How to create 2D contacts

To create a 2D contact the process is:

• Create one side lines and put them in one layer.
• Set another layer as active
• Create another line that exactly duplicates the first one. Points must be also duplicated (Typically using copy with translation 0 and with flag 'Collapse' unset).
• Set another layer as active
• Create a contact surface selection the two lines or more at the same time (if using copy, it has the option 'Create contacts').
• Several element types can be generated in the contact (degenerated elements):
• 2-noded elements (by default).
• No elements (useful to force the same mesh in both sides)
• Quadrilateral elements

• Layer in this process have only been set for viewing and selecting purposes. In fact, they are not necessary.

If 2-noded elements are meshed, later it is easy in the .bas file to list them by pairs.