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HyperMesh and BatchMesher

Connector Options panel

Location: Connectors Module, or accessed via a button location on the connector panels for Spot, Bolt, Seam, and Area.

This panel, accessed from within the Connectors Module or by clicking the options button on the Spot, Bolt, Seam, or Area panels, provides inputs
to set general connector options as well as options specific to spots, bolts, seams, or area connectors. In particular, settings which dont need to be
altered very often reside here.

Panel Usage

The panel is organized into subpanels for general options, spot options, bolt options, seam options, area options, apply mass options, and fe config.
Each subpanel contains settings appropriate to its connector type. All input on this panel is persistent; your settings remain (are not cleared) when you
switch subpanels, or even exit the entire Connector Options panel.

Note: When this panel is accessed from one of the other connector panels, leaving the panel returns
you to the Connector panel from which it was accessed. If accessed directly from within the
Connectors Module, it returns you to the main menu for the module.

Subpanels and Inputs

General Options

Consider shell thickness and offset for solid positioning

Enables HyperMesh to consider the shell thickness and offset when positioning the connector. When this check box is turned off, the connector is
realized to the ideal shell position.
This option influences the ACM realization types. By default, this check box is selected. For more information on how hexas are positioned when
this option is selected, refer to Hexa Positioning for Hexa Adhesives & ACMs.

Angle classification for penta (Mig) and hexa (adhesive)

Enables you to specify when a penta (mig) and hexa (adhesive) seam connector becomes a B, L, and T connection.
In the image below, angle classifications have been defined for a hexa (adhesive). A B connection will be created when the hexa (adhesive) has
an angle between 0 and 10, a L connection will be created when the angle is between 10 and 30, and a T connection will be created when the
angle is between 30and 90.

Fail hexa seam or area connectors, if:

Jacobian. When selected, hexa seam and/or area connectors will fail if the jacobian value is less than the specified value.
Aspect. When selected, hexa seam and/or area connectors will fail if the aspect value is greater than the specified value.

Spot Options

Spot options contains inputs for spot connector projection, link conservation, system definition, and end offset or half-spacing of weld locations.

Input Description

end offset = / First and last weld locations are offset from the ends of the line by the end offset value, or by a value equal to half the distance
half spacing between weld locations.

non-normal By default this option is deactivated for spots. Typically the link detection requires a valid normal projection to the link candidates
projection (note that an angle of <5 will be considered as normal). If the normal projection is not possible, the realization fails as shown in
the example below.
Activating the non-normal projection option waives the requirement for a normal projection, so link candidates only need to be
found within the connector tolerance.
In certain cases activating this option may be useful.

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system These options allow the creation of coordinate systems along with the creation of simple 1D FE representations. The y-axis is
definition collinear with the 1D element the system is located at.

No system No coordinate system will be created.

Single system Only one coordinate system will be created, even if it is a multiple
layer connection (several 1D elements in a row). The system will
be created at one end of the 1D element row.

1 sys per layer Along with every created 1D element, one coordinate system is
created at one end.

2 sys per layer Along with every created 1D element, two coordinate systems are
created--one at each end.

links Links conservation defines whether or not extra links should be stored on a spot or seam connector.
conservation
minimum needed This is the default setting. During the link detection the link
links candidates are reduced to the links which are needed to perform a
valid projection with respect to the specified number of layers. For
example, in a 3-layer spot connector typically three links are
established, even though more than three link entities were
selected before and are within the given tolerance. For seam
connectors this investigation has to be done per each test point,
so that typically the number of links is higher than the number of
layers.

re-apply during This option only appears if minimum needed links is selected for
realizations links conservation.
If this checkbox is checked, unnecessary defined links are
removed during realization. Therefore only the links which already
exist in the connector are taken into account.

extra links This option allows storing more link candidates than necessary on
a connector. In addition to the number of layers, extra links can
be stored per test point. This means with 5 extra links, a 3-layer
spot connector can store up to 8 link candidates or a seam
(2-layer) with 6 test points can store up to 42 link candidates.

use normal When there are a lot of small components, the wrong components can be determined links. Select this option to add links to spot
direction of connectors based on the normal direction of the closest element.
the closest
element to
determine
links

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orthogonal Creates ACM hexa elements as orthogonal as possible. This option overrules the normal shell gap option.
faces 1 hexa
acm

If project hexa faces to shell is also enabled, the shell gap will be forced and, at a minimum, the hexa edges for each hexa
pointing from one link to the next will be parallel to each other.

project hexa In some border cases, during ACM (shell gap) spot realization not all nodes of the appropriate hexa(cluster)-side are positioned
faces to shell exactly on the shell. This is due to some simplifications during the projection routine because it is estimated that the shells will not
be too curvy and will be pretty plain. Therefore not every node is individually investigated and projected to the same plane as the
first one.

