Follow Along: Multi-Domain Parametric FE Model

In this follow-along, we are going to be reviewing how to create a parametric FE model for a field optimization that we are performing on the midsole of the shoe that we are looking at below, but with our attached outsole here. So, we will have two separate regions inside of this optimization.

We can see to the left in our notebook that we have three sections already completed for us: our geometry and import, our volume mesh, and our parametric FE components defined with a material, with a parametric Voro component for our midsole, and for a regular FE Solid component for our outsole.

The first step is going to be navigating to our beta tab, coming to our field optimization section, and choosing Parametric FE Model. If I were to be running a field optimization with one component to finish my parametric FE model, all I would need to do is to drag my parametric FE component into my model section. However, since we have two separate components in this example, we are going to be dragging our parametric component as well as our regular FE Solid component into this section, and we’re going to be specifying a connector between both of these regions.

To start off, I’m going to right-click and say “make a variable” for our parametric FE model, and I am going to name this “PF model” for short. Next, I’m going to hit the plus here, so I now have two inputs for my components, and I’m going to drag our midsole and our outsole into the section below.

Our next step is then going to be specifying our tie connector. I can find our tie connector block by coming to our simulation tab above, going to our model section, and choosing Tie Constraint.

To choose our boundary regions, I am then going to double-click on these empty inputs here and choose FE Face Boundary for both of them. For face input, I am going to use our bottom face specified in our geometry and import section. To then copy that into our CAD face list again below, I can simply hold control, click on the face that I want to copy, and drag it into my section. For our first mesh, I am going to choose our outsole mesh. Then, I’m going to choose nodes, and on our screen, we will see the nodes on our boundary face on our outsole mesh. Our next step is then going to be taking our midsole mesh and repeating the same process again. I’ll select nodes, and now I can see our nodes again on that same boundary face but now on our midsole mesh.

I can see when this automatically ran, we got a tolerance error because this tolerance in between our two regions is too small. To fix that, I’m going to update it to 2 mm and then hit enter. If we isolate our Tie Constraint now, I can see all of our connector nodes in between our regions. Finally, I’m going to right-click, make this into a variable, and I’m going to name it “tie constraint.”

To finish off our FE model now, I’m going to drag my tie constraint into my model, and if I isolate this and wait for our implicit view to render, then I can view our final connected parametric FE model on our screen.