What's New

View new features for SimSolid 2023.1.

Altair SimSolid 2023.1 Release Notes

Highlights

  • Inflated skins
  • Superelements
  • Solar load
  • Remote load on general connectors
  • Modes by upper bound

New Features

Inflated skins
You can now import skins or surfaces into SimSolid together with solids. You can assign desired thickness and convert them into solid sheets. The skins can be mid-surface, top or bottom layer of the solid. Open solids or solids with missing surfaces are not supported.
This feature also allows performing design changes within SimSolid by modifying the sheet thickness and aids in carrying-out optimization studies.
Superelements
Superelements can be imported as virtual connectors. Stiffness matrix defined on displacement components can be imported using a .dmig file.
Superelements are only supported for structural linear and multi-loadcases analysis.
Solar load
Solar load is now supported as a boundary condition in thermal steady state analysis. This feature automatically evaluates and applies variable heat flux from sunbeam to unshaded surfaces.
Remote load or general connectors
Remote loads can now be applied to general virtual connectors in addition to faces and spots. This is supported for both static and dynamic analysis.
Modes by upper bound
Modal frequencies can now be extracted by defining the upper limit of the frequency span. This is supported for both modal and modal prestressed analyses.
Precise connections
A new set of precise connections are automatically created during import of ECAD files. These connections are precisely created between tessellations of different parts in an ECAD file. This is only supported for ECAD models.
Max forces/moments on bolt
Forces and moments at various sections of the bolt that are in contact with neighboring parts are now available. Maximum sectional forces and moments are also displayed for all the bolts in the design.

Enhancements

Thermal transient using Direct solver
Thermal transient analysis is now based on Direct solver. All the projects with transient thermal analysis from versions prior to 2023.1 will be automatically converted to support the new thermal transient solver. This means results need to be re-run for past projects.
Dynamic analysis contour plot in local coordinate system
Contour plots for dynamic analysis can be resolved in a local coordinate system. The local coordinate system can be Cartesian or cylindrical. The Set Output Coordinate System settings can be accessed from the legend. Pick info and result graph outputs results based on the output coordinate system.
Apply remote load edits to all loadcases in multi-loadcase
For imported remote loads, any edits made to the mapped faces for a remote point coordinate can now be applied to the remote point in all load cases. This is only supported for multi-loadcase analysis.
Other enhancements
  • Imported remote load now allows mapping loads on up to 10 specific faces.
  • Resultant forces and moments acting on rivets can now be visualized under fastener resultant forces.
  • Poison’s ratio higher than 0.5 is now supported for orthotropic materials.
  • Calculate stresses for orthotropic materials in dynamic analysis.
  • Support for copying of thermal boundary conditions from transient to steady state thermal and vice versa is now available.
  • Automatic solving for linked analysis is re-factored. All linked analyses are automatically solved without a solve manager. This applies to any complex linkages and is supported for all linked analyses.
  • All thermal loadcases now support all virtual connectors except superelements.
  • Invalid data from imported remote load dialogue can now be deleted in one click.
  • Legend bounds can now be edited for modal analysis.
  • Part names are now imported from STL files.
  • Improved visualization of contact conditions with selection in the Project Tree or context menu.
  • Removed 'Adapt to Features' option under solution settings for Modes and Thermal analysis as the option is not used in the solution.

Known Issues

The following known issues will be addressed in a future release as we continuously improve performance of the software.
  • Issues with linear guide joint under virtual connectors.

Resolved Issues

  • Issues with modal prestress.
  • Crashes related to solving linked analysis while contour is ON.
  • Issues related to scaling via functions for translational inertia.
  • Issues related to bookmark for contact response and squeak and rattle analysis.
  • Several issues related to negative temperature results with transient thermal analysis.
  • Issues related to adaptation around torus faces for very fine geometry import.
  • Issues related to saving as CSV for multi-loadcases.
  • Issue on zero stresses in dynamics for orthotropic materials.
  • Issue with drag and drop of parts in Project Tree.
  • Incorrect function headers in BCs of frequency and random response analyses.
  • Issue with pick info response when switching between subcases.
  • Issue with saving results in cylindrical coordinate system for incremental NLG.
  • Issue with sheets recognition.
  • Issues with custom contact conditions on bolts.
  • Issue with applying distributed mass on a face along with other boundary conditions.
  • Issue with applying different inertia loads together.
  • Issues with copying alignment boundary condition to different subcases.
  • Issues with respect to nonlinear geometry when cables/rods are present.
  • Corrected warnings in several places.
  • Seam weld creation issues.
  • Several crashes.
  • Several instabilities.

