beta-version

[Roberto Brambilla <rlbrambilla@xxxxxxx>]

Dear Dave ( & FEMM-friends )

I have used your beta version of FEMM for some weeks and I enjoyed
it very much. I am using big FE packages for many years
and I know the heaviness of managing hundreds of commands,
the inflexibility in ordering the many steps in building the
geometry, the material properties, the mesh...
The lightness of yor programm is truly amazing.
Anyway I hope you will add some other (few!) useful commands
to improve the versatility of yor FEMM.
These are my suggestions that, I hope, require simple modifications.

GLOBAL : a command for a custom dafault settings (units, materials etc.).
Actually I use a template file.
GEOMETRY : commands for inserting points and lines by keyboard. In large
packages there are tens of this commands, most of them never used. Only two
commands are strictly enough (but unavoidable) for the model precision :
Point(x,y), and Line(x1,y1,x2,y2). 
RESULTS : similar Point and Line keyboard commands to read results and to
paste values to the clip-board for exporting. Actually it is possible to
paste only the field picture, but I need to export values to other programs
for successive elaborations.
Fine will be to have command to select the quantity I want the contour
lines (as in actual xy-plot). 

And now a little remark.
In frequency dependent problems, inserting point currents,
I insert peak value, i.e. Io for a varying current Io exp(jwt).
Reading the results for a selected point I find Bx, By, |B|.
I suppose again Bx exp(jwt), By exp(jwt).
Now your |B|=sqrt(|Bx|^2+|By|^2) and the time factor is cancelled
by conjugation. So it may be considered an "istantaneous constant modulus".
Usually we need the time averaged over a period so this value
has to be divided by sqrt(2). To avoid this external operation
I insert Ieff=Io/sqrt(2) as a point current. But in this case
I cannot suppose Ieff exp(jwt)! So it seems to me that the output
<|B|> = |B|/sqrt(2) and peak value insertion would be more clear.

Hoping for future improvements,
sincerly yours Roberto 
Roberto Brambilla
CESI
Via Rubattino 54
20134 Milano
tel +39.2.2125.875
fax +39.2.2125.610
rlbrambilla@xxxxxxx