Image command, which are equivalent. Command Locations
For convenience, commands for creating an animation of the model results are available in multiple locations within the Results environment, as follows:
(Application Menu) Export Animation -
Results Contours Captures Animate Save as AVI
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Results Inquire Captures Animate Save as AVI
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Results Options Captures Animate Save as AVI
Frame Rate Control Options for Non-Time-Dependent Analyses
For non-time-dependent analyses (such as linear static stress, steady-state heat transfer, and electrostatic analyses), the Frame Rate Control portion of the Save As AVI dialog box contains the following options:
Type of Animation:
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(one-way animation): If this button is depressed, the animation will start from the undisplaced shape and will finish at the displaced shape. The current displacement scale factor is used for the deformed shape. -
(two-way animation): If this button is depressed, the animation will start from the undisplaced shape, go to the displaced shape, and then return to the undisplaced shape. The current displacement scale factor is used for the deformed shape. This option is useful if you are going to append another animation after the current one because it will bring you smoothly back to the starting point of the next animation. -
(sinusoidal animation): If this button is depressed, the animation will be divided into four quarters. The animation will start from the undisplaced shape and go to the calculated displaced shape. This is the first quarter. In the second quarter, it will return to the undisplaced shape. In the third quarter, the animation will go the inverse of the calculated displaced shape (that is, the negatives of the displacement values are used). In the last quarter, the animation will return to the undisplaced shape. Throughout the animation, the current displacement scale factor is used as the basis of the deformed shape. This will result in a smooth full-cycle sinusoidal animation of the deflections. This method is suitable for demonstrating vibration mode shapes (natural frequencies) because each vibration mode passes through the calculated deformed shape and its inverse. Note: Animation of the results contours is disabled for the sinusoidal animation option. Contour colors remain constant throughout the animation.
Number of Frames to Generate
Specify the number of frames to include in the output AVI file. The higher the number of frames, the smoother the animation. This value must be an even number for two-way and sinusoidal animations.
Frames Per Second (FPS)
This input field specifies the frame rate of the output AVI file when it is played. The higher the frame rate, the shorter the duration of the video when it is played. Excessively high frame rates may cause playback problems on some computer systems. Typical values range between 15 and 30 FPS
Animate Results
This option is enabled by default. For non-time-dependent results, contour colors change linearly during the animation when the Animate Results option is activated. The legend range remains constant throughout the animation.
). Frame Rate Control Options for Time-Dependent Analyses
For time-dependent analyses (such as MES and transient heat transfer), the Frame Rate Control portion of the Save As AVI dialog box contains the following options:
Playback Frames per Second (FPS):
This field controls the speed of the animation by setting the number of frames to be displayed in each second of playback. Each time step output to the AVI file comprises a single frame.
Setup By Step Number
When the Setup By Step Number radio button is selected (the default option), the following three input fields control which time steps are included in the AVI file:
- Start Step: This is the time step to be used for the first frame of the animation.
- End Step: This is the last time step to be included in the animation.
- Step Increment: An increment of 1 causes all time steps between the start and stop step to be output to the AVI file. Use a larger positive integer to skip time steps. For example: If Start Step = 20, End Step =120, Step Increment = 4, and there are 150 time steps in the analysis, the AVI will have the following characteristics:
- Time steps 0 through 19 and 121 through 150 are omitted.
- Number of frames = 26, which is determined by the equation {[(End Step - Start Step ) / Increment] +1} = {[(120 - 20) / 4] + 1}.
- The pattern of included time steps is 20, 24, 28 ... 112, 116, 120.
Setup By Time
When the Setup By Time radio button is selected, the following four input fields control which time steps are included in the AVI file. Specify three of the four values, and the fourth is calculated automatically. Specifically, enter the Start Time, End Time, and either the Time Increment or the Capture Rate . The time values you enter within the Save As AVI dialog box must be consistent with the time units specified for the analysis (seconds, minutes, or hours). The default time unit is seconds. The Setup Bt Time input fields are defined as follows:
- Start Time: The time step corresponding to this instant in time is used for the first frame of the animation.
- End Time: The time step corresponding to this instant in time is used for the last frame of the animation.
- Time Increment: This value controls the simulation event time increment between adjacent AVI frames. When you specify a Time Increment, the Capture Rate (see next item) is automatically calculated as follows:
Capture Rate = 1 / (Time Increment * Playback Frames Per Second)
Consider the following examples:
- To include all of the simulation time steps in the animation file, the Time Increment should equal the simulation time step size.
