Healing Models
The underlying solid modeling technology used by Ansys Electromagnetics products is provided by the Parasolid kernel geometric modeler. Users can directly create models using primitives and operations on primitives. In addition, users can import models saved in a variety of formats (Step, IGES, etc.) All the models are stored internally in Parasolid native format. When users import models into Ansys Electromagnetics products, translators are invoked that convert the models to this format. Parasolid regularly upgrades their solid modeling system. Third-party vendors also create files in Parasolid format, but in some cases, the data in the files is not robust. For example, when translating from IGES, some accuracy is lost.
All of the above contribute to errors when a model is read. Not all third-party vendors write files to the supported formats with a high level of accuracy. Third-party vendors sometimes create invalid files – the files are either targeted at earlier versions of the kernel, or incorporate invalid elements in the file. Sometimes there are errors in reading a file generated by an earlier version with the current version.
The modeling kernel is a highly specialized software component underlying the 3D Modeler in AEDT. The kernel represents the fundamental geometry and implements the operations that create and modify it. Simple geometry and operations are likely to be identical in different kernels and will migrate cleanly. More complex models may have discrepancies due to differences in geometry representation, tolerances, algorithms, or other implementation details. These differences may be subtle, but they can lead to challenges in the migration process.
After migrating to Parasolid, some objects may have invalid geometry or topology, leading to validation or meshing failures. In this case, customers are encouraged to take advantage of the 3D Modeler’s built-in healing commands. The Parasolid kernel has very strong healing algorithms and it is often possible to automatically repair such geometry. In the worst-case scenario where healing is not successful, it may be necessary to redraw the object in Ansys.
Related Topics
Technical Notes: Error Types
Technical Notes: Detecting Errors
Technical Notes: Healing and Meshing
Analyzing Interobject Misalignment