Ansys Minerva User's Guide

ANSYS, Inc. Release 2022 R2

Southpointe July 2022
2600 Ansys Drive
Canonsburg, PA 15317 ANSYS, Inc. and
[email protected] ANSYS Europe,
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Table of Contents
1. Getting Started with Ansys Minerva ....................................................................................................... 1
1.1. Overview of Ansys Minerva ............................................................................................................... 1
1.2. Connecting to Your Site .................................................................................................................... 2
1.2.1. Supported Browsers ................................................................................................................. 2
1.2.2. Signing in to Ansys Minerva ..................................................................................................... 2
1.2.3. Signing Out ............................................................................................................................. 4
1.3. Setting a Default Dashboard ............................................................................................................. 5
1.4. Quick Tour ........................................................................................................................................ 8
1.4.1. Navigate Using the Contents Panel ........................................................................................... 8
1.4.2. View Your Dashboard ............................................................................................................... 9
1.4.3. View Your Assigned Tasks ....................................................................................................... 13
1.4.4. View Files and Other Items ..................................................................................................... 13
1.5. Basic Concepts ................................................................................................................................ 14
2. Data Management ................................................................................................................................ 17
2.1. Creating Folders ............................................................................................................................. 17
2.2. Uploading Files and Folders ............................................................................................................ 18
2.2.1. Uploading Files and Folders Using Ansys Minerva ................................................................... 18
2.2.2. Uploading Files and Folders Using the File Transfer Client ........................................................ 19
2.2.3. Replacing Existing Items ......................................................................................................... 21
2.3. Metadata Extraction on Upload ....................................................................................................... 23
2.3.1. Metadata Extraction from Assembly Files ................................................................................ 25
2.3.2. Viewing the Status of Metadata Extraction .............................................................................. 25
2.3.3. Retrying Metadata Extraction ................................................................................................. 28
2.4. Importing Files from an External Repository .................................................................................... 29
2.5. Downloading Files and Folders ........................................................................................................ 31
2.6. Creating Links and Shortcuts ........................................................................................................... 32
2.6.1. Creating a Symbolic Link ........................................................................................................ 32
2.6.1.1. Creating a Symbolic Link Using 'New Link' ...................................................................... 32
2.6.1.2. Creating a Symbolic Link Using Copy/Paste Actions ........................................................ 34
2.6.1.3. How Symbolic Links Work .............................................................................................. 35
2.6.1.4. Editing Symbolic Links ................................................................................................... 35
2.6.2. Creating a Shortcut ................................................................................................................ 36
2.6.2.1. Creating a Shortcut Using 'New Shortcut' ....................................................................... 36
2.6.2.2. Creating a Shortcut Using Copy/Paste Actions ................................................................ 37
2.6.2.3. How Shortcuts Work ...................................................................................................... 37
2.7. Adding and Viewing Favorites ......................................................................................................... 38
2.8. Viewing Files and Folders ................................................................................................................ 40
2.8.1. Viewing Simulation Details ..................................................................................................... 41
2.8.2. Viewing File Properties ........................................................................................................... 42
2.8.3. Viewing ECAD Designs ........................................................................................................... 43
2.8.3.1. ECAD Viewer ................................................................................................................. 44
2.8.3.1.1. Viewing Layers, Nets, and Components .................................................................. 46
2.8.3.1.2. Changing the Color of Layers ................................................................................ 48
2.8.3.1.3. Visibility Control .................................................................................................... 49
2.8.3.1.4. Zooming and Panning .......................................................................................... 50
2.8.3.1.5. Rotating the View ................................................................................................. 50
2.8.3.1.6. Flipping the View .................................................................................................. 51
2.8.3.1.7. Controlling Path Thickness .................................................................................... 51
2.8.3.1.8. Viewing Object Properties ..................................................................................... 51

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2.8.3.1.9. Maximizing the View Window ............................................................................... 52

2.8.4. Viewing 3D Images ................................................................................................................. 53
2.8.4.1. VCollabWeb Viewer ........................................................................................................ 54
2.8.4.2. HOOPS Web Viewer ....................................................................................................... 55
2.8.4.2.1. Toolbar Access ...................................................................................................... 57
2.8.4.2.2. Zoom, Pan, Rotate ................................................................................................. 57
2.8.4.2.3. Reset the View ...................................................................................................... 58
2.8.4.2.4. Change the Display Style ....................................................................................... 58
2.8.4.2.5. Explode the Model ................................................................................................ 59
2.8.4.2.6. Create a Cross Section ........................................................................................... 59
2.8.4.2.7. Display Predefined Views ...................................................................................... 61
2.8.4.2.8. Control the Visibility of Model Parts ....................................................................... 61
2.8.4.2.9. Display Configurations .......................................................................................... 62
2.8.4.2.10. Measure Distance and Angles .............................................................................. 62
2.8.4.2.11. View Product Manufacturing Information ............................................................ 63
2.8.4.2.12. Add Markup ........................................................................................................ 63
2.8.4.2.13. Download a Snapshot ......................................................................................... 66
2.8.4.2.14. Print a PDF .......................................................................................................... 66
2.8.4.3. Ansys Viewer ................................................................................................................. 67
2.8.5. Viewing 2D Images ................................................................................................................. 68
2.8.6. Viewing Videos ...................................................................................................................... 69
2.8.7. Viewing Text Content ............................................................................................................. 70
2.8.8. Viewing PDF Files ................................................................................................................... 71
2.8.9. Viewing a Digital Thread ......................................................................................................... 75
2.8.10. Viewing Dependencies ......................................................................................................... 81
2.9. Comparing Items ............................................................................................................................ 83
2.10. Downloading File Content ............................................................................................................. 88
2.11. Editing Items ................................................................................................................................ 90
2.11.1. Claiming an Item .................................................................................................................. 90
2.11.2. Editing Item Properties ......................................................................................................... 91
2.11.3. Editing Folder Contents ........................................................................................................ 92
2.11.4. Saving Changes to an Item ................................................................................................... 93
2.11.5. Unclaiming an Item .............................................................................................................. 94
2.12. Managing Permissions .................................................................................................................. 94
2.13. Copying, Cutting, and Pasting Items ............................................................................................... 94
2.14. Renaming an Item ......................................................................................................................... 95
2.15. Deleting an Item ........................................................................................................................... 95
2.16. Accessing Ansys Minerva from Ansys Workbench .......................................................................... 96
2.17. Accessing Ansys Minerva from Ansys Electronics Desktop .............................................................. 96
3. Projects ................................................................................................................................................. 97
3.1. Creating a Project ........................................................................................................................... 97
3.2. Organizing a Project ....................................................................................................................... 98
3.2.1. Creating Sub-Projects ............................................................................................................. 99
3.2.2. Defining a Project Team ........................................................................................................ 100
3.2.3. Organizing Project Files ........................................................................................................ 101
3.2.4. Adding Work Requests to a Project ....................................................................................... 103
3.2.5. Adding Tasks to a Project ...................................................................................................... 104
3.3. Opening a Project ......................................................................................................................... 107
3.4. Accessing Project Files .................................................................................................................. 108
4. Change and Release Management ...................................................................................................... 111
4.1. Life Cycle States ............................................................................................................................ 111

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4.2. Versioning .................................................................................................................................... 112

4.3. Releasing an Item ......................................................................................................................... 113
4.4. Managing Change Notices ............................................................................................................ 118
4.5. Creating a New Major Version ........................................................................................................ 120
4.6. Purging a Version from the System ................................................................................................ 120
4.7. Viewing Version History ................................................................................................................. 120
4.8. Comparing Versions of an Item ...................................................................................................... 121
4.9. Accessing an Older Version ............................................................................................................ 124
4.10. Branching ................................................................................................................................... 125
5. Search .................................................................................................................................................. 131
5.1. How Search is Used ....................................................................................................................... 131
5.2. Searching the Database ................................................................................................................ 132
5.3. Searching a Section or Folder ........................................................................................................ 133
5.4. Using the 'Select Items' Dialog Box ................................................................................................ 133
5.5. Search Modes ............................................................................................................................... 136
5.5.1. Keyword Search ................................................................................................................... 136
5.5.2. Simple Search ...................................................................................................................... 137
5.5.3. Advanced Search .................................................................................................................. 137
5.5.4. AML Search .......................................................................................................................... 139
5.6. Quick Search ................................................................................................................................. 140
5.7. Enterprise Search .......................................................................................................................... 141
5.8. Search Tips ................................................................................................................................... 142
5.9. Saving and Retrieving Searches ..................................................................................................... 142
5.9.1. Saving a Search .................................................................................................................... 143
5.9.2. Retrieving a Saved Search ..................................................................................................... 144
5.9.3. Deleting a Saved Search ....................................................................................................... 144
5.10. Hiding Search Components ......................................................................................................... 145
5.11. Search Results Display ................................................................................................................. 145
6. Applications ........................................................................................................................................ 147
6.1. Installing the Ansys Application Launcher ...................................................................................... 147
6.2. Launching Applications ................................................................................................................ 148
6.2.1. Launching Applications from the Applications Page .............................................................. 149
6.2.2. Launching Applications from Files ........................................................................................ 152
6.2.3. Launching Applications with No Input Files ........................................................................... 153
6.2.4. Tracking Inputs and Outputs from Application Usage ............................................................ 154
6.3. Running Batch Applications .......................................................................................................... 155
6.4. Running Local Applications ........................................................................................................... 155
6.5. Running HPC Applications Interactively in a Virtual Desktop Session .............................................. 157
6.5.1. Prerequisites for a Virtual Desktop Session ............................................................................ 158
6.5.2. Launching a Virtual Desktop Session ..................................................................................... 160
6.5.2.1. Launching a VDI Session on a Windows Cluster ............................................................. 164
6.5.2.2. Launching a VDI Session on a Linux Cluster .................................................................. 165
6.5.3. Managing Files in a Virtual Desktop Session .......................................................................... 168
6.5.4. Monitoring Sessions in the DCG Portal .................................................................................. 173
6.5.5. Closing a Virtual Desktop Temporarily ................................................................................... 174
6.5.6. Relaunching a Virtual Desktop .............................................................................................. 176
6.5.7. Ending a Virtual Desktop Session .......................................................................................... 177
6.6. Running a Remote Desktop via EnginFrame .................................................................................. 178
6.6.1. Installing a Remote Visualization Application ........................................................................ 179
6.6.2. Launching a Remote Desktop Session ................................................................................... 179
6.6.3. Managing Files in Remote Sessions ....................................................................................... 185

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6.6.4. Monitoring Sessions in the EnginFrame Portal ....................................................................... 185

6.6.5. Closing and Relaunching the Remote Desktop Window ........................................................ 186
6.6.6. Closing a Remote Desktop Session ....................................................................................... 187
6.7. Running Ansys optiSLang Web Apps ............................................................................................. 187
6.7.1. Accessing the optiSLang Web Service Portal ......................................................................... 189
7. Jobs ..................................................................................................................................................... 193
7.1. Submitting a Batch Job ................................................................................................................. 193
7.1.1. Job Submission Basics .......................................................................................................... 194
7.1.2. Submitting an Ansys Electronics Desktop Batch Job .............................................................. 195
7.1.3. Submitting an Ansys Fluent Batch Job .................................................................................. 197
7.1.4. Submitting an Ansys LS-DYNA Batch Job .............................................................................. 198
7.1.5. Submitting an Ansys Mechanical APDL Batch Job ................................................................. 200
7.1.6. Submitting an Ansys Workbench Batch Job ........................................................................... 202
7.1.6.1. Journal File Requirements ............................................................................................ 204
7.1.7. Submitting an Ansys optiSLang Project Using the Ansys optiSLang Batch Application ........... 205
7.1.8. Submitting an Ansys optiSLang Project Using an Application Built from an optiSLang Web
App .............................................................................................................................................. 207
7.1.9. Submitting a Python Batch Job ............................................................................................. 208
7.2. Monitoring Jobs in Ansys Minerva ................................................................................................. 210
7.3. Monitoring Jobs in the Distributed Compute Gateway (DCG) Portal ............................................... 214
7.4. Monitoring Jobs in the Ansys Cloud Portal ..................................................................................... 216
7.5. Accessing Jobs .............................................................................................................................. 217
7.6. Accessing Output Files .................................................................................................................. 219
8. Tasks .................................................................................................................................................... 223
8.1. Defining a Task .............................................................................................................................. 223
8.2. The Life Cycle of a Task .................................................................................................................. 225
8.3. Viewing Tasks Assigned to You ....................................................................................................... 226
8.4. Working on a Task ......................................................................................................................... 227
8.5. Submitting a Task for Review ......................................................................................................... 229
8.6. Reviewing a Finished Task ............................................................................................................. 230
8.7. Completing a Task ......................................................................................................................... 231
8.8. Working with Multi-User Tasks ....................................................................................................... 233
9. Work Requests ..................................................................................................................................... 235
9.1. Creating a Work Request ............................................................................................................... 235
9.2. Submitting a Work Request for Review .......................................................................................... 240
9.3. Reviewing a Submitted Work Request ........................................................................................... 242
9.4. Monitoring the Status of Work Requests ........................................................................................ 247
9.5. Viewing a Workflow History Report ................................................................................................ 248
9.6. Editing a Work Request ................................................................................................................. 249
10. Collaboration .................................................................................................................................... 251
10.1. Link Sharing ................................................................................................................................ 251
10.2. Discussions and Forums .............................................................................................................. 252
10.2.1. Starting an Inline Discussion ............................................................................................... 254
10.2.2. Creating a Forum ................................................................................................................ 256
10.2.3. Saving an Item for Later Discussion ..................................................................................... 257
10.2.4. Starting a Discussion on a Forum or Saved Item .................................................................. 258
10.2.5. Adding Markup to an Image ............................................................................................... 259
10.2.6. Viewing Discussions ........................................................................................................... 261
10.2.7. Message Display Options .................................................................................................... 262
10.2.8. Replying to a Discussion ..................................................................................................... 264
10.2.9. Flagging Messages ............................................................................................................. 265

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10.2.10. Following Messages ......................................................................................................... 265

10.2.11. Editing and Erasing Messages ........................................................................................... 266
10.3. Visual Collaboration .................................................................................................................... 267
10.3.1. Creating a Snapshot Comment ........................................................................................... 268

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Chapter 1: Getting Started with Ansys Minerva
Ansys Minerva brings together the people, processes, and data involved in product engineering. This
simple web-based solution enables you to organize, track, share, and visualize simulation data, collab-
orate with team members, and kick off simulation workflows and other processes when a product is
being designed, improved, or re-engineered.

In this section:
1.1. Overview of Ansys Minerva
1.2. Connecting to Your Site
1.3. Setting a Default Dashboard
1.4. Quick Tour
1.5. Basic Concepts

1.1. Overview of Ansys Minerva

Ansys Minerva addresses the many critical issues associated with simulation data, including backup and
archiving, traceability, process automation, collaboration, knowledge capture, and IP protection.

By integrating directly with core Ansys simulation applications, Ansys Minerva provides a robust, efficient,
and consolidated environment for carrying out all of your organization's engineering activities. Its open
architecture enables you to integrate with other solutions and services as well, including software from
other vendors. With support for multiple tools and file formats, and the ability to leverage High Perform-
ance Computing (HPC), Ansys Minerva can increase productivity and extend your simulation possibilities.

Key features include:

• Data Management. A shared data repository provides a secure location for documents, CAD designs,
simulation files, and other files associated with your engineering projects and activities. Built-in ver-
sioning and revision control help you trace the flow of data, manage change, and make sure that
you are always working with the right file. Multi-faceted search options and result filtering enable
you to locate items quickly.

• Process and Workflow Management. Define life cycles and workflows to support all aspects of the
simulation process. Create work requests and assign tasks to selected groups or individuals who will
then be notified by email when they have a task to complete. Incorporate sign-offs for a complete
digital audit trail.

• Job Submission. Submit Ansys Electronics Desktop, Ansys Fluent, Ansys LS-DYNA, Ansys Mechanical
APDL, Ansys optiSLang, Ansys Workbench, and Python solve jobs to remote HPC clusters. Create
custom templates for job submission to other solvers. Launch locally installed applications directly
from select file types.

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Getting Started with Ansys Minerva

• Collaboration. Add markup to files, start or participate in discussions, and communicate with col-
leagues using the built-in messaging system.

With flexible deployment and configuration options, Ansys Minerva can be tailored to your organization's
needs.

1.2. Connecting to Your Site

An administrator at your organization can provide the URL of your Ansys Minerva site and your sign-in
credentials.

If your Ansys Minerva site is hosted on a local network, all that you need to connect to it is a web
browser. If the site is hosted on a remote server, an internet connection is also required.

In this section:
1.2.1. Supported Browsers
1.2.2. Signing in to Ansys Minerva
1.2.3. Signing Out

1.2.1. Supported Browsers

Ansys Minerva supports the following minimum browser versions:

Browser Minimum Supported Version

Google Chrome 100.0.4896.127 (Official Build)
(64-bit)
Microsoft Edge 101.0.1210.32 (Official build) (64-bit)
(Chromium-based)
Mozilla Firefox 99.0.1 (64-bit)

1.2.2. Signing in to Ansys Minerva

To sign in to Ansys Minerva:

1. Enter the URL of your Ansys Minerva site into the address bar of a supported web browser (p. 2).

2. On the sign-in screen, select the database (p. 14) that you want to access, then enter your
username and password.

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 Connecting to Your Site

3. Click Sign in.

Signing In for the First Time

When signing in to Ansys Minerva for the first time, you are presented with a License Agreement.
You must accept the agreement to be able to use the application.

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Getting Started with Ansys Minerva

After accepting the license agreement, you are taken to the page set as your Starting Page in your
user settings. Unless an administrator has specified otherwise, your Starting Page is Dashboard by
default. In this case you are prompted to set your default dashboard (p. 5).

Once your starting page is loaded, you can use the Contents panel to navigate your workspace (p. 8).

1.2.3. Signing Out

To sign out of Ansys Minerva, click the user icon in the application header and select Sign out from
the drop-down menu.

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 Setting a Default Dashboard

1.3. Setting a Default Dashboard

When attempting to load the Dashboard page for the first time, you are prompted to select or create
a dashboard to be displayed by default every time you access the Dashboard page:

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Getting Started with Ansys Minerva

The list contains all dashboards that you have permission to access. In general, these are based on the
roles that have been assigned to you. (See Managing Dashboard Access and Permissions in the Ansys
Minerva Configuration Guide.)

• To set an existing dashboard as your default dashboard, select it in the list and click Select dashboard.

• To create a new dashboard that can be used as your default dashboard, click Create dashboard.
When prompted, specify a name and optional description for the dashboard:

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 Setting a Default Dashboard

An empty dashboard is added to the Dashboard page:

To configure your dashboard, see Editing a Dashboard in the Ansys Minerva Configuration Guide.

Changing the Default Dashboard to a Different Dashboard

If you have previously set a default dashboard and want to set a different dashboard as the default,
follow these steps:

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Getting Started with Ansys Minerva

1. In the Contents pane, select Dashboard.

2. On the Dashboard page, use the drop-down to display the dashboard that you want to set as the
default.

3. On the toolbar, click and select Set as default. Note that this option is not available
if the current dashboard is already set as the default.

1.4. Quick Tour

Learn how to navigate and view information that is relevant to you.
1.4.1. Navigate Using the Contents Panel
1.4.2. View Your Dashboard
1.4.3. View Your Assigned Tasks
1.4.4. View Files and Other Items

1.4.1. Navigate Using the Contents Panel

Use the Contents panel to access your dashboard, jobs, and tasks, as well as files, discussions, and
other items.

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 Quick Tour

Control the Display of the Contents Panel

• To display or hide the Contents panel, click in the upper left corner of the application.

By default, the Contents panel hides itself when you navigate to a different page or open an item.

• To keep the Contents panel displayed as you navigate and open items, click in the Contents
panel. This 'pins' the panel to the application display. Note that you can still hide the panel using
the toggle in the application header.

• To unpin the Contents panel from the application display, click in the Contents panel. This reverts
the panel to the default self-hiding behavior mentioned above.

1.4.2. View Your Dashboard

When you select Dashboard in the Contents pane, the dashboard that you have set as your default
dashboard (p. 5) is displayed.

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Getting Started with Ansys Minerva

Dashboards that have been preconfigured for specific roles provide quick access to the items and
actions that are most relevant to you.

Here is an example of a CAE Analyst dashboard:

If your role has access to multiple dashboards, or you have been assigned multiple roles, you can
access other dashboards on the Dashboard page. Use the drop-down to access different dashboards:

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 Quick Tour

To quickly find a dashboard in the list, start typing any part of the dashboard name in the Search
dashboards field. Results appear dynamically as you type.

Add a Dashboard to Your Favorites

You may want to mark specific dashboards as your favorites so that you can access them quickly
without having to search for them.

To add a dashboard to your favorites, click the star icon on the dashboard's toolbar:

Dashboards that you have marked as favorites appear at the top of the list in the dashboard drop-
down:

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Getting Started with Ansys Minerva

To remove a dashboard from your favorites, display the dashboard and click the star icon on the
toolbar.

Create a Custom Dashboard

To create a custom dashboard, click New dashboard in the drop-down. When prompted, specify a
name and optional description for the dashboard. To configure your dashboard, see Editing a Dash-
board in the Ansys Minerva Configuration Guide.

Note:

If you are a non-admin user, you can only edit dashboards that you have created.

Use Your Dashboard to Manage Your Work

Dashboards provide quick access to a variety of items, actions, and resources. You can use them to:

• View and access data, work requests, tasks, jobs, discussions, and more

• View Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Create new items such as projects, work requests, and tasks

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 Quick Tour

• Launch applications

• Access external websites

For information about the different widgets that may be available on a dashboard, see Defining
Widgets in the Ansys Minerva Configuration Guide.

1.4.3. View Your Assigned Tasks

When someone initiates a work request in Ansys Minerva, certain tasks in that workflow may be as-
signed to you. Others can also create independent tasks on the Tasks page and assign them to you.

Your assigned tasks are available on the Assignments page and may also available on selected
dashboards. See Viewing Tasks Assigned to You (p. 226).

1.4.4. View Files and Other Items

Files that you and others have uploaded to Ansys Minerva are in the shared Data section. Permissions
to edit or manage data depend on your role but may also be set at the individual file/folder level.

Other items (p. 14) that may be relevant to you include change notices, work requests, simulation
jobs, and discussions, all of which can be accessed from the Contents pane.

Clicking an item opens it in a separate tab within Ansys Minerva, enabling you to easily navigate
between items of interest.

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Getting Started with Ansys Minerva

1.5. Basic Concepts

Learn the basic concepts and elements behind Ansys Minerva.

Site

A site is a specific instance of Ansys Minerva that is customized and configured by your company.
It contains all of the data, processes, and people involved when engineering simulation is used for
product development.

Database

Your Ansys Minerva site contains one or more databases. Each database has its own dataset (files,
folders, visual collaboration content, and so on). It may be intended for a specific division, department,
or team within your organization, and have its own configuration and customization. Access to a
database is dependent on your assigned role and permissions in Ansys Minerva.

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 Basic Concepts

Items

Items are the building blocks of Ansys Minerva.

When a file or folder is uploaded, or something new is created (such as a work request), it becomes
an item in Ansys Minerva. An item is a unique data record that represents the file or object, and
captures information about it.

Almost everything in Ansys Minerva is defined through an Item Type, including CAE files, life cycles,
work requests, and jobs. This ensures a consistent data structure and reliable behavior when working
with items.

Change Notice

Referring to an Engineering Change Notice, this is a document that authorizes and records design
changes throughout a product's life cycle. The document specifies the items affected by the change,
and actions to be taken on those items. It also enables you to track the state of items and identify
revisions.

Work Request

Typically initiated from a Change Notice, a work request refers to the actions required to execute a
process on an item. The actions in a process are assigned as tasks to specific teams or users, who
receive notifications when it is time to complete those tasks. As tasks are completed, the item moves
through different life cycle states.

A common example is a CAD Designer requesting a simulation for a new or revised CAD model.
Such a work request might include tasks for supplying the CAD file, running a solve job, analyzing
results, and approving the geometry.

Task

A task is a container for an activity. It helps you track the activity, and easily access inputs and
outputs. A task is automatically created when you submit a job or launch an application from Ansys
Minerva. Tasks can also be created manually, and can be part of Work Requests.

Job

Jobs are often part of work requests. In Ansys Minerva, a job refers to the actions involved in running
a simulation. This means specifying input files, solver settings, hardware settings, and output files.
Jobs are submitted to an HPC cluster via Distributed Compute Gateway (DCG).

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Chapter 2: Data Management
The Data section of Ansys Minerva provides a central place to store and manage files that are associated
with your company's product development activities — specification documents, CAD files, simulation
files, and so on.

You can upload, view, and perform various actions on a file if you have the required permission. To
perform an action, you must first claim the file, so that others cannot edit it at the same time.

Built-in version control enables you to track every change made to a file and provides assurance that
you are always working with the correct version.

Once a data item has been added to Ansys Minerva, it can be viewed, shared, discussed, and linked to
specific projects and processes.

In this section:
2.1. Creating Folders
2.2. Uploading Files and Folders
2.3. Metadata Extraction on Upload
2.4. Importing Files from an External Repository
2.5. Downloading Files and Folders
2.6. Creating Links and Shortcuts
2.7. Adding and Viewing Favorites
2.8. Viewing Files and Folders
2.9. Comparing Items
2.10. Downloading File Content
2.11. Editing Items
2.12. Managing Permissions
2.13. Copying, Cutting, and Pasting Items
2.14. Renaming an Item
2.15. Deleting an Item
2.16. Accessing Ansys Minerva from Ansys Workbench
2.17. Accessing Ansys Minerva from Ansys Electronics Desktop

2.1. Creating Folders

You can create a system of folders to organize your data in a way that makes sense for your company
and teams.

To create a folder:

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Data Management

1. Go to the Data section. If you want to add a sub-folder to an existing folder, open that folder.

2. Select New → New Folder.

3. Enter the desired folder Name. Ensure that its Type is set to Folder.

4. Click OK.

See Also: Editing Folder Contents (p. 92)

2.2. Uploading Files and Folders

You can upload files and folders to the root Data folder, or any sub-folder. For small to mid-sized uploads
you can use Upload actions available in Ansys Minerva. For larger uploads (for example, hundreds or
thousands of files), it is recommended that you use the File Transfer Client instead.

During an upload, metadata is extracted from certain simulation file types. See Metadata Extraction on
Upload (p. 23).

When a file or folder is uploaded, it is given a revision number of 001. Files are given a state of In Work,
while folders are given a state of Uncontrolled. This indicates that this is the original version of the
item within Ansys Minerva, and that it can be edited.

