HyperWorks Help

The HyperWorks online help gives you in-depth knowledge of the HyperWorks products.

The HyperWorks help can be accessed from within a HyperWorks application using the Help menu, from the Altair website, or it can be run independently. The help opens in a web browser, such as Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, or Microsoft Internet Explorer.

To access the help from an application, select one of two methods:
  • From the File menu, click Help
  • Click F1
Important: To access local help/tutorials, the application's help must be installed.

Help Installation Locations

The HyperWorks help system is a browser-based HTML help system. It can be installed with applications or installed alone on a server.

Help can be installed via different ways:
  • Installed on a local machine along with the HyperWorks software
  • Pre-installed on a shared network location
  • Using Altair online help, via Altair Connect

Browser Location

In order for HyperWorks help to work properly, you must set up a valid browser on the machine from where the application is launched. For Windows, the default browser set in the system will be used.

For Linux, the valid browser is set during the installation time using the path to the browser, for example /usr/bin/firefox. The browser setting is stored in the hwhelp.cfg or hwsolvershelp.cfg file, located in the <installation directory>/altair/ directory path.

Help Configuration Files

If help is pre-installed on a shared network location, the information will be stored in the hwhelp.cfg or hwsolvershelp.cfg file as well. A typical help.cfg file should contain the following information:
HW_MSG_HELP "<install_Dir>/altair/help/hwdesktop"
HW_MSG_BROWSER "/usr/bin/firefox"   
HW_MSG_HELP "<install_Dir>/altair/help/hwsolvers"
HW_MSG_BROWSER "/usr/bin/firefox"

Accessing Website Help

If HW_MSG_HELP is not set in the hwhelp.cfg or hwsolvershelp.cfg file, the HyperWorks application will default and try to connect to the Altair website help automatically. UNC paths are supported for Windows networked paths.
Note: The help server on Linux platforms does not support tilde (~) completion of paths. Please make sure that you use the full path for the items HW_MSG_HELP and HW_MSG_BROWSER if you set them as environment variables or in the hwhelp.cfg or hwsolvershelp.cfg file (for example, use /path/to/help_user/my_help instead of ~help_user/my_help.

Access Help Outside HyperWorks

Access help outside HyperWorks on Windows and Linux.

Access Help Outside HyperWorks on Windows

When the Help packages are installed locally, the help can be started from the Start menu.

  1. From the Start menu, open All Programs.
  2. Open Altair 2021.
  3. Click Desktop Help 2021 or Solvers Help 2021.
    The Help Welcome Page with a product list is displayed in your default web browser.
  4. Select and access any HyperWorks application help book from the list.
Note:

If you have chosen Software Server setup with each client installed through NETSETUP, help can be accessed on this client; as long as a valid browser is installed on the client machine.

Access Help Outside HyperWorks on Linux

When local help is installed, HyperWorks Help homepage can be invoked via command prompt by running the altair/scripts/help script.

In a command prompt, run the altair/scripts/help_hwdesktop or altair/scripts/help_hwsolvers script.
Command Option Usage
altair/scripts/help_hwdesktopaltair/scripts/help_hwsolvers help Launch the HyperWorks Help Welcome Page

Using the Index

The index contains a list of keywords and topics in alphabetical order.

  1. To open the index, click in the upper right hand corner of the window.
    The Index Terms page opens.
  2. In the alphabetical list at the top of the page, click on the first letter of the item you wish to find.
    The page skips down to the section corresponding to the letter typed. The blue number next to each index term indicates how many pages reflect that particular term.
  3. To open the page with the desired results, click the blue number next to the term.
    The appropriate pages open, and the index is closed.

Use the Search

The Search function allows you to search the entire help system to locate information beyond predetermined index entries. It locates every occurrence of a specified word or phrase.

  1. The Search field is located in the top, right corner of the browser window. Enter the word or string to search and click Enter.
    The Search Results page opens. A list of topics that contain the searched word or phrase will be displayed in blue, along with the Altair Help product the topic is located in. The searched term is bold.
  2. To view a topic listed in the results, click the topic name.
    The terms that match your search will be highlighted in yellow in the topic text.
  3. To open the page with the desired results, click the blue text.
    The appropriate page opens in a new browser window.

Using the Browser Find Function

In addition to using the Search, you may choose to search for a word or phrase in the table of contents or within a topic using your browser's Find function. With both Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Internet Explorer, the Find function is activated by pressing Ctrl+F on the keyboard.

  1. In Firefox, complete the following steps:
    1. Click Ctrl+F on the keyboard.
      A find bar with a text box appears at the bottom, left corner of the browser window.
    2. Enter the term you wish to search for in the text box.
    3. Activate the checkbox labeled Match Case to find only instances of the phrase that match the case exactly.
      As you type, Firefox will highlight the first instance in the table of contents or in the help topic of an exact match for what you have entered. If you click the option labeled Highlight All, all instances of the entered term will be highlighted.
    4. Click the Next or Previous arrows next to the text box to continue on to another instance of the phrase.
      Note: If there is no match for the character string you have entered in the find box, the text in the find box will be highlighted in red.
    5. The find bar will remain at the bottom of the browser window until you close the bar by clicking the "x" on the far, right side of the bar.
  2. In Internet Explorer, complete the following steps:
    1. Click in the frame in which you wish to search for a term.
    2. Press Control+F on your keyboard to display a Find dialog.
    3. Enter the term you wish to search for in the text box.
    4. Click the option labeled Match whole word only to find only instances wherein the entered character string matches an entire word, as opposed to instances wherein the character string might be only part of a word.
    5. Click the option labeled Match case to find only instances of the phrase that match the case exactly.
    6. Click Enter to highlight the first instance of an exact match for what you have entered in the frame you have chosen to search.
    7. Click Next or Previous to continue on to another instance of the phrase.
      Note: If there is no match for the character string you have entered in the Find dialog, a message appears informing you that the entered text was not found in the file.
    8. Click the "x" button in the Find dialog to close the window.
  3. In Google Chrome, complete the following steps:
    1. Press Ctrl+F on your keyboard to display a Find text box.
    2. Enter the term you wish to search for in the text box.
    3. Click Enter to highlight the first instance of an exact match for what you have entered in the frame you have chosen to search.
      The results of the search are highlighted, in both the table of contents, and the topic area.
    4. Click the Next or Previous arrows to continue on to another instance of the phrase.
      Note: If there is no match for the character string you have entered in the find box, a "0/0" indicates that there are zero results.
    5. Click the "x" button in the Find box to close it.