STL Import Tutorial Series
Application ID: 30951
Follow this tutorial series to learn about how to import and prepare a surface mesh saved in STL format to generate a volume mesh for simulation. The two tutorials in the series demonstrate two different approaches for how to generate the volume mesh. In the first part of the series, a geometry is created from the imported STL mesh, and then the geometry is meshed. In the second part of the series, the imported mesh is remeshed and a volume mesh is generated directly without creating a geometry. The tutorials explain the differences between these two methods, and when to choose one or the other.
The tutorials in this series also detail how to combine an imported surface mesh with other geometric objects, for example to create a simulation domain around the imported shape, or to partition it to be able to delete a region that is not needed. As imported surface meshes may often contain faults that prevent creating the simulation mesh, an important part of the workflow is to find and repair such faults. Faults may be, for example, small folds in the mesh and holes where mesh elements are missing or do not align with sufficient accuracy. Several examples of problems that might occur are included in the tutorials, together with instructions on how to find and repair them. Finally, you will also find examples of how to use the mesh visualization and statistics tools for inspecting the mesh during the process.
The STL geometry in this example is provided courtesy of Mark Yeoman, Continuum Blue, UK (https://www.comsol.com/certified-consultants/continuum).
This model example illustrates applications of this type that would nominally be built using the following products:
however, additional products may be required to completely define and model it. Furthermore, this example may also be defined and modeled using components from the following product combinations:
The combination of COMSOL® products required to model your application depends on several factors and may include boundary conditions, material properties, physics interfaces, and part libraries. Particular functionality may be common to several products. To determine the right combination of products for your modeling needs, review the Tabella delle Funzionalità and make use of a free evaluation license. The COMSOL Sales and Support teams are available for answering any questions you may have regarding this.