Home
Startup Procedures and Customizations
Start and configure the applications.
Customization
There are various types of startup customizations that are possible. These items define how the application looks or behaves at product startup.
Environment Variables
Environment variables can be defined to configure various aspects of the application.
HW_SETTINGS_DIR
Sets the location to read/write the hwsettings.xml file.

Welcome
What's New
View new features for Altair HyperWorks 2024.
Get Started
Learn the basics and discover the workspace.
Tutorials
Learn more about the Altair HyperWorks suite of products with interactive tutorials.
Startup Procedures and Customizations
Start and configure the applications.
- Start Applications
  Learn how to start applications on Windows and Linux.
- Start HyperMesh Batch
  HyperMesh Batch is a non-graphical version of HyperMesh that can be used to run command files or Tcl scripts in batch mode.
- Start-in Directory
  The start-in directory is the location from which the application is launched.
- Settings Files
  Settings files include command<#>.tcl and hwsettings.xml.
- Customization
  There are various types of startup customizations that are possible. These items define how the application looks or behaves at product startup.
  - hmcustom.tcl
    HyperMesh allows you to create a script file named hmcustom.tcl that can be used to automatically execute a series of commands or to define custom settings during startup.
  - Environment Variables
    Environment variables can be defined to configure various aspects of the application.
    - ALTAIR_CACHE_HOME
      Sets path to a cache location for speedier invoke launch times for a server to client setup.
    - ALTAIR_PAM_HDF5_REQUEST_TYPE
      Defines PAM-CRASH ERF-format behavior in HyperGraph.
    - DYNA_REQUEST_TYPE
      Defines how LS-DYNA ASCII and binout requests are presented in HyperGraph.
    - HG_DEFAULT_RESULT_TYPE
      Sets the default file type displayed in the file browser.
    - HM_COMMANDFILE_DIR
      Sets the location to read/write the command file.
    - HM_COMMANDFILE_MODE
      Sets the mode to write the command file.
    - HM_FRAMERATE
      Displays the graphics rotation frame rate in the command window.
    - HM_OGL_STUB
      Forces HyperMesh batch to use stubbed-out graphics libraries on Linux.
    - HV_ASSEM_DUPLICATE_PARTS
      Allows a component to be part of more than one assembly.
    - HW_SETTINGS_DIR
      Sets the location to read/write the hwsettings.xml file.
    - HM_TIMING
      Creates a file that contains HyperMesh startup timing information.
    - HW_CONFIG_PATH
      Specifies the path to search for certain configuration files.
    - HWDISPLAY_BUILD
      Controls the display of the application's build number on the application title bar.
    - SPLM_LICENSE_SERVER
      Specifies the UG license server to use for versions 9.0 and later.
    - TCL_INCLUDE
      Specifies additional paths for searching for Tcl scripts.
    - TEMP
      Specifies the location to create temporary files.
    - TMP
      Specifies the location to create temporary files.
    - TMPDIR
      Specifies the location to create temporary files.
    - UGII_BASE_DIR
      Specifies the path to the UG installation directory for importing UG files.
    - UGII_ROOT_DIR
      Specifies the path to the UG installation bin/UGII directory for importing UG files.
    - UGS_LICENSE_BUNDLE
      Specifies the UG license bundle to use for importing UG files.
    - UGS_LICENSE_SERVER
      Specifies the UG license server to use for versions 8.5 and earlier.
    - XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS
      Controls the new visuals created by the Composite extension on Linux platforms.
  - Extensions
    Extensions are programs integrated with the application to enhance or extend the user experience.
  - hm.cfg
    HyperMesh has a configuration file named hm.cfg, which is read on startup and is located in the <install_directory>/hw/bin/<platform> directory.
  - Preference Files
    A preference file is an ASCII file that configures the application or its clients. It specifies default user settings, such as the order in which colors are assigned, the default printer and default page layout.
  - Session Files
    A session file is an ASCII text file that contains a structured list of session statements.
  - Report Templates
    Report templates are ASCII text files that contain statements for creating reports.
Tool Finder
View a list of deprecated panels and their newer, equivalent workflows.
Manage Files and Data
Create, open, import, and save models.
Sessions and Report Templates
Set up sessions and create report templates.
Interface with External Products
Solver interfaces supported in HyperMesh.
Entities and Solver Interfaces
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.
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
Results data can be post-processed using both HyperMesh and HyperView.
Developer
The Developer ribbon contains tools for automation and customization.
Plot Data
HyperGraph is a data analysis and plotting tool with interfaces to many file formats.
Multibody Modeling
MotionView is a general pre-processor for Multibody Dynamics.
Media Files
MediaView plays video files, displays static images, tracks objects, and measures distances.
Tabulate Results
Use TableView to create an Excel-like spreadsheet.
Text Files
TextView math scripts reference vector data from HyperGraph windows to automate data processing and data summary.
Publishing and Reporting
Create, define, and export reports.
Collaboration Tools
Explore, organize and manage your personal data, collaborate in teams, and connect to other data sources, such as corporate PLM systems to access CAD data or publish simulation data.

HW_SETTINGS_DIR

Sets the location to read/write the hwsettings.xml file.

Syntax

HW_SETTINGS_DIR directory

Type

Framework Environment Variable

Description

Sets the location to read/write the hwsettings.xml file.

directory: The path to the directory where the file should be written to and read from. A value of ./ (dot slash) indicates that the start-in directory should be used.

Examples

To set the directory to always use the start-in directory: HW_SETTINGS_DIR ./.

To set the directory to E:/mydir: HW_SETTINGS_DIR E:/mydir.

Errors

None.