2.

Installation and Configuration

Welcome to FEMAP! This document will help you to setup your computer so that you can immediately begin to explore the
many capabilities of FEMAP.
This document contains information specific to getting started on a PC, which includes 64-bit versions for Windows 8, Win-
dows 8.1, and Windows 10.
The FEMAP installer contains only the 64-bit version of FEMAP, as a 32-bit version is no longer available.

Note: You MUST be logged in with Administrator privileges when installing FEMAP in order for the installation
process to work properly.

Hardware/Software Requirements
There are no special hardware/software requirements for FEMAP beyond those imposed by the Windows operating systems.
There are many types of hardware that will allow you to use FEMAP. Proper choice of hardware, however, can often make
the difference between frustration and productivity. Here are a few suggestions:
• Memory, RAM
• Memory, (Hard Disk)
• Graphics Boards
• Abaqus ODB Requirements

Memory, RAM
You will need at least 128 Mbytes of RAM to run FEMAP and the Parasolid solid modeling engine, which is the default.
Obviously, the more amount of RAM the better. Adding RAM can be one of the most cost effective means of increasing per-
formance.
If using the “Standard” geometry Engine in FEMAP, you can actually run with as little as 32 Mbytes of RAM. This is not a
recommended configuration.

Memory, (Hard Disk)

Required hard disk space is very difficult to estimate, but in general you will never have enough. Analysis results will be the
main driver of any disk space requirement. Models are typically relatively small. A model with 1000 nodes and 1000 ele-
ments would typically be less than 1 Mbyte in size. Output from an analysis of that model, however, could be 5 Mbytes, 10
Mbytes or even larger, depending on the output you request. To estimate total disk space, you need to first estimate how
many models you will have on-line simultaneously, the approximate size of those models, and the type of output you will
request. It is recommend to have as much disk space as budget will allow, as each version of FEMAP can support larger and
larger models, which in turn create larger and larger amounts of output.

Graphics Boards
While, standard graphics adapters may work very well with FEMAP, having a specialized board with support for OpenGL
will provide increased graphical performance when dynamically rotating large, complex models. They also usually provide
higher resolution and more colors, which make graphics easier to see and more realistic. Also, in order to use the “Perfor-
mance Graphics” option, a graphics card which supports OpenGL 4.2 is required.

Abaqus ODB Requirements

The Microsoft MPI (Message Passing Interface) is required to load Abaqus ODB files. This interface is no longer included
during the FEMAP installation. Beginning with FEMAP 2019.1, Siemens PLM Software can no longer redistribute the Mic-
rosoft MPI. Anyone who requires Abaqus ODB files in their work-flow will need to take extra steps to ensure the necessary
MPI is installed. The download and installation instructions are available from Microsoft using the following link:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=57467
 2-2 Installation and Configuration

Installation - Stand Alone

This section describes the procedure that you should follow to install the stand alone (security device) version of FEMAP on
your PC.
Security Device - In order to run the Stand Alone (Security Device) version of FEMAP a Rainbow SuperPro USB Port or
Parallel Port (pictured on top) or dongle is required. In order for your PC to be able to see the dongle, a driver must first be
installed. Installation of the driver requires Administrator privileges for your PC. During installation, if the current user has
Administrator privileges, the installation program will automatically prompt for installation of this driver.
Computer

FEMAP

Printer

USB FEMAP DONGLE

If the installer does not have Administrator privileges, someone with Administrator privileges will have to log in and install
the driver manually. The driver installation program can be found in the SentinalDriver directory of the FEMAP installation
media (download or DVD). On any supported Windows platform, run SentinalDriver\SSD769.exe. It is highly recom-
mended that you do not have any security devices attached to your computer while you are installing the driver. Once the
driver has been installed, you can plug a USB security device directly into an open USB port and it should be recognized.

Setup Program Execution

Windows 8/8.1/10
1. Log in to your computer as Administrator. As detailed above, this will make installation of the driver required to
talk to the FEMAP dongle possible.
2. Insert the FEMAP DVD into the drive. The setup should automatically begin within a few seconds. If it does
not, manually run the SETUP.EXE program in the root directory of the FEMAP DVD.
Once setup is running you will see a license agreement. Assuming that you agree with the license agreement, choose “I
accept the terms of the license agreement” and press Next to continue and select the directory where you would like to have
the FEMAP program files installed.
 Setup Program Execution 2-3

You will be prompted for the selection of additional FEMAP options, please choose any optional modules and components
that you wish to have installed.

