Everyone has their own workflow in doing their analysis with different goals and preferences. Here's mine and a reasoning of why I do so. I would be eager to hear thoughts from other people on this subject. Geometry Cleanup in SpaceClaim The first step here is self explanatory. The litmus test is a crude mesh. Simplification of the model while maintaining objectives is next. Named Selection in SpaceClaim For a middle to large size model, every object I need in Mechanical gets a Named Selection. This is critical in organizing contacts and mesh properties. Modeling decisions gets clarity at this stage. Rotating, hiding different parts and visualization is simply just easier in SpaceClaim compared to Mechanical. If any geometry changes needs to be made, much of the model could be reused (e.g. contacts, boundary conditions). First Pass Analysis The first analysis is usually very crude. The goal is to have a minimum viable product on hand that can...
and other thoughts...