Create Hex Mesh from One Volume

Create a new 3D mesh from a single, mappable solid volume.

1. From the Mesh ribbon, click the Hex tool.

   
   
   Figure 1.

2. Select the One Volume subpanel.
3. For volume to mesh, select the solid/surface to mesh.
4. Define the direction of mesh mapping.
   1. For source hint, select the “beginning” surface.
   2. For dest hint, select the “ending” surface.
5. For source shells, select the type of elements to use when creating the resulting output solid mesh.

   This defines the 2D mesh on the initial surface of the solid, and will dictate the output element type when meshing the solids.

   • Choose mixed to use hexa and penta elements.
   • Choose quad to create hexa elements.
   • Choose trias or R-trias to create only penta elements (right-angle pentas in the case of R-trias).
6. Select which component to put the newly-created elements.
   • Choose elems to solid/surf comp to organize elements in the same component that contains the solid and its surfaces.
   • Choose elems to current comp to organize new elements in the current component.
7. To smooth the elements on the resulting face of the solid to improve the resulting mesh quality, select the smooth dest checkbox.
8. For along parameters, define the parameters required for the mesh along the solid map.

   This determines the number of elements along the depth of the mapping. If the size or density is set to "0", the element size/density is calculated based on the average element size of the source elements (elems to drag).

9. For along bias style, choose the type of biasing to use while creating nodes in the along direction.

   The biasing style works in conjunction with biasing intensity. If intensity is "0", biasing is not applied.

10. In the intensity field, enter a biasing intensity.
11. Click mesh.