Material grids are grids which are independent of the finite element mesh that allow for visualization of the model deformation. The grid is usually equally spaced with a square cell geometry in 2D and a cubic geometry in 3D. Because material grids are independent of the finite element mesh, the location of the grid cells "nodes" is unaffected by remeshing operation and an accurate representation of the strain is facilitated.

 

Representation of the material grid in ParaView can be done as either solid "stripped" surface or a regular wireframe.