1. Getting Started: Ansoft HFSS 8.0
Section 2: Maxwell Control Panel

2. Starting HFSS Maxwell Control Panel
Instructions for starting HFSS
Starting HFSS using the Maxwell Control Panel
On Windows Platforms
On a Microsoft Windows platform, to start the Maxwell Control Panel, double-click the Ansoft shortcut icon on your Windows desktop.
On Unix Platforms
On a Unix platform, to start the Maxwell Control Panel, type maxwell at the operating system prompt.
After starting Maxwell, the Maxwell Control Panel opens – See Using the Maxwell Control Panel
Starting HFSS from an Operating System Prompt
Ansoft HFSS may be started directly from an operating system prompt without using the Maxwell Control Panel. This is useful for executing HFSS in batch mode from scripts.
On any platform, to start HFSS without using the Maxwell Control Panel, type hfss at the operating system prompt. For a complete list of the command line options, type hfss –help at the operating system prompt. If the operating system is unable to find the command to start HFSS, refer to the installation manual or your system administrator for instructions on how to set your path.

3. Using the Maxwell Control Panel
When you start Maxwell, the Maxwell Control Panel appears containing tools for managing files, projects, and applications associated with Ansoft Project files. Think of the Control Panel as your launch pad for the Ansoft field simulators. The main things you need to know about the Maxwell Control Panel are:
Control Panel Tools – common tools managed by the Control Panel
Configuring Ansoft Products – features you can use to customize your design environment
The first time the Maxwell Control Panel starts, a panel similar to the one shown in the following illustration appears. Click on the Utilities icon if you want to view the Maxwell Utilities Panel.
Maxwell Control Panel
Maxwell Utilities Panel

4. Control Panel Tools Maxwell Control Panel
The following tools are managed by the Maxwell Control Panel. Instructions for using these functions are provided with the documentation for each tool.
Ansoft – lists Ansoft Corps products, sales offices, technical support information, and configures user settings.
Projects – create, organize, maintain, and start Project Files created by the Ansoft field simulators.
Translators – convert various file formats to and from Ansoft products.
Print – screen capture utility.
Utilities – collection of common Ansoft tools.
Colors – manage color schemes.
2D Modeler – create or edit 2D geometric models.
Plot Data – general purpose 2D graph/plotting package.
Evaluator – calculator for evaluating algebraic expressions.
Materials – access the master material database.
Refer to the Help documentation if you are interested in learning how to use the tools that are not described in this document. Instructions for using the following tools are contained within this document:
Ansoft
Projects
Translators
Colors

5. Maxwell Control Panel - Ansoft
The Maxwell Control Panel Ansoft(About Maxwell) tool provides easy access to a list of Ansoft products, sales offices, and user configuration settings.
To open About Maxwell, select the Ansoft icon from the Maxwell Control Panel. The About Maxwell window appears, as shown in the illustration.
The main operations you can perform using About Maxwell are:
Products – Use to display a list of Ansoft products.
Sales Offices – Use to display a list of Ansoft Sales Offices from around the world.
Configure Software – Set user preferences.
Ansoft Corporate Head Quarters
Views Ansoft Sales Offices
Views Ansoft Products
Configure Ansoft Software

6. Maxwell Control Panel - Ansoft
Configure Software
The Configure Software provides an easy method for accessing and maintaining user preferences used by most of the Ansoft products. The user preferences are stored in the maxwell.ini(PC) or .maxwellrc(UNIX) file.
The main operations you can perform using the Configure Software are:
Color – selects the color file
Windows – controls the location and size of windows when they are created
Fonts – sets the font type and size(Windows Only)
Directories – sets the path for Parts, Macros, Configuration data, Symbols, and product specific directories.
To configure the software, select the Configure Software button and a window similar to the illustration will appear . Use the Next and Previous buttons to scroll through the list of user settings. Select OK to update the configuration.
View Resource filename and path
Variable to configure
Reset default values
Previous and Next scroll through the user configurable variables

