This section describes how you can use the geometry diagnostic tools in the Part module to locate the following in the part in the current viewport:
Invalid geometry
Invalid entities: ABAQUS/CAE highlights the regions of the part that have invalid geometry.
Imprecise entities: ABAQUS/CAE highlights the regions of the part that have imprecise geometry.
For more information on invalid or imprecise geometry, see “What is a valid and precise part?,” Section 10.2.1.
Topology
Free edges: ABAQUS/CAE highlights the free edges of the part, including shell and wire edges. A solid part should not contain any free edges.
Solid cells: ABAQUS/CAE highlights the solid cells of the part.
Shell faces: ABAQUS/CAE highlights the shell faces of the part.
Wire edges: ABAQUS/CAE highlights the wire edges of the part.
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 degrees. ABAQUS/CAE meshes faces with small corner angles with elements that have a high aspect ratio that affect 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 the part size is relatively large, short edges and small faces, even though highlighted, may not be visible. To help you find these short edges and small faces, ABAQUS/CAE displays markers around the highlighted regions.
If no regions are found for a particular diagnostic tool, ABAQUS/CAE displays a message in the message area.
You can create a geometry set containing the highlighted regions. The Repair toolset provides tools to repair the regions of a part that are invalid or imprecise. The Repair toolset allows you to specify a set when you select a region to repair.
To create a set of the highlighted regions:
From the prompt area, click Create Set.
The Create Set dialog box appears.
In the dialog box, enter a name for the set and click Continue.
ABAQUS/CAE saves the highlighted regions as a geometry set.
