File format for import meshes in OpenFoam
 

Hello Forum,

i plan to work with OpenFoam in the future.
Can somebody tell me a good mesing tool to
create hexahedral meshes (is it the best ?)
which is OpenSource or a commercial one which
is not to expensive but convinient to use ?

Which type of format must the pre-processing
and meshing software create to be compatible to
OpenFoam ?

It should run with SUSE 10.1.

Thank you

Well, we've got blockMesh for
 

Well, we've got blockMesh for really simple cases and most tutorials. For the rest, there is a full set of mesh converters. Unfortunately, there's no (released) automatic meshers or multi-block hex meshers with interfaces.

In principle, you can use any hex mesher on the market - most of them will have either Star or Fluent export format, both of which are easily converted into OpenFOAM.

Enjoy,

Hrv

Hi Marcus, you can try salo
 

Hi Marcus,

you can try salome (under GNU GPL):
http://www.salome-platform.org/home/...tion/overview/

What is an option is netgen if you like also tets:
http://www.hpfem.jku.at/netgen/

What I'm currently trying is Cubit 10.2:
cubit.sandia.gov
It is an acdemic license I use (distribution fee 300 USD), I don't know how much a commercial one is. However, it is a quite comfortable program but there are minor troubles with Cubit's export to ideas format. I'm currently in contact with the Cubit guys to resolve this issue.

All three options should run with SUSE. There migth several other meshers, but as I'm academic I have only limited access to money and hence commercial meshers :-)

You can import a hole bunch of formats into OF:
http://www.opencfd.co.uk/openfoam/indexhe21.html

br
Stefan Radl

Thank you for fast answer,
 

Thank you for fast answer,

but concerning Hrovje Jasaks replie, how can i
transform mesh-files easily. Maybe it´s now to
early for me to go into deep of this issue but
is it easy possible with OpenFoam or do i need
an other device ?

greatings

Hi, I have used CalculiX/c
 

Hi,

I have used CalculiX/cgx for all hex meshes. It can export mesh with boundary conditions info to Of-1.3 format. It can be converted to OF-1.4 within OF. This is basically block-structured mesher.

I am also trying out True Grid now - a commercial package. It cannot export to OF directly, but, it supports Fluent/CFX/Star-CD. I have not completely finished the evaluation yet.

I am also trying to get a trial license of bubbleMesh - this is a new mesher. It is supposed to generate hybrid mesh (hex-dominated mesh) automatically. Send me an email if you would like to contact the company.

You can also generated all-hex using gmsh. But, gmsh is better in generating tet elements. It is more work to generate all-hex element. There is a gmshToFoam converter in OF.

Pei

Hi Marcus! If one of the co
 

Hi Marcus!

If one of the converters on the list Stefan pointed to (http://www.opencfd.co.uk/openfoam/indexhe21.html) works for the format your mesh generator writes, it's as easy as 1 2 3 (or in the case of a Fluent-mesh: fluentMeshToFoam . theCase theMesh.msh). If your generator is not supported, then you have a problem .... You'll have to write a converter