Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!rochester!pt.cs.cmu.edu!cadre!pitt!jonathan
From: jonathan@pitt.UUCP (Jonathan S. Eunice)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Re: SDRC info?
Summary: It's for Finite Element Analysis
Message-ID: <4381@pitt.UUCP>
Date: 3 Jan 89 03:56:05 GMT
References: <3951@pt.cs.cmu.edu>
Reply-To: jonathan@pitt.UUCP (Jonathan S. Eunice)
Organization: University of Pittsburgh Computer Science
Lines: 26

Ping Kang Hsiung (pkh@vap.vi.ri.cmu.edu) asks in article <3951@pt.cs.cmu.edu>: 
>I would like to get some general knowledge about the software package "SDRC". 

Perhaps you mean the software package sold by the Structural Dynamics
Research Corporation (SDRC)?  This company is one of the leaders in
computer-aided engineering, particularly with their I-DEAS system for
finite-element modeling and analysis.  

Engineers use FEM to determine the "hot points" of a design by
subjecting it to various mechanical and thermal forces.  By using a
computer-evaluated mathematical model, engineers can try many different
alternatives and design revisions in fairly rapid order.  In theory, FEA
is a what-if engineering tool.  In reality, weak integration with other
engineering tasks and tools, not to mention the specialized knowledge and
experience required, makes this less of the case.

Usually, a design geometry is created with a conventional CAD/CAM
system.  The FEM program uses the CAD files, plus additional
information giving the forces to apply, tweaking parameters, and the
visualization desired; it produces reports and graphics showing the
result of forces on the design.

SDRC, a leader in the field, competes with companies such as
McNeal-Schwindler and PDA Engineering.  SDRC has recently begun to
expand their product offerings into the more conventional CAD/CAM
area.