Attaching elements into a mesh

Use the Attach command to connect a set of 2D elements to one or more target meshes. You can:

• Attach a set of elements to a selected set of elements or a target mesh.

• Create a split line, sometimes called a scar, in a target mesh by projecting a set of element edges or an edge or curve onto a target mesh.

For example, if you want to move a set of elements that represent a feature in the model, you can use the Detach command to separate that set of elements from the mesh. After you move the elements to their new position, you can use the Attach command to connect those elements back into the mesh.

Whether you select the Split or Split and Attach option, the software follows the same process. The software:

1. Projects the selected elements onto either the target elements or mesh.

2. Regenerates either the target elements or mesh in the region of the split line or the attached elements.

Projecting elements to the target elements or mesh

The software uses the following process to project the selected elements to the target elements or into the target mesh:

1. In the selected set of elements, the software projects the nodes from the selected element edges onto the target elements or mesh. Generally, the software uses either a closest point projection method or projects the nodes along their element's normal.

2. If you selected a target mesh, the software determines which elements require remeshing. The software tries to limit the remeshing to the elements that lie closest to the site where the new elements attach. If you selected target elements rather than a target mesh, the software limits the extent of the remeshing to those elements.

3. If you are attaching the elements:The software designates the projected nodes as frozen so that the edges of the elements being attached do not change during the remeshing process.The software merges any duplicate nodes.

Remeshing the target mesh

Whether you attach new elements to the target mesh or split the target mesh, the software locally remeshes the affected region of the target mesh.

Here, two sets of disconnected elements need to be attached into the target mesh. The orange element edges indicate that those edges are free.	Here, the elements are attached to the mesh with the Attach command. The target mesh is remeshed, and the free element edges are eliminated.

In the target mesh, the software locally remeshes the area around the attachment location for the new elements. The remeshing process helps to maintain the quality of the overall mesh.

Note:

For target meshes that are associated to the geometry, if the edges of the source elements that you are attaching to the target mesh are also associated to geometry, the software issues a warning that the source element edges will be disassociated from the geometry.

Issues may occur during the attachment process. For example:

• The remeshing process fails if the edges of the source elements project to the target mesh so that the attachment process creates multiple, disconnected scar curves on the target mesh. This may occur, for example, if the target mesh is an annular disc and the source element edges pass over the hole in the annular surface.

• The attachment process may create free element edges within the target mesh. The software issues a message if this occurs, and you can choose to either stop or continue with the attachment process.

Where do I find it?

Application	Pre/Post
Prerequisite	A FEM file as the work part and displayed part
Command Finder	Element Attach

How do I

Reset node and element IDs

Learn more

Manually creating elements

Extruding elements

Projecting elements

Reflecting elements

Revolving elements

Rotating elements

Translating elements

Splitting shell elements

Swapping the diagonals between triangular elements

Splitting 1D elements

Detaching elements from a mesh

Creating a mesh from a cloud of points

Rib detection and removal within a mesh

Thickening a 2D mesh

Convex meshes for FEM acoustics analyses

Acoustic chamber meshes for panel transmission loss analyses

Open duct end meshing for acoustics

Combining triangular elements

Modifying element order

Modifying the type of elements

Moving nodes in 2D elements

Modifying element labels

Modifying element connectivity

Deleting elements

Extracting elements from a mesh

Locking and unlocking a mesh

Quick links

Command reference

Pre/Post video examples

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Attaching elements into a mesh, Simcenter 3D 2021.1 Series

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