CADFEKO - 3D CAD Modeller

CADFEKO, the 3D CAD modeller, has been extended to support all new features and solution techniques in the FEKO solver. In addition to supporting the new solver features, numerous other features and improvements have also been implemented. These features are listed in the sections that follow.

FEKO 2017 includes a new default mesher. The new mesh engine generates improved meshes that often consist of fewer mesh elements that directly relate to a reduction of resources and faster simulation. The mesh engine from previous versions is still included in FEKO 2017 and users can switch between the two mesh engines. In future releases, the new mesh engine will replace the legacy mesh engine.

Anisotropic media (3D) are supported and can be applied to regions when using the finite element method (FEM) or finite difference time domain (FDTD) solver. An anisotropic medium is described by using one of the following methods: full tensor, diagonalised tensor, complex tensor or Polder tensor (ferrites). The FEM solver supports anisotropic media defined in a local coordinate system. The FDTD solver currently supports only anisotropic media defined in the global X, Y and Z coordinate system.

•	Lofting of the following is possible:

-	Lofting faces and surfaces to create solid shapes.

-	Lofting closed curves, such as closed elliptic arcs and closed polylines.

-	Lofting profiles containing different numbers of vertices.

-	Lofting faces or edges/wires within parts. These faces or edges/wires are copied out of the original part into the loft.

•	Twists can be added or removed from closed lofts by specifying the alignment between profiles.

•	The loft preview in the 3D view displays numbered indices, with improved indication of valid and invalid lofts.

•	The CADFEKO API includes new methods for lofting edges (and/or wires), lofting faces and lofting geometry using a table defining the loft properties.

•	Macro recording supports the new loft functionalities.

Windscreen layers can now be displayed in the 3D view. Each dielectric layer colour and thickness will be accurate with respect to its definition. Visualising the windscreen layers makes model verification fast and easy.

FEM line ports now support series and parallel RLC loads. In the past, FEM line ports could only be loaded with complex loads.

The finite difference time domain (FDTD) solution method can now be used in conjunction with series and parallel RLC loads. In the past, only a resistance, inductance or capacitance element may have been used in an FDTD model, but never a combination of these lumped elements.

An unlinked mesh or model mesh can be replaced with a new mesh. A typical workflow is to create a model with configurations, to add ports and apply solution settings to the mesh elements. The mesh can be exported and modified using HyperMesh, Simlab or other tools and then re-imported into CADFEKO while retaining applied settings.

This workflow eliminates having to reapply solution settings and ports to the mesh elements, provided that the mesh labels remain largely unchanged. When a mesh is replaced, solution settings and ports applied to the old mesh are transferred to the new mesh. Mesh properties of mesh labels that are new and only present in the new mesh are set to the default mesh properties. Default mesh properties include faces set to PEC, wires set to PEC and the front and back medium of a face set to free space.

Mesh labels that were in the old mesh, but are no longer present in the new mesh, will not affect the mesh, but could affect the solution and request items that use labels. For example, ports and requests with scope options (far fields, near fields, error estimates and currents) could change.

•	Importing voxel mesh files is supported. (14.0.420)

•	Importing CADFEKO mesh (*.cfm) files is supported. (2017)

•	NASTRAN import now supports *.bdf files. This is the default file extension used by other HyperWorks products such as HyperMesh and SimLab when exporting NASTRAN files. (2017)

•	Importing and exporting I-DEAS universal format mesh files are supported. (14.0.410) This is extended to include the segment radius during import and export. (14.0.411)

•	An advanced option is added to the Import geometry dialog to control whether vias are imported from 3Di and ODB++ files. (14.0.410)

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New ImportPointsFromASCII and ImportPointsFromNASTRAN functions are available for importing coordinates from ASCII and NASTRAN files. The imported Points list can be used during the creation of polylines, polygons, fitted splines, imprinted points, cable paths and polyline refinement meshing rules. (14.0.431)

•	The Set method for objects containing collections of Corners allows points to be replaced with a single method call. This method can be used to update the defining points of polylines, polygons, fitted splines, imprinted points, cable paths and polyline refinement meshing rules. (14.0.431)

•	Support for 1D fast Fourier transform (FFT) and 1D inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) on matrices (extending the existing support to perform FFT / IFFT on a vector). (14.0.401)

•	Added UTF-8 character encoding support for the script editor. This allows the use of all characters defined by Unicode, instead of the limited ASCII character set. (14.0.401)

•	Upgrade to HOOPS 21.50-1 for display and rendering.

