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Design Explorer
Multi-disciplinary design exploration and optimization tools.
Input Design Variables
An input design variable is a system parameter that influences the system performance in the chosen output response. Typical design variables may be a part's thickness, shape, or material property. Ranges, with lower and upper bounds, are specified and the variable's value will vary within the exploration. The terms input, input design variable, and design variable are used interchangeably.
DOE, Optimization, and Sampling Fit Input Design Variables
The following input design variables are only available for DOE, Optimization, and Sampling Fit explorations.
Create Gauge Inputs
Use the Gauge tool to create design variables based on the thickness of selected properties.

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View new features for Altair HyperWorks 2025.1.
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Interface with External Products
Solver interfaces supported in HyperMesh.
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A solver interface is made up of a template and a FE-input reader.
Browsers
Browsers provide a structured view of model data, which you can use to review, modify, create, and manage the contents of a model. In addition to visualization, browsers offer features like search, filtering, and sorting, which enhance your ability to navigate and interact with the model data.
Sketching
Create and edit 2D parametric sketch geometry.
Topology
Create, edit, and cleanup geometry.
FE Geometry
FE geometry is topology on top of mesh, meaning CAD and mesh exist as a single entity. The purpose of FE geometry is to add vertices, edges, surfaces, and solids on FE models which have no CAD geometry.
Meshing and Elements
Explore the different types of mesh you can create in HyperMesh and create and edit 0D, 1D, 2D, and 3D elements.
Model Build and Assembly
Create, organize and manage parts and subsystems.
Composites
HyperMesh composites modeling.
Connectors
Create connections between parts of your model.
Morph
Rapidly change the shape of the FE mesh without severely sacrificing the mesh quality.
Skeleton Modeling
Create a reduced ordered model to facilitate optimization at the concept phase.
Design Space
Workflow to support topology optimization model build and setup.
Optimization
Setup an Optimization in HyperMesh.
Design Explorer
Multi-disciplinary design exploration and optimization tools.
- Open the Design Explorer Browser
  The Design Explorer Browser displays a hierarchical view of your design setup and can be used to enable and disable exploration parameters.
- Explorations
  An exploration is a multi-run simulation. Each exploration includes input design variables, and output responses. Explorations may also include goals, consisting of one or more objectives and constraints.
- Input Design Variables
  An input design variable is a system parameter that influences the system performance in the chosen output response. Typical design variables may be a part's thickness, shape, or material property. Ranges, with lower and upper bounds, are specified and the variable's value will vary within the exploration. The terms input, input design variable, and design variable are used interchangeably.
  - DOE, Optimization, and Sampling Fit Input Design Variables
    The following input design variables are only available for DOE, Optimization, and Sampling Fit explorations.
    - Create Gauge Inputs
      Use the Gauge tool to create design variables based on the thickness of selected properties.
    - Create Size Inputs
      Use the Size tool to create size design variables based on the attributes of selected entities.
    - Create Shape Inputs
      Use the Shape tool to create shape design variables based on selected shapes.
    - Create Material Inputs
      Use the Materials tool to create design variables based on material options for selected properties.
    - Create Connector Inputs
      Use the Connectors tool to create design variables based on selected connectors.
    - Create Element Property Inputs
      Use the Properties tool to create design variables based on varying the property assignment for components or elements.
    - Create Parameter Inputs
      Use the Parameters tool to create size design variables by converting existing parameters.
    - Create Configuration Inputs
      Use the Configuration tool to create design variables by selecting two or more subsystem configurations.
    - Replicate Inputs
      Use the Replicate tool to replicate features, such as beads, holes, and dimples, and to generate and replicate doublers or bulkheads.
    - Edit and Preview Design Variables
      Edit design variable properties and preview thickness and shape type inputs.
  - Generative Design Input Design Variables
    The following input design variables are only available for Generative Design explorations.
  - Link/Unlink Design Variables
    Design variables can be linked to one another to ensure that their values remain connected throughout the exploration. This is useful in cases of symmetry or when it is known, for example, that two parts will have the same thickness. In addition, reducing the number of independent variables will reduce the number of runs required for the exploration.
- Output Responses
  An output response is a measurement of system performances, such as mass, volume, displacement, stress, strain, or reaction forces.
- Objectives
  Objectives are metrics to be minimized or maximized in an optimization exploration. Minimizing mass to find a lightweight design is a common example.
- Constraints
  Constraints need to be satisfied for an optimization to be acceptable. Constraints may also be associated with a DOE. While not used in the evaluation of the DOE, constraints can be useful while visualizing DOE results. Limits on displacement or stress are common examples.
- Review and Edit Design Parameters
  Review the explorations, inputs, responses, and goals in your design setup.
- Evaluate
  Use the Evaluate tools to run the exploration and review reports.
Validate
Validate the model built before running solver analysis.
Analyze
Models require loads and boundary conditions in order to represent the various physics and/or physical equivalents to bench and in-use testing.
Axisymmetry
Reduce a full 3D model with axisymmetric surfaces while accounting for imperfections.
Concept Modeling
Tools and workflows that are dedicated to rapidly creating new parts for specific use cases, or amending existing parts. The current capabilities are focused on stiffening parts.
Crash and Safety
Tools used for crash and safety analysis.
Airbag
Use airbag folder utilities and export a resulting airbag in a Radioss deck.
Aerospace
Essential utility tools developed using HyperMesh-Tcl.
Aeroelasticity
Import an aeroelastic finite element model with Nastran Bulk Data format.
Certification
Framework to plug certification methods to assess margin of safety from the model and result information.
PhysicsAI
Use PhysicsAI to build fast predictive models from CAE data. PhysicsAI can be trained on data with any physics or remeshing and without design variables.
Results Data in HyperMesh and HyperView
Results data can be post-processed using both HyperMesh and HyperView.
Developer
The Developer ribbon contains tools for automation and customization.
Plot Data in HyperMesh and HyperGraph
Plot data can be post-processed using both HyperMesh and HyperGraph.
Multibody Modeling in MotionView
MotionView is a general pre-processor for Multibody Dynamics.
Media Files in MediaView
MediaView plays video files, displays static images, tracks objects, and measures distances.
Tabulate Results in TableView
Use TableView to create an Excel-like spreadsheet.
Text Files in TextView
TextView math scripts reference vector data from HyperGraph windows to automate data processing and data summary.
Publishing and Reporting
Create, define, and export reports.

Create Gauge Inputs

Use the Gauge tool to create design variables based on the thickness of selected properties.

Note: For Generative Design explorations, gauge inputs are intended for non-design space entities.

From the Design Explorer ribbon, click the Gauge tool.

Figure 1.
Select properties.
Gauge input values can be entered in one of the following ways:
- As a continuous range of values, where the lower and upper bounds are specified as a percentage plus or minus its nominal value.
- As a continuous range of values, where the lower and upper bounds are specified specifically.
- As a list of discrete values.
In the microdialog,
1. Select how you would like to define the input values, then either specify the lower and upper bounds or specify a list of valid discrete values.
2. Click Create.