EKM Desktop User's Guide - Bitdownload Index of …s2.bitdownload.ir/Engineering/ALL.ANSYS/ANSYS 12 DOCUMENTATIO… · EKM Desktop User's Guide ... Ansoft, AUTODYN, EKM, Engineering

EKM Desktop User's Guide

Release 12.0ANSYS, Inc.

April 2009Southpointe

275 Technology Drive ANSYS, Inc. is

certified to ISO

9001:2008.Canonsburg, PA 15317

[email protected]

http://www.ansys.com

(T) 724-746-3304

(F) 724-514-9494

Copyright and Trademark Information

© 2009 SAS IP, Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use, distribution or duplication is prohibited.

ANSYS, ANSYS Workbench, Ansoft, AUTODYN, EKM, Engineering Knowledge Manager, CFX, FLUENT, HFSS and any and

all ANSYS, Inc. brand, product, service and feature names, logos and slogans are registered trademarks or trademarks

of ANSYS, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States or other countries. ICEM CFD is a trademark used by ANSYS, Inc.

under license. CFX is a trademark of Sony Corporation in Japan. All other brand, product, service and feature names

or trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Disclaimer Notice

THIS ANSYS SOFTWARE PRODUCT AND PROGRAM DOCUMENTATION INCLUDE TRADE SECRETS AND ARE CONFIDENTIAL

AND PROPRIETARY PRODUCTS OF ANSYS, INC., ITS SUBSIDIARIES, OR LICENSORS. The software products and document-

ation are furnished by ANSYS, Inc., its subsidiaries, or affiliates under a software license agreement that contains pro-

visions concerning non-disclosure, copying, length and nature of use, compliance with exporting laws, warranties,

disclaimers, limitations of liability, and remedies, and other provisions. The software products and documentation may

be used, disclosed, transferred, or copied only in accordance with the terms and conditions of that software license

agreement.

ANSYS, Inc. is certified to ISO 9001:2008.

U.S. Government Rights

For U.S. Government users, except as specifically granted by the ANSYS, Inc. software license agreement, the use, du-

plication, or disclosure by the United States Government is subject to restrictions stated in the ANSYS, Inc. software

license agreement and FAR 12.212 (for non-DOD licenses).

Third-Party Software

See the legal information in the product help files for the complete Legal Notice for ANSYS proprietary software and

third-party software. If you are unable to access the Legal Notice, please contact ANSYS, Inc.

Published in the U.S.A.

Table of Contents

Using This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Overview .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Data Objects ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

What is Meta-Data? .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Supported Object Types .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

How is Data Stored? .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Launching EKM Desktop From ANSYS Workbench .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Setting Up the EKM Desktop Data Folder .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

EKM Desktop Evaluation License .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Using the Getting Started Wizard .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Getting Help in EKM Desktop .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

The User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Main Frame .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Navigation Tools ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

The Global Menu .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

File Menu .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Add Content .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Open .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Open Containing Folder .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Execute Saved Query .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Save .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Save As .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Properties ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Report ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Exit ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Edit Menu .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Properties ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Query .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Synchronize .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Delete .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Preferences .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

View Menu .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Refresh .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Clear Search Results ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Getting Started .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Help Menu .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Dialog Boxes .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Using the Mouse .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Adding Content to the Repository . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Adding Folders With Meta-Data Extraction .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Adding Folders Without Meta-Data Extraction .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Tagging Objects with a Description Property .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Synchronizing Content in the Repository .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Searching the Repository . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Keyword Searches .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Expanded Syntax for Keyword Searches .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Starting a Search .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Examples .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

iiiRelease 12.0 - © 2009 SAS IP, Inc. All rights reserved. - Contains proprietary and confidential information

of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.

Advanced Searches .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Overview .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

General Procedure .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Examples .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Search Results Options .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Stopping a Search .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Saving a Query .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Editing a Query .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Clearing Search Results ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Executing a Saved Query .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Generating Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Simulation Details Reports ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Examples .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Comparison Reports ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Examples .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Backup and Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Backing Up the EKM Desktop Data Folder .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Restoring the EKM Desktop Data Folder .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

ANSYS Workbench Installed as a Network Install .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

A. Accessing a Remote EKM Server From ANSYS Workbench .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

B. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Release 12.0 - © 2009 SAS IP, Inc. All rights reserved. - Contains proprietary and confidential informationof ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.iv

EKM Desktop User's Guide

Using This Manual

This User's Guide contains information on how to launch and use ANSYS EKM Desktop. You should begin

your learning process with "Introduction" (p. 3) that contains an overview of the product, how data are

stored, and introduces key concepts such as data objects and meta-data. Next, take some time to acquaint

yourself with the "The User Interface" (p. 19) to learn how to interact with the program through the use of

dialog boxes, navigation tools, menus, etc. You can then move on to "Getting Started" (p. 11) where you'll

learn how to launch the software, setup the folder on your local machine where EKM Desktop will store its

data, and get help. Here, you'll learn how to use the Getting Started Wizard to guide you through the basic

features of the product: "Adding Content to the Repository" (p. 43), "Searching the Repository" (p. 53), and

"Generating Reports" (p. 65).

"Backup and Recovery" (p. 85) contains important information on backing up and restoring your EKM Desktop

data that is contained in a folder you specify at startup. As a safeguard, you should backup your EKM Desktop

data on a regular basis, or it will be lost if it is deleted.

"Limitations" (p. 91) contains information on limitations of the EKM Desktop product.

Appendix A (p. 93) describes how you can use the ANSYS Engineering Knowledge Manager (EKM) File

Transfer Client to transfer files to/from your local desktop, drive, or connected file server to a remote EKM

server repository that is associated with your workgroup or enterprise. This capability allows you to easily

share files with colleagues in different locations to facilitate greater communication and collaboration on

engineering projects.

Appendix B (p. 95) contains responses to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about EKM Desktop.

This manual is divided into the following chapters:

• "Introduction" (p. 3)

• "Getting Started" (p. 11)

• "The User Interface" (p. 19)

• "Adding Content to the Repository" (p. 43)

• "Searching the Repository" (p. 53)

• "Generating Reports" (p. 65)

• "Backup and Recovery" (p. 85)

• "Limitations" (p. 91)

• Appendix A (p. 93)

• Appendix B (p. 95)

1Release 12.0 - © 2009 SAS IP, Inc. All rights reserved. - Contains proprietary and confidential information


Release 12.0 - © 2009 SAS IP, Inc. All rights reserved. - Contains proprietary and confidential informationof ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.2

Introduction

ANSYS Engineering Knowledge Manager Desktop (EKM Desktop) is a simulation data management tool you

can launch from Workbench that allows you to create a single-user “local” repository to organize and manage

your simulation data. You can add data that is stored on your local desktop, drive, or connected file server

to the repository. Search tools enable you to retrieve files so that you can re-use engineering best practices

and data from existing projects. Finally, you can generate reports that summarize and compare simulation

files.

Before you begin to use the software, you will need to learn some fundamental concepts of data objects in

EKM Desktop that are described in the following sections.

• Overview (p. 3)

• Data Objects (p. 5)

• What is Meta-Data? (p. 5)

• Supported Object Types (p. 6)

• How is Data Stored? (p. 8)

Overview

EKM Desktop is a single-user, local environment version of the web-based multi-user ANSYS Engineering

Knowledge Manager (EKM) product. ANSYS EKM is based on a centralized EKM server repository that facilitates

collaboration amongst users spread out across a workgroup or enterprise. EKM Desktop borrows some fun-

damental features from its parent product that include:

• adding content to a repository from your local machine, drive, or connected file server and automatically

extracting meta-data (simulation model properties) from supported file formats (ANSYS CFX, ANSYS

FLUENT, ANSYS POLYFLOW, ANSYS Mechanical APDL and ANSYS Workbench files)

• searching on properties and words to retrieve files in the repository using keyword and advanced search

tools

• generating reports that help to capture “simulation intent” by listing simulation details and comparing

results in PDF, Excel, and XML formats

Note

ANSYS Workbench also provides access to a “centralized” repository located on an EKM server

using the EKM File Transfer Client. This standalone application is a collaborative tool that allows

you to share files with other users in your workgroup or enterprise. See Appendix A (p. 93) for

details.

EKM Desktop is launched as a separate application from within ANSYS Workbench using the File pull-down

menu. The first time you launch, you will be asked to enter (or create) the folder on your local machine

where EKM Desktop will store its data. This folder is referred to as the EKM Desktop Data Folder. Once



EKM Desktop opens, the folder location will be visible in the application window. See Setting Up the EKM

Desktop Data Folder (p. 12) for details.

Warning

Do NOT delete the EKM Desktop data folder. You will lose the contents of your repository and

all meta-data that have been stored. As a safeguard, you should backup the folder on a regular

basis following the procedures that are outlined in "Backup and Recovery" (p. 85).

The application will launch if you have a valid EKM Desktop license. If you don't but have a valid ANSYS

product solver site license then you can use the product for a six-month evaluation period, free of charge.

See EKM Desktop Evaluation License (p. 15) for details.

The first time you launch EKM Desktop, a convenient Getting Started wizard will open that can guide you

through the process of adding content to the repository, searching, and generating reports. These topics

will be discussed in detail in "Getting Started" (p. 11).

Figure: Getting Started Wizard

Content is added to the repository by adding folders that are located on your local machine, drive, or con-

nected file server that is in the same LAN and accessed through a network file protocol. Files contained

within folders are symbolically linked to the EKM repository. That is, the actual files and folders are not

copied to the repository when content is added, but remain in their original location and an index is main-

tained by EKM Desktop. Therefore, whenever content is added, deleted, or updated in your local environment,

the repository needs to be synchronized for the changes to be applied. See Synchronizing Content in the

Repository (p. 50) for details.

When a folder is added to the EKM Desktop repository, simulation file properties can be extracted and stored

in a database within EKM Desktop. Data types are assigned automatically for supported file types (see

Table 1: Supported Object Types (p. 7)) or otherwise assigned the File type. EKM Desktop can easily handle

large-sized files (> 2 GBytes) and a large number of files within a folder.

Once content has been added to EKM Desktop, you can use search tools to execute queries and retrieve

files. You can search on keywords in the file/folder name and its properties. Additionally, you can conduct

advanced searches where you set up a query for multiple properties with conditions (equal to, matches,

contains, etc.) and values that match any or all of the conditions in the search. Properties that are associated

with an object are its “meta-data” and can be searched for in a query. These include simulation data prop-

erties (from ANSYS Mechanical APDL, CFX, FLUENT, POLYFLOW, Workbench files) that are extracted from

supported CAE files when content is added (or synchronized) to the repository. Additionally, there are system


Introduction

properties (such as object name, type, size, date content modified, path to the local machine, drive, or file

server where the object resides, etc.) that are created by EKM Desktop, and a user-specified Description

property that you can add using the Edit Properties dialog box.

Finally, you can generate reports in PDF, Excel spreadsheet, and XML formats. Simulation Details Reports

contain images associated with a model and summarize simulation data from supported CAE files (see

Table 1: Supported Object Types (p. 7)). Comparison Reports compare one or more files to identify similarities

or differences.

Data Objects

EKM Desktop provides you with a Repository for managing your simulation data and associated files. Data

are stored as objects, and objects are defined by their type. When content is added to the repository, sup-

ported (built-in) file formats are automatically recognized and assigned an object type. File formats that are

not recognized are assigned the File type. Table 1: Supported Object Types (p. 7) lists the supported data

types in EKM Desktop.

Object types are characterized by two features:

• Properties

• Actions

Each object type has a pre-defined set of properties associated with it. These are described in the next section.

