NX Simcenter STAR-CCM+ Installation Process for NX 'Wrap Mesh' and 'Plug Leakage' commands using the STAR-CCM+ License Server

The NX 1953 release introduced two new commands, 'Wrap Mesh ' and 'Plug Leakage ', to the NX Polygon Modeling functionality.

These commands require a licensed installation of Simcenter STAR-CCM+.

Selecting these commands without an installation of Simcenter STAR-CCM+ will result in the following message:

"Cannot find Simcenter STAR-CCM+. Install this application or set the environment variable STARCCM+_EXECUTABLE_PATH to the bin directory of your Simcenter STAR_CCM+ installation before calling Wrap Mesh."

Solution

Scope

The installation process for Simcenter STAR-CCM+ (2020.3.1), to support the use of the 'Wrap Mesh' and 'Plug Leakage' commands, is outlined below.

Note: These instructions are to support the NX 'Wrap Mesh' and 'Plug Leakage' commands only.

This is not a guide to installing Simcenter STAR-CCM+ with the NX CAD Client integration.

The following versions of Simcenter STAR-CCM+ can be used with NX 1953 and/or 1980 Series:

Simcenter STAR-CCM+ 2019.3.1

Simcenter STAR-CCM+ 2020.1.1

Simcenter STAR-CCM+ 2020.2.1

Simcenter STAR-CCM+ 2020.3.1

Simcenter STAR-CCM+ 2021.1.1

Simcenter STAR-CCM+ 2021.2

Prerequisites

• NX 1953 (or later) installed and licensed with:

         NX13110 / NX93110 - NX MACH 3 Additive Design with Convergent

         Alternative NX product licenses configurations are:

         NX30710 – NX Advanced Convergent Modeling Add-on

         or

         NXS30110 - NX Additive Design with Convergent Sticky Add-on

         (Note: These two Add-on products require a prerequisite NX MACH bundle.)

• A Simcenter STAR-CCM+ license (License _Cdlmd.txt ) containing 10 'DOEtoken' licenses (per NX Additive/Convergent Design product license). 

         Extract from a STAR-CCM+ license:

        Note: The STAR-CCM+ license uses the MAC address of the license server as the 'host id' (as shown on

        the SERVER line above), whereas NX uses a Composite ID, both of these host ids can be obtained by

        running the 'getcid.exe' within the Siemens License Server installation.

(If the NX installation is currently using the new Siemens License Server, please refer to the knowledge article ‘Simcenter STAR-CCM+ Installation Process for NX 'Wrap Mesh' and 'Plug Leakage' commands, using the Siemens License Server (SLS v2.1)’)

Download Simcenter STAR-CCM+

Download Simcenter STAR-CCM+ from the Support Center:

(Note: The 'r8' download is the double precision version of Simcenter STAR-CCM+.

This is not required for the NX 'Wrap Mesh' and 'Plug Leakage' commands.)

Download the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ License Server

Download Simcenter STAR-CCM+ Flexlm Server from the Support Center:

Install the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ License Server

The process of installing the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ license server is outline below.

(For further information, please refer to the section entitled 'Setting up a License Server Using LMTOOLS (Windows) ' in the 'Simcenter STAR-CCM+ 2020.3.1 Installation Guide '.

1.       Create folder for the license server installation, for example:

          C:\CCMLICENSE             (This location is referred to as [LICENSEROOT])

2.       Unpack the License Server zip file (flex1114.win.7z ) into the license server installation folder

          (created in Step 1), such that the 'FLEXlm ' folder is directly below the 'CCMLICENSE ' folder,

 

3.       Create an empty Text Document named 'license.log ' in [LICENSEROOT]. This will be the License 

           Server Log file,

 

4.       Copy the STAR-CCM+ license file 'License_Cdlmd.txt ' into [LICENSEROOT]

 

5.       Using a Windows File Explorer, navigate to the '[LICENSEROOT]\FLEXlm\win64\11_14_0_2\bin ' folder,

 

6.       Select 'lmtools.exe ' with the righthand mouse button and select 'Run as administrator ',

 

7.       Select the 'Config Services ' tab,

 

8.       In the 'Service Name ' field, enter a name for the STAR CCM+ License Server Service, for example

          'STARCCM License Manager ',

 

9.       Define the 'Path to the lmgrd.exe file ' by selecting 'Browse ' and navigating to

          '[LICENSEROOT]\FLEXlm\win64\11_14_0_2\bin\lmgrd.exe ',

 

