SonoAnalyzer version 2 has been in active use since 2020, and over five years it grew steadily — new element types, new sonotrode geometries, better solver integration. It's been a native desktop app throughout that time, with built-in OpenGL graphics and a connection to remote CalculiX servers for the FEA work. Version 3 is the first major architectural change: the whole workbench moves to the browser.
Here's what's coming.
No install. Nothing to download, nothing to update. Sign in and the workbench is there.
3D graphics in the browser. The interactive 3D viewer — geometry, mesh, mode shapes, deformation — is now WebGL2-based and runs directly in the browser. If you used the OpenGL viewer in v2, it's the same kind of experience: rotate, inspect, compare modes. No plugin required.
Custom shapes. The geometry library includes a growing set of sonotrode forms — stepped, profiled, ring, and more. If you need something not yet in the library, you can request an addition or commission a private shape built to your specification.
Automated tuning and optimisation. Define a Figure of Merit combining frequency, stepup, uniformity, and purity, and let the solver work towards it. Nelder-Mead runs in the cloud; you submit the job and collect the result.
Anisotropic material properties. PZT elements will support full anisotropic stiffness and piezoelectric tensors, useful when modelling the transducer stack rather than just the sonotrode.
More server resources. V3 servers are better provisioned than v2 for larger models and finer meshes.
Documentation and examples. Built-in documentation covers the full workflow, and a set of worked examples gives you a starting point for common sonotrode types and design problems.
Presentation output. Results can be exported as a standalone HTML file — interactive 3D viewer included — suitable for sharing with a client or colleague who doesn't have an account.
Version 2 remains available in the meantime. If you're not already using it, you can download it at powerultrasonics.com. When v3 launches, your account will carry over.
To be notified when v3 is available, or to ask about early access, contact me.