Resources Numerical accuracy
Calculations
Every calculation under our calculation policies: what it works out, its formula and the precision it runs at. Open one to see its code as it is in the released app.
Calculations
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Number formatter
Writes one number as macro text.
text = toPrecision(v, 15); |v| < 1e-14 → 0
Numbers written into the VBA macro export swmacro.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Millimeters to meters
Converts a length or a coordinate from millimeters to the meters the macro uses.
m = round(mm × 10⁶) ÷ 10⁹
Numbers written into the VBA macro export swmacro.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Degrees to radians
Converts an angle in degrees to the radians the macro uses.
rad = deg × π ÷ 180
Numbers written into the VBA macro export swmacro.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Unit-vector component
Writes a component of a sketch plane's normal or x direction.
u = round(v × 10¹²) ÷ 10¹²
Numbers written into the VBA macro export swmacro.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Sketch dimension value and text position
Works out the value of each sketch dimension in meters or radians and where its text sits.
length: value ÷ 1000; angle: value × π ÷ 180; arc radius = |start − center|
Numbers written into the VBA macro export swmacro.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Pick point on a face
Finds a point inside a face, used by the macro to select that face.
centroid of the largest triangle = (a + b + c) ÷ 3, moved onto the plane: p − ((p − o)·n) n
Numbers written into the VBA macro export swmacro.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Countersink depth and taper
The depth and half angle of the tapered cut that stands in for a countersink.
depth = (D − d) ÷ 2 ÷ tan(angle × π ÷ 360); taper = angle ÷ 2 × π ÷ 180
Numbers written into the VBA macro export swmacro.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Expected volume and box after each step
Writes the part's volume and bounding box after a feature, for the macro to compare with what it built.
volume in m³ = volume in mm³ × 10⁻⁹; box corners through the millimeter-to-meter conversion
Numbers written into the VBA macro export swmacro.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Body check tolerances in the macro
The comparison the macro makes between the body it built and the expected volume and box.
|v − vol| ≤ 10⁻⁴ × |vol| + 10⁻¹⁵; |box − expected| ≤ 10⁻⁵ m + 0.02 × diagonal
Numbers written into the VBA macro export swmacro.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Final volume comparison
Writes the finished part's volume into the macro and the test that reports whether the rebuilt part matches.
|v − vol| ≤ 10⁻⁴ × vol, v = reported volume × 10⁹ (mm³)
Numbers written into the VBA macro export swmacro.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Numbers in equations
Writes a parameter expression as equation text for the macro, including its numeric constants.
constant → formatNumber(value); pow(a, b) → (a) ^ (b); log(x) → log(x) ÷ log(10)
Numbers written into the VBA macro export swmacro.js64-bit- PartCraft
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64-point rule on the tetrahedron
Builds the integration points and weights used for mass and body loads.
x = u, y = v(1 − u), z = w(1 − u)(1 − v); weight = wₐ w_b w_c ÷ 8 × (1 − u)² (1 − v)
Quadratic tetrahedron element matrices tetfea.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Shape functions of the 10-node tetrahedron
The ten shape functions and their derivatives at a point of the element.
corner: N = L(2L − 1); midside: N = 4 LᵢLⱼ
Quadratic tetrahedron element matrices tetfea.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Jacobian and physical derivatives
The element's Jacobian determinant at a point and the shape-function derivatives in x, y and z.
J = Σ xₐ ∂Nₐ/∂ξ; det J by cofactors; ∂N/∂x = J⁻ᵀ ∂N/∂ξ
Quadratic tetrahedron element matrices tetfea.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Element stiffness
The 30 × 30 stiffness matrix of one element and its volume.
Kₑ = Σₚ wₚ det Jₚ E · Bᵀ D B; volume = Σₚ wₚ det Jₚ
Quadratic tetrahedron element matrices tetfea.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Element mass and shape-function integrals
The consistent mass matrix of one element and ∫N dV for each node, used for gravity.
Mₑ = Σₚ ρ wₚ det Jₚ NₐN_b; ∫Nₐ dV = Σₚ wₚ det Jₚ Nₐ
Quadratic tetrahedron element matrices tetfea.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Stress and strain at a Gauss point
The six strains and six stresses at one Gauss point from the element's displacements.
