Manufacturing Solutions

Find Panel

Find Panel

 Previous topic Next topic Expand/collapse all hidden text  

Find Panel

 Previous topic Next topic JavaScript is required for expanding text JavaScript is required for the print function  

User Profiles:

Incremental_RADIOSS

Incremental_LS-DYNA

RADIOSS One Step

Die Module

Use the Find panel to locate entities in a database.  You can use the Find Entities subpanel to find individual elements in your model.

When you find entities, you will often want to turn on the IDs, or save them to the user mark. At the very least, when you find a hidden entity, it will be displayed.

The Find Attached subpanel finds entities that are attached to other entities.  For example, after you have selected an element, you may use this function to view the elements that are attached to it, allowing you to move progressively through the model, row by row.  The Find Attached subpanel allows you to find entities that are attached to geometry or FE entities.

The Between subpanel allows you to find entities that are shared by two or more of the selected entities.  For example, you could find nodes that are shared between selected components or surfaces, and so on.

 

Subpanels and Inputs

The Find panel contains the following subpanels:

hmtoggle_arrow1Find Entities

Panel Inputs

Input

Action

entity selector

Select the data type of the entities to find.

When you select nodes or elems, click the switch to change the selection mode.

nodes

Select individual nodes.

faces_edges_nodes

faces

Select all of the nodes on 2D and 3D faces.

If there are discontinuities on a 2D face, then only the nodes inbetween the discontinuities will be selected.

faces_edges_faces_nodes

2D faces ext

Select all of the nodes on a 2D face that contain discontinuities.

faces_edges_2d_face_ext_nodes

loops

Select all of the nodes on continuous free edges that make a closed loop simultaneously, such as the perimeter of a hole.

Only valid for SHELL elements.

faces_edges_loops_nodes

free edges

Select all of the nodes on free edges of elements.

If there are discontinuities on an edge, then only the nodes on the free edges inbetween the discontinuities will be selected.

Only valid for SHELL elements.

faces_edges_free_edges_nodes

free edges ext

Select all of the nodes on free edges of elements that contain discontinuities.

Only valid for SHELL elements.

faces_edges_free_edges_ext_nodes

edges

Select all of the nodes on free edges or shared edges (butt joints, L/corner joints, and T-joints) of elements.

If there are discontinuities on an edge, then only the nodes on the edge inbetween the discontinuities will be selected.

Only valid for SHELL elements.

faces_edges_edges_nodes

edges ext

Select all of the nodes on free edges or shared edges (butt joints, L/corner joints, and T-joints) of elements that contain discontinuities.

Only valid for SHELL elements.

faces_edges_edges_ext_nodes

elems

Select individual elements, or select all of the elements contained by a component or on a surface.

faces_edges_entities

faces

Select all of the elements on 2D and 3D faces.

If there are discontinuities on a 2D face, then only the elements inbetween the discontinuities will be selected.

faces_edges_faces

2D faces ext

Select all of the elements on a 2D face that contain discontinuities.

faces_edges_2d_faces_ext

numbers

Displays the numbers of the entities.

found nodes: on mark / temp nodes

Only displays when nodes is chosen as the entity.

free lines / surf edges

Only displays when lines is chosen as the entity

free edges

Only displays when surf edges is chosen.

shared edges

Only displays when surf edges is chosen.

non-manifold edges

Only displays when surf edges is chosen.

suppressed edges

Only displays when surf edges is chosen.

display: only connector

Only displays when connectors is chosen as the entity.

display: connector and FE

Only displays when connectors is chosen as the entity.

face angle / individual selection

Face angle

The face angle is the angle between the normal of facets that share an element edge. A facet can either be a shell element itself, or one of the faces of a solid element. The normal of triangular facets is that of the plane defined three corner vertices. Whereas, the normal of quadrilateral facets is calculated by taking the cross-product between its two diagonals. This special treatment for quadrilaterals is because a warped shape does not lie completely on a plane.

Only available when the entity selector is set to nodes or elems and the selection mode is set to faces, 2d faces ext, free edges, free edges ext, edges, or edges ext.

 

Individual Selection

Select individual elements on a face or select individual free/shared edges of elements.

Only available when the entity selector is set to nodes or elems and the selection mode is set to faces, free edges, or edges.

edge angle

Splits edges that belong to a given face.

When the edge angle is 180 degrees, edges are the continuous boundaries of faces. For smaller values, these same boundary edges are split wherever the angle between segments exceeds the specified value. A segment is the edge of a single element.

Only available when the entity selector is set to nodes and the selection mode is set to free edges, free edges ext, edges, or edges ext.

 
hmtoggle_arrow1Find Attached

Panel Inputs

Input

Action

entity selector

Select the data type of the entities to find.

attached to selector

The data type of the entities to which the entities you want to locate are attached.

