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Post-Processing
Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows you to post-process the solution after each iteration or time-step, (while the simulation is running), as well as when the simulation completes. For this reason, you generally create post-processing objects before running the simulation. Post-processing objects are also known as analysis objects.
Visualizing the Solution
The visualization tools in Simcenter STAR-CCM+ are integrated with the analysis, allowing for the interactive extraction and viewing of solution data from either a running or converged simulation.
Visualization Reference
Visualization tools in Simcenter STAR-CCM+ include a wide range of objects in the UI with which you can control the appearance, scope, and type of data in the display. The controls, documented in the following sections, include a comprehensive set of properties as well as convenient right-click actions.
Scene Dialogs Reference
Several actions on the Scenes node and its child nodes open dialogs that contain properties that control the result of the action.

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Post-Processing
Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allows you to post-process the solution after each iteration or time-step, (while the simulation is running), as well as when the simulation completes. For this reason, you generally create post-processing objects before running the simulation. Post-processing objects are also known as analysis objects.
- Analysis Workflow
  The key steps in successfully analyzing simulation results are to: (1) be clear on what quantities you want to extract; (2) locate or define surfaces on which to obtain the data; and, (3) present the data in visual scenes or numeric output.
- Data Interpolation
  Most visualization objects such as plots, reports, and scalar displayers allow for smooth and non-smooth values. For example, the contour style for scalar displayers provides a Smooth Filled option (smooth) and a Filled option (non-smooth). The way these values are calculated depends on the discretization method.
- Field Function Interpolation and Interfaces (FV)
  For finite volume meshes, understanding how Simcenter STAR-CCM+ deals with field function data is important for avoiding non-physical results in post-processing at an interface, and to appreciate the difference that smoothing makes when it is applied.
- Accessing Solution Data through Derived Parts
  Although Simcenter STAR-CCM+ can display, analyze, and report simulation data on regions, boundaries, and parts, there are many cases when you want to access data in other entities of the solution space. Derived parts provide a mechanism for defining additional entities on which you can access solution data.
- Visualizing the Solution
  The visualization tools in Simcenter STAR-CCM+ are integrated with the analysis, allowing for the interactive extraction and viewing of solution data from either a running or converged simulation.
  - Scenes
    In Simcenter STAR-CCM+, you can visualize the results of your simulation using scenes. Scenes, which are stored within the Scenes node, are compositions of one or more displayers that render solution data on the parts you choose.
  - Visualization Workflow
    Scenes are the central objects that you use for visualizing results in Simcenter STAR-CCM+. In general, scenes are composed of one or more displayers to which you assign parts or regions for rendering. Each displayer is responsible for rendering solution data, geometry surfaces, or mesh surfaces according to your selections.
  - Advanced Rendering
    Advanced rendering provides realistic visual presentation at an economic computational cost through ray tracing. Ray tracing simulates the travel of light as it passes through the domain and comes into contact with objects in that domain.
  - Screenplay Animation
    Screenplay is an integrated animation tool in Simcenter STAR-CCM+ that allows you to tell a story about figures of merit in your simulations. The underlying technology used in Screenplay is known as keyframe animation.
  - Annotations
    Annotations are objects that you add to scenes in order to provide extra information or visualization within the same window. For example, you can show the current time-step in a scalar scene or include a numerical value from a report. Possible annotations include report values, 2D or 3D images, and embedded versions of other scenes.
  - Using Transforms
    Displayers use transforms to modify the default position, orientation, or size of the part in the displayer.
  - Obtaining Render Performance Data for a Scene
    You can view a report that provides rendering statistics for a scene that is open in the Graphics window.
  - Visualization Reference
    Visualization tools in Simcenter STAR-CCM+ include a wide range of objects in the UI with which you can control the appearance, scope, and type of data in the display. The controls, documented in the following sections, include a comprehensive set of properties as well as convenient right-click actions.
    - General Scene Properties Reference
      Use the scene properties and actions to control characteristics such as transparency and mesh display.
    - Scene Dialogs Reference
      Several actions on the Scenes node and its child nodes open dialogs that contain properties that control the result of the action.
    - Displayer Properties Reference
    - Geometry Options Reference
      These objects become available when you select certain options in the properties of a geometry displayer.
    - Animation Controls Reference
      Animation controls are provided at the displayer level and also a single property is available at the scene level.
    - Scene Colors Reference
      Scene displays include multi-colored bars to map values to colors for scalars, vectors or streamlines. You can control the appearance of the bar in the scene with the displayer’s color bar object.
    - Scene Attributes Reference
      The Attributes node includes objects that let you control various characteristics of the scene, such as background colors, lighting, and animations.
    - Scene Field Controls Reference
      The scalar displayer and streamline displayer have no default scalar, so you must select one from a list of scalar field functions to display data in a scene.
    - Vector Controls Reference
      Use these objects to control the appearance of the vectors, including distribution, length, and style.
    - Scalar Controls Reference
      These settings give you control over labels and point sizes.
    - Transform Properties Reference
      These properties reflect the types of boundaries you created.
    - Viewer File Transform Utility scetopng
      The scetopng utility takes a Viewer file (.sce) and writes its scenes to separate .png files. This utility is particularly useful for batch runs on clusters as it lets you write scenes to the same .sce file each time rather than to separate image files. You can then export individual .png files at a later stage using the utility.
- Transient Solution Data
  For transient solutions, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ provides the simulation history file (.simh) to which you can save selected data while a simulation is running. After the simulation completes, you can load this file and query its states for post-processing.
- Sampling Data Values Using Reports and Monitors
  This workflow incorporates the roles of both reports and monitors.
- Accessing Field Data from Previous Time-Steps or Iterations
  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).
- Reporting Results
  Reports provide summaries of solution data.
- Monitoring the Solution
  Monitors sample, save, and plot solution data.
- Plots
  The plotting features in Simcenter STAR-CCM+ allow you to create three kinds of two-dimensional plots.
- Exploring Solutions with Data Focus
  This interactive tool lets you extract knowledge of merit -- information that facilitates a correct engineering decision -- from a large volume of data.
- Parametric Positioning for Analysis Surfaces in Turbomachine Domains
  In studies of cases of revolving volumes, such as turbomachinery, a typical requirement for post-processing is to render and plot data on surfaces or profiles that are positioned parametrically in relation to the domain bounding surfaces. For example, you may wish to view the total pressure on a surface located exactly half-way between the hub and shroud, or you may wish to plot pressure across both blade surfaces on a given slice.
- Triggers and Update Events
  Several features of Simcenter STAR-CCM+ require that you define a trigger for when an action takes place. Simcenter STAR-CCM+ provides three built-in trigger types, and one custom trigger type (defined by an update event).
- Signal Processing
  Signal processing applies data set functions to sets of wave data.

