6.7.

1 Overview

This video demonstrates how to create a midsurface.

For certain types of parts, you can simplify your geometry for CAE analysis by creating a midsurface on a solid body. The commands on the Midsurface
toolbar let you generate an approximation of the part's medial surface between pairs of surfaces. You can then perform your CAE analysis directly on that
midsurface, rather than on the original solid model.
Midsurfaces:

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 Let you simplify a model for analysis. When you create a midsurface, you can ignore fillets, rounds, or bosses that are not important for your
analysis.
Meshing and solving a model comprised of a solid body or bodies is usually more time and resource intensive than meshing and solving a model
comprised of sheet bodies. You can create a midsurface to perform a first-pass, general analysis of the part using a 2D mesh on the midsurface.
Are most appropriate for thin-walled parts. For more information, see 6.7.2 Selecting appropriate parts for midsurfacing.
Can be created either directly on the CAD geometry or on an idealized part. If you do not have write access to the original CAD part, or do not
want to directly modify that geometry, you can create the midsurface on the idealized part instead.
Note If you create a midsurface on the idealized part, you must first either promote or WAVE link a body before you can create a midsurface. For more
information, see Associative copy techniques for CAE workflows

Contain information about the geometric thickness of the paired surfaces. When you mesh the midsurface, you can use the midsurface's thickness
data to define the thickness of the elements in the mesh.
o For uniform geometry with a constant thickness, the midsurface thickness is constant.
o For non-uniform geometry with a varying thickness, the midsurface thickness varies.
For information on overriding or ignoring the midsurface thickness values, see Shell thickness.

Are generally created as part of a multi-step process. After you create all the necessary mid-sheets that comprise the midsurface of your part, you
may need to use additional Modeling or polygon geometry commands to ensure that the midsurface is fully stitched.
The following graphic shows a solid body with a number of ribs and fillets (A). (B) shows the midsurface that was generated on that body. (C) shows the 2D
mesh that was generated on the midsurface. Notice how the thickness of the original body is applied to the elements.

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Note In general, the midsurface commands are not intended for use by designers. Because a midsurface is a simplification of exact geometry, it is usually
not sufficient for detailed design applications.

Using the Midsurface toolbar

All midsurface-related commands are located on the Midsurface toolbar. By default, this toolbar contains the midsurface creation commands, as well as
Modeling commands, such as Trim and Extend and Sew, that you can use to modify midsurfaces.
You can also customize the commands available on the Midsurface toolbar by adding commands that you commonly use in a midsurface workflow, such as
Promote and Through Curves. The Midsurface toolbar is available in the Advanced Simulation and Modeling applications.

Selecting a Midsurface creation command

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Use one of the following commands to create a midsurface:

Midsurface by Face Pairs : Creates a midsurface halfway between sets of opposing face pairs. The face pair method is useful for creating
midsurfaces for thin-walled parts with ribs. See 6.7.3 Creating a midsurface by pairing faces for more information.

User Defined : Designates an existing sheet body as the midsurface of a part. That is, you can manually model a sheet body to approximate
the midsurface of a thin-walled part and then use that sheet body as the midsurface for your part. See Creating user-defined midsurfaces for more
information.
Where do I find it?
With the part or idealized part active, display the Midsurface toolbar.

6.7.2 Selecting appropriate parts for midsurfacing

The midsurface commands are not appropriate for use on all parts. They are primarily intended for use on the following types of parts:

thin-walled, tangent-continuous parts

thin-walled, intersection parts
Thin-walled parts are parts whose thickness can be accurately analyzed using 2D (shell) finite elements, although the accuracy of the results can depend
on the thickness of the part's walls.
In general, filleted connections are best modeled using solid elements if you are interested in obtaining accurate stress and strain results at the fillets.
However, if you are not concerned with obtaining precise results at the fillets and only want to have elements at the fillet locations for structural rigidity,
you can create midsurfaces in those areas.

Thin-walled, tangent-continuous parts

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Thin-walled, tangent-continuous parts are parts in which the adjacent surfaces are stitched and where the angle between the individual surfaces is less
than 3. These types of parts tend to have a constant wall thickness and are often sheet metal or stamped parts. The following graphic shows examples of
thin walled, tangent-continuous parts.

