© 2019 Altair Engineering, Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. All rights reserved.

HyperMesh Intro, v2019

HYPERWORKS INTEGRATION - TYPICAL FEA PROCESS

IMPORT FROM PRE-PROCESSING SOLVING POST-

CAD or CAE World HyperMesh Solver PROCESSING
HyperMesh HyperView
Geometry HyperGraph
• ALTAIR SOLVER
• CAD • EXTERNAL SOLVER
• CAE Finite element model
• Results Visualization
Analysis Setup

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HyperMesh Intro, v2019

OVERVIEW

Overview of Finite Element Analysis Finite Element Analysis was first developed over 60 years ago as a
method to accurately predict the reaction of complex parts to various inputs. Prior to the development of FEA,
the only way to validate a design or test a theory was to physically test a part. This was and still is both time
consuming and expensive. While FEA will never replace the final physical testing and validation of a design, it
can drastically reduce the time and money spent on intermediate stages and concepts. FEA in its infancy was
limited to large scale computing platforms but the development of powerful personal computers, combined with
intuitive software packages such as HyperWorks, has brought FEA to the engineer’s desktop. This has
broadened its use and accuracy many fold. Finite Element Analysis is now a vital and irreplaceable tool in
many industries such as Automotive, Aerospace, Defense, Consumer Products, Medical, Oil and Gas,
Architecture and many others.

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HyperMesh Intro, v2019

FEA is performed in three stages; Pre-Processing, Solving and Post Processing. These stages are
outlined below.
Step 1: Pre- Processing Pre-Processing is the act of preparing (meshing) a model for analysis.
Complex geometry is broken down into simple shapes (elements) in the act of meshing. This allows
the solver in the next step to predict the action of these elements and analyze the reaction of a
complex part to external forces and interactions. The part is meshed and then definitions for the type
and thickness of the material(s) are added. Next, forces and constraints are applied. The model is then
prepared for the analysis with information the solver will need to perform its calculations. The model is
then written in a format that the solver can understand and is sent to the solver for processing. Basics
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Step 2: Solving Solving is performed by any of the many commercially available software written to
perform Finite Element Analysis. Some of these include popular packages such as RADIOSS,
OptiStruct, Acusolve, Nastran, LS-Dyna, Abaqus, and Ansys, as well as others. The solver takes the
information provided in the file (input deck) created in HyperMesh in Step One and calculates the
part’s reactions to the inputs defined. Common outputs are Displacement, Stress, Strain and
Acceleration. These results are stored in a file that then can be read in HyperView in the Post-
Processing stage.
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HyperMesh Intro, v2019

Step 3: Post-Processing Post-Processing is where the results of the solver solution can be reviewed and
analyzed. HyperView can provide presentation quality color contoured plots and animations highlighting any
of the requested results. Information can be queried, displaced and even graphed in numerous windows
allowing for customization geared toward the desired audience.

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HyperMesh Intro, v2019

GETTING STARTED WITH HYPERMESH

HyperMesh Startup Options - Startup options launch HyperMesh with specific behaviors or with specific
settings defined
• The options are provided as command line options to the application executable or startup script.

WINDOWS
1) From the Start menu, select Altair 2019
2) Select the application shortcut to run (HyperMesh).
3) User can create a Windows Shortcut.

UNIX and LINUX:

1) Launch the system terminal and change to the directory from which the HyperWorks Desktop
application should be run.
2) Enter the full path of the HyperWorks Desktop application start script, along with any startup options.
Example: <altair_home>/altair/scripts/hv

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HyperMesh Intro, v2019

GETTING STARTED WITH HYPERMESH

The Start-In Directory - The start-in directory is the location from which the HyperWorks Desktop
application is launched
• This directory (“current working directory”, can be changed) defines where certain settings and configuration files are
written by default:
1. Configuration files
2. History File (command.tcl)
3. HyperMesh Model Files, FE Data and Geometry Files.

Changing the Start-in Directory

• On Windows, the default start-in directory for HyperWorks is the My Documents directory. This can be changed by
editing the "Start in" field on the application executable or its shortcut.
• On Linux, the start-in directory is defined by the directory from which the user runs the application startup script.

Getting Started - Setting Files

• HyperWorks writes several different settings files.
• HyperMesh writes command.tcl, hmmenu.set and hmsettings.tcl (standalone only).
• HyperWorks writes hwsettings.xml.

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HyperMesh Intro, v2019

GETTING STARTED WITH HYPERMESH

Setting Files
• command.tcl - The command.tcl file is a command history file containing the commands executed in
HyperMesh when ever any operation is performed.

