GPU acceleration is now out of beta

May 2022

We’d like to welcome you to the new nTop newsletter! Every month, we will share with you highlights from the latest software updates, as well as nTop news, engineering resources, and case studies that are relevant to your work.

New product updates

Enhancing simulation and topology optimization workflows

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A new feature that was just released in nTop 3.24 was the Mesh Quality block. This new beta block can compute mesh quality metrics relevant for simulation analysis including orthogonality, skewness, composite mesh quality, and intersecting triangles.

Other updates that you may have missed:

• Boundary Conditions on CAD Face (3.19) — This block allows you to define boundary conditions directly on an imported CAD face instead of a mesh to set up simulations and topology optimization more quickly and efficiently.
• Simulation and Topology Optimization HUD (3.21) — The new Heads Up Display (HUD) not only has a more immersive feel but also improved usability and features a new probe tool.

See all updates

GPU acceleration

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Released out of beta in nTop 3.18, GPU acceleration can significantly speed up rendering computations for workflows that include blocks that manipulate implicit bodies.

On average, you will will see an average performance boost of 3-3.5x on desktop workstations and 6-8x on laptops. In some of our benchmark tests, we recorded speedups up to 100x.

To turn on GPU acceleration, go to Settings > General > Scene.

Learn More

New content and resources

Featured content: Thermal Management Guide

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Heat exchangers are a hot application for Additive Manufacturing. In this guide, we summarize the latest trends and key techniques that enables you to design heat exchangers with higher performance, more compact size and increased reliability.

Do you know someone working on heat exchanger design? Share this guide with them.

Download Guide

Case study: Aerojet Rocketdyne

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Aerojet Rocketdyne optimized a key component of their Reaction Control System (RCS) quad thruster using additive manufacturing.

Not only is the new space engine part 67% lighter, but it also contributes to the reduction of the overall production cost of the thruster by 66% enabling fast, economical, and sustainable lunar exploration.

Learn how

Quote of the month

“Design is an iterative process. The necessary number of iterations is one more than the number you have currently done. This is true at any point in time.”

— Prof. David Akins from Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design