Instead of performing the analysis live, you can schedule the analysis to be performed at a later time. For example, you can create several models during the day and schedule them to run overnight. The basic steps are as follows:
- Create the model and apply the loads and constraints. Do everything you would normally do up to the point of clicking the analyze button. (You do not need to do a Check Model. For CAD models, the solid mesh will be generated before the analysis window appears.) Tip: It may be necessary to create some dummy files to set up some of the models. For example, temperatures can be read into a linear stress analysis from a steady state heat transfer analysis, but the temperature results file (DS.TO) needs to exist to complete the setup of the stress analysis. If the thermal analysis has not been performed yet (such as it is part of the scheduled analysis, too), then create an empty text file DS.TO in the thermal analysis design scenario folder. Then, use this dummy file to set up the stress analysis. When the thermal analysis is performed first, the dummy file is overwritten with the calculated results, which are then read into the stress analysis when it is performed.
- Use the Analysis
Analysis Run Simulation to access the analysis window. Note: The Automate Analysis must be deactivated to schedule an analysis. Click the
Options Analysis tab, and clear the Automate Analysis button. - Click the Schedule button and enter the options (described in the following section).
- Repeat the steps for any additional models that you want to schedule.
- Each analysis starts at the scheduled time, based on the state of the model when the analysis begins. Any changes made to the model between the time it is scheduled and when it begins solving are included in the analysis (provided those changes are saved).
Scheduling an Analysis:
When the Schedule button is clicked from the analysis window (Analysis Analysis Run Simulation), the Schedule Analysis dialog appears. The input on this dialog sets a time when the analysis will be performed and other parameters.
- Start Date Set the date on which the analysis will begin.
- Start Time Set the time at which the analysis will begin. Different files can be analyzed simultaneously if the runtimes overlap. The analyses are not performed sequentially. (See below.) However, multiple design scenarios within the same file are performed sequentially. This fact can dictate how sequential analyses are set up. For example, a Static Stress analysis uses the results from a Heat Transfer analysis. Therefore, the Heat Transfer analysis needs to be performed first. If both analyses are set up as different design scenarios within the same file, then it is a simple matter of specifying that both design scenarios (starting with the heat transfer analysis) are analyzed. The static stress analysis only starts when the heat transfer analysis is completed. If the analyses were in different files, then the start time of the static stress analysis needs to be late enough to insure that the heat transfer analysis finishes first.
- Design Scenario Select which design scenarios to include in the analysis.
- Current is the design scenario that was loaded when the model was last saved.
- All will analyze all design scenarios in the model (first to last).
- Design Scenarios let you specify which ones to analyze. Individual scenarios can be specified by separating them with a comma. A range of scenarios can be specified by separating the first and last one with a hyphen (-). For example, an input of 1,3,5-12 will first analyze design scenario 1, then 3, then any design scenarios 5 through 12.
- Comment Optionally, enter a comment about the analysis. The comment is shown in the Analysis Analysis Scheduled Analyses.
- User Name Enter your user name for the computer login. The computer must be logged into the same user as specified in this field for the analysis to be performed.
- Password Enter your password for the computer login, or leave it blank if your computer login has no password.
To review the analyses that are currently scheduled, use the Analysis Analysis Scheduled Analyses command. Scheduled tasks can be deleted or edited from this dialog. Select the row, right-click, and choose the option. The Edit option uses Windows Scheduled Tasks; see the Windows documentation for information. (Although Windows Scheduled Tasks is used, the scheduled analyses are not listed in the Windows tasks.)
When the scheduled time arrives, the analysis begins exactly as if the user had started the analysis from the user interface. Any warnings that appear, especially geometry warnings during the Check Model phase, stop the process until you acknowledge the warning. While the analysis is running, the analysis window is visible. Use it just like during a live analysis to review the log file, pause the analysis, and so forth. The exception is that the results cannot be monitored in the Results environment.
Sequential Analyses:
Although the scheduled analyses do not run sequentially (except for multiple design scenarios within one file), the user can create a batch file that will run the analyses sequentially. The program that enables this ability is algor.exe. This is the same program that the scheduled analyses uses, so the same basic steps described above apply to running a series of analyses in a batch mode.
The steps to run a series of analyses in batch mode are as follows:
- Use Windows Explorer or My Computer to create a new batch file (text file) in a folder. The extension for a batch file is .bat.
- Edit the batch file (right-click the file and choose Edit).
- Add a line to the batch file for the first model to analyze. The syntax is as follows:
“drive:\path to Autodesk Simulation\algor.exe -s list drive:\path to model\model name.fem”
where
- drive:\path to Autodesk Simulation\ is the complete path to the location of the Autodesk Simulation software. (This is not required if this path is included in the PATH environment variable.)
- algor.exe is the program that runs the analysis. The path and algor.exe should be enclosed in quotation marks () if the path includes spaces.
- -s list is the list of design scenarios to analyze. The list can be any of these items:
- All. Sequentially process all scenarios in the file. This option must be used alone.
- Active. Process the active (loaded) scenario in the file. This option must be used alone.
- m,n,r-t, Sequentially process individual scenarios separated by a comma (scenarios m, n, and so on) and/or a range of scenarios separated by a hyphen (scenarios r through t). A design scenario cannot be listed more than once.
- drive:\path to model\ is the complete path to the location of the model.
- model name.fem is the name of the model to analyze, including the .fem extension. The path and model name.fem should be enclosed in quotation marks () if any spaces are used.
- Repeat the above step for each additional file to analyze.
- Save and exit the batch file.
- Double-click the batch file to start the analyses. Alternatively, use Windows Scheduled Tasks (Windows Start Control Panel Scheduled Tasks) to schedule the batch file to start at a specific time.
For example, this batch file analyzes design scenarios 1 and 3 in the model named bracket. Once that model finished, design scenarios 2 through 5 are analyzed in the model structure. Then all design scenarios in the model pipe run are analyzed.
C:\Program Files\ALGOR\21.00\algor.exe -s 1,3 D:\my FEA models\job1\bracket.fem
C:\Program Files\ALGOR\21.00\algor.exe -s 2-5 D:\my FEA models\job2\structure.fem
C:\Program Files\ALGOR\21.00\algor.exe -s all D:\my FEA models\job2\pipe run.fem