Product: Abaqus/CAE
Benefits: An option has been added to the Automatic Create tool in the Virtual Topology toolset to detect stair-like features in a model and merge them with surrounding geometry.
Description: Stair features are two-, three-, or four-sided features connected to surrounding features by a combination of a sharp convex and a sharp concave angle. Figure 12–2 shows some examples of stair features. (The stair features in the figure have been exaggerated for visual clarity.)
Stair feature detection is based on two components:Use the new Faces representing stair features thinner than option and associated text field to control whether any stair features are considered for merging and the size of the features that can be merged. Like the other options in the Create Virtual Topology dialog box, this new option is toggled on by default. The default thickness (stair height) considered for virtual topology is on the order of 10–3 times the model size.
Use the Angular tolerance for sharp edges/vertices option to specify the minimum size of the opposing angles that separate the face of a thin stair-like feature from the surrounding features. The default deviation from 180° is 30°. This tolerance is also used to control virtual topology selections for sharp corner angles.
Mesh module: ToolsVirtual Topology
