What If the Database File Is Missing?

Most of the work you would do with material models depends on the supplied props.dbs file residing in its normal place (the star subdirectory of your STAR-CCM+ installation directory). You can load a material database into an open simulation, but for best results you should make sure that the supplied props.dbs file is neither moved nor modified.

Without a database, you cannot select materials in a new simulation, or change the material selections in an existing simulation. All you can do is modify properties of material selections previously saved in a simulation file.

In a new or existing simulation, STAR-CCM+ lets you know in several ways that the database is missing:

When you attempt to select a new or alternate material model, you get an exception message like this one.

If you click the Show Details button, you can find a reference to the missing material component.

After you attempt to select a material model, the Materials node appears in the object tree, but with phase nodes empty. (In an existing simulation file, the phase manager nodes will also be empty except for the referenced materials.)

Also when you open the Materials node, an error message appears in the Output window.