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COMSOL Multiphysics

COMSOL 4.2 Release Notes

New Products in Version 4.2

The following new products are introduced with COMSOL Multiphysics version 4.2:

In addition, the former Earth Science Module is replaced by the Subsurface Flow Module (see “Subsurface Flow Module” on page 37).

New Functionality in Version 4.2

General COMSOL Desktop Functionality

Geometry and Mesh

Physics Interfaces

Studies and Solvers

Results

Physics Interface Builder (Beta Version)

The Physics Interface Builder is a new tool for building custom applications and physics interfaces directly in the COMSOL Desktop environment. From the File menu, choose New>Physics Interface Builder to start a new Physics Interface Builder. The Physics Interface Builder window then replaces the Model Builder window. In a similar way that you build models using existing physics interfaces, you can build custom physics interfaces using the building blocks in the Physics Interface Builder and test them interactively. These custom physics interfaces can be fully deployed, including support for localization of the user interface. See the Physics Interface Builder User’s Guide for more information and examples of how to use the Physics Interface Builder.

Report Generator

Version 4.2 includes a report generator that you can use to generate HTML reports of models. The report generator is an integrated part of the model, and you can add several reports to a model. There are four predefined templates:

In all reports you can move, add, disable, and delete report nodes to adjust the report contents.

By default, the reports include a table of contents with clickable links to the contents below. The report generator uses a built-in stylesheet, but you can use a custom stylesheet to change the appearance of the report in the web browser.

For more information, see “Creating Reports” in the COMSOL Multiphysics User’s Guide.

The reports in version 4.2 do not include the following parts of a model:

The reports will include all applicable parts of the model in version 4.2a.

Note: You find the tools for creating data files, images, and animations under the Report branch in version 4.1 under the Export branch in version 4.2.

Backward Compatibility vs. Version 3.5a

Deformed Geometry Interface

The Parameterized Geometry application mode in versions 3.5a, which is limited to 2D, is replaced with the Deformed Geometry interface in version 4.2. This interface is available in 2D and 3D. The Deformed Geometry interface deforms the mesh using an arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) method and is not the parameterized geometry using geometric parameter sweeps (see above).

In the version 4.2 interface, the Linear Displacement and Similarity Transform boundary conditions are not yet available as preset conditions. Those boundary conditions are planned for version 4.2a.

In version 4.2, you can create the corresponding conditions by manually entering variables.

Backward Compatibility for pre-3.5a models

COMSOL 4.2 can load models saved from version 3.5a. For loading models from earlier COMSOL versions than 3.5a you need to load them in COMSOL 3.5a and then save them. For simplifying this task a utility is available where you can convert all files in a directory from versions 3.0–3.5 to version 3.5a. See the section “COMSOL Convertpre35a Command” for Windows, the section “COMSOL Convertpre35a Command” for Linux, or the section “COMSOL Convertpre35a Command” for the Mac in the COMSOL Installation and Operations Guide for more information.