Improvement suggestions

Clearline

Hello,

I have some

1) Does it possible to add Suppress option for components (meshed parts) like it is implemented for "Loads & Constrains" elements ?

2) Does it possible to split analysis data for several files, like geometry and general definitions(loads constrains contacts) , mesh, results?

3) Could be added an option to change names for "Load & Constrain Elements" ?
It could significantly simplify debugging of complex analyses.


Best Regards,

Alex

Sergio

I add another, in the Stress Linearization feature, can be the SCL visible when is definied? Now is only visible the nodes, and the line appear when the stress linearization window is closed. Also, when the saved SCL is clicked on the model tree, will be nice that the stress linealization appears again

Victor

Thanks for the suggestions Clearline and Sergio

1) Unlikely because of consecutive node numbering which makes this tricky.
2) No. Although you can get it to save the solution to a separate file with Analysis -> New save after solve.
3) I'm expecting to have either named loads or named load groups or both for the next version (14).

I'll see about having the SCL appear when it's defined before closing the window. It should already appear when you click on it on the outline tree.

GBAMAC

Import, Export ?

There doesnt seem to be support for standard file types like NASTRAN, Abaqus. Is there any intent to support NASTRAN file import [dat, bdf,etc] Being able to pull in existing work or review results from completed work [OP2,FO6,XDB] is also of great use. Abaqus is less useful, but still appealing as an industry standard.

Do you provide any test cases with the trial software? All my available work would exceed 1000 nodes easily. Do you have test cases to evaluate the software that dont fall under this limitation?

I was referred here by NASTRAN-95, and the Mystran website. Your software is impressive, but i am struggling to find usefulness in it. I will admit I am new to Calculix and equally impressed with it, but there doesnt appear to be any way to translate work between the two.

Just day one thoughts, ill keep playing around and get in touch with tech support for additional questions on this topic.

Victor

The CalculiX .inp format is almost identical to Abaqus and Mecway can export that as well as import simple files.

Some of the people working on Mystran and pyNastran are trying to make a converter from .inp to .bdf/dat. But at the moment, I don't think there's a way to use Mystran with Mecway.

There are samples, verification cases and tutorials which all fit within 1000 nodes. These are described in Help->Manual and Help->Tutorials. You could generate bigger models by refining some of those but they won't solve with the free version.

JohnM

Go to the Mecway YouTube channel, there are examples from SimCommons, 4P Ingenieria and VMH that demonstrate capability.
SimCommons examples all run in under 1000 nodes.

Hengre

Some thoughts to possibly future releases of Mecway

1) Pre-definition of units
Is there a way to make the adjustment for unit (m , mm, in etc.) in the Geometrie --> Meshing Parameters storeable for example in the default model. Or any other method of pre-definition.
Unfortunately Mecway starts always (and for each Step-file) with "m", why it is (at least for me to 99,9%) necessary to change it to "mm" for mechanical engineering.

Victor

You can store units in the default model by having some unused thing there with those units, such as a material with thickness of 1 mm. Then it will use mm as the default for new things like STEP file meshing parameters.

I'm also wondering about making the default units persist after closing the application, but not sure if it would create more annoyances.

Hengre

Thank you, that helps

cwharpe

@Victor,

If the named load groups (folders) is still in the works for ver. 14, I'm wondering if the needle has moved yet for adding a multiplier (Co-Factor) outside of the group? This multiplier would apply to all the loads within the group, and would save a LOT of editing time in multi-force models that currently requires the Edit of each individual load. The hope is this could be done within the user interface, without resorting to batch editing external to Mecway.

I resurrect a previous screen-shot from LISA (showing the folders) that I made comments on. One sympathizes with Engineers for all the various load cases that must be investigated under the International Building Code.

Finally, a word of appreciation for all the improvements made to date and the helpful advice given.

Hengre

Hello,

just two more suggestion - category nice to have :

1) Is it possible to set individual names for loads and constraints?
(may be behind the actual information: +heat flux <2kW/m2> - individual string

2) Would it be possible to make a country specific selection for the representation of decimal numbers ( dot 12.23 or comma 12,23). For entering numbers in Mecway menues and for Output to Excel. (Not for importing of CAD data etc.)

Regards

Victor

Named loads - yes

Multiplicative constants - probably but it might be in the form of constants you can include in load formulas and not quite as visual as what's shown on your screenshot.

Load groups - maybe

Country specific input format - It's a bit tricky because some inputs are formulas which already use commas for other things. Hopefully there's a way to make it work. I'll add it to my list but it's low priority.

Hengre

There are now several solvers available for CCX (standard, paradiso, pastix...), would it be a big issue to make it possible to have a selection between some solvers.
Tools-->Options-->Calculix--> [ ] Solver(1) e.g. CCX_2.17
[*] Solver(2) e.g. ccx_paradiso_2.17
[ ] Solver(3) e.g. CCX_2.16

Makes it a bit easier to switch if neccessary. Just for information, to think over.

Regards

JohnM

Leave SPOOLES, PARDISO and PASTIX installation in the ccx directory, and it is a trivial matter to switch the link in the Tools-> Options->Calculix menu.



