Chapter 5: 1D Meshing and Connectors
Chapter 5
1D Meshing and Connectors
Exercise 5A - 1D Meshing and Connectors
This exercise will cover the basics behind the creation and visualization of 1D
element, ranging from simple rigid entities to more complex 1D elements with a
defined cross section to automatic 1D element creation through the use of
connectors.
Step 1: Load the model …\STUDENT-EXERCISE\CH5-1D-MESHING\
05a-1D-MESHING.hm and set the user profile to OptiStruct.
Step 2: Create RBE2 Elements
RBEs (Rigid Body Elements) are the simplest of 1D elements and simply connect
two or more nodes together.
In the case of an RBE2, one node serves as the Independent and the other(s) the
Dependent node(s). The Dependent node(s) simply “follow” the motion of the
Independent node in the Degrees of Freedom that have been linked. These elements
are useful to simply represent welds or to tie together two dissimilar meshes. One
word of caution though is that RBE2 elements, as they rigidly link nodes together,
can induce stiffness to the model that may not be desired.
1. Create a component called Rigids and make the color red.
2. Rotate the model as shown in the picture and zoom into the highlighted region.
HyperWorks 2020.1 HM Introduction 133
Proprietary Information of Altair Engineering, Inc.
Chapter 5: 1D Meshing and Connectors
3. Enter the mesh creation panel for Rigids.
From the menu bar, select Mesh > Create > 1D Elements > Rigids.
4. Make sure the create sub panel is active.
5. Ensure that all 6 DOFs are selected.
6. Select the red circled node first (Independent Node) and the yellow circled node
second (Dependent Node).
A rigid element (RBE2) will be created connecting the two nodes.
7. Continue to make a few more RBE2 elements down the line.
8. Change the switch next to dependent node to multiple nodes.
9. Pick a node for the independent node and then pick multiple nodes for dependent.
10. Click create.
An RBE2 with multiple dependent nodes connected to one single independent will be
created.
134 HM Introduction HyperWorks 2020.1
Proprietary Information of Altair Engineering, Inc
Chapter 5: 1D Meshing and Connectors
11. Select the update sub-panel
12. Pick the RBE2 created with multiple dependent nodes.
13. Click the connectivity radio button. Select RBE2 as elem
14. Click the nodes button next to dependent:
15. Right click one of the dependent nodes, it will become de-selected.
16. Left click a new node to select as the dependent node.
17. Click update.
You will note that the connectivity of the RBE2 has changed to remove the
deselected node and include the newly selected node. Update can also be used to
change the independent node, the DOFs of the element and switch RBE2
independent and dependent nodes.
18. Click return to exit the panel.
Step 3: Create RBE3 Elements
RBE3 elements are useful to distribute loads without inducing unwanted stiffness. It
is not an element to be used to model a connection, but rather an element to induce
a motion in a node as a function of the weighted average of other nodes.
HyperWorks 2020.1 HM Introduction 135
Proprietary Information of Altair Engineering, Inc.
Chapter 5: 1D Meshing and Connectors
1. Go to Mesh > Create > 1D Elements > RBE3.
The RBE3 panel will open. You will notice it looks similar to the RBE2 with the only
changes being the reversal of the Independent and Dependent nodes and the
addition of a weight field.
2. Rotate and zoom so that you are looking down at the large hole in the blue upper
part.
In this step you will create a very common rigid element feature often called the
“wagon wheel” or the “spider web”. When complete the reason will be obvious.
This type of feature is used to link the nodes around the circumference of a hole to a
single node in the center. This can then be used to:
Connect the feature to something else (bolting two parts together).
Constrain the central node. (Bolting to a fixture) (RBE2)
Distribute a central load. (RBE3)
To create this feature, a node must be placed at the center of the hole. This can be
accomplished through the use of the Distance panel.
3. Press F4 to enter the Distance panel.
4. Pick the three nodes sub panel.
5. Pick any three nodes around the interior of the hole
136 HM Introduction HyperWorks 2020.1
Proprietary Information of Altair Engineering, Inc
Chapter 5: 1D Meshing and Connectors
6. Click the green circle center button.
A yellow temp node will be placed at the circle center.
7. Return out of the function back into the RBE3 panel.
8. Select the new temp node as the dependent node.
9. Pick all the nodes around the interior of the hole as the independent nodes.
HINT: Using the extended selection by path option will make this task much quicker.
Simply select the by path option, click any node on the circumference then click
another node a way further around. HyperMesh will automatically select all the nodes
between using the shortest route. Continue in this manner until all the nodes are
selected.
