# Geometry

Geometry is used to define the physical domain of the simulation in Flow360. Consequently, generation of surface and volume mesh will be based on the provided geometry.

# Interacting with the geometry

In Flow360 you can do the following with geometry:

# Views

Flow360 provides three different ways to view and organize geometric entities using the view buttons at the top of the Geometry group:

# Grouping View

In this view, entities are organized by their functional groups:

  • Edges grouping - Controls how edges are grouped based on tags/names from the imported geometry.

    • Click the icon to the right of "Edges grouping" to change the grouping.
    • This affects which edge groups are available in the geometry, combining edges with common tags.

  • Faces grouping - Controls how faces are grouped based on tags/names from the imported geometry.

    • Click the icon to the right of "Faces grouping" to change the grouping.
    • This affects which face groups are available in the geometry, combining faces with common tags.
    • Important: This setting determines the face names used for boundary conditions and surface output settings in your simulation.

  • Edges - Lists all edges in the geometry, optionally grouped by the selected grouping method.

  • Faces - Lists all faces in the geometry, optionally grouped by the selected grouping method.

    • You can rename faces using the menu next to each face.
    • You can change the color of faces or revert to the default color using the same menu.

  • Body Groups - Shows the grouping of bodies according to their association with the imported geometry file (CAD or mesh).

    • Display and highlighting - Hover the mouse over any body group to highlight all faces in that group.
    • Renaming body groups - Use the menu next to the body group to change its name from the default (typically derived from the file name).
    • Positioning body groups - Use the menu next to the body group to open a dialog for adjusting the position of all bodies (and their faces) in the group:
      • Center of scaling and rotation - Set the center point for scaling and rotation operations if needed.
      • Scaling - Scale all geometry in the body group by a specified factor about the center point.
        • Check "Scale uniformly" to scale equally in all directions, or uncheck to specify different scale factors for X, Y, and Z.
        • To revert to original scale, set all scale factors to 1.
      • Rotation - Rotate the body group by specifying a rotation axis direction and angle.
        • Rotation is applied after scaling.
        • To undo rotation, set the angle to zero.
      • Translation - Move the body group by specifying X, Y, and Z distances.
        • Translation is applied after scaling and rotation.
    • Coloring body groups - Use the menu to change the color of all faces in the body group.
      • This color serves as the default for all faces in the group.
      • Individual face colors can override the body group color by setting colors on specific faces.

# Tree View

In this view, entities are organized in a hierarchical structure:

  • Bodies - Shows all bodies available in the geometry.
    • Edges - Shows the edges associated with each body.
    • Faces - Shows the faces belonging to each body.

# List View

In this view, entities are organized in simple lists:

  • Edges - Shows a flat list of all edges in the geometry.
  • Faces - Shows a flat list of all faces in the geometry.

# Selection

Allows for interactive selection of geometric entities.

There are 4 entity selection modes that define whether a given entity can be selected or not:

  • Select point
  • Select edge
  • Select face
  • Select volume

# Grouping

Grouping is based on geometric attributes and allows for organizing multiple elements into a single group for easier handling and assignment. As described in the Views section, you can control how edges and faces are grouped using the "Edges grouping" and "Faces grouping" options in the Grouping view. Proper grouping of geometric entities facilitates:

  • Efficient assignment of boundary conditions
  • Organized visualization of complex geometries
  • Simplified selection of related entities

# Visualization

Geometric entities are visualized in real-time. You can toggle on/off the visiblity of grouped edges and faces.

# Statistics

To view detailed statistics about your geometry, click the Geometry Stats button located to the right of the "Geometry" group heading. This opens a dialog displaying comprehensive statistics for the geometry in your project, including:

  • Number of faces and edges
  • Surface area calculations
  • Other relevant geometric metrics

# Geometric Entities

Flow360 recognizes two primary types of geometric entities:

# Edges

Edges represent geometric elements that form the boundaries of faces. They are crucial for:

  • Defining mesh refinement regions
  • Controlling anisotropic layer growth
  • Marking critical geometric features

# Faces

Faces are surfaces that constitute the boundaries of the computational domain. They serve multiple purposes:

  • Specifying boundary conditions
  • Defining regions for mesh refinement
  • Organizing geometric features into logical groups

# Geometric Considerations

When preparing a simulation, keep in mind:

  • Mesh Generation: The shape of geometry as well as its level of detail influences the quality and efficiency of the resulting mesh
  • Boundary Conditions and refinements: Proper grouping of faces and edges makes assigning boundary conditions and local mesh refinements a much easier task.

For more information about specific aspects of handling geometry entities, refer to:

  • Edges - Detailed information about edge operations and management
  • Faces - Comprehensive guide to face handling and applications

← Edges →