I’ve been quiet for a while, but for good reason—more on that later. Today, I’m sharing the messy, challenging, and surprisingly fulfilling path I took to learn commercial FEM software.

If you’re navigating the same struggles in your FEM software journey—confusing GUIs, cryptic errors, trial-and-error modeling—you’re not alone.

Phase 1: The “Click & Hope” Era

Like many beginners, I started with no real foundation. I blindly followed tutorials, clicked buttons, and prayed the mesh would run. I had no clue about the logic behind what I was doing.

It worked—sometimes. But more often, I was frustrated, stuck on errors I didn’t understand, and wasting hours on basic mistakes.

❗ Common beginner pain: GUI confusion, simulation errors, no theoretical base.

Phase 2: The Lifeline

At this point, I reached out to experts. Their help was fast and useful—but temporary. I fixed immediate problems, but deeper ones always came back.

Without a solid grasp of the fundamentals, every new task felt like reinventing the wheel.

✅ Lesson learned: Quick fixes aren’t enough without understanding theory.

Phase 3: Back to Basics

I finally decided to dive deep into the core of finite element theory and solid mechanics. It was tough, but it gave me clarity.

Then came the second mountain: coding. I learned Python scripting for automation, and tackled FORTRAN subroutines for advanced FEM models.

Even now, I believe the lack of good resources—especially for niche subroutines—is a real obstacle. (If only I had found **Lonny Thompson’s explanations sooner!)

🔍 Still a gap in the field: Clear guides for subroutines in FORTRAN and real-case Python integration.

Phase 4: The Validation Wall

Even after understanding theory and writing code, model validation remains a major challenge.

• How do you prove your model is right?

• What if you’re using the wrong assumptions?

• Is it reliable for publication or real-world application?

💡 Pro tip: Validation is a skill in itself. Build benchmark cases and compare with peer-reviewed data.

Your Turn: What Was Your Biggest Challenge in Learning Simulation?

• Fundamentals?

• Coding?

• Model verification?

Let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear about your path!

The Hidden Cost of Reinventing the Wheel

(Part 2 of 3 from My FEM software Journey)

Here’s a hard truth: Replicating a model from a paper can take 2 to 6 months.
Most of that time? Trial and error.

Despite having the knowledge and skills, we waste countless hours rebuilding models that have already been validated by others.

❌ We duplicate solved problems.
✅ We need validated, shareable simulations.

What If We Stopped Duplicating and Started Sharing?

Imagine a world where:

• 🔄 Researchers publish validated models and earn citations + income

• ⚡ Engineers access ready-to-use simulations, saving months of work

• 🔗 Collaboration fuels real progress, not repetition

That’s when we decided to act.

Introducing Engineering Downloads

Community-Powered Progress

We built Engineering Downloads to fix this problem.

A collaborative hub where:

• 📤 Researchers can upload and share verified models

• 📥 Engineers can download tested simulations for real-world use

• 📈 Everyone accelerates innovation (instead of repeating the same loops)

🔗 Join the movement: Click here to access the platform