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.

To prepare a scene for visualization:
  1. Create a scene using one of the following methods:
    • In the simulation tree, right-click the Scenes node and choose New Scene > [scene shortcut].
    • In the Vis toolbar, click (Create/Open Scenes) and choose a scene shortcut from the list.
    In either case the items on the list are shortcuts to scenes for a particular purpose. For example, the geometry option creates a scene with a geometry displayer already configured to contain all geometry parts used in the latest available description. If you have not generated the mesh then the displayer contains geometry parts and points to the initial tessellated surfaces for the parts.
  2. For easier editing of scene controls and properties, click Scene/Plot at the top of the object tree.
    You can switch back to the object tree by clicking Simulation.
  3. If the scene has no displayers, or you wish to add an extra displayer, right-click the [scene] node and choose New Displayer > [displayer type].
    A scene can contain as many displayers as you wish.
  4. Set the correct representation from which the visible data, surfaces, or mesh is taken:


    • Select the [displayer] node and set Representation using the drop-down list.
    • In the graphics window, right-click in the background and select Apply Representation to Displayers > [representation].
In general, to configure a displayer, go through the following steps:
  1. Expand the displayer node, select the Parts node, and proceed to set the parts on which this displayer renders data, surfaces, or mesh:
    • To define a dynamic selection based on queries, click the query editor button.
    • To define a static selection using the object selection dialog, click the custom editor button.

    For a streamline displayer, you can only choose streamline derived parts. If none are available, switch to the Simulation panel and create a streamline displayer within Derived Parts.

    When viewing results of a Lagrangian multiphase simulation, you can add Lagrangian phases as parts within displayers. The size of particles in the scene is governed by the Point Scale Mode property of the displayer and its associated Point Size Scale Field or Point Size nodes (depending on which mode you choose).

  2. For scalar, vector, or streamline displayers, choose the field function whose data you wish to view on the chosen Parts:
    1. Within the [displayer] node tree, select the Scalar Field or Vector Field node.
    2. Set Function.


    3. If you want to manually set limits on which data values are displayed, change Auto Range accordingly. Set the corresponding limits using Min and Max. Auto Range Mode
    4. To hide data that falls outside manually defined limits, change Clip to one of the other options (as Off is the default choice).
    For scalar or vector displayers, as an alternative to selecting the field function in the object tree, you can click the color bar in the scene and set the field function in the Coloring Properties dialog.
  3. For scalar, vector, or streamline displayers, set the color map and related properties:
    1. Within the [data displayer] node, select the Color Bar node and choose a Color Map. If you click the editor button, you can make a copy of the selected color map and edit the copy.


      Simcenter STAR-CCM+ provides comprehensive support for color maps, including built-in high contrast and visually-accessible maps. For information on creating or editing color maps, see Applying and Managing Color Maps.
      As an alternative to setting the color map on the node, you can:
      1. Click the color bar in the scene.
      2. Near the bottom of the Coloring Properties dialog, select another color map from the drop-down list.

    2. Using the other properties, set the number of Levels (gradations) on the color bar, as well as its Width, Orientation, and Position.
  4. To control how the displayer renders the scene, select the [displayer] node and modify the relevant properties:
    1. For all displayer types, you can set the Opacity (transparency) with which the displayer renders its parts.
    2. For scalar displayers, you can choose among different Contour Style options such as Filled, Smooth Filled, Smooth Blended, or others. Automatic is the default option.
    3. An outline displayer gives you control over which of the following entities to show: mesh lines, outline, feature lines, and surfaces. Activate or deactivate the relevant check boxes.
You can export scene images to disk at regular intervals while a simulation runs. Export options include a movie file format (.mp4) file which means successive images of a scene are written to the same file. This option is particularly useful when running transient simulations on a remote cluster.
  1. To export scene images to file, follow the steps in Saving Scene Images to File.