Operating System:
Windows Kit Version:
107 (Kit App Template)
Kit Template:
USD Composer GPU Hardware:
40 series GPU Driver:
Latest
**Work Flow:**I need to designe grinding machine in ansys and performed structural analysis in mechanical. For the project requirement I would like to visualize the structural analysis results, including the contour plot, in NVIDIA USD Composer/issac sim.
**Main Issue:**Is it possible to convert a file (exported from ansys workbench) to a USD file and display the analysis results in NVIDIA USD Composer? what is the recommended workflow or tool should I use to achieve this?
Yes, it is possible, but there is no “one‑click” ANSYS→USD with stress contours today; the recommended path is to export your geometry and result fields from ANSYS, then build a USD (or USDZ) scene that encodes those fields as per‑vertex/per‑element attributes and visualize them in USD Composer/Isaac Sim.
1. Geometry: getting your grinding machine into USD
Omniverse’s recommended way to bring engineering/CAD data into USD is to use a connector or converter that outputs OpenUSD, such as the Omniverse CAD Converter or other USD Connections. catalog.ngc.nvidia
If your geometry stays in ANSYS format, you will first export to a CAD/mesh format ANSYS supports (e.g., STEP, Parasolid, STL) and then convert that into USD using an Omniverse connector or converter, or by using the OpenUSD/OpenUSD Exchange SDK in your own script. docs.omniverse.nvidia
So: step one is just “get the machine geometry into USD” via a CAD→USD route that fits your version of ANSYS and Omniverse.
2. Results: getting stress/strain fields out of ANSYS
ANSYS Mechanical lets you export solution data (nodal displacements, stresses, etc.) as tabular data; for example, you can use the “Results Summary” then “Export” option from the Solution branch to write result data to CSV or similar. innovationspace.ansys
You can also export nodal/time‑step results programmatically (e.g., via APDL or scripts) if you need full fields for each node/element. cfd-online
Your goal is to obtain a table that, for each node or element ID (consistent with the mesh you exported as geometry), contains the scalar or vector field you want to visualize (e.g., von Mises stress).
3. Building a USD scene that carries FEA fields
Once you have:
USD geometry (mesh) and
An external table of FEA values keyed by mesh topology
you can write a script (Python, using the USD API) or an Omniverse extension that:
Loads the USD mesh.
Attaches your FEA results as primvars (e.g., primvars:stressVonMises) on the mesh, with interpolation "vertex" or "faceVarying" depending on how you mapped the data.
Omniverse’s USD Connections/Exchange SDK is explicitly intended to help build such custom I/O solutions that map native data (like FEA results) into OpenUSD in a consistent way. docs.omniverse.nvidia
In USD Composer/Isaac Sim, you can then drive a material or a color‑by‑attribute shader from that primvar to produce a contour plot over the mesh (just like a classic FEA post‑processor, but rendered with RTX).
4. Recommended workflow at a high level
Export grinding machine geometry from ANSYS in a CAD/mesh format.
Convert geometry to USD using an Omniverse connector/converter (or a custom USD writer). catalog.ngc.nvidia
Export FEA results (stresses, displacements, etc.) from ANSYS as tabular data keyed by nodes/elements. innovationspace.ansys
Write a small pipeline (Python script or Omniverse extension) that:
Reads the table and matches IDs to the USD mesh topology.
Stores the fields as USD primvars on the mesh.
Optionally sets up a material/shader that visualizes those primvars as a color contour.
Open the resulting USD/USDZ in NVIDIA USD Composer or Isaac Sim and view the contour plot on the machine.