What is Meta-Data?

Meta-data is information (in the form of properties) that is used to describe an object in EKM Desktop. These

properties include system-created data, extracted property data, and user-specified data.

• System-created meta-data are properties created by EKM Desktop such as the object's name, type, size,

date content modified, the path to the local machine, drive, or file server where the object resides, etc.

• Extracted meta-data are properties that are extracted from a CAE simulation file when the object is added

to (or synchronized with) the repository. Extracted properties vary depending on the object type.

• User-specified meta-data are properties that you can add to an object using the Edit Properties dialog

box.

All meta-data can be used as criteria to search and retrieve objects in the repository. Meta-data can be

viewed using the File Properties option from the File menu.

EKM Object Properties

The EKM Object type is the base type of all objects in EKM Desktop. Consequently, all objects have EKM

Object Properties associated with them that are listed below. These meta-data can be displayed using the

File Properties menu option.

Description(optional) description of the object that is added by a user using the Edit Properties dialog box

Namename of the object

Typetype of object



EKM Object Properties

Remote Item Properties

All objects that are added to the repository are identified internally as remote items in EKM Desktop. Con-

sequently, these objects have Remote Item Properties associated with them that are listed below. These

meta-data can be displayed using the File Properties menu option.

Remote File Serverthe name assigned by EKM Desktop for the drive where the object resides

Remote File Locationthe full path to the directory where the object resides

Supported CAE Simulation File Properties

All supported CAE simulation file types that have meta-data extracted by EKM desktop will have extracted

file properties associated with them. For example, a FLUENT case file has meta-data extracted, and its

property listing will include Fluent Case Properties such as DPM Model , Energy Model , FluentVersion , Formulation , Solver, etc. These properties consist of simulation information that you can

display, use as search criteria, and generate Simulation Details Reports from. Table 1: Supported Object

Types (p. 7) lists the supported types where meta-data are extracted.

Note

If you choose not to extract meta-data for a supported CAE simulation file, then the default

property values will be assigned. The file will be displayed with a warning icon , and the

properties listing will contain an alert to this effect as well.

File Properties

All files (e.g., CAE simulation file types, File, Image, Archive, etc.) will have File Properties associated with

them.

Content Typethe format of the file as defined by MIME standards. Some examples of types are: application/octet-stream , image/jpg , text/plain , etc.

Sizethe size of the file in Bytes

Date Content Modifiedthe date that the file content was last modified in its remote location (on your local machine, drive, or

file server where the actual file resides). When the file is first added to the repository, this is the date

that it was last updated. Once in the repository, this date will reflect the date last modified in its remote

location only when it is synchronized.

Supported Object Types

Table 1: Supported Object Types (p. 7) shows all the object types that are supported in EKM Desktop. Objects

are assigned one of these types when they are added to the repository. All objects that are not recognized

by EKM Desktop are assigned the File type. You can also get a complete list of the available built-in data

types from the Object Types drop-down list in the Advanced Search dialog box.


Introduction

Note

EKM Desktop recognizes workflow files that are used in the server-based version of EKM (workgroup

and enterprise) as Workflow object types.

Some supported CAE simulation file types noted in the table also have their simulation information extracted

as meta-data when added or synchronized (see "Adding Content to the Repository" (p. 43)). You can use these

extracted properties as search criteria in keyword and advanced searches. The extracted properties are also

used by EKM Desktop to create a Simulation Details Report. See Simulation Details Reports (p. 65).

Table 1 also lists the object types that can be opened in their associated ANSYS application (e.g., CFX,

Workbench, etc.) from within EKM Desktop. When these object types are opened, the ANSYS application

will launch in a separate window and load the model. For example, when a FLUENT case file is opened,

FLUENT will launch and load the case. All other files that have an Operating System (OS) application defined

for them will open in that particular application. For example, a PDF file will open in Adobe Acrobat; an XLS

file in Microsoft Excel.

Note

Objects with .dsdb and .mechdb file extensions are derived from Workbench Mechanical ap-

plications. Note that these objects are assigned the “Workbench Simulation” data type in EKM

Desktop.

Warning

* You are able to create Simulation Details Reports for these CAE file formats, but the contents

of the reports will be empty.

Table 1 Supported Object Types

Comparison

Report?

Simulation

Details Re-

port?

Opens in Ap-

plication?

Meta-Data Ex-

tracted?

EKM Desktop

Object Type

File Extension

YesYesCFXYesCFX Result.res

YesYesCFXYesCFX Definition.def

YesYesWorkbenchYesWorkbench

Project File

.wbpj

Yesopens in OS-

associated ap-

plication

Workbench

Engineering

Data

.eddb

YesYesYesWorkbench

Simulation

.dsdb

YesYesYesWorkbench

Simulation

.mechdb

YesYes*opens in OS-

associated ap-

plication

Workbench

Design Model-

er File

.agdb



Supported Object Types

YesYesFLUENTYesFluent Case.cas,.cas.gz

YesFluent Data.dat,.dat.gz

YesYes*Polyflow Ex-

port File

.uns

YesYesYesPolyflow Data.dat

YesYesMechanical AP-

DL

ANSYS Result.rst ,

.rfl ,.rth ,

.rmg


DL

YesANSYS Data-

base

.cdb


DL

YesANSYS Data-

base

.db

Yesopens in OS-

associated ap-

plication

Archive.tar ,. zip

Yesopens in OS-

associated ap-

plication

Image.jpeg , .jpg ,

.gif, .png ,

.bmp , .tif ,

.tiff

YesFluent Plot.xy

YesWorkflow.wfxml

YesImported Re-

port

.rpxml

YesRemote Folder–

YesFolder–

Yesopens in OS-

associated ap-

Fileany extension

that is not

noted above plication, if re-

cognized (e.g.,

.pdf in Adobe

Acrobat, etc.)

How is Data Stored?

Recall that objects are only symbolically linked to the EKM Desktop repository. Physical files reside on your

local machine, drive, or connected file server, and a index is maintained in EKM Desktop as a reference. An

object's meta-data, however, are extracted from the file when it is added or synchronized, and stored in the

EKM Desktop database. The diagram in Figure : Data Storage in EKM Desktop (p. 9) shows this relationship.


Introduction

When you startup EKM Desktop for the first time, you will be prompted to select (or create) a folder on your

local machine where EKM Desktop will store its data (database and repository indices to physical files stored

in your local environment). See Setting Up the EKM Desktop Data Folder (p. 12) for details.

Warning



basis following the procedure that is outlined in "Backup and Recovery" (p. 85).

The way that data is stored in EKM Desktop affects your ability to search for files. Since physical files don't

reside in EKM Desktop, you cannot search on actual file contents other than extracted meta-data. Keyword

searches retrieve objects that contain the query word in their file name or in their properties. Advanced

searches operate on properties and retrieve objects that match the property search criteria.

Figure: Data Storage in EKM Desktop



How is Data Stored?


Getting Started

EKM Desktop is launched from ANSYS Workbench in a separate window as a standalone application. You

can launch it by selecting the Launch EKM Desktop... option from the File menu in Workbench (see

Launching EKM Desktop From ANSYS Workbench (p. 11)).

When you launch EKM Desktop for the first time you will be prompted to enter the location of the folder

on your local machine where EKM Desktop will store its data (meta-data and repository indices that reference

physical files — refer to Figure : Data Storage in EKM Desktop (p. 9)). This data folder location is referred to

as the EKM Desktop Data Location and will be displayed at all times along the bottom of the application

window. See Setting Up the EKM Desktop Data Folder (p. 12) for details.

Warning




EKM Desktop will launch only if one of the two conditions are met:

• you have a valid EKM Desktop license

• you meet the criteria for an EKM Desktop Evaluation license

If you do not have a valid EKM Desktop license but you have a valid ANSYS product solver site license, then

the product will launch using a temporary EKM Desktop Evaluation license. This evaluation license is good

for six months from the first time you launch EKM Desktop and will expire when this trial period ends. See

EKM Desktop Evaluation License (p. 15) for more information.

The first time you launch the application, a convenient Getting Started wizard will open that can guide

you through the process of adding content to the repository, searching, and generating reports. These

topics will be discussed in detail in Using the Getting Started Wizard (p. 15). Although you can choose to

hide this dialog box in the future, it is always accessible from the View menu. See Launching EKM Desktop

From ANSYS Workbench (p. 11) for details.

• Launching EKM Desktop From ANSYS Workbench (p. 11)

• Setting Up the EKM Desktop Data Folder (p. 12)

• EKM Desktop Evaluation License (p. 15)

• Using the Getting Started Wizard (p. 15)

• Getting Help in EKM Desktop (p. 16)

Launching EKM Desktop From ANSYS Workbench

EKM Desktop can be launched from ANSYS Workbench under two conditions: 1) if you have a valid EKM

Desktop license; or 2) you have a valid ANSYS solver site license. In the latter case, you will be given a tem-



porary EKM Desktop Evaluation license to use for a 6–month trial period. See EKM Desktop Evaluation Li-

cense (p. 15) for details.

When you select Launch EKM Desktop... from the File menu in Workbench, EKM Desktop will launch in a

new window as a separate application. (Figure : Launching EKM Desktop from ANSYS Workbench (p. 12))

File > Launch EKM Desktop...

Note

You can close the Workbench application at any time once EKM Desktop has launched.

Figure: Launching EKM Desktop from ANSYS Workbench

Setting Up the EKM Desktop Data Folder

When you launch EKM Desktop for the first time, the Setup EKM Desktop Data Folder dialog box (Fig-

ure : Setup EKM Desktop Data Folder (p. 13)) will open. You will be prompted to enter the location of the

folder on your local machine where EKM Desktop will store its data. This data includes extracted meta-data

and repository indices that reference physical files (see Figure : Data Storage in EKM Desktop (p. 9)). The

EKM Desktop Data Location folder is displayed at all times along the bottom of the application window.

Warning





Getting Started

Figure: Setup EKM Desktop Data Folder

You can choose the data folder that EKM Desktop will use to store data using the Setup EKM Desktop Data

Folder dialog box in several ways.

• by entering or selecting an existing folder

• by entering or selecting a new folder

To enter or select an existing folder, either

1. Enter the full path to the folder location that EKM Desktop will store its data; or

2. Click Browse... to open the Select EKM Desktop Data Folder dialog box (Figure : Select EKM Desktop

Data Folder (p. 13)).

Select a data folder (e.g., ekm-home) on your local machine or enter it in the File name field. Click

Open and the full path to the folder location will be filled in the Setup EKM Desktop Data Folder

dialog box. Click OK to save it.

Figure: Select EKM Desktop Data Folder

To enter or select a new folder, either

1. Enter the full path to the (new) folder location that EKM Desktop will store its data; or



Setting Up the EKM Desktop Data Folder

2. Click Browse... to open the Select EKM Desktop Data Folder dialog box (Figure : Select EKM Desktop

Data Folder (p. 13)). Enter the (new) folder name (e.g., ekm-dat-at ) in the File name field and click

Open.

The Create Folder dialog box will prompt you to confirm that you want the new folder created. Once

you click Yes, the full path to the folder location will be filled in the Setup EKM Desktop Data Folder

dialog box. Click OK to save it.

Note

You can also use in Select EKM Desktop Data Folder to create the new folder.

Figure: Create Folder

If you cancel the folder setup operation, a dialog box will open confirming that the program will exit. The

next time you launch EKM Desktop, you will be prompted once again to select the EKM Desktop Data

Location folder.

Once the folder is specified, the EKM Desktop Data Location will always be displayed at the bottom of the

application window, as shown in Figure : Setup Complete — EKM Data Folder (p. 15).