Thin-walled, tangent-continuous parts 1

Thin-walled intersection parts
Thin-walled, intersection or tangent-discontinuous parts are thin-walled parts in which the adjacent surfaces are either unstitched or the angle between
the individual surfaces is greater than 3. Intersection parts tend to have a variable wall thickness and are often either molded or shelled parts, or forged
or extruded parts. The following graphic shows examples of thin-walled, intersection parts.

Thin-walled intersection parts 1

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6.7.3 Creating a midsurface by pairing faces
Use the Midsurface by Face Pairs command to define a midsurface on a body by selecting the faces to pair. The software uses the paired faces to:

Determine the appropriate size and shape of the midsurface.

Calculate the thickness values to apply to the midsurface.

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 Gif Animation 1

The process for creating a midsurface by face pairs

The Midsurface by Face Pairs command:

Lets you define pairs of faces for a selected solid body.

Creates a separate mid-sheet for each face pair.
Note The Midsurface by Face Pairs command does not stitch the individual mid-sheets.

Extends each individual mid-sheet with respect to the other mid-sheets.

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 Trims each individual mid-sheet with respect to the related face pair and the solid body.
Creating the face pairs and generating the mid-sheets on those face pairs is an iterative process. The Midsurface by Face Pairs dialog box contains a
number of tools that you can use to define and modify the face pairs as well as control the mid-sheet creation and trimming. See Create a midsurface by
face pairs and Understanding midsurface creation and trimming methods for more information.

Selecting a solid body for midsurface creation

In the Midsurface by Face Pairs dialog box, you must select a solid body on which to define the face pairs. You cannot use the Midsurface by Face Pairs
command to create face pairs between individual sheet bodies or between faces on a sheet body.
Although the Midsurface by Face Pairs dialog box allows you to select multiple solid bodies, you cannot use this option to establish a connection between
the solid bodies.

NX creates one midsurface feature for each solid body.

NX does not extend or connect mid-sheets between solid bodies.
Note You can only use the Midsurface by Face Pairs command on a solid body that has been either promoted or WAVE linked. For more information, see
Associative copy techniques for CAE workflows.

Creating a midsurface on an imported solid body

You can use Midsurface by Face Pairs to create a midsurface on a solid body that you imported into NX from another CAD software package. Before you
use Midsurface by Face Pairs on an imported solid body , you can use the Optimize Face command on the Synchronous Modeling toolbar to convert B-
spline surfaces to simple analytical surfaces. Typically, analytical surfaces have tighter tolerances and cleaner geometry than imported B-spline surfaces.
For more information, see Optimize Face overview.

Computing the thickness of a midsurface created by face pairs

How the software computes the thickness of a midsurface created by face pairs depends upon whether the pair contains single faces or multiple faces.

For face pairs that are comprised of multiple faces on each side, the software casts a ray along the normal from each node in the mesh on the
midsurface to the faces in the face pairs. The software sums the calculated lengths of the rays to determine the appropriate thickness at that node.
If the software casts a ray from a node and the ray does not intersect with a face in the face pair, the software searches for the next closest point on
the side 1 faces in the pair. The software uses that point to find the closest distance to the side 2 faces and uses this value as the thickness value at
the node.

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 For face pairs that are comprised of a single face on each side, the software performs a quick check of the thickness by computing the thickness
values at sample points.
o If the distance between these points is < 5, the software assumes that the thickness is constant. The software then assigns a single,
constant thickness value to each node on the midsurface.
o If the distance between these points is > 5, the software assumes that the thickness is non-uniform. The software then uses the same ray
casting technique it uses for multi-face pairs to calculate the thickness value at each node.
To determine the thickness of a midsurface you created with the Midsurface by Face Pairs command,
After you create and mesh a midsurface, you should validate that the assigned thickness values are correct. For more information, see Creating displays
to validate element thickness.

6.7.4 Understanding face pair creation

With the Midsurface by Face Pairs command, the quality and accuracy of the face pairs you define determines the quality of the resulting midsurface.

About face pairs

Each face pair has two sides: side 1 and side 2.