•	Upgrade to Parasolid 28.1.244 for geometry representation.

•	Upgrade to Parasolid Bodyshop 28.1.116 for CAD-fixing.

•	Upgrade to Spatial InterOp 2016.1 sp1 for CAD import.

•	Upgrade to Penlight 1.4.1 Lua libraries.

•	The Construct tab on the Model browser is renamed to the Construction tab. This is to avoid confusion with the Construct tab on the ribbon. (2017)

•	The About CADFEKO dialog is now modal and the text (application, version and date information) can be copied to clipboard. (2017)

•	Two additional optimisation methods, the adaptive response surface method (ARSM) and global response surface method (GRSM), are available when defining an optimisation search. (14.0.430)

•	The far field E-field optimisation goal polarisation option is extended to directly support axial ratio magnitude. This avoids having to set the absolute value as part of the processing of the handed axial ratio, for example when minimising the axial ratio. (14.0.430)

•	Field data now supports importing electric and/or magnetic near fields on all faces of a cuboid simultaneously from an .efe/.hfe file. (14.0.421)

•	An advanced option was added to the Solver settings dialog to allow additional stabilisation for the MLFMM to address models with severe convergence problems. (14.0.420)

•	Cable harnesses now support adding a frequency dependent complex load by means of a 1-port Touchstone file. (14.0.420)

•	The following changes were made to the Find cable tool:

-	A field was added to search for cable instances based on cable cross section. (14.0.410)

-	The search mechanism is now case insensitive and was extended to match partial labels. (14.0.410)

-	The dialog was updated to accept cable instance selections directly from the result list. The cable corresponding to the selected result in the table is highlighted in the tree and the 3D view. (14.0.410)

•	Multiple image file formats are supported when selecting an application macro icon. (14.0.410)

•	Rendering and display

-	Improved mesh edge port display. Edge ports now correctly and consistently display red edges on positive faces and blue edges on negative faces. (2017)

Resolved an issue that caused depth lighting not to be persistently disabled. After depth lighting was switched off by the user, any action performed on the 3D view, including selection, rotation, zooming, resizing or updating any display option would cause depth lighting to be re-enabled. (14.0.422)

-	An assertion failure could have been triggered when displaying only the model mesh. (14.0.421)

-	The tessellation and rendering of geometry faces have been improved without degrading the rendering performance. (14.0.401)

-	Rendering improvements were made that result in faster rendering and edges always coinciding with their faces. (14.0.401)

-	A selected mesh vertex is now displayed in red for both segments and elements. (14.0.420)

-	Selected wire segments were not highlighted in the 3D view. (14.0.420)

-	Projected edges were not displayed in the 3D view. (14.0.420)

-	Resolved an issue where opening and rotating a model resulted in slow performance. (14.0.401)

•	Import / Export

Resolved a problem with ACIS (*.sat) file import where the import could fail with "Error 17497: Problem encountered during import: Converter process terminated unexpectedly." in versions of FEKO 14.0 and cause a crash in versions prior to FEKO 14.0. The SAT files that demonstrated this behaviour now import successfully. (2017)

-	Resolved an issue where importing a NASTRAN file containing curvilinear elements failed. (14.0.421)

-	Fixed the export of bounding faces for volume meshes to NASTRAN format. (14.0.401)

-	Warning 17450 was triggered when importing some STEP files. (14.0.420)

-	More verbose geometry import/export information is written out to the CADFEKO.PROBLEM.LOG file. (14.0.420)

-	Resolved an issue where a Gerber file imported partially. (14.0.421)

