Suggestion: FEMViewer Option Seperate Disconnected Components and Group

[mraedel]

Hi,

I have a FE model which is symmetric about one coordinate system plane. Due to unsymmetric load cases, I cannot use a half model. Despite the unsymmetric loads, I have to ensure, that the sizing results in a symmetric model based on manufacturing demands.

Therefore, I created my FE model where elements on both sides of the symmetry plane have the same sections/properties. Thus, in my other FE calculations, it is guaranteed that I always get symmetric material and thickness distributions.

The different section/property regions are my components in HyperSizer. This however creates problems in HyperSizer for the extraction of reaction loads and calculation of buckling spans. Thus, I use the "Seperate Disconnected Components" in the FEMViewer for Assemblies or DisplayGroups.

My problem now is, that I still want to guarantee a symmetric model. Therefore I link the separated components in Groups in FEMViewer. This can be a quite annoying task the more components I have in my model which are separated.

Is it possible to implement an additional option in FEMViewer called e.g. "Seperate Disconnected Components and Group". This option could do the normal separation and automatically group the separated components.

This feature would be a tremendous help for me and maybe for others too. Or is there already such a feature and I just did not find it?

[James]

This capability has already being developed. It will be available in the next release of HyperSizer v7.2. We will contact you as soon as it is ready.

In the meantime you could use the utility spreadsheet to create linking groups.
http://hypersizer.com/help_7.1/#COM/XLS/com-xls-wks-group.php%3FTocPath%3DFeatures%7CSpreadsheet%2520Utilities%7C_____8

When new components are automatically created using the "Separate disconnected components" utility, the component names indicate the association of the new components to the original component IDs. You can use the component names to create your list in the Group Members spreadsheet.

-James

[mraedel]

Hi James,

thanks, great to hear. Do you have any idea when 7.2 will be released? Is it a matter of days/weeks/months?

Btw. would it be possible to create a user defined offset for the separated component number? E.g. if my original components range from 10001...10498 I can define an offset of 100000 and the separated components will then have the numbers 110001, ... .