The Property menu contains the following options:

• Material
  • Create,
  • Edit,
  • Duplicate,
  • Import from .inp,
  • Export to .inp,
  • Delete.

• Material Library – several materials are built into Solvix and the user can add new materials to the library as well.
• Section
  • Create,
  • Edit,
  • Duplicate,
  • Delete.

Material Library editor (Figure 14) allows access to materials library that is stored in the materials.lib file in the base Solvix directory. The library file is a text-based file that can be edited using any .txt editor, like Notepad++. It is assumed that all material data is stored using the mm, ton, s, C unit system. But the library file is not meant to be edited this way since it is created directly from the material objects using JSON serialization and thus not easily readable. The library is meant to be edited using the Solvix built-in material editor.

Libraries #

Multiple material libraries can be managed using the Libraries section at the top of the Material Library Editor.

Library materials section #

The material library items consist of categories and materials. Categories are used to organize the materials into smaller manageable groups. A new category can be created inside the existing category using the Add category button and removed from the library using the Delete button. Each item in the library can be renamed using the bottom text field and the Rename button. If changes were made to the library, they must be saved using Save button. All materials inside one category must have a unique name.

FEM model materials section #

The section for the model materials contains only button Delete which is used to remove the materials from the FEM Model. All materials in the model must have a unique name.

Using the material library #

To use an existing material in the FEM Model, the user must first select the material in the library material section. Using the right arrow button, the selected library material can be copied to the model materials.

To add a user material to the material library the material must be created first using the Material editor. Then the material library editor can be used to add the user material to the library. In the material library editor, a desired category must be selected or created first and then the left arrow button can be used to copy the user material to the library. Once a material is added to the library the changes must be saved for future use.

Exchanging material data between users #

All material data in the material library can be replaced by replacing the Materials.lib file. In this way the whole materials library can be sent to a second user. But replacing the library file also removes all the changes done by the second user.

If only a selected material is to be exchanged with the second user, a Solvix model .svx file must be used. The first user creates a simple (but not empty) model containing the selected user material. This file must then be sent to the second user who opens the model file and adds the user material from the file to his materials library using the Material library editor (Figure 14). At the bottom of the Material Library Editor there is a checkbox to enable preview of properties of a selected material.

There are two new ways of transferring the material model from one FEM Model to another FEM Model or from one computer to another computer. The first possibility is the transfer using the material library files and the second is the possibility of importing/exporting material models using the Solvix/Abaqus .inp files.

Material libraries: Solvix supports editing of multiple material libraries using the built-in material library editor (Figure 14). The added Libraries group-box contains the list of opened library files and the following buttons for their manipulation:

• New – creates a new, empty material library file.
• Add – adds an existing material library file to the list of opened libraries.
• Remove – removes the selected opened library from the list (the material library file is not deleted).
• Save -saves the changes (denoted by an asterisk at the end of the file name) in the selected material library to the material library file.

To transfer the material model from source FEM Model to the target FEM Model the built-in default material library can be used, or a new material library can be created. The material model in the source FEM Model should then be copied from the FEM Model to the library by firstly selecting the library in the list of opened libraries, secondly selecting the material model in the FEM Model materials group box and lastly pressing the left arrow button. After that the updated library should be saved.

To copy the saved material model from the library to the target FEM Model, the target FEM Model must be opened first. Then the material library editor should be opened and the appropriate material library added or selected in the list of opened material libraries. Lastly, the material model in the library should be selected and copied to the FEM Model by pressing the right arrow button.

In order to transfer the material model from the source computer to the target computer the same process should be followed. But after saving the material model to a library file, the library file should be sent from the source computer to the target computer.

This method is unit aware which means that transferring the material model from one FEM Model to another FEM Model that is using a different unit system is possible and all material parameters are converted accordingly.

Solvix/Abaqus .inp files: Additional menu entries were added to the Property -> Material menu. These new menus are:

• Import from .inp – imports all materials from a selected .inp file.
• Export to .inp – opens a selection window where materials from the FEM Model should first be selected and then saved to a new .inp file.

Transferring the material models from one FEM Model to another FEM Model or from one computer to another computer is done with the same procedure as described in Material libraries paragraph. This method is not unit aware which means that when transferring the material model from one FEM Model to another FEM Model that is using a different unit system the material properties are not converted.

When a new material is created, it is possible to define:

• Density,
• Slip wear
  • Hardness.
  • Wear coefficient.
• Elasticity
  • Young’s modulus.
  • Poisson’s ratio.
• Plasticity
  • Data points (yield stress vs plastic strain).
• Thermal properties
  • Thermal expansion
    • Thermal expansion coefficient.
    • Zero temperature.
  • Thermal conductivity.
  • Specific heat.

The arrow button -> is used to add a selected property to the new material definition.

It’s also possible to specify the material’s name, provide the description and include temperature dependency (Use temperature dependent data points).

The following section types are available:

• Solid Section
  • Name – specify the section name.
  • Material – select the material for the section.
  • Thickness – specify the thickness of plane stress/strain part (only for 2D models).
  • Region – select the region for the section assignment.
• Shell Section
  • Name – specify the section name.
  • Material – select the material for the section.
  • Thickness – define the shell thickness.
  • Offset – set the offset of the shell mid-surface (shell thickness is the unit).
  • Region – select the region for the section assignment.
• Membrane Section
  • Name – specify the section name.
  • Material – select the material for the section.
  • Thickness – define the membrane thickness.
  • Offset – set the offset of the membrane mid-surface (membrane thickness is the unit).
  • Region – select the region for the section assignment.
• Point Mass
  • Name – specify the section name.
  • Mass – enter the mass to be applied to each selected node.
  • Region – select the region for the section assignment.
• Distributed Mass
  • Name – specify the section name.
  • Mass – enter the total mass to be distributed to the selected region.
  • Region – select the region for the section assignment.