Objective:
Learn how to variably modify the properties of geometry using distance data and the Ramp block.
Applies to:
- nTop
- Ramps
Procedure 1: Ramp using a Plane
1. Create a volume to fill with a Voronoi Lattice.
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- Add a Box block to define the Design Space.
2. Fill the Design Space with Random Points.
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- Add a Random Points in Body block to fill the volume with points
- Set the Seed to 1 and the Point Spacing to 1mm.
- These points won't quite be the center points of each Voronoi Cell, but they ultimately spawn the 3-Dimensional Voronoi Cells. These points are on average, consistently placed.
- Set the Seed to 1 and the Point Spacing to 1mm.
- Add a Random Points in Body block to fill the volume with points
3. Fill the Design Space with a beam-based Voronoi Lattice.
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- Add a Voronoi Volume Lattice block.
- Insert the Random Points in Body from Step 2 into the Seed Points input
- Set the Thickness to 0.2 mm
- Leave the optional mesh input empty
4. Set up the Ramp
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- Add a Ramp block
- Add a Plane from Normal block to use as the Scalar Field (this is where the distances in the In min and In max start from)
- Set the Origin for the Plane to (0, 0, -5)
- Set the In Min: 0 mm and In Max: 10 mm. This is the distance from the Scalar Field
- Set the Out Min: 0.1 mm and the Out Max: 1.0 mm. These values represent the spacing we want to happen at the In Min and In Max values. In this example, all points at the base of the Plane (0mm) or less will have a point spacing of 0.1 mm. All points at 10 mm or greater will have a point spacing of 1.0 mm.
- Add a Plane from Normal block to use as the Scalar Field (this is where the distances in the In min and In max start from)
- Don't forget to include units. If you do, an error will occur. Your Ramp block should look like the image below.
- Add a Ramp block
5. Ramp the point spacing.
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- Insert the Ramp block into the Point Spacing input of the Random Points in Body block. This varies the spacing for the points
6. Create a variable density Voronoi Lattice.
- Insert the Random Points in Body block into the Seed Points input of the Voronoi Volume Lattice block.
- Set the Thickness input as 0.2 mm
Note: Thickness input is also Scalar field input. We can use a Ramp block to vary the thickness as we have for the Points input.
Procedure 2: Ramp using an Axis
1. Create a Cylindrical Volume Lattice
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- Add a Cylinder block to define the Design Space.
- Add a Cylindrical Volume Lattice block with the following input parameters shown in the image below
2. Add an Axis
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- Add an Axis block
- Use the Field Viewer to evaluate the Axis field
3. Set up the Ramp
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- Add a Ramp block
- Add the Axis block to use as the Scalar Field (this is where the distances in the In min and In max start from)
- Set the In Min: 0 mm and In Max: 5 mm. This is the distance from the Scalar Field
- Set the Out Min: 0.05 mm and the Out Max: 0.5 mm. These values represent the thickness we want to happen at the In Min and In Max values. In this example, all beams at the center of the Axis (0mm) will have a thickness of 0.05 mm. All beams at 5 mm or greater will have a thickness of 0.5 mm.
- Don't forget to include units. If you do, an error will occur. Your Ramp block should look like the image below.
- Add a Ramp block
4. Create the Ramped Cylindrical Volume Lattice
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- Use the Ramp block as the Thickness input of the Cylindrical Volume Lattice block
And that’s it! You’ve successfully modified a two geometries using the Ramp block!
Are you still having issues? Contact the support team, and we’ll be happy to help!