Select this option to investigate and project each individual node, enabling you to expect and accept penetrations.

Bolt Options

Bolt options Contains inputs for link conservation when creating or realizing bolts.

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Input Description

minimum This is the default setting. During the link detection the link candidates are reduced to the
needed links links which are needed to perform a valid projection with respect to the specified number of
layers. This means that, for example, for a 3-layer spot connector typically three links are
established, even though more than three link entities were selected before and are within
the given tolerance. For seam connectors this investigation has to be done per each test
point, so that typically the number of links is higher than the number of layers.

re-apply This option only appears if minimum needed links is selected for links conservation.
during
If this checkbox is checked, unnecessary defined links are removed during realization.
realizations
Therefore only the links which already exist in the connector are taken into account.

extra links = This option allows storing more link candidates than necessary on a connector. In addition to
the number of layers, extra links can be stored per test point. This means with 5 extra
links, a 3-layer spot connector can store up to 8 link candidates or a seam (2-layer) with 6
test points can store up to 42 link candidates.

Seam Options

Input Description

discontinuity weld Defines an upper and lower allowed deviation from the requested
length tol discontinuity weld length in %.
allow weld longer by (%) specifies the upper deviation from
the requested weld length
allow weld shorter by (%) specifies the lower deviation from
the requested weld length

links conservation Defines whether or not to store extra links on a spot or seam
connector.
minimum needed links reduces the link candidates during link
detection to the links which are needed to perform a valid
projection with respect to the specified number of layers. For
example, in a 3-layer spot connector typically three links are
established, even though more than three link entities were
selected before and are within the given tolerance. For seam
connectors this investigation has to be done per each test point,
so that typically the number of links is higher than the number
of layers. This is the default setting.
- re-apply during realizations removes unnecessary defined
links during realization. Only the links which already exist on
the connector are taken into account. This option is only
enabled when minimum needed links is selected.
extra links specifies an amount of extra link candidates to store
on a connector. In addition to the number of layers, extra links
can be stored per test point. This means with 5 extra links, a
3-layer spot connector can store up to 8 link candidates or a
seam (2-layer) with 6 test points can store up to 42 link
candidates.

link option Seam connectors are supposed to connect two links at each test point.
Use the link option to specify how connectors are linked.
closest (default). The two closest link candidates are connected
during the realization.
This approach requires the connector be positioned precisely in
the middle of the links, especially when there are other close
link candidates around.

opposite. The connector searches for opposite links on both

sides of the connector during realization.
This option is useful when you are confident that the connector
will be correctly positioned between the links. The opposite links
must be fairly parallel to each other. To control this, specify a
normal projection angle deviation. Ideally the two projection
vectors are collinear.

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Area Options

Input Description

non-normal By default this option is deactivated for areas. Typically the link detection requires a valid
projection normal projection to the link candidates.
Note: An angle of 5 degrees or less will be considered as normal. If the normal projection is
not possible, the realization fails as shown in the example below.
Activating the non-normal projection abrogates the requirement for a normal projection, so
the link candidates only need to be found within the connector tolerance.
In certain cases activating this option may be useful.

Link option Area connectors are supposed to connect two links at each test point. Use the link option to
specify how connectors are linked.
closest (default). The two closest link candidates are connected during the
realization.
This approach requires the connector be positioned precisely in the middle of the links,
especially when there are other close link candidates around.

opposite. The connector searches for opposite links on both sides of the connector
during realization.
This option is useful when you are confident that the connector will be correctly
positioned between the links. The opposite links must be fairly parallel to each other.
To control this, specify a normal projection angle deviation. Ideally the two
projection vectors are collinear.

Apply Mass Options

Input Description

Check for missing link This determines how strict the rerealization criteria are when applying masses.
When this option is selected, before rerealizing an unrealized connector
HyperMesh will check the links in the connector. If any of the links do not
exist, the connector will fail.
With this option deselected, HyperMesh will rerealize any unrealized
connector if at least 1 of the links still exists in the connector.

Fe config

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In the fe config panel, you can load a custom feconfig.cfg file, and you can unload a feconfig.cfg file that was previously loaded.
If you load a feconfig.cfg file that contains config types with IDs or names that already exist in the current HyperMesh database config list, the
duplicated config types will be skipped during the loading process. To overwrite the existing config types with the new config types, select the
overwrite if a config ID or name exists check box.

See Also:
spot panel
bolt panel
seam panel
area panel (connectors)

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