What is structured meshing?

The structured meshing technique generates structured meshes using simple predefined mesh topologies. Abaqus/CAE transforms the mesh of a regularly shaped region, such as a square or a cube, onto the geometry of the region you want to mesh. For example, Figure 1 illustrates how simple mesh patterns for triangles, squares, and pentagons are applied to more complex shapes.

Figure 1. Two-dimensional structured mesh patterns.

You can apply the structured meshing technique to simple two-dimensional regions (planar or curved) or to simple three-dimensional regions that have been assigned the Hex or Hex-dominated element shape option. For more information about assigning element shapes to a region, see Choosing an element shape.