Finds where material should go inside a design space: the stiffest part, or the one with the lowest stress, under its Load case and within its Constraints (density-based SIMP on the adaptive finite-cell octree). The result keeps its saved iterations for Smooth Topology Result.
The Analysis Bodies: the first is the design space; further bodies stay solid and do not count against the volume budget.
Optional list of Contact, Tie and Bolted Joint connectors between the bodies.
The loads and supports the part must carry. The goal and every constraint are measured under it.
Maximize stiffness: the stiffest part the Volume Constraint allows. Minimize stress: the lowest stress (a smooth maximum of the von Mises stress) it allows.
What the result has to keep:
Each is measured under the Load case.
Keeps material off the edge of the design space: 0 leaves the edge free, 1 allows no material there except where loads or supports act, and values between cap the edge density at 1 minus the value. A constant only; a varying field is refused.
Smoothing length in mm; it keeps the result independent of the mesh and sets the smallest feature. 0 uses twice the average element size. A constant only; a varying field is refused.
Most iterations to run (1–1000).
Off (default): Resolution sets the element count. On: Cell size sets the element size directly.
Target number of finite elements; the octree depth is searched to reach it. Used while By cell size is off.
Element size at the surface in mm, used while By cell size is on.
Converged once the goal changes by less than this fraction from one iteration to the next, and the density change is below Density tolerance too.
Converged once no element's density (0–1) moves by more than this between iterations, together with Objective tolerance.
Largest change of a density per iteration, as a fraction of its 0–1 range. 0 uses 0.2.
Which iterations are kept for viewing afterwards: 1 every iteration, n every n-th, 0 only the first and the last.
Values the block gives besides its output. The editor lists them under Properties, and an input can read one by reference.
The optimized density of each element, from the last saved iteration.
How many design variables the optimizer adjusted.
How many degrees of freedom the analysis model has.
How many elements the analysis model has.
How many load cases were solved.
How many nodes the analysis model has.
The number of each iteration the optimizer ran.
The iterations whose results were kept, one every Save increment.