Getting Started

Figure: Setup Complete — EKM Data Folder

EKM Desktop Evaluation License

The EKM Desktop Evaluation license is issued for a 6 month trial period if you don't have a valid EKM Desktop

license but have a valid ANSYS product solver site license. When you launch EKM Desktop from Workbench

and this condition is met, the EKM Desktop Evaluation dialog box will open and display the date and time

that your temporary license will expire (Figure : EKM Desktop Evaluation License Dialog Box (p. 15)). You will

have unrestricted use of the product until the expiration date. The six month evaluation period begins when

the EKM Desktop application is launched for the first time.

Figure: EKM Desktop Evaluation License Dialog Box

Using the Getting Started Wizard

The Getting Started wizard can guide you through the step-by-step process of adding content to the re-

pository, searching and retrieving files, and generating reports. The dialog box will open the first time you

launch EKM Desktop and during subsequent sessions if you choose not to disable its display. You can open

the dialog box at any time from the View menu.

• Add simulation files to the repository

• Search and retrieve files

• Generate summary and comparison reports



Using the Getting Started Wizard

Figure: Getting Started Dialog Box

Getting Help in EKM Desktop

There are two types of online help available in EKM Desktop: content help and context-sensitive help. In all

cases, when you invoke help within EKM Desktop, a separate window will open the ANSYS Help system

viewer and the HTML page(s) from the User's Guide that you requested.

Content help is accessible from the Help menu. When you choose Help> ANSYS EKM Desktop Help... the

EKM Desktop User's Guide will be loaded. You can use the built-in navigation tools provided in the viewer

(such as next, previous, up) to maneuver your way through the online guide. The Legal Notice for EKM

Desktop is included in the ANSYS Legal Notice that can be accessed from the ANSYS Help Contents navigation

tree. It contains third party attributions and other legal notices for the EKM Desktop product. Note that you

have access to other ANSYS user guides from the Contents tree.

Context-sensitive help provides specific information about how you fill in a particular dialog box in EKM

Desktop. You invoke context-sensitive help by clicking the Help button at the bottom of the dialog. The

page from the EKM Desktop User's Guide for that particular subject will be loaded in the ANSYS Help viewer.

You can get help on Preferences, Adding Content, Advanced Search, Getting Started, and Report Wizard

dialog boxes. A sample help page is shown in Figure : Sample Help Page — Preferences Dialog Box (p. 17) .


Getting Started

Figure: Sample Help Page — Preferences Dialog Box

When you choose Help > About EKM Desktop.. a dialog box will open that contains information about

the build and version of the software you have installed. See Help Menu (p. 35) for details.



Getting Help in EKM Desktop


The User Interface

EKM Desktop has a graphical user interface (GUI) that contains a main frame, hierarchical menus, toolbars,

and dialog boxes. The ANSYS EKM Desktop application window is the user interface. (Figure : ANSYS EKM

Desktop Application Window (p. 20))

The application window contains a Main Frame that displays the address and contents of the current repos-

itory folder. A global menu is located along the top of the window that allows easy access to top-level or

“global” functions from the File, Edit, View, and Help pull-down menus. A set of navigation tools enable

you to maneuver to folders in the EKM Desktop repository. You can also go directly to a folder by entering

the full path in the Content Location address field or by selecting from a recently-visited location in the

drop-down list. The application window also contains search tools for quickly locating objects in the repos-

itory based on keywords and advanced property criteria.

When you launch EKM Desktop for the first time you will be prompted to enter the location of the folder

on your local machine where EKM Desktop will store its data. You must take care not to inadvertently delete

this folder since it will contain your repository data. The EKM Desktop Data Location will be displayed at

all times, along the bottom of the application window. See Setting Up the EKM Desktop Data Folder (p. 12)

for details.

Once EKM Desktop has started, the Getting Started wizard will open (Figure : Getting Started Wizard (p. 4)).

Here, you can choose from adding simulation files to the repository, searching and retrieving files, and

generating simulation details and comparison reports. The Getting Started wizard will guide you through

the process of completing the selected task. The wizard can also be accessed from the View menu at any

time during an EKM Desktop session.



Figure: ANSYS EKM Desktop Application Window

Repository and Saved Searches are built-in folders in EKM Desktop. Repository is the folder that content

is added to. Saved Searches is a folder that contains queries you create. You can select any file, folder, or

saved query in the repository as the active object by positioning the cursor over the object and clicking

your left mouse button. Once selected, the object will become highlighted in the frame and its name will

also be displayed in the Name field at the bottom of the frame. If the selected object is a file, the Open

button which is next to the Name field, will become selectable. You can click the Open button to open the

file in a separate window. Supported simulation file formats will open in the application they are created

in. For example, when you open a FLUENT case file from within EKM Desktop, FLUENT 12.0 will launch in a

separate application window and load the model. You can also open a file by double-clicking on it. (See

Table 1: Supported Object Types (p. 7) for a list of supported types.)

You can right-click on a single object or multiple objects to open a context menu of all available File and

Edit actions. These include: Add Content, Open , Open Containing Folder, Execute Saved Query, Edit

Query, File Properties, Report, Edit Properties, Synchronize, and Delete. Actions that are not allowable

for the selected object(s) will be grayed out. For example in Figure : Example — Repository Folder Actions

Displayed in Context Menu (p. 21), Add Content is available for the Repository folder since this is the only

location you can add content to. Execute Saved Query and Edit Query actions are grayed out since they

are only valid for Saved Query objects. Delete and Open Containing Folder are also not selectable for

Repository since it is a built-in folder of EKM Desktop.


The User Interface

Figure: Example — Repository Folder Actions Displayed in Context Menu

The following user interface topics are covered in this chapter:

• Main Frame (p. 21)

• Navigation Tools (p. 21)

• The Global Menu (p. 22)

• File Menu (p. 22)

• Edit Menu (p. 28)

• View Menu (p. 34)

• Help Menu (p. 35)

• Dialog Boxes (p. 36)

• Using the Mouse (p. 38)

Main Frame

The main frame is the working space for displaying objects in the Repository. Folders are displayed as a list

of child objects in a table format. Folder contents are listed by Name in alphabetical order (by default). You

can reverse the order by clicking on the Name label. Objects are assigned a data type when they are added

to the Repository and the Type is displayed in the table along with other property details such as Size and

Date Modified. The default folder that EKM Desktop displays is the Repository folder. You can change

the default repository folder in the Preferences dialog box (Edit > Preferences).

Note

The Date Modified property listed in the main frame table for a file is also referred to as Date

Content Modified in the file properties as well as in the Advanced Search dialog box.

Navigation Tools

Navigation tools allow you to easily maneuver through the EKM Desktop user interface.

takes you back to the last folder you previously visited.



Navigation Tools

takes you forward to the next folder from your current location. (Note this folder has to have already

been visited.)

takes you to the folder immediately above your current folder (the parent folder).

allows you to choose from a list of previously-visited addresses in the drop-down list, to go directly to

the folder of your choice.

The Global Menu

A global menu (Figure : EKM Desktop Global Menu (p. 22)) is located along the top of the ANSYS EKM Desktop

application window. This menu is accessible at all times and provides access to top-level EKM Desktop

functionality. It consists of four pull-down menus: File, Edit, View, and Help that are discussed below. When

you choose a menu, the set of allowable global actions for the currently selected object(s) is displayed.

Note

Actions that are not allowable for the selected object(s) will be grayed out.

Figure: EKM Desktop Global Menu

• File Menu (p. 22)

• Edit Menu (p. 28)

• View Menu (p. 34)

• Help Menu (p. 35)

File Menu

The File Menu (Figure : The File Menu (p. 22)) lets you perform global “file” actions on selected object(s) in

the repository.

Figure: The File Menu

• Add Content (p. 23)

• Open (p. 24)


The User Interface

• Open Containing Folder (p. 24)

• Execute Saved Query (p. 25)

• Save (p. 25)

• Save As (p. 25)

• Properties (p. 26)

• Report (p. 27)

• Exit (p. 27)

Add Content

File > Add Content...

Add Content... allows you to add a folder from your local machine, drive, or connected file server to the

repository using the Add Content to EKM Desktop dialog box. Added folders are typed as Remote Folder

objects in EKM Desktop.

You can access the Add Content to EKM Desktop dialog box in two different ways:

• navigate to the Repository folder (/Repository is the Content Location address) and select Add

Content from the File pull-down menu; or

• right-click on the Repository folder at the top-level (/ is the Content Location address) and select

Add Content from the context menu.

See "Adding Content to the Repository" (p. 43) for more information.



Add Content

Open

File > Open

opens the selected object. If the object you have selected is a folder, the contents of the folder will be dis-

played in the main frame. If the object you have selected is a file, then it will open in a separate window in

either the ANSYS application or the Operating System (OS) application that is associated with it. For example,

a.cas file will open in the FLUENT application (Figure : Example — FLUENT Case File Opened From EKM

Desktop (p. 24)) and a .pdf file will open with Adobe PDF Reader. If no association exists, the OS will prompt

you to select the type of application to use. Refer to Table 1: Supported Object Types (p. 7) for a list of file

formats.

Note

When files are selected, you can also open them by clicking the Open button at the bottom of

the frame.

Figure: Example — FLUENT Case File Opened From EKM Desktop

Open Containing Folder

File > Open Containing Folder


The User Interface

opens the folder that the currently selected object is linked to on your local machine, drive, or connected

file server in a separate window. From the containing folder, you can perform data management operations

on the file (e.g., copy, move, etc.), and send it as an E-mail, open it in its application, etc.

Execute Saved Query

File > Execute Saved Query

allows you to execute a previously-saved query of EKM repository files. Select a Saved Query object from

the Saved Searches folder and then choose Execute Saved Query from the global File menu. The query

will immediately be re-executed and the Search Results (as links to objects) will be displayed in the main

frame.

Note

You can also right-click on a saved query object to bring up the context menu with the Execute

Query option.

Save

File > Save

allows you to save the current query to the Saved Searches built-in folder. If the query has already been

saved, then it will simply be re-saved and no dialog box will open. However, if the query has not yet been

saved, the Save Query dialog box will open (see below). The query will be saved as a Saved Query object

under the name you supply, where it can be edited, deleted, or re-executed at a later time.

Save As

File > Save As...

allows you to save the current query under a new name to the Saved Searches built-in folder. The Save

Query dialog box (Figure : Save Query Dialog Box (p. 25)) will open and you can enter the name of the query

in the text box provided. The query will be saved as a Saved Query type and can be edited, deleted, or re-

executed at a later time.

Figure: Save Query Dialog Box

Note

You can also open the Save As dialog box when you click the Save As... button from the Search

Results toolbar, or double-click on the saved query object.



Save As

Properties

File > Properties...

allows you to display the properties of the selected object. You may need to use the scroll bar to display all

of the properties for an object.

Note

You can also display an object's properties using the right-click context menu.

There are three types of properties that can be associated with an object: system-created, extracted, and

user-modifiable. System-created properties include Remote Item and most of the EKM Object properties.

Extracted properties are meta-data that are extracted from supported CAE file types. The only user-modifiable

property is a description tag, that is part of the EKM Object properties. These are explained below.

All objects will include the EKM Object Properties ( Description , Name, and Type) since the EKM

Object type is the base type for all objects in EKM Desktop. You can add your own custom Descriptiontag to the EKM Object properties (the default is blank) using the Edit Properties dialog box. A description

tag can be useful in helping to retrieve files from the repository using keyword and advanced search tools.

