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.

3D-CAD supports String, Boolean, Integer, Real, Array, and Map data types which you can visualize within a table browser. In the table browser you can view, sort, edit, and filter the metadata as required. The filtering options include predicates appropriate for both the key and value data.
  1. To display metadata embedded within a 3D-CAD model:
    • Right-click a body or body group in the 3D-CAD simulation tree and select (Show Metadata).
    • In the Features toolbar, click the (Body Feature) icon and select (Show Metadata).
    • In the Visibility toolbar, click the arrow on the right-most icon and select (Show Metadata Table).
    • If you have a design filter, right-click the [design filter] node and select (Show Metadata).
    By default, the result table appears between the 3D-CAD simulation tree and the 3D-CAD View scene. The table is a dockable panel and may be redocked elsewhere in the user interface.

    If you hover the mouse pointer over a particular item in the table, a tool-tip appears displaying the complete description of the item.
  2. To display the complete description of the metadata:
    • In the table, click the arrow next to a body or body group.

    • Click (To display the metadata as a sortable table).

    When you select a row in the table, the corresponding parts are highlighted in the scene. The table automatically updates when new metadata is added or when items are deleted from the geometry.
  3. To add metadata to the table:
    1. Right-click a row in the table and select Add Metadata.
      You can only select single objects for the Add Metadata option.

    2. In the Add Metadata sub-panel, set the available properties and the metadata object.
      If you select Add Metadata from an existing item, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ automatically sets the Object Type and Metadata Object properties. If you select Add Metadata from the Body Groups row the Object Type and Metadata Object properties use the default settings.
    3. Click OK.
      For more information on how to create valid metadata input within the simulation tree, see What Is Metadata?.
  4. To edit the existing metadata:
    1. Right-click the right-hand column in the table and select Edit Metadata.
      You can also edit a metadata value by double-clicking the Value entry within the metadata table.
    2. In the Edit Metadata sub-panel, select the new Type Value.
    3. Specify the required new Value and click OK.
    If you are adding or editing mapped metadata, you can format the map for ease of viewing and editing.
  5. To delete metadata rows, right-click the required row and select Delete Metadata.
  6. In the Delete Metadata dialog, click OK.
To search for a specific metadata, you can use the Filter options to build up logical arguments. Each search filter returns its own set of search results, which you can then select, isolate, and visualise.
  1. To create a filter:
    1. Click (Set Filters).


    2. Click the drop-down menu next to the Filter Key or Filter Value options and define the filter operators.
    3. If you choose Filter Key, enter a text phrase. For Filter Value, enter a value.
      You can select these options individually or use them together.
    4. If you wish to set the Filter Key and Filter Value to the default settings, click Reset.
    5. Click Apply
      When using numerical filter options, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ compares the filter value and the metadata value as either doubles or strings, depending on the following:
      • If Simcenter STAR-CCM+ can convert both the filter value and metadata value to a double, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ first converts the values to strings (to ensure that both values have the same number of significant figures) then converts the values to doubles and performs the comparison.
      • If either the filter value or metadata value can not be converted to a double, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ only performs a string comparison. In this case the Above, Below, Between, and Not Between predicates are not applicable.
      • For the comparison of array and mapped metadata, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ compares the values as strings.
  2. To copy metadata from the table, right-click a row in the table and select either Copy Key or Copy Value.
    You can use the copied data in other parts of the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ interface, including filtering the metadata table.
  3. To view a part on its own in the 3D-CAD View scene, select an entity in the table and click (Isolate the selected result).
  4. For cases where you have a large collection of information, click to expand or collapse all the metadata results in the table.
  5. To reposition the view for a result without needing to zoom or pan the view, select an item in the table and click (Set focus on the selected result).
  6. Click Close.