FEAServer - setup.exe new version

I've uploaded a new build of the FEAServer package (CalculiX, FreeCAD and NetGen free software in a convenient standalone package), replacing FEAServer-setup.exe from June 2020. The new version FEAServer2.01-setup.exe contains the same software but with updated documentation and an improved RunOnce.exe program.

The Windows versions of FreeCAD and NetGen were compiled using Microsoft Visual C++ and have dependencies on two different versions of the Microsoft Redistributable package - FreeCAD uses the 2013 edition and NetGen the 2015. These libraries are also installed by a wide variety of other software and (in the case of 2015) even included in some versions of Windows 10, so in most cases there is no need to reinstall them. But if you do have a system on which these libraries aren't already installed, eg. a brand new PC, the included software will not run without them, whether standalone or through SonoAnalyzer.

In the case of FreeCAD and the 2013 edition the installer was included but instructions on how to install it were buried in the README.txt file. The installer for the 2015 edition required by NetGen was not even in the package. I apologise for this oversight on my part.

In the new package (version 2.01), both installers are included (in the Utilities directory) and will be installed automatically by the "RunOnce" program on completion of the install. In addition this program now creates Windows batch files in the Utilities directory to manage paths (for the different Python versions) and other environment variables so that FreeCAD and NetGen can be conveniently run as standalone programs. There is also a "startx" batch file to start the Cygwin X11 (graphics) server used by cgx (the CalculiX pre and post-processor) and a cgx batch file to run cgx itself.

If you have already downloaded an earlier version, either FEAServer-setup.exe or FEAServer.zip you can download only the new content in the much smaller package FEAServer2.01Utils-setup.exe. When running the installer please choose the same directory where you previously installed the full package.

The two new packages can be obtained from the links on the Downloads page.

Further information for those wishing to run CalculiX, FreeCAD or NetGen standalone:

After install, to run FreeCAD or NetGen, simply double-click on the batch file in the Utilities directory. An interactive graphics window should open with the usual menu options (File -> Open etc.). For further information please see the individual program websites.

However cgx cannot be run interactively by simply double-clicking on the batch file. Cgx requires command line inputs giving it a file to open, so to use it you would open a command prompt and type something like:

cd location\of\calculix\files
C:\FEAServer\Utilities\cgx filename.frd

to view the results saved in filename.frd, or

cd location\of\calculix\files
C:\FEAServer\Utilities\cgx -b filename.fbd

to build the model according to instructions in filename.fbd.

If you get the error message "GLUT: Fatal Error in cgx: could not open display: :0.0", that most likely indicates that the X11 server isn't running (use startx).