Why Metafor?
The same finite element models (in other words: the same input files) can be run either with fossils or with Metafor.
Metafor is a in-house finite element code dedicated to the simulation of nonlinear thermomechanical problems including large strains, large displacements, contact, complex material behaviours, etc). It has been developed for the last 30 years in the laboratory of Jean-Philippe Ponthot at the University of Liège.
Obviously, Metafor is also able to solve linear-statics problems like fossils does. Today Metafor solutions are compared to simple linear-statics codes such as fossils. Tomorrow, Metafor will be used to enhance the current models with non-linearities (contact, heterogeneous nonlinear materials, large displacements, nonlinear loads, etc.).
As an example, here is a tentative simulation of a bite scenario where the boundary conditions have been slightly improved: a tooth is not randomly chosen and fixed along a fixed direction as it is usually done to model the contact with the food. Instead of this traditional approach, the food is modelled as a cylinder and contact is simulated between the food and the teeth.
Getting the software
Contrary to fossils, Metafor is not an open source program and it is not freely available on the internet. However it can be easily obtained for research purpose by sending an e-mail to r.boman@uliege.be.
Running the simulations with Metafor
Copy this repository to your hard-drive either by downloading a big zip file or by using git:
git clone https://gitlab.uliege.be/rboman/fossils.gitThe repository is very big (several gigabytes), thus be patient!
Run Metafor and select the fossils/models folder as "base directory".
Then, select the file to be run (e.g. dolicorhynchops/dolicorhynchops_10k.py). Right-click on the file and select "Load" from the context menu.
Finally press the "Play" button in the top left corner of the window to start the numerical simulation.
After a few seconds, the results are displayed in the output window:
Metafor: Successful run.
User CPU : 5.89s
Real CPU : 6.25s
[TSC-STP] Number of steps : 1
[TSC-ITE] Number of mech. iterations : 4
[TSC-INW] Internal energy : 95.2828
[TSC-EXW] Work of external forces : 95.285
[TSC-CPU] User CPU Time : 5.89062
[TSC-REA] Real CPU Time : 6.247
[TSC-KER] Kernel CPU Time : 0.8125
[TSC-MEM] Peak Memory [Kb] : 380304
[TSC-EXT] axis_pt1_Fx : 61.4872
[TSC-EXT] axis_pt1_Fy : -0.717979
[TSC-EXT] axis_pt1_Fz : -44.4267
[TSC-EXT] axis_pt2_Fx : 50.7574
[TSC-EXT] axis_pt2_Fy : 0
[TSC-EXT] axis_pt2_Fz : -31.3744
[TSC-EXT] Lmuscle_Fx : -64.9142
[TSC-EXT] Lmuscle_Fy : -65.4032
[TSC-EXT] Lmuscle_Fz : 38.8402
[TSC-EXT] Rmuscle_Fx : -65.2811
[TSC-EXT] Rmuscle_Fy : 66.123
[TSC-EXT] Rmuscle_Fz : 36.9612
[TSC-EXT] contact_pts_Fx : 17.9505
[TSC-EXT] contact_pts_Fy : 0
[TSC-EXT] contact_pts_Fz : 0A graphical window shows the mesh and the Von Mises equivalent stress field.