In this section:
2.2.1. Uploading Files and Folders Using Ansys Minerva
2.2.2. Uploading Files and Folders Using the File Transfer Client
2.2.3. Replacing Existing Items

2.2.1. Uploading Files and Folders Using Ansys Minerva

Use the Upload actions in Ansys Minerva to upload files and folders to the Data repository from your
local machine. (Note: For large uploads, use the File Transfer Client (p. 19).)

To upload files and folders while using Ansys Minerva:

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 Uploading Files and Folders

1. Go to the Data section. If you want to upload files to an existing folder, open that folder.

2. Upload files using one of the following methods:

• From the data view toolbar:

– Select Upload → Files to upload one or more files, or a combination of files and folders.
Select Upload → Folder to upload a single folder.

– In the Open dialog box, select the files and/or folders to upload, then click Open.

• From your desktop or Windows File Explorer, drag and drop selected files and/or folders into
the Data pane.

2.2.2. Uploading Files and Folders Using the File Transfer Client
When you have a large number of files and folders to upload to the Data repository, you should use
the File Transfer Client. With built-in efficiency and monitoring capabilities, this independent application
enables you to transfer data to the repository from outside of the Ansys Minerva environment.

To upload files and folders using the File Transfer Client:

1. Select Start → Ansys Minerva → File Transfer Client.

2. Specify the URL of your Ansys Minerva site, the database to which you want to upload files, and
your username and password:

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Data Management

3. In the File Transfer Client, specify the Destination in Ansys Minerva for the uploaded files/folders.
This can be the root Data folder, or any sub-folder.

4. Select the files to upload. You can drag and drop them into the client from a file explorer, or
click browse to display a file selection dialog box.

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 Uploading Files and Folders

5. Click Upload.

When a file has been successfully uploaded, it moves from the Selected Files tab to the Completed
tab. If a file has failed to upload, it appears on the Failed Transfers tab.

2.2.3. Replacing Existing Items

When you upload an item to a folder where an item with the same name already exists, Ansys Minerva
prompts you to choose an action to perform:

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Data Management

• To replace the existing file with the new one, select Replace the file(s) in the destination.

If you are replacing a Released item, a new revision of the item is automatically created with a state
of In Work.

• To keep the existing file and prevent it from being replaced with the new one, select Skip these
file(s).

• To keep the existing file but upload the new file as well, select Keep all file(s). In this case, a new
item is created with 'Copy' appended to the name:

Files and folders are versioned (p. 112) to keep track of changes to an item over time. When replacing
items, changes in versioning depend on the life cycle state (p. 111) of the item being replaced.

• If you are replacing an In Work item, the item's version number does not change, and its state re-
mains In Work. However, a "snapshot" of the existing version is taken at that time, allowing previous
versions to be retained in the item's revision history. Previous versions have a state of Superseded
and are given a minor revision number.

• If you are replacing a Released item, the item's version number increments, and its state becomes
In Work.

• If the parent folder of the item that you are replacing is a Released folder, you are prompted to
specify whether you would like to version the parent folder as well:

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 Metadata Extraction on Upload

If the item has multiple Released parents, your choice applies to all of them.

When you choose to version a parent, its version number increments, and its state changes from
Released to In Work.

2.3. Metadata Extraction on Upload

A simulation details report, simulation metadata, and a lightweight visualization file are extracted from
the following file types:

Ansys File Types

File Type Default Image Extractor
CFX Files (.def, .res) Ansys Viewer
Electronics Desktop Projects (.aedt) VCollab (for embedded report
images)
Electronics Desktop Archives (.aedtz) VCollab (for embedded report
images)
Electronics Desktop Field Plot Files (.aedtplt) VCollab
Electronics Desktop export files (.fld) VCollab
EnSight Case Files (.cas, .encase) VCollab
Fluent Case Files (.cas, .cas.gz, .cas.h5) VCollab
Fluent Data Files (.dat, .dat.gz, .dat.h5) VCollab
Fluent Mesh Files (.msh, .msh.gz) VCollab
LS-DYNA Input Files (.k, .key) VCollab
LS-DYNA Result Files (.d3plot) VCollab
MAPDL Database Files (.db, .cdb) VCollab
MAPDL Input Files (.inp, .dat) VCollab
MAPDL Result Files (.rst, .rth, .rmg, .rstp) VCollab (.rth)

Ansys Viewer (.rst, .rmg, .rstp)

Mechanical Database Files (.mechdat, Ansys Viewer
.mechdb)
optiSLang Project Files (.opf ) n/a
optiSLang Web App Archive Files (.owa) n/a
SCADE Project Archive (.zsp) n/a
SpaceClaim Files (.scdoc) VCollab
Workbench Project Archives (.wbpz) n/a (.png for Project Schematic)

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Data Management

Other CAD Types

CAD File Type Version Default Image
Extractor
ACIS (.sat, .asat) Up to 2021 1.0 VCollab
Autodesk Inventor (.iam, .ipt) Up to 2022 HOOPS
CATIA V4 (.model) Up to 4.2.5 HOOPS
CATIA V5 (.CATPart, .CATProduct) Up to V5-6R2021 HOOPS
CATIA V6 (.3dxml) R2010x to R2021x VCollab
CATIA Graphical Representation R10 to R31(V5 - 6R2021) VCollab
(.cgr)
Creo - Pro/E (.prt, .asm) Pro/ENGINEER 19.0 to Creo 8.0 HOOPS
IGES (.igs, .iges) Up to 5.3 VCollab
NX - Unigraphics (.prt) V11.0 up to 1980 PRT HOOPS
Parasolid (.xmt,.x_t,.x_b) V7 to V33.1 VCollab
SolidEdge (.par, .asm, .psm) For .par and .asm: V19 - 20, ST - HOOPS: .par, .asm
ST10, 2021
VCollab: .psm
For .psm: Up to 2021
SolidWorks (.sldprt,.sldasm) From 97 up to 2021 HOOPS
STEP (.stp, .step) AP203 (Edition 1, Edition 2), AP214 (Up VCollab
to Edition 3), AP242 (Edition 1 IS)

Other CAE Types

CAE File Type Version
ABAQUS .inp, .fil and .odb files Abaqus 2022
CFD General Notation System .cgns CGNS 3.3
files
MSC.MARC .t16 and .t19 files MSC Marc 2021
Nastran .bdf, .op2, and .xdb files MSC.Nastran 2021
OpenFoam controlDict database files OpenFOAM 2.0
Pro/Mechanica Design Study files Pro/Mechanica Wildfire 4.0
StarCCM+ .ccm files StarCCM+ CCMIO version
2.06.023
STL files
Tecplot binary files (.plt) Techplot file format version 11.2

VCollab is used to extract images from all of the above types.

An administrator can configure metadata extraction from additional file types if desired. See Extracting
Metadata from Custom File Types in the Ansys Minerva Configuration Guide.

Additional topics:

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 Metadata Extraction on Upload

2.3.1. Metadata Extraction from Assembly Files

2.3.2. Viewing the Status of Metadata Extraction
2.3.3. Retrying Metadata Extraction

2.3.1. Metadata Extraction from Assembly Files

Some applications enable you to combine multiple files into an assembly. By default, metadata extrac-
tion is supported for the following types of assemblies:

• Ansys SpaceClaim

• CATIA

• Creo

• NX

• Solidworks

In an assembly, a main assembly file references a set of other files. Metadata extraction can only be
completed successfully from an assembly file if all the files that make up the assembly are uploaded
as well. The assembly file and its dependent files should be treated as a set.

Occasionally, depending on the order in which assembly files are uploaded, and the time delay
between the arrival of the first and last file in the set, Ansys Minerva may not be able to resolve all
dependencies on the first try. If this occurs you can manually retry metadata extraction (p. 28) after
the files have been uploaded.

When metadata extraction from an assembly file is successful, the dependent files are listed on the
Depends On tab of the assembly file view. Also, the assembly's dependent relationships are displayed
graphically on the Digital Thread tab. An example of this is shown in Viewing a Digital Thread (p. 75).

Note that if a dependent file is subsequently modified, the metadata for the parent assembly is not
automatically updated. To manually update the metadata for the assembly, use the Retry Metadata
Extraction (p. 28) action.

2.3.2. Viewing the Status of Metadata Extraction

When you upload a file it appears in the repository before metadata extraction starts. A Conversion
Task is created based on enabled Conversion Rules. Each Conversion Task represents one file being
converted by a Conversion Server.

Metadata extraction may take some time depending on the number of files uploaded and the amount
of data being extracted. The Conversion Task has three phases: metadata extraction, report generation,
and image generation.

When you open a file that you have uploaded, the status of the Conversion Task is displayed on the
Properties tab:

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Possible statuses on the Metadata tab include:

• Not Started. The Conversion Task has not started yet.

• In Progress. The Conversion Task is executing.

• Failed. Metadata extraction was unsuccessful. The extraction will be retried automatically.

• Discarded. All retry attempts have failed. If this happens you may need to correct a problem in
the configuration. You can then retry metadata extraction (p. 28).

Clicking on a status link opens the Conversion Task view, where you can see the overall status of
the Conversion Task (Not Started, In Progress, Succeeded, Failed, Discarded) as well as the status of
each phase in the conversion process (for example, Complete, In Progress, Pending,
Failed):

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 Metadata Extraction on Upload

Note that the status only appears as a link if you have permission to view the Conversion Task (you
are the one who uploaded the file, or you have administrative permissions).

When metadata extraction is successful, the status notification is no longer displayed, and a report
containing the extracted metadata is displayed on the Summary tab. See Viewing Simulation De-
tails (p. 41).

When image generation is successful, 2D images (p. 68) and 3D images (p. 53) can be accessed in
the file view.

Note that the failure of one phase in the Conversion Task does not necessarily cause the entire oper-
ation to fail. If metadata extraction fails, then report and image extraction will fail. However, if metadata
extraction is successful, then report and image extraction can fail independently. In this case, the
status of the Conversion Task may be 'Completed with Errors'.

Whether the Conversion Task's status is Completed with Errors, Failed, or Discarded, you can view
detailed error information by selecting the Details drop-down for the phase that failed:

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If you encounter issues with metadata extraction, contact your administrator for assistance.
Troubleshooting information is available for administrators in the Ansys Minerva Troubleshooting Guide
(see Metadata extraction is not working).

2.3.3. Retrying Metadata Extraction

In some cases metadata extraction may fail when a file is uploaded, requiring a retry. The Retry
Metadata Extraction feature enables administrators to manually launch the extraction process.

Typically, a Conversion Task with a 'Failed' status is retried automatically. If subsequent retries are
unsuccessful, the status of the Conversion Task becomes 'Discarded'. This may be an indication that
there is a problem in the configuration which needs correction. Refer to the troubleshooting inform-
ation in the Ansys Minerva Troubleshooting Guide. Once you have corrected the problem you will
need to retry metadata extraction.

You may also want to run metadata extraction again for older files to pick up enhancements in a
newer release of Ansys Minerva, such as new capabilities in an upgraded version of VCollab (used for
image extraction).

To retry metadata extraction for a file:

1. Open the file for which you want to retry metadata extraction.

2. On the toolbar click and select Retry Metadata Extraction.

Note:

• The Retry Metadata Extraction feature is available to Administrators only.

• In Ansys Minerva 2022 R1, certain CAD file types that previously used VCollab for image
extraction now use HOOPS instead. When metadata extraction is retried for these file
types, a HOOPS image is generated instead of a VCollab image, resulting in a different

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 Importing Files from an External Repository

viewer being launched for 3D image viewing. For a list of affected file types, see HOOPS
Web Viewer (p. 55).

2.4. Importing Files from an External Repository

If an administrator has configured a connection to an externally hosted repository such as an Ansys
Granta MI database, an Import menu is available on the toolbar. When you select a repository from
the Import menu, a simple wizard guides you through the import process.

The following example shows how to import materials from Ansys Granta MI:

1. Search for the items that you want to import:

When the desired items have been added, click Next.

2. Select the exporter to use, then click Next.

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Note:

Ansys Minerva only recognizes material card exporters that have the MIMaterials-
Gateway tag. Exporters with the MIViewer tag will not be available in the list of ex-
porters.

3. Specify the exporter parameters:

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 Downloading Files and Folders

4. Click Import.

For information on configuring a connection to an external repository, see Configuring an External Re-
pository for Import in the Ansys Minerva Configuration Guide.

2.5. Downloading Files and Folders

You can download one or more files and/or folders from the root Data folder, or any sub-folder.

To download files and folders:

1. Select the items that you want to download by enabling their check boxes.

2. On the data view toolbar or context menu, select Download.

If multiple items were selected, a ZIP file is created for a more efficient download.

Items are downloaded to your system's default download location.

See Also: Downloading File Content (p. 88)

Downloading an Item with Dependencies

When you download an item with dependencies (p. 81), you are given the option of downloading the
item and all of its dependent files in a single ZIP file. For example, if you choose to download a Work-
bench project (.wbpj) file, selecting the Zip Archive with Dependencies option downloads a ZIP file
containing the .wbpj file and the _files folder on which the project file depends.

Downloading Items with Multiple Versions

When you download an item in a data view which has more than one version, it is the latest version
that is downloaded.

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To download a previous version, go the item's version history (p. 120) and select the version to download.

2.6. Creating Links and Shortcuts

A link enables you to reference items that reside within the Ansys Minerva file system and reference
the same item from two separate locations. For example, a project manager might create a Project
folder and add a link to a simulation file that resides in a separate Simulation Files folder. When you
create a link in a folder, the file to which it points appears in the folder's list view, though it is symbol-
ically linked to the file in the source location. This means that if you modify the file in one location, the
changes will be visible in the file in the other location.

A shortcut is a file that contains the URL of any item in Ansys Minerva, or an item in any remote location
that is accessible via your network. Once you create a shortcut you can download it to your desktop
for quick, easy access to the item that it references.

In this section:
2.6.1. Creating a Symbolic Link
2.6.2. Creating a Shortcut

2.6.1. Creating a Symbolic Link

A symbolic link is a pointer to a file or folder in another location. You can create a symbolic in the
target folder using the New Link action, or from the source item using Copy/Paste actions.

Topics:
2.6.1.1. Creating a Symbolic Link Using 'New Link'
2.6.1.2. Creating a Symbolic Link Using Copy/Paste Actions
2.6.1.3. How Symbolic Links Work
2.6.1.4. Editing Symbolic Links

2.6.1.1. Creating a Symbolic Link Using 'New Link'

Use the New Link action in a displayed folder to add symbolic links to files or folders in another
location.

1. Navigate to the folder where you want to add the symbolic link.

2. Select New → New Link.

3. In the Select files/folders to link to dialog box, locate and select the file(s) and/or folder(s)
to which you want to link. Then, specify the version to which you want to link:

• To always link to the latest generation of an item, select Float.

• To link to a specific revision of an item, select Fixed.

If you have selected a single file or folder, you can select the desired revision number from
the Revision drop-down:

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 Creating Links and Shortcuts

If you have selected multiple files and/or folders, each link will default to the revision that
is the current revision at the time the link is created. To point a link to a different revision,
you will need to use the Manage Link (p. 35) action after the links have been created.

4. Click Add Link(s).

The selected items appear in the folder's list view and are marked with an icon to identify them
as symbolic links:

Floating link that points to the latest generation of an item

Fixed link that points to a specific revision of an item

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2.6.1.2. Creating a Symbolic Link Using Copy/Paste Actions

When the files/folders to which you want to link are currently displayed in the data view, you can
use Copy and Paste As Link to create symbolic links to those items in another folder.

1. Copy one or more files.

2. Navigate to the folder where you want to create the links.

3. Select Paste → Paste As Link.

4. In the Link Definition dialog box, specify the version to which you want to link:

• To always link to the latest generation of an item, select Float.

• To link to a specific revision of an item, select Fixed.

If you have selected a single item, you can select the desired revision number from the Re-
vision drop-down:

If you have selected multiple items, specify the desired behavior for each link, or use Fix All
or Float All to apply the same behavior to all links:

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 Creating Links and Shortcuts

– Fix All. Points each link to the revision that is the current revision at the time of link cre-
ation.

– Float All. Points each link to the latest generation of each item instead of a specific revision.

When either of these selected, you can still specify a different behavior/revision for individual
links if desired. You can also modify a link's behavior after it has been created using Manage
Link (p. 35).

5. Click Save.

2.6.1.3. How Symbolic Links Work

When you link to items symbolically, the items appear in two locations: the source folder that
contains the original items, and the target folder that contains the symbolic links. The actions that
are available for symbolically linked files are the same actions that are available for the original files
(for example, Run, Claim, Release, and so on). Because the items in the target folder are symbolically
linked to the items in the source folder, modifying them in one location automatically updates
them in the other location. In other words, they cannot be named differently or have different
properties in each location.

Note:

• A symbolically linked file will only be visible to users who have permissions on the
original file.

• A file cannot be deleted until all links pointing to it have been deleted.

2.6.1.4. Editing Symbolic Links

To change the behavior of a symbolic link, right-click the link and select Manage Link.

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• To always link to the latest generation of an item, select Float.

• To link to a specific revision of an item, select Fixed, then select the desired revision from the
Revision drop-down.

• If you have selected multiple links, you can specify the desired behavior for each individual link,
or use Fix All or Float All to apply the same behavior to all links:

– Fix All. Points each link to the revision of each item that is the current revision at the time of
link modification.

– Float All. Points each link to the latest generation of each item instead of a specific revision.

When either of these selected, you can still specify a different behavior/revision for individual
links if desired.

2.6.2. Creating a Shortcut

A shortcut file references any valid URL, whether it be for an item in Ansys Minerva, an item in another
system, or a web page.

You can create a shortcut in two different ways:

2.6.2.1. Creating a Shortcut Using 'New Shortcut'
2.6.2.2. Creating a Shortcut Using Copy/Paste Actions
2.6.2.3. How Shortcuts Work

2.6.2.1. Creating a Shortcut Using 'New Shortcut'

When you use the New Shortcut action to create a shortcut you specify the URL of the item or web
page that you want to reference.

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 Creating Links and Shortcuts

1. Determine the URL of the item to which you want to create a shortcut. You should copy the
URL to your Windows Clipboard. To do this quickly in Ansys Minerva, select the item and then
click Copy URL on the toolbar.

2. Navigate to the folder where you want to create and store the shortcut.

3. Select New → New Shortcut.

4. In the Create a new shortcut dialog box, enter a Name that clearly identifies the item to
which the shortcut will point. Then, in the Remote URL field, specify the URL of the item. If
you copied the URL to your Clipboard in step1, simply right-click in the field and select Paste.

5. Click OK to create the shortcut.

2.6.2.2. Creating a Shortcut Using Copy/Paste Actions

When the item to which you want to create a shortcut is currently displayed in the data view, you
can use Copy and Paste As Link to create a shortcut to that item in another folder.

1. Copy one or more items.

2. Navigate to the folder where you want to create the shortcut file.

3. Select Paste → Paste As Shortcut. The shortcut is created.

2.6.2.3. How Shortcuts Work

When a shortcut file is added to a folder it is marked with a shortcut icon to identify it as a
shortcut.

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Shortcuts are independent items within the file system:

• Shortcuts have their own properties, and do not display the properties of items to which they
point.

• Shortcuts have their own permissions. A shortcut might be visible even if you do not have per-
mission on the file/folder to which it points. However, when you attempt to launch the shortcut,
you will not be able to see the resulting item.

• When you launch a shortcut that points to a file in Ansys Minerva, the breadcrumb changes to
show the path of the referenced file, not the path of the shortcut.

• The version of a shortcut is independent of the version of the file/folder to which it points.

• If the target of a shortcut is deleted, the shortcut will remain in the file system, but will be broken.

Once you have created a shortcut you can download it to your local machine. The files and/or
folders to which it points are also downloaded, enabling you to access them offline (when using a
local application, for example).

2.7. Adding and Viewing Favorites

You can quickly access files and folders that you visit frequently by adding them to your Favorites.

Favorites are available in the navigation pane of the Data page.

Note that dashboards can also be marked as favorites. This puts them at the top of the list in the
dashboard drop-down on the Dashboard page. See Add a Dashboard to Your Favorites (p. 11).

Adding an Item to your Favorites

You can bookmark a file, folder, task, project, job, or work request from any folder view in which the
item is listed (for example, the Data page or the Input Files tab of a work request). You can also
bookmark an item directly from the item view when the item is opened.

From a folder view:

1. Navigate to the item.

2. Enable the item's check box.

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3. Select Add to Favorites on the toolbar or context menu.

From an item view:

When you open an item for viewing, you can add it to your Favorites by clicking the star icon next to
the item's name:

Viewing Favorites
1. In the Contents pane, select Data.

2. In the navigation pane, select Favorites.

Your Favorites are displayed in the file list view:

3. Click the item that you want to access.

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Removing an Item from your Favorites

From a folder view:

1. Navigate to the item.

2. Enable the item's check box.

3. Select Remove from Favorites on the toolbar or context menu.

4. Go to your Favorites and Refresh the view if necessary.

From an item view:

1. Click the enabled star icon next to the item's name.

2. Go to your Favorites and Refresh the view if necessary.

2.8. Viewing Files and Folders

To view the content and properties of a file or folder in the Data section, simply click the item in the
data pane, or select the item and then select Open on the toolbar or context menu.

When you select a folder, the data pane displays a list of the files and sub-folders contained in the folder.

When you select a file, a new tab opens, providing a detailed overview of the file's content and properties.
The information displayed varies per file type.

The sidebar in a file view provides access to different types of viewers.

The viewers that are available depend on the file type and the type of content that the file contains:

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• Data viewer. Displayed by default for all file types. View a file's properties, dependencies, and
digital thread. For selected CAE and CAD file types you can view a summary of simulation details that
have been extracted from the file.

• ECAD viewer. View Printed Circuit Board (PCB) designs captured in CVG and XML files. Explore
layers, nets, and components and manipulate the view using zoom, rotate, and flip tools.

• Text and video viewer. View the content of text-based files, PDFs, and video files.

• 2D image viewer. View 2D images such as PNG and JPG files in a lightweight viewer with zoom,
print, and markup functions.

• 3D image viewer. View and interact with 3D models extracted from CAE and CAD files.

In this section:
2.8.1. Viewing Simulation Details
2.8.2. Viewing File Properties
2.8.3. Viewing ECAD Designs
2.8.4. Viewing 3D Images
2.8.5. Viewing 2D Images
2.8.6. Viewing Videos
2.8.7. Viewing Text Content
2.8.8. Viewing PDF Files
2.8.9. Viewing a Digital Thread
2.8.10. Viewing Dependencies

2.8.1. Viewing Simulation Details

When certain file types are uploaded to Ansys Minerva, such as simulation files or CAD files, various
details are extracted from them (see Metadata Extraction on Upload (p. 23)). When you view one of
these files, a detailed report of all of the data contained in the file, including any images associated
with the file, is displayed on the Summary tab of the file view:

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Note:

If metadata extraction is not configured for a file type, the Summary tab is not available.

2.8.2. Viewing File Properties

When viewing a file of any type, you can view standard properties such as the size and state of the
file on the Properties tab:

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2.8.3. Viewing ECAD Designs

A built-in ECAD viewer is available for viewing design data in CVG or XML files that adhere to the
IPC-2581 Consortium's Printed Circuit Board and manufacturing description data exchange standard.
This standard saves all PCB and fabrication data in a single, XML-based data container that may include
a netlist, fabrication notes, board layer information, and so on.

To view the design data in a CVG or XML file, click the ECAD viewer icon in the left sidebar and select
the file to load:

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2.8.3.1. ECAD Viewer

The ECAD viewer is built in to Ansys Minerva.

Here is an overview of the ECAD viewer layout:

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The ECAD viewer enables you to:

• View the PCB layer stack including materials, dielectric constants, and loss tangents

• Search and navigate to locate and highlight components and nets

• Control the visibility of layers and objects

• Change the display color of layers

• View the properties of a selected object

• Zoom, rotate, or flip the board

Learn about the ECAD viewer's features:

2.8.3.1.1. Viewing Layers, Nets, and Components
2.8.3.1.2. Changing the Color of Layers
2.8.3.1.3. Visibility Control
2.8.3.1.4. Zooming and Panning
2.8.3.1.5. Rotating the View
2.8.3.1.6. Flipping the View
2.8.3.1.7. Controlling Path Thickness
2.8.3.1.8. Viewing Object Properties
2.8.3.1.9. Maximizing the View Window

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2.8.3.1.1. Viewing Layers, Nets, and Components

Use the tabs in the left panel of the ECAD viewer to view the layer, net, and component lists for
the current design. Some tabs may include filters that enable you to control what is displayed in
the list. For example:

Searching for an Object

To quickly find a specific layer, net, or component, enter any part of its name in the Search field
of the corresponding tab. A list of search results is displayed. For example:

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To exit the search and return to the full list view, click in the Search field.

Highlighting a Selected Object

To highlight a specific layer, net, or component in the design, click its name in the left panel. The
object is highlighted in the view window. For example:

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Note that the object must have its visibility (p. 49) turned on to be highlighted.

2.8.3.1.2. Changing the Color of Layers

When viewing a design, you can choose to display layers in different colors if desired.

To change a layer's color:

1. On the Layers tab, click the colored icon to the left of the layer's name. A color picker is
displayed:

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2. Click the desired color in the color spectrum or specify the color's Hex or RGB value.

3. Click CONFIRM. The layer is displayed in the new color.

Note:

Layer color changes are applied only in the current viewer session. They are not per-
manently saved to the file.

2.8.3.1.3. Visibility Control

To help you evaluate a design, you may want to control the visibility of selected layers, nets, and
components in the view window.

• To change the visibility of an individual object, click the icon next to its name in the list view.
This toggles visibility between the following two states:

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Object is visible.
Object is not visible.

If no icon is present, this means that the object's visibility cannot be changed.

• To simultaneously make all listed objects visible in the view window, click above the list.

• To simultaneously hide all listed objects from the view window, click above the list.

• To display a specific object and hide all others, right-click the object in the left pane and select
Hide Others.

2.8.3.1.4. Zooming and Panning

You can use your mouse or the toolbar to zoom and pan in the view window.

• To zoom in and out using your mouse, use the middle scroll button on your mouse.

• To zoom in incrementally, click on the toolbar.

• To zoom out incrementally, click on the toolbar.

• To zoom the view to fit the view window, click on the toolbar.

• To pan the view, press and hold your right mouse button, then drag in the direction that you
want to pan.

Tip:

For a quick reminder on how to zoom and pan using your mouse, click on the
toolbar.

2.8.3.1.5. Rotating the View

To rotate the view counterclockwise, click on the toolbar.

