Spatial Indices

Spatial indices are objects that can be used to efficiently answer a set of spatial queries over a given mesh. Different indices can use different acceleration structures to solve those queries.

At present, the following types of queries can be executed:

• Find the nearest nodes to a given coordinate
• Find the nearest Gauss points to a given coordinate
• Find the cell containing a given coordinate

Each spatial index can answer one or several of those query types.

Spatial indices are implemented in GeMA by plugins and created in the model file with the SpatialIndex keyword. The available indices and their particular options are described in each spatial index plugin documentation

Example

SpatialIndex 
{
  id          = 'index',
  typeName    = 'MmProcess.node',
  description = 'A grid based spatial index for node queries',

  mesh = 'mesh name',
}

Fields

Field	Description	Type	Required
id	The spatial index name.	String	Yes
typeName	The name of the plugin that will be used to create this spatial index. If the plugin exports several object types, the plugin name should be followed by a dot followed by the requested object type.	String	Yes
description	A description of the index.	String	No