Cross-platform tool shares modelling results

The Multiphysics Viewer visualise,s examines and post-processes results from models created by the multiphysics FEMLAB mathematical modelling package.

The Multiphysics Viewer lets any researcher, scientist or engineer visualise, examine and post-process results from models created by users of the multiphysics FEMLAB mathematical modelling package.

Comsol distributes the Multiphysics Viewer, which runs on Windows, Linux and Macintosh OSX platforms, free of charge.

Once users open a FEMLAB model, the package allows them to examine settings such as the underlying partial differential equations (PDEs) and boundary conditions.

The software also offers flexible post-processing capabilities such as playback of simulations, visualisation of results and the creation of animations.

A free copy is available via www.comsol.com/viewer.

"With the Multiphysics Viewer, users can share their models and results with all their colleagues, quickly and at zero expense," comments Jukka Tarvo, Managing Director of Comsol .

"It's a highly practical tool that can help research and development teams to work together more effectively.

It's also an ideal aid for teaching environments.

"We are developing surgical instruments and need to distribute modelling results across teams," says David Lockwood of Smith and Nephew.

"With the Multiphysics Viewer, we can now send them the model, which they can examine in great detail.

Without requiring the full FEMLAB package, colleagues are free to examine the underlying problem set-up of models - including pre-processing and solver settings - and review solution results.

They can interactively plot model variables and properties using several plot types including slices, isosurfaces, contours, streamlines, deformed shapes, height, boundaries and arrow/vector fields.

Additionally, cross-section and domain plots project a solution variable along surfaces and subdomains.

Those using the Multiphysics Viewer can also generate time-evolution plots in any model domain, even at points or across user-defined lines and planes.

Other routines make it possible to integrate quantities along boundaries and subdomains such as computing force and electric currents.

As an aid to presenting results, the tool creates animations based on AVI and QuickTime movie formats.

The Multiphysics Viewer is compatible with any model created in version 3 or later releases of FEMLAB.

The utility is provided on a CD in versions that run on Windows, Linux or OSX.

A tutorial and a number of predefined models are included.

A free copy is available via www.comsol.com/viewer.

FEMLAB - which stands for Finite Element Modelling Laboratory - is an advanced software package for the modelling and simulation of any physical process described with PDEs.

The latest version features high-performance, state-of-the-art solvers that address extremely large problems, yet quickly yield accurate results.

Working in an easy-to-use graphical interface or from a command line, users choose from several ways to describe their problems in 1D, 2D, and 3D.

A particular strength of the package is its PDE modelling capability, enabling equations from various fields such as structural mechanics, electromagnetics, fluid flow, and chemistry to be linked and solved simultaneously, all in the same model.

These and many other features make FEMLAB an unprecedented modelling environment for research, product development and education.

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