Frequently Asked Questions
Geometry Import
Meshing
Analysis Setup and Execution
Why does the resulting shape look (nearly) the same as my design space?
Why do my resulting shapes look the same even though I selected different mesh refinements?
User Interface
Advanced
The GUI is very simple. Is this all you can do with the solver?
Do I need to click through the GUI for every single setting, or is there a quicker way?
Which geometry file formats does Möbius support?
Möbius supports Parasolid (.x_t) and STEP AP214 files (.step, .stp). The geometry must contain only non-overlapping volumes/solids. We do not currently support water-tight shells or wires. The geometry will by default be converted to mm.
Why does my CAD file fail to upload?
Some common reasons for this are:
The geometry file has only surfaces but contains no volumes or solids.
The geometry has non-unique edges or vertices.
The geometry file has an unsupported format (Parasolid schema or STEP version).
What can I do if my geometry does not mesh?
Check the log files which may give you an indication of where the problem is and how to fix it. If you get stuck, give us a shout: help@rafinex.com
Are there more advanced meshing settings?
Yes, there are more settings than the GUI shows you. For example, you can mesh different volumes with different mesh sizes or change the meshing algorithm. If you have a specific setting in mind, please ask us: help@rafinex.com. You can add advanced settings to the input deck via the Model Editor .
Why did my simulation fail?
There is of course no straightforward answer to this, but you can take these steps to try and find the reason:
Which step of the workflow failed? To find out, look at the job status.
If the submission itself fails (your web browser is showing you a 500 error), then there are quite likely critical problems with your inputs. This is more likely to happen if you used the Model Editor to modify your input deck. You should be able to return to an uncorrupted state using the Undo button, but it can also be helpful to save a copy of the input before editing.
Consult the logs for information. If there is no error message in the log, it is likely that something went wrong with the job itself. For example, it could have run out of memory or exceeded the maximum runtime without arriving at a converged solution. If there is an error, it might point you towards what went wrong. If reading the log does not help you find the source of the failure, then go to the next step.
Make sure your model setup is correct:
Units: Check that the units on your inputs (boundary conditions, constraints, objectives) are consistent with each other and your geometry.
- Boundary conditions:
If you have stochastics active on multiple loads then the simulation might time out because this results in an exponential increase in solves. The default maximum solve time is 18 hours.
Load cases: Make sure that you have added all relevant boundary conditions to your respective load cases. Boundary conditions that are not part of a load case will be ignored.
- Constraints:
Check that the units on your constraints are correct: if you have preserved a surface, does the thickness have the correct unit?
If you have a surface preserve, make sure your target volume is higher than the volume of your preserves.
If you still cannot find the answer, please contact us at help@rafinex.com
Why does the resulting shape look (nearly) the same as my design space?
This is usually due to an inappropriate volume target in combination with the constraints and boundary conditions. You could try to:
Increase the target volume.
Decrease the target volume.
Decrease the thickness of your surface preserves.
Why do my resulting shapes look the same even though I selected different mesh refinements?
There are two settings to define the mesh refinement. The analysis stops once it has reached one of these criterions. If you get exactly the same refinement despite different settings it is most likely because you have only changed one criterion, but the other one was reached first on both occasions.
How do I check the logs?
Go to the Jobs panel: Status and Logs. There is a little page icon next to each job in the workflow which opens a text editor containing the corresponding log.
Where can I find out about the status of the simulation?
Where meshing and solving are concerned, the corresponding tabs (Mesh and Analysis Setup) will display their respective status.
For more information click on the Job Status panel. This should show a panel with the currently active job. By clicking on the page symbol, you can open the relevant log.
What are the controls for the visualized geometry?
User controls can be viewed in the User Controls panel, enabled by clicking the User Controls Button containing a ‘question mark’ in the top right of the visualization pane.
Fig. 16 User Controls Button
The User Controls were to designed to enable interacting with the geometry only with using the mouse. Advanced shortcuts and controls require will require an additional keyboard key.
Fig. 17 User Controls
How do I copy my model setup to a new geometry?
This feature is in the Advanced tab: Import Setup.
The GUI is very simple. Is this all you can do with the solver?
No. The solver is under constant development and has more features than those you access to through the GUI. Some of these are not shown to avoid confusion, others may not be sufficiently tested. However, the Model editor allows you to use advanced features by adding additional instructions inside the input deck.
The Model Editor is located in the Advanced tab.
Do I need to click through the GUI for every single setting, or is there a quicker way?
No, you can use the Model Editor to modify every input you make.