Translating elements

Use Element Copy and Translate to move or copy and move selected elements. Depending on the option you select from the Type list, you can translate elements:

• Along a specified vector.

• A specified distance with respect to a coordinate system.

• Along the element normals (only available if you select Element Faces from the Type list).

• Between two points.

You can also use the Element Coat option in the Type list to create a coating of linear 1D elements along the edges of 2D or 3D elements that are not associated with any underlying geometry. For more information, see 1D element coating meshes.

When you copy and translate elements, the software copies both the associated displacement and nodal coordinate systems from the nodes on the source elements to the nodes on the newly created elements.

Translating elements along a vector

You can use the Along Vector option in the Direction list to translate or copy and translate elements a specified distance along a selected vector. You can use the Along Vector option to translate element edges, element faces, or solid elements.

In the following graphic, we selected Element Faces from the Type list and Along Vector from the Direction list. We then defined a vector using the YC axis (1) and specified a translation distance of 50mm. (2) shows the resulting mesh.

Translating elements with respect to a coordinate system

You can use the With Orientation option in the Direction list to translate or copy and translate elements a specified distance along the axes of a selected coordinate system. You can use the With Orientation option to translate element edges, element faces, or solid elements.

For example, in the following figure we selected all the elements in an existing 2D mesh (A) and copied and translated those elements a distance of 40mm along the Z-axis of the global coordinate system (B).

Translating elements along their normals

You can use the Element Normal option in the Direction list to translate or copy and translate selected element faces along their nodal normals.

The software computes the nodal normal of an element based on the normals of the elements connected by a given node:

To determine the projection vector, the software calculates an included angle-weighted average of the normals of all the selected elements. Each element may have a different normal, particularly on non-planar surfaces. When you are translating elements with different normals, the size and shape of the elements may change.

The following graphic shows a mesh of 2D quadrilateral elements on a slightly curved surface (1). In (2), all of the elements in that mesh are translated 20mm using the Element Normal option from the Direction list. Notice how the size of some of the translated elements is different.

Translating elements between two points

Use the Point to Point option in the Direction list to translate or copy and translate selected elements from one specified point to another point.

An existing set of 2D elements along with a specified start point (1) and a specified end point (2) that lies at the origin of the work coordinate system.	The new elements after the software copies and translates the selected elements to the specified end point.

Where do I find it?

Application	Pre/Post
Prerequisite	A FEM file as the work part and displayed part
Command Finder	Element Copy and Translate
Menu	Insert→Element→Element Copy and Translate

How do I

Copy and Translate elements

Learn more

1D element coating meshes

Quick links

Command reference

Pre/Post video examples

Bulk Entry Descriptions

Simcenter 3D tutorials

Browse Simcenter 3D help by product area

Translating elements, Simcenter 3D 2021.1 Series

© 2020 Siemens

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