Notice that the installation will tell you the amount of disk space required for the chosen options to be installed and how
much space is available on the drive where FEMAP will be installed.

Note: If you plan on licensing FEMAP with a dongle (security key), not a network license, then you will probably
want to UNCHECK the FLEXlm License Manager option as it is not used by the dongle.

The next dialog box allows you to Select FEMAP GUI Language. Select from:
• English
• German,
• Simplified Chinese
• Traditional Chinese
• Japanese
Once the language is selected, click Next.
 2-4 Installation and Configuration

You will now be asked which type of installation to perform. Choose Nodelocked Dongle as the licensing method.

Setup Type Description

Nodelocked Dongle - Installs FEMAP for use with a Rainbow Parallel Port or USB don-
Rainbow SuperPro gle. If you have the dongle version of FEMAP, choose this setup
type.

Network Client - Installs the Network Client version of FEMAP. This setup is for use
FLEXlm where FEMAP is licensed via the FLEXlm license management
software. With the Network Client version of FEMAP, one machine
on your network will be designated as the license server. The fol-
lowing “Network License Server” setup will have to be run on that
machine.

Node-Limited Demo Installs the 300-Node demonstration version of FEMAP. This ver-
License sion requires no licensing, but is limited to very small models. It is
intended for new users to try FEMAP and all its options.

After choosing Nodelocked Dongle and pressing Next, the program will be installed and then a driver required for the don-
gle will automatically be installed. Finally, if you are installing FEMAP with the Simcenter Nastran option you will be
prompted to specify a “scratch” directory for the solver. You will need to have read/write access to this directory to be able
to properly use Simcenter Nastran.
FEMAP dongles are shipped good for 30 days from the first time they are run. In order to remove the time limit from your
new FEMAP dongle, or upgrade an older dongle or network license, you must contact Siemens Product Lifecycle Manage-
ment Software Inc. Global Technical Access Center (GTAC). Upgrade codes and updated license files are now available via
Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. GTAC (Global Technical Access Center) WebKey system available
on-line at https://plmapps.industrysoftware.automation.siemens.com/webkey/ FEMAP customers can use WebKey for both
licensing support and product technical support.
 Obtaining a Webkey Account from Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. 2-5

Obtaining a Webkey Account from Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc.
To request a WebKey account, you can attempt to use the Help, Technical Support, Request Webkey Account command or
simply access the web page using this URL:
https://plmapps.industrysoftware.automation.siemens.com/webkey/
Then provide the following information:
• Your Installation ID
• WebKey Access Code
Your Installation ID is directly under the “Sold To” information on your shipping order. For dongle-based FEMAP custom-
ers, your WebKey Access code is the unique portion of your FEMAP serial number, i.e. 3H-NT-1234, which is displayed in
your current FEMAP in the Help - About dialog box, for this license as 1000-3H-NT-1234, with the version information at
the beginning of the serial number removed.

Obtaining Upgrade Codes or a new License File

1. Via the Web, using your WebKey Account -Upgrade codes or an updated license file can be e-mailed to you from the
Customer Support (GTAC) web site https://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/support/gtac/. In the Explore GTAC sec-
tion, expand “License Management” and select “Current Licenses”. If prompted, enter WebKey and password. Click
Passwords and License Files link. Select “Femap” as the Product and set Version to the appropriate version. For LM
Host or Dongle ID, enter either the unique portion of you FEMAP serial number (3H-NT-1234 in this case) if using a
dongle or fill in the Ethernet address of your FEMAP license server if using FLEXlm network licenses. Your license or
access codes will be e-mailed to the address supplied during WebKey registration.

2. Via the Phone - You can call GTAC at 714-952-5444 (US and Canada residents may use 800-955-0000) and enter option
1, 1, for your CSR or option 1, 2, for Software Product Delivery (SPD). You should then request a copy of the license
upgrade for a specific Installation ID and serial number or Ethernet Address.
For dongle versions of FEMAP, the information returned to you to upgrade the dongle will be in the form of two case insen-
sitive alpha numeric codes. They will appear something like:

Access Code 1: 08aeca3f0f52639179

Access Code 2: 362ff63c3426d943

Use the Help, About command, then click the Security button. Cut and paste (to avoid errors) or type these two codes in to
the appropriate fields and press OK. The FEMAP dongle is an EPROM, and these codes are used to update the memory of
the dongle. Once these codes have been entered, you will never need to enter them again, with changes made to the memory
of the dongle, they will either be useless, or simply write the same thing to memory again.