All objects that are added to the repository are identified internally as remote items. Consequently, added

objects will always have Remote Item Properties associated with them.

Supported CAE file types (Table 1: Supported Object Types (p. 7)) will have simulation model properties as-

sociated with them. These properties are generated when meta-data are extracted during content addition

or synchronization. Figure : Sample Properties Dialog Box (p. 27) shows simulation model properties for a

FLUENT case file.

Warning

Default properties are assigned to supported CAE files when meta-data are not extracted. The

actual values are replaced when the file is subsequently synchronized.


The User Interface

Figure: Sample Properties Dialog Box

Report

File > Report >

opens a cascading menu that has two options you can choose from:

• Comparison Report...

• Simulation Details Report...

The Comparison Report option is selectable for any object in the repository. The Simulation Details Reports

menu item, however, will be visible only if the object you have selected is a CAE file type that allows meta-

data extraction. These file types are listed in Table 1: Supported Object Types (p. 7). Otherwise, this option

will be grayed out.

See Simulation Details Reports (p. 65) and Comparison Reports (p. 76) in "Generating Reports" (p. 65) for details.

Exit

File > Exit

immediately closes the ANSYS EKM Desktop application.



Exit

Edit Menu

The Edit Menu (Figure : The Edit Menu (p. 28)) allows you to perform global “edit” actions on selected object(s)

in EKM Desktop.

Figure: The Edit Menu

Edit menu actions are discussed below.

• Properties (p. 28)

• Query (p. 30)

• Synchronize (p. 30)

• Delete (p. 32)

• Preferences (p. 32)

Properties

Edit > Properties

allows you to add a Description property to an object as a new meta-data tag. This property can be used

to retrieve the object in the repository using EKM Desktop search tools. The description property is added

to the EKM Object properties for the object which can be viewed from the File menu (File > Properties).

To add a Description for an object:

1. Select Properties from the Edit menu for the selected object to open the Edit Properties dialog box.

Note

You can also choose Edit Properties from the right-click context menu.


The User Interface

Figure: Edit Properties Dialog Box

2. Enter a Description for the object. You can subsequently view this description in the EKM Object

Properties display (File > Properties) and use the word(s) you added to search and retrieve the object.



Properties

Query

Edit > Query

allows you to edit the search word used for the selected query and execute the query. You can also choose

to re-save the edited query. For advanced search queries, the Advanced Search dialog box will open. For

keyword search queries, the Input dialog box will open as shown below.

Figure: Input Dialog Box Used for Editing a Keyword Query

To edit a query,

1. Edit the Input or Advanced Search dialog box with the new keyword or property criteria.

2. Select Save changes to the query if you want to overwrite the existing saved query or save a new

query if it hasn't already been saved.

3. Click OK. If the query hasn't been saved, you will be prompted to save the query using the Save As

dialog box. The query will be executed and the Search Results displayed. When you are done, you

can click the Clear button to clear the results and return to the Saved Searches folder.

Note

Once a query is saved, you can also edit it by selecting the Saved Query object and

choosing the Edit Query option from the right-click context menu.

Synchronize

Edit > Synchronize

The Synchronize action allows you to synchronize files and folders in remote locations to EKM Desktop.

Recall that objects in the EKM Desktop repository reside on your local machine, drive, or file server located

in the same LAN, and are only symbolically linked when content is added. Although meta-data are extracted

and this data is stored in the EKM database, the files, themselves, reside in their remote location. Therefore,

objects need to be re-synchronized to EKM Desktop whenever the source data has been updated.

When you synchronize a folder, meta-data for all the new or modified files contained within the folder are

updated in EKM Desktop. Updated properties can be viewed using the File > Properties menu. Any new

file or folder objects that are found in the remote location that don't exist in the repository will be added,

and any existing file/folder that no longer exists on the remote location will be removed. The Synchronize

action is displayed for all repository objects except for the Repository folder, Saved Searches folder, and

Saved Query objects.


The User Interface

To synchronize a file or folder, select Synchronize from the Edit menu for the selected object(s). Alternatively,

you can right-click on the selected object(s) and choose the Synchronize context menu item. If you added

the object you are trying to synchronize without meta-data extracted, then a Synchronizing message box

will ask you whether you want to extract the meta-data now.

A Synchronizing dialog box will display on the screen and will report on the progress of the file or folder

synchronization.

Note

When you are synchronizing individual files, the progress dialog box be displayed only at the end

of the process. This process may take a few seconds depending on the size and type of file

(e.g.,.dsdb , and .mechdb ) you are extracting.

Warning

If you cancel synchronization when meta-data are being extracted, the file that is being extracted

at that time will remain open until the application completes the process (e.g., Workbench finishes

and closes the file) or the process is killed. Cancelling meta-data extraction does not stop any

active processes (e.g., Workbench). It will only cancel any pending work. In other words, if you

are synchronizing a folder with three Workbench Simulation files (.dsdb) and hit the Cancel button

while the first file is being processed, that file will continue to be in use by Workbench until it

completes or the process is killed. EKM Desktop will not attempt to synchronize the other two

files and the folder will be deleted from the Repository.

The total number of objects that are processed in the synchronization is reported, as well as (fatal) errors and

(non-fatal) warnings that are encountered. Error messages will prevent a synchronization from occurring,

while Warnings are alerts only. Figure : Example Synchronizing Folder Dialog Box (p. 32) shows an example

of a message dialog box for a folder synchronization. Eighteen objects were processed and no errors or

warnings were issued. Warnings are typically issued when a default type for an extension can't be applied

to a file because the meta-data extraction fails. Errors can be reported, for example, when files contain invalid

characters.

See Synchronizing Content in the Repository (p. 50) for more information on synchronization.



Synchronize

Figure: Example Synchronizing Folder Dialog Box

Delete

Edit > Delete...

lets you delete an object or objects from the repository. The dialog box will alert you that the object(s) you

are deleting will be restored when the folder containing it is synchronized, unless you also remove it from

the remote location.

Note

You can also delete selected object(s) by right-clicking and choosing the Delete context menu

item.

Figure: Delete Repository Item(s) Dialog Box

Preferences

Edit > Preferences...

allows you to set the display and report preferences for EKM Desktop using the Preferences dialog box.


The User Interface

Figure: Preferences Dialog Box — Display Tab

Display Preferences

To set Display preferences, click the Display tab. (Figure : Preferences Dialog Box — Display Tab (p. 33))

1. Enter the full path to the Default Repository Folder in the text box (e.g.,/Repository ) or click the

Browse... button to open the Browse Folder Location dialog box where you can choose the path.

2. Select the default Language that EKM Desktop will utilize from the drop-down list of available character

settings. The language change will only take effect after a restart.

3. Click the Restore Defaults button to reset the folder to /Repository.

4. Click OK to apply the new default display location.

Note

Your display preferences will be applied the next time you launch EKM Desktop.

Report Preferences

To set Report preferences, click the Reports tab. (Figure : Preferences Dialog Box — Reports Tab (p. 34))



Report Preferences

Figure: Preferences Dialog Box — Reports Tab

1. Enter the full path to the Default folder for saving reports in the text box or click the Browse...

button to open the Save Reports to... dialog box. The path you enter or select will be the folder on

your local machine, drive, or connected file server where you want to reports generated by EKM

Desktop to be stored.

2. Click OK to apply the new default location for saving reports.

Note

The report folder that you designate will be the default location where reports that you

generate using the Report Wizard will be stored. See "Generating Reports" (p. 65) for more

information.

View Menu

The View Menu (Figure : The View Menu (p. 34)) lets you perform global actions that are independent of

objects.

Figure: The View Menu

View menu actions are discussed below.

• Refresh (p. 34)

• Clear Search Results (p. 35)

• Using the Getting Started Wizard (p. 15)

Refresh

View > Refresh


The User Interface

allows you to refresh the view of objects in EKM Desktop. You can also use the F5 function key from your

keyboard without having to open the View menu.

Clear Search Results

View > Clear Search Results

allows you to clear the current search results from the Content Location frame and will return you to the

folder where you initiated the search from.

Getting Started

View > Getting Started...

opens the Getting Started wizard where you can initiate actions such as adding content, searching the re-

pository, or generating reports When you launch EKM Desktop for the first time, this dialog box will auto-

matically open. You can choose to prevent it from opening in the future by checking Don't show this dialog

again. Note that this change will only take place once you exit EKM Desktop. See "Getting Started" (p. 11)

for details on adding content, searching, and generating reports using the Getting Started wizard.

Help Menu

There are two help options available from the Help menu.

Help > ANSYS EKM Desktop Help...

opens your web browser to the ANSYS Help system viewer where the EKM Desktop User's Guide is displayed

(Figure : ANSYS EKM Desktop Help (p. 36)). The User's Guide can be accessed by either selecting a section

from the Table of Contents or by using the built-in navigation arrows in the Help viewer to maneuver your

way through the online guide.

You can also access the release notes and online guides for additional product components in the ANSYS

release from the navigation tree in the ANSYS Help viewer. The Legal Notice for EKM Desktop is included

in the ANSYS Legal Notice that can be accessed from the ANSYS Help Contents navigation tree. It contains

third party attributions for the EKM Desktop product.



Help Menu

Figure: ANSYS EKM Desktop Help

Help > About EKM Desktop...

opens the About ANSYS EKM Desktop dialog box that contains product and legal information, including

the date and version number of the EKM Desktop product build. A sample dialog is shown below.

Dialog Boxes

Dialog boxes are special windows that allow you to perform actions on objects within EKM Desktop. They

appear on the screen and are temporarily displayed until action is taken. Dialog boxes are the primary means


The User Interface

of interacting with EKM Desktop and are used to request input (data and controls) from users, initiate actions

on data objects, and provide information in the form of messages and alerts.

Below are some of the common components found in dialog boxes.

Command Button

Drop-Down Combo Box

Path Selection Box

Radio Button



Radio Button

Select Item List

A select item list, also known as a pick list, is a list box that is populated by one or more items. You select

or pick from items in the list by positioning the cursor over the item and clicking the left mouse button. To

select more than one contiguous item, hold down the Shift key before clicking the left mouse button. To

select non-contiguous items, hold down the Ctrl key before clicking the left mouse button. There can also

be a corresponding Browse... button that displays a list of available items that you can choose from to

populate the select item list. Once a select item list is populated, you can remove items by clicking the item

using the right mouse button and pressing Delete.

Text Box

Using the Mouse

The mouse (and keyboard) are the tools that you use to interact with EKM Desktop through its graphical

user interface. Tasks are performed on data objects through the use of dialog boxes, toolbars, and menus

that are accessed using the mouse. The mouse can be used to select and access data objects, select context


The User Interface

or pull-down menus, supply inputs to dialog boxes, execute applications and saved queries, and perform

most other data and control operations within EKM Desktop.

Selecting Object(s) Using Left Click

To select any data object, you simply position the mouse cursor over the object and click the left mouse

button. The object will become highlighted in blue in the user interface and its name will appear in the

Name field at the bottom of the frame. If the object is a file, the Open button will become active next to

the Name field, which, when clicked, will open the file in the application.

You can select more than one contiguous object in a display list in the main frame, or an item in a selection

list, by holding down the Shift key before clicking the left mouse button. You can also select non-contiguous

objects or items in a list by holding down the Ctrl key before clicking the left mouse button. The object

names will appear in the Name field as a comma-separated list.

Using Double-Clicking on Objects

The double-click mouse action can be used in three ways:

• to display the contents of a folder

• to open a CAE model file in an ANSYS application (for supported file types) or with the Operating System

(OS) associated application (e.g.,TextPad, PowerPoint,)

• to execute a saved query

Simply position the mouse cursor over the object and double-click the left mouse button to initiate the action.

