Design and implementation of a corporate mesh object

Abstract

Today, finite element technologies allow engineers to analyze complex assemblies and subsystems. With CPU power constantly increasing, it is not unreasonable to state that the engineer will hope to analyze the whole complex system, such as an entire automobile, in a single study. This study may include parameteric design, result animation, crash analysis, and so on. The traditional mesh data structure, which mainly serves a particular type of mesh algorithm, is far from enough to meet the challenges of tomorrow. This paper mainly focuses on storing, accessing, and manipulating mesh data within the vast scope of the analysis system for multiple purposes, such as meshing generators, solvers, pre- and postprocessors, and so on. It details the decision-making put into the design of the ANSYS Corporate Mesh Object, the programming methods used to implement those designs, and future enhancements planned to meet ever-changing requirements. © 2005 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.