-	Upgraded the NETEX-G libraries as well as general improvements were made to Gerber file imports. (14.0.421)

-	Resolved an issue on Linux that could potentially lead to either no geometry or a crash during Gerber and ODB++ imports. (14.0.411)

-	Resolved an issue that could potentially lead to a crash on Linux for certain 3Di files. (14.0.410)

-	Error 17867 was triggered when importing some Gerber files. (14.0.410)

-	Importing a mesh in Gerber format did not take into account the CADFEKO model unit. (14.0.410)

-	Resolved an issue that could have led to a NETEX-G error code -93 when importing invalid Gerber files. (14.0.410)

-	Improved the performance and mesh quality for Gerber imports with small circular pads. (14.0.410)

-	Gerber and ODB++ imports failed if the filename contained a period other than to indicate the file extension. (14.0.410)

-	Resolved an issue that could potentially lead to a crash when importing a *.3di file. (14.0.410)

-	KBL file import has been improved. (14.0.411)

-	Performance was improved for importing large *.fek files. (14.0.401)

-	Resolved an issue where Error 16916 was triggered when importing an old model. (14.0.401)

•	CEM validation

-	Resolved an issue that could have led to CEM validate incorrectly stating an error for zero-valued complex load values. (14.0.411)

-	Resolved an issue where an excluded looped plane wave was still included in CEM validate tests. (14.0.411)

-	Resolved an issue that caused CEM validation to state incorrectly that a coating is geometrically and electrically too thick over the specified frequency range. (14.0.410)

-	CEM validate did not trigger a warning when a cable was located too far from the ground plane. (14.0.401)

-	Resolved an issue that caused CEM validate to state incorrectly that a cable is higher than lambda/5 from the ground plane. (14.0.401)

-	Resolved the issue that CEM validate gives "Error 17816: Only one FDTD load may be associated with the port" incorrectly in FEKO 14.0. (2017)

•	Cable interface

-	Resolved an issue that could potentially lead to an assert failing when using the Find cable tool to select a cable and afterwards undoing the action. (14.0.411)

-	Resolved a bug which caused a crash when connecting an assigned cable pin with another unassigned cable pin. (14.0.401)

-	Fixed a bug where only cable instances for the path that was used in the definition of a connector (if the connector was specified at a path terminal), would show up in the result list of the Find cable tool. (14.0.401)

-	Fixed the search result list to be refined when information is added to additional fields (so that the search may be narrowed down to a single cable instance), instead of adding results for all matching fields. (14.0.401)

-	Resolved an issue where the model unit was not considered when computing the number of segments for cables. (14.0.401)

-	Resolved an issue that led to an assert failing when pressing the Tab key to navigate through the Find cable instance dialog. (14.0.401)

-	CADFEKO incorrectly allowed Twist pitch length to be specified for Shield type set to Not shielded, embedded in background medium. (14.0.401)

•	Mesh generation

-	Automatic meshing is adjusted for first order FEM regions. A "Coarse" mesh size now sets tetrahedron edge lengths to an eighth of the wavelength instead of a sixth of the wavelength. (2017)

-	Automatic meshing is adjusted to mesh lossy media with fewer elements. The mesh size is increased by a factor of four. (2017)

-	Resolved an issue where "Error 17670: Mesh elements cannot be merged, they have different settings" was given when attempting to merge compatible meshes. Validation detects when local settings on the meshes are dissimilar, but incorrectly reported disabled settings. (2017)

-	The performance of FDTD meshing is improved. (14.0.401)

-	Resolved an issue where the Create mesh dialog remained open after meshing models that contain no geometry elements. No report was displayed in the message window regarding the number of cable segments in the model. (14.0.401)

-	Resolved an issue that caused incorrect results due to coarse meshing for certain models when meshing curvilinear elements for RL-GO. (14.0.411)

-	Resolved an issue where remeshing a model containing tetrahedra, regions that used to be MoM was incorrectly meshed into tetrahedra. (14.0.401)

-	Error 16122 was triggered when meshing a model containing wire ports which are multiple segments apart. (14.0.421)

