HEXAHEDRAL MESH GENERATION BY MEDIAL SURFACE SUBDIVISION .1. SOLIDS WITH CONVEX EDGES

A method is presented for subdividing a large class of solid objects i nto topologically simple subregions suitable for automatic finite elem ent meshing with hexahedral elements. The technique uses a geometric p roperty of a solid, its medial surface, to define the necessary subreg ions. The subregions are defined explicitly to be one of only 13 possi ble types. The subdividing cuts are between parts of the object in geo metric proximity and produce good quality meshes of hexahedral element s. The method as introduced here is applicable to solids with convex e dges and vertices, but the extension to complete generality is feasibl e.