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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.
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.
Interfaces Overview
Interfaces are used in Simcenter STAR-CCM+ to transfer solution quantities between regions in a simulation. Certain types of interfaces modify quantities passing across them, such as a porous baffle interface that presents resistance to fluid flow. Periodic and repeating interfaces allow you to reduce the scope of the solution domain.
Interface Workflow
Enter a short description of your concept here (optional).
Creating a Boundary Interface
An interface can be created between boundaries to produce a conformal mesh interface (as part of the meshing pipeline), or to maintain physics continuity between regions or in the same region.

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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.
- 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.
  - Regions Layout Workflow
    In defining the regions layout you map between the geometrical definition of the problem and the computational (or physical) definition.
  - Assigning Parts to Regions
    Before a leaf-level part can be used in the meshing process, it must be assigned to a region.
  - Assigning Part Surfaces to Boundaries
    As with parts and regions, a bi-directional relationship exists between part surfaces and boundaries.
  - Using the Assign Parts to Regions Dialog
    The Assign Parts to Regions dialog lets you assign several part-level objects to region-level objects in one action. This dialog is the recommended method of assigning parts to regions.
  - Initial Assignment of Boundary Types
  - Interfaces Overview
    Interfaces are used in Simcenter STAR-CCM+ to transfer solution quantities between regions in a simulation. Certain types of interfaces modify quantities passing across them, such as a porous baffle interface that presents resistance to fluid flow. Periodic and repeating interfaces allow you to reduce the scope of the solution domain.
    - Orientation of Contact-Mode Boundary Interfaces
      The Orientation node is only available for interfaces between parts that are assigned to the same region. These interfaces are therefore contact-mode boundary interfaces within the same region, where Simcenter STAR-CCM+ requires an additional specification for orientation. This specification is particularly required for interface types such as fan, blower, and fully-developed.
    - Interface Topology
      The topology property of an interface specifies any geometric transformation between the two sides of the interface. When applying a periodic or repeating interface, you model a geometric section to represent the entire model containing periodic or repeating boundary conditions. For example, turbomachinery blades or fully-developed flow.
    - Interface Type
      The interface type determines the behavior of the interface on exchanging simulation data. Interfaces can connect individual boundaries (faces) or entire regions (volumes).
    - Interface Workflow
      Enter a short description of your concept here (optional).
      - Creating a Boundary Interface
        An interface can be created between boundaries to produce a conformal mesh interface (as part of the meshing pipeline), or to maintain physics continuity between regions or in the same region.
      - Creating a Hub Interface
        In simulations that require heat conduction through solid shells or solid regions, hub interfaces permit transfer of heat flux solution data. A hub interface can be created between:
      - Intersecting an Interface
        The intersection process occurs the first time the solution is initialized for the volume mesh.
      - Accessing an Interface from an Interface Boundary
        In some simulations, such as with conjugate heat transfer, you might have a large number of boundaries and interfaces. Simcenter STAR-CCM+ lets you access the properties of an interface directly from any of its interface boundaries, rather than having to scroll through the object tree.
      - Examining Interfaces
        Interface creation normally proceeds without any problems if the underlying mesh is valid and the interfaces have been defined properly.
      - Inserting a Shell Region Inside an Interface
        The Insert Shell Region Interface action allows you to select certain types of interface and insert a shell region between the two sides of the interface. Using this action is much quicker and easier than creating the shell region and interfaces manually.
      - Deleting Interfaces
        Deleting an Interface restores the boundaries to their state prior to the interface being generated.
      - Adjusting the Interface Intersection Tolerances (Geometry-Based Method)
        When the geometry-based intersector is selected, the property Geometric Tolerance limits the distance by which vertices on the adapted boundary can move to match vertices, edges, and faces on the fixed boundary.
      - Adjusting the Interface Settings (Topology-Based Method)
        When the direct intersector is set to the topology-based Method, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ computes the intersection of interface boundaries using an algorithm that identifies large scale topological features.
      - Adjusting the Interface Settings (Metrics-Based Method)
        For sliding-interface applications, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ provides the metrics-based intersector. This intersector requires a relative motion between the two sides of the interface.
      - Guidelines for Interface Intersection with Rigid Motion
        In setups with rigid motions, interface intersection may trigger a reset and re-initialization at each time-step when relative motion between the contacting surfaces occurs.
  - Region Manipulation
    To fix surface or volume meshes that are not suitable for obtaining a valid solution, choose from among various techniques for manipulating regions.
  - Region Reposition
    The Reposition Model adds a transformation to the volume mesh representation of a region at the point of simulation initialization. That is, the transformation applies in the case of a new simulation or a simulation with cleared solution. In some automated simulation or design exploration studies, your objective is to obtain results for a series of simulations in which the relative positioning of one part changes in each simulation. An example is an airfoil with a changing angle of attack. Using the Reposition Model, you can wrap the geometry that changes in an overset region, and then use the Reposition Specification on the region to define the orientation at the start of each new simulation run.
  - Manipulating Boundaries
    It is often convenient to modify boundaries in the simulation without having to modify the mesh and re-import it.
  - Performing Boolean Operations on Regions
    Boolean operations can be performed between two or more intersecting, closed, manifold regions to create a single region made up of a single surface. The new surface is also closed and manifold and can be used as part of the meshing process or as the starting point for additional Boolean operations.
- Meshing
  A mesh is a discretized representation of a geometric domain. This domain can include real-world geometry, its content, and its surrounding environment.

Creating a Boundary Interface

An interface can be created between boundaries to produce a conformal mesh interface (as part of the meshing pipeline), or to maintain physics continuity between regions or in the same region.

Do not confuse the act of creating an interface with converting boundaries to an interface, which is a similar but different operation used primarily for meshing purposes. In this latter instance, a single (usually common) boundary belonging to a surface mesh is duplicated and then an interface made between the original and the copy for the primary purpose of defining multiple regions for meshing.

To create an interface between boundaries, select the two boundaries that define the interface. The first boundary selected is termed the primary boundary; the second is termed the secondary boundary.

Once the boundaries have been selected (press and hold the Ctrl key to select the second node), right-click and select Create Interface.

This action creates an interface between the two selected boundaries. Two new nodes appear in the simulation tree (under the Boundaries node for each region) indicating which boundary nodes are linked:

An interface node also appears in the Interfaces manager node, which has a default name, Interface, plus an identifying suffix. Selecting the interface node highlights the interface in the Graphics window.

To check the number of faces associated with each interface sub-node, open the subnodes of the Representations node and select the corresponding interface node:

The number of Faces, as shown in the Properties window, is zero due to the face that the intersection process has not yet been performed. The nodes appear grayed out, indicating that they are not yet active.