-------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- Sim4Life V8.2.0 Release Notes -------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- Release Date: 14.11.2024 Sim4Life V8.2.0 brings significant improvements to enhance your simulation experience and make Sim4Life more user-friendly and efficient. Key updates include: - Electrostimulation Models: Four parameterized contact impedance models are now available which can be integrated with excitation pulses applied to neuron or thermal simulations. - New Implant Routing Tools: Introducing the Routing Tool for simulating diverse implant paths and the Check Wire Path tool for visualizing tissue traversal by color-coding spline segments. - Predefined Anatomical Postures: Easy access to predefined postures for common scenarios (standing, sitting, driving, etc.) with customizable models for exposure and in-use simulations. - Examples Suite: Introduced a new suite of Python notebooks tailored to specific applications, showing step-by-step how to fully exploit the capabilities of our Modeling tools. - Python upgrade to version 3.11.9. This document summarizes the features, modules, enhancements, known bugs, and other important issues to be aware of in this release. -------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE OF CONTENTS -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Installation Requirements 2. Supported OS 3. New Features & Enhancements 3.1. Modeling 3.2. Simulation 3.3. Analysis 3.4. ViP & ViZoo 3.5. Python 3.6. Interface 3.7. IMAnalytics 4. List of Main Bugs (Selection) Fixed Since Last Release 5. Known Issues -------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Installation Requirements -------------------------------------------------------------------- - Administrator rights are required during the installation process. - NVIDIA graphics card, with support for OpenGL versions higher than v3.3. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Supported OS -------------------------------------------------------------------- - Windows 11 (64 bit, x64) - Windows 10 (64 bit, x64 - EOL) Acceleware libraries: - Deprecated library 11.1.13 Erbil: Uses CUDA 11.1 Supports: Kepler (K20) to Ampere (40 and RTX) architectures CUDA computing capability: sm_35 up to sm_86 - Current library 11.4.1 Funafuti: Uses CUDA 12.2 Supports: Maxwell 5.2 and 5.3 up to Ada L40, RTX Ada and Hopper H100 (No longer supports Kepler) CUDA computing capability: sm_50 up to sm_90 CUDA library: - Uses CUDA 11.8 Supports: Kepler (k20) to Ada/Hopper CUDA compute capability: sm_35 up to sm_9 Please note that only NVIDIA GPUs with CUDA Compute Capability 2.0 or higher are supported by both the Sim4Life CUDA and AXE solvers. For the CUDA-based solvers (CUDA P-EM-FDTD, P-THERMAL, P-ACOUSTICS), Sim4Life supports NVIDIA GPU models equipped with CUDA compute capability 3.5 up to 9.0, and requires device drivers that support the CUDA toolkit 11.0 and above. Note that NVIDIA may choose to discontinue certain drivers for specific operating systems, e.g., CUDA 11.0 drivers may not be available for Windows 8.1 for certain GPU series. In such a case, an update to Windows 10 or 11 may permit further usage of the GPU with Sim4Life. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. New Features & Enhancements -------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.1. Modeling - New Routing Tool: Assists users in defining implant routes in complex human anatomies by simulating diverse paths. It randomly creates multiple splines within an adjustable volume around a base spline. - Check Wire Path Tool: Provides a visual summary of an implant's route by color-coding spline segments to indicate the tissues traversed. - Poser Tool: Enables easy creation of realistic model setups with predefined postures from the ViP library. Users can then fine-tune these models using an interactive, biomechanics-based tool. - Interactive Move Tool: Enhanced performance for a smoother user experience. 3.2. Simulation - Material Database Selection: A warning is now displayed if the user selects a material from a different database than intended for the simulation. 3.3. Analysis - Electrostimulation Models: Sim4Life V8.2 includes four parameterized contact impedance models, each with adjustable parameters. These models can be integrated with excitation pulses for neuron or thermal simulations, functioning as temporal modulations of a low-frequency electric field. 