Surface Subregions

In the conceptual design environment, a surface can host subregions that have their own properties. Creating subregions can help you refine your design and improve the accuracy of an energy analysis. You can assign a material to a subregion or extrude its profile into a solid or void form to change the topography of the surface.

To create a subregion on a surface

1. In the conceptual design environment, click Model tabDraw panel, and select a drawing tool. If you are creating subregions on a non-planar surface, select Line, Rectangle, or Spline Through Points.
   NoteReference lines cannot be used to create subregions.
2. Click Modify | Lines tabDraw panel Draw on Face.
3. On the Options bar, select:
   • Make surface from closed loops
   • 3D Snapping
   • Sketch on Surface
   • an orientation from the Sketch on Surface drop-down.
4. Sketch the subregion onto the surface. Any closed-loop geometry sketched in this manner is a subregion, including those created by intersecting lines, as in the following example, where 2 splines divide a triangular surface into 4 subregions. Note that a different material has been applied to each subregion to distinguish it from the others.