For a self-developed CAE system, the solver is only part of the capability. What truly determines whether a product can be adopted is often whether the pre-processing and post-processing software is sufficiently stable, easy to use, and extensible. Many teams underestimate the workload of this portion, with the result that the solver is built but the engineering entry point remains inaccessible.
Why Pre/Post-Processing Determines Deployment Efficiency
What engineers actually interact with most on a daily basis is not the underlying linear equations, but rather:
- Geometry cleanup
- Mesh generation
- Boundary condition setup
- Results viewing
- Data comparison
- Report output
If these links are not user-friendly, no matter how strong the solving capability, users will find it very difficult to migrate.
Core Directions for Native Pre-Processing
- Geometry import and topology repair
- Mesh generation and quality diagnostics
- Property, material, and boundary condition configuration
- Template-based analysis wizards
The most critical aspect is not the length of the feature list, but whether common analysis types can form high-quality standard workflows.
Core Directions for Native Post-Processing
- Large-scale results data reading performance
- Basic display capabilities: contour plots, vectors, streamlines, isosurfaces
- Analytical interactions: sectioning, path plots, probes, comparison, and annotation
- Report generation and results sharing
Enterprise users' requirements for post-processing typically go beyond "viewing results" to "efficiently communicating results."
Technical Roadmap Recommendations
A layered architecture is recommended:
- Data layer: unified results and model data interface
- Algorithm layer: meshing, selection, measurement, filtering, decimation
- Rendering layer: high-performance 3D display and interaction
- Business layer: analysis templates, project management, report collaboration
Only with clear layering can pre/post-processing software be reused across different solvers and different business scenarios.
Research Significance
The value of native pre/post-processing software is not merely about complementing solver peripheral functions, but about building a complete and controllable engineering entry point. For long-term productization, this is core infrastructure.