ELEMENT MORPHING

This menu allows the user to morph a region of selected elements in a mesh. There are four types of morphing as shown in Figure 6.4.6. All elements within the region must be selected without excluding any elements from the region. The operation of these functions is similar to the SURFACE MORPHING functions.

Figure 6.4.5 Element Morphing Methods

INTERIOR MORPHING

This function allows the user to morph the selected elements by using a node within the element group domain as the control point.

Select a group of elements for morphing.

The program prompts with the following message:


SELECT CONTROL NODE FOR MORPHING


Select any interior node from the selected element group.


After the proper node is selected, the program displays a dialog window as shown in Figure 6.4.6.


Figure 6.4.6 Morphing Dialog Window


The drop down button, KEEP C ANGLE, allows the user to select the type of constraint for morphing. The description of each constraint type is given in Section 6.2.1. Figure 6.2.14 illustrates the characteristics and results of each constraint type.


Select a constraint type and enter the morph increment in the dialog window. Click the + or - button to morph the surface. The user may use the NEW CONTROL NODE option to select another interior node on the surface as the control node.

Figure 6.4.7 shows a typical result (red) of element interior morphing.

Figure 6.4.7 Element Interior Morphing

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Clicking EXIT updates the morphing elements and redisplays the SELECT ELEMENTS window.

Select ELEMENTS to repeat the above step or CANCEL to exit the function.

EDGE MORPHING


This function uses a node on the boundary of the element region as the control node. The operation is the same as the INTERIOR MORPHING function.

CORNER MORPHING

This function uses a corner node of the element region as the control node. The operation is the same as INTERIOR MORPHING.

EDGE QUADRATIC


This function morphs a region of elements controlled by an edge of the region. The selected elements must include distinctive corner features along the morphing edge. The user must select a node along the morphing edge as the control node. The program uses the entire edge as the control line to morph the elements in the region.


The rest of the operations are the same as INTERIOR MORPHING.