999, the report displays the value using scientific notation.For example, if Decimal Places is set to 9, a value of 29.517280147 is displayed as 29.517280147. If Decimal Places is set to 3, that value is displayed as 29.517.ScientificDisplays the values using scientific notation with the specified number of decimal places.For example, if Decimal Places is set to 9, a value of 29.517280147 is displayed as 2.951728015E+01. If Decimal Places is set to 3, that value is displayed as 2.952E+01.
Decimal Places	Appears when Format is set to Fixed or Scientific.Specifies the number of decimal places to use.
Check Elements	Performs the element quality check.Any elements that violate the specified criteria are highlighted in the graphics window in the specified colors.If Report is set to anything other than None, the report appears in the Log File window.Tip: To stop highlighting the elements that did not pass the quality check, press F5.
Correct Failed Elements	Available if the element quality check finds 2D elements that violate the specified criteria in a FEM file or assembly FEM file (for the 2D elements created at the assembly level only).Opens the Correct Element Quality dialog box where you can try to fix the quality issues that the Element Quality command identifies.For more information, see Correcting 2D element quality failures.

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Element Quality dialog box, Simcenter 3D 2021.1 Series

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