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User Interface
Simcenter STAR-CCM+ provides a Graphical User Interface generally known as the client workspace. This interface appears when you launch Simcenter STAR-CCM+ interactively.
Using the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ Workspace
This chapter shows you how to use the various components of Simcenter STAR-CCM+, with a focus on the user interface.
Guide to the Graphics Window
The graphics window displays viewable objects such as scenes and plots. The window also hosts interactive views such as the 3D-CAD view and the surface repair environment.
Object-to-Window Association
The scenes in Simcenter STAR-CCM+ always display an up-to-date view of the server objects.

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User Interface
Simcenter STAR-CCM+ provides a Graphical User Interface generally known as the client workspace. This interface appears when you launch Simcenter STAR-CCM+ interactively.
- Using the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ Workspace
  This chapter shows you how to use the various components of Simcenter STAR-CCM+, with a focus on the user interface.
  - Using the Workspace
    If you have used any GUI-based applications (such as Microsoft Word), you will have little difficulty using the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ workspace.
  - Using the Menus
    The menu bar is typical of GUI-based applications. It can be navigated with the mouse or with the keyboard.
  - Using the Toolbars
    Like the menu bars, the toolbars are typical of GUI-based applications, providing easy access to the most common actions.
  - Using the Explorer Pane
    The Explorer pane is typically docked on the left of the workspace.
  - Using the Table Editor
    The table editor combines the functionality of the simulation tree and Properties window.
  - Using the Properties Window
    The Properties window is a single location where all of the properties for a selected object can be viewed and manipulated.
  - Guide to the Graphics Window
    The graphics window displays viewable objects such as scenes and plots. The window also hosts interactive views such as the 3D-CAD view and the surface repair environment.
    - Object-to-Window Association
      The scenes in Simcenter STAR-CCM+ always display an up-to-date view of the server objects.
    - Contextual Right-Click Menus
      Right-click menus give you control over visualization where you need it.
    - Moving the View
      When one or more parts of the simulation are visible in the graphics window, you can examine them in detail by moving the point of view. Simcenter STAR-CCM+ provides several methods by which you can change the point of view.
    - Arranging Multiple Graphics Windows
      You can display multiple scenes and/or plots in the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ workspace at one time, including displays from multiple simulations, and arrange them as you like.
    - Measuring Distances
      You can measure distances in the scene. Depending where in the scene you click, these distances can be among vertices, cells and/or the background of the scene.
    - Obtaining Hardcopies
      You can print the contents of a display.
    - Probing for Scalar Data in a Scene
      You can obtain scalar data for a particular cell in an open scalar scene.
    - Selecting Objects in the Graphics Window
      Simcenter STAR-CCM+ provides a toolbar that lets you select objects in a scene with precision.
    - Visualization Options Reference
  - Using the Output Window
    The Output window gives a precise text description of all developments within the simulation.
  - Using Keyboard Shortcuts
    Simcenter STAR-CCM+ accommodates keystrokes for a host of activities.
  - Conditions, Values, and Profiles
    Throughout the simulation tree, Simcenter STAR-CCM+ presents groups of condition nodes and their matching value nodes. For example, a boundary object has child nodes on which you choose physics conditions, and child nodes on which you set physics values. These values are quantities such as velocity, temperature, or density. The particular values available for change depend on what you set in the conditions.
  - Tables
    Tables refer to objects in Simcenter STAR-CCM+ containing tabular data.
- What Are the Important Concepts?
  This section presents the key concepts you come across when using Simcenter STAR-CCM+.
- Working with Simulation Objects
  Objects are the key components of Simcenter STAR-CCM+. They represent various aspects of a simulation and have properties that you can set as required for your particular problem.
- Automation
  The Automation node provides easy access to a number of frequently used automated processes.
- Expressions
  In Simcenter STAR-CCM+, you can define property values using expressions, which you write using a function language that is a subset of the C programming language. Expressions can define mathematical expressions or perform other operations, such as interpolating tabular data from XY tables in the simulation.
- Global Parameters
  Global parameters include scalar and vector physical quantities (for example, 120.0 K or [0.0, 1.0, 0.0] m) that can be defined once and used in multiple objects. Another type of global parameter is a file, currently used for the Replace Parts operation in Geometry > Operations and in Design Manager.
- Field Functions
  Field functions allow you to access fields (scalar or vector data that are evaluated at cells, vertices, or boundary faces) in Simcenter STAR-CCM+. You can use field functions to visualize the computed fields, to specify boundary and region values, or to define initial conditions.
- Engineering Units
  Simcenter STAR-CCM+ has flexible and customizable support for engineering units. The standard SI and USCS systems are built in, and you can add new units as desired. Physical quantities can be specified and displayed in any of these units. Individual quantities can be specified with new units on the fly by simply typing something like “80 mph”.
- Simulation Operations
  Simulation operations allow you to automate the solution processes in Simcenter STAR-CCM+ without using Java macros. Condition and loop operations provide the basic logic control common to many programming languages.
- Staged Physics
  In Simcenter STAR-CCM+, staged physics allows you to store multiple configurations of physics settings and apply them in sequence during a simulation. Simulation operations provide the framework in which physics stages are applied.
- Working with Volume Shapes
  A volume shape is a closed geometric figure that can be shaped as a block, cone, cylinder, or sphere.
- Simulation Guide
  The simulation guide is a single embedded document that you can edit within a simulation file. This document can contain formatted text, tables, images, and hyperlinks to nodes in the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ object tree or external web resources.
- Template Simulation Files
  Template simulation files allow you to define pre-configured setups for use in new simulations. When used in conjunction with query-based selection, template files present a powerful technique for automating repeat analyses on similar geometries.
- Scripting the Application
  Scripting allows you to work more efficiently by automating repetitive tasks.
- Working with User Code
  User code allows Simcenter STAR-CCM+ to be customized with functions written in a compiled language such as C, C++ or Fortran.
- Working with the Plugins Manager
  The Plugins Manager makes it possible to install and manage NetBeans modules for Simcenter STAR-CCM+.
- Simulation Assistants
  A Simulation Assistant provides a visual workflow within the Simcenter STAR-CCM+ user interface (UI).
- Wizard Guide
  This part of the documentation illustrates how Simcenter STAR-CCM+ is used for special application tools and projects.

