Construction Geometries

Two types of Construction Geometries () are available: two-dimensional and three-dimensional.

Two-dimensional Construction Geometries, called Sheet Construction Geometries, are geometries that are composed from surfaces that have zero-thickness. A Sheet Construction Geometry allows you to determine the shape and position of a hole through a QuickPart. Furthermore, you can imprint the profile of a two-dimensional Construction Object on a QuickPart to split the respective surface. For more information, see Interactions.

Three-dimensional Construction Geometries describe closed bodies that have a finite volume. These Construction Geometries allow you to model electric components that are geometrically more complex than the prescribed templates of the respective QuickPart. Once such a Construction Geometry is created it can be used to define the shape of any Custom QuickPart.

To create a Construction Geometry within the Electronics Cooling Toolset, the following options are available:

Create a geometry that is based on a simple shape template.
Import a geometry from another CAD package.
Create a geometry within 3D-CAD and transfer it into the Electronics Cooling Toolset.

To define the placement of a Construction Geometry, the following options are available:

Specifying the Placement properties
You define the location and orientation of the Construction Geometry with respect to a selected coordinate system.
Using the Positioning Tool
The Positioning Tool allows you to place Construction Geometries in reference to each other.

Furthermore, the Electronics Cooling Toolset offers you two possibilities to operate on Construction Geometries:

Apply Boolean operations—unite and subtract—on previously created Construction Geometries.
Generate a pattern of identical geometries from a seed Construction Geometry.

Common Construction Geometry Properties

The following properties are common to all types of Construction Geometries:


Common Properties
Name	Specifies the name of the Construction Geometry under which it is stored in the tree.
Placement	See Placement properties.

Construction Geometries Shape Templates

The Electronics Cooling Toolset allows you to create Construction Geometries that are based on simple shape templates. The following geometry properties characterize the different two- and three-dimensional Construction Geometry shape templates:

Shape Template

Geometry Properties

Sheet Body Rectangle

Length

Specifies the length of the rectangle.

Width

Specifies the width of the rectangle.

Local Origin

Specifies the position of the rectangle's local coordinate system. See X_or, Y_or, Z_or in the Graphics window. It is used as reference for placing the geometry in the simulation domain. The following options are available:

Corner 1: Xmin/Ymin/Zmin corner of the rectangle.
Center: Center of the rectangle.
Custom: This value appears when you set the local origin interactively within the Graphics window.

Sheet Body Circle

Radius: Specifies the radius of the circle.

Note	The Local Origin of a circular sheet body is the center of the circular face, by default.

Block

X, Y, Z

Specifies the dimensions of the block in x-, y-, and z-direction, in the geometry's local coordinate system. See X_or, Y_or, Z_or in the Graphics window.

Local Origin

Specifies the position of the block's local coordinate system. See X_or, Y_or, Z_or in the Graphics window. It is used as reference for placing the geometry in the simulation domain. The following options are available:

Bottom Center: Center of the Zmin face.
Center: Center of the block.
Bottom Corner 1: Xmin/Ymin/Zmin corner of the block.
Bottom Corner 2: Xmin/Ymax/Zmin corner of the block.
Custom: This value appears when you set the local origin interactively within the Graphics window.

Calculate Size from QuickParts

Allows you to calculate the dimensions of the block based on the maximum and minimum coordinates of particular QuickParts that you specify. You can modify the size of the bounding block by entering offsets in negative and positive coordinate directions.

This option is particularly useful for defining a volumetric zone for mesh customization around specific QuickParts.

Sphere

Radius: Specifies the radius of the sphere.
Calculate Size from QuickParts: Allows you to calculate the radius of the sphere as half the maximum distance between particular QuickParts that you specify. You can extend the size of the bounding sphere by adding an offset to the radius.; This option is particularly useful for defining a volumetric zone for mesh customization around specific QuickParts.

Note	The Local Origin of a sphere is the centroid of the sphere, by default.

Cylinder

Height

Specifies the length of the cylinder from bottom to top.

Base Radius

Specifies the radius of the cylinder base.

Tapered Cylinder

When activated, the Top Radius specifies the radius on top of the cylinder; otherwise the cylinder has a constant radius throughout.

Local Origin

Specifies the position of the block's local coordinate system. See X_or, Y_or, Z_or in the Graphics window. It is used as reference for placing the geometry in the simulation domain. The following options are available:

Bottom Center: Center of the Zmin face.
Center: Center of the cylinder.
Custom: This value appears when you set the local origin interactively within the Graphics window.

Imported and Transferred Construction Geometries

To model components of complex geometry, the Electronics Cooling Toolset allows both importing geometry from another CAD package and transferring CAD bodies from the 3D-CAD modeler within Simcenter STAR-CCM+.

The import process supports geometries that are geometrically and topologically valid from the Parasolid geometry kernel point of view. For information on the CAD file formats that are supported for import, see Supported CAD file formats.

