IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,756,266
Granted Patent B1
US 11,756,266 · App. 17/675,287 · Granted Sep 12, 2023

Systems and methods for constructing conformal connections between meshes

Inventors: Wenyan Wang (Wilmette, IL); Shuli Yang (Wilmettle, IL); Jan Ivan Vilhem Frykestig (Torsby, SE)
Assignee: ANSYS Germany GmbH
G06T17/20G06F30/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,756,266
App. No.
17/675,287
Granted
Sep 12, 2023
Kind
B1
Abstract

Computer-implemented systems and methods for generating a mesh and conformally connecting the mesh to an existing mesh are provided. The existing mesh is displayed via a graphical user interface (GUI) of a computer-aided design modeling system using a processing system. A polyhedral mesh is generated in an empty space adjacent to the existing mesh using the processing system. The generating of the polyhedral mesh includes (i) defining the empty space as a first surface mesh comprising triangles, quadrilaterals, polygonals, or a mixture thereof, (ii) generating a dual of the first surface mesh to form a second surface mesh, the empty space being enclosed by the second surface mesh, and (iii) filling a gap region between the first and second surface meshes with the polyhedral mesh and conformally connecting the polyhedral mesh to the existing mesh using the processing system.

Claims (32)

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

displaying an existing mesh representing physical objects via a graphical user interface (GUI) of a computer-aided design modeling system using a processing system, wherein a gap region adjacent to the existing mesh is defined between a first surface mesh and an outermost cell layer of the existing mesh;

generating, using the processing system, a second surface mesh based on the outermost cell layer of the existing mesh, wherein the existing mesh comprises the outermost cell layer and a remaining mesh; and

generating, using the processing system, a polyhedral mesh to fill a domain between the first surface mesh and the second surface mesh, the polyhedral mesh conformally connected to the remaining mesh and the first surface mesh.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the outermost cell layer includes a hexahedra mesh, and the generating of the second surface mesh comprises converting the hexahedra mesh to a separate polyhedral mesh.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the second surface mesh is created using poly cell centers of the separate polyhedral mesh.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

using physical data associated with the physical object to generate a model, the model comprising a virtual 3D object for modeling the physical object; and

performing a computer-based analysis of the existing mesh, the polyhedral mesh, and the model, wherein the physical object is built or modified based on the computer-based analysis.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the remaining mesh corresponds to the existing mesh with the outermost cell layer removed.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first surface mesh includes a triangular surface mesh.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the second surface mesh includes a dual triangular surface mesh.

8. A system for constructing conformal connections between meshes, the system comprising:

a processing system; and

computer-readable memory in communication with the processing system encoded with instructions for commanding the processing system to execute operations comprising:

displaying an existing mesh representing a physical object via a graphical user interface (GUI) of a computer-aided design modeling system using the processing system, wherein a gap region adjacent to the existing mesh is defined between an outermost cell layer of the existing mesh and a first surface mesh displayed via the GUI;

generating a second surface mesh based on the outermost cell layer of the existing mesh, wherein the existing mesh comprises the outermost cell layer and a remaining mesh; and

generating a polyhedral mesh to fill a domain between the first surface mesh and the second surface mesh, the polyhedral mesh conformally connected to the remaining mesh and the first surface mesh.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the outermost cell layer includes a hexahedra mesh, and the generating of the second surface mesh comprises converting the hexahedra mesh to a separate polyhedral mesh.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the second surface mesh is created using poly cell centers of the separate polyhedral mesh.

11. The system of claim 8 , the operations further comprising:

using physical data associated with the physical object to generate a model, the model comprising a virtual 3D object for modeling the physical object; and

performing a computer-based analysis of the existing mesh, the polyhedral mesh, and the model, wherein the physical object is built or modified based on the computer-based analysis.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the remaining mesh corresponds to the existing mesh with the outermost cell layer removed.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first surface mesh includes a triangular surface mesh.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the second surface mesh includes a dual triangular surface mesh.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for constructing conformal connections between meshes, the computer-readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions which, when executed, cause a processing system to execute operations comprising:

displaying an existing mesh representing a physical object via a graphical user interface (GUI) of a computer-aided design modeling system using the processing system, wherein a gap region adjacent to the existing mesh is defined between the existing mesh and a first surface mesh displayed on the GUI;

generating a second surface mesh based on the first surface mesh or an outermost cell layer of the existing mesh; and

generating a polyhedral mesh to fill the gap region, wherein the polyhedral mesh conformally connect the existing mesh and the first surface mesh.

16. The medium of claim 15 , wherein the first surface mesh comprises triangles, quadrilaterals, polygonals, or a mixture thereof.

17. The medium of claim 15 , wherein the existing mesh and the first surface mesh comprise poly meshes or regular meshes.

Continuity (2)
Continuation 15955849 · Apr 18, 2018
Provisional Application 62487568 · Apr 20, 2017
Cited By (1)
US 12,547,149