Application Builder

Application Builder

The Application Builder allows engineers to create easy-to-use applications based on their simulations. The engineer creating the application customizes the interface and controls the inputs and outputs that the user of the app will be allowed to manipulate. Apps are built by experts who include only the parameters relevant to the design of a specific device or process. The apps then make the simulation engineer’s expertise available to everyone involved in the design and manufacturing processes across all engineering disciplines in the organization. By enabling more people to access simulation in an organization, product designs and processes can be improved efficiently and effectively.

Two tools are integral to the Application Builder: The Form Editor and the Method Editor. The Form Editor is the platform for building your apps and allows for easy creation of your app's user interface through drag-and-drop capabilities. The Method Editor is used to extend your app's simulation capabilities by providing a programming environment for use with Java® code. Together, the editors allow very specific simulation tools to be created by you and deployed to your colleagues, customers, and other collaborators for a more integrated approach to your organization's design and development workflow.

The new Corrugated Circular Horn Antenna App is one of 20 demo apps included in the Application Library, available for inspection and editing. The new Corrugated Circular Horn Antenna App is one of 20 demo apps included in the Application Library, available for inspection and editing.

The new Corrugated Circular Horn Antenna App is one of 20 demo apps included in the Application Library, available for inspection and editing.

When using the Form Editor in sketch mode, you drag and drop form objects to make a custom user interface. When using the Form Editor in sketch mode, you drag and drop form objects to make a custom user interface.

When using the Form Editor in sketch mode, you drag and drop form objects to make a custom user interface.

The method shown here, created in the Method Editor, is essentially a series of "if" statements that determine if the geometry inputs are valid, and either updates the geometry or alerts the user to incorrect input values. The method shown here, created in the Method Editor, is essentially a series of "if" statements that determine if the geometry inputs are valid, and either updates the geometry or alerts the user to incorrect input values.

The method shown here, created in the Method Editor, is essentially a series of "if" statements that determine if the geometry inputs are valid, and either updates the geometry or alerts the user to incorrect input values.

Demonstration Apps

COMSOL comes with 20 apps that can be opened and investigated as to how they have been created and can be utilized. These include:

  • Small Concert Hall Analyzer (Acoustics Module)
  • Biosensor Design (Chemical Reaction Engineering Module)
  • Transmission Line Calculator (AC/DC Module)
  • Corrugated Circular Horn Antenna Simulator (RF Module)
  • Plasmonic Wire Grating Analyzer (RF Module, Wave Optics Module)
  • Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR) Filter (Ray Optics Module)
  • Concentric Tube Heat Exchanger Dimensioning Tool (Heat Transfer Module)
  • Heat Sink with Fins (Heat Transfer Module)
  • Red Blood Cell Separation (Microfluidics Module, Particle Tracing Module)
  • Ion Implanter Evaluator (Molecular Flow Module)
  • GEC CCP Reactor (Plasma Module)
  • Wavelength Tunable LED (Semiconductor Module)
  • Beam Subjected to Traveling Load (COMSOL Multiphysics)
  • Truck Mounted Crane Analyzer (Structural Mechanics Module, Multibody Dynamics Module)
  • Parameterized Concrete Beam (Structural Mechanics Module, Geomechanics Module)
  • Frame with Cutout Subjected to Random Load (Structural Mechanics Module, Fatigue Module)
  • Tubular Reactor (COMSOL Multiphysics)
  • Tuning Fork (COMSOL Multiphysics)
  • Li-Ion Battery Impedance (Batteries & Fuel Cells Module)
  • Gas Box (Pipe Flow Module)

Improved Integration Between the Model and Application Builders

The Form Editor, Method Editor, and Application Builder desktop windows have been merged. In the new Application Builder desktop, you can work with forms and methods seamlessly in one integrated environment. You can now switch from the Model Builder to the Application Builder in one click. In addition, the .mph and .mphapp file formats have been merged into one .mph file format.

The Model Builder, with an Application section in the Home tab of the ribbon containing a button to switch to the Application Builder, as well as for three commonly used functions. The Model Builder, with an Application section in the Home tab of the ribbon containing a button to switch to the Application Builder, as well as for three commonly used functions.

The Model Builder, with an Application section in the Home tab of the ribbon containing a button to switch to the Application Builder, as well as for three commonly used functions.

After clicking the Application Builder button, the window switches to the Application Builder with a user interface that matches the Model Builder.

Easier File Handling

Files can now be imported by simply browsing the model tree and does not require file declarations. You can now embed files into running applications, allowing everything to be packaged together in the .mph file.

More Powerful Form Editor

The Form Editor now allows for copying forms and form objects between two different COMSOL Multiphysics sessions. You can set background images, change text alignment, modify multiple form objects at the same time, use custom table toolbars, add tooltips to more form objects, and much more.

The Grid Layout Mode has a number of new useful features to simplify creating and modifying the layout of forms. Improved interaction with rows and columns allows you to easily multiselect, copy-paste, duplicate, and move entire rows or columns. In addition, you can traverse and select cells with the arrow keys, extract parts of the grid into a new subform, inherit column settings from other forms, and quickly change the number of rows or columns in the grid with the click of a button.

Any rectangular area in a form can be converted to a subform by the click of a button. Any rectangular area in a form can be converted to a subform by the click of a button.

Any rectangular area in a form can be converted to a subform by the click of a button.

Report Generator Improvements

The Report Generator has many usability improvements, including customized number formatting, alignment for tables, and the ability to select which parameters and variables should be displayed in the report.

LiveLink™ for Excel® in Applications

With LiveLink™ for Excel® you can now read and write Excel® files in apps. This does not require Excel® to be installed on the computer running COMSOL Server™.

Send E-Mail from Applications

A number of methods allow an application to send emails with attachments, such as when the computation is finished. You specify the email sever settings in the Preferences window of COMSOL Multiphysics or COMSOL Server.

When the computation is finished, an application can now send an email with a report as an attachment. When the computation is finished, an application can now send an email with a report as an attachment.

When the computation is finished, an application can now send an email with a report as an attachment.

Detailed Progress Information

You can now customize progress information and get more control over progress detail including up to two levels of progress bars. Choose whether or not to include model progress information and display message log information in progress dialog boxes or form objects.

A progress dialog box with a two-level progress bar and a message log. A progress dialog box with a two-level progress bar and a message log.

A progress dialog box with a two-level progress bar and a message log.

Method Editor Additions

Several new built-in methods are available, including methods to measure computation time; enabling and disabling menu items and toolbars; and inserting, removing, and appending elements from arrays. The Method Editor now supports code folding, extended syntax highlighting, and new keyboard shortcuts for navigating to method declarations.


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