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With the Advanced User Settings the optimisation parameters can be influenced even further than the options Strut Density and Shape Quality. Furthermore, a few unsupported options are available using the Advanced User Settings like Restart, Usage of a Startspace, Symmetry and preventing an Intersection.
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This way a two-stage optimisation is also possible. For a two-stage optimisation the resolution level and number of iterations must be chosen wisely and will need some fine tuning.
Symmetry
With the Advanced User Settings a symmetrical result can be realized. Therefore, the geometry and the boundary conditions have to satisfy some conditions:
The geometry needs to be symmetrical
The boundary conditions need to be symmetrical
The loads have to be applied only on a half/quarter/eighth of the part. They will be automatically mirrored and considered through the symmetry planes.
Attention: The loads are only allowed to be applied in the positive coordinate direction (positive coordinate half/quarter/octant)
The displacement constraints are allowed to be applied on a volume/cell that goes beyond the symmetry plane to the other coordinate half/quarter/octant unlike loads
The geometry needs to be located in the global coordinate origin or a local coordinate system has to be created on which the symmetry can relate to
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To activate a symmetry the following commands can be typed into the Advanced User Settings Text Field:
symmetry.x (Y-Z-Plane is symmetry plane)
symmetry.y (X-Z-Plane is symmetry plane)
symmetry.z (X-Y-Plane is symmetry plane)
If the symmetry is to refer to a local coordinate system, the following command must also be entered in the Advanced User Settings
symmetry.coordinateSystemBase = CoordSystem_Coordinate_System_1
(Coordinate_system_1 is the name of the local coordinate system and can vary)
The symmetry constraint might not show exactly symmetrical designs while choosing the calculation type “Preview”. This is because of the low resolution level but will not occur once the calculation type is set to “Balanced” or “Fine Tune” and the optimisation runs through.
Tipp: Only a half, a quarter or an eighth of the model will be calculated. Thus, only a half, a quarter or an eighth of the calculating resources are needed.
Note: The symmetry option is currently an unsupported function!
Have a look at the Symmetry Tutorial here!
Preventing an Intersection
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