SIMULIA User Experience Research Program

The SIMULIA User Experience Research Program gathers feedback from people who use SIMULIA applications. Participants have the opportunity to share their experience using our applications, evaluate ideas for possible future enhancements, or test recently released features. Participants influence SIMULIA R&D by shaping our understanding of their work, enabling us to enhance and innovate our applications better.

In 2023, people from 16 organizations participated in the Research Program. Research topics included data organization, selection challenges, managing simulation storage, and using sensors. We always have a variety of research projects underway and are constantly looking for users to participate.

Who Participates?

People who use simulation applications! We talk with them about their daily work. We either:

• Discuss their daily work in detail, to learn about the strategies they use to accomplish their work tasks, or
• Ask them to try using a mockup we’ve made of potential future application functionality, to see whether the ideas in the mockup would help them to do their work.

Simulation information suppliers, consumers, or evaluators:

We talk with them about the information they supply to inform the simulation work, how they use the information produced by simulation work, or what they look for when evaluating simulation work outputs.

About the Interviews

Each research interview is a meeting of one participant and one researcher, either over Zoom or in person. A colleague of the researcher is also present to take notes.

• The interviews are scheduled at the participants’ convenience
• The participant does not need to do any preparation for an interview
• The time commitment is 1-2.5 hours, depending on the topic
• Everything seen and heard during these meetings is confidential, and all participant information is carefully protected.

Research Topics for Q4

Here’s an overview of the topics we are researching in Q4.

• Managing simulation data: Testing ideas for new ways of organizing and reviewing simulation data, for both Fluids and Structures simulations, and a new Feature Manager. We are looking for:
• Fluids simulation experts doing internal flow, external flow, or multiple rotating frame (MRF) simulations, using 3DEXPERIENCE or SOLIDWORKS FLOW
• Plastics designers familiar with mold flow
• Structural simulation experts doing any type of structural simulation, and either
  • Familiar with SIMULIA 3DEXPERIENCE apps (Structural Model, Mechanical/Structural Scenario, Physics Results Explorer) Roles: SYE, SSU, SRD or similar
  • Users of other pre/post software like Ansa, HM, Ansys, etc

• New streamlined fluid simulation workflows: Testing new workflows and functionality for increased productivity. We are looking for:

• Fluids design engineers, including new CFD users as well as more experienced users, doing interior or exterior Flow simulations on component or small system models
  • Either watertight or non-watertight geometries
  • Single Domain or Multidomain & Heat transfer
• Familiar with Solidworks Flow, FMK, Star CCM+, or Fluent

• Linear static structural analysis: Testing ideas for a new tool to help people understand the quality of their linear static simulation results. We are looking for:
• Designers or design engineers who create, run, and inspect the results of simulations for linear static structural analysis
  • (Preferred) Actively use FE structural simulation products, ideally the Linear Structural Validation app provided with the SIMULIA Structural Designer (SRD) role, or the Linear Structural Scenario app provided with the SIMULIA Structural Engineer (SLL) role.
  • Use SOLIDWORKS Simulation for linear static analysis

• Collaboration on design decisions using simulations: Learning what information is important to capture while doing simulation work, and how it is used when collaborating to make product design decisions. Also, how information about key decisions is preserved to grow a company’s “best practices”, and shared with both new and experienced engineers. We are looking for:
• Design engineers or simulation analysts who do any kind of simulation that is being used to inform product design decisions

• While doing simulation work, capture important information on paper or digitally
• Create file-based reports/proposals, or use Physics Results Explorer, Physics Simulation Review or 3D Markup to create reports/proposals
• Managers or other people who use the guidance from simulation work to collaborate on or make product design decisions

• 3DEXPERIENCE Adoption: We are always interested in talking with new users (< 1 year of experience) to better understand the challenges people encounter when transitioning to using 3DEXPERIENCE.

Participate!

If you think you might be interested in participating or know someone else who might be a good candidate, contact the SIMULIA User Experience Research Program at SIMULIA.usability@3DS.com for more information.

Interested in the latest in simulation? Looking for advice and best practices? Want to discuss simulation with fellow users and Dassault Systèmes experts? The SIMULIA Community is the place to find the latest resources for SIMULIA software and to collaborate with other users. The key that unlocks the door of innovative thinking and knowledge building, the SIMULIA Community provides you with the tools you need to expand your knowledge, whenever and wherever.