Commercial solver integration, Windows® HPC Server 2008 support moves parallel post-processing into the mainstream

RUTHERFORD, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — September 21, 2009 — Faster parallel performance, improved data handling, enhanced workflow and productivity capabilities, along with support for Windows® HPC Server 2008, highlight the release of FieldView 12.2, the latest version of Intelligent Light’s industry-leading CFD post-processing software.

Architected to exploit multi-core and multi-processor computers operating as a single system or in high-performance computing clusters, FieldView 12.2 allows Windows and Linux users to use the parallel features of the standard FieldView application. When running in parallel, FieldView 12.2 processes runs twice as fast on four processor cores, and up to five times faster on eight processor cores.

“FieldView 12.2 makes the speed and performance of parallel processing widely accessible, for large HPC users and multi-core workstation users alike,” said Matthew Godo, Ph.D., FieldView product manager. “High-performance computing continues to evolve rapidly, but the resources available to individual users vary significantly. A much broader audience can now experience FieldView’s renowned ease of use and powerful presentation and visualization capabilities, and capture the benefits of embedding their best practices in customized, automated workflows. Customers at every level of computing can realize tremendous gains in productivity and efficiency with FieldView 12.2.”

Intelligent Light worked closely with its commercial solver partners, including ANSYS and CD-adapco, to simplify, test, and verify the accurate, easy export of FieldView Parallel-ready multi-grid models to speed accurate, robust analyses. This collaborative effort, a hallmark of Intelligent Light’s operating approach, required a shared investment of resources and a strong commitment to user success by its partner companies.

The result, FieldView 12.2, is a high-performance tool for concurrent and parallel processing in large distributed, grid, and cluster computing environments. In the computing-intensive aerospace industry, for instance, customers at the U.S.’s largest aerospace companies are moving forward with the FieldView 12.2 parallel toolkit to interface with their in-house solvers.

“FieldView is very fast and powerful, even for our largest post-processing problems,” said David F. Robinson, Ph.D., president of Corvid Technologies, an HPC computational analysis and engineering firm based in Mooresville, North Carolina, with clients in the defense and automotive industries. “Yet it’s also self-explanatory; we can give a client a brief introduction and they can explore their data effectively. Even an occasional user can return to FieldView and use it well. You can’t do that with any other tool.”

“We are seeing a huge productivity speedup from using FieldView Parallel 12.2,” Robinson continued. “Testing a typical 60M element file, going from our traditional single grid file to multi-grid and using 16 processors, we've cut the file read time from 5 minutes, 10 seconds to just 40 seconds – nearly eight times faster. Reading in large data can be incredibly time-consuming, and our large files sometimes exceed 200M elements. FieldView Parallel provides the solution at the very time we’re recognizing this growing problem.”

For customers who have created customized and/or automated FieldView FVX utilities, the new version allows those utilities to be shared enterprise-wide through the FieldView GUI, further leveraging their CFD investment. New SCRIPT commands, a utilities menu, and additional functions are included in the 12.2 release.

Godo points out that some of the enhancements in FieldView 12.2 aren’t simply discrete new functions. “Any mesh that contains arbitrary polyhedrals can be problematic. Poor interpolation can lead to holes in the mesh, streamlines that stub out, and other quality issues that aren’t usually revealed until post-processing,” he said. “After studying the best approaches of the solver companies, Intelligent Light invested significant time and research into improving arbitrary polyhedral interpolation. As a result, we have created a solver-independent, unified solution to this problem class. That’s part of our commitment to proactive, high-level research that not only improves our products, but also advances the field of CFD simulation in general.”

Well-known for its advanced visualization and superior presentation capabilities, FieldView 12.2 incorporates several graphics improvements. FieldView helps users present CFD simulation results in compelling ways, share key data, and communicate information to both domain experts and decision-makers without domain expertise.

“CFD simulations present large and complex problems,” Godo said, “and the resulting data can be just as overwhelming. The process for understanding the data, analyzing it for new insights, and presenting it effectively has to be managed and efficient. FieldView’s robust, reliable tools and our best-in-class visualization and presentation capabilities help users eliminate the bottlenecks, make better decisions in less time, and maximize their investment in CFD.”

About Intelligent Light

Intelligent Light, located in Rutherford, New Jersey, was founded in 1984 with a mission to provide the scientific and engineering community with the best possible tools for understanding data and communicating results. The company provides CFD post-processing and large data visualization capability, under the industry-leading FieldView™ brand and through its Applied Research Group, to thousands of HPC users in the aerospace, automotive and general manufacturing industries. Intelligent Light’s unique development team is composed of CFD leaders, computer scientists, and visualization experts focused on listening to clients and delivering products that meet their needs. Visit www.ilight.com for more information.