Note: with the release of PLAXIS 3D 2016 and PLAXIS 2D 2017, Plaxis will only support 64 bit user defined DLL files. 32 bit DLL files will not be loaded by the Plaxis programs with these versions.
In order to use a User Defined Soil Model (UDSM) with the 64-bit calculation kernel you must have a 32-bit version and a 64-bit version of your user defined soil model
- Applications that are compiled as 32-bit applications cannot communicate with 64-bit DLL files. Currently, the Plaxis GUI is still only available as a 32-bit application.
- 64-bit applications (like the calculation kernel) cannot cannot communicate with 32-bit DLL files. These 32 bit DLL files are needed for the input of the UDSM’s material parameters in the Input program.
When using the Plaxis 2D/3D 64-bit calculation kernel in combination with a User Defined Soil Model (UDSM) DLL-file, you should compile your UDSM as a 64-bit DLL-file. When doing this, this newly compiled 64-bit DLL cannot communicate with the 32 bit GUI of the Plaxis Input program to setup your material parameters, so you will need both.
For this reason, please do the following:
- compile the UDSM as a 32-bit DLL-file, e.g. YourModel.dll
- compile the UDSM also as a 64-bit DLL-file, but give it the same name as your 32-bit DLL file with 64 added to the name, e.g. YourModel64.dll.
Note that you should really compile it as 32-bit and 64-bit, and not just rename it.
If all is compiled correctly, and the names are set correct, then you can use the UDSM in the 32-bit GUI and in the 64-bit calculation kernel.
32 bit UDSM DLL
This will no longer be supported starting PLAXIS 3D 2016 and PLAXIS 2D 2017
If you only have a 32 bit User Defined Soil model DLL file, you can also just use the 32-bit calculation kernel by disabling the 64-bit calculation kernel. The easiest way to do so, is to rename the 64-bit calculation kernel to something else and then the calculation will automatically fall back to the 32 bit-calculation kernel.
PLAXIS 2D 2011, 2012 and 2D Classic
Since PLAXIS 2D 2011.01, a 64 bit calculation is available. In order to disable the use of the 64 bit calculation kernel to allow for usage of 32 bit User Defined Soil Models, go to the PLAXIS installation folder and search for the file "plasw64.exe". Then rename this file to e.g. "_plasw64-backup.exe"
Now you should be able to use the Plaxis 32 bit calculation kernel together with the 32 bit User Defined Soil Model dll.
In experience you do not loose much calculation speed, and only when you go over 10,000 15-noded elements the memory usage could be an issue. For most practical cases in PLAXIS 2D this is not a limitation.
PLAXIS 2D AE, 2D 2015 and later
Since PLAXIS 2D AE, the 64 bit kernel is not located in the PLAXIS installation folder, but in a subfolder called 64. Here the same trick can be applied by renaming the calculation kernel from "plasw64.exe" to e.g. "_plasw64-backup.exe"
PLAXIS 3D
For Plaxis 3D, the 64-bit calculation kernel is called plasw364.exe. To fall back to the 32-bit calculation kernel (and to use that with the 32 bit User Defined Soil Model), you can e.g. rename the file to plasw364_disabled.exe. To restore the 64-bit behaviour, you can just rename the file back to plasw364.exe or use Plaxis Connect to restore the original files.
Since PLAXIS 3D 2013, the 64 bit files are located in the 64 bit subfolder of the PLAXIS installation folder.