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Design Study Automation

Design Study Automation is an essential part of the Autodesk® CFD process. The tools contained in the Design Study Automation suite improve operational efficiency and facilitate simulation-based decision making:

To build additional automation and customization, use the Application Programming Interface (API) or Scripting.

The Design Study

The Design Study is the core of Design Study Automation. It is a hierarchical structure that organizes the Autodesk® CFD process into three fundamental levels:

Design Study

  • Every time you use Autodesk® CFD, you are in a Design Study.
  • At its simplest, the Design Study contains a single analysis.
  • The Design Study is a file system that organizes multiple variables critical to the design process.
  • The name of the Design Study only appears on the top bar of the User Interface.
  • The Design Study is the framework for the definition and comparison of the multi-level engineering design project.
  • Design Studies contain Designs and Scenarios...

Design

  • Every unique geometric model is a Design.
  • Use Designs to understand the effects of geometry modifications made in the CAD system.
  • Create a new design for each geometric variation from your CAD system.
  • Each Design can have one or more individual Scenarios that reference it...

Scenario

  • A Scenario is an individual analysis within a Design.
  • All Scenarios in a design reference the same geometry.
  • To understand the effects of different settings (such as boundary conditions or materials), create a new scenario for each different settings case.

Basic Design Study Process

These are the basic steps for launching, setting up, and evaluating results from one or more scenarios. This summary of the steps needed to run a scenario demonstrate the manual approach of running an analysis. Tools such as Templates, Rules, and the Design Study Builder automate many of the steps presented here:

1. Launch from CAD

2. Manage Designs and Scenarios with the Design Study Bar

3. Compare and Assess Results with the Decision Center

4. Collaborate with the Autodesk® CFD Viewer

Using Automation Tools Together

In many cases, the most efficient approach is to use Automation tools together. For example:

Rules and Templates:

  • Use a Rule to apply a heat generation to a chip that is used multiple times in an electronic module.
  • In a Template, add heat generation boundary conditions that are assigned on other component.
  • With this combination, the rule automates the heat load on the multiple instances of the chip, and the template includes heat loads for other components.

Templates and Design Study Builder:

  • Define a Template for a simulation type that is often run.
  • In the Design Study Builder, import this Template as the basis of the design study.

Design Study Builder and Rules:

  • In the Design Study Builder, assign settings that are grouped in the CAD model, and may be unique from one study to the next. Use a Rule to apply a setting to an often-used CAD entity.
  • After setting up the scenarios in a study, run them with the Solution Manager.
  • Observe the progress of all running scenarios with the Solution Monitor.

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