Workshop 1

DesignModeler Basics
14. 5 Release

Introduction to ANSYS
DesignModeler
© 2012 ANSYS, Inc. June 13, 2013 1 Release 14.5
 Introduction

Background
• This workshop assumes little or no
prior experience of DesignModeler.
Basic principles will be demonstrated
through the creation of a simple pipe
intersection.
Objectives
• Creating a Workbench project
• Starting DesignModeler
• Creating a sketch
• Creating 3d geometry
• Updating and modifying geometry
• GUI navigation
• Saving the project

© 2012 ANSYS, Inc. June 13, 2013 2 Release 14.5

 Project Startup

Create the Project

• Start Workbench.
– Start  All Programs  ANSYS
14.5  Workbench 14.5

– Expand Component Systems and

drag and drop a Geometry
component system into the Project
Schematic.

– Double click on the Geometry cell

(A2) to start DesignModeler.

© 2012 ANSYS, Inc. June 13, 2013 3 Release 14.5

 Starting the DesignModeler Session

Set Units
• When starting a new DesignModeler
session the application will first
require you to specify units.

• In this session we will be using

inches.

• In the Units specification box select

Inch.

• Click OK.

© 2012 ANSYS, Inc. June 13, 2013 4 Release 14.5

 Preparation

Planning
• Before starting it’s a good idea to think
about how the geometry can be defined in
terms of sketches and modelling operations.

– Sketches are 2D entities. 3D Geometry is

created by applying modelling operations
using the sketches as input.

• This basic geometry can be defined by two

simple sketches centred about the global
origin.
• The larger of the two can then be extruded
vertically whilst the smaller extruded
horizontally.

© 2012 ANSYS, Inc. June 13, 2013 5 Release 14.5

 Sketch Creation

Create a Sketch
• In the Tree Outline, select the XY Plane.

• Click the Look At button in the toolbar.

• Select the Sketching Mode Tab.

– This will display the Sketching Toolboxes

• Clicking on each bar displaying the name of each
Toolbox will activate it and display the available tools.
• Select the Draw Toolbox.
© 2012 ANSYS, Inc. June 13, 2013 6 Release 14.5
 Sketch Creation

Create a Sketch (Continued)

• Select the Circle Tool.
– When any sketching tool is
selected the information bar
provides instructions.
1. Move the cursor over the origin
until a letter ‘P’ appears then click
once (‘P’ is a point constraint).
1 2
2. Move the cursor away from the
origin to define the radius and click
once again.
• Don’t worry about the exact
size, dimensions are added in a
separate step.
• You can use the Undo button if
you make a mistake.
© 2012 ANSYS, Inc. June 13, 2013 7 Release 14.5
 Sketch Creation

Adding Dimensions
• Select the Dimensions Toolbox
• Make sure the General tool is selected.
• Following the sequence shown below.
1. Click once on the circle edge.
2. Move the cursor away and click once
again to set the position of the
dimension.

1 2

© 2012 ANSYS, Inc. June 13, 2013 8 Release 14.5

 Sketch Creation

Adding Dimensions
• The General dimension tool automatically
selects the most appropriate dimension
type based on the selected sketch entity –
in this case, diameter.

• When working with a sketch, dimensions

are displayed in the details view.

• Enter 4 in the Sketch Details View in the

field next to the newly created dimension
(D1) and press enter. There is no need to
type the units.
– The sketch will update.

© 2012 ANSYS, Inc. June 13, 2013 9 Release 14.5

 Sketch Creation

Create the Second Sketch

• Click the ISO ball on the axis triad to
snap to the isometric view.
• We can see that the larger circle must
be created on the ZX Plane.
• Change the Active Plane to the ZX
Plane using the drop down box.
– The view will automatically
orientate.

© 2012 ANSYS, Inc. June 13, 2013 10 Release 14.5

 Sketch Creation

Create the Second Sketch

• Create a circle centred on the ZX Plane origin
and add a dimension using the same
procedure as before. As a reminder;
– Select the Draw Toolbox.
– Select the Circle tool.
– Click on the origin, then click to define the
radius.
– Select the Dimension Toolbox.
– Select the General tool.
– Click on the circle then click to position the
dimension.

• Set the Dimension to 6 and select the

Modeling Mode tab.
© 2012 ANSYS, Inc. June 13, 2013 11 Release 14.5
 Modeling Operations

View Both Sketches

• Expand both the XY and ZX Planes in
the Tree Outline as shown.
• The two sketches you have just
created are listed below their
respective planes.
– By default only the last active
sketch is displayed. Right click on
each sketch in the Outline Tree and
select “Always Show Sketch” to
ensure both are displayed.

• Select the isometric view by clicking

the iso ball.
• Check you have two sketches
orientated as shown.
© 2012 ANSYS, Inc. June 13, 2013 12 Release 14.5
 Modeling Operations

Add a Modeling Feature

• Click on Sketch 1 in the Tree Outline and select
the Extrude feature from the Create menu.
– The Extrude command will be inserted into
the Tree Outline.
– Commonly used features also have shortcut
buttons in the toolbar.

© 2012 ANSYS, Inc. June 13, 2013 13 Release 14.5

 Modeling Operations

Add a Modeling Feature (Continued)

• In the Details View set the extrusion
depth to 14.75 leaving all other fields set
at default values.

• Click Generate.

© 2012 ANSYS, Inc. June 13, 2013 14 Release 14.5

 Modeling Operations

Add a Modeling Feature (Continued)

• Now we’ll create the longer section by extruding the second sketch.
• Click on Sketch 2 in the tree and select the Extrude feature again from the create
menu or toolbar.
– Because the sketch lies in
the middle of the required
geometry we’ll need to
extrude it symmetrically by
an equal distance.
• In the Details View set
Direction to ‘Both Symmetric’
by clicking in the field and
using the drop down box.
• Set the extrusion depth to 14.
• Click Generate.

© 2012 ANSYS, Inc. June 13, 2013 15 Release 14.5

 Review

Notes
• The geometry is now complete
• The following slides will demonstrate how DesignModeler
processes changes to sketch dimensions and general GUI
operations.

© 2012 ANSYS, Inc. June 13, 2013 16 Release 14.5

 Modifying the Geometry

Edit a Sketch Dimension

• Select Sketch 1 in the Tree Outline.
• In the Details View change the
dimension to 2, press enter.
– Note that the sketch updates in
the Graphics Window but the
Geometry remains the same.
– When a change is made like this
any dependent features
downstream in the Tree Outline
will require regeneration –
denoted by the generate symbol.
• Click Generate.
• Reset the dimension to 4 and
Generate to restore the geometry.

© 2012 ANSYS, Inc. June 13, 2013 17 Release 14.5

 Using the GUI

Controlling the View

• Use the Axis Triad to quickly align
views.
• Select +Z.
• Selecting the opposite side of the any
axis will align the view to the reverse
normal – select –Y as shown.
• Click the View Back button.

– This will restore the previous view.

• Restore isometric by click the iso ball.

© 2012 ANSYS, Inc. June 13, 2013 18 Release 14.5

 Using the GUI (2)

Rotating & Zooming

• Set the cursor to Rotate.

• Click once on the geometry surface

approximately where indicated.
– The red ball indicates the new
rotation origin location.
• The model will now rotate around
this point.
• Use the box zoom button to zoom in
as shown.

• Right click in the Graphics Window,

select Zoom to Fit to restore the
default zoom level. Use the iso ball to
set the view to isometric.
© 2012 ANSYS, Inc. June 13, 2013 19 Release 14.5
 Using the GUI (3)

Hiding Faces
• Set the Selection Filter to Faces.

• Select the face as shown.

• Right click, Hide Face(s).
• To restore, right click, Show all Faces.

• Spend some time practising using the

view manipulation tools
demonstrated over the last few
slides.
• With larger, complex models
proficiency with the viewing controls
will make tasks much easier.

© 2012 ANSYS, Inc. June 13, 2013 20 Release 14.5

 Saving the Project

• This completes the workshop.

• From the main menu select File  Close DesignModeler
– Workbench will save any application data.

• From the Workbench Project Page use the file menu and save
the project as “DMWS1.wbpj” to your working folder.

© 2012 ANSYS, Inc. June 13, 2013 21 Release 14.5