CEI is releasing Ensight CFD 2.0, a computational fluid dynamics package that features volume rendering and session files. In addition there is now a Cocoa Mac version and CEI has created a new dedicated website for Ensight CFD. However, another interesting addition to Ensight CFD 2.0 is a free version. This has some limits in file size (relating to the number of elements), does not read all of the same data formats, and has a small watermark on the screen; other than that and a lack of access to personal support, the free version is comparable to the paid version.
CEI did not have to make a free version to appeal to its current Ensight user base since it is possible to run Ensight CFD using a current installation and license of Ensight, for no additional cost. In fact Ensight CFD is not targeted at current Ensight customers.
Ensight CFD lags behind classic Ensight versions such as the Lite, Standard and Gold versions, as well as DR in terms of high-end features such as batch mode, client-server, python scripting, command window, variable field calculator, keyframe animation and more. But Ensight CFD is said to be comparable with or better than other applications that have been at the lower level of capability to classic Ensight.
By introducing the free Ensight CFD 2.0 package, CEI is aiming to serve the complete market for CFD post-processing, from students and inexperienced users to experts with supercomputing facilities.
For more information, visit www.ensightcfd.com
