SimWorks download and first execution
The installation process is fully automated and the user can simply follow the on screen instructions.
For completeness, this tutorial provides a step-by-step guide on how to install SimWorks.
The latest version of SimWorks is available for download here:

To start it double click on the executable.

Occasionally a warning message may appear on Windows, just click on More info in the first page and then on the Run anyway button (see the troubleshooting guide for more info).
Also some antivirus programs can show SimWorks as a false positive, please find additional info in SimWorks security about the third parties checks carried out to ensure that the software does not contain malware. In that case it is recommended adding SimWorks as an exception to the antivirus of use.


SimWorks installation process
The installer starts with a presentation page.

The first step is to select where SimWorks will be installed. By default a new folder called IdealSimulations will be created at the root level C:\, but the user can decide to install it in a different location:

Press Install to start the installation. During this phase, the installer will perform the following tasks:
- Enable Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) – please say yes when the software asks to run PowerShell as administrator
- Download SimWorks from our website
- Uncompress the files in the installation directory
This phase may take a while depending on internet connection speed and PC performance. During the download, a progress bar shows an estimate of the time to completion.

Once the install is completed, please press Next tofinalise the installation:

Please select the Restart the PC checkbox to reboot the machine as this is required to actually run SimWorks. It is also possible to add a shortcut to the Start Menu:

Once the machine is rebooted, it is time to start SimWorks. Just type SimWorks in the windows search console and you should find the shortcut to start it in the Start Menu, feel free to move the shortcut where it is more convenient for you:

End User Licence Agreement, Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions
The first time SimWorks is started the Licence agreement welcome page will be shown

To proceed SimWorks will first show the End User Licence Agreement (EULA), the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Conditions of IdealSimulations Ltd. Please read all the documentation scrolling to the end of it and tick the box “I agree …” to continue.

You can also export the documents in PDF format, if you wish to do so for future reference.
Licensing version
You can choose between SimWorks (free version) or SimWorks Manager (commercial version).

The free version of SimWorks does not require any additional step. If you wish to purchase SimWorks Manager, you can request a license by contacting us at support@idealsimulations.com

Prerequisites installation steps
The setup wizard will then guide you through the required steps to install the prerequisites and set up the software.

The first step is to Install Linux in WSL. WSL stands for Windows Sublayer for Linux, it is a Windows application which allows the user to run Linux software directly in Windows. Simply press the Start button and wait until the step is completed.
Please note that this step may take several minutes.

Once completed, the Next button will be enabled and you can move to last step of the setup.
Once completed, the Next button will be enabled and you can move to last step of the setup, where you can set the path for the CFD simulations and the simulations database (SimWorks Manager only). Please bear in mind that the simulation path cannot contain spaces, in this example C:\Simulations is used.

Contratulations the installation is now complete!

Try our free CFD software SimWorks, no registration required or contact us to find out more