If you have a flow sheet (PDF or physical printout), you can create your own head file in under 10 minutes.
When you import a custom cam file, you are essentially telling the simulator exactly when the valves open and close, allowing it to calculate volumetric efficiency (VE) accurately. Desktop Dyno 2000 Cam and Head Files
The default cam and head files shipped with Desktop Dyno 2000 (circa late 1990s) are outdated and generic. For example, the default "Chevy 350" head file assumes a stock, unported casting from 1987. If you are building a Vortec-headed 383 stroker, the default file will predict 275 HP when you should see 425 HP. This discrepancy leads builders to abandon the software, claiming it is “worthless.” If you have a flow sheet (PDF or
Why does this matter? Two cams with the same .050” duration can have drastically different idle vacuum, overlap flow, and peak power due to their ramp rates . Desktop Dyno 2000 needs the full lift curve to accurately simulate airspeed and cylinder filling. For example, the default "Chevy 350" head file
Do not settle for default values. Spend a Friday night digitizing your flow bench sheet into a .HED file and manually plotting your cam card’s lobe lift into a .CAM file. Then, run your simulation. You will be shocked when the software predicts 487 HP at 6,200 RPM, and your real engine hits 491 HP on the SuperFlow. That is not luck—that is physics, correctly parameterized.
The camshaft is the brain of the engine. In Desktop Dyno 2000, the default library often lists generic profiles or specific manufacturer grinds. However, the software uses a specific file format to store these profiles. A cam file tells the software: