Symmetry and periodic boundary conditions in SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation are used to reduce the size of the flow problem, thereby reducing analysis run time. Although these two computational domain boundary conditions are set up by editing the default computational domain, they both are very different.
The traditional design cycle creates product geometry before validating and optimizing a 3D CAD model against any requirements. After a meticulous process of sketch, analysis and prototype generation, the design may still be far from optimal due to constraints or market demands to reduce product development time. The current trend for high-quality, lightweight products with improved performance and user experience requires an optimized concept design at the very beginning of the product development cycle.