Action Menus for Single Objects Using the Right-Click

To view the list of allowable File and Edit menu actions for a single object, position the mouse cursor over

the object in the and click the right mouse button. Then, you can choose the desired action from the menu

by clicking the left mouse button. A dialog box will open where you can input data and/or controls related

to the selected action, or the action will be executed. If the menu has additional cascading menus (e.g.,

Report) then move the mouse cursor to select the menu and left mouse click. A sample right-click menu

for a single object is shown in the figure below.



Action Menus for Single Objects Using the Right-Click

Action Menus for Multiple Objects Using Right-Click

To view the list of allowable File and Edit menu actions for multiple objects, select the objects using the

Shift key or Ctrl key as described above and click the right mouse button. Then, you can choose the desired

action from the menu by clicking the left mouse button A dialog box will open where you can input data

and/or controls related to the selected action or the action will be executed. If the menu has additional

cascading menus (e.g., Report) then move the mouse cursor to select the menu and left mouse click. A

sample right-click menu for multiple objects is shown in the figure below.


The User Interface



Action Menus for Multiple Objects Using Right-Click


Adding Content to the Repository

All content is added to the /Repository folder in EKM Desktop, and folders that are added are typed as

Remote Folder objects.

Note

You cannot add content to sub folders in EKM Desktop. Content can only be added to /Repos-itory .

You can add folders that reside on your local machine, drive, or connected file server to EKM Desktop by

creating a remote connection to them. Remote servers can be file servers that reside within the same LAN

and accessed through any network file protocol.

When you add files to the repository, EKM Desktop will automatically assign an object type based on the

file extension (see Table 1: Supported Object Types (p. 7)). Files that are not supported will be added as File

types.

Note



Desktop.

You can choose to have meta-data extracted when content is added, or later when you synchronize an object

or folder. These two procedures (adding content with meta-data extracted and without) will be treated

separately in the discussion that follows. See Synchronizing Content in the Repository (p. 50) for details on

synchronization.

Note

Supported file types that share the same extension will be assigned a “default” type by EKM

Desktop if they are added without meta-data extracted. For example, POLYFLOW and FLUENT

data files share the same file extension (.dat ), and FLUENT data files will be typed as Polyflow

Data files (default) until meta-data are extracted.

Warning

When supported CAE files are added without meta-data extracted, default properties are assigned.

The actual values will be inserted only when the file is synchronized.

Adding Content Topics include:

• Adding Folders With Meta-Data Extraction (p. 44)



• Adding Folders Without Meta-Data Extraction (p. 47)

• Tagging Objects with a Description Property (p. 50)

• Synchronizing Content in the Repository (p. 50)

Adding Folders With Meta-Data Extraction

Follow the steps below to add a folder to the repository and extract meta-data.

Warning

If you cancel the Add Content operation when meta-data are being extracted, the file that is

being extracted at that time will remain open until the application completes the process (e.g.,

Workbench finishes and closes the file) or the process is killed. Cancelling meta-data extraction

does not stop any active processes (e.g., Workbench). It will only cancel any pending work. In

other words, if you are adding a folder with three Workbench Simulation files (.dsdb) and hit the

Cancel button while the first file is being processed, that file will continue to be in use by Work-

bench until it completes or the process is killed. EKM Desktop will not add the folder to the Re-

pository.

1. Navigate to the Repository folder (/Repository is the Content Location address) and select Add

Content from the File menu; or right-click on the Repository folder at the top-level (/ is the Content

Location address) and select Add Content from the context menu. This will open the Add Content

to EKM Desktop dialog box. (Figure : Add Content to EKM Desktop Dialog Box — Extract Meta Data (p. 44))

Figure: Add Content to EKM Desktop Dialog Box — Extract Meta Data



2. In the folder tree, click to expand a folder (or double-click on the folder) until you select the desired

folder. The path to the selected folder will display in the Location field. Alternatively, you can enter

the full path to the folder in the Location field. Note that it may take a few moments for the folder

tree to expand if the contents of the folder are large.

Note

The path that is specified in the Location field always takes precedence.

3. Keep the default Extract Meta Data option selected to have simulation properties extracted from

supported files when the remote folder is added.

4. Click OK to begin the process. If the folder you are trying to add already exists in the repository, the

Content Already Exists dialog box will open, asking you to confirm replacement.

The Adding Content dialog box will open. It reports on the progress of the transaction and continues

to refresh until the operation is completed. It indicates the total number of objects that are processed

in the transaction, as well as (fatal) errors and (non-fatal) warnings that are encountered. Errors will

prevent all content in the remote folder from being added to the repository and can be issued, for

example, when files contain invalid characters. Warnings are alerts only and are typically issued when

a default type for an extension can't be applied to a file because the meta-data extraction fails. Note

that warnings are generated only when meta-data are extracted.

Note

This process may take some time if the folder you are adding is large and/or contains a lot

of files that require meta-data extraction. For certain CAE file types, an ANSYS Batch Run

process may run in the background.

In this example three objects were processed when the folder named periodic_flow_heat was

added; no errors and one warning was issued. The warning indicates that the file named tube-bank.dat.gz was set to Fluent Data type and is being reported because the .dat extension is

shared by FLUENT and POLYFLOW files. If the option was instead chosen to not have meta-data extracted

for this folder, the file would have been typed as a Polyflow Data type, which is the default for the

.dat file extension.



Adding Folders With Meta-Data Extraction

Once the folder has been added, it will appear as a Remote Folder object under /Repository . You

can display the contents of the folder by either double-clicking on it in the main frame, or choosing

the Open option from the right-click menu. The contents of the sample folder (periodic_flow_heat )

for this example are shown below.

You can display the properties of the object by selecting it with your left mouse button and then

choosing Properties from the File menu. Alternatively, select File Properties from the right-click

menu. In this scenario, the Fluent Case Properties show actual extracted values — and not default

values.



Adding Folders Without Meta-Data Extraction

To add a folder to the repository and NOT extract meta-data:

1. Navigate to the Repository folder (/Repository is the Content Location address) and select Add

Content from the File menu; or right-click on the Repository folder at the top-level (/ is the Content

Location address) and select Add Content from the context menu. This will open the Add Content

to EKM Desktop dialog box. (Figure : Add Content to EKM Desktop Dialog Box — No Meta Data Extrac-

ted (p. 48))

2. In the folder tree, click to expand a folder (or double-click on the folder) until you select the desired

folder. The path to the selected folder will display in the Location field. Alternatively, you can enter

the full path to the folder in the Location field. Note that it may take a few moments for the folder

tree to expand if the contents of the folder are large.

Note

The path that is specified in the Location field always takes precedence.

3. Unselect the Extract Meta Data option to have simulation properties extracted from the folder later,

when you synchronize it to the repository.




Figure: Add Content to EKM Desktop Dialog Box — No Meta Data Extracted

4. Click OK to begin the process. The Adding Content dialog box will open. It reports on the progress

of the transaction and continues to refresh until the operation is completed. It indicates the total

number of objects that are processed in the transaction, as well as (fatal) errors and (non-fatal) warnings

that are encountered. Errors will prevent all content in the remote folder from being added to the

repository and can be issued, for example, when files contain invalid characters. Warnings are alerts

and are generated only when meta-data are extracted.

In this example three objects were processed when the folder named airfoil was added; no errors

(or warnings by default) were issued.

Warning

If you Cancel the operation when content is being added, EKM Desktop will not add the

folder to the Repository



Once the folder has been added, it will appear as a Remote Folder object under /Repository . You

can display the contents of the folder by either double-clicking on it in the main frame, or choosing

the Open option from the right-click menu. The contents of the sample folder (airfoil ) for this ex-

ample are shown below.

When you choose to have meta-data extracted at a later time, the default property values for supported

CAE file types will be applied to the object, instead of the actual ones. That is, when you display file

properties for objects with no meta-data extracted, default values will be listed. As a visual cue, these

objects are identified with an exclamation point next to the file name in the main frame table, as

shown below. Whenever you synchronize the file in the future, you can choose to extract meta-data

at that time, and the default property values will be replaced with the actual values.




You can display the properties of the object by selecting it with your left mouse button and then

choosing Properties from the File menu. Alternatively, select File Properties from the right-click

menu. In this scenario, a message at the top of the dialog box indicates that default values are used

because the file has not had meta-data extracted.

Tagging Objects with a Description Property

You can add a Description meta-data tag to any object in the repository. This EKM Object property description

can be subsequently used in your search criteria to help you retrieve the object when conducting a query.

A Description is added using the Edit Properties dialog box and is listed in the EKM Object Properties,

accessible from the File > Properties menu.

Note

When you add a Description tag to an object, it will persist for the life of the object. If the file or

folder is updated on your local machine, drive, or connected file server (e.g., overwritten or saved

using the same name), then when you synchronize it, the Description property will remain with

the object; it will not be deleted in the synchronization process.

Synchronizing Content in the Repository

Once a folder has been added to EKM Desktop (with or without meta-data extracted), then whenever files

within the folder have been added, deleted, or modified in their physical location (on your local machine,



drive, or connected file server), you will need to the synchronize the folder in the repository for the changes

to be applied and meta-data to be extracted or updated. See Synchronize (p. 30) for additional information.

Note

You can also synchronize individual files.

If a folder was added to the repository without meta-data extracted, then supported CAE simulation files

contained within the folder will have default values assigned. These files are identified in the repository with

a next to the file name, and their properties listing (File > Properties) will contain an alert that default

values are being used. When you synchronize the file, if you choose to extract meta-data at that time the

icon and alert will be removed.

When you synchronize a folder, the meta-data for all the new or modified files contained within the folder

are updated in EKM Desktop. Updated properties can be viewed using the File > Properties menu. Any

new file or folder objects that are found in the source location that don't exist in the repository will be added,

and any existing file/folder that no longer exists in the source location will be removed. The Synchronize

action is displayed for all repository objects except for the Repository folder, Saved Searches folder, and

Saved Query objects.

Warning

If you cancel synchronization when meta-data are being extracted, the file that is being extracted

at that time will remain open until the application completes the process (e.g., Workbench finishes

and closes the file) or the process is killed. Cancelling meta-data extraction does not stop any

active processes (e.g., Workbench). It will only cancel any pending work. In other words, if you

are synchronizing a folder with three Workbench Simulation files (.dsdb) and hit the Cancel button

while the first file is being processed, that file will continue to be in use by Workbench until it

completes or the process is killed. EKM Desktop will not attempt to synchronize the other two

files and the folder will be deleted from the Repository.

To synchronize a file or folder, select Synchronize from the Edit menu for the selected object(s).

Edit > Synchronize

Alternatively, you can right-click on the selected object(s) and choose the Synchronize context menu item.

If you added the object you are trying to synchronize without meta-data extracted, then a Synchronizing

message box will ask you whether you want to extract the meta-data now.

A Synchronizing dialog box will display on the screen and report on the progress of the synchronization.

The total number of objects that are processed in the synchronization is reported, as well as (fatal) errors and

(non-fatal) warnings that are encountered. Error messages will prevent a synchronization from occurring,

while Warnings are alerts only. Warnings are typically issued when a default type for an extension can't be

applied to a file because the meta-data extraction fails. Errors can be reported, for example, when files

contain invalid characters.



Synchronizing Content in the Repository

Note

When you are synchronizing individual files, the progress dialog box be displayed only at the end

of the process. This process may take a few seconds depending on the size and type of file

(e.g.,.dsdb , and .mechdb ) you are extracting.

