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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.
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.
Repairing Features
Diagnose and fix part curves before running the surface remesher.

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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.
- 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.
  - The Surface Repair Workflow
    Use the Surface Repair tool to identify and manually repair surface and part curve errors on the discretized geometry.
  - Surface Repair User Interface
    The functions of the Surface Repair tool are contained within the Surface Repair environment. Repair tool modes are presented in the Surface Repair panel; display, selection, and diagnostics/search functions are embedded within the Graphics window.
  - Selecting Entities
    The surface repair tool allows you to select faces based on either individual triangles from the tessellation or underlying patch definitions in the CAD geometry. A number of methods are available for making rapid selections based on continuity and proximity.
  - Repairing Surfaces
    Diagnose and fix surfaces before running the surface remesher.
  - Repairing Features
    Diagnose and fix part curves before running the surface remesher.
  - Surface Repair Error Categories
    The Surface Repair tool diagnoses the geometry for surface and feature errors and groups the various errors into color-coded categories.
  - Repair Tools Reference
    Use the repair tools to repair errors on the geometry surface and part curves.
  - Global Tools
    Global tools are designed for work on larger portions of the model as opposed to individual faces, edges, and vertices.
  - Query Tools
    Query tools provide information on selected entities in the Graphics window.
  - Classifying Surfaces
    In many cases, different surfaces of a geometry part require different mesh settings, for example, a different number of prism layers for internal and external surfaces. In Surface Repair, you can Classify faces based on specified criteria and create corresponding part surfaces. This classification process is suitable for regular geometries with well defined angles.
  - Organizing Discretized Geometry
    The search capability of the Surface Repair tool is a powerful feature that helps you organise and prepare discretized geometry for simulation.
  - Tagging Surfaces in Surface Repair
    You can tag selected surfaces in the Surface Repair Tool. You can manually select surfaces for tagging, or tag the surfaces returned by the search filters.
  - Part Controls
    The Organize tab allows you to create or reassign part entities using the Part Edit or Create New Part options.
  - Set Controls
    A set is a collection of faces, edges, or vertices, which you can store, recall and browse, using the Set Controls group box.
  - Query Diagnostic Responses From Java Macros
    This section provides example Java and reference material for accessing information from surface preparation query diagnostics.
  - Surface Repair Hotkeys
    Hotkeys, also known as keyboard shortcuts, execute surface repair operations using the keyboard instead of the user interface.
  - Pop Up Menu of the Surface Repair Tool Graphics Window
    The following pop-up menu items are available when you right-click a part or part surface in the Graphics window, while using the Surface Repair tool.
- 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.

Repairing Features

Diagnose and fix part curves before running the surface remesher.

A typical workflow to follow to fix part curve errors is presented below:

In the Feature Repair section of the Repair tab, use the (Mark features) tool to mark features by edge angle, free edges, non-manifold edges, patch perimeters, and boundary perimeters. See Repair Tools Reference: Mark Features Tool.
In the Surface Repair tool, in the Diagnostics slide out, select Feature and click Execute to run the diagnostics.
The tool analyzes the geometry for surface errors and displays the results in the Diagnostics panel.

Errors are classified into color-coded categories. The colored boxes in the Diagnostics panel report the number of times that a category of error is found in the active model. The same colors are used in the active scene to highlight the faces and edges on which the errors were found.

See Feature Errors for a list of errors.

As you fix errors, the number in each category is updated to indicate the remaining number of items for which that category of error is found. It is common for the number of one error type to increase while fixing another error type. For example, deleting faces to remove a pierced surface temporarily increases the number of free edges.
Use the (Not a feature error) tool to mark features that are incorrectly identified as errors as valid features. See Repair Tools Reference: Not a Feature Error Tool.
Click (Fix all feature errors) for the Surface Repair tool to attempt to fix all feature errors.
Use the (Flag edges as feature) and (Unflag feature edges) to preserve or ignore geometry details respectively. See Repair Tools Reference: Flag Edge as Feature Tool and Repair Tools Reference: Unflag Edge as Feature Tool.
You can select part curves by using the browse buttons, or by using the mouse in the Graphics window. Selecting part curves using the mouse allows greater accuracy when preserving or removing part curves.

As you flag and unflag part curves, the feature diagnostics automatically update and can consider a previous error valid. Similarly, it is possible for the addition of part curves, with the intention of fixing larger errors, to increase the error count temporarily.

If there is a topology or geometry change while using the feature diagnostics tool, click Execute to recalculate the results.