MatCalc 6 represents a major step in the evolution of MatCalc, since it extends the simulation capabilities from thermo-kinetic analysis of precipitation all the way to state parameter-based metallurgical process simulation. MatCalc 6 can be licensed in a basic and a pro version, or used without any charge with a limited number of elements. For any inquiries on this, please contact MatCalc Engineering GmbH at license@matcalc-engineering.at, the official support and sales company for all customer-related issues, or visit http://matcalc-engineering.com.

If you upgrade from a licensed MatCalc version 5.x, please note that you will need a new license file for MatCalc 6. If you have a valid mainenance and support subscription, you can download the new license file from the customer portal. You can also enjoy MatCalc in free mode, without license, with the only limitation of maximum three elements. Details on the licensing strategy for MatCalc can be obtained on the MatCalc Engineering website. If you want to use MatCalc in your teaching, please ask us for free temporary licenses.

Highlighted features of MatCalc 6:

• Fully coupled microstructure simulation including deformation, recovery, recrystallization as well as their interaction with precipitation. Simulate entire process chains with arbitrary heat treatment schedules as well as deformation steps. Investigate the evolution of grain size in single-class and multi-class models. Or follow long-range diffusion processes and their interaction with precipitation.
• All-new scripting language syntax, which makes scripting as easy as possible. Commands, previously coded with a sequence of single letters, are now fully text-based and self-explanatory. You will like this feature from the beginning. And what about your existing scripts in version 5 syntax? Most of them will continue to work also on the new MatCalc 6 without any modification, thus maintaining almost 95% downward compatibility.
• New command line interpreter with a powerful and intuitive suggester: When writing your commands, the suggester offers you all possible choices. It has never been so easy and fast to use the command line. In the new interactive mode, you can simultaneously develop your script and MatCalc will execute the commands as you finish the line and press enter. Try it out, you will like it.
• All new look-and-feel. Navigate through your workspace, use the expose function to quickly find windows in the background, arrange them in either windowed mode, or as full screen with tabs. Have more space on your screen with the new console, which merges with the previous output window of version 5. Make use of numerous new functionality for changing plot styles, moving individual plots inside the frame window, or drag and drop the plot out of the frame into a seperate window. Or find your variables in the variables window quickly with the new filter function.
• Stand-alone installation architecture: MatCalc 6 is installed in a directory, which is fully separated from your user files. Simply create a matcalc_user_data folder, and never overwrite your own files accidentally by any further installation or upgrade procedure. With this architeture, you can also easily put your projects into a cloud and access your project files from everywhere. Or store your own databases in the matcalc_user_data folder, and MatCalc 6 will find them there.
• Easy-to-use installer and upgrader. Upgrade to the latest snapshot version with only a mouse-click.
• MatCalc 6 comes with various licensing options, where you will certainly find one which will best fit your needs. Ask the guys at MatCalc Engineering.