10.     Define the 'Path to the license file ' by selecting 'Browse ' and navigating to

           '[LICENSEROOT]\License_Cdlmd.txt ',

 

11.     Define the 'Path to the debug log file ' by selecting 'Browse ' and navigating to

           '[LICENSEROOT]\license.log ',

 

12.     Select the 'Use Services ' and 'Start Server at Power Up ' options,

 

13.     Select 'Save Service ' to create the new service,

14.       Select the 'Start/Stop/Reread ' tab in LMTOOLS and the select 'Start Server ',

15.       Exit LMTOOLS

Define the Environment Variable for the STAR-CCM+ License Server

On each NX client workstation, set the Windows System Environment Variable 'CDLMD_LICENSE_FILE ' to the Port and Hostname of the license server.

Use the following format '1999@<license_server_hostname>', for example:

The following Solution Center knowledge article may also be helpful:

How to Utilize lmtools to Setup and Manage Your License Server on Windows

Install Simcenter STAR-CCM+ (Windows)

The process outlined below uses the 'Custom (Advanced) ' installation method, to install just the core Simcenter STAR-CCM+ application required to use the NX 'Wrap Mesh' and 'Plug Leakage' commands. The 'Simcenter STAR-CCM+ CAD Client for NX ' is not required and should NOT be installed. (Installing the CAD Client for NX will result in error messages when NX is started, as additional configuration and licenses are required to launch the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ NX CAD Client.)

Administrator privileges are required for the installation of Simcenter STAR-CCM+ on Windows.

1.       Extract the STAR-CCM+ download (STAR-CCM+_CadClients15.06.008_01_win64.zip ),

 

2.       Navigate to the 'starccm+_CadClients15.06.008 ' folder within the unpacked data,

 

3.       Select the 'STAR-CCM+_CadClients15.06.008_01_win64_intel18.3vc14.bat ' file with the righthand

          mouse button and select 'Run as administrator ',

 

4.       When the installer is displayed, select 'Next ' on the 'License Notice ',

 

5.       Select the 'Custom (Advanced) ' Installation Method (do not use the 'Express ' option), 

 

6.       Select 'Next ' on the 'Product Excellence Program ' dialog,

 

7.       The default installation location is 'C:\Program Files\Siemens ', select 'Choose…' to define a different

           installation location if required, 'Next ',

 

8.       On the 'Choose Simcenter STAR-CCM+ components ' dialog, deselect all options except

          'Simcenter STAR-CCM+' and 'Java JDK' . The core Simcenter STAR-CCM+ software is required, but not

          the additional components, the 'Simcenter STAR-CCM+ CAD Client for NX ' should NOT be installed,

          'Next ':

9.       On the 'Select Additional Tasks ' dialog, choose the options:

           -  Update Windows firewall to allow Simcenter STAR-CCM+ to run

           -  Create a desktop icon

10.        Review the 'Pre-Install Summary ' and select 'Install ',

 

11.       Select 'Done ' when the install is complete.

12.      Set the environment variable STARCCM+_EXECUTABLE_PATH to the location of the '…\star\bin'

           folder within the STAR-CCM+ installation folder:

        To set the environment variable use the Windows Control Panel – System and Security – System –

        Advanced system settings – Advanced (tab) – Environment Variables – System variables – New...

 

Verify that NX can start Simcenter STAR-CCM+

Use the following steps to verify that the NX Wrap Mesh command can start a background session of Simcenter STAR-CCM+ and create a Mesh body:

1.       Start NX, open a new part file and create a simple 3D model,

2.       On the Polygon Modeling ribbon bar, select the Wrap Mesh command and select the body of the

           model, OK .

3.       After a few seconds, the command will complete, the Part Navigator will show that a 'Convergent 

          Body' has been created. This indicates that Simcenter STAR-CCM+ has been successfully installed and 

          licensed.

If the message 'Failed to wrap mesh. ' is displayed:

Check that the Windows Service 'STARCCM License Manager ' is running and/or check the [LICENSEROOT]\license.log file for license related issues.

Further Troubleshooting

When NX is started, if an error is displayed indicating that the 'config.xml ' file could not be loaded, this is an indication that the 'Simcenter STAR-CCM+ CAD Client for NX' has been installed, but not correctly configured. The CAD Client for NX is not required to run the 'Wrap Mesh' and 'Plug Leakage' commands.

Please contact Siemens Technical Support, via the Support Center, for further assistance.

Notes

Please refer to the Simcenter STARCCM+ Version 2020.3.1 Installation Guide (InstallationGuide-15.06.008.pdf), for further installation information.

Notes