How to Hide Geometry (Surfaces) and Elements in Hypermesh

Hypermesh provides robust tools to control the visibility of both geometric entities (like surfaces, solids, and lines) and meshed entities (elements and nodes). Mastering these techniques is essential for navigating complex models, focusing on specific areas, and preparing your model for meshing or post-processing.

1. Hiding Geometry (Surfaces)

To hide surfaces in Hypermesh, you primarily use the Display panel or the Mask panel, which offers more granular control.

Using the Display Panel

The Display panel is a quick way to toggle the visibility of various entities, including geometry.

• Access: Click on the Display icon in the graphics toolbar (often looks like an eye) or press the d key.
• Method:
  1. In the Display panel, you'll see options for different entity types (e.g., geometry, comps, assem, loadcols).
  2. Select geometry.
  3. You can then choose to display all, none, or reverse the current display status of your geometry.
  4. Alternatively, you can interact with the Model Browser. Expand the Components or Geometry folder. Click the small eye icon next to a specific component or surface to toggle its visibility on or off.

Using the Mask Panel for Geometry

For more precise control over specific surfaces, the Mask panel (accessible via Tool > Mask or Shift+F5) can be used for geometry entities as well.

• Access: Go to Tool > Mask or press Shift+F5.
• Method:
  1. In the Mask panel, set the entity selector to surfs (surfaces).
  2. Select Surfaces:
     • You can pick individual surfaces directly in the graphics area.
     • Use selection methods like by comps (select surfaces belonging to a component), by feature (select surfaces based on angle), or by ID.
  3. Action:
     • Click mask to hide the selected surfaces.
     • Click unmask to bring them back into view.
     • The reverse option allows you to hide currently visible surfaces and show currently hidden ones within your selection.
  4. Click mask all to hide all selected entities, or unmask all to show all masked entities.

2. Hiding Elements (Mesh)

Hiding elements is crucial for inspecting mesh quality, working on internal structures, or simplifying the display. The Mask panel is the primary tool for this.

Utilizing the Mask Panel for Elements

The Mask panel provides comprehensive functionality for hiding and unhiding elements.

• Access: Go to Tool > Mask or press Shift+F5.
• Method:
  1. In the Mask panel, ensure the entity selector is set to elements.
  2. Select Elements: Hypermesh offers various ways to select elements for masking:
     • by comp: Select elements belonging to specific components.
     • by attached: Select elements attached to currently visible elements.
     • by feata (by feature angle): Select elements based on the angle between their normals.
     • by config: This allows you to select elements based on specific configurations or types (e.g., 1D, 2D, 3D elements, or custom configurations you might have defined or that are part of a specific meshing setup). When working with a mesh, selecting by configuration can be powerful for isolating specific element types.
     • by id: Select elements by their unique identification numbers.
     • displayed: Select all currently displayed elements.
     • reversed: This option (often found in selection sub-menus) inverts your current selection. For instance, if you've selected a few elements, clicking reversed will deselect them and select all other elements. This is very useful when you want to hide everything except a specific set of elements.
  3. Actions:
     • After selecting the desired elements, click the mask button to hide them.
     • Click unmask to reveal previously hidden elements.
     • retrieve allows you to unmask elements based on your last masked action.
     • clear will unmask all masked elements.

Example Workflow for Hiding Elements:

1. Press Shift+F5 to open the Mask panel.
2. Set entity selector to elements.
3. Choose your selection method, e.g., by comp and then pick the component whose elements you want to hide.
4. Click mask. The selected elements will disappear.
5. To bring them back, you can unmask by comp again, or clear all masked elements. If you want to show elements by a specific configuration within your meshing process, you might use the by config option.

Practical Tips for Visibility Control

• Model Browser: The Model Browser is your central hub for managing visibility. You can quickly toggle the display of components, properties, load collectors, and assembly groups using the eye icon next to each entry.
• Isolate Components: Right-click on a component in the Model Browser and select Isolate to hide everything else and show only that component.
• Review Masks: The Mask panel keeps track of masked entities. You can retrieve or clear them as needed.
• Shift + F5: This shortcut is invaluable for quickly accessing the Mask panel for both geometry and elements.
• Temporary vs. Permanent Hiding: Masking is generally temporary. When you save and reopen the model, all entities are usually unmasked by default, but this can depend on specific settings or preference files.

By utilizing these methods, you can efficiently control the visibility of your model, allowing you to focus on specific areas of interest and streamline your workflow in Hypermesh.