Altair SimLab 2020 Release Notes

Highlights

Improvements in SL2020
Mesh
2D Create > Mesh controls > Hard Points
  • Enhanced the mesh control to use user defined tolerance in mesher for bodies and faces. Earlier, mesher used hardcoded tolerance value.
2D Create > Mesh controls > Isoline Mesh Control
  • Fixed the projection issue for cylinder faces.
Graphics/User Interface
File > Camera
  • Fixed the issue in capturing the Result Panel using File > Camera.
View
Views > Activate/Delete View
  • Script support is added to activate view.
Body Right Click > Select Associated Entities
  • Added ‘Connected RBE Bodies’ option to get connected RBEs from the input bodies.
Analysis
Tools > Replace Bodies
  • Support added to replace RBEs present on Curved surfaces. Earlier, only RBEs on planar surfaces were updated.
Property > Material
  • Added “BETA_REFERENCE_TEMPERATURE” parameter under Polymer.
  • Fixed the crash while opening new database when duplicate material name exists in database material library file.
Export
Abaqus
Boundary Condition > Right click > Include
  • Added support to map data from one solution to another solution and use it as initial condition. For example, this feature can be used to map steady state simulation results onto a transient simulation and use them as initial conditions.
nFX
Property > Material
  • Fixed the issue in nFX material writing format for initial velocity.
Radioss
Loads and Constraints > Connectors > Spring Damper
  • Fixed the ID conflicts issue in writing spring damper card.
Results
  • Fixed the issue in displaying result contour.
  • Fixed the issue in importing uFX result using new result reader.
  • Support added to import Radioss result based on ‘New Result Reader’ toggle status. Earlier, the result files will be imported using new reader.
Result Browser
Result > Right Click
  • Extended ‘Average Method’ support for results using new result reader.
Result Panel
  • ‘Variation’ option is added to control the contour variation for Average Method result display by defining value.
Advanced
Bolt Modeling
1D Bolt > Create Bolt
  • Fixed this issue to create the 1D bolts successfully for the valid input bolts (Bolts connecting the input head and thread bodies) and neglect the invalid bolts (Bolts which are not connecting the input head and thread bodies). Earlier, the operation fails if any one of the input bolts are invalid.
Special Bolts > Bolted Joints
  • Fixed this issue to create solid bolts when ‘Additional layer’ option is turned off.
Scripting
  • Added below utility functions
    • “simlab.getResultSimulations(LCName)” to get the List of simulations in a load case.
    • “simlab.getResultComponents(LCName)” to get the list of result components in a load case.
    • “simlab.activateResults(LCName, SimulationName, ComponentName, SubComponentName)” to activate the results component in a load case.
    • “minmax = simlab.updateContourforBodies(ModelName, bodyNames)” to get Min, Max results value and update contour for selected bodies.
    • “simlab.updateLegendSettings(SegmentNumber, NumberFormat, Precision, value, color)” to update contour legend settings.
    • To calculate the distance between the faces,
      “DistanceBetweenTwoEntities=''' <DistanceBetweenTwoEntities UUID="53537c0a-6606-4b36-9a95-c05be32f39fc" >
  <SupportEntity1>
   <Entities>
    <Model>FEABox1.gda</Model>
    <Face>5,</Face>
   </Entities>
  </SupportEntity1>
<SupportEntity2>
   <Entities>
    <Model>FEABox1.gda</Model>
    <Face>57,</Face>
   </Entities>
  </SupportEntity2>
 </DistanceBetweenTwoEntities>''';
Distance,Del_x,Del_y,Del_z=simlab.measure(DistanceBetweenTwoEntities);”
Known Issues
  • AcuSolve results reading is not supported in this version.
  • Up/down arrow in keyboard to increase/decrease value in line edit is not working. Instead, use mouse ball scrolling to increase/decrease value in line edit.
  • When working with MMKS unit system in SimLab, some boundary conditions like body force and mass present in the setup will cause inconsistent results as MMKS is not a coherent unit system.
    • As a work around user can switch to a coherent unit system like MKS unit system before solving the model and then again switch back to required unit system to view the results in the desired unit system.
