Release notes for SDT and FEMLink 7.7

SDT-base Contents Functions

1.8 Release notes for SDT and FEMLink 7.7

1.8.1 Key features

SDT 7.7 is compatible with MATLAB 9.9 (2020b) to 24.2 (2024b). 2025a and following are supported with limitations on java based GUI which are no longer fully supported by MATLAB.

In the base and FEMLink modules, key changes of this release are

SDTools also produces modules that are mostly integrated in custom industrial developments.

The associated developments are now listed here to ease tracking of our development efforts.

visc viscoelastic vibration simulation and test analysis
- state-space representations are now supported in the linear case. Temperature root locus in state-space form provided a more robust strategy for very heavily damped cases with multiple interacting modes.
- work on handling unidirectional composites for constrained layer patches has progressed and topology optimization tools start to be functional.
- direct FRF and state-space computations using pagemldivide, pageeig, ... have provided large speedup for specific cases. This affects parametric studies associated to reduced multi-models [2, 3] (distributed with visc or the ZParam module).
Squeal module for squeal studies to enable deployment of SDT squeal analysis expertise
- experimental work on the Harmonic Balance Vector model https://popups.uliege.be/2684-6500/index.php?id=260
- numerical work has focused on reduced basis transients using SDT-nlsim.

1.8.2 Notes by MATLAB release

This release is only partially compatible with MATLAB 2025a to 2026a. SDT graphical interfaces used the support for javaframe which has been discontinued by the MathWorks. We have resumed partial compatibility with the SDT 7.7 release, but full integration is still ongoing.
MATLAB 9.9 (2020) to 24.01 (R2024a). SDT & FEMLink 7.7 are developed for these versions of MATLAB and are fully compatible with them.
Earlier MATLAB are no longer supported although significant aspects may still work.
Earlier MATLAB releases are no longer supported.

1.8.3 Detail by function

SDT-base/SDT-FEMLink

cdm: is the new curve display model object. It implements methods previously available in iiplot but now allowing separate access.
fe2ss, FSI state space rollof …, enhancements of the frequency-response animation interactivity.
fe_coor was extended to support new strategies in periodic superelement reduction.
fe_def implements robustness enhancement of the .idopt field.
fe_quality, clean* commands
fe_sens, autosensid, definetdof, WireExpCna has been extended to support on the fly static expansion of non-finite values in def.def.
fe_simulDfrf has improved support of damping.
fecom, color, ShowArrow
fegui, EnerAtNode, Arrows, StressObs
fesuper implements superelement checking methods zFree, zFixed*, Visc, SEunit, CustomFile, CoG, Stiff.
id_rc, xxx
idcom animations of principal shapes was extended
ii_mac, MDRE tab, keptexplist
matgui extends support of node name maps.
nasread now supports OptiStruct entries SURF, TIE, Ansa comments
nor2ss now has a compare method.
nor2xf can now call freqresp as a solver.
qbode was optimized
sdtm was extended with work on load, save, retrive, jup, dtype, doc methods.
sdtwebwas extended on _tuto, _taglist, index, Editor pointers
sdtu.editor implements opening methods.
sdtu.f, recdir, open, file utilities
sdtu.fe, colors, box, splineR, cutField, Coarsen
sdtu.ui implements methods for the transition from Java to JavaScript.
abaqusconnector parameters
fe2xf was extended on state-space, material splitting methods.
fe_shapeoptim, MAP dist, refined HexaSurf cases, wireExtendEdges
feutilb, MatchSurf quality table
feutilg, EltSet tab
fevisco, meshplies implements composite meshing steps.
rdyn2sdt, gateway function for RecurDyn
SDT handle, uniqueC, ismemberC, nmap progress
sdthdf, clean RW of complex data,
vhandle.graph xxx
vhandle.nmap, aliases
vhandle.tab notably extended.
fe_gmsh revised option transmission.
fe_mat, nmap, colors
feutil, setmatout, unjoin -off
lsutil, dToSurf, Line contour
m_elastic extended support of plies and homogeneization formulae
p_shell extended support of composites.
piezo tuto patch, add pro

OpenFEM

The openfem folder contains a copy of the open source https://github.com/SDTools-support/openfem project which contains the FEM development by SDTools and others (INRIA initially, ...)

support

The support folder contains a copy of the open source https://github.com/SDTools-support/support used for faster interactions on documentation/help developments.