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Enclosures

 

An enclosure is a solid around a body or bodies that has a cushion around the enclosed solid(s). The enclosure can be a box, cylinder, or sphere, as shown below.

Enclosures are used by analysis tools to simulate fluid.

 

 

To create an enclosure

  1. Click Enclosure in the Analysis section of the Prepare tab.

  2. Select one or more solid or mesh bodies in the Design windowClosed or Structure treeClosed.

    These bodies will be inside the enclosure.

  3. Set the Default cushion amount.

    This is a percentage of the minimum enclosure size, and determines the initial distance between the enclosed object(s) and the closest point of the enclosure to the objects. You can adjust the distances by typing in the fields in the Design windowClosed.

  4. Select the shape of the enclosure in the Options panelClosed: Box, Cylinder, Sphere, or Custom shape.

    If you select Custom shape, you must use the Custom Shape tool guide to select a solid to use as the enclosure shape.

  5. (Optional) Click the Set Orientation tool guide and select a line, axis, or origin to change the orientation of the enclosure.

    The enclosure is oriented with the world origin by default.

  6. (Optional) Deselect the Symmetric dimensions option to set the cushion distance different for dimensions that are opposite each other.

  7. (Optional) Type a value to adjust the cushion values, if necessary.

    Press Tab to move among the cushion values.

  8. Click the Complete tool guide when you are finished.

    The enclosure is created in a sub-component of the active part.

Tool guides

The following tool guides help step you through the process:

Use the Select Bodies tool guide to select the bodies that will be enclosed.

Use the Set Orientation tool guide to change the orientation of the enclosure relative to your design or the axis of a coordinate system.

Use the Custom Shape tool guide to select a solid to use as the custom shape when you set the enclosure type to Custom in the Options panelClosed.

Click the Complete tool guide when you are finished.

Options

The following options are available in the Options panelClosed:

Default cushion

This is a percentage of the minimum enclosure size, and determines the distance between the enclosed object(s) and the closest point of the enclosure to the objects. You can change adjust the distances by typing in the fields in the Design windowClosed.

Enclosure type

Select an enclosure shape from the list. If you select Custom shape, you must use the Custom Shape tool guide to select a solid to use as the enclosure shape.

Symmetric dimensions

Forces the dimensions to remain symmetric. Deselect this option if you want to enter values for dimensions and you don't want the opposite dimensions changed.

Examples

Changing the cushion by typing in the field doesn't change the size of the opposite cushion. The Symmetric dimensions option must be disabled.

 

 

Changing the orientation of the enclosure so it is aligned with the edge highlighted in yellow aligns the enclosure with that edge.


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