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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.
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.

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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.
    - 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.

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.

Geometric object properties can include information such as:

Length of an edge
Minimum/maximum distance between two topological entities of any type (Body, Face, Edge and Vertex) in any combination.
Radius of a hole
Area of a face
Volume of a body

You can view the properties of bodies, faces, edges and vertices, and also distance information between two entities.

To view the properties of a feature:

In the Graphics window, right-click the geometric object that you want to evaluate and select Properties under the appropriate heading.
For example, to determine the moment of inertia of an edge, right-click the body and select Properties under the Body heading. The property information is displayed in the Output window.
To determine the distance between two topological entities(body, face, edge, or vertex):
1. Select two entities in the graphics window.
2. Right-click on one of the selected entities.
3. Select Properties.
The image below shows an example of the distance between two faces in the Output window.
You can also evaluate the properties of multiple objects.

Calculating Moment of Inertia in 3D-CAD

As with other properties in 3D-CAD, the moment of inertia is calculated by the Parasolid modeling kernel. Moment of inertia is calculated about the center of gravity. The mass of the object is calculated as $m a s s = v o l u m e \times d e n s i t y$ . The default density is unity.