Principle: the method by blocks

A block is a volume defined by:

• 8 vertices

• 12 edges

  • straight line, curve

• 6 quadrangular faces

  • planar face, 3D face

A compound of blocks is a volume that for each face is:

• either a free face (in one block)
• or a face shared between 2 blocks

The method by blocks consists in:

• finding a coumpound of blocks
• this coumpound of blocks has to be equivalent to the initial geometry to mesh.

Applicative choices

Finding a coumpound of blocks is in charge of users.

Hexablock enables to define a mesh with hexahedra in five stages:

1. Load and create a geometry without constraint
2. Search a compound of blocks (mental working)
3. Create a model of blocks
4. Associate this model of blocks to the geometry
5. Generate the mesh

• Two ways of working:

  • Graphic User Interface
  • Python Scripting

Create a model of blocks

A model of block is a compound of blocks based on a topological definition. The model of blocks construction can be build by using the two following methods:

1. Construct and associate blocks (hexahedra)

   • the main operations for creating blocks are:

     • Basics: create, remove,transform
     • construct hexahedra grids: cartesian, cylindrical, spherical

   • blocks association operations:

     • merge, cut, disconnect hexahedra
     • prism, join quadrangles
     • merge two quadrangles of two blocks
     • merge two edges
     • merge two vertices
     • disconnect two vertices
     • create hexahedra between two existing quadrangles

2. Construct hexahedras via predifined models:

   • cylinder
   • pipe
   • two intersected cylinders
   • two intersected pipes

Examples of simple models of blocks:

2 blocks linked by 1 face

2 blocks linked by 2 edges