New Features in MapleSim 2021 - High-Performance Multi-Domain Modeling and Simulation - Maplesoft

What's New in MapleSim

Release 2021.2

The MapleSim 2021.2 family of products offers an enhanced user experience through an expansion of the modeling libraries, a range of new productivity features and an increase in connector choices.


Enhanced Modeling Features

In response to feedback from engineers in the field, MapleSim 2021.2 provides important updates to a variety of built-in and add-on libraries and toolboxes that make developing models more efficient.

Collection of screenshots from MapleSim 2021
Built-in Modeling Tools
  • Expand your modeling scope and reduce model creation time with new built-in components, including additional control-valves and pressure-reducing valves for the Hydraulics and Pneumatics libraries.

  • Speed up the creation of models that use hydraulics through the addition of new productivity features:
    • The default units for common pressure and flow hydraulics parameters can be set globally using Summary Variables.
    • Smoothing transitions can be applied to ramp inputs in hydraulic valves.
    • A Flip checkbox available in control valves gives a simple way to simulate a reverse flow.
MapleSim Tire Library
  • Take advantage of new Coefficient-of-Friction Tire (COFT) components to simulate non-pneumatic tire characteristics. This allows the modeling of drift conditions for indoor autonomous robots.
  • Test your model in different terrains with new tools for generating testbed surfaces and custom terrains, which you can then use to test wheel responses. Terrains can be generated from equations or using a MapleSim app to import data points from Excel.
  • Improve the flexibility of tire slip formulation with the option of using the Damped Transient calculation method.
Additional Improvements
  • Simulate the 3D winding effect of winches. The 3D Winch component, found in the add-on MapleSim Ropes and Pulleys Library, accounts for the additional mass, inertia and change in diameter of the material as it is being wound and unwound.
  • Import the latest CAD files with the updated MapleSim CAD Toolbox add-on. Support is available for the most recent software releases of Inventor®, NX®, SOLIDWORKS®, CATIA® V5, Solid Edge®, 3D ACIS® Modeler, Pro/Engineer® / PTC® Creo Parametric™, Parasolid®, AutoCAD® 3D, and I-deas®.
  • Gain greater visibility over handling events with the MapleSim Connector for FMI.  The exported FMU fixed-steps solvers now have the option of determining “intermediate” step values during integration. Catching discrete event transitions at the time they occur helps balance stability and speed.
  • Get full 3D visualizations of your model when running MapleSim from the command line. The same high-quality range of 3D and 2D plots and visuals available in MapleSim Insight are now accessible from the MapleSim API.

The new MapleSim Web Handling Library brings additional resources to better simulate your roll-to-roll processes. Using this add-on library, you can model the tensioning and torque when handling paper, plastics and foils, and optimize the web speed and controllers to reduce web slippage.

  • Understand and improve the behavior of your web as part of a larger, system-level multidomain model of your machine.
  • Create and analyze tensioning and traction on rollers and drums with system-level modeling of the roll-to-roll process that allows the simulation of tensioning, torque braking and roller-slippage.
  • Develop high fidelity models easily with specialized components for wind drums, nip rollers, dancers and accumulators.
Web Handling Screenshots.jpg

Updates to MapleSim Insight

MapleSim Insight gives machine builders powerful, simulation-based debugging and 3-D visualization capabilities that directly connect to your automation tools. With the 2021.2 release, MapleSim Insight can connect to even more controller development tools, while providing improved performance and visualizations.

  • MapleSim Insight now speaks EtherNet/IP. It can use the protocol to link your controller code to the inputs/outputs of your virtual machine. As a result, MapleSim Insight can now work with tools like CODESYS in the virtual commissioning workflow, as well as other tools that support compiled Function Mock-up Units (FMUs), such as Rockwell Studio 5000® Environment and MathWorks® Simulink.
  • Computational enhancements give faster performance where it counts, making it suitable for high-fidelity, real-time use-cases.
  • New diagnostic information keeps you informed by providing feedback on communication latency and model computation times.

Learn more about MapleSim Insight.

Release 2021

General Enhancements

MapleSim 2021 includes important improvements in performance, visualization, and sharing results that will improve your MapleSim experience no matter what project you are working on:

  • Improved performance for large models allows you to take advantage of the fastest simulations yet.
  • More compelling 3-D visualizations give you the ability to define dynamic shape sizes, so components are realistically represented throughout.
  • Enhanced analysis apps for optimization and parameter sweeps, including no limit on the number of parameters, and a new target value option for the Optimization App.
  • Faster loading of CAD files using the MapleSim CAD Toolbox, as well as support for the latest versions of SOLIDWORKS®, Solid Edge® and other CAD tools.
  • Powerful new simulation and analysis features in MapleSim Insight provide you with flexible video capture for sharing results, expanded connectivity with Maple.

Expanded Modeling Scope for Machine Builders

New and expanded component libraries enable engineers, especially machine builders, to build more models, more easily.

  • Easily add pneumatic systems to your MapleSim model with the new Pneumatics library, a built-in component library with over 30 customizable pneumatics components, including:
    • Directional Control Valves for controlling air flow throughout the system
    • Actuators for both single and double-acting piston configurations
    • Customizable Valves that are easily customized to your manufacturer’s specifications
    • Flow Restrictions for linear, orifice-based, and data-customizable restrictors
  • Updates to the built-in Hydraulics library, including a new cartridge valve and improved double-acting cylinders, give you a wider set of abilities for modeling hydraulic subsystems.
  • More realistic visualizations for the MapleSim Ropes and Pulleys Library show you better representations of cables and ropes as they pass through pulley systems.

New Features for MapleSim Insight

MapleSim Insight gives machine builders powerful, simulation-based debugging and 3-D visualization capabilities that directly connect to your automation tools, so you can perform simulation-based testing of your controller easily and efficiently. In 2021, MapleSim Insight gives you faster simulation results, more options for 2-D plotting and 3-D visualizations, and the ability for in-depth, custom analysis in Maple. Use MapleSim Insight as a simple, low-cost solution for deploying MapleSim models to those who don’t have MapleSim.

  • Use multithreading for faster simulation results when running large, complex models in MapleSim Insight.
  • Easily share your simulation results with others by exporting customizable videos of your 2-D plots and 3-D visualizations.
  • Analyze detailed machine dynamics with customizable data sampling, so you can understand split-second performance issues, or quickly simulate minutes, or even hours, of performance data.
  • Get key insights faster by using traces to show you live results from a short, selected window of time while the simulation runs, and then view your full simulation results afterwards.
  • Perform customized analysis from within Maple by using a new, full-featured API that allows you to control your MapleSim Insight simulations from within Maple.

Learn more about MapleSim Insight

Learn about new features in previous releases of MapleSim

MapleSim 2024
MapleSim 2023
MapleSim 2022
MapleSim 2021