7. Maxwell Control Panel – Maxwell Projects
The Maxwell Control Panel Projects tool provides easy access to functions for searching, viewing, opening, and making changes to projects associated with all of the Ansoft field solvers. Each feature of the Project browser is documented.
To open the Project browser, select the Projects icon from the Maxwell Control Panel. The Project browser appears, as shown in the illustration on the next page, although your Project browser may contain different entries.
The main file operations you can perform using the Project browser are:
Projects
New – create a new project in the working directory
Rename – change the name of an existing project
Compress – compress or Archive the solution file for an existing project(s)
Copy – make a duplicate or model only copy of a project
Move – move the currently selected project
Reclassify – promote a project from an earlier product release
Search – search for a specified project
Open – project opens in the tool associated with the project type
Size – determine the amount of disk space used by the selected project
Notes/Save Notes – view or edit a text description of the project
Recover – unlock a project
Project Directories
Add – adds a path alias and/or creates a directory for storing projects
Edit – modify a project directory alias or path
Delete – removes a project directory or alias
Change Dir - changes the current working directory

8. Maxwell Control Panel – Maxwell Projects
View the current project directory path and Alias.
Use Projects to create, view, or modify projects.
Double-click on a selected project or use the Open button to open a project in the appropriate tool.
View a summary of the selected project.
View a Model bitmap or Notes for the selected project.
Use Project Directories to view directories and their projects.
Help – Click to go directly to documentation for the Maxwell Control Panel.

9. Maxwell Control Panel – Maxwell Projects
Project Directories
The Project Directories provide an easy method of accessing and maintaining projects and examples that are stored on a hard disk, network path, and/or removable storage device.
The main file operations you can perform using the Projects Directory browser are:
Viewing and Making Changes to Directories
The ways to view and make changes to directories are:
Changing the current working directory and viewing its contents
Adding directories to the Maxwell Control Panel search path
Modifying the Project Directory display
Deleting Project Directories
Changing the Current Working Directory and Viewing Its Contents
To change the current directory, select the Change Directory button. Use the directory browser to select the current working directory and the projects in it are listed in the Projects view.
Adding Directories to the Maxwell Control Panel Search Path
From the Projects Directory, you can add directories to the Maxwell Control Panel search path. Select the Add button and use the directory browser to select a directory.
Then select the options for New Project Directory:
Alias – name that is displayed in the Project Directory List
Use Current Directory – associates the current directory with the Alias
Make New Directory - creates a new directory and associates the directory with the Alias
View of the Project Directory List.

10. Maxwell Control Panel – Maxwell Projects
Modifying the Project Directory Display
From the Projects Directory, you can change the Alias and Path that is associated with it by selecting the Edit button.
Then select from the following options:
Alias – change the name that is displayed in the Project Directory List
Path – changes the path associated with the Alias. Type a new path or select the directory browser icon() to select a new path.
Apply – used to commit the changes made to the Alias and/or Project Directory.
Deleting Project Directories
From the Projects Directory, you can delete the Alias and/or directories associated with the Alias by selecting the Delete button.
Project Directories – lists the Alias that can be deleted. Selecting a directory from the list will update the list of projects within the Projects Directory
Delete – choose between deleting Only Alias or Alias and Remove Projects. Only Alias removes the entry from the Project Directory List. Alias and Remove Projects deletes all of the projects in the currently selected project folder.

11. Maxwell Control Panel – Maxwell Projects
The Projects controls provide functions for creating, maintaining, searching, and opening project files in their associated application.
The main file operations you can perform using the Projects Directory browser are:
Creating, Renaming, Moving, Copying, and Deleting Projects
Opening, Recovering, Reclassifying, and Viewing Projects
Compressing and Archiving Projects
Finding Projects
Creating Projects
To create a new project in the current working directory, select the New button from the Maxwell Projects window. The dialog box shown in the illustration will appear.
Use to enter the Project Name
Use to select the type of project to create
Use to enter the name of the projects owner
Selects if the project is automatically opened by the associated application
Help – Click to go directly to the documentation for creating a new project.