To rotate the view clockwise, click on the toolbar.

The view rotates in increments of 30º.

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2.8.3.1.6. Flipping the View

To flip the board from front to back, click on the toolbar.

2.8.3.1.7. Controlling Path Thickness

By default, all lines in the circuit board view are displayed with the same minimal thickness to
optimize viewing performance. This is particularly beneficial for large board designs. Enabling
the Path thickness control in the view window displays the true thickness of circuits, providing
a more realistic representation of the board's physical design.

Note that enabling Path thickness may increase the time needed to render the view.

2.8.3.1.8. Viewing Object Properties

To view the properties of a visible layer, net, or component, select the object in the navigation
pane or view window.

The object's properties are displayed on the Properties tab in the right panel. For example:

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2.8.3.1.9. Maximizing the View Window

The panels on the left and right side of the ECAD viewer can be collapsed to maximize the size
of the view window when desired.

To collapse or expand a side panel, use the controls at the top of the panel.

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2.8.4. Viewing 3D Images

Certain file types are configured to extract a lightweight visualization file when files of those types
are uploaded to Ansys Minerva. The visualization file contains 3D model data, enabling you to visualize
and interact with a 3D image.

The type of visualization file extracted depends on the file type of the uploaded file. The viewer used
for 3D visualization depends on the visualization file type:

Visualization File Extracted From Viewer Used

Type
VCollabWeb .wcax CAE and some CAD file types supported by VCollab VCollabWeb
Viewer
HOOPS .scs Some CAD file types HOOPS Web
Viewer
Ansys .avz CAE file types not supported by VCollab Ansys Viewer

For a list of file types from which metadata is extracted, see Metadata Extraction on Upload (p. 23).

Launching a 3D View
To launch a 3D view for a file that has been uploaded to Ansys Minerva, open the file and click the
3D view icon on the left sidebar:

The 3D viewer available in this view depends on the type of visualization file extracted from the up-
loaded file. Each viewer enables you to zoom and pan, and interactively rotate the 3D model with
your mouse. Other capabilities are described below.

Available 3D viewers:

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2.8.4.1. VCollabWeb Viewer

2.8.4.2. HOOPS Web Viewer
2.8.4.3. Ansys Viewer

2.8.4.1. VCollabWeb Viewer

VCollabWeb is used for visualizing .wcax files extracted from certain CAE and CAD file types.

In addition to zoom, pan, and rotate capabilities, VCollabWeb offers the following features:

• Display viewpoints

• Play CAE animations

• Change the display mode (shaded, wireframe, hidden line, and so on)

• Create clip planes

• Explode the model

• View a product tree with visibility controls

• Display part labels while probing the model

• Capture a view in an image (PNG, JPG, BMP)

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For information about VCollabWeb Viewer features, click and select Help on the VCollabWeb
Viewer toolbar.

Note:

If you are viewing an image that was extracted in release 2021 R2 or older of Ansys
Minerva, the image will not include the layers and newer capabilities available in the
current version of VCollab Viewer. To take advantage of all viewer capabilities you can
retry metadata extraction (p. 28).

2.8.4.2. HOOPS Web Viewer

HOOPS Web Viewer is used for visualizing .scs files extracted from certain CAD file types, including
files produced by:

• CATIA V4 (.model)

• CATIA V5 (.CATPart, .CATProduct)

• Inventor (.iam, .ipt)

• Pro/ENGINEER/Creo (.prt, .asm)

• SolidEdge (.par, .asm)

• SolidWorks (.sldpart, .sldasm)

• Unigraphics NX (.prt)

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HOOPS Web Viewer topics:

2.8.4.2.1.Toolbar Access
2.8.4.2.2. Zoom, Pan, Rotate
2.8.4.2.3. Reset the View
2.8.4.2.4. Change the Display Style
2.8.4.2.5. Explode the Model
2.8.4.2.6. Create a Cross Section
2.8.4.2.7. Display Predefined Views
2.8.4.2.8. Control the Visibility of Model Parts
2.8.4.2.9. Display Configurations

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2.8.4.2.10. Measure Distance and Angles

2.8.4.2.11. View Product Manufacturing Information
2.8.4.2.12. Add Markup
2.8.4.2.13. Download a Snapshot
2.8.4.2.14. Print a PDF

2.8.4.2.1. Toolbar Access

HOOPS Web Viewer has two toolbars: the viewer toolbar and the markup toolbar. By default,
the toolbars are collapsed. To expand a toolbar, click the appropriate button below:

Initially, each toolbar shows a basic set of functions. For example:

You can then expand the toolbar further to reveal additional functions. For example:

• To expand a toolbar from basic to standard, click on the basic toolbar.

• To collapse a toolbar from standard to basic, click on the standard toolbar.

2.8.4.2.2. Zoom, Pan, Rotate

Use your mouse to perform the following basic functions:

• To zoom in and out, use your mouse scroll wheel. Or, use the zoom buttons on the basic or
standard viewer toolbar:

• To specify how the zoom feature behaves, click [Preferences] on the standard viewer toolbar.
Then, specify your zoom preference:

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You can choose to zoom relative to the Viewport Center or the Cursor Position.

• To zoom in on a selected area, click [Zoom Window] on the standard viewer toolbar.

• To pan the view, click and hold your right mouse button, then drag your mouse in the direction
that you want to pan.

• To rotate the model, click and hold your left mouse button, then drag your mouse in the dir-
ection that you want to rotate.

• To orient the view to a model face, select the face and then click [Orient to Face] on the
standard viewer toolbar. For example:

2.8.4.2.3. Reset the View

To reset the view after zooming, panning, rotating, and so on, right-click in the view window and
select Reset View. Or, click [Reset View] on the basic or standard viewer toolbar.

2.8.4.2.4. Change the Display Style

To set the display style for the 3D model, click on the standard viewer toolbar, then select
the desired style in the display style panel:

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2.8.4.2.5. Explode the Model

To explode a model so that you can view its individual components, click on the standard
viewer toolbar, then use the slider in the Exploded View panel to adjust the explosion distance:

To return to the previous view, close the Exploded View panel.

2.8.4.2.6. Create a Cross Section

A cross section displays a view of the model along a selected plane, which can reveal internal or
hidden details.

To create a cross section:

1. Click on the standard viewer toolbar.

2. In the Cross Section panel, select the desired cutting plane to display (X, Y, or Z). You can
display more than one cutting plane if desired.

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3. Click and drag the cutting plane to cut through the model.

You can adjust the cross section using tools in the Cross Section panel:

• To invert the section so that you are viewing the model from the other side of the cutting

plane, click below the appropriate cutting plane button.

• To toggle the display of the cutting plane on or off, click .

• To cap any geometry that is cut by the cutting plane, enable the Capped Geometry check
box. This enables you to see the back faces of components.

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2.8.4.2.7. Display Predefined Views

To view a list of predefined model views, click [Model Browser] on the standard viewer toolbar,
then select the Views tab in the Model Browser panel:

2.8.4.2.8. Control the Visibility of Model Parts

Some models may comprise multiple named parts. You can toggle the display of individual parts
on and off.

To toggle the visibility of parts:

1. Click [Model Browser] on the standard viewer toolbar.

2. On the Model tab of the Model Browser panel, click the visibility icon for the part that you
want to hide or show:

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2.8.4.2.9. Display Configurations

Some models may have different configurations in their definition.

To view a configuration, select it from the Configurations drop-down on the standard viewer
toolbar:

2.8.4.2.10. Measure Distance and Angles

Use the Measure tool to measure the distance between two points or faces, the length of an
edge, or the angle between faces.

To activate the Measure tool, click [Measure] on the standard viewer toolbar.

Use the Measure panel to set up your measurement:

• To measure the distance between two points, select and then pick two points.

• To measure the distance between two faces, click and pick two planar faces.

• To measure an edge, click and select a single edge.

• To measure the angle between two faces, click and pick two planar faces.

• To delete all measurements, click .

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2.8.4.2.11. View Product Manufacturing Information

A model may have product manufacturing information associated with it. To view this information,
click on the standard viewer toolbar.

2.8.4.2.12. Add Markup

To add annotation such as lines or text to a view, display the markup toolbar:

Lines and Dots

To draw a line or dot:

1. Click on the markup toolbar.

2. In the Scribble panel, select a line weight and color:

3. To draw a line, click and drag your mouse in the viewing area. To create a dot, click a single
point.

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Highlighting

To highlight an area in the view:

1. Click on the markup toolbar.

2. In the Highlight panel, select a highlight color:

3. In the viewing area, click and drag a window around the area to highlight.

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To resize the highlighting, select it and then click and drag its resizing handles.

Text Labels

To add text to the view:

1. Click on the markup toolbar.

2. In the Label panel, select a size and color for the text:

3. In the viewing area, click a point to insert a label marker, then type the desired text.

To move the label, select it by clicking the leader, and then click and drag the label to the
desired position.

Deleting Markup

To delete markup that you have added to a view: select the markup and

1. Select the markup.

2. Press Delete on your keyboard or click on the markup toolbar.

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2.8.4.2.13. Download a Snapshot

Use the Download File feature to capture the current view in a JPG file and download the image
to your computer.

1. Prepare the view as you would like it to appear in the snapshot.

2. Display the standard markup toolbar (see Toolbar Access (p. 57)).

3. Click [Download File].

A JPG image is generated and downloaded to your computer's default download location.
The image file name is based on the CAD file name for easy retrieval.

2.8.4.2.14. Print a PDF

Use the Print feature to generate a PDF of the current view which you can print or download.

1. Prepare the view as you would like it to appear in the PDF.

2. Display the standard markup toolbar (see Toolbar Access (p. 57)).

3. Click [Print].

A PDF is generated and displayed in a web-based viewer that is compatible with your browser.
In Chrome, for example, the following viewer is displayed:

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4. Use the PDF viewer's Print function to print the PDF. Other functions such as Save or
Download may be available depending on your browser and associated viewer.

2.8.4.3. Ansys Viewer

Ansys Viewer is used for visualizing .avz files extracted from certain CAE types.

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For information about Ansys Viewer features, see the Ansys Viewer User's Guide on the Ansys Help
site (https://ansyshelp.ansys.com/).

2.8.5. Viewing 2D Images

When 2D image files such as PNG, JPG, GIF, and BMP files are uploaded to Ansys Minerva, you can
use the built-in image viewer to view the associated images.

To view the image in an image file, click the image viewer icon in the left sidebar:

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The image viewer includes a toolbar that enables you to print or download the file, adjust the view,
and even mark up the image:

For information on marking up images for use in discussions, see Adding Markup to an Image (p. 259).

2.8.6. Viewing Videos

When an .mp4 video file is uploaded to Ansys Minerva, you can use the built-in multimedia player
to view the video.

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• Click the video to start playing it.

• Use the controls at the bottom of the window to pause and restart video play.

• Use the slider to fast forward or rewind to a specific point in the video.

2.8.7. Viewing Text Content

When you open a text-based file in the repository, you can use the built-in text viewer to view the
text content of the file. Examples of text-based file types that can be viewed include .bat, .csh, .cmd,
.csv, .engd, .inp, .jou, .json, .ksh, .log, .py, .sh, .txt, .trn, .wbjn, and .xml.

Text views may also be available for custom file types if such views have been configured by an ad-
ministrator. If a preview is not available for a text-based file type that you have uploaded, contact
your administrator to discuss configuration for that file type.

To view text content, click the text viewer icon in the left sidebar. The content is displayed in the file
view window:

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See Also: Viewing PDF Files (p. 71)

2.8.8. Viewing PDF Files

To view the content of a PDF file, click the PDF viewer icon in the left sidebar. The PDF content is
displayed in a built-in PDF viewer in the file view window:

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Use the PDF viewer toolbar to navigate, print, download, or adjust the view in the PDF:

PDF Viewer Toolbar Functions

• View thumbnails or outline. Open the sidebar to view thumbnails of the document's pages. Some
documents may also have an outline view available. These can help you navigate through a long
document.

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• Navigate pages. Go to the previous or next page, or enter the number of the page that you want
to view.

• Find content. Activate the search function and enter a keyword to search for. Matches are high-
lighted within the document. Use the arrow keys to move to the next or previous result.

• Change the view size. Zoom in and out, or select a zoom preset:

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• Expand to full screen. Click the Switch to Presentation Mode button to expand the PDF display
to the extents of the screen. Press Esc to exit full screen mode.

• Open a local PDF. Click the Open File button to browse your local file system and select another
PDF to display in the viewer.

• Print the PDF. Click the Print button to open the Print dialog box.

• Download the PDF. Click the Download button to download a copy of the PDF to the default
download location on your computer.

• Open the view in another tab or window. Right-click the Current View button to open the view
in a separate browser tab or window.

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 Viewing Files and Folders

• Manipulate the content. Use the Tools menu to rotate the view, activate the Hand Tool (for pan-
ning), and select text to copy to your Clipboard:

2.8.9. Viewing a Digital Thread

A digital thread is a visual representation of a connected data flow. It enables you to trace an item's
origin, relationships, and the tasks with which it is associated.

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When viewing a task or file, select the Digital Thread tab to view a diagram that shows the relation-
ships between files and tasks.

For a task, the diagram shows the input and output files of the task:

For a file, the diagram shows the task that generated the file, or the task for which the file was used
as input (if applicable).

For a file such as a CAD assembly, the diagram shows all of the part files associated with the assembly:

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 Viewing Files and Folders

Understanding the Digital Thread Diagram

The solid blue node in the diagram — the root node — represents the currently opened file or task.
The grey nodes on either side of the root node represent the files or tasks that are associated with
that item. These nodes flow in to and out of the root node as incoming and outgoing items.

When a root node contains a file that has more than one version, additional nodes are displayed
above and below the root node to indicate that previous or subsequent versions of the file exist:

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Note that only the immediate predecessor and successor versions are shown by default. However,
you can expand version nodes to view their predecessors and successors and see more of the file's
version history.

To view the tasks and files associated with a predecessor or successor version, you will need to either
open the item or set its node as the root node using the node's context menu. These actions are
described in Interacting with the Diagram (p. 78).

Zooming and Panning

You can zoom and pan in the Digital Thread view using your mouse. These actions become available

when you move your cursor into the view window and see the cursor change to .

• To zoom in and out, use your mouse scroll wheel.

• To pan the view, click and drag your mouse.

• To reset the view, click on the view window toolbar.

Interacting with the Diagram

You can interact with the Digital Thread diagram in the following ways:

• To display the upstream or downstream relationships of a non-root node, click the node's expand
icon . (If an item has no predecessors or successors, this icon is not available.)

Expanded diagram:

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 Viewing Files and Folders

In the example above, a symbol is shown on both an upstream and downstream node. This
indicates that the same item appears twice in the diagram. In this case, revision 001 of released
file edb.def was used as the input for the task AEDT-job. When the validation task was run, revision
002 was created (the output of the task). In the diagram, revision 001 is shown as an earlier version
of revision 002.

• To highlight the flow of data for a non-root node, simply click the node. This can be particularly
helpful in diagrams with a large number of nodes and pathways.

• To open the file or task shown on a node, click the node's context menu icon and select Open
Item:

• To view the properties of a file or task, select Properties from the node's context menu. A Properties
panel is displayed to the right of the diagram.

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• To set an incoming or outgoing node as the root node, select Set As Root from the context menu.
This resets the diagram and displays the nodes that are associated with the new root node.

• A node may have a large set of incoming or outgoing items. For example, a simulation task may
generate several output files when a job is run. In this case the nodes are grouped together, with
a maximum of 10 nodes displayed by default.

To view the remaining nodes in the group, use the More and All options below the node list.

If you have displayed more nodes in a group, you can reset the group back to the default view by
clicking Reset below the node list.

To display only specific files, click the filter icon at the top of the list, and then enter search
criteria based on file name:

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 Viewing Files and Folders

To reset the group back to the default view after you have filtered it, simply clear the search criteria:

2.8.10. Viewing Dependencies

By default, dependent relationships are automatically detected and created when CAD assemblies
and certain CAE file types such as Ansys Workbench and Electronics Desktop projects are uploaded
to Ansys Minerva.

When an item references other items, you can see the item's dependencies on the Depends On tab
when viewing the item.

In the following example, the files that make up a SpaceClaim assembly are shown:

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Other examples include:

• CATIA and Creo assemblies

• Solver files such as Ansys LS-DYNA and MAPDL files which refer to other files (the solver reads all
the files to "construct" the whole FEA model)

• Projects that contain resource files, such as Workbench .wbpj files that need the corresponding
_files folder for the project to be opened in Workbench, or AEDT projects that point to folders
that contain results or model details (.aedtresults and .aedtaedb).

• Fluent .dat files that need a .cas file to be opened in Fluent

Visualizing Dependencies
Dependencies are also shown in an item's Digital Thread (p. 75) diagram, enabling you to visualize
the item and its dependencies within a data flow. This is especially useful for nested dependencies.

Using an Item with Dependencies in Tasks and Jobs

When an item with dependencies is selected for use on the Input tab of a task or process, its depend-
encies automatically go with it, ensuring constant access to the complete set of items.

Similarly, when you use an item with dependencies as the input for a job (for example, an LS-DYNA
file), all the dependencies are transferred to the solver working directory.

If the item is modified by the task, it is listed on the task's Output tab. Although the item is in a dif-
ferent location (the Output tab), it maintains a link to its former dependencies (still referenced on
the Input tab) if they have not been modified.

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 Comparing Items

Version Control for Dependencies

Dependencies are created as "floating links". This means that an item with dependencies always points
to the latest version of dependencies, not a fixed version.

For example, if Assembly A depends on parts AA1 and AA2, and you download Assembly A, parts
AA1 and AA2 are downloaded.

If part AA1 is modified, part AA1 now has a new revision [rev2]. Assembly A now points to AA1 [rev2]
and AA2.

If you were to download Assembly A again, parts AA1[rev2] and AA2 would be downloaded. (The
original version of AA1 would not be downloaded.)

The downloaded assemblies are different from each other even though the assembly file itself was
not modified (has the same revision).

See Also: Downloading an Item with Dependencies (p. 31)

2.9. Comparing Items

Use the Compare action to view a side-by-side comparison of two or more folders, files, work requests,
tasks, or projects.

When comparing items, various options enable you to control the content being displayed so that you
can quickly locate the information that interests you and easily identify similarities and differences.

You can also use the Compare tool to compare versions (p. 121) of the same item.

1. Navigate to the location containing one of the files or folders that you would like to compare. This
may be a location in the Data section, the Output tab of a job, or other areas that contain a data
view.

2. Select at least one item that you would like to compare. If other items to be compared exist in the
same location, you can select them now. Otherwise, you will be able to select additional items
once the comparison tool is launched.

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3. On the toolbar or context menu, select Compare.

Selected items are opened on a new Comparison Report tab.

4. Select items for comparison (if not already selected):

• To add an item for comparison, click Add Files or Folders, then select the desired item(s) in the
Select item(s) dialog box.

• To add a version of the currently selected item, click Add a Revision, then select the revision
to compare from the Add a Revision dialog box:

• To remove an item from the comparison view, click the item's close button.

5. Compare properties and content as described below. Note that only those views that apply to the
current items are enabled for selection.

• To compare the item properties, select Metadata on the toolbar. Where property values differ
between files, the associated row is highlighted for easy identification.

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 Comparing Items

To compare properties of type Text or Item, select the property and click Compare Selected
Properties. A separate comparison view opens on a new tab.

For example, if you select the Modified By property, which is of type Item (it's value is a user,
which is an item in Ansys Minerva), a comparison of this property shows the properties of each
user, and the differences in those properties:

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If the property being compared is of type Text, the comparison view shows differences in text
content.

• To compare the text-based content of files, select Text on the toolbar. Areas where text differs
are highlighted, and within those areas, additional highlighting is applied to identify the specific
differences between the text strings.

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 Comparing Items

Note:

The Text comparison is only available when two files are being compared.

• To compare the contents of two folders, select Contents on the toolbar.

You can expand sub-folders within the folder comparison view for a full view of folder contents,
and compare individual items within a sub-folder. The same applies to items that have depend-
encies, such as Workbench project archive (.wbpz) files and CAD assemblies with multiple part
files.

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Visual indicators help you quickly identify differences between folders and individual items
within those folders. For example, when comparing folder A with folder B:

Items have the same name but have different content

Items have the same name and content but have different properties

Item exists in folder A but not in folder B

Item exists in folder B but not folder A

To compare items that have the same name in each folder being compared, click Compare in
the item row. The item comparison opens in a separate Comparison Report window.

• For a more concise comparison view that shows only differing properties or content, enable
Display only differences on the toolbar.

• To display only properties that selected items have in common, enable Display only common
properties. This option is helpful when files being compared are different types, as properties
that are unique to one file have no comparison in the other file.

2.10. Downloading File Content

When viewing files with extracted data, click Download in the data view to display a download menu
for that file type. The options available depend on the type of file that you are downloading. For example,
if you are downloading an Ansys Fluent .dat file, you can choose to individually download the Ansys

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 Downloading File Content

Fluent data (.dat file), 3D model (.wcax file), or simulation report (.xml file). Since .dat files depend
on .cas files, the .dat file also has a Zip Archive with Dependencies download option. This would
download a ZIP file containing the .dat file and .cas file.

For CAD file types, a 3D PDF Document may also be available for download. Currently, 3D PDF content
creation is supported for the following CAD file types and product versions:

Product Version File

Types
Autodesk Up to 2022 IPT
Inventor
CATIA V4 Up to 4.2.5 MODEL
CATIA V5 Up to V5-6 R2021 CATPart
Creo - Pro/E Pro/Engineer 19.0 to Creo PRT,
8.0 XPR
IGES 5.1, 5.2, 5.3 IGS,
IGES
JT Up to v10.6 JT
Solid Edge V19 - 20, ST - ST10, 2022 PAR
SolidWorks From 97 up to 2022 SLDPRT
STEP AP 203 E1/E2, AP 214, AP STP,
242 STEP
Stereo All Versions STL
Lithography
Unigraphics-NX V11.0 to 2007 PRT PRT
VDA-FS Version 1.0 and 2.0 VDA
VRML V1.0 and V2.0 VRML

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2.11. Editing Items

Most items have a set of properties that can be edited, such as the item name and permissions. The
actions available to you depend on the item type, the permissions that are set, and whether or not the
item is currently being edited by someone else.

To edit an item, you must first claim (p. 90) it. This gives you exclusive control over the item and prevents
other users from making any modifications to it while you are working with it. When you save your
changes and unclaim the item, it becomes available for editing by others.

In this section:
2.11.1. Claiming an Item
2.11.2. Editing Item Properties
2.11.3. Editing Folder Contents
2.11.4. Saving Changes to an Item
2.11.5. Unclaiming an Item

2.11.1. Claiming an Item

You can claim a file or folder for editing in a few different ways:

• In the Data section view, select the item and then select Claim → Claim on the toolbar or context
menu.

• Navigate to the item and open it.

– To claim the item without going into Edit mode, click the flag icon next to the item name:

– To simultaneously claim the item and go into Edit mode, click on the toolbar.

In the Data section view, a flag icon indicates that the item is claimed:

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 Editing Items

Hover over the icon to see who has the item claimed.

Claimed by me.
Claimed by another user.

When you claim an item, the view changes to focus on properties that can be edited.

While in edit mode you can make changes to the item. When you save your changes and unclaim
the item, you effectively push the changes out to other users.

To save and unclaim an item in one step, click on the toolbar.

Note:

When an item is claimed, other users can cut and paste it into a different location.

2.11.2. Editing Item Properties

Each file and folder has a set of properties that can be edited, such as the item name and permissions.

To edit properties:

1. In the Data section, select the file or folder whose properties you want to edit, then select Open
on the toolbar or context menu.

2. In the item view, click .

3. Edit properties on the Properties tab:

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For information on how permissions work, see Managing Permissions (p. 94).

4. Click to save and unclaim.

2.11.3. Editing Folder Contents

You can edit the contents of a folder provided that you have edit permission on the folder.

You can edit folder contents in two ways:

• Edit contents directly when navigating within the Data section. In this view there is no need to
claim the folder or save changes.

• Edit contents within the folder item view:

1. Select the folder in the Data section, then select Open on the toolbar or context menu.

2. Click .

3. In the item view, edit contents on the Contents tab:

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 Editing Items

4. When you have finished your edits, click to save and unclaim.

In the Data section or the folder item view, use the toolbar to:

• Create new folders (p. 17)

• Upload files and folders (p. 18)

• Create links and shortcuts to items (p. 32)

• Import files from an external repository (p. 29)

• Rename items (p. 95)

• Delete items (p. 95)

2.11.4. Saving Changes to an Item

To save changes to an item while you are working on it, click on the main toolbar.

To save and unclaim an item in one step, click on the toolbar.

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2.11.5. Unclaiming an Item

When you are finished editing an item, you release it back to the system by unclaiming it. This switches
you from edit mode to view mode and makes the item available for editing by others.

• To unclaim an item in the item view, click on the toolbar.

• To unclaim an item in the Data section view, select the claimed item and then select Unclaim →
Unclaim.

2.12. Managing Permissions

Files and folders can only be edited when they are in an In Work state. In that state, an item's permissions
are determined by the Team associated with the item. When an item is added to an existing folder, the
item's Team is inherited from the parent folder if Team is specified as one of the properties to inherit.
Different members of a team may have different permissions as outlined in the table below.

Role Permissions for 'In Work' Permissions for 'Released'

Items Items
Can Discover Discover
Discover
Can Get Discover, Get Discover, Get
Can Discover, Get, Update Discover, Get
Update
Full Discover, Get, Update, Delete Discover, Get, Delete
Control

For more information on how permissions are defined for users and teams, see Using Teams and Roles
to Manage Permissions in the Configuration Guide.

2.13. Copying, Cutting, and Pasting Items

Use the Copy and Paste actions to create a new item with the same details and data as the source
item. Use the Cut and Paste actions to move an item from one location to another.

1. In the Data section view, select the item and then select either Copy or Cut on the toolbar or
context menu.

2. Navigate to the folder where you want to store the copied or cut item.

3. In the folder view, right-click and select Paste → Paste, or click Paste on the toolbar.

Note:

If an item is currently claimed by another user, you can still move it to another location using
Cut and Paste, but you cannot edit it until it is unclaimed.

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 Deleting an Item

Related Topics:

Creating a Symbolic Link Using Copy/Paste Actions (p. 34)

Creating a Shortcut Using Copy/Paste Actions (p. 37)

2.14. Renaming an Item

Use the Rename action to rename a file or folder in the Data section.