- To include every third time step, this value should equal three times the simulation time step size.
- If the Time Increment specified is half of the simulation time step size, two frames will be generated for each time step. In other words, every frame will be repeated once, doubling the duration of the video playback, but not actually adding any unique video frames. That is, there is no interpolation between simulation time steps.
- Capture Rate: The product of this value and the Playback Frames Per Second (FPS) value is approximately equal to the total number of frames that will be output to the AVI file. The actual number of output frames can vary slightly based on the correlation between the AVI time increments and the actual simulation time step size. Additionally, when starting at time step 0 (the initial condition), this extra step must be considered (for example, step 0 through step 50 is actually 51 captured results).
When you specify a Capture Rate, the Time Increment (see previous item) is automatically calculated as follows:
Time Increment = 1 / (Capture Rate * Playback Frames Per Second)
Consider the following example:
If …
- Event Duration = 2 seconds
- Time Step Size = 0.05 seconds
- Number of time steps in the simulation event, including step 0 (the initial condition) = (2 / 0.05) + 1 = 41
- Playback Frames Per Second (FPS) = 20
- Start Time = 0
- End Time = 2
- Capture Rate = 2
Then …
- The calculated Time Increment value = 1 / (2 * 20 fps) = 0.025 seconds. Note: In the above equation, the first 2 is the Capture Rate.
- Number of AVI frames ≅ 2 * [ (1 frame) + (20 fps * 2 seconds) ] = 82 frames (each of the 41 simulation time steps is used to produce 2 identical frames). Note: In the above equation, the first 2 is the Capture Rate, and 1 frame is included to account for time step 0 (the initial condition).
- AVI duration ≅ 82 frames / 20 fps = 4.1 seconds
- The pattern of included time steps is 0, 0, 1, 1, 2, 2 … 38, 38, 39, 39, 40, 40.
Other Parameters (Applicable to All Analyses)
Target Resolution
Specify the Width and Height of the saved image as follows:
- Type in the desired Width and/or Height values. You can also use the up and down arrows to adjust the values.
- The Lock checkbox, when activated, constrains the aspect ratio to match that of the selected capture area. When either the Width or Height value is changed, the other value is automatically calculated and updated. Deactivate the Lock checkbox to allow the created AVI video to have a different aspect ratio than the specified capture area. In this case, you must manually specify both values.
- Alternatively, choose a pre-defined size using the Preset drop-down menu. The choices include several common sizes in 16:9 (wide-screen) and 4:3 aspect ratios, the Primary screen resolution, and User defined size. If you choose a pre-defined resolution, the Lock option is automatically deactivated.
File name
Specify the desired name for the output AVI file. The filename defaults to the model filename, but with an avi extension. If you specify a filename that already exists within the target folder, you will be prompted as to whether you want to append the existing video or not (see next item).
Append
If the specified filename matches an existing file within the target folder, you can choose to append the current animation to the existing AVI file. Activate the Append checkbox to do so. You may also be prompted automatically as to whether or not you want to append to the existing video file. When choosing to append, you may also be see a prompt asking if you wish to reload the video settings from the existing AVI file (to ensure that the appended portion is consistent with the previously generated portion.
If you answer Yes when prompted to append the existing file and later change your mind, simply click the Append checkbox to deactivate the option. When you save an AVI with the same filename as an existing AVI, and the Append option is deactivated, you will be prompted to overwrite the existing file or cancel the save operation.
Auto-enclose each target frame
When this option is activated, the model viewpoint for each frame will zoom out if necessary to keep any portion of the model from extending past the edge of the video window. This is useful where large displacements occur, but you want the benefit of a closer look at the model while it still fits within the video frame.
Compression
Click the Compression button to specify the quality of the video and the compressor to use to create the animation file. The choices you see depend upon the media CODECs (compressors / decompressors) installed on your computer. The default is Microsoft Video 1, quality = 100%. This is an old but effective video compressor, and one that is universally available on Windows workstations. Therefore, it is unlikely that persons to whom you send the resultant video will have any difficulty playing it.
The compressor you choose is remembered from one session to another. In order words, the compression settings used when creating the current animation become the default for the next time you create an animation.
Save as type
Currently, Windows Video (*.avi) is the only supported video format.
Save
Click this button to generate the AVI file.
Cancel
Click this button to abort the Save As AVI operation and close the dialog box.
Preview Image
A thumbnail preview image appears in the lower right corner of the dialog box, just above the Save and Cancel buttons. This preview is useful for verifying that the selection area is as expected.