Making use of existing geometry for 3-D modelling operations in ANSYS DesignModeler can save you time and produce a cleaner model.  Perhaps you want to extent the geometry by extruding an existing face, or use an edge as the path in a sweep operation. If you’ve ever tried to pick a face then extrude it you may have been frustrated to find you can’t select a face as the base object.

You can only pick valid items that appear in the tree outline as the base object. To extrude an existing face you simply need to make it a named selection first, then pick it from the tree outline. Let’s take a look at extending the inlet pipe on this compressor.  First pick the face to extrude and make a named selection.

Now use that named selection as the base object.

And there you have it – a simple way to extend your model.

A named selection made from a face can also be used as the base object in a revolve or as the profile in a sweep, for example.  Named selection containing edges that form a closed loop can also be used instead of a face for these operations too.

Creating named selections from edges lets you use existing edges as the path in a sweep and as profiles in a skin/loft operation, for example.

If your current geometry doesn’t contain the faces or edges you need, then consider using some of the projection tools to project edges or sketches onto your geometry.  In the tools menu the projection operation lets you project existing edges onto a face. The imprint faces operation within an extrude/revolve/sweep etc can be used to project a sketch onto a face.

Looking for more tips on using DesignModeler? Check out the tutorials section on the ANSYS Customer Portal.