Recommended System Settings

To simplify the work, we recommend to change the following settings.

Set the Role to Advanced

If NX or Simcenter is installed newly, the user-interface shows only the essentials and hides many features. For the simulation applications, it is better to set the role to ’Advanced’ to show all necessary buttons. Thus, proceed as follows:

• In the resource bar (left side), click ’Roles’,

• open the folder ’Content’ and click on the role ’Advanced’.
  

Use Material Library

We recommend to use the large magnetic material library that is delivered with the Simcenter NX installation. For easier finding, go to: File, Utilities, Customer Defaults, Gateway, Materials/Mass, Locations. Set the folder as follows (see picture below):

• Also, set the ’Site and User Material Library Format’ to ’Directory of MatML Files’

Use the Non Manifold Strategy

For 3D simulations, there exists a useful feature ’Non Manifold’. It automatically matches near faces. When meshing, such matched faces will give a conformal mesh, e.g. the interface nodes will be merged. In most cases that is needed for electromagnetic solutions. For checking, there will be a group named ’non-manifold face’ (see picture below). In case of complex geometry, with many small and large faces mixed up, this non-manifold strategy leads to more stable meshing. Thus, we recommend this for all electromagnetic simulations. Also for thermal-flow simulations and in some cases of structural, this also can be a good choice.

In some cases the Non Manifold feature fails because of tiny faces. Then it can help, first running a ’Optimize Face’ (toolbar ’Synchronous Modeling’) on the whole CAD geometry.

Set the Non Manifold Strategy

• In versions 2406, 2412 (and later), see dialogue ’New FEM and Simulation’. Set the ’Strategy to Use’ to ’Non Manifold’.
  
  Meshing can now be done.

• In version 2312, it is activated by two steps: First, we enable an early access feature that we find here: File, Utilities, Early Access Feature. Search for the feature ’Enable the non-manifold body workflow ...’ and set this to the state ’On’. Then, when creating a new Fem file, there will be the ’Strategy to Use’ option that we set to ’Non Manifold’.
  
  Meshing can now be done.

• In versions 2212 and 2306, it is activated as follows:
  Use the button ’New FEM and Sim (Non-Manifold)’ from the Magnetics toolbar.
  
  A dialogue will appear that looks similar to the conventional one, but it contains the option ’Strategy to Use’ that is set to ’Non Manifold’ by default. When clicking OK the system will create a Fem and Sim file with activated non-manifold feature. Additionally, the files are created using the MAGNETICS template files if the option ’use Template with basic Materials’ is active. Thus, there will be some basic materials available in the FEM part. When Teamcenter is used, this way is not possible and the following alternative must be used.

• Alternatively, in versions 2212, 2306: when creating the FEM file, set the solver first to ’Simcenter MAGNET’ and create the FEM file. Later, edit the FEM file and set the solver to ’MAGNETICS’. The non-manifold feature is active then. This way also works with Teamcenter.

• In the versions 2007 (2022.1) and 2206 (2022.2), this feature is named ’Create Non-manifold Polygon Bodies’ and it is found in the customer defaults. (find it here, see picture below: File, Utilities, Customer Defaults, Simulation, Pre/Post, General, FE Model Create, Create Non-manifold Polygon Bodies, Allow)
  
  If a FEM file is created, it will have this feature active.

• In version 1953 (2021.1): find it here, see picture below: File, Utilities, Early Access Feature), named ’Allow updates related to Electro Magnetics’. Set this ’On’.
  
  If now a FEM file is created, it will have the feature active.

Use Polygon Body Names for Meshes and Physicals

If the NX/Simcenter version is 1899 (2020.1) or higher, we recommend to enable the following setting in the customer defaults (find it here: File, Utilities, Customer Defaults. Then: Simulation, Pre-Post, Meshing, General) named ’Use polygon body names for 3D meshes’.


When this setting is active, the names of the polygon bodies will be transferred to meshes, mesh collectors and physical property tables. This simplifies the work and therefore, we recommend this setting.

Use High Resolution for Polygon Bodies

We recommend to set the standard resolution of polygon bodies to ’High’ because this sometimes simplifies meshing of complex geometries. (find it here: File, Utilities, Customer Defaults. Then: Simulation, Pre-Post, General, FE Model Create)