Simcenter STAR-CCM+
Timeline: 2012 – Present
My Role: Senior UX Engineer (2012 – 2016) then Senior UX Designer (2016 – Present).
Significance: This is illustrates some examples of creative ways I’ve made improvements to a legacy product where, among other strict constraints, 100% backward compatible was a core requirement.
Simcenter STAR-CCM+
Simcenter STAR-CCM+ is a software tool used to simulate complex physics problems. The existing user interface is a Java client built upon the NetBeans framework.
Query Editor
For properties that require selections of objects Simcenter STAR-CCM+ can apply dynamic queries that evaluate the selection based upon specific criteria. Users need an editor to quickly and easily define the complex logic of these dynamic queries.
![](https://www.nigelsmith.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/QueryEditor.png)
Icon Design
Sometimes icons and other graphics need to be refreshed and redesigned. Sometimes you need to come up with a new icon for rotor blade aeroelasticity.
![](https://www.nigelsmith.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/RocketWithFlame.png)
![](https://www.nigelsmith.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/UnitedPhysicsCondition257-1.png)
![](https://www.nigelsmith.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/LinkIcon257-1.png)
![](https://www.nigelsmith.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Untitled.png)
Easy Access to Java Macros
STAR-CCM+ users automate a lot of processes by running Java macros, but there wasn’t a way to run their important Java macros with a single click.
![](https://www.nigelsmith.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/DialogCompleted.png)
Readable Decimal Format
By default, numbers are displayed in Simcenter STAR-CCM+ with the full double precision. Unfortunately this can sometimes make the numbers quite difficult to read.
![](https://www.nigelsmith.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/DecimalAfterCustom-1.png)
Color Palette
Users used to select colors from a drop-down menu of color names sorted in alphabetical order. I replaced this with a color palette developed from scratch in Java.
![](https://www.nigelsmith.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/ColorPicker-6.png)