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.
Keep the results and checks with your saved study so you can explain how you reached the conclusion. Use the User Guide for the controls and the Theory Manual for the mathematics.
01
Choose the run in the SIMULATION block
SIMULATION is the control point for the run. Select a Thermal case, Moisture case, Mechanical case and EM case, or None in any slot. Each selected case shows its analysis model, laminate and applicable geometry.
Step-by-step instructions · 4 steps
Keep candidate records in the surrounding blocks. Adding a candidate does not select it for execution.
Select the required cases in SIMULATION and review their inputs before Run. At least one case is required.
Use the same laminate for a supported combined run. Run standalone studies separately with the other selectors set to None.
Run executes the selected combination. A connection or Used marker is not confirmation of a successful solve.
02
Review every downstream geometry dependency
A geometry record can be shared by several cases and simulations. Editing its dimensions or type affects all linked consumers, including studies that are not currently open. Unrelated records are unchanged.
Step-by-step instructions · 4 steps
After editing geometry, open Solver messages and expand Review affected cases and simulations. Select a linked name to inspect that record.
Check the selected model, load basis, dimensions and boundary conditions. Loads are not automatically replaced when the geometry changes.
Resolve incompatible geometry and model combinations before running. An I-section does not turn a plate theory into a beam theory.
Rerun affected simulations before relying on previous results. Inputs changed warnings indicate that stored results no longer match their connected inputs.
