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 # Ansys Common Fluids API Build and Usage 

 Last update: 16.07.2025 

# <a class="anchor" id="SDKContent"></a>CFF SDK Content

The CFF developer package contains:

```
    include/
```

In the header files, the main `include/` directory should be added to the build path

```
     lib/
      win64/*.lib
      win64/*.dll
```

The object libraries for Windows.

NoteLink against the static ``.lib files during the build process.Ensure the `.dll` files can be found by your applications at runtime by setting your `%Path%` variable correctly.```
      linx64/*.so
```

The object libraries for Linux.

NoteThe libraries must be provided during the build process.Ensure the `.so` files can by found by you applications at runtime by setting your `LD_LIBRARY_PATH` variable correctly.```
     example/
       hdf/
```

Source files for example executables that show how to read and write CFF grid and solution files.

```
       project/
```

Source files for example executable that show how to read and write CFF project files.

# <a class="anchor" id="BuildWindows"></a>Compiling and Linking on Windows

Requirements

- Microsoft Visual Studio 2019 or newer (64-bit build environment)

To build an application using the CFF SDK, it is required to

- Add the `include` folder to the include folder list for the C++ preprocesssor
- Use the provided `.lib` files found in the `lib` folder when linking your application to the api

NoteYou will likely wish to link all libraries in the folder except `libansysfluidsprojectqt.lib`, which requires Qt 5.9.6 libraries. Delete or move this file to a different location to use the `*.lib` wildcard.`libansysfluidsproject.lib` is only required when using the [Project API](_project_a_p_i.xhtml).For example, to build one of the provided demonstration files, from a 64-bit build environment:

```
     cd example/hdf/CellNode/
     cl cellnode.cpp /I..\..\..\include ..\..\..\lib\winx64\*.lib /EHsc
```

To run the examples, the lib/win64/ .dll files must be either in the current directory, or in the windows `Path%`

```
     cd example/hdf/
     copy ..\..\lib\win64\*.dll .
     cellnode.exe
```

A wrapper script is also provided to ease the library path setup:

```
     cd example/hdf/
     run.bat cellnode.exe
```

# <a class="anchor" id="BuildLinux"></a>Compiling and Linking on Linux

Requirements

- g++ 8.2 or compatible
- RedHat/Centos 7.4 , newer or compatible

To build an application using the CFF API, it is required to

- Add the `include` folder in the include folder list for the C++ preprocesssor
- Build the source files using the CFF API without the C++11 binary interface, i.e. use the switch `-D_GLIBCXX_USE_CXX11_ABI=0`
- Use the provided ``.so files found in the `lib` directory when linking your application to the API.

Note: link with all libraries in the folder except `libansysfluidsprojectqt.so`, which requires Qt 5.9.6 libraries. Erase or move away the file to use the `*`.so wildcard. `libansysfluidsproject.so` is only required for the [Project API](_project_a_p_i.xhtml).

For example, to build one of the provided demonstration files:

```
     cd example/hdf/CellNode/
     g++ cellnode.cpp -I../../../include/ ../../../lib/linx64/*.so -D_GLIBCXX_USE_CXX11_ABI=0 -o cellnode.exe
```

To run the examples, the `linx64/` .so files should typically be in the `LIBRARY_PATH`

```
     cd example/hdf/
     export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/path/to/lib/linx64:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
     ./cellnode.exe
```

A wrapper script is also provided to ease the library path setup:

```
     cd example/hdf/
     ./run.sh cellnode.exe
```