10. Set the weight at 1.
11. Click create.
The Wagon Wheel or Spider Web will be created.
Step 4: Bar Elements – Creating the beam section
RBE2 and RBE3 elements are considered “rigid” elements. They are infinitely strong
and as such experience no stress and thus cannot be analyzed. In the event the 1D
element is actually a structural entity that needs to be studied, a bar is used. The bar
element (CBEAM in OptiStruct) has a definable cross section and material assigned
to it and thus will display stress results in post processing.
Before the element can be created, a cross section, a material, and a property need
to be defined and then applied to the element(s).
HyperWorks 2020.1 HM Introduction 137
Proprietary Information of Altair Engineering, Inc.
Chapter 5: 1D Meshing and Connectors
1. From the menu bar, select Properties > HyperBeam.
HyperBeam is a tool within HyperMesh that allows for easy and graphical creation of
cross sections for beam elements.
2. From the HyperBeam panel select the standard section sub panel.
3. From the standard section type switch pick standard H section.
4. Click create.
The graphical HyperBeam interface will now open:
From within this interface the physical dimensions of the beam section can be
defined.
5. Set the dimensions as shown below:
138 HM Introduction HyperWorks 2020.1
Proprietary Information of Altair Engineering, Inc
Chapter 5: 1D Meshing and Connectors
6. Go to the Model browser and right-click mouse button on the word H_section.1,
select Rename and rename it H_Beam.
7. Click Model View icon to exit. The beam section has now been created.
8. Right-click mouse button in the Model Browser window and create a property.
9. Name it H_Beam.
10. Select the property H_Beam and define its card using Entity Editor. In the Card
Image assign it a PBEAM.
11. Select Material in the Entity Editor and assign it the material Steel (select form the
Material yellow button).
HyperWorks 2020.1 HM Introduction 139
Proprietary Information of Altair Engineering, Inc.
Chapter 5: 1D Meshing and Connectors
12. The beam section needs to be assigned to this card. Select Beamsection in the
Entity Editor and assign it the Beam section H_Beam (select form the
Beamsection yellow button).
The inertial information calculated from the cross section will automatically be placed
into the value fields in the card.
Step 5: Bar Elements – Creating the bar elements
With the property and cross section defined the Bar element can now be created.
1. Go to Mesh > Create > 1D Elements > Bars panel.
2. Click the orientation switch immediately next to the N1 button and select x-axis.
3. Click the property = button and pick the H_Beam property.
4. Pick any node on the blue upper component elements for node A.
140 HM Introduction HyperWorks 2020.1
Proprietary Information of Altair Engineering, Inc
Chapter 5: 1D Meshing and Connectors
5. With the focus automatically switching to node B, pick any node on the green lower
component elements.
The CBEAM element will automatically be created.
You will note that the element is displayed as a line in the color of the component it
was created in. Aside from the CBEAM label, it looks identical to the RBE2 and
RBE3 elements created previously.
The 1D Element Representation mode allows for the graphical representation of the
cross section of the 1D element.
6. Click the 1D Element Representation button ( ) and pick the 1D Detailed
Element Representation icon ( ).
HyperWorks 2020.1 HM Introduction 141
Proprietary Information of Altair Engineering, Inc.
Chapter 5: 1D Meshing and Connectors
7. Zoom on the CBEAM element.
It now shows the actual cross section. This cross section is selectable and reflects
the color of the component. It also is a live view so that if any aspect of the element is
changed, it will show that.
8. Re-open HyperBeam and change the dimensions to see the changes reflected on
the part. From the menu bar, click Properties > HyperBeam.
9. Create a brand new cross section of some other standard type and click on Model
View icon to exit.
10. Right-click mouse button on the H Beam property card in the HyperMesh Model
Browser and card edit the property.
11. Click the beamsection button and pick the new cross section.
12. Return out of the card and see the change in the model.
Step 6: Combining 1D Elements
A typical bolt representation consists of a “wagon wheel” inside the two bolt holes
connected at their centers with a CBEAM that has a solid circle section that
represents the bolt. In this step you will create one of those common structures.
1. Create a component called Bolts and give it a unique color.
142 HM Introduction HyperWorks 2020.1
Proprietary Information of Altair Engineering, Inc
Chapter 5: 1D Meshing and Connectors
2. Re-open HyperBeam and create a standard section as solid circle beam with a
Radius (r) of 5.
