MSC Software Corp. today announced the fifth release of MSC Apex, the company’s award winning next generation CAE platform. The MSC Apex Eagle release introduces:

– The fifth release of MSC Apex Modeler – a CAE Specific direct modeling and meshing solution that accelerates the CAD clean-up, simplification, and meshing workflow.

-The third release of MSC Apex Structures – an add-on to MSC Apex Modeler which expands MSC Apex to a fully integrated and generative structural analysis solution.

The new Eagle release delivers innovative solutions for modeling and validating complex assemblies with the introduction of new part representations and connection types. These new features are all fully integrated in the MSC Apex generative framework that supports the automatic regeneration of simulation results when changes are made to part geometry or assembly layout.

Support for shell element (2D) and tetrahedral and hexahedral meshing (3D) is now completed with support of discrete mass and rotary inertia (0D), as well as beam elements (1D). New connection types include rigid links, springs, and mesh dependent tie connections, which extend existing mesh independent glue. With Eagle, MSC Apex users now create much richer assemblies to support the rapid conceptual design of sub-assembly and vehicle level assemblies. Chassis frames for automotive, reinforced fuselage and wings structures for aerospace, welded assembly structure for shipbuilding, large fastened assemblies for heavy machinery and equipment companies, are a few examples.

All new features in Eagle stay true to the MSC Apex principles for direct manipulation and ease-of-use. Rigid links, springs, and discrete mass attachment regions all automatically incorporate distributed coupling in their definition. As such, they are presented to the user in the form of an Engineering Abstraction rather than as individual Finite Element Entities, which helps boost assembly modeling productivity and ease-of-use. In addition, new connections are all integrated in the Apex generative framework and regenerate as parts are modified or if their relative spatial position is changed.

“Eagle Beta testers have told us they were able to accelerate their productivity by a factor of 10x,” said Hugues Jeancolas, MSC Apex Sr. product manager. “Incremental changes to the design, whether on parts, attribution, but also assembly layout are captured in a dependency chain that allows the user to automatically regenerate the model and visualize simulation results at a click of a button, giving users a unique flexibility to rapidly iterate on design alternatives early in the design process.”

The Eagle release also introduces the first MSC Apex Student Edition. Students around the world can download it free for use on their personal desktops by visiting http://www.mscapex.com/msc-apex-for-students/.

MSC Apex was recently named an R&D 100 Winner. Discover MSC Apex today at http://bit.ly/1Spjmfg