Bulk Flow Analyst™
Project “Save As”
Now included in the File menu is a Save As option for your project. We have found our clients have
occasionally performed so many iterations that their projects become cumbersome and potentially
confusing. It becomes difficult to find the name of the component you need for a particular simulation
within the long list of component iterations. For this and other reasons, we now offer the ability to save
your project with a new name.
This ability allows you to take an existing project, save it with a new name in a new location, and delete
the components and simulations that you no longer want to see while working with Bulk Flow Analyst™.
Deleting the simulations from this new project will not delete the data generated while using the original
project, nor will the data within the original project file be lost.
Rolling and Twisting
Users can now enter two new parameters for characterizing rolling particles. The contact restitution,
which is the coefficient of restitution for a non-rolling impact
Multiple-Material Support
Users are now able to use multiple types of materials in a simulation. This can be done by having more
than one injection component, each with a different type of material, or by setting a single injection box to
output a given percentage of each material.
Improved Component Selection for Simulations
When selecting component for use in a simulation, users no longer have to use the shift/ctrl buttons to
select components. The new interface uses checkboxes and includes additional options for Injection
components to select which material to use.
Portals
Portal components are used for further analysis in PMA. They do not affect a simulation in any way.
They allow PMA to show how particles are moving through the portal by showing where particles pass
through the portal at each time step. PMA can also show the flow shape of particles through a portal.
Particle Blocks
This new injection component allows users to inject a large mass of particles all at once when the
simulation starts.
Material Library
This new feature to BFA allows users to export materials to a separate file and import them into other
projects. The Material Library was developed to prevent users the hassle of having to create the same
material over and over again for each new project.
Motion Manager
The motion manager is a separate application that allows users to set up complex multi-part motions
through a simple interface.
12640 W. Cedar Dr. Suite D Lakewood, CO 80228
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Online Help Files
We have moved our help files online, with a simple interface to access them from BFA. This allows users
to always view an up-to-date version of the help files.
New Licensing Procedure
The licensing procedure has been changed. The new licensing makes it easier for users to move
licenses to different computers by using a web app to disable and enable their available licenses
themselves.
Open Model
In the Component Tab, there is a new button “Ref’d Model” clicking this button opens the model
referenced by that component.
Queue and Simulation Lists Improvement
These lists now refresh and update when the user changes tabs, instead of having to close and open
BFA.
Bug Fixes
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Column sorting disabled to prevent unintentional changes
Preview button no longer creates error when simulation files are missing
Internal changes to prevent simulations from crashing when using large particle sizes
12640 W. Cedar Dr. Suite D Lakewood, CO 80228
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3DEM Analyst
Greater Stability
Bug fixes and a better estimate of how much memory the simulation needs contribute to a more stable
3DEM.
Particle Blocks
Supports the insertion of particle blocks, see above in the BFA section.
Rolling Particles
Support rolling and twisting particles, see above in the BFA section.
Particle Motion Analyst
PMA has had major updates. The output file format has been changed to fit a table format. There are
options for writing the output file a .CSV which also allows for a direct import into Excel option. The
speed of the basic analysis has had minor improvements as well.
A variety of extra tools are provided in PMA as well. The Angle of Repose test analyses a pile of particle
and displays the angle of repose of the pile. The Portal analysis test displays how particles moved
through a portal during the simulation. The Bin Analysis is similar to a Basic Analysis, but separates the
data into a 3D grid structure by segregating the system into a series of cells.
The Mixing test shows how well the mixed different particles types (defined by size) are. We’re releasing
the mixing test in Beta Mode.
More information about each analysis type is provided in the PMA Help File.
12640 W. Cedar Dr. Suite D Lakewood, CO 80228
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DEMView
Improved Orthographic View
Minor improvements have been made to the Orthographic view function
Improved Stability
This should prevent DEMView from crashing while viewing results from a simulation currently being
calculated.
Simulation Auto-Update Mode
This new mode allows DEMView to automatically move to the newest completed frame while the
simulation is being calculated
Visualized Cross Section Planes
While the user is setting up cross sections, they can be viewed for better placement without having to
close the form.
Increased Stability with ATI Graphics cards
In the View -> Parameters menu, there is a new option that allows text and scale drawing to be done by
using GDI, which fixes display issues for users with ATI cards running Windows 7 or Vista.
Rotation Display
When rotation data is available, DEMView draws small lines around the surface of each particle to display
how it rolls/twists.
12640 W. Cedar Dr. Suite D Lakewood, CO 80228
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