To be truly useful1 to designers FEM software needs to be robust while producing desired results at short notice. Today's automatic and semi-automatic mesh generators tend to produce meshes of elements with deviations from optimum geometries making them either unacceptable to handle or producing inaccurate results by many popular solver codes. The paper gives backgrounds of element formulations with reduced sensitivity to shape irregularities. Shape functions of hybrid and higher order elements with internal and midside node derivations, meeting such requirements, will be presented. Verification applications will demonstrate the effectiveness of such element formulations. Fast algorithms for solutions of large sets of linear equations and eigenvalue problems will be discussed, meeting the need for quick responses. Pre- and postprocessing characteristics, enabling designers to create models and to interpret analysis outcomes efficiently, will be outlined briefly.

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