Process Integration
Integrate all your CAD/CAE packages into a single workflow, explore virtual prototype behavior and eliminate repetitive tasks with automation.
Create simulation workflows
Capture design processes of any complexity with full control over the order of computations using data-driven workflow, logic operations and nested loops.
Automate model update
Set up automatic data and file exchange between different modeling and simulation software tools to eliminate repetitive and routine geometry, mesh or results update tasks.
Define Design Exploration steps
Investigate the product's behavior in a step-by-step manner to save computational resources and post-processing time.
Run trade-off studies
Get advantage of local and global workflow parametrization to choose the best combination of product's input parameters.
Build virtual prototypes
Combine different third-party and in-house software that describes the product into a single workflow and get more insights about its behavior.
Capitalize on data
Collect results of complex simulations for future reuse or turn them into robust and easy to use predictive models to get output responses faster.
Workflow construction
The design process in pSeven is represented as a sequence of computations with specific execution order and conditions that are defined by the data-driven approach.
This is called a workflow. It consists of blocks, links and global parameters and provides an intuitive and visual definition of computation order.
pSeven workflow engine allows dealing with any level of engineering problem complexity, from a simple integration of several third-party software products into a single chain to multi-level and multi-fidelity multidisciplinary optimization tasks.
Optimization workflow with multiple third-party CAD/CAE packages
External software integration
Being a vendor-neutral platform pSeven allows engineers to integrate any CAD/CAE software packages their company uses into a single workflow and to eliminate exhaustive repetitive tasks by automating file and data exchange between them.
Provide input parameters
Run external software
Get output parameters
pSeven provides 3 ways to integrate external software:
- Generic integration — allows integration using Program and Text blocks and command line interface. Provides greater flexibility than direct integration blocks, but often requires some scripting or manual command input.
- Direct integration — software-specific blocks that are easy to configure.
- Custom integration — user-developed blocks with UI and automatically generated parameter tree like in direct integration blocks. Provides even more flexibility than generic integration but requires Python programming skills.
Generic integration
In situations when you need to integrate some specific, rare or in-house software the generic integration approach can come in handy. It provides greater flexibility than direct integration blocks but often requires manual command input specific to the software used. This approach is based on input/output files exchange and uses the command line interface provided by the majority of modern CAD/CAE software by default.
Provide input parameters
Update input file
Run external software in batch mode
Parse output file
Get output parameters
The generic approach allows integrating almost any third-party software using Program block and external text files, for example:
- Abaqus
- LS-DYNA
- MSC Nastran / MSC Adams
- Siemens NX CAE launch
- Amesim
- OpenFOAM
- CST Microwave Studio
- MATLAB / Simulink
- Legacy Fortran / C++ programs
- User created tools / scripts
- and others
Direct integration
Direct integration blocks in pSeven are used to govern the execution of particular external software and to handle the transfer of input/output parameters and files between them. These blocks are easy to configure and require no specific knowledge of the software's command line interface.
pSeven supports direct integration with popular major CAD/CAE systems as well as popular engineering packages, like:
In other words, such blocks create a direct interface between a workflow and external software through API. It can be, for example, a CAD package or a CAE solver which allows to create a geometry model or run a simulation and use its results later in the workflow.
The number of direct integration blocks is constantly increasing and is governed by customer demands.
FloEFD direct integration in pSeven
Custom integration
pSeven provides the means for developing user blocks for integration of external software and customizing the logic of those blocks. This requires some Python coding but no UI programming as it is generated automatically. Other users can add these blocks to the block library for later use, also. Read more in the documentation.
Provide input parameters
Run custom block
Get output parameters
The main scenarios for using User blocks are:
- Creating a direct integration block that automatically generates the parameter tree and maps the results to the output ports using API of the external software.
- Replacing generic integration approach via Text and Program blocks with a single block that automatically generates input and parses output text files for command line execution of the external software.
An example of a custom block
Custom Python scripts
In addition to extensive external software integration capabilities, pSeven also allows you to run custom Python scripts in your workflows, which significantly expands the scope of pSeven. You can find more information about scripts in the documentation.
Provide input parameters
Run PythonScript block with a custom script
Get output parameters
Key PythonScript block features:
- The block does not require a separate installation of Python because it uses a built-in interpreter.
- Ability to test and debug the script within the block.
- Includes a number of specialized Python Modules that you can use in your scripts:
- Scientific computing: NumPy, pandas, SciPy, SymPy, scikit-learn, NetworkX and statistics.
- Plotting: Bokeh и Matplotlib with cycler.
- Ability to add external Python Modules and use an external Python interpreter.
PythonScript block with custom script
Remote execution and HPC
pSeven allows CAD/CAE remote execution with:
- pSeven Agent (a standalone application) on remote Windows machines
- SSH connection on remote Linux machines
- Direct interfaces with Slurm, LSF and Torque on HPC servers
pSeven supports following HPC and parallel execution features:
- Easy handling of batch input (list of parameters)
- Built-in support for Job Array launch mechanisms
- Automation of data synchronization (file management)
- CAD blocks automatically rebuild the model