NairnFEAMPM

NairnFEAMPM is a Mac-only application to create simulations, run them, and visualize them.

Introduction

The NairnFEAMPM application is finite element and material point method analysis software for the Macintosh. NairnFEAMPM is being developed by Prof. John A. Nairn from the Wood Science and Engineering Department Oregon State University. This application is free but it is a dynamic work in progress as part of an active research program.

If you are not using a Mac, you can do almost the same things using the java application NairnFEAMPMViz.

Downloads

The application NairnFEAMPM is a 64 bit, Intel-only application. Install by expanding the downloaded zip file and dragging NairnFEAMPM to your Applications folder. This application require MacOS 10.9 or newer (but is no longer tested below 10.11).

NairnFEAMPM Download	Size (MB)	Updated
NairnFEAMPM 8.0, with Xerces - This version is a full-featured version of NairnFEAMPM for running NairnFEA and NairnMPM but it does not contain those binaries . To run calculations, you have to check out and compiling the source code and with those binaries. See application help on "Code Engine Development" for running in this mode.	3.1	4 JAN 2021

I have given up trying to stay ahead of Apple to keep this package easy to use. Every new MacOS makes it harder and it has now become essentially impossible. Probably the last straw was that it is not possible to provide a parallel version of the software using Apple developer tools. They do not support OpenMP methods for parallel code unless every user installs a compiler, like clang-mp, that supports (the compiled code needs its libraries). If you are going to install a compiler, you might as well use it to create your own binaries (the best hack to avoid Apple road blocks). Below are steps to run NairnFEAMPM. Many of these only need to be done once.

Install Xerces

The code engines use the public-domain Xerces package for robust reading of XML files. The binary is included in the above download and Apple used all binaries to link to that executable, but that no longer seems possible. To install it:

1. Control click on NairnFEAMPM app and choose "Show Package Contents"
2. Navigate to folder Contents/Resources/binaries/lib
3. Open a new Finder window, choose menu command "Go to Folder...", enter "/usr". You will need to provide your password to open this folders (Apple does not think are are smart enough to see it).
4. In /usr folder, navigate to folder /usr/local/lib (you may need to create the "local" or "lib" folders if not already there).
5. Drag the two Xerces files from the Contents/Resources/binaries/lib folder in NairnFEAMPM app to the /usr/local/lib folder.

Compile NairnFEA and NairnMPM Binaries

Check out and compiling the binaries as explained in those links.

Run NairnFEAMPM

Each new MacOS again tries to stop you running software unless you buy it from the Mac App Store where Apple gets 1/3 of of gross sales (I should tell then 1/3 of nothing is still nothing). When you first run the app, you will get messages like "the developer is unidentified" or "this might be malicious software." Both are wrong. I pay Apple every year to be an identified developed and I code-signed the app, but Apple puts not effort into "identifying" developers. The "malicious" warning is because I have not implemented a new Apple requirement to upload the app to Apple for notarization. You can get around these round blocks (for now) by:

1. Control click on the NairnFEAMPM app and choose "Open" from this pop-up menu. You well get the same warning by should have an "Open" button that will let you ignore that warning.
2. If first option does not work, open the "General" tab of the "Security & Privacy" pane in the "System Preferences" and then start NairnFEAMPM. The "Security & Privacy" pane should have a button to run the app. Also be sure your Mac is not set to only all apps from the "App Store".

You should only needs the Apple work around the first time you run NainrFEAMPM.

Link to Compiled Binaries

Open help window for NairnFEAMPM and see the help section on "Code Engine Development". It explains how to set the preferences to run the binaries you created in the previous step.

In the future, you can just download updates to NairnFEAMPM and use it without needing to reinstall Xerces or recompile the binaries. If the code engines are updated, you can download just the new source code and recompile and they will run it whatever version of NairnFEAMPM you already have. You can even recompile them while running NairnFEAMPM and the next calculations will use the new versions.

Apple is now switching to new chips. If you are using a new Mac that does not have Intel chips, you will likely need to install a new Xerces binary to work on the new chips.

Free Registration

The NairnFEAMPM system is free but uses an unlocking code to help monitor its use. By registering you will hear about developments and/or about any problems that might arise. To get a free registration code, use the "Reguest Registration Code…" command in the "Help" menu. A free code will usually arrive by email within a few days. While waiting you can use the application in "Trial Mode."