To revolve planar objects into 3D, right-click a geometry or a work plane node, and select Revolve (). Then enter the properties of the revolve operation, as shown in Figure 7-11.

From the Revolve from list, select Faces to revolve planar faces from the 3D geometry. Select the faces that you want to revolve in the Graphics window. These appear in the Input faces list. All selected faces must lie in the same plane.

Alternatively, from the Revolve from list, select Work plane to revolve objects from a work plane. In the Work plane list, select the work plane to revolve from. Select the objects that you want to revolve in the Graphics window. They appear in the Input objects list.

Click the Active button to toggle between turning ON and OFF the Input objects or Input faces selections.

Select the Unite with input objects check box to unite the input objects with the revolved objects. Clear the Unite with input objects check box to keep the revolved objects separate from the input objects.

Click the Angles button to specify the start angle (default: 0 degrees) and end angle (default value: 360 degrees; that is, a full revolution) of the revolution. If you click the Full revolution button you get a full revolution. This selection also enables the Keep original faces check box that controls if the original faces are kept in the revolved 3D geometry. Keeping these faces is necessary if you want to create a swept mesh. By default, COMSOL keeps such faces.

Select 2D in the Axis type list to specify the revolution axis in the local coordinate system. When revolving work plane objects, the local coordinate system is defined by the work plane’s coordinate system. When revolving planar faces, the local coordinate system is defined by the face with the smallest face number in the first geometry object in the geometry sequence. Select 3D in the Axis type list to specify the revolution axis in the 3D coordinate system. Select Edge to specify an edge as revolution axis. Click the Active button to toggle between turning ON and OFF the Straight edge selection.

Specify a point on the revolution axis in the local coordinate system in the xw and yw fields. Alternatively, if Axis type is 3D, specify a point on the revolution axis in the 3D coordinate system in the x, y, and z fields.

Specify a direction vector for the revolution axis in the local coordinate system in the xw and yw fields. Alternatively, if Axis type is 3D, specify a direction vector for the revolution axis in the 3D coordinate system in the x, y, and z fields.

Select the Resulting objects selection check box to create predefined selections (for all levels — objects, domains, boundaries, edges, and points — that are applicable) in subsequent nodes in the geometry sequence. To also make all or one of the types of resulting entities (domains, boundaries, edges, and points) that the resulting objects consist of available as selections in all applicable selection lists (in physics and materials settings, for example), choose an option from the Show in physics (Show in instances if in a geometry part) list: All levels, Domain selection, Boundary selection, Edge selection, or Point selection. The default is Domain selection, which is suitable for use with materials and physics defined in domains. For use with a boundary condition, for example, choose Boundary selection. These selections do not appear as separate selection nodes in the model tree. Select Off to not make any selection available outside of the geometry sequence. From the Color list, choose a color for highlighting the resulting objects selection. See Selection Colors.

If you want to make the resulting entities contribute to a cumulative selection, select a cumulative selection from the Contribute to list (the default, None, gives no contribution), or click the New button to create a new cumulative selection (see Cumulative Selections).

If you have Named Selections that include entities on the input objects, select the Propagate selections to resulting objects (selected by default) check box to update the selections to corresponding entities on the output objects, when possible. Clear the check box to not propagate the selection to the resulting objects. This can be useful in combination with selecting the Keep from the Input object handling list so that the selections refer only to the input objects.

From the Construction geometry list choose On to make the resulting objects available only in the feature’s geometry sequence. The default option Inherit means that the resulting objects become construction geometry if all input objects are construction geometry. Choose Off to never output construction geometry objects. For more information, see Construction Geometry.