The faces that comprise side 1 of a pair are the master faces for the pair. These faces define the shape and size of the resulting mid-sheets.
The faces that comprise side 2 of a pair are the dependent faces for the pair.
Face pairing strategies
Use the Strategy list in the Face Pairing group of options to specify the method to use to pair the faces. You can select a different Strategy for different
areas of the solid body.

Pairing Manual or Description Best method for... Side definition

strategy Automatic rules
Progressive Automatic Creates face pairs based on a computed average thickness The software
Bodies where the thickness is
value. determines which
fairly constant and does not
faces belong on side
The Progressive strategy uses a rolling ball calculation. A change abruptly.
1 and side 2 of the
rolling ball calculation is analogous to using a moving sphere, pair.
Tangent-continuous parts in
similar to an inflatable ball, that is constrained within the
which the angle between faces is
walls of the solid body. The ball contacts a solid face at one Side 1 can only

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 Pairing Manual or Description Best method for... Side definition
strategy Automatic rules
point and expands until it contacts the adjacent faces, contain a single
less than 3.
creating the largest ball that can fit within the constraints of face, though side 2
the faces. can contain multiple
faces.
The diameter of the ball becomes larger or smaller
automatically as it rolls through the different regions of the
part. The software then uses the diameter of the ball at a
given location as the thickness of the part at that location.
Thickness Automatic Pairs two surfaces if the thickness between them is less than The software
Variable thickness bodies.
the specified thickness threshold value. determines which
Note When you specify the Thickness faces belong on side
threshold value, you should 1 and side 2 of the
specify the maximum thicknesspair.
threshold value for pairing.
Side 1 can only
contain a single
Tangent-continuous parts in face, though side 2
which the angle between faces is can contain multiple
less than 3. faces.

Manual Manual Lets you manually select the faces that belong to side 1 and You specify which
Bodies with tangent continuous
side 2 in a pair. faces belong on side
faces.
1 and side 2 of the
With the manual option, you can use the Side 2 Search options
Bodies in which the automatic pair.
to have the software search for candidate faces for side 2
pairing strategies do not provide
within a specified distance from the side 1 faces. See Using the Both side 1 and side
satisfactory results.
Side 2 Search option with manual pairing for more information. 2 can contain
Situations in which you want multiple faces.
Note For better performance, clear the Preview check box. to control precisely how the faces
are paired.

Rules for automatic face pairing

With the Progressive and Thickness automatic pairing methods, the software evaluates face pair candidates to try to determine the best possible pairs.

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 For blend or fillet faces, the software only pairs faces with consistent blends. For example, the software does not pair blend (fillet) faces with
non-blend faces. Additionally, the software does not pair blend faces with non-blend faces.
The software ignores very small faces and does not include them in pairing. The software ignores any face whose width is less than 1/8th of its
thickness.
The software does not pair planar surfaces with curved surfaces.
As the software creates face pairs, it determines which faces in the solid body are the side faces. The software does not create face pairs for side
faces.
Excluding faces from pairing
When you use the Progressive or Thickness automatic pairing strategy, you can use the Faces to Exclude from Pairing option to specify any faces that
you do not want the software to consider for pairing. For example, you can use this option to exclude blends, small fillets, and side faces that you do not
want to include in the midsurface. Additionally, when you use the Progressive or Thickness pairing strategy, you can exclude faces to reduce the time it
takes the software to create the face pairs.
The following graphic shows the differences in the resulting midsurface depending on whether small fillets or blends are excluded from face pairing.

(A) shows the resulting midsurface when the highlighted fillet surfaces are included in face pairing.
(B) shows the resulting midsurfaces when the highlighted fillet surfaces are excluded from face pairing.

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 Excluding faces from pairing 1

Using the Merge Angle tolerance to merge face pairs

You can use the Merge Angle Tolerance option to merge face pairs. Merging face pairs:

Significantly reduces the overall number of face pairs that you have to manage.
Decreases the number of individual mid-sheets that you must stitch together.
The Merge Angle Tolerance option merges face pairs when the angle between the individual pairs is less than the value you specify.

Using the Side 2 Search option with manual pairing

When you select the face pairing strategy, you can use the Side 2 Search options to have the software search for appropriate faces for side 2 of the pair.
With the Side 2 Search option, NX tries to identify only appropriate faces. For example:

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 The software does not pair blend (fillet) faces with non-blend faces.

