Chapter 13: Controlling Global Results

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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.

ribbon results

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:

global icon

Note: When the Global Results mode is active, results entities cannot be modified. However, in any Results task, to control the display of results on the entire model, right click on or off of the model and make the appropriate selections from the Global result and Global vector controls:

The Global Result

To specify the result quantity displayed on model surfaces, right click, and select Global result:

global result menu

Alternatively, select from the Global Result menu on the Global context panel:

global result contxt 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.)

The Global Vector

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.

vector menu

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:

Legend

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:

  1. Check User specified range.
  2. Adjust the range with the Min and Max sliders.
Note: To increase the range, key in a value in the field adjacent to the appropriate slider.

Levels and Coloring:

legend continuous

legend levels

Label spacing and format:

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:

Animation

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.

animation

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:

  1. To select steps, click on them from the list.
  2. Click the Animate button.
  3. Use the "VCR" controls to control the animation.
  4. To finish animating, click the Reset button.

To save an animation:

Note: Click Results > Image > Static Image > Set Resolution to set the resolution for the AVI file.

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