We’re making some major advances in the graphics capabilities of programs in the 3D AMaze series. We expect to release updates in the early Fall. The improvements lie in three areas:
Saved views
It takes effort and experimentation to set up optimal 2D or 3D views in postprocessors like PhiView and MagView. We are adding an option to save view parameters in a file viewname.avw. You can reload the solution later and immediately recover the view. Furthermore, you can apply the same view parameters to a series of different solutions with similar geometries.
Automatic solution plotting
We are adding the option to save snapshots of solutions at specified times in the initial-value programs HeatWave (dynamic mode) and Aether (pulse mode). The goal is to generate a large set of still shots to create a simulation movie. The following new commands will be added to the Diagnostics section of the control script.
LOADVIEW ViewName DTIMEPLOT dTime SETTIMEPLOT TRecord
The first command loads the saved view viewname.avw. The other three commands control the times for recording plots. They are similar to those that control data dumps. The DTimePlot command specifies a uniform time interval for creating plot files. It can be supplemented with the SetTimePlot command to make pictures at critical times.
Analysis script commands for plotting
In previous program versions, scripts to control postprocessor analysis operations were limited to generating quantitative data. We will add following command for plotting:
PLOT ViewName PlotName NH NV
The postprocessor automatically writes the file plotname.bmp in BMP format with pixel dimensions NH × NV. The plot uses data from the currently-loaded solution and parameters for the saved view viewname.avw. With this capability, you can quickly generate plots for a large series of solutions. Using Perl or another script language, you can run an extended series of calculations and automatically create graphical output.
The end result is that the AMaze programs will be able to generate hundreds to thousands of BMP files autonomously. Most likely, you will want to assemble them into a compact movie. Originally, I thought it would be easy to find a freeware program on the Internet to accomplish this task. My searches proved frustrating and ultimately fruitless. I found a few programs that claimed to accomplish the task, but the freeware versions were merely teasers that put a stamp on the movie frames. I thought the freeware Avidemux video editor might be useful, but there was no way to tell. The program has no instruction manual!
As is often the case, the best solution was to create our own program. The sole function of CECIL_B is to convert large sets of BMP files to AVI movies. Besides being free, the program has several advantages:
- It is well organized and easy to learn. If you have the BMP files, I guarantee you can start making movies in 5 minutes.
- A setup takes just a few seconds, even with thousands of input files.
- It is easy to change codecs to optimize picture quality and compression.
Regarding codecs, the instruction manual gives a brief but useful discussion on this mysterious topic. The package includes two good codecs to get you started.
CECIL_B screenshot
Everyone is welcome to download CECIL_B. There are few restrictions on its use and distribution. Furthermore, we do not require personal information, and we will not put you on a distribution list. Here’s a link to the download site. We have tested the program thoroughly, but software can be surprising. Please let us know if you encounter any problems.