Network Installation
The “Network Client” version of FEMAP utilizes the FLEXlm License Manager software from Flexera Software. This
licensing approach requires some software to be installed on a server machine and other software to be installed on one or
more clients. The clients then request and obtain licenses from the server. In a simple situation, both the client and server
could be the same computer, but more likely they are different systems connected by a network.
 2-6 Installation and Configuration

Obtaining a License File

License files are obtained through the same procedure as defined above for getting the upgrade codes for a dongle license.
Call GTAC, or use your WebKey account to request your FEMAP license file. The only difference in Network Licensed
FEMAP is that you need to enter the LMHostID (Ethernet Address) of your license server when prompted instead of the
FEMAP Serial Number. When you receive your license file information, you need to extract just the valid FLEXlm license
entries, and copy them into a file called “license.dat”. Please make sure that your license.dat looks something like the one
show below. For FEMAP, you will have one SERVER line, one DAEMON line, and one or more FEATURE lines depend-
ing on how many options you have purchased with your FEMAP.
A couple of things to make sure of:
1. Make sure that the entry immediately following the word “SERVER” is the name of the license server where you are
installing the license server software. If it is a temporary name, i.e. ANY, or THISHOST, change it to the correct machine
name. This is one of the two things in the license file that you can change.
2. Make sure that the third entry on the SERVER line matches the LMHostID of license server. This number is the key to the
whole license file. If this does not match the LMHostID of the license server, then the licensing will not work.
3. The “DAEMON esplmd” line calls out the actual programs that hands out FEMAP licenses. If you have installed all the
license server pieces in the same directory, it is fine as is. If the esplmd.exe program is not in the same directory as
LMTOOLS.EXE, you will have to edit this line to tell LMTOOLS.EXE where to find it. This is the other part of a license
file that you can change.

License Server
This section provides instructions on installing the network license manager and configuring your server.

Installing the FLEXlm License Manager

To begin the server installation, simply insert the FEMAP Installation media and choose setup. FEMAP will ask which “fea-
tures” should be installed. If you only want to install the license server, then UNCHECK all the options except “FLEXlm
License Manager”. Once FEMAP has installed the software, copy your license file (usually called “license.dat”) to the same
directory where you installed the license server components.

License, options and log files

For security purposes please follow the principle of least privilege (POLP) for configuration options, logs and license files
For these files use a folder within the “C:\ProgramData” directory such as:
C:\ProgramData\FLEXlm\lmgrd
...or another custom directory with appropriate privileges.

Security
We highly recommend running the license server with a user other than root, since processes started by root can introduce
security risks. The best practice would be to create a user and group with proper security, and use that user for running the
license server.

Note: If the existing FlexNet license service is running as “Local System” then you should delete it and recreate using
the license manager binaries shipped with Femap 11.4 or later.
 Configuring the FLEXlm License Manager 2-7

Configuring the FLEXlm License Manager

You can run the LMTOOLS program from the FEMAP entry on your start -> All Programs - >FEMAP v2020.2 -> FLEXlm
License Manager, or manually run LMTOOLS.EXE from its installed directory.
Once LMTOOLS is running, select the “Config Services” Tab.

Fill in a Service Name, specify a path to the lmgrd.exe file (a required FLEXlm component) that can be found in the instal-
lation directory, and specify the path the license file. Finally, check the “Use Services” option, and then the “Start Server at
Power Up”. Press the “Save Service” button.
Answer “Yes” to the question: “Would you like to save the settings for the service: (service name)?”. If another question
appears: “Windows preferred path <SystemDrive>\ProgramData to store service data is not set.”, simply click OK.
You must start the license server manually the first time, press the “Start/Stop/Reread” tab.
 2-8 Installation and Configuration

Select the FEMAP service that you just created, and press the “Start Server” button. At this point FLEXlm will be handing
out FEMAP licenses on your network. To verify that everything is working fine from the license server standpoint, press the
“Server Status” tab.
Press the “Perform Status Enquiry” button and the text window will be filled with status information about your FLEXlm
license server. In the text window you will find information about how many licenses are available, and once user start
checking out licenses, how many are in use