3. Return in Model View Browser
4. Create a PBEAM property named Bolt with a material of Steel and the solid circle
beam section just created.
HyperWorks 2020.1 HM Introduction 143
Proprietary Information of Altair Engineering, Inc.
Chapter 5: 1D Meshing and Connectors
5. Pick one of the two circle pairs between the Blue Upper Component and the Purple
Flanges Component to create the bolt in.
6. Put temp nodes at the center of both the upper and lower holes
7. Create an RBE2 “wagon wheel” in each of the holes.
8. Create a CBEAM element connecting the center of the RBE2 elements with the Bolt
Property. To create a CBEAM Element you have to go to
Mesh > Create > 1D Elements > Bars. It appears the bar2 panel, where you have
to choose the Bolt property as the following image
9. Repeat this for the other hole.
144 HM Introduction HyperWorks 2020.1
Proprietary Information of Altair Engineering, Inc
Chapter 5: 1D Meshing and Connectors
Step 7: Create and Realize Connectors
Connectors are a quick way of creating multiple and complex rigid entities
representing welds, bolts and adhesives.
First you will use the Connectors panel to create a weld of rigid elements similar to
those created in Step 2, Item 6. In that case, two nodes were selected and a single
RBE2 was created. To run down the entire length of the edge would have required
each node be picked individually. You will now accomplish the same result using
connectors in a fraction of the time.
1. From the menu bar, select Connectors > Create > Spots.
2. From the spot submenu, next to location, click the nodes button and pick by path.
3. On the opposite edge from the one used in Step 2, Item 6 to create the RBE2
elements, pick the first node and using the by path option, proceed down the entire
edge until all the nodes are selected.
4. Next to connect what, make sure to select comps and pick the blue Upper Plate
collector and the teal Arm collector.
5. Make sure elems is selected by the toggle and num layers should be total 2 as
there are only 2 layers being connected.
6. tolerance = should be set for 10 (this determines the distance HyperMesh will
search from the node to find nodes of both collectors to create the welds. The
distance is a bit over 6, so 10 should work fine.)
7. For type= select rigid (this option allows you to establish what type of element will
be created.)
8. Change the mesh independent switch to mesh dependent.
HyperWorks 2020.1 HM Introduction 145
Proprietary Information of Altair Engineering, Inc.
Chapter 5: 1D Meshing and Connectors
9. Under mesh dependent, change the switch from quad transition to remesh.
10. Verify the panel has all the settings shown below:
11. Click create.
The entire row of rigid elements will be created with this one click.
The process can be used to create these types of rigids or rigids that will represent
spot welds. These elements can even be created before the part is meshed (must
pick geom instead of elems for the connect what option) and in that case a fixed
point will be placed at either end of the element, guaranteeing that a node will be
there when the mesh is created.
12. Experiment with creating other connectors in the model with other options in the
panel.
13. From the menu bar, select Connectors > Create > Bolts enter the Bolt panel.
14. Zoom to the section of the model shown below.
146 HM Introduction HyperWorks 2020.1
Proprietary Information of Altair Engineering, Inc
Chapter 5: 1D Meshing and Connectors
15. Pick one node on the circumference of each of the holes on the purple Flanges
component, as location
16. Set connect what to comps and pick the purple Flanges component and the green
Lower component.
17. Set the tolerance to 20 and fill in the rest of the panel as shown below.
18. Click on realize & hole detect details...
19. Set the values in the panel as the following:
20. Click return and then select create.
Immediately two rigid bolts are created. If desired, the type can be set as bolt
(CBAR), and a PBAR card in combination with a beam section can be defined, and
the bolt can be analyzed. Bolt (Washer) types will not only select the nodes around
the circumference but will grab nodes around a washer ring as well.
21. Experiment with other options in the panel.
HyperWorks 2020.1 HM Introduction 147
Proprietary Information of Altair Engineering, Inc.
Chapter 5: 1D Meshing and Connectors
Step 8: Practice with Connector Browser
1. From the View menu activate the Connector Browser by selecting Browsers >
HyperMesh > Connector.
The Connector Browser will appear. In the Common Top View are displayed all of
the 1D elements created in the model.
2. Change the visualization to Connector Group View
From the browser you can see information about the connectors, reasons for
realization failure and when you right click on a connector you can edit the
connectors. The master connector group, in which all the connectors are stored, is
displayed in the first window.
3. Experiment with the Connector Browser.
148 HM Introduction HyperWorks 2020.1
Proprietary Information of Altair Engineering, Inc
