From FreeCAD Documentation
- The Model → Constraints without solver menu was removed from the GUI. The listed constraints could not be used. Pull request #10457 and Pull request #10459
- The word "constraint" was removed from the names and descriptions of most features in the FEM workbench to ensure the correct nomenclature. The names were changed in such a way to fit the standards in the FEA industry and to make them intuitive for new users. Pull request #10519 and Pull request #10799
- New icons were added for Solver CalculiX Standard, Solver job control and Run solver calculations for greater intuitiveness. Pull request #10885
- Solver CalculiX (new framework) was removed from the GUI since it's unfinished and unnecessary at the moment. Its examples were also removed. Pull request #10823 and Pull request #12876
- The layout of some postprocessing tool task panels was improved to reduce the size of the horizontal space occupied by them. Pull request #11066
- The FEM ConstraintTemperature task panel was reworked to fix issues when editing this feature. Pull request #11126
- An old issue with the FEM PostFilterDataAlongLine being able to plot only magnitude, not vector components of a selected output variable was finally fixed. Pull request #10992
- The FEM ConstraintForce and FEM ConstraintPressure were overhauled to make them work better on the source code side. Pull request #10935 and Pull request #10923
- The FEM PostFilterDataAtPoint now has a PointSize property to set the size of the point symbol for more visibility. Pull request #11054
- For clarity, the FEM mesh region command was relabeled to FEM mesh refinement in the GUI (the command name remains unchanged). Pull request #11489
- The magnitude of gravity acceleration can now be changed using the properties of FEM ConstraintSelfWeight. Pull request #12044
- Contact and tie constraint were significantly improved. Contact stiffness now uses the correct unit and stick slope value can be specified for friction in contact. Moreover, clearance adjustment can be specified for contact while tie constraint may have adjustment enabled or disabled. Pull request #12133
- PaStiX and Pardiso were added to supported CalculiX matrix solvers. They are the fastest ccx solvers but the possibility of using them depends on the CalculiX binary version and available additional libraries. Pull request #12478
- The Beam Reduced Integration property (set to true by default) was added to CalculiX solver settings. It enables a reduced integration scheme for beam elements, making it possible to use the pipe beam section and eliminating accuracy issues in analyses with plasticity, among others. Pull request #12513
- The unfinished Nodes set tool was removed from the GUI. It couldn't be used. Pull request #12611
- The Check Mesh CalculiX analysis procedure now generates the results mesh properly. Pull request #12612
- It was clarified in the task panel that the diameter used by the pipe beam section is the outer diameter. Pull request #12609
- The Beam Shell Result Output 3D property of the CalculiX solver is now set to true by default to provide results for beam elements and provide meaningful results for shell elements. Pull request #12493
- Symbols of analysis features are now properly positioned when the Body (or Part container) has modified placement property. Pull request #12527
- Pressure load is now working properly for shells regardless of the mesh groups setting. This setting can be changed in the Preferences. Pull request #12437
- Simple hardening in FEM MaterialMechanicalNonlinear was renamed to isotropic hardening. Moreover, kinematic hardening was added. Pull request #12666
- Now geometric nonlinearity is not automatically activated and required when a nonlinear material is used. Those are independent forms of nonlinearity. Pull request #12703
- Mixed meshes consisting of both triangular and quadrilateral elements are now displayed properly in the results pipeline. Pull request #12740
- The Output Frequency property was added to CalculiX solver settings. It defines the frequency of output writing in increments. Pull request #12672
- Second-order quadrilateral elements can now be generated. Previously, the 2nd order Gmsh setting was generating 1st order quad elements because of the lack of a SecondOrderIncomplete Gmsh command which is now used internally. Those elements can also be used for 2D analyses. Pull request #12698 and Pull request #12774
- The determination of beam cross-section orientation was partially fixed. Due to a bug in the current release of CalculiX, there may still be issues with some orientations. Pull request #12833
- Cantilever FEM examples on the Start page were updated and a new one using 1D elements was added. Pull request #12871
- The format in which FreeCAD writes the force constraint is now compatible with the CalculiX format, eliminating rare issues with too long numbers. Pull request #12932
- It is now possible to export the results pipeline to the VTK format. Pull request #12987
- New incrementation control properties were added to CalculiX solver settings. Currently, in addition to the initial increment size and time period of the step, one can specify minimum and maximum increment size. Also, the Iterations Thermo Mech Maximum property was renamed to Iterations Maximum as it can now be used for static (non-thermomechanical) analyses too. Pull request #12662
- Default 2D element thickness was changed from 20 mm to 1 mm as it makes more sense in practice. Pull request #13077
- Many FEM icons were significantly improved to reduce their similarity and make it more clear what the tools do. Pull request #13130
- The Thermo Mech Type property was added to CalculiX solver settings. It makes it possible to switch a regular (coupled) thermomechanical analysis to uncoupled or a pure heat transfer one. Pull request #13296
- Min. Size property was added for Netgen mesher to prevent the generation of too small elements when meshing more complex geometries. Pull request #12794
- An old issue with a non-functioning symbol scale property for FEM constraints was finally fixed and the Scale property can now be used to adjust the size of symbols of a selected constraint. Pull request #13274
- Automatic scaling of FEM constraints was improved to better handle very small and very large objects. Pull request #13586
- Heat flux load now has a radiation heat flux mode to model surface radiation to ambient. Pull request #13466
- A few unused constraint symbol View properties were removed. Pull request #13569