This section describes how you can use the geometry diagnostic tools in the Mesh module to locate the following in the assembly in the current viewport:
Invalid geometry
Invalid entities: ABAQUS/CAE highlights the regions of the part or assembly that have invalid geometry.
For more information on invalid geometry, see “What is a valid and precise part?,” Section 10.2.1.
Imprecise geometry
Gaps greater than: ABAQUS/CAE highlights the regions of the part or assembly that have gaps greater than the precision limit or greater than a value that you specify. The precision limit of 1×10–6 is the ACIS-precise threshold value. You can specify a value other than the precision limit to obtain additional part geometry information. If you specify a value between the precision limit and 1×10–8, the highlighted regions may not affect the precision of your part.
Free edges: ABAQUS/CAE highlights the free edges of the part or assembly, including shell and wire edges. A solid assembly should not contain any free edges.
For more information on imprecise geometry, see “What is a valid and precise part?,” Section 10.2.1.
Small geometry
Small entities such as short edges, small faces, and faces with small face corner angles can affect the mesh quality. You can use the following tools to locate these regions:
Edges shorter than: ABAQUS/CAE highlights edges shorter than the specified length. The specified length must be 1×10–10 or greater.
Faces smaller than: ABAQUS/CAE highlights faces smaller than the specified area. The specified area must be 1×10–12 or greater.
Face corner angles less than: ABAQUS/CAE highlights faces where two edges meet at an angle less than the specified angle. The specified angle must be less than 90°. If a face has small corner angles, ABAQUS/CAE meshes the face with elements that have a high aspect ratio, and these elements will compromise the mesh quality.
To use the geometry diagnostic tools:
From the main menu bar, select Tools
Query, or click the query tool in the toolbar to start the Query toolset.
From the Query dialog box, select Geometry diagnostics and click OK.
ABAQUS/CAE displays the Geometry Diagnostics dialog box.
Toggle on the desired geometry diagnostic options and specify a new value, if desired.
Click Highlight.
ABAQUS/CAE highlights any regions with the corresponding invalid, imprecise, or small geometry you selected.
If no regions are found for a particular diagnostic tool, ABAQUS/CAE displays a message in the message area.
If the part or assembly size is relatively large, short edges and small faces, even though highlighted, may not be visible. Toggle on Show markers when highlighting in the prompt area and click Highlight again to display markers around the highlighted regions.
From the prompt area, click Create Set to create a geometry set containing the highlighted regions. In the dialog box that appears, enter a name for the set and click Continue.
