Proximity Morph

Use the Proximity tool to morph mesh using a simple distance or perturbation value around selected nodes, faces, edges, or shapes.

Move the mesh using the graphical manipulator, or by optionally mapping to target entities. Usage of this tool is analogous to the Free Morph tool, but without the need to define anchors or morph areas, making it a simpler and faster approach for applicable use cases. This approach is also great for morphing surfaces of 3d meshes where only a few element layers around the moving nodes need to be morphed.

From the Morph ribbon, click the Proximity tool.

Figure 1.
Optional: On the guide bar, click to define morphing options.
Select the node(s), face(s), edge(s), or shape(s) to move.
Review the proximity-based morph area around the moving entities (red colored mesh), and use the microdialog to adjust it as needed.

Figure 2.
Morph the mesh in the following ways:
- When selecting nodes, faces, or edges: Move entities freely using the Move tool (see manipulator options below).
  - The position of the Move tool is set at the center of the selected entities. Selecting new entities updates the position of the Move tool. Double-click the Move tool to reposition it manually.
  - The position of the normal offset arrow is set at the center of the selected entities. Click anywhere on the selected entities to reposition the offset arrow to that location.
- When selecting shapes: Move entities freely along the selected shape using the shape magnitude arrow. The magnitude is in the form of a multiplying factor with respect to the selected shape.
  - The position of the shape magnitude arrow is set at the center of the selected shape. Click anywhere on the selected shape to reposition the offset arrow to that location
- Activate the Targets selector and select target geometry or mesh to map to, then use the microdialog to execute the morph and adjust available mapping options.
  Deselect targets to move nodes freely again.
Optional: Use the Additional Anchors option on the guide bar to optionally select additional nodes to anchor.
Anchored nodes will not move while morphing

Manipulator Options

Use the following microdialog options to change the Move tool mode between translating & rotating (default), or offsetting normal to mesh.

- Switch to normal offset mode

Click this button to replace the standard Move tool with a single normal offset arrow. Drag or click on the arrow to type a normal offset value to move the mesh. This mode is not available for nodes connected to 3D elements.

The following additional options are available when using this mode:

Normal offset method

Use this option to change the offset direction calculation method for each moving node:

Averaged normals: Calculate the average normal direction of all connected elements, or all connected elements specified in the Normal Elements selector.
Smoothed normals: Calculate the average normal direction of all connected elements, or connected elements specified in the Normal Elements selector, and then smooth them so that transitions near corners are not abrupt.
CFD corners: Calculate the average normal direction of all connected elements, or connected elements specified in the Normal Elements selector, and then smooth them so that elements near corners are not folded. This method can be time consuming, so for meshes without many sharp corners the smoothed normals option will be more efficient while still producing good results.

Normal Elements

Click this button to review and edit the elements connected to the moving nodes that will be used for calculating the offset directions. By default, the minimum number of elements connected to all moving nodes is automatically determined but can be customized with this option to further restrict the normal offset operation.

When using a customized Normal Elements selection, only nodes still connected to any Normal Elements will move, and any nodes left without a connected Normal Element will not move.

If the Normal Elements selector is emptied completely, all elements connected to the moving nodes will be automatically used for the offset direction calculation.

- Switch to move mode

Click this button to replace the normal offset arrow with the Move tool. The Move tool includes all standard translating and rotating arrows.

Mapping Options

Use the following microdialog options when selecting target geometry with the Proximity tool.

- Projection direction

Along vector: Project along a user-defined direction using the Vector tool. After a direction is defined, press Esc to close the tool.
Normal to target: Project normal to target.
Normal to source: Project normal to nodes' mesh.
Smoothed normals: Calculate the average normal direction for all elements and then smooth them so that transitions near corners are not abrupt.
CFD normals: Use a sophisticated algorithm to smooth the normals for all the elements such that the elements will not get folded when their nodes are morphed.; For cases where your mesh contains sharp corners, the CFD corners option will produce the smoothest projections. However, it can be time consuming, and for meshes without such sharp corners, the smoothed normals option will work quickly while giving good results.
Fit to line: Fit along line through target.

- Toggle extended surface edges

Extend the edges of the surfaces or mesh in a direction perpendicular to the normal at the closest point on the surfaces or mesh. If this option is selected, the moving nodes will be projected on to an extended representation of the surfaces or mesh, enabling you to project nodes beyond the edge of the surfaces or mesh as well as within any holes. If this option is not selected, the moving nodes will be projected on to the interior or edges of the surfaces or mesh, which may end up distorting the morphed mesh.

In Figure 3, three surfaces are floating above an angled mesh. All of the nodes of the mesh are selected as moving nodes and they are projected to the surfaces in the normal to geom direction. With extend surface edges selected, the moving nodes are moved either to the surfaces or to virtual surfaces which extend perpendicular to the normal direction at the edge of the surface. Note how the nodes end up placed inside the hole in the center of the largest surface. Without extend surface edges selected, the moving nodes are moved to the nearest point of the surfaces. Note how several layers of moving nodes end up compressed at the edge of the surfaces and around the edge of the hole.

Note: Available when elements or surfaces are the target entity.

- Offset

Offset distance

Apply an offset value to be maintained between the moving nodes and the selected targets. This value represents an absolute distance, regardless of the direction in which the nodes are moved.

A positive value for the offset will place the nodes short of the target, a negative value for the offset will place the nodes beyond the target, and an offset of zero will place the nodes on the target.

When mapping to target elements, the direction of the offset will be calculated using the element normals.

Average thickness plus offset

The offset value is automatically calculated based on the thickness values assigned to the moving and target mesh, as follows:

$\frac{t 1 + t 2}{2} + offset value$

Where,

t1 - Thickness of the elements connected to the moving nodes.

t2 - Thickness of the target elements. If the selected targets do not have a thickness, t2 is considered as zero.

Average thickness times offset

The offset value is automatically calculated based on the thickness values assigned to the moving and target mesh, as follows:

$\frac{t 1 + t 2}{2} * offset value$

Where,

t1 - Thickness of the elements connected to the moving nodes.

t2 - Thickness of the target elements. If the selected targets do not have a thickness, t2 is considered as zero.

- Offset in all directions

Measure the offset from each node to the closest point on the target, regardless of projection direction.

When turned off, the offset is measured along the direction of projection of each node.