Previous: Exercise 6 | Next: Chapter 14
AutodeskĀ® CFD has a powerful set of results visualization tools to help view, extract, and present analysis results quickly, easily, and efficiently. A very graphical, CAD-like set of tools as well as several ways to output graphical images and data make communicating analysis results with other members of the design supply chain very easy.
The full suite of visualization tools is available while the scenario is running as well as after completion to provide constant graphical feedback about the analysis. This powerful run-time environment is extremely helpful for understanding the progression of the solution.
The Results tab is divided into several primary functions:
To access the Results tasks while in the Setup tasks, click the Results tab.
Global Controls:
To specify the result quantity displayed on model surfaces, right click, and select Global result:
Alternatively, select from the Global Result menu on the Global context panel:
The global result is reflected in the Legend in the graphics window. Changing the units of the Legend changes the output units when probing.
This also sets the result quantity displayed in the Status Bar when probing with the mouse. (To probe, hover the mouse over the location of interest.)
To display vectors on all fluid surfaces (inlets, outlets, and internal surfaces between fluid regions), right click and select Global vector. Select the desired quantity from the expanding menu list.
Use the Settings⦠dialog to control vector attributes such as length and arrowhead size.
Alternatively, select from the Global Vector menu on the Global context panel.
Additional Controls:
To change the units: ![]() | To change the appearance, range, and settings: ![]() |
To change displayed units:
Right-click on the legend, and select Units.
To modify legend appearance:
Right click on the legend, and click Options.
To change the range:
Levels and Coloring:
Label spacing and format:
Text labels are automatically added or removed to ensure optimal spacing and to prevent overcrowding.
To change the maximum number of Continuous labels, modify Max labels.
To change the maximum number of labels shown with discrete gradations, change the value adjacent to Levels.
To change the amount of vertical space between labels, modify the value of Mix pixels between labels. The number of labels adjusts to maintain this value.
Legend vertical spacing:
To control the maximum number of legends that can be displayed vertically, click View > Appearance > Legend, and change the value in the spin-box control:
A very effective way to visualize results from transient analyses is to save results at specific time steps, and animate them to see how they change with time.
Alternatively, click Results (tab) > Image (panel) > Animation to open the Animation dialog.
Use the Animation dialog to animate saved iterations or time-steps.
To open the Animation dialog:
To animate results sets:
To save an animation: