Splitting quadrilateral elements

The Edit Mesh toolset allows you to split quadrilateral elements into two triangular elements.

See Also
What can I do with the Edit Mesh toolset?

Context:

Select MeshEdit from the main menu bar to split quadrilateral elements into two triangular elements, as shown in the following figure:

You cannot split a 5-node quadrilateral element, and you cannot split a quadrilateral-shaped gasket element. You can select multiple quadrilateral elements to split as long as they are from the same part.

  1. Enter the Mesh module and do one of the following:

    • From the Object field in the context bar, select Assembly.

    • From the Object field in the context bar, select Part and select a part from the list.

  2. From the main menu, select Mesh Edit.

    Abaqus/CAE displays the Edit Mesh dialog box.

    Tip: You can also display the Edit Mesh dialog box using the tool, located at the bottom of the Mesh module toolbox.

  3. In the dialog box, do the following:
    1. In the Category field, select Element.
    2. From the Method list, select Split (quad to tri).
  4. Select the quadrilateral elements to split. You can use any of the selection techniques described in Selecting objects within the current viewport.

    If your selection includes elements that are not quadrilaterals, Abaqus/CAE automatically removes them from the selection.

    Abaqus/CAE highlights the diagonal it will use to split each quadrilateral element into two triangular elements and prompts you to continue. Abaqus/CAE selects the diagonals that will create the best-shaped elements based on angle measurements. You cannot select which diagonal of the quadrilateral Abaqus/CAE uses to split the element. However, after Abaqus/CAE splits the elements, you can use the Swap diagonal (tri) tool to change the diagonals; for more information, see Swapping the diagonal of a pair of adjacent triangular elements.

  5. Click Yes to split the selected elements.

    Abaqus/CAE prompts you to select more elements to split.

    Tip: If you make a mistake while splitting quadrilateral elements, click Undo in the Edit Mesh dialog box to undo the change.

  6. When you have finished splitting elements, click mouse button 2 or the cancel button in the prompt area to exit the procedure.