Virtual Geometry and Mesh Control Operations

	Forming Composite Edges and Faces by Ignoring Vertices and Edges and Merging Vertices by Collapsing Edges

For a 2D or 3D geometry you can add virtual geometry operations after the node to, for example, remove small details from the geometry and to prepare it for efficient meshing and analysis. The geometry sequence before the node defines the “real” (original) geometry. The geometry resulting from a virtual operation is referred to as a virtual geometry.

	Use the Remove Details feature to automatically remove small details from the geometry.

Table 7-12: Virtual Operations for 2D and 3D Models
Icon	Name	Description
	Remove Details	Removed details from the geometry automatically or by adding virtual subfeatures.
	Ignore Edges	Virtually remove isolated edges or edges adjacent to precisely two faces or between two domains
	Ignore Faces	Virtually remove isolated faces or faces between two domains (3D only)
	Ignore Vertices	Virtually remove isolated vertices or vertices adjacent to precisely two edges
or	Form Composite Domains	Form virtual composite domains from sets of connected domains by ignoring the boundaries between the domains in each set
	Form Composite Edges	Form virtual composite edges from sets of connected edges by ignoring the vertices between the edges in each set
	Form Composite Faces	Form virtual composite faces from sets of connected faces by ignoring the edges between the faces in each set (3D only)
	Collapse Edges	Virtually collapse each edge into a vertex by merging its adjacent vertices
	Collapse Faces	Virtually collapse faces into edges or vertices by merging their adjacent opposite edges or collapsing all adjacent edges
	Collapse Face Regions	Virtually detect and collapse regions of faces narrower than a specified size
	Merge Edges	Virtually merge opposite edges adjacent to a face
	Merge Vertices	Virtually merge one adjacent vertex of an edge with the other adjacent vertex

Table 7-12: Virtual Operations for 2D and 3D Models

Removed details from the geometry automatically or by adding virtual subfeatures.

Ignore Edges

Virtually remove isolated edges or edges adjacent to precisely two faces or between two domains

Ignore Faces

Virtually remove isolated faces or faces between two domains (3D only)

Ignore Vertices

Virtually remove isolated vertices or vertices adjacent to precisely two edges

Form Composite Domains

Form virtual composite domains from sets of connected domains by ignoring the boundaries between the domains in each set

Form Composite Edges

Form virtual composite edges from sets of connected edges by ignoring the vertices between the edges in each set

Form Composite Faces

Form virtual composite faces from sets of connected faces by ignoring the edges between the faces in each set (3D only)

Collapse Edges

Virtually collapse each edge into a vertex by merging its adjacent vertices

Collapse Faces

Virtually collapse faces into edges or vertices by merging their adjacent opposite edges or collapsing all adjacent edges

Collapse Face Regions

Virtually detect and collapse regions of faces narrower than a specified size

Merge Edges

Virtually merge opposite edges adjacent to a face

Merge Vertices

Virtually merge one adjacent vertex of an edge with the other adjacent vertex

The following mesh control operations are available from the menu (

) and can be used to include ignored geometric entities for mesh control purposes to, for example, make it possible to use a mapped mesh:

Table 7-13: Mesh Control Operations
Icon	Name	Description
	Mesh Control Domains	To select domains for mesh control only.
	Mesh Control Edges	To use isolated edges, or edges adjacent to precisely two domains (in 2D) or two faces (in 3D), only for mesh control.
	Mesh Control Faces	To use isolated faces, or faces between two 3D domains, only for mesh control.
	Mesh Control Vertices	To use isolated vertices, or vertices adjacent to precisely two edges, only for mesh control.

Table 7-13: Mesh Control Operations

To select domains for mesh control only.

Mesh Control Edges

To use isolated edges, or edges adjacent to precisely two domains (in 2D) or two faces (in 3D), only for mesh control.

Mesh Control Faces

To use isolated faces, or faces between two 3D domains, only for mesh control.

Mesh Control Vertices

To use isolated vertices, or vertices adjacent to precisely two edges, only for mesh control.