Create and Refine a 1-D Linear Lagrange Element Mesh

Description

• These step-by-step instructions will guide you through creating, refining and rendering a mesh of one-dimensional linear Lagrange elements.
• The nodal coordinates and element connectivities are read from simple Excel spreadsheets.

Start Continuity

• Launch the Continuity Client

• On the About Continuity startup screen

  • leave the mesh checkbox checked under Use Modules:

• Click OK to bring up the main window

Create mesh

• Mesh→Edit→Coordinates…

  • Select rectangular cartesian in the Global Coordinates: pop-up menu

  • Click OK to submit Coordinate Form

• Mesh→Edit→Basis…

  • Choose Lagrange Basis Function→1D→Linear

  • Click Add Linear

  • Verify that the list of basis functions now contains:
    • Linear Lagrange 3

  • Click OK to submit Basis Form

• Mesh→Edit→Nodes…

  • Click Import/Export/Graph button to open Continuity Table Manager

    • Continuity Table Manager→File→Open…

      • Select tab-delimited nodes file (nodes.xls)

      • Continuity Table Manager→File→Close and update form

  • You should now have nodes numbered 1-4

  • Click OK to submit Node Form

• Mesh→Edit→Elements…

  • Click Import/Export/Graph button to open Continuity Table Manager

    • Continuity Table Manager→File→Open…

      • Select tab-delimited elements file (elems.xls)

      • Continuity Table Manager→File→Close and update form

      • You should now have elements numbered 1-3

  • Click OK to submit Element Form

Render mesh

• Mesh→Render→Nodes…

  • Click Render to display nodes

• Mesh→Render→Elements…

  • Click the lines radio button

  • Click Render to display mesh lines

  • The mesh should now look similar to the first screenshot above

Refine mesh and render again

• Mesh→Refine…

  • Under New Element per old element in, select 4 in xi1, 1 in xi2, and 1 in xi3

  • Click OK

• Mesh→Edit→Nodes…

  • You should now have nodes numbered 1-13

• Mesh→Edit→Elements…

  • You should now have elements numbered 1-12

• File→Send

  • If the Dimensions Form appears, simply click Apply Marked Recommendations and then OK

• Mesh→Calculate Mesh…

  • Click OK to submit

• Mesh→Render→Nodes…

  • Click Render to display nodes

  • Notice the new nodes in between the old ones.

• Mesh→Render→Elements…

  • Click the lines radio button

  • Click Render

  • The mesh should now look similar to the second screenshot.

Pre-built model

This cont6 file contains all data and parameters for this problem: mesh.cont6. Just load, send, calculate, and render.