Seeding the part instances

The next step of the meshing process is to seed each of the part instances. Seeds represent the approximate locations of nodes and indicate the target density of the mesh you would like to generate. You can select seeding based on the number of elements to generate along an edge or on the average element size, or you can bias seed distribution toward one end of an edge. For the tutorial you will seed the parts so that the hinge pieces have an average element size of 0.004. For convenience, you will begin with the hinge piece with the lubrication hole.

  1. Make the hinge piece with the hole current in the viewport. From the main menu bar, select SeedPart.

  2. In the Global Seeds dialog box that appears, enter an approximate global element size of 0.004, and click OK.

    Seeds appear on all the edges.

    Note:

    If you are using the Abaqus Student Edition, using a global seed size of 0.004 results in a mesh that exceeds the model size limits of the product. Use a global seed size of 0.008 instead.

  3. Repeat the above steps for the solid hinge piece.

You are now ready to mesh the parts.