Welcome to this Ansys How To Series video.
In this video, we will focus on how to use the Fill tool and on the various operations
that can be carried out with it.
Fill is another extremely versatile tool that can be used to generate new geometry or remove
unwanted features. It can also be used to repair or replace troublesome geometry.
In this video, we will work through several different examples for you to get a better
understanding of the many ways to apply the Fill function.
Ready? Let’s go
The simplest application of the Fill command is doing exactly what its name implies.
We can fill in an opening or missing surface in a face.
Click Fill in the Design toolbar,
then select the perimeter of the opening you wish to fill.
In the options panel on the left
you will find two types of Fill. The first is Extend fill.
For this particular example, Extend fill will create one continuous surface when the operation is completed.
On the other hand, Patch fill will cover the opening, but the resulting geometry
will be a separate face on the surface matching the outline of the original hole.
In the next example, we can use Fill to completely fill a void in a solid body.
As we can see,
as long as the entire opening is selected, the Fill tool makes quick work of it.
There may be some situations where it’s necessary to remove features.
The Fill command can very quickly simplify a model or revert an area back to its original state.
In this example we can use Fill to eliminate the chamfered edges and the radius on each corner.
Removing more complex features is just as quick and easy. Like many other tools in SpaceClaim,
Fill can be applied after the target item has already been selected. This speeds the
operation up significantly, since we avoid the need to complete the operation and then
exit the Fill tool.
If we use the shortcut key F on the keyboard to activate the Fill command,
we can even avoid having to move the mouse.
This is most useful if we happen to be working
in a ribbon tab other than Design, such as Repair.
Now let’s take a look at some more advanced Fill operations.
We can apply Fill in a variety of ways, each achieving a different end result.
Here in Example 5 we have several possibilities for how to execute the Fill.
If we select any 2 perpendicular edges,
we can create a surface that spans across the space between them.
By selecting a set of 3 coplanar edges, we can create a surface that fills this area.
We can repeat the process to close the volume and create a solid body.
Finally, if we select all of the edges and use Fill,
we will completely eliminate the cut section of the body and produce a rectangular solid.
Example 6 gives us a more in depth look at the differences between the Extend and Patch Fill modes.
The perimeter of the opening in this body is quite irregular. Looking closely, we can
see that it is completely asymmetric. It is also made up of 2 segments, separated by a
break in tangency.
Let’s select the edges of the opening and click Fill to see what happens.
Whoa! What just happened there?!? Extend fill is used by default whenever we start the tool.
The faces of the surface body all taper inward toward the center. The Fill operation simply
extended the existing surfaces up and determined the most likely shape where they all intersected!
Now let’s undo that operation and examine how Patch fill will work. We can click Undo
or press Ctrl + Z on the keyboard. We can click anywhere in the empty space to clear
the perimeter selection, then start the Fill tool.
Let’s use Patch fill and select the perimeter again.
When we complete the operation, we can see how SpaceClaim filled the opening.
It tries to smoothly match all the contours of the perimeter, but without additional information,
it’s only able to make an educated guess. We can use Undo again, and this time we’ll
enable Tangent to all sides.
Now we’ve specified that the surface being created needs to be
tangent to all of the faces adjacent to the perimeter edges we’ve selected.
The end result is drastically different.
Example 7 is a duplicate of the surface body we used a moment ago,
but we have some additional curves to work with.
The Fill command offers an additional level of control by allowing us to specify Guide Curves.
These extra reference items help define the contours of the surface being created.
Let’s first select the perimeter, then click Patch fill, and Select Guide Curves.
Click the smaller curve to preview the filled geometry.
It’s easy to see how the guide curve influences the geometry. There is a huge difference between
the preview shown for the small curve and the one shown for the large curve.
It’s also possible to select multiple guide curves, by holding Control and clicking the additional curve.
Lastly, we can use fill to eliminate vertices and corners. Clicking a vertex and using Fill
generates a smooth path that passes through the same location and connects the adjacent
vertices on either side. Selecting multiple edges and using Fill will eliminate the vertex
and create a straight line between the vertices on either side of the corner being removed.
So, let's summarize. The Fill tool creates new geometry or removes certain items we select.
The Fill tool can also be used to repair or replace incorrect geometries.
Keep these uses for the Fill tool in mind as you begin designing new models.
They will come in handy as you progress from beginner to advanced SpaceClaim user.
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