To rename an item:

1. In the Data section, navigate to the location where the item is stored, then select the item.

2. Select Rename on the toolbar or context menu.

3. In the Rename item dialog box, specify the new name for the item, then click OK.

2.15. Deleting an Item

Use the Delete action to remove an item (including all of its versions) from the system. If you want to
remove only a specific version of an item, use Purge (p. 120) instead.

To delete an item:

1. In the Data section, navigate to the location where the item is stored, then select the item.

2. Select Delete on the toolbar or context menu.

If the parent folder of the item that you are deleting is a Released folder, you are prompted to
specify whether you would like to version the parent folder:

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If the item has multiple Released parents, your choice applies to all of them.

When you choose to version a parent, its version number increments, and its state changes from
Released to In Work.

3. Confirm the deletion.

2.16. Accessing Ansys Minerva from Ansys Workbench

If you use Ansys Workbench you can create a connection to Ansys Minerva in Workbench and transfer
projects to and from Ansys Minerva. This enables you to archive, store, find, retrieve, share, and collab-
orate on projects more easily. Projects under version control can be claimed and unclaimed as part of
the version control process.

When you save a Workbench project to an Ansys Minerva repository, Ansys Minerva always stores it as
a Workbench project archive (.wbpz file) so that you can act on a single object, rather than on a set
of objects.

For more information about connecting to Ansys Minerva from Workbench, and sending and retrieving
projects, refer to Working with Workbench and Ansys Minerva in the Workbench User's Guide.

2.17. Accessing Ansys Minerva from Ansys Electronics Desktop

Ansys Electronics Desktop users can create a connection to Ansys Minerva in Electronics Desktop and
transfer projects to and from Ansys Minerva. This enables you to archive, store, find, retrieve, share, and
collaborate on projects more easily. Projects under version control can be claimed and unclaimed as
part of the version control process.

When you save an Electronics Desktop project to an Ansys Minerva repository, Ansys Minerva always
stores it as an Ansys Electronics Desktop project archive (.aedtz file) so that you can act on a single
object, rather than on a set of objects.

For more information about connecting to Ansys Minerva from Ansys Electronics Desktop, and sending
and retrieving projects, refer to the Electronics Desktop documentation.

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Chapter 3: Projects
Use the Projects feature to organize and track the activities and data associated with an engineering
project. A project can contain work requests, tasks, simulation files, documents, and sub-projects, and
specify the people involved in the project.

In this section:
3.1. Creating a Project
3.2. Organizing a Project
3.3. Opening a Project
3.4. Accessing Project Files

3.1. Creating a Project

A project is a container for the people, data, and activities associated with an engineering project.

To create a project:

1. In the Contents pane, select Projects.

2. In the Projects pane, click Create New Project.

3. On the project form, specify a Name for the project and optionally a Description.

4. Click .

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Projects

5. In the lower pane, specify work requests, tasks, simulation files, CAD documents, sub-projects, and
people associated with the project. For more information, see Organizing a Project (p. 98).

6. When you are finished organizing the project, click . You can open the project (p. 107)
at any time to update it if needed.

Tip:

You can also create a project from the Projects page by clicking on the toolbar.

3.2. Organizing a Project

A project defines the data, activities, and people associated with an engineering project. If you have
edit permissions on a project, you can add, edit, and organize project components. This includes work
requests, tasks, simulation files, CAD documents, sub-projects, and roles.

To organize a project:

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 Organizing a Project

1. If not already open, locate and open the project (p. 107).

2. Click .

3. Edit the project by adding and defining components. Refer to the topics below.

4. When you are finished organizing the project, click .

Topics:
3.2.1. Creating Sub-Projects
3.2.2. Defining a Project Team
3.2.3. Organizing Project Files
3.2.4. Adding Work Requests to a Project
3.2.5. Adding Tasks to a Project

3.2.1. Creating Sub-Projects

You may want to add sub-projects to your project to help organize and track activities more easily.
This step is optional but may be particularly helpful for large or complex projects with multiple phases
or components. You can attach existing projects to your project, or create new ones on the fly. Each
sub-project can have its own set of files, team members, work requests, and so on.

To create a sub-project:

1. If not already open, locate and open the project (p. 107).

2. Click .

3. In the lower pane, select the Child Projects tab.

4. To add an existing project to the current project, click , then search for and select the user in
the Select Items dialog box.

To create a new project, click . A blank row is added to the list. Right-click the row and select
Open. Define the new project and save it.

The project is automatically added to the current project as a sub-project:

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Projects

3.2.2. Defining a Project Team

Adding users to a project enables you to identify who will be collaborating and working on the project,
and what their roles will be.

To define a team for a project:

1. If not already open, locate and open the project (p. 107).

2. Click .

3. In the lower pane, select the Roles tab.

4. To add a user to the list, click , then search for and select the user in the Select Items dialog
box.

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 Organizing a Project

5. To define a user's role in the project, click in the Role column and enter the role name.

3.2.3. Organizing Project Files

You may want to add requirements, CAD documents, simulation files, and other files to a project.
Team members can view and use project files to complete their activities. You can add files from the
Data repository, import files from an external database, or upload them from your local computer.
You can also create folders to organize your files.

To add and organize files:

1. If not already open, locate and open the project (p. 107).

2. Click .

3. In the lower pane, add or remove files on the File Folder and CAD Documents tabs.

On the File Folder tab you can perform many of the same actions that you can perform in the
Data section. For example, you can:

• Create folders (p. 17)

• Upload files and folders (p. 18) from your local computer

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• Import materials (p. 29) from an external database (if configured)

• Create shortcuts (p. 36) to items in Ansys Minerva, items in other systems, or web pages

• Create links (p. 32) to files or folders in another location

• Delete files (p. 95)

On the CAD Documents tab you can:

• Add CAD documents already defined in Ansys Minerva

• Create a new CAD document

4. Click to update the project.

Related Topic: Accessing Project Files (p. 108)

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 Organizing a Project

3.2.4. Adding Work Requests to a Project

A work request is a request to perform a simulation, or some other type of multi-step process.

You can link an existing work request to a project, or create new work requests directly from the
project.

To add work requests to a project:

1. If not already open, locate and open the project (p. 107).

2. Click .

3. In the lower pane, select the Work Requests tab.

4. To link an existing work request to the current project, click , then search for and select the
work request in the Select Items dialog box.

To create a new work request, click . A blank row is added to the list. Right-click the row and
select Open. Define the new work request and save it.

As you link and create work requests, they appear on the Work Requests tab, where you can
monitor their status:

Linking Work Requests to Projects

When you add a work request to a project through the project itself, the project is automatically added
to the Parent Projects tab of the work request. If the project is the child of another project, the
child's parent is also displayed.

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Projects

If you create a work request outside of any projects, you can link the work request to a project as
follows:

1. In the work request view, select the Parent Projects tab.

2. Click .

3. In the Select Items dialog box, select the project to which you want to link the work request,
then click OK.

3.2.5. Adding Tasks to a Project

A task is a singular activity performed by a user. You can add new tasks to a project, or link existing
tasks to the project. Tasks that you add to a project can be added to work requests if desired. If you
know that the task will be part of a larger workflow, you may want to create a work request (p. 103)
instead, and define tasks there.

To add a task to a project:

1. If not already open, locate and open the project (p. 107).

2. Click .

3. In the lower pane, select the Tasks tab.

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 Organizing a Project

4. To create a new task, select New → New Task. A new, blank task is added to the list:

5. Double-click the task to open it.

6. Click .

7. Define the task and save it. For details see Defining a Task (p. 223).

To link an existing task to the project, select New → Link Existing Tasks. In the Select Items
dialog box, select the task and click OK.

Tasks are displayed on the Tasks tab in a Gantt chart format, enabling you to visualize the order
in which tasks take place, and the timeline for task completion:

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Projects

8. When a task depends on the completion of another task, you can link the tasks together.

a. Hover over the right end of the predecessor task until you see a dot appear.

b. Click and drag an arrow to the left end of the dependent task.

c. When the dot appears on the dependent task's left end, release your mouse button.

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 Opening a Project

9. If a dependent task requires files from the predecessor task as input, you can specify that the
output files of the predecessor task be transferred to the dependent task.

a. Right-click the arrow line that links the two tasks together and select Files to transfer.

b. Select the file transfer definition to use:

For more information about file transfer definitions, see Creating File Transfer Definitions in
the Configuration Guide.

3.3. Opening a Project

All users can access and view projects created in Ansys Minerva. If you have edit permissions on a
project, you can add, edit, and organize project components.

To open a project:

1. In the Contents pane, select Projects.

2. In the Projects pane, click Search Projects.

A list of projects is displayed:

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Projects

3. To open a project, double-click it in the list, or right-click and select Open.

3.4. Accessing Project Files

As a project progresses, or when it is completed, you can access any of the files associated with the
project, including the outputs of tasks.

You can access project files in the following ways:

• Open the project (p. 107). Files that have been uploaded or imported into the project are displayed
on the File Folder tab. To view the inputs or outputs of a work request or task, double-click the item
on the Work Requests or Tasks tab to open the item.

• In the Contents pane, select Data. On the Data page, select Projects in the navigation pane, then
select the desired project. The project's files and tasks are listed under the project. In the data pane
you can see the revision number and state of each file, when a file was last modified, and who
modified it.

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 Accessing Project Files

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Chapter 4: Change and Release Management
Learn how change is managed as an item moves through different phases of development.

In this section:
4.1. Life Cycle States
4.2. Versioning
4.3. Releasing an Item
4.4. Managing Change Notices
4.5. Creating a New Major Version
4.6. Purging a Version from the System
4.7. Viewing Version History
4.8. Comparing Versions of an Item
4.9. Accessing an Older Version
4.10. Branching

4.1. Life Cycle States

Each file and folder in the system has a life cycle that consists of the following states:

• Uncontrolled. (Folders only) When a folder is created or uploaded, its state is Uncontrolled. The
reason for this is two-fold:

– When a folder is released for the first time, a warning is displayed that you are attempting to release
an uncontrolled folder. This requires you to confirm the release of the folder, which prevents you
from unintentionally releasing the wrong folder (for example, the root Data folder).

– Consider the scenario where a released folder contains released child folders. When you make a
change to a child folder, you are prompted to claim (version) the parent released folder to help
maintain the structure as a whole.

• In Work. Items in this state can be changed. When an item is changed, it is assigned a numerical re-
vision number. If new versions of child items are created (for example, files within a folder), the current
item updates to point to the most recent generation of each of those child items.

• Superseded. Items in this state cannot be changed. A version of an item becomes Superseded when
it is no longer the most recent version. For example, an edited version of the item may have been
uploaded to Ansys Minerva, or the item may have been changed by activities in a Task. The Superseded
version receives a minor revision number (for example, 001.001). See also: The Life Cycle of a
Task (p. 225)

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Change and Release Management

• Released. Items in this state are final and cannot be changed. References to child items are not
changed even if the child items are versioned. Modifying a Released item will trigger a new revision
for the item.

4.2. Versioning
Versioning refers to changes to an item's content, metadata, or relationships. These changes result in
a re-identification of the item over time using version properties.

Each time that an item is changed, the item is copied, and a new generation of the item is saved. De-
pending on the rules defined by your administrator, this new generation can represent an entirely new
revision (denoted by an incremented major revision), or a new snapshot of an existing revision (minor
revision). Each generation in the system is automatically assigned a numeric identifier starting with the
number 1.

Creating a new generation of a Released item causes the major revision to increment based on the rules
configured for the item.

Creating a new generation of an In Work item does not change the major revision number. However,
the superseded version (the version being replaced) is given a minor revision number:

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 Releasing an Item

Minor revisions occur when an In Work item is replaced by a modified version. This is typical, for example,
when items are used in Tasks (see The Life Cycle of a Task (p. 225)).

Versions of files and folders are independent. Creating a new version of a file does not generate a new
version of its parent folder. Similarly, creating a new version of a folder does not automatically generate
new versions of the files within it.

4.3. Releasing an Item

When an item is final you can transition it from the Uncontrolled or In Work state to a Released state
(see Life Cycle States (p. 111)). This freezes the item and prevents further editing. For example, when a
model has been reviewed and approved, and ready to go into production, you may want to lock down
the CAD drawing file (or project folder). Later, when you want to design an improved version of the
model, you create a new major version (p. 120) of the item based on the Released version, leaving the
Released version intact.

When you launch the release process, a Change Notice is automatically generated, enabling the appro-
priate team member(s) to review and approve the release of the item.

Note:

If you created a Change Notice previously that has not yet been submitted, you are prompted
to specify whether you would like to add the currently selected item to a new Change Notice
or an existing one:

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Change and Release Management

To release an item:

1. In the Data section, locate and select the item.

2. Select Release on the toolbar or context menu.

If you are releasing a folder that is in the Uncontrolled state, ensure that you have the correct
folder selected, and confirm that you want to release it. This simply ensures that you do not unin-
tentionally release the wrong folder.

A Change Notice is automatically generated:

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 Releasing an Item

3. Assign a Reviewer and optionally add a Description of the item or change.

4. On the Affected Items tab, verify the list of items to be released. If you would like to make an
item obsolete or exclude an item from the change, update the Item Action appropriately.

5. To see what has changed between the previous version and current version, select the Changes
tab.

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Change and Release Management

To view a comparison report (p. 121) for a specific item, select the item and click Compare Selected
Items.

6. Save your changes, then click to submit the change notice for review.

7. In the voting dialog box, select the desired voting option:

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 Releasing an Item

• Quick Approve. Approves the submission of the Change Notice without prior review.

• Submit. Initiates a review and approval process. Before submitting the Change Notice for review,
make sure that you have specified a Reviewer in the Change Notice properties, and verified that
the correct item is listed on the Affected Items tab.

• Cancel. Cancels the Change Notice.

• Delegate. Enables you to delegate the task to another identity. A 'Submit' task then appears in
the assignee's list of assigned tasks on the Assignments page.

8. When the reviewer has reviewed the item to be released, they click
in the Change Notice.

9. In the voting dialog box, the reviewer selects the desired voting option:

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Change and Release Management

• Approve. Approves the Change Notice.

• Request Changes. Enables you to request changes before the Change Notice is approved.

• Cancel. Cancels the Change Notice.

• Delegate. Enables you to delegate the review task to another identity.

When the release of the item is approved, the item's State changes to Released in the data view:

4.4. Managing Change Notices

A Change Notice is a document that authorizes change to an item's state and serves as a record of that
change. For example, when you want to transition an item to the Released life cycle state (p. 113), a
Change Notice is automatically generated, and a review and approval process is initiated.

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 Managing Change Notices

To access Changes Notices:

1. In the Contents panel, select Change Notices.

2. In the Change Notices panel, click Search Change Notices.

3. On the Change Notices page, locate the desired Change Notice (use search (p. 136) if necessary).

4. To open a Change Notice, double-click it, or right-click it and select Open.

If you are an initiator or reviewer, Change Notice tasks are listed on the Assignments page:

To carry out the task, double-click it in the list.

The action available in the Change Notice depends on its current state (where it is in the review and
approval process). Typically an initiator will vote to submit the change for review, and a reviewer will
vote to approve the change once they have reviewed the item(s) associated with the change. This
process is illustrated in Releasing an Item (p. 113).

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Change and Release Management

4.5. Creating a New Major Version

Locking and claiming a Released item generates a new version of that item which can be edited.

To create a new version of a Released file or folder:

1. In the Data section, locate and select the Released item.

2. Select the desired action:

• To create a new, editable generation of that specific item, select Claim → Claim.

• To create a new, editable generation of an entire tree (a folder and its child folders and files),
select Claim → Claim tree.

The new version is automatically set to the In Work state, and the item is locked for editing.

4.6. Purging a Version from the System

Use the Purge action to remove a specific version of an item from the system. To remove all versions
of an item, use Delete (p. 95) instead.

To purge a version:

1. In the Data section, navigate to the location where the item is stored, then select the item.

2. Select Purge on the data view toolbar or context menu.

4.7. Viewing Version History

To view a version history report for an item:

1. In the Data section, navigate to the location where the item is stored.

2. Right-click the item and select Revisions.

Alternatively, if the item is currently open, simply click the current revision number next to the
item's name:

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 Comparing Versions of an Item

The report is displayed in a window:

4.8. Comparing Versions of an Item

Use the Compare action to view the similarities and/or differences between two or more versions of
an item.

1. In the Data section, navigate to the location where the item is stored.

2. Right-click the item and select Revisions.

3. In the Revisions dialog box, select the versions that you would like to compare.

4. Click Compare on the toolbar. A Comparison Report tab opens.

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Change and Release Management

5. Compare properties and content as described below.

• By default, the Metadata option is enabled on the toolbar. This displays file properties and
metadata. Where property values differ between files, the associated row is highlighted for easy
identification:

For a more concise view that shows only properties with differing values, enable Display only
differences on the toolbar.

• To compare the text-based content in each version, select Text on the toolbar. The example
below shows how differences in content are highlighted:

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 Comparing Versions of an Item

Note:

The Text comparison is not available if more than two versions are being compared.

• To compare two versions of a folder, select Contents on the toolbar.

You can expand sub-folders within the folder comparison view for a full view of folder contents.

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Change and Release Management

Related: Comparing Items (p. 83)

4.9. Accessing an Older Version

When viewing items in the Data section, only the most recent version of each item is displayed in the
list view. For example, if a file has had two major revisions, only version 002 is listed. This ensures that
you are always working with the correct version of a file. You can, however, view older versions of an
item if needed.

To access an older version of an item:

1. Display the item's version history (p. 120).

2. In the version history list, click the Revision number of the version that you want to view.

The older version of the item is opened in a new tab. The following warning is displayed when
viewing an older version:

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 Branching

4.10. Branching
Full branching and merging are not supported by the system. However, lightweight branching is sup-
ported for files and folders. In particular, every version of a file or folder stores a reference to the version
of the file or folder from which it was derived.

Branches can be created implicitly or explicitly. Branches are created implicitly whenever a file or folder
is copied and pasted within the system. An automatic branch name is assigned to the new copy, but
the name can be changed if desired.

To explicitly create a branch from a version:

1. Display the item's version history (p. 120).

2. Select the Revision from which you would like to create a branch.

3. On the toolbar, select New Branch From.

4. Specify branch properties:

a. Specify a name to identify the branch. (Do not use the name Default, as that is the name
given to an item's original branch.)

b. Optionally select a Color to represent the branch in the version history report and branch
diagram.

c. Select one of the following options:

• To display only the new branch in the data view, select Switch to new branch.

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Change and Release Management

• To display both branches in the data view, such that the new branch is listed as a separate
item, select Keep both branches, then specify a name for the new item.

5. Click OK to create the branch.

Since a branch represents a new stream of data, a new branch will have the Revision number 001.

When managing a folder, creating a branch explicitly (with the New Branch From action) produces a
different result than creating the branch implicitly (by copying and pasting). When you explicitly create
a branch from a folder, the new version has links pointing to the file/folder versions referenced by the
parent folder version. When you use copy/paste to create a branch, the entire folder structure is cloned.
As a result, the new version will have copies of all the files and folders underneath.

Branching History
Use the branch diagram in the version history (p. 120) view to see the version from which an item was
copied.

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 Branching

Branching and Versioning in a Multi-Level Folder Structure

When you create a branch from a folder, the branch name is applied to the folder item only. Items
within that folder retain the branch name of the originating branch (for example, Default), since the
items originate from that branch. It is only when items are modified that they can become associated
with the new branch.

When you upload an item that already exists as a Released item in the target folder, and you choose
to replace the item in the folder, a new version of the item is automatically created, and its state becomes
In Work. If the target folder (the item's parent) is in the Released state, you are prompted to version the
folder. If the target folder has Released parent folders of its own, those folders will be versioned as well.
Otherwise, if a parent folder is not in the Released state, it does not require versioning.

Here is an example that highlights branching and versioning behavior:

1. A folder named Project 1 has 3 versions (001, 002, and 003). It contains a number of sub-folders
and files, some of which also have multiple versions. Since the Project 1 folder has not been
branched previously, the branch name of the folder and its contents is Default.

2. A branch named project1-update is created from released version 001 of the Project 1 folder. Since
a branch represents the start of a new stream of data, the Revision number of the folder in the
new branch is 001, and its state is Uncontrolled.

The contents of this new version is identical to the contents of the Default, 001 version. Even though
some sub-folders (like Project 1\Phase 1\CAD) are currently at a newer version, this new
version references the original 001 version of those sub-folders.

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Change and Release Management

3. Although the branch name of the Project 1 folder item is now project1-update, the branch name
of each item within the folder remains Default, because no items have been modified (diverged
from the Default branch).

4. In the Project 1 folder, the readme.txt is replaced with a new file. Since the file's parent folder
(Project 1) is in the Uncontrolled state, the Project 1 folder can be modified (in other words, files
can be added, edited, or deleted). Since version 001 was previously the most recent version of this
file, the item's version number increments to 002, and its state becomes In Work.

5. In the Project 1\Phase 1\CAD sub-folder, a file is deleted. The system detects that the file's parent
folder (CAD) and that folder's parent folder (Phase 1) are in the Released state. Since released items
cannot be modified, you are prompted to version the released parent folders:

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 Branching

Since these folders are not at the current version, the new versions are created as a branch. In
particular, they are assigned to the project1-update branch used by the parent folder, and the state
becomes Uncontrolled. Since this is the first modification for each folder in the new branch, the
Revision number for each folder is 001.

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Chapter 5: Search
Learn how to quickly find any item in Ansys Minerva and focus your search on specific locations and
item types.

In this section:
5.1. How Search is Used
5.2. Searching the Database
5.3. Searching a Section or Folder
5.4. Using the 'Select Items' Dialog Box
5.5. Search Modes
5.6. Quick Search
5.7. Enterprise Search
5.8. Search Tips
5.9. Saving and Retrieving Searches
5.10. Hiding Search Components
5.11. Search Results Display

5.1. How Search is Used

When searching for an item, you can search the entire database (p. 132) or limit your search to a specific
section or folder (p. 133). When accessing pages, a Quick Search (p. 140) feature enables you to quickly
find an item with a known item number.

Search is also incorporated into many forms. For example, when creating a work request, clicking the
browse button in the Reviewer field displays a Search dialog box that is targeted for finding the
names of people:

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Search

See Using the 'Select Items' Dialog Box (p. 133).

When performing a search, a number of different search modes (p. 136) are available.

5.2. Searching the Database

If Enterprise Search (p. 141) is enabled, you can search the entire database for an item using the search
field in the application header:

Simply enter your criteria and press Enter.

To maximize your search efficiency, see Search Tips (p. 142).

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 Using the 'Select Items' Dialog Box

5.3. Searching a Section or Folder

You can limit the scope of your search to a specific section or folder in Ansys Minerva. You can perform
a general keyword search across all files in the section or folder, search by a specific property, or build
an expanded query with multiple properties. Note that sub-folders are included in the search, if any.

To search for an item within a section or folder:

1. In the Contents pane, select the section that you want to search (Data, Jobs, Reports, Work Re-
quests, and so on). If you select Data, you can search the entire Data section, or open a specific
folder to search.

2. On the toolbar, click .

By default, Keyword Search (p. 136) is activated, enabling you to search file names, item properties,
and file content. If you prefer to search a specific column within the list view, select Simple from
the drop-down menu to switch to Simple Search (p. 137).

To maximize your search efficiency, see Search Tips (p. 142).

To close search and return to the regular data view, click again.

5.4. Using the 'Select Items' Dialog Box

When using features that require you to select files and folders, the Select item(s) dialog box provides
access to items in the Data section (Data, Projects, Tasks, Work Requests). You can search for items by

navigating through the tree and folders, or you can click to search for a specific item (see
Searching a Section or Folder (p. 133)).

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Search

In addition to searching for existing items, you can create, upload, and import items in this view.

When using features that require you to select system-related items such as Identities, the Select Items
dialog box does not display a list of items from which you can choose. In this case you must either
display a list by performing a 'search all', or search for a specific item using the available search options.

Here is an overview of the available search actions:

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 Using the 'Select Items' Dialog Box

To perform a search:

1. Choose how you want to search:

• To display a list of items that you can then navigate, simply click in a field in the blue search bar
and press Enter.

• To search for an item, select the desired search mode (p. 136) from the drop-down, then continue
with the steps below.

2. Specify your criteria according to the selected search mode (p. 136). For example, if Simple Search
is selected, type search terms into the blue search bar.

3. Run the search. For Simple Search, pressing Enter after entering a search term runs the search.

Alternatively you can click to run the search.

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Search

4. Select the desired search result.

5. Click OK.

5.5. Search Modes

From simple to advanced methods, there are a number of different ways to search for items in Ansys
Minerva.

Learn about the available search modes:

5.5.1. Keyword Search
5.5.2. Simple Search
5.5.3. Advanced Search
5.5.4. AML Search

5.5.1. Keyword Search

A keyword search can be used to search for items that have a specified keyword or value within the
content of the file, in the file name, or in the properties for the item.

• To perform a general keyword search of all file properties, use the Keywords field.

• To search by a specific property, add the property to the query list, then specify the desired search
criteria in that field.

System-created properties such as Name and Date Modified are immediately available below the
Keywords field. Simply click them to add them to the query list.

Extracted properties such as Boundary Condition and Materials are available on the Add property
drop-down.

You can add as many properties to the query as you wish. Selecting a property directly from the
available properties list initiates the AND operator. To initiate the OR operator instead, use the
control to the right of an existing query entry.

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 Search Modes

5.5.2. Simple Search

Simple Search enables you to perform a search on a specific column in a list view. Simple Search uses
the 'equals' operator with wildcards.

To use Simple Search:

1. Click in the shaded search field below the column header.

2. Type a value and press Enter. Results are displayed below the search fields.

For example, to search for files that are greater than 5 MB in size, you would enter >5 MB in
the Size field:

5.5.3. Advanced Search

Advanced Search is a wizard that enables you to search using properties and search conditions that
cannot be used in Simple Search.

Advanced Search enables you to:

• Search by properties not shown in the main grid

• Include things like the date an item was created, the user that modified it last, and so on

• Search for items with relationships, and search by those relationships

• Use operators such as 'greater than' or 'not equal to', instead of 'equals' with wildcards

• Add as many criteria rows as necessary

Note:

Advanced Search is not available in the Data section.

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Search

To perform an Advanced Search:

1. From the search drop-down, select Advanced Search.

2. Click [Add Criteria] to add a row to the search grid.

You can add more rows to specify additional criteria. Each row is an AND condition.

To delete a row, right-click the row and select Delete Criteria.

3. Click each column and select the criteria from the drop-down lists.

When an [...] ellipsis appears after a column name that means you can perform a lookup by
pressing the F2 on the keyboard.

