Assisted Quilt Assembly

In the solid modeling approach, Fidelity Pointwise creates database models and quilts while importing the initial CAD data (File, Import, Database). Models are topological CAD entities that allow for watertight meshing over gaps and cracks existent in the underlying geometry. Quilts, on the other hand, are meshing regions defined at the CAD level.

The recommended starting point to use the Assisted Quilt Assembly command is a watertight database model that contains all desired feature edges. Once these initial conditions are met, the command is designed to define a quilting topology suitable for Automatic Surface Mesh in a semi-automated manner. The objective of this command is to provide multiple workflows for editing quilt topology within one tool that can be combined or used interchangeably to quickly achieve the desired quilting topology.

Upon invoking this command, you will be presented with the Assisted Quilt Assembly panel shown above. The panel is split into two tabs: Groups and Boundaries.

• Groups: This panel contains tools for viewing, creating, and locking groups of quilts to be assembled when the task closes. It also provides quality metrics for each quilt group to help determine if manual intervention is necessary.
• Boundaries: This panel contains tools for automatically and manually classifying quilt boundary edges as either Blocking (i.e. an edge that should be preserved in the final quilt topology) or Open (i.e. an edge that should be removed).

Quilt groups are formed automatically using a flood fill algorithm that observes how quilt boundaries are classified on the Boundaries tab. The algorithm floods past boundaries that are marked as Open and stops at boundaries marked as Blocking. Changes made on either tab automatically updates the other. For instance, manually creating a new quilt group on the Groups tab causes the outer boundaries of the group to be marked as blocking and the interior boundaries to be marked as open on the Boundaries tab. Conversely, changing how a boundary is classified on the Boundaries tab causes the flood fill to be recomputed and the quilt groups on the Groups tab to be updated. Quilt groups that have been locked are not affected by subsequent changes on either tab.

The general workflow for using Assisted Quilt Assembly is as follows:

1. Review the automatically formed quilt groups in the Quilt Groups table on the Groups tab. Use the metrics information (found in both the Quilt Groups and Metrics tables) to help identify groups that need further intervention.
2. For quilt groups that need intervention, either use the tools on the Groups tab to form a new group from a selection of quilts or use the tools on the Boundaries tab to adjust the boundary classification.
3. For quilt groups you approve, check the box in the Locked column of the Quilt Groups table and provide the desired quilt name in the Name column.
4. Press OK to exit the task and assemble all locked quilt groups.

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