Warning

When you attempt to synchronize a folder that has been deleted in its remote location, you will

get an error message alerting you that it no longer exists, and the folder will be removed from

the repository.



Searching the Repository

EKM Desktop provides you with two powerful search features, Keyword Search and Advanced Search,

that allow you to locate files in the repository and save your query results for later refinement and/or execu-

tion. Keyword searches are full-text searches and advanced searches are used for meta-data (property)

searches. Both types of searches are initiated from the Figure : Search Toolbar (p. 53). The results of all

queries are links to objects in the repository that meet the search criteria, and are displayed as Search

Results in the main frame. You have the option of saving the query for future use. Queries are saved as

Saved Query types in the built-in Saved Searches folder under /Repository .

Figure: Search Toolbar

Searches are referred to as “queries” in EKM Desktop. In the case of a keyword search, the query is simply a

keyword that is included in the object's name or properties.

Warning

Since physical files are only symbolically linked to the repository and don't reside in the EKM

Desktop database, file contents are NOT searched in a keyword search— only file names and

associated properties that are stored in the database can be searched.

An advanced search query is the complete set of property-related (meta-data) criteria that you define in the

Advanced Search dialog box.

Search Topics include:

• Keyword Searches (p. 53)

• Advanced Searches (p. 56)

• Search Results Options (p. 63)

Keyword Searches

EKM Desktop's keyword search capability allows you to search the repository for file names and properties

containing keywords. The keyword that you query can either be a word contained in a file name or a property

value

Keyword Search Topics include:

• Expanded Syntax for Keyword Searches (p. 54)

• Starting a Search (p. 55)

• Examples (p. 55)



Expanded Syntax for Keyword Searches

EKM Desktop allows you to utilize an expanded syntax for words, that is compliant with the Apache Lucerne

Query Parser Syntax. The following types of searches are allowed. See http://lucene.apache.org/java/docs/query-

parsersyntax.html for more information.

• Wildcard (*)

• Fuzzy (?)

• Proximity (~)

• Boolean Operators “+”, “OR”, and “-” (where “+” is the AND operator and “-” is the NOT operator)

Wildcard Searches

You can use wildcard characters ? and * to perform single and multiple character searches, respectively.

EKM Desktop will search for matching words with the wildcard characters replaced.

Use the “? “ symbol to introduce a single character wildcard. For example

part?

will return objects whose name or file contents contains the words: part1 , Part2 .

Use the “* “ symbol to introduce a multiple character wildcard. For example,

air*

will return objects whose name or file content contains the words: Airfoil , airfoil-1 . You can place

the wildcard characters anywhere in the word.

Fuzzy Searches

You can use the fuzzy search character ~ (tilde) at the end of a single word term to find words that are sim-

ilar in spelling. For example,

model~

will return objects whose name or file contents contains the words: model, models, modem.

Proximity Searches

You can conduct a proximity search to find words that are a specified number of words away from the given

search phrase. Place a “~” (tilde) at the end of a search phrase followed by the proximity defined as number.

For example, the following will return files that contain the words “ekm” and “repository” within 10 words

of each other.

"ekm repository"~10

Boolean Operator Searches

The Boolean operators "+" for AND, “OR” for OR, and "-" for NOT are supported in keyword searches.

Note

Boolean operator OR must be ALL CAPS.



http://lucene.apache.org/java/docs/queryparsersyntax.html

http://lucene.apache.org/java/docs/queryparsersyntax.html

The “+” operator will match words where both phrases exist.

Starting a Search

To initiate a keyword search you can either enter your search word (or word with syntax) in the text box

under Keyword Search, or choose a previously-entered search from the drop-down list using . Then

click (or hit Enter on your keyboard) to begin searching the repository.

The Search Results will be displayed in the main frame as a list of named links. Additional columns are

displayed in the results table that include In Folder (the repository folder location), Size, Type, and Date

Modified.

When you double-click on one of the search result items or select the object and choose Open from the

right-click, File pull-down menu, or Open button, the object will open. If the object you have selected is a

folder, the contents of the folder will be displayed in the main frame. If the object you have selected is a

file, then it will open in either the ANSYS application or the Operating System (OS) application that is asso-

ciated with it in a separate window. For example, .cas files will open in the FLUENT application and .pdffiles will open with the Adobe PDF viewer. If no association exists, the OS will prompt you to select the type

of application to use.

The search results will be displayed with a search toolbar that includes buttons for stopping the search,

clearing the search results, editing the query, and saving the search results as shown in Figure : Search Results

Toolbar (p. 63). See Search Results Options (p. 63) for details.

Examples

In the following example, a keyword search was initiated using the keyword el* . The Search Results are

returned in the main frame as links to the objects.



Examples

Figure: Keyword Search Example

Advanced Searches

EKM Desktop allows you to conduct an advanced search of all meta-data (properties) associated with objects

stored in the repository.

Object properties include system properties (such as name and type), extracted properties that contain ex-

tracted data from supported CAE simulation files (e.g., ANSYS Mechanical APDL, CFX, FLUENT, POLYFLOW,

Workbench), and user-specified properties that you can define using the Edit Properties dialog box. Queries

can be saved for later execution or refinement, if desired.

You can access the Advanced Search dialog box by clicking the button in the search toolbar

to the right of the to the Content Location address field.

Advanced Search Topics include:

• Overview (p. 57)

• General Procedure (p. 58)

• Examples (p. 60)



Overview

Advanced searching enables you to perform a complex narrowed-down search by specifying the path, type

of object, property, condition, and value to search on. Object types include built-in types (such as Remote

Folder, Image, File, ANSYS Database, CFX Result, etc.) and an Any Type option that allows you to search

for all objects irrespective of their type. You are not limited by the number of criteria you can define for a

query.

Property search options depend on the object type that is selected. That is, when you choose an Object

Type, the list of properties associated with the object type are listed in the Property drop-down list. For

example, a File object type will display a different set of Property options than an ANSYS Database type.

In addition to system, extracted, and user-specified properties, two special properties are also available for

advanced searches: Any Reference and Any String .

• Any Reference allows you to search for an object that contains any reference to the given object.

• Any String allows you to search for an object that has any property with the specified value.

Property search criteria include Condition and Value which both depend on the property that is selected.

For example, when you select the Any Type or Any Reference , the only Condition that is available is

contains . Alternatively, the condition choices for the Type property are: equal to , not equal to ,

matches . The values that you can enter (or choose) for a given property are either String, Boolean, Date,

Integer, Real number, or Reference values.

String properties include equal to, not equal to, matches . The value for matches can be used

to match a pattern using the % character as a wild card. For example, you can use this to search for all objects

whose name matches the pattern %foil% . This will return objects that have names such as: Airfoil, airfoil-

1, etc.

Note

The matches condition is case-sensitive.

Boolean property includes equal to . The value is shown as a check box. If you want to search those objects

where the value of the boolean property is “true” then select the check box. Otherwise, leave it unselected.

Date, Integer, Real Number properties include: equal to, not equal to, less than, lessthan or equal to, greater than, greater than or equal to .

Note

The maximum Integer value you can enter is 263

–1. The maximum Real Number value you can

enter is (2–2–52

)*21023

.

Reference properties include equal to, not equal to . You will need to provide the full path of the

reference as the value. For example, if you want to search for all Workbench Simulation files whose

Design Modeler File property points to a particular file, then give the full path of the file (e.g., /Re-pository/model.agdb ) as the value.



Overview

Note

Irrespective of the property type, if the property has multiple values then the available options

are: contains and doesn't contain . For example, you can use the contains condition

to search for all Workbench Simulation files whose Analysis Types property contains a

particular analysis type such as Static Structural .

Warning

The Date Content Modified property is the date when file content was last modified in

its remote location (on your local machine, drive, or connected file server where the actual file

resides). Note that this is the same property that is referred to as “Date Modified” in the main

frame table. When the file is first added to the repository, the Date Content Modified is

the date that it was last updated. Once in the repository, it will reflect the date the file was last

modified in its remote location only when it is synchronized.

General Procedure

To initiate an advanced search,

1. Click the Advanced button in the search toolbar to open the Advanced Search dialog box.

Figure: Advanced Search Dialog Box



2. Enter the full path of the object to search under Search in, or click the Browse... button to select a

path from the Folders tree. Note that the search will be conducted for all objects under the given path.

The default path is /Repository .

3. Select the type of object to be searched for from the Object type drop-down list. You can also choose

the Any Type option from the list to search for all objects irrespective of their type.

4. Select the desired Property from the drop-down list and click the Add button. (This list is dynamically

generated based on the object type selected.) When you click Add, the dialog will expand and display

additional input options for the property. You can use the Add button to select multiple properties

to search on. By choosing the Any Reference option for Property, you can search for an item that

contains any reference to the given object . For example, if you choose Any Type from the Object

type drop-down list and Any Reference from the Property drop-down list and then set the Value

of the property to /Repository/my-folder/my-file , you can search for all objects that refer

to the object /Repository/my-folder/my-file .

5. By choosing the Any String option for Property, you can search for an item whose string property

value is the same as the given value. For example, if you choose Any Type from the Object type

drop-down list and then choose Any String from the Property drop-down list and set the Value

of the property to my-tag , you can search for all objects that have a string property with the value

my-tag .

6. Define the Condition criteria by selecting the desired option in the Condition drop-down list and

entering the Value in the box provided. (See Figure : Advanced Search — Example (p. 60) ) Click Delete

to remove the corresponding property from the search criterion. Note that you can also search for a

reference property by entering the full path of the reference as the Value.

7. Choose the Select condition option as Match all of the above or Match any of the above.

8. Click OK. All repository objects that meet the search criteria will be displayed as links under Search

Results.

Note

You can stop the search at any time by clicking the button in the search results

toolbar.

9.Save the query by clicking the button in the search results toolbar to open the Save As

dialog box. The advanced search query will be saved as a Saved Query type in the location and by

the name you supply.

Note

You can also save the query using the File > Save As... menu.

10. Once the query is saved, you can execute it at a later time by simply double-clicking the Saved Query

object. You can also refine the query by clicking the button in the search results toolbar.

This will open the Input dialog box where you can edit the saved query and re-save it, if desired.



General Procedure

Note

You can also edit the query using the Edit > Saved Query... menu.

11.Click the button to clear the search results. This will return you to the folder that you were

in when you opened the Advanced Search dialog box.

Examples

The following example searches on FLUENT case files with the following criteria: last time the file was

modified between December 1, 2007 and February 10, 2009; Spalart Allmaras viscous model, segregated

solver.

Figure: Advanced Search — Example

In the Advanced Search dialog box,

1. Under Search in, enter the path to the folder you want to search in or keep the default (/Repository ),

or click the Browse... button to select a different path from the folder tree.

2. Choose Fluent Case from the Object Type drop-down list.

3. Add the following property search criteria under Property:

a. Select Viscous Model from the Property drop-down list and click the Add button. Select

equal to from the Condition drop-down list and Spalart Allmaras for the Value.



b. Select Solver from the Property drop-down list and click Add. Select equal to from the

Condition drop-down list and Segregated for the Value.

c. Select Date Content Modified from the Property drop-down list and click Add. Select lessthan from the Condition drop-down list.

Click to open the Select Date and Time dialog box.

Use the navigation arrows to select Feb 10, 2009 as the date from the calendar. The single arrow

buttons increment the calendar by a month (backwards and forwards) and the double-arrow

button advances a year with a single click. Keep the current time. Click OK to close the calendar.

The time and date is added to the Advanced Search dialog box.

d. Select Date Content Modified from the Property drop-down list and click Add. Select

greater than from the Condition drop-down list.