12. Maxwell Control Panel – Maxwell Projects
Creating Projects(Continued)
Then select from the following options:
Name – use to set the name of the project. For a complete list of valid characters select the Help button.
Type – select the application that the project is associated with.
Created By – project owner
Open project upon creation – automatically starts the application and opens the new project.
Renaming Projects
To rename a project in the current working directory:
Select the project from the list.
Select the Rename button from the Maxwell Projects window
Enter the new name for the project
Moving and Copying Projects
Select the destination Project Directory.
Select the Move or Copy button from the Maxwell Projects window
Use the directory browser to select a project to Move or Copy
The following options can be used when copying projects
Copy Model Only – copy only the files that define the model.
To – enter a new name for the project
Select the OK button to Move or Copy the project.

13. Maxwell Control Panel – Maxwell Projects
Deleting Projects
To delete a project in the current working directory:
Select the project from the list.
Select the Delete button from the Maxwell Projects window
The following options are available:
From the Projects list select a project or projects and choose Add to delete a collection of projects
From the Deletion list select a project or projects and choose Remove to prevent a project from being deleted.
Select the OK button to accept the list of projects for deletion.

14. Maxwell Control Panel – Maxwell Projects
Opening, Recovering, Reclassifying, and Viewing Projects
Opening and Viewing Projects
To view a summary of a project, select the project name from the list of projects. The following information will be displayed:
Project – shows the project name.
Created by – show the user who created the project.
Type – shows the tool that is associated with the project
Status – shows the Read/Write Status, Lock Status, and Solve Status
Model or Notes – switch between a bitmap of the model and user notes(Select Save Notes to make changes to the notes field)
Size – displays the amount of disk space occupied by the project
To open the currently selected project, double-click on the project name or select the Open button
Recovering a Project
To avoid multiple users from simultaneously accessing a project, an open project generates a lock file. In the event that the application accessing the project is not closed properly, the lock file may still exist. When the lock file is present, the Maxwell Control Panel will not let it be open. If the project is locked and you know that it is not being accessed by another user, select the Recover button to unlock the project.
Reclassifying a Project
When a new release of a tool is installed, use the Reclassify button to promote an older project to the new project. Once a project is reclassified, it will not work in the older release of the software.

15. Maxwell Control Panel – Maxwell Projects
Compressing and Archiving Projects
Compressing Projects
Projects may be compressed to reduce the amount of disk space used by the project.
To compress the currently selected project, select the Compress button
All of the the projects in the current Project Directory will be listed. Additional projects can be selected by using the CTRL + Left Mouse button.
Select the OK button to compress the selected projects.
There is no need to uncompress the projects in order to use them.
Archiving Projects
To reduce the amount of disk space used by projects, archiving can be used to eliminate the Field Solutions, Field Solutions and Mesh, or All Solutions.
To archive the currently selected project, select the Compress button.
All of the projects in the current Project Directory will be listed. Additional projects can be selected by using the CTRL +Left Mouse button.
Select the Archive Projects button.
Choose one of the following options:
Delete Field Solutions Only
Delete Field Solutions and Meshes
Delete All Solution Files
Select the OK button to archive the selected projects.
After the project has been archived, the Solved status for the project may not display the correct information.

16. Maxwell Control Panel – Maxwell Projects
Finding Projects
Searching for Projects
From the Maxwell Projects you can search for projects by Name, Solved State, Owner, Notes, and/or Product. To search for projects, select the Search button. The Search browser appears, as shown in the illustration.
Enter the Search Information that defines what to find
Defines search path
Double-click on a project in the results list to open it.
Help – Click to go directly to the documentation for project searching.

