Basic Interaction with

HyperMesh Desktop
Getting Started with HyperMesh Desktop
In this section, you will explore the basic layout of the HyperMesh Desktop user interface.

Overview of Finite Element Analysis

Finite Element Analysis was first developed over 60 years ago as a method to accurately
predict the reaction of complex parts to various inputs. Prior to the development of FEA,
the only way to validate a design or test a theory was to physically test a part. This was
and still is both time consuming and expensive. While FEA will never replace the final
physical testing and validation of a design, it can drastically reduce the time and money
spent on intermediate stages and concepts.
FEA in its infancy was limited to large scale computing platforms but the development of
powerful personal computers, combined with intuitive software packages such as
HyperWorks, has brought FEA to the engineers desktop. This has broadened its use and
accuracy many fold.
Finite Element Analysis is now a vital and irreplaceable tool in many industries such as
Automotive, Aerospace, Defense, Consumer Products, Medical, Oil and Gas, Architecture
and many others.
FEA is performed in three stages; Pre-Processing, Solving and Post Processing. These
stages are outlined below.

Step 1: Pre- Processing

Pre-Processing is the act of preparing (meshing) a model for analysis. Complex geometry is
broken down into simple shapes (elements) in the act of meshing. This allows the solver in
the next step to predict the action of these elements and analyze the reaction of a complex
part to external forces and interactions. The part is meshed and then definitions for the type
and thickness of the material(s) are added. Next, forces and constraints are applied. The
model is then prepared for the analysis with information the solver will need to perform its
calculations. The model is then written in a format that the solver can understand and is
sent to the solver for processing.

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Basics HyperMesh Desktop

Step 2: Solving
Solving is performed by any of the many commercially available software written to perform
Finite Element Analysis. Some of these include popular packages such as RADIOSS,
OptiStruct, Acusolve, Nastran, LS-Dyna, Abaqus, and Ansys, as well as others. The solver
takes the information provided in the file (input deck) created in HyperMesh in Step One and
calculates the part’s reactions to the inputs defined. Common outputs are Displacement,
Stress, Strain and Acceleration. These results are stored in a file that then can be read in
HyperView in the Post-Processing stage.

Step 3: Post-Processing
Post-Processing is where the results of the solver solution can be reviewed and analyzed.
HyperView can provide presentation quality color contoured plots and animations
highlighting any of the requested results. Information can be queried, displaced and even
graphed in numerous windows allowing for customization geared toward the desired
audience.

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HyperMesh Desktop Introduction

Running HyperMesh Desktop

• Windows: The installation process creates a HyperWorks group under All
Programs on the Start menu. The default name of the group can be changed during
installation. Most applications can be started using the following instructions.

o From the Start Menu, select All Programs. o Click Altair HyperWorks
(version or the name defined during installation). o Select the name of the program
you want to run HyperMesh Desktop.

Or

o User can create a Windows Shortcut by right clicking on the above program
and selecting Create Shortcut.

• UNIX and Linux: o At the prompt, type <install directory>/scripts/hm. o Set up an

alias.

• Mac OS X: The HyperWorks Mac OS X applications can be invoked as follows.

o The icons in the Applications Menu under the default location (if defaults
were used) or the chosen install folder location.

o The install location under scripts via a terminal window. (For example, the
command /Applications/AltairHyperWorks/altair/scripts/hm under a terminal
window would launch HyperMesh.)

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Basics HyperMesh Desktop

The Start-In Directory

The “Start-In Directory” or “Working Directory” is the location from which the HyperWorks
Desktop application is launched. This directory defines where certain settings files are
written by default, and where customization files will be searched.
• Configuration files (hmmenu.set, hmsettings.tcl, hwsettings.xml, hm.mac, etc.)
• History File (command.cmf)
• HyperMesh Model Files, FE Data and Geometry Files. (User can browse to different
directories for opening and saving)
The file browser will also use this directory as its default location for browsing for files. This
can be considered as the "current working directory".
This directory can be changed, thereby changing the location where these files are written to
or read from. This has the benefit of allowing different settings to be stored in different
directories to give control over the HyperWorks Desktop environment for different projects or
use cases.

Changing the Start-in Directory on Windows

On Windows, the default start-in directory for HyperWorks is the My Documents directory.
This can be changed by editing the "Start in" field on the application executable or its
shortcut.

1. Locate and right-click the relevant HyperWorks Desktop application icon from the
Start menu Altair HyperWorks <Version> group.
Or
Locate and right-click the HyperWorks Desktop executable file
(e.g. <altair_home\hw\bin\<platform>\hw.exe) 2.
Select Properties to open the properties dialog.
3. Select the Shortcut tab.
4. Edit the Start in field to contain the path to the directory in which you want to run the
HyperWorks Desktop application. This directory becomes the start-in directory.
5. Click OK.
6. Start the HyperWorks Desktop application as defined in the "Starting HyperWorks
Desktop Applications" section.

