NOTE: This Knowledge Base article only applies to Tecplot 360 2025 R1 and previous. Starting with Tecplot 360 2025 R2, the graphics engine was changed from OpenGL to Vulkan. Problem: I receive the following error when exporting an image or video. “The off-screen image export failed. This may be caused by remote display issues with OpenGL…” Solution: Like the error message says, remote displays may cause issues with OpenGL. However, […]
Problem: How do I calculate the Swirling Strength criterion (Lambda-Ci)? Solution: Use a Tecplot Macro to automate the calculation. Make sure Tecplot is aware of the variables representing your velocity field (Analyze->Field Variables menu). The commands are as follow: Calculate the tensor of velocity gradients. This command can be obtained by recording the Analyze->Calculate Variables…->Velocity Gradient (tensor) action in Tecplot’s user interface (UI). $!EXTENDEDCOMMAND COMMANDPROCESSORID = ‘CFDAnalyzer4’ COMMAND = […]
The following discussion assumes the “Source Zone” is a volume zone (IJK, FE-Tetra, FE-Brick or polyhedral). For the most part the type of volume zone does not matter with one exception dealing with polyhedral source zones (see below). The manner for which data values are calculated for slices (or iso-surfaces) does however depend on the following: Value location for variables in the source zone Surface Generation Method (option in the […]
Problem: How do I create iso-surfaces, exclusive to each zone, for the same iso-surface variable? As seen in Figure 1, Tecplot 360 will create iso-surfaces in both volume zones for the Mach variable because both zones contain this variable. What can be done if one iso-surface is to be seen in one zone, but not the other zone? Solution: Essentially, this procedure duplicates and renames a variable to each zone […]
Question: Why is there a difference in Tecplot’s integration average results and the average, or mean, I am calculating over all the data values? Example: I have nodal data and I want to calculate average U velocity on the following domain (see Figure 1). When I use the integration average feature (Analyze>Perform Integration…>Average>U), I calculate 38.90 m/s. But when I calculate the average over all the nodal U values in […]
Problem: How do I convert raster metafiles to AVI movie file format? The last version of Tecplot 360 that included the rmtoavi.exe was Tecplot 360 2013. Additionally, framer.exe (Framer, the program used to view .rm files) is no longer distributed. As raster metafiles (.rm) have become less common, we no longer include this .rm file conversion in our product. However, we foresee rmtoavi being helpful to users with archives of […]
Problem: How do I verify the direction of my unit surface normal vectors to make the correct integrations? If my surface normals point in an inconsistent direction from one timestep to another, how do I correct the value of my integral? From the User’s Manual: “Integrations involving surface unit normals, such as Mass Flow Rate, and Forces and Moments integration, rely on surface unit normals pointing in a consistent direction. […]
Problem: When I export an image of my dashed XY plot as a .EPS file, the dash spacing is altered and irregular. Detailed Example Case: When I export the plot to eps file and open it, the patterns of the dashed and dash-dotted lines are inaccurate. The pattern interval is not uniform and sometimes the dot in the dash-dotted line vanishes. These are highlighted in red: Plot before exporting (correct […]
Problem: I have a few macros that I use often and want to call them from within another macro. Solution: Tecplot 360 allows for macros and macro functions to be called from other macro files via the $!INCLUDEMACRO command. For example, if you have a macro function to post an equation in a file called add_text.mcr: #!MC 1410 $!MACROFUNCTION NAME = “Equation” $!AttachText AnchorPos { X = […]
Problem: How do I calculate Delta Criterion? Solution: The easiest way to do this is to use a Tecplot Macro to automate the calculation. Calculations are derived from https://www.ctr.maths.lu.se/media/thesis/2013/FMA820.pdf First, make sure Tecplot has established the velocity variables via the Field Variables dialog (Analyze -> Field Variables). Then, play the macro via the Scripting menu. The macro commands are as follows: Calculate the Velocity Gradient tensor. (Can also be calculated […]
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