Thunderhead Support

Welcome to the Thunderhead Support site which provides the support resources for PyroSim, Pathfinder, and Ventus. Resources and links for PetraSim, which is now managed by Rockware, are also provided.

For specific product support visit:

Thunderhead Engineering developers and active community members ask and answer questions on our public forums.

This following sections detail general Support options available to Trial and Commercial License holders.

Software Installation and Use

Thunderhead Engineering will provide technical support to help you install and run our software.

Technical support questions are related to the use of our software and include the following:

Assistance with downloading and installing the software.
General help in interpreting information within the documentation and online resources.
Investigation of problems caused by user errors, software defects, and limitations; advice on solving or working around them.
Assessment of training needs for product areas that are unfamiliar to you.

Note that the scope of our product technical support does NOT include the following:

Advice on how best to apply our software to your specific application.
Delivery of completed geometry and input data for your models.
Delivery of converged solutions for your models.
Advice on interpretation of results.

Support questions for PyroSim, Pathfinder, and Ventus should be submitted through the Thunderhead Support Portal or emailed to support@thunderheadeng.com.

Support questions for PetraSim should be submitted through the PetraSim Support page or emailed to tech@rockware.com.

Please allow up to 2 business days for us to respond to your support requests and ensure that your support request falls within the scope detailed above.

Modeling Support

Modeling is the application of our software to solve specific problems. If users ask questions related to modeling, we may provide a limited response, but many times we may judge such questions as beyond our responsibility or knowledge.

Thunderhead Engineering does not provide detailed support for external software, such as the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS), CONTAM, or TOUGH.

Thunderhead Engineering does not provide professional fire protection design services and does not provide guidance on regulatory requirements.

Additional Support Options

Each program we sell has a Support Resources web page, videos demonstrating software use, and user forums.

In addition, we may work with you individually either through a live web meeting or troubleshooting services to help model preparation.

Live Web Meeting Help

Live web meeting where a Thunderhead instructor works through questions that you might still have, or demonstrates features related to your specific needs.

Typically, from 1 to 2 hours.
User provides topics to discuss before meeting.
Fee is $250 per hour, with a minimum of 1 hour, and billed in 1-hour increments.

Troubleshooting

On a limited basis, we can help review and troubleshoot models if your model doesn't work, or you are trying something new.

An assistant works on your modeling problem.
Fee is $300 per hour, with a minimum of 1 hour, and billed in 1-hour increments.