-	Resolved an issue where curvilinear windscreen elements meshed too coarsely. (14.0.411)

-	Resolved an issue that could potentially lead to an assert failing when deleting the remeshed model mesh of an object. (14.0.411)

-	Resolved an issue that could lead to an assert failing when voxel meshing a model mesh containing a port edge that is too short to have a valid voxel representation. (14.0.411)

-	Resolved an issue that could lead to an assert failing when attempting to voxel mesh a model with a port located too close to PEC faces. (14.0.411)

-	Resolved an issue that could lead to an assert failing when attempting to mesh geometry set to use the uniform theory of diffraction (UTD) solution with a cable path located nearby. (14.0.411)

-	Locked mesh parts and geometry parts to which the numerical Green's function (NGF) were applied, were remeshed when it should have been ignored during remeshing. (14.0.401)

-	The tolerance for symmetry has been relaxed to allow models with tolerant CAD geometry to be meshed symmetrically. (14.0.401)

The simulation mesh is invalidated in more cases where the changes would affect meshing. When using automatic mesh sizes, the mesh now gets removed when the global end frequency is changed, when the maximum frequency across configurations is changed or when a medium used in the model is modified. (2017)

•	API and scripting

-	Added the missing API properties for receiving antenna (spherical modes) - IncludeOnlyScatteredPartOfField and InternalApproximationMethod. (14.0.401)

-	Added the missing API objects GeneralSolverSettings and OutputFileSolverSettings. (14.0.401)

-	Executing an erroneous script and clicking GOTO in the console did not highlight the line of code but instead resulted in an application error. (14.0.401)

-	Macro recording did not correctly record a voltage source on a network terminal. (14.0.401)

-	Resolved an issue that could have led to an assert failing when clicking on GOTO in the console after the script has been closed or renamed. (14.0.401)

-	Resolved an issue that could have led to an assert failing when saving an externally modified script. (14.0.401)

-	Resolved an issue that could potentially lead to a crash or a disabled state when running a script and an error occurs in the call-back function. (14.0.420)

-	Resolved an issue that could potentially lead to an assert when running an application macro for a second time while the first instance is still running. (14.0.411)

-	Resolved an issue that could potentially lead to an unresponsive application when using custom forms in a macro to generate a form. (14.0.401)

-	The form dialog is now modal to the main window and displayed in front of the script editor, but it still allows interaction with the script editor. (14.0.410)

•	General resolved issues

Resolved an issue with models containing multiple solution requests that if the frequency is first set globally, then specified per configuration before changing it back to being specified globally, the frequency is not applied correctly. Upon meshing, the user incorrectly gets prompted to set the frequency until it is updated to a different value. The frequency setting is now correctly handled for configurations. (2017)

-	The local workplane of a single incident plane wave is now taken into account for far field requests that calculate fields in the plane wave incident direction. (2017)

-	Resolved the issue that items on the scope tab of a request do not get transferred when sending a copy of the request to another configuration. (2017)

Improved handling of cases where the skin effect is applied to surfaces coincident with an infinite ground plane. The more descriptive error "ERROR 39138: Invalid specification of an infinite ground plane: geometry not allowed below the plane surface" will be given by the solver instead of "ERROR 1161: No metallic triangles/segments found with the correct label to apply the skin effect approximation" when faces with coatings or lossy metal face media coincide with an infinite plane. (2017)

-	Faces that are coincident with perfect magnetic conductor (PMC) ground planes are no longer incorrectly ignored during solution. Only perfect electric conductor (PEC) and dielectric boundary faces that are coincident with PEC ground planes are ignored. (2017)

Resolved an issue where CADFEKO abruptly terminates when deleting a face, edge or wire from a model created in an older version of CADFEKO. It specifically applies to faces and edges contained within the surface of another face, where an adjacent edge was previously deleted from the model, or a wire connecting to a junction where an edge was previously deleted. This issue affects versions of FEKO 14.0 from FEKO 14.0.410. For problematic models, CADFEKO now prompts the user to re-evaluate the model when attempting to delete this kind of face, edge or wire. The face, edge or wire can be deleted after re-evaluation of the part. (2017)