    • This issue will be addressed in a patch one month from this release.
Features Available in SIMLAB
Supported CAD
  • Parasolid version,
    • Windows: 32.0.152
    • Linux: 30.0308
    Note: Parasolid import and tools behavior will be different between Windows and Linux version due to the version differences.
  • STEP
  • CATIA (Up to CATIA V5 R29)
  • Creo (Up to 6.0)
  • JT
  • NX (Up to 2019)
  • SOLIDWORKS (Up to 2019)
  • Inventor (Up to 2019)
  • ACIS (Up to 2019.1.0)
  • AutoCAD (Up to 2019)
System
File > Preferences > Mesh
  • Added a toggle “Kubrix Mesher” to activate the Kubrix hex mesh tool. By default, this toggle is turned off.
File > Preferences > Application
  • Added “Enable CAD/FEM face selection filter” option. When the CAD body is overlapped with mesh body, it will pop up a micro dialog and ask the user to set the priority for the face selection.
File > Preferences > Mesh
  • Added “Double Precision” option to generate volume mesh with double precision. This would be helpful in mesh generation for CFD.
Unit System
  • SimLab 2019.3 version introduces unit system which will allow users to work in a unit system they desire. The introduction of unit system should not disrupt current users from what they are currently used to. The following rules apply for this version.
  • There are two modes of using Simlab 2019.3 with the unit system, On or OFF. The users should not mix these two modes when working in SimLab.
    • The working behaviour will be same as SimLab 2019.2 when unit system is OFF.
    • To work with Unit system, turn on unit system, select the units and continue to work on the model.
    • There should be no mix up between unit system ON/OFF while working. Database and scripts created with unit system off should be used only with SimLab with unit system off.
    • When we start SimLab with an empty database, you will see the option to use or not to use Unit system. Once you import a model or create a model (database is not empty anymore), the Units option will be frozen.
    • The unit system information will be stored in the database while saving. So, when the database is opened again, the unit system will be enabled and set automatically.
    • The setting of the unit system will be remembered from the database which is closed finally. When we launch SimLab again, those unit settings will be remembered and set automatically.
    • Unit settings can be differed between the database. When switching database, the unit system in current database will be updated and set.
    • If opening an old database, we will turn off the unit system and freeze.
    • The scripts created using unit system will have the current display unit recorded. This recording will happen when SimLab started with an empty database and the unit system is turned on. This will be used to determine the ON / OFF the unit system.
CAD Import / Export
File > Import / Export > CAD
Parasolid
  • Support added to read assembly structure during Parasolid import with imprint solid bodies option.
CATIA
  • Support added to read body color. Earlier, only face and edge color was read.
NX
  • Support added to import material.
E-CAD
  • Support added to import ECAD (ODB++) files.
  • Support added to import ODB++ file as Sheet and Wire.
CAD Through Translation
File > Import > CAD: Through Translation
Parasolid
  • Enhanced the functionality to translate CAD files to Parasolid by eliminating geometry loss as much as possible.
Discrete Models Import / Export
File > Import / Export > Discrete Models
STL
  • Support added to Import and Export Quad elements as STL files.
  • While importing Quad elements with Large file option, file will be imported Normally without meshing.
    Note: This feature is supported only for ASCII file format.
PLY (Polygon)
  • Support added to export polygon files (*.ply).
Solver Input File Import
File > Import > Solver Input File
OptiStruct
  • Support added to import the Hyper-Elastic material parameters.
  • Support added to import topology design space and constraints.
  • Added support to import shell offset type (ZOFFS) and value, when it is referred under PSHELL card.
Abaqus
  • ‘Create Solution’ option is added while importing Abaqus solver file. Turning on this option will create solution in solution browser and list all loads and boundary conditions.
  • Importing abaqus deck with no material definition will create default materials with the name used in section property definitions.
  • Support added to import 3D cohesive element property (Hex8 & Wedge6).
Database Import/Export
File > Import > Solver Input File
  • Lock and suppress states will be stored in the database (*.slb).
File > Preferences > Applications
  • Added ‘File | Import | SLB – merge imported mesh models to existing mesh model’ option.
