What do I need?

  • Computer: You will need a PC compatible computer conforming with specified system requirements.
  • Software: You will need the latest version of Thermal Desktop from the download page and all of the underlying software listed on the Getting Started with Thermal Desktop page. TD Direct is installed as part of the Thermal Desktop package.
  • If you are interested in the 30-day demo version, please download from the demo web page.
  • SpaceClaim installation: TD Direct has been developed in ANSYS SpaceClaim. SpaceClaim can be installed before or after Thermal Desktop. If you need to purchase SpaceClaim, please contact CRTech.
  • License: You will need a current TD Direct user license. If you purchased a license, you should have received a license pack (*.lpk). If you downloaded the 30-day demo version, a demo license was emailed to you. To purchase a license, please contact CRTech.

How do I install TD Direct?

  • TD Direct is installed along with Thermal Desktop. Install Thermal Desktop according to the Thermal Desktop Installation Instructions for download or the instructions provided in your DVD installation package.

How do I install the license file?

  • License Installation: See our License Installation instructions for the license installation steps.
  • Verify your license installation: Open SpaceClaim and go to the Thermal Tab on the interface ribbon. Click on “About”, if it states "License is valid", you have a valid license.

I have successfully installed TD Direct and the license, what learning resources and are available to me and how to I get support?

  • User's Manuals:
    • When you installed Thermal Desktop, the TD Direct User's Manual was automatically installed. You can access it through the start menu under Start > Programs > Thermal Desktop > User’s Manual – TD Direct. This manual details usage of TD Direct.
    • The Thermal Desktop User’s Manual, accessible through the start menu under Start > Programs > Thermal Desktop > User’s Manual – Thermal Desktop, describes the graphical interface in Thermal Desktop.
    • The SINDA/FLUINT User's Manual, accessible through the start menu Start > Programs > SindaFluint > Sinda help, contains important information on program structure, details on usage, subroutines available to the user, modeling methods, and much more.
  • Learning Tutorials
    • The TD Direct and Thermal Desktop User Guide contains step-by-step tutorials related to the integration of TD Direct into SpaceClaim and Thermal Desktop.
    • The Thermal Desktop User’s Manual contains tutorials focused on Thermal Desktop usage. These tutorials will walk you through sample problems with guidance for making various modeling decisions. We recommend all new users work through these tutorials before starting a thermal or fluid analysis task of their own.
    • Several SpaceClaim tutorials are available on the SpaceClaim website. These tutorials cover the usage of SpaceClaim for direct modeling. We recommend users new to SpaceClaim view these tutorials to learn basic SpaceClaim operation before working thermal-specific operations in TD Direct.
  • Training Classes
    • 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 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: CRTech offers a variety of short online topic based classes which are free to the user. Some of these are available as recorded webinars, others are held as online classes.
    • SpaceClaim Videos: Short videos on using SpaceClaim are available on the SpaceClaim website. We encourage users new to SpaceClaim to start with these videos to learn the basic operations before working on thermal-specific operations in TD Direct.
    • 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 accomplished with a strong background in the principles of heat and mass transfer, thermodynamics, and fluid flow.
  • Technical User Support
    • For support we recommend you start with our Online Knowledge Database. This forum-based database includes search capabilities to help you find answers to your questions or create new topics if you cannot find answers. If you are unable to obtain the appropriate help through the forum, contact our support group.