Finding free edges in the mesh

The Free Edges Diagnostic is used to find free edges in the mesh.

In the Free Edge Diagnostic text report, the following statistics are reported:

Free Edges
The number of element edges in the mesh that are not shared with other elements. If there are any free edges in a Dual Domain or 3D mesh, you must correct them before running an analysis. A Midplane mesh must have free edges at the outer edges of the model.
Manifold Edges
The number of manifold edges in the mesh. Properly connected elements have manifold edges. In a Dual Domain or 3D mesh, only manifold edges are correct.
Non-Manifold edges
The number of non-manifold edges in the mesh. If there are any non-manifold edges in any mesh, you must correct them before running an analysis.


A: Free Edges, B: Manifold Edges, C: Non-Manifold Edges

To fix a free edge problem, use appropriate tools from the Mesh Repair panel: (Mesh tab > Mesh Repair panel). For example, depending on the specific problem, Global Merge, Merge Nodes, Move Nodes, or Remesh Area may help.