Project Arro for Simulation Mechanical/CFD/Moldflow is an Invitation Only Technology Preview. This not our normal public technology preview because the simulation team is interested in working exclusively with existing Autodesk Simulation users. Project Arro is designed to enable Autodesk Simulation Mechanical, Autodesk Simulation CFD, and Autodesk Moldflow users to rapidly simplify and prepare CAD for simulation. Project Arro reads in native CAD geometry and neutral files, allows you to modify them with many built in direct modeling tools, and then writes out simulation-ready CAD files that can be more easily and efficiently meshed.

The project gets its name because it is an acronym:

• A = Analyze geometry

  Check model integrity (slivers, problematic edges, overlapping faces, interferences, etc.) Detect and categorize features (holes, fillets, chamfers, embossed or raised features, etc.)

• R = Repair problems

  Option to "auto-heal" identified issues based on a given tolerance or criteria Split faces or stitch surfaces

• R = Remove unnecessary features

  Rapid selection and defeaturing without affecting source CAD Associative simplifications (future)

• O = Optimize designs

  Directly edit geometry with simple push/pull/modify commands to explore ‘what if’ scenarios Create alternatives that can be quickly and easily simulated using associative updates

The other day the team supplied me with a new build to post to the Autodesk Labs project. Senior Software Quality Assurance Engineer, Hugh Henderson, shared what was in the new build. Based on participant feedback so far:

• Technology preview extended to May 1, 2016.
• Topology optimization criteria in load cases:
  • Maximum Stress
  • Maximum Displacement
  • Min Member Size
• Improved and Advanced global mesh settings
• Copy / paste loads and constraints between load cases
• Direction indicator glyph added for pressure load
• Option to allow an equal force magnitude to multiple faces at once
• Intermediate results display in Explicit studies
• Workspace tabs are always visible

Thanks, Hugh.

If you are an Autodesk Simulation user and wish to join this project, you can request participation.

Topology is alive in the lab.