Sewing Sheet Bodies Together
When the free edge of a sheet body coincides with the free edge of an adjacent sheet body, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ can sew the edges together to form a single sheet body. Similarly, if multiple edges on the same sheet body overlap, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ can merge them with the Sew function.
If the sheet bodies form a closed geometry, you have the option to convert the sheet bodies into a solid body. The Bulk Sewing option is most appropriate for sewing together a large number of sheet bodies with a tolerance of 1.0E-4 m or lower. This option is best suited for non-parasolid formats.
Only bodies whose edges are within the specified tolerance can be sewn together. The maximum recommended tolerance is based on the chosen sewing and body type.
Sewing is not supported for a combination of CAD and faceted bodies. The input bodies must be consistently one type or the other. To fill gaps larger than the specified maximum tolerance, use the Fill Surface feature (see Filling Holes). You can also optimize the edges and vertices, if the geometry is tolerant (see Optimizing Edges).
| Sewing Option | Body Type | Maximum recommended tolerance |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | CAD | 1.0E-6 m |
| Faceted | 1.0E-5 m | |
| Bulk | CAD | 1.0E-4 m |
| Faceted | 1.0E-4 m |
To sew sheet bodies:
- Select the sheet bodies to sew using one of the following methods:
- Select one or more sheet bodies in the 3D-CAD View scene.
- Select one or more sheet body nodes in the 3D-CAD Body Groups node.
- Right-click on a selection and choose Sew Sheet Bodies.
The Sew Sheet Bodies panel appears and you have the option to execute a standard or bulk sew operation.
Choose the type of sewing, a Standard or Bulk.
- Select the Body Type of the entities you want to sew.
- Based on the sewing option and body type, define the sew parameters. See Sew Sheet Bodies Panel.
- Click OK.
Sew Sheet Bodies Panel
The Sew Sheet Bodies action merges sheet bodies whose edges coincide. For a set of sheet bodies that form a closed volume, you can choose to convert them to a solid body.
| Input Bodies | Specifies the sheet bodies to sew. |
| Standard/Bulk Tolerance | Defines the maximum distance that can exist between the edges of adjacent sheet bodies. If the sheet bodies have larger gaps between them, increase the tolerance accordingly. |
| Attempt To Form Solid | When activated, the Sew Sheet Bodies action attempts to form a solid body from the volume enclosed by the selected sheet bodies. |
| Sew Bodies Independently | When activated, this operation converts each of the selected sheet bodies to solids, without sewing them together. This operation converts each body independently in a sequential manner and allows for partial failure—individual sheet bodies can be converted, without the entire operation failing. This option is only available for the standard sewing option. |