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Pre-Processing
Simcenter STAR-CCM+ solves physics problems on a computational mesh. To provide this mesh, you first define geometry using internal or external tools, and then create a mesh pipeline whose operations generate the mesh in repeatable steps.
3D-CAD
3D-CAD is a feature-based parametric modeler within Simcenter STAR-CCM+ that allows you to build geometries from scratch. The geometries that you create with 3D-CAD are stored as 3D-CAD models, which you can then convert to geometry parts for integration with the meshing and simulation process.
3D-CAD Environment
The 3D-CAD environment provides you with a feature tree from which you can activate all steps for creating and modifying geometry, and a 3D-CAD View scene in which you interact with the geometry. Many of the same feature actions are available for selection in the 3D-CAD View scene.
Working with Features and the Feature Tree
Creating geometry in 3D-CAD involves working with features and the feature tree. This section describes how to roll the feature tree back, forward, and to the end.
Common Feature Actions Reference

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Pre-Processing
Simcenter STAR-CCM+ solves physics problems on a computational mesh. To provide this mesh, you first define geometry using internal or external tools, and then create a mesh pipeline whose operations generate the mesh in repeatable steps.
- 3D-CAD
  3D-CAD is a feature-based parametric modeler within Simcenter STAR-CCM+ that allows you to build geometries from scratch. The geometries that you create with 3D-CAD are stored as 3D-CAD models, which you can then convert to geometry parts for integration with the meshing and simulation process.
  - 3D-CAD Environment
    The 3D-CAD environment provides you with a feature tree from which you can activate all steps for creating and modifying geometry, and a 3D-CAD View scene in which you interact with the geometry. Many of the same feature actions are available for selection in the 3D-CAD View scene.
    - 3D-CAD Models
      A 3D-CAD model is a geometry body that is created in Simcenter STAR-CCM+ using the feature-based parametric solid modeler, 3D-CAD. 3D-CAD models can include geometry that you import from elsewhere, for example, an NX part or assembly.
    - Working with the 3D-CAD View Scene
      The graphical user interface within the 3D-CAD environment contains toolbars, menus, and a 3D-CAD model tree that allows you to design and modify 3D-CAD geometry. The model is rendered within the 3D-CAD View scene using tessellated surface data that 3D-CAD generates based on the CAD model.
    - Geometry Visibility in 3D-CAD
      The Visibility toolbar is designed to make working with complex models easier. With this toolbar, you can control how geometry is displayed in the Graphics window as well as what is displayed.
    - Working with Features and the Feature Tree
      Creating geometry in 3D-CAD involves working with features and the feature tree. This section describes how to roll the feature tree back, forward, and to the end.
      - 3D-CAD Feature Previews
        For most 3D-CAD features, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ displays a preview of the expected result in the 3D-CAD View scene before you complete the action to create the feature.
      - Creating Basic Geometric Shapes in 3D-CAD
        In 3D-CAD, you can create basic geometric shapes, such as blocks and cylinders, in a single operation.
      - Common Feature Actions Reference
        Rolling Back
        When you roll back to a particular feature, you temporarily deactivate that feature and all subsequent features.
        Suppressing Features
        Suppressing a feature deactivates it and any features that depend on it.
        Grouping Features
        3D-CAD allows you to organise features in the simulation tree by grouping them together. This feature allows you to condense the length of the feature design tree so that components are easily accessible.
      - Deleting Features
        In 3D-CAD the delete option allows you to delete one or more selected features. When a feature has dependents in the feature tree, such as a sketch feature that is used for an extrusion, you can optionally choose to force deletion and clean up dependent features afterwards.
      - Understanding Feature States
        Each feature node has a unique icon to indicate what the feature does.
      - Feature Icons
      - Selecting Objects for Features
        Within the specific dialog panels for 3D-CAD features, the object selector allows you to choose objects from a tree view while creating or editing feature.
    - Working with Custom Name Attributes
      In 3D-CAD, custom names for bodies, faces, and edges are time-stamped to improve robustness when modifying the geometry.
    - Viewing the Properties of Geometric Objects
      3D-CAD provides you with geometric and distance data for geometric objects. Information about geometric objects is especially useful when using the Deafeature operation, where for example, you want to know the size of objects that you intend to remove using automatic deafeaturing.
    - Changing Colors of Bodies, Faces, Edges, and Body Groups
      3D-CAD allows you to rename and assign colors to bodies, body groups, faces, and edges. You can also import colors from files that were created in other commercial CAD packages.
    - Creating Design Filters
      In 3D-CAD, you can construct design filters that store a selection of the same geometric entity (that is, body, body group, face, edge, or vertex). These filters provide you with quick access to the selections in other contexts.
    - Metadata in 3D-CAD
      In 3D-CAD, metadata is a variety of text information attached to bodies or body groups. Often this metadata comes from CAD packages whose files you import into 3D-CAD, although Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows you to add your own.
    - Viewing Dependency Information of Features and Bodies
      Use the dependency viewer to see what features a particular feature, body, or design parameter depends on, and what impact these have on the rest of the geometry. The dependency viewer is especially useful when you want to delete a body or feature.
  - Sketches in 3D-CAD
    3D-CAD supports two types of sketch—2D sketches that are created on a planar surface and 3D sketches that are built from points located anywhere in geometric space. You can use both types of sketch in 3D geometry operations such as extrude, revolve, or sweep.
  - 3D-CAD Geometry Modeling
    Bodies represent the individual objects that make up the 3D-CAD model. Imported CAD geometry appears as bodies in 3D-CAD, and you can also create your own bodies directly using 3D-CAD features.
  - Freeform Surface Modeling
    Freeform surface modeling is a modeling technique in 3D-CAD that allows you to deform existing surfaces for desired shapes.
  - Importing and Exporting Geometry
  - Working with 3D-CAD Models
  - Geometry Repair and Preparation
    Simcenter STAR-CCM+ provides a suite of tools in 3D-CAD that helps you to prepare your CAD geometry so that it is suitable for meshing. CAD that is designed for manufacture can have gaps or inaccuracies that cause problems when trying to generate a watertight mesh.
  - Design Parameters
    Design parameters allow Simcenter STAR-CCM+ to update geometry designs during design exploration studies. Although you define them within the 3D-CAD environment, they are exposed outside 3D-CAD for manual or automatic update.
- Modeling Geometry
  This part of the User Guide describes how to use 3D-CAD, the parametric solid modeler available within Simcenter STAR-CCM+. It also describes the features and tools available for further preparation of the geometry model and its surfaces.
- The Surface Repair Tool
  The Surface Repair tool diagnoses errors in, and provides repair tools for, tessellated surfaces and part curves. The same tool allows you to reorganize discretized geometry by searching for face-based features and attributes then assigning the results to new or existing part surfaces or curves.
- Defining the Regions Layout
  An essential part of the process in setting up your simulation is to define the relationship between geometry parts and regions, boundaries, and interfaces.
- Meshing
  A mesh is a discretized representation of a geometric domain. This domain can include real-world geometry, its content, and its surrounding environment.

