EKM Desktop User's Guide
Release 12.0ANSYS, Inc.
April 2009Southpointe
275 Technology Drive ANSYS, Inc. is
certified to ISO
9001:2008.Canonsburg, PA 15317
http://www.ansys.com
(T) 724-746-3304
(F) 724-514-9494
Copyright and Trademark Information
© 2009 SAS IP, Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use, distribution or duplication is prohibited.
ANSYS, ANSYS Workbench, Ansoft, AUTODYN, EKM, Engineering Knowledge Manager, CFX, FLUENT, HFSS and any and
all ANSYS, Inc. brand, product, service and feature names, logos and slogans are registered trademarks or trademarks
of ANSYS, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States or other countries. ICEM CFD is a trademark used by ANSYS, Inc.
under license. CFX is a trademark of Sony Corporation in Japan. All other brand, product, service and feature names
or trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Disclaimer Notice
THIS ANSYS SOFTWARE PRODUCT AND PROGRAM DOCUMENTATION INCLUDE TRADE SECRETS AND ARE CONFIDENTIAL
AND PROPRIETARY PRODUCTS OF ANSYS, INC., ITS SUBSIDIARIES, OR LICENSORS. The software products and document-
ation are furnished by ANSYS, Inc., its subsidiaries, or affiliates under a software license agreement that contains pro-
visions concerning non-disclosure, copying, length and nature of use, compliance with exporting laws, warranties,
disclaimers, limitations of liability, and remedies, and other provisions. The software products and documentation may
be used, disclosed, transferred, or copied only in accordance with the terms and conditions of that software license
agreement.
ANSYS, Inc. is certified to ISO 9001:2008.
U.S. Government Rights
For U.S. Government users, except as specifically granted by the ANSYS, Inc. software license agreement, the use, du-
plication, or disclosure by the United States Government is subject to restrictions stated in the ANSYS, Inc. software
license agreement and FAR 12.212 (for non-DOD licenses).
Third-Party Software
See the legal information in the product help files for the complete Legal Notice for ANSYS proprietary software and
third-party software. If you are unable to access the Legal Notice, please contact ANSYS, Inc.
Published in the U.S.A.
Table of Contents
Using This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Overview .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Data Objects ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
What is Meta-Data? .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Supported Object Types .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
How is Data Stored? .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Launching EKM Desktop From ANSYS Workbench .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Setting Up the EKM Desktop Data Folder .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
EKM Desktop Evaluation License .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Using the Getting Started Wizard .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Getting Help in EKM Desktop .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
The User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Main Frame .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Navigation Tools ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
The Global Menu .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
File Menu .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Add Content .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Open .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Open Containing Folder .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Execute Saved Query .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Save .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Save As .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Properties ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Report ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Exit ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Edit Menu .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Properties ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Query .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Synchronize .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Delete .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Preferences .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
View Menu .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Refresh .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Clear Search Results ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Getting Started .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Help Menu .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Dialog Boxes .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Using the Mouse .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Adding Content to the Repository . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Adding Folders With Meta-Data Extraction .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Adding Folders Without Meta-Data Extraction .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Tagging Objects with a Description Property .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Synchronizing Content in the Repository .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Searching the Repository . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Keyword Searches .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Expanded Syntax for Keyword Searches .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Starting a Search .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Examples .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
iiiRelease 12.0 - © 2009 SAS IP, Inc. All rights reserved. - Contains proprietary and confidential information
of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.
Advanced Searches .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Overview .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
General Procedure .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Examples .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Search Results Options .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Stopping a Search .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Saving a Query .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Editing a Query .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Clearing Search Results ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Executing a Saved Query .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Generating Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Simulation Details Reports ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Examples .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Comparison Reports ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Examples .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Backup and Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Backing Up the EKM Desktop Data Folder .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Restoring the EKM Desktop Data Folder .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
ANSYS Workbench Installed as a Network Install .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
A. Accessing a Remote EKM Server From ANSYS Workbench .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
B. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
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EKM Desktop User's Guide
Using This Manual
This User's Guide contains information on how to launch and use ANSYS EKM Desktop. You should begin
your learning process with "Introduction" (p. 3) that contains an overview of the product, how data are
stored, and introduces key concepts such as data objects and meta-data. Next, take some time to acquaint
yourself with the "The User Interface" (p. 19) to learn how to interact with the program through the use of
dialog boxes, navigation tools, menus, etc. You can then move on to "Getting Started" (p. 11) where you'll
learn how to launch the software, setup the folder on your local machine where EKM Desktop will store its
data, and get help. Here, you'll learn how to use the Getting Started Wizard to guide you through the basic
features of the product: "Adding Content to the Repository" (p. 43), "Searching the Repository" (p. 53), and
"Generating Reports" (p. 65).
"Backup and Recovery" (p. 85) contains important information on backing up and restoring your EKM Desktop
data that is contained in a folder you specify at startup. As a safeguard, you should backup your EKM Desktop
data on a regular basis, or it will be lost if it is deleted.
"Limitations" (p. 91) contains information on limitations of the EKM Desktop product.
Appendix A (p. 93) describes how you can use the ANSYS Engineering Knowledge Manager (EKM) File
Transfer Client to transfer files to/from your local desktop, drive, or connected file server to a remote EKM
server repository that is associated with your workgroup or enterprise. This capability allows you to easily
share files with colleagues in different locations to facilitate greater communication and collaboration on
engineering projects.
Appendix B (p. 95) contains responses to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about EKM Desktop.
This manual is divided into the following chapters:
• "Introduction" (p. 3)
• "Getting Started" (p. 11)
• "The User Interface" (p. 19)
• "Adding Content to the Repository" (p. 43)
• "Searching the Repository" (p. 53)
• "Generating Reports" (p. 65)
• "Backup and Recovery" (p. 85)
• "Limitations" (p. 91)
• Appendix A (p. 93)
• Appendix B (p. 95)
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Introduction
ANSYS Engineering Knowledge Manager Desktop (EKM Desktop) is a simulation data management tool you
can launch from Workbench that allows you to create a single-user “local” repository to organize and manage
your simulation data. You can add data that is stored on your local desktop, drive, or connected file server
to the repository. Search tools enable you to retrieve files so that you can re-use engineering best practices
and data from existing projects. Finally, you can generate reports that summarize and compare simulation
files.
Before you begin to use the software, you will need to learn some fundamental concepts of data objects in
EKM Desktop that are described in the following sections.
• Overview (p. 3)
• Data Objects (p. 5)
• What is Meta-Data? (p. 5)
• Supported Object Types (p. 6)
• How is Data Stored? (p. 8)
Overview
EKM Desktop is a single-user, local environment version of the web-based multi-user ANSYS Engineering
Knowledge Manager (EKM) product. ANSYS EKM is based on a centralized EKM server repository that facilitates
collaboration amongst users spread out across a workgroup or enterprise. EKM Desktop borrows some fun-
damental features from its parent product that include:
• adding content to a repository from your local machine, drive, or connected file server and automatically
extracting meta-data (simulation model properties) from supported file formats (ANSYS CFX, ANSYS
FLUENT, ANSYS POLYFLOW, ANSYS Mechanical APDL and ANSYS Workbench files)
• searching on properties and words to retrieve files in the repository using keyword and advanced search
tools
• generating reports that help to capture “simulation intent” by listing simulation details and comparing
results in PDF, Excel, and XML formats
Note
ANSYS Workbench also provides access to a “centralized” repository located on an EKM server
using the EKM File Transfer Client. This standalone application is a collaborative tool that allows
you to share files with other users in your workgroup or enterprise. See Appendix A (p. 93) for
details.
EKM Desktop is launched as a separate application from within ANSYS Workbench using the File pull-down
menu. The first time you launch, you will be asked to enter (or create) the folder on your local machine
where EKM Desktop will store its data. This folder is referred to as the EKM Desktop Data Folder. Once
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of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.
EKM Desktop opens, the folder location will be visible in the application window. See Setting Up the EKM
Desktop Data Folder (p. 12) for details.
Warning
Do NOT delete the EKM Desktop data folder. You will lose the contents of your repository and
all meta-data that have been stored. As a safeguard, you should backup the folder on a regular
basis following the procedures that are outlined in "Backup and Recovery" (p. 85).
The application will launch if you have a valid EKM Desktop license. If you don't but have a valid ANSYS
product solver site license then you can use the product for a six-month evaluation period, free of charge.
See EKM Desktop Evaluation License (p. 15) for details.
The first time you launch EKM Desktop, a convenient Getting Started wizard will open that can guide you
through the process of adding content to the repository, searching, and generating reports. These topics
will be discussed in detail in "Getting Started" (p. 11).
Figure: Getting Started Wizard
Content is added to the repository by adding folders that are located on your local machine, drive, or con-
nected file server that is in the same LAN and accessed through a network file protocol. Files contained
within folders are symbolically linked to the EKM repository. That is, the actual files and folders are not
copied to the repository when content is added, but remain in their original location and an index is main-
tained by EKM Desktop. Therefore, whenever content is added, deleted, or updated in your local environment,
the repository needs to be synchronized for the changes to be applied. See Synchronizing Content in the
Repository (p. 50) for details.
When a folder is added to the EKM Desktop repository, simulation file properties can be extracted and stored
in a database within EKM Desktop. Data types are assigned automatically for supported file types (see
Table 1: Supported Object Types (p. 7)) or otherwise assigned the File type. EKM Desktop can easily handle
large-sized files (> 2 GBytes) and a large number of files within a folder.
Once content has been added to EKM Desktop, you can use search tools to execute queries and retrieve
files. You can search on keywords in the file/folder name and its properties. Additionally, you can conduct
advanced searches where you set up a query for multiple properties with conditions (equal to, matches,
contains, etc.) and values that match any or all of the conditions in the search. Properties that are associated
with an object are its “meta-data” and can be searched for in a query. These include simulation data prop-
erties (from ANSYS Mechanical APDL, CFX, FLUENT, POLYFLOW, Workbench files) that are extracted from
supported CAE files when content is added (or synchronized) to the repository. Additionally, there are system
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Introduction
properties (such as object name, type, size, date content modified, path to the local machine, drive, or file
server where the object resides, etc.) that are created by EKM Desktop, and a user-specified Description
property that you can add using the Edit Properties dialog box.
Finally, you can generate reports in PDF, Excel spreadsheet, and XML formats. Simulation Details Reports
contain images associated with a model and summarize simulation data from supported CAE files (see
Table 1: Supported Object Types (p. 7)). Comparison Reports compare one or more files to identify similarities
or differences.
Data Objects
EKM Desktop provides you with a Repository for managing your simulation data and associated files. Data
are stored as objects, and objects are defined by their type. When content is added to the repository, sup-
ported (built-in) file formats are automatically recognized and assigned an object type. File formats that are
not recognized are assigned the File type. Table 1: Supported Object Types (p. 7) lists the supported data
types in EKM Desktop.
Object types are characterized by two features:
• Properties
• Actions
Each object type has a pre-defined set of properties associated with it. These are described in the next section.
What is Meta-Data?
Meta-data is information (in the form of properties) that is used to describe an object in EKM Desktop. These
properties include system-created data, extracted property data, and user-specified data.
• System-created meta-data are properties created by EKM Desktop such as the object's name, type, size,
date content modified, the path to the local machine, drive, or file server where the object resides, etc.
• Extracted meta-data are properties that are extracted from a CAE simulation file when the object is added
to (or synchronized with) the repository. Extracted properties vary depending on the object type.
• User-specified meta-data are properties that you can add to an object using the Edit Properties dialog
box.
All meta-data can be used as criteria to search and retrieve objects in the repository. Meta-data can be
viewed using the File Properties option from the File menu.
