MSC Apex Update 12/2020, Based On Apex 2021

MSC Apex Update
12/2020, Based on Apex 2021
1 | hexagonmi.com | mscsoftware.com
MSC Apex Overview
• Reduces the time from CAD model to mesh

• Interactive face / edge / vertex drag
• Geometry repair, defeaturing and modification
• Automatic midsurface create and extend
• Strong hexmeshing
• Integrated solver and MSC Nastran pre/post Courtesy of TLG Aerospace
• Python scripting: e.g. conceptual modeling, integrate own tools,

standard custom tools palette
• Generative design for 3D printing
• Easy to learn and fun to use
• Unlimited undo / redo
• Increased pace of development since 2019 / 2020!
The following overview is focused on enhancements in

https://evotechcae.com/
the last 3 years.
Geometry and Meshing Enhancements
Revolve / sweep / extrude geometry
Hex meshing supports much more geometries and

offers diagnostics for not yet meshable solids
Washers for arbitrary holes
Incremental shell meshing: first create and edit

washers, then the rest of the shell mesh
Shell mesh: improved pattern
Separate elements
Mesh to CAD
Based on orphan mesh, Apex generates a true geometry which can be modified with all
geometry functions
Useful e.g. to give a deformed part back to CAD, to see how it fits in the global model
STL import and export supported
Full Support for RBE2 / RBE3
Discrete ties
• 2 Distribution types:
RBE2 (rigid)
RBE3 (compliant)
• 2 Creation modes:
Auto – uses default DoF
Custom – customize DoF and weighting factors
• Fully editable from model browser
Connectors
• Spring, damper, bushing, RBAR, CBAR –
attached via RBE2 or RBE3
Joints
• Revolute, parallel and other joints – attached via
RBE2 or RBE3, represented by RBE2 or
RJOINT
Import from bdf as individual RBEs or connector or joint

representation fully supported
Beam Elements
Define beam cross sections by standard shapes, numerical properties input, or 1D Profiles
Constant or tapered
6
IDs Display and Renumbering
Hide / show labels in Label size and color

selected regions
Renumber
Different resolution options available for duplicate IDs during bdf import.
Composites
Panel menu:
• Reference coordinate system
• Build direction
• Offset
• Input for failure criteria (can be

switched on the fly in postprocessing)
• Add plies
Composite Laminate Construction: Plies
• Physical Ply Properties
• material
• thickness
• angle
• Ply table
• access to all plies in the laminate for
manipulation
• Zones
• objects completely derived by the system
• determined from coverage of all currently
existing plies
• user does not create, edit, delete zones
• immediately updated based on user actions
• ply coverage changes
• tool surface manipulations (generative
response)
Composite Laminate Verification: Core Sample Tool
• Select a surface or element to visualize the layup there

• Double-click to edit
Composites: Additional Tools
• Add plies faster and color-code them based on

majority ply direction
• Polar diagram
Part Replace: For Fast Variant Studies
• Automatically replace an existing geometry (solid) with a new
geometry while retaining as much of the attribution of the original
part as possible – including mesh, materials, loads, constraints,
joints, connectors
• Part replace tab shows the status of the objects from automatic
replace.
Dark and light color scheme
Can be switched without

restarting Apex
MSC Nastran Solutions Supported in Standard GUI
• Automatic update of mesh, boundary

conditions and job status when the
geometry changes
• Can analyse full model, individual
assemblies or parts
• Analysis readiness checks
• Force, moment, pressure, enforced
motion, gravity, temperature, mass,
nonstructural mass etc.
• User-defined coordinate systems
supported
• Mass scaling via WTMASS supported
• Can use integrated solver or MSC
Nastran
• Import MSC Nastran results for sol
101, 103, 105 from hdf5 or op2
• Import model and results from hdf5 or
op2
Contact Parameters
• Apex auto-creates contact pairs (“mesh independent ties”) by distance
• Contact menu is in the Custom Tools see slide 20
• The contact pairs can be edited individually in the contact menu
• The contact properties are stored as User Attributes for the pair
Sol 400 Support
• User defines a scenario (job) in the

Studies tab in the model browser
• This scenario is exported to a sol
400 bdf from a Custom Tools
menu
• Load step control, global contact
settings and misc. settings can be
modified. User default settings are
stored in xml file
MSC Apex Generative Design
• Efficient optimization for additive manufacturing
• Consideration of AM design rules
• Meshless
• Stress oriented
• Result is automatically smooth and export-ready
Postprocessing
• Multiple viewports
• Record images and movies
• Show and export results values
• Create diagrams
Python Scripting
• Macro record / play, or user scripts

• Can include Python data constructs such as lists and
dictionaries
• Can incorporate Python modules to access Excel, etc.
• Create conceptual models for variant studies
• Create custom menus User defined
menus
-> A lot of functionality was integrated in Apex 2021 by custom
palette. See next slide. The principal is comparable to Patran
Utilities.
Conceptual modeling
for variant studies for
wings, fuselage
sections etc.
Apex Custom Tools
The Apex custom tools are contained

in the standard installation and can be
activated by the user.
A lot of functionality was added in
short time by way of the custom tools.
Useful tools to create geometry,

nodes, loads, composites more
efficiently
Query tools to count entities and get

geometric and mass properties
Apex Custom Tools ctd
Create and edit specific Specific meshing and viewing Building blocks for user to
fastener types tools create own scripts
Apex Parametric Modeling Coupled with Machine Learning
ODYSSEE software from partner company

CADLM predicts results for new variants based
on existing calculations
-> Reduce number of necessary analyses
-> Optimize parameters
Coupled automated workflow with Apex:

• Create parameter variants by DOE
• Create a csv file with the model parameters
for each variant
• Create the model in Apex and export the bdf
for each variant
• Run bdfs one by one
• Collect results from punch file or hdf5
-> Outlook: in the end, create automatically an Apex

model with optimized parameters

MSC Apex Update 12/2020, Based On Apex 2021

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MSC Apex Update

12/2020, Based on Apex 2021

• Reduces the time from CAD model to mesh

• Python scripting: e.g. conceptual modeling, integrate own tools,

The following overview is focused on enhancements in

Revolve / sweep / extrude geometry

Hex meshing supports much more geometries and

Washers for arbitrary holes

Incremental shell meshing: first create and edit

Shell mesh: improved pattern

STL import and export supported

Import from bdf as individual RBEs or connector or joint

Hide / show labels in Label size and color

• Reference coordinate system

• Input for failure criteria (can be

• Select a surface or element to visualize the layup there

• Add plies faster and color-code them based on

Can be switched without

• Automatic update of mesh, boundary

• User defines a scenario (job) in the

• Record images and movies

• Show and export results values

• Macro record / play, or user scripts

The Apex custom tools are contained

Useful tools to create geometry,

Query tools to count entities and get

ODYSSEE software from partner company

Coupled automated workflow with Apex:

-> Outlook: in the end, create automatically an Apex

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