Variant Comparison
How to compare different design variants systematically in Dr.Q.
If you only have 2 minutes
Use separate project versions for each design variant, keep all loads and boundary conditions identical, and compare key result quantities directly.
Setting up a comparison
- Duplicate the original project version
- Change the geometry, material, or load magnitude in the duplicate
- Run both with identical solver settings
- Compare the results side by side
Only change one variable at a time. If you change both geometry and material between variants, you can't tell which change caused which effect.
What to compare
| Quantity | Why it matters | | --- | --- | | Maximum von Mises stress | Yield safety | | Maximum displacement | Stiffness / deflection limit | | Total strain energy | Overall structural efficiency | | Reaction forces | Load path verification | | Mass (from CAD) | Weight |
Interpreting the comparison
A variant with lower peak stress and lower displacement is structurally better. If it's also lighter, it's clearly the superior design. Trade-offs — e.g. lower stress but higher mass — require engineering judgement about which constraint is binding.
Using Dr.Q versions
Dr.Q's version system is designed for exactly this workflow. Each version maintains its own mesh, solver run, and results independently. You can open multiple browser tabs to view different versions side by side.