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nTop Platform 2.20 - What's New

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Cayleigh McCreight

 

Version 2.20

nTopology nTop Platform 2.20 is here! This release features powerful new functions for building enhanced custom blocks. Improvements include creating optional inputs and building drop-down menus using the new Choice and Select by Choice block. This release also provides you with the ability to learn more about our block system with extended block documentation, which comes with expanded information such as a block’s application, images, and downloadable example files. As with every release, nTopology’s dedicated support team is ready to answer your questions. Please visit support.ntopology.com to gain access to helpful tutorials and support articles.

New Features and Improvements

Third Power, Third Root, Fourth Power, and Fourth Root Math Blocks

  • We’ve introduced four new math blocks that perform the following functions: x^(1/3), x^3, x^(1/4), and x^4. Below is a detailed overview of each block:

  • Third Power

    • Ribbon Location: Math > Operations
    • Description: “Returns the third power of an Integer.” | “Returns the third power of a Scalar.” | “Returns the third power of a Scalar Field.”
    • Input: Operand
      • Type: Integer | Scalar | Scalar Field
      • Description: “Value to operate on.”
    • Return Type: Integer | Scalar | Scalar Field

  • Third Root

    • Ribbon Location: Math > Operations
    • Description: “Returns the cube root of a Scalar.” | “Returns the cube root of a Scalar Field.”
    • Input: Operand
      • Type: Integer | Scalar | Scalar Field
      • Description: “Value to operate on.”
    • Return Type: Scalar | Scalar Field

  • Fourth Power

    • Ribbon Location: Math > Operations
    • Description: “Returns the fourth root of an Integer.” | “Returns the fourth root of a Scalar.” | “Returns the fourth root of a Scalar Field.”
    • Input: Operand
      • Type: Integer | Scalar | Scalar Field
      • Description: “Value to operate on.”
    • Return Type: Integer | Scalar | Scalar Field

  • Fourth Root

    • Ribbon Location: Math > Operations
    • Description: “Returns the fourth root of a Scalar.” | “Returns the fourth root of a Scalar Field.”
    • Input: Operand
      • Type: Integer | Scalar | Scalar Field
      • Description: “Value to operate on.”
    • Return Type: Scalar | Scalar Field

Delaunay Volume Mesh Block (Beta)

  • Location: Beta > Simulation - Mesh
  • Description: “Creates a volume mesh forming a Delaunay tetrahedralization from a list of points.”
  • Input: Vertices
    • Type: Point List
    • Description: “List of points to connect via a Delaunay tetrahedralization.”
  • Return Type: Tet Mesh

delaunay.png

Extended Block Documentation

  • We’ve introduced extended block documentation in 2.20. This additional information per block contains images, downloadable example files, and application information not readily available in the information panel of the block itself.
  • This release features additional information for the following blocks in our Block Documentation:
    • Boolean Intersect
    • Boolean Subtract
    • Boolean Union
    • Box from Corners
    • Shell
    • Topology Optimization

Import Non-Linear Static Results

  • You can now use the Import Structural Analysis block or the Import Thermal Analysis block to import linear and non-linear results.

List Inputs for nTopCL

  • With JSON as an input file for nTopCL execution, you have a variety of input variables that are supported for executing your notebook heedlessly using nTopCL.
  • You can now pass lists of these supported variables using JSON input files. Simply put these list variables into the Input section of your Notebook and run nTopCL’s template generation feature to generate the JSON input file.

ntopcl.png

Optional Inputs for Custom Blocks

  • You can now convert optional block inputs into custom block inputs.
  • For example, the Remesh Surface block features two optional inputs: Chord height and Min feature size. If these optional inputs are converted into variables and placed in the Inputs section of a notebook, they will appear as optional inputs when you import the notebook as a custom block.

custom.png

User Authored Drop Down Menus for Custom Blocks

  • You can now create drop-down menus in custom blocks using the new Choice and Select by Choice blocks.
  • Choice
    • Location: Create > Notebooks
    • Description: “Create a set of choices.”
    • Input: Choices
      • Type: Text
      • Description: “Set of choices.”
    • Return Type: Choice
    • Note: When using the Choice block as an input to a notebook, each Choice input will be converted into an item in a drop-down menu if the notebook is imported as a custom block.
    • Note: The Choice block defaults to selecting the first choice input, index 0.
  • Select by Choice
    • Locations: Create > Notebooks
    • Description: “Select item in a list based on a choice.”
    • Input 01: Choice
      • Type: Choice
      • Description: “Choice to select item.”
    • Input 02: List
      • Type: List Interface
      • Description: “The list to get the element from.”
    • Note: The Choice input determines which item from the provided list to select. An error will be thrown if the number of choices is unequal to the number of list items.
  • Below is an example of using the Choice and Select by Choice blocks in a notebook for filtering Lattice Body Beams by Connectivity (Closed, Floating, Open). When this notebook is imported as a block, the three choices appear in a drop-down menu for the end-user to select from, with Closed as the default choice.

custom2.png

Usage Improvements

  • The following blocks have moved from Beta to Production:
    • Export 3MF
    • Random Points in Volume Mesh
    • Stitch Adjacent CAD Faces
    • Structural Bonded Contact
    • Thermal Bonded Contact
  • You can now transform a List of Spatial 3D Types. In previous releases, you could only transform a single Spatial 3D type at a time.

Bug Fixes

  • We’ve resolved an issue preventing you from rotating CAD Bodies with model translation errors or other self-inconsistencies.

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