Mesh Connection Group/Contact Match Group

Defines mesh connections/contact matches between selected topologies. Includes global settings in Details that apply to all Mesh Connection or Contact Match child objects.

Note: See the object reference pages for Mesh Edit and Node Merge Group for information about other objects related to Mesh Connections, Contact Matches, and Mesh Editing.

Additional Related Information

Object Properties

The Details Pane properties for this object include the following.

Category Properties/Options/Descriptions

Category	Properties/Options/Descriptions
Scope	Scoping Method: Geometry Selection (default) or Named Selection. Geometry: Visible when the Scoping Method is set to Geometry Selection. Named Selection: Visible when the Scoping Method is set to Named Selection.
Auto Detection	Tolerance Type: Options include Slider, Value, and Use Sheet Thickness. Bodies in an assembly that were created in a CAD system may not have been placed precisely, resulting in small overlaps or gaps along the connections between bodies. You can account for any imprecision by specifying detection tolerance. This tolerance can be specified by a value when this property is set to Slider or Value, or sheet thickness of surface bodies when the type is set to Use Sheet Thickness. Tolerance Slider: Appears when the Tolerance Type property is set to Slider. To tighten the mesh connection or contact match detection, move the slider bar closer to +100 and to loosen the detection, move the slider bar closer to -100. A tighter tolerance means that the bodies have to be within a smaller region (of either gap or overlap) to be considered; a looser tolerance will have the opposite effect. Be aware that as you adjust the tolerance, the number of mesh connection pairs or contact matches could increase or decrease. Tolerance Value: Appears when the Tolerance Type is set to Slider or Value. It is a read-only property if the Tolerance Type is set to Slider and displays the tolerance value based on the slider setting. When the Tolerance Type is set to Value, you can enter an exact distance for the detection tolerance. Thickness Scale Factor: Displays when the Tolerance Type property is set to Use Sheet Thickness. The default value is `1`. For Edge/Edge pairing (see below), the largest thickness among the surface bodies involved is used; however, if the pairing is Face/Edge, the thickness of the surface body with the face geometry is used. Use Range: Appears if the Tolerance Type property is set to Slider or Value. Options include Yes and No (default). If set to Yes, mesh connection detection searches within a range from Tolerance Value to Min Distance Value inclusive and the following additional properties display: Min Distance Percent: Appears if Use Range is set to Yes. This is the percentage of the Tolerance Value to determine the Min Distance Value. The default is 10 percent. You can move the slider to adjust the percentage between `0` and `100`. Min Distance Value: Appears if Use Range is set to Yes. This is a read-only field that displays the value derived from: Min Distance Value = Min Distance Percentage * Tolerance Value/100. Group By: For mesh connections, options include None and Faces (default). For contact matches, options include None, Bodies (default), Parts, and Faces. This property allows you to group the automatically generated mesh connection or contact match objects. For example, setting Group By to Faces for a mesh connection group means that mesh connection faces and edges that lie on the same parts will be included into a single mesh connection object. Search Across: Enables automatic detection through the following options: Bodies (default): Between bodies. Parts: Between bodies of different parts, that is, not between bodies within the same multibody part. Anywhere: Detects any mesh connections/contact matches regardless of where the geometry lies, including different parts. However, if a mesh connection is within the same body, this option finds only Face/Face mesh connections, even if the Face/Edge setting is turned On. Face Angle Tolerance: For faces that will be excluded from the proximity detection pair, this property defines the minimum angle between the primary face and secondary edge entity above which the two face pairs will be ignored from proximity detection. The default value is `70°`. Edge Overlap Tolerance: This tolerance value is the minimum percentage that an edge may overlap the face and is included as a valid proximity detection pair. The default value is `25%`.
Statistics	Connections: Displays the number of connections associated with this parent object. Active Connections: Displays the number of connections that are currently active for this parent object (that is, not Suppressed).

Scope

Scoping Method: Geometry Selection (default) or Named Selection.

Geometry: Visible when the Scoping Method is set to Geometry Selection.

Named Selection: Visible when the Scoping Method is set to Named Selection.

