Software Graphical User Interfaces

ANSYS offers its customers two main types of graphical user interface or GUI: ANSYS Classic and ANSYS Workbench. The reason for this is the result of a fundemental shift in the ANSYS software development teams approach to programming. This has been driven by improvements in software development tools that are more tuned into 'Web' and 'Microsoft' functionality. It is easy to spot the difference as you can see below:

Although both GUI's will remain available to customers using ANSYS Professional license or above, the longer term intention is to replace the Classic GUI with the newer Workbench one. It should be noted that no lose in functionality will be experienced by die-hard ANSYS Classic users but future product development will focus on adding ever more functionality to the Workbench GUI.

ANSYS Workbench 'Simulation' (see tab below denoted by a red S in a circle) is the primary application module used in the Workbench environment and it is available in all license configurations accept ANSYS DesignSpace.

DesignSpace V6.0 was the first product built and delivered using Workbench technology in September of 2001. Today, the Workbench Simulation module can invoke any product license available from ANSYS DesignSpace through ANSYS Multiphysics; the higher the license level the more analysis capability exposed.

ANSYS Workbench Graphical User Interface

ANSYS Classic Graphical User Interface

All customers using ANSYS Professional or above automatically get the choice to toggle between either ANSYS Workbench or ANSYS Classic environment.  A new customer buying DesignSpace today does not have access to ANSYS Classic user interface.  If you buy any other ANSYS license level you do have access to both GUI's  

ANSYS DesignSpace Entra, Advancia and Optima options do not exist anymore, all DesignSpace licenses were effectively upgraded to Optima and re-badged to ANSYS DesignSpace in 2003 (cost of TECS went up a bit).  This change was made in preparation for the ANSYS Classic and ANSYS DesignSpace software development teams to merge.  Now all ANSYS products use the same underlying technology i.e. solvers.