ANSA Week 8 Challenge - Morphing

OBJECTIVE

This challenge has multiple objectives and they are:

1. To practice morphing techniques discussed in the week 8 video, on the given sheet metal component called ‘Model-1’

2. To morph ‘Model-2’ by increasing the height of the doghouses and ribs marked in the following screenshot:

MODEL IMAGES

MODEL-1

MODEL-2

PROCEDURE

MODEL-1

1. Before working on morphing the component, we need to 'prepare' the component and that involves getting rid of deformities, stray single cons, hot points, etc. This model requires a topological cleanup so we can make use of the topo tool via Faces > Topo from the topo deck. With the tool activated, we can highlight the entire component and proceed. This fixes all the single cons, which are now correctly portrayed as double cons, since it is supposed to be a closed volume.

The model is also oriented properly using the orient tool, accessible via Faces > Orient.

2. Then, a geometry check and cleanup need to be carried out and ANSA has a tool that takes care of that. The checks tool can be accessed from the upper toolbar: Checks > Geometry. With all components visible, the checks can be 'executed'. The geometric discrepancies will be highlighted by the tool and they can all be selected, right clicked and fixed by clicking 'fix' as shown in the screenshot.

3. Now that the geometry cleanup has been carried out, we can begin with the morphing process. This region in the component is isolated using one of the focus tools (Not/!Not) since the protrusions are the ones we shall be morphing.

4. Then, we shall go to the ‘Morph’ deck and there we need to go to Boxes > New > Ortho and then Geometry is selected (since we are working on the actual geometry and not a mesh). The protrusions are then highlighted (selected).

On proceeding, a ‘morph box’ is formed and this will be the basis of this morphing project. 

5. Now we can select Box Morphing > Move to move these control grids on the morph box. This is essentially ‘morphing’. After accessing the tool and selecting the nodes of the grid(s), we can move them based on the coordinate system. By right-clicking one of the nodes on the grid, the tool uses the local coordinate system, which makes the morphing process more intuitive, personally.

With the nodes selected and the local coordinate system activated, we can select the coordinate in which we shall be morphing the region. Since the height is to be increased, the checkbox for the x coordinate will be the only one checked as shown. After that, the middle mouse is clicked to proceed and merely moving the mouse morphs the region. When happy with the result, we just need to left-click. And click ‘Ok’ to apply the morph.



As you can see, there are issues with the geometry after morphing (at the base of the protrusions). This case can be easily rectified by releasing the affected regions and extending them to the other surface using the extend tool. Or by simply pasting the cons.

6. Next, we need to work on this region of the component:



It involves a simple morphing process that is carried from the side view of the region. We need to repeat the same process of creating a morph box and then moving the grids as per our requirement.

Again, the same morphing processes are carried out in the remaining locations as shown here:






7. Once we are done morphing, we can delete the morph boxes using Boxes > Delete.

MODEL-2

1. The requirement in the case of Model-2 is to increase the height of the dog houses and ribs as shown in the following picture:

2. As we did in the previous component, we are to highlight the particular doghouse & ribs using Boxes > New > Ortho. Since this is not a mesh and is a geometry, the geometry option is selected. After highlighting the doghouse and ribs, the middle mouse is clicked and the morph box is formed as shown:

(In the above case, the doghouse/rib region has been isolated with the focus tools)

3. After that, we need to make use of the Box Morphing > Move tool to move these control grids on the morph box. We select the node at the highest point and simply middle-clicking activates the morphing algorithm. Now we are free to move the doghouse and ribs, according to the selected coordinates of course. When done, we simply need to middle-click again for the algorithm to apply the morph.

4. In other cases, such as this rib, simply selecting the rib and creating a box doesn’t seem to help with providing a more proper morph later on.



In these cases, using the ‘Min volume’ setting from the morph box options seems to provide a more accurate morph box that facilitates the morphing of these ribs.

5. As we don’t want the height-increasing morph process to affect the base of these components (and cause geometrical/graphical issues), we can, instead, split these boxes as shown:

Doing so won’t affect the bottom half. This is done using Boxes > Split tool. We merely need to click the edge that requires splitting and the algorithm splits it along a plane at the point of clicking. Then, as usual, we just need to select the move tool via Box Morphing > Move to move the upper half as per our requirements to increase height.

These processes are repeated for all the doghouses and ribs on the armrest component.

APPLICATIONS OF MORPHING

The morphing feature is basically as its name says, an algorithm that lets the user rapidly morph existing CAD or FE models to match new geometry and/or to new proportions. They are usually carried out to fit target design features such as styling lines, sections, proportions etc. precisely.

Morphing is primarily utilized in the automotive industry where it is typically used to match styling, upper body to carry over under body matching, morphing sedan to station wagon or SUV etc. can be executed rapidly.

Other applications involve it being used in the aviation industry, especially when it comes to improving aerodynamic efficiency. Aerodynamic efficiency is a key aspect in commercial aircraft design as it allows reducing fuel consumption and meeting emission and performance requirements.

And finally, there is specialized morphing which includes morphing components of a system such as changing a fillet radius, a section, pattern replication etc.

FINAL MODEL IMAGES

MODEL-1

MODEL-2

LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. Learned the concept of morphing and morph tools available in the morph deck.

2. Learned about the applications of morphing.

RESULT

Both the given models were morphed as per requirements - the first model was morphed as per the Week 8 video on morphing and the second model’s ribs and doghouses were morphed as specified in the given screenshot.