News

The Next Level: Getting the Same Result 8x Faster

Authors: Andreas Henne, Max Flamm

In the previous article, we showed that a simulation with two particle levels can accurately reproduce the results of a simulation with higher uniform resolution. But delivering a good result is not enough – for the system to be useful it must also deliver this result faster than the uniform simulation. The adaptive simulation will always have fewer particles, but this does not necessarily mean that it will be more efficient overall. Splitting, merging and correction (see the last article) represent a significant effort and can outweigh the reduction in particles. Is the cost worth it?

Read more “The Next Level: Getting the Same Result 8x Faster” →

The Next Level: Adaptive Particle-based Simulation in PreonLab

Authors: Andreas Henne, Stefan Karch, Saba Golshaahi Sumesaraayi

Particle-based fluid simulation methods such as implicit SPH have many advantages over Eulerian grid-based methods. You can read all about it here.
One advantage that Eulerian approaches still enjoy over most particle-based solvers is the ability to model fluid adaptively. By using finer cells in regions of interest and coarser cells in others, an adaptive mesh can reduce computational effort by several orders of magnitude. If multiple levels of detail are so clearly beneficial, why are they still relatively rare for most particle-based solvers? Read more “The Next Level: Adaptive Particle-based Simulation in PreonLab” →

PreonLab 4.3 Released

With PreonLab 4.3 we have just released the last update for our 4.x lifecycle. This release is again packed with great new features that will help you to enjoy your daily work with PreonLab even more:

• • • Keyframe Looping: This will lift keyframing to the next level. Keyframe looping makes defining recurring motion a pleasure.
    • Volume Source: In PreonLab 4.3 you can now specify the exact amount of fluid that needs to be generated inside a geometry. The improved Volume Source will do exactly what you tell it to do.
    • Performance: We have improved the scalability of some components that previously didn’t perform optimally with many cores and many MPI nodes. Most notably, this includes local refinement, multiphase simulations, the snow solver and the implicit viscosity solver.
    • Usability: We turned searching statistics in the Plot Dialog from beast to beauty and added the ability to choose for the unit of a specific statistic. You will also enjoy the improved workflow when selecting multiple objects in the Property Editor.
    • Snow Solver: Presets ahead! With the new snow presets you can choose from several different snow variants. Furthermore we have been working on the performance of the snow solver – make sure you fastened your seatbelt.

Furthermore, PreonLab 4.3 also introduces improvements of the Airflow import, the Car supension model, the Heat Flux sensor and many more. Check the changelog for a comprehensive list of all the great stuff you can expect from PreonLab 4.3.

Read more “PreonLab 4.3 Released” →

PreonLab 4.2 Released

We are excited to announce the release of PreonLab 4.2 – the answer to life, the universe and everything! It also contains many new or improved features that will help you to find answers to your more specific CFD-related questions:

• • • Mesh-based height sensor: The new sensor measures the height of fluid (or snow) above surfaces.
    • Improved user interface: With updates to the connection editor, the scene inspector and the on-screen display, PreonLab 4.2 looks and feels better than ever.
    • Optimized local refinement: Better performance and the introduction of user-defined domain shapes facilitate the acceleration of even more applications with local refinement.
    • Improved volume source: Improved volume source: The volume source now fills more accurately, minimizing artificial movements after the initialization.

Furthermore, PreonLab 4.2 also improves the snow solver, adds the Herschel-Bulkley viscosity model for non-Newtonian fluids, enhances the car suspension model, accelerates performance in scenes with large geometries, introduces new rendering capabilities, reduces memory consumption and improves the airflow import.

Read more “PreonLab 4.2 Released” →

PreonLab 4.1 Released

2019 has been an extraordinary year for PreonLab. Probably the most exciting part was seeing the results that you achieved in your respective fields. Let’s push the boundaries of simulation further in 2020!

We’re kicking off the new year with the release of PreonLab 4.1, which expands and improves the features introduced in 4.0. The most notable changes include:

• • • Improved local refinement: Local refinement is no longer an experimental feature and is now available for all users.
    • Preonpy sensor interface: It is now possible to access per-sample sensor data in preonpy, which allows for more powerful and customized post-processing.
    • Improved property editor: With physical units everywhere, better keyframing integration and many fixes, PreonLab 4.1 delivers a more reliable and productive user experience.
    • Improved snow solver: The snow solver is now more robust and efficient.

Read more “PreonLab 4.1 Released” →