MICRESS Basic Training

The MICRESS^® team has the pleasure to announce an upcoming MICRESS^® training. The goal of the tutorial is to help students and researchers from the field of computational materials science to get started with microstructure simulations. Training participants will be introduced by experts in the field to the use of MICRESS^® in order to gain hands-on experience that can directly be applied to their own research. The training will be held online. All lectures will be held via WebEx Meeting.

The training is divided into two parts:

Introduction and overview (2 hours): After a basic introduction to the MICRESS^® principles, the software capabilities will be shown by applications done in several scientific and industry projects. At the end of this part, an overview of the MICRESS^® user interface will be given.
Lectures and hands-on sessions alternating (1.5 days): Attendees will be given access to an AixVipMap simulation platform with all necessary software installed. This way, multiple practical exercises using MICRESS^® can be done.

Scientists from both academia and industry are encouraged to register for the training. Participation in the event is free of charge. Registration for the first overview or for both parts is possible.

System requirements:

WebEx meeting provides a local app or a web browser login to participate in meetings. Both should work on Windows, MacOS or Linux. The AixVipMap platform will be accessed by a web browser.

For the best hands-on experience, a working microphone (best using a head-set) and a larger screen (not a Laptop) are recommended. There will be very little guidance during hands-on session without audio.

Time
Mar 11^th and 12^th, 2026, from 10:45 am to 6:15 pm (UTC+1)	Register

Please block 2 days in your calendar. The meeting details for day 1 will be sent automatically after registration. The meeting invitation for day 2 will be sent close to day 1.

Program – Day 1

Time	Topics
10:45-11:00	Login
11:00-11:15	1 Welcome Plenary – RA Agenda Introduction of tutors
11:15-12:15	2 Introduction Plenary – JE Overview of features and modelling principles of MICRESS Applications	Tutorial - Introduction to MICRESS_A.pdf
12:15-13:00	3 Overview of the MICRESS user interface Demo – BZ Driving file editor: MICpad Configure input, find examples and manuals Run an example setting Data types and formats of results (txt, mcr, vtk) Viewer DP_MICRESS and micpy usage
13:00-13:15	Coffee break Q&A
13:15-13:30	4 Welcome to training with hands-on Plenary – RA Round of introductions of attendees - Who are you?
13:30-14:00	5a Training infrastructure Plenary – LK Introduction to Webex Training	Tutorial - Training Infrastructure.pdf
14:00-14:30	5b Getting started with your first MICRESS simulation Hands on Connecting to your remote desktop Find MICRESS example directory Create private copy and modify output path Run MICRESS simulation and inspect results with DP_MICRESS Edit comments in driving file and restore original comments from output file (*in) Call for tutor's help Sign completion	Challenge - Create Your First Driving File.pdf
14:30-15:15	Lunch / Dinner break
15:15-16:00	6 Driving file step by step Plenary – BB A close look at the training example T01_03_AlCu_E_HypoEutectic_2D_TQ.dri Step by step explanation of most important input
16:00-16:30	7a Modify a driving file Demo – RB Creating your own driving file (from an example, interactively) Modification of a driving file (e.g. adding initial grains) Strategies to get the new driving file operational	Challenges - Creating and modifying Driving Files.pdf
16:30-16:45	7b Modifying a driving file Hands on Create driving file from template (T01_03_AlCu_E_HypoEutectic_2D_TQ.dri) Set output name and path Place initial grains with and without Voronoi tesselation Run simulation and visualize output using DP-MICRESS
16:45-17:00	Coffee break Q&A
17:00-17:15	7c Solution for Voronoi tessalation and going 3D Demo – RB Place initial grains with Voronoi tesselation Sperical grain in 3D
17:15-17:45	7d 3D simulation Hands on Expand example T01_03_AlCu_E_HypoEutectic_2D_TQ.dri to 3D Place initial spherical grain in the domain center Inspect 3D results with DP_MICRESS and export to VTK Visualize results with ParaView
17:45-18:15	8 Initial Microstructures Plenary – LK Synthesizing initial microstructures Importing initial microstructure from experimental data Running simulations on synthesized/imported microstructure Importing microstructures from plain-text/VTK files Adding properties to imported microstructures Using MICRESS restart files	Tutorial - Initial Microstructures.pdf

Program – Day 2

Time	Topics
10:45-11:00	Login
11:00-1:30	9a Grain growth Plenary – JE Basics Interfacial properties Orientation/Misorientation	Tutorial - Grain Growth.pdf
11:30-12:00	9b Grain growth conditions and misorientations Hands on Clone driving file from example T10_01_GrainGrowth_2D.dri Enable misorientation in phase interaction Use Read-Shockley model for interfacial energy Use Humphreys models for interfacial mobility Run simulation and visualize orientations with dedicated color scale	Challenge - Grain Growth and Misorientation.pdf
12:00-12:30	10a Phase transformations Plenary – JE	Tutorial - Phase Transformation.pdf
12:30-12:45	10b Add a phase to an existing example Demo – RA Add the theta phase to the AlCu equiaxed dendritic example (AlCu_E_Dendritic_2D_TQ)
12:45-13:00	Coffee break Q&A
13:00-13:30	11a Coupling to thermodynamics Plenary – BB Thermo-Calc equilibrium and Scheil-Calculation as a basis for MICRESS simulations Creating a GES5 thermodynamic database with Thermo-Calc	Tutorial - Coupling to Thermo-dynamics.pdf
13:30-14:15	11b Coupling to thermodynamics Hands on Add Cr as a further element to example T02_01_FeCMn_D_DeltaGamma_2D_TQ.dri Generate and include the required Fe-C-Mn-Cr.GES5 file Add all missing element-specific data Display Cr concentration distribution in DP_MICRESS	Challenge - Add an Element.pdf
14:15-15:00	Lunch / Dinner break
15:00-15:30	12a Nucleation Plenary – JE Nucleation undercooling Nucleation models - seed undercooling / seed density Nucleation sites	Tutorial - Nucleation.pdf
15:30-16:00	12b Nucleation Hands on Alter critical nucleation undercooling in example T02_20_FeCMn_E_GammaAlphaIsotherm_2D_Lin.dri Start simulations under variation of initial process temperature Compare simulation results	Challenge - Define Nucleation Conditions.pdf
16:00-16:15	Coffee break Q&A
16:15-16:45	13 Coupling to the process Plenary – BB	Tutorial - Linking to the process.pdf
16:45-17:45	14 Final challenge Hands-on to be defined	Challenge - Final.pdf
17:45-18:00	Open discussion Q&A Farewell