70.6.7 Using the project edges method to partition faces

You can partition selected faces using their intersection or junction with the projection of one or more edges, as shown in the following figure:

Abaqus/CAE creates the partition by taking a perpendicular projection from the faces being partitioned to the selected edges; nonplanar faces or faces joined at a sharp edge such that there is a discontinuity in the perpendicular projection may significantly change the shape of the projected edges. As shown in the figure, you can create a partition that ends at the endpoints of the projected edges, or you can extend the projected edges to reach the face boundaries. If you extend the partition, Abaqus/CAE extends the free ends of the projected edges along their tangents to reach the boundary edges of the faces being partitioned.

The faces and edges need not belong to the same part; for example, in the Assembly module you can partition faces belonging to one part instance using edges projected from a second part instance. The faces to be partitioned must be part of the active model representation. The edges can be part of the active representation or part of the reference representation for a midsurface model.

To partition faces using the project edges method:

From the main menu bar, select ToolsPartition.
The Create Partition dialog box appears. Abaqus/CAE displays prompts in the prompt area to guide you through the procedure.
Tip: You can also use the project edges method to partition faces using the tool, located with the partition face tools in the module toolbox. For a diagram of the partition tools in the toolbox, see “Using the Partition toolset,” Section 70.2.
From the Type radio buttons at the top of the dialog box, choose Face.
The Method list displays the methods that you can use to partition a face.
From the list of methods, select Project edges.
Select the faces to partition. You can use a combination of drag select, [Shift] + Click, [Ctrl] + Click, and the angle method to select more than one face to partition. For more information, see “Selecting objects within the current viewport,” Section 6.2.
Tip: If you are unable to select the desired faces, you can use the Selection toolbar to change the selection behavior. For more information, see “Using the selection options,” Section 6.3.
Abaqus/CAE highlights the selected faces.
Select the edges to be projected onto the faces. If desired, toggle on Extend edges to have Abaqus/CAE extend the projected edges, preventing gaps in the new face partitions.
Note: You can also toggle the Extend edges parameter on or off by editing the completed partition feature in the Model Tree.
Abaqus/CAE highlights the selected edges.
In the prompt area, click Create Partition.
Abaqus/CAE projects the selected edges to create the partition.

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