Two base teaching models
Simple models that let students learn the full path from geometry and mesh to loads, solution and result review.
Academic founding pilot
Bring a real engineering simulation workflow into your course.
A free, limited 6–8 week pilot for universities and colleges. We prepare a compact course pack with teaching models, course-specific assignments and support for the instructor.
We work with a named faculty lead and a real course, lab or capstone group. Places are limited.
- Cost
- Free for selected institutions
- Format
- One course, lab or capstone
- Duration
- 6–8 weeks
- Access
- Web + Windows/macOS desktop
What this is01 02 03 04
A compact teaching pilot, not a custom curriculum project
We shape the pilot together after a short conversation about the course. The goal is a useful, repeatable module that the instructor can run and improve with us.
One course-specific task
A model or assignment prepared around the subject, level and learning outcome of your course.
One final student project
A bounded exercise where students explain their assumptions, setup and result — not just submit a contour plot.
Instructor support
A short instructor guide, onboarding and bounded support during the pilot.
Pilot package
What we prepare with you
The course pack is designed to be small enough to use this term and reusable next term.
Teaching models
Two prepared models from the WebCAE teaching and verification library, plus one agreed course-specific model where appropriate.
Practical assignments
Three or four short assignments covering geometry, meshing, materials, loads and constraints, solving and result interpretation.
Instructor guide
A concise guide with objectives, setup steps, expected checks, discussion points and known limits.
Pilot review
Two or three feedback sessions and a short end-of-pilot summary with suggested improvements.
Current scope
What students can work with today
The pilot uses the current WebCAE build. We describe the supported scope clearly and do not hide experimental or unsupported paths.
- STEP CAD import and 3D model review
- Tetrahedral and structured hexahedral meshing
- First- and second-order finite elements
- Mesh quality diagnostics and local mesh refinement
- Materials, boundary conditions and loads
- Contacts and RBE2 connections
- Nonlinear contact without friction
- Supported structural and thermal workflows
- Interactive result visualization
- Web build and native desktop builds for Windows and macOS
What we ask in return
Free for the institution, useful for both sides
The pilot is free for selected institutions, with a clear evaluation agreement and no obligation to purchase afterwards.
A faculty point of contact
One instructor or program lead who can agree the scope, coordinate the group and give practical feedback.
Feedback and usage review
Two or three short review sessions plus an end-of-pilot questionnaire from the instructor and, where practical, students.
Permission to publish an approved result
We may ask to publish an anonymized case, a factual pilot-completion note or an approved faculty quote.
Name and logo only with approval
The institution name, department name and logo are used only after written approval from the authorized university contact.
How it works
From course idea to first student assignment
- 01
Scope the course
We discuss the course level, learning outcomes, cohort size, available models and the analysis workflow you want students to practice.
- 02
Prepare the course pack
We select the base models, prepare the course-specific task and write the instructor guide.
- 03
Run the pilot
Students use the WebCAE web or desktop build while the instructor runs the agreed assignments.
- 04
Review and document
We collect feedback, agree what can be published and deliver a short pilot summary.
Questions
Academic pilot questions
Do we have to buy a license after the pilot?
No. The pilot is free and does not create an obligation to purchase a paid plan.
Can you build a complete course for us?
No. The founding pilot includes a compact course pack and one course-specific task. A larger curriculum or custom development would be a separate scope.
Can we use our own CAD models?
Yes, if the institution has the right to share them and the model fits the current supported workflow. We can also work only with prepared teaching models.
Can we use the university logo on the WebCAE website?
Only with separate written approval from the authorized university communications or trademark contact. A faculty member's participation alone is not treated as logo permission.
Application
Tell us about the course
We will reply with a short fit check and a proposed pilot scope. Please do not send confidential CAD files through this form.
Academic pilots are limited and are intended for teaching, learning and academic research. Commercial or contractual engineering work requires a separate commercial agreement.