Altair EmployeeAchieving Optimal HyperWorks Performance on Windows – Part 1 | Local Execution
In this article, I will discuss best practices for achieving optimal performance in HyperWorks and offer troubleshooting recommendations if you face any issues while loading or running HyperWorks directly from your computer.
- Choosing a Supported Platform
- Checking the Installation Package’s Integrity
- Supported Graphics Boards
- Updating the system drivers
- Defining a Windows Username
- Working with Windows OneDrive
- Laptop Specific Recommendations
- Working with Multiple HyperWorks Installations
- Removing HyperWorks Settings Files
- Deactivating High-Level Features
- Working with Models Containing Large Rigid Bodies
- Contact Support
For best practices and troubleshooting recommendations for remote execution see Achieving Optimal HyperWorks Performance on Windows – Part 2 | Remote Execution.
Choosing a Supported Platform
Each version of HyperWorks is tested and validated on target platforms. When you download a package from the Marketplace, the supported platforms are listed.
It is recommended that you run HyperWorks using one of the supported platforms.
Checking the Installation Package’s Integrity
Once you have downloaded a package from the Marketplace, you should check the package’s integrity before running it by reviewing its hash code. The code should be the same between the file published in AltairOne and the file stored on your computer.
Retrieving Hash Code from Altair Connect
Any package/manual exposed in the MarketPlace is provided with its hash code:.
Retrieving Hash Code on Windows with PowerShell
To get the hash code on Windows, open PowerShell from your Start menu.
In the PowerShell console, browse to the installation package directory and execute the command below:
CertUtil -hashfile filename MD5
Compare this code to the code of the file you downloaded. If both codes are different, then the installation package is corrupted, and you will need to download it again.
Supported Graphics Boards
HyperWorks applications use high-level graphic functions which require using graphic boards dedicated to CAE applications.
First, make sure your computer has a supported graphic board (you can find a list of supported hardware in the Installation guide). If you are using a laptop, make sure the computer has an Nvidia or AMD graphic board in addition to the default graphic chipset (not supported).
For every new Altair installation, install the latest driver for your graphic board. For Nvidia installers, choose a custom installation and make sure to select the Perform a Clean installation checkbox.
If you are running HyperWorks from old hardware, you may need to define the environment variable HW_USE_OPENCL=0 to deactivate some high-level graphic functions in HyperWorks in order to increase stability.
Updating the system
In few cases, a global update of the system has helped recovering satisfying performances, especially when dealing with a new version of HyperWorks.
Generally, it is recommended to use the OEM tools (Dell update, ...) to upgrade the different system drivers.
Defining a Windows Username
Windows 10 allows you to define a username with special characters or spaces. Please be aware that this type of configuration can result in some instabilities.
It is recommended that you avoid defining usernames with special characters and spaces.
Working with Windows OneDrive
The latest versions of Windows propose that you use OneDrive directories instead of local directories for user files. If you’re using this option, please make sure to create a local directory on your computer to store HyperWorks temporary files.
You can change the HyperWorks Start-in directory in the following ways:
- From your Desktop, right-click on the HyperWorks icon and select Properties from the context menu. In the HyperWorks Properties dialog, click the Shortcut tab and change the Start-in directory field.
- Set up environment variables as shown below (see online help for details)
- Open ConnectMe (if you have it installed) and edit settings.
Laptop Specific Recommendations
Most laptops now embed a graphic chipset and a graphic card. For power saving concerns, Windows frequently starts applications from the graphic chipset which is not supported by HyperWorks.
Open the Nvidia control panel and set Preferred graphics processor to High-performance Nvidia processor.
Also in the Nvidia control panel, set Power Management mode to use the max performance.
Also, in the Power Options dialog, adjust the settings for max performance. Under Processor power management, change the following for CPU and PCI power saving modes.
Once you have modified these settings, you can activate the following two options from the Desktop menu in the Nvidia Control panel.
- Add “Run with graphics processor” to Context Menu.
- Display GPU Activity Icon in Notification Area.
The Display GPU Activity Icon in Notification Area option will display a GPU monitor in the taskbar and list all of the relevant applications running on the NVIDIA discrete graphics.
The Add “Run with graphic processor” to Context Menu option will allow for extra control by adding an additional item in the right-click context menus.
Working with Multiple HyperWorks Installations
If you have several versions of HyperWorks installed on your computer, it is recommended that you change the HyperMesh/HyperWorks Start-in directory.
To do so, right-click on the HyperMesh launch icon and select More > Open file location. In the File browser, right-click on the icon and select Properties from the context menu. In the Properties dialog, click the Shortcut tab and modify the Start-in directory.
Keep settings easy by entering %USERPROFILE%\Documents\2020 for version 2020 and %USERPROFILE%\Documents\2021 for version 2021.
Removing HyperWorks Settings Files
As a last tip, if you are already following all of the recommendations above, delete the following HyperWorks files/folder shown below:
A generic clean-up script is available in the installation for version 2021.1 which reviews all default HyperWorks locations. You can run this script from a cmd prompt by executing the following command:
"<install_dir>\hwdesktop\utility\HWCleanup\HyperworksWindowsCleanup.bat"
Deactivating High-Level Features
The features listed below are known to cause HyperWorks performance issues if your hardware settings don’t fulfill the minimal requirements. If any of the recommendations above work, please deactivate the options below from HyperWorks preferences:
Tip: You can use the search bar, located in the top, left of the Preferences dialog, to quickly find and access a preference.
- Dynamic Center of Rotation
- Hover Highlighting
- Tranparent highlight
- Anti-aliasing
- Hide handles during rotations
- Disable writing to the command file
From version 2022, all these preferences have been moved under a unique section. Please swith to Performance if you encounter performance issues.
Working with Models Containing Large Rigid Bodies
In 2021.x versions, you may experience performance issues when rotating and translating a model that contains rigid bodies with more than 10,000 slave nodes.
To avoid performance issues, you can quickly hide such rigid bodies by opening the Tcl Console from the View menu and pasting the following commands:
*createmark elems 1 "greater than value" independentnodesmax 10000
*maskmark elems 1
Contact Support
If you have checked all the recommendations mentioned above and are still running into performance issues, please contact Altair Support either through your local support representative or by creating a support request in the Altair Community (recommended).
In your ticket, attach the following information:
- Screenshots of Updates Information and System Information tabs in the Updates and System Information dialog can be invoked by selecting File > Help > About HyperWorks > Updates and System Information from the menu bar.
- List of the environment variables you are using. To locate such environment variables, open a prompt window (cmd) and enter the command set > env.txt. A text file env.txt will be written in the directory from which you ran the command.