When you select nodes or elems, click the switch to change the selection mode.

nodes

Select individual nodes.

faces_edges_nodes

faces

Select all of the nodes on 2D and 3D faces.

If there are discontinuities on a 2D face, then only the nodes inbetween the discontinuities will be selected.

faces_edges_faces_nodes

2D faces ext

Select all of the nodes on a 2D face that contain discontinuities.

faces_edges_2d_face_ext_nodes

loops

Select all of the nodes on continuous free edges that make a closed loop simultaneously, such as the perimeter of a hole.

Only valid for SHELL elements.

faces_edges_loops_nodes

free edges

Select all of the nodes on free edges of elements.

If there are discontinuities on an edge, then only the nodes on the free edges inbetween the discontinuities will be selected.

Only valid for SHELL elements.

faces_edges_free_edges_nodes

free edges ext

Select all of the nodes on free edges of elements that contain discontinuities.

Only valid for SHELL elements.

faces_edges_free_edges_ext_nodes

edges

Select all of the nodes on free edges or shared edges (butt joints, L/corner joints, and T-joints) of elements.

If there are discontinuities on an edge, then only the nodes on the edge inbetween the discontinuities will be selected.

Only valid for SHELL elements.

faces_edges_edges_nodes

edges ext

Select all of the nodes on free edges or shared edges (butt joints, L/corner joints, and T-joints) of elements that contain discontinuities.

Only valid for SHELL elements.

faces_edges_edges_ext_nodes

elems

Select individual elements, or select all of the elements contained by a component or on a surface.

faces_edges_entities

faces

Select all of the elements on 2D and 3D faces.

If there are discontinuities on a 2D face, then only the elements inbetween the discontinuities will be selected.

faces_edges_faces

2D faces ext

Select all of the elements on a 2D face that contain discontinuities.

faces_edges_2d_faces_ext

numbers

Displays the numbers of the entities.

found nodes: temp nodes/ on mark

Only displays when nodes is chosen as the entity.

face angle / individual selection

Face angle

The face angle is the angle between the normal of facets that share an element edge. A facet can either be a shell element itself, or one of the faces of a solid element. The normal of triangular facets is that of the plane defined three corner vertices. Whereas, the normal of quadrilateral facets is calculated by taking the cross-product between its two diagonals. This special treatment for quadrilaterals is because a warped shape does not lie completely on a plane.

Only available when the entity selector is set to nodes or elems and the selection mode is set to faces, 2d faces ext, free edges, free edges ext, edges, or edges ext.

 

Individual Selection

Select individual elements on a face or select individual free/shared edges of elements.

Only available when the entity selector is set to nodes or elems and the selection mode is set to faces, free edges, or edges.

edge angle

Splits edges that belong to a given face.

When the edge angle is 180 degrees, edges are the continuous boundaries of faces. For smaller values, these same boundary edges are split wherever the angle between segments exceeds the specified value. A segment is the edge of a single element.

Only available when the entity selector is set to nodes and the selection mode is set to free edges, free edges ext, edges, or edges ext.

 
hmtoggle_arrow1Between

Panel Inputs

Input

Action

nodes / connectors

Select the data type of the entities to find.

entity selector

The data type of the entities to which the entities you want to locate are between.

When you select nodes or elems, click the switch to change the selection mode.

nodes

Select individual nodes.

faces_edges_nodes

faces

Select all of the nodes on 2D and 3D faces.

If there are discontinuities on a 2D face, then only the nodes inbetween the discontinuities will be selected.

faces_edges_faces_nodes

2D faces ext

Select all of the nodes on a 2D face that contain discontinuities.

faces_edges_2d_face_ext_nodes

loops

Select all of the nodes on continuous free edges that make a closed loop simultaneously, such as the perimeter of a hole.

Only valid for SHELL elements.

faces_edges_loops_nodes

free edges

Select all of the nodes on free edges of elements.

If there are discontinuities on an edge, then only the nodes on the free edges inbetween the discontinuities will be selected.

Only valid for SHELL elements.

faces_edges_free_edges_nodes

free edges ext

Select all of the nodes on free edges of elements that contain discontinuities.

Only valid for SHELL elements.

faces_edges_free_edges_ext_nodes

edges

Select all of the nodes on free edges or shared edges (butt joints, L/corner joints, and T-joints) of elements.

If there are discontinuities on an edge, then only the nodes on the edge inbetween the discontinuities will be selected.

Only valid for SHELL elements.

faces_edges_edges_nodes

edges ext

Select all of the nodes on free edges or shared edges (butt joints, L/corner joints, and T-joints) of elements that contain discontinuities.