  • When the mesh model is imported in the database which already has mesh model, turning on this option will merge the imported mesh model to the existing mesh model.
Graphics/User Interface
Rotation Performance
  • To improve the rotation performance for large models (node count > 1 million), dynamic entity highlighting and rotation center is avoided.
Note: Dynamic entity highlighting & rotation center is enabled for failed elements display in Qcheck.
Bottom Toolbar > Cutting Plane
  • Rotation performance is improved in cutting plane mode for solid bodies
Model Rendering Performance
  • Improved the performance for following operations
    • Hide (H)
    • Isolate (I)
    • Redisplay Model
    • Reset Model
    Note: To enable this feature, use the following environmental variable: SIMLAB_ARRAY_BASED_RENDERING = TRUE
Axis Marker Display
  • Enhanced the axis marker visibility
View
Views > Activate/Delete View
  • Dialog support added to activate and delete the selected view.
Move Tool
  • Combined move and transform tool
  • Support added to translate the face using move tool. Faces of Fem bodies and Parasolid bodies (imported using “Save geometry in database” option) can be moved.
  • Improved model rotation performance for move node operation
  • Support added to reposition only the move tool marker, while dragging the move tool marker in reposition tool mode.
  • In reposition tool mode, support added to align the move tool marker based on selected arc edge axis or selected cylindrical face axis.
Transform
  • Added support to transform CAD bodies using Match Nodes option
Assembly Browser
Replace or Transfer bodies
  • Bodies / Sub-Models drag and drop support is enhanced.
  • During drag and drop, if same name exists in drop location (destination), bodies will be replaced or transferred into destination based on user’s input.
Model right click > Import / Export Model Specification
  • Support added to export / import model specification file in binary format “.ssp”
Model right click > Delete empty sub models
  • Option added to delete empty sub models present in assembly structure
Mesh Control Browser
Right click > Move Up / Down
  • Support added to move the mesh controls up and down in mesh control browser. This can be done only if the mesh controls are sorted by “Sequence”.
Mesh Quality > Default Qualities
  • Added default mesh quality specifications in mesh control browser
Property Browser
Materials
  • Support added to sort materials automatically, based on names while creation and import of materials.
Tables right click > Create Table
  • The order of column data for certain tables are changed based on the correct entry sequence of the data.
  • Support added to write the column headings when exporting the table as CSV file
  • Support added to update the graph dynamically while defining the values in the table.
    Note: Supported only when “Enable new graphing tool” is turned on in File > Preferences > Results
LBC Browser
Right click > Review
  • ‘Manager’ is renamed as ‘Review’ for all supported objects.
Solution Browser
  • Support added to solve solutions in the background without freezing SimLab while solving.
    • The Result icon will turn yellow when background solve is in progress and will turn green when solving is completed.
    • User can stop the background solve by Result > right click > Kill option.
    • This feature is supported only in Windows for following solutions.
      • OptiStruct
      • AcuSolve
  • Abaqus solver is added in Solution creation.
  • Added support to include the RBE and Bar bodies created from Advanced > Bolt Modeling > 1D Bolt > 1D bolt pretension, to the current solution.
  • While moving 1D pretension load from one solution to current, RBE and Bar bodies associated with that load will get added to that current solution by posting a message.
  • Support added to include / map temperature and pressure results from AcuSolve flow transient solution to Optistruct linear and non-linear solutions as boundary conditions.
  • Added support to include Advanced > Power Train > Valve seat load and Equation loads in solution.
Solution Browser > Right Click Solution > Review
  • Added support to review the contacts, coordinates, sets and pretension in the solution browser
  • Right click on Contacts, Sets and Coordinate group in solution browser will also open corresponding review dialogs.
Solution Browser > Right click > Select / Hide Entities
  • Select / Hide entities options are added under solution browser right click.
    Note: Show entities option is renamed as Select entities in all supported browsers for consistency.
Parameters Browser
Process > Right click > Experiments
  • Design of experiments tool is enhanced to select the script file directly. Earlier, and the folder name and script name should be same to run the DOE.
