Automated mesh generation and editing tools

摘要

Mesh generation and editing tools are provided. The mesh generation and editing tools can be implemented using MATLAB® and are platform-independent, usable in any number of different operating systems and configurations. The mesh generation tool uses a graphical user interface to receive user inputs of boundary and bathymetry information and automatically generates a mesh based on the input information and user selections of the number of mesh refinements based on the bathymetry that should be run. The mesh generation tool also performs a check of the computing resources needed to construct a mesh with the selected parameters and allows the user to change the parameters before generating the mesh if necessary to avoid excessive resource use. The mesh editing tool includes a fully automated master smoothing script that applies a set of “best practices” mesh operations to a mesh, and further includes a set of mesh editing tools that can be applied individually to edit and refine a mesh to best suit a user's needs. Meshes generated in accordance with the present invention can include properly formatted ADCIRC grid files (fort.14 file) that can be used to represent coastal ocean dynamics in a discrete computational framework.

主权项

1. A computer-implemented method for automatically generating a mesh for use in a coastal model, comprising:
receiving boundary data of at least one boundary associated with a geographic area covered by the mesh, the boundary data having a spatial coordinate system associated therewith; receiving bathymetry data of a bathymetry associated with the geographic area covered by the mesh; receiving selections governing the generating of the mesh; automatically creating the mesh based on the boundary data, the bathymetry data, and the selections, the mesh having mesh element data of a plurality of initial mesh elements of the mesh, each of the initial mesh elements being associated with the geographic area in the mesh and having an initial size and an initial shape; automatically refining the mesh based on the bathymetry data and the selections, the refining step including changing at least one of the initial size and the initial shape of at least one of the plurality of the initial mesh elements based on the bathymetry data; automatically estimating a number of nodes in the mesh based on the selections; automatically determining a number of processors needed to generate the refined mesh based on the number of nodes and the selections; and automatically generating, by the processors, the refined mesh.