Only valid for SHELL elements.

faces_edges_edges_ext_nodes

elems

Select individual elements, or select all of the elements contained by a component or on a surface.

faces_edges_entities

faces

Select all of the elements on 2D and 3D faces.

If there are discontinuities on a 2D face, then only the elements inbetween the discontinuities will be selected.

faces_edges_faces

2D faces ext

Select all of the elements on a 2D face that contain discontinuities.

faces_edges_2d_faces_ext

numbers

Displays the numbers of the entities.

face angle / individual selection

Face angle

The face angle is the angle between the normal of facets that share an element edge. A facet can either be a shell element itself, or one of the faces of a solid element. The normal of triangular facets is that of the plane defined three corner vertices. Whereas, the normal of quadrilateral facets is calculated by taking the cross-product between its two diagonals. This special treatment for quadrilaterals is because a warped shape does not lie completely on a plane.

Only available when the entity selector is set to nodes or elems and the selection mode is set to faces, 2d faces ext, free edges, free edges ext, edges, or edges ext.

 

Individual Selection

Select individual elements on a face or select individual free/shared edges of elements.

Only available when the entity selector is set to nodes or elems and the selection mode is set to faces, free edges, or edges.

edge angle

Splits edges that belong to a given face.

When the edge angle is 180 degrees, edges are the continuous boundaries of faces. For smaller values, these same boundary edges are split wherever the angle between segments exceeds the specified value. A segment is the edge of a single element.

Only available when the entity selector is set to nodes and the selection mode is set to free edges, free edges ext, edges, or edges ext.

 

How Do I...

expand-green-10Find an entity
1.Select the find entities subpanel.
2.Click the entity selector switch and select the data type of the entities.
3.Indicate which entities you want to find by selecting them on your model, or click the data type and choose from the extended entity selection menu.
4.Select the data type and choose the entities you want to locate.

HM_Panels_bmp00134

5.Activate the numbers check box if you want the numbers of the entities to be displayed.
6.Click the toggle to select on mark or temp nodes.
7.Click find.

HM_Panels_bmp00135

 

Comments

Click save found to place the found entities in the user mark.  These entities can then be accessed from other panels using retrieve in extended entity selection.

When finding connectors, you can choose to display only connectors or both connectors and the FE realization.  When you click save found, only the found connectors are saved in the mark (not the realized FE).
expand-green-10Find entities attached to other entities
1.Select the find attached subpanel.
2.Click the upper switch and select the data type of the entities that you want to locate.

For example, select elems, lines, tags, etc.

3.Click the lower switch to highlight it and select the data type of the entities to which the entities you want to locate are attached.
4.Select the data type and choose the entities.  (In the illustration, a node is selected.)

HM_Panels_bmp00136

5.Activate the numbers check box if you want the numbers of the entities to be displayed.
6.Click find attached.

HM_Panels_bmp00137

 

Comments

Some combinations of entities such as finding nodes attached to nodes or finding connectors attached to contact surfs, are not valid operations.  In such situations, an error message will be given.

When finding entities attached to other entities, the display of the original entity remains unchanged.  For example, if you are finding elements attached to an element with ID 6 and element 6 was not originally displayed on the graphics area, the find function displays the elements attached to element 6, but does not display element 6 itself.

When you choose to find connectors attached to components, all the connectors that have the selected components as link entities in their definition are found.  It is not the intention to find the connectors that reside in the selected components.  For example, connectors (with IDs 1, 2 and 3) are defined as connecting components named floor and bracket.  These connectors are in a component named welds.  When you find connectors attached to component floor, all three connectors are displayed.  But if you find connectors attached to component welds, none of the above connectors will be displayed (found).

When you choose to find connectors attached to elements (or elements attached to connectors), all the connectors that have the selected elements as link entities in their definition are found.  It is not the intention to find all the connectors that have the selected elements in their FE realization.  For example, a model contains a connector defined as connecting shell element (ID 34) and element (ID 68).  The connector is then realized as a weld element (ID 2156).  When you find elements attached to this connector, elements with IDs 34 and 68 are found (not the weld element 2156).  This function behaves in a similar fashion for finding connectors attached to elements.
expand-green-10Find the nodes that are shared by the selected components
1.Select the between subpanel.
2.Click the upper switch and select the data type of the entities that you want to locate.
3.Click the lower switch and select the data type of the entities for which you want to find the shared entities.

HM_Panels_bmp00138

4.Click find.

HM_Panels_bmp00139

5.To save the entities that are found to the user mark:
•Click save found.

 

Comments

When you choose to find connectors between components, connectors that have all selected components as link entities in their definition are found.  It is not the intention to find the connectors that reside in the selected components.  The behavior for finding connectors between surfs, elems, and tags is similar.
expand-green-10Remove entity numbers from the display

Click numbers off.

 

See also

Alphabetical List of Panels