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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.
Working with 3D-CAD Models
Modifying a 3D-CAD Model
As the 3D-CAD modeler is fully integrated into the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ environment, it is quick and easy to modify the 3D-CAD model before and after the simulation is run.

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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.
  - 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
    - Creating Geometry Parts from 3D-CAD
    - Part Creation Options Dialog
    - Modifying a 3D-CAD Model
      As the 3D-CAD modeler is fully integrated into the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ environment, it is quick and easy to modify the 3D-CAD model before and after the simulation is run.
    - Updating the 3D-CAD Model
      The 3D-CAD model contains all features that define the 3D-CAD geometry. When you make a change to a feature in the 3D-CAD model, you must update the model for the changes to take effect.
    - Synchronizing Geometry Parts with the 3D-CAD Model
      Synchronize the geometry parts with the 3D-CAD model to maintain an up-to-date list of geometry parts every time you update the 3D-CAD model and geometry parts list.
  - 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.

Modifying a 3D-CAD Model

As the 3D-CAD modeler is fully integrated into the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ environment, it is quick and easy to modify the 3D-CAD model before and after the simulation is run.

If a solution has been found and you wish to rerun the simulation for a slightly different geometry, you can modify the 3D-CAD model and rerun the simulation. In this case, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ automatically maps the previous solution onto the new geometry, decreasing the simulation run-time.

You can modify a 3D-CAD model by:

Editing it explicitly
Changing the value of a design parameter

The first method activates 3D-CAD and gives you access to the full range of CAD tools to edit the geometry.

The second method allows you to modify the model geometry without activating 3D-CAD. To use this method, you must prepare design parameters in advance. Design parameters appear under the Design Parameter node for the 3D-CAD model in the main simulation tree once you close 3D-CAD. By changing the value of a design parameter and updating the model, you can change the associated dimension in the 3D-CAD model.

For the changes to take effect in the rest of the simulation, perform the following steps:

Update the affected geometry parts
Regenerate the surface and volume mesh

The region and boundary data is mapped onto the updated geometry and you can proceed with the analysis. It is good practice to check that the parts, regions, and boundaries are all associated with the correct sections of the geometry following a modification to the 3D-CAD model.

When the original 3D-CAD model is used to create geometry parts, a single part surface, named Default, represents all unnamed faces.

If you:

rename or split the Default part surface into new part surfaces,
then modify the geometry in 3D-CAD,
and update the geometry parts,

the CAD surfaces and boundaries that are associated with each part surface are maintained as much as possible.

When you name surfaces on a 3D-CAD model, then use that 3D-CAD model to create geometry parts, individual part surfaces are created for each of the named 3D-CAD surfaces. If you edit the part in 3D-CAD, then update the geometry parts, the part surfaces, and associated boundaries, are maintained.