Menus

File

Open...
Load model / analysis settings from a file

Save
Save model / analysis settings to a file (if filename has not already been specified the user will be prompted to choose one)

Save As...
Save model / analysis settings to a file (with file selection dialog)

Save Results
Save model / analysis settings and results, including images, to a file (can be viewed in SonoAnalyzer Free)

Reset model

Set all dimensions to the model defaults. In the case of multiple-component models (SonoAnalyzer Pro only) this will open a dialog allowing the user to specify:

• Reset current part
• Reset all parts
• Remove all parts (start again from scratch)

Export
Operations for saving data in formats suitable for transfer to other applications

Model image / animation
Save the sonotrode image displayed or downloaded in .gif format (animated if the image is animated)

Update
Connect to gateway server to update program parameters

Update data sources
Check online for new models (runs automatically on startup)

Update model data
Check online for detailed information (ranges) about any new models (runs automatically on startup)

Update material data
Check online for new preset materials (runs automatically on startup)

Update managed Pro servers (only for SonoAnalyzer Pro)
Check online for Pro finite element analysis servers. These are set up automatically based on your subscription.

Exit
Close the SonoAnalyzer application.

Options

Dimensions
Radio buttons: Control the units used in all dimensions and material properties. Presets are:

SI
Use SI units (kg, m, s, N/m²)

Metric
Use convenient metric units (kg, mm, s, GPa)

Imperial
Use imperial units (lb, in, psi)

Recalculate
Radio buttons: Control how analysis / calculation is triggered. Options are:

Automatic
Analyse automatically after every change of dimensions / materials. Only recommended for local database lookups ("free" analyses).

Auto for local analyses
As above but will change to "On request" for non-local analyses (recommended)

On request
Only analyse when the Recalculate button is clicked.

Enable animation
Controls when to turn on the animated mode-shape in the 3D visualisation panel. Options are:

On recalculate
Checkbox: Turn on animation as results become available.

On mode change
Checkbox: Turn on animation when a vibration mode is selected.

Show deprecated models
Controls whether deprecated (obselete) models are shown in the Analysis tab. Normally not shown but available if required to test older models. If a saved model file is loaded that uses a deprecated model, this setting is ignored and the model is shown anyway.

Cache
Introduced at version 1.3, this controls how analysis results are cached locally. Options are:

Enable
Checkbox to enable / disable the local cache. Enabled is default and recommended unless any problem is encountered.

Clear
Delete old cached files to save disk space or for confidentiality.

Connection settings
Opens a dialog box for entering proxy server information (server name or IP address, port number, optional username and password). If your computer is behind a corporate firewall and you have  a proxy server in your web browser connection settings you will need to use the same settings here. From version 1.4.1 the additional option: "Use system browser" has been added. Choose this (experimental) setting to have SonoAnalyzer connect through your own browser. The settings dialog is also available on initial activation by clicking the "Connection settings" button in the registration window.

Display

Animated
Checkbox: Enable / disable animation of the mode shape in the 3D visualization panel. Even if checked, the animation will only display if results have been calculated for the model. After any dimensions / material properties are changed, results (and animation) will not be available until the new analysis is done.

Frame stepping
Checkbox: Enable / disable stepping thgough the animation frames. If animation is active then checking this will freeze the motion at a single frame.

Frame advance
Advance the animation by one frame (only used with Frame stepping above).

Animation speed
Change the speed of animation (options Fast, Medium, Slow).

Show grid
Checkbox: Enable / disable a grid display on the model surface in the 3D visualization. This helps to clarify the distorted shape for mode identification. For all SonoAnalyzer OE models the grid spacing is arbitrary and does not represent the elements of the FEA. For SonoAnalyzer Pro models shown as "#3" (gold or red coloured icons), the grid does represent the Finite Element mesh.

Show fixed grid
Checkbox: Enable / disable a grid display corresponding to the original, undeformed model surface in the 3D visualization. For some vibration modes this can help to clarify the distorted shape for mode identification. Can be used with or without the main grid option (above) which displays the grid deformed along with the model.

Use lighting
Checkbox: Enable / disable simulated lighting effects (highlights and shadows) on the model surface in the 3D visualization.

Distortion scale
Radio buttons: Increase / decrease the amount of distortion applied to the animation of the model, as a percentage of the default value. Distortion is in any case greatly exaggerated compared to the real amplitude.

Reset display
Return the display to initial defaults for zoom, model orientation and centering.

High-res (SonoAnalyzer Pro #3 models only)
Checkbox to enable an enhanced display on the later SonoAnalyzer Pro models. Normally on (checked) but turning it off will speed up the redraw. This should only be needed with very large models or slow processors.

Sectional display (SonoAnalyzer Pro #3 models only)
Show the sonotrode in cross-section - useful for profiled hole designs. Options are On, Off, Auto (default). Set to Auto the profiled view will be enabled whenever the hole design tab is selected (SonoAnalyzer Pro hollow models only).