17. Maxwell Control Panel – Maxwell Projects
Searching for Projects(Continued)
To find a Project containing a specified string
Click the Search button in Maxwell Projects. The Search box appears as illustrated on the previous page.
Complete the Search Information Fields
Type the string to search for in the Name, Created by, or Notes Text field. For a list of regular expression, select the Help button.
Constrain the search by checking Solved Projects Only or selecting a specific Product.
Select the directories to search in by choosing from the Project Directories list, type the directory path, or choose the directory browser icon() to select the path.
Click Search
Open any Projects in the results list by doing one of the following:
Double-clicking the Project
Selecting the Project and Clicking the Open button
Select New Search to reset the view or Done to exit

18. Maxwell Control Panel - Translators
The Maxwell Control Panel Translator tool provides easy access to a collection of tools to convert various file formats to and from Ansoft products.
To open the Translators, select the Translators icon from the Maxwell Control Panel. The Translators window appears, as shown in the illustration, although your Translator tool may contain different entries.
The most common conversion using the translators is Ansoft 2D and AutoCAD DXF. Therefore these will be the only tools discussed at this time. The translator tool is not used to convert IGES or STEP files. These formats are converted by the 3D Solid Modeler.
The Destination List displays the output file formats
Input File
The Source List selects the file format to convert from
Output Directory
Help – Select a File Format to convert and click for a list of the documentation

19. Maxwell Control Panel - Translators
Translating AutoCAD DXF to Ansoft Maxwell 2D
To translate an AutoCAD DXF to Ansoft Maxwell 2D:
Select AutoCAD DXF from the Source List
Select Maxwell 2D Ver.6 from the Destination List
Type the path and name of the source file or use the file browser to select the input file by clicking the file browser icon ()
Type the path for the translated file in the destination edit box or use the directory browser to select the output directory by clicking the directory browser icon ()
Type additional translation options in the Options Edit box. Click the Help button for a list of options. The DXF file format does not use units. Therefore, the translator will save the output file using mm. If this is not the correct units use the –u option(Click the Help button for information on using the options settings).
Click the Start button
Translating Ansoft Maxwell 2D to AutoCAD DXF
To translate an Ansoft Maxwell 2D to AutoCAD DXF:
Select Maxwell 2D Ver.6 from the Source List
Select AutoCAD DXF from the Destination List
Type additional translation options in the Options Edit box. Click the Help button for a list of options.

20. Maxwell Control Panel - Colors
The Maxwell Control Panel Colors tool provides easy access to the color table used by most Ansoft products. To open the Color Selection, select the Utilities/Colors icon from the Maxwell Control Panel. The Colors window appears, as shown in the illustration, although your Color Manager may contain different settings.
The main operations you can perform using the Color Manager:
Creating and Changing Colors
Loading and Saving Color Maps
Gradient Background Colors
The System Colors define the colors displayed by each window.
Defines a new colors
The User Colors define the choice of colors used for model objects and line plotting.
View predefined color maps(Black Background, White Background, or User Color Maps)

21. Maxwell Control Panel - Colors
Creating and Changing Colors
To Change an existing color,
Click on the color you wish to change
Change the Red, Green, and Blue(RGB) sliders or type the desired RGB values to create a new color
Click on the same color you selected in step 1 to apply the new color
Repeat steps 1-3 until all of the colors are defined properly
Save the Color Map – See the section Saving Color Maps
Loading and Saving Color Maps
Loading Color Maps
To load an existing color map,
Select the Load Color Map button and choose one of the following options:
Standard, White Background – Loads the default user colors with a White background
Standard, Black Background – Loads the default user colors with a Black background
User Color File – Opens a file browser which allows you to load user color maps.
Select the Exit button and the new color settings will be used
Saving Color Maps
To save the current color map to a User Color File,
Select the Save button
Type the name of the new user color file
Select the OK button to save the file
Gradient Backgrounds
The 3D views can display a gradient background color. To display gradient backgrounds,
Check the Gradient Backgrounds, 3D
Set the colors according to the section Creating and Changing Colors