For each criteria row:

a. Select an ItemType or relationship.

b. Select a Property.

c. Select an Operation that is appropriate for the selected property:

Operator Operator Description

Name
= Equal to Searches Items with properties of the same value as specified in
the search condition. For example, specifying Rev = 001 returns
Items with Revision number 001.
≠ Not equal to Searches all Items with properties having the same value as the
value specified in the search condition. For example, specifying
Rev ≠ 001 returns all Items that do not have the Revision number
001.
< Less than Searches Items with properties having a value less than the value
specified in the search condition. For example, specifying Size
<2MB returns the Items whose file size is less than 2 MB.
<= Less than or Searches Items with properties having a value less than or same
equal to as the value specified in the search condition. For example,
specifying Size <= 2MB returns the Items whose file size is less
than or equal to 2 MB.
> Greater than Searches Items with properties having a value greater than the
value specified in the search condition. For example, specifying
Size > 2MB returns the Items whose file size is greater than 2 MB.
>= Greater than Searches Items with properties having a value greater than or same
or equal to as the value specified in the search condition. For example,
specifying Size >= 2MB returns the Items whose file size is greater
than or equal to 2 MB.
like Allows you to use wildcards '%' and '*' in the search condition. For
example, specifying Name like BR* returns all Items with a name
beginning with BR.

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 Search Modes

Operator Operator Description

Name
not like Inverts the search condition you specify and allows usage of
wildcards '%' and '*' in the search condition. For example, specifying
Name not like BR* returns all Items except those whose name
begins with BR.
null Searches for properties that explicitly have NULL value in the
database. For example, specifying Type null returns all Items for
whom the Type is not specified (property has no value).
not Searches any properties that have a value that has been set. For
null example, specifying Type not null returns all Items for whom the
Type property has some value.

d. Specify a Criteria value.

4. On the toolbar, click .

Example of Advanced Search

In the following example, Advanced Search is used to find all Work Requests that are due before June
28 and are not in a Released state. Advanced Search is used because the Due Date property is not
listed by default in the Work Requests list.

5.5.4. AML Search

This is a raw search mode that uses the Adaptive Markup Language (AML), and therefore requires
knowledge of AML. Use AML search to make complex searches, and use saved searches prepared by
other advanced users, administrators, or developers.

AML Search enables you to perform searches that are not possible with other search modes, including
searches on the following:

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Search

• In relationships and related Items

• In source or parent Items for Relationship Items in the Contents pane

• Using logic in multiple levels at the same time

Tip:

If you start building your search using Simple Search and then switch to AML Search, all
of the criteria that you specified in Simple Search is converted to AML. This saves you from
having to write the search criteria from scratch.

Note:

AML search is not available in the Data section.

For more information about AML search, see the Aras Innovator Programmer's Guide.

5.6. Quick Search

Use Quick Search with predictive text to quickly find an item with a known item number.

Quick Search is available when you select any of the following items in the Contents pane:

• Change Notices

• Jobs

• Projects

• Tasks

• Work Requests

To use Quick Search, start typing the item number of the item you want to find in the Quick Search
box:

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 Enterprise Search

Results appear dynamically as you type. You can then select the desired item from the list of results:

5.7. Enterprise Search

Enterprise search provides a Google-like search experience. It is most useful when you are looking for
a specific item in the system (for example, Task 1234).

Key benefits of enterprise search:

• With one search you can find any (indexed) item in the system

• You can search within file content

• Basic spelling discrepancies are handled for you

• Results can be easily filtered using facets

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Search

Enterprise search is not installed by default, and must be installed by an administrator. For installation
instructions, refer to the Aras Innovator Enterprise Search Installation Guide.

5.8. Search Tips

Here are some tips to help you search more efficiently:

• Use the * wildcard to match zero or more characters at that location. For example, a*b means anything
beginning with a followed by one or more characters and ending with b.

• Use the * wildcard on its own to select non-blank values (for example, to find all files that have an
author, type * in the Author column).

• Search for items beginning or ending with a pattern, (for example, Pow* finds any items beginning
with the specified characters, such as Power cord and Power supply).

• Mathematical comparison operators <, <=, >, >=, and ... (range between two values by specifying
value1...value2) are supported for numeric search criteria.

• SI unit prefixes are supported (for example, to find all files larger than 3 KB, type >3k in the Size
column).

• Use 0 or 1 to select columns with check boxes (0 means the check box is cleared, 1 means the check
box is selected).

• Use the pipe symbol (|) to specify an OR condition for that property only, (for example, to find any
files beginning with 8120 or c81, type 8120*|c81* in the Name column).

5.9. Saving and Retrieving Searches

When you perform a search, the search mode and search terms are saved automatically. When you
subsequently return to an item, the last search is restored automatically, enabling you to run that search
again.

You can save a search for future reuse, meaning that you can reload the search after it is no longer the
last search performed. When saving a search, you can choose to make it available to others at that time.
Once saved, an administrator can change its share settings if needed.

Note:

The Save Search feature is not available in the Data section.

In this section:
5.9.1. Saving a Search
5.9.2. Retrieving a Saved Search
5.9.3. Deleting a Saved Search

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 Saving and Retrieving Searches

5.9.1. Saving a Search

To save the current search for future reuse:

1. Click next to the section heading.

2. Specify save settings in the Favorite Search dialog box:

a. In the Label field, enter a name that identifies the search.

b. To make the search available to others, click in the Share With field, then use the Search
dialog box to select the desired groups and/or users.

c. To make the search available in the menu item's action pane, enable Pin To Quick Access.

3. Click Save.

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Search

Here is an example of a saved search that has been pinned to the quick access menu:

Related Topic: Retrieving a Saved Search (p. 144)

5.9.2. Retrieving a Saved Search

When you save a search, or when a saved search is shared with you, it is available on a drop-down
in the section or page where it was saved:

Simply select the search to load it, and then click to run the search.

Note:

Administrators can access the saved searches of all users by navigating to Administration
→ Saved Searches, making it possible for them to delete, edit, or share any saved search.

5.9.3. Deleting a Saved Search

To delete a saved search:

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 Search Results Display

1. Retrieve the search from the favorites drop-down.

2. Click [Remove from Favorite] next to the drop-down.

3. Confirm that you want to delete the saved search:

5.10. Hiding Search Components

In most sections except for the Data section, a blue search grid is displayed in the list view by default.
This grid is associated with the Simple Search (p. 137) option. Also, any time that you invoke search of
any kind in a section or folder, the associated search components remain displayed.

To hide search components:

• In the Data section, click on the toolbar.

• In all other sections, select Hidden from the search drop-down.

5.11. Search Results Display

When you run a search, results are displayed below the search panel. Selecting items in the results list
(by enabling their check boxes) enables you to act on them using toolbar actions (for example, Download,
Cut, Copy, Rename, and Compare). You can also open an item in another tab by clicking its name, or
navigate to an item's location by clicking its path (or using CTRL+click on the path to open the location
on a new tab).

When numerous results are displayed, use the options at the bottom of the list view to navigate through
results and control the number of results displayed:

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Search

• To navigate between pages of results, use .

• To edit the number of results displayed on a page, enter a value in the Results per Page edit box.

If left blank, the page will display as many results as it can fit.

• For list views outside of the Data section, you can limit the number of results returned by entering
a value in the Maximum Results edit box. For example, entering 12 limits the search results to the
first 12 records:

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Chapter 6: Applications
Learn how to interactively launch Ansys applications, text editors, image editors, and other applications
from Ansys Minerva.

In this section:
6.1. Installing the Ansys Application Launcher
6.2. Launching Applications
6.3. Running Batch Applications
6.4. Running Local Applications
6.5. Running HPC Applications Interactively in a Virtual Desktop Session
6.6. Running a Remote Desktop via EnginFrame
6.7. Running Ansys optiSLang Web Apps

6.1. Installing the Ansys Application Launcher

To be able to launch applications interactively from Ansys Minerva, you must install the Ansys Application
Launcher utility on your computer.

1. In Ansys Minerva, click the user icon in the top right corner of the application header and select
Tools → Application Launcher. This downloads the Ansys Application Launcher installation msi
file to your computer.

2. Run the msi file. It launches an installation wizard:

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Applications

Once the Application Launcher has been installed on your computer, you can launch applications (p. 148)
from Ansys Minerva.

6.2. Launching Applications

You can launch a variety of applications from Ansys Minerva, most of which are geared for the simulation
process.

By default, the following applications are available for launch:

Application Batch Local Remote File Types Assigned by Default

Desktop
Ansys Electronics ✔ ✔ Batch: .aedt
Desktop
Local: .aedt, .aedtz
Ansys Fluent ✔ ✔ .cas, .cas.gz, .cas.h5
Ansys LS-DYNA ✔ .k, .key
Ansys Mechanical APDL ✔ .cdb, .dat, .inp
Ansys optiSLang ✔ .opf
Ansys optiSLang Post ✔ .omdb
Ansys SpaceClaim ✔ .agdb, .asm, .CADPart, .CATProduct, .iges, .igs,
.model, .prt, .sat, .scdoc, .sldasm, .sldprt, .step,
.stp, .x_b, .x_t
Ansys Workbench ✔ ✔ .wbpz

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 Launching Applications

Application Batch Local Remote File Types Assigned by Default

Desktop
HPC VDI ✔ n/a
Python ✔ .py
Remote Desktop ✔ n/a

An administrator can configure Ansys Minerva to make additional applications available. (See the Ap-
plications chapter in the Ansys Minerva Configuration Guide.)

Important:

To be able to launch applications from Ansys Minerva, you must first install the ANSYS Ap-
plication Launcher (p. 147) on your computer.

You can launch applications of all types from the Applications page. Applications that have file types
associated with them (see the table above) can also be launched from files of an associated type in the
Ansys Minerva repository. Applications that do not have any file types associated with them can be
launched from any folder in the repository.

Some applications run locally on your machine, while others are configured to run on remote HPC re-
sources.

In this section:
6.2.1. Launching Applications from the Applications Page
6.2.2. Launching Applications from Files
6.2.3. Launching Applications with No Input Files
6.2.4.Tracking Inputs and Outputs from Application Usage

6.2.1. Launching Applications from the Applications Page

To access applications, select Applications in the Contents pane.

The Applications page contains all of the applications that are available to you. The available applic-
ations may vary depending on how Ansys Minerva has been configured.

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Applications

Each application is identified as one of the following types:

Batch. Launches a job template that enables you to submit a solve job to remote HPC resources.
Local. Runs an application installed on your computer.
HPC VDI. Launches a virtual desktop where you can interact with applications installed in an HPC
cluster. Microsoft's Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is used for Windows sessions, and NICE DCV
is used for Linux sessions. Session management is provided by Distributed Compute Gateway
(DCG).
Remote Desktop. Runs a remote desktop or remotely installed application using a remote visu-
alization application such as VNC Viewer, NICE DCV, or HP RGS. Session management is provided
by EnginFrame.

Applications that you mark as favorites ( ) appear at the top of the page for quick, easy access.

To find a specific application more quickly, use the search (p. 151), filter (p. 151), and sort (p. 151) options.

To launch an application, simply click its tile.

Note:

If an application fails to launch, ensure that you have installed the Ansys Application
Launcher (p. 147) on your computer.

See Also:

Running Batch Applications (p. 155)

Running Local Applications (p. 155)

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 Launching Applications

Running HPC Applications Interactively in a Virtual Desktop Session (p. 157)

Running a Remote Desktop via EnginFrame (p. 178)

Searching for an Application

To search for an application on the Applications page, enter a keyword in the Search field and press
Enter.

The keyword can be associated with any of the following:

• Application name (for example, 'Fluent')

• Application description (for example, 'HPC')

• Application type (for example, 'batch' or 'local')

Application tag names are not eligible for search. To search by tags, use the filter (p. 151) option instead.

Note that only displayed applications are searched. If you want to search all available applications,
you must first clear any filters that you have applied.

Filtering and Sorting Applications

Filter tags are created by administrators and assigned to applications in their properties. For more
information see Defining Applications in the Ansys Minerva Configuration Guide.

• To see which tags are assigned to an application, simply hover over the application to display its
tooltip.

• To filter the display by tags, use the filter option next to the search field.

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Applications

When you select a tag, the list of applications is filtered immediately. The filtered view will be re-
tained for subsequent visits to the Applications page, providing quick, easy access to the applica-
tions that interest you.

Currently applied filters are displayed below the search field. To clear a filter, click its close icon.
To clear all filters, click Clear All.

• To sort applications alphabetically in ascending or descending order, use the Sort by drop-down.

6.2.2. Launching Applications from Files

For certain file types you can launch applications interactively from files in Ansys Minerva (see the
table in Launching Applications (p. 148)). A file may be located on the Data page or on the Input tab
of a task.

When an application includes a specific file type in its definition, the application appears on the Run
menu when a file of that type is selected in the data view or opened for viewing. For example, if you
select an Ansys Workbench .wbpz file, Ansys Workbench (Local) and Ansys Workbench (Batch)
applications are available on the Run menu.

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 Launching Applications

You can also launch an application from a shortcut if the file to which it points is of a type that is
associated with an application. For example, if a shortcut points to a .wbpz file, you can select the
shortcut and launch Ansys Workbench from the shortcut. This also applies to shortcuts that point to
a CAD Document (for example, a CAD assembly containing part files). Ansys Minerva is able to detect
the file type of the item referenced by the shortcut as well as any files that the referenced item contains.

The number of applications on the Run menu depends on the number of applications that include
that file type in their definition. For example, .inp files are used by both Mechanical APDL and
ABAQUS. If application definitions for both MAPDL and ABAQUS exist in the Ansys Minerva configur-
ation, and both definitions include the .inp file type, then both of those applications will be available
on the Run menu when an .inp file is selected.

Note:

If an application fails to launch, ensure that you have installed the ANSYS Application
Launcher (p. 147) on your computer.

6.2.3. Launching Applications with No Input Files

Some applications do not have specific file types associated with them and can be launched without
having to select input files. An example is the HPC VDI application.

In addition to being available on the Applications page, such applications are available on the Run
menu when you are viewing the contents of a folder (with nothing selected in the folder).

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Applications

This functionality is available on the Data page and on the Input tab of a task.

Note:

If an application fails to launch, ensure that you have installed the ANSYS Application
Launcher (p. 147) on your computer.

6.2.4. Tracking Inputs and Outputs from Application Usage

When an application is launched, a Task is created on the Tasks page to keep track of inputs and
outputs. For example:

Note:

If the application is launched from existing Task, no additional Task is created.

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 Running Local Applications

6.3. Running Batch Applications

Applications marked as Batch on the Applications page are in fact batch job templates, which enable
you to run solutions on remote HPC resources.

Ansys Minerva provides the following batch job templates by default:

• Ansys Electronics Desktop

• Ansys Fluent

• Ansys LS-DYNA

• Ansys Mechanical APDL

• Ansys optiSLang

• Ansys Workbench

• Python

When you launch a batch job template, you are prompted to specify a number of job submission settings.
The settings vary from template to template, as they are geared toward the specific application being
run.

For more information, see Submitting a Batch Job (p. 193).

6.4. Running Local Applications

Applications marked as Local on the Applications page are applications that can be launched interactively
on your local computer from Ansys Minerva.

By default, the following applications can be launched locally:

• Ansys Electronics Desktop

• Ansys optiSLang Post

• Ansys SpaceClaim

• Ansys Workbench

Administrators can configure additional local applications if needed.

To launch a local application:

1. Do one of the following:

• In the Contents pane, select Applications. On the Applications page, click the application to
run. When prompted, select the file that you want to open in the application. You can also select
a shortcut to the file if desired.

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Applications

• If an application has specific file types associated with it, select a relevant input file in Ansys
Minerva (or a shortcut to the file) and select Run → Application Name (Local) on the toolbar
or context menu.

• If an application does not have file types associated with it and does not require input files, you
can launch the application from the Run menu when viewing the contents of a folder in the
Data view or when viewing the Input tab of a task.

2. Specify settings in the Launch Application dialog box:

a. Select the file(s) that you want to open in the application. Selecting a shortcut to a file is also
acceptable. You are required to select an input file unless an administrator has changed the
configuration to remove this requirement (see Launching Applications with no Input File Re-
quired.)

b. Specify a folder for the output files.

• If the application is being launched from a file in the Data view, this setting defaults to the
folder that contains the input file, but can be changed to a different folder if desired.

• If the application is being launched from the Applications page, this setting is optional. If
specified, it enables output files to be displayed in the specified folder. If not specified,
output files will only be available on the Output tab of the task that is created for the ap-
plication launch.

• If the application is being launched from the Input tab of a task, the Output Folder setting
is unavailable. Output will only be written to the task's Output tab.

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 Running HPC Applications Interactively in a Virtual Desktop Session

c. Click Run.

A task for the application launch is created on the Tasks page. Selected input files are displayed on the
task's Input tab.

In addition, a working directory is created for the session on your local machine. The working directory
contains files that are used, modified, and/or generated by the application during the session. By default,
working directories are created under the following directory: %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\ap-
plaunch (for example, C:\Users\jdoe\applaunch).

The working directory name has the format {UtcTimestamp} - {TruncatedAppName}. For example:

20220128135142-electronics
20220128135142-spaceclaim
20220128135142-workbench

When you close the application, files that were generated or modified during your session are uploaded
from the local working directory to Ansys Minerva. The location of these output files depends on how
you launched the application, and what you specified as the Output Folder (if applicable).

6.5. Running HPC Applications Interactively in a Virtual Desktop Session

When you need to perform interactive tasks using an Ansys application, but do not have access to a
local machine that is capable of completing those tasks, you can run a remotely installed version of the

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Applications

application in a virtual desktop session. The session runs on an on-premises HPC cluster, providing extra
computational power and greater flexibility when carrying out your simulation workflows.

By default, Ansys Minerva provides an HPC VDI application that enables you to launch a virtual desktop
easily:

The application prompts you to select a queue and input files for the session. The chosen queue de-
termines whether the virtual desktop will be a Windows or Linux desktop. To run the virtual desktop,
you must meet the requirements outlined in Prerequisites for a Virtual Desktop Session (p. 158).

The virtual desktop is launched in an independent remote visualization window (either Microsoft Remote
Desktop or NICE DCV). You interact with the virtual desktop just as you would with a local desktop.

Interaction with the cluster is handled by Distributed Compute Gateway (DCG). DCG integrates with
job schedulers to submit, monitor, and manage jobs.

When you end the session, any files modified or generated during the session are automatically written
back to Ansys Minerva, enabling you to view, manage, and download the files.

In this section:
6.5.1. Prerequisites for a Virtual Desktop Session
6.5.2. Launching a Virtual Desktop Session
6.5.3. Managing Files in a Virtual Desktop Session
6.5.4. Monitoring Sessions in the DCG Portal
6.5.5. Closing a Virtual Desktop Temporarily
6.5.6. Relaunching a Virtual Desktop
6.5.7. Ending a Virtual Desktop Session

See also: Running a Remote Desktop via EnginFrame (p. 178)

6.5.1. Prerequisites for a Virtual Desktop Session

Administrators are responsible for configuring remote desktop services on HPC compute nodes and
completing other configuration tasks as described in Remote Desktop via Distributed Compute
Gateway (DCG) in the Ansys Minerva Configuration Guide.

To run a virtual desktop session on an HPC cluster, you must have a specific remote visualization client
installed on your computer and be able to sign in to Distributed Compute Gateway (DCG). All require-
ments are described in more detail below.

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 Running HPC Applications Interactively in a Virtual Desktop Session

Remote Visualization Client

To run a virtual desktop session, you must have a remote visualization client installed on your computer
(the computer on which you are accessing Ansys Minerva). The client that is required depends on
whether you are connecting to a Windows cluster or a Linux cluster.

Windows Microsoft's Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is used to connect to a Windows HPC cluster
through a Remote Desktop Connection client.

There is nothing that you need to install, as the Remote Desktop Connection client is
integrated into Microsoft Windows.
Linux AWS's NICE DCV is used to connect to a Linux HPC cluster. To run a virtual desktop
session, you must install the NICE DCV client application on your computer.

• If you are accessing Ansys Minerva via a browser on a Windows desktop, you must
install the NICE DCV Windows client. To download the client, go to https://
docs.aws.amazon.com/dcv/latest/userguide/client-windows.html.

The Windows client is supported on 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 8.1 and
Windows 10.

The Windows client requires the following additional software:

– .NET Framework 4.6.2

– Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio

• If you are accessing Ansys Minerva via a browser on a Linux desktop, you must install
the NICE DCV Linux client. To download the client, go to https://docs.aws.amazon.com/
dcv/latest/userguide/client-linux.html.

The Linux client is supported on RHEL 7.x and CentOS 7.x, RHEL 8.x and CentOS 8.x,
SUSE Linux Enterprise 15.x, Ubuntu 18.04 and 20.04.

For the most up-to-date information on prerequisites and supported operating systems,
refer to https://docs.aws.amazon.com.mcas.ms/dcv/latest/userguide/client.html.

Access Requirements
You must have a user account in Distributed Compute Gateway (DCG) as you will need to sign in to
DCG when setting up your virtual desktop session. This authentication allows HPC Services to start a
remote session on the HPC compute node.

If you want to run a virtual desktop session on a Linux cluster, you must have an NIS user account
on the HPC compute node. This authentication allows your DCV client to connect to the remote session.

For more information about these requirements, contact your administrator.

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Applications

6.5.2. Launching a Virtual Desktop Session

The default HPC VDI application launches a virtual desktop from which you can launch remotely in-
stalled applications. You interact with the applications in a virtual desktop window and then end the
session when you are finished using them.

To launch a virtual desktop session:

1. Ensure that you have met the Prerequisites for a Virtual Desktop Session (p. 158).

2. Launch the HPC VDI application. There are different ways to do this:

• In the Contents pane, select Applications. On the Applications page, select the HPC VDI
application.

• In the Data view, open any folder and select Run → HPC VDI (HPC VDI).

• On the Input tab of an active work request task, select Run → HPC VDI (HPC VDI).

3. In the Run HPC VDI (HPC VDI) dialog box, specify the following settings:

• Name. Specify a name to identify the session in Ansys Minerva. The session will be available
as a job on the Jobs page.

• Input Files. Optionally select the input files that you would like to use in your session. Files
will be transferred to a working directory on the remote resource. You can also upload files
to the remote resource during the virtual desktop session. See Managing Files in a Virtual
Desktop Session (p. 168).

• Queue. Select a job submission queue. Available queues represent queues defined in Distributed
Compute Gateway (DCG). Each DCG queue is mapped to a cluster queue.

You must select a queue whose associated nodes are configured to provide remote desktop
functionality.

The queue that is selected determines whether Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) or
NICE DCV is used to deliver the virtual desktop session. If the queue is associated with a Win-
dows cluster, RDP is used. If the queue is associated with a Linux cluster, DCV is used.

• Keep job outputs on HPC head node. This setting does not apply to VDI sessions. It is only
valid for batch job submission to an on-premises HPC cluster.

• Output Folder. (Optional) Specify the Ansys Minerva folder to which output files will be copied
when the session is closed:

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– If the application is being launched from a folder in the Data view, this setting defaults to
that folder, but can be changed to a different folder if desired.

– If the application is being launched from the Applications page, this setting is optional. If
specified, it enables output files to be displayed in the specified folder. If not specified,
output files will only be available on the Output tab of the job view.

– If the application is being launched from the Input tab of a task, the Output Folder setting
is unavailable. Output will only be written to the task's Output tab.

4. Click Submit.

5. If prompted, sign in to Distributed Compute Gateway (DCG):

A job is created.

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Input files are downloaded from Ansys Minerva, and a request is made for a remote machine.
This may take a few minutes.

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6. When the resource has been provisioned and the job is in the Running state, click Connect in
the job view:

At this point, the experience differs depending on whether you are connecting to a remote session
on a Windows or Linux cluster:
6.5.2.1. Launching a VDI Session on a Windows Cluster
6.5.2.2. Launching a VDI Session on a Linux Cluster

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6.5.2.1. Launching a VDI Session on a Windows Cluster

When you choose to connect to a remote session on a Windows HPC cluster, a Remote Desktop
Protocol (.rdp) file is downloaded to your computer. The file appears in your browser downloads.
For example:

You can also find the file in your default download folder.

To start a remote desktop session, open the .rdp file.

A virtual desktop is launched in a remote desktop window. You can launch applications through
the Start menu and desktop shortcuts, just as you would on your local Windows desktop.

The file explorer displays the folder containing your input files. Any files that are modified or gen-
erated during the session should be saved in this folder so that they can be automatically transferred
to Ansys Minerva when the session is closed. See Managing Files in a Virtual Desktop Session (p. 168).

If you minimize or navigate away from a remote session window, a specially marked shortcut on
your Windows taskbar enables you to bring the window back into view:

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6.5.2.2. Launching a VDI Session on a Linux Cluster

When you choose to connect to a remote session on a Linux HPC cluster, a .dcv file is downloaded
to your computer. The file appears in your browser downloads. For example:

You can also find the file in your computer's default download folder.

1. Open the .dcv file.

A NICE DCV window appears. Depending on how DCV is configured, you may see the following
dialog:

This dialog is verifying a server certificate. For more information, see Configuring Remote
Desktop for a Linux Cluster.

Click Trust and Connect to continue.

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A NICE DCV login window appears:

2. Enter the password for your account on the remote machine.

3. Click Login. This authenticates the DCV client with the remote session. A connection to the
session is made.

You may be prompted to unlock the screen. For example:

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 Running HPC Applications Interactively in a Virtual Desktop Session

In this case, enter the same password that you used to connect to the DCV session, then click
Unlock. To prevent screen locking in the future, talk to your administrator about adjusting
screen lock settings.

The desktop is displayed. The type of desktop displayed depends on the operating environment
of the remote resource. The following example shows a GNOME desktop on a SUSE Linux
machine:

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In this example you could open a terminal window (do a search for 'Terminal') and launch an
application via the command line.

6.5.3. Managing Files in a Virtual Desktop Session

When you launch a virtual desktop using the HPC VDI application, any input files that you selected
in the Run HPC VDI (HPC VDI) dialog box are downloaded from Ansys Minerva to a working directory
on the remote resource.

Windows Desktop
In a Windows virtual desktop session you can use Windows File Explorer to access the working directory.
By default, File Explorer opens with the working directory displayed. For example:

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By default, all of your local drives are automatically mapped to the virtual machine when you establish
the remote desktop connection. This enables you to copy files that are on your local machine to the
working directory. Keep in mind that any files that you want transferred back to Ansys Minerva (output
files, for example) must be written to the working directory.

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Linux Desktop
In a Linux virtual desktop session, input files are uploaded to the directory defined by the HOME
variable. You can use the Linux File Manager to view the working directory. For example:

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In a Linux session you can also use the Storage function in the NICE DCV client window to access the
working directory. For example:

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In the Files Storage window you can add folders to the working directory and view, upload, and
download files. (Note that you cannot upload folders.)

