System and method for creating user interfaces in a multiphysics modeling system

A method for generating a multiphysics data structure, the method being executable on one or more processing units associated with a multiphysics modeling system, the method comprising the acts of:

• determining, via one or more processing units, a set of physics interfaces from a physics interface data structure stored on one or more memory devices, the physics interface data structure including data fields for storing data representing user interface components, physics features, physics properties, feature equations, variables, variable declarations, and user input classes of one or more physics interfaces for a modeling system;
• displaying physics interface indications corresponding to the set of physics interfaces in one or more graphical user interfaces, at least one of the physics interface indications being user selectable;
• receiving, via one or more user input devices, a user input indicative of a selection of at least one of the physics interface indications;
• determining and displaying in at least one of the one or more graphical user interfaces first settings for the selection of the at least one of the physics interface indications, the first settings being defined in the physics interface data structure;
• receiving, via at least one of the one or more user input devices, user inputs indicative of edits to the first settings such that at least one parameter for the first settings is changed;
• determining and displaying in at least one of the one or more graphical user interfaces variable declarations, physics features, and physics properties defined in the physics interface data structure, the variable declarations, physics features, and physics properties associated with the selection of the at least one of the physics interfaces;
• receiving, via at least one of the one or more user input devices, user inputs indicative of a selection of at least one of the displayed physics features and physics properties and user inputs indicative of a selection of the displayed variable declarations;
• determining and displaying in at least one of the one or more graphical user interfaces second settings for the selection of the at least one of the physics features and physics properties and for the selection of the variable declarations defined in the physics interface data structure;
• and
• receiving, via at least one of the one or more user input devices, user inputs indicative of edits to the second settings such that at least one parameter for the second settings is changed.

An apparatus for generating a physics interface data structure for a multiphysics modeling system, the apparatus comprising:

• a physical computing system comprising one or more processors, one or more user input devices, a display device, and one or more memory devices, at least one of the one or more memory devices including executable instructions for generating a physics interface data structure corresponding to a multiphysics modeling system, the executable instructions causing at least one of the one or more processors to perform, upon execution, acts comprising
• creating a physics interface file including a plurality of data fields for storing data representing graphical user interface components, equations, variables, variable declarations, physics features, physics properties, and user input classes for one or more physics interfaces for the modeling system;
• outputting to one or more graphical user interfaces a plurality of selection menus and user editable fields associated with the physics interface file, the one or more graphical user interfaces displayed on a display device;
• receiving, via one or more input devices, user inputs indicative of physics interface settings and restrictions;
• receiving, via at least one of the one or more user input devices, user inputs indicative of variable declarations, physics features, and physics properties associated with at least one of the one or more physics interfaces, the variable declarations, physics features, and physics properties being determined from the user inputs that correspond to at least one of selections from the selection menus or inputs to the user editable fields;
• defining at least one dependent variable and at least one feature equation for at least one of the physics features, physics properties, or variable declarations;
• defining, based on user inputs received from at least one of the one or more user input devices, one or more user input classes for at least one of the physics features and physics properties, the user input classes associated with least one of the selection menus or the user editable fields;
• and
• updating the one or more plurality of data fields of the physics interface file to store, in at least one of the one or more memory devices, data representing the physics interface settings and restrictions, determined physics features and physics properties, determined variable declarations, dependent variable definition, defined feature equation, and defined user input classes.

An apparatus for editing settings in a physics interface data structure for a multiphysics modeling system, the apparatus comprising:

• a physical computing system comprising one or more processors, one or more user input devices, a display device displaying, and one or more memory devices, at least one of the one or more memory devices including executable instructions for editing a physics interface data structure corresponding to a multiphysics modeling system, the executable instructions causing at least one of the one or more processors to perform, upon execution, acts comprising
• determining a set of physics interfaces from a physics interface data structure stored on one or more memory devices, the physics interface data structure including data fields for storing data representing graphical user interface components, physics features, physics properties, feature equations, variable declarations, variables, and user input classes of one or more physics interfaces for a modeling system;
• displaying the set of physics interfaces in one or more graphical user interfaces, at least one of the physics interfaces being selectable;
• selecting, via one or more user input devices, at least one of the physics interfaces;
• determining and displaying in at least one of the one or more graphical user interfaces first settings for the selected physics interface, the first settings being defined in the physics interface data structure;
• receiving, via at least one of the one or more user input devices, user inputs indicative of edits to the first settings for the selected physics interface such that at least one parameter for the first settings is changed;
• determining and displaying in at least one of the one or more graphical user interfaces variable declarations, physics features, and physics properties defined in the physics interface data structure, the variable declarations, physics features, and physics properties associated with the selected physics interface;
• selecting, via at least one of the one or more user input devices, at least one of the displayed variable declarations and at least one of the displayed physics features and physics properties;
• determining and displaying in at least one of the one or more graphical user interfaces second settings for the selected physics features and physics properties and for the selected variable declaration defined in the physics interface data structure;
• and
• receiving, via at least one of the one or more user input devices, user inputs indicative of edits to the second settings for the selected physics features and physics properties and the selected variable declarations such that at least one parameter for the second settings is changed.