The ability to perform shape modification is an important requirement for desiging fluid dynamic devices. After performing a CFD analysis, engineers must determine either intuitively or via an automatic optimization process shape changes that will result in improved performance. This could include minimizing pressure loss, drag, or other performance metrics.

Two of the most challenging aspects of shape morphing is first how to control the shape from the analysis environment, and second how to save the final design back in the native CAD package. While shape morphing using the mesh or other surrogate representations offers greater upfront flexibility, the design process is disconnected from the native CAD representation and it can be very expensive to reverse engineer the final shape back to CAD.

CADNexus CAE Gateway enables a very simple approach for driving the native CAD shape in a simulation driven design process with no reverse engineering to return the final design back to CAD. The engineer must invest some upfront effort to incorporate splines to build the features in the CAD model that must be morphed. These could be features created with sketches or completely arbitrary 3D splines. In the LAV nose optimization example, the nose cone was built with splines so that its shape could be optimized in an automated design loop. The shape modification process retains all of the original details and maintains the integrity of the original model. Some the main benefits of this approach include eliminating all rework, process automation by maintain associativity with native CAD, and seamlessly sharing designing modifications with other engineering disciplines that work on the same CAD model.