Week - 7 - Checking and correcting the edges

Objective:

Objective of this challenge is to provide user with script that helps with evaluation of mesh connection in model. It can be done by reviewing free edges or T-connections based on displayed elements. Moreover identifying nodes that are closer to each other helps with fast identification of problematic areas. Lastly to increase visibility, model view can be switched to transparent.

Problem Statement:

Hypermesh provides user with builtin function to review connections based on mesh continuity, but is limited to display only one type of connection at time (free edges or t-connectons). By script we can save and display both of them and also change their color. Transparent display of elements is very useful, but changing to this view should not affect as free and t lines are displayed, they should be thick and not transparent. While using builtin function one can preview nodes that are close to each other, and equivalence them. This is very useful, but has two drawbacks, you cant decide which nodes to equivalence, all of them will be merged. Second is when changing between panels preview of nodes can vanish, so script should save those places as tmp nodes, and leave user with decision what action to undertake. It is also nice to have control over region of tolerance when detecting nearby nodes.

Tcl command explanation:

Script gui is divided into three parts. First one has radiobutton changing view to transparent or normal. Function TransparentView simply changes display of all entities at once.

Second part is marking free or t edges. User can choose any of them, all or none. Tick actions are captured by CheckEntityList proc that appends or deletes identificators in EntityList (it stores {f t} if both checkboxes are active). Button above triggers UpdateView procedure which has EntityList as input, and generates Free_edges and T_edges comp. This procedure changes those component view to be normal by *setcomponentdisplayattributes, and to make sure that lines will appear as thick, *thickidlines 1 is invoked every time button is clicked. Leaving both boxes unchecked and clicking (Re)generate button will clear display from free and t edges.

Last part has button to find and mark nodes that fall within tolerance with temporary nodes. Every time this button is invoked previously displayed nodes are deleted and new ones are marked. Entry field below allows for changing tolerance zone.

When closing window, if present Free_edges and T_edges comps are deleted and view is restored to be default. Tmp nodes are left for user to decide when to delete.

Conclusion:

Script has been made to meet all requirements in this task. Gui gives easy display for free and t edges, moreover changing to transparent view increases visibility. Closing script restores view to initial, leaving only tmp nodes to identify areas to work on.

created by Adam