Setting the Scene Background or Environment Map

Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows you to change the scene background to a different color, color gradient, or an environment background map. You can also set a checkerboard background that fills the space with colored squares.

Check the default setting for gradient backgrounds in case it is set to prevent the gradient background by default.
  • Within the Tools > Options dialog, select Visualization and check the setting for Disable Gradient Background. If it is activated, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ ignores any settings that you make for a gradient background in a scene.
To modify the background appearance in a scene:
  1. Select the Scenes > [scene] > Attributes > Background Color node and set Background Color Mode to one of the available options:
    • Solid
    • Gradient
    • Checkerboard
    • Environment Map
  2. Select the corresponding [background mode] child node and choose the colors or other options that the node provides.
    • For a Gradient Background, you can choose from several gradient modes including a Radial option.
    • For a Checkerboard Background, you can increase or decrease the density of squares on the scene using Squares per Color.

An environment map is an image that wraps around the contents of a scene and rotates along with the view. While this quality of background is best suited for advanced rendering, it works in any rendering mode. Several maps are provided with Simcenter STAR-CCM+. These are six-sided and spherical licensed textures provided by Humus (http://www.humus.name/index.php?page=About) and HDRMAPS (). While other environment maps may be downloadable online, it is your obligation to check the licensing terms on using them.

  1. If you choose Environment Map, select the Environment Map Background node and make changes as follows:
    1. Set Environment Map to one of the maps available from the drop-down menu.
    2. To the right of the Rotation property, click the custom editor button.
    3. To orient the map in the scene, adjust the properties of the Rotation editor and see what difference the adjustment makes to the scene.
    4. When done with making changes to the Rotation, click OK.
    If you find that the size of the geometry relative to the environment map is not appropriate, you can apply a scale transform to the displayers that control the geometry in the scene.
You can export the built-in environment maps and also import your own.
  1. To export one of the built-in environment maps:
    1. Switch to the Simulation tree view.
    2. Expand the Tools > Environment Maps node.
    3. Right-click the [environment map] that you want to export and choose Export.