FYI, PASTIX has failed on me for thermals involving pipe flow elements, and has diverged for nonlinear contact models with hyperelastic elements. PARDISO ran slower, but it converged. I leave all 3 available, and since the *SUBMODEL command was fixed in 2.16, have not had to go back to SPOOLES.

Hengre

:-) Hello JohnM,
yes you are right. It is a trivial matter. It was only a nice to have suggestion

3rav

You only need one ccx.exe file, but linked to these 3 solvers and run it with the command (in the .inp file):

*STATIC,SOLVER=SPOOLES
or
*STATIC,SOLVER=PARDISO
or
*STATIC,SOLVER=PaStiX

for (from ccx 2.17 manual):
*BUCKLE, *COUPLED TEMPERATURE-DISPLACEMENT, *DYNAMIC, *ELECTROMAGNETICS, *FREQUENCY, *GREEN, *HEAT TRANSFER, *MODAL DYNAMIC, *STATIC, *STEADY STATE DYNAMICS, *UNCOUPLED TEMPERATURE-DISPLACEMENT,

JohnM

@3rav this is interesting because it means the solver type can go with the model, which is handy for us. I understand how to set the *STATIC command, but how do I have a single ccx.exe and 3 links?

3rav

You can dowload ccx from (CalculiX forum: https://calculix.discourse.group/t/calculix-and-pastix-solver-windows-version/130/16?u=rafal.brzegowy)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zd7fj0ceaj8j44n/CalculiX.7z?dl=0

This archive contains the ccx version linked to SPOOLES, PARADISO and PASTIX
(ccx_PASTIXandPARDISO.exe).

Hengre

Thank You for sharing!

Hengre

Are there any plans to make Step command available for definition of loads and constraints?

thanks

Victor

No plans for integrating *STEP into the GUI.

Hengre

@3rav I have downloaded the solvers from
https://www.dropbox.com/s/zd7fj0ceaj8j44n/CalculiX.7z?dl=0
This archive contains the ccx version linked to SPOOLES, PARADISO and PASTIX
(ccx_PASTIXandPARDISO.exe).

I could run all the solvers. But for Pastix I found no GPU is used. In the Calculix forum I read something about setting environment variable PASTIX_GPU=1 (1,2,3...?)
I tried with 1 for a simple beam modell. 1. run without environment variable, and got a result. Setting the environment variable to 1 i didn't get any solver output and no error messages.

Can you give some explanation on how to use the GPU with that versions.

Merry X-mas

3rav

The Windows version does not support GPU computing due to the lack of nvcc (CUDA -> only nvidia) compiler in the mingw environment (msys2).
It is possible that in the future GPU support will be possible thanks to StarPU with OpenCL (AMD, nvidia and so on).

Hengre

@3rav Thank you

Hengre

I was just playing around with Mesh tools → Insert node
between to create a node at the centroid of the selected nodes.

It would be nice if that could also be used to set a node on the center of a circle. At time it doesn't do.

Is a nice to have function, but may sometimes help

Victor

You should be able to make a function for putting a node in the center of a circle using the Python API. I don't know the math of it, but the structure of the script could look like this:

# Get the coordinates of the points that define the circle from 3 selected nodes.
perimeter_node_ids = mw.selected_nodes()
point_1 = mw.node(perimeter_node_ids[0])
point_2 = mw.node(perimeter_node_ids[1])
point_3 = mw.node(perimeter_node_ids[2])

# ... do some math but not this ...
center = Vector(point_1.x, point_2.y, point_3.z)

# Create the center node
mw.new_node(center)

Sergio

Hi Victor, can you add the possibility of generate named selection of CAD faces, but with more than one face? Now is possible but limted to groups of one face only.

Edited: Actually it´s possible to create named selection of several faces, even from different parts, sorry for the mistake. What is not possible is to add or remove faces once the name selection is created.

Regards

Hengre

Thank you Victor for your answer. That may be an option. I have to play around with Python

Victor

@Sergio, yes it's a bit strange that you can change the CAD surfaces for a load but not a named selection. I've added that to my list but it's low priority.

disla

Hi Victor,

¿Could you add the possibility to generate a Surface into the Mesh tool > Create > Surface from a given Contour (Sorted list of nodes)?

I mean, being able to enter a sorted set of points that once closed would generate the inner surface into the geometry tree. 2D tool would be a beginning, very nice and enough for me.

Once the Surface is created one could define the meshing parameters on it to generate the surface mesh, revolve, extrude,....

By other hand, I found that the Node/Element editing tool into the MeshTool menu is slow. It has a big potential, but the dialog box is opened for each node/element every time you want to edit.

¿Could we edit the nodes and elements directly like in a spreadsheet or even copy and paste from and Excel or Notepad file?

Thanks

disla

Hi Victor

I would like if the LeftShift key could be used to select a group of Named selections.
Actually, you need to select them one by one.

I'm not sure if this depends on MECWAY but, ¿ is it possible to have the preview option in the file explorer for the liml files?

Thanks