The software does not pair blend faces that have the same convexity.

The software does not pair cylindrical faces that have the same convexity.

The software only pairs faces where the difference in the radius of the blends is within acceptable limits when compared to the ray-casting
distance between the blends.

6.7.5 Working with the Face Pair list

The Face Pair List in the Midsurface by Face Pairs dialog box lists all face pairs and lists information about each pair. The name of each face pair
indicates:

The face pairing strategy used to define the pair or whether the mid-sheet is a replacement mid-sheet.
The trimming option for the pair.

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 The unique ID for the face pair.
For example, a face pair listed as Automatic Pair(Standard)(5) indicates that:
The pair was created by an automatic pairing method, such as Thickness or Progressive.
The current trimming method for the mid-sheet is Standard Trimming.
The unique ID for the face pair is 5.
Modifying existing face pairs
You can use the Face Pair List to modify existing face pairs. For example, you can select a pair in the Face Pair List to:

Examine or modify the faces used to define side 1 and side 2 of the pair.
Reverse the faces designated as side 1 and side 2 in the pair.
Modify the mid-sheet creation or trimming method applied to that pair. See Understanding midsurface creation and trimming methods for more
information.
Delete a pair.
You can also use the Merge Face Pairs option to merge multiple, selected face pairs into a single face pair. The software creates a new manual face pair.

The side 1 face of the new pair is comprised of all the side 1 faces from the merged individual face pairs.
The side 2 face of the new pair is comprised of all the side 2 faces from the merged individual face pairs.
With the Face Pair List:

Click the name of a pair in the Face Pair List to select it for editing.
Click the name of the pair in the Face Pair List a second time to deselect the pair.

6.7.6 Understanding midsurface creation and trimming methods

You can use the Advanced Midsurface Tools and Advanced Trimming Tools in the Midsurface by Face Pairs dialog box to control how the software
generates and trims the mid-sheets for each face pair.

Understanding the mid-sheet creation methods

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Although the faces that belong to side 1 of a face pair determine the size, shape, and number of individual sheets in a given mid-sheet, the software uses
a mid-sheet creation method to determine where to create the mid-sheet.

Use Side 1 creates the mid-sheet directly on the faces of side 1 of the pair.

Offset creates the mid-sheet by offsetting a face from side 1 of the paircopy additional face.

Cloud of Points creates the mid-sheet from a sampling of points that the software takes between sides 1 and 2. In general, this method is the
most computationally expensive.

Use Largest Face uses the face in side 1 that has the largest surface area as the mid-sheet.

Standard creates the mid-sheet using the method that the software determines is most appropriate for the given face pair. For example:
o If the thickness in a face pair varies by more than 10%, the software uses the Cloud of Points method to create the mid-sheet.
o If side 1 of the pair contains multiple faces, the software uses the Offset method to create the mid-sheet.
The software initially uses the Standard method to create the mid-sheets for all face pairs.
You can use the Face Pair List to modify the current mid-sheet creation method for a selected face pair. When you select a face pair in the list, the
software disables the button for the current mid-sheet creation method for that pair. For example, if Cloud of Points is the current creation method, the
software disables the Cloud of Points button:

Understanding the trimming options

The Advanced Trimming Tools options control how the software trims the mid-sheet for a selected face pair.

Trim to Side 1 Faces trims the mid-sheet based on the bounds of the face or faces that comprise side 1 of the pair.

Trim to Solid Body trims the mid-sheet based on the bounds of the associated solid body as well as against the neighboring mid-sheets.

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 Standard Trimming is the default trimming method. This method trims the mid-sheet based on the bounds of the faces that comprise both
side 1 and side 2 in the pair. Standard Trimming also trims the mid-sheet against the neighboring mid-sheets.
Note In general, the Standard Trimming method should provide good results for most face pairs. If you are not satisfied with the appearance of a mid-
sheet, you should evaluate the face pair definition first before you modify the trimming method. In many cases, problems that appear to be related
to trimming are really the result of improperly paired faces. For example, you could try using the Reverse Face Pair option to reverse the side 1
and side 2 designations in the pair.

6.7.7 Controlling midsurface display

There are several different tools that you can use to control the visibility and appearance of midsurfaces. You can:

Use the Simulation Navigator to control the display of midsurface bodies.

