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COMSOL Multiphysics® 5.5 Release Highlights

LiveLink™ for Solid Edge® Updates

For users of LiveLink™ for Solid Edge®, COMSOL Multiphysics® version 5.5 brings user-defined selections and synchronized material properties. Read more about these features below.

User-Defined Selections

Expanding on the functionality that synchronizes selections based on material assignments in the CAD model in Solid Edge®, the LiveLink™ interface now adds support for user-defined selections. In the newly added COMSOL Selections interface in Solid Edge®, you can define selections that are synchronized with the COMSOL Multiphysics® model. You can choose to synchronize selections for assembly features, bodies, faces, or points, which become selections in the model when the CAD design is synchronized with COMSOL Multiphysics®.

A busbar assembly is shown in the Solid Edge software with the COMSOL Multiphysics tab open and the COMSOL Selections shown.
The selections defined on this assembly of a busbar are synchronized with the COMSOL Multiphysics® model.

A busbar assembly is shown in the COMSOL Multiphysics UI and the Synchronize section of the LiveLink for Solid Edge settings is open.
The selections synchronized into the COMSOL Multiphysics® model, which were defined in the Solid Edge® busbar.

Support for Synchronizing Material Properties

For users of LiveLink™ for Solid Edge®, COMSOL Multiphysics® version 5.5 supports the synchronization of material properties applied in Solid Edge®. Based on the material data, Materials nodes are created in the component of the LiveLink™ feature, and their selection is set to the corresponding material in Solid Edge®. The synchronization of materials is enabled with a Synchronize material data check box in the Synchronize section of the LiveLink for Solid Edge node.

The geometry of a busbar assembly is shown in the Graphics window, the titanium and copper materials appear in the Materials node, and the LiveLink for Solid Edge settings are shown.
The Titanium, unalloyed and Copper material nodes are generated during synchronization when the new Synchronize material data check box is selected in the settings for LiveLink™ for Solid Edge®.

Associative Geometry Import

The CAD file import functionality now supports associative geometry import to retain physics and other settings on the geometry after the file is reimported due to an updated design. The import reads information in the CAD files to identify the geometric entities in the file. This information is usually available when importing CAD files saved in the native format of the software where it was created.

Reimporting a modified version of this fan geometry preserves the selection of the blade faces.

Selections from Materials, Layers, and Colors

The CAD file import functionality now generates selections based on the material and layer assignments of the geometric objects, when available in the CAD file. Selections are also generated for colors assigned to geometric entities. The selections are listed in the Settings window of the Import feature.

Use material selections generated during import to easily assign materials to the imported geometry. The selections are also kept when a modified version of the geometry is reimported.

Delete Holes Defeaturing Operation

A new defeaturing operation called Delete Holes finds and deletes cylindrical holes whose radii are smaller than a given number that you can specify. After specifying a maximum radius, a Find Holes button will automatically add the appropriate holes to the selection list.

A gray model geometry with holes identified in blue and the Delete Holes settings shown.
The new Delete Holes defeaturing operation is used to find cylindrical holes.

A gray model geometry without holes and the Delete Holes settings shown.
The geometry resulting from using the Delete Holes operation.

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Screenshot ansehen

Support for New and Updated CAD File Format Versions

The CAD file export functionality now supports writing 3D geometry to the following file formats:

  • IGES (.igs, .iges): 5.3
  • STEP (.step): AP203

The CAD file import and export functionality has been extended to support new versions for the following file formats:

Read from File
  • ACIS® (.sat, .sab, .asat, .asab): 2019 1.0
  • NX™ (.prt): 1847
  • Parasolid® (.x_t, .xmt_txt, .x_b, .xmt_bin): V32.0
  • PTC Creo Parametric™ (.prt, .asm): 6.0
  • SOLIDWORKS® (.sldprt, .sldasm): 2019
Write to File
  • Parasolid® (.x_t, .xmt_txt, .x_b, .xmt_bin): V32.0


ACIS is a registered trademark of Spatial Corporation. Parasolid, NX, and Solid Edge are trademarks or registered trademarks of Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and in other countries. PTC, Creo, and Creo Parametric are trademarks or registered trademarks of PTC Inc. or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and in other countries. SOLIDWORKS is a registered trademark of Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. COMSOL AB and its subsidiaries and products are not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or supported by these third parties.