PTC Creo and Pro/Engineer (Granite)

There are two ways to launch models from PTC Creo and Pro/Engineer. One uses the Granite kernel, the other uses the underlying analysis structure built into Mechanica.

Granite is the fundamental geometry kernel in Pro/Engineer. It is the basis of the default launch mechanism from Pro/Engineer to Autodesk Simulation CFD.

Note: The launch method for an analysis is stored within the design study, and becomes the launch method for that particular design. When a model is launched with a certain method, the design cannot be re-launched using the other method. A new design can, however, be launched using the other method.
Note: The Mechanica method is not available with Autodesk® Simulation CFD 360.

Benefits

The Granite process provides several important benefits:

Note: Opening Granite geometry outside of Pro/Engineer does not assure associativity if the geometry is changed (such as for a design study). If there are errors in the geometry, it does not provide a way to address them (such as AutoPrep), and CAD attributes are not transferred to the simulation model. This method is a convenience, but we recommend that the model be launched directly from Pro/Engineer.

Limitations

There are some limitations within the Granite method that will sometimes require that the Mechanica method be used:

Note: There is an exception to this: if a simplified rep of the top level assembly is used to exclude parts, and all remaining parts are in their master rep, the simplified rep will be the analysis model when launched from Granite. However, if the simplified rep of the assembly consists of simplified reps of parts (that are substituted for the part master rep), then only the master rep of the assembly will be the simulation model when launched from Granite.

For more about the alternative launch method, Mechanica

Summary

Feature

Mechanica

Granite

Pro/Engineer accessible after launching Autodesk Simulation CFD

 

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Pro/Mesh or Pro/Mechanica license required

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Geometry Tools can be used to modify geometry

 

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Analyses run with Remote Solving can be meshed on the remote computer

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Pro/Engineer part and assembly files can be opened directly with Autodesk Simulation CFD

 

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Support for Simplified Reps

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Support for Mechanica Simulation features (simulation volumes and surfaces)

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Support for Quilts (Pro/E surfaces) and 2D models

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