tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-631902701965842186.post4701510582382582645..comments2023-08-05T06:39:19.674-07:00Comments on XANSYS: RTFMemillerphxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06547653298184749127noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-631902701965842186.post-738283530963423912008-09-12T04:15:00.000-07:002008-09-12T04:15:00.000-07:00This is a great opportunity to advertise my new bo...This is a great opportunity to advertise my new book "ANSYS Classic 11.0 for Dummies". See an image of the cover here...<BR/><BR/>http://i33.tinypic.com/2u6zhup.pngAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18434827828494844207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-631902701965842186.post-84866953806246990952008-09-11T08:52:00.000-07:002008-09-11T08:52:00.000-07:00I am a huge fan of printed manuals. There is no s...I am a huge fan of printed manuals. There is no substitute for thumbing through a hardcopy of a printed manual. On line documentation is very good for locating information you need or answering specific questions you have. But the problem is that people use it just for those purposes. Some of the best bits of information I've ever gotten from a manual was information I never started out looking for. I will see a word or a phrase or a drawing of something that looks interesting in the index or on the adjoining page of what I was originally looking for, and that will expose me to capabilities and features I never thought to look for in the first place. Sure, you can do this with the on line documentation as well but it tends to be much more focused and directed rather than a passive activity like paging through a book. Maybe we should change the acronym from RTFM to RTFOLD (Read The Fine On Line Documentation)Keith_DiRienzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07624800445944618101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-631902701965842186.post-59651514718113324102008-09-10T11:23:00.000-07:002008-09-10T11:23:00.000-07:00Most successful complex CAE codes have really good...Most successful complex CAE codes have really good manuals. I've made great use of ANSYS, ABAQUS and ADAMS manuals. Each is different but, once you are familiar with them, they provide rich content. The problem is that qualifier, "once you are familiar with them". The user question in Eric's example, in my mind, highlights the only major hole in ANSYS documentation … a tutorial section (I mean beyond the Verification Manual).<BR/><BR/>The ADAMS manual has some great tutorials that walk a user through nearly every mouse click. This is NOT the same as an "idiot's guide". It simply create familiarity with how the program works. Even after years of experience I may walk through one to learn a new function. Once you get a feel for the program's structure you can apply and customize what you learned and go beyond mouse clicks.<BR/><BR/>So RTFM is good advice and really the only advice given the ANSYS help resources. But some good step by step tutorials in TFM would accelerate learning for the new user.Fern Thomassyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04385413505658887744noreply@blogger.com