Click to open the Select Date and Time dialog box and select Jan 1, 2007 as the date

from the calendar. Keep the default time. Click OK to close the calendar.

4. Choose Match all of the above search condition.

5. Click OK to execute the query. Links to all repository objects that meet the search criteria will be dis-

played under Search Results.



Examples

6. Save the query by clicking the Save As button, if desired. When you click OK, the Query Saved message

box will confirm it.

7.Click the button to clear the Search Resultsand return you to the location in the repository

where you initiated the search.



Search Results Options

Once you have executed a search, the links to objects that satisfy the query will be displayed under Search

Results and a toolbar will become available in the user interface.

Figure: Search Results Toolbar

You can use this toolbar to stop the search, edit the query, save the query, and clear search results. You can

also re-execute a saved query once it is saved. These topics are described below.

• Stopping a Search (p. 63)

• Saving a Query (p. 63)

• Editing a Query (p. 63)

• Clearing Search Results (p. 64)

• Executing a Saved Query (p. 64)

Stopping a Search

Once a search has been initiated, you can click on the

button to immediately terminate the search.

Saving a Query

You can save the current query to the built-in Saved Searches folder under /Repository by clicking the

button from the Search Results toolbar. This will open the Save As dialog box. See Save

As (p. 25) for details. The query will be saved as a Saved Query object type. Once saved, the query can be

edited, deleted, and re-executed.

Editing a Query

You can click the button in the Search Results toolbar to edit the current query. For advanced

search queries, this will open the Advanced Search dialog box. For keyword search queries, this will open

the Input dialog box which allows you to edit the search word used for the current query.

To edit a query,

1. Make changes to the keyword or advanced search criteria

2. Select Save changes to the query if you want to overwrite the existing saved query or save a new

query if it hasn't already been saved.

3. Click OK. If the query hasn't been saved, you will be prompted to save the query using the Save As

dialog box.



Editing a Query

Note

Once a query is saved, you can also edit it by selecting the Saved Query object and

choosing the Edit Query option from the right-click context menu.

Clearing Search Results

Once a search has been initiated, the results will be displayed as links under Search Results. You can click

the button to clear the search results. You will be taken back to the location in the repository

where you initiated the search from.

Executing a Saved Query

You can execute a previously-saved query of repository files by simply double-clicking on the Saved Query

type in the Saved Searches folder. You can also select the saved query and then either choose Execute

Query from the right-click context menu or choose Execute Saved Query from the global File menu. The

query will immediately be re-executed and the Search Results displayed.



Generating Reports

EKM Desktop provides you with tools to create on-demand reports in PDF, Excel Spreadsheet, and XML

formats that you can save to your local machine, drive, or connected file server. You can create a Simulation

Details Report that extracts key data such as model information and simulation settings from supported CAE

simulation files. You can also create a Comparison Report that compares properties or property differences

between two or more objects. You can choose to save your reports to a default location specified in your

Preferences, or to another folder you specify.

Note

If you want to subsequently utilize the reports you generate (to create additional reports, archive,

search, etc.) in EKM Desktop, you will need to add the report files to the Repository using the

Add Contents dialog box.

Report Generation Topics include:

• Simulation Details Reports (p. 65)

• Comparison Reports (p. 76)

Simulation Details Reports

You can use the Report Wizard to generate Simulation Details Reports. These reports can be generated

in PDF, Excel Spreadsheet (.xls ), and XML formats and contain parameters that are extracted from supported

CAE simulation file types. These include ANSYS Mechanical APDL results and database files, CFX results and

definition files, FLUENT case, POLYFLOW data, and Workbench project and simulation files. Images that are

associated with models are also extracted and included in PDF and Excel reports. The CAE file types that

you can generate Simulation Details reports for are listed in Table 1: Supported Object Types (p. 7).

Note



Desktop.

You can open the Report Wizard to create a Simulation Details Report for a CAE simulation file in two ways:

from the Getting Started wizard or the Report menu.

1. Open the Report Wizard.

a. Select Getting Started from the View menu to open the Getting Started dialog.



i. Choose Generate summary and comparison reports... and click OK to open the Report

Wizard.

ii. In the Report Wizard, choose Simulation Details Report and click Next>>. Skip to Step 3.

b. Open the Report Wizard from the cascading Report menu:

i. Select an object and choose Report > Simulation Details Report... either from the right-

click context menu or the File pull-down menu. The Report Wizard will open.


Generating Reports

Note

The Simulation Details Report menu item will be grayed out if you are trying to

select the report option for a file that is not supported.

2. If you opened the Report Wizard from the Report menu (Step 1b), then the full path to the current

object will be pre-filled in the Simulation file location field (e.g., /Repository/CFX-V12/FluidFlow.def ). If you opened the wizard from the Getting Started dialog box (Step 1a), then this field

will be empty. Keep the current object or choose a different one by entering the full path or clicking

the Browse... button. The Select Object for Report dialog box will open where you can select a file

from the folder tree.

3. Enter the Report name or keep the default. This name will appear on the top of the Simulation Details

Report you generate.

Note

The name of the file you are generating the report for is not included in the Simulation

Details Report. If this is important, then make sure that the report name includes it.

Warning

Invalid characters in the Report name will result in an error.

4. Choose the Report format from the drop-down list as PDF, Excel Spreadsheet, or XML.

5. Click Next >> to advance the wizard to the next screen.



Simulation Details Reports

6. The full path to the folder on your local machine, drive, or connected file server that you have designated

for saved reports using the Edit Preferences dialog box will be pre-filled in Save report to: (e.g.,

C:/Reports ). Keep this folder or choose another by either entering it in the text field or clicking the

Browse... button. The Save to... dialog box will open where you can choose a different folder.

7. Click OK to create the report and save it in the folder you specified. The Generating Report dialog

box will open and report on the progress.

Note

This process may take some time to complete for certain CAE file types, especially if the file

is large. An ANSYS Batch Run process may be running in the background.

8. Once completed, the report will open in the OS-associated application for the report format selected

if you chose this option in the wizard setup. The report will include the name you chose followed by

the simulation details that were extracted from the CAE simulation file.

Note

Remember that if you want to subsequently utilize the report you generate (to create addi-

tional reports, archive, search, etc.) in EKM Desktop, you will need to add the report file to

the Repository using the Add Contents dialog box.

Examples

Below are some Simulation Details Report examples have been generated for supported CAE file formats.


Generating Reports

Example 1 — PDF, Excel, and XML Reports for a Sample CFX Definition File

The following figures show PDF, Excel Spreadsheet, and XML reports generated for a sample CFX Definition

file.

Figure: Sample CFX Definition File — PDF Report



Example 1 — PDF, Excel, and XML Reports for a Sample CFX Definition File

Figure: Sample CFX Definition File — Excel Spreadsheet Report


Generating Reports

Figure: Sample CFX Definition File — XML Report

Example 2— Workbench Simulation File Simulation Details Report

Figure : Sample DSDB File Simulation Details Report — With Image Extracted (p. 72) shows a PDF report generated

for a sample Workbench Simulation (.dsdb ) file with images extracted. The file has been modified in order

to display the image.



Example 2— Workbench Simulation File Simulation Details Report

Figure: Sample DSDB File Simulation Details Report — With Image Extracted

Example 3 — Sample Workbench Project File

Figure : Workbench Project File — PDF Report (p. 73) displays a Simulation Details Report (in PDF format) for

a sample Workbench Project file.


Generating Reports

Figure: Workbench Project File — PDF Report

Example 4 — Sample ANSYS Results File

The following figures show a Simulation Details Report in PDF format for a sample ANSYS Results file with

images extracted.




Figure: ANSYS Results File PDF Report (Page 1 of 3)


Generating Reports






Comparison Reports

You can use the Report Wizard to generate Comparison Reports that compare any two or more objects

in the repository of any type. A comparison report can compare all of the properties between two or more

objects, or it can be shown just the differences between properties for objects that are of the same type.

Reports can be generated in PDF, Excel, and XML formats, and can be either opened, saved to a folder you

specify and opened, or saved only.

Showing only differences is very useful when you want to compare simulations that are similar to each

other — that is, objects that are of the same type. By creating such a report, you can easily find out how

the common properties differ between simulations. Examples (p. 80) are provided.

You can open the Report Wizard to create a Comparison Report in two ways: from the Getting Started

wizard or the Report menu.

1. Open the Report Wizard.

a. Select Getting Started from the View menu to open the Getting Started dialog.


Generating Reports

i. Choose Generate summary and comparison reports... and click OK to open the Report

Wizard.

ii. In the Report Wizard, choose Comparison Reportand click Next>>.

b. Select a single object or multiple objects and choose Report > Comparison Report... either from

the right-click context menu or the File pull-down menu. The Report Wizard will open.



Comparison Reports

2. If you opened the Report Wizard following Step 2, then selected object(s) will be pre-filled under

Items for comparison. If you opened the wizard from the Getting Started dialog box, then this field

will be empty. Add items to the comparison list by clicking the Add Item... button. The Select Object

for Report dialog box will open where you can select a file from the folder tree and click OK. The added

item will display under the Items for comparison list. You can also remove items by selecting them

in the list and clicking the Remove Item button.

3. Choose the type of information the report will contain from the Report contains drop-down list.

• Use All Properties to show one-for-one comparison of all object properties.

• Use Property Differences to show only differences in object properties.

Warning

The Comparison Report may contain some properties that are not used in EKM Desktop

(are not familiar to you) and should be ignored. These include: Check-in Policy,Checked out by, Lifecycle Stage, Is Perishable, Created By, Ex-piry Date, Status Flags .

4. Enter the Report name or keep the default. This name will appear on the top of the Simulation Details

Report you generate.

5. Choose the Report format from the drop-down list as PDF, Excel Spreadsheet, or XML.

6. (Optional) Enter a Description in the text box provided. This will appear as a header on the top of the

report.


Generating Reports

Note

The description you add is NOT a Description property.

7. Click Next >> to advance the wizard to the next screen.

8. The full path to the folder on your local machine, drive, or connected file server that you have designated

for saved reports using the Edit Preferences dialog box will be pre-filled in Save report to: (e.g.,

C:/Reports ). Keep this folder or choose another by either entering it in the text field or clicking the

Browse... button. The Save to... dialog box will open where you can choose a different folder.

Warning

If you choose to save your report using the same name as an existing report in the folder,

the file will be automatically overwritten without notice.

9. Click OK to create the report and save it in the folder you specified. The Generating Report dialog

box will open and report on the progress.

Note

This process may take some time if the files are large. Also, for certain CAE file types, an

ANSYS Batch Run process may run in the background.

10. Once completed, the report will open in the OS-associated application for the report format selected

in the wizard setup. The report will include the name you chose and the Description you (optionally)

entered.

Note

Remember that if you want to subsequently utilize the report you generate (to create addi-

tional reports, archive, search, etc.) in EKM Desktop, you will need to add the report file to

the Repository using the Add Contents dialog box.



Comparison Reports

Examples

The following PDF, Excel Spreadsheet, and XML reports were generated for the example comparison shown

above. “All properties” are compared between the two files.


Generating Reports

Figure: Comparison Report Example — PDF



Examples

Figure: Comparison Report Example — Excel Spreadsheet


Generating Reports

Figure: Comparison Report Example — XML



Examples


Backup and Recovery

The EKM Desktop Data Folder is a folder on your local file system that contains the files and database used

by EKM Desktop. When EKM Desktop is run for the first time, it prompts you for the location of the EKM

data folder. Once this location is chosen, the path to the folder is stored in a file named ekm.properties .

