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Hyfeast Tutorial Series

This section is a step-by-step tutorial set for new Hyfeast users.

This page now also serves as the old Tutorial 00 - Overview landing page.

The tutorials follow two tracks.

  • Modeling and analysis basics: 01 to 03
  • hfVisualizer remote control and automation: 04 to 08

If you are new to the tools, start here and then follow them in order.

Goal

This tutorial series is designed to introduce the full Hyfeast workflow.

After reading this page, you should be able to answer:

  • where the model is defined
  • how the analysis is executed
  • where the results are reviewed
  • when remote control becomes useful

Overall workflow

The standard Hyfeast flow is:

  1. Define the model
  2. write the .inp file directly, or
  3. create nodes, elements, materials, sections, and steps in the GUI
  4. Run the analysis
  5. use hfAnalyzer or run-analysis in hfVisualizer
  6. Review the results
  7. inspect step, frame, contour, vector, and history in hfVisualizer
  8. Automate repeated work
  9. use remote control and scripts when the same review sequence must be repeated

What this series covers

  • When to use Beam, Shell, and Solid elements
  • How to build a simple cantilever model
  • The basic hfAnalyzer run workflow
  • How to inspect results in hfVisualizer
  • How to automate selection, display, postprocessing, and scripts with remote control

Which element family should you use

Beam

  • good when the member is slender
  • good when section properties can be defined separately
  • good for quick global-behavior checks

Shell

  • good for thin plates and walls
  • good when membrane and plate behavior must be reviewed together

Solid

  • good when you want more direct stress distribution
  • good when you want to keep the 3D geometry without section assumptions

When Remote Control Helps

Remote control is especially useful when:

  • you want to compare the same model in multiple windows
  • you want to reproduce the same review scene every time
  • you want to save a review procedure as a script
  • you want to generate images or scenes repeatedly in batch mode

Tutorial list

  1. Tutorial 01 - Beam Cantilever
  2. Uses a minimal beam cantilever to teach the basic modeling and analysis flow.
  3. Tutorial 02 - Solid Cantilever
  4. Solves the same problem with solid elements and compares it with the beam model.
  5. Tutorial 03 - Beam vs Solid
  6. Summarizes the criteria for choosing between beam and solid models.
  7. Tutorial 04 - hfVisualizer Basics
  8. Explains the basic hfVisualizer remote-control workflow and the view model.
  9. Tutorial 05 - Selection and Visibility
  10. Shows how to use selection and visibility safely and predictably.
  11. Tutorial 06 - Postprocessing with Remote Control
  12. Walks through step, frame, scalar, vector, and contour control over remote control.
  13. Tutorial 07 - Scripts and Automation
  14. Explains automation with script, script-save, and target set.
  15. Tutorial 08 - Portal Frame
  16. A full beam-frame example that covers modeling, analysis, and review.

Suggested reading path

  • To learn modeling itself: this page -> 01 -> 02 -> 03
  • To learn remote-control automation: this page -> 04 -> 05 -> 06 -> 07
  • To see a practical review workflow: continue through 08
  • hfAnalyzer
  • hfVisualizer
  • sample files under Example/Tutorials
  • a command-line shell such as PowerShell or CMD