Configuring Network Client Machines

Once your network license server is up and running, configuring FEMAP Network Client machines is very easy. Make sure
that FEMAP is installed on the local machine using the “Network Client” setup type. To configure client machines to access
the network license:
You have two options for telling network client machines how to find licenses on the license server:
1. Place a copy of the “license.dat” file in the FEMAP directory on the client
machine. FEMAP will extract the name of the license server from the license file,
and check out a license and run. The only drawback to this approach is that you
must remember to update every copy of the license file when you receive a new one
from Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. (updates, licensing
changes, etc.). To avoid this problem, you can type in the full network path to the
License File in the “License File” field used below for HostName/IP Address loca-
tion of the license server.
2. Tell FEMAP the name or IP address of the License Server.
a. Start FEMAP
b. Go to Help - About - Security
c. In the “License File” field, enter the name of the license server, preceded by an
ampersand. In the example below, FEMAP is told to check out licenses from a network machine named PLSRV2:
d. In order for this machine name approach to work, the client computer must be able to see the license server computer via
TCP/IP networking. To verify this, you can open a Command Prompt and ping the license server. In this case, one would
type “ping PLSRV2”. The ping command will let you know if it can talk to the machine name indicated. If the client com-
puter cannot find the license server by its name, you can also enter the IP address of the license server, preceded by an
ampersand and licensing should also work.

Monitoring Network Usage

In a multi-user environment, sometimes you will not be able to get a license simply because all available licenses are in use.
You can find out who is using licenses, which computers they are using and when they started their license simply by going
to Help, About, and pressing the Security button. At the bottom of the dialog box you will find information that will give you
this information.
If you fail to get a license because none are available, you will not be able to work in FEMAP. You do not however, have to
leave FEMAP. You can simply stay there and periodically try a command. Whenever a license becomes available it will be
assigned to you and your command will succeed. If there are still no licenses available, you will simply get a message that
says try again later.

Copying FEMAP from one machine to another

In previous versions, the FEMAP directory created from a proper installation could simply be copied from one machine to
another, then with the proper licensing, could be run on the new machine. For FEMAP 11 and above, there are some addi-
tional steps which must be done in order for a copied version of FEMAP to be able to run.

Note: You must have Administrator privileges on the machine FEMAP is being copied to in order to complete
this additional step.

First, you will need to run “vcredist_x86.exe”, then also run a 64-bit version of the executable called “vcredist_x64.exe”.
You need to run both because FEMAP still uses some 32-bit applications. Additional redistributable executables may need
to be run on certain operating systems.
 Starting FEMAP 2-9

Next, you must start FEMAP using the “Run as Administrator” option available by right-mouse clicking on the “femap.exe”
file. Running FEMAP from an Administrator account is typically not sufficient to properly write to the registry.
Finally, using a DOS prompt, navigate to the FEMAP install directory, then type:
femap/register
...then press Enter. This will fully resister the application on this machine. This only needs to be done once, then FEMAP
should run normally and API capabilities will be available.

Starting FEMAP
There are several command line options to launch FEMAP. The simplest method to launch FEMAP is to create a shortcut for
FEMAP on your desktop and double-click the icon when you want to launch FEMAP. This will use the command line con-
tained under the shortcut to launch FEMAP. You can modify this command line by right-clicking on the FEMAP icon,
selecting properties, and changing the command line option on the shortcut.
The command line will contain the executable (and its path). After the femap.exe, there are several options which may be
used to determine the mode in which FEMAP will operate. A list of these command line options are provided below.
c:\FEMAPv###\femap.exe [-R] [-NEU] [-NOSPL] [-D dxf_file] [-N neu_file]

[-PRG program_file] [-SE Solid Edge_file] [-NX nx_file] [-L port] [-SAT sat_file]

[-XMT x_t file] [-SCA scale_factor] [-IGES iges_file] [-NX nx_file] [modfile or ?]

where all of the arguments in [ ] are optional command line parameters. They are:

The remaining parameters can be specified in any order.

-R Read Only Mode. With this option set, the Save, Save As and Timed Save commands are
disabled. You will not be able to save changes to any model you access. All other com-
mands remain active. Any changes you make will be made in the temporary scratch file,
and will be lost when you exit FEMAP.

-NEU Automatically writes a neutral file with the same name (just .NEU extension) as your
.modfem file every time you save a model. In addition, when you open a model, if a neu-
tral file exists with a newer date than the model, it will be read.

-NOSPL Starts FEMAP without the splash screen.

-D dxf_file This option automatically reads the specified DXF file when you start FEMAP. Make sure
you leave at least one space between the two arguments.

-N neu_file This option automatically reads the specified FEMAP neutral file when you start FEMAP.

-PRG program_file This option allows you to run a specified FEMAP program file (*.PRO or *.PRG file)
when FEMAP is started.

