HM-2040: Create and Edit Line Data

Sometimes CAE users need to create models from sketches where there is no pre-existing geometry. The tools in this tutorial will help you accomplish that task.

In this tutorial you will learn how to:
  • Create circle, arc, line, and tangent lines
  • Duplicate and translate lines
  • Edit lines by splitting and displaying their IDs
  • Delete redundant arcs and lines
  • Duplicate and reflect an arc
  • Create a surface square and two parallel lines on an X-Y plane
  • Create a fillet between two lines
  • Exporting geometry in IGES format

Create a Component Collector

In this step you will create a component collector to geometry.

  1. To create a component, right-click in the Model Browser and select Create > Component from the context menu, or click Collectors > Create > Components from the menu bar.
  2. In the Create Component dialog, type geometry in the Name field.
  3. Click the Color swatch and select yellow from the box of colors.
  4. Click Create.

Create Nodes

In this step you will create nodes.

  1. On the Standard toolbar, click .
  2. To open the Create Nodes panel in the XYZ subpanel, click Geometry > Create > Nodes > XYZ from the menu bar.
  3. Enter the following X, Y, and Z coordinates listed in the table below to create five nodes.


    Figure 1.
  4. Click create for each of the nodes.
  5. Click return.
  6. To fit the size of the model to the graphics area, press f.

Display the Node IDs

In this step you will display the node IDs.

  1. To open the Numbers panel, click on the Display toolbar.
  2. Verify that the entity selector is set to nodes.
  3. To select all nodes in the model, click nodes >> all.
  4. Select the display checkbox.
  5. Click on.
    HyperMesh displays the node IDs.


    Figure 2.
  6. Click return.

Create a Circle

In this step you will create a circle.

  1. To open the Circle Center and Radius panel, click Geometry > Create > Lines > Circle Center and Radius from the menu bar.
  2. Verify that the node list selector is active.
  3. Select Node 2. This will be the location of the circle's center.
  4. Set the orientation vector to x-axis.
  5. In the radius field, type 5.
  6. Click create.
    HyperMesh creates the circle's center. Your circle may look different.


    Figure 3.

Create an Arc

In this step you will create an arc.

  1. To open the Arc Center and Radius subpanel, click .
  2. Verify that the node list entity selector is active.
  3. Select node 2. This node will be the center of the arc as well as the base for the axis of rotation.
  4. Verify that the orientation vector is set to x-axis.
  5. In the Radius field, type 2.5.
  6. In the Offset field, type 90.
  7. In the Angle field, type 180.
  8. Click create.
    HyperMesh creates an arc.
  9. On the Standard toolbar, click .


    Figure 4.

Create a Line

In this step you will create a line.

  1. To open the Linear Nodes subpanel, click .
  2. Select Node 4 and Node 5.
  3. Click create.
    HyperMesh creates a line between nodes 4 and 5.


    Figure 5.
  4. Click return.

Duplicate and Translate Lines

In this step you will duplicate and translate lines.

  1. To open the Translate panel, click Geometry > Translate > Lines from the menu bar.
  2. Verify that the entity selector is set to lines.
  3. Select the line that was created between nodes 4 and 5.
  4. Click lines >> duplicate >> current comp.
    HyperMesh copies the new line into the current component, Geometry.
  5. Set the orientation vector to y-axis.
  6. In the magnitude = field, type 10.0.
  7. Click translate-.


    Figure 6.
  8. Click return.

Edit Lines by Splitting

In this step you will edit lines by splitting at a line.

  1. To open the Line Edit panel, click Geometry > Edit > Lines > Split at Line from the menu bar.
  2. Verify that the lines selector is active.
  3. Select the top, right curved line of the circle indicated in the following image.


    Figure 7.
  4. Click cut line.
  5. Select the line between nodes 4 and 5.
  6. Click split.
    The circle has one quarter of its radius split off from the rest.
  7. Repeat Steps 2 through 6 to select the top, left curved line of the circle and the other line that was translated in Step 7.
  8. Click return.

