Importing SolidWorks Model DIRECTLY into openfoam

bgood44 · July 20, 2009, 20:44

Hello All,

I am currently working on developing a UAV for a university project. Unfortunately, the wind tunnels at my school aren't quite big enough for this uav and I don't want to go through the hassle of building a scale model. I have a very accurate SolidWorks model of the aircraft and would like to use OpenFoam to do some analysis ( specifically, I want to find the control derivitives, so essentially I just need to find the pressure distribution on the surface of the aircraft).

Is there a way I can use my SolidWorks model and generate a mesh using an open source software, and than use openfoam to find the pressure distribution on the aircraft. I would prefer to use openfoam ( Its a software I really want to learn), and I would like to use my current SolidWorks model. I know cosmos is an option with solidworks, but I would prefer not to go that route, so please don't go there...

Thanks for the Help!

hellorishi · July 21, 2009, 01:59

Hello Brad,

There are a few opensource meshing tools for OpenFOAM. You might have to export Solidwork file as STL for snappyHexMesh
http://www.opencfd.co.uk/openfoam/do...pyHexMesh.html

Or IGES /STEP for NetGen or Gmsh
http://www.hpfem.jku.at/netgen/
http://www.geuz.org/gmsh/

I am not sure if one can get boundary layers with NetGen or Gmsh.
SnappyHexMesh does that, but I find it a bit complicated to use.

tutorial->
http://www.tfd.chalmers.se/~hani/kur...ppyHexMesh.pdf

hellorishi · July 21, 2009, 02:05

I forgot to mention EnGrid.
http://www.ohloh.net/p/engrid

I have not tested this one yet. Seems promising.

bgood44 · July 22, 2009, 11:48

And all of the programs you listed work with solidworks? Is there any downside to using Engrid, NetGen, or Gmsh with solidworks ?

hellorishi · July 23, 2009, 04:45

These programs work with generic file formats like STL, IGES /STEP
Solidworks or almost any CAD package can export to the above 3 formats.

The downside of exporting to such formats is slight loss of accuracy in shape, due to approximations. e.g. it might export a circle as a 10sided polygon. You can increase the accuracy by exporting as 36 sided polygon for better approxitmation.

bgood44 · July 23, 2009, 17:53

When I download OpenFoam, do these programs come with it or do I need to add it seperately

Thanks,

Brad

hellorishi · July 24, 2009, 01:27

snappyHexMesh is native OpenFOAM.

Others have to be downloaded separately...

ironsamosa · December 31, 2018, 20:18

Hi there, would you be kind enough to guide with with what command line statements on how to import a Solidworks or Inventor model or assembly into OpenFoam, then meshing it and then opening in on paraview?

thanks!

yambanshee · January 18, 2019, 03:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by ironsamosa

Hi there, would you be kind enough to guide with with what command line statements on how to import a Solidworks or Inventor model or assembly into OpenFoam, then meshing it and then opening in on paraview?

thanks!

A good source is this: http://sourceflux.de/blog/tag/snappyhexmesh/

Long answer is; it's not just a little bit of command line work. Generating a good mesh with open source software is often quite challenging.

ms.hashempour · January 20, 2020, 06:47

Dear guys

I have solidworks tunnel shape. But I cant using salome. It hangs on and stops working.

What sould I do?

July 20, 2009, 20:44	Importing SolidWorks Model DIRECTLY into openfoam	#1
bgood44 New Member Brad Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 3 Rep Power: 17	Hello All, I am currently working on developing a UAV for a university project. Unfortunately, the wind tunnels at my school aren't quite big enough for this uav and I don't want to go through the hassle of building a scale model. I have a very accurate SolidWorks model of the aircraft and would like to use OpenFoam to do some analysis ( specifically, I want to find the control derivitives, so essentially I just need to find the pressure distribution on the surface of the aircraft). Is there a way I can use my SolidWorks model and generate a mesh using an open source software, and than use openfoam to find the pressure distribution on the aircraft. I would prefer to use openfoam ( Its a software I really want to learn), and I would like to use my current SolidWorks model. I know cosmos is an option with solidworks, but I would prefer not to go that route, so please don't go there... Thanks for the Help!

July 24, 2009, 01:27		#7
hellorishi Senior Member Rishi . Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 149 Rep Power: 18	snappyHexMesh is native OpenFOAM. Others have to be downloaded separately... ironsamosa likes this.

December 31, 2018, 20:18	importing solidworks model to openFOAM	#8
ironsamosa New Member Henry Keller Join Date: Dec 2018 Posts: 1 Rep Power: 0	Hi there, would you be kind enough to guide with with what command line statements on how to import a Solidworks or Inventor model or assembly into OpenFoam, then meshing it and then opening in on paraview? thanks!

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July 21, 2009, 01:59		#2
hellorishi Senior Member Rishi . Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 149 Rep Power: 18	Hello Brad, There are a few opensource meshing tools for OpenFOAM. You might have to export Solidwork file as STL for snappyHexMesh http://www.opencfd.co.uk/openfoam/do...pyHexMesh.html Or IGES /STEP for NetGen or Gmsh http://www.hpfem.jku.at/netgen/ http://www.geuz.org/gmsh/ I am not sure if one can get boundary layers with NetGen or Gmsh. SnappyHexMesh does that, but I find it a bit complicated to use. tutorial-> http://www.tfd.chalmers.se/~hani/kur...ppyHexMesh.pdf

July 21, 2009, 02:05		#3
hellorishi Senior Member Rishi . Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 149 Rep Power: 18	I forgot to mention EnGrid. http://www.ohloh.net/p/engrid I have not tested this one yet. Seems promising.

July 22, 2009, 11:48		#4
bgood44 New Member Brad Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 3 Rep Power: 17	And all of the programs you listed work with solidworks? Is there any downside to using Engrid, NetGen, or Gmsh with solidworks ?

July 23, 2009, 04:45		#5
hellorishi Senior Member Rishi . Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 149 Rep Power: 18	These programs work with generic file formats like STL, IGES /STEP Solidworks or almost any CAD package can export to the above 3 formats. The downside of exporting to such formats is slight loss of accuracy in shape, due to approximations. e.g. it might export a circle as a 10sided polygon. You can increase the accuracy by exporting as 36 sided polygon for better approxitmation.

July 23, 2009, 17:53		#6
bgood44 New Member Brad Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 3 Rep Power: 17	When I download OpenFoam, do these programs come with it or do I need to add it seperately Thanks, Brad

January 20, 2020, 06:47		#10
ms.hashempour New Member Masoumeh Join Date: Oct 2019 Posts: 21 Rep Power: 7	Dear guys I have solidworks tunnel shape. But I cant using salome. It hangs on and stops working. What sould I do?