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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.
Global Tools
Global tools are designed for work on larger portions of the model as opposed to individual faces, edges, and vertices.
Merge and Imprint Tool
The Merge/Imprint tool lets you imprint sets of faces and edges onto each other. After imprinting, you can switch to the review mode to identify critical issues that may exist in the contact definition.
Automated Imprint Mode
The automated imprint mode differs from the interactive mode in that the tool calculates source and destination pairs automatically. These calculated pairs appear in the Part Browser.
Using The Boolean Subtract Preprocess Option
This option subtracts the destination part from the source part before performing the imprint operation.

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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.
    - Projecting Vertices
      This tool moves the selected vertex or vertices to a new location using one of five modes.
    - Transforming Surface Entities
      This tool transforms surface entities (vertices, edges, or faces) in a local coordinate system using one of five modes.
    - Offset Faces/Edges Tool
      The Offset Faces/Edges tool is used to inflate or translate faces or edges.
    - Merge and Imprint Tool
      The Merge/Imprint tool lets you imprint sets of faces and edges onto each other. After imprinting, you can switch to the review mode to identify critical issues that may exist in the contact definition.
      - Interactive Imprint Mode
        In this mode you must manually add faces and edges to the Source and Destination groups before executing the merge or imprint.
      - Automated Imprint Mode
        The automated imprint mode differs from the interactive mode in that the tool calculates source and destination pairs automatically. These calculated pairs appear in the Part Browser.
        Imprinting Pairs More Than Once
        In some circumstances, it is necessary to imprint a pair of parts more than once in order to apply different tolerance values to each imprint.
        Editing Part Priorities
        The Edit Priorities function defines the destination and source for each part pair by comparing the priority indices between part sets.
        Imprinting Baffle Edges Onto Faces
        It is possible to imprint the edges of a zero-thickness baffle part onto its adjacent faces while retaining the baffle as a separate part.
        Using The Exact Face Match Method
        Set the Method to the Exact Face Match option only when a part pair already has one-to-one correspondence between their coincident faces and vertices.
        Using The Conformal Resulting Mesh Type Option
        Use this option to achieve a conformal mesh between contacting surfaces.
        Using The Non Conformal Resulting Mesh Type
        Non-conformal imprinting provides a way to imprint parts efficiently without spending time imprinting CAD parts conformally when it is unnecessary.
        Using The Boolean Subtract Preprocess Option
        This option subtracts the destination part from the source part before performing the imprint operation.
        Using The Opposing Outward Face Orientation Option
        Selecting the Face Orientation option, Opposing Outward, provides an imprinting mode which ensures that only faces that are facing each other with opposing outward normal directions are imprinted or merged.
        Displaying Neighboring Parts
        You can choose to display or hide neighboring parts in the scene once part pairs are found.
      - Reviewing Part Contacts
        Part contacts are created whenever you imprint parts or part surfaces, when you import CAD parts that have contacting surfaces, or when you create them manually. The surface repair tool allows you to review part contacts based on a series of metrics in order to identify potential sources of error.
      - Merge And Imprint Options
        The following tables summarize the properties available for the Merge/Imprint tool.
      - Metrics for Review Imprint Mode
        The surface repair part contact review tool provides you with a set of metrics that gives you an insight into the part contacts contained in the surface.
    - Offset/Imprint Edges Tool
      The Offset/Imprint selected edges tool allows you to either offset or create edges and curves on the specified target faces. On creation, the edge to face imprinter imprints the new edges onto the destination surface.
    - Intersect/Boolean Faces Tool
      The Intersect/Boolean Selected Faces tool allows you to intersect or perform Boolean operations on two face sets. As the tool only operates on triangles faces, any quad faces in the input sets are decomposed to triangles.
    - Edit Connected Surfaces Tool
      The Edit Connected Surfaces tool identifies the connection or disconnection between tessellated surfaces, and allows deletion of disconnected surfaces.
    - Reviewing Volume Topology
      The volume topology tool is a model topology diagnostic tool for analyzing volumes, faces, and edges. In particular, the tool identifies closed volumes from the set of surfaces supplied.
  - 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.

Using The Boolean Subtract Preprocess Option

This option subtracts the destination part from the source part before performing the imprint operation.

The geometry of the source part is changed, but the geometry of the destination part is maintained.

Note

To perform a boolean subtraction, the input parts must be closed and manifold. Therefore, selecting the Preprocess option, Boolean Subtract, deactivates the face selection controls, as the tool can only imprint two complete parts. If the parts are not closed and manifold, there is no subtraction, but the parts are imprinted.

The following example shows two parts that penetrate one another.

Selecting the Boolean Subtract option and imprinting these two parts gives the following result, with the intersecting surface merged and imprinted.

By hiding the rectangular part, you can see that the rectangular part (destination) has been subtracted from the cylinder (source). The result is best seen by exiting Surface Repair.