The transfer process allows you to send CAD bodies from the 3D-CAD modeler to the Electronics Cooling Toolset. Launching the Electronics Cooling Toolset automatically creates the 3D-CAD model Electronics Cooling 3D-CAD 1 that contains the geometries of all electric components that you create within the Electronics Cooling Toolset. By directly entering this model, you can use the capabilities of the 3D-CAD modeler to create advanced geometries. For details on how to build a geometry in 3D-CAD, see Using 3D-CAD.

The following geometry properties are common to both imported and transferred Construction Geometries:


Source of Construction Geometry	Geometry Properties
Another CAD package	Local Origin Specifies the position of the geometry's local coordinate system. See X_or, Y_or, Z_or in the Graphics window. It is used as reference for placing the geometry in the simulation domain. The following options are available: Center of Bounding Box: Center of the box that bounds the imported geometry. Bottom (ZMin) Center of Bounding Box: Center of the Zmin face of the bounding box. Bounding Box: +-X/+-Y/+-Z: A corner of the bounding box. For example, Bounding Box: +X/-Y/+Z sets the local origin to the corner that corresponds to the maximum X coordinate, the minimum Y coordinate and the maximum Z coordinate. Custom: This value appears when you set the local origin interactively within the Graphics window.
3D-CAD modeler in Simcenter STAR-CCM+

Construction Geometries Operations

The Electronics Cooling Toolset allows you to modify or multiply previously created Construction Geometries. The Boolean Construction Geometry action performs a unite or a subtract operation on selected Construction Geometries. The Pattern Construction Geometry action generates a series of identical objects from a seed Construction Geometry, which follow a regular formation along straight lines.

The following geometry properties describe the various types of operations:

Operation

Geometry Properties

Boolean Construction Geometry

To Unite: Specifies the Construction Geometries that the unite operation is performed on. It unites all input objects that are in contact with or overlap each other.
To Subtract: Specifies the Construction Geometries to remove from the target object. The specified Construction Geometry is consumed in the operation.

Pattern Construction Geometry

Seed Construction Object

Specifies the Construction Geometry to be reproduced multiple times using a linear pattern.

Direction (n)

Defines the parameters for one of the two directions in the linear pattern:

Direction(n): Specifies the direction in which the pattern extends. The X, Y, and Z components of the direction vector are defined with respect to the selected Coordinate System.
Distance: Specifies the gap between each object instance.
Number of Instances: Specifies how many times the body is reproduced in each direction. The value must be a whole number. If you enter a decimal value, it is rounded down to a whole number.

Note	The Local Origin of the resulting geometry is placed in the origin of the Laboratory coordinate system by default (see X_or, Y_or, Z_or in the Graphics window).

Select Construction Geometry Dialog

Using the Select Construction Geometry dialog, you can map Construction Geometries to their corresponding Custom QuickParts. The dialog is split into two main sections. The top section shows all the Construction Geometries in the simulation that are not already mapped to a QuickPart. The bottom section contains the following options for setting the QuickParts and QuickPart Surfaces:


QuickPart Options
Use Construction Geometry Name	When On, names the Custom QuickPart after the name of the selected Construction Geometry. For an imported or transferred Construction Geometry, this is the name of the respective CAD body. When Off, names the Custom QuickPart after the QuickPart type, such as Chip 2.
Create QuickPart Surface for Named Faces	When On, creates a QuickPart Surface for each face that is named in the selected Construction Geometry. This option is only relevant for imported and transferred Construction Geometries, where the surface of the respective CAD body is composed of several named faces. When Off, creates one Default QuickPart Surface for all faces of the selected Construction Geometry.

Construction Geometry Manager Right-Click Actions

The following actions are available when you right-click the Construction Geometry manager node.

Import CAD Model: Imports geometry from another CAD package.
New Construction Geometry > [Shape Template]: Creates a new Construction Object of the selected shape template using a graphical editor.
Transfer Cad Bodies: Transfers CAD bodies from the 3D-CAD modeler into the Electronics Cooling module.
Show Only Unused Construction Geometry: Hides all Construction Geometries from the Graphics window that are used to define the geometry of a Custom QuickPart.
Check Interference: Checks if Construction Geometries are intersecting each other. Intersecting Construction Geometries are listed in the Output window.

Construction Geometries Common Right-Click Actions

The following specific actions are available when you right-click a particular Construction Geometry:

Boolean Construction Geometry

Allows you to perform Boolean unite and subtract operations on the selected Construction Geometry. The result is a new Construction Geometry that is added to the Construction Geometry manager node.

Note	This action is not available for Sheet Construction Geometries.

Pattern Construction Geometry

Allows you to perform a linear pattern operation on the selected Construction Geometry. The result is a new Construction Geometry that contains multiple identical geometries that follow a regular formation along straight lines. You can define the pattern by one or two linear directions extending from the original Construction Geometry. The number of bodies and the distance between them determine the extent of the pattern.

Hide

Hides the selected Construction Geometry from the Graphics window. This action is useful for gaining a clear view of other objects. You can restore hidden objects again by using the Show action.

Show

Restores a hidden Construction Geometry.

Position

Launches the Positioning Tool that allows you to interactively place the selected Construction Geometry in reference to other Construction Geometries or QuickParts.