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User Interface
Simcenter STAR-CCM+ provides a Graphical User Interface generally known as the client workspace. This interface appears when you launch Simcenter STAR-CCM+ interactively.
Field Functions
Field functions allow you to access fields (scalar or vector data that are evaluated at cells, vertices, or boundary faces) in Simcenter STAR-CCM+. You can use field functions to visualize the computed fields, to specify boundary and region values, or to define initial conditions.
Field Functions Reference

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User Interface
Simcenter STAR-CCM+ provides a Graphical User Interface generally known as the client workspace. This interface appears when you launch Simcenter STAR-CCM+ interactively.
- Using the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ Workspace
  This chapter shows you how to use the various components of Simcenter STAR-CCM+, with a focus on the user interface.
- What Are the Important Concepts?
  This section presents the key concepts you come across when using Simcenter STAR-CCM+.
- Working with Simulation Objects
  Objects are the key components of Simcenter STAR-CCM+. They represent various aspects of a simulation and have properties that you can set as required for your particular problem.
- Automation
  The Automation node provides easy access to a number of frequently used automated processes.
- Expressions
  In Simcenter STAR-CCM+, you can define property values using expressions, which you write using a function language that is a subset of the C programming language. Expressions can define mathematical expressions or perform other operations, such as interpolating tabular data from XY tables in the simulation.
- Global Parameters
  Global parameters include scalar and vector physical quantities (for example, 120.0 K or [0.0, 1.0, 0.0] m) that can be defined once and used in multiple objects. Another type of global parameter is a file, currently used for the Replace Parts operation in Geometry > Operations and in Design Manager.
- Field Functions
  Field functions allow you to access fields (scalar or vector data that are evaluated at cells, vertices, or boundary faces) in Simcenter STAR-CCM+. You can use field functions to visualize the computed fields, to specify boundary and region values, or to define initial conditions.
- Engineering Units
  Simcenter STAR-CCM+ has flexible and customizable support for engineering units. The standard SI and USCS systems are built in, and you can add new units as desired. Physical quantities can be specified and displayed in any of these units. Individual quantities can be specified with new units on the fly by simply typing something like “80 mph”.
- Simulation Operations
  Simulation operations allow you to automate the solution processes in Simcenter STAR-CCM+ without using Java macros. Condition and loop operations provide the basic logic control common to many programming languages.
- Staged Physics
  In Simcenter STAR-CCM+, staged physics allows you to store multiple configurations of physics settings and apply them in sequence during a simulation. Simulation operations provide the framework in which physics stages are applied.
- Working with Volume Shapes
  A volume shape is a closed geometric figure that can be shaped as a block, cone, cylinder, or sphere.
- Simulation Guide
  The simulation guide is a single embedded document that you can edit within a simulation file. This document can contain formatted text, tables, images, and hyperlinks to nodes in the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ object tree or external web resources.
- Template Simulation Files
  Template simulation files allow you to define pre-configured setups for use in new simulations. When used in conjunction with query-based selection, template files present a powerful technique for automating repeat analyses on similar geometries.
- Scripting the Application
  Scripting allows you to work more efficiently by automating repetitive tasks.
- Working with User Code
  User code allows Simcenter STAR-CCM+ to be customized with functions written in a compiled language such as C, C++ or Fortran.
- Working with the Plugins Manager
  The Plugins Manager makes it possible to install and manage NetBeans modules for Simcenter STAR-CCM+.
- Simulation Assistants
  A Simulation Assistant provides a visual workflow within the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ user interface (UI).
- Wizard Guide
  This part of the documentation illustrates how Simcenter STAR-CCM+ is used for special application tools and projects.

Field Functions Reference

Field Functions Manager Right-Click Actions

These context menu items are available when you right-click the Field Functions manager node.


New	Creates a field function of the type you select in the submenu: Scalar Array Vector Position
New Group	Facilitates the grouping of objects by creating a group node within the manager node.
Group By	Allows you to group the field functions according to any of the properties in the submenu: Definition Source (that is, the Definition property, or for a simulation field function such as Pressure, the code that provides the definition) Dimensions Tags Value Type
Ungroup	Reverses the grouping process.

Primitive Field Function Properties


Type	The type of field function: scalar, vector, array, or position (read-only).
Function Name	The name of this field function (read-only). Use this property in the definition of other field function definitions, not the node name. Use this property to remind you of the actual field function if you have renamed the node in the tree.
Dimensions	The physical dimensions of this field function (read-only).
Inverse Distance Weight	Whether to use inverse distance weighting to interpolate node values.
	Activated	Interpolate node values using inverse distance weighting.
	Deactivated	Use nearest neighbor as node values.

System Field Function Properties


Type	The type of field function: scalar, vector, array, or position (read-only).
Dimensions	The physical dimensions of this field function (read-only).
Function Name	The name of this field function (read-only). Use this property in the definition of other field function definitions, not the node name. Use this property to remind you of the actual field function if you have renamed the node in the tree.
Definition	The definition of the field function in the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ field function syntax (read-only).
Assembly Code	An unambiguous tree-based (but humanly readable) form of the field function formula (read-only). This property is empty until the field is used, for example in a contour plot.
Inverse Distance Weight	Whether to use inverse distance weighting to interpolate node values.
	Activated	Interpolate node values using inverse distance weighting.
	Deactivated	Use nearest neighbor as node values.

User-Defined Field Function Properties


Type	Defines the type of field function. See Field Functions Types.
	Scalar	Defines the field function as scalar which means that the field function corresponds to just one number (zero, positive or negative) at a specific location.
	Array	Defines the field function as an array of three numbers at each location.
	Vector	Defines the field function as a vector which can be expressed in different coordinate systems. See Referencing Local Coordinate Systems.
	Position	Defines the field function as a position at each location. See Referencing Local Coordinate Systems.
	Symmetric Tensor	Defines the field function as a second-order symmetric tensor at each location.
Dimensions	The physical dimensions of this field function, which you can customize.
Function Name	The name of this field function. Use this property in the definition of other field function definitions, not the node name. Use this property to remind you of the actual field function if you have renamed the node in the tree. If you inadvertently use a function name that another field function uses, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ appends an underscore (_) and a digit to what you typed. The result is a name that is still unique.
Definition	The formulation of this field function using the special Simcenter STAR-CCM+ field function syntax. Entering an invalid definition causes the error: Error compiling Field Function: parse error to be displayed in the Output window, and the Assembly Code property to be populated with error.
Inverse Distance Weight	Determines whether to use inverse distance weighting to interpolate node values.
	Activated	Interpolate node values using inverse distance weighting.
	Deactivated	Use nearest neighbor as node values.
Assembly Code	An unambiguous tree-based (but humanly readable) form of the field function formula (read-only). Empty until the Definition is entered or until the field is used, for example in a contour plot. The assembly code is updated each time that you change the Definition and press <Enter>. This property can be useful to make sure that Simcenter STAR-CCM+ interprets your definition as expected (for example, operator precedence).
Ignore Boundary Values	Determines whether the field functions are computed based on the data that are stored in the cells that are next to the boundaries rather than the field data stored on boundaries (if available).
	Activated	Use adjacent cell values.
	Deactivated	Use boundary values.
Synchronize Function Name	Determines whether the function name (the name that Simcenter STAR-CCM+ uses; listed in the Function Name property) always reflects the presentation name (the node name) that you set.
	Activated	The function name always reflects the presentation name. The Function Name property is grayed out.
	Deactivated	The function name and the presentation name can be set manually with different entries.