[sayed]

Hello foamers ;

I'm trying to learn my self openfoam ,, i see some examples in the tutorials and then i makes some very simple geometries using blockMesh

but now i decide to make my own mesh ,, i found it is not easy to use blockMesh to make complex meshes ,, it is very time consuming

instead i search that forum to find solutions ,, i found some members use a program called netgen to make their meshes ,, i got this software ,, but it need strange input format files like " *.stl , *.stlb , *.step , *.stp , *.geo , *.igs , *.iges , and *.in2d i don't even kow how can i make this files that contain my geometry !! ,, if any one know how it works please help me

also, i wonder why openfoam doesn't accept meshs from ,for example, Autocad that we can make our meshes using it very easy and accurate ,, and save much time !! .



thank you very much

[Wolle]

Hi Sayed.

Have a look at Wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._(alphabetical)

There you can find out, what the "strange" file formats are from. Most of them are simply standardized 3d-CAD formats (not native to special CAD software), to which most 3d-CAD programms can export. AutoCAD, as you mentioned, is a 2d-CAD programm and thus rather outdated (in my opinion). I don't know, wheter there is a support for native Autocad formats or wheter you can export into a standardized file format from AutoCAD.

Cheers
Wolle

[sayed]

thanks , Wolle ,, it is not easy to even make a sphere mesh using blockMesh ,, and i think it is the pitfall of openfoam , perhaps if the openfoam stuff or any volunteers solve this problem ,, the other comercial softwares will die and fore ever

do you know any meshing software that is easy to deal with ? for some beginner like me

[sayed]

the problem now is what program should i use to draw my 3-D model which its output file is accepted for netgen ? could any one have any idea

[fs82]

I am sry wrong thread ...

Fabian

[sayed]

what are you talking about , fabian

[Robat]

Hi sayed,

I used AutoCAD in my workflow too, but I needed AutoDesk Inventor to translate the 2D-data into volumetric ones.
Why you not use SALOME ? I think it's pretty easy to deal with.
( And you got much of help and documentation.)
It's an open-source CAD and meshing tool in a whole.
For translation to OF you could easy use the *.unv Format.
The ideasUnvToFoam utillity is working fine since OF 1.5 (except quadratic meshes).
I never used blockMesh it's to time expensive, instead to assign some algorithms (like Netgen :-) ) and hypothesises in Salome.

just an advise
Regards, Robert

[elvis]

Hi,

I agree with Robot, Salome can do a good job using opensource meshing (using netgen/gmsh as one of mesh opportunities). Maybe Engrid in combination with Blender is also an alternative to salome in some cases http://engits.eu/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=62

Tutorial salome and openfoam: http://www.caelinux.org/wiki/index.p...ELinux_2007.29

Part 1, Geometry modelling in Salome : PipeGeom2007 on the web or Download PipeGeom.swf
Part 2, Meshing in Salome : PipeMesh2007 or Download PipeMesh.swf
Part 3, CFD analysis in OpenFOAM : PipeOpenFOAM2007 or Download PipeOpenFOAM.swf

other tutorials on how to model see
http://www.salome-platform.org/user-...alome-tutorial
or
http://www.salome-platform.org/user-section

salome has some installing flaws on debian/ubuntu work around
http://code-saturne.blogspot.com/200...on-ubuntu.html

good luck

elvis