Managing Output Files

When you run applications from the virtual desktop, you must ensure that output files are written to
the working directory. (They can be written to a sub-folder if desired). When the remote session is
closed, any new or modified files are automatically transferred from this directory to an output folder
in Ansys Minerva.

The location of the output folder in Ansys Minerva depends on what was specified for the Output
Folder setting during session setup, and how the HPC VDI application was launched:

• If the application was launched from a folder in the Data view, output files are written to that
folder unless a different folder was specified during session setup.

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• If the application was launched from the Applications page, output files are written to the Output
tab of the job item associated with the remote session. If an output folder was specified during
session setup, output files are written to that folder.

• If the application was launched from the Input tab of a task, output files will only be written to
the task's Output tab.

Note:

If you close the remote desktop window (p. 174), files are not transferred back to Ansys
Minerva. It is not until you end the session (p. 177) that files are transferred.

6.5.4. Monitoring Sessions in the DCG Portal

When you launch a virtual desktop session using the HPC VDI application, Ansys Minerva communicates
with Distributed Compute Gateway (DCG), an HPC portal that connects your computer to a cluster
for performing computational tasks. DCG manages the interaction between you and the remote re-
source, and integrates with job schedulers to submit, monitor, and manage jobs.

You can use the DCG portal to view the status of sessions, view session transcripts, access the directory
containing job files, and end sessions that may have been left running.

To access the DCG portal from Ansys Minerva:

1. Open any job that is associated with a remote session.

2. In the job view, click Open Portal.

3. Sign in to the DCG portal.

The DCG portal opens. A view of the job from which you launched the portal is displayed:

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To see a list of all jobs with their status, select Jobs in the navigation pane.

For more information about managing jobs in DCG, refer to the Distributed Compute Gateway
documentation.

6.5.5. Closing a Virtual Desktop Temporarily

If you have not finished your remote work, you can close the virtual desktop temporarily and later
relaunch (p. 176) it when you are ready to resume your work.

Windows Desktop
To close a Windows virtual desktop temporarily:

1. Disconnect the session in one of the following ways:

• Click the close button on the Remote Desktop Connection control panel at the top of the
screen:

• On the virtual desktop, select Start > (Power) > Disconnect.

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 Running HPC Applications Interactively in a Virtual Desktop Session

2. When prompted, click OK to confirm that you want to disconnect:

The remote desktop window is closed, and you are no longer connected to the remote computer.
The job associated with the remote session remains in the Running state, enabling you to re-
start (p. 176) the virtual desktop later.

Linux Desktop
To close a Linux virtual desktop temporarily:

1. In the NICE DCV window, click the drop-down showing the remote machine name.

2. Select Disconnect.

Important:

• Disconnecting a remote session is intended for short-term use. Closing a Windows or

Linux virtual desktop using the methods above does not end the job from which the
remote session was launched, and does not transfer any files back to Ansys Minerva.
Any applications that were running during the remote session will continue to run. If

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you have in fact finished your remote work and do not need to relaunch the virtual
desktop, then you should instead end the virtual desktop session (p. 177).

• DO NOT use the Shutdown option in the desktop's power options ( ) to end a virtual
desktop session. This will turn the remote machine off.

6.5.6. Relaunching a Virtual Desktop

If you have closed (p. 174) your virtual desktop temporarily using a disconnect action in the remote
desktop window, you can relaunch the virtual desktop to resume your work.

There are a few different ways that you can do this:

• In Ansys Minerva, open the job item that is associated with the virtual session. In the job view, click
Connect. The connection file is downloaded again (it is renamed with a number). Open the con-
nection file. (The contents of the file will always be the same for this job.)

• Go to your browser downloads or the default download location on your computer and open the
connection file that was previously downloaded.

• If you disconnected from a Linux desktop, you can also reconnect to the session using the Connect
option in the NICE DCV window:

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6.5.7. Ending a Virtual Desktop Session

When you are finished your remote work, you should end the virtual desktop session to stop applic-
ations from running and free up the remote resource.

To end the session, open the associated job in Ansys Minerva and click Close in the job view.

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When you end a session, output files are transferred back to Ansys Minerva to the Output Folder that
was specified in the Run HPC VDI (HPC VDI) dialog box when you launched the session (see
Launching a Virtual Desktop Session (p. 160)).

When the file transfer is complete, the state of the job changes to Completed.

6.6. Running a Remote Desktop via EnginFrame

Note:

This method of running remote desktop sessions requires an administrator to install

EnginFrame and perform the configuration steps described in Remote Desktop via En-
ginFrame in the Configuration Guide. You will also need to install a remote visualization
application (p. 179) on your computer. If your organization has not configured this feature,
or you do not want to install a remote visualization application, you can run a remote
desktop using Microsoft RDP (p. 157), which does not require anything to be installed
or configured.

If an administrator has configured remote desktop functionality to be delivered via EnginFrame, as de-
scribed in Remote Desktop via EnginFrame, the following two applications are available by default for
launching a remote desktop using a remote visualization application:

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 Running a Remote Desktop via EnginFrame

Administrators may configure additional applications that launch specific applications in a remote
desktop session. Such applications are of the type 'Remote Desktop'.

When a session is launched, Ansys Minerva communicates with EnginFrame, an HPC application portal
that connects your computer to the host server and integrates with a job scheduler to submit, monitor,
and manage jobs in an HPC environment.

You interact with the remotely installed application on your local desktop just as you would if you were
running a locally installed version of the application. Files that are generated or modified during your
session are written back to Ansys Minerva and made accessible through the associated job item.

To be able to run applications remotely, you must have a remote visualization application (p. 179) installed
on your computer.

Learn how to launch and manage remote desktop sessions:

6.6.1. Installing a Remote Visualization Application
6.6.2. Launching a Remote Desktop Session
6.6.3. Managing Files in Remote Sessions
6.6.4. Monitoring Sessions in the EnginFrame Portal
6.6.5. Closing and Relaunching the Remote Desktop Window
6.6.6. Closing a Remote Desktop Session

6.6.1. Installing a Remote Visualization Application

In order to run remote applications on your local desktop, you must have a remote visualization ap-
plication installed on your computer. Examples include:

• VNC Viewer — see https://www.realvnc.com/en/connect/download/viewer/

• NICE DCV — see http://www.nice-software.com/products/dcv

• HP® Remote Graphics Software (HP® RGS) — see http://www8.hp.com/us/en/campaigns/workstations/

remote-graphics-software.html

For a complete list of remote visualization applications supported by EnginFrame, see Remote Visu-
alization Technologies in the EnginFrame Quick Start Guide.

6.6.2. Launching a Remote Desktop Session

The Remote Desktop application on the Applications page launches a remote visualization window
in which you can launch remote solvers using the command line and interact with them graphically.
By default, an Ansys Fluent - Remote Desktop application is also available. This application enables
you to launch a remote version of Ansys Fluent in a remote visualization window without having to
use the command line.

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Administrators can define additional Remote Desktop applications that launch a specific application
in a remote desktop session. See Defining Applications. Such applications are available on the Applic-
ations page and on the Run menu when associated input files are selected in Ansys Minerva.

To be able to launch a remote desktop session, you must have a remote visualization application (p. 179)
installed on your computer.

To launch a remote desktop session:

1. Choose what you want to launch:

• If an application of the type Remote Desktop is defined for an application that you want to
launch (for example, Ansys Fluent - Remote Desktop), you can launch the remote application
in the following ways:

– In the Contents pane, select Applications. On the Applications page, click the desired ap-
plication tile (for example, Ansys Fluent - Remote Desktop).

– Select a file in Ansys Minerva. This may be a file on the Data page or on the Input tab of a
task. Then, select Run → Application Name (Remote Desktop) on the toolbar or context
menu.

• If you want to launch a remote desktop that provides access to multiple applications, you can
launch the remote desktop in the following ways:

– In the Contents pane, select Applications. On the Applications page, click the Remote
Desktop (Remote Desktop) tile.

– On the Data page, open any folder and select Run → Remote Desktop (Remote Desktop).

– On the Input tab of a task, select Run → Remote Desktop (Remote Desktop).

You are prompted to set up your session:

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2. Set up your session by specifying the following:

• Name. Specify a name to identify the session in Ansys Minerva and the EnginFrame portal.

• Queue. Select a job submission queue. Available queues represent EnginFrame queues and
are defined in the Job Server definition named Remote Desktop Server.

• Command Line Arguments. Specify any command line arguments that you would like to pass
to EnginFrame. If you selected the Remote Desktop application, you can enter the solver ex-
ecutable path as well any arguments that you want passed to the solver. Alternatively you can
leave this field blank for now and enter command line arguments from a console in the remote
desktop window. If you selected an application such as Ansys Fluent - Remote Desktop, you
do not need to specify the solver executable path, only arguments.

• Input Files. Select the input files that you would like to use in your session. Files will be
transferred to a working directory created specifically for the session in the jobs root directory.

• Output Folder. (Optional) Specify the Ansys Minerva folder to which output files will be copied
when the session is closed:

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– If the application is being launched from a file in the Data view, this setting defaults to the
folder that contains the input file, but can be changed to a different folder if desired.

– If the application is being launched from the Applications page, this setting is optional. If
specified, it enables output files to be displayed in the specified folder. If not specified,
output files will only be available on the Output tab of the task that is created for the session
launch.

– If the application is being launched from the Input tab of a task, the Output Folder setting
is unavailable. Output will only be written to the task's Output tab.

• User Name/Password. Enter your OS credentials. These are required for signing in to Engin-
Frame, and for file transfers.

3. Click Submit.

A request is sent to start a session. This may take a few seconds. When the session is launched,
a Remote Desktop job is created in Ansys Minerva, enabling you to manage and monitor the
session:

4. In the job view, click Connect. You are prompted to open or save a .vnc text file:

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 Running a Remote Desktop via EnginFrame

5. Select Open with and then select your remote visualization application (p. 179) from the drop-
down. Click OK.

The application attempts to connect you to the remote server:

You may receive a warning similar to the following:

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Enable Don't warn me about this again, then click Continue.

A remote visualization window opens on your desktop.

If you selected an application such as Ansys Fluent - Remote Desktop, the specified solver is
automatically launched in the remote visualization window.

If you selected the Remote Desktop application and specified a solver executable path in the
Command Line Arguments, the specified solver is automatically launched in the remote visualiz-
ation window. If you did not specify Command Line Arguments when setting up the session, a
VNC console is displayed in the remote visualization window, enabling you to enter commands:

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6.6.3. Managing Files in Remote Sessions

When you launch a remote desktop session, any input files that you selected in the Run Remote
Desktop dialog box are downloaded from Ansys Minerva to a unique working directory created for
the session. During the session, any files generated or modified by the remote solver are also written
to this directory.

When you close the remote desktop session (p. 187), files are transferred from the session working
directory to an output folder in Ansys Minerva. If you did not specify an Output Folder in the Run
Remote Desktop dialog box when setting up the session, the files are uploaded to the Output tab
of the associated Remote Desktop job. If the job is not currently open, you can access it from the
Jobs page.

Note:

If you close the remote desktop window (p. 186) instead of closing the session, no files are
transferred back to Ansys Minerva.

6.6.4. Monitoring Sessions in the EnginFrame Portal

When you launch a remote desktop session, Ansys Minerva communicates with EnginFrame, an HPC
application portal that connects your computer to a host server where you can launch applications
and perform computational tasks. EnginFrame manages the interaction between you and the execution
node, and integrates with job schedulers to submit, monitor, and manage jobs.

You can access the EnginFrame portal from any Remote Desktop job view in Ansys Minerva.

Use the EnginFrame portal to:

• View a list of remote desktop sessions (active and closed)

• View details about a session

• View cluster information:

– Status and availability of nodes

– Jobs per node

– CPU/Memory usage per node

• Open a new remote session

• Specify the display resolution to use for new remote sessions

• Close a session

To access the EnginFrame portal:

1. In Ansys Minerva, go to the Jobs page and open any Remote Desktop job.

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2. In the job view, click .

6.6.5. Closing and Relaunching the Remote Desktop Window

If you have launched a remote desktop session but are not finished your remote work, you can close
the remote desktop window temporarily and relaunch it later so that you can continue where you
left off.

If you are finished your remote work and do not need to relaunch the desktop, you should close the
session (p. 187) instead.

To close the remote desktop window, simply click the window's close button.

To relaunch the remote desktop window, open the associated Remote Desktop job in Ansys Minerva

and click .

Note:

• Closing an application in the remote desktop window closes the application on the re-
mote machine. The remote desktop window remains open.

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 Running Ansys optiSLang Web Apps

• When you close the remote desktop window, the session remains active in EnginFrame,
enabling you to connect to it again afterward. The associated job in Ansys Minerva re-
mains in the Running state.

6.6.6. Closing a Remote Desktop Session

When you are finished working with a remote application, you should close the remote desktop session
using one of the methods below:

• Open the associated Remote Desktop job in Ansys Minerva and click in the job view.

• Go to the EnginFrame portal (p. 185) and click the session's close button.

Note:

Closing the remote desktop window does not close the session from which it was launched.
If you do the close the window, you can connect to the session again using the Connect
action in the job view in Ansys Minerva. See Closing and Relaunching the Remote Desktop
Window (p. 186).

When you close a session, output files are transferred back to Ansys Minerva to the Output Folder
that was specified in the Run Remote Desktop dialog box when you launched the session. If a folder
was not specified, the files are written to the Output tab of the associated Remote Desktop job. When
the file transfer is complete, the state of the job changes to Completed.

6.7. Running Ansys optiSLang Web Apps

The Ansys optiSLang Web Service is a platform to publish, manage, and monitor multiple optiSLang
projects. It enables you to define workflows that automate and standardize tasks performed in optiSLang,
and execute those workflows remotely.

If Ansys Minerva has been configured to integrate with the Ansys optiSLang Web Service, any wizards
that are available in the Ansys optiSLang Web Service have a corresponding web app on the Applications
page in Ansys Minerva. For example:

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The optiSLang web apps in Ansys Minerva enable you to execute optiSLang workflows using the
optiSLang Web Service. Each app launches a wizard that is designed to execute a specific workflow.
For example:

Monitoring the Job

Upon completion of a wizard, a job is submitted to the optiSLang Web Service machine, and a job item
is created in Ansys Minerva so that you can monitor the progress of execution. While in the job view
you can view monitoring information from the optiSLang Web Service by clicking the Details drop-
down in the Running Job row:

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Accessing Job Output

When the job completes, output files are copied to the Output tab of the job item in Ansys Minerva,
providing instant access to results:

6.7.1. Accessing the optiSLang Web Service Portal

When you launch an optiSLang workflow using an optiSLang web app in Ansys Minerva, the workflow
is submitted to the optiSLang Web Service. The Web Service portal enables you view and monitor
workflow projects using a web browser.

Accessing the Portal via a Web Browser

If you know the URL of the optiSLang Web Service portal, simply enter it in your browser address bar.
You may be prompted to sign in. By default, the portal opens with a list of submitted projects displayed:

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Applications

If you do not know the URL of the optiSLang Web Service portal, you can obtain it from a user with
administrator privileges. Administrators can obtain the URL from the job server definition of the
optiSLang Web App Server (Administration → Job Management → Job Servers).

Accessing the Portal via a Submitted Job in Ansys Minerva

If you have used an optiSLang web app to submit a workflow to the optiSLang Web Service, you can
access the optiSLang Web Service portal directly from Ansys Minerva:

1. Go to the Jobs page and open an optiSLang Web App job.

2. In the job view, click .

The job monitor is displayed:

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Chapter 7: Jobs
Learn how to submit solve jobs to an HPC cluster from Ansys Minerva.

In this section:
7.1. Submitting a Batch Job
7.2. Monitoring Jobs in Ansys Minerva
7.3. Monitoring Jobs in the Distributed Compute Gateway (DCG) Portal
7.4. Monitoring Jobs in the Ansys Cloud Portal
7.5. Accessing Jobs
7.6. Accessing Output Files

Note:

It is assumed that an administrator has configured job submission on the Ansys Minerva
server. For details see Batch Job Submission in the Ansys Minerva Configuration Guide.

7.1. Submitting a Batch Job

For certain simulation file types you can submit a solve job from Ansys Minerva to a remote HPC cluster.
This can be a cluster on your company's premises or in Ansys Cloud.

Batch jobs submitted to an on-premises HPC cluster are routed through Ansys Distributed Compute
Gateway (DCG), where cluster configurations and queues are defined. You can monitor jobs in Ansys
Minerva or the DCG portal.

Batch jobs submitted to Ansys Cloud can be monitored in Ansys Minerva or the Ansys Cloud portal
(https://cloud.ansys.com).

Built-in job templates are available for Ansys Electronics Desktop (AEDT), Fluent, LS-DYNA, Mechanical
APDL (MAPDL), optiSLang, and Workbench. Custom job submission from a Python script is also supported.

Administrators can create custom job templates for other job types (See Job Templates in the Ansys
Minerva Configuration Guide).

Jobs can be launched from the Applications panel or directly from input files. Once submitted, a job
runs in batch mode, meaning that it runs to completion on remote resources without any intervention
from you.

In this section:
7.1.1. Job Submission Basics
7.1.2. Submitting an Ansys Electronics Desktop Batch Job

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Jobs

7.1.3. Submitting an Ansys Fluent Batch Job

7.1.4. Submitting an Ansys LS-DYNA Batch Job
7.1.5. Submitting an Ansys Mechanical APDL Batch Job
7.1.6. Submitting an Ansys Workbench Batch Job
7.1.7. Submitting an Ansys optiSLang Project Using the Ansys optiSLang Batch Application
7.1.8. Submitting an Ansys optiSLang Project Using an Application Built from an optiSLang Web App
7.1.9. Submitting a Python Batch Job

7.1.1. Job Submission Basics

The general process of submitting a job is described below. Details about specific job types are de-
scribed in subsequent topics.

1. Launch a job in one of the following ways:

• From the Applications page: In the table of contents, select Applications.

On the Applications page, click the application that you want to run.

For more information see Launching Applications from the Applications Page (p. 149).

• From files: If an application has file types associated with, select or open the desired input
file(s) in the Data section or on the Input tab of a task.

On the toolbar or context menu, select Run → Application Name.

For more information see Launching Applications from Files (p. 152).

• From folders: If an application does not have file types associated with it and does not require
input files, you can launch the application from the Run menu when viewing the contents of
a folder in the Data view, or from the Input tab of a task.

For more information see Launching Applications with No Input Files (p. 153).

2. In the Run Batch dialog box, specify the desired job submission settings. These vary depending
on the job template.

3. Click Submit.

Depending on the queue that you selected, the job is submitted to either Ansys Distributed
Compute Gateway (DCG) for execution on an on-premises HPC cluster, or Ansys Cloud.

4. If you are submitting a job to an on-premises cluster for the first time, or have not previously
cached your credentials for DCG, you are prompted to sign in to DCG:

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 Submitting a Batch Job

a. Enter your DCG username and password.

b. If you want to cache your credentials to avoid having to log in again in the future, enable
Remember My Login.

c. Click Login.

Once the job has been submitted, you can monitor (p. 210) the job's status in Ansys Minerva. If
the job was submitted to an on-premises cluster, you can also monitor the job in the DCG portal
(see Monitoring Jobs in the Distributed Compute Gateway (DCG) Portal (p. 214)). If the job was
submitted to Ansys Cloud, you can also monitor the job in the Ansys Cloud portal (see Monitoring
Jobs in the Ansys Cloud Portal (p. 216)).

7.1.2. Submitting an Ansys Electronics Desktop Batch Job

To submit an Ansys Electronics Desktop job from Ansys Minerva to an HPC cluster:

1. Launch the job in one of the following ways:

• From a file. Select or open the desired Ansys Electronics Desktop project (.aedt file), then
select Run → Ansys Electronics Desktop (Batch) on the toolbar or context menu.

• From the Applications page. In the Contents pane, select Applications. On the Applications
page, click the Ansys Electronics Desktop batch application.

2. In the Run Batch dialog box, specify the job submission settings as described below.

Analysis Specification

Version. The version of AEDT to run.

Project. The AEDT project (.aedt file) to submit with the job.

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Jobs

Output Folder. The Ansys Minerva folder to which output files will be written.

If the job is being launched from a file in the Data view, this setting defaults to the folder
from which the job is being launched, but can be changed to a different folder if desired.

If the job is being launched from the Applications page, this setting is optional. If specified,
it enables output files to be displayed in the specified folder. If not specified, output files will
only be available on the Output tab of the associated job item.

If the job is being launched from the Input tab of a task, the Output Folder setting is not
available, as output is written to the task's Output tab in this case.

Analysis setups and Batch options. These settings correspond to settings on the Analysis
Specification tab in the Submit Job To dialog box in Ansys Electronics Desktop. See RSM
Integration with Job Management UI in the Ansys Electronics Online Help for details. Note that
additional options may be available once metadata extraction of the input file has completed,
such as the ability to specify the setup to be updated.

Compute Resources

The settings on this tab correspond to settings on the Compute Resources tab in the Submit
Job To dialog box in Ansys Electronics Desktop. See RSM Integration with Job Management
UI in the Ansys Electronics Online Help for details.

The key setting to specify is the Queue, which may be an Ansys Distributed Compute Gateway
(DCG) or Ansys Cloud queue. A DCG queue may incorporate the name of a job scheduler in
its name (for example, 'WB-Reg_pbs' for a PBS queue), or follow some other naming convention
specified by your company. Ansys Cloud queues typically incorporate information such as a
solver version and region in their name (for example, 'Flexible_Standard_HC44rs_2022R1_east-
us').

For a job submitted to an on-premises cluster via DCG: By default, DCG releases a job shortly
after it completes: job files are removed from the HPC cluster, and the job is removed from
the DCG portal. To keep the job in DCG, and keep the job folder on the HPC cluster, enable
the Keep job outputs on HPC head node option.

Note:

If the AEDT job is being submitted to an Ansys RSM Cluster (ARC), do not enable
the RAM per core in GB option. Doing so will cause the job to fail, as this option
is intended for third-party schedulers only.

Scheduler Options

Here you can specify a unique Cluster job name if desired. To specify additional scheduler
options, enable the Show advanced options check box, which displays an Additional Options
pane.

The settings on this tab correspond to settings on the Scheduler Options tab in the Submit
Job To dialog box in Ansys Electronics Desktop. For more information, see High Performance
Computing (HPC) Integration in the Ansys Electronics Online Help.

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 Submitting a Batch Job

3. Click Submit.

You can monitor (p. 210) the job's status in Ansys Minerva and/or the web portal associated with the
HPC resource to which you submitted the job (DCG or Ansys Cloud).

7.1.3. Submitting an Ansys Fluent Batch Job

Follow the steps below to submit an Ansys Fluent job from Ansys Minerva to an HPC cluster. Before
submitting a Fluent batch job, you may want to review the Recommendation for Fluent Journal
Files (p. 198).

1. Launch the job in one of the following ways:

• From files. Select one or more Fluent input files (.cas, .dat, .jou), then select Run → Ansys
Fluent (Batch) on the toolbar or context menu.

• From the Applications page. In the Contents pane, select Applications. On the Applications
page, click the Ansys Fluent batch application.

2. In the Run Batch dialog box, specify the job submission settings as described below. For more
information about these settings, refer to the Fluent documentation.

Input Files

The Case File, Data File, and Journal File to be used as inputs for the solution. You can also
select Additional Files to submit with the job.

Solver Settings

Version. The version of Fluent to run.

Dimension. Choose 2D or 3D.
Double Precision. Enable the check box to select double precision.

Hardware Settings

Queue. An Ansys Distributed Compute Gateway (DCG) or Ansys Cloud queue. A DCG
queue may incorporate the name of a job scheduler in its name (for example, 'WB-
Reg_pbs' for a PBS queue), or follow some other naming convention specified by
your company. Ansys Cloud queues typically incorporate information such as a
solver version and region in their name (for example, 'Flexible_Stand-
ard_HC44rs_2022R1_eastus').
Keep job outputs on HPC head node. Applies only to jobs submitted to an on-
premises cluster via DCG. Keeps the job in the DCG portal after the job completes,
and keeps the job folder on the HPC cluster.
Processing Options. During a Serial run, all computation is done by a single process
running on one processor. A Parallel run allows you to compute a solution by using
multiple processes that may be executing on the same computer, or on different
computers in a network.

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Output Files

Output Folder. The Ansys Minerva folder to which output files will be written.

If the job is being launched from a file in the Data view, this setting defaults to the folder
from which the job is being launched, but can be changed to a different folder if desired.

If the job is being launched from the Applications page, this setting is optional. If specified,
it enables output files to be displayed in the specified folder. If not specified, output files will
only be available on the Output tab of the associated job item.

If the job is being launched from the Input tab of a task, the Output Folder setting is not
available, as output is written to the task's Output tab in this case.

3. Click Submit.

You can monitor (p. 210) the job's status in Ansys Minerva and/or the web portal associated with the
HPC resource to which you submitted the job (DCG or Ansys Cloud).

Recommendation for Fluent Journal Files

Occasionally the Fluent application may not exit when a batch job completes, leaving it to consume
resources in DCG or Ansys Cloud.

To prevent Fluent batch jobs from hanging in this way, consider adding code to the beginning of
your Fluent journal files, before the first command.

The sample code below includes comments to aid in understanding:

; In case of an error, exit Fluent gracefully:
(set! *cx-exit-on-error* #t)

; Allow Fluent to overwrite existing files without

; prompting the user (Strongly recommended!)
/file/confirm-overwrite no

7.1.4. Submitting an Ansys LS-DYNA Batch Job

The Ansys LS-DYNA batch job template is designed to be similar to LS-DYNA Program Manager.

To submit an LS-DYNA job from Ansys Minerva to an HPC cluster:

1. Launch the job in one of the following ways:

• From a file. Select or open the desired input file (for example, .k file), then select Run →
Ansys LS-DYNA (Batch) on the toolbar or context menu.

• From the Applications page. In the Contents pane, select Applications. On the Applications
page, click the Ansys LS-DYNA batch application.

2. In the Run Batch dialog box, specify the job submission settings as described below.

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Job Name

A name to identify the job when the job item is displayed in Ansys Minerva.

Input File (I)

The input file for the job (for example, .k file).

P File Content

Optionally enter MPP partition file (pfile) command options. For information about pfile op-
tions, see Appendix O in the LS-DYNA Keyword Manual Volume 1.

Additional Files

Additional files to be uploaded to the job's working directory. Click to launch the file se-
lector.

Job ID (JOBID)

Character string that acts as a prefix for all output files.