Display the Line IDs

In this step you will display the line IDs.

  1. Click the Tools option on the right of the panel then go to the Numbers panel.
  2. Set the entity selector to lines.
  3. Click lines >> all.
    HyperMesh selects all lines in the model.
  4. Verify that the display check box is selected.
  5. To display all line IDs, click on.
  6. Click return.

Delete a Redundant Arc

In this step you will delete a redundant arc.

  1. To open the Delete panel, click on the Collectors toolbar, or press F2.
  2. Set the entity selector to lines.
  3. Select the bottom right curved line of the circle indicated in the following image.


    Figure 8.
  4. Click delete entity.
    HyperMesh deletes the redundant arc.
  5. Select the bottom left curve and then click delete entity.
  6. Click return.

Duplicate and Reflect an Arc

In this step you will duplicate and reflect an arc.

  1. To open the Reflect panel, click Geometry > Reflect > Lines from the menu bar.
  2. Set the entity selector to lines.
  3. Select the arc (line ID 2).
  4. Set the orientation vector to z-axis.
  5. Select Node 2 as the base node.
  6. Click lines >> duplicate >> original comp to copy the new line into the current component, Geometry.
  7. Click reflect.
    HyperMesh creates the lower arc.
  8. Click return.


    Figure 9.

Create Tangent Lines

In this step you will create two tangent lines.

  1. To go to the Tangents panel, click Geometry > Create > Lines > Tangent from the menu bar.
  2. Set the entity selector to node list.
  3. Select Node 3.
  4. Activate the line selector.
  5. Select the semi-circular line (line ID 5).
    Note: Your line IDs may be different depending on whether you needed to perform the split/delete/duplicate tasks more than once.
  6. Click create.
    HyperMesh creates two tangent lines.
  7. Select one of the tangent lines.
  8. Repeat Steps 3 through 7.
  9. Select the other tangent line.
  10. To exit the panel, click return.


    Figure 10.

Redisplay Line IDs

In this step you will redisplay the line IDs.

  1. Go to the Numbers panel.
  2. Set the entity selector to lines.
  3. Click lines >> all.
  4. Verify that the display checkbox is selected.
  5. Click on.
    HyperMesh displays all line IDs.
  6. To exit the panel, click return.

Split Curves

In this step you will split curves by tangent line and delete redundant lines.

  1. Go to the Split at line subpanel.
  2. Verify that the lines selector is active.
  3. Select the semi-circular line (ID 5).
    Note: The line IDs may be different.
  4. Click cut line.
  5. Select the left tangent line (ID 9).
  6. Click split.
    HyperMesh splits the semi-circular line (ID 5) with the selected tangent line (ID 9).
  7. Repeat Steps 2 through 6 to cut the semi-circular line (ID 5) with the right tangent line (ID 8).
  8. Go to the Delete panel.
  9. Verify that entity selector is active and set to lines.
  10. Select the semi-circular line between the two tangent lines indicated in the following image.


    Figure 11.
  11. Click delete entity.
    HyperMesh deletes the semi-circular line.
  12. To exit the panels, click return twice.


    Figure 12.

Create a Component Collector

In this step you will create a component collector for surfaces.

  1. In the Model Browser, right-click and select Create > Component from the context menu.
  2. In the Create Component dialog, type surfaces in the Name field.
  3. Click the Color icon and select purple.
  4. Click Create.

Create a Surface Square

In this step you will create a surface square on an X-Y plane.

  1. From the main panel, go to the 2D panel and select Planes.
  2. Go to the Square subpanel.
  3. Set the orientation vector to z-axis.
  4. Select Node 1 as the base reference node.
  5. Switch mesh, keep surf to surface only.
  6. In the size= field, type 30.
  7. Click create.
    HyperMesh creates a square surface.
  8. To exit the panel, click return.


    Figure 13.

Connect Parallel Lines

In this step you will create a line that connects two parallel lines on an X-Y plane.

