About SNAP®

SNAP® is a robust desktop application suite that provides users with an expansive toolset and visual interface to handle large input models for some of the most powerful applications and software packages in the engineering industry.

SNAP® is built on the Common Application Framework for Engineering Analysis (CAFEAN) which provides a highly flexible framework for creating and editing input for engineering analysis codes as well as extensive functionality for submitting, monitoring, and interacting with the codes.  The following applications are included with every SNAP installation:

• Model Editor: GUI for building and editing simulation models for engineering analysis.
• Calculation Server: A server for managing the execution of engineering analysis.
• Job Status: GUI tool for managing the cases executed in the Calculation Server.
• Configuration Tool: A GUI tool for configuring the Calculation Server and controlling the engineering analysis executables.
• AptPlot®: A GUI 2D Plotting Tool.

Who Owns and Maintains SNAP®?

There are multiple stakeholders for SNAP:

• ISL owns the SNAP Core, along with the following plugins: RELAP5, PyPost, SNAP-MATLAB, RETRAN-3D, GOTHIC, SAM, and ASCII.
• NRC owns the following plugins: TRACE, PARCS, R52TRACE, MELCOR, RADTRAD, FRAP, and SCALE.

In addition, several organizations have funded development of plugins that provide GUI front ends to their own codes. The ISL staff develops and maintains the entire SNAP suite and has over 70 combined years developing the software.

Gaining Access to SNAP®

Starting with SNAP 5.0, there is a new licensing module that now checks a license key to validate which plugins the user has access to.

• Access to the ISL-owned plugins is made available to users with an active subscription for either the SUG bundle or any of the individual plugins.
• Access to the NRC-owned plugins is granted after the user makes a request on the portal and is then determined to be an approved user.
• Access to CAMP-SUG plugins, which comprise RELAP5/Mod3.3, PyPost, and SNAP-MATLAB, is granted to international CAMP members in good standing at no cost. U.S. Domestic users require a separate subscription to the plugins.

ISL Plugins

The following ISL plugins are available for purchase and require an active subscription to download, install, and run.

To purchase a new subscription for any of the above plugins or one of the bundles, go to the ISL Customer Portal. Users will be able to purchase and manage subscriptions and licenses directly on the portal.

Furthermore, organizations can assign a Company Administrator to manage the subscriptions. The Company Administrator can invite other users to register on the portal and join the organization. The Company Administrator will also be able to assign available license keys to the registered users. Note that organizations may designate multiple Company Administrators as needed. The attached document (ISL Customer Portal Instructions - SUG.pdf) provides instructions on this process.

Note that if an organization already has an active subscription but has not yet registered an organizational account on the ISL Customer Portal, they will first need to register. Once the organizational account has been created, the Company Administrator should email the SNAP support team to request licenses. Licenses will then be added to the organizational account consistent with the company’s current subscription level. These licenses can then be assigned to other users within the organization once they’ve joined the organizational account.

NRC Plugins and the ISL CAMP-SUG Bundle

In general, the NRC allows distribution of its reactor safety codes and tools to domestic organizations (utilities, vendors, academic institutions, commercial enterprises) and international organizations located in countries that participate in the Code Applications and Maintenance Program (CAMP), the Cooperative Severe Accident Research Program (CSARP) or the Radiation Protection Computer Code Analysis and Maintenance Program (RAMP).  Below are a list of NRC codes / plugins and the program that manages access.

In addition, the following plug-ins are available to CAMP members under the CAMP SNAP User's Group (CAMP-SUG) agreement.

Details about gaining access to the above plugins can be found here: 

Access to NRC Plugins and the ISL CAMP-SUG Bundle