Hole

The Hole realization is intended to generate a Mesh Dependent realization where you want to realize to the features within the mesh. It has the options to change the Mesh during the realization.

Realization Details

Bar Diameter
If there is a Property associated with the Control, these options will be unavailable, as the property will define the Diameter values independent from the realization.
Auto
Takes the minimum hole size to define the beam/bar cross section. The created Property will use this value as the beam cross section dimension.
Input
Can be used to define the Diameter of the beam cross section directly. The created Property will use this value as the beam cross section dimension.
Detection and Feature Angle
The minimum and maximum dimensions define which holes should be considered during fastener realization. The minimum and maximum feature angle define the features to be considered as hole edges for solid elements. The Feature angle is taken from the Meshing Preferences value.
Pretensions
An optional parameter that will create a pretension. The position of the pretension will be per element/per layer at the centre of the element.
Initial Stress
The initial pretension stress value.

Element Details

Create Head
Allows the creation of an element per hole or prevents it. Figure 1 and Figure 2 demonstrate the difference in the realization with these options.
Figure 1.


Figure 2.


Bolt Length
The definition of the length of the body element.
Figure 3.


Hole Gap
Creates a body element with a length defined by the distance between the holes.
Body Length
Creates a body element with a specified length.
Head Configs
The element type to be used in creating the head of the realization.
Head DOF
The degrees of freedom (DOF) defined on the head element. This is only available for Rigid type elements.
Number of Body Configs
The number of elements between each hole layer.
Body Configs
The element type between each hole layer. If it is greater than 1, it can be adjusted via a table. The Percentage Body Length allows the relative lengths of each of the Elements within the body to be defined. Figure 4 shows one element with Percentage Body Length set to the full length and another element with Percentage Body Length set to zero connected at the end.
Figure 4.


Body DOF
The degrees of freedom (DOF) defined on the body elements. This is only available for Rigid type elements.
Number of Body Extensions
The number of elements projected above the Shell element to half the thickness.
Body Configs
The element type in the body extension. If it is greater than 1, it can be adjusted via a table. The Percentage Body Length allows the relative lengths to be defined.
Solid Hole
Can be used to define the Connectivity within Solid Holes. There are four different styles defined with the realization on the Solid Hole being isolated.
Figure 5. Edge
Figure 6. Interior
Figure 7. Layered Edge
Figure 8. Layered Interior
Connect Outer Layer
Single Layer
Selects the realization to connect to the first layer of elements from the edge of the hole.
Figure 9.


Single Layer Alt
Selects the realization to connect to the first layer of elements skipping every second element from the edge of the hole.
Figure 10.


Double Layer
Selects the realization to connect to the first layer of elements from the edge of the hole with a secondary element.
Double Layer Alt
Selects the realization to connect to the first layer of elements skipping every second element from the edge of the hole with a secondary element.
Node Location
When creating a realization without a head, this option can be used to define the location of the center of the realization. It is very common for Explicit interfaces to have the center of the realization located on the edge of the hole.
Center
Figure 11.


Edge
Figure 12.