Auto Detection

Tolerance Type: Options include Slider, Value, and Use Sheet Thickness. Bodies in an assembly that were created in a CAD system may not have been placed precisely, resulting in small overlaps or gaps along the connections between bodies. You can account for any imprecision by specifying detection tolerance. This tolerance can be specified by a value when this property is set to Slider or Value, or sheet thickness of surface bodies when the type is set to Use Sheet Thickness.

Tolerance Slider: Appears when the Tolerance Type property is set to Slider. To tighten the mesh connection or contact match detection, move the slider bar closer to +100 and to loosen the detection, move the slider bar closer to -100. A tighter tolerance means that the bodies have to be within a smaller region (of either gap or overlap) to be considered; a looser tolerance will have the opposite effect. Be aware that as you adjust the tolerance, the number of mesh connection pairs or contact matches could increase or decrease.

Tolerance Value: Appears when the Tolerance Type is set to Slider or Value. It is a read-only property if the Tolerance Type is set to Slider and displays the tolerance value based on the slider setting. When the Tolerance Type is set to Value, you can enter an exact distance for the detection tolerance.

Thickness Scale Factor: Displays when the Tolerance Type property is set to Use Sheet Thickness. The default value is 1. For Edge/Edge pairing (see below), the largest thickness among the surface bodies involved is used; however, if the pairing is Face/Edge, the thickness of the surface body with the face geometry is used.

Use Range: Appears if the Tolerance Type property is set to Slider or Value. Options include Yes and No (default). If set to Yes, mesh connection detection searches within a range from Tolerance Value to Min Distance Value inclusive and the following additional properties display:

Min Distance Percent: Appears if Use Range is set to Yes. This is the percentage of the Tolerance Value to determine the Min Distance Value. The default is 10 percent. You can move the slider to adjust the percentage between 0 and 100.
Min Distance Value: Appears if Use Range is set to Yes. This is a read-only field that displays the value derived from: Min Distance Value = Min Distance Percentage * Tolerance Value/100.

Group By: For mesh connections, options include None and Faces (default). For contact matches, options include None, Bodies (default), Parts, and Faces. This property allows you to group the automatically generated mesh connection or contact match objects. For example, setting Group By to Faces for a mesh connection group means that mesh connection faces and edges that lie on the same parts will be included into a single mesh connection object.

Search Across: Enables automatic detection through the following options:

Bodies (default): Between bodies.
Parts: Between bodies of different parts, that is, not between bodies within the same multibody part.
Anywhere: Detects any mesh connections/contact matches regardless of where the geometry lies, including different parts. However, if a mesh connection is within the same body, this option finds only Face/Face mesh connections, even if the Face/Edge setting is turned On.

Face Angle Tolerance: For faces that will be excluded from the proximity detection pair, this property defines the minimum angle between the primary face and secondary edge entity above which the two face pairs will be ignored from proximity detection. The default value is 70°.

Edge Overlap Tolerance: This tolerance value is the minimum percentage that an edge may overlap the face and is included as a valid proximity detection pair. The default value is 25%.

Statistics

Connections: Displays the number of connections associated with this parent object.

Active Connections: Displays the number of connections that are currently active for this parent object (that is, not Suppressed).

Tree Dependencies

Valid Parent Tree Object: Mesh Edit.
Valid Child Tree Objects: Mesh Connection or Contact Match, Comment, Figure, and Image.

Insertion Methods

Use any of the following methods after highlighting the Mesh Edit object or another Mesh Connection Group or Contact Match Group object:

Click Mesh Connection Group or Contact Match Group on the Model Context Tab.
Right-click Mesh Edit object or on another Mesh Connection Group/Contact Match Group object or in the Geometry window; then Insert Mesh Connection Group or Insert Contact Match Group.

Right-click Options

In addition to common right-click options, relevant right-click options for this object include:

Insert >
Detect Connections
Generate
Suppress/Unsuppress
Enable/Disable Transparency
Search Connections for Duplicate Pairs
Create Named Selection
Delete Children

API Reference

See the Mesh Connection Group section of the ACT API Reference Guide for specific scripting information.