ε = B u; σ = E · D (ε − α ΔT [1 1 1 0 0 0])
Quadratic tetrahedron element matrices tetfea.js64-bit- PartCraft
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6-point rule on a triangle face
The points and weights used to integrate loads, areas and heat exchange over boundary faces.
Quadratic tetrahedron element matrices tetfea.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Shape functions of the 6-node face
The six shape functions of a boundary face and their derivatives.
corner: N = L(2L − 1); midside: N = 4 LᵢLⱼ
Quadratic tetrahedron element matrices tetfea.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Integration over a boundary face
The area-weighted normal and position at each rule point of a curved boundary face.
n dA = (∂x/∂L₁ × ∂x/∂L₂) × w ÷ 2
Quadratic tetrahedron element matrices tetfea.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Area element on a face for heat terms
The area weight at each rule point of a 6-node face, for heat exchange and heat loads.
dA = |∂x/∂L₁ × ∂x/∂L₂| × w ÷ 2
Quadratic tetrahedron element matrices tet-elements.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Element conductivity matrix
The 10 × 10 heat conduction matrix of one element.
Kₑ = Σₚ wₚ det Jₚ k ∇Nₐ·∇N_b
Quadratic tetrahedron element matrices tet-elements.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Element heat capacity
The heat capacity matrix of one element, or its lumped diagonal for transient runs.
M = Σₚ wₚ det Jₚ ρc NₐN_b; lumped: Mₐₐ × (ΣM ÷ Σ diagonal)
Quadratic tetrahedron element matrices tet-elements.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Element heat generation load
The nodal heat input of a uniform internal heat source.
fₐ = Σₚ wₚ det Jₚ Q Nₐ
Quadratic tetrahedron element matrices tet-elements.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Temperature gradient at the element center
The temperature gradient used for the heat flux of an element.
∇T = Σ ∇Nₐ Tₐ at L = (¼, ¼, ¼, ¼)
Quadratic tetrahedron element matrices tet-elements.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Element thermal load
The nodal forces that a temperature rise produces in one element.
f = Σₚ wₚ det Jₚ E α ΔTₚ (D₀₀ + D₀₁ + D₀₂) ∇N
Quadratic tetrahedron element matrices tet-elements.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Stresses at the four Gauss points
The stresses used to build the geometric stiffness of a buckling study.
σ = E · D (B u − α ΔT [1 1 1 0 0 0])
Quadratic tetrahedron element matrices tet-elements.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Element geometric stiffness
The stress stiffness of one element for linear buckling.
Gₐ_b = Σₚ wₚ det Jₚ ∇Nₐᵀ σₚ ∇N_b
Quadratic tetrahedron element matrices tet-elements.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Face areas and volume of the tetrahedral mesh
The area of every boundary face and the mesh volume handed to the heat and buckling routines.
area = Σ ∫Nₐ dA; volume = Σₑ Σₚ wₚ det Jₚ
Quadratic tetrahedron element matrices tet-elements.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Stiffness and mass assembly
Adds every element's stiffness (and mass) into the model's sparse matrices and totals the volume.
K = Σₑ Kₑ; volume = Σₑ volumeₑ
Tetrahedral stress, vibration and buckling solve tetfea.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Matrix times vector
Multiplies the symmetric stiffness, stored as its lower triangle, by a vector.
y = K x
Tetrahedral stress, vibration and buckling solve tetfea.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Constrained stiffness
Builds the stiffness with supports applied.
K̃ = P K P + α (I − P)
Tetrahedral stress, vibration and buckling solve tetfea.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Scale of the supported directions
The value α put on the diagonal for supported directions.
α = Σ Kᵢᵢ ÷ N
Tetrahedral stress, vibration and buckling solve tetfea.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Incomplete Cholesky preconditioner
Factors the constrained stiffness on its own sparsity pattern to speed up the iteration.