Geometry
Edge > Create > Edge Offset
  • Improvements done in Edge offset tool to maintain the offset distance consistent in arcs/circles on planar faces.
Body > Select End Faces
  • Added new option “Using angle check” to select End faces for thin bodies.
Body > Disconnect
  • Added support to disconnect bodies containing solid elements.
Body > Identify Screw/Bolt
  • Support added to identify & select screws and bolts.
Body > Create > Cylinder
  • Support added to create cylinder of Hex8 element type.
  • Support added to create Parasolid CAD cylinders.
Body > Break
  • Box body break is supported for Parasolid models imported with “Save geometry in database”.
  • Support added to create sheet bodies from cut section to get the profile.
Mesh
2D Create > Mesh controls
  • Enhanced washer mesh control to project mid nodes during meshing even if the adjacent face (bolt holes) contains iso line mesh control.


    Figure 1.
    Note: Add this environment variable SIMLAB_WASHER_PROJ_MIDNODE = true to get this feature.
  • Added a new mesh control for proximity meshing, which will be useful for CFD, Electronics applications etc.


    Figure 2.
2D Create > Mesh
  • Support added to unmerge the connected bodies after meshing and to maintain the shared faces between bodies.
    Note: To achieve that, do body right click > unmerge after meshing.
  • “Identify feature and mesh on CAD body” option is moved to main dialog in both surface and volume mesh.
  • Meshing performance is improved for large Creo assemblies.


    Figure 3.
2D Create > Re-Mesh
  • Enhanced the tool to retain the rigids connected to the faces of solid body after re-meshing.


    Figure 4.
    Note: The Rigid should be connected to entire face.
2D Create > Dropdown Menu > Wrapper Mesh
  • Added ‘Extract cavity’ option to extract the cavity from the selected bodies by defining a free node inside the cavity.
  • To capture the fluid geometry better, turn on ‘Preserve all feature lines’ in Advanced options, it would be useful in CFD to extract the fluid domain.
Verify > Dropdown Menu > Quality Check (New)
  • Support added to check mid node deviation ratio and mid node alignment ratio quality for Hex, Penta & Wedge elements.
  • Support added to check interior angle quality for wedge element.
  • Support added to check Jacobian-Ratio qualityfor Hex elements.
Modify > By Element > Collapse Edge
  • Support added to collapse element edges to mid position.
3D Create > Dropdown Menu > Axis Symmetric Mesh
  • Enhanced this tool to mesh screw bodies.
3D Create > CFD Mesh
  • Option added to “select fluid domain”. This will be useful for the bodies contains multiple volumes. User can opt the volume to create the boundary layer.
  • Redesigned the UI to bring the volume mesh parameters in the primary dialog.
  • Also, added “Fill void inside volume” option. (Turn on – voids will be filled with Tet elements, Turn OFF - voids will be ignored for Tet creation)


Figure 5.
Assembly
Connect > Shared
  • Added a new option “Vertices” to find the shared vertices from input bodies.
  • Enhanced the tool to add the identified shared entities to selection list.
  • Support is added to find shared cad faces in a connected body. This is only supported for Parasolid models imported with “Save geometry in database” option.
Connect > Boolean
  • Boolean (CAD) operation will delete the actual bodies and bring in new bodies. This removes the identified body pairs from the output pair list. Enhanced the tool to retain the body pairs by updating the output pair list with the new bodies.
  • Redesigned the Boolean dialog.


Figure 6.
Modify > Intersections
  • Penetration option is divided into two options.
    • Nearby surfaces not overlapping: This option will find all penetrating surfaces based on given tolerance.
    • Penetration surfaces: This option will find only the true penetrating surfaces irrespective of the given tolerance.
Features
Defeature > Details
  • Renamed “Logo and Details” to “Details” and redesigned the UI.
  • Support added to simplify or remove chamfers, holes and slots in Parasolid models.
Defeature > Flatten
  • Added “Preserve boundary nodes” toggle to preserve the boundary nodes on the selected adjacent faces.