Command Line Parameters

For information about the available command line parameters, refer to the Execution Syntax
section in the LS-DYNA Keyword User's Manual. Use the Additional Commands field to specify
additional commands not included in the template. Click More Options to specify input and
output file name settings.

Version

The version of LS-DYNA to run.

Queue

An Ansys Distributed Compute Gateway (DCG) or Ansys Cloud queue. A DCG queue may in-
corporate the name of a job scheduler in its name (for example, 'WB-Reg_pbs' for a PBS
queue), or follow some other naming convention specified by your company. Ansys Cloud
queues typically incorporate information such as a solver version and region in their name
(for example, 'Flexible_Standard_HC44rs_2022R1_eastus').

Keep job outputs on HPC head node

For a job submitted to an on-premises cluster via DCG, this keeps the job in the DCG portal
after the job completes, and keeps the job folder on the HPC cluster.

Type of HPC run

Specify the type of processing to use:

• Use Shared Memory Parallel (SMP). Runs the solution across multiple cores on a single
machine (for example, a single compute node of a cluster). Each core involved can share
data (or memory) as needed to perform the necessary parallel computations.

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Number of Processors. The number of CPUs/processors to be used.

Memory (words). Specify this setting if the default memory size is insufficient, resulting
in job termination. This will overwrite the default memory value.

Memory values can be specified in numbers (for example, 500000000) or units (for example,
500M).

• Use Distributed Computing (MPP). Runs the solution over a cluster of machines or uses
multiple processors on a single machine. In most cases, using cluster resources (computing
power, RAM, memory, and so on) enables you to solve large problems more efficiently.

Number of Processors. The number of CPUs/processors to be used.

Primary Memory (words): Specify a sufficient amount of memory to perform the decom-
position of the job.

Per-Process Memory (words). The amount of memory for each process.

Output Folder

The Ansys Minerva folder to which output files will be written when the batch job completes.

If the job is being launched from a file in the Data view, this setting defaults to the folder
from which the job is being launched, but can be changed to a different folder if desired.

If the job is being launched from the Applications page, this setting is optional. If specified,
it enables output files to be displayed in the specified folder. If not specified, output files will
only be available on the Output tab of the associated job item.

If the job is being launched from the Input tab of a task, the Output Folder setting is not
available, as output is written to the task's Output tab in this case.

3. Click Submit.

You can monitor (p. 210) the job's status in Ansys Minerva and/or the web portal associated with the
HPC resource to which you submitted the job (DCG or Ansys Cloud).

7.1.5. Submitting an Ansys Mechanical APDL Batch Job

To submit an Ansys Mechanical APDL job from Ansys Minerva to an HPC cluster:

1. Launch the job in one of the following ways:

• From a file. Select or open the desired input file (for example, .inp), then select Run → Ansys
Mechanical APDL (Batch) on the toolbar or context menu.

• From the Applications page. In the Contents pane, select Applications. On the Applications
page, click the Ansys Mechanical APDL batch application.

2. In the Run Batch dialog box, specify the job submission settings as described below. For more
information refer to the Mechanical APDL Operations Guide.

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 Submitting a Batch Job

Version

The version of Mechanical APDL to run.

License

The default Automatic setting enables the MAPDL solver to select a product license for the
job. When no specific product license is specified, the MAPDL solver will automatically select
one from those currently available. For more information, refer to the MAPDL documentation.

To use a specific product license instead of allowing auto-selection, select the license from
the list.

File Management

Job Name. A name to identify the job.

Input File. The file that you chose as the input file for the job.
Output File Name. The name of the file to which output will be written.
DB File. An MAPDL database file that contains the geometry, boundary conditions,
and any solutions.
Additional Files. If desired, upload additional files from Ansys Minerva to the job's
working directory. Click to launch the file selector.
Output Folder. The Ansys Minerva folder to which output files will be written.
If the job is being launched from a file in the Data view, this setting defaults to the
folder from which the job is being launched, but can be changed to a different folder
if desired.
If the job is being launched from the Applications page, this setting is optional. If
specified, it enables output files to be displayed in the specified folder. If not specified,
output files will only be available on the Output tab of the associated job item.
If the job is being launched from the Input tab of a task, the Output Folder setting
is not available, as output is written to the task's Output tab in this case.
Include input listing in output. When enabled, the beginning of the output file
will include a listing of the input file.

Customization/Preferences

Memory. To specify custom memory settings instead of using the default memory
settings, enable Use custom memory settings. You can then specify values for Total
Workspace (MB) and Database (MB).
Additional Parameters. Use this option to set additional command line parameters.
Read START.ANS file at start-up. When enabled, the start.ans file will be read
when the Mechanical APDL session starts.

High Performance Computing Setup

Use this tab to select a job submission Queue and launch Mechanical APDL with the following
high performance computing (HPC) capabilities: Shared-Memory Parallel (SMP) processing
with multiple processors, or Distributed Computing (MPP).

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Jobs

For a job submitted to an on-premises cluster via DCG: By default, DCG releases a job shortly
after it completes: job files are removed from the HPC cluster, and the job is removed from
the DCG portal. To keep the job in the DCG portal, and keep the job folder on the HPC cluster,
enable the Keep job outputs on HPC head node option.

3. Click Submit.

You can monitor (p. 210) the job's status in Ansys Minerva and/or the web portal associated with the
HPC resource to which you submitted the job (DCG or Ansys Cloud).

7.1.6. Submitting an Ansys Workbench Batch Job

Use the Run action to update a Workbench project or update design points in batch mode on remote
resources. You can optionally run a journal file (.wbjn) to execute a custom set of commands.

To submit an Ansys Workbench job:

1. Launch the job in one of the following ways:

• From a file. Select or open the desired Workbench project archive (.wbpz). If you would like
to run a journal file (.wbjn), and the journal file is in the same folder as the .wbpz, you can
select it now as well. Then, select Run → Ansys Workbench (Batch) on the toolbar or context
menu.

• From the Applications page. In the Contents pane, select Applications. On the Applications
page, click the Ansys Workbench batch application.

2. In the Run Batch dialog box, specify the job submission settings as described below.

Job Name

A name to identify the job when the job item is displayed in Ansys Minerva.

Workbench Project

The file that you chose as the input file for the job.

Additional Files

Enables you to upload additional files from Ansys Minerva to the job's working directory.
Click to launch the file selector.

Output Folder

The Ansys Minerva folder to which output files will be written when the batch job completes.

If the job is being launched from a file in the Data view, this setting defaults to the folder
from which the job is being launched, but can be changed to a different folder if desired.

If the job is being launched from the Applications page, this setting is optional. If specified,
it enables output files to be displayed in the specified folder. If not specified, output files will
only be available on the Output tab of the associated job item.

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 Submitting a Batch Job

If the job is being launched from the Input tab of a task, the Output Folder setting is not
available, as output is written to the task's Output tab in this case.

Version

The version of Workbench to run.

Queue

An Ansys Distributed Compute Gateway (DCG) or Ansys Cloud queue. A DCG queue may in-
corporate the name of a job scheduler in its name (for example, 'WB-Reg_pbs' for a PBS
queue), or follow some other naming convention specified by your company. Ansys Cloud
queues typically incorporate information such as a solver version and region in their name
(for example, 'Flexible_Standard_HC44rs_2022R1_eastus').

Keep job outputs on HPC head node

For a job submitted to an on-premises cluster via DCG, this keeps the job in the DCG portal
after the job completes, and keeps the job folder on the HPC cluster.

Number of Processes

The number of processes to be used in the solver. This determines the number of cores to
be allocated for the job.

Action to Perform

Specify what you would like Workbench to do by selecting one of the options: Update Project,
Update Design Points, or Run Journal File. These are described below.

• Update project. Refreshes the input data of the Workbench project and generates the
required output data for all cells in the project.

• Update design points. Enables you to add design points to the Workbench project.

– To add a new design point to the table, click Add and then enter the desired parametric
values into the cells. If there is anything that you would like to note about the design
point, you can enter it in the Note cell.

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– To create a new design point by duplicating an existing one, click the one that you want
to copy and then click Duplicate. When you duplicate a design point, all input parameter
values and settings are copied. You can then modify the values as required.

– To delete a newly added or duplicated design point, select it in the table and then click
Delete. Note that you cannot edit or delete the current design point (DP0), or any pre-
viously saved design point.

– If a design point needs to be updated, an Update Required icon is displayed. When

Workbench updates a design point, it takes the given set of input parameter values for
the design point, and calculates output parameter values.

– To retain a design point's calculated data within the project, enable its Retain check
box. Once data is retained for a design point other than current (DP0), you can view its
associated design in Workbench.

• Run journal file. Executes a custom set of commands.

Journal File. Click to browse for and select the journal file (.wbjn). Make sure that
your journal file meets the Journal File Requirements (p. 204).

Output File. If an output/log file name is specified in the journal, enter that file name here.
The content of the output file is displayed in the Solver Output thread when viewing the
job in the Distributed Compute Gateway (DCG) portal. If an output file name is not specified
in the journal, leave this field blank.

3. Click Submit.

You can monitor (p. 210) the job's status in Ansys Minerva and/or the web portal associated with the
HPC resource to which you submitted the job (DCG or Ansys Cloud).

7.1.6.1. Journal File Requirements

If you intend to use a custom journal file (.wbjn), it is important to note the following information,
and edit your journal file accordingly before submitting the job.

When you submit a Workbench job, Ansys Minerva uses the following commands for batch job
submission:
-B -R “[ wbjn journal file]” -F "[Project Name]" -nowindow

This command line reads the journal file and loads the Workbench project.

The project file name (.wbpz) and number of cores that you specified during job setup are written
to an input.py file in the job working directory.

The content of the input.py file looks like this:

settings = {'projectName': 'Optimization_RSO.wbpz','numberOfCores': 2}

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 Submitting a Batch Job

To use the project file name and number of cores captured in the input.py file, you must import
these values into your custom journal file. To do so, ensure that the following lines appear at the
top of your custom .wbjn file:
import input
projectName = input.settings['projectName']
cores = input.settings['numberOfCores']

Note:

Ensure that your custom journal file is not named update-wbpz.wbjn. This is the
name of the built-in journal file in Workbench projects which is used for project updates.

7.1.7. Submitting an Ansys optiSLang Project Using the Ansys optiSLang

Batch Application
Follow the steps below to run optiSLang projects on remote HPC resources using the Ansys optiSLang
batch application.

1. Launch the job in one of the following ways:

• From a file. Select or open the desired optiSLang project (.opf file) and any other input files
required for the job. Then, select Run → Ansys optiSLang (Batch) on the toolbar or context
menu.

• From the Applications page. In the Contents pane, select Applications. On the Applications
page, click the Ansys optiSLang batch application.

2. In the Run Batch dialog box, specify the job submission settings as described below.

Job Name

A name to identify the job when the job item is displayed in Ansys Minerva.

Project

The optiSLang project to run.

Additional Files

Other input files that you would like to submit with the job. Click to add files.

Queue

An Ansys Distributed Compute Gateway (DCG) or Ansys Cloud queue. A DCG queue may in-
corporate the name of a job scheduler in its name (for example, 'WB-Reg_pbs' for a PBS
queue), or follow some other naming convention specified by your company. Ansys Cloud
queues typically incorporate information such as a solver version and region in their name
(for example, 'Flexible_Standard_HC44rs_2022R1_eastus').

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Keep job outputs on HPC head node

For a job submitted to an on-premises cluster via DCG, this keeps the job in the DCG portal
after the job completes, and keeps the job folder on the HPC cluster.

Output Folder

The Ansys Minerva folder to which output files will be written.

If the job is being launched from a file in the Data view, this setting defaults to the folder
from which the job is being launched, but can be changed to a different folder if desired.

If the job is being launched from the Applications page, this setting is optional. If specified,
it enables output files to be displayed in the specified folder. If not specified, output files will
only be available on the Output tab of the associated job item.

If the job is being launched from the Input tab of a task, the Output Folder setting is not
available, as output is written to the task's Output tab in this case.

Placeholder Table

Placeholders are the input variables for the analysis.

Placeholders are shown if they were specified in the original .opf file and extracted when
the file was uploaded.

If placeholders were specified in the .opf file but do not appear in the Run Batch dialog
box, then you will need to retry metadata extraction (p. 28) before submitting a job using
this file.

3. Click Submit. A job item is created.

You can monitor (p. 210) the job in Ansys Minerva and/or the web portal associated with the HPC re-
source to which you submitted the job (DCG or Ansys Cloud).

See Also:

Submitting an Ansys optiSLang Project Using an Application Built from an optiSLang Web
App (p. 207)
Running Ansys optiSLang Web Apps (p. 187)

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 Submitting a Batch Job

7.1.8. Submitting an Ansys optiSLang Project Using an Application Built

from an optiSLang Web App
Administrators may create applications from optiSLang Web App archive (.owa) files which you can
use to submit projects to remote HPC resources (see Creating Batch Applications from optiSLang Web
App Files in the Configuration Guide). This is an alternative to submitting projects to the Ansys
optiSLang Web Service using optiSLang web apps (p. 187).

Applications created from .owa files use the .owa file as a data resource. The .owa file defines the
workflow to be executed.

To submit a project:

1. Launch the job in one of the following ways:

• From a folder. Open any data folder then select Run → [applicationName] (Batch) on the
toolbar or context menu. This could be a folder on the Data page or a folder on the Input
tab of a task.

• From the Applications page. In the Contents pane, select Applications. On the Applications
page, select an application that has been created from an .owa file.

2. In the Run Batch dialog box, specify the job submission settings as described below.

Project Settings

Specify a name to identify the job in Ansys Minerva.

Placeholders

Specify the input variables for the analysis. For example,

Input Files

Input files to be submitted with the job.

Settings

Autosave enabled. Automatically saves the project after a node is calculated.

Hardware Settings

Queue. An Ansys Distributed Compute Gateway (DCG) or Ansys Cloud queue. A DCG queue
may incorporate the name of a job scheduler in its name (for example, 'WB-Reg_pbs' for a
PBS queue), or follow some other naming convention specified by your company. Ansys

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Jobs

Cloud queues typically incorporate information such as a solver version and region in their
name (for example, 'Flexible_Standard_HC44rs_2022R1_eastus').

Note:

For optiSLang batch job submission, ensure that the chosen queue is not con-
figured to use a local scratch directory.

Keep job outputs on HPC head node. For a job submitted to an on-premises cluster via
DCG, this keeps the job in the DCG portal after the job completes, and keeps the job folder
on the HPC cluster.

Output Files

Output Folder. The Ansys Minerva folder to which output files will be written.

If the job is being launched from a folder in the Data view, this setting defaults to the folder
from which the job is being launched, but can be changed to a different folder if desired.

If the job is being launched from the Applications page, this setting is optional. If specified,
it enables output files to be displayed in the specified folder. If not specified, output files will
only be available on the Output tab of the associated job item.

If the job is being launched from the Input tab of a task, the Output Folder setting is not
available, as output is written to the task's Output tab in this case.

3. Click Submit.

A job item is created, enabling you to monitor the job in Ansys Minerva and/or the web portal asso-
ciated with the HPC resource to which you submitted the job (DCG or Ansys Cloud). If live project
monitoring has been enabled for the batch application (as described in Creating Batch Applications
from optiSLang Web App Files), you can view a live version of the optiSLang project monitor in the
Running Job step of the job view. See Monitoring Jobs in Ansys Minerva (p. 210).

See Also:

Submitting an Ansys optiSLang Project Using the Ansys optiSLang Batch Application (p. 205)
Running Ansys optiSLang Web Apps (p. 187)

7.1.9. Submitting a Python Batch Job

Use the Run action to run a Python script on remote resources.

1. Launch the job in one of the following ways:

• From a file. Select or open the desired Python (.py) file. Then, select Run → Python (Batch)
on the toolbar or context menu.

• From the Applications page. In the Contents pane, select Applications. On the Applications
page, click the Python batch application.

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 Submitting a Batch Job

2. In the Run Batch dialog box, specify the job submission settings as described below.

Name

A name to identify the job when the job item is displayed in Ansys Minerva.

Python Script

The Python script to run.

Additional Files

Additional files from Ansys Minerva to submit with the job. Click to launch the file selector.

Other Command Line Arguments

Additional arguments to pass to the application being launched.

Queue

An Ansys Distributed Compute Gateway (DCG) or Ansys Cloud queue. A DCG queue may in-
corporate the name of a job scheduler in its name (for example, 'WB-Reg_pbs' for a PBS
queue), or follow some other naming convention specified by your company. Ansys Cloud
queues typically incorporate information such as a solver version and region in their name
(for example, 'Flexible_Standard_HC44rs_2022R1_eastus').

Keep job outputs on HPC head node

For a job submitted to an on-premises cluster via DCG, this keeps the job in the DCG portal
after the job completes, and keeps the job folder on the HPC cluster.

Output Folder

The Ansys Minerva folder to which output files will be written.

If the job is being launched from a file in the Data view, this setting defaults to the folder
from which the job is being launched, but can be changed to a different folder if desired.

If the job is being launched from the Applications page, this setting is optional. If specified,
it enables output files to be displayed in the specified folder. If not specified, output files will
only be available on the Output tab of the associated job item.

If the job is being launched from the Input tab of a task, the Output Folder setting is not
available, as output is written to the task's Output tab in this case.

Output File

If an output/log file name is specified in the Python script, enter that file name here. The
content of the output file is displayed in the Solver Output thread when viewing the job in
the DCG portal. If an output file name is not specified in the script, leave this field blank.

3. Click Submit.

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Jobs

You can monitor (p. 210) the job's status in Ansys Minerva and/or the web portal associated with the
HPC resource to which you submitted the job (DCG or Ansys Cloud).

7.2. Monitoring Jobs in Ansys Minerva

When you submit a job, a new item is created in Ansys Minerva. This job item opens in a new tab, and
enables you to see the details, status, and output of the job. For example, you can see if the job is still
running (or has finished or failed), and the duration of the run so far:

If you have closed the job view you can access it again from the Jobs page. See Accessing Jobs (p. 217).

Job Status
The job process involves file transfers, resource allocation, execution, and file management. In the job
view, the Status tab lets you know the current status of each step in the job process:

Completed

Running

Pending

Here is a description of each step:

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 Monitoring Jobs in Ansys Minerva

• Downloading Files. The input files are being copied from the vault to the job working directory on
the DCG server.

• Waiting for Resources. DCG is waiting for an HPC resource to become available.

• Running Job. The job is currently running on the HPC resource.

If you submitted an Ansys optiSLang project using a batch application generated from an optiSLang
Web App (.owa) file, and live project monitoring has been enabled for the application (as described
in Creating Batch Applications from optiSLang Web App Files), clicking Details in the Running Job
step enables you to see a live version of the optiSLang project monitor:

For information about optiSLang project monitoring features, refer to the optiSLang Web Service User's
Guide.

To maximize the project monitor display, click Full Screen Mode in the Details pane. To exit full
screen mode, press Esc on your keyboard.

• Uploading Files. All files from the job run are being copied back to the Output tab of the job item.

If the job is a batch job, and this step has failed, click Retry in the Uploading Files row to initiate
another upload attempt:

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Jobs

The transfer will resume from the point at which it failed. Any files that were already successfully
transferred to the Output tab will not be transferred again and overwritten.

Note that the Retry feature is not available for jobs submitted from Local applications.

• Copying Files. If the job completes successfully, all files are copied from the Output tab to the folder
from which the job was launched.

If you need more information about the job, or need to manage it in some way, go to the appropriate
HPC portal:

• For jobs submitted to an on-premises HPC cluster, go to the Distributed Compute Gateway (DCG)
portal. See Monitoring Jobs in the Distributed Compute Gateway (DCG) Portal (p. 214).

• For jobs submitted to Ansys Cloud, go to the Ansys Cloud portal. See Monitoring Jobs in the Ansys
Cloud Portal (p. 216).

Job Report
For most applications, an HTML-formatted job report is displayed in the Details pane of the Running
Job row when the job completes. For example:

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 Monitoring Jobs in Ansys Minerva

For applications created from optiSLang web app (.owa) files, Project Information and Placeholder In-
formation is displayed:

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Jobs

To maximize the job report view, click Full Screen Mode in the Details pane. To exit full screen mode,
press Esc on your keyboard.

Note:

The Full Screen Mode option is not available for local jobs, as there is no report to display.

Job Output
When a job completes, output files are made available on the Output tab of the job item. See Accessing
Output Files (p. 219) for more information. The Output tab provides a reliable place to store output files,
as it is clear which input files are associated with those outputs.

If an Output Folder was specified in the job submission settings, the output files are referenced in the
specified folder as well.

7.3. Monitoring Jobs in the Distributed Compute Gateway (DCG) Portal

Jobs submitted from Ansys Minerva to an on-premises HPC cluster via Distributed Compute Gateway
(DCG) can be monitored in the DCG portal.

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 Monitoring Jobs in the Distributed Compute Gateway (DCG) Portal

The DCG portal extends your job monitoring capabilities.

For example, you can:

• View detailed job status information

• View a job transcript, solver output, convergence graphs, analytics, and other detailed information

• Stop a job

• Access job output files

• Share a job with another user when troubleshooting is required

For more information, see Monitoring and Managing Jobs in the Distributed Compute Gateway User's
Guide.

To access the DCG portal from Ansys Minerva:

1. In Ansys Minerva, open the job item. See Accessing Jobs (p. 217).

2. In the job view, click . Note that this button is not available if the job is not yet
available in the DCG portal.

3. If prompted, log in to the portal with your DCG username and password:

The job view is displayed in the DCG portal:

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Jobs

Note:

When a job completes or is cancelled, and output files are successfully transferred to the
Output tab of the job in Ansys Minerva, the job is no longer available in the DCG portal, and
the job folder on the cluster is deleted. However, if a job completes or fails, and output files
are not transferred back to Ansys Minerva, the job remains in the portal, and the job folder
on the cluster remains intact.

7.4. Monitoring Jobs in the Ansys Cloud Portal

Batch jobs submitted from Ansys Minerva to Ansys Cloud can be monitored in the Ansys Cloud portal
using any Internet-enabled device.

The Ansys Cloud portal enables you to:

• View detailed job status information

• View a job transcript, solver output, convergence graphs, analytics, and other detailed information

• Stop a job

• Access job output files

• Share a job with Ansys Support or other Cloud users

For more information, see the Ansys Cloud Guide.

You can access the Ansys Cloud portal directly from Ansys Minerva, or using a web browser.

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 Accessing Jobs

To access the Ansys Cloud portal from Ansys Minerva:

1. In Ansys Minerva, open the job item. See Accessing Jobs (p. 217).

2. In the job view, click . Note that this button is not available if the job is not yet
available in the Ansys Cloud portal.

3. If prompted, sign in to the portal with your Ansys Account credentials.

The job view is displayed in the Ansys Cloud portal:

To access the Ansys Cloud portal using a web browser, go to https://cloud.ansys.com.

7.5. Accessing Jobs

When you submit a job in Ansys Minerva, an item is created for that job and in the Jobs section. You
can access a job item at any time to view the job's status or outputs.

To access a job item in Ansys Minerva:

1. In the Contents pane, select Jobs.

2. Click Search Jobs.

3. On the Jobs page, locate the desired job (use search (p. 136) if necessary).

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Jobs

4. Double-click the job item to open it.

In the job view you can view the status of the job on the Status tab, and access output files on the
Output tab.

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 Accessing Output Files

To view the task with which the job is associated, click Open Parent Task on the toolbar.

7.6. Accessing Output Files

Outputs are displayed on the Output tab of the job view (p. 217):

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Jobs

Output files are also available on the Output tab of the task that is created on the Tasks page when
a job is submitted.

For a job submitted from input files in the Data section, the output files are also referenced in the
Output Folder that was specified in the Run Batch dialog box when the job was submitted. By default,
this is the same folder in which the input files are located.

For a job submitted from the Applications page, output files are referenced in the Output Folder if
one was specified in the Run Batch dialog box upon job submission. If an Output Folder was not
specified, output files are only available on the Output tab of the job view and associated job task.

For a job submitted from a work request task, outputs are displayed on the Output tab of the work
request task view:

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 Accessing Output Files

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Chapter 8: Tasks
Tasks are part of work requests but can also be created independently when needed.

A task can be assigned to a single or multiple users. If you are the assignee of a task and are ready to
start working on it, you begin by promoting the task to the Active state. When you are finished the
task, you either submit it for review (if the task has an assigned reviewer) or mark it as complete, effect-
ively completing the task's life cycle.

In this section:
8.1. Defining a Task
8.2.The Life Cycle of a Task
8.3. Viewing Tasks Assigned to You
8.4. Working on a Task
8.5. Submitting a Task for Review
8.6. Reviewing a Finished Task
8.7. Completing a Task
8.8. Working with Multi-User Tasks

8.1. Defining a Task

Tasks are part of work requests but can also be created independently when needed.

To define a task that is part of a work request:

1. Open the work request (see Editing a Work Request (p. 249)).

2. Select the Tasks tab.

3. You can edit an existing task or create a new one. To add a new task, select New → New Task.

4. Double-click the task to edit.

5. In the task view, click Edit.

To create an individual task that is not part of a work request:

1. In the Contents pane, select Tasks.

2. In the Tasks pane, click Create New Task.

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Tasks

Task Properties
When defining a task you specify the following properties:

Name

A meaningful name to indicate the required action or goal of the task (for example, 'Design Structure').

Classification

Specify whether the task is a Single-User or Multi-User task. Multi-user tasks allow a task to be
assigned to multiple users. It also enables a work-in-progress area where those users can collaborate
on files.

Assigned To

Select the person to whom you would like to assign the task. If the task is a Multi-User task, specify
assignees on the Assignees tab.

Reviewer

Select a person to review and accept the task before it is promoted to the Completed state. A re-
viewer must be selected if the Request Template used for the work request stipulates that a review
is required for this task. Otherwise, this setting is optional. (A reviewer can be specified even if the
template does not stipulate that a review is required.)

Instructions

Optionally specify any instructions that you would like to convey to the assignee.

Priority

Select a priority for the task to establish the level of urgency: Normal, High, or Low.

Earliest Start Date

The earliest date that the task can be started.

Expected Due Date

The date by which the task is expected to be completed.

Duration

The number of days in which you would like the task to be completed. This can be an estimate but
should be realistic given the available resources and time typically needed to complete such a task.
Setting a task duration helps to establish a timeline for the overall workflow, and a deadline for the
assignee. Note that the current scheduling algorithm does not automatically skip weekends or
company holidays.

Note that you can also modify a task's duration directly on the Gantt chart in a work request, by
clicking and dragging its end point to the desired end date. Subsequent tasks will update automat-
ically.

