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Announcing Femap 11.1

Femap 11.1 includes something for everyone with new functionality and enhancements across the simulation process, and not to mention performance improvements.

Geometry modeling


Extensions to the non-manifold add commands to allow easier consolidation of multiple bodies to form a single general body ensuring subsequent contiguous mesh creation. Enhanced geometry creation tools feature new solid sweep commands and a more robust mid-surface extraction capability. This significantly reduces preprocessing time for shell model generation.


Watch the geometry modeling demo.

FE modeling


Enhancements to the model merge capability allow entities to be copied between models more easily with extended control over entity selection, renumbering, grouping and orientation. The meshing toolbox has added control over alignment of pad mesh features and new mesh offset methods increase mesh control and versatility. The tet-mesher includes increased quality checking that prevents sliver element creation and can optionally force multiple element creation through the thickness to yield more accurate results for solid models.


Watch the FE modeling demo.

Graphics performance improvements


Graphics performance in Femap version 11.1 is improved through more efficient graphics storage and added support of OpenGL geometry shader functionality. Femap 11.1 can take advantage of OpenGL4.2 graphics which are much faster and use significantly less graphics memory giving rise to a 5X increase in graphics performance.

“ATA uses Femap with very large finite element models. The 11.1 release significantly improves performance across the board with some tests revealing a 5x graphics performance improvement, making Femap an even more powerful tool for analysis.”

Paul Blelloch, Director, Aerospace Analysis, ATA Engineering, Inc.

Postprocessing


The efficient results data access method through attached data files has been extended to include Nastran XDB formats. Femap’s charting capability includes extended data series type support and improvements to the data series dialog display. The free body capability includes a new validation tool to verify the presence of requested values in the results set.

NX Nastran integration


Femap 11.1 ships with NX Nastran 9 and extends support of NX Nastran to provide closer integration between the pre- and postprocessor and solver particularly with: extended design optimization capabilities, additional dynamic response output quantities, and initial support for the pyramid element.

Watch the NX Nastran integration demo.

Customer driven enhancements


As with any release of Femap there are numerous customer driven enhancements that extend and improve a variety of Femap capabilities. This release adds a new data surface type that facilitates load set combination definitions, and there are also various extensions to the tool checking commands.

Watch the new customer driven enhancements demo.

You can find out more about this release in the Femap 11.1 Fact Sheet, on the Femap 11.1 website.

Alastair Robertson
This article first appeared on the Siemens Digital Industries Software blog at https://blogs.stage.sw.siemens.com/simcenter/announcing-femap-11-1/