Creating Interfaces
Use Interfaces to connect two coincident surfaces or components in a model. When you select the Insert > Connection > Interface command, Creo Simulate displays the Interface Definition dialog box. This dialog box displays following options:
Name—Specify a name for the interface. If you do not specify a name, Creo Simulate uses a default name of Interface1, Interface2, and so forth. Click the color swatch adjacent to Name to change the color of the interface.
Type—Depending upon the module, you can select any one of the following types:
Structure
Thermal
Bonded
Free
Bonded
References—Specify the reference type and select two appropriate geometric entities. For 3D models, you can select surfaces or components as references. You can select quilts in FEM mode. For 2D models, you can select edges or curves as references. If you had selected two valid geometric references before opening the Interface Definition dialog box, the collectors display your selections when you open the Interface Definition dialog box.
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For 2D models, you can create only the contact interfaces in structure module and the thermal resistance interfaces in thermal module. For thermal resistance interfaces you can select only edges as references.
For more information about interfaces and references, see Precedence Rules for Interface. The remaining options available on the dialog box depend on your selection of the type of interface. After you create an interface click OK, Creo Simulate automatically creates interface measures. When you click OK on Interface Definition dialog box, Creo Simulate checks if the selected geometrical references are valid for the specified interface type.
You can edit or delete it as follows:
Editing an interface—On the Model Tree, right-click the interface icon that you want to edit and click Edit Definition to open the Interface Definition dialog box and edit the current settings. You can also double-click the specific interface to edit it.
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If you change the type of interface, Creo Simulate does not create the interface measures for the new type automatically. You must delete the existing interface and create a new interface to create the interface measures automatically.
Deleting an interface—On the Model Tree, right-click the interface that you want to delete and click Delete on the resultant menu or press DEL.
After you create interfaces in your model, to view all interfaces click Home > Review Geometry in FEM mode or Refine Model > Review Geometry in native mode to open the Simulation Geometry dialog box. You can select a type of interface and a color to highlight the interface in the model.
Return to About Interfaces.