CAD Model Data Connection

Several CAD model attributes are automatically applied to the Autodesk Simulation CFD Design Study:

Model Orientation

The orientation of the model when launched from CAD is used as the initial orientation of the Autodesk Simulation CFD simulation model.

Model Units

The unit system for the CAD model is automatically applied to the Autodesk Simulation CFDanalysis model when launching from CAD. The CAD units system overrides the default system specified in the Options dialog.

If using inches, be sure to confirm whether inch-BTU/S or inch-Watt is the desired units system. You may have to manually change this.

If the CAD model uses a unit system that is not supported by Autodesk Simulation CFD, the units are automatically set to the default (either meters or the default set in the Options dialog).

For more about setting Units

Materials

To apply a material assigned in the CAD model to the Autodesk Simulation CFD model, create a Rule that associates the CAD material name to a Autodesk Simulation CFD material name. The properties of the CAD material are not used.

This is a powerful way to leverage material data that is often found in CAD models, and to automate the setup of the design study. With Rules and the Design Study Builder, it is possible to define the connections between the CAD and Autodesk Simulation CFD models once, and to leverage them for subsequent design studies.

For more about creating and managing Rules...

To Assign Materials in CAD

Autodesk® Inventor

From the assembly, right click the part in the Browser bar, and click Edit. Right click the part name again, and select iProperties. Click the Physical tab. Under Material, select the desired material. Click Apply, and then Ok.

Pro/Engineer

From the assembly, open the part, and click Edit_Setup. From the Part Setup menu, select Material. On the Materials dialog, select the desired material, and move it to the Materials in Model group. Click Ok.

SolidWorks

Right click on the part in the Feature Tree, click Appearance, then Material. Select the desired material from the list, and click the green Check to confirm.

CAD Model Information

Use the Design Study bar to view CAD attribute information for the model, parts, and boundary conditions. Hover over a specific entity to open a tooltip that shows the connection with the entity in the CAD model.

Model

Hover over a Design name to view information about the CAD model:

• Source CAD system
• CAD Design (iAssembly, Instance, or Configuration)
• Exported file name

Parts

Hover over a part name under the Material branch, Boundary Condition branch, or Group branch:

• The CAD Entity group
• The material assigned in CAD

Surfaces

Hover over a surface name under the Boundary Condition branch or the Group branch:

• The CAD Entity group

CAD Entity Groups

CAD Entity groups are collections of parts or surfaces, and are created in the CAD system using a dialog installed with the Autodesk Simulation CFD Connection. They provide a convenient way to automate the assignment of settings and the building of the design study. After launching into Autodesk Simulation CFD, CAD Entity groups are added to the scenario, and appear in the Groups branch of the Design Study bar as Autodesk Simulation CFD groups.

CAD Entity Groups are essential to automation:

• The most versatile type of Rule, the Group Rule, associates a Autodesk Simulation CFD setting (such as a boundary condition or material) to objects in a CAD Entity group. Group rules work closely with CAD Entity groups to automatically apply settings when Autodesk Simulation CFD is launched.
• An important part of the Design Study Builder process is to associate entities from the CAD model with Autodesk Simulation CFD settings. By associating each setting in the design study to a CAD Entity group, settings are automatically assigned to CAD entities contained in the group as the design study is launched.