SimScale

Avantages

The user interface is easy to use and improved over time. From Cutting Planes to Point Selection for Parameters, it is easy find the necessary study variables. The 'Core' system allows for rapid simulations for large problems. Making everything Automatic (unless otherwise specified) makes it user friendly. A large material selection for structural analysis.

Inconvénients

Simulation estimates can be off. More CAD operations would help (example would be to split just faces instead of bodies).

Avantages

I liked the most - It's navigator form, which makes it easy to learn and use this software. Other software, u need to have your own checklist to do the simulation in a correct way, one thing is missed, whole simulated results will be wasted. here, in Simscale , due to it's navigator form, u don't need to worry about the checklist. in addition to this feature, i liked how fast we can get the simulation done , generally CFD simulations are taking time but here in simscale , u can have your results ready within some hours. That is fantastic.

Inconvénients

Yes, sometime as user i feel that i am not able to fix the simulation file/model when it is failing to run and i have to take help from customer support. Getting help from customer support is good but i want to avoid most of the times and want to fix it by myself which i can do easily in other software. for Example, sometime it is showing "error is encountered" but not showing the actual problem. Yes, as an user, i would like to suggest simscale to work on this point and also provide us the easiness to fix the errors/issue coming by ourselves when the run is failed.

Avantages

The product is relatively easy to use, and the tips we've gotten from SimScale reps have been useful. It's been great working with Ricardo. The option to edit a model in CAD is nice too. Subtracting objects from each other is easier in SimScale than inventor.

Inconvénients

I've had runs fail or time out without knowing exactly what went wrong. I believe I had too many mesh cells, but I don't think I knew what a good target was.

Avantages

+There is a huge pool of possible simulations, from static/dynamic structural to fluid simulations.+As it is web based, it's not requiring a powerfull PC at all and does not occupy your PC at all while calculating.+Pretty good documentaion / Tutorials+Plug in Chat support: They are realy helpful and have a relative short response time

Inconvénients

modyfing imported models is pretty awkward, but you can see they are working on it and it's getting better

Avantages

it is easy to use and easy to access. straight forwardness of the most functions which is good sometimes

Inconvénients

presentation of the result, the results take some much time to be presented.

Avantages

Being able to simply launch a Pedestrian Wind Comfort study.

Inconvénients

Maybe viewing the 3D model should be more intuitive

Avantages

Easy to use and calculation "power" with remote Processor.

Inconvénients

No possibility to calculate buckling and no possibility to input any load combinations.

Avantages

The user interface is intuitive and easy to use. the interface to the cad model is relatively easy to use and straight forward. It can be a tedious job to work out the geometry in such a way that it is workable as a geometric input to the flow volume. The workflow is easy to understand and only a few introductory tutorials are needed to get up an running. In some cases Simscale can be used to laymen in CFD - similar to what FEM analysis is in 3D modelling design tools such as Autodesk Inventor.

Inconvénients

I have not jet learned how to link up the CAD model to the Simscale model in such a way that modifications in the CAD model can be used to "regenerate" the flow volume of a CDF model (if it is possible at all?) It would be a great feature if is was possible, i.e. to make new versions of the base model and update the CDF analysis based on that. Opens up for more parametric analysis.

Avantages

Ease of use and implementation has made using SimScale software a success at DTS.

Inconvénients

The minimum annual core hours and fee is a little much for our needs.

Avantages

-Easy to use-Almost complete simulation software

Inconvénients

The possibility to run some simulation through a code.

Avantages

Simscale is a fast and rather easy simulation software to use, whereas it gives accurate and reliable results for PWC analyses. It has many ways of displaying the results, which is a huge benefit.

Inconvénients

So far, everything looks great. I think it would be great to have an integrated microclimate tool, to analyze UTCI and other thermal comfort metrics.

Avantages

Customer support is second to none. SimScale has a very fast response and they not only answer the specific question that is asked but go into detail about why a particular feature works the way it does. This includes (sometimes) short videos that are extemely helpful

Inconvénients

I would like to see the inclusion of phase change (i.e liquid to gas) capabilities.

Avantages

Easy of use and deployment. Was up and running under a week and was able to grasp most features well enough to get good data and improve on design.