Scene Dialogs Reference

Several actions on the Scenes node and its child nodes open dialogs that contain properties that control the result of the action.

Save To File Dialog Properties

In addition to requiring a File Name, the Save To File dialog exposes the following properties:

Files of Type

Target file format (identified by extension). Options are .png, .bmp, .pnm, .jpg, and .ps.

Use Anti-Aliasing

When activated, reduces distortion in the rendered image at the expense of higher processing time. This option is recommended for hardcopy output.

Transparent Background

When activated, generates an image with a transparent background. Available for .png files only.

X Resolution, Y Resolution

These properties set the width (X) and height (Y) of the exported image in pixels. If the associated drop-down menu is set to Custom Resolution, you can set X and Y resolutions independently. If the menu is set to Locked Aspect Ratio, any change that you make to one resolution entry is immediately reflected in the other resolution entry.

Magnification

Allows you to set an integer value by which the image is magnified.

A magnification value of 1 means the size and resolution of the resulting file is the same as that of the screen (typically 72 dpi), so this is essentially a screenshot of what you see in the visualization display. Consider the following when you attempt to scale the image:

A larger magnification creates a larger file at the same resolution, giving the effect of a higher resolution image if the file is imported into a document and scaled down.
For example, suppose you want an image approximately 300 dpi, suitable for printing in an office document. A magnification of 4 would produce an image four times as large as the original, still at 72 dpi. However, by specifying a 25% scale when importing the image into a presentation program or image editor, you can obtain an effective resolution of 288 dpi.
If the resolution of the hardcopy times the magnification factor exceeds the limits of the scene's underlying OpenGL platform, then the hardcopy is created at a lower resolution, and scaled up.