matlab-solve-pde
End-to-end finite element analysis in MATLAB PDE Toolbox — geometry creation, model setup, solve, and post-processing in one skill. Use when building geometry from primitives or file import, setting up femodel with BCs/loads/materials, solving thermal/structural/EM problems, and extracting or visualizing results. Covers fegeometry, multicuboid, multicylinder, multisphere, decsg, boolean ops, mesh generation, femodel, all AnalysisTypes (thermalSteady, thermalTransient, structuralStatic, structuralTransient, structuralModal, structuralFrequency, electrostatic, magnetostatic, dcConduction, harmon
npx skills add matlab/matlab-agentic-toolkit --skill matlab-solve-pde --agent claude-code
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for codex, cursor, copilot.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
What it does
Instructs the agent to perform an end-to-end finite element workflow for MATLAB PDE Toolbox using the femodel approach: create geometry from primitives or files, build a femodel with specified AnalysisType, apply materials, boundary conditions, and loads, generate a mesh, solve (with optional time steps), and post-process results.
How it works
The skill outlines a step-by-step workflow:
- Geometry: build geometry via multicuboid, multicylinder, multisphere, decsg, or file import; wrap with fegeometry; supports boolean operations and mesh data inputs.
- Model: create a femodel with a chosen AnalysisType and Geometry; assign MaterialProperties, BCs, loads, and initial conditions.
- Mesh: generateMesh(model) with optional refinement controls (Hmax, Hmin, HFace, HEdge, HVertex); supports linear vs quadratic mesh decisions depending on analysis type.
- Solve: result = solve(model) or result = solve(model, tlist) for transient analyses.
- Post-process: extract fields, interpolate, compute derived quantities, and visualize results.
The skill also documents how to:
- Use materialProperties with catalog names or explicit properties, including orthotropic definitions.
- Apply boundary conditions and loads via faceBC, edgeBC, vertexBC, faceLoad, edgeLoad, cellLoad, and vertexLoad with specific property syntax.
- Handle nonconstant (function) parameters for materials, BCs, and loads with correct signatures and NaN behavior.
- Reuse a single model for multiple analyses by updating AnalysisType rather than creating a new model.
When to use it
Use when building geometry from primitives (multicuboid, multicylinder, multisphere), STL/STEP imports, or 2-D decsg; when setting up femodel with BCs/loads/materials; when solving thermal, structural, or electromagnetic problems (steady, transient, modal, frequency, conduction); and when post-processing FE results.
What it can touch
- Commands and functions exactly as shown:
fegeometry,multicuboid,multicylinder,multisphere,decsg,union,subtract,intersect,mergeCells,deleteCell,translate,rotate,extrude,generateMesh,femodel,materialProperties,cellLoad,faceLoad,edgeLoad,vertexLoad,faceBC,edgeBC,vertexBC,solve, and the various AnalysisTypes likethermalSteady,structuralStatic,electrostatic, etc. - File and object names appear exactly as in the skill’s examples (e.g.,
fegeometry,multicuboid,generateMesh,model,gm).
Caveats
- The workflow uses the modern femodel approach (R2025a+); legacy
createpde(N)workflow is not covered here. - Unit handling is user-responsible since PDE Toolbox is unit-less; dimensions and properties must be consistent.
- Some analyses require switching to a linear mesh for Nedelec elements (magnetostatic/electric harmonic) and may necessitate regenerating the mesh.
- Structural analyses are linear-elastic; no plasticity or hyperelastic models are described.
# PDE Toolbox — Full FEA Workflow End-to-end finite element analysis: geometry → model setup → solve → post-process. Uses the modern `femodel` workflow (R2025a+). ## When to Use - Building geometry from primitives (`multicuboid`, `multicylinder`, `multisphere`), STL/STEP import, or 2-D `decsg` - Setting up `femodel` with boundary conditions, loads, materials, and initial conditions - Solving thermal, structural, or electromagnetic problems (steady, transient, modal, frequency, conduction) - Post-processing FE results: interpolation, derived quantities, visualization ## When Not to Use - General-equation PDE (`createpde(N)`) — that legacy workflow is not covered here - System-level simulation (Simulink/Simscape) — use product-specific skills - Mesh-only tasks with no PDE solve (e.g., surface meshing for visualization) ## Workflow Overview 1. **Geometry** — Create with primitives, `decsg`, file import, or boolean ops → wrap in `fegeometry` 2. **Model** — `femodel(AnalysisType=..., Geometry=gm)` → material, BCs, loads, ICs 3. **Mesh** — `generateMesh(model)` (default first, refine if needed) 4. **Solve** — `result = solve(model)` or `solve(model, tlist)` 5. **Post-process** — Extract
- When to Use
- When Not to Use
- Workflow Overview
- Phase 1: Geometry
- fegeometry — The Hub
- 3-D Primitives
- Boolean Operations
- 2-D Geometry with decsg
- Entity Identification
- Transforms
- Extrude
- Mesh Generation
- Phase 2: Model Setup
- Create Model
What does the matlab-solve-pde skill do?
End-to-end finite element analysis in MATLAB PDE Toolbox — geometry creation, model setup, solve, and post-processing in one skill. Use when building geometry from primitives or file import, setting up femodel with BCs/loads/materials, solving thermal/structural/EM problems, and extracting or visualizing results. Covers fegeometry, multicuboid, multicylinder, multisphere, decsg, boolean ops, mesh generation, femodel, all AnalysisTypes (thermalSteady, thermalTransient, structuralStatic, structuralTransient, structuralModal, structuralFrequency, electrostatic, magnetostatic, dcConduction, harmon
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add matlab/matlab-agentic-toolkit --skill matlab-solve-pde --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From matlab/matlab-agentic-toolkit, a repository with 868 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.