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• FAQs

FAQ - AdvantEdge™ FEM

How do I create videos from Tecplot results?

With the file open in Tecplot, select Tools -> Animate -> Zones at the bottom of the animate zones box it should say animate on screen.  Change this so that it says animate to avi file. Then click animate.

What if my material is not in AdvantEdge™?

• You can define a custom material within AdvantEdge™ FEM.  When selecting a workpiece material, select custom and press ok.  Then, click Custom Materials --> Workpiece materials.  This will allow you to enter information such as strain hardening and thermal softening curves.
• If you do not have the information necessary to define a custom material you can use a site such as www.matweb.com to pick another material already in AdvantEdge™ FEM that has similar properties.
• If no materials currently in AdvantEdge™ FEM are close enough for your modeling needs, you can contact sales (sales@thirdwavesys.com) to discuss purchasing a material model for the specific material you want to model.

How do I reduce the time required to run my simulation?

First, make sure you are not modeling more than is necessary.  Increasing the number of elements increases the computation time, so if you can reduce the size of a tool or workpiece without affecting the contact regions you should be able to reduce run time without significantly affecting the results.  Common examples of this include shortening the length of a drill or cutting a STEP file before importing it so it isn’t as tall or deep.

What if my contour plot appears disproportionate?

Click Plot -> Axis.  In the Axis Details window, select XYZ Dependent.  Set the X to Y and X to Z ratios so both are equal to 1.

What should I do if Tecplot encounters problems and closes?

It is possible it is due to a problem with the video card.  One solution is to reduce the hardware acceleration.  To do this, right click on your desktop and select properties.  When looking at the display properties select the "settings" tab and click the "advanced" button.  Now click on the troubleshoot tab and change the hardware acceleration down to just barely above none.

What is the clearance angle referred to in the GUI for drilling?

The clearance angle or relief angle increases from the periphery to the axis of the drill. It is conventionally specified at the outer corner of the cutting edge and is referred to as the nominal relief angle. The clearance angle keeps the drill flank from rubbing with the workpiece.