-SE Solid Edge_file Automatically creates a new FEMAP file and calls the File, Import Geometry command to
read the Solid Edge part file (*.prt file) or assembly file (*.asm file). When you use
FEMAP with this command option, you will see the Solid Model Read Options dialog
box, which will contain the title of the solid model file contained in the SAT file.

-NX nx_file Automatically creates a new FEMAP file and calls the File, Import Geometry command
to read the NX part file (*.prt file) or assembly file (*.asm file). When you use
FEMAP with this command option, you may see a dialog box asking “OK to Adjust
Geometry Scale Factor to Match Value from Part File? If you do not adjust, the scale fac-
tor you selected will be used”

-SAT sat_file Automatically creates a new FEMAP file and calls the File, Import Geometry command to
read the ACIS solid model file *.SAT file [sat_file]. When you use FEMAP with this com-
mand option, you will see the Solid Model Read Options dialog box, which will contain
the title of the solid model file contained in the SAT file.
 2-10 Installation and Configuration

-XMT xmt_file Automatically creates a new FEMAP file and calls the File, Import, Geometry command
to read the Parasolid solid model file *.X_T file [xmt_file]. When you use FEMAP with
this command option, you will see the Solid Model Read Options dialog box which will
contain the title of the solid model file contained in the X_T file.

-L port Specifies the parallel port where the FEMAP security device has been installed. This is not
typically needed unless FEMAP has difficulty accessing the device. If you want to attach
the security device to parallel port 1 (LPT1:), use -L 1, for parallel port 2 (LPT2:) use -L 2.
If your system is non-standard, or uses some other parallel port convention, you can spec-
ify the actual parallel port address. For example, if your parallel port was at address
03BCH (hexadecimal), you would convert the address to a decimal value, in this case 956,
and specify -L 956.

If you need to specify the -L option, you can change the default command line associated
with the FEMAP icon on the Desktop by selecting Properties. First, right-click on the
FEMAP icon. Then choose the File, Properties command (or press Alt+Enter). Move
down to the command line option, and just add the appropriate -L options. From then on
FEMAP will look for the security device on the specified port.

-SCA scale_value This option is used in conjunction with the -XMT and -SAT to specify a scale factor for
the solid model. If this option is used, FEMAP will automatically import and scale the
solid model. The Solid Model Read Options dialog box will not be shown.

-IGES iges_file Automatically creates a new FEMAP file and calls the File, Import, Geometry command
to read the file [iges_file]. When you use FEMAP with this command option, you will see
the IGES Read Options dialog box, where you can specify options for reading the file.

-JT jt_file Automatically creates a new FEMAP file and calls the File, Import, Geometry command
to read the file [jt_file]. When you use FEMAP with this command option, the JT file
will be imported without user interaction.

- INI filename Specify a specific femap.ini file to use. The femap.ini file contains specific options which
can be used to customize many aspects of the program, such as a specific set of values for
File, Preferences.

model_file Normally FEMAP will start with a new, unnamed model. If model_file is the filename of
an existing model however, FEMAP will start using that model. If the file does not exist,
you will see an error message, and FEMAP will start a new model with that name.

? If you add a question mark to the command line instead of specifying a model name,
FEMAP will automatically display the standard file access dialog box and ask you for the
name of the model that you want to use. If you want to begin a new model, just press New
Model or the Escape key. When you want to work on an existing model, just choose it
from the dialog box, or type its name.

You should never specify both the ? and model_file options.

Errors Starting FEMAP

Security Device Not Found
Symptom:
You see an error indicating that the security device cannot be found.
 Errors Starting FEMAP 2-11

Resolution:
Go to Section 3.2.1, "Security Device", and confirm all steps have been followed. Try to run FEMAP again.
Choose Server or File
Symptom:
If you are attempting to start a network client and see the Error dialog box from FEMAP, FLEXlm cannot find a valid
license file.

Resolution:
Press Cancel in this dialog box. Pick Help, About, Security to define the location of the license file, as instructed above in
Section 3.3.3, "Configuring Network Client Machines"
Unable to get license error message

LM_LICENSE_FILE Environment variable message:

LM_LICENSE_FILE environment variable defined. It overrides all license file paths, and if it points to a license for a differ-
ent product, it will cause this licensing failure. You must either redefine or remove this definition, or merge your license file
with the one specified.
This error will ONLY occur when the environment variable LM_LICENSE_FILE has been set. For example, this environ-
ment variable may have been set by another application for licensing purposes. Be careful when removing or altering this
environment variable as it may cause other applications to no longer function properly.
Other Error Messages
Symptom:
If you receive an “Unable to access {directory path}. Either this directory does not exist or you do not have proper permis-
sions. Check the directory and your preferences” error or have any other difficulty starting FEMAP where abnormal termi-
nation occurs, you either do not have enough disk space, or your Windows TEMP is not set to a valid, accessible directory.
Resolution:
You may either change your Windows TEMP directory environment variable, or specify a path for the FEMAP scratch files
(which default to the Windows TEMP directory set by the environment variable) to a valid directory.
 2-12 Installation and Configuration

