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Structures
Set up your model and run a structural analysis or optimization.
Model Setup
Create connections and apply loads, constraints, materials, and manufacturing controls to your model.
Materials and Libraries
Create materials, assign materials to parts, and organize them into libraries.

Welcome
What's New
Discover new features and enhancements.
Get Started
New to Inspire? Learn the basics here.
Tutorials
Start using Inspire with our interactive tutorials.
Parametric Modeling
Create parametric sketches, geometry, and PolyNURBS with construction history and variables.
Implicit Modeling
Create implicit models with primitives, lattices, point clouds, fields, offsetting, Booleans, inverting, smoothing, morphing, and filleting.
Structures
Set up your model and run a structural analysis or optimization.
- Model Setup
  Create connections and apply loads, constraints, materials, and manufacturing controls to your model.
  - Connections
    Create and define connections such as fasteners, joints, connectors, spot welds, and contacts.
  - Loads and Constraints
    Apply loads and supports, displacements, accelerations, gravity, temperatures, and center of gravity.
  - Materials and Libraries
    Create materials, assign materials to parts, and organize them into libraries.
    - Parts and Materials Table
      The Materials tool opens the Parts and Materials table, which is used to create, import, assign, and otherwise manage materials.
    - Assigning Materials
      Assign materials to parts using the Materials tool or the right-click context menu.
    - Creating Materials
      A small library of common materials is included in Inspire, but you can also create your own materials.
    - Importing and Exporting Materials
      Use the My Materials tab on the Materials table to import or export materials.
    - Modifying the Standard Material Library
      Inspire includes a default material library of standard materials in your installation directory. This default library can be edited to create a custom library.
    - Changing the Default Material or Library
      Modify the default material or default standard material library in the Preferences.
    - Using Multiple Material Libraries
      Set up an environment variable to use multiple libraries.
    - Using the Altair Material Data Center
      Explore, search, and compare materials using a modern web interface and download material data in your current application, as PDFs, or solver cards.
  - Concentrated Masses
    Use the Masses tool to create a concentrated mass either on a part or at a point in space.
  - Systems
    Use the Systems tool to create and apply user-defined coordinate systems to loads, supports, and displacements.
  - Manufacturing Controls
    Apply manufacturing constraints using shape controls and bead patterns.
  - Mesh Controls
    Use mesh controls to assign an element size to parts or faces.
  - Temperatures
    Use the Temperature tool to simulate the effects of temperature changes on your model.
  - Center of Gravity (COG)
    Use the Center of Gravity Constraint (COG) tool to apply, reposition, and set upper and lower bounds for a center of gravity constraint. COG constraints are used to limit the position of the center of gravity while running a topology optimization.
  - Gravity
    Use the Gravity tool to apply gravitational acceleration (G) and adjust its direction.
- Structural Analysis
  Set up and run a linear static analysis using the SimSolid or OptiStruct solver. You can also analyze normal modes and buckling modes.
- Structural Optimization
  Set up and run a topology, topography, or gauge optimization.
- Report
  Generate PPT or PDF reports from analysis results. The Report tools are available after you have run an analysis.
Motion
Set up and run a motion analysis, plot the results, and export the results.
Fluids
Prepare and run a computational fluid dynamics simulation.
Design Explorer
Evaluate designs by using geometric variables and applying a design-of-experiments (DOE) or optimization method. We recommend fully constraining your sketch when sketch variables are used in the design exploration.
Manufacture
Set up and run a basic porosity or thinning analysis.
Print 3D
Prepare and run an additive manufacturing simulation, and export a file for 3D printing.
Rendering
Adjust the materials and environment of objects in the scene to create a photorealistic image.
Inspire Python API
Learn how to access the Inspire Python API including online help, quick start demos, and the Extension Manager.
Reference
View the glossary, frequently asked questions, and errors and alerts.
Keyboard Shortcuts and Mouse Controls
Learn keyboard shortcuts and mouse controls for common operations.

Materials and Libraries

Create materials, assign materials to parts, and organize them into libraries.

A material is the physical substance that a part is made of, such as steel, aluminum, or plastic. The type of material does not determine the visual appearance of a part, only its physical properties.

In Inspire, optimization works with both solid and surface materials and only considers the elastic behavior of those materials. Most common structural materials exhibit elastic behavior when you apply a moderate force. They deflect proportionally to the amount of force you apply and then spring back to their initial position when the force is removed. If you apply a strong enough force to a part, that part will eventually break or permanently bend and be unable to spring back to its original shape. Optimization cannot guarantee that your part won't bend or break under high loads. Further engineering is always necessary to predict and understand when and how a design will fail.