Ease of Use

EnSight 9’s use and integration with Python, an open source computer language, greatly expands the potential customized solutions that CEI can develop to meet customer needs. Python greatly enhances EnSight for advanced, developer-oriented customers. Customers appreciate the value of an open, extensible application where plug-ins, importers, exporters, customized user interfaces, and more can be added with confidence and relative ease.

Added CAD support

EnSight 9 will have added support to import CAD files from SolidWorks®, Unigraphics®, and Parasolid®, as well as the ability to export files into JT Open format.  For a list of current EnSight CAD file importers, visit our CAD file importers webpage. EnSight CAD importers allow customers to access native CAD files without the use of the original CAD system.

Export to JT Format

While many users rely on our free companion tools, EnLiten and EnVideo, CEI has also worked to provide interoperability with other tools that are common in industry.  This includes GIF, Flash, and AVI animations for images and VRML output for geometry.   In EnSight 9 we have available a plug-in which converts EnSight geometry into a JT file, used by members of the JT consortium.

Extensibility

With EnSight 9 we introduce a 3rd generation reader API.  In the past, the reader API has been driven by the EnSight data model.  The first generation used a global coordinate array, while the 2nd generation had a coordinate array per-part.  Each reader ends up being effectively a translator, and many readers have to duplicate the same functionality.

Click-n-Go Interaction

Some part types, such as isosurfaces, clips, and contours, become “active” when the user clicks on them.  A “handle” appears that you can click and drag to modify attributes such as isovalue, or contour levels.  Where appropriate, the value is displayed in the lower-left hand corner as you move the mouse.

Raising Limits - parts, variables, frames

In previous versions, internal limits have made it difficult to use EnSight for certain tasks.  Assumptions that may be valid in CFD, may not apply in FEA.  To make sure EnSight works for general purpose, we have removed limits on number of parts and variables. Effectively we have eliminated these limits, although current implementation imposes a limit of 65,000 parts and frames and 10,000 variables.

Scalability

The scalability of EnSight has always been a key feature.  Server-of-servers (SoS) capability was added over 8 years ago, early in the cluster computing era.  EnSight 8.2 added automatic decomposition to make it even easier to use clusters for visualization.

In EnSight 9, we have completely redesigned our launch and communication infrastructure.  We now have an MPI driver which allows you to use “mpirun” to launch SOS and servers on a cluster, and MPI communication within the cluster can provide improved performance over the TCP/IP communication.

Element Blanking Options

The updated element blanking feature allows you to peel away layers of elements using the selection tool.  This feature now has options for inside/outside, and single-layer versus all layers.

Reader Updates

EnSight 9 includes updates for a number of readers.  CEI has recently licensed additional CAD formats which are now available, and updates have been made to the Exodus II, ABAQUS and FLUENT readers.  Additional reader development will leverage the new API to support new formats and improve support for existing formats. Visit our interfaces web page for a full list of EnSight readers.

Support Tool

In order to make it easier to report problems or ask questions to the CEI Support staff, EnSight 9 has a new support tool. The tool will show you the information that it has about your license key, the OS, and hardware, and allow you to communicate directly with the support desk from within EnSight. Tabs on the support tool give you access to the on-line support pages, including knowledge-base and tutorials. 

Platforms

In the last few years the powerful commodity CPU’s and GPU’s have driven most customers to consolidate platforms to include: Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux on the desktop.  CEI supports these platforms as well as AIX for EnSight servers.

Skyboxes

Place your model into a 3D environment. The idea behind a skybox is that a carefully constructed texture, if mapped onto a cube, appears like the sky and horizon from inside of the cube. When you place geometry inside of the cube, it appears to be inside of an environment.

Learn how to use Skyboxes.

Compatibility and Licenses

EnSight 9 uses the same license key as EnSight 8, therefore you do not need a new license key, your existing slim8.key file will work.  You do not need to remove EnSight 8 to try EnSight 9.  EnLiten 8 .els files will still play in EnLiten 9. EnSight 8 command language files will continue to play in EnSight 9.  We recommend Python command files for added programming flexibility.  

Installation

Installation instructions for EnSight 9 are essentially the same as EnSight 8.  The license folder remains "license8" and the key name continues to be slim8.key.  The folder they install to is still referred to as "CEI_HOME", and this folder can contain multiple versions of EnSight (8.0, 8.2, 9.0) along with a single license directory that works with all compatible versions of EnSight.