7 Frequently asked questions¶

Answers to the questions we get most often. If yours isn't here, section 8 tells you where to ask.

Is my case data ever sent to iteraSim's servers?¶

No. Case files — meshes, dict files, solver results — stay on your machine. When you chat with Copilot, only the specific file snippets Copilot needs to answer are sent to the AI model provider (Google, Anthropic, OpenAI, or your local Ollama, depending on your setting). We never store your files, and the model providers we route through are configured to not train on your prompts.

Does Eddy need an internet connection?¶

Only for the AI copilot and, if you use them, cloud sync + cluster upload. The full local workflow — Case Builder, blockMesh / snappyHexMesh / Gmsh, running the solver, ParaView handoff — works entirely offline. If you point Copilot at a local Ollama model (AI Extensions panel), even the AI runs offline.

Do I need OpenFOAM installed separately?¶

Yes. Eddy is the interface; OpenFOAM is the engine. Install any recent version (v2312 or newer). Ubuntu / Debian: sudo apt install openfoam2312-default. Fedora: sudo dnf install openfoam. Eddy auto-detects it at startup — the version shows in the bottom-right status bar.

Which OpenFOAM versions are supported?¶

OpenFOAM v2306 and later (the ESI-OpenCFD fork) are fully supported. The OpenFOAM Foundation fork (v9, v10, v11) works for most cases but some solvers have slightly different names — Copilot handles the translation transparently. foam-extend is not officially supported.

What is the "backend", and why does the status bar say Offline?¶

Eddy runs a small Python service on your own machine at 127.0.0.1:8000. It drives the solver pipeline and, on Pro, serves your managed model access. It starts automatically with the app and is local-only — it never listens on an external interface and your case files never leave the machine.

The status bar tells you which mode you're in: ● Ready / LIVE means the backend is up; ○ Offline / LOCAL means it isn't. If it's Offline, press ⟳ Start Backend. See section 6 for the full walkthrough — in particular, a Pro user seeing "No API key configured" is seeing a backend problem, not a key problem.

Simulation work is unaffected either way: meshing, solving and post-processing are all local and run with the backend down.

Can I use Eddy without a paid account?¶

Yes — the Free tier includes 50,000 AI tokens per month and the entire local workflow. Bring your own Google Gemini / Anthropic / OpenAI key in AI Extensions, or point at a local Ollama model, and you have no monthly limit at all — iteraSim doesn't charge to run Eddy itself, only for our managed AI routing on Pro.

What's a "token" and how many does a typical question use?¶

Roughly, 1 token ≈ 0.75 English words. A short question and answer with Copilot typically uses 500–2,000 tokens. A long debugging session where Copilot reads 5–10 case files might use 20,000–40,000. The 50k monthly Free budget covers ~10 typical sessions, or ~100 short questions.

Copilot changed a file and now my case won't run. How do I undo?¶

Every Copilot-driven change is recorded in per-case history. Open the file that changed, right-click in the editor → Revert to previous version. Or use the top-level File → Case history to see and undo everything from the last N sessions.

Can I run cases in parallel on my laptop (multiple cores)?¶

Yes. When you launch a solver from the Case Builder or Wizard, tick Run in parallel and pick a core count. Eddy runs decomposePar automatically with the scotch method, launches with mpirun, and reconstructs the result at the end. Everything is transparent — the case looks single-processor from your perspective.

How do I import geometry from SolidWorks / Fusion 360 / CATIA?¶

Export as STEP (preferred) or STL from your CAD tool. In Eddy, drag the file into the Project Navigator or use Case Builder → Geometry → Import. STL is meshed directly by snappyHexMesh; STEP is converted to STL first (Eddy does that in one click via Gmsh) and then meshed.

Two ways: (1) zip up the case folder (Right-click in Navigator → Compress case — Eddy skips the huge processor*/ directories automatically) and email them the zip. (2) Use the Cloud Storage panel to sync to a shared bucket / Drive folder they also have access to. Both include the full case setup; only the solver results are optional.

Does Eddy work on macOS or Windows?¶

Linux is the primary platform (this AppImage). A Windows build ships separately as a .exe installer that runs the backend in WSL. macOS is not officially supported yet — it's on the roadmap, subscribe on our website to be notified.

How do I upgrade Eddy itself when a new version ships?¶

Download the new AppImage from your account page, replace the old file at ~/Applications/, and launch. Your settings, cases, and history all persist — they live outside the AppImage (see the appendix for paths). The self-installed menu entry auto-updates on first launch of the new build.

Can I use Eddy for commercial / consulting work?¶

Yes on all tiers. Pro and Team include commercial-use terms; Enterprise adds an indemnification clause. See https://iterasim.in/terms for the full text.