Changing the Start-in Directory on Linux

On Linux, the start-in directory is defined by the directory from which the user runs the
application startup script.

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 1. cd to the directory in which you want to run the HyperWorks Desktop application.

Start the HyperWorks Desktop application as defined in the "Starting

HyperWorks Desktop Applications" section.

Settings Files
HyperWorks Desktop writes several different settings files. HyperMesh writes
command.cmf, hmmenu.set and hmsettings.tcl.
HyperWorks Desktop writes hwsettings.xml. Each of these files is detailed below.

command.cmf
The command.cmf file is a command history file containing the commands executed in
HyperMesh whenever any operation is performed. This file can be used to rerun operations
or as a basis for determining the commands required to automate a given process. The
command.cmf file is written to the start-in directory for each session. Deleting this file simply
results in a new file being created on the next operation.

hmmenu.set
The hmmenu.set file stores information about panel options, panel settings, user profiles,
graphics settings, element check settings, penetration check settings, and several other
settings. The hmmenu.set file is written to the start-in directory after each session is closed.
Deleting this file resets the stored settings to their default values. It is possible to customize
the location where this file is read from during start-up. HyperWorks Desktop uses the
following search order to find the hmmenu.set file. If copies exist in multiple locations, only
the first one found in the search order is used:
1. Start-in directory
2. Home directory
3. HW_CONFIG_PATH environment variable
4. Installation directory

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hmsetting.tcl
The hmsettings.tcl file stores information on the browsers, the user interface layout (tab
locations, command window, panel location, toolbars, etc...), keyboard preferences,
import/export settings, recent files, and other various settings. By default, the hmsettings.tcl
file is written to the My Documents directory on Windows and in ~/.altair on Linux after each
session is closed. Deleting this file resets the stored settings to their default values. It is
possible to customize the location where this file is read from during start-up and written to
on exit. HyperWorks Desktop always writes the hmsettings.tcl file back out to the location
where it originally read it from for that session. The following order is used to find the
hmsettings.tcl file:
1. HM_SETTINGS_DIR environment variable. If this is defined, the search stops
even if the file doesn't exist.

2. My Documents directory on Windows or ~/.altair on Linux

hwsetting.xml
The hwsettings.xml file stores information on the browsers, the user interface layout (tab
locations, command window, panel location, toolbars, etc...), keyboard preferences,
import/export settings, recent files, and other various settings. By default, the hwsettings.xml
file is written to the My Documents directory on Windows and in ~/.altair on Linux after each
session is closed. Deleting this file resets the stored settings to their default values. It is
possible to customize the location where this file is read from during start-up and written to
on exit. HyperWorks Desktop always writes the hwsettings.xml file back out to the location
where it originally read it from for that session. The following order is used to find the
hwsettings.xml file:
1. HW_SETTINGS_DIR environment variable. If this is defined, the search stops
even if the file doesn't exist.
2. My Documents directory on Windows or ~/.altair on Linux

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Online Help
HyperMesh offers comprehensive documentation in the online help. The Help can be
accessed through the menu bar or the use of the “h” key on your keyboard. If the user
accesses help through the use of the “h” key, the help documentation is “intelligent”, opening
in the section representing the panel that the user is actively in. Help also contains detailed
tutorials on many advanced HyperMesh functions.

Example: how to use HyperWorks Online Help to search documentation about comments
created by HyperMesh in the input deck.

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Basics HyperMesh Desktop

HyperMesh Desktop Graphical User Interface

Title Bar – It tells you which product is active

Menu Bar – It enables access to many types of functionality. It places functionality into
groups, accessible via pull downs

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Toolbar – It gives access to commonly used tools via icons Browser
– contains the following tabs:
• Solver, Model, Utility, Include, Import, Export, Connector, Entity State, Entity Editor, etc.
Graphics area – displays the model
Menu Pages – divides the main menu into groups based on function
Panel area – menu items / functions for interacting with HyperMesh

Sub-panels – divides panel into similar tasks related to panel’s main function
Command Window – lets the user type in and execute tcl commands
• Available through the View drop down menu (turned off by default)
Status Bar – shows status of operations being performed

• Indicates the “current” Include file, Component Collector, and Load Collector
HyperMesh Desktop Clients
HyperWorks applications can be selected from the Client Selector toolbar.
The Client Selector button on the left-most end of the toolbar allows you to select
HyperMesh, HyperView, HyperGraph 2D, HyperGraph 3D, MediaView, and TextView.
The toolbars, view controls, and menu bars change based on the application you select.

HyperMesh Desktop Keyboard Shortcut and Setting

The secondary menu is a list of panels that can be accessed by using the function keys F1
through F12, or in combination with the SHIFT or CTRL keys.

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Basics HyperMesh Desktop

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