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Startup Procedures and Customizations
Start and configure the applications.
Customization
There are various types of startup customizations that are possible. These items define how the application looks or behaves at product startup.
hm.cfg
HyperMesh has a configuration file named hm.cfg, which is read on startup and is located in the <install_directory>/hw/bin/<platform> directory.

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View new features for Altair HyperWorks 2024.1.
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Learn the basics and discover the workspace.
Tutorials
Learn more about the Altair HyperWorks suite of products with interactive tutorials.
Startup Procedures and Customizations
Start and configure the applications.
- Start Applications
  Learn how to start applications on Windows and Linux.
- Start HyperMesh Batch
  HyperMesh Batch is a non-graphical version of HyperMesh that can be used to run command files or Tcl scripts in batch mode.
- Start-in Directory
  The start-in directory is the location from which the application is launched.
- Settings Files
  Settings files include command<#>.tcl and hwsettings.xml.
- Customization
  There are various types of startup customizations that are possible. These items define how the application looks or behaves at product startup.
  - hmcustom.tcl
    HyperMesh allows you to create a script file named hmcustom.tcl that can be used to automatically execute a series of commands or to define custom settings during startup.
  - Environment Variables
    Environment variables can be defined to configure various aspects of the application.
  - Extensions
    Extensions are programs integrated with the application to enhance or extend the user experience.
  - hm.cfg
    HyperMesh has a configuration file named hm.cfg, which is read on startup and is located in the <install_directory>/hw/bin/<platform> directory.
    - *absolutepointer()
      Specifies that an absolute pointing device will be used.
    - *batchmodeskipcommand()
      Specifies a command to ignore when running in batch mode.
    - *bigcursors()
      Specifies that double sized pointing cursors should be used.
    - *bindir()
      Registers the bin directory for finding shared objects and executables.
    - *ce_fe_orientaxis()
      Specifies the axis of the system that needs to be aligned with the direction of the FE during connector realization.
    - *ce_fe_proj_hexa_face()
      Controls the creation of HEXA elements for the ACM realization.
    - *ce_fe_solid_bolt_setup()
      Controls how connector bolt realizations tie to the internal nodes of solid holes.
    - *coincidentnodepickmode()
      Specifies the state of the coincident node picking option.
    - *controlkeyviewmode()
      Specifies whether the display listing should be done during control key assisted viewing.
    - *disablegraphicsoutput()
      Used to disable graphics output commands.
    - *displayimporterrors()
      Specifies whether FE import process warning and error messages are displayed in a Tcl window.
    - *dynamicrotatemode()
      Sets the output mode for intermediate rotation commands to the command file.
    - *graphicfont()
      Specifies the graphics font to use.
    - *graphicsimplificationmode()
      Sets the default graphics simplification mode.
    - *homedir()
      Registers the home directory.
    - *legendcolorfile()
      Specifies the legend color file to use.
    - *legendsetborderhwcolor()
      Specifies the post legend border color.
    - *linefacetmatch()
      Specifies how surface edges are plotted.
    - *marksearchmode()
      Defines the ID/name search order for *appendmark and *createmark commands.
    - *menufont()
      Specifies the panel menu font to use.
    - *nopickhandles()
      Specifies that element and geometry pick handles are turned off by default.
    - *noresultcolor()
      Specifies the color for elements or nodes for which no results were found to distinguish them from an actual 0 result.
    - *overridesinglelight()
      Sets the direction of the global light source.
    - *printfile()
      Sets the command to send a file to a hard copy device.
    - *rapidmenus()
      Sets the mode of rapid menus.
    - *registerexternalfunction()
      Registers an external math function.
    - *registerexternalreader()
      Registers an external reader.
    - *registerimporttemplate()
      Registers an import template.
    - *registersolver()
      Registers a solver for use in the Solver panel.
    - *registertemplexfunction()
      Registers a single Templex function from within a file.
    - *SetPartColorList()
      Sets the ordered list of colors to use for auto coloring.
    - *screencopy()
      Sets the command to send a bitmap file of the graphics area to a hard copy device.
    - *screenfile()
      Sets the command to create a bitmap file of the graphics area.
    - *screensize()
      Sets the physical size of the attached monitor.
    - *setcolor()
      Sets the colormap entry for HyperMesh colors.
    - *setcomponentformat()
      Sets the component naming format for feinput.
    - *sethvlaunchflag()
      Sets the default state of the "Launch HV after H3D creation" option.
    - *setlightsource()
      Sets the direction of the global light source.
    - *setautomaxconnectorsurfacerefinecount()
      Sets the maximum count which can be used for graphics auto refinement of connector surfaces.
    - *setautomaxlinerefinecount()
      Sets the maximum count which can be used for graphics auto refinement of lines.
    - *setautomaxsurfacerefinecount()