FEM
Node > Create
  • Enhanced the tool such that if the user specified a node ID and if it already exists in the model, then it will post a message. Clicking on “Yes” button will create the orphan node with user specified node ID and renumber the existing node in the model.
Node > Move
  • Improved the model rotation performance for move node operation.
Node > Set ID
  • Support added to renumber edge nodes. This is supported for both open and closed edge loop.
Element > Modify
  • Tri to 4Tri 3 conversion is enhanced to support bodies having shared faces.
Solutions
  • Added new ribbon “Solutions”. This is to create solution based on it Physics and Application type.


Figure 7.
Analysis
Property > Material
  • Support added to directly assign materials to CAD bodies.
Loads and constraints > Connectors > Bush
  • Support added to create bush element between bolt RBE center nodes by give two RBE bodies as input.
Loads and constraints > Connectors > Spring
  • Improved the rotation performance for the model with more spring elements.
Loads and constraints > Loads > Force and Moment
  • Modified the marker design for moment load.
Tools > Mapping
  • Support added to map user defined data tables, to input body/face.
  • The user defined table can have multiple column values, and after mapping the values can be plotted on the body/face.
Tools > Sets
  • Added support to define ID for sets.
Export
OptiStruct
  • Support added to apply Pressure and Force load in modal reduction analysis.
  • Support added to generate reduced matrices for “MotionSolve” using Model Reduction analysis. Support added to define and export the Hyper-Elastic material parameters. This can be defined using Analysis > Property > Material under rubber class.
  • Supported Mooney-Rivlin, Ogden and Arruda-Boyce models in Hyper-Elastic Material.
  • Supported to export rigid body (RBODY). This is available in Analysis > Property > Property under rigid body type.
  • Support added to export CNTNLSUB as global parameter and STABILIZ parameter in NLADAPT bulk data entry, for Nonlinear analysis. It can be defined from Solution Parameter option.
  • Added support to define shell offset type (ZOFFS), it will be written under PSHELL card itself. It can be defined from Analysis > Property > Property.
AcuSolve
Solution Browser
Boundary Condition > Right click > Include
  • Added support to map data from one solution to another solution and use it as initial condition. For example, this feature can be used to map steady state simulation results onto a transient simulation and use them as initial conditions.
Analysis
Loads and Constraints > Mesh Motion > Translation/Rotation
  • Support added for setting up mesh motion simulations of type rotation and translation
Loads and Constraints > Smart Components > Thin Solids
  • Support added for modeling Thin Solids. This feature is used for modeling solids that are very thin and are difficult to model at CAD level.
Loads and Constraints > Thermal Load > Contact Resistance
  • Support added for modeling contact resistance between bodies.
Results
File > Import > Results
  • Added support to visualize the mesh displacement and create animations for postprocessing.
Radioss
Solution Browser
Create solution
  • Support added to create Quick drop test setup for Radioss solutions.
Analysis
Loads and Constraints > Impact Surface
  • Added support to define Rigid Body.
  • Tool name is changed from “Rigid Wall” to “Impact Surface”.
Loads and Constraints > Constraints > Damping
  • Support added to define DAMP boundary condition.
Loads and Constraints > Contacts
  • Support added to define \INTER\TYPE 25 Contact.
Results
File > Import > Results
  • Support is added to import Radioss result file using *A001 file.
Molding
Solutions Browser
Solutions > Right click > Export
  • Support added to automatically renumber the solid element ID’s start from 1, while exporting.
Analysis
Property > Material
  • Polymer material properties has been organized based on its classification.
  • Added support to define and export Tait 2Phase Model parameters.
  • Added Polymer meta data, Processing data and Filler data parameters for polymer material.
Flux
Analysis
Loads and Constraints > Magnetostatic Loads > Magnet Orientation
  • Support added to define Magnetic Orientation (Magnetic lines of forces) along Radial & Orthoradial directions.
Abaqus
  • Support added to export 3D cohesive element property (Hex8 & Wedge6). This can be defined using Analysis > Property > Property under cohesive behavior.
  • Option added to skip comment lines (HyperMesh or SimLab or Both). This option is available in Analysis > Solve > Export and Solve or Solutions > Export Settings.