• hmmenu.set - The hmmenu.set file stores information about panel options, panel settings, user profiles,
graphics settings, element check settings, penetration check settings, and several other settings. The
hmmenu.set file is written to the start-in directory after each session is closed

• hmsettings.tcl - The hmsettings.tcl file stores information on the browsers, the user interface layout (tab
locations, command window, panel location, toolbars, and so on), keyboard preferences, import/export
settings, recent files, and other various settings for HyperMesh standalone

• hwsettings.xml - The hwsettings.xml file stores information on the browsers, the user interface layout
(tab locations, command window, panel location, toolbars, and so on), keyboard preferences, import/export
settings, recent files, and other various settings for HyperMesh standalone

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HyperMesh Intro, v2019

GETTING STARTED WITH HYPERMESH

Online Help
• HyperMesh offers comprehensive documentation in the online help.
• The Help can be accessed through the menu bar or the use of the “h”, keyboard (help documentation is “intelligent”,
opening in the section representing the panel that the user is actively in)
• Help also contains detailed tutorials on many advanced HyperMesh functions.

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HyperMesh Intro, v2019

GETTING STARTED WITH HYPERMESH

Online Help - How to search
• Example: how to use HyperWorks Online Help to search documentation about comments created by HyperMesh in the input
deck.

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HyperMesh Intro, v2019

HYPERMESH GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE

Title Bar Menu Bar (Pull Down menu)

• Model
Browser Toolbars Graphics Area
• Solver
Browser
• Connector
Browser
• Entity State
Browser
• Utility Menu Menu Pages
• Mask
•…

• Entity Editor Panel Area & Sub-Panel

Command Window

Status Bar
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HyperMesh Intro, v2019

HyperMesh Desktop Graphical User Interface

Title Bar – It tells you which product is active
Menu Bar – It enables access to many types of functionality. It places functionality into groups, accessible via pull downs
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Toolbar – It gives access to commonly used tools via icons Browser – contains the following tabs:
• Solver, Model, Utility, Include, Import, Export, Connector, Entity State, Entity Editor, etc.
Graphics area – displays the model
Menu Pages – divides the main menu into groups based on function
Panel area – menu items / functions for interacting with HyperMesh
Sub-panels – divides panel into similar tasks related to panel’s main function Command Window – lets the user type in and
execute tcl commands
• Available through the View drop down menu (turned off by default) Status Bar – shows status of operations being
performed
• Indicates the “current” Include file, Component Collector, and Load Collector

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HyperMesh Intro, v2019

HYPERMESH – MENU BAR

• Designed for ‘‘new’’ users to HyperMesh

• Easily navigate to Panels
• Process Based Workflow
• Action / Object / Method Architecture
• Action: Create, Edit, Delete, etc…
• Object: on which to Perform Action
• Method: by which to Perform Action on
Object
• Each menu controls specific HM Entities

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HyperMesh Intro, v2019

HYPERMESH – MENU BAR

Some panels use

icons to represent
subpanels

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HyperMesh Intro, v2019

HYPERWORKS CLIENTS
• Client Selector Toolbar

• HyperWorks applications can be selected from the Client Selector toolbar.

• The Client Selector button on the left-most end of the toolbar allows you to select
HyperMesh, HyperView, HyperGraph 2D, HyperGraph 3D, MotionView, MediaView,
TextView and TableView.
• The toolbars, view controls, and menu bars change based on the application you
select.
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HyperMesh Intro, v2019

HYPERMESH TOOLBARS
• HyperMesh Toolbars

File Management
(New, Open, Save, Import,
Export, User Profile, Tcl/Tk Tools)

Standard Views, User Defined and Model View Controls (Zoom, Rotate, Pan)

Quick Access to Common “Checks” (Distance/Length, Mass Calc, Edges,

Features, Faces, Normals, Penetration and Element Check)

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HyperMesh Intro, v2019

HYPERMESH TOOLBARS
• HyperMesh Toolbars

Visualization controls HOW things are shown

• Color Modes
• Shading Modes
• 1D Beam Visualization
• New Visualization Tab
Display controls WHAT is shown
• Mask Tools
• Find
• Element/Load Handles

Suggested Method for Creating/Editing Collectors (Delete, Card Edit, Organize,

Renumber)

Image Capture System (Copy to Clipboard or File, Capture Graphics Area, Capture Panel,
Capture “free” Window, Capture Frame)

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HyperMesh Intro, v2019

HYPERMESH SECONDARY MENU

• Keyboard Shortcut and Settings
• The secondary menu is a list of panels that can be accessed by using the function keys F1 through F12, or in combination
with the SHIFT or CTRL keys.

Preferences > Keyboard Settings

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