This and all other FEMAP preferences are stored in a file called femap.ini that is typically located in the FEMAP executable
directory. You will have to create this file or modify it to include the appropriate lines as shown below:
DISKMODELSCR=C:\FEMAP114
where C:\FEMAP114 can be any valid path. The DISKMODELSCR parameter is case sensitive and must be defined exactly
as above. Once you make these changes and FEMAP starts, you can use the File, Preferences, Database command to mod-
ify this path.

Improving Performance (RAM Management)

FEMAP determines the amount of available memory a machine and sets it to a default level automatically (20%).
FEMAP performance may improve on Windows personal workstations by modifying the default settings that FEMAP uses
to manage RAM. To view or change these settings, use the File, Preferences command, then click the “Database” tab.

Database Performance
These options control how FEMAP uses your computer’s RAM. Setting these properly can greatly improve performance.

Database Memory Limit

The Database Memory Limit sets the maximum amount of system memory that FEMAP will use to hold parts of your model
and results in memory. If your model is larger than the amount of memory that you choose, FEMAP will automatically read
data from your disk as it is needed, replacing data that is not being used. While this “Swapping” process can slow down
overall performance, it does let you work with much larger models than would otherwise fit into your available memory.
The Database Memory Limit DOES NOT control the total amount of memory that FEMAP will be using. FEMAP uses
memory for many different operations – this is just one of them. Almost every command temporarily uses some small
amount of additional memory. Some commands, like meshing, node merging and reading results can temporarily use fairly
significant amounts of memory. Other operations, like loading large amounts of data into the Data Table require memory for
a longer period of time – in this case as long as the data is in the table. Finally, the largest use of additional memory, and one
which normally persists the entire time you have a model open is for drawing your model. For optimal performance,
FEMAP uses OpenGL graphics, and keeps copies of the data to be drawn in memory at all times. You must always have suf-
ficient free memory available for all of these uses, or the operations will not be able to execute properly. In the very worst
case scenario, running out of memory could cause FEMAP to crash. It is for this reason that the default Database Memory
Limit is set fairly low – 20% of the memory in your computer (The 32-bit version is also restricted by the 2 GByte limit for
any program). This does not mean that you can not increase the limit beyond its default, but the further into the yellow and
red zones you push the slider, you are increasing the chance of running out of memory.

Note: Changing the Database Memory Limit does not change the amount of memory used for the current session.
For this selection to take effect, you must exit and restart FEMAP.

Using the Control

The slider control allows you to choose the amount of memory to use for the database. Move the slider to the left to reduce
the limit, to the right to increase it. As you move the slider, the memory limit is updated and displayed above the slider.

The colored bar below the slider gives you an indication of the risk of running out of memory if you use this setting. The
yellow and red regions should be used with caution since there is a good chance of causing problems with other operations
like meshing and graphics. The small line along the top edge of the green section indicates the default memory limit. It is
simply displayed to make it easy for you to go back to that limit if you try other settings. The blue bar along the bottom edge
indicates the amount of memory that the database is currently using.
With this option, you are simply setting the maximum amount of memory available for the database. If you are working with
a smaller model, FEMAP will not use memory that it does not need and the blue bar will not extend the entire way to the
 Max Cached Label 2-13

slider setting. If you look at this control with an empty model, or if you have a small model and a large amount of memory
in your system, the blue bar may not be visible – because it is too short to be seen along the bar.

Max Cached Label

Sets the largest label that FEMAP will reserve memory for. This option must be set to an ID higher than any entity in the
model. Default value is 5,000,000 for 32-bit FEMAP and 99,999,999 for 64-bit FEMAP.

Blocks/Page
This value sets the “page” size. The optimum setting of this number often depends on the speed of your disk and controller.

Note: The default value of “4” was determined via testing to produce the best performance over a wide range
of values for Database Memory Limit and using the default settings for a number of different types of
disk drives. You may want to try other values from 1 to 15 if you have changed any speed/caching set-
tings on your drive or have “high-speed” drives to determine if performance is improved.

For more information, see Section 3.4.2, “Improving Performance (RAM Management)” in the FEMAP User Guide.

