Home
Tutorials
Tutorials show you how to use Simcenter STAR-CCM+ for various applications in a step-by-step format with recommendations for setup, initialization and steps of the solution process specific to the application. Macro and simulation files are available for download for a large proportion of cases.
Analysis Methods
The tutorials in this set illustrate various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ features for analysing and visualizing simulation data.
Volume Rendering: Steckler Room
This tutorial demonstrates the advanced post-processing capabilities of Simcenter STAR-CCM+ using the simulation file that was created in the tutorial, Fire and Smoke Wizard: Steckler Room. If your graphics card does not support volume rendering, activate advanced rendering for the relevant scene.
Adjusting the Scalar
One application of volume rendering is for visualizing the distribution of scalar quantities that represent combustion products.

Share

Link: copied

Breadcrumb: copied

Tutorials
Tutorials show you how to use Simcenter STAR-CCM+ for various applications in a step-by-step format with recommendations for setup, initialization and steps of the solution process specific to the application. Macro and simulation files are available for download for a large proportion of cases.
- Using Tutorial Macros and Files
  Macros, input files, and final simulation files for a range of tutorials are provided as an optional download package on the Support Center website. These macros and final simulation files are provided as an aid to the written tutorials, so that you can check your final results against the downloaded files, or against a simulation that is built and run using the macros.
- Introduction
  Welcome to the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ introductory tutorial. In this tutorial, you explore the important concepts and workflow. Complete this tutorial before attempting any others.
- Foundation Tutorials
  The foundation tutorials showcase the major features of Simcenter STAR-CCM+ in a series of short tutorials.
- Geometry
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ features for creating and working with parts and 3D-CAD.
- Mesh
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various STAR-CCM+ features for building CFD meshes.
- Incompressible Flow
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ features for incompressible fluid flows as well as porosity and solution recording
- Compressible Flow
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ features for compressible fluid flows as well as harmonic balance.
- Heat Transfer and Radiation
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ features for heat transfer, radiation, and thermal comfort.
- Multiphase Flow
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ features for simulating multiphase fluid flow problems
- Discrete Element Method
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ features for simulating Discrete Element Method problems
- Motion
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various STAR-CCM+ features for simulating problems with moving geometries and meshes, dynamic fluid body interaction, and rigid body motion:
- Reacting Flow
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ features for simulating reacting flows such as combustion.
- Solid Stress
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ features for computing deformation, strain, and stresses in solid regions. They also show how such computations can be coupled to the fluid behavior in an analysis of fluid-structure interaction.
- Aeroacoustics
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ features for solving aeroacoustic simulations.
- Electromagnetism
  The following tutorials illustrate features for solving problems that involve electromagnetic fields.
- Electrochemistry
  The following tutorial demonstrates chemical reactions induced by an electrical current.
- Battery
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ features for setting up a battery model:
- Automation
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ automation and macro features.
- Design Exploration
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various features for running design exploration studies in Design Manager.
- Coupling with CAE Codes
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ features for coupling with CAE codes:
- Analysis Methods
  The tutorials in this set illustrate various Simcenter STAR-CCM+ features for analysing and visualizing simulation data.
  - Volume Rendering: Steckler Room
    This tutorial demonstrates the advanced post-processing capabilities of Simcenter STAR-CCM+ using the simulation file that was created in the tutorial, Fire and Smoke Wizard: Steckler Room. If your graphics card does not support volume rendering, activate advanced rendering for the relevant scene.
    - Prerequisites
      The instructions in the Volume Rendering tutorial assume that you are already familiar with certain techniques in Simcenter STAR-CCM+.
