This paper on "Octree Encoding Based Automatic Meshing, A Critical Evaluation" was presented at the 3rd International Conference on Quality Assurance and Standards in Finite Element Analysis - 10-12 September 1991, Stratford-upon-Avon, England.

Summary

Octree based mesh generation is founded on the abstraction of the domain to be meshed into the union of a finite set of octants, which are triangulated to yield elements and nodes. Amongst the various algorithms for geometry based automatic mesh generation, the Octree based technique offers a number of distinct advantages, such as spatial addressability, linear growth rate in computational time, and suitability for adaptive analysis. This paper evaluates some of the critical issues that affect Octree implementation. Also discussed is Octree's susceptibility to the robustness of geometric modeling utilities, such as surface and wireframe intersections, and the important role played by tolerances. The effectiveness of Octree is demonstrated on complex parts.