Inconvénients

Web program is slow on retrieving data and need more live log or progress bar for its background processes.

Avantages

- Based on OpenFOAM, a software with fully validated results. - You don't need powerful equipment. You pay for what you use. Everything is in the cloud- It simplifies setting up a CFD simulation, especially for the non-expert user. - You have good online support.

Inconvénients

- Although it is easy to set up and run simulations, it should be emphasized that it is still CFD / FEA software, so the user must have a minimum of training skills to use it. - It still has limitations for some complex industrial or research applications. However, the user can create a free account and evaluate SimScale operationally before purchasing a license.

Avantages

I like the cloud computing feature the most as well as the really quick and helpful customer support

Inconvénients

There are some features like rolling back to previous simulation settings that aren't developed yet.

Avantages

Good support, tutorials and worked examples. SimScale is quite good for the casual user and the mathematics is well hidden. The default Numerics seem to work most of the time.

Inconvénients

In my opinion the software is still a work in progress, especially the interface, but this is good in a way because there are always new improvements appearing.If the CFD default Numerics do not work the settings can quickly confuse and without support from the Simscale Support team I would worry. To increase the user base of CFD someone has to come up with more obvious terms and explanations in this space, e.g. when is it best to use Gauss Linear Limited Corrected instead of Gauss Linear Corrected? This is true of most CFD tools that I have experienced.

Avantages

The software is very user friendly and easy to setup and run models

Inconvénients

Lack of cyclic modeling for modeling turbo machinery applications

Avantages

Ease of use and learning. Very intuitive while remaining precise

Inconvénients

Very slow. Takes minutes to open simulation results.

Avantages

EASE OF USE: I used it for compressible flow fluid simulations. It is very easy to setup and run a simulation in SimScale and analyze the output. SimsScale GUI is excellent. You can specify specify forces and moments and/or area averages to monitor statistics across specific faces of objects and also obtain statistics using post processing simulation results using cutting planes and particle traces.
EASE of SETUP: Because all computations are on the cloud you can use any computer with reasonable power to run SimScale using a web browser. Further you can submit many simulation runs which runs in the back ground on the cloud.
SUPPORT AND DOCUMENTATION: SimScale provides excellent library of on-line tutorials that enables you to self learn. They also provide unlimited access to a very competent, patient and helpful team of consultants free of charge to provide assistance with simple and complex issues.
EASE of LEARNING: You don't need to be an expert on Computational Fluid Dynamics to use SimScale. Having a basic understanding of CFD will suffice. I used the books recommended by SimScale to self learn CFD before using SimScale for increasingly complex simulations including Turbine simulations. Although I do have a Civil engineering background with graduate studies in Operations Research I did not have deep expertise in fluid mechanics and CFD before I got started. Between tutorials and assistance of SimScale consultants you can learn very fast.

Inconvénients

SimScale user experience is fundamentally very good. I only have minor issues.
One feature I would really like to see in SimScale is to have the ability to specify surface area averages on a cross section created by an arbitrary cutting plane. Currently you can do that only on specific faces of a imported CAD object. For example inlets, outlets or surfaces. By defining a surface area average you can also see how statistics across that area change as a function of iterations. Currently only way to get this information for non-surfaces is by post processing simulation data using cutting planes. This requires more work and takes time. Also SimScale can be somewhat slow to paint the screens because of large amounts of data involved.
Another area of improvement is to provide more tutorials and documentation as to how to improve the mesh quality. Currently what is available is some what limited.

Avantages

I have tried several simulations - ranging from solid, fluid, particles etc. The platform is extremely well built and robust. I liked that it was extremely easy to use. The aspect I liked the most was that there is a community version that students and learners could use. In addition, I think the professional version serves best for more advanced users who would use simulations for design in a more pronounced manner and on an everyday basis.

The forums are extremely helpful and I am really glad regarding the speed at which one receives replies both from the people working in the company and also other users. In addition, the blogs and help files definitely make it really easy to use the platform.

One of the aspects I also liked is the fact that it is based on open-source codes. So it is not a black box. I could go to openFOAM and check out how things work. The codes are all well parallelized that I have never faced any issues. Issues with parallelization are a general problem in this line of work but with SimScale this was really handy.

