Data Focus Workflow

Select portions of plots to isolate data of interest in one or more scenes.

Decide on the quantities that you want to examine, and then plot and visualize those quantities.
  1. Determine the quantities.
  2. Choose the parts. If none of the existing parts in the simulation are appropriate, create a derived part.
  3. Set up plots for your correlations. The most useful type of plot to use with the data focus feature is a scatter plot.

    To view all the data in the plot at once, select the region as the part.

    In addition, you can use the heatmap style to view the concentration of data more clearly. See Setting and Viewing Heatmaps.

    • If you plan to use multiple correlations in the simulation, consider renaming each plot according to its quantities, for example Velocity Magnitude vs. Temperature.
  4. Set up scenes to visualize your quantities.
    • If you create a vector scene, you can include line integral convolution. See Refining a Vector Display.
    • To visualize data in 3D, consider using a resampled volume derived part. If your graphics card does not support volume rendering, activate advanced rendering for the relevant scene. See Defining a Resampled Volume.
Prepare the data focus and the displays.
  1. Right-click the Tools > Data Focus node and select New.
    • Although common practice involves interacting with plots and scenes, you can use the object tree nodes of the data focus to set up all its specifications, similar to a search query:
      1. After creating the data focus object, decide whether to set the Operator property of the Criteria node, a compound object that contains multiple ranges, to AND or OR.
      2. Right-click the node to add a range or another compound object.
      3. For each compound object that you add, specify AND or OR.
      4. Add as many ranges as you wish.
      5. For each range, specify the field function in the Function property, as well as values for Minimum and Maximum.
    • If you plan to use multiple correlations in the simulation, consider renaming the new data focus object according to its quantities, for example Velocity Magnitude vs. Temperature.
  2. To apply a data focus to plots and scenes, use one of the following techniques:
    • Drag and drop the data focus node into the scene or plot. In the scene, select the part displayer to which you are applying the data focus.
    • Work with the object tree:
      1. Expand the node of each plot that you want to link, along with its Y Types sub-node.
      2. Select the appropriate Y type node and select the data focus object in the drop-down list of the Data Focus property.
      3. Expand the scene node and its Displayers sub-node.
      4. Select the appropriate displayer node and select the data focus object in the drop-down list of the Data Focus property.
    • Work with the data focus object:
      1. Expand the Tools > Data Focus node, right-click the data focus object node, and select Apply To.
      2. In the Apply Data Focus object selector, expand the nodes of plots and scenes that you want to link.
      3. Select the appropriate Y type nodes for the plots, and the appropriate displayer nodes for the scenes.
    NoteYou cannot apply a data focus to plot data that has undergone transformation, such as scaling. For details, see Customizing Plots.
  3. To work with a linked plot and scene in the Graphics window, arrange them so that they are side by side.
  4. Select the plot. In the Plot toolbar, click (Create Data Focus Selection), select Add Selection to Data Focus, and draw a box across the plot.
  5. Move the box, the "brush", to examine portions of the data.


  6. In addition to moving the brush, use other techniques for changing the data focus:
    • Add brushes to the plot.
    • Modify the extent of the brushes using any of the following techniques:
      • Drag the borders of the brush.
      • Right-click the brush, and do any of the following:
        • Add or remove constraints by selecting a range in the submenu.
        • Select Edit Constraints, select a range in the submenu, and enter values in the Edit Range dialog.
      • Edit the properties of the value range sub-nodes within the data focus object node. See Data Focus Objects Reference.
NoteThe data focus selection may appear outside the defined brush when you apply it to a heatmap. This additional area results from the bounds of the brush partially selecting heatmap bins in the plot. Increase the resolution of the heatmap (values of the Bin property) to reduce the area of the selection outside the data focus brush.