EKM Object Properties
The EKM Object type is the base type of all objects in EKM Desktop. Consequently, all objects have EKM
Object Properties associated with them that are listed below. These meta-data can be displayed using the
File Properties menu option.
Description(optional) description of the object that is added by a user using the Edit Properties dialog box
Namename of the object
Typetype of object
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EKM Object Properties
Remote Item Properties
All objects that are added to the repository are identified internally as remote items in EKM Desktop. Con-
sequently, these objects have Remote Item Properties associated with them that are listed below. These
meta-data can be displayed using the File Properties menu option.
Remote File Serverthe name assigned by EKM Desktop for the drive where the object resides
Remote File Locationthe full path to the directory where the object resides
Supported CAE Simulation File Properties
All supported CAE simulation file types that have meta-data extracted by EKM desktop will have extracted
file properties associated with them. For example, a FLUENT case file has meta-data extracted, and its
property listing will include Fluent Case Properties such as DPM Model , Energy Model , FluentVersion , Formulation , Solver, etc. These properties consist of simulation information that you can
display, use as search criteria, and generate Simulation Details Reports from. Table 1: Supported Object
Types (p. 7) lists the supported types where meta-data are extracted.
Note
If you choose not to extract meta-data for a supported CAE simulation file, then the default
property values will be assigned. The file will be displayed with a warning icon , and the
properties listing will contain an alert to this effect as well.
File Properties
All files (e.g., CAE simulation file types, File, Image, Archive, etc.) will have File Properties associated with
them.
Content Typethe format of the file as defined by MIME standards. Some examples of types are: application/octet-stream , image/jpg , text/plain , etc.
Sizethe size of the file in Bytes
Date Content Modifiedthe date that the file content was last modified in its remote location (on your local machine, drive, or
file server where the actual file resides). When the file is first added to the repository, this is the date
that it was last updated. Once in the repository, this date will reflect the date last modified in its remote
location only when it is synchronized.
Supported Object Types
Table 1: Supported Object Types (p. 7) shows all the object types that are supported in EKM Desktop. Objects
are assigned one of these types when they are added to the repository. All objects that are not recognized
by EKM Desktop are assigned the File type. You can also get a complete list of the available built-in data
types from the Object Types drop-down list in the Advanced Search dialog box.
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Introduction
Note
EKM Desktop recognizes workflow files that are used in the server-based version of EKM (workgroup
and enterprise) as Workflow object types.
Some supported CAE simulation file types noted in the table also have their simulation information extracted
as meta-data when added or synchronized (see "Adding Content to the Repository" (p. 43)). You can use these
extracted properties as search criteria in keyword and advanced searches. The extracted properties are also
used by EKM Desktop to create a Simulation Details Report. See Simulation Details Reports (p. 65).
Table 1 also lists the object types that can be opened in their associated ANSYS application (e.g., CFX,
Workbench, etc.) from within EKM Desktop. When these object types are opened, the ANSYS application
will launch in a separate window and load the model. For example, when a FLUENT case file is opened,
FLUENT will launch and load the case. All other files that have an Operating System (OS) application defined
for them will open in that particular application. For example, a PDF file will open in Adobe Acrobat; an XLS
file in Microsoft Excel.
Note
Objects with .dsdb and .mechdb file extensions are derived from Workbench Mechanical ap-
plications. Note that these objects are assigned the “Workbench Simulation” data type in EKM
Desktop.
Warning
* You are able to create Simulation Details Reports for these CAE file formats, but the contents
of the reports will be empty.
Table 1 Supported Object Types
Comparison
Report?
Simulation
Details Re-
port?
Opens in Ap-
plication?
Meta-Data Ex-
tracted?
EKM Desktop
Object Type
File Extension
YesYesCFXYesCFX Result.res
YesYesCFXYesCFX Definition.def
YesYesWorkbenchYesWorkbench
Project File
.wbpj
Yesopens in OS-
associated ap-
plication
Workbench
Engineering
Data
.eddb
YesYesYesWorkbench
Simulation
.dsdb
YesYesYesWorkbench
Simulation
.mechdb
YesYes*opens in OS-
associated ap-
plication
Workbench
Design Model-
er File
.agdb
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Supported Object Types
YesYesFLUENTYesFluent Case.cas,.cas.gz
YesFluent Data.dat,.dat.gz
YesYes*Polyflow Ex-
port File
.uns
YesYesYesPolyflow Data.dat
YesYesMechanical AP-
DL
ANSYS Result.rst ,
.rfl ,.rth ,
.rmg
YesYesMechanical AP-
DL
YesANSYS Data-
base
.cdb
YesYesMechanical AP-
DL
YesANSYS Data-
base
.db
Yesopens in OS-
associated ap-
plication
Archive.tar ,. zip
Yesopens in OS-
associated ap-
plication
Image.jpeg , .jpg ,
.gif, .png ,
.bmp , .tif ,
.tiff
YesFluent Plot.xy
YesWorkflow.wfxml
YesImported Re-
port
.rpxml
YesRemote Folder–
YesFolder–
Yesopens in OS-
associated ap-
Fileany extension
that is not
noted above plication, if re-
cognized (e.g.,
.pdf in Adobe
Acrobat, etc.)
How is Data Stored?
Recall that objects are only symbolically linked to the EKM Desktop repository. Physical files reside on your
local machine, drive, or connected file server, and a index is maintained in EKM Desktop as a reference. An
object's meta-data, however, are extracted from the file when it is added or synchronized, and stored in the
EKM Desktop database. The diagram in Figure : Data Storage in EKM Desktop (p. 9) shows this relationship.
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Introduction
When you startup EKM Desktop for the first time, you will be prompted to select (or create) a folder on your
local machine where EKM Desktop will store its data (database and repository indices to physical files stored
in your local environment). See Setting Up the EKM Desktop Data Folder (p. 12) for details.
Warning
Do NOT delete the EKM Desktop data folder. You will lose the contents of your repository and
all meta-data that have been stored. As a safeguard, you should backup the folder on a regular
basis following the procedure that is outlined in "Backup and Recovery" (p. 85).
The way that data is stored in EKM Desktop affects your ability to search for files. Since physical files don't
reside in EKM Desktop, you cannot search on actual file contents other than extracted meta-data. Keyword
searches retrieve objects that contain the query word in their file name or in their properties. Advanced
searches operate on properties and retrieve objects that match the property search criteria.
Figure: Data Storage in EKM Desktop
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How is Data Stored?
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Getting Started
EKM Desktop is launched from ANSYS Workbench in a separate window as a standalone application. You
can launch it by selecting the Launch EKM Desktop... option from the File menu in Workbench (see
Launching EKM Desktop From ANSYS Workbench (p. 11)).
When you launch EKM Desktop for the first time you will be prompted to enter the location of the folder
on your local machine where EKM Desktop will store its data (meta-data and repository indices that reference
physical files — refer to Figure : Data Storage in EKM Desktop (p. 9)). This data folder location is referred to
as the EKM Desktop Data Location and will be displayed at all times along the bottom of the application
window. See Setting Up the EKM Desktop Data Folder (p. 12) for details.
Warning
Do NOT delete the EKM Desktop data folder. You will lose the contents of your repository and
all meta-data that have been stored. As a safeguard, you should backup the folder on a regular
basis following the procedure that is outlined in "Backup and Recovery" (p. 85).
EKM Desktop will launch only if one of the two conditions are met:
• you have a valid EKM Desktop license
• you meet the criteria for an EKM Desktop Evaluation license
If you do not have a valid EKM Desktop license but you have a valid ANSYS product solver site license, then
the product will launch using a temporary EKM Desktop Evaluation license. This evaluation license is good
for six months from the first time you launch EKM Desktop and will expire when this trial period ends. See
EKM Desktop Evaluation License (p. 15) for more information.
The first time you launch the application, a convenient Getting Started wizard will open that can guide
you through the process of adding content to the repository, searching, and generating reports. These
topics will be discussed in detail in Using the Getting Started Wizard (p. 15). Although you can choose to
hide this dialog box in the future, it is always accessible from the View menu. See Launching EKM Desktop
From ANSYS Workbench (p. 11) for details.
• Launching EKM Desktop From ANSYS Workbench (p. 11)
• Setting Up the EKM Desktop Data Folder (p. 12)
• EKM Desktop Evaluation License (p. 15)
• Using the Getting Started Wizard (p. 15)
• Getting Help in EKM Desktop (p. 16)
Launching EKM Desktop From ANSYS Workbench
EKM Desktop can be launched from ANSYS Workbench under two conditions: 1) if you have a valid EKM
Desktop license; or 2) you have a valid ANSYS solver site license. In the latter case, you will be given a tem-
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of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.
porary EKM Desktop Evaluation license to use for a 6–month trial period. See EKM Desktop Evaluation Li-
cense (p. 15) for details.
When you select Launch EKM Desktop... from the File menu in Workbench, EKM Desktop will launch in a
new window as a separate application. (Figure : Launching EKM Desktop from ANSYS Workbench (p. 12))
File > Launch EKM Desktop...
Note
You can close the Workbench application at any time once EKM Desktop has launched.
Figure: Launching EKM Desktop from ANSYS Workbench
Setting Up the EKM Desktop Data Folder
When you launch EKM Desktop for the first time, the Setup EKM Desktop Data Folder dialog box (Fig-
ure : Setup EKM Desktop Data Folder (p. 13)) will open. You will be prompted to enter the location of the
folder on your local machine where EKM Desktop will store its data. This data includes extracted meta-data
and repository indices that reference physical files (see Figure : Data Storage in EKM Desktop (p. 9)). The
EKM Desktop Data Location folder is displayed at all times along the bottom of the application window.
Warning
Do NOT delete the EKM Desktop data folder. You will lose the contents of your repository and
all meta-data that have been stored. As a safeguard, you should backup the folder on a regular
basis following the procedure that is outlined in "Backup and Recovery" (p. 85).
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Getting Started
Figure: Setup EKM Desktop Data Folder
You can choose the data folder that EKM Desktop will use to store data using the Setup EKM Desktop Data
Folder dialog box in several ways.
• by entering or selecting an existing folder
• by entering or selecting a new folder
To enter or select an existing folder, either
1. Enter the full path to the folder location that EKM Desktop will store its data; or
2. Click Browse... to open the Select EKM Desktop Data Folder dialog box (Figure : Select EKM Desktop
Data Folder (p. 13)).
Select a data folder (e.g., ekm-home) on your local machine or enter it in the File name field. Click
Open and the full path to the folder location will be filled in the Setup EKM Desktop Data Folder
dialog box. Click OK to save it.
Figure: Select EKM Desktop Data Folder
To enter or select a new folder, either
1. Enter the full path to the (new) folder location that EKM Desktop will store its data; or
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of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.
Setting Up the EKM Desktop Data Folder
2. Click Browse... to open the Select EKM Desktop Data Folder dialog box (Figure : Select EKM Desktop
Data Folder (p. 13)). Enter the (new) folder name (e.g., ekm-dat-at ) in the File name field and click
Open.
The Create Folder dialog box will prompt you to confirm that you want the new folder created. Once
you click Yes, the full path to the folder location will be filled in the Setup EKM Desktop Data Folder
dialog box. Click OK to save it.
Note
You can also use in Select EKM Desktop Data Folder to create the new folder.
Figure: Create Folder
If you cancel the folder setup operation, a dialog box will open confirming that the program will exit. The
next time you launch EKM Desktop, you will be prompted once again to select the EKM Desktop Data
Location folder.
Once the folder is specified, the EKM Desktop Data Location will always be displayed at the bottom of the
application window, as shown in Figure : Setup Complete — EKM Data Folder (p. 15).
