TriMesh, TriAdvance

Applies to: Surfaces

Summary: Automatically meshes surface geometry with triangle elements.

Syntax:

Surface <range> Scheme {TriMesh|TriAdvance}

Discussion:

The triangle meshing schemes fill an arbitrary surface with triangle elements. Two algorithms are available for this purpose.

1. The scheme TriAdvance is an advancing front algorithm which allows holes in the surface and transitions between dissimilar element sizes. It can use a sizing function like the pave scheme if one is defined for the surface. Future development will add hard lines to this scheme's capabilities. You specify this scheme for a surface by giving the command:

Surface <range> Scheme TriAdvance

2. The scheme TriMesh automatically switches between the TriAdvance and the QTri schemes. First, it tries the TriAdvance scheme; if that fails, it tries the QTri scheme. The QTri scheme first paves the surface and then cuts the quadrilateral elements in half to form triangles. Figure 2 shows an example of a mesh created with the QTri method.

You specify this scheme for a surface by giving the command:

Surface <range> Scheme TriMesh

Figure 1. Triangle mesh generated with scheme TriAdvance

Figure 2. Triangle mesh generated with QTri scheme