Importing Mesh in Mecway From Salome

Andrea

Hi!
I tried to import (converting from unv to inp) a multibody mesh created on Salome into Mecway.
I tried some ways but in Mecway I have always only one groups of elements under "Components and materials". So I can't apply material for every solid body.
Any idea?

Victor

If any of the named selections correspond to one part, you can click that to select its elements then add a new component with the selected elements.

Otherwise, you could use View -> Open cracks to separate the parts so you can select one. To select all the elements through the thickness, select their nodes in Select nodes mode with Show element surfaces turned off then switch to Select elements mode.

Sergio

Create the groups of elements in Salome for each material, then export as .unv and convert to .inp using some command line utility available overthere, I made it everyday and works like a charm,

Regards

Andrea

OK! The first way proposed by Victor is quick and it runs!

To Sergio: I tried creating groups of all types: node, surfaces, volume, elements but It's always the same. Maybe it depends from the converter. I made it by UNICAL converter included on CalculixforWin. Do you use other converter?
I'm not expert of Salome but I didn't find the option to save directly in inp format.

I think that the problems is *Solid Section card. I don't know how mecway, importing inp, creates parts but maybe depends from this card. If I'm right It involves to apply material properties before importing mesh.

Thanks, Andrea

Sergio

I'm using UNICAL as well, but downloaded from some other forgotted place. I'm attaching it if you want to try. I have associated the .unv extension to the unical.cmd (cmd, not exe) file to automaticly convert the files by double clic on the Windows file explorer. Pay attention that the cmd file will create an Abaqus mesh but with .msh extension, you can edit it to create with .inp directly.

Normally I create groups of elements and nodes in Salome only and works very well (attached one example as well), in fact still I didn't find a way to create groups of faces in Salome.

UNV meshes are common in NX, I-DEAS, Salome and others, would be nice to be able to import/export from within Mecway

Sergio

Now guess that understand your problem, you meant Mecway´s components...no, they are not created automaticly, must be recreated using the groups of elements and the contextual menu,

regards

Andrea

Ok Sergio!
You wrote that: "still I didn't find a way to create groups of faces in Salome"

I created them and found them in Mecway. See attached pictures. If you want I can send the procedure that starts from geometry module and involves some steps on mesh module.

About pictures attached: Mesh created on Salome, imported on MW, created two components but tge groups were automatically imported.

By the way I'm very interesting to Salome mesh module because is not simple but is very powerfull. I saw 3D structured mesh created using Salome of an high level. I started with Salome one month ago and among family, job and music I try to learn what is possible.

Sergio

Yes, Salome can do very interesting meshes. I'm very interested on structurated meshes, but is very difficult to get information on how create it. Anyway don't forguet that he is using mainly Netgen, so is a matter of investigate how is exposing his features.

Sergio

One of the nice features on Salome is create diferent/independient meshes for divided volumens (that share a face), but with coincident nodes at the shared faces, this is usefull for simulate bonded unions (sometimes the TIE fails in some nodes leading to falses stress hotspot, so coincident nodes is better in my opinion).

There are some features to simplify the geometries before meshing, but in my humild opinion they have a strange (original or diferent aproach than what I'm espect) way of doing things, that makes hard to understand.

Sergio

In fact with the new selection tools available in Mecway, is easier to create the groups there than in Salome, even having loosed the CAD geometry association.

Sergio

Can you please explain how to create groups of faces in Salome? Thanks in advance.

Andrea

On geometry module "Explode" -> select the solid and choose "Face". So you will have all the faces of the solid.

Mesh module
Create mesh and compute it - Convert to Quadratic if needed

Select your mesh (Mesh 1 as default name) on browser on left and choose "Create groups from geometry" ->
Select "Mesh1" -> type elements _> and on white box the faces that you want (the same faces created under geometry module. These faces are childrens of your solid)

Export and convert to inp

I attach a simple cube meshed with C3D20 and related file of Mw created importing inp file.

Andrea

Andrea

Excuse...another pictures for explain better

Sergio

Thanks Andrea, have tested and works. As I say before, the implementation of the tool in Salome is a little confussing, we are using something that says "create a set of ELEMENTS" to create a set of FACES. What is the logic behind that???? I'm sure that they have a reason for doing or call it that way, but to me, is confuse, there is no intuitive way to find the tool.

Now, one of the drawaback of this method, is that UNICAL create a lot of garbage groups from the Salome sets of faces... I believe that for simple models like that, there is no reason to create the groups in Salome, using the selection tools of Mecway is easier than create in there (because you need to separe the faces in the geometry module and after create the groups based on geometry on the mesh module... to finally clean all the garbage groups in Mecway)

About hexameshing on Salome, I read today the documentation of the Hexablock module that looks like the indicated to use, but again... is so confuse!!!! I cannot even start with the included example. There is another nice italian guy (Sthephanos V.) around this forum that I believe has some experience on hexameshing on Salome, maybe we should ask him for help. Check this related post also:

 http://mecway.com/forum/discussion/comment/1011/#Comment_1011

Regards

Andrea

I have done my first simple structured mesh in Salome. (All Hexa)
Applied traction p = 100 MPa
Theoretical results 373 MPa (eFatigue stress concentration finder based on Peterson's stress concentration factors: W = 25 mm; D = 10 mm)
Same studies with C3D10 elements

svingegneria

Dear Andrea and Sergio,
this a simple workout to show how to import salome mesh into mecway.
In attachment you can find .pdf file and .zip archive containing all files used.
Thanks for inspiration!
Regards,
Stefano

PS. Structured mesh version coming soon...check picture...

MMK66

Hello! Friends

I have been fighting for the HEX mesh for several weeks, of course, with breaks, no less salome tutorials, how to make one mesh from an assembly, not how to make many separate mesh.
I look, I search and nothing. Now I wanted to share my discovery
I will prepare a tutorial in a free moment, now I will describe how and what.
We insert the sall file into the salome - we give the command "explode"
we mesh each part of the main mesh (not sub mesh), give command (Mesh / Build compound) selected meshes and it's ready.
You can export to med file - but Mecaway does not see the separation of solids, although the command (open crak) works and indicates well - that it should be there. We open .med the grid in gmsh - and export(save elelement and save nodes) it as unv. Gmsh sees nicely the sub-grids (though they are meshes, not under meshes: D).
We open in Macway and enjoy beautifully reticulated assembly. Each part is reticulated separately, you can give different conditions for HEX mesh compaction, and Mecway itself strongly thickens the mesh, and the total "bonduary codntion">
Really simple steps - now;)

http://mecway.com/forum/discussion/comment/1011/#Comment_1011 Related topic
greetings