AIM Overview
An Analysis Interface Module (AIM) plug in is associated with the Computational Aircraft Prototype Syntheses (CAPS) portion of Engineering Sketch Pad (ESP).
The type of geometric fidelity expected by the plug-in is specified at dynamic load registration (which is be something like: Outer Mode Line, Mid-Surface Aero, Built-up Element Model, Structural Solid Model, etc.). Any inputs (not associated with the BRep) need to be specified at registration. The following functions are a part of any
- Attribute/Input Checking: this AIM function is invoked before any mesh/input file generation to ensure that all of the required data can be found.
- Meshing: the input BRep and/or tessellation are used to either perform the meshing directly (if possible or the mesh system has an API) or to provide input to a grid generator. Note that the mesh vertices that sit on geometry (as described in the input BRep) need to be associated back to the geometry. This is important for generating parametric sensitivities and performing conservative data fitting. Most stand-alone grid generation systems maintain this data internally but do not make it available as output. Any attempt to re-associate this data by inverse evaluations is slow and not robust.
- Analysis Input File(s) Generation: the input values and attributes found on the geometry are used to construct and output the input file(s) required to run the analysis.
- Output file parsing: this is required to get performance data, displacements, pressures or other information required to be used as input to another analysis module or to inform the optimizer of the objective functional value(s).
- Conservative Data Transfer Functions: in order to perform the interdisciplinary coupling in a conservative manner, functions that compute interpolation within a surface element, integration of quantities over an element (and their backward or dual variants) are needed.
Currently Available AIMs
A table of currently available AIMs, with links to their respective documentation, is outlined below.
| Surface/2D Meshing | Volume Meshing | Aerodynamics | Structures |
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