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Getting Started
Figure: Setup Complete — EKM Data Folder
EKM Desktop Evaluation License
The EKM Desktop Evaluation license is issued for a 6 month trial period if you don't have a valid EKM Desktop
license but have a valid ANSYS product solver site license. When you launch EKM Desktop from Workbench
and this condition is met, the EKM Desktop Evaluation dialog box will open and display the date and time
that your temporary license will expire (Figure : EKM Desktop Evaluation License Dialog Box (p. 15)). You will
have unrestricted use of the product until the expiration date. The six month evaluation period begins when
the EKM Desktop application is launched for the first time.
Figure: EKM Desktop Evaluation License Dialog Box
Using the Getting Started Wizard
The Getting Started wizard can guide you through the step-by-step process of adding content to the re-
pository, searching and retrieving files, and generating reports. The dialog box will open the first time you
launch EKM Desktop and during subsequent sessions if you choose not to disable its display. You can open
the dialog box at any time from the View menu.
• Add simulation files to the repository
• Search and retrieve files
• Generate summary and comparison reports
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Using the Getting Started Wizard
Figure: Getting Started Dialog Box
Getting Help in EKM Desktop
There are two types of online help available in EKM Desktop: content help and context-sensitive help. In all
cases, when you invoke help within EKM Desktop, a separate window will open the ANSYS Help system
viewer and the HTML page(s) from the User's Guide that you requested.
Content help is accessible from the Help menu. When you choose Help> ANSYS EKM Desktop Help... the
EKM Desktop User's Guide will be loaded. You can use the built-in navigation tools provided in the viewer
(such as next, previous, up) to maneuver your way through the online guide. The Legal Notice for EKM
Desktop is included in the ANSYS Legal Notice that can be accessed from the ANSYS Help Contents navigation
tree. It contains third party attributions and other legal notices for the EKM Desktop product. Note that you
have access to other ANSYS user guides from the Contents tree.
Context-sensitive help provides specific information about how you fill in a particular dialog box in EKM
Desktop. You invoke context-sensitive help by clicking the Help button at the bottom of the dialog. The
page from the EKM Desktop User's Guide for that particular subject will be loaded in the ANSYS Help viewer.
You can get help on Preferences, Adding Content, Advanced Search, Getting Started, and Report Wizard
dialog boxes. A sample help page is shown in Figure : Sample Help Page — Preferences Dialog Box (p. 17) .
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Getting Started
Figure: Sample Help Page — Preferences Dialog Box
When you choose Help > About EKM Desktop.. a dialog box will open that contains information about
the build and version of the software you have installed. See Help Menu (p. 35) for details.
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Getting Help in EKM Desktop
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The User Interface
EKM Desktop has a graphical user interface (GUI) that contains a main frame, hierarchical menus, toolbars,
and dialog boxes. The ANSYS EKM Desktop application window is the user interface. (Figure : ANSYS EKM
Desktop Application Window (p. 20))
The application window contains a Main Frame that displays the address and contents of the current repos-
itory folder. A global menu is located along the top of the window that allows easy access to top-level or
“global” functions from the File, Edit, View, and Help pull-down menus. A set of navigation tools enable
you to maneuver to folders in the EKM Desktop repository. You can also go directly to a folder by entering
the full path in the Content Location address field or by selecting from a recently-visited location in the
drop-down list. The application window also contains search tools for quickly locating objects in the repos-
itory based on keywords and advanced property criteria.
When you launch EKM Desktop for the first time you will be prompted to enter the location of the folder
on your local machine where EKM Desktop will store its data. You must take care not to inadvertently delete
this folder since it will contain your repository data. The EKM Desktop Data Location will be displayed at
all times, along the bottom of the application window. See Setting Up the EKM Desktop Data Folder (p. 12)
for details.
Once EKM Desktop has started, the Getting Started wizard will open (Figure : Getting Started Wizard (p. 4)).
Here, you can choose from adding simulation files to the repository, searching and retrieving files, and
generating simulation details and comparison reports. The Getting Started wizard will guide you through
the process of completing the selected task. The wizard can also be accessed from the View menu at any
time during an EKM Desktop session.
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Figure: ANSYS EKM Desktop Application Window
Repository and Saved Searches are built-in folders in EKM Desktop. Repository is the folder that content
is added to. Saved Searches is a folder that contains queries you create. You can select any file, folder, or
saved query in the repository as the active object by positioning the cursor over the object and clicking
your left mouse button. Once selected, the object will become highlighted in the frame and its name will
also be displayed in the Name field at the bottom of the frame. If the selected object is a file, the Open
button which is next to the Name field, will become selectable. You can click the Open button to open the
file in a separate window. Supported simulation file formats will open in the application they are created
in. For example, when you open a FLUENT case file from within EKM Desktop, FLUENT 12.0 will launch in a
separate application window and load the model. You can also open a file by double-clicking on it. (See
Table 1: Supported Object Types (p. 7) for a list of supported types.)
You can right-click on a single object or multiple objects to open a context menu of all available File and
Edit actions. These include: Add Content, Open , Open Containing Folder, Execute Saved Query, Edit
Query, File Properties, Report, Edit Properties, Synchronize, and Delete. Actions that are not allowable
for the selected object(s) will be grayed out. For example in Figure : Example — Repository Folder Actions
Displayed in Context Menu (p. 21), Add Content is available for the Repository folder since this is the only
location you can add content to. Execute Saved Query and Edit Query actions are grayed out since they
are only valid for Saved Query objects. Delete and Open Containing Folder are also not selectable for
Repository since it is a built-in folder of EKM Desktop.
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The User Interface
Figure: Example — Repository Folder Actions Displayed in Context Menu
The following user interface topics are covered in this chapter:
• Main Frame (p. 21)
• Navigation Tools (p. 21)
• The Global Menu (p. 22)
• File Menu (p. 22)
• Edit Menu (p. 28)
• View Menu (p. 34)
• Help Menu (p. 35)
• Dialog Boxes (p. 36)
• Using the Mouse (p. 38)
Main Frame
The main frame is the working space for displaying objects in the Repository. Folders are displayed as a list
of child objects in a table format. Folder contents are listed by Name in alphabetical order (by default). You
can reverse the order by clicking on the Name label. Objects are assigned a data type when they are added
to the Repository and the Type is displayed in the table along with other property details such as Size and
Date Modified. The default folder that EKM Desktop displays is the Repository folder. You can change
the default repository folder in the Preferences dialog box (Edit > Preferences).
Note
The Date Modified property listed in the main frame table for a file is also referred to as Date
Content Modified in the file properties as well as in the Advanced Search dialog box.
Navigation Tools
Navigation tools allow you to easily maneuver through the EKM Desktop user interface.
takes you back to the last folder you previously visited.
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Navigation Tools
takes you forward to the next folder from your current location. (Note this folder has to have already
been visited.)
takes you to the folder immediately above your current folder (the parent folder).
allows you to choose from a list of previously-visited addresses in the drop-down list, to go directly to
the folder of your choice.
The Global Menu
A global menu (Figure : EKM Desktop Global Menu (p. 22)) is located along the top of the ANSYS EKM Desktop
application window. This menu is accessible at all times and provides access to top-level EKM Desktop
functionality. It consists of four pull-down menus: File, Edit, View, and Help that are discussed below. When
you choose a menu, the set of allowable global actions for the currently selected object(s) is displayed.
Note
Actions that are not allowable for the selected object(s) will be grayed out.
Figure: EKM Desktop Global Menu
• File Menu (p. 22)
• Edit Menu (p. 28)
• View Menu (p. 34)
• Help Menu (p. 35)
File Menu
The File Menu (Figure : The File Menu (p. 22)) lets you perform global “file” actions on selected object(s) in
the repository.
Figure: The File Menu
• Add Content (p. 23)
• Open (p. 24)
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The User Interface
• Open Containing Folder (p. 24)
• Execute Saved Query (p. 25)
• Save (p. 25)
• Save As (p. 25)
• Properties (p. 26)
• Report (p. 27)
• Exit (p. 27)
Add Content
File > Add Content...
Add Content... allows you to add a folder from your local machine, drive, or connected file server to the
repository using the Add Content to EKM Desktop dialog box. Added folders are typed as Remote Folder
objects in EKM Desktop.
You can access the Add Content to EKM Desktop dialog box in two different ways:
• navigate to the Repository folder (/Repository is the Content Location address) and select Add
Content from the File pull-down menu; or
• right-click on the Repository folder at the top-level (/ is the Content Location address) and select
Add Content from the context menu.
See "Adding Content to the Repository" (p. 43) for more information.
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Add Content
Open
File > Open
opens the selected object. If the object you have selected is a folder, the contents of the folder will be dis-
played in the main frame. If the object you have selected is a file, then it will open in a separate window in
either the ANSYS application or the Operating System (OS) application that is associated with it. For example,
a.cas file will open in the FLUENT application (Figure : Example — FLUENT Case File Opened From EKM
Desktop (p. 24)) and a .pdf file will open with Adobe PDF Reader. If no association exists, the OS will prompt
you to select the type of application to use. Refer to Table 1: Supported Object Types (p. 7) for a list of file
formats.
Note
When files are selected, you can also open them by clicking the Open button at the bottom of
the frame.
Figure: Example — FLUENT Case File Opened From EKM Desktop
Open Containing Folder
File > Open Containing Folder
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The User Interface
opens the folder that the currently selected object is linked to on your local machine, drive, or connected
file server in a separate window. From the containing folder, you can perform data management operations
on the file (e.g., copy, move, etc.), and send it as an E-mail, open it in its application, etc.
Execute Saved Query
File > Execute Saved Query
allows you to execute a previously-saved query of EKM repository files. Select a Saved Query object from
the Saved Searches folder and then choose Execute Saved Query from the global File menu. The query
will immediately be re-executed and the Search Results (as links to objects) will be displayed in the main
frame.
Note
You can also right-click on a saved query object to bring up the context menu with the Execute
Query option.
Save
File > Save
allows you to save the current query to the Saved Searches built-in folder. If the query has already been
saved, then it will simply be re-saved and no dialog box will open. However, if the query has not yet been
saved, the Save Query dialog box will open (see below). The query will be saved as a Saved Query object
under the name you supply, where it can be edited, deleted, or re-executed at a later time.
Save As
File > Save As...
allows you to save the current query under a new name to the Saved Searches built-in folder. The Save
Query dialog box (Figure : Save Query Dialog Box (p. 25)) will open and you can enter the name of the query
in the text box provided. The query will be saved as a Saved Query type and can be edited, deleted, or re-
executed at a later time.
Figure: Save Query Dialog Box
Note
You can also open the Save As dialog box when you click the Save As... button from the Search
Results toolbar, or double-click on the saved query object.
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Save As
Properties
File > Properties...
allows you to display the properties of the selected object. You may need to use the scroll bar to display all
of the properties for an object.
Note
You can also display an object's properties using the right-click context menu.
There are three types of properties that can be associated with an object: system-created, extracted, and
user-modifiable. System-created properties include Remote Item and most of the EKM Object properties.
Extracted properties are meta-data that are extracted from supported CAE file types. The only user-modifiable
property is a description tag, that is part of the EKM Object properties. These are explained below.
All objects will include the EKM Object Properties ( Description , Name, and Type) since the EKM
Object type is the base type for all objects in EKM Desktop. You can add your own custom Descriptiontag to the EKM Object properties (the default is blank) using the Edit Properties dialog box. A description
tag can be useful in helping to retrieve files from the repository using keyword and advanced search tools.
All objects that are added to the repository are identified internally as remote items. Consequently, added
objects will always have Remote Item Properties associated with them.
Supported CAE file types (Table 1: Supported Object Types (p. 7)) will have simulation model properties as-
sociated with them. These properties are generated when meta-data are extracted during content addition
or synchronization. Figure : Sample Properties Dialog Box (p. 27) shows simulation model properties for a
FLUENT case file.