Use options in the Midsurface by Face Pairs dialog box to temporarily control the transparency of midsurfaces and pairing faces.
Control the highlight color options the software uses when you create midsurfaces.
Controlling midsurface display from the Simulation Navigator
You can use the Simulation Navigator to control the visibility of midsurfaces in your model by clicking the visibility check box. In the Polygon Geometry
node:

A red check indicates that the midsurface sheet body is visible.

A grey check indicates that the midsurface sheet body is hidden.

Controlling midsurface transparency
You can use the Display Options in the Midsurface by Face Pairs dialog box to control the transparency of the midsurface and face pairs.

Select the Show Pairing Faces as Transparent option to have the software display all paired faces as transparent.
Select the Show Midsheets as Transparent option to have the software display the individual mid-sheets as transparent.
You can use these two options separately or simultaneously to better visualize which faces in your model have been paired. In the following example:

(A) shows the solid body.

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 (B) shows the body after the initial set of face pairs has been created. Here, the Show Pairing Faces as Transparent option is selected. The blue
faces are the mid-sheets that the software generated for the face pairs. The green faces are faces that are not currently in a pair.
(C) shows the body with both the Show Pairing Faces as Transparent and the Show Midsheets as Transparent options selected. Notice how you
can identify the faces that still need to be paired to complete the midsurface.

These options temporarily change the translucency of the faces in your model. Once you exit the Midsurface by Face Pairs dialog box, the software
changes the display of the faces and mid-sheets back to their original display style (shaded or wireframe).

Controlling midsurface highlight colors

When you have a part or an idealized part file active, you can use the options in the Midsurface Preferences dialog box to control the display options for
midsurfaces. For example, you can specify the colors the software uses to highlight sides 1 and 2 of a face pair when you use the Midsurface by Face
Pairs command. To open the Midsurface Preferences dialog box, select Midsurface from the Preferences menu. See Midsurface Preferences dialog box
for more information

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6.7.8 Create a midsurface by face pairs
1. Before you define the face pairs, use the Object Display command on the Edit menu to set the translucency of the solid body to 70%. This makes
it easier for you to see the resulting mid-sheets relative to the solid body.
2. Use the Midsurface by Face Pairs command to define the face pairs and generate the mid-sheets.
3. In the Midsurface by Face Pairs dialog box, use the Strategy option to specify the approach the software uses to create the face pairs. See
Understanding face pair creation for more information.
4. Use the Face Pair list in the Midsurface by Face Pairs dialog box to review the pairs and modify any faces that are paired incorrectly. If you are
not satisfied with a given pair of faces, you can:
o Delete the pair and create a new pair. O Modify the face pair by adding or removing faces from one of the sides.
o Reverse the side 1 and side 2 designations.
o Use the Replacement Mid-Sheet option to use a selected sheet body as the mid-sheet for a given pair.
5. Examine the previewed mid-sheets and use the Advanced options in the Midsurface by Face Pairs dialog box to adjust the trimming and creation
methods, if necessary.
6. Click OK in the Midsurface by Face Pairs dialog box to generate the midsurface.

7. Create a 2D mesh on the midsurface. Make sure to click Edit Mesh Associate Data in the 2D Mesh Dialog Box to set the Thickness Source for
the mesh to Midsurface. This instructs the software to apply the calculated thickness from the different face pairs to the mesh.
8. Use the Thickness Information command or the Display 2D Element Thickness option in the Mesh Display dialog box to validate the thickness
values. See Creating displays to validate element thickness for more information.
9. Apply boundary conditions to the meshed midsurface and solve the model.

6.7.9 Modify the face pairs in an existing midsurface

When you create a midsurface with the Midsurface by Face Pairs command, the software stores the information about each face pair as a separate node
in the part's history tree. To modify a face pair, select the appropriate pair from the Part Navigator. You can then use the options in the Midsurface by
Face Pairs dialog box to:

Add or remove faces from side 1 or side 2 of the pair.

Click Reverse Face Pair to swap the side 1 and side 2 designations.

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 Select a replacement mid-sheet to use instead of the paired faces.
Modify the mid-sheet creation or trimming method for the pair.
Deleting a pair of faces
To delete face pairs or midsurface features, right-click the appropriate pair from the Part Navigator and select Delete.

