SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation Component Explorer

A lesser-known feature in SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation that can help speed up the review of any thermal management models such as large electronics assembly models is the Component Explorer.

Why use the Component Explorer?

Use this feature to view a list of components where Flow Simulation features such as Volume Heat Source, SolidMaterials, PCB and two resistor components are defined. Not just beneficial for reviewing flow simulation models but you can also edit the specified features or define new ones.

The Component Explorer pane appears at the bottom of the screen and Flow Simulation will automatically start the scanning process to find components where solid materials, PCBs or volume heat sources are specified.

Component explorer pane

You can initiate the scan process after making any changes to your Flow study or interrupt the scan process using Stop. Depending upon what kind of features you want to display, there are few filter buttons that could be used as shown in the video above.