Warning
Default properties are assigned to supported CAE files when meta-data are not extracted. The
actual values are replaced when the file is subsequently synchronized.
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The User Interface
Figure: Sample Properties Dialog Box
Report
File > Report >
opens a cascading menu that has two options you can choose from:
• Comparison Report...
• Simulation Details Report...
The Comparison Report option is selectable for any object in the repository. The Simulation Details Reports
menu item, however, will be visible only if the object you have selected is a CAE file type that allows meta-
data extraction. These file types are listed in Table 1: Supported Object Types (p. 7). Otherwise, this option
will be grayed out.
See Simulation Details Reports (p. 65) and Comparison Reports (p. 76) in "Generating Reports" (p. 65) for details.
Exit
File > Exit
immediately closes the ANSYS EKM Desktop application.
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Exit
Edit Menu
The Edit Menu (Figure : The Edit Menu (p. 28)) allows you to perform global “edit” actions on selected object(s)
in EKM Desktop.
Figure: The Edit Menu
Edit menu actions are discussed below.
• Properties (p. 28)
• Query (p. 30)
• Synchronize (p. 30)
• Delete (p. 32)
• Preferences (p. 32)
Properties
Edit > Properties
allows you to add a Description property to an object as a new meta-data tag. This property can be used
to retrieve the object in the repository using EKM Desktop search tools. The description property is added
to the EKM Object properties for the object which can be viewed from the File menu (File > Properties).
To add a Description for an object:
1. Select Properties from the Edit menu for the selected object to open the Edit Properties dialog box.
Note
You can also choose Edit Properties from the right-click context menu.
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The User Interface
Figure: Edit Properties Dialog Box
2. Enter a Description for the object. You can subsequently view this description in the EKM Object
Properties display (File > Properties) and use the word(s) you added to search and retrieve the object.
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Properties
Query
Edit > Query
allows you to edit the search word used for the selected query and execute the query. You can also choose
to re-save the edited query. For advanced search queries, the Advanced Search dialog box will open. For
keyword search queries, the Input dialog box will open as shown below.
Figure: Input Dialog Box Used for Editing a Keyword Query
To edit a query,
1. Edit the Input or Advanced Search dialog box with the new keyword or property criteria.
2. Select Save changes to the query if you want to overwrite the existing saved query or save a new
query if it hasn't already been saved.
3. Click OK. If the query hasn't been saved, you will be prompted to save the query using the Save As
dialog box. The query will be executed and the Search Results displayed. When you are done, you
can click the Clear button to clear the results and return to the Saved Searches folder.
Note
Once a query is saved, you can also edit it by selecting the Saved Query object and
choosing the Edit Query option from the right-click context menu.
Synchronize
Edit > Synchronize
The Synchronize action allows you to synchronize files and folders in remote locations to EKM Desktop.
Recall that objects in the EKM Desktop repository reside on your local machine, drive, or file server located
in the same LAN, and are only symbolically linked when content is added. Although meta-data are extracted
and this data is stored in the EKM database, the files, themselves, reside in their remote location. Therefore,
objects need to be re-synchronized to EKM Desktop whenever the source data has been updated.
When you synchronize a folder, meta-data for all the new or modified files contained within the folder are
updated in EKM Desktop. Updated properties can be viewed using the File > Properties menu. Any new
file or folder objects that are found in the remote location that don't exist in the repository will be added,
and any existing file/folder that no longer exists on the remote location will be removed. The Synchronize
action is displayed for all repository objects except for the Repository folder, Saved Searches folder, and
Saved Query objects.
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The User Interface
To synchronize a file or folder, select Synchronize from the Edit menu for the selected object(s). Alternatively,
you can right-click on the selected object(s) and choose the Synchronize context menu item. If you added
the object you are trying to synchronize without meta-data extracted, then a Synchronizing message box
will ask you whether you want to extract the meta-data now.
A Synchronizing dialog box will display on the screen and will report on the progress of the file or folder
synchronization.
Note
When you are synchronizing individual files, the progress dialog box be displayed only at the end
of the process. This process may take a few seconds depending on the size and type of file
(e.g.,.dsdb , and .mechdb ) you are extracting.
Warning
If you cancel synchronization when meta-data are being extracted, the file that is being extracted
at that time will remain open until the application completes the process (e.g., Workbench finishes
and closes the file) or the process is killed. Cancelling meta-data extraction does not stop any
active processes (e.g., Workbench). It will only cancel any pending work. In other words, if you
are synchronizing a folder with three Workbench Simulation files (.dsdb) and hit the Cancel button
while the first file is being processed, that file will continue to be in use by Workbench until it
completes or the process is killed. EKM Desktop will not attempt to synchronize the other two
files and the folder will be deleted from the Repository.
The total number of objects that are processed in the synchronization is reported, as well as (fatal) errors and
(non-fatal) warnings that are encountered. Error messages will prevent a synchronization from occurring,
while Warnings are alerts only. Figure : Example Synchronizing Folder Dialog Box (p. 32) shows an example
of a message dialog box for a folder synchronization. Eighteen objects were processed and no errors or
warnings were issued. Warnings are typically issued when a default type for an extension can't be applied
to a file because the meta-data extraction fails. Errors can be reported, for example, when files contain invalid
characters.
See Synchronizing Content in the Repository (p. 50) for more information on synchronization.
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Synchronize
Figure: Example Synchronizing Folder Dialog Box
Delete
Edit > Delete...
lets you delete an object or objects from the repository. The dialog box will alert you that the object(s) you
are deleting will be restored when the folder containing it is synchronized, unless you also remove it from
the remote location.
Note
You can also delete selected object(s) by right-clicking and choosing the Delete context menu
item.
Figure: Delete Repository Item(s) Dialog Box
Preferences
Edit > Preferences...
allows you to set the display and report preferences for EKM Desktop using the Preferences dialog box.
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The User Interface
Figure: Preferences Dialog Box — Display Tab
Display Preferences
To set Display preferences, click the Display tab. (Figure : Preferences Dialog Box — Display Tab (p. 33))
1. Enter the full path to the Default Repository Folder in the text box (e.g.,/Repository ) or click the
Browse... button to open the Browse Folder Location dialog box where you can choose the path.
2. Select the default Language that EKM Desktop will utilize from the drop-down list of available character
settings. The language change will only take effect after a restart.
3. Click the Restore Defaults button to reset the folder to /Repository.
4. Click OK to apply the new default display location.
Note
Your display preferences will be applied the next time you launch EKM Desktop.
Report Preferences
To set Report preferences, click the Reports tab. (Figure : Preferences Dialog Box — Reports Tab (p. 34))
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Report Preferences
Figure: Preferences Dialog Box — Reports Tab
1. Enter the full path to the Default folder for saving reports in the text box or click the Browse...
button to open the Save Reports to... dialog box. The path you enter or select will be the folder on
your local machine, drive, or connected file server where you want to reports generated by EKM
Desktop to be stored.
2. Click OK to apply the new default location for saving reports.
Note
The report folder that you designate will be the default location where reports that you
generate using the Report Wizard will be stored. See "Generating Reports" (p. 65) for more
information.
View Menu
The View Menu (Figure : The View Menu (p. 34)) lets you perform global actions that are independent of
objects.
Figure: The View Menu
View menu actions are discussed below.
• Refresh (p. 34)
• Clear Search Results (p. 35)
• Using the Getting Started Wizard (p. 15)
Refresh
View > Refresh
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The User Interface
allows you to refresh the view of objects in EKM Desktop. You can also use the F5 function key from your
keyboard without having to open the View menu.
Clear Search Results
View > Clear Search Results
allows you to clear the current search results from the Content Location frame and will return you to the
folder where you initiated the search from.
Getting Started
View > Getting Started...
opens the Getting Started wizard where you can initiate actions such as adding content, searching the re-
pository, or generating reports When you launch EKM Desktop for the first time, this dialog box will auto-
matically open. You can choose to prevent it from opening in the future by checking Don't show this dialog
again. Note that this change will only take place once you exit EKM Desktop. See "Getting Started" (p. 11)
for details on adding content, searching, and generating reports using the Getting Started wizard.
Help Menu
There are two help options available from the Help menu.
Help > ANSYS EKM Desktop Help...
opens your web browser to the ANSYS Help system viewer where the EKM Desktop User's Guide is displayed
(Figure : ANSYS EKM Desktop Help (p. 36)). The User's Guide can be accessed by either selecting a section
from the Table of Contents or by using the built-in navigation arrows in the Help viewer to maneuver your
way through the online guide.
You can also access the release notes and online guides for additional product components in the ANSYS
release from the navigation tree in the ANSYS Help viewer. The Legal Notice for EKM Desktop is included
in the ANSYS Legal Notice that can be accessed from the ANSYS Help Contents navigation tree. It contains
third party attributions for the EKM Desktop product.
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Help Menu
Figure: ANSYS EKM Desktop Help
Help > About EKM Desktop...
opens the About ANSYS EKM Desktop dialog box that contains product and legal information, including
the date and version number of the EKM Desktop product build. A sample dialog is shown below.
Dialog Boxes
Dialog boxes are special windows that allow you to perform actions on objects within EKM Desktop. They
appear on the screen and are temporarily displayed until action is taken. Dialog boxes are the primary means
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The User Interface
of interacting with EKM Desktop and are used to request input (data and controls) from users, initiate actions
on data objects, and provide information in the form of messages and alerts.
Below are some of the common components found in dialog boxes.
Command Button
Drop-Down Combo Box
Path Selection Box
Radio Button
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Radio Button
Select Item List
A select item list, also known as a pick list, is a list box that is populated by one or more items. You select
or pick from items in the list by positioning the cursor over the item and clicking the left mouse button. To
select more than one contiguous item, hold down the Shift key before clicking the left mouse button. To
select non-contiguous items, hold down the Ctrl key before clicking the left mouse button. There can also
be a corresponding Browse... button that displays a list of available items that you can choose from to
populate the select item list. Once a select item list is populated, you can remove items by clicking the item
using the right mouse button and pressing Delete.
Text Box
Using the Mouse
The mouse (and keyboard) are the tools that you use to interact with EKM Desktop through its graphical
user interface. Tasks are performed on data objects through the use of dialog boxes, toolbars, and menus
that are accessed using the mouse. The mouse can be used to select and access data objects, select context
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The User Interface
or pull-down menus, supply inputs to dialog boxes, execute applications and saved queries, and perform
most other data and control operations within EKM Desktop.
Selecting Object(s) Using Left Click
To select any data object, you simply position the mouse cursor over the object and click the left mouse
button. The object will become highlighted in blue in the user interface and its name will appear in the
Name field at the bottom of the frame. If the object is a file, the Open button will become active next to
the Name field, which, when clicked, will open the file in the application.
You can select more than one contiguous object in a display list in the main frame, or an item in a selection
list, by holding down the Shift key before clicking the left mouse button. You can also select non-contiguous
objects or items in a list by holding down the Ctrl key before clicking the left mouse button. The object
names will appear in the Name field as a comma-separated list.
Using Double-Clicking on Objects
The double-click mouse action can be used in three ways:
• to display the contents of a folder
• to open a CAE model file in an ANSYS application (for supported file types) or with the Operating System
(OS) associated application (e.g.,TextPad, PowerPoint,)
• to execute a saved query
Simply position the mouse cursor over the object and double-click the left mouse button to initiate the action.
Action Menus for Single Objects Using the Right-Click
To view the list of allowable File and Edit menu actions for a single object, position the mouse cursor over
the object in the and click the right mouse button. Then, you can choose the desired action from the menu
by clicking the left mouse button. A dialog box will open where you can input data and/or controls related
to the selected action, or the action will be executed. If the menu has additional cascading menus (e.g.,
Report) then move the mouse cursor to select the menu and left mouse click. A sample right-click menu
for a single object is shown in the figure below.
