Getting Started with Thermal Desktop®, RadCAD® and FloCAD®

What do I need?

Computer: You will need a PC compatible computer conforming with specified system requirements.
Software: You will need SINDA/FLUINT, the underlying solution engine for Thermal Desktop, up and running on your computer. See Thermal and Fluid Analysis: Getting Started with SINDA/FLUINT for information on SINDA/FLUINT. You will also need to download the latest version of Thermal Desktop from the download page. If you are interested in the 30-day demo version, please download from the demo web page.
Autocad installation: Thermal Desktop has been developed in Autodesk's AutoCAD. C&R provides two versions of Thermal Desktop; 1) the standard installation requires AutoCAD 2000 or newer to be installed on your computer prior to installing Thermal Desktop, 2) the built-in CAD version does not require an AutoCAD installation.
License: You will need a current Thermal Desktop user license (RADCAD.lic). If you downloaded the 30-day demo version, a demo license was emailed to you (PC platform only) giving you access to the full suite including RadCAD and FloCAD. If you only purchased a Thermal Desktop only license, RadCAD or FloCAD add-on packages will be disabled. To purchase a license or to obtain a 30-day demo for the HP platform, please contact C&R Technologies.

How do I install Thermal Desktop?

Installing AutoCAD: If you are installing the standard version of Thermal Desktop, you must first install AutoCAD on your computer. After AutoCAD is installed, you must open AutoCAD at least once prior to installing Thermal Desktop.
Installing Thermal Desktop: To install the software, you must have Admin privileges. Simply double-click on the installation file to begin the installation process. Follow instructions in the installer to complete the installation. If you are working on a network you will probably need to contact your system administrator.
- If you are installing the built-in CAD version, after installation you will need to

How do I install the license file?

Acquiring the license file: If you downloaded the PC-based 30-day demo, you should have received an email containing the license information (save the email as text format for use when installing the license). If you purchased a license, you should have received a license file from a sales representative.
- If you need a license file for the PC, please run the Licenser Manager Utility under Start>Programs>Thermal Desktop >License Manager. Click "Request License File", fill out the subsequent forms, and email or fax the information per the instructions.
Installing the license file: If you have received a license file from C&R Technologies simply place it in the 'thermald/bin' directory of the install location (typically c:/program files/cullimore and ring/). If you have the email response for the 30-day demo download, you can install the license using the License Manager Utility. The manager is accessed through Start>Programs>Thermal Desktop>License Manager. Click "Install License Files" and follow the instructions. When you are asked to browse for the file, you will need to browse to the license file you received from our sales representative or to the text version you saved of the email you received when you downloaded the 30-day demo.

Running Thermal Desktop

Verify installation: To verify the installation of Thermal Desktop and your license file, simply open AutoCAD. If Thermal Desktop is properly installed you should see a pull-down menu option titled "Thermal" along the top portion of the AutoCAD window. If the "Thermal" menu is not present try loading the menus per the FAQ on loading Thermal Desktop Menus.
Create a Thermal Desktop Template: It is recommended that you create a template to use when working in Thermal Desktop rather than AutoCAD. The template will allow you to set up an AutoCAD working environment based on your choice of preferences (units, display, icons, etc.) Section 10.2 of the Thermal Desktop User's Manual provides instructions for setting up the template. The manual can be access through Start>Programs>Thermal Desktop>User's Manual.

I have installed Thermal Desktop and the license, what next?

User's Manuals: When you installed Thermal Desktop the User's Manual was automatically installed. It is important to note that you have two relevant user manuals when working in Thermal Desktop, the SINDA/FLUINT and Thermal Desktop User's Manuals. The SINDA/FLUINT manual, accessible through the start menu under Start>Programs>SindaFluint>Sinda help, provides important information on program structure, available modeling objects, subroutines available to the user, modeling methods, and much more. The Thermal Desktop User's Manual provides information on the usage of the graphical interface only. To become proficient at modeling in Thermal Desktop, you must develop a solid understanding of the underlying solution engine SINDA/FLUINT, therefore we recommend that you take some time to review the SINDA/FLUINT User's Manual, especially sections 1, 2, and 4 prior to getting started with Thermal Desktop.
Tutorials: Section 10 of the Thermal Desktop User's Manual contains general Thermal Desktop tutorials along with RadCAD and FloCAD tutorials. It is recommended that you work through all the tutorials to learn the basics of the GUI interface, basic AutoCAD commands, and how to create and manipulate Thermal Desktop objects.

Training Classes

SINDA/FLUINT Class Notes: The class notes for our standard SINDA class and Advanced Design class are available for download from the web site. We recommend users download these training notes and review them thoroughly. These notes provide an overview of the SINDA program structure and guidance for usage. The associated lab notes can also be downloaded.
Training Opportunities: We offer training classes for all of our products. It is strongly recommended that all new users attend one of our training classes. The classes, although based on training notes and tutorials available for download, provide a significant amount of information and instruction not included in the training notes. For more information about the available training classes please visit our Training web page. We also offer custom training.
Mini Topic Classes: C&R Technologies offers a variety of short online topic based classes which are free to the user. You review the class listing and register for these classes at our web site.
Heat Transfer Reference Books and Education: Although the SINDA/FLUINT User's Manual is extensive, it alone will not provide the necessary background required for creating quality thermohydraulic models. Creating a good model requires educated assessments of how best to model a system to achieve the desired results. This can only be achieved with a strong background in the principles of heat and mass transfer, thermodynamics, and fluid flow.

Installation and User Support

For support we recommend you start with our Online Knowledge Database. This forum based database has search capabilities to help you find answers to your questions. You can also post new topics to get answers to your questions.

Other Product Guides