The Hole Selection node is used to specify pairs of holes that will be connected by fasteners. The connection between the two shell boundaries can be defined either by referencing the hole edges directly or by using the boundaries surrounding the holes. Each setup includes at least one Hole Selection subnode, and additional subnodes can be added as needed.

By default, matching hole pairs are identified automatically, so a single Hole Selection node is usually sufficient. When using manual selection, however, you must add one Hole Selection node for each hole pair.

This section is enable when Source selection type is set to Edge.

When an Edge Selection node is added, the selection defaults to All edges, which implies that all edges on the source selection in the parent Fasteners node are shown as applicable. This is the standard configuration when working in automatic mode. You can, however, remove some edges from the list.

In either case, all edges around a hole must be selected for the hole to be defined. The Group by continuous tangent option is a useful tool for making fast and correct manual selections of holes.

This section is enable when Destination selection type is set to Edge.

The selection of destination side hole edges works the same way as described for Edge Selection, Source.

This section is enable when Source selection type is set to Boundary.

When a Hole Selection node is added, the selection defaults to All boundaries, which implies that all boundaries from the source selection in the parent Fasteners node are shown as applicable. This is the standard configuration when working in automatic mode. However, you can manually remove specific boundaries from the list if you do not want them to be included.

This section is enable when Destination selection type is set to Boundary.

The selection of destination side hole boundaries works the same way as described for Boundary Selection, Source.

From the Source selection type list, select Edge or Boundary. This defines the type of connection that is made on the source shell boundaries.

From the Destination selection type list, select Edge or Boundary. This defines the type of connection that is made on the destination shell boundaries.

In Shell interface, Edge is set as default selection type for both source and destination selection.

Select a method for detecting the fastener holes, Automatic or Manual. For Automatic, you can also adjust the Diameter tolerance, Offset tolerance, Maximum angle, and Annular center offset. These values control when two holes are deemed to form a pair. The last parameter is available only when the selection type for either source or destination is set to boundary and the checkbox Search annular shape only is selected. Selecting this checkbox adds the requirement that the region around a hole is actually annular. When not selected, any boundary around a hole is valid as the connecting boundary.

The exact definitions are given in Automatic Hole Detection in the theory chapter.

In automatic mode, the source and destination boundaries selected in the parent Fasteners node are scanned to detect all holes within the active selections. Hole pairs are then identified if the holes on both sides have diameters within the specified tolerance relative to the fastener diameter and if their centers are aligned along the same axis normal to the two boundaries.

Physics tab with Fasteners node selected in the model tree: