Workshop 3.

1
DesignModeler Basics
16.0 Release

Introduction to ANSYS DesignModeler

1 © 2015 ANSYS, Inc. January 26, 2015 ANSYS Confidential

 Introduction
Background
• This workshop assumes little or no prior
experience of DesignModeler. Basic principles
will be demonstrated through the creation of a
simple pipe intersection.

Objectives
• Creating a Workbench project
• Starting DesignModeler
• Creating a sketch
• Creating 3d geometry
• Updating and modifying geometry
• GUI navigation
• Saving the project

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 Project Startup
• Create the Project
• Start Workbench.
 Start  All Programs  ANSYS
16.0  Workbench 16.0

 Expand Component Systems and drag

and drop a Geometry component
system into the Project Schematic.

 Double click on the Geometry cell

(A2) to start Design Modeler.

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 Preparation
Planning
• Before starting it’s a good idea to think about
how the geometry can be defined in terms of
sketches and modelling operations.
– Sketches are 2D entities. 3D Geometry is created by
applying modelling operations using the sketches as
input.

• This basic geometry can be defined by two simple

sketches centred about the global origin.
• The larger of the two can then be extruded
vertically whilst the smaller extruded
horizontally.

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 Set Dimensions
Set Units
• In this session we will be using inches.
• Go to Units tab and select Inch.
 Units  Inch

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 1st Sketch Creation
• Create a Sketch
• In the Tree Outline, select the XY Plane.

• Click the Look At button in the toolbar.

• Select the Sketching Mode Tab.

– This will display the Sketching Toolboxes

• Each toolbox expands by clicking on it and
display the available tools.
• Select the Draw Toolbox.
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Tips and Tricks : You can directly click on “Look At”
button for 1st sketch creation of any plane and jump
to Sketching mode
For 2nd sketch creation on the same plane you have
ANSYS Confidential to click on “new sketch” icon
 Sketch Creation
Create a Sketch (Continued)
• Select the Circle Tool.
 When any sketching tool is selected the
information bar provides instructions.
• Move the cursor over the origin until a letter
‘P’ appears then click once (‘P’ is a point
constraint).
• Move the cursor away from the origin to 1 2
define the radius and click once again.
• Don’t worry about the exact size, dimensions
are added in a separate step.
• You can use the Undo button if you make a
mistake.

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 Sketch Creation
Adding Dimensions
• Select the Dimensions Toolbox
• Make sure the ‘General’ tool is selected.
• Following the sequence shown below.
1. Click once on the circle edge.
2. Move the cursor away and click once again
to set the position of the dimension.

1 2

Add on Info : The General dimension tool

automatically selects the most appropriate
dimension type based on the selected sketch
entity – in this case, diameter
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 Sketch Creation
Adding Dimensions
• When working with a sketch, dimensions
are displayed in the details view.
• Enter 4 in the Sketch Details View in the
field next to the newly created dimension
(D1) and press enter. There is no need to
type the units
 The sketch will update.

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 Sketch Creation
Create the Second Sketch
• Click the ISO ball on the axis triad to
snap to the isometric view.
• We can see that the larger circle must
be created on the ZX Plane.
• Change the Active Plane to the ZX
Plane using the drop down box.
 The view will automatically
orientate.

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 Sketch Creation
Create the Second Sketch
• Create a circle centred on the ZX Plane origin and add a
dimension using the same procedure as before. As a
reminder;
– Select the Draw Toolbox.
– Select the Circle tool.
– Click on the origin, then click to define the radius.
– Select the Dimension Toolbox.
– Select the General tool.
– Click on the circle then click to position the dimension.
• Set the Dimension to 6 and select the ‘Modeling’ Mode
tab.

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 Modeling Operations
View Both Sketches
• Expand both the XY and ZX Planes in the Tree
Outline as shown.
• The two sketches you have just created are
listed below their respective planes.
 By default only the last active sketch is
displayed. Right click on each sketch in the
Outline Tree and select “Always Show Sketch” to
ensure both are displayed.

• Select the isometric view by clicking the iso

ball.
• Check you have two sketches orientated as
shown.

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 Modeling Operations
Add a Modeling Feature
• Click on Sketch 1 in the Tree Outline and select
the Extrude feature from the Create menu.
1
 The Extrude command will be inserted into the
Tree Outline.
 Commonly used features also have shortcut
buttons in the toolbar.

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 Modeling Operations
Add a Modeling Feature (Continued)
• In the Details View set the extrusion depth to
14.75
• other fields set at default values.

• Click Generate.

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 Modeling Operations
Add a Modeling Feature (Continued)
• Now we’ll create remaining section by extruding the second sketch.
• Click on Sketch 2 in the tree and select the Extrude feature again from the create menu or toolbar.
 Because the sketch lies in the middle of
the required geometry we’ll need to
extrude it symmetrically by an equal
distance.

• In the Details View set Direction to

‘Both Symmetric’ by clicking in the
field and using the drop down box.
• Set the extrusion depth to 14.
• Click Generate.

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 Review
Notes
• The geometry is now complete
• The following slides will demonstrate how DesignModeler
processes changes in sketch dimensions and general GUI
operations.

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 Save the Project
• This completes the workshop.
• From the main menu select File  Close DesignModeler
– Workbench will save any application data.

• From the Workbench Project Page use the file menu and save the
project as “DMWS3.1.wbpj” to your working folder.

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 Additional Tasks

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 Modifying the Geometry
Edit a Sketch Dimension
• Select Sketch 1 in the Tree Outline.
• In the Details View change the dimension to
2, press enter.
• Note that the sketch updates in the
Graphics Window but the Geometry
remains the same.
• When a change is made like this any
dependent features downstream in the
Tree Outline will require regeneration –
denoted by the generate symbol.
• Click Generate.
• Reset the dimension to 4 and Generate to
restore the geometry.

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 Using the GUI
Controlling the View
• Use the Axis Triad to quickly align views. +Z view
• Select +Z.

• Selecting the opposite side of the any axis

will align the view to the reverse normal –
select –Y as shown.
Click the View Back button.
-Y view
– This will restore the previous view.
• Restore isometric by click the ISO ball.

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 Using the GUI (2)
Rotating & Zooming
• Set the cursor to Rotate.

• Click once on the geometry surface

approximately where indicated.
 The red ball indicates the new rotation
origin location.
• The model will now rotate around this point.
• Use the box zoom button to zoom in as
shown.

• Right click in the Graphics Window, select

Zoom to Fit to restore the default zoom level.
Use the iso ball to set the view to isometric.
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 Using the GUI (3)
Hiding Faces
• Set the Selection Filter to Faces.
• Select the face as shown.
• Right click, Hide Face(s).
• To restore, right click, Show all Faces.
• Spend some time practising using the
view manipulation tools
demonstrated over the last few slides.
• With larger, complex models
proficiency with the viewing controls
will make tasks much easier.

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