Materials and Phases

Materials assign materials properties to each body and define nFX Phases.

Aside from material parameters, phases also define:

  • Body Types: Wall / Moving Wall / Fluid
  • Kinematic Groups: Each moving wall phase has its own motions assigned.
  • Output Groups: A phase_info file is written during the run containing integrated data for each phase.
Tip: Consider the motion groups and output groups required for your simulation, not just the physical properties.

Create Materials

There are multiple ways to create materials in SimLab:
  • From the Model Browser, click Property > Materials > Create.
    Figure 1.


  • From the Analysis ribbon, Material group, click the Material tool.
    Figure 2.


  • On a selected body, right-click and select Material > Create New Material from the context menu. The Create Material dialog opens and shows the material properties and phase settings.
    Note: Three different materials types are available under Model: Fluid, Moving Wall, and Wall. The properties displayed in the Create Material dialog are controlled by the physics selected in the SPH Solution. Activating Surface Tension, Adhesion, or Temperature will mean more properties are required in the Create Material dialog.