      Sets the maximum count which can be used for graphics auto refinement of surfaces.
    - *setmaxgeomrefinememory()
      Sets the maximum amount of memory to use for geometry refinement.
    - *setspecularity()
      Sets the global specular highlight values.
    - *shadingquality()
      Specifies the geometry surface shading quality.
    - *titlefont()
      Specifies the title font to use.
    - *xyplottriasize()
      Specifies the triangle marker size for XY plots.
  - Preference Files
    A preference file is an ASCII file that configures the application or its clients. It specifies default user settings, such as the order in which colors are assigned, the default printer and default page layout.
  - Session Files
    A session file is an ASCII text file that contains a structured list of session statements.
  - Report Templates
    Report templates are ASCII text files that contain statements for creating reports.
Tool Finder
View a list of deprecated panels and their newer, equivalent workflows.
Manage Files and Data
Create, open, import, and save models.
Sessions and Report Templates
Set up sessions and create report templates.
Interface with External Products
Solver interfaces supported in HyperMesh.
Entities and Solver Interfaces
A solver interface is made up of a template and a FE-input reader.
Browsers
Browsers provide a structured view of model data, which you can use to review, modify, create, and manage the contents of a model. In addition to visualization, browsers offer features like search, filtering, and sorting, which enhance your ability to navigate and interact with the model data.
Sketching
Create and edit 2D parametric sketch geometry.
Topology
Create, edit, and cleanup geometry.
FE Geometry
FE geometry is topology on top of mesh, meaning CAD and mesh exist as a single entity. The purpose of FE geometry is to add vertices, edges, surfaces, and solids on FE models which have no CAD geometry.
Meshing and Elements
Explore the different types of mesh you can create in HyperMesh and create and edit 0D, 1D, 2D, and 3D elements.
Model Build and Assembly
Create, organize and manage parts and subsystems.
Composites
HyperMesh composites modeling.
Connectors
Create connections between parts of your model.
Morph
Rapidly change the shape of the FE mesh without severely sacrificing the mesh quality.
Skeleton Modeling
Create a reduced ordered model to facilitate optimization at the concept phase.
Design Space
Workflow to support topology optimization model build and setup.
Optimization
Setup an Optimization in HyperMesh.
Design Explorer
Multi-disciplinary design exploration and optimization tools.
Validate
Validate the model built before running solver analysis.
Analyze
Models require loads and boundary conditions in order to represent the various physics and/or physical equivalents to bench and in-use testing.
Axisymmetry
Reduce a full 3D model with axisymmetric surfaces while accounting for imperfections.
Concept Modeling
Tools and workflows that are dedicated to rapidly creating new parts for specific use cases, or amending existing parts. The current capabilities are focused on stiffening parts.
Crash and Safety
Tools used for crash and safety analysis.
Airbag
Use airbag folder utilities and export a resulting airbag in a Radioss deck.
Aerospace
Essential utility tools developed using HyperMesh-Tcl.
Aeroelasticity
Import an aeroelastic finite element model with Nastran Bulk Data format.
Certification
Framework to plug certification methods to assess margin of safety from the model and result information.
PhysicsAI
Use PhysicsAI to build fast predictive models from CAE data. PhysicsAI can be trained on data with any physics or remeshing and without design variables.
Results Data
Results data can be post-processed using both HyperMesh and HyperView.
Developer
The Developer ribbon contains tools for automation and customization.
Plot Data
HyperGraph is a data analysis and plotting tool with interfaces to many file formats.
Multibody Modeling
MotionView is a general pre-processor for Multibody Dynamics.
Media Files
MediaView plays video files, displays static images, tracks objects, and measures distances.
Tabulate Results
Use TableView to create an Excel-like spreadsheet.
Text Files
TextView math scripts reference vector data from HyperGraph windows to automate data processing and data summary.
Publishing and Reporting
Create, define, and export reports.

View All Altair HyperWorks Help

hm.cfg

HyperMesh has a configuration file named hm.cfg, which is read on startup and is located in the <install_directory>/hw/bin/<platform> directory.

The hm.cfg file controls certain aspects of how HyperMesh runs. Editing this file allows certain preferences to be used each time HyperMesh is started.

Each of the hm.cfg Commands begins with an asterisk and is followed by a set of parentheses that enclose its arguments. A command can be turned into a comment by removing the asterisk (*) preceding the command. The commands are not sensitive to their location in the file. They may begin in any column, with each command occupying one line, or all of the commands may be on one line. The following commands are an example of a partial hm.cfg file:

*menufont(2)
*titlefont(3)
*graphicfont(1)

HyperMesh accesses the configuration file only during startup. Any running sessions of HyperMesh must be restarted before any changes take effect for that session.

HyperMesh uses the following search order to find the hm.cfg file. If copies exist in multiple locations, only the first one found in the search order is used:

Start-in directory
Home directory
Customization paths
Installation directory