Tetrahedral Meshes for 3D Visualization and Analysis

Computer aided engineering (CAE) is used in many fields, such as automotive, aerospace, and biomechanics. Expensive experiments are being replaced by numerical simulations, allowing faster time to market while reducing costs. Simulations also help to advance understanding in many research themes. CAE areas include stress analysis using finite element analysis (FEA) or thermal and fluid flow analysis using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Those analyses are combined with imaging techniques, such as microCT, to better understand and predict properties and to aid in creation of geometries for finite element models (simulation inputs).

Thermo Scientific Amira and Avizo Software provide a fast and robust meshing engine to automatically create simulation inputs from 3D labeled images. Amira and Avizo Software generate high-quality mesh with smoothed conforming interfaces from large multi-material segmented images. You have fine control over size element distribution, while Amira and Avizo Software preserve thin structures and topology. Meshes can be exported to major solver’s format, along with boundary conditions. Amira and Avizo Software also provide import of the solver’s output for post-processing the results with advanced visualization tools.

Use cases

The XWind extension for Amira-Avizo Software provides dedicated meshing capabilities for advanced simulation (FEA/CFD):

• Generate high-quality mesh with smoothed conforming interfaces and topology preservation directly from a labeled (segmented) image
• Dedicated, easy-to-use meshing workroom allows for the creation of mesh and defining boundary conditions for CFD with advanced 3D visualization and inspection tools
• Mesh any topology with any number of materials
• Fast robust meshing engine for very large data sets (e.g., 2,000-cube data set can be meshed in couple of hours depending on topology)
• Fine control over distribution of element size to mix refined and coarser areas with global optimization of mesh quality
• Boundary layer (high quality within thickness)
• Export to major solver’s format
• Export DVC displacements calculated with the Amira-Avizo Software XDigitalVolumeCorrelation extension at the mesh boundaries to link experiment with simulation

Services

Learn more

Resources