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MIDSURFACE really this quarky?!

Hi. I have 30 years of FEMming experience (aerospace). And I simply do not get how the midsurfacing of a seemingly very simple, thin part thwarts the extraction of midsurface so stubbornly. I tried breaking up the bends in the following structure to help it along possibly, but no won't do. I played with max R/T and thickness and limit ratios and what-nots in the options menu, and stuff. Nothing. The solid isn't corrupt or anything of the sort from my interrogation of it. What's up, y'all think? Pretty frustrating. (Purposefully on 2022.3 Hyperworks btw)

Thanks in advance~ Mitchell

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Jason_Craanen

Hello,

Are you able to share the model or at least the Options you are using.

I have no issues with a quick model I put together

You could also play with the Edit plates feature to get the midsurface you want

https://help.altair.com/hwdesktop/hwx/topics/pre_processing/geometry/midsurface_plate_edit_t.htm

MITCHELL_21455

Thank you Jason for the response. So apparently you quickly and rather nicely created an example solid. Perhaps that played nicely. But let's speak some generalities here. I have a water tight, hopefully well-behaved solid that comes from somewhere 'in general'. I do cleanups and repairs as necessary (I didn't have any cleanups to do in this case however, anyway…) and move right onto midsurfacing. I don't know the internal programmatic algorithm of this function per se, but at the end of the day, there is a clear bounding surfaces that spans the volume which technically should be able to easily discern the loci of points (therefore surfaces) that exists half way between them. Too hard to explain via text. Anyway, the model seems harmless enough to convey to you in public as it not exactly proprietary, so here it is.. let me know what's up with this solid if there is a problem. I have need to know what 'generalities' I can live with and which ones I can't. Thanks a lot!

MidsurfaceIssue.hm

Jason_Craanen

Hey Mitchell,

Thanks for the file.

So as to the WHY, I can't answer as I am not in development.

As to the HOW to fix it, that I can help

Edit the Plate

The midsurfer used two different methods.

I would update it to have the same method and one plate

Jason_Craanen

Option 2

Use Method of Offset

Jason_Craanen

And allow me to show off our new AI chatbot tool

MITCHELL_21455

Jason,

The stuff about midsurfacing is in general very cryptic. The automatic (the options) too but especially the EDIT PLATES part. The UPDATE MIDSURFACE execution button seems always grayed out and I can't make out (I'm usually pretty explorative and infer solutions fairly well, but…) what I need to click and do in the picture above (Method 1 at least). Because of the grayed out UPDATE MIDSURFACE execution button, I was thinking I would need to click another surface (plate?) or something, which when I first select the first one punching straight out, then selecting the adjacent midsurface (as disjointly produced by the automatic operation), the plates selection turns to Plates (3) and not the Plates (2) as depicted in your pictures above. It simply dun work. Would you have a video on this wonky EDIT PLATES operation?

Thanks again.

MITCHELL_21455

also, let me slip in here a side quick tip question, which is how do I get general 4 decimal information about measurements or whatever in Hyperview (2022.3)? I always get 0.04 when it is 0.032, and it's quite annoying. I do change explicitly to show multiple decimal points when I use Measure tool (it appears in Options after ungraying the '2' there and putting 4) but I don't want to monkey around everytime with such inadequacies. If one is not aware, one could use Method 2 in the original issue here to offset with a value that is not correct. I would like to **** this decimal thing in the bud. And I am just talking about Measurement tool only I think. Can't remember, but there were other places where lack of decimals status-ing was visible. It's MISLEADING!!! Why can't it just simply keep significant figures without rounding if doesn't need to be rounded I don't get. for instance if a length of something is 0.032, just simply reported it as 0.032 not 0.03 or worse 0.04.. if a number is 0.0324850385, yes I can see the need for some rounding when reporting it in a status balloon or something. In this day and age, we make products that have accuracies (precision) to at least 3 decimal places in most cases. Why not use 3 if a default number is needed by software? Anyway I want at least 4 generally if rounding must be used so… Can you give me a quick pointer on this? I mention it here cuz it was in the workflow of your Method 2.
Thanks again.

MITCHELL_21455

So I tried OFFSET method #2 and it's rather nice ^^
The dialog box options are a bit different but I'll have to come to grips with that soon enough in my learning process. Any tips on this, like a video? 2022.3

One last thing. Where is Altair Copilot? picture doesn't tell a thousand words in this case.

Jason_Craanen

Mitchell.

I would recommend to start by taking a look at our selfpaced elearning training package. The Edit plates tool in particular is covered (by me) in a video.

https://learn.altair.com/course/view.php?id=534

Jason_Craanen

Altair Copilot is available currently in version 2024.1

MITCHELL_21455

Thanks Jason, for all the answers! See you again ^^

Jason_Craanen

You are very welcome