3.4. ViP & ViZoo - Anatomical Models with Predefined Postures: New anatomical models include postures for common scenarios, such as standing, sitting, driving, and holding a phone. These models can be used as-is or customized to meet specific requirements for various in-use or exposure scenarios. 3.5. Python - Upgraded Python: Updated to version 3.11.9. - Huygens Exporter: Added to the Python API for enhanced functionality. - Python Tutorials: Introduced new tutorials for expanded learning resources. 3.6. Interface - User Interface Responsiveness: Enhanced interface responsiveness for a better user experience. - Models/Phantoms Menu: Provides easy access to extensive libraries of human and animal models from the ITIS Foundation, along with a phantoms database from SPEAG. Users can browse and import CAD models directly into Sim4Life V8.2. - Restructured Installation Folder: All Sim4Life folders are now organized under a new parent folder, ZMT, for improved organization. - Python Tutorials: Expanded in-application learning resources with detailed examples. - Documentation: Added quick access to context-relevant topics in the Manual from Sim4Life. 3.7. IMAnalytics - Revised manual and new API function documentation, easily accessible from the GUI. - GUI: Complete lead names are now shown in csv result files exported from the GUI, instead of only showing lead indices. - API: Routing name are no longer shown in limits plot titles (since scaling does not depend on routings). - API: Achieved B1+ for SAR limit operating modes can now be plotted for an arbitrary number of excitation vectors. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. List of Main Bugs Fixed Since V8.0.1 Release -------------------------------------------------------------------- - Case 171140: Resolved an issue with the Revolve tool. - Case 182596, 200376: Fixed an issue causing the SYSSIM tool settings view to disappear and corrected a broken link to the documentation within the tool. - Case 183587: Fixed unnecessary recalculations of normalization when switching between Analysis and Simulation tabs. - Case 188549: Resolved an issue where Field Normalization was unnecessarily recalculated after changes in slice views. - Case 195201: Fixed an issue with the psSAR Cubes Viewer failing to render cubes. - Case 195224: Resolved an issue causing vector field viewer arrows to be rendered as white. - Case 195648: Corrected an edge case with the Topological Voxeler that generated incorrect voxels due to unresolved thickness of metal parts. - Case 196264: Fixed an issue where evaluators were not updating correctly when copied from one Power Density Evaluator to another. - Case 196559: Fixed an issue allowing single port simulation sensor extractors to be connected to multiport simulation combiners. - Case 197615: Fixed an issue with the paths to EM LF multiport simulations not getting updated when moving files. - Case 198384: Resolved an issue causing Sim4Life to restart after being closed. - Case 199071: Fixed an issue with 2D plot legends not updating when switching between different plotted quantities. - Case 199129: Resolved a crash occurring when editing patches on unstructured meshes. - Case 199206: Fixed a crash when opening Sim4Life from the command line without the full path. -Case 199264: Fixed an issue where amplitude factor failed to be copied when a thermal stationary simulation is cloned as transient. - Case 200768: Fixed an issue preventing manual addition of voltage sensors in LF simulations. - Case 201211: Resolved a failure in ToPython for point sensors. - Case 201930: Updated sorting algorithms in the gridding engine for stability, correcting inconsistencies in grid line placement when multiple equivalent spacing points were present. - Case 205222: Fixed an issue with the Circuit Viewer in the MATCH tool not rendering correctly upon reopening. - Case 205296: Fixed an issue with the "Show Location" option in 2D plot extractions from slice viewers on unstructured meshes to preview the selected line. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. Known Issues -------------------------------------------------------------------- - Case 32807: Instability for some rare dispersive material configurations - Case 40481: Python memory usage occasionally still occupied after resetting analysis - Case 47035: Random problems in visualization of Dispersive Viewer - Case 54000: Random element appearing in Gridder - Case 61881: Rare issue with distribution of the simulation job to the GPUs when using CUDA - Case 86865: Job priorities may not correspond to the job execution - Case 98764: Potentially decreased accuracy in rare specific events for sensor combiner of Far-field sensor