Problem Loading an existing OpenFoam case into HELYX
 

Hi,

This is the first time I have tried to do this so...

I don't know if anyone can help me, I'm trying to run HELYX OS. It launches fine and I can create new meshes in it but I can't seem to get it to load existing cases.

Symptoms are: After a dialogue prompt for serial or parallel, it fails to find the BlockMeshDict or the stl file (both of which are present in the right folders because the case ran in OpenFoam) and then hangs with the progress bar fixed at 20%

Has anyone had similar problems? If so, can anyone offer a fix.

Thanks

Can you post the case you are trying to load (or a similar one that will result in the same issue you are encountering) in HELYX-OS? There was another post mentioning a similar observation.

HELYXOS path info
 

Thank you for responding to my query.

The problem arises as follows:

I select Open and get the Open Dialogue window. The first attachment shows a typical case I am trying to visualise in HELYXOS. When I select a folder. A load dialogue opens and stalls at 20% (2nd attachment). The terminal window shows a java exception. (3rd file).

I could not find any references to a similar problem. My only thoughts are that it might be a path issue. Either I have not initialised HELYXOS properly or the path is too many characters. Being new to Linux that did not get me very far!

Any light you might shed would be very welcome.

Regards

Nick

Nick,

Looking at your screenshot of the terminal, I think you might be suffering from something similar to what is described here. The path to your OpenFOAM install is being removed. It has been accepted as a ticket to be fixed in upcoming maintenance releases of HELYX-OS. I suggest that you try the fix on those threads until HELYX-OS can be updated. if you are feeling little more adventurous, you could try to compile OpenFOAM yourself from the git repo, where instructions to do so are located here. Don't be intimidated by the thought...its actually not too difficult. I suggest this because it seems that there are a lot of threads where people have problems with compiling custom solvers, using additional community supplied tools/code, and using HELYX-OS when they are using the Ubuntu OpenFOAM deb package.

For the blockMeshDict error, remember that blockMeshDicts that are made in HELYX-OS are located in the system folder (different than the normal constant/polyMesh folder). Before there is an uprising about blockMeshDict not being in the constant/polyMesh folder....all the other major *Dict files are in system (snappyHexMeshDict, decomposeParDict, controlDict, etc.)...except for blockMeshDict.

No stl file
 

Thanks for the reply.

I had seen, and thought I had implemented, the fix you describe. However, my path was to version 211 not 210! Doh! So I re-fixed all the files and moved the BlockMeshDict (I'm sure there is a logical reason HELYXOS to put this file in the wrong place but...).

Unfortunately that did not move me forward much. HELYXOS can still not find the .stl file. This was in the triSurface dictionary. I tried copies in both the polyMesh and system folders but no joy.

Am I out of options or can avoid recompiling OpenFoam for a little longer?

Regards

Nick

Compiling OpenFOAM
You could stay with what you have, but honestly it takes a lunch break compilation or press go and go get a coffee (or 3) to get OpenFOAM compiled.

STL file Problem
Maybe some more questions are in order:

1. Have you been able to create, setup, and run cases in HELYX-OS before?
2. Is your STL in ASCII format? Binary format is not currently supported
3. Can you post a smaller case that reproduces the exact same error? Or, Can you post/attach your snappyHexMeshDict file?

No Stl File
 

Dan,

Answering the questions 1 point at a time.

STL file Problem
Maybe some more questions are in order:

1. Have you been able to create, setup, and run cases in HELYX-OS before? - It seems to generate at least the geometry for a new case, although my focus at the time was issues with Meshing so I wasn't that concerned about later stages in the process
2. Is your STL in ASCII format? Binary format is not currently supported. That's a pity. I had wondered if that would be the issue but no, my file is in ASCII format
3. Can you post a smaller case that reproduces the exact same error? Or, Can you post/attach your snappyHexMeshDict file? Yes I will do.

The issue with the case not reading into HELYX-OS was that "mapped" BC was set for one of the boundaries. Currently, mapped patches are not supported in the GUi but will be included in future releases. A ticket has been filed on sourceforge