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Pointwise

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Pointwise is a commercial mesh generation software product from Pointwise, Inc. in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. The product debuted in 2007.
Pointwise is a commercial mesh generation software product from Pointwise, Inc. in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. The product debuted in 2007.
-
The current production release is Version 17.2 R1, released in April 2014.
+
The current production release is Version 18.1 R2, released in August 2018.
=== Mesh Types ===
=== Mesh Types ===
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* Structured quad and hex (aka mapped mesh)
* Structured quad and hex (aka mapped mesh)
* Unstructured tri and tet
* Unstructured tri and tet
 +
* Quad-Dominant
 +
* Voxel (Cartesian)
* Hybrid prism, tet, hex, pyramid
* Hybrid prism, tet, hex, pyramid
 +
* Overset (structured and unstructured)
=== Meshing Techniques ===  
=== Meshing Techniques ===  
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* Advancing Front
* Advancing Front
** For triangular surface meshing
** For triangular surface meshing
 +
* Tet Mesh Clustering using Sources
* Anisotropic Tetrahedral Extrusion (T-Rex)
* Anisotropic Tetrahedral Extrusion (T-Rex)
** Extrusion of right-angle-included tets with boundary layer and wake clustering and optional prism and hex recombination
** Extrusion of right-angle-included tets with boundary layer and wake clustering and optional prism and hex recombination
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* ACIS
* ACIS
* CATIA V4 & V5
* CATIA V4 & V5
-
* Pro/E
+
* Pro/E & Creo
* NX (formerly Unigraphics)
* NX (formerly Unigraphics)
* Parasolid
* Parasolid
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* other
* other
-
Geometry may be exported to IGES.
+
Geometry can be exported to IGES.
Geometry can be created in Pointwise. The following geometry primitives are available.
Geometry can be created in Pointwise. The following geometry primitives are available.
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* Point
* Point
-
Pointwise's geometry kernel is a full B-Rep solid modeler. Geometry is assembled into a solid both automatically and manually as a means of dealing with gaps and overlaps between adjacent surfaces.
+
Pointwise's geometry kernel (Geode) is a 4th generation, solid modeling (B-Rep) and geometry library. Geometry is assembled into a solid both automatically and manually as a means of dealing with gaps and overlaps between adjacent surfaces.
=== CFD Solver Interfaces ===
=== CFD Solver Interfaces ===
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* AcuSolve
* AcuSolve
* ADPAC
* ADPAC
 +
* ADS
 +
* AERO-F
* ANSYS CFX
* ANSYS CFX
* ANSYS FLUENT
* ANSYS FLUENT
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* CFDShip-Iowa
* CFDShip-Iowa
* CFL3D
* CFL3D
-
* CGNS
+
* CGNS v3
* CNSFV
* CNSFV
* Cobalt
* Cobalt
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* CRUNCH
* CRUNCH
* DTNS
* DTNS
 +
* Edge
* Exodus II
* Exodus II
* FALCON
* FALCON
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* FrontFlow
* FrontFlow
* FUN3D
* FUN3D
-
* Gambit
+
* Gambit Neutral
* GASP
* GASP
 +
* Gmsh
 +
* Gridgen
* GridPro
* GridPro
* INCA
* INCA
-
* INCA V2
 
* Kestrel v1.0
* Kestrel v1.0
 +
* LAURA
* NASTRAN
* NASTRAN
* NCC
* NCC
* NPARC
* NPARC
 +
* NSAERO
* NSU3D
* NSU3D
* OpenFOAM
* OpenFOAM
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* PHOENICS
* PHOENICS
* PLOT3D
* PLOT3D
 +
* PyFR
* SCRYU
* SCRYU
* SC/Tetra
* SC/Tetra
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* Tecplot
* Tecplot
* TETREX
* TETREX
 +
* Thermal Desktop
* UCD
* UCD
* UGRID
* UGRID
-
* VRML
 
* USM3D
* USM3D
 +
* VRML
* VSAERO
* VSAERO
* WIND
* WIND
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* XPATCH
* XPATCH
-
Pointwise also includes a Plugin API with which users can write their own CFD solver export function and have it included in the software at runtime.
+
Pointwise also includes a Plugin API with which users can write their own CFD solver export function and have it included in the software at runtime. The Plugin API also support grid import.
=== Scripting ===
=== Scripting ===
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=== Supported Platforms ===
=== Supported Platforms ===
-
Pointwise supports both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the following platforms.
+
Pointwise is delivered as a 64-bit application for the following platforms.
* Windows
* Windows
* Linux
* Linux
* Mac OS X
* Mac OS X

Latest revision as of 18:16, 28 August 2018

Contents

Pointwise

Pointwise is a commercial mesh generation software product from Pointwise, Inc. in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. The product debuted in 2007.

