feMeshBetween() Issues

[cooken]

Hi,

So I've successfully used a series of commands to generate a native solid hexahedral mesh (nodes and elements) by first creating nodes and then using Mesh->Between(F11) to define connectivity and generate the elements. However then when trying to automate the process with as an API, I get stuck at the element generation. I have entered all the required inputs for the feMeshBetween() method and get no errors, but nothing happens, the code just executes and I am left with a bunch of nodes with no elements. I am then left to manually use the Mesh->Between user interface, where I can enter all the inputs in the dialog box and the elements get generated just fine.

I also found it strange that in the user interface dialog, if you choose elements only, the requirement to enter corner coordinates goes away (logically since you have already put the nodes there and are referencing their IDs), however the last argument for the method in the API is not listed as optional/dependent in the documentation. I have tried both options (generating only elements vs generating both nodes and elements) and neither works (for me) in the API.

Anyone else encounter this or is familiar with this method?

[RCatania]

Would you mind posting your code?

[RCatania]

Here is an example:

Sub Main
    Dim App As femap.model
    Set App = feFemap()

    Dim numNodes(2) As Variant, bias(2) As Variant, nodeINC(2) As Variant, corner(23) As Variant

    GenerationMode = 2 'Nodes and Elements
    shape = 4 'Quad
    rightsplit = True
    alternate = True
    allQuad = True
    logSpacing = False
    numCorners = 4 ' planar elements

    numNodes(0) = 10 : numNodes(1) = 10 ' : numNodes(2) = 0
    bias(0) = 1.0 : bias(1) = 1.0 ' : bias(2) = 1.0

    nodeINC(0) = 0 : nodeINC(1) = 0

    corner(0) = 0     : corner(1) = 0     : corner(2) = 0 'Corner 1: X = 0, Y = 0, Z = 0
    corner(3) = 10   : corner(4) = 0     : corner(5) = 0 'Corner 2: X = 10, Y = 0, Z = 0
    corner(6) = 10   : corner(7) = 10   : corner(8) = 0 'Corner 3: X = 10, Y = 10, Z = 0
    corner(9) = 0     : corner(10) = 10 : corner(11) = 0 'Corner 4: X = 0, Y = 10, Z = 0

    rc = App.feMeshBetween(1,GenerationMode,shape,rightSplit,alternate, _
                                            +allQuad,logSpacing,numCorners,numNodes,bias,nodeINC,corner)

    
End Sub

[RCatania]

Here is a 10x10x10 cube example:

Sub Main
    Dim App As femap.model
    Set App = feFemap()

    Dim numNodes(2) As Variant, bias(2) As Variant, nodeINC(2) As Variant, corner(23) As Variant

    GenerationMode = 2 'Nodes and Elements
    shape = 8 'Brick
    rightsplit = True
    alternate = True
    allQuad = True
    logSpacing = False
    numCorners = 8 ' solid elements

    numNodes(0) = 10 : numNodes(1) = 10  : numNodes(2) = 10
    bias(0) = 1.0 : bias(1) = 1.0  : bias(2) = 1.0

    nodeINC(0) = 0 : nodeINC(1) = 0

    corner(0) = 0     : corner(1) = 0       : corner(2) = 0 'Corner 1: X = 0, Y = 0, Z = 0
    corner(3) = 10   : corner(4) = 0       : corner(5) = 0 'Corner 2: X = 10, Y = 0, Z = 0
    corner(6) = 10   : corner(7) = 10     : corner(8) = 0 'Corner 3: X = 10, Y = 10, Z = 0
    corner(9) = 0     : corner(10) = 10   : corner(11) = 0 'Corner 4: X = 0, Y = 10, Z = 0

    corner(12) = 0    : corner(13) = 0     : corner(14) = 10 'Corner 5: X = 0, Y = 0, Z = 10
    corner(15) = 10  : corner(16) = 0     : corner(17) = 10 'Corner 6: X = 10, Y = 0, Z = 10
    corner(18) = 10  : corner(19) = 10   : corner(20) = 10 'Corner 7: X = 10, Y = 10, Z = 10
    corner(21) = 0    : corner(22) = 10   : corner(23) = 10 'Corner 8: X = 0, Y = 10, Z = 10

    rc = App.feMeshBetween(1,GenerationMode,shape,rightSplit,alternate, _
                                            +allQuad,logSpacing,numCorners,numNodes,bias,nodeINC,corner)

End Sub

[cooken]

Many thanks for the demo and sample code!

Through cross-referencing my code against yours the only meaningful difference I could see was in declaring the array variables. I was declaring them as Double rather than Variant, which I guess was causing the issue. I am not familiar enough with coding to know why this would be an issue, especially since I am working directly in the FEMAP API window.

Here is my code in case someone finds it useful.

Sub Main
    Dim App As femap.model
    Set App = feFemap()

    Dim length As Double, w As Double, t As Double, ri As Double
    Dim nElemRow As Integer, nElemCol As Integer, nLong As Integer, layDir As Integer
    Dim entitySet As Object
    Dim copyVect(2) As Double
    Dim axisLoc(2) As Variant
    Dim axisVect(2) As Variant
    Dim numNodes(2) As Variant
    Dim nodeBias(2) As Variant
    Dim nodeInc(2) As Variant
    Dim nodeCoords(23) As Variant
    Dim layerID As Integer
    Dim nodeID As Integer
    Dim wireNode As Object
    Dim wireElem As Object

    length = 1.0
    w = 0.020
    t = 0.004
    ri = 0.300
    nElemCol = 5
    nElemRow = 3
    nLong = 100

    'Define Dependent Variables
    nNodeRow =nElemRow + 1
    nNodeCol = nElemCol + 1

    'Coding To Generate Nodes and Elements
    numNodes(0) = nNodeCol
    numNodes(1) = nLong+1
    numNodes(2) = nNodeRow

    nodeBias(0) = 1.0
    nodeBias(1) = 1.0
    nodeBias(2) = 1.0

    nodeInc(0) = 1+ nodeIDoffset
    nodeInc(1) = nSect
    nodeInc(2) = nNodeCol

    'Corner 1
    nodeCoords(0) = -length/2	: nodeCoords(1) = ri	: nodeCoords(2) = -w/2

    'Corner 2
    nodeCoords(3) = -length/2	: nodeCoords(4) = ri	: nodeCoords(5) = w/2

    'Corner 3
    nodeCoords(6) = length/2	: nodeCoords(7) = ri	: nodeCoords(8) = w/2

    'Corner 4
    nodeCoords(9) = length/2	: nodeCoords(10) =ri	: nodeCoords(11) = -w/2

    'Corner 5
    nodeCoords(12) = -length/2	: nodeCoords(13) = ri + t	: nodeCoords(14) = -w/2

    'Corner 6a
    nodeCoords(15) = -length/2	: nodeCoords(16) = ri + t	: nodeCoords(17) = w/2

    'Corner 7
    nodeCoords(18) = length/2	: nodeCoords(19) = ri + t	: nodeCoords(20) = w/2

    'Corner 8
     nodeCoords(21) = length/2	: nodeCoords(22) = ri + t	: nodeCoords(23) = -w/2

    rc = App.feMeshBetween(1,2,8,True,True,True,False,8,numNodes,nodeBias,nodeInc,nodeCoords)

End Sub