CAE and simulation
Troubleshoot a simulation
Locate the failing stage, preserve diagnostics, and test a focused correction.
Bring the exact error, solver log, study setup, and the last completed stage. Ask Adam to inspect the failure before changing the physics or rerunning an expensive job.
Identify the failing stage
| Symptom | First checks |
|---|---|
| Application cannot connect | Connector, installed version, native session, and license |
| Mesh fails | Geometry defects, thin or sliver regions, sizing, and element suitability |
| Rigid-body motion or singular system | Supports, disconnected bodies, contact, and missing material assignments |
| Nonlinear solve does not converge | Contact changes, load increments, deformation, material behavior, and diagnostics |
| CFD diverges or has poor balance | Boundary conditions, mesh quality, physical model, initialization, and time step |
| Result is implausible | Units, load magnitude, region selection, material data, and output convention |
| Result appears unchanged after an edit | Source revision, remeshing, boundary mapping, and result freshness |
These are starting points for diagnosis. The log and model determine which explanation is relevant.
Request a focused diagnosis
Inspect this failed run without overwriting it. Identify the first meaningful error, the last completed step, and the affected region or entity if available. Rank likely causes using the setup and log evidence. Propose the smallest diagnostic change and explain what result would support or rule out the hypothesis.
Preserve the original files and logs. Changing several settings at once can make it difficult to tell which correction mattered.
Retry deliberately
Apply the agreed correction in a new run directory, preserving the original case. Keep the other physical inputs fixed. Record the change, run within [budget], and compare termination, diagnostics, and [quantity of interest] with the previous attempt. If it fails again, retain the new logs and report what we learned.
Do not loosen quality or convergence criteria solely to obtain a success message. Explain what a changed criterion means for the result.
Recover from interruptions
A lost connection or timeout does not establish that the native operation stopped. Ask Adam to inspect the application's current state and retained outputs before repeating an edit or solve. Native cancellation support varies; verify the solver actually stopped before starting another job.
For setup failures, see Native CAE connections. For interpreting a completed run, see Results and comparison. If you need support, include the task URL, application and version, time, and non-secret diagnostics.