About this Block
The Remap Constraint block can be used to generate novel geometry with Topology Optimization in nTop. It enforces geometry-based constraints on the design space by leveraging nTop’s unique ability to manipulate scalar and vector fields. The block is named after the Remap Field block that follows a similar technique to perform geometric operations on implicit bodies like shape transformation, mirroring, sectioning, patterning, surface extrudes and many more applications. This block constrains the density field of the design volume in an optimization problem using geometric projections defined as remap inputs. Users can impose geometry-based constraints such as extrusion, pattern repetition and symmetry, combine these constraints or invent a novel constraint that results in an optimized geometry that is unique to nTop! To learn more about this block, check out this support article published in our knowledge base.- Error message : “Remap should be contained within the design space.” : When you encounter this error, it indicates that the remap component inputs do not intersect the design space of the optimization problem. For example, let us consider this box with a hole. If the remap constraint block is used to enforce an extrusion constraint (like Example 2 or 3) in the z direction (normal to the xy-plane), we’d typically set the z-component of the remap input to a scalar value that intersects the part (-5<z<5). In this case because of the hole, this scalar value input is reduced to -5<z<0. Any value above 0 for the z component would result in the error because the remap constraint has an input that intersects a region with no material (hole).
- User-defined reference frames : There isn’t an option to enter a user-defined reference frame with the Remap Constraint block. In cases where the remap constraint is applied in a frame that is different from the default global reference frame the x, y and z inputs need to be transformed with the appropriate mathematical operations to the desired frame.
Example File
We have 4 more examples and learn more about Remap here Here is an example of a Topology Optimization with symmetry about the yz-plane (x component) and the xy-plane (z component) enforced by a remap constraint. The input to the remap block is given by the equation: g(x,y,z) = (Abs(x),y,Abs(z)) Download Example: Remap Constraint
Defines a geometric projection to be applied as a constraint to the optimization process. The projection will remap the design variable field to the X, Y, and Z scalar field components of the new evaluation location.
Inputs
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| X | Scalar Field | Field to evaluate for the x component of the new evaluation location. |
| Y | Scalar Field | Field to evaluate for the y component of the new evaluation location. |
| Z | Scalar Field | Field to evaluate for the z component of the new evaluation location. |
| Region | Region | Region which the remap will be applied to. if unspecified, the constraint will be applied globally to all fe domains in the model. |