Basics HyperMesh Desktop

Organizing a Model

Organizing model data can be beneficial when creating a valid solver input file. Basic tasks
used to organize model data such as placing elements and loads into groups (collectors),
organizing collectors into assemblies, renaming, deleting, reordering, and renumbering are
discussed in this section.
In this section, you will learn how to:

• Create geometry and organize it into components

• Organize elements into components
• Rename components
• Identify and delete empty components
• Delete all the geometry lines
• Reorder the components in a specific order
• Renumber all the components, starting with ID 1 and incrementing by 1
• Create an assembly
• Organize the constraints

Model organization is at the heart of a quality Finite Element Analysis. The model can be
organized in a multitude of different ways as desired by the user, but below are the basics for
model organization.

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Collectors
The basis for model organization is the collector. HyperMesh has many different types of
collectors:

*NOTE: Property and Material collectors do not “contain” any entities and are used to define
material and physical properties in the model. They are called collectors for uniformity.

Collectors can be created in a number of ways.

• HyperMesh Model Browser:

• Right clicking in the Model Browser opens a menu from which the selection of
Create allows for creation of any type of collector.
• Right clicking in the Model Browser will also allow you to edit, rename, change ID,
change color and delete collectors as well.

• Pull down Menus

Selecting the Collectors Pull-Down and then selecting Create will provide the ability
to create any of the non-property collectors.

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Material and Property Collectors can be created in a similar manner using the
Material and Property Pull-Downs.

• Collectors Toolbar
The Icons can be used to create collectors as well.

• Favourite Toolbar

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Model Organization – Model Browser

Model Browser:
• View collectors and assemblies in a hierarchical tree format

• Create, delete, and rename collectors

• Edit collector attributes

• Organize collectors into assemblies (Drag and drop)

• Also available using the Collectors icon

Model Organization – Model Browser & Current Collector

The Current Collector determines what collector new entities are placed in.
The Current Collector can be determined in two ways: Model View or Status Bar.
Using the Model View:

• In the Model View the Current collector will be in BOLD

• Note the mid2 collector is in a bold font and thus is the Current collector.
• Right clicking on a collector will open a menu that will allow it to be made current.

Using the Status Bar:

• In the Status Bar click on the Set Current Component field and select the one you
want to male current from the list that appears in the panel area.

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Model Organization – Model Browser & Entity Editor

Create the entities needed for your model using Model browser + Entity Editor.

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Model Organization – Reference Browser

New entities are created in the current collector:
References represented by the icon correspond to entities that are referenced by the
specified entity.
Cross-references represented by the icon correspond to entities that reference the
specified entity.

For example, in the case of a component, Cross-references would list the groups, sets,
output blocks, etc that refer to the selected component. In addition, only for components,
Cross-reference will have sub folders named Node and Element and will list the entities
where the selected component’s node or element is referred.

Organize
Organize is a tool that can be used to move/copy entities to different collectors.

It can be accessed using the icon or from pull down menu View > Organize and will
open the panel shown below.

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Renumber
The Renumber panel allows you to renumber entities. You may also enter a value by which
to offset the IDs of entities.

It can be accessed using the icon or from pull down menu View > Renumber and will
open the panel shown below.

Delete
The Delete panel allows you to delete data from a model database; preview and delete
empty collectors; preview and delete unused collectors (property, material, curves).
You can also delete an entire model database, if you wish to start with a clean database.

It can be accessed using the icon or (F2) and will open the panel shown below.

Nodes
The Nodes panel allows you to create nodes using a wide variety of methods. It can be
accessed from pull down menu Geometry > Create > Nodes or (F8) and will open the panel
shown below.

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Temp Nodes
The Temp Nodes panel provides a way to control which nodes are on the temporary node
mark. Since all nodes not currently referenced in the model are deleted, the temporary node
mark is provided as a holding area to save the nodes you are not currently using.
It can be accessed using the icon from pull down menu Geometry > Create > Nodes >
Temp Nodes or (Shift+F2)

this will open the panel shown below.

Distance
The Distance panel allows you to determine the distance between two nodes/points or the
angle between three nodes/points, or to change distances or angles. It can be accessed
(F4) and will open the panel shown below.

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