Object-to-Window Association

The scenes in Simcenter STAR-CCM+ always display an up-to-date view of the server objects.

When the solution changes (after an iteration for example), all objects that are viewed in the GUI are updated to reflect the new values. This feature is valuable for monitoring the progress of a solution and being able to make corrections to the settings and conditions to allow you to get to a faster solution.

The downside of this feature is that continuous updating can be expensive and can slow down the server in some situations. The solution would be to close any open scene displays, or at least scenes which are no longer essential.

Typically the display of a scene or XY plot updates automatically to reflect the latest changes to the simulation. However, in case it fails to do so, you can force an update. To force a scene to update, right-click the scene node, or in the background of its display, and select Refresh.

The pop-up menu that appears on each display tab gives you an extra measure of control over these windows.

To activate the pop-up menu, right-click on the display tab.

The menu items refer to these displays as “documents” because they can be printed, saved to a graphic, and updated in real time.

When more than one simulation is open, the tab includes the name of the corresponding simulation. This feature lets you know at a glance which simulation a display represents.

When you click an object in either the display window or on the object tree, that object is highlighted in both locations simultaneously.

Objects that you see in the graphics window are associated directly with the objects in the tree. When you select an object in the tree, a highlight appears on that object in the graphics window.

You can modify this behavior using the Highlight Parts in Scene option.

Some objects in the tree have a Highlight option in the context menu.

To select multiple objects in a scene, hold down the <Ctrl> key while clicking them.