6.7.10 Creating a midsurface with the Offset method

Note
For most cases in which you want to create a midsurface by offsetting a surface, you should use the Modeling Offset Surface command, which
is available on the Midsurface toolbar. In general, Offset Surface is more robust and provides better, more consistent results than Offset
Midsurface. See Offset Surface overview in the Modeling help for more information.

With the Offset Midsurface command, a midsurface generated from a seed face is positioned between the seed face and its opposing face. The distance
between the seed face and the opposing face is the thickness of the solid. The offset method requires a solid of uniform thickness.
You can define any number of faces to be offset, but you first must select a seed face.

Midsurface thickness becomes a parameter of the midsurface feature

The thickness of a midsurface you create using the offset method becomes a parameter of the midsurface feature. You can use the Details panel in the
Part Navigator to verify the thickness value for the offset midsurface.

The Offset method and sheet metal parts

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For sheet metal parts, only the cutting edges should satisfy the definition of boundary face. The remaining internal edges should always have blends. For
sheet metal parts, any face on either side of the solid can be selected as the seed face.
For a stamped sheet metal part, the cliff angle should be 90 degrees; however, depending on how the model is cut, the cliff angle can be less than 90
degrees.

6.7.11 Define a midsurface with the Offset method

1. From the Insert menu, select Model PreparationMidsurfaceOffset.

2. In the Offset Midsurface dialog box, click Target Body and select the body.

3. Click Seed Face and select a seed face for the midsurface.
4. Set the Cliff Angle. The default is 75 degrees.
5. Preview the generated face to be offset by clicking the Region or Full Boundary preview
buttons.
6. If necessary, adjust the Cliff Angle to ensure that the correct face is selected. When the
previewed face is correct, click OK.
Note If Hide Original is selected, the original solid body is hidden; only the sheet body is displayed.

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6.7.12 Creating user-defined midsurfaces
Use the User Defined Midsurface command to specify an existing sheet body as the midsurface of a selected solid body. With User Defined Midsurface,
you can relate any sheet body to any solid body; the software does not perform any checks to ensure that the sheet body you specify as the midsurface is
in proximity to the associated solid body. As a best practice, however, the sheet body you designate as the midsurface should lie within the confines of the
associated solid body. User Defined Midsurface can be useful in situations where alternate methods of midsurface creation do not produce satisfactory
results.

User-defined midsurfaces that extend beyond the solid body

A user- defined midsurface can contain surfaces that extend beyond the limits of the associated solid body.

In some cases, only a very small portion of the midsurface protrudes outside the solid body. This can occur because of slight variations in trimming
around the edges of the midsurface. When you mesh these types of midsurfaces, some elements may lie either partially or entirely outside the solid
body.
In other cases, the midsurface may extend grossly outside the solid body, as shown below. Here, both the yellow and green regions are considered
to lie outside the solid body.

Computing the thickness of a user-defined midsurface

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The software does not determine the thickness of a user-defined midsurface until you query the thickness of the mesh the midsurface. You can use either
the Thickness Information or the Display 2D Element Thickness command to query the midsurface's thickness.

Note For the software to apply the thickness data from the midsurface to the mesh, you must set the Thickness Source option in the Mesh Associated
Data dialog box to Midsurface.

To determine the thickness of a user defined midsurface the software casts a ray along the normal from each node in the mesh on the midsurface to the
solid body. The software sums the calculated lengths of the rays to determine the appropriate thickness at that node.
For nodes that lie completely within the associated solid body, the software then compares the computed thickness to the specified Inside Minimum and
Inside Maximum thickness values in the User Defined Midsurface dialog box:

If the computed thickness value falls between the specified Inside Minimum and Inside Maximum, the software assigns the computed thickness
value to the node.
If the computed thickness value is greater than the specified range, the software assigns the specified Inside Maximum thickness value to the
node.
If the computed thickness value is less than the specified range, the software assigns the specified Inside Minimum thickness value to the node.
For nodes that lie completely outside solid body, the software uses the specified Outside setting as the thickness at that node.

Assigning appropriate thickness setting values

With a user-defined midsurface, you must define appropriate values for the Thickness Settings options in the User Defined Midsurface dialog box.