  1. To open the Intersect panel, click Geometry > Create > Lines > Intersect.
  2. To create a line on the X-Y plane, set the orientation vector to z-axis.
  3. Select Node 1 as the base node.
  4. Activate the line list selector.
  5. Select the two straight lines that are perpendicular to the X-Y plane indicated in the following image.
    HyperMesh displays a bold, white line in the graphics area to represent the results.


    Figure 14.
  6. Click create.
    HyperMesh creates the line.
  7. To exit the panel, click return.

Switch Current Work Component Surfaces

In this step you will switch the current working component surfaces to geometry.

In the Model Browser, Component folder, right-click on geometry and select Make Current from the context menu.
Note: From this point on, when you create any new elements or geometry, HyperMesh will place them in the geometry component collector.

Extend a Line

In this step you will extend a line to a surface edge.

  1. On the Standard Views toolbar, click .
  2. To open the Extend panel, click Geometry > Edit > Lines > Extend from the menu bar.
  3. Toggle the distance = to to:.
  4. Set the entity selector to line.
  5. Activate the top line selector.
  6. Select the line that you created in step 17 (the line that passes through Node 1) as the line to be extended. HyperMesh places a red V at the beginning of the line to be extended.
  7. Activate the lower line selector.
  8. Select the lower-right edge of the purple indicated in the following image.


    Figure 15.
  9. Click extend-.
    HyperMesh extends the line to reach one surface edge.
  10. To exit the panel, click return.
    Your model should resemble the following image.


    Figure 16.

Create a Fillet between Two Lines

In this step you will create a fillet between two lines.

  1. To open the Fillet subpanel, click Geometry > Create > Lines > Fillet from the menu bar.
  2. Select the Trim original lines checkbox.
  3. In the Radius= field, type 5.
  4. Activate the 1st line selector.
  5. Select the vertical line through which the extended line passes indicated in the following image.


    Figure 17.
  6. Activate the 2nd line selector.
  7. Select the extended line that you created in Step 19. The status bar reads, "Please select fillet quadrant", which indicates that HyperMesh wants you to select a reference location for the fillet.
  8. Select the top, right X for the fillet quadrant indicated in the following image.
    HyperMesh creates a fillet.


    Figure 18.
  9. To return to the Lines panel, click return.


    Figure 19.

Trim a Line by Plane

In this step you will trim a line by plane and delete a redundant line segment.

  1. To open the Split at Plane panel, click Geometry > Edit > Lines > Split at Plane from the menu bar.
  2. Verify that the lines selector is active.
  3. Select the vertical line that does not have a fillet indicated in the following image.


    Figure 20.
  4. Set the orientation vector to z-axis.
  5. Select Node 1 as the base node.
  6. Click split.
    HyperMesh splits the line by the X-Y plane.
  7. Go to the Delete panel.
  8. Set the entity selector to lines.
  9. Select the small line segment under the X-Y plane.


    Figure 21.
  10. Click delete entity.
    HyperMesh removes the line segment.
  11. To exit the panels, click return twice.

Remove Temp Nodes

In this step you will remove all temp nodes.

  1. To go to the Temp Nodes panel, click Mesh > Delete > Nodes from the menu bar, or press Shift + F2.
  2. Click clear all.
    HyperMesh removes all temp nodes.
  3. To exit the panel, click return.

Change the Rendering Mode

In this step you will change the rendering mode.

To shade the model's geometry and surface edges, click on the Visualization toolbar.
The plane (purple) becomes shaded instead of the wire frame.


Figure 22.

Export Geometry to an IGES File

In this step you will export all geometry as an IGES file.

  1. To open the Export Geometry tab, click File > Export > Geometry from the menu bar.
  2. From the File type list, select IGES.
  3. From the File field, navigate to the location of your working directory and save the file.
  4. From the Source Units and Target Units fields, select an export unit system.
  5. Click Export.
    HyperMesh generates the IGES file.
    Note: This file can be shared with other CAD packages such as UG, Catia, and ProE.