Autodesk Labs announced yesterday that Project Simulus is now available in its second release state. I did love the first, and made a few suggestions before being completely swallowed up by other CAE software projects.

Since not having time to dive into the new release, I thought I would browse the new features list for things that I know we needed.

Autodesk Labs Project Simulus Results

Figure 1: Ok, so I had a little time to play.

Let’s see, Labs indicates it wants to focus on these improvements:

  • Buckling and Fatigue Analysis
  • Modal Frequency(V1 +) – Mass participation factors. I didn’t spend much time there, so I can’t say yet how it was enhanced.
  • Steady State Thermal  (V1 +) – now includes heat flux, convection, and radiation loadings. I thought I remembered heat flux loading in thermal.  It all bleeds together after awhile.
  • Thermal Stress coupling
  • Linear Static Stress (V1 +) – Upgrades to include additional contact types, loads, and constraints. That’s good. We needed some help there.

Autodesk Labs Project Simulus Midplane mesh

Figure 2: Midplane Meshing – it is pretty simple.

What else is going on?:

  • Shell Meshing– The go on to mention very thin structure meshing with midplane and shell meshing. GOOD, VERY GOOD. Combined models of Solid and Shell meshing ‘EASILY GENERATED’. We’ll see how easy that will be. I’d be happy to see some work-arounds addressed.
  • Decision Center– I wonder if this will be similar to CFD, where you can compare results from different analyses. I think that will be nice. To me, the decision center really comes in handy in complex situations. If it’s super easy integrated, It might get used a bit more.
  • Synchronized viewing option– is that part of the Decision Center?
  • Mesh Preview– Ooooh, I like that. Wonder how that works.
  • Automated adaptive meshing– I’m hearing CFD again. This is VERY GOOD !
  • Associative model simplificationand sharing over different simulations – If I understand what that means, it will be a good thing.
  • Simulation Disconnect– fire it off and keep working. THANK YOU !!!…. does it work without flaking out. We’ll see.
  • Quick visualization of constraintbalance –  Didn’t we have that in V1?
  • Save and access ‘documents’ from the cloud– Are they really passing huge .sim files back and forth, or is it just documentation?
  • Results viewing options – could be almost anything. They say ‘robust’. I wonder if my suggestion is in there.

Autodesk Labs Project Simulus Find Features    Autodesk Labs Project Simulus Mass Participation

Figure 3: Some discovery – Find Features tool and the Modal Mass Participation factors (hmmm… This analysis needs a bit more love)

And then the stuff that I am really not sure of:

  • Autodesk 360 viewing – I have no idea what that means
  • Integrated geometry creation and editing
  • Intuitive and flexible simulation creation and management – Scary, this could be anything.

Download at Autodesk Labs

Pick here to download Simulus from Autodesk Labs

My Thoughts

I think this version will pick up some solid features and continue to test and refine the stability of the platform as a whole.  While my results options may or may not be included, what I definitely don’t see on this list is the damn measure tool (I couldn’t find it by poking around either). I sincerely hope that gets in before this project goes much farther.

I would like to see some other analyses available, but for now we need to work out the bugs in the new offerings. Keep the comments coming in the the Labs. Use that Feedback button. I want this project to graduate.

Photos shown with permission from Autodesk, Inc. and SMI