  • ‘Enable / Disable entities’ option is added in Solution > LoadCase, to add / remove contacts from the load case.
  • Support added to define and export output interval. This can be defined using output requests option.
  • Added an option “Use body as surface” in Analysis > Loads and Constraints > Contact, to write the body pairs directly in solver deck.
Ansys
  • Supported export of young's modulus – temperature table. It can be defined from Analysis > Property > Material.
Nastran
  • Support added to define the BCTABLE & BCPROP cards for MSC-Nastran Implicit Non-Linear contact type.
Optimization
Solution > Fatigue > Optimize
  • Added Support to setup topology and free shape optimization for fatigue solution.
Results
Results GUI
  • Record single cycle option supported for Transient animation mode. By turning ON this toggle, mp4 video recording will automatically stop once it reaches the last step in the animation.
  • Results display performance has been improved 2x times.
Result Panel > Sampling options
  • Uniform vector display for cut section is supported for vector plots.
Distortion > Bore
  • Added a toggle in “Ignore holes and slots” in Bore Distortion dialog. By tuning ON this toggle, the bore depth with holes\slots will be ignored in distortion calculation.
    Note: This toggle will be enabled only for Create iso mesh on bore face option.
Tools > Streamlines
  • Support added to set rake type as “Area”. Select a face and specify the seeds. This will display the streamlines for the specified seeds.
  • Added a toggle “Vector display”. This is used to display the streamlines as vectors.
Advanced
Bolt Modeling
1D Bolt > Create Bolt
  • Pretension connection template is supported in create bolt.
  • Fixed this issue to create the 1D bolts successfully for the valid input bolts (Bolts connecting the input head and thread bodies) and neglect the invalid bolts (Bolts which are not connecting the input head and thread bodies). Earlier, the operation fails if any invalid bolts are given as input.
1D Bolt/3D Bolt > 1D Pretension/Solid Pretension
  • Pretension marker is enhanced to show the bolt load direction.
  • It is supported for Abaqus/OptiStruct, ANSYS, ADVENTURE Cluster solvers.
3D Bolt > Create Bolt
  • Value remembrance is supported for table.
3D Bolt > Thread Pretension
  • Added new coupling method “Surface to node” to create Permas thread pretension.
Electronics
Mesh > Identify
  • Enhanced the tool to identify and select screws & PCB multiple bodies.
Mesh > Auto
  • New tool added to generate hex mesh the following body types.
    • Axis-symmetric bodies
    • 2.5 D bodies
    • Screw bodies
    • PCB single
Mesh > PCB
  • Added an element type 'All Hex' to create 100% hex elements.
Mesh > Simplify
  • Tool added to simplify single or set of parts to Box, Cylinder and Hollow cylinder shapes.
Mesh > BGA
  • Support added to import *csv file which contains coordinates of ball centre position.
  • Balls will be created on the coordinates specified in csv file.
Weld
With Heat Zone > Weld
  • Support added to weld multiple bodies simultaneously.
With Heat Zone > Create Bead
  • Support added to create “Tet” solid weld bead, thus renamed the bead cross section type from “Hex Weld” to “Solid Weld”. Also added option to specify allowable “Gap tolerance”.
With Heat Zone > Connect Weld
  • Added a new tool to connect Tet / Hex weld body with Tet / Hex (2.5D) part body.
nFX Application
Home > Transform > Translate
  • Support added to create copies of point bodies.
nFX Tools > Particle Creation > 1 Click SPH Creation
  • Support added to create Fluid 1 based on its percentage of entire fluid volume.


    Figure 8.
nFX Tools > Particle Creation > Create / Modify Particles
  • Support added to modify fluid particles based on their level.
nFX Tools > Boundary Condition > Inlet Region
  • Support added to display axis marker for the defined circle to specify the direction of flow.
Scripting
  • Added below utility functions,
    • “getSetsWithSubString” to retrieve an array of set names based on the given sub string.
    • “getResultLoadCases” to get all the Result Loadcase names in an array.
    • “redisplayEntity” to redisplay Model or Body.
    • “fitView” to set fit view.