Create Mesh
Generate a finite element mesh, choose element type and mesh density for your analysis.
If you only have 2 minutes
Generate a finite element mesh for your model, choose the element type and mesh density to match the task.
Element choice
Dr.Q uses second-order tetrahedra (Tet10) by default, a good balance of accuracy and automation. They capture curved geometry well and are suitable for most structural analyses.
Mesh density
Refine the mesh where you need accurate results (notches, load introduction points). Use a coarser mesh in non-critical regions to keep element count manageable.
Element count scales with the cube of refinement. Halving the element size means 8× more elements, and roughly 8× longer computation time.
Checking mesh quality
Dr.Q reports a single element-quality measure (a 0-1 shape/collapse ratio, 1 = ideal) for the mesh, and before every solve it checks for the two element shapes that make the stress unreliable.
Nearly flat tetrahedra (Warning 33) and strongly curved quadratic elements (Warning 34) are reported with the position of the worst element. If they sit where the result is read, refine the mesh there or simplify the geometry and re-mesh; see Mesh Errors.
Local refinement
Use local mesh refinement to add elements only where needed (at stress concentrations, holes, fillets, and contact regions) without refining the whole model.