Version 20.0

Victor

Mecway 20.0 is now available at the link below. As usual, it's a free update for all existing license holders.

https://mecway.com/download

Spanish language manual thanks as always to Germán Bresciano.

Changes:

General
Refine x2 doesn’t spread between line elements and their adjacent elements.
Sum/mean/integral are kept in the outline tree, displayed on timeline, and saved with the file.
Surface refinement available with the Gmsh mesher.
Surface normal integral is separate from surface integral.
Surface mean for solution.
Automatically saves a copy of the model without solution before solving with the internal solver.
Deletes any old temporary directories on startup.
Added cm^2 and cm^4 units.

Solvers
Acoustic impedance boundary condition.
Faster internal solver (Allocating matrices, Assembling Matrices, and Applying constraints stages).
Error message and solver failure for nonzero constraints in modal vibration, dynamic response with mode superposition, and acoustic resonance.
Multiple time dependent or constant heat loads can share the same nodes with CCX.
Bonded contact with the elastic option works with modal vibration 3D.

GUI
STEP file geometry is displayed in unique colors that are the same as their linked component colors.
Show model edges includes hidden parts shown as thin dashed lines with an option to hide them completely.
Nodes without elements don’t shrink when zooming out.
Refine x2 warns before refining truss, spring, damper, or resistor elements.
More readable scientific notation numbers in the outline tree.
Default unit option for .stl, .vol, and .msh files without solution data is always mm.
Default contour plot color map changed to Turbo.
Solution menu rearranged and harmonized between the menu bar and Solution branch of the outline tree.

Python API
New API functions mw.element_shape() and solution.element_shape().
solution.frequency() and solution.buckling_factor() return None if they don’t exist but the mode does.

Bug fixes
Bug 39 "fixed" by showing a warning for line3 truss elements.
Bug 40 "fixed" by showing a warning for relevant loads and constraints on pyramid triangular faces.
Project onto surface and Sweep crashed in some cases when applied after using undo/redo.
"Normal in direction 1 has zero size" for CCX truss elements in some orientations.
Move/Rotate/Scale/Mirror using the Copy option with faces selected didn't transfer the selection to the new faces.

German

I did not find solution.element_shape() in the API reference

Victor

solution.element_shape(element_id) is in the Mesh tools section.

kuhl

Thanks for the new Verseion @Victor !

Has the internal solver become faster even compared to mecway200_Beta3?

Victor

@kuhl. Not sure. I made several optimizations (in Assembling and Allocating matrices stages) subsequent to the bonded contact one.

kuhl

OK, thank you, that sounds promising.
I'll let you know if I can make out any improvements.

disla

Thank you, Victor!! Nice job.

Looks like you have adjusted the size of the arrows representing BC. They look much better now.

Victor

@disla. Not on purpose.

FeaIdiot101

I have notice the warning in V20about inaccurate stiffness of line3 truss elements. What is the extent of this 'inaccuracy'? If the truss remains well within the elastic limit of the material it is made up with and in tension is it likely to behave 'incorrectly'. Other than using a beam element is there any other work around to use a round section in this situation?

Victor

The error is greater with stockier members and seems to approach zero as they become more slender. It's because the connections at the ends of the expanded 20-node elements seem to only be on the corner nodes so they deform incorrectly under load.

If it's a straight element with round section, you can replace it with a square section line2 element with the same section area.

I wonder though if Mecway could let you choose the other section shapes for line2 truss elements as a convenience and just convert them all to the equivalent square sections for CCX.

FeaIdiot101

thanks for the reply, if experimented on using line 3 truss elements as rigging parts in mast models and have compared with line 2 elements with same xsectional area and have not noticed any affects on the results - How ever having a way to convert a dia of a round part to an equivalent rectangular area would be a nice feature as converting the area each time allows for more "human error" apart from the time factor! I also notice that going to line3 elements some times has a noticeable affect on run time