Inconvénients

There are definitely some aspects where they can improve:
1. Providing structural elements like shells, beams, and plates. Most of the large aspect ratio structures are very time consuming to model using 3D FEM

2. Allow users to use custom material models. Most often, in both industry and academia, we do not use material models given in the software but would like to input our own material model. This is what drives most of the R&D centres.

3. There are no ad-hoc algorithms that allow hexahedral mesh generation for all geometries. I can think this as one of the reasons why SimScale might not have hexahedral mesh generator. But this can be significantly useful for many applications.

Avantages

The ability to run big models, such as FEA meshes in the order of 10 million nodes, and CFD in the order of 20 million cells, without the need of building a supercomputer is a game breaker. Just log in from a web browser and you are good to go to create, setup, run, supervise and post process any simulation. The support, both from the company and in the forum by other users is superb. Also, easy to access online tutorials, documentation, webinars and example projects lower the entre barrier for professionals that are new in the field.

Inconvénients

Still missing some functionality to be considered a complete suite, basically some FEA and CFD simulation models.

Avantages

Ease of use. I always thought any kind of high level CFD or heat transfer analysis would cost a fortune and require intensive training. So far with little experience I have been able to get good results that I could validate to ensure I understand the constraints and inputs I am using.

Inconvénients

Units have been a little difficult for me to work with. Metric vs Imperial, post processing results don't always show the unit options that were used for the inputs.

Avantages

Easy to learn and useImmidiate support is great to progress quickly

Inconvénients

Less features in 3D/CAD Environment, all adjustment must be made externally

Avantages

The escalability (so you can launch lots of simulations simoultaneously) and not having to invest in hardware costs

Inconvénients

The features available for postprocessing and meshing, which are very limited.

For meshing the main problem is the lack of better tools to manage geometric primitives so you can control the mesh.

For postprocessing the problem is having to know what results you need to extract before knowing the solution to your flowfield.

Avantages

Speed
Ease of use/understanding
Complete control; SimScale has built-in options that allows more advanced users better control
Customer support responds quickly

Inconvénients

I worked on a project evaluating SimScale for use in a professional setting and the software was unable to provide accurate results for a simple CFD simulation that I worked on with customer support for quite some time. They were responsive, but seemingly unable to find any issue with my solution that would only converge with unreliable results, if at all. Soon, they stopped responding. It just looks like the implementation of OpenFoam for CFD and the support staff are not at the level they need to be for SimScale to work for us right now. Hopefully things will improve in the future!

Avantages

The ability to create the flow region inside the software itself without extraction of it manually.

Inconvénients

The 3D dynamic flow areas and the rotational area are a bit confusing to understand in the beginning with the reference content that is available.

Avantages

I am an OpenFOAM user and I like the freedom it gives the user to play with the parameters. SimScale offers the same level of freedom but with an interface that's simple and effortless to handle. Since it is cloud-based there isn't any need to download it and even the free version provides a lot of computing hours.

Inconvénients

I am still exploring the software and have enjoyed every bit of it. I would appreciate if the tutorials emphasize more on the values used while mesh refining as well as Numerics and Simulation Control.

Avantages

Easy to setup and running without IT and equipment overhead.The best part was the real time support integrated through the software. It helped us to move quickly with the help of knowledgeable support engineers.

Inconvénients

More control over various mesh would have been much nicer.

Avantages

It supports all types of 3D models and can be used from anywhere since it is cloud-based.

Inconvénients

In the beginning, it is not very intuitive. Complicated simulations can become too much for the software.

Avantages

+ no hardware requirements
+ no installation
+ cloud
+ it offers wide toolsets for CFD and FEM
+ brilliant support
+ high value in customer feedback
+ huge community with a lot of example projects
+ good documentations

Inconvénients

- missing features (there is a lot of ongoing development)
- big models with a high mesh count are expensive to run

Avantages

As an electrical and electronic engineer SimScale is one of the best software to work with.it’s all in one simulation platform, you can perform cooling, heat & fluid flow analysis of electronic devices, PCBs, electronics systems

Inconvénients

For my experience the cad had a lot of bugs and the wire connection it was always hard with simScale

Avantages

The online tutorials made this software very easy to gain a basic proficiency very quickly. The menu layout makes it easy to set simulation parameters and reduces the chance of missing something that will negatively impact the accuracy of your simulation.