-	Resolved an issue where deleting a wire from a geometry part after deleting all its faces caused CADFEKO to terminate. (14.0.431)

-	Resolved an issue that truncated numbers to six significant digits when importing finite array distributions. Up to fifteen significant digits are now supported. (14.0.430)

-	Resolved an issue that could cause "ERROR 815: No segments found with the correct label to apply coating" to be given when solving a model containing a coated wire with a port embedded in a dielectric. This error occurred if the port mesh segment spanned the entire wire label. (14.0.430)

Resolved an issue where "Error 16070: Field data 'NearFieldData1' is a Cartesian Boundary definition - this is not supported" was given incorrectly. This prevented a near field receiving antenna from being added to a model containing Cartesian boundary field data, for which support was added in FEKO 14.0.421. (14.0.430)

-	Corrected a problem where the number of processes was allowed to be specified as "all" for OPTFEKO farming. (14.0.430)

-	CADFEKO is extended to allow coatings to be specified on PEC regions. (14.0.420) This setting was never transferred to the solver and would lead to the model being solved without the coating. This is now corrected. (14.0.422)

-	Resolved an issue where modifying a port label was ignored when there was only a change in capitalisation. (14.0.420)

-	Resolved an issue that could have inadvertently caused Warning 17750 when using Open model or opening a model from the recent files list. (14.0.420)

-	Resolved issues that could lead to an assert when navigating the ribbon by means of keytips. (14.0.401, 14.0.411)

-	The title bar text now indicates when the application is a student edition. (14.0.411)

-	Resolved an issue that resulted in the FEKO GUI components failing to launch on Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. (14.0.411)

-	Modifications to the Free space medium were allowed. (14.0.410)

-	Resolved an issue that could have led to an assert failing when deleting a voxel mesh and undoing the action. (14.0.410)

-	Resolved an issue on Windows where the plugin path was set incorrectly when FEKO was installed on a network share and the path to the installation was referenced via a symbolic link. (14.0.410)

-	A problem has been corrected that could have caused Warning 17757 incorrectly. (14.0.410)

-	Resolved an issue that led to a crash when using point entry for a near field request. (14.0.401)

-	Numerical Green's function (NGF) settings were incorrectly applied to mesh parts. (14.0.401)

-	Resolved an issue that could have potentially led to an assert failing when selecting an infinite plane/ground in the model tree or try to modify its properties. (14.0.401)

-	When modifying the default model extents value, the new value was not saved. (14.0.401)

-	Resolved an issue that could have potentially led to an assert failing when deleting a face. (14.0.401)

-	Resolved an issue that led to an assert failing when combining cables and undoing the action. (14.0.401)

-	Renaming a locked part could have resulted in an assert failing. (14.0.401)

-	Resolved an issue that could potentially lead to an error when performing the path sweep action. (14.0.401)

-	Resolved an issue that could result in Error 16504 when performing a split action on a model. (14.0.401)

-	Resolved an issue where deleting all the goals contained in a combination, did not delete the combination. (14.0.401)

-	Added validation to prevent CADFEKO_BATCH from failing on Linux when the directory for writing CADFEKO_BATCH log files does not exist. (14.0.401)

-	Resolved an issue that could have led to an assert failing when using variables to define mesh settings, meshing the model and then undoing. (14.0.401)

-	Resolved an issue that could potentially have led to a crash when attempting to delete a wire from an intersection. (14.0.401)

-	Resolved an issue that could lead to an error when changing the size of a rectangle with a UTD solution applied to it. (14.0.401)

-	Resolved an issue that could have led to an assert failing when macro recording, selecting objects in the tree and then undoing the selection. (14.0.401)

-	Mesh information is now also available for excluded parts. (14.0.401)

-	Spun analytical curve surfaces may have lost connectivity after a union operation. (14.0.401)

-	Resolved an issue where the content of the clipboard was cleared with the closing of the application. (14.0.401)

-	Resolved an issue where faces may have become lost during a union operation. (14.0.401)