This file is located in your Application Data folder for ANSYS products.

Example:

C:\Documents and Settings\mmoales\Application Data\Ansys\v120

You can change the location of the EKM data folder by deleting the ekm.properties file. This will cause

EKM Desktop to prompt you to enter the EKM data folder location again, the next time the application is

launched. If you select a different location than what was first entered, then the original contents of your

EKM repository will not be viewable. If instead, you select the same location that you first entered, the ori-

ginal contents of the EKM repository will be restored.

You should backup your EKM Desktop Data Folder on a regular basis. Follow the instructions below to

backup and restore.

• Backing Up the EKM Desktop Data Folder (p. 85)

• Restoring the EKM Desktop Data Folder (p. 87)

Backing Up the EKM Desktop Data Folder

Follow the steps outlined below to backup the EKM Desktop Data folder.

1. Make sure that EKM Desktop is not currently running.

2. Open a Windows Explorer window and navigate to the parent folder of the EKM Desktop Data Folder.

For example, if your EKM Desktop Data Folder is:

C:\users\mmoales\data\ekm-data

then you would navigate to:

C:\users\mmoales\data



3. Send the EKM Desktop Data Folder to a compressed folder.

4. Copy the compressed folder to a safe location.


Backup and Recovery

Restoring the EKM Desktop Data Folder

Once you have backed up the EKM Desktop Data Folder you can restore it at a later time by simply uncom-

pressing the folder. Follow the steps outlined below.

1. Copy the compressed folder created during the backup into the original parent folder of the EKM

Desktop Data Folder.

For example, if the EKM Desktop Data Folder is:

C:\users\mmoales\data\ekm-data

then copy the compressed folder to:

C:\users\mmoales\data

2. 2. Uncompress the folder.




3. This will launch the Windows Extraction Wizard. Click Next >.

4. Verify that the path in “Files will be extracted to this directory” is the path to the original EKM Desktop

Data Folder. Click Next >. This will begin the extraction of the contents of the compressed folder.


Backup and Recovery

5. The following warning may be displayed if the folder and any contents exist. Click Yes to All.

6. When the extraction is complete, uncheck the Show extracted files box and click Finish.




7. The restoration is complete. You can now launch EKM Desktop from Workbench and use the data from

your restored EKM Desktop Data Folder.


Backup and Recovery

Limitations

This chapter contains the following limitations of the EKM Desktop Release 12.0 product.

• ANSYS Workbench Installed as a Network Install (p. 91)

ANSYS Workbench Installed as a Network Install

When ANSYS Workbench is installed as a network install, EKM Desktop will NOT be safe to use as it is not

designed for use in a shared environment. Using EKM Desktop from a network install will produce unpredict-

able results.




Appendix A. Accessing a Remote EKM Server From ANSYS

Workbench

In addition to providing access to a local repository in EKM Desktop, Workbench also allows you to access

a remote repository hosted on an EKM server using the File Transfer Client. Similar to EKM Desktop, you can

launch the ANSYS Engineering Knowledge Manager (EKM) File Transfer Client (FTC) from the File menu in

Workbench. (Figure : Launch EKM File Transfer Client from Workbench (p. 94))

File > Launch EKM File Transfer Client...

Launch EKM File Transfer Client... will be selectable from the File menu only when you have logged into

a remote EKM server and installed the ANSYS EKM File Transfer Client from there. Otherwise, the menu item

will be grayed out.

Warning

To run EKM File Transfer Client, you must have a Java Runtime Environment (Version 6 or greater)

installed. You can download this install from:

http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp

This install requires administrator privileges on your machine. Contact your IT department if you

do not have administrator privileges.

When you select Launch EKM File Transfer Client from the File menu, the FTC will open as a standalone

application in a separate window. You can use the FTC to transfer files from your local machine, drive, or

connected file server to a centralized repository where other users in your workgroup or enterprise have

access to. Being able to access a centralized remote repository enables you to share files with other users

to facilitate collaboration and increase productivity.

Note

You can close the Workbench application at any time once EKM File Transfer Client has launched.



http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp

Figure: Launch EKM File Transfer Client from Workbench


Appendix A. Accessing a Remote EKM Server From ANSYS Workbench

Appendix B. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The following are responses to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about EKM Desktop.

1. What is ANSYS EKM?

ANSYS Engineering Knowledge Manager (EKM) is a web-based multi-user collaborative product that

is aimed at meeting the simulation data and process management challenges faced by our customers.

EKM is tightly integrated with other ANSYS simulation offerings and it can also be very easily integrated

with legacy and competitor simulation software.

2. What is ANSYS EKM Desktop?

ANSYS EKM Desktop is a single-user, local environment version of EKM. It is available as part of ANSYS

Release 12.0 (R12) and can be accessed via Workbench. EKM Desktop is focused at meeting the challenge

of “re-using existing simulations” and thereby increasing simulation productivity and efficiency.

3. How do I install EKM Desktop?

EKM Desktop is available as a part of the ANSYS R12 install and gets installed in the folder that you

have selected to install ANSYS products.

Example: C:\Program Files\ANSYS Inc\v120

4. How can I access EKM Desktop?

EKM Desktop can be accessed from the File menu of Workbench. You can search and retrieve prior

simulation files based on the automatically extracted simulation properties.

5. Where are the properties/attributes extracted from simulation files stored?

EKM Desktop automatically extracts and maintains properties and attributes from ANSYS simulation

files. These simulation properties and attributes are stored in a user-defined location. When EKM

Desktop is accessed for the first time, you can set the location where EKM data are stored.

6. When I upgrade my ANSYS install, what will happen to the already extracted properties?

Whenever you install a new ANSYS release on your machine, it has NO effect on the properties that

you have extracted so far. Since these properties are stored at an independent location of your choice,

you can still point to this location after reinstallation of your ANSYS product, and EKM Desktop should

work seamlessly.

7. Once I have installed EKM desktop, what can I do?

EKM Desktop offers an easy-to-use and intuitive user interface. A Getting Started wizard displays actions

that you can perform when EKM Desktop is started. These include:

• Add Content

• Search Simulation Files

• Create Simulation Details and Comparison Reports



You can point to folders located on your local machine, drive, or connected file server and “Add Content”

from these folder locations to the EKM Desktop repository so that properties and attributes are auto-

matically extracted from the source files. Any time the source files are updated on the local disk, drive,

or server, you can “Synchronize” the content so that updated properties are available in EKM Desktop.

The files that are being indexed by EKM Desktop can be retrieved using keyword and advanced search

features. The search criteria can be saved, edited and re-used later.

EKM Desktop allows you to create “Simulation Details” and “Comparison” reports which help to translate

the “simulation intent” into a user-friendly report that can be saved in standard formats like PDF, EXCEL

etc. Simulation files can be compared by creating a Comparison Report. Such reports can help you

identify the best simulation that meets your current needs from multiple candidates.

The searched and retrieved simulation files can also be opened in associated applications directly from

within EKM Desktop (e.g., *.cas files will open in ANSYS FLUENT). You can also open the folder that

contains the searched files on the local machine, drive, or connected file server.

8. When I select a folder from my local environment and “Add Content” to EKM Desktop, what happens

exactly?

When you select a folder containing other subfolders and files, and add this content to EKM Desktop,

the selected folder is recursively read by EKM Desktop. Properties from ANSYS Simulation files are

automatically extracted and stored at the EKM data location you specified at initial startup.

Note

Your simulation and other files stay where they are locally on your machine, drive, or on

the connected file server. The files and folders identified by “Add Content” are never moved

away from their original location. EKM Desktop just keeps track of these files for you.

9. After Adding Content in EKM Desktop, if I edit/save my ANSYS simulation files in an associated ap-

plication (like Workbench) on the local disk, then what happens?

EKM Desktop tracks these updated files and allows you to “Synchronize” properties that are stored in

the EKM Desktop repository. When files are “synched-up”, EKM Desktop updates these properties

automatically and you can use the updated properties to search/retrieve the files later on.

10. Can searches be re-used?

Yes. You can save the search queries that you create in EKM Desktop. You can also edit them to

modify search criteria and re-save them. A saved search can be executed by simply double-clicking

on it or by using the “Execute” action.

11. Once I find the simulation files using Advanced Search in EKM Desktop, how can I access them?

Once you have found the files that you are looking for by executing a search in EKM Desktop, you can

directly open the file in the associated application from within EKM Desktop. For example, you can

open an ANSYS *.db file directly in ANSYS Mechanical APDL product.

You can also select the “Open Containing Folder” action that opens Windows Explorer and provides

direct access to the searched file on your local disk, drive, or connected file server.

12. What is a “Simulation Details Report”?



Simulation/CAE files are complex and huge, and contain a wealth of simulation-centric information

that is not easily accessible. The Simulation Details Report option in EKM Desktop allows you to extract

this information and build a report in common formats like PDF, EXCEL, etc. These report files can then

be shared with other interested parties instead of sharing the simulation files.

13. What is a “Comparison Report”?

In many situations, you may be interested in comparing multiple simulation files and finding the one

that best suits your needs. EKM Desktop allows you to do exactly that by creating comparison reports.

You can use EKM Desktop to create a Comparison Report from any number of simulation files. This

can help you identify differences between simulations.

14. Can I save and re-use Simulation Details and Comparison Reports?

Yes. EKM Desktop allows you to create and save Simulation Details and Comparison Reports locally.

You can also set a preferred location on your computer where these reports will be saved. You can

then refer to and re-use these reports once they are created.

15. How can I acquire a license for EKM Desktop?

EKM Desktop is available in ANSYS R12 and it is a separately-licensed product. However, as a special

promotion, the product can be used FREE of charge for six months for evaluation purposes if you have

a valid ANSYS product solver site license. The evaluation begins from the time EKM Desktop is accessed

for the first time from Workbench. At the end of the free trial period, you can contact an ANSYS sales

representative to purchase a license for ANSYS EKM Desktop.

16. Which simulation products/files are supported in EKM Desktop for property/attribute extraction,

search and report creation?

Most major simulation products and files from ANSYS R12 release are supported in EKM Desktop for

attribute extraction, search and report creation. They include ANSYS CFX, ANSYS FLUENT, ANSYS

POLYFLOW, ANSYS Mechanical APDL and ANSYS Workbench files. Refer to Table 1: Supported Object

Types (p. 7) for a complete list of supported simulation files.

17. From within Workbench in ANSYS R12, can I connect with my separately purchased ANSYS EKM

Workgroup or Enterprise version server for CAE collaboration?

Yes. You can leverage the extensive simulation process and data management capabilities provided

by ANSYS EKM product directly from Workbench.

If your organization has purchased a standard ANSYS EKM product (Workgroup or Enterprise version)

and installed the EKM server, then Workbench in ANSYS R12 provides the option of connecting with

the standard EKM database and enabling CAE/Simulation collaboration.

The File menu from Workbench allows you to launch the EKM File Transfer Client where you can

transfer files from your local project to the central EKM server database. It also enables other users to

access, search and retrieve files and fosters simulation collaboration.

18. What should I do to utilize other capabilities such as process management, publishing and executing

customized applications on a web portal, and remote job queuing and batch submission?

You can use ANSYS EKM, Workgroup or Enterprise versions, to access the above-mentioned and addi-

tional capabilities offered by EKM. For details, refer to the ANSYS EKM product page on www.ansys.com.

19. If I have questions about ANSYS EKM Desktop and related products, who do I contact?




www.ansys.com

You can contact ANSYS support team for your questions about EKM Desktop and ANSYS EKM. If you

have product-specific suggestions/questions, you can also contact us using the following E-mail address:.

<[email protected]>

