Start with a published engineering example and build the corresponding study in CDS. Follow the checkpoints to compare the results, keeping the learning comparison separate from a qualified design value.
Instructional ratings describe setup and interpretation effort, not solver accuracy or license access. Existing catalog stages remain separate. Estimates include setup, comparisons and interpretation; they are not solver runtimes and will vary with experience.
Foundation — a single basic material or micromechanics relationship.
Developing — orientation, short-fiber comparisons or an introductory laminate setup.
Intermediate — a structural response, transport history or process study.
Advanced — coupled fields, nonlinear response or optimization with more interpretation.
Integrated — a multi-field study combining thermal, moisture and mechanical effects.
The numbered ring fills as difficulty increases. The clock fill indicates walkthrough duration on a two-hour scale; the adjacent number gives the estimate in minutes. These initial ratings are assigned from the model scope and curriculum stage and can be refined by instructors.
Exercises
Choose an exercise to see its setup. Double-click or press Enter to open it in Workbench.
How the shared curriculum works
Read the reference
Select an exercise from the shared CDS database
Trace inputs in Simulation
Run and inspect fields
Compare checkpoints and record limits
SIMULATION selects the Thermal, Moisture, Mechanical and EM cases to run, with None available in each slot. Geometry owns shared specimen dimensions; Laminate owns plies and thickness. Equipment, directly below Geometry, owns reusable laser, IR/UV lamp, heater, cooler and mold specifications. Cases link that hardware to its placement and exposure; a boundary temperature alone does not imply a hardware model. Each case owns one analysis model, its applied conditions and its applicable cycle; there is no separate Process block. Surrounding blocks manage available records. Run updates results; completed does not mean validated or passed.
You work from one shared default database across all 184 exercises, examples and case studies. Opening an exercise selects its connected records without adding duplicate materials. An edit to a shared record affects every study that uses it, so duplicate the record for an independent variation. Downloads contain self-contained subsets and require sign-in with an active CDS license. Exercise links open the guide; they do not run the solver or replace your database. Historical files remain in the separate portal archive.
Catalogue revision 2026-09-20. Source-data case studies require the setup and calibration described in their guides.
Current Workbench, reference editions and downloads
Use the online User Guide for current controls, the released model directory for selectable models and compatibility, and the Training Manual for connected exercises. Wider theory references do not mean every formulation is enabled in Workbench.
Screenshots and download editions carry revision dates; consult the current chapter for updated Workbench instructions. Find the overview PDF, guides and exercise databases in Your CDS library.
