Load Multiple Files