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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.
Connections
Create and define connections such as fasteners, joints, connectors, spot welds, and contacts.

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What's New
Discover new features and enhancements.
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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.
    - Fasteners
      Fasteners connect parts together without allowing movement at the hole location.
    - Joints
      Use the Joints tool to connect parts together while allowing movement at the joint location.
    - Bushings
      Create bushings between the selected surfaces of the parts.
    - Connectors
      Connectors link points, edges, or faces to each other, and are shown as red lines radiating from a central point. They are generally used to connect two parts together, or to apply a load or support at a distance.
    - Spot Welds
      Spot welds connect parts together by welding them at specific locations.
    - Seam Welds
      Connect parts along a continuous edge or line.
    - Contacts
      You can define Contacts as bonded, sliding, separating, or no contact. When running SimSolid analysis, you can have a mixed case of sliding and separating contacts. When running OptiStruct analysis, all contacts must be either sliding or separating.
  - 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.
  - 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.

Connections

Create and define connections such as fasteners, joints, connectors, spot welds, and contacts.