Large model post-processing

When working with very large CAE models and results files, system performance may degrade as resources are consumed. The following guidelines may help you to free up resources and ensure a good balance between display quality and performance.

Set customer defaults for how large models are displayed in post-processing

Use the customer defaults to set how the software displays large models to ensure minimum loading time and a cleaner, simplified display. In the customer default settings, you set a threshold above which a model is considered large. You then specify how you want a large model displayed. The threshold can be as either the number of elements or the number of nodes in the model.

For example, if you want a simplified display for models with more than one million elements, set the threshold count type to elements and the threshold to one million. You can then specify how you want the model to display, such as without element edges or 0D or 1D meshes. When the software loads models above that threshold, it displays them as you specified. You can also turn off the display of coordinate systems and set how the legend extremes are calculated.

You access the default settings in the Customer Defaults dialog box:

• Choose File→Utilities→Customer Defaults→Simulation→Pre/Post→Post Processor→Large Model tab

The settings that achieve the fastest loading time are:

• Display no edges (from the Edges list, select None).

• Scale the color bar across the complete range of values for the selected results for the entire model (from the Legend Extremes list, select Result).

• Turn off deformation (clear the Deformation check box).

If a model does not meet the large model threshold, the software loads the model using the settings in the Primary Display group of the Customer Defaults dialog box. To access the primary display settings:

• Choose File→Utilities→Customer Defaults→Simulation→Pre/Post→Post Processor→Post View tab

Unload model data and import results

Post-processing displays compete for resources with other data loaded in your session. You can allocate the maximum possible resources to post-processing by unloading all open files and importing the results into a new, empty part file. For best results, follow these guidelines:

1. Save all open parts and exit this software.

2. Start a new session.

3. Create an empty part and start Pre/Post.

4. In the Post Processing Navigator, right-click the Imported Results node and choose Import Results.

For complete steps, see Import results through the Post Processing Navigator.

Note that if you use this technique, you do not have access to model data that may be required for certain post-processing tasks. Model data that may be required when post-processing include:

• Node and element groups, for displaying partial results, identifying results by group, generating seed sets, and so on.

• Coordinate systems defined in the model but not included in the results, for transforming results.

• Model geometry, for combined displays.

• User-defined beam section data, for calculating complete beam stresses and creating beam cross section displays.

Turn off element edge display

When post-processing meshes that include a large number of elements, displaying element edges not only clutters the display, but can negatively affect performance. You can turn off the display of element edges on the Display tab of the Post View dialog box. From the Edges list, select None or Feature.

The Edges customer default controls the default setting of the element edge display.

Tip:

To find a customer default, choose File→Utilities→Customer Defaults, and click Find Default .

Reduce animation frame counts

When you animate results, the software redraws the entire display for each frame in the animation. In the Animation Player dialog box, reduce the Number of Frames to the minimum needed to represent the full range of model behavior.

Enable backface culling

Backface Culling disables rendering of backfacing polygon facets in shaded views. Enabling backface culling may significantly improve performance in large models, but may also create unexpected displays when rendering models containing shell elements. See Disabling rendering of backface polygons.

How do I

Create an empty post view

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Disabling rendering of backface polygons

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Animation memory management and performance options

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Large model post-processing, Simcenter 3D 2021.1 Series

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