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Action Menus for Single Objects Using the Right-Click
Action Menus for Multiple Objects Using Right-Click
To view the list of allowable File and Edit menu actions for multiple objects, select the objects using the
Shift key or Ctrl key as described above and click the right mouse button. Then, you can choose the desired
action from the menu by clicking the left mouse button A dialog box will open where you can input data
and/or controls related to the selected action or the action will be executed. If the menu has additional
cascading menus (e.g., Report) then move the mouse cursor to select the menu and left mouse click. A
sample right-click menu for multiple objects is shown in the figure below.
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The User Interface
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Action Menus for Multiple Objects Using Right-Click
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Adding Content to the Repository
All content is added to the /Repository folder in EKM Desktop, and folders that are added are typed as
Remote Folder objects.
Note
You cannot add content to sub folders in EKM Desktop. Content can only be added to /Repos-itory .
You can add folders that reside on your local machine, drive, or connected file server to EKM Desktop by
creating a remote connection to them. Remote servers can be file servers that reside within the same LAN
and accessed through any network file protocol.
When you add files to the repository, EKM Desktop will automatically assign an object type based on the
file extension (see Table 1: Supported Object Types (p. 7)). Files that are not supported will be added as File
types.
Note
Objects with .dsdb and .mechdb file extensions are derived from Workbench Mechanical ap-
plications. Note that these objects are assigned the “Workbench Simulation” data type in EKM
Desktop.
You can choose to have meta-data extracted when content is added, or later when you synchronize an object
or folder. These two procedures (adding content with meta-data extracted and without) will be treated
separately in the discussion that follows. See Synchronizing Content in the Repository (p. 50) for details on
synchronization.
Note
Supported file types that share the same extension will be assigned a “default” type by EKM
Desktop if they are added without meta-data extracted. For example, POLYFLOW and FLUENT
data files share the same file extension (.dat ), and FLUENT data files will be typed as Polyflow
Data files (default) until meta-data are extracted.
Warning
When supported CAE files are added without meta-data extracted, default properties are assigned.
The actual values will be inserted only when the file is synchronized.
Adding Content Topics include:
• Adding Folders With Meta-Data Extraction (p. 44)
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• Adding Folders Without Meta-Data Extraction (p. 47)
• Tagging Objects with a Description Property (p. 50)
• Synchronizing Content in the Repository (p. 50)
Adding Folders With Meta-Data Extraction
Follow the steps below to add a folder to the repository and extract meta-data.
Warning
If you cancel the Add Content operation when meta-data are being extracted, the file that is
being extracted at that time will remain open until the application completes the process (e.g.,
Workbench finishes and closes the file) or the process is killed. Cancelling meta-data extraction
does not stop any active processes (e.g., Workbench). It will only cancel any pending work. In
other words, if you are adding a folder with three Workbench Simulation files (.dsdb) and hit the
Cancel button while the first file is being processed, that file will continue to be in use by Work-
bench until it completes or the process is killed. EKM Desktop will not add the folder to the Re-
pository.
1. Navigate to the Repository folder (/Repository is the Content Location address) and select Add
Content from the File menu; or right-click on the Repository folder at the top-level (/ is the Content
Location address) and select Add Content from the context menu. This will open the Add Content
to EKM Desktop dialog box. (Figure : Add Content to EKM Desktop Dialog Box — Extract Meta Data (p. 44))
Figure: Add Content to EKM Desktop Dialog Box — Extract Meta Data
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Adding Content to the Repository
2. In the folder tree, click to expand a folder (or double-click on the folder) until you select the desired
folder. The path to the selected folder will display in the Location field. Alternatively, you can enter
the full path to the folder in the Location field. Note that it may take a few moments for the folder
tree to expand if the contents of the folder are large.
Note
The path that is specified in the Location field always takes precedence.
3. Keep the default Extract Meta Data option selected to have simulation properties extracted from
supported files when the remote folder is added.
4. Click OK to begin the process. If the folder you are trying to add already exists in the repository, the
Content Already Exists dialog box will open, asking you to confirm replacement.
The Adding Content dialog box will open. It reports on the progress of the transaction and continues
to refresh until the operation is completed. It indicates the total number of objects that are processed
in the transaction, as well as (fatal) errors and (non-fatal) warnings that are encountered. Errors will
prevent all content in the remote folder from being added to the repository and can be issued, for
example, when files contain invalid characters. Warnings are alerts only and are typically issued when
a default type for an extension can't be applied to a file because the meta-data extraction fails. Note
that warnings are generated only when meta-data are extracted.
Note
This process may take some time if the folder you are adding is large and/or contains a lot
of files that require meta-data extraction. For certain CAE file types, an ANSYS Batch Run
process may run in the background.
In this example three objects were processed when the folder named periodic_flow_heat was
added; no errors and one warning was issued. The warning indicates that the file named tube-bank.dat.gz was set to Fluent Data type and is being reported because the .dat extension is
shared by FLUENT and POLYFLOW files. If the option was instead chosen to not have meta-data extracted
for this folder, the file would have been typed as a Polyflow Data type, which is the default for the
.dat file extension.
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Adding Folders With Meta-Data Extraction
Once the folder has been added, it will appear as a Remote Folder object under /Repository . You
can display the contents of the folder by either double-clicking on it in the main frame, or choosing
the Open option from the right-click menu. The contents of the sample folder (periodic_flow_heat )
for this example are shown below.
You can display the properties of the object by selecting it with your left mouse button and then
choosing Properties from the File menu. Alternatively, select File Properties from the right-click
menu. In this scenario, the Fluent Case Properties show actual extracted values — and not default
values.
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Adding Content to the Repository
Adding Folders Without Meta-Data Extraction
To add a folder to the repository and NOT extract meta-data:
1. Navigate to the Repository folder (/Repository is the Content Location address) and select Add
Content from the File menu; or right-click on the Repository folder at the top-level (/ is the Content
Location address) and select Add Content from the context menu. This will open the Add Content
to EKM Desktop dialog box. (Figure : Add Content to EKM Desktop Dialog Box — No Meta Data Extrac-
ted (p. 48))
2. In the folder tree, click to expand a folder (or double-click on the folder) until you select the desired
folder. The path to the selected folder will display in the Location field. Alternatively, you can enter
the full path to the folder in the Location field. Note that it may take a few moments for the folder
tree to expand if the contents of the folder are large.
Note
The path that is specified in the Location field always takes precedence.
3. Unselect the Extract Meta Data option to have simulation properties extracted from the folder later,
when you synchronize it to the repository.
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Adding Folders Without Meta-Data Extraction
Figure: Add Content to EKM Desktop Dialog Box — No Meta Data Extracted
4. Click OK to begin the process. The Adding Content dialog box will open. It reports on the progress
of the transaction and continues to refresh until the operation is completed. It indicates the total
number of objects that are processed in the transaction, as well as (fatal) errors and (non-fatal) warnings
that are encountered. Errors will prevent all content in the remote folder from being added to the
repository and can be issued, for example, when files contain invalid characters. Warnings are alerts
and are generated only when meta-data are extracted.
In this example three objects were processed when the folder named airfoil was added; no errors
(or warnings by default) were issued.
Warning
If you Cancel the operation when content is being added, EKM Desktop will not add the
folder to the Repository
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Adding Content to the Repository
Once the folder has been added, it will appear as a Remote Folder object under /Repository . You
can display the contents of the folder by either double-clicking on it in the main frame, or choosing
the Open option from the right-click menu. The contents of the sample folder (airfoil ) for this ex-
ample are shown below.
When you choose to have meta-data extracted at a later time, the default property values for supported
CAE file types will be applied to the object, instead of the actual ones. That is, when you display file
properties for objects with no meta-data extracted, default values will be listed. As a visual cue, these
objects are identified with an exclamation point next to the file name in the main frame table, as
shown below. Whenever you synchronize the file in the future, you can choose to extract meta-data
at that time, and the default property values will be replaced with the actual values.
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Adding Folders Without Meta-Data Extraction
You can display the properties of the object by selecting it with your left mouse button and then
choosing Properties from the File menu. Alternatively, select File Properties from the right-click
menu. In this scenario, a message at the top of the dialog box indicates that default values are used
because the file has not had meta-data extracted.
Tagging Objects with a Description Property
You can add a Description meta-data tag to any object in the repository. This EKM Object property description
can be subsequently used in your search criteria to help you retrieve the object when conducting a query.
A Description is added using the Edit Properties dialog box and is listed in the EKM Object Properties,
accessible from the File > Properties menu.
Note
When you add a Description tag to an object, it will persist for the life of the object. If the file or
folder is updated on your local machine, drive, or connected file server (e.g., overwritten or saved
using the same name), then when you synchronize it, the Description property will remain with
the object; it will not be deleted in the synchronization process.
Synchronizing Content in the Repository
Once a folder has been added to EKM Desktop (with or without meta-data extracted), then whenever files
within the folder have been added, deleted, or modified in their physical location (on your local machine,
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Adding Content to the Repository
drive, or connected file server), you will need to the synchronize the folder in the repository for the changes
to be applied and meta-data to be extracted or updated. See Synchronize (p. 30) for additional information.
Note
You can also synchronize individual files.
If a folder was added to the repository without meta-data extracted, then supported CAE simulation files
contained within the folder will have default values assigned. These files are identified in the repository with
a next to the file name, and their properties listing (File > Properties) will contain an alert that default
values are being used. When you synchronize the file, if you choose to extract meta-data at that time the
icon and alert will be removed.
When you synchronize a folder, the meta-data for all the new or modified files contained within the folder
are updated in EKM Desktop. Updated properties can be viewed using the File > Properties menu. Any
new file or folder objects that are found in the source location that don't exist in the repository will be added,
and any existing file/folder that no longer exists in the source location will be removed. The Synchronize
action is displayed for all repository objects except for the Repository folder, Saved Searches folder, and
Saved Query objects.
Warning
If you cancel synchronization when meta-data are being extracted, the file that is being extracted
at that time will remain open until the application completes the process (e.g., Workbench finishes
and closes the file) or the process is killed. Cancelling meta-data extraction does not stop any
active processes (e.g., Workbench). It will only cancel any pending work. In other words, if you
are synchronizing a folder with three Workbench Simulation files (.dsdb) and hit the Cancel button
while the first file is being processed, that file will continue to be in use by Workbench until it
completes or the process is killed. EKM Desktop will not attempt to synchronize the other two
files and the folder will be deleted from the Repository.
To synchronize a file or folder, select Synchronize from the Edit menu for the selected object(s).
Edit > Synchronize
Alternatively, you can right-click on the selected object(s) and choose the Synchronize context menu item.
If you added the object you are trying to synchronize without meta-data extracted, then a Synchronizing
message box will ask you whether you want to extract the meta-data now.
A Synchronizing dialog box will display on the screen and report on the progress of the synchronization.
The total number of objects that are processed in the synchronization is reported, as well as (fatal) errors and
(non-fatal) warnings that are encountered. Error messages will prevent a synchronization from occurring,
while Warnings are alerts only. Warnings are typically issued when a default type for an extension can't be
applied to a file because the meta-data extraction fails. Errors can be reported, for example, when files
contain invalid characters.
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Synchronizing Content in the Repository
Note
When you are synchronizing individual files, the progress dialog box be displayed only at the end
of the process. This process may take a few seconds depending on the size and type of file
(e.g.,.dsdb , and .mechdb ) you are extracting.
Warning
When you attempt to synchronize a folder that has been deleted in its remote location, you will
get an error message alerting you that it no longer exists, and the folder will be removed from
the repository.