Altair SimSolid 2023 Release Notes

Highlights

  • Sequential loading with nonlinear geometry
  • Imported virtual bushings
  • Contour plots in local coordinate system
  • Improved solution settings
  • Spatial reader

New Features

Sequential loading with nonlinear geometry
Structural sequential analysis, where multiple structural analyses can be linked to each other, is now supported for structural non-linear geometric analysis.
You can access this function from the Analysis menu, the Analysis workbench toolbar, or by right-clicking on a supported structural analysis to create a linked analysis.
Imported virtual bushings
Virtual bushings under connections can now be imported from a .csv file. To import a virtual bushing; the bushing coordinates, linear and rotational stiffness along all the three axis, and a coordinate system are required. The bushings are mapped based on the specified diameter. It is connected to two parts that fall within the specified diameter from the input coordinates.
Contour plots in local coordinate system
All contour plots for structural and modal analysis can now be plotted along a local coordinate system. The local coordinate system can be Cartesian or cylindrical. The Set Output Coordinate System settings can be accessed from the legend. Pick info and Result graph outputs results based on the output coordinate system.
Fatigue based on structural nonlinear
Fatigue analysis can now reference structural nonlinear analysis with separating contact. This is supported in addition to structural linear analysis.
Spatial reader
A new geometry reader called Spatial reader is supported for CATIA V5 and V6 files. The reader can be picked from Settings > Geometry import settings > CAD reader.
Rigid body mode cutoff
Cutoff for rigid body modes in dynamic analysis can now be defined. The default is set to 1 Hz.

Enhancements

Improved solution settings
Solution settings have been re-factored to have two higher level adaptations called Global and Global + Local.
Global adaptation is best for general load path prediction, modes and/or thermal analysis.
  • Uses three adaptive passes and Adapt to thin solids
  • Refinement level is set to Standard
  • Only uses global adaption
Global+Local is best for stress calculation with more precision.
  • Uses four adaptive passes
  • Adapt to features
  • Adapt to thin solids
  • Automatically creates local group for the parts and segregates based on its relative volume
  • Can be used for both global and local adaptations
  • Refinement level is set to Standard
In addition to higher level adaptations, there is a new option available under custom solution settings that automatically creates local groups for the parts and segregates them based in its relative volume.
New approach for bolt tightening
Bolt/nut tightening is now performed as active load. The target axial force is now precisely achieved.
Import remote loads with custom coordinate system
Imported remote loads from a .csv can now reference a custom coordinate system in addition to the global coordinate system.
Product editions
Product editions can now be selected from Settings > License. Product editions including Basic, Standard and Advanced are available. In addition to them, a Trial edition is also available that gives access to the Standard version for 30 days.
Re-factor material database
Material database has been re-factored such that materials can be created based on specific physics such as mechanical/thermal. Mechanical properties are not required to be input to just run thermal analysis and conversely.
Re-factor spot welds
Spot welds have been re-factored to represent 2T/3T/4T welds appropriately. All the welds are not converted into 2T welds anymore but are rather represented as created in the Project Tree.
When spot welds are imported from a .csv, the order of spot welds is also maintained.
In addition to spot weld re-factor, the number of spot welds are also captured in the Project Tree Spot Welds info.
Re-factor boundary conditions for dynamic analysis
You can now apply multiple boundary conditions to the same geometric entity for dynamic analysis. This allows applying different load functions along different directions.
Applying multiple load functions to the same boundary condition has now been disabled.
Save RMS response to project file
RMS von-Mises stresses are also now saved to the project file after evaluation.
Solving linked analysis
All linked analysis are solved automatically without using the solve manager. This applies to all linked analysis including structural, buckling, modal prestressed, dynamics, thermal stress and squeak and rattle.
Updated CAD import formats
The list of supported CAD formats are updated.
File Format
Supported Versions
CATIA V5
R10 to R33
NX/Unigraphics (.prt)
11 to NX CR 2212
SOLIDWORKS (.sldpart, .sldasm)
99 to 2023
Updated Teamcenter version
Teamcenter versions 10.0 to 13.4 are now supported.
Rotations output to PUNCH file
Rotations are now output to PUNCH file for frequency response analysis.

Known Issues

The following known issues will be addressed in a future release as we continuously improve performance of the software.
  • Issues with linear guide joint under virtual connectors.

Resolved Issues

  • For dynamic analysis, the entire available modal space is always used instead of just the modes from the frequency span.
  • Issues with thermal solution when the boundary conditions are applied to a circular spot.
  • Replaced Master and Mate with Primary and Secondary respectively.
  • Uniform function in dynamic analysis is now defined across all the frequencies and not limited to 10,000 Hz.
  • Issues with SimSolid Plug-in for Fusion.
  • Imported temperatures from .csv now use geometry units for the coordinates.
  • Issues with approximating imported temperatures.
  • Issues with sequential analysis with alignment or inertial loads.
  • Replacing a material in the Project Tree with the same material in the material database is now allowed.
  • Graphical issues related to model, boundary condition and results displayed.
  • Issues synchronizing pick info with contour plots.
  • Several geometry reader issues.
  • Issues with bolt/nut tightening.
  • Issues with corrupted connections when used across multiple design studies.
  • Issues handling connections and boundary conditions for deleted/suppressed parts.
  • Seam weld creation has been improved.
  • Issues plotting reaction forces for alignment boundary condition in nonlinear geometric analysis.
  • Issues with reaction forces for multi-loadcase analysis.
  • Issues plotting RMS results after refining the result plot.
  • Display issues when design studies are copied.
  • Several instabilities.
  • Several product crashes.