MSC Software Announces New Release of Adams

Adams 2012 introduces a new user interface and capability extensions for systems and event simulations.

MSC Software Corporation today announced Adams 2012. This release of Adams delivers an all-new user interface and new model browser that simplifies model setup; new automatic flexible body generation to support efficient, high-fidelity system modeling; and an innovative tire model to complement the improved selection of standard events and road profile formats available for vehicle simulations.

The release will be available at the end of November.

All-new User Interface
The Adams 2012 user interface provides a new ribbon-style format and intuitive layout. The new ribbon offers improved labels, thereby making model construction easier and more user-friendly. Engineers will find the main toolbox and build menu functions in a series of tabs for model entity construction, simulation, and post-processing actions, and icon strips are located on the main menu bar and status toolbar.

A new pre-processing model browser has also been implemented in Adams 2012, providing an improved means to navigate models within Adams/View. This is especially helpful in understanding the content of newly-inherited models from colleagues or business partners. Engineers will experience improved model navigation, especially for large models, convenient right-click access to non-graphical entities, dynamic search and savable filters, and improved visualization and model control.

"I really like the more modern graphical user interface, especially the new model browser," said Greg Wheeler, Mechanical Engineering Analyst at AAI Corporation.

Automatic Flexible Body Generation
The Adams 2012 release introduces a new Adams/ViewFlex module that enables users to create flexible bodies without leaving the Adams environment and without the dependence on external finite element modeling (FEM) or analysis (FEA) software. The feature is powered by embedded MSC Nastran technology and run wholly in the background of the Adams session. This improves productivity and facilitates high-fidelity modeling.

Enhanced Solver for Speed and Robustness
The improved C++ solver in Adams 2012 is now the default solver for all Adams products, including Adams/View and Adams/Car. The Adams C++ solver provides modeling and simulation capabilities not found in the FORTRAN solver, such as Nonlinear BEAM and FIELD formulations, flexible body contact, clearance measures, an exact linearization algorithm, a bisection method in the Adams/Controls system import option, support for delay differential equations, and parallel processing.

Automotive Vertical Enhancements
Adams 2012 introduces new tire and road enhancements for Adams/Car where higher-fidelity road simulations can be performed. A new Tire 3D enveloping contact model is available to capture more realistic tire forces over small obstacles. Visualization of roads is now faster and more consistent with the simulation code, thereby enhancing a user's ability to understand vehicle behavior and improve visual presentations.

New vehicle events have been added to Adams/Car including Straight-line Maintain, Straight-line Braking on Split μ, and Static Vehicle Setup, which includes Mass Distribution for Corner Weights, Toe and Camber Alignment, and Ride height Adjustment. These new features provide users with a better selection of events, enhanced productivity and ease of use. In Adams/Chassis, the new flex body generation utility can now be used with any supported flex-body part, compared with only body and frame parts in the previously available body attachment finder utility. This improves productivity and facilitates higher-fidelity modeling.

To register for the upcoming November 8th "What's New in Adams 2012" webcast, please visit http://www.mscsoftware.com/webinar/adams2012.

Watch the new Adams 2012 video here: http://www.mscsoftware.com/adams.