About Enhanced Analysis Setup Features

You can enhance features in the analysis setup area of Functional Generative Design by editing them in a structural simulation app to add more options. Several factors determine how you can add and edit features shared by these apps.

Most structural simulation features available in Functional Generative Design are derived from those available in the structural simulation apps. In some cases, the options are identical; in others the structural simulation apps provide access to more advanced options or provide you greater control. In addition, some features and options from the structural simulation apps are incompatible with Functional Generative Design.

If you have the appropriate structural simulation roles, you can "enhance" your simulation features by editing them in one or more of the following apps:

  • Structural Model Creation
  • Linear Structural Scenario Creation
  • Mechanical Scenario Creation
  • Structural Scenario Creation
  • Physics Results Explorer

If you add features that are incompatible with Functional Generative Design, you must use one of the scenario creation apps listed above to run the simulation and to view the results. However, optimization features are not available in the structural simulation apps. To use optimization, you must remove or repair any incompatible features and run in Functional Generative Design.

This page discusses:

Working with Structural Apps

You can use the structural simulation apps to add "enhanced" features to Functional Generative Design. Some components of the interface work differently between the structural apps and Functional Generative Design. As you switch apps to make edits, validation checks and messages indicate potential problems before you run a simulation.

When you add "enhanced" features and options, you are required to move between Functional Generative Design and the structural simulation apps that support those features. All the apps are on the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform, so the user interface is familiar. However, you can expect differences in the way you complete some actions.

Most interactions related to analysis in Functional Generative Design are found in the Physics section of the Topology Optimization assistant. When you add a feature, you first select the support for that feature and then select the feature type from the Exploration Assistant (object-action). Alternatively, you can activate the Analysis Setup section in the action bar from your preferences (in Me > Preferences > Multi Discipline Engineering > Functional Gen. Design > General > Action Bar > Add Analysis Setup commands...). When you use the action bar, you first select the action or feature and then you select the support (action-object).

All feature creation in the structural simulation apps uses the action bar and follows the action-object paradigm. Some apps have an assistant; however, unlike the Exploration Assistant, it includes only a subset of the features available in the action bar.

You can find assistance for unfamiliar options because the tooltips and help (F1) for actions work the same in all apps. When you are done editing the features, you can save, verify, and run the analysis. To continue using optimization, verify and run the analysis in Functional Generative Design. To see results for features that are incompatible with Functional Generative Design, check and run the analysis in a scenario creation app.

Errors and Warnings

Functional Generative Design validates all "enhanced" features to prevent you from running an analysis that contains problems.

When you open an analysis containing "enhanced" features in Functional Generative Design and start the Exploration Assistant, all features are selected for compatibility. The Simulation Compatibility panel appears and lists potential problems as errors or warnings. Correct any errors and at least review any warnings before you continue to edit or run the analysis. The errors and warnings include the name of each feature with a potential problem and indicate possible solutions. For example, if the "enhanced" features include an unsupported elastic material option, the message suggests that you modify the section to use a different material or use isotropic elasticity.

Enhancement Types

You can enhance several types of features while maintaining compatibility and usability in Functional Generative Design.

Analysis Cases, Steps, and Scenario Features

Functional Generative Design supports a limited number of structural step types and analysis cases. You can use the scenario creation apps to add other analysis cases, step types, and features. However, you cannot edit or run incompatible cases in Functional Generative Design. In general, any features requiring a nonlinear analysis are incompatible.

The analysis case for a topology, shape, or parametric optimization in Functional Generative Design is a structural analysis case. It must contain a single static perturbation step and may also contain a single frequency step. If you add other analysis cases to the simulation object, at least one case must maintain this format to run in Functional Generative Design.

The validation case contains a static perturbation step with at least one linear load case. It may also contain frequency or buckling steps to support load cases for the perturbation step. You can use the structural apps to add any features supported by linear load cases. These features are included in the validation case and may be included in the optimization case.

When you switch to Functional Generative Design, you can repair incompatible analysis cases. If you need to keep incompatible features, you can run those analysis cases using the scenario creation apps.

Finite Element Models

The finite element model contains the mesh of your part or assembly. You can use Mesh Creation in Structural Model Creation to refine and enhance the mesh used for simulation.

Use the following guidelines to retain compatibility with Functional Generative Design:

  • The mesh for your solid parts must be compatible with optimization.
  • Surface or wireframe geometry and meshes must not be part of the design region for Functional Generative Design.
  • Model features such as connections are allowed only if they are supported in a linear perturbation step.
  • The material type must be isotropic elastic.

Results

You can view the results generated from topology, shape, or parametric optimization, or from validation cases in Functional Generative Design. You can also use Physics Results Explorer to create and view additional types of plots for these cases. You must use Physics Results Explorer to view results for analysis cases that you run using the scenario creation apps.