L Lᵀ ≈ K̃ on the pattern of K̃
Tetrahedral stress, vibration and buckling solve tetfea.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Conjugate-gradient solve for displacements
Solves the constrained system for the displacement of every node.
stop when ‖r‖ ÷ ‖P f‖ < tol
Tetrahedral stress, vibration and buckling solve tetfea.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Loads on faces and gravity
Turns forces, pressures and gravity into nodal loads and totals them.
force: t = total ÷ A; pressure: t = −p n; f = Σ N t dA; gravity: f = ρ g ∫N dV
Tetrahedral stress, vibration and buckling solve tetfea.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Support directions on faces
Finds which nodes of a supported face are held and the normal direction used for a sliding support.
held when distance to the exact face ≤ 0.002 × mean edge length
Tetrahedral stress, vibration and buckling solve tetfea.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Is the part held
Checks that the supports stop all six rigid-body motions.
free when an eigenvalue of Σ rᵀr is ≤ 10⁻⁹ × the largest, or ≤ 10⁻¹²
Tetrahedral stress, vibration and buckling solve tetfea.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Natural frequencies
The lowest natural frequencies and mode shapes of the supported part.
K̃ x = λ M x; f = √max(λ, 0) ÷ 2π
Tetrahedral stress, vibration and buckling solve tetfea.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Temperature rise for thermal stress
The temperature rise at every node over the stress-free temperature, and the load it adds.
ΔT = T − T_ref (20 when not given); f += thermal load
Tetrahedral stress, vibration and buckling solve tet-elements.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Buckling pre-stress and geometric stiffness
Solves the pre-stress and assembles the stress stiffness that the buckling eigen-solve uses.
K u = f (tol 10⁻¹⁰); G = −Σₑ Gₑ; each inner solve tol 10⁻⁸
Tetrahedral stress, vibration and buckling solve tet-elements.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Principal stresses
The largest, middle and smallest principal stress of a stress state.
s₁ = m + 2q cos φ, s₃ = m + 2q cos(φ + 2π ÷ 3), s₂ = 3m − s₁ − s₃; φ = acos(det ÷ 2q³) ÷ 3
Stress, displacement and error results on tetrahedra tetfea.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Equivalent strain
The von Mises equivalent strain from the six engineering strains.
ε_eq = √(⅔ (a² + b² + c² + (γ_xy² + γ_yz² + γ_zx²) ÷ 2)), a, b, c = normal strains − mean
Stress, displacement and error results on tetrahedra tetfea.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Gauss points to corners
The value at an element corner of the linear field that passes through the four Gauss-point values.
cᵢ = (gᵢ − 0.1381966… × Σg) ÷ (0.5854101… − 0.1381966…)
Stress, displacement and error results on tetrahedra tetfea.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Largest von Mises stress in an element
The unaveraged maximum von Mises stress of each element and the largest over the mesh.
max over the 4 Gauss points and the 4 extrapolated corners
Stress, displacement and error results on tetrahedra tetfea.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Nodal stress, strain and displacement, and their maxima
The values the plot colors by and the maxima the result reports.
σ at a node = mean over its elements; |u| = √(u_x² + u_y² + u_z²); maximum over the nodes
Stress, displacement and error results on tetrahedra tetfea.js32-bit in part- PartCraft
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Error indicator per element
How far the averaged stress field is from each element's own stresses, in the energy norm.
e_K² = ∫ (σ* − σₕ)ᵀ C⁻¹ (σ* − σₕ) dV; U = ∫ σₕᵀ C⁻¹ σₕ dV
Stress, displacement and error results on tetrahedra tetfea.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Support reactions
The total reaction force and the reaction of each support group.
r = K u − f at the supported nodes, kept along the supported directions; R = Σ r
Stress, displacement and error results on tetrahedra tetfea.js64-bit- PartCraft
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Reported maxima, safety factor and error percentage
The numbers the study result states: error percentage, maximum stress and displacement, principal stress range and minimum safety factor.
η = 100 √(Σe² ÷ (U + Σe²)); safety = yield ÷ maximum von Mises
Stress, displacement and error results on tetrahedra tetfea.js32-bit in part- PartCraft
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Error estimate of several fields
Combines the error indicators of mode shapes, or of a buckling pre-stress and its modes, into one estimate.
e_K² = Σ_f e_K,f² ÷ U_f; η = 100 √(Σe² ÷ (n + Σe²))
Stress, displacement and error results on tetrahedra tetfea.js64-bit- PartCraft
A calculation is added only after its source was read. Each statement can be checked in the code shown on its policy's page; the app repositories are public. When a release changes a calculation, its page says so until it has been read again.