Highlighting Element Edges

Element edges can be highlighted using the Graphics | Display | Highlight Edges menu command. The Highlight Edges option is also available in the Graphic Settings dialog box.

The Highlight Edges command has the following effect.

For 1D elements:

Ends of 1D elements that are attached to nodes that have just that element connecting into it are highlighted.

For 2D elements:

Bad connectivity: Brown lines are drawn along each edge of 2D elements that:

• is not connected to any other 2D element, or
• is badly connected to any other 2D element (i.e. linear v. quadratic or different mid-side nodes), or
• is upside-down with respect to other attached 2D elements in the same plane, or
• is attached to only one other element and is upside-down with respect to that.

A proper connection is where two elements are connected the same way up all along their edges.

Mesh discontinuity: Yellow lines are drawn along the edge of a 2D element where no other 2D element attached to that edge:

• has the same property reference, or
• lies in the same plane. The Facet angle Results Preference is used as the tolerance in determining whether two elements lie within the same plane.