Section 4 Using the 3D Viewer

DirectX may be thought of as Microsoft’s view of the 3-dimensional world. NozzlePRO models have been ported to this framework and a special viewer written to take advantage of this technology. Meshes, displacements and stresses can be viewed in “3d” much faster, and with a much better understanding of the result than with the prior

“2d” slow-time rendering methods. The NozzlePRO viewer was written so that the user feels like he is holding the 3d stress/displacement model in his hand.

3D technologies are improving at an exponential rate. As engineers experience their power they will become ubiquitous on the desktop. Anyone with Windows 2000 already has sufficient DirectX 3d support to run the NozzlePRO viewer. Windows 98 and 95 support multimedia capability and also support DirectX 7.0a. The user must have a minimum of DirectX 7.0a to take advantage of this capability within NozzlePro. Users of Windows NT must upgrade to 2000 before using the 3d viewer. Microsoft never released DirectX version 7 for NT.

Using the DirectX module, the user has access to translucent view, hidden-line mesh views, shaded views, scalable stress results, rotation, clipping, lighting options, and a data thermometer to read off the exact value from any point on the geometry. Viewing tools include zoom, pan, polyline, and “plane-view-zoom” options.

If a displacement load case is associated with the stress state then the model will be showed in a dynamically displacing view. Controls for the dynamic displacement views are in the right screen cockpit.

The DirectX models are available by clicking on the 3d viewer buttons in the stress report output pane. Examples of these buttons are shown in the plot below.

The resulting 3d Deformed model window that appears is shown below:

Menu Options:

File-Used to select different job names. When in the viewer the user can look at any 3d data file that resides on the machine. File also lets the user select various options, the most important of which is the rendering option for non-calculated vertices, usually weld zones. If the user is experiencing difficulties with the viewer, the options also permit deactivating hardware acceleration and shifting between directX7 and directX8 libraries.

Data-Used to select between various possible data sets that are associated with a single model. Multiple stress states are represented by different files that can be selected and rendered with any particular geometry. The user can select which stress state to view.

Rendering-Different Options for viewing the model. Most options are available from buttons on the task bar.

Navigation – Lets the user select ways the mouse is used to position the model, i.e. Rotate, Zoom, Pan, etc. Most movement options define the left mouse button and drag. Most options also support a different right mouse button and drag. For example, when in rotate mode, holding the left mouse button down lets the user rotate the model, but holding the right mouse button down lets the user pan the model. The right mouse button has a duplicate function for each operation. The user should experiment with using both the right and left mouse buttons when positioning the model interactively.

Clipping – Lets the user clip the model to the viewport, (the way that FE/Pipe currently does it), or to draw a polyline region to clip into or out of. The “out-of” clip essentially cuts a hole in the view.

View – Lets the user set the style of the window and menus. The background color can also be selected. View also lets the user select an advanced toolbar that has an increased functionality. The experienced user is encouraged to activate the advanced toolbar and test some of its features.

Toolbar:

Zoom and Pan – When zooming by dragging with the left mouse button, dragging the right mouse button pans the model. When panning with the left mouse button, the right mouse button rotates the model. The left mouse button is the major “mover” and the right mouse button is the secondary option “mover.”

Plane-View-Zoom – When this tool is picked the user can select any point on the model and the program will rotate and zoom the model so that the surface pointed to by the tool is normal to the user’s view. This is a useful way to rotate the model to a get a view of the stress that appears initially on the “side” of the geometry.

Rotate – When the rotate tool is picked, dragging with the left button depressed rotates the model about the vertical axis horizontally, and about the azimuth if vertically. When the right button is depressed the model can be panned.

Interactive Rotate – When picked the model will slowly rotate about the vertical axis. Generally gives a better understanding of the model.

Original View – This tool returns the model to its original orientation. Used most often after a clip to return the model to a standard viewing orientation.

Zoom In/Out – Single Hit keys to either zoom in or out one step at a time.

Clipping Tools – The leftmost tool clips the geometry to the present viewport. All elements outside of the current window are removed. The geometry is moved so that any subsequent rotation will keep the model in the window. The next tool lets the user create a polyline. When the tool is selected a second time the view is clipped to the part of the model that is enclosed by the polyline. The polyline is created by clipping on the

boundaries that should be included with the view. Users should experiment with this option. The third clip tool lets the user draw an exclusion polyline. Everything outside of the polyline is kept and what is inside the polyline is disgarded. The fourth tool is activated when any clipped view is selected. This tool returns the view to the original unclipped model.