The Inside Minimum thickness is the minimum thickness the software can assign to any node that lies inside the associated solid body.
The Inside Maximum thickness is the maximum thickness the software can assign to any node that lies inside the associated solid body. If your
model contains excessively thick regions that you do not want to be considered in the thickness calculation, you can use the Inside Maximum value to
place an upper limit on the thickness. In many cases, you may want to set the Inside Maximum value to the average thickness of the body.
For example, consider the following solid body in which the midsurface is shown in blue. The average thickness of the body is 4mm, though the
thickness in the rib is 10mm. When the software casts rays from the point shown in red below, the calculated thickness will be 10mm. If you want the
software to ignore the thickness through the rib at that point, you can use the Inside Maximum field to specify a maximum thickness of 4mm.

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 The Outside thickness is the thickness that the software assigns to all nodes that lie outside the associated solid body. A model will not solve if it
contains an element with a thickness value of 0. Therefore, in most cases, you should specify a value greater than 0 for this option. However, in some
modeling situations, you may want to assign selected nodes a thickness of 0. For example, if you create a midsurface on an airfoil, you may want
selected nodes on the trailing edge to have a thickness of 0. As long as other nodes in the associated element have an assigned thickness, the model
will solve.
Tools for validating the assigned thickness values
After you create and mesh a midsurface, you should validate that the assigned thickness values are correct.

You can use the Thickness Information command to create a hedgehog type display of the 2D element thickness values in your model.
You can use the Display 2D Element Thickness option in the Mesh Display dialog box to have the software display the elements in the graphics
window with their assigned thickness values.
If you find problems with the assigned thickness values, you can edit the midsurface and adjust the Thickness Settings.
For more information, see Creating displays to validate element thickness.

6.7.13 Define a midsurface with the User Defined method

1. Click User Defined Midsurface .
2. Select the solid body for which you are defining a midsurface.
3. Select the sheet body to use as the midsurface for the selected solid body.
4. Use the Thickness Settings options to specify values that the software uses in conjunction with a calculated thickness value to assign the
thickness at a given node.

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6.7.14 Insert a replacement mid-sheet into a face pair
You can use the Replacement Mid-Sheet option in the Midsurface by Face Pairs dialog box to insert a sheet body, face, or datum plane that you create
into a midsurface. With some face pairs, the mid-sheet the software creates may not be adequate. In those cases, you can:
1. Use the commands in the Modeling application to create your own sheet body, face, or datum plane. For example, you can use commands on the
Direct Sketch toolbar along with the Extrude command to create a new sheet body.
2. Click Midsurface by Face Pairs on the Midsurface toolbar.
3. In the Midsurface by Face Pairs dialog box, select the pair of faces in the Face Pair List for which you want to replace the mid-sheet.
4. Use the Replacement Mid-Sheet option to substitute the sheet body, face, or datum plane that you created as the mid-sheet for the face pair.
The software makes a copy of the sheet body, face, or datum plane that you created and inserts the copy into the face pair as the mid-sheet. The
software then extends or trims the replacement mid-sheet against the neighboring mid-sheets.
Note You can use the Skip Trimming method in the Advanced Trimming Tools options to prevent the software from trimming the replacement mid-sheets
against the solid body, the faces in the pair, or the neighboring mid-sheets. Use Skip Trimming when you want to use the replacement mid-sheet
without any modifications to its size or shape.

5. Before you create the FEM file for the midsurface, hide the original sheet body you created. This helps ensure that you don't inadvertently include
this duplicate sheet body in the FEM file.

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The following graphics show how you can substitute a replacement mid-sheet for the default mid-sheet results for a stack of cylinders.

(A) shows the faces selected for side 1 of the pair, while (B) shows the faces selected for side 2 of the pair.

(C) shows two different views of the mid-sheet that the software generated by default for this face pair. Notice that there is a missing face.

(D) shows the sheet body that was created as the replacement mid-sheet for this face pair.

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6.7.15 Midsurface by Face Pairs dialog box
Solid Body
Select Solid Body
Lets you select the solid body on which to create the midsurface.