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Adding Content to the Repository
Searching the Repository
EKM Desktop provides you with two powerful search features, Keyword Search and Advanced Search,
that allow you to locate files in the repository and save your query results for later refinement and/or execu-
tion. Keyword searches are full-text searches and advanced searches are used for meta-data (property)
searches. Both types of searches are initiated from the Figure : Search Toolbar (p. 53). The results of all
queries are links to objects in the repository that meet the search criteria, and are displayed as Search
Results in the main frame. You have the option of saving the query for future use. Queries are saved as
Saved Query types in the built-in Saved Searches folder under /Repository .
Figure: Search Toolbar
Searches are referred to as “queries” in EKM Desktop. In the case of a keyword search, the query is simply a
keyword that is included in the object's name or properties.
Warning
Since physical files are only symbolically linked to the repository and don't reside in the EKM
Desktop database, file contents are NOT searched in a keyword search— only file names and
associated properties that are stored in the database can be searched.
An advanced search query is the complete set of property-related (meta-data) criteria that you define in the
Advanced Search dialog box.
Search Topics include:
• Keyword Searches (p. 53)
• Advanced Searches (p. 56)
• Search Results Options (p. 63)
Keyword Searches
EKM Desktop's keyword search capability allows you to search the repository for file names and properties
containing keywords. The keyword that you query can either be a word contained in a file name or a property
value
Keyword Search Topics include:
• Expanded Syntax for Keyword Searches (p. 54)
• Starting a Search (p. 55)
• Examples (p. 55)
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Expanded Syntax for Keyword Searches
EKM Desktop allows you to utilize an expanded syntax for words, that is compliant with the Apache Lucerne
Query Parser Syntax. The following types of searches are allowed. See http://lucene.apache.org/java/docs/query-
parsersyntax.html for more information.
• Wildcard (*)
• Fuzzy (?)
• Proximity (~)
• Boolean Operators “+”, “OR”, and “-” (where “+” is the AND operator and “-” is the NOT operator)
Wildcard Searches
You can use wildcard characters ? and * to perform single and multiple character searches, respectively.
EKM Desktop will search for matching words with the wildcard characters replaced.
Use the “? “ symbol to introduce a single character wildcard. For example
part?
will return objects whose name or file contents contains the words: part1 , Part2 .
Use the “* “ symbol to introduce a multiple character wildcard. For example,
air*
will return objects whose name or file content contains the words: Airfoil , airfoil-1 . You can place
the wildcard characters anywhere in the word.
Fuzzy Searches
You can use the fuzzy search character ~ (tilde) at the end of a single word term to find words that are sim-
ilar in spelling. For example,
model~
will return objects whose name or file contents contains the words: model, models, modem.
Proximity Searches
You can conduct a proximity search to find words that are a specified number of words away from the given
search phrase. Place a “~” (tilde) at the end of a search phrase followed by the proximity defined as number.
For example, the following will return files that contain the words “ekm” and “repository” within 10 words
of each other.
"ekm repository"~10
Boolean Operator Searches
The Boolean operators "+" for AND, “OR” for OR, and "-" for NOT are supported in keyword searches.
Note
Boolean operator OR must be ALL CAPS.
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Searching the Repository
The “+” operator will match words where both phrases exist.
Starting a Search
To initiate a keyword search you can either enter your search word (or word with syntax) in the text box
under Keyword Search, or choose a previously-entered search from the drop-down list using . Then
click (or hit Enter on your keyboard) to begin searching the repository.
The Search Results will be displayed in the main frame as a list of named links. Additional columns are
displayed in the results table that include In Folder (the repository folder location), Size, Type, and Date
Modified.
When you double-click on one of the search result items or select the object and choose Open from the
right-click, File pull-down menu, or Open button, the object will open. If the object you have selected is a
folder, the contents of the folder will be displayed in the main frame. If the object you have selected is a
file, then it will open in either the ANSYS application or the Operating System (OS) application that is asso-
ciated with it in a separate window. For example, .cas files will open in the FLUENT application and .pdffiles will open with the Adobe PDF viewer. If no association exists, the OS will prompt you to select the type
of application to use.
The search results will be displayed with a search toolbar that includes buttons for stopping the search,
clearing the search results, editing the query, and saving the search results as shown in Figure : Search Results
Toolbar (p. 63). See Search Results Options (p. 63) for details.
Examples
In the following example, a keyword search was initiated using the keyword el* . The Search Results are
returned in the main frame as links to the objects.
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Examples
Figure: Keyword Search Example
Advanced Searches
EKM Desktop allows you to conduct an advanced search of all meta-data (properties) associated with objects
stored in the repository.
Object properties include system properties (such as name and type), extracted properties that contain ex-
tracted data from supported CAE simulation files (e.g., ANSYS Mechanical APDL, CFX, FLUENT, POLYFLOW,
Workbench), and user-specified properties that you can define using the Edit Properties dialog box. Queries
can be saved for later execution or refinement, if desired.
You can access the Advanced Search dialog box by clicking the button in the search toolbar
to the right of the to the Content Location address field.
Advanced Search Topics include:
• Overview (p. 57)
• General Procedure (p. 58)
• Examples (p. 60)
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Searching the Repository
Overview
Advanced searching enables you to perform a complex narrowed-down search by specifying the path, type
of object, property, condition, and value to search on. Object types include built-in types (such as Remote
Folder, Image, File, ANSYS Database, CFX Result, etc.) and an Any Type option that allows you to search
for all objects irrespective of their type. You are not limited by the number of criteria you can define for a
query.
Property search options depend on the object type that is selected. That is, when you choose an Object
Type, the list of properties associated with the object type are listed in the Property drop-down list. For
example, a File object type will display a different set of Property options than an ANSYS Database type.
In addition to system, extracted, and user-specified properties, two special properties are also available for
advanced searches: Any Reference and Any String .
• Any Reference allows you to search for an object that contains any reference to the given object.
• Any String allows you to search for an object that has any property with the specified value.
Property search criteria include Condition and Value which both depend on the property that is selected.
For example, when you select the Any Type or Any Reference , the only Condition that is available is
contains . Alternatively, the condition choices for the Type property are: equal to , not equal to ,
matches . The values that you can enter (or choose) for a given property are either String, Boolean, Date,
Integer, Real number, or Reference values.
String properties include equal to, not equal to, matches . The value for matches can be used
to match a pattern using the % character as a wild card. For example, you can use this to search for all objects
whose name matches the pattern %foil% . This will return objects that have names such as: Airfoil, airfoil-
1, etc.
Note
The matches condition is case-sensitive.
Boolean property includes equal to . The value is shown as a check box. If you want to search those objects
where the value of the boolean property is “true” then select the check box. Otherwise, leave it unselected.
Date, Integer, Real Number properties include: equal to, not equal to, less than, lessthan or equal to, greater than, greater than or equal to .
Note
The maximum Integer value you can enter is 263
–1. The maximum Real Number value you can
enter is (2–2–52
)*21023
.
Reference properties include equal to, not equal to . You will need to provide the full path of the
reference as the value. For example, if you want to search for all Workbench Simulation files whose
Design Modeler File property points to a particular file, then give the full path of the file (e.g., /Re-pository/model.agdb ) as the value.
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Overview
Note
Irrespective of the property type, if the property has multiple values then the available options
are: contains and doesn't contain . For example, you can use the contains condition
to search for all Workbench Simulation files whose Analysis Types property contains a
particular analysis type such as Static Structural .
Warning
The Date Content Modified property is the date when file content was last modified in
its remote location (on your local machine, drive, or connected file server where the actual file
resides). Note that this is the same property that is referred to as “Date Modified” in the main
frame table. When the file is first added to the repository, the Date Content Modified is
the date that it was last updated. Once in the repository, it will reflect the date the file was last
modified in its remote location only when it is synchronized.
General Procedure
To initiate an advanced search,
1. Click the Advanced button in the search toolbar to open the Advanced Search dialog box.
Figure: Advanced Search Dialog Box
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Searching the Repository
2. Enter the full path of the object to search under Search in, or click the Browse... button to select a
path from the Folders tree. Note that the search will be conducted for all objects under the given path.
The default path is /Repository .
3. Select the type of object to be searched for from the Object type drop-down list. You can also choose
the Any Type option from the list to search for all objects irrespective of their type.
4. Select the desired Property from the drop-down list and click the Add button. (This list is dynamically
generated based on the object type selected.) When you click Add, the dialog will expand and display
additional input options for the property. You can use the Add button to select multiple properties
to search on. By choosing the Any Reference option for Property, you can search for an item that
contains any reference to the given object . For example, if you choose Any Type from the Object
type drop-down list and Any Reference from the Property drop-down list and then set the Value
of the property to /Repository/my-folder/my-file , you can search for all objects that refer
to the object /Repository/my-folder/my-file .
5. By choosing the Any String option for Property, you can search for an item whose string property
value is the same as the given value. For example, if you choose Any Type from the Object type
drop-down list and then choose Any String from the Property drop-down list and set the Value
of the property to my-tag , you can search for all objects that have a string property with the value
my-tag .
6. Define the Condition criteria by selecting the desired option in the Condition drop-down list and
entering the Value in the box provided. (See Figure : Advanced Search — Example (p. 60) ) Click Delete
to remove the corresponding property from the search criterion. Note that you can also search for a
reference property by entering the full path of the reference as the Value.
7. Choose the Select condition option as Match all of the above or Match any of the above.
8. Click OK. All repository objects that meet the search criteria will be displayed as links under Search
Results.
Note
You can stop the search at any time by clicking the button in the search results
toolbar.
9.Save the query by clicking the button in the search results toolbar to open the Save As
dialog box. The advanced search query will be saved as a Saved Query type in the location and by
the name you supply.
Note
You can also save the query using the File > Save As... menu.
10. Once the query is saved, you can execute it at a later time by simply double-clicking the Saved Query
object. You can also refine the query by clicking the button in the search results toolbar.
This will open the Input dialog box where you can edit the saved query and re-save it, if desired.
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General Procedure
Note
You can also edit the query using the Edit > Saved Query... menu.
11.Click the button to clear the search results. This will return you to the folder that you were
in when you opened the Advanced Search dialog box.
Examples
The following example searches on FLUENT case files with the following criteria: last time the file was
modified between December 1, 2007 and February 10, 2009; Spalart Allmaras viscous model, segregated
solver.
Figure: Advanced Search — Example
In the Advanced Search dialog box,
1. Under Search in, enter the path to the folder you want to search in or keep the default (/Repository ),
or click the Browse... button to select a different path from the folder tree.
2. Choose Fluent Case from the Object Type drop-down list.
3. Add the following property search criteria under Property:
a. Select Viscous Model from the Property drop-down list and click the Add button. Select
equal to from the Condition drop-down list and Spalart Allmaras for the Value.
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Searching the Repository
b. Select Solver from the Property drop-down list and click Add. Select equal to from the
Condition drop-down list and Segregated for the Value.
c. Select Date Content Modified from the Property drop-down list and click Add. Select lessthan from the Condition drop-down list.
Click to open the Select Date and Time dialog box.
Use the navigation arrows to select Feb 10, 2009 as the date from the calendar. The single arrow
buttons increment the calendar by a month (backwards and forwards) and the double-arrow
button advances a year with a single click. Keep the current time. Click OK to close the calendar.
The time and date is added to the Advanced Search dialog box.
d. Select Date Content Modified from the Property drop-down list and click Add. Select
greater than from the Condition drop-down list.
Click to open the Select Date and Time dialog box and select Jan 1, 2007 as the date
from the calendar. Keep the default time. Click OK to close the calendar.
4. Choose Match all of the above search condition.
5. Click OK to execute the query. Links to all repository objects that meet the search criteria will be dis-
played under Search Results.
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Examples
6. Save the query by clicking the Save As button, if desired. When you click OK, the Query Saved message
box will confirm it.
7.Click the button to clear the Search Resultsand return you to the location in the repository
where you initiated the search.