Inconvénients

So far I've found nothing that I don't like.

Avantages

It is a great tool because is offers a lot of power for the simulations and simplicity of use that is unrivaled by other tools.

Inconvénients

Sometimes there are very specific needs that cannot be satisfied. This problems affects only minor aspects of the simulations: SimScale can always be used as a main tool

Avantages

I do maybe one or two simulations a year, and it is a great, fast inexpensive relatively easy to use tool

Inconvénients

It is slightly dificult to use, but this can be expected considering how powerful it is

Avantages

I like the most about this software is background computation in mesh and simulation.

Inconvénients

It should integrate with cloud based cad

Avantages

For a company that does not have a full time simulation staff person this is perfect. Easy to learn and support is #1.

Inconvénients

Nothing. This software is great. When I get interns and they need to simulate something I just link them up with SimScale. The support people at SimScale are great and help on board my staff.

Avantages

I really like the ability to create multiple simulations to run parallel. Also the large offering of post processing allows for very informational and diverse results to be presented.

Inconvénients

Sometimes it was a bit confusing what could create a simulation fail. This could have been inexperience with FEA, but as I used the product more and more I was able to increase my success rate and avoid common recurring errors.

Avantages

SimScale covers several applications for CFD analysis. My office is doing analysis and design for structures in the widest form. We do structures in Civil Engineering, Aeronautics, industrial equipment of all types. SimScale seems to fit any application within this list! The LBM option for wind pressure distribution on high rise. The PWC - an automated solution for wind comfort. The incompressible for airfoils etc. The multi-phase for liquid-air interaction. and probably a lot is yet to come.....

Inconvénients

1. Show the CFL criteria plotted while running.
2. Enable video screen capture! now using 3rd party app.

Avantages

It simplifies many extremely complex engineering disciplines into one interface.

Inconvénients

Slow reactivity to new proven user features (like streamlined project commenting availability).

Avantages

Easy to use, and great support. Had an issue and support was able to resolve the problem.

Inconvénients

Could be cheaper, but works well and does what it is supposed to do.

Avantages

The simscale platform makes it possible to work very well with design analysis, in the case of simulations. To these can be added 3D models externally, and you can add models of movement and turbulence.

Inconvénients

With regard to BIM management, simscale lacks collaboration tools, a conflict tracking system, which would undoubtedly be very useful for managing its resolutions, and an internal documentation system.

Avantages

SimScale was extremely easy to use, had a nice user interface, and for my purposes, was free. I liked that it was web-based because I didn't have to use my computing power on my machine.

Inconvénients

As with some commercial FEA products, SimScale allowed less "under the hood" tinkering with model parameters than other packages such as Abaqus.

Avantages

SimScale is a great package, I personally used it as an educational resourse for the biomedical industry and I absolutely loved it. It has a whole set of functions and tools that allows you to design, pre-process, and post-process. It also contains the geometry, mesh and simulation tabs that make this software incredible realiable.
The webinars SimScale offers are really helpful and allows you to learn more about te software and opens the options of use in many industries.
The staff are always very helpful and willing to explain and help in any topic.

Inconvénients

Even though it is a great software and has all the main tools and functions, it still lacks a few features that are highly used in some industries.

Avantages

The software is highly user friendly whilst still being robust. It hides the clunky numbers involved with numerical analysis for new users whilst still providing the ability to change them for more experienced ones.

Inconvénients

The software only supports fluid flow velocities of upto 0.5 Mach

Avantages

It's free for public users/hobbyists making it a great way to start learning about analysis. It lets you be free to make mistakes and learn from them and try again.

Inconvénients

I haven't used much other analysis packages so I don't really have anything to compare to

Avantages

I love the ability to import my existing 3D files into SimScale and work on those easily. This makes it a true cross compatible application. It is web based and does not require any specific PC configuration.

Inconvénients

There's nothing such which I do not like about it.

Avantages

It's very easy to use. You don't have to install any complicated software. Tutorials are great. It has wide variety of simulations. You pay only what you use and it has free trials.

Inconvénients

There is still some small gap between SimScale and professional software.