CFD Online Discussion Forums - [Other] Error: topoSet – create patch from .stl

Error: topoSet – create patch from .stl – searchableSurfaceToFaceZone

Hi,
I’m relatively new to OF and am using OF foundation V7.

I have am trying to create a multi-region mesh for a chtMultiRegionFoam model.
I have:

created a blockMech background mesh
used snappyHexMesh to mesh my .stl files
splitMeshRegions
run topoSet to try and create the patches onto which I will specify a boundary condition.

When I run topoSet I get the following error:

Code:

Reading topoSetDict



Time = 0

    mesh not changed.

Created faceZoneSet SD_CC

    Applying source searchableSurfaceToFaceZone





--> FOAM FATAL ERROR:

Cannot find triSurfaceMesh starting from "/home/carl/OpenFOAM/carl-7/run/LPDCtest/geomTest1/constant/triSurface/geomTest1"



    From function static Foam::fileName Foam::triSurfaceMesh::checkFile(const Foam::regIOobject&, const Foam::dictionary&, bool)

    in file searchableSurfaces/triSurfaceMesh/triSurfaceMesh.C at line 124.



FOAM exiting

The contents of topoSet file are:

Code:

actions

(

    // Select patch based on surface defined by .stl file. Orientation from normals on surface

    {

        name    SD_CC;

        type    faceZoneSet;

        action  new;

        source  searchableSurfaceToFaceZone;

        sourceInfo

        {

             surface triSurfaceMesh

            // name "SD_CC.stl";

             name "/home/carl/OpenFOAM/carl-7/run/LPDCtest/geomTest1/constant/triSurface/SD_CC.stl";

        }

    }



);

I'm stuck trying to resolve this error

I've tried defining the name variable as the full path, file name only, in quotations, out of quotations. The .stl is accessible.

Looking at the error I see that it is looking for a triSurfaceMesh, not a file, and it is "starting" from a directory that does not exist. I'm not sure why the model directory (geomTest1) is specified as the final directory (is this a bug?).

I am also not certain that my methodology is correct. Imagine I have 2 cubes with face to face contact, defined by .stl files. I previously made a simple model with heat transfer on the patch between the two cubes.

In this model I want to have the same heat transfer between the two, but also a heat source on a patch on a face of cube1. This patch is irregular shaped and so needs to be formed by and .stl file not another tool available in topoSet or setSet. This is a training exercise for me, my final geometry will be more complex, hence forming the cubes with stl files too.

Currently I mesh the cubes using sHM, then in topoSet specify the stl of the region for the heat source. Cube 1 has the edges for the region within the geometry so that the feature is captured in the sHM meshing. Is this correct or do I somehow need to define the region in the sHM process?

Any help would be appreciated