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Searching the Repository
Search Results Options
Once you have executed a search, the links to objects that satisfy the query will be displayed under Search
Results and a toolbar will become available in the user interface.
Figure: Search Results Toolbar
You can use this toolbar to stop the search, edit the query, save the query, and clear search results. You can
also re-execute a saved query once it is saved. These topics are described below.
• Stopping a Search (p. 63)
• Saving a Query (p. 63)
• Editing a Query (p. 63)
• Clearing Search Results (p. 64)
• Executing a Saved Query (p. 64)
Stopping a Search
Once a search has been initiated, you can click on the
button to immediately terminate the search.
Saving a Query
You can save the current query to the built-in Saved Searches folder under /Repository by clicking the
button from the Search Results toolbar. This will open the Save As dialog box. See Save
As (p. 25) for details. The query will be saved as a Saved Query object type. Once saved, the query can be
edited, deleted, and re-executed.
Editing a Query
You can click the button in the Search Results toolbar to edit the current query. For advanced
search queries, this will open the Advanced Search dialog box. For keyword search queries, this will open
the Input dialog box which allows you to edit the search word used for the current query.
To edit a query,
1. Make changes to the keyword or advanced search criteria
2. Select Save changes to the query if you want to overwrite the existing saved query or save a new
query if it hasn't already been saved.
3. Click OK. If the query hasn't been saved, you will be prompted to save the query using the Save As
dialog box.
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Editing a Query
Note
Once a query is saved, you can also edit it by selecting the Saved Query object and
choosing the Edit Query option from the right-click context menu.
Clearing Search Results
Once a search has been initiated, the results will be displayed as links under Search Results. You can click
the button to clear the search results. You will be taken back to the location in the repository
where you initiated the search from.
Executing a Saved Query
You can execute a previously-saved query of repository files by simply double-clicking on the Saved Query
type in the Saved Searches folder. You can also select the saved query and then either choose Execute
Query from the right-click context menu or choose Execute Saved Query from the global File menu. The
query will immediately be re-executed and the Search Results displayed.
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Searching the Repository
Generating Reports
EKM Desktop provides you with tools to create on-demand reports in PDF, Excel Spreadsheet, and XML
formats that you can save to your local machine, drive, or connected file server. You can create a Simulation
Details Report that extracts key data such as model information and simulation settings from supported CAE
simulation files. You can also create a Comparison Report that compares properties or property differences
between two or more objects. You can choose to save your reports to a default location specified in your
Preferences, or to another folder you specify.
Note
If you want to subsequently utilize the reports you generate (to create additional reports, archive,
search, etc.) in EKM Desktop, you will need to add the report files to the Repository using the
Add Contents dialog box.
Report Generation Topics include:
• Simulation Details Reports (p. 65)
• Comparison Reports (p. 76)
Simulation Details Reports
You can use the Report Wizard to generate Simulation Details Reports. These reports can be generated
in PDF, Excel Spreadsheet (.xls ), and XML formats and contain parameters that are extracted from supported
CAE simulation file types. These include ANSYS Mechanical APDL results and database files, CFX results and
definition files, FLUENT case, POLYFLOW data, and Workbench project and simulation files. Images that are
associated with models are also extracted and included in PDF and Excel reports. The CAE file types that
you can generate Simulation Details reports for are listed in Table 1: Supported Object Types (p. 7).
Note
Objects with .dsdb and .mechdb file extensions are derived from Workbench Mechanical ap-
plications. Note that these objects are assigned the “Workbench Simulation” data type in EKM
Desktop.
You can open the Report Wizard to create a Simulation Details Report for a CAE simulation file in two ways:
from the Getting Started wizard or the Report menu.
1. Open the Report Wizard.
a. Select Getting Started from the View menu to open the Getting Started dialog.
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i. Choose Generate summary and comparison reports... and click OK to open the Report
Wizard.
ii. In the Report Wizard, choose Simulation Details Report and click Next>>. Skip to Step 3.
b. Open the Report Wizard from the cascading Report menu:
i. Select an object and choose Report > Simulation Details Report... either from the right-
click context menu or the File pull-down menu. The Report Wizard will open.
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Generating Reports
Note
The Simulation Details Report menu item will be grayed out if you are trying to
select the report option for a file that is not supported.
2. If you opened the Report Wizard from the Report menu (Step 1b), then the full path to the current
object will be pre-filled in the Simulation file location field (e.g., /Repository/CFX-V12/FluidFlow.def ). If you opened the wizard from the Getting Started dialog box (Step 1a), then this field
will be empty. Keep the current object or choose a different one by entering the full path or clicking
the Browse... button. The Select Object for Report dialog box will open where you can select a file
from the folder tree.
3. Enter the Report name or keep the default. This name will appear on the top of the Simulation Details
Report you generate.
Note
The name of the file you are generating the report for is not included in the Simulation
Details Report. If this is important, then make sure that the report name includes it.
Warning
Invalid characters in the Report name will result in an error.
4. Choose the Report format from the drop-down list as PDF, Excel Spreadsheet, or XML.
5. Click Next >> to advance the wizard to the next screen.
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Simulation Details Reports
6. The full path to the folder on your local machine, drive, or connected file server that you have designated
for saved reports using the Edit Preferences dialog box will be pre-filled in Save report to: (e.g.,
C:/Reports ). Keep this folder or choose another by either entering it in the text field or clicking the
Browse... button. The Save to... dialog box will open where you can choose a different folder.
7. Click OK to create the report and save it in the folder you specified. The Generating Report dialog
box will open and report on the progress.
Note
This process may take some time to complete for certain CAE file types, especially if the file
is large. An ANSYS Batch Run process may be running in the background.
8. Once completed, the report will open in the OS-associated application for the report format selected
if you chose this option in the wizard setup. The report will include the name you chose followed by
the simulation details that were extracted from the CAE simulation file.
Note
Remember that if you want to subsequently utilize the report you generate (to create addi-
tional reports, archive, search, etc.) in EKM Desktop, you will need to add the report file to
the Repository using the Add Contents dialog box.
Examples
Below are some Simulation Details Report examples have been generated for supported CAE file formats.
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Generating Reports
Example 1 — PDF, Excel, and XML Reports for a Sample CFX Definition File
The following figures show PDF, Excel Spreadsheet, and XML reports generated for a sample CFX Definition
file.
Figure: Sample CFX Definition File — PDF Report
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Example 1 — PDF, Excel, and XML Reports for a Sample CFX Definition File
Figure: Sample CFX Definition File — Excel Spreadsheet Report
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Generating Reports
Figure: Sample CFX Definition File — XML Report
Example 2— Workbench Simulation File Simulation Details Report
Figure : Sample DSDB File Simulation Details Report — With Image Extracted (p. 72) shows a PDF report generated
for a sample Workbench Simulation (.dsdb ) file with images extracted. The file has been modified in order
to display the image.
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Example 2— Workbench Simulation File Simulation Details Report
Figure: Sample DSDB File Simulation Details Report — With Image Extracted
Example 3 — Sample Workbench Project File
Figure : Workbench Project File — PDF Report (p. 73) displays a Simulation Details Report (in PDF format) for
a sample Workbench Project file.
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Generating Reports
Figure: Workbench Project File — PDF Report
Example 4 — Sample ANSYS Results File
The following figures show a Simulation Details Report in PDF format for a sample ANSYS Results file with
images extracted.
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Example 4 — Sample ANSYS Results File
Figure: ANSYS Results File PDF Report (Page 1 of 3)
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Generating Reports
Figure: ANSYS Results File PDF Report (Page 2 of 3)
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Example 4 — Sample ANSYS Results File
Figure: ANSYS Results File PDF Report (Page 3 of 3)
Comparison Reports
You can use the Report Wizard to generate Comparison Reports that compare any two or more objects
in the repository of any type. A comparison report can compare all of the properties between two or more
objects, or it can be shown just the differences between properties for objects that are of the same type.
Reports can be generated in PDF, Excel, and XML formats, and can be either opened, saved to a folder you
specify and opened, or saved only.
Showing only differences is very useful when you want to compare simulations that are similar to each
other — that is, objects that are of the same type. By creating such a report, you can easily find out how
the common properties differ between simulations. Examples (p. 80) are provided.
You can open the Report Wizard to create a Comparison Report in two ways: from the Getting Started
wizard or the Report menu.
1. Open the Report Wizard.
a. Select Getting Started from the View menu to open the Getting Started dialog.
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Generating Reports
i. Choose Generate summary and comparison reports... and click OK to open the Report
Wizard.
ii. In the Report Wizard, choose Comparison Reportand click Next>>.
b. Select a single object or multiple objects and choose Report > Comparison Report... either from
the right-click context menu or the File pull-down menu. The Report Wizard will open.
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Comparison Reports
2. If you opened the Report Wizard following Step 2, then selected object(s) will be pre-filled under
Items for comparison. If you opened the wizard from the Getting Started dialog box, then this field
will be empty. Add items to the comparison list by clicking the Add Item... button. The Select Object
for Report dialog box will open where you can select a file from the folder tree and click OK. The added
item will display under the Items for comparison list. You can also remove items by selecting them
in the list and clicking the Remove Item button.
3. Choose the type of information the report will contain from the Report contains drop-down list.
• Use All Properties to show one-for-one comparison of all object properties.
• Use Property Differences to show only differences in object properties.
Warning
The Comparison Report may contain some properties that are not used in EKM Desktop
(are not familiar to you) and should be ignored. These include: Check-in Policy,Checked out by, Lifecycle Stage, Is Perishable, Created By, Ex-piry Date, Status Flags .
4. Enter the Report name or keep the default. This name will appear on the top of the Simulation Details
Report you generate.
5. Choose the Report format from the drop-down list as PDF, Excel Spreadsheet, or XML.
6. (Optional) Enter a Description in the text box provided. This will appear as a header on the top of the
report.
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Generating Reports
Note
The description you add is NOT a Description property.
7. Click Next >> to advance the wizard to the next screen.
8. The full path to the folder on your local machine, drive, or connected file server that you have designated
for saved reports using the Edit Preferences dialog box will be pre-filled in Save report to: (e.g.,
C:/Reports ). Keep this folder or choose another by either entering it in the text field or clicking the
Browse... button. The Save to... dialog box will open where you can choose a different folder.
Warning
If you choose to save your report using the same name as an existing report in the folder,
the file will be automatically overwritten without notice.
9. Click OK to create the report and save it in the folder you specified. The Generating Report dialog
box will open and report on the progress.
Note
This process may take some time if the files are large. Also, for certain CAE file types, an
ANSYS Batch Run process may run in the background.
10. Once completed, the report will open in the OS-associated application for the report format selected
in the wizard setup. The report will include the name you chose and the Description you (optionally)
entered.
Note
Remember that if you want to subsequently utilize the report you generate (to create addi-
tional reports, archive, search, etc.) in EKM Desktop, you will need to add the report file to
the Repository using the Add Contents dialog box.
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Comparison Reports
Examples
The following PDF, Excel Spreadsheet, and XML reports were generated for the example comparison shown
above. “All properties” are compared between the two files.
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Generating Reports
Figure: Comparison Report Example — PDF
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Examples
Figure: Comparison Report Example — Excel Spreadsheet
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Generating Reports
Figure: Comparison Report Example — XML
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Examples
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Backup and Recovery
The EKM Desktop Data Folder is a folder on your local file system that contains the files and database used
by EKM Desktop. When EKM Desktop is run for the first time, it prompts you for the location of the EKM
data folder. Once this location is chosen, the path to the folder is stored in a file named ekm.properties .
This file is located in your Application Data folder for ANSYS products.
