Learning Forum

[peteroznewman]

I successfully built a model with solid and line bodies using DesignModeler to study a helical gear mesh.   I started with a solid shaft that was split in quarters axially in DM to create vertex points along the shaft axis that lines were created on then line bodies were created with a circular cross section.         I'm trying to do a similar model starting in SpaceClaim. I imported spur gear solid bodies and created some lines in SCDM, but I don't know how to define those lines as line bodies with circular cross sections.     I guessed that I should create New Components from the lines I drew. I guessed that I should add a Circle profile, which created this Beam object in the outline, but where do I enter the diameter of the circle?     Finally, when the time comes to import Geometry into Mechanical, I look at the Mixed Import Resolution property, and I can choose solids and surfaces or surfaces and lines. Don't I want solids and lines?  All attempts have only resulted in the solid bodies being imported into Mechanical.     I have attached the ANSYS 18.2 SpaceClaim file in case someone can use it to answer my question.   Thanks in advance.

[peteroznewman]

I have since learned how to change lines into beams using SpaceClaim and created a Tutorial.

[julionavarronorambuena]

hi! i have a question, i can import since spaceclaim to model on workbench beams not as lines but surfaces?

[peteroznewman]

Yes, you can create surfaces in SpaceClaim and bring them into Workbench, assign a thickness and material and apply loads and supports.

[phoenix098]

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Hi, the tutorial link is no more available. Can you please update it?

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[peteroznewman]

phoenix098

This video has an example of turning lines into beams.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UugzngfMb0

[josh dudman]

Hi,

I have a further question related to this. I have a model consisting of line and solid bodies which I've developed in SpaceClaim. Within SpaceClaim the line and solid bodies are made up of several different components but when I open Mechanical all of the line bodies are one part and all of the solid bodies are one part.

In the image of the Mechanical window I've highlighted the solid geometry part to help show what I mean.

Is there something that can be done to seperate out the geometries in Mechanical into seperate parts?

[peteroznewman]

In SpaceClaim, on the Workbench tab, the Share button creates shared topology, which creates a shared node between coincident vertices on lines, between coincident edges on surfaces and between coincident faces on surfaces and solids.

Shared topology is very helpful to connect bodies together during the meshing phase by automatically creating shared nodes, but this requires the items that have shared topology to be in the same component.

Try deleting all the shared topology in SpaceClaim and see if the assembly is brought into Mechanical in a different way. If it comes in the same as it was in SpaceClaim, I would not be willing to give up the convienience of the shared topology to get that because it would mean more work creating contacts or joints to connect what was automatically connected using nodes with shared topology.

[josh dudman]

 

Thanks for your reply.

Currently I share topology for the line bodies as applying joints for them would be very time consuming. But I don’t share any topology for the 3D geometry and yet that still is imported all as one part.

My problem is if I move bodies around in SpaceClaim, say rotate one of the structures around an axis, the mesh data is lost on reimporting into mechanical even though the structure itself hasn’t changed and it’s taking a long time to remesh every time. So I was looking into the part transform command in Mechanical but as the 3D geometry is all one part I can’t transform individual structures.

I guess a better solution to my problem is if there is a way to preserve the mesh on the bodies I’m transforming in SpaceClaim?