    - Loading an Existing Simulation
      For this tutorial, use an existing simulation file that contains objects and solution data from the tutorial, Fire and Smoke Wizard: Steckler Room.
    - Adjusting the Scalar
      One application of volume rendering is for visualizing the distribution of scalar quantities that represent combustion products.
    - Setting Up the Resampled Volume
      To activate volume rendering, create a resampled volume derived part.
    - Setting Up a Color Map
      Prepare a custom color map for the resampled volume.
    - Viewing the Volume-Rendered Soot Density
      Use the resampled volume derived part for rendering the volume of the soot density.
    - Modifying the Color Map Settings
      To determine exactly where in the room the soot density is highest, change the opacity of the color map.
    - Adjusting the Lighting
      To improve the appearance of the volume-rendered object, change lighting in the volume rendering settings and the displayer.
    - Setting Solver Parameters and Stopping Criteria
      Prepare the simulation for a new analysis run in order to see how the soot cloud changes over time.
    - Setting Up the Solution History File
      From the new transient analysis, you want to obtain an animation of the soot cloud developing over time. In order to generate the input frames for the animation, create a solution history file and use it to store selected solution data at specified time intervals.
    - Visualizing the Solution
      Rearrange the scalar scene for an effective view angle and add a time annotation.
    - Running the Simulation
      Clear the results of the previous simulation and run the simulation again.
    - Visualizing the Results
      When the simulation run is finished, the scalar scene shows the complete volume rendering of the soot density.
    - Creating a Recorded Solution View
      Solution views are used to interrogate the solution history data and make it available for post-processing.
    - Creating an Animation from the Solution View
      Create an animation that shows the spread of soot in the room.
    - Summary
      This tutorial demonstrated volume rendering and other advanced post-processing features in Simcenter STAR-CCM+.
  - Data Focus: Thermal Comfort
    Data focus delivers a way to expose critical engineering results and improve decision making. It lets you select areas of interest within one or more plots and immediately visualize the data in those areas within connected scenes.
  - Simulation History: Lagrangian DEM on an Auger
    This tutorial demonstrates Simcenter STAR-CCM+ simulation histories with Lagrangian DEM, using an auger that moves biomass pellets of different sizes.
  - Field Histories: Pressure Time Derivative
    A field history is a type of field monitor that stores a finite number of past values (or samples) of a field function, captured at moments defined by its update policy, for a given set of input regions or boundaries (or both).
  - Screenplay Animation: Assessing Vehicle Aerodynamics
    Screenplay is a post-processing tool in Simcenter STAR-CCM+ that provides keyframe animation techniques for creating analysis videos. Using the Screenplay editor, you define animation effects and movement, and then generate a final rendered video for sharing with project stakeholders.
  - Advanced Rendering: Ray Tracing
    Simcenter STAR-CCM+ provides advanced rendering capabilities that you can use to create scenes that resemble real-life images.
- Simcenter STAR-CCM+ In-cylinder
  The tutorials in this set illustrate features for simulating internal combustion engines in Simcenter STAR-CCM+ using the dedicated add-on Simcenter STAR-CCM+ In-cylinder.

Adjusting the Scalar

One application of volume rendering is for visualizing the distribution of scalar quantities that represent combustion products.

In the reference tutorial, the Soot Density function provides an estimate of the amount of soot that a room fire generates. The function is defined with a built-in conversion to mg/m^3 as:

${Passive Scalar}*$Density*1000*1000

For this tutorial, the function is modified to compute soot density in kg/m^3, so that a custom unit can be applied afterward in the scalar scene:

Select the Automation > Field Functions > Soot Density node.
Set the Dimensions property to Mass/Volume.
Set Definition to ${Passive Scalar}*$Density.

Create a custom unit:

Right-click the Tools > Units node and select New > Units.
Rename the Units_1 node mg/m^3.
With the mg/m^3 node selected, set Conversion to 1.0E-6.
Set Description to mg/m^3.
Set Dimensions to Mass/Volume.

To get a sense of the range of the scalar, use the scalar displayer.

Open Scenes > Scalar Scene 1.

Edit the Scalar Scene 1 > Scalar 1 > Scalar Field node and set the following properties:


Property	Setting
Function	Soot Density
Clip	Off
Units	mg/m^3
Min	300.0
Max	800.0

The scalar scene now shows an approximation of the scalar variation in the volume.