Test Request: GMSH Tool with group meshing in FreeCAD FEM

[makkemal]

I finally got to testing this, compiles and works fine on ubuntu 16.04.
One comment when creating a new analysis one should be able to choose which mesher to use automatically ?
This goes a long way to mesh multiple bodies and better use of beams and shells
Sure I can think of additional options but can be added step by step later.
Good piece of work, when are we releasing 0.17 0.16 is so far outdated now !

[ulrich1a]

My be Ulrich can help here.

I can confirm the problem. I have the same problem at setting the language of FreeCAD to "English".
I used the same type of input-field in one of my macros. There I used only text inside of the input-field.
I got the value with the following call:

Code: Select all

self.theInputValue = FreeCAD.Units.parseQuantity(theInputString).Value

In this way the user can also use other units like inches in the input field.
It worked in my macro.

Ulrich

[bernd]

One comment when creating a new analysis one should be able to choose which mesher to use automatically ?

My suggestion would be to totally deactivate meshing at analyse creation. I only see two use cases for a FEM mesher.

- FEM mesh without constraints --> no analyse is needed
- FEM mesh with constraints --> group meshing for blind fast input file writing should be used --> mesh need to be created after constraints

opinions needed!!!

BTW: makkemal, and ulrich thanks for testing. I try to have a look at ulrichs hint.

[sgrogan]

Updates: https://github.com/sgrogan/FreeCAD/rele ... g/0.17-dev

- FEM mesh without constraints --> no analyse is needed

I think frequency analysis does not require constraints?

[bernd]

Updates: https://github.com/sgrogan/FreeCAD/rele ... g/0.17-dev

great

- FEM mesh without constraints --> no analyse is needed

I think frequency analysis does not require constraints?

yes but what I wrote includes material objects too. Means if a frequency analysis has multiple material bodies group meshing would speed up file writing enormous but only if the mesh is done last !

[sgrogan]

yes but what I wrote includes material objects too

Ahh, I had misunderstood this part. So I see no reason not to do the mesh last.

[HoWil]

I would also vote for deactivating the mesher at analysis creation.
For complex models the mesh creation can take some time. Usually I do not like to happen time consuming processes automatically.

[ulrich1a]

opinions needed!!!

For me it is clear, that making the mesh first is not a good idea. This was the reason why I started this thread: viewtopic.php?f=18&t=17318

I saw somewhere in the python documentation of smesh, that smesh also support groups from physical/geometric entities. So if someone finds out how to use this in c++, we will get also a faster inp-writing with the internal method.

Ulrich

[bernd]

I saw somewhere in the python documentation of smesh, that smesh also support groups from physical/geometric entities. So if someone finds out how to use this in c++, we will get also a faster inp-writing with the internal method.

We use smesh groups already. The mesh data inside FreeCAD FEM is saved by smesh. Means any access to a group generated by GMSH is a access to smesh group too. But yeah we need someone who extends the netgen mesher to write group data like the gmsh mesher does.

[bernd]

PR: viewtopic.php?f=17&t=18676