FEA
Actions available in addition to the basic online FEA analysis. These all relate to the specific mode of vibration currently selected and will be unavailable (greyed out) until results are available. SonoAnalyzer Free includes a limited version of this labelled "FEA-demo", in which results are available only if they have previously been requested on SonoAnalyzer OE or Pro and included in the saved results file.

Download .gif animation
View mode-shape animated image generated directly by the FEA post-processor

Download displacement plot (version 1.1.0 onwards)
View mode-shape as a contour plot of displacement magnitude. Image generated directly by the FEA post-processor

Download axial displacement plot (version 1.1.0 onwards)
For axial models only, view contour plot of axial component of displacement. Image generated directly by the FEA post-processor

Download stress plot (version 1.1.0 onwards)
View a contour plot of Von-Mises stress due to vibration. Image generated directly by the FEA post-processor

Pro

SonoAnalyzer Free includes a limited version of this menu labelled "Pro-demo", with some options unavailable. SonoAnalyzer Free can display results saved from SonoAnalyzer Pro and re-run the calculations if a FEA server has been set up but changes to geometry, materials or analysis options are not possible.

FEA Server(s)
Opens a dialog window for finite-element analysis server setup. Available servers are shown in tabs. On the first program run a server will be selected automatically according to your subscription. If you prefer to set up your own FEA server, either locally on your machine or elsewhere, this is where you will set the connection details for SonoAnalyzer Pro to use it.

View console
Opens a new tab next to the "Model" graphics tab and any other downloaded graphics. The new tab shows the commands sent from SonoAnalyzer Pro to the analysis server and the responses received. Mainly for diagnostics.

Options
Opens a dialog window for various general settings specific to SonoAnalyzer Pro. Options include:

• Show only Pro models:
  Exclude OE models from the list on the Analysis tab.

• Open PostProcessor graphic window in tab or browser:
  SonoAnalyzer Pro offers direct access to the FEA postprocessor for examining results. This controls whether the display opens in a graphics tab within SonoAnalyzer or in the user's own browser. Using a graphics tab is default but the browser option may be more reliable in certain cases.
• Browser command:
  If the browser option (above) is selected, this is the command that will be run (defaults to a typical location for Microsoft Internet Explorer.)
• Redraw delay (s):
  For Pro #3 models the redraw process involves creating and meshing the finite-element model. This is slower than earlier models where the redraw was done locally, but allows for much more complex shapes. To alleviate the speed issue, redraws do not happen instantly for every geometry change the user makes; instead a timer counts down and triggers a redraw when it reaches zero. This setting controls the initial value of that timer, and hence the delay before a redraw. Redraws can also be triggered manually by clicking the "Recalculate" button (bottom right of the SonoAnalyzer window), which is renamed "Redraw" during the countdown period.
• Number of modes:
  The number of modes to extract during finite-element analysis. The default is 30 but this may need to be increased for larger models or where high frequency harmonics are of interest. See also the discussion of minimum and maximum frequency and constraints, below.
• Min frequency (Hz):
  The minimum frequency for modes to be extracted. This is used mainly to eliminate rigid-body modes (nominal zero frequency). The default is 50Hz, which should not normally need to be changed.
• Max frequency (Hz):
  The maximum frequency for modes to be extracted (default blank - no maximum). Setting a value will prevent higher-frequency modes from being included in the results so may speed up the analysis slightly. Note however that the number of modes set above takes priority - this must always be set high enough to calculate modes within the frequency range of interest. The maximum frequency setting can only reduce the number of modes extracted, not increase it.
• Add constraints:
  Constraining the model prevents certain movements and eliminates some vibration modes from the results. It can be useful to do this particularly for very large models (typically multi-component models) with a huge number of resonant frequencies. In these cases the default number of modes (30) will only extract lower-frequency resonances that may fall well below the frequency range of interest, and increasing the number of modes sufficiently may be impractical because of excessive analysis time or resources. Options are:
  No constraints - sonotrode is completely free to move in any direction; all modes of vibration are permitted.
  Constrain torsion - sonotrode is constrained on a single plane along its axis. Axial, bending and most radial modes are permitted; torsional modes notably are excluded.
  Constrain torsion and bending - sonotrode is constrained on two perpendicular planes along its axis. Axial and some radial modes are permitted; torsional, bending and some radial modes are excluded.
  
  Use the constraint options with caution. They can be useful for focusing on vibration modes of particular interest but they also present the risk of failing to detect an unwanted mode of vibration.

Help

About
Display a confirmation dialog showing the software version number.

Manual
The latest version of the full SonoAnalyzer manual is here on this website. This menu item provides a local copy.

Terms
SonoAnalyzer is supplied under these terms and license conditions, which must be agreed to on initial activation. This menu item displays the terms that have been agreed.

Reactivate license
In the event that you need to move your licensed program to another computer, you may see a red status message indicating that the the license requires re-activation. This menu option opens the activation dialog as seen on the first run, allowing you to register again with your unique license number or upgrade a demo to the full version.