Faces to Exclude from Pairing

When you select either Progressive or Thickness from the Strategy list, lets you exclude any selected faces from automatic face
Select Face pairing. See Excluding faces from pairing for more information.
Face Pairing
Controls the method the software uses to define the pairs of opposing faces.

Select Progressive to have the software pair faces based on a rolling ball calculation.

Strategy Select Thickness to pair the surfaces if the thickness between the two surfaces is less than the specified thickness value.
Select Manual to manually define pairs of faces. Click Select Side 1 and Select Side 2 to specify the faces for each side
of the pair. Use the Side 2 Search options to have the software search for appropriate faces for side 2 of the pair.
For more information, see Understanding face pair creation.
Thickness Ratio (D/T) Available if you select Progressive or Thickness from the Strategy list.
Creates face pairs based upon the sizes of faces relative to their thickness. The software divides the smallest characteristic
length of a face (D) by the maximum local thickness (T) between the two faces to be paired.

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 If you decrease the Thickness Ratio (D/T) value, the software finds more face pairs.
If you increase the Thickness Ratio (D/T) value, the software finds fewer face pairs.

Merge Angle Tolerance Merges the face pairs when the angle between the individual pairs is less than the value you specify.
Automatically Create
If you select Thickness or Progressive from the Strategy list, automatically creates face pairs.
Face Pairs
Side 2 Search
Search Distance Lets you specify the distance the software should search from the specified side 1 faces to find faces for side 2.
With the Manual strategy, once you define the faces for side 1, select the Dynamic Search check box and then click Dynamic

Dynamic Search Search to have the software find faces for side 2 of the pair. See Using the Side 2 Search option with manual pairing for
more information.
Replacement Mid-
Sheet Lets you select a different face, sheet body, or datum plane to use as the mid-sheet for the selected face pair. For more
information, see Insert a replacement mid-sheet into a face pair.
Select Object

Manually creates a face pair using the side 2 faces that the software found through Dynamic Search.
Create Face Pair
Modify Face Pair Lets you change the faces that belong to each side of the pair.
Face Pair List
Click Reverse Face Pair to reverse side 1 and side 2 in the selected face pair.
Reverse Face Pair
For more information, see Working with the Face Pair list.
Select two or more face pairs from the list and click Merge Face Pairs to merge multiple pairs into a single face pair. The
Merge Face Pairs software merges all side 1 faces into a combined side 1 face and all side 2 faces into a combined side 2 face.
Click Delete Face Pair to remove the selected face pair from the list.
Delete Face Pair
For more information, see Working with the Face Pair list.

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Advanced Trimming Tools
Trim to Side 1 Faces
Trims the mid-sheet based on the boundaries of side 1 in the face pair.

Trim to Solid Body

Trims the mid-sheet based on the boundaries of the associated solid body.

When you use the Replacement Mid-Sheet option, controls whether the software trims that replacement mid-sheet. If you click
Skip Trimming, the software does not trim the replacement mid-sheet against the solid body, the faces in the pair, or against the
Skip Trimming neighboring mid-sheets. Use Skip Trimming when you want to use the replacement mid-sheet body without any modifications to
its size or shape.
Standard Trimming Trims the mid-sheet based on the bounds of the faces that comprise both side 1 and side 2 in the pair. This is the default
trimming method for all pairs.
For more information on the trimming tools, see Understanding midsurface creation and trimming methods.
Advanced Midsurface Tools

Use Side 1 Creates the mid-sheet directly on the faces in side 1 of the pair.

Offset Creates the mid-sheet by offsetting a surface from side 1 of the face pair.

Cloud of Points Creates a mid-sheet from a sampling of points that the software takes between sides 1 and 2.

Use Largest Face Uses the face in side 1 that has the largest surface area as the mid-sheet.

Standard Creates the mid-sheet using the method that the software determines is most appropriate for the face pair.
For more information on the mid-sheet creation tools, see Understanding midsurface creation and trimming methods.
Display Options
Hide Solid Body Upon Turns off the display of the solid body once you click OK or Apply. Hiding the solid body lets you more easily view and work with
Apply the midsurface.
Show Pairing Faces as
Temporarily displays all faces that belong in a face pair as transparent.
Transparent

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Show Midsheets as
Temporarily displays the individual midsheets as transparent.
Transparent
Preview

Preview

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