Connectivity

Hole Selection

Existing Only
A minimum of one hole per layer must be available. If holes do not exist, the realization fails. This is the default method and must be used for any type of solid meshes.
Hole Mesh
Can be used to change the hole mesh.
None
Leaves the hole mesh as is. Default for most operations.
Fill
Fill detected holes during fastener realization. There are various quad patterns available, which cause a remeshing of the area around the hole.
Holes can also be filled with pie pieces. If the number of pie pieces is defined, the surrounding mesh is remeshed. The pie pieces preserve option also creates pie pieces, but takes the existing hole nodes into account and prevents the remeshing.
Density
Adjust the number of nodes around the hole.
Number of nodes
Specify the exact number of nodes (default is eight). The surrounding mesh gets remeshed.
Element Size
Specify an element size (default is 5.0). The number of elements around the hole is calculated based on this size. This is the preferred option for extremely different hole diameters. The surrounding mesh gets remeshed.
Auto
Perform a node distribution based on the underlying mesh size. The number of nodes is always rounded to an equal number.
Washer Layer
For 2D holes, one or two washer layers can be created, after which the surrounding mesh gets remeshed.
The width of the washer can be defined by factoring the hole radius and directly specifying the exact width.
Rebuild Washer
Perform a rebuild operation on the created washer in cases where the washer is close to a feature edge. This will potentially change the shape of the washer to snap to feature edges to avoid poor mesh quality.
Create Missing
Hole Mesh
Can be used to change the hole mesh.
None
Leaves the hole mesh as is. Default for most operations.
Fill
Fill detected holes during fastener realization. There are various quad patterns available, which cause a remeshing of the area around the hole.
Holes can also be filled with pie pieces. If the number of pie pieces is defined, the surrounding mesh is remeshed. The pie pieces preserve option also creates pie pieces, but takes the existing hole nodes into account and prevents the remeshing.
Density
Adjust the number of nodes around the hole.
Number of nodes
Specify the exact number of nodes (default is eight). The surrounding mesh gets remeshed.
Element Size
Specify an element size (default is 5.0). The number of elements around the hole is calculated based on this size. This is the preferred option for extremely different hole diameters. The surrounding mesh gets remeshed.
Auto
Perform a node distribution based on the underlying mesh size. The number of nodes is always rounded to an equal number.
Hole Search
Not all the holes found in the given connector tolerance can be considered for the various fastener realizations.
The connector tolerance, especially when set to a large value, detects many holes. To prevent detecting holes which are far away from the connector position and are not aligned with the other hole(s), the consideration cylinder excludes outer holes from the detection.
Since the existence of a hole is not necessarily requested anymore, a space must be defined where the holes are expected to be. It is no longer sufficient to use just the connector tolerance, therefore the Hole Consideration Cylinder option performed along the projection path becomes necessary. All the holes the cylinder touches or contains can be considered for the various fastener realizations.
Tolerance Factor
Factors tolerance diameters to help filter the hole search.
Input
Used to specify an exact diameter. The default diameter is 15.0.
Set Hole Diameter
New
Create new holes with the specified diameter.
All
Create new holes with the specified diameter and adjust existing holes with the specified diameter.
Washer Layer
For 2D holes, one or two washer layers can be created, after which the surrounding mesh gets remeshed.
The width of the washer can be defined by factoring the hole radius and directly specifying the exact width.
Rebuild Washer
Perform a rebuild operation on the created washer in cases where the washer is close to a feature edge. This will potentially change the shape of the washer to snap to feature edges to avoid poor mesh quality.
Align Hole
Moves the center of a hole into the position of the projection point.
Unrealize Fill Hole Created
The created holes during the realization are filled when the connector is unrealized, returning the surface back to its original configuration before realization.
Use Available
Creates hybrids (hole on one side only), but other combinations are allowed. On the mesh side (no hole), the connection is realized via the head elements defined in the chosen realization type. The head element(s) is/are created between the appropriate body element node and the nodes inside the diameter (no hole connection diameter) defined under the Realization Details heading. This option is used for realization types which are not eager for holes.
Hole Mesh
Can be used to change the hole mesh.
None
Leaves the hole mesh as is. Default for most operations.
Fill
Fill detected holes during fastener realization. There are various quad patterns available, which cause a remeshing of the area around the hole.
Holes can also be filled with pie pieces. If the number of pie pieces is defined, the surrounding mesh is remeshed. The pie pieces preserve option also creates pie pieces, but takes the existing hole nodes into account and prevents the remeshing.
Density
Adjust the number of nodes around the hole.
Number of nodes
Specify the exact number of nodes (default is eight). The surrounding mesh gets remeshed.
Element Size
Specify an element size (default is 5.0). The number of elements around the hole is calculated based on this size. This is the preferred option for extremely different hole diameters. The surrounding mesh gets remeshed.
Auto
Perform a node distribution based on the underlying mesh size. The number of nodes is always rounded to an equal number.
Hole Search
Not all the holes found in the given connector tolerance can be considered for the various fastener realizations.
The connector tolerance, especially when set to a large value, detects many holes. To prevent detecting holes which are far away from the connector position and are not aligned with the other hole(s), the consideration cylinder excludes outer holes from the detection.
Since the existence of a hole is not necessarily requested anymore, a space must be defined where the holes are expected to be. It is no longer sufficient to use just the connector tolerance, therefore the Hole Consideration Cylinder option performed along the projection path becomes necessary. All the holes the cylinder touches or contains can be considered for the various fastener realizations.
Tolerance Factor
Factors given diameters, which include create hole diameter (2D), create/adjust hole diameter (2D), adjust hole diameter (2D), and no hole connection diameter. The first available diameter is used. The default factor is 1.5.
Input
Used to specify an exact diameter. The default diameter is 15.0.
Set Hole Diameter
All holes in the realization will be adjusted to the specified diameter.
Selection Diameter
Connect a link without an available hole by joining the nodes found inside the circle with the specified diameter around the projection point via head elements. Used if holes are not required when using the use hole if available option or fill and remesh hole if available option.
Align Hole
Moves the center of a hole into the position of the projection point.
Remove
Use this option when you do not want the shape of holes to interfere with the mesh flow in the fastener region. The detected holes are closed and a remesh of the new elements and a few additional rows of adjacent elements is performed. The connection is realized via the head elements defined in the chosen realization type. The head elements are created between the appropriate body element nodes and the nodes inside the diameter (no hole connection diameter) defined under the Realization Details heading.
Hole Search
Not all the holes found in the given connector tolerance can be considered for the various fastener realizations.
The connector tolerance, especially when set to a large value, detects many holes. To prevent detecting holes which are far away from the connector position and are not aligned with the other hole(s), the consideration cylinder excludes outer holes from the detection.
Since the existence of a hole is not necessarily requested anymore, a space must be defined where the holes are expected to be. It is no longer sufficient to use just the connector tolerance, therefore the Hole Consideration Cylinder option performed along the projection path becomes necessary. All the holes the cylinder touches or contains can be considered for the various fastener realizations.
Tolerance Factor
Factors tolerance diameters to help filter the hole search.
Input
Used to specify an exact diameter. The default diameter is 15.0.
Selection Diameter
Connect a link without an available hole by joining the nodes found inside the circle with the specified diameter around the projection point via head elements. Used if holes are not required when using the use hole if available option or fill and remesh hole if available option.