Example:
C:\Documents and Settings\mmoales\Application Data\Ansys\v120
You can change the location of the EKM data folder by deleting the ekm.properties file. This will cause
EKM Desktop to prompt you to enter the EKM data folder location again, the next time the application is
launched. If you select a different location than what was first entered, then the original contents of your
EKM repository will not be viewable. If instead, you select the same location that you first entered, the ori-
ginal contents of the EKM repository will be restored.
You should backup your EKM Desktop Data Folder on a regular basis. Follow the instructions below to
backup and restore.
• Backing Up the EKM Desktop Data Folder (p. 85)
• Restoring the EKM Desktop Data Folder (p. 87)
Backing Up the EKM Desktop Data Folder
Follow the steps outlined below to backup the EKM Desktop Data folder.
1. Make sure that EKM Desktop is not currently running.
2. Open a Windows Explorer window and navigate to the parent folder of the EKM Desktop Data Folder.
For example, if your EKM Desktop Data Folder is:
C:\users\mmoales\data\ekm-data
then you would navigate to:
C:\users\mmoales\data
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3. Send the EKM Desktop Data Folder to a compressed folder.
4. Copy the compressed folder to a safe location.
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Backup and Recovery
Restoring the EKM Desktop Data Folder
Once you have backed up the EKM Desktop Data Folder you can restore it at a later time by simply uncom-
pressing the folder. Follow the steps outlined below.
1. Copy the compressed folder created during the backup into the original parent folder of the EKM
Desktop Data Folder.
For example, if the EKM Desktop Data Folder is:
C:\users\mmoales\data\ekm-data
then copy the compressed folder to:
C:\users\mmoales\data
2. 2. Uncompress the folder.
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Restoring the EKM Desktop Data Folder
3. This will launch the Windows Extraction Wizard. Click Next >.
4. Verify that the path in “Files will be extracted to this directory” is the path to the original EKM Desktop
Data Folder. Click Next >. This will begin the extraction of the contents of the compressed folder.
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Backup and Recovery
5. The following warning may be displayed if the folder and any contents exist. Click Yes to All.
6. When the extraction is complete, uncheck the Show extracted files box and click Finish.
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Restoring the EKM Desktop Data Folder
7. The restoration is complete. You can now launch EKM Desktop from Workbench and use the data from
your restored EKM Desktop Data Folder.
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Backup and Recovery
Limitations
This chapter contains the following limitations of the EKM Desktop Release 12.0 product.
• ANSYS Workbench Installed as a Network Install (p. 91)
ANSYS Workbench Installed as a Network Install
When ANSYS Workbench is installed as a network install, EKM Desktop will NOT be safe to use as it is not
designed for use in a shared environment. Using EKM Desktop from a network install will produce unpredict-
able results.
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Appendix A. Accessing a Remote EKM Server From ANSYS
Workbench
In addition to providing access to a local repository in EKM Desktop, Workbench also allows you to access
a remote repository hosted on an EKM server using the File Transfer Client. Similar to EKM Desktop, you can
launch the ANSYS Engineering Knowledge Manager (EKM) File Transfer Client (FTC) from the File menu in
Workbench. (Figure : Launch EKM File Transfer Client from Workbench (p. 94))
File > Launch EKM File Transfer Client...
Launch EKM File Transfer Client... will be selectable from the File menu only when you have logged into
a remote EKM server and installed the ANSYS EKM File Transfer Client from there. Otherwise, the menu item
will be grayed out.
Warning
To run EKM File Transfer Client, you must have a Java Runtime Environment (Version 6 or greater)
installed. You can download this install from:
http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp
This install requires administrator privileges on your machine. Contact your IT department if you
do not have administrator privileges.
When you select Launch EKM File Transfer Client from the File menu, the FTC will open as a standalone
application in a separate window. You can use the FTC to transfer files from your local machine, drive, or
connected file server to a centralized repository where other users in your workgroup or enterprise have
access to. Being able to access a centralized remote repository enables you to share files with other users
to facilitate collaboration and increase productivity.
Note
You can close the Workbench application at any time once EKM File Transfer Client has launched.
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Figure: Launch EKM File Transfer Client from Workbench
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Appendix A. Accessing a Remote EKM Server From ANSYS Workbench
Appendix B. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The following are responses to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about EKM Desktop.
1. What is ANSYS EKM?
ANSYS Engineering Knowledge Manager (EKM) is a web-based multi-user collaborative product that
is aimed at meeting the simulation data and process management challenges faced by our customers.
EKM is tightly integrated with other ANSYS simulation offerings and it can also be very easily integrated
with legacy and competitor simulation software.
2. What is ANSYS EKM Desktop?
ANSYS EKM Desktop is a single-user, local environment version of EKM. It is available as part of ANSYS
Release 12.0 (R12) and can be accessed via Workbench. EKM Desktop is focused at meeting the challenge
of “re-using existing simulations” and thereby increasing simulation productivity and efficiency.
3. How do I install EKM Desktop?
EKM Desktop is available as a part of the ANSYS R12 install and gets installed in the folder that you
have selected to install ANSYS products.
Example: C:\Program Files\ANSYS Inc\v120
4. How can I access EKM Desktop?
EKM Desktop can be accessed from the File menu of Workbench. You can search and retrieve prior
simulation files based on the automatically extracted simulation properties.
5. Where are the properties/attributes extracted from simulation files stored?
EKM Desktop automatically extracts and maintains properties and attributes from ANSYS simulation
files. These simulation properties and attributes are stored in a user-defined location. When EKM
Desktop is accessed for the first time, you can set the location where EKM data are stored.
6. When I upgrade my ANSYS install, what will happen to the already extracted properties?
Whenever you install a new ANSYS release on your machine, it has NO effect on the properties that
you have extracted so far. Since these properties are stored at an independent location of your choice,
you can still point to this location after reinstallation of your ANSYS product, and EKM Desktop should
work seamlessly.
7. Once I have installed EKM desktop, what can I do?
EKM Desktop offers an easy-to-use and intuitive user interface. A Getting Started wizard displays actions
that you can perform when EKM Desktop is started. These include:
• Add Content
• Search Simulation Files
• Create Simulation Details and Comparison Reports
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You can point to folders located on your local machine, drive, or connected file server and “Add Content”
from these folder locations to the EKM Desktop repository so that properties and attributes are auto-
matically extracted from the source files. Any time the source files are updated on the local disk, drive,
or server, you can “Synchronize” the content so that updated properties are available in EKM Desktop.
The files that are being indexed by EKM Desktop can be retrieved using keyword and advanced search
features. The search criteria can be saved, edited and re-used later.
EKM Desktop allows you to create “Simulation Details” and “Comparison” reports which help to translate
the “simulation intent” into a user-friendly report that can be saved in standard formats like PDF, EXCEL
etc. Simulation files can be compared by creating a Comparison Report. Such reports can help you
identify the best simulation that meets your current needs from multiple candidates.
The searched and retrieved simulation files can also be opened in associated applications directly from
within EKM Desktop (e.g., *.cas files will open in ANSYS FLUENT). You can also open the folder that
contains the searched files on the local machine, drive, or connected file server.
8. When I select a folder from my local environment and “Add Content” to EKM Desktop, what happens
exactly?
When you select a folder containing other subfolders and files, and add this content to EKM Desktop,
the selected folder is recursively read by EKM Desktop. Properties from ANSYS Simulation files are
automatically extracted and stored at the EKM data location you specified at initial startup.
Note
Your simulation and other files stay where they are locally on your machine, drive, or on
the connected file server. The files and folders identified by “Add Content” are never moved
away from their original location. EKM Desktop just keeps track of these files for you.
9. After Adding Content in EKM Desktop, if I edit/save my ANSYS simulation files in an associated ap-
plication (like Workbench) on the local disk, then what happens?
EKM Desktop tracks these updated files and allows you to “Synchronize” properties that are stored in
the EKM Desktop repository. When files are “synched-up”, EKM Desktop updates these properties
automatically and you can use the updated properties to search/retrieve the files later on.
10. Can searches be re-used?
Yes. You can save the search queries that you create in EKM Desktop. You can also edit them to
modify search criteria and re-save them. A saved search can be executed by simply double-clicking
on it or by using the “Execute” action.
11. Once I find the simulation files using Advanced Search in EKM Desktop, how can I access them?
Once you have found the files that you are looking for by executing a search in EKM Desktop, you can
directly open the file in the associated application from within EKM Desktop. For example, you can
open an ANSYS *.db file directly in ANSYS Mechanical APDL product.
You can also select the “Open Containing Folder” action that opens Windows Explorer and provides
direct access to the searched file on your local disk, drive, or connected file server.
12. What is a “Simulation Details Report”?
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Appendix B. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Simulation/CAE files are complex and huge, and contain a wealth of simulation-centric information
that is not easily accessible. The Simulation Details Report option in EKM Desktop allows you to extract
this information and build a report in common formats like PDF, EXCEL, etc. These report files can then
be shared with other interested parties instead of sharing the simulation files.
13. What is a “Comparison Report”?
In many situations, you may be interested in comparing multiple simulation files and finding the one
that best suits your needs. EKM Desktop allows you to do exactly that by creating comparison reports.
You can use EKM Desktop to create a Comparison Report from any number of simulation files. This
can help you identify differences between simulations.
14. Can I save and re-use Simulation Details and Comparison Reports?
Yes. EKM Desktop allows you to create and save Simulation Details and Comparison Reports locally.
You can also set a preferred location on your computer where these reports will be saved. You can
then refer to and re-use these reports once they are created.
15. How can I acquire a license for EKM Desktop?
EKM Desktop is available in ANSYS R12 and it is a separately-licensed product. However, as a special
promotion, the product can be used FREE of charge for six months for evaluation purposes if you have
a valid ANSYS product solver site license. The evaluation begins from the time EKM Desktop is accessed
for the first time from Workbench. At the end of the free trial period, you can contact an ANSYS sales
representative to purchase a license for ANSYS EKM Desktop.
16. Which simulation products/files are supported in EKM Desktop for property/attribute extraction,
search and report creation?
Most major simulation products and files from ANSYS R12 release are supported in EKM Desktop for
attribute extraction, search and report creation. They include ANSYS CFX, ANSYS FLUENT, ANSYS
POLYFLOW, ANSYS Mechanical APDL and ANSYS Workbench files. Refer to Table 1: Supported Object
Types (p. 7) for a complete list of supported simulation files.
17. From within Workbench in ANSYS R12, can I connect with my separately purchased ANSYS EKM
Workgroup or Enterprise version server for CAE collaboration?
Yes. You can leverage the extensive simulation process and data management capabilities provided
by ANSYS EKM product directly from Workbench.
If your organization has purchased a standard ANSYS EKM product (Workgroup or Enterprise version)
and installed the EKM server, then Workbench in ANSYS R12 provides the option of connecting with
the standard EKM database and enabling CAE/Simulation collaboration.
The File menu from Workbench allows you to launch the EKM File Transfer Client where you can
transfer files from your local project to the central EKM server database. It also enables other users to
access, search and retrieve files and fosters simulation collaboration.
18. What should I do to utilize other capabilities such as process management, publishing and executing
customized applications on a web portal, and remote job queuing and batch submission?
You can use ANSYS EKM, Workgroup or Enterprise versions, to access the above-mentioned and addi-
tional capabilities offered by EKM. For details, refer to the ANSYS EKM product page on www.ansys.com.
19. If I have questions about ANSYS EKM Desktop and related products, who do I contact?
97Release 12.0 - © 2009 SAS IP, Inc. All rights reserved. - Contains proprietary and confidential information
of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.
Appendix B. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
You can contact ANSYS support team for your questions about EKM Desktop and ANSYS EKM. If you
have product-specific suggestions/questions, you can also contact us using the following E-mail address:.
Release 12.0 - © 2009 SAS IP, Inc. All rights reserved. - Contains proprietary and confidential informationof ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.98
Appendix B. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)