The current production release is Version 18.1 R2, released in August 2018.

Mesh Types

Pointwise can generate the following types of meshes.

  • Structured quad and hex (aka mapped mesh)
  • Unstructured tri and tet
  • Quad-Dominant
  • Voxel (Cartesian)
  • Hybrid prism, tet, hex, pyramid
  • Overset (structured and unstructured)

Meshing Techniques

Pointwise's mesh generation employs the following algorithms.

  • Elliptic PDE smoothing
    • Laplace, Thomas-Middlecoff, Steger-Sorenson, von Lavante-Hilgenstock-White control function formulations
  • Hyperbolic PDE-based extrusion
    • Steger's formulation for hex extrusion
  • Algebraic extrusion
    • Prism and hex extrusion using translate, rotate, path, and normal methods
  • Modified Delaunay
    • Tri and tet meshing with smoothing and diagonal swapping
  • Advancing Front
    • For triangular surface meshing
  • Tet Mesh Clustering using Sources
  • Anisotropic Tetrahedral Extrusion (T-Rex)
    • Extrusion of right-angle-included tets with boundary layer and wake clustering and optional prism and hex recombination

Geometry Support

Pointwise's geometry kernel supports both analytic (i.e. NURBS, CAD) and faceted (i.e. STL, VRML) formats.

Pointwise imports CAD geometry from the following formats.

  • IGES
  • STEP
  • ACIS
  • CATIA V4 & V5
  • Pro/E & Creo
  • NX (formerly Unigraphics)
  • Parasolid
  • SolidWorks

Faceted geometry can be imported from:

  • STL
  • VRML
  • NASTRAN
  • other

Geometry can be exported to IGES.

Geometry can be created in Pointwise. The following geometry primitives are available.

  • Surface of revolution
  • Ruled surface
  • Coons surface
  • Sweep surface
  • Fillet
  • Plane
  • Line
  • Curve
  • Circle
  • Conic
  • Offset Curve
  • Intersection
  • Point

Pointwise's geometry kernel (Geode) is a 4th generation, solid modeling (B-Rep) and geometry library. Geometry is assembled into a solid both automatically and manually as a means of dealing with gaps and overlaps between adjacent surfaces.

CFD Solver Interfaces

Pointwise has built-in support for the following flow solvers.

  • AcuSolve
  • ADPAC
  • ADS
  • AERO-F
  • ANSYS CFX
  • ANSYS FLUENT
  • CFD++
  • CFDShip-Iowa
  • CFL3D
  • CGNS v3
  • CNSFV
  • Cobalt
  • COMO
  • CRUNCH
  • DTNS
  • Edge
  • Exodus II
  • FALCON
  • FANS
  • FDNS/UNIC
  • FieldView
  • FrontFlow
  • FUN3D
  • Gambit Neutral
  • GASP
  • Gmsh
  • Gridgen
  • GridPro
  • INCA
  • Kestrel v1.0
  • LAURA
  • NASTRAN
  • NCC
  • NPARC
  • NSAERO
  • NSU3D
  • OpenFOAM
  • Overflow
  • PATRAN
  • PHOENICS
  • PLOT3D
  • PyFR
  • SCRYU
  • SC/Tetra
  • ShipIR
  • Splitflow
  • STAR-CCM+
  • STAR-CD
  • STL
  • SU2
  • TACOMA
  • TASCflow
  • TAU
  • TEAM
  • Tecplot
  • TETREX
  • Thermal Desktop
  • UCD
  • UGRID
  • USM3D
  • VRML
  • VSAERO
  • WIND
  • WIND-US
  • XPATCH

Pointwise also includes a Plugin API with which users can write their own CFD solver export function and have it included in the software at runtime. The Plugin API also support grid import.

Scripting

Pointwise includes a Tcl-based scripting language called Pointwise Glyph that can be used to write macros and templates for automating all or parts of the meshing process.

Supported Platforms

Pointwise is delivered as a 64-bit application for the following platforms.

  • Windows
  • Linux
  • Mac OS X
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