Simcenter 3D Solutions How to visualize results and mesh simultaneously in Simcenter 3D?

Depending on the type of simulation, the results may be available for and displayed on the complete mesh. You may though have narrowed down the selection of locations to calculate on before the calculation or you may exclude irrelevant results from being displayed to be able to focus on the relevant results better.
In both cases, the effect may be that while you only show the results relevant for you, you have problems to recognize where these locations are on your model.

As an example for excluding irrelevant results, the important results in a Specialist Durability calculation with high fatigue damage are usually limited to a small patch of elements on the mesh, whereas the (often vast) majority of the locations has 0 fatigue damage. You may then want to exclude all locations with zero damage from being displayed and end up with a couple of small patches of elements floating in space. 
The user can change the representation so that the model is shown as wireframe. This may be sufficient for simple geometries, but can be confusing for complicated geometries of components.

Compare the results shown below.
On the right, the representation of results only.
On the left, the results with a representation of the mesh as wireframe.
In this case the specimen is relatively simple and it's no problem to identify front and back of the model shown as wireframe. 



An example for excluding locations on the mesh upfront would be the seam weld calculation in Specialist Durability. It uses FE results from locations in the vicinity of the seam weld and the durability results are also shown on the elements connected to these locations. The results for a welded subframe or a rear axle will then be shown by default as bands of elements colored according to the color bar, but nothing in between.


A simple example is shown below for two welded tubes.
The results are only shown adjacent to the weld line and the viewer won't get an idea of the shape of the complete model unless it is somehow visualized. Again, for such a relatively simple model, activating the display of the wireframe of the model allows to identify the shape. For a more complicated model, this may not be sufficient.



Showing the wireframe with the results is activated in the Ribbon TAB "Results" in command group "Display".



Our goal though is to show the mesh of the model as shaded, not as wireframe, together with the results.

This can be reached by using the command "Layer Visible in View".

Go to "Menu - Format - Layer Visible in View".




This opens the window with the same name.
Click on "Reset to Global".

Click on OK, in this window and again in the next window.





This triggers that the mesh is displayed together with the results.

Since mesh and results are displayed in the same spot, it's not certain that the results will be on top of the mesh in the direction of the observer.



This can be addressed by coloring the mesh in a neutral color and making it partly translucent. 

In the Simulation Navigator, right click on one of the meshes under the Mesh Collectors of the FEM model.
In the contextual menu, pick "Edit Display".


In the Mesh Display window switch the selection to "All Meshes and Mesh Collectors" in "Mesh".
Then click on the "Color".


In the "Object Color" window, pick a neutral color (not shown in the color bar of the results) of your choice, like Ash Gray.


Click on "OK" in this window and the "Mesh Display" window.

Now select in Ribbon TAB "View" the command "Edit Object Display".


Select all Objects. Then click "OK".


In the window "Edit Object Display" balance the translucency of the mesh so that the shape of the model can still be recognized, but also the colors of the results can be seen properly.



Click "OK" to confirm this change to show the results and the (translucent) mesh simultaneously.


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If you want to remove the geometry from being displayed with the results, you have the following options:

- Deactivate the display of the mesh collector in the Simulation Navigator
Just click on the check box in front of the mesh you want to hide from display.
Note that this action applies to the display of the mesh not only when showing results, but also the mesh itself only.

   ->     

- Set the Layer back to "Invisible".
Go to "Menu - Format - Layer Visible in View", then click "OK".
Layer 1, the mesh in this model, is "Visible".
Click on the button "Invisible" to return it to the previous state, that it's hidden when results are plotted, but visible when the postprocessing has ended.