"Upgrading to ANSYS 12.1: Thoughts on the New Workbench Interface?

[CFDFEAGURU]

Hello all,

I have been using ANSYS 10 and now I have to upgrade to ANSYS 12.1

I have read that the Workbench interface has been redesigned from the version 10 that I used to use. Has anyone used this new interface? If so you what are your thoughts?

Also, what are your thoughts on the scripting ability of Workbench?

Thanks
Matt

 

[Mech_Engineer]

The new workbench interface is perhaps less straightforward than the pre-12.0 interface, but it integrates well with a step-by-step approach to an FEA analysis. I would recommend attending one of the free online seminars about how to most effectively utilize it, because there are little tricks and nuances that will take some getting used to. Overall I'm happy with the new interface, it's useful for keeping multiple ANSYS models with several loading conditions organized.

The scripting abilities are unchanged as far as I know, but I don't do much in the way of scripting in ANSYS.

 

[CFDFEAGURU]

Thanks for the information. I will sign up for one of the free webinars. I love all of the ANSYS little tricks and nuances. In fact you could say that all of ANSYS is tricks and nuances. lol

Thanks
Matt

 

[minger]

The new project schematic is great. It really helps you tie in multiple analysis types seamlessly and easy. For example, I can import a solid part file into a "Geometry" module. In design modeler I can do a boolean operation to get the fluid volume and send it off to a CFX run. I can export the solid volume to a thermal analysis, and with the easy right-click drag, export the CFD results to that thermal run.

It's going to help a lot with multidisciplinary analysis such as I mentioned. The only real challenge is getting "old-timers" (for lack of a better phrase) to modify their methods a little such that we can all use these new tools more effectively.

There are also some new element types which are very useful (i.e. general axisymmetric elements for rotoydnamics 272s and coupled-field solids, 223).

 

[CFDFEAGURU]

Thanks for the input. I was hoping that keeping track of multiple models and their corresponding conditions would be easier.

Gett'n them "old-timers" to change can be fun.

Thanks
Matt

 

[CFDFEAGURU]

It appears now that ANSYS is only available as a download. Hope their download manager is good.

Also, are they still using the same Flex License Manager in this 12.1 version?

Thanks
Matt

 

[minger]

Yes.

 

[CFDFEAGURU]

Minger,

Have you used Workbench to model radiation exchange between surfaces? If so do you know if it provides access to its calculated value of the view factor?

Thanks
Matt

 

[minger]

I seen your post in the Computer Science section kind of regarding this. If you look in the Thermal Analysis guide, 4.6 Using the Radiosity Solver, it explains it a little bit.

From what I know, anytime we do analysis involving radiation, we use an in-house code to adjust the view factors. They are querie..able via VFQUERY, and you can also get the element view factor via *GET.

 

[CFDFEAGURU]

Thanks for the information.

I model radiation a couple of times a year. Sometimes the problem is very simple and I just don't have the time in the project to do a hand calc so I feed the problem into ANSYS other times its an indepth problem and I care not to speak of those .

I never had a "need" to obtain the calculated view factor before but since you read my post in the Computer section you know what I am upto. -> Monte Carlo

Thanks
Matt

 

[minger]

Yup, good luck and fill us in on results/methods if they don't become proprietary or anything.

 

[Mech_Engineer]

It appears now that ANSYS is only available as a download. Hope their download manager is good.

Also, are they still using the same Flex License Manager in this 12.1 version?

Thanks
Matt

I missed this... Their licensing changed pretty significantly. It's now a special ANSYS License Manager that handles licensing. It's similar to FlexLM, but not the same, and might give you some problems at first when you install.

They have some reasoning as to why they went the new route, but I didn't really buy any of it...

 

[minger]

I may not be the best computer guy, but here is a snippet from the "View Status" option here:

=============================================================
DISPLAY THE LICENSE STATUS:

ANSYS Licensing Interconnect path = 2325@Tolsrapp03

ANSYS FLEXlm license path = 1055@Tolsrapp03


***** Note: Due to a FLEXlm limitation, all tasks may not be found *****
_____________________________________________________

I know that you have to install the Ansys License Manager or whatever it is, but I'm pretty sure it's just flex at the core.

 

[CFDFEAGURU]

Thanks for all the information.

I should be up and running with this tomorrow.

Thanks
Matt

 

[CFDFEAGURU]

I have been trying to get into the ANSYS customer portal and I haven't been able to access it. Anyone else having this problem?

Thanks
Matt

 

[Mech_Engineer]

I'm able to get in...

 

[minger]

Nope, I've never had problems with their portal...aside from the fact that it sucks.

oh, p.s. Keep ANSYS 11 installed on your machine so you can use that version's help. Only use the v12 help for v12 features. You've been warned, haha.

 

[CFDFEAGURU]

Thanks for the update minger.

My portal problems are fixed. ANSYS had a crash that affected the server with my account and it stated that my account was invalid. Tech support fixed it and all is good now.

Yeah the portal does suck. lol

Already got my first assignment for ol'e 12.1, a stress analysis on a cylindrical header with multiple nozzles connected to another header with a flex pipe in between. What an awesome way to spend a Saturday morning.

Thanks
Matt

 

[minger]

Awesome. Had my lazy *** gotten out of bed I would have been spending my Saturday morning using ANSYS. Luckily I'm spending Saturday evening...haha.

 

[CFDFEAGURU]

Awww I'm jealous ... haven't had a late night date with ol'e ANSYS in a couple of years. LOL