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 The Life Cycle of a Task

Task Inputs
On the Input tab of the task view, add any items that the assignee may need to complete the task.

If the task is connected to a predecessor task, the output files of the predecessor task will become inputs
of this task when the predecessor task is completed. For information on connecting tasks and setting
up file transfers between tasks, see Creating a Work Request (p. 235).

The following topics provide information on different ways that you can manually add items to a task:

Uploading Files and Folders (p. 18)

Creating Links and Shortcuts (p. 32)
Importing Files from an External Repository (p. 29)

8.2. The Life Cycle of a Task

Each task has a life cycle to help identify its current status and incorporate data handling measures.

• New. The task is being planned and is not in the Assignments list for the assignee.

• Preparing. The task is in the Assignments list for the assignee. All aspects of the task are editable.

Note that a task cannot be moved into the Preparing state (and therefore cannot be completed) if
there are incomplete predecessors that have a file transfer definition defined in their properties. For
more information see Defining Task Predecessors in the Ansys Minerva Configuration Guide.

• Active. A process such as a job submission or local application launch is working on the inputs. As
a result, the inputs are "frozen". This means that the data structure of the inputs is flattened. (This
helps with generating input/output graphs but means that any special metadata stored on input
folders is lost.) In addition, the inputs are all released. For inputs that are used solely on the task, they
are moved to a state of Released.

Important:

For inputs that are used elsewhere (for example, in the folder structure), a snapshot is
taken. This means that a superseded minor revision is created. You will see the task inputs
referencing a superseded version with a version number similar to 001.001.

• In Review. The task has been submitted for review by the assignee. This state is only part of the task
life cycle if a Reviewer is specified in the task properties. When the assignee promotes the task to
the In Review state, the reviewer must review the completed task before it can be promoted to the

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Tasks

Completed state. For example, the reviewer may check that all required output has been successfully
generated.

• Completed. The task is finished. Outputs are also "frozen" (see above), and permissions are adjusted
so that the task is no longer editable.

When a task is part of a work request, its outputs are automatically linked into the inputs of the next
task.

8.3. Viewing Tasks Assigned to You

When a task is assigned to you, it appears in your list of Assignments.

There are a couple of different ways that you can access your Assignments:

From a dashboard
You can quickly access your task list on any dashboard that contains the My Assignments widget:

To view the details of a task, click its link.

From the Assignments page

You can also access your assigned tasks in the following way:

1. In the Contents pane, select Assignments.

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 Working on a Task

2. Click Search Assignments.

The Assignments page is displayed:

To work on a task, or view more details about it, double-click it in the list.

See Also:

Working on a Task (p. 227)

Working with Multi-User Tasks (p. 233)

8.4. Working on a Task

When a task that has been assigned to you is ready to be performed, it appears in your list of Assignments
(see Viewing Tasks Assigned to You (p. 226)).

To start working on such a task, open the task and click Promote, then move the task to the Active
state.

1. Open the task.

2. Click Promote.

3. In the Action required dialog box, select Active, then click Move to Active to move the task to
the Active state.

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Tasks

The actions required to carry out a task vary according to task type. A task may involve working with
specific files or items in Ansys Minerva, either on your local machine or within the Ansys Minerva envir-
onment. These files and items are accessible from the detailed task view (p. 226). For example, any input
files required for the task appear on the Input tab.

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 Submitting a Task for Review

When you have finished a task, you must promote the task to the In Review state if the task has an as-
signed Reviewer (see Submitting a Task for Review (p. 229)). If the task does not have an assigned re-
viewer, you can promote the task to the Completed state (see Completing a Task (p. 231)).

When a task is promoted to the Completed state, either by you or a reviewer, the work request advances
to the next task.

8.5. Submitting a Task for Review

A task that has a Reviewer specified in its properties must be reviewed by the designated reviewer before
the task can be promoted to the Completed state.

To submit a task for review:

1. Open the task view and click Promote.

2. In the Action required dialog box, select In Review and optionally enter any comments that you
would like to convey to the reviewer. Then, click Move to In Review.

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Tasks

The task (with a state of In Review) appears in the reviewer's list of Assignments. See Reviewing a
Finished Task (p. 230).

8.6. Reviewing a Finished Task

If a task has a Reviewer assigned in its properties, the task must be reviewed by the assigned reviewer
before the task can be promoted to the Completed state.

If you are the assigned reviewer of a task, the task will appear in your list of Assignments when the
task assignee promotes the task to the In Review state.

It is then up to you to review the work that was done and sign off on the task if you are satisfied that
it was completed successfully.

To review a task for which you are the assigned reviewer:

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 Completing a Task

1. Open the task from your Assignments list.

2. Review the task requirements and confirm that it was completed successfully. For example, you
might check to make sure that all required outputs were generated.

3. When you have completed your review, click Complete Review in the task view.

4. When prompted, accept or reject the task:

If you reject the task, it moves from the In Review state back to the Active state. The task assignee
must then perform additional work to satisfy the task requirements, and subsequently resubmit
the task for review.

If you accept the task, it moves to the Completed state, and the work request advances to the next
task.

8.7. Completing a Task

When you have finished a task that does not require review, you must mark it complete so that the
workflow can advance to the next task. When a task has an assigned Reviewer, the task will automatically
be promoted to the Completed state when the reviewer accepts the task.

To mark a task complete:

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Tasks

1. Open the task view and select Mark Complete.

2. Confirm that you want to complete the task:

Note:

If the template used for the work request stipulates that the task requires review before being
completed, you must select a Reviewer in the task properties and submit the task for review
before it can be completed. See Submitting a Task for Review (p. 229).

If a Reviewer is not specified, and you try to mark the task complete, you are prompted to
assign a reviewer:

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 Working with Multi-User Tasks

8.8. Working with Multi-User Tasks

Some simulation tasks require tight coordination between multiple engineers working with the same
set of files. These tasks are classified as multi-user tasks in Ansys Minerva. To start working on such a
task, click Promote to promote the task to Active.

This copies the input files to the work-in-progress area and releases the input files.

While the task is active, work on the files in the work-in-progress area. You can communicate with the
other users assigned to the task by adding a comment to the discussion area and mentioning Task
Assignees:

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Tasks

Once files in the work-in-progress area are complete, you can add them to the task output by clicking
the Add to Output button.

After all the work has finished, and all relevant files have been added to the output, any assigned user
can mark the task complete. To do so, open the task view and select Mark Complete:

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Chapter 9: Work Requests
A work request is a request to perform a simulation, or other process. Work requests can be based on
templates that your company creates. Each template has a defined set of tasks that are carried out in
sequence by people in your company.

In this section:
9.1. Creating a Work Request
9.2. Submitting a Work Request for Review
9.3. Reviewing a Submitted Work Request
9.4. Monitoring the Status of Work Requests
9.5. Viewing a Workflow History Report
9.6. Editing a Work Request

9.1. Creating a Work Request

To create a work request:

1. In the Contents pane, select Work Requests.

2. In the Work Requests pane, click Create New Work Request. A work request form is displayed on
a new tab:

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Work Requests

3. Specify a Name for the work request.

4. In the Reviewer field, specify the individual to whom you would like to assign the work request.
This person would likely be a manager in the simulation department responsible for allocating
work to individual analysts.

5. In the Expected Due Date field, specify the date by which you would like the work request to be
completed. Although not required, a due date helps team members schedule their time appropriately
and keeps the work on track.

6. In the Template field, specify the template upon which you would like the new work request to
be based. Templates define the steps in the workflow. Each step becomes a task for a user to
complete.

7. Before adding files, save the request by clicking Save.

8. On the Requirements and Input Files tabs, use the Upload menu to upload files and folders from
your local machine. See Uploading Files and Folders (p. 18).

If an administrator has configured a connection to an external repository such as an Ansys Granta

MI database, an Import menu is also available on the toolbar, enabling you to import items from
that repository. See Importing Files from an External Repository (p. 29).

9. On the Tasks tab you can see the tasks that are defined in the selected work request template.
Tasks are represented in a Gantt chart, enabling you to visualize the order in which tasks take place,
the timeline for task completion, and dependency relationships between tasks.

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 Creating a Work Request

There are many actions that you can perform in this view:

• To pan the view, simply click and drag in the Gantt chart panel.

• To zoom in and out, or reset the view after zooming, use the zoom controls on the Gantt chart
toolbar:

• To assign a task to someone and specify other task information such as the Expected Due Date
or Instructions, double-click the appropriate task node in the Gantt chart. The task item opens

in a new tab. In the task view, click to edit the task.

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Work Requests

For more information, see Defining a Task (p. 223).

When you are finished editing the task, click .

• To add a user-defined or linked task to the work request, use the New menu:

– New Task. Adds a user-defined task to the task list. Once added, double-click it to define it.
For more information see Defining a Task (p. 223).

– Link Existing Tasks. Links to a task in another work request. In the Search dialog box, locate
and select the task that you want to link to this work request.

• To duplicate existing tasks, use the Clone menu. One common use for cloning is to redo a
completed task (or sequence of tasks) if the results from the initial run were not satisfactory.

– Clone Task. Creates a duplicate of the currently selected task.

– Clone Branch. Duplicates the selected task and all of the dependent tasks that do not have
any unseen predecessors.

• To move tasks to a different point on the timeline, hover over a task and then click and drag
when you see the move cursor:

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 Creating a Work Request

Note that connected tasks all move together.

• To edit a task's start or end date, hover over the appropriate edge until you see the resize cursor,
then click and drag to stretch the node:

• To connect a task to a another task, hover over its right edge until you see the connector dot,
then click and drag the arrow to the connector dot on the receiving node:

• To specify which files should be transferred from one task to another, click the arrow that connects
to the two tasks, then click Files to transfer. Then, select the desired file transfer definition:

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Work Requests

For more information about file transfer definitions, see Creating File Transfer Definitions in the
Configuration Guide.

• To remove a task or connection, select the node or arrow and click Delete.

10. To link the work request to a project, select the Parent Projects tab, then click to select a
project. For more information, see Projects (p. 97).

11. When you are finished defining the work request, click .

Next step: Submitting a Work Request for Review (p. 240)

9.2. Submitting a Work Request for Review

Once you have created and saved a work request, you can submit it to the assigned Reviewer for review.

1. In the work request view, click Vote: Submit Request.

Alternatively you can submit the request by selecting Assignments in the Contents pane, then
selecting the appropriate Submit Request task and selecting Complete Task on the toolbar or
context menu.

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 Submitting a Work Request for Review

2. In the voting dialog box, click Submit:

Alternatively, to delegate the task to a specific identity, click Delegate, then browse to select the
desired identity. Optionally enter a message in the Comments section if you would like to convey
any information to the delegate:

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Work Requests

A 'Submit Request' task then appears in the assignee's list of assigned tasks on the Assignments
page. When an assignee opens the task, they will see who delegated the task, and any comments
that were entered when it was delegated:

Once a work request has been submitted for review, it moves from the New state to the Plan Review
state.

Next step: The assigned reviewer reviews the submitted work request (p. 242).

9.3. Reviewing a Submitted Work Request

When a work request is submitted for review, the assigned reviewer must review and approve the work
request before it can start.

If you are an assigned reviewer, you will see a Review Request task in your list of Assignments:

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 Reviewing a Submitted Work Request

To review a request:

1. Click the Review Request task in your assignment list. This opens the work request.

2. Review the work request settings and ensure that all requirements, inputs, and tasks have been
defined. Make sure that each task on the Tasks tab has an assignee. You can edit the work request
if desired, or you can request changes.

3. If you want to request changes to the work request, click Vote: Review Request in the work request
view:

Then, in the voting dialog box, select Request Changes and enter the requested changes in the
Comments field:

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Work Requests

When you click Vote: Request Changes, the work request moves from the Plan Review state back
to the New state, and a Submit Request task appears in the submitter's list of Assignments.

When the submitter opens the work request and clicks Vote: Submit Request, they will see that
changes were requested:

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 Reviewing a Submitted Work Request

The submitter must make the requested changes, and submit the work request again for review.

4. When you are satisfied with the work request, click Vote: Review Request in the work request
view, then select Start Work and click Vote: Start Work in the voting dialog box.

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Work Requests

The work request moves from the Plan Review state to the In Work state, and the first task appears
in the assignee's list of Assignments.

Note:

An assignee must be specified for every task before the work request can be started:

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 Monitoring the Status of Work Requests

9.4. Monitoring the Status of Work Requests

You can view the status of all work requests on the Work Requests page.

1. In the Contents pane, select Work Requests.

2. Click Search Work Requests.

On the Work Requests page you can see the state of each work request at a glance:

To open a work request, double-click it.

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Work Requests

By default, the CAE Analyst dashboard includes a Work request status widget that displays a chart
indicating the status of work requests in the system. Other dashboards can be configured to display a
similar widget.

See Also: Viewing a Workflow History Report (p. 248)

9.5. Viewing a Workflow History Report

The workflow history report provides a current summary of a work request's properties, status, and
workflow activities, with a focus on voting history. Specifically, it provides the following details:

• Name of work request

• Current status (New, Plan Review, In Work, Complete)

• User who started the work request

• Start date and time

• Completion date and time

• Due date or completion date of each workflow activity

• Voting history for workflow activities (vote type, who voted, date/time of vote)

To view a workflow history report for a given work request:

1. Open the work request.

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 Editing a Work Request

2. On the toolbar, select Reports → Workflow Process History.

9.6. Editing a Work Request

You can edit a work request after you have created it. For example, you may want to set a due date,
or add tasks on the fly.

To edit a work request:

1. In the Contents pane, select Work Requests.

2. In the Work Requests pane, click Search Work Requests.

3. Locate the desired work request (use search (p. 136) if necessary).

4. Double-click the work request to open it.

5. Click .

6. Edit the work request. For a description of available properties, see Creating a Work Request (p. 235).

7. Click to save your changes.

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Chapter 10: Collaboration
Sharing and collaborating on items in Ansys Minerva streamlines your simulation workflows.

In this section:
10.1. Link Sharing
10.2. Discussions and Forums
10.3. Visual Collaboration

10.1. Link Sharing

You can share a link to a specific item with other users, so that when they click the link, or paste it into
a browser, they are taken directly to the item in Ansys Minerva. If an item has more than one version,
you can choose the specific version to share.

Sharing a Link from a Data View

You can share a link to an item from any data view in which the item is listed. Examples include the
Data section and the Input or Output tab of a task.

To share a link to an item in a data view:

1. In the data view, select the item by enabling its check box.

If the item has multiple versions, and you want to share a link to a version other than the one
shown in the data view, click Revisions and select the version to share in the Revisions dialog
box.

2. On the toolbar or context menu, select Copy URL.

The link is copied to your Clipboard.

3. Paste the link in any place in which you want to share it.

Sharing a Link via Email

Use the Copy URL and Email action in an item view to automatically generate an email that contains
a link to the item.

1. Open the item.

2. On the toolbar, select Share → Copy URL and Email.

An email is automatically created using the email client configured for your system. The body of
the email contains a link to the item.

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3. Select a recipient for the email.

4. Send the email.

Sharing a Link from an Item View

When you open an item for viewing, various Share options make it easy to share a link to a specific
version of an item.

To share a link to an item from the item view:

1. Open the item.

2. Choose which version of the item you want to share:

• To obtain a link to the currently displayed version of the item, select Share → Copy URL.

Or, to share the link automatically via email, select Share → Copy URL and Email. See Sharing
a Link via Email (p. 251) above.

• To share a link to the latest version of the item, select Share → Copy URL To → Latest Version.

• To share a link to the latest Released version of the item, select Share → Copy URL To → Latest
Release.

The link is copied to your Clipboard.

3. Paste the link in any place in which you want to share it.

Obtaining an Item's ID
Every item in Ansys Minerva is assigned a unique 32-character ID number for system use. Administrators
may need an item's ID when performing certain types of configuration.

If you are an Administrator you can use the Copy ID action to quickly copy an item's ID to your Clipboard.

1. Open the item.

2. On the toolbar or context menu, select Share → Copy ID.

The item's ID is copied to your Clipboard.

3. Paste the ID in any location that it is required.

10.2. Discussions and Forums

When you open an item for viewing, you can start a discussion directly from the item, making collabor-
ation on that item quick and simple. Bookmarking (p. 257) an item enables you to quickly revisit the
item and start or follow discussions on it after you have closed the item view.

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 Discussions and Forums

To access discussions and bookmarked items, select Discussions in the table of contents. On the Dis-
cussions page you can also create forums, search for or start discussions on bookmarked items, and
follow messages from a specific person or forum.

When you select a forum or item bookmark in the right-hand panel, the comment entry box becomes
enabled for that item, and any discussions that have been started on that item appear below the
comment entry box. Conversations evolve as people respond to discussion posts.

Dashboards can be configured to display a Discussions widget that provides a quick overview of the
discussions in which you are involved or have started:

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In this section:
10.2.1. Starting an Inline Discussion
10.2.2. Creating a Forum
10.2.3. Saving an Item for Later Discussion
10.2.4. Starting a Discussion on a Forum or Saved Item
10.2.5. Adding Markup to an Image
10.2.6. Viewing Discussions
10.2.7. Message Display Options
10.2.8. Replying to a Discussion
10.2.9. Flagging Messages
10.2.10. Following Messages
10.2.11. Editing and Erasing Messages

10.2.1. Starting an Inline Discussion

When you are viewing items (p. 40) such as files, tasks, and work requests, you can start a discussion
about an item directly in the item view.

To start a discussion on an item that you are currently viewing:

1. In the item view, click to open the discussion panel.

2. Type your comment in the comment box. Use @ to mention specific people or click the drop-
down next to the Comment button to select the people or groups with whom you would like
to share the comment. (The default selection is World).

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 Discussions and Forums

To attach a local image to your comment, select Attach → Select Picture. You can optionally
add markup to the attached image (p. 259) if desired.

If the item that you are viewing is a 2D image to which you have applied markup in the image
view (p. 68), you can attach a snapshot of the marked-up image to your comment by enabling
Include snapshot.

3. To share your comment, click Comment. The comment is posted below the comment box, where
people can reply to it.

You can also view the discussion on the Discussions (p. 261) page.

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10.2.2. Creating a Forum

A forum is a place where people can exchange thoughts and ideas on a particular topic or area of
interest. You can optionally associate files and other items with a forum if desired.

To create a new forum that is not associated with any items:

1. In the table of contents, select Discussions.

2. On the Discussions page, in the right-hand pane, click in the Forums area, then enter a
name for the forum and press Enter.

To create a forum from an existing item:

1. Open the item for viewing.

2. On the toolbar, click and select Add Item to Discussion.

3. In the Add Item(s) to Discussion dialog box, select Create new Forum and click OK:

4. In the Create new Forum dialog box, specify a name for the new forum:

To specify access to the forum, click Share, and then make the desired selection in the Share
Forum dialog box:

• Public

• Private

• Shared with identities

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 Discussions and Forums

5. Click OK.

The new forum is displayed on the Discussions page with the item attached to it:

Once you have created a forum, you can start a discussion (p. 258) on it or on any of its associated
items.

10.2.3. Saving an Item for Later Discussion

When viewing an item you can add it to a Forum or saved list of Items on the Discussions page so
that you can later start a discussion about it.

To save an item for later discussion:

1. Locate and open the item.

2. On the toolbar, click and select Add Item to Discussion.

3. In the Add Item(s) to Discussion dialog box, select one of the following:

• Item Bookmarks. Adds the item to a list of bookmarked items on the Discussions page.

• Create new Forum. Attaches the item to a new forum to which people can submit comments.

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• Existing forums. If you have created other forums on the Discussions page, their names will
appear in the Add to drop-down. If you select a forum, the item will be attached to that forum.

10.2.4. Starting a Discussion on a Forum or Saved Item

Follow the steps below to start a discussion on an existing forum or on an item that has been saved
to the Discussions page.

1. In the table of contents, select Discussions.

2. On the Discussions page, select the forum or bookmarked item in the right-hand pane. If the
list is extensive, you can use the search box to locate the desired forum or bookmark.

3. With the forum or bookmark selected, type a comment in the comment box. Use @ to mention
specific people or click the drop-down next to the Comment button to select the people or
groups with whom you would like to share the comment. (The default selection is World).

4. To post your comment, click Comment. The comment is posted below the comment box, where
people can reply to it.

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 Discussions and Forums

10.2.5. Adding Markup to an Image

When viewing the content of an image file, or attaching an image to a discussion, a markup toolbar
enables you to add text, highlighting, and lines to the image to draw attention to specific areas and
convey feedback.

To add markup to an image:

1. Click on the viewer toolbar.

2. Select the markup tool that you would like to use:

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3. Use the tool palette to specify the attributes of the markup, such as the line or text size, and
color:

To incorporate these tool options into the main markup toolbar, click on the markup
toolbar. This is helpful when the toolbar obstructs the area to which you want to add markup,
as it pushes the toolbar to the top of the viewing area.

4. Add the markup to the view:

• To draw a line with the Scribble tool, click and drag your mouse.

• To highlight an area with the Highlight tool, click and drag to create a semi-transparent rect-
angle.

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 Discussions and Forums

• To add text with the Label tool, click to insert a text marker, then type the desired text and
press Enter.

• To remove markup that you have added:

– Click on the toolbar.

– Select the markup to remove.

– Click .

Note:

Markup is not a permanent addition to the image file itself. It is only visible in snapshot
comments and image attachments when creating or viewing discussions.

10.2.6. Viewing Discussions

To view discussions that have been shared with you or that you have started, select Discussions in
the table of contents.

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If a dashboard has been configured with a Dashboard widget, you can view your discussions on the
dashboard as well. For details see Discussions Widget in the Configuration Guide.

When a discussion is associated with a specific item, you can also open the item view to view the
discussion there.

On the Discussions page:

• To view a list of discussions that you have started, click My Messages. This includes discussions
started from item views.

• To view a list of all discussions that have been shared with you and that you have started, click All
Messages.

• To view the discussions in a forum, or discussions associated with a bookmarked item, select the
item in the Forums or Items list.

Discussions are displayed in the left pane of the Discussions (p. 252) page.

10.2.7. Message Display Options

A selector on the Discussions page enables you to control the order in which messages are displayed,
and the level of detail displayed:

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Sort Options
There are three sort options:

• Conversation. This is the default sorting mode. Messages are sorted by the time the message was
posted, with the most recent message at the top. Determination of "recent" is based on the time
of the message itself (if no replies) or the most recent reply. Messages are displayed in a threaded
style.

• Thread Date. Messages are sorted by date with the most recent message at the top. Determination
of "recent" is based only on the time of the message itself, not on any replies. The messages are
displayed in a threaded style.

• Message Date. Messages are sorted by date with the most recent message at the top. Determination
of "recent" is based only on the time of the message itself, not on any replies. The messages are
displayed in a flat style with all replies listed at the same level as Comments.

Display Options
The sorting selector offers the following two display options.

• Standard. Displays a message in standard format. For example, images are displayed as thumbnails:

• Review. Displays a message in more detail. For example, full images are displayed instead of
thumbnail images:

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10.2.8. Replying to a Discussion

A discussion thread grows as people respond to the initial and subsequent posts. Replies build on
one another to form a conversation.

To reply to a discussion:

1. In the table of contents, select Discussions to open the Discussions page. You can also access
this page from the Discussions widget on any built-in dashboard.

If the discussion is associated with a particular item, you can also open the item to view the
discussion there.

2. In the right-hand panel, select the forum or bookmarked item whose discussions you want to
view. All of the item's discussion posts are displayed in the left-hand panel:

3. Click Reply in the discussion post to which you want to respond.

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 Discussions and Forums

4. Type your comment in the reply box, then click Reply.

10.2.9. Flagging Messages

You can flag a message to remind yourself to follow up on it or take action at a later time. A colored
flag icon in the message post makes it easy to spot the message and identifies the message as one
of high importance. You can also see how many people have flagged the same message.

1. To access messages, select Discussions in the table of contents. Or, if a discussion is associated
with a specific item, you can open the item view to see the discussion.

2. Locate the message to flag.

3. In the message post, click the flag icon. The number next to the flag indicates the number of
people who have flagged this message. When you flag a message, this number increases by one.

10.2.10. Following Messages

You can follow messages to get notifications and updates as people comment on them.

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To follow messages:

1. To access discussions, select Discussions in the table of contents.

2. On the Discussions page, you have the following options:

• To follow the messages of a specific person, click next to the People label, then start typing
the name of the person that you want to follow:

Once you select the person to follow, the person's name is added to the People list.

To view a person's messages, select the person in the People list. Any comments that the
person has posted or in which he or she has been mentioned are displayed.

• To follow the messages of a specific forum, click next to the Forums heading, then start
typing the name of the forum that you want to follow:

Once you select the forum to follow, its name is added to the Forums list.

10.2.11. Editing and Erasing Messages

If you have started a discussion or posted a comment on one, you can edit the content of your post,
or erase it from the discussion.

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 Visual Collaboration

1. To access discussions, select Discussions in the table of contents. Or, if a discussion is associated
with a specific item, you can open the item view to see the discussion.

2. On the Discussions page, locate the message to edit or erase.

3. Use the drop-down menu in the post to select the desired action.

• To edit the message, select Edit from the drop-down menu. Edit the text and click Save.

• To erase the message, select Erase from the drop-down menu, then click OK in the confirmation
dialog box.

10.3. Visual Collaboration

Visual collaboration provides web-based viewing and markups within Ansys Minerva. Viewing and
markup is available for PDF (p. 70) and image (p. 68) files.

To collaborate visually you can:

• Share a snapshot of file content

• Share an image from your computer

• Add markup such as text and highlighting to snapshots and images

Visuals are shared by adding them to threaded discussions. Collaborating via discussions enables you
to control who can see and make comments on an item.

In this section:
10.3.1. Creating a Snapshot Comment

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10.3.1. Creating a Snapshot Comment

A snapshot comment contains an uploaded image or a snapshot of file content with optional markup
such as text or highlighting. You can use a snapshot comment to start a discussion on an item or
reply to an existing discussion.

To create a snapshot comment:

1. Open the item on which you want to post a comment.

2. Click on the main toolbar to open the discussion panel.

3. Type a comment in the comment box, then click Attach. Select one of the following options:

• Sketch. If the current item is a PDF (p. 70) or image (p. 68) file, this option enables you to
share a snapshot of its content.

Once selected, use the left sidebar to launch the content viewer, then use the viewer toolbar
to adjust the view if desired.

• Select Picture. Enables you to share an image file from your computer.

In the Open dialog box, select the desired image to attach, then click Open. The image is
loaded into the viewer window.

4. To optionally add markup to the view, click on the viewer toolbar. For more information
see Adding Markup to an Image (p. 259).

5. In the discussion panel, click Comment to post your comment with the snapshot attached.

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