Moving data between CAE tools is rarely as clean as the software vendors promise. Most multi-physics workflows eventually hit a wall where stress fields from a forming simulation need to feed into a structural model, or temperature distributions from a CFD run need to initialise a material response model. Each specific situation typically requires writing bespoke scripts, wrestling with proprietary file formats, and hoping that nothing gets lost in translation. It’s not only a routine part of the job, but also a massive sink for engineering hours that could be spent on actual analysis.

The VMAP standard was developed precisely to address this problem. It defines a common, open interface for exchanging material and state data between simulation tools, covering everything from mesh geometry and material parameters to field variables such as stress, strain, temperature, and displacement. The standard emerged from the ITEA VMAP research project, which brought together 29 organisations from six countries, and is now maintained and developed by the VMAP Standards Community (VMAP SC), a not-for-profit association established in December 2022.

Even though the technical foundation was solid, early adoption was slow because engineers were expected to build their own conversion tools from scratch. It’s hard to justify “exploring” a new standard if the first step requires a software team. At the VMAP User Forum 2026 in Schloss Birlinghoven, Fraunhofer SCAI introduced the VMAP Converter Toolkit and solved this problem.

This article appeared in the April 2026 Issue of BENCHMARK.