Systems for simulating temperature during an additive manufacturing process. A system can access a computer-modelled part representing a physical part, populate first nodes within a first region of the part with temperature values, the first region having a first density of the first nodes, populate second nodes within a second region of the part with temperature values, the second region having a second density of the second nodes less than the first density of the first nodes and being distal the surface of the part where material is added, remove first nodes from part of the first region proximate the second region, simulate adding material on the surface of the part to form a new layer, the new layer being part of the first region and having first nodes distributed according to the first density, and populate the first nodes within the new layer of the part with temperature values.