Element type |
Menu: Mesh->Element type
With this command, the type of element you wish to use is selected. It is only necessary to do this when the element type is different from the default (see MESH ).
The types are as follows:
Quad dominant meshes can also be generated (which have both quadrilateral and triangle element type in the same surface). To generate this meshes, quadrilateral element type sholud be set to the geometrical entity, and the optoin 'Allow quadrilateral dominant meshes' in Meshing preferences should be checked.
By default, the elements are of minimum order: 3-noded triangle, 4-noded quadrilateral and so on. To increase the degree, use the Quadratic command (see Meshing Preferences ). Quadratic applies to all the elements of a problem.
Point connectivity: |
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Line connectivities: |
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Triangle connectivities: |
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Quadrilateral connectivities: |
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Tetrahedron connectivities: |
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Hexahedron connectivities: |
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Prism connectivities: |
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Pyramid connectivities: |
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The Linear option assures not only the meshing of lines, but also the creation of 2-node contact lines between surfaces or volumes if desired.
At contact surfaces, GiD elements are:
At contact volumes (and separated contacts), elements are:
To see how to get information from GiD concerning element faces see Multiple values return commands from Customization Manual.
To decide which parts of the geometry should be meshed, use the Mesh criteria command (see Mesh criteria ).