View Option Tools – These tools change the model rendering. The leftmost tool is the most realistic rendering and shows only the shaded or stress contoured image. The second tool shows a hidden line image. The third tool shows a slightly translucent shaded image, and the fourth tool does not show hidden lines. The triangle is to not show elements that are pointing toward the viewer. This option often creates useful views when the model is complicated. The user should experiment with the view that is most suited for a particular application.

Data Set Selection Tool – When there are multiple data sets available for a single model the user may select between them by selecting this tool. A Selection window is opened with the available data sets shown. The user must then pick between them. When all data sets have been written for a particular job, this tool lets the user pick between stress states. For example, the user can use this tool to see the Pl case, or the Pl+Pb+Q case, etc. (if write all cases is selected!!)

Data Set Scaling Tool – This is one of the most useful tools in the menu bar. As is often the case with PVP finite element results, the highest stress values are over a very small section of the model and a linear color gradient shows the entire model in blue. In these cases it is difficult to see where the high stress actually is, and to see how it is distributed in the model. The color scalar takes care of this problem. When picked the distribution of stresses is shown in a slidable graph. An example is shown below:

The user can match this plot up with the color legend that is also shown on the plot. The highest value on the color legend corresponds to the rightmost value in the graph, (the triangle on the right), and the bottom value on the color legend corresponds to the leftmost value in the graph, (the triangle on the left.) The user can pick any of the triangles on the data scalar and move it to the right or left to adjust the scaled value on the plot. Generally the rightmost triangle is selected and moved to either the allowable stress value, (watch how the color legend changes as the triangle is moved), or to the start of some convenient value so that high stress regions in the geometry can be seen conveniently. The Auto button is used to shift the center point of the Data Scaling multipliers so that have the nodes in the model are yellow or lower, and half the nodes in the model are yellow or higher.

Data Thermometer – Whenever a data set is shown, (e.g. stresses) the user can move a thermometer over the model and read the exact value of the stress at any location. Select the thermometer tool, then just move it over the model. The exact value of the stress is shown in the window border on the bottom left of the screen.

Background Color Selector – Used to pick the background color. The user can change the background color at any time. White or black is recommended.

Lighting – When the model is originally rendered a lighting is selected and applied. In some cases this casts a darker image over parts of the model and may not be desired. Clicking on the lighting tool turns OFF the preselected lighting. The user can toggle on or off lighting at any time. A slider bar appears that lets the user adjust the lighting intensity, and the light direction can be reversed.

Copying and Sending 3d Data Files: It is often desireable to save and send 3d views of model results to clients or colleagues. The NozzlePRO 3d viewer is a self contained executable that is NOT copy protected and may be distributed freely by NozzlePRO licensees to their clients for the purpose of reviewing NozzlePRO results. It is

not intended to be used by developers of other software programs to copy or otherwise imitate the methods, styles, look and feel or any other aspect of the 3d viewer.

To send the 3d geometry to a customer transmit the following files:

1) Viewfe.exe,dxlib7.dll, dxlib8.dll and particle.tga from the \<installation> subdirectory.

2) <Jobname>.fex and .fea files from the data \OUTPUT subdirectory – these are the 3d geometry and stress plot files for the model.

Providing the client receiving the files has DirectX 7.0a or later he should be able to start up viewfe and open the

<jobname>.fex file. When the data file is opened, the “Data” option in the menu bar can be selected to pick the load case to review.

The <jobname>.fex file contains one 3d model. If the user wishes to send other 3d models, perhaps distorted or exploded views, then the other fex files should be opened. Each fex file contains the geometric description for one NozzlePRO results load case.

Sending Plots to the Clipboard: Any of the views shown in the 3d viewer may be sent to the clipboard by hitting Edit: Copy Image to Clipboard. The image loaded into the clipboard may then be downloaded into Word, Paint, or any package capable of interacting with graphics and the Windows clipboard.

The View option from the task bar allows the user to set the toolbar state. The advanced toolbar provides

additional capability beyond that listed above for the user to experiment with. Also from the View menu selection the user can set the aspect ratio for the plot. This will allow the user to see cross sections as true circles and not ovals.

The arrow keys can also be used to rotate the model. Control plus the arrow keys will pan the geometry. Hitting the <Enter> key will reset the transform to its original position. The space bar will start the autorotate, and page up/page down, +/-, keys zoom the model.

Chapter 2 – Section 5