Manipulating Part Points

In addition to part surfaces and part curves, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows you to create part points. Part points are intended for specific applications that allow you to set quantities at point locations. For example, in solid stress simulations you can define loads and constraints at specific points.

Unlike the Surfaces and Curves nodes, the Points node does not appear under geometry parts by default.

The Points node appears in the simulation when you do one of the following:
  • Create the geometry part from a 3D-CAD model containing named vertices—Simcenter STAR-CCM+ automatically adds the Points node and populates it with a part point for each named vertex, or named group of vertices. You can also create additional part points.
  • Import a CAE model containing vertex specifications—Simcenter STAR-CCM+ automatically adds the Points node and populates it with a part point for each named group of vertices defined in the CAE model. For more information on imported CAE models, see Importing CAE Models.
  • Manually enable part points (see below)—Simcenter STAR-CCM+ adds an empty Points node, where you can create part points.
  1. To manually enable part points, right-click the Parts node and select Enable Part Points.
    Simcenter STAR-CCM+ adds the Points node to all parts in the simulation.
  2. To create part points under the Points node, you can either:
    • Manually mark vertices as feature vertices and assign them to part points, using the Surface Repair tool. See Repair Tools Reference.
    • Automatically compute the feature vertices that lie on selected surfaces, or edges, and assign them to part points.

    You can delete, rename, combine and add part points to a scene, as you do for part surfaces and part curves.

  3. To automatically compute feature vertices and create corresponding part points:
    1. Right-click the Parts > [Part] > Points node and select Compute Part Points...
    2. In the Mark Part Points Options dialog, select the input surfaces, or curves, and specify which vertices Simcenter STAR-CCM+ marks as feature vertices:
      • Sharp Vertices Along Part Curves—when activated, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ marks vertices that connect two part curves only if the external angle between the part curves is greater than the specified Angle Between Edges.
      • Curve Free Ends—when activated, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ marks vertices that are connected with a single part curve.
      • Curve Junctions—when activated, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ marks vertices that are connected to more than two part curves.
      • Curve Type Perimeters—when activated, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ marks vertices that are connected to two different types of part curves.
      • Maintain existing Part Points—when activated, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ preserves existing part points.
    3. Click Apply then Close.
      Simcenter STAR-CCM+ computes feature vertices on the selected surfaces and curves, based on the specified criteria, and creates corresponding part points.
You can also create an empty part point and assign feature vertices to it using the Surface Repair Tool. To create an empty part point:
  1. Right-click the Parts node and select New Part Point...
    For information on the Surface Repair tool, see Repair Tools Reference.
  2. To set the entity to default, right-click the part point and select Set Default.
For more information on the use of part points in Simcenter STAR-CCM+, see Solid Stress.