New features

• Added support for export of plot files for Veusz. The software Veusz is open-source and available on all platforms. With the RMB → export plot → VSZ, this new feature allows you to save an native Veusz file, which can be opened and edited within this software. This will create publication-ready plots of your MatCalc results.
• Allow functions to be evaluated during run-time. Print function name in error message, if evaluation fails.
• The option for inherit from parent precipitation domain in thermo-mechanical treatment (tmt) has been replaced with «active precipitation domain». This means that current selection of active-precipitation-domain will be used by the tmt. This adds flexibility when using a tmt in cell calculations.
• It is possible now to duplicate plot frame: Use either RMB or menu. Alternatively, take title pane and shake:-) New command is inserted with duplicate-plot-window.
• Added two new internal variables: last_tmt_segment_index and last_plot_series_index.
• The numerical routine for calculation of the critical nucleation radius has been changed to deliver an accurate and unique value. Previously, result was dependent on starting value before critical radius search. Now, parabola is interpolated and maximum is exactly evaluated from it.
• Heterogeneous nucleation: Implemented possibility to add elastic strain energy to heterogeneous nucleation site. This is useful, for instance, to account for the compressive and tensile stress field components of dislocations. Or to account for general stress fields that can be induced, e.g., by coherent precipitates, and facilitate ‘satellite precipitates’ around them.
• Added a criterion for the critical nucleus size into nucleation condition for particle-related nukleation in the equivalent interfacial energy model. Transformation will now only commence if the
• All new variables window. Improved variable value update and completely new filter box. Much faster and more flexible. You will like it … The new window will also update the list view items after a change of phases, precipitation domains etc. No need to manually collapse and expand branches to update items.
• New options window with more consistent layout. Allows in-place editing of items and uses check boxes for yes/no selections.
• Added icon in tool bar to create x-y plot with a click.
• All new handling of tm treatments: Every calculation node can now have its own tm treatment. The global tmt can be accessed with ::tmt_name, while the local node-related tmt is accessed without :: using only tmt_name.
• Several changes in the API-functions for thermo-mechanical treatments (tmt). Made it more clear as to which tmt is accessed: local or global.
• Improved license manager. Fixed several issues with the last version and various computers.
• Treatment of grace logins due to interrupted internet connection has been improved to be more user-friendly.
• Reworked treatment of user-defined functions and its link to calculation nodes: Now, each variable inherits knowledge of its origin where it has been defined and it is evaluated now in the correct node context.
• Made two new switches that allow the user to enable/disable automatic merging and splitting of precipitate size classes. This facilitates more basic studies and understanding of the behavior of size distributions during calculation.
• Renamed a few variable notations in the command line tool. Removed inconsistencies from older versions.
• Worked on treatment of strain rate and temperature dependent yield stress calculation. The global-deformation-rate is now overwriting the settings in the thermo-mechanical treatment (tmt) for evaluation of the dynamic yield stress.
• Improved handling of plot series in plots.
• Removed menu item “view → create user defined window”.
• Improved user interaction: If equilibrium calculation fails, as well as some other tasks, the screen will blink and shake to notify user of some potential problem.
• Added initialize-microstructure-data in tm treatment segments to initialize grain sizes and subgrain sizes as well as recrystallized fraction when starting kinetic simulations.
• Added high and low-temperature variables for sigma_sat and theta_0.

Bug fixes

• Fixed some bugs in variables window. Can now insert user-defined variables again.
• Subgrain size is now adapted correctly during grain growth in multi-class model.
• Fixed some issues related to loops within scripts.
• stop-run-script is now correctly stopping the script within loops and subscripts.
• Fixed crash with auto-rescale of plots.
• Fixed bug in grain size distribution histogram (log scale).
• Fixed some issues in database dialog.
• Fixed bug related to trapping and lattice concentration of elements, which could become too small.
• Fixed issue with update of plot window titles.
• Fixed bug with internal variable “x”: When updating a plot, its value is now conserved and not modified.
• Fixed bug in calculation of Taylor forrest hardening: correct value now for all substructure models, including no_substructure_evolution.
• Made more meaningful error messages in MatCalc license system.
• Fixed wrong display of the application directory when using list-current-directories.
• Fixed incorrect calculation of effective grain boundary diffusion coefficient in the presence of excess vacancies. Also fixed related issues with pipe diffusion coefficient.
• Fixed incorrect treatment of number of nucleation sites for nucleation on other precipitates. Also fixed treatment of nucleation site efficiency in calculation of the maximum number of nucleation sites.
• Fixed incorrect dynamic yield stress in cases of zero deformation rate.
• Removed variable for system heat capacity CP because it cannot be calculated analytically in cases where the amount of phases changes.
• Fixed update problem with lattice vacancy concentration and end of tmt segments.
• Fixed some issues with multi-class size distributions and recrystallization. Works better now under complex conditions. Also, changed some weights for classification of recrystallized and deformed grains in multi-class grain evolution.
• Fixed problem with convergence in Scheil-Gulliver simulation.
• Removed 2nd axes features from plot menu because this has never been implemented in the code.
• Worked on import-grain-distribution and export-grain-distribution.
• Changed commands ending with “-arrays” to “-array”. Consistency established.
• Changed evaluation of dislocation jog density for FSAK excess vacancy evolution: Density is now calculated from total dislocation density, not from equilibrium.
• Fixed some issues with beta-function and dislocation density evaluation.
• Fixed problem with cross-core diffusion at low temperatures.
• Fixed issue with subgrain diameter evolution in single class rexx model: Read-Shockley density is now calculated from quantities of the deformed grains only. Otherwise, while X_rx == 1, these quantities would become undefined.
• Added variable for mean dislocation density in single-class model. Clarified meaning of some variable descriptions for dislocation density in single-class model.
• Fixed some problems with array plots.
• Fixed bug with initialization of microstructure parameters in tm segments.
• Fixed bug in calculation of stress derivative in high-temperature region of dynamic yield stress.
• Fixed wrong treatment of thermal activation for cross core diffusion.
• Several small bug fixes.

This is an experimental development snapshot.