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The default method is to form a union. The software then forms a union from all geometry objects that the geometry sequence contains or creates. The union is divided into domains separated by boundaries according to the participating geometry objects. You can mesh the entire geometry and model the physics by assigning material properties, boundary conditions, and other data for the model. It is also possible but often not necessary to specify boundary conditions on interior boundaries between domains in the geometry. By default, COMSOL Multiphysics ensures continuity in the physics interface fields across interior boundaries. See also Removing Interior Boundaries.
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The alternative method is to form an assembly. The software then treats the geometry as a collection of the geometry objects instead of uniting them. This means that you must use pairs to connect boundaries where a field is continuous, but it also makes it possible to use special pair conditions for applications such as contact modeling, where you can add contact pairs to model contact between geometric parts (requires the Structural Mechanics Module or the MEMS Module). Forming an assembly is also required to model geometry domains that slide or move relative to each other. By default, identity pairs are created automatically when forming an assembly. An assembly can also be useful for meshing each geometry object independently in, for example, thin and slender geometries with high aspect ratios. Another case where you need to use an assembly is when the geometry is too complex for forming a union, which might be the case when importing an assembly geometry from CAD data.
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The default value in the Repair tolerance list is Automatic, which for 3D objects represented using the CAD kernel determines the repair tolerance internally. For 3D objects represented using the COMSOL kernel, and for 2D and 1D objects, Automatic means a relative repair tolerance of 10−6.
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Choose Relative to enter a value for the Relative repair tolerance field (the default is determined by the main Geometry node’s setting). This value is relative to the largest absolute value of the coordinates of all input objects.
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Choose Absolute to enter a value for the Absolute repair tolerance field (the default is determined by the main Geometry node’s setting; SI unit: m). This value uses the same unit as the geometry sequence’s length unit.
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In 2D and 3D, virtual operation nodes and selection nodes can appear after the Form Union/Assembly node.
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