Common Feature Actions Reference

The following actions are common to nodes across 3D-CAD:

Edit
Delete
Rename

Note	You cannot edit, delete, or rename the three default sketch planes.

Editing a Feature

By editing a feature, the underlying properties of the feature can be altered, such as angle of revolution, sketch dimension, or selected bodies. To edit a feature:

Right-click on the feature node in the feature tree and select Edit.
This action automatically rolls back to the selected feature and opens the corresponding panel.
Perform the changes that you want.
Click OK to confirm the changes.

Additional information is available for editing:

Renaming a Feature

You can rename most feature nodes in the 3D-CAD feature tree. This capability is useful for complex models containing many features.

To rename a feature:

Use the inline editor
Alternatively, use the right-click menu.

Similarly, you can rename body and design parameter nodes.

Reordering Features

You can reorder the position of features in the feature tree. Features that are dependant on another feature cannot be moved to appear before the feature that they depend on. You can only reorder a single feature at a time.

To reorder a feature:

In the feature tree, click and drag the desired feature up or down the feature tree.

A line appears in the feature tree at the location where the mouse pointer is to indicate where the selected feature will be placed.
The feature is placed in the selected position. All features that come below the insertion point become out of date and display the (Out-of-Date) status.
Click Update 3D-CAD to rebuild the feature list.

Changing Feature Properties From the 3D-CAD Feature Tree

You can edit the properties of a feature at the feature tree level, without having to enter the feature.

This functionality allows you to modify feature properties more quickly. To edit feature properties in the feature tree:

In the 3D-CAD feature tree, select the feature that you want to modify.
In the Properties window, modify the desired property of the feature and press <Enter>.

The feature is marked as out of date and displays the (Out-of-Date) status.
Click Update 3D-CAD.
The CAD geometry is updated with the changes to the feature.