Licensing Conversion Methods

Please read this section very carefully before changing your licensing method. If you are going to convert your licensing
method you MUST HAVE FEMAP AND Simcenter NASTRAN CLOSED (not running) before you use the files described
below.
You can change your licensing method (i.e., from using a security key to using a network license) using specific “batch”
files located in the FEMAP directory. The files are named “go_licensing method”.bat and require minimum user input to
change your licensing method. In general, the “go” batch files change your current “auth_###.dll” to use the appropriate
licensing method (auth_licensing method.dll) and may create or alter some other required files. FEMAP will open a “com-
mand prompt” and let you know if the conversion of the auth_###.dll has been successful. The various “go” files are
explained in greater detail below:
• go_apionly.bat - converts your current licensing method to the “API Only” version of FEMAP
• go_demo.bat - converts your current licensing method to the FEMAP Node-Limited Demonstration version.
• go_dongle.bat - converts your current licensing method to use a security key.
• go_network.bat - converts your current licensing method to use the FLEXlm Network Client

Initialization and Configuration Files

Please read this section very carefully, as FEMAP versions 2019.1 and above use a dramatically different methodology com-
pared to versions 12.0.1 and earlier to locate two configuration files, “FEMAP.INI” and “CONFIG.INI”. Finding
FEMAP.INI and CONFIG.INI are independent of the licensing method and apply to all installations. In addition to these
files however, if FlexLM licensing is being used, Nastran needs to find the FlexLM license file independently of FEMAP.
This is accomplished by the auth_fx.dll which is launched by Nastran. For other licensing methods, Nastran launches those
DLLs but there is no need to find a .INI or license file.

Locating the “FEMAP.INI” file

FEMAP will attempt to find the “FEMAP.INI” file in this order:
1. -INI command line argument
2. FEMAP.INI environment variable
3. User Directory
If no FEMAP.INI is found, as will be typical for the first run by any user, then a default one that was created during install
will be copied from the FEMAP install directory. This allows any localization or other settings to be propagated to every
user. Currently this file must be called “LOCAL.INI”, but is copied to “FEMAP.INI” in the User Directory.
This update was also applied to the Borrow utility. It uses the same approach to find the FEMAP.INI file.
 2-14 Installation and Configuration

Locating the “CONFIG.INI” file

FEMAP will attempt to find the “CONFIG.INI” file in this order:
1. User Directory
2. FEMAP Install Directory
CONFIG.INI is created in the FEMAP Install Directory during installation and is never edited/changed. The User Directory
is only provided so someone with no access to the FEMAP Install Directory can override the original settings.
Nastran will take the following approaches to find a FlexLM license.
Search order for Subscription licensing is as follows:
1. ESP_LICENSE_FILE environment variable
2. LICENSE.DAT in the Auth DLL (FEMAP Install) directory
Search order for all other licensing is as follows:
1. ESP_LICENSE_FILE environment variable
2. From the FEMAP.INI file located by the FEMAP_INI environment variable
3. From the FEMAP.INI in the User Directory
4. From the FEMAP.INI in the Auth DLL (FEMAP Install) directory
5. LICENSE.DAT in the Auth DLL (FEMAP Install) directory
If Nastran is launched from FEMAP, the FEMAP_INI environment variable will always be set to the FEMAP.INI file that is
being used, no matter how it was located. This variable is passed through the inherited environment that Nastran receives
when it is launched. So, options #3, #4, #5 are only used if Nastran is launched manually outside of FEMAP. In this case, if
the default FEMAP.INI files remain in the default location, then #3 should allow users to find their FEMAP.INI file with no
further setup.

Performing a Silent Installation of Femap

Femap uses InstallShield for package deployment, so standard InstallShield command line syntax may be used to install a
new, modify an existing, or uninstall an existing Femap installation. The basic process for any silent installation is to manu-
ally run the installation procedure in order to create a response file, then replay that response file on the target computer.
To perform a silent installation:
1. From the command line, run:
setup.exe /r
Proceed with the installation as-normal using the on-screen prompts. Any modification to the setup will be recorded
during this step. When the installation is complete, a file “setup.iss” file will have been created in C:\Windows\. To over-
ride the default save location for the setup.iss file, use the /f1 option as shown below:
setup.exe /r /f1“c:\my_directory\setup.iss”
2. On the target computer, copy the setup.iss file to the same location as “setup.exe” and from the command line, run:
setup.exe /s
The setup will continue in headless mode using the same options as specified in step 1. Should the installation complete
successfully, a “etup.log” file will have been created in the same directory as “setup.exe” that contains the line “Result-
Code=0”
As with the recording step, an alternate location may be specified for the response file using the /f1 option. Additionally,
the /f2 option may also be used to specify an alternate log file location.
Note that any additional command line parameters that are specified when recording that affect the installation (such as the /
z or /v command options) will also be specified during playback. Likewise, additional command line parameters that affect
the installation that are specified during playback must have been specified during the initial record.
To perform a silent uninstallation, simply add the /x parameter. Otherwise, the process is the same as performing a silent
installation.
 Femap Product Excellence Program 2-15

1. Record uninstall: setup.exe /x /r

2. Playback uninstall: setup.exe /x /s
Additional information on InstallShield command line parameters can be found here:
https://helpnet.flexerasoftware.com/installshield22helplib/helplibrary/IHelpSetup_EXECmdLine.htm?

Femap Product Excellence Program

Privacy Statement
The Product Excellence Program helps Siemens Digital Industries Software understand how customers use our products and
assists us in improving our products. The program is anonymous and participation is voluntary.
The Product Excellence Program is designed to protect the privacy of the user and the intellectual property created through
the use of Siemens Digital Industries Software products.
No proprietary or personally identifiable information is collected. This data is solely for the use of Siemens Digital
Industries Software to improve our products and is never shared with a third party.

How to manage participation

Participation settings may be found in FEMAP under the Help, Femap Product Excellence menu. Participation settings are
recorded on an individual user basis.

Examples of data is NOT collected

This is not a comprehensive list of the type of data collected, but rather a broad example of the type of information that is not
collected. As previously stated, at no time is any proprietary or personally identifiable information collected.
• No model data is collected, including, but not limited to: Material Properties; Properties; Nodal and elemental attributes,
such as locations or IDs
• No user-entered values are collected
• No results data is collected
• No preferences with character values, such as library names, are collected
• No directory structures are collected
• No user-identifiable information is collected
• No serial numbers are collected
There is no contact information in the data and Siemens Digital Industries Software will not contact you by phone or email
as a result of the data collected.

What data is collected?

Various usage metrics are gathered, ranging from machine information to individual command usage, in order to provide
quantitative data that will be used to determine future FEMAP enhancements and new functionality. Quantitative analytics
data are intended to complement qualitative data (such as enhancement requests, user engagement events, etc) used for
development planning purposes and not intended to supplant it.
This table lists examples of Data that will be collected and how FEMAP Development plans to use the information:

Data Collected How That Information is Used

Machine Information
• CPU, RAM, GPU
By having a better understanding of the type of hardware used in
• Operating System version
the field, FEMAP can be optimized for the majority of hardware
• Graphics information including
configurations. Additionally, determining the adoption of new
resolution
technologies, such as touch, can prioritize support.
• Number of monitors, touch points,
stylus, etc
 2-16 Installation and Configuration

Data Collected How That Information is Used

Program-Specific Information Version usage and license type (no serial numbers) gives us
• FEMAP Version insight into how FEMAP is deployed, including adoption rate.
• License Type (no serial numbers) This can help determine optimal release timing and release
cadence.
User Preferences User preferences will provide data about the most popular settings
and/or the most changed settings. This data can be used to update
preference defaults and improve the out-of-box experience.

Note: No preference data containing any character values (i.e,

directories or filenames) are collected.
Command History Command history provides insights into which are our most-used
and least-used commands, as well as which ones are undone most
frequently. This can help allocate development resources as well
as place emphasis on areas requiring additional user training
Pane and Toolbox Usage How are panes and toolboxes used, and how are they used when
duplicate menu functionality exists
Geometry Translators Used Determine which geometry translators are the most frequently
used in FEMAP. This can help determine which translators may
require additional development resources for functionality such as
geometry manipulation and cleanup.
Analysis Translators Used
Determine which solvers and solutions are most frequently used
• Solver
by FEMAP users and help direct development resources.
• Solution Sequences
Neutral File Writes Neutral writes provide information on how often neutral files are
used to transfer model data between versions. This data can be
used to enhance inter-version interoperability.

Future Disclosure
Future releases of FEMAP will include information in the documentation about how data from the Femap Product Excel-
lence program was used to help shape product direction and improve the user experience

Release Management and Service Bulletins

Important information regarding current and future releases of FEMAP is often distributed electronically by Siemens PLM
Software. To subscribe to the various mailing lists, please use the following link:
https://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/support/gtac/email-subscription.shtml