Output Plane¶
Output planes are lattice-aligned 2D rectangles that span the entirety of the main lattice. The direction and position of the output plane is set by the user. Output planes are useful for visualizing spatial variations across the system without storing full volumetric data. The data printed to the Output Plane are defined by the Probes/Planes Output Controls.
Property Grid¶
General¶
- Axis Direction
This setting defines the normal axis of the plane. Output planes are lattice-aligned with the system basis vectors. To capture non-planar surfaces or planes that are non-lattice aligned, use an Output Surface with appropriately oriented plane child geometry.
- X
Plane is perpendicular to the Y-Z Plane.
- Y
Plane is perpendicular to the X-Z Plane.
- Z
Plane is perpendicular to the X-Y Plane.
- Intercept Value
m | The plane intercept value in template units along the defined axis direction. This position is defined relative to the world origin.
- Particle Screen Option
Users also have the option of declaring planes to be a particle screen. A particle screen, when used in tandem with particles, automatically computes a heat map describing the frequency at which particles cross the plane.
- Disabled
No particle screening done.
- Stick
The particles stick to the particle screen and do not pass beyond it.
- Particle Screen Start Time
s | Time to start the screening activity. This defines the time in seconds when the screen starts to capture particles. The default is 0.
- Particle Screen Stop Time Option
The time at which the volume feed stops.
- End of Simulation
The screening activity stops at the end of the simulation.
- Specified
The screening activity stops at a user-specified time.
- Stop Time
s | The time the screening activity is stopped.
- Passthrough
Particles will be noted in the heat map but continue in the flow, unimpeded.
- Particle Screen Start Time
s | Time to start the screening activity. This defines the time in seconds when the screen starts to capture particles. The default is 0.
- Particle Screen Stop Time Option
The time at which the volume feed stops.
- End of Simulation
The screening activity stops at the end of the simulation.
- Specified
The screening activity stops at a user-specified time.
- Stop Time
s | The time the screening activity is stopped.
Display Attributes¶
- Visible
This controls whether the object is displayed in the 3D viewing panel.
- Hidden
The object is not displayed in the 3D view.
- Shown
The object is displayed in the 3D view.
- Mode
This controls how the object is rendered.
- Wire
This renders the object as a wireframe.
- Color
This sets the color of the wireframe.
- Width
This adjusts the line width used to render the wireframe.
- Shaded
This renders the object as a shaded surface.
- Material
This sets the surface material. Available options are Aluminum, Steel, Chrome, Plastic, and Glass.
- Color
This sets the surface color.
- Opacity
When glass is selected, this sets surface opacity.
Output Plane Data¶
The data printed along the output planes are determined by the selections on the Probes/Planes Output Control. The data are printed to a binary .vti file for visualization and analysis within M-Star Post. The name of each output plane is linked to the Axis Direction and corresponding Intercept Value used to define the output plane. These visualization files are printed at the Plane/Probe Output Write Interval. For more information about the .vtp file structure, see the Visualization Toolkit.
Note
Output planes use nearest-plane sampling from the Cartesian lattice. When an output plane does not coincide with a lattice plane, data are taken directly from the nearest lattice plane and mapped onto the specified plane geometry. As a result, plane data have an effective spatial resolution equal to the local grid spacing. To perform interpolation between lattice points and/or define a custom output resolution, use an Output Surface with an appropriately oriented plane child geometry.
Output Plane Toolbar¶
Context-Specific Toolbar Forms |
Description |
|---|---|
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The Move form enables three-dimensional rigid body transform of object through free drag or point-to-point snapping. |
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The Recenter command snaps a plane to the center of the bounding box. |
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The Help command launches the M-Star reference documentation in your web browser. |
Move
Recenter
HelpFor a full description of each selection on the Context-Specific Toolbar, see Toolbar Selections.