VSP File Types &

VSP Meshing

Rob McDonald – Cal Poly

VSP Workshop
August 23, 2012
 VSP Input Representations
•  Input
–  Parametric geometry (vsp)
–  Background image (jpg)
–  Surface textures (tga, jpg)
–  Automation script (txt)
–  Airfoil definition (af)
–  Fuselage section definition (fxs)
–  Cabin definition (cab)
–  Wireframe as mesh (hrm)
–  Wireframe as surfaces (hrm)
–  Triangulated mesh (stl, NASCART)
–  Vorlax case file (cas)

•  Coming soon
–  Design file (des, xdes, XDDM)

http://www.openvsp.org/wiki/doku.php?id=representations

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 VSP Output Representations
•  Output
–  Parametric geometry (vsp)
–  Screen capture (jpg)
–  Automation script (txt)
–  Wetted area/volume report (txt, csv)
–  Drag buildup report (tsv)
–  Area ruling report (txt)
–  Mass properties report (txt)
–  Wireframe (hrm)
–  X3D 3D Web model (x3d)
–  Felisa (fel)
–  Untrimmed surfaces (3dm)
•  Coming soon
–  Design file (des, xdes, XDDM)
http://www.openvsp.org/wiki/doku.php?id=representations
–  Trimmed surfaces (srf)
–  Unintersected triangulated components
(tri, possibly others)
–  Intersected triangulated components
(stl, NASCART, tri, msh, pov)
–  Isotropic triangulated surface mesh
(stl, poly, tri, obj, msh, NASCART)
–  Structural mesh
(stl, NASTRAN, Calculix)
–  Vorlax case file (cas)
–  Vorlax geometry & input (inp)
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 Paths to Cart3D
Quadrilateral
Wireframe

Export…
CART3d File (.tri)

Unintersected
Triangle
Wireframe
CompGeom
Bicubic
CFD Mesh Bezier
Output .tri
Export… Surface
CART3d File (.tri)

Cart3D
intersect

Intersected
Triangle
Triangle
Wireframe
Mesh

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 Paths to Cart3D
Quadrilateral
Wireframe

Export…
CART3d File (.tri)

CompGeom
Unintersected Bicubic
Triangle CFD Mesh Bezier
Wireframe Output .tri
Export… Surface
CART3d File (.tri)

Cart3D
intersect

Intersected
Triangle
Triangle
Wireframe
Mesh

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 Unintersected
Triangle Quadrilateral
Wireframe Wireframe

Intersected Triangle
Triangle Mesh
Wireframe

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 Pros / Cons of Paths

Unintersected CompGeom CFD Mesh

•  Pros •  Pros •  Pros

–  Speed –  Speed –  Triangle Quality
–  Robustness –  Robustness –  Special cases
–  Derivatives with –  Special cases
design framework
•  Cons
•  Cons –  Robustness
•  Cons –  Robustness
–  Robustness
•  Coincident faces
•  Nacelles
–  Extra step

Recommended
for Today

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 Export Unintersected (before)
1

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5
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Export Unintersected (after)

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 Execute CompGeom (before)
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2

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Execute CompGeom (after)

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 Export CompGeom
1

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5
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 Practice Session
•  Unintersected

•  CompGeom
–  Save for Cart3D tutorial

•  Resolution Effects (quads to triangles directly)

–  Num Pts
–  Num XSecs

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CFD Mesh Generator

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 CFD Mesh
•  Surface mesh generator
–  Isotropic triangles (no stretching)
–  Bicubic Bezier surfaces
–  Bezier intersection curves
–  Sourcing control
–  Curvature control
–  Optional wakes
–  Optional half-models

•  Preferred for most CFD tools

–  CBAero
–  TetGen
–  AFLR3
–  VLE

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 Local Radius of Curvature

Greatest Principal Normal Curvature r=1

k

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 Curvature Meshing Criteria
Max Gap Num Circle Segments

g l

Num Circle
l Segments = 8

#
$
& r > g; 2 2 ! r ! g " g 2
l =% l =$
( )
% N > 2; r ! 2 ! sin ! N
&' r # g; 2!g % N " 2; r!4
& N

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 Growth Ratio Limiter

1.8
Growth Ratio
1.6

1.4

1.2

0 2 4 6 8 10
X

Limits length of next edge to ratio of current edge.

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 Source Types
Point Line Box

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Sourcing

Attached to components (u, w)

Size in model units (length)
Sphere of influence (radius)

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 Mesh Criteria Precedence

Smallest Edge Across Criteria

Max Edge Len

Growth Ratio
Subject to
Constraints Num Circle
Above & Below Max Gap
Sources Segments
Min Edge Len

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 Turning Mesh Criteria ‘OFF’
Sometimes it is useful to turn a mesh criteria ‘OFF’.

Criteria Direction Value Scaled?

Max Edge Len large 100.0 (scaled)
Growth Ratio large 10.0
Sources none
Max Gap large 10.0 (scaled)
Num Circle Segments small 0.00001
Min Edge Len small 0.000001 (scaled)

Max Edge Len

Max = Min Growth Ratio
will turn ‘OFF’
Num Circle
Max Gap & Sources
Max Gap
Segments
Num Circle Segments Min Edge Len

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 Meshing Strategy
1.  Set Max based on model dimensions
•  Set Min = Max (turning off MG and NCS)
•  No Sources
•  Adjust Max & Min until satisfied (uniform coarsest)
2.  Set Min to smaller value
•  Say Min = Max/20
3.  Choose MG or NCS as preferred curvature parameter (CP)
•  Set other curvature parameter (OCP) ‘OFF’
•  Adjust CP until satisfied
•  Adjust Min as required (are smallest edges small enough?)
4.  Adjust OCP (optional)
5.  Add mesh sources as required
•  Resolve flow features

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 ‘Top’ Model
Constant curvature
(constant radius)

Increasing curvature
(decreasing radius)

Extreme curvature
(vanishing radius)

http://hangar.openvsp.org/vspfiles/106

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CFD Mesh GUI

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 Global
Global Source Adjustment

Global & Curvature

Meshing Criteria

Half Mesh Switch

TetGen
Far Field

Mesh Output

‘Go’ Button

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 Display
Source Display Switch

Mesh Display Switch

Mesh Output

‘Go’ Button

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 Output
File Output Switches

File Paths

File Browser Button

Mesh Output

‘Go’ Button

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 Sources
Component Chooser
Add Default Button

Source Type Chooser

Component Source List
Add/Delete Buttons

Individual Source Editor

Mesh Output

‘Go’ Button

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 Wakes
Wake Length
Wake Angle

Component Chooser

Wake Switch

Mesh Output

‘Go’ Button

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 Practice Session
•  CFD Mesh
–  ‘Top’ model
–  Experiment with meshing parameters
–  Turn all criteria off – ‘play’ with one at a time
–  Follow meshing strategy

•  Resolution Effects (quads to bicubic Bezier patches)

–  Num Pts
–  Num XSecs
–  Computational cost (Build Target Map)

•  CFD Mesh
–  ‘Your’ model
–  Follow meshing strategy

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 Command Line

Unintersected:
vsp –batch airplane.vsp –tri

CompGeom:
vsp –batch airplane.vsp –compgeom –tri

CFD Mesh:
vsp –batch airplane.vsp –cfdmesh 1.0
(1.0 is refinement factor)

Each command will output corresponding ‘airplane.tri’.

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