Applying and Managing Color Maps

Color maps provide the range of color values to which simulation data is mapped when Simcenter STAR-CCM+ renders the data on object surfaces in a graphics scene. Colormaps have a significant impact on how well data is understood when rendered in the scene.

Simcenter STAR-CCM+ provides a wide selection of built-in colormaps and allows you to create your own. Although you apply a color map using the Color Map property of a [displayer] node in a scene, the color maps themselves are stored within the Tools > Color Maps node. For a preview of all built-in color maps, see the Pre-Defined Color Maps section in Scene Colors Reference.

The built-in color maps fall into one or more of the following categories:
  • Perceptual: Color maps in this category have well ordered colors and are nearly or fully colorblind accessible.
  • Qualitative: Use these color maps to create high impact visualizations. Some of these maps are based largely on saturated colors and are intended to deliver strong visual aesthetics.
  • Divergent: Use these color maps to highlight differences across a scalar range. Some maps are effective at highlighting small differences while other maps are designed to highlight large differences in range.
  • Specialty: These color maps are recognizable and designed for specific uses. The land elevation (or land sea elevation) maps are based on geographical surface elevation contours, for example.

Custom color maps that you create are stored in the config\settings.props file in the user settings folder of Simcenter STAR-CCM+, independent of any simulation.

  1. To apply a color map in a scene, select the Color Bar node for a scalar, vector, or streamline displayer and set Color Map to one of the listed entries.


  2. To create a new color map, start by doing either of the following actions:
    • Within the Color Bar – Color Map dialog that you access by clicking the property editor for the Color Map property, click Edit a Copy.
    • Right-click the Tools > Color Maps node and select New.
  3. Use the color map editor to add, delete, or modify opacity and color control points along the map.
    • Points along the top edge of the map set opacity values.
    • Points along the bottom edge of the map set colors.
Once you set up a custom color map in a simulation, you can share it by exporting it to file. This technique lets you make your color map accessible beyond the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ settings folder where it is stored by default.
  1. To export color maps:
    1. Within the Tools > Color Maps node, select one or more [color map] nodes that you wish to export (as you can export multiple maps to the same file).
    2. Right-click one of the selected nodes and select Export.
    3. In the Save dialog, navigate to the destination directory, provide a File Name, and click Save.
  2. To import color maps from file:
    1. Right-click the Tools > Color Maps node and select Import.
    2. In the Open dialog, navigate to the desired .colormap file and click Open.