From the early betas and version 1 in 2011-2012 to version 2 in 2020, the story of SonoAnalyzer over fifteen years has been one of gradual slow growth — 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. Now AI has changed the pace of software development and version 3 brings 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. Coming from the OpenGL viewer in version 2 it's the same kind of experience: rotate, inspect, compare modes. But software and hardware improvements now offer better resolution, smoother animation, a more responsive UI. All built into the standard modern browsers - no plugin required.
Custom shapes. The geometry library includes a growing set of sonotrode forms. The first ones will be familiar to version 2 users — stepped, conical, profiled, cylindrical, blocks and rings. More will be added soon, with the new architecture completely separating the shape development from the rest of the application. If you need something not yet in the library you can request an addition or commission a private shape built to your specification.
Simplified stacking. Mix basic shapes (cylinders, cones, blocks etc.), custom shapes and STEP files to create a stack of half-wavelength sections. Stacking happens automatically but other alignment options are also available on demand. This is the natural development of version 2's "Multi-element STEP" models — now powering all analyses in version 3.
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 for more accurate modelling of Langevin transducer stacks.
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 offline viewing or sharing with a client or colleague who doesn't have an account.
Version 2 remains available for now. Existing license holders will be taken care of. When version 3 launches, your SonoAnalyzer.com account will remain the main point of access.
To be notified when v3 is available, or to ask about early access, contact me (login required).