Extract surfaces from stl when importing

Altair Forum User
Altair Forum User
Altair Employee
edited October 2020 in Community Q&A

Hi everyone,

I am doing a project for the subject of aerodynamics and I am using AcuConsole for that.

I am finding some problems with the CATIA reader I have installed with AcuConsole, so I am thinking now switching the file format to stl (seems more reliable).

The problem I am finding now is that I cannot split the model into different surfaces, to assign the airfoil, the sides, etc.

I tried to divide the geometry with the feature angle, changing it from 90 degrees to 0.1 and doesn't allow me to pick up any geometry when I create a new surface group.

Could you help me to solve that problem?

I attached the files if anyone wants to try. 

Thank you beforehand.

Guillermo

Unable to find an attachment - read this blog

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Answers

  • ydigit
    ydigit
    Altair Employee
    edited May 2017

    It is recommended to import a geometry file with the necessary volume/surface separated in a CAD Program. Doing any geometric changes in AcuConsole, would be time consuming and challenging. If you have a complete HyperWorks installation, then SolidThinking Inspire might be a good option, to import the CATIA file and export as parasolid. This generally works, if there are no components with zero weight in Inspire. 

    Another option for external aerodynamics (and very likely to be easier option), would be import the geometry in HyperMesh and create a surface mesh. Import this surface mesh in Virtual Wind Tunnel and let the automation do most of the meshing and post-processing work for you. Of course it is possible to do extra post processing, manually after the run is complete (its AcuSolve in the background and all files are accessible in the run folder).

  • Altair Forum User
    Altair Forum User
    Altair Employee
    edited May 2017

    It is recommended to import a geometry file with the necessary volume/surface separated in a CAD Program. Doing any geometric changes in AcuConsole, would be time consuming and challenging. If you have a complete HyperWorks installation, then SolidThinking Inspire might be a good option, to import the CATIA file and export as parasolid. This generally works, if there are no components with zero weight in Inspire. 

    Another option for external aerodynamics (and very likely to be easier option), would be import the geometry in HyperMesh and create a surface mesh. Import this surface mesh in Virtual Wind Tunnel and let the automation do most of the meshing and post-processing work for you. Of course it is possible to do extra post processing, manually after the run is complete (its AcuSolve in the background and all files are accessible in the run folder).

     Thank you very much for your reply, I will take that into consideration!

     

  • acupro
    acupro
    Altair Employee
    edited May 2017

    You may want to build the model in meters rather than mm as the domain size is now 200,000 X 8,000 X 200,000.  Those values may be problematic for many tools.  200 X 8 X 200 would likely be more manageable.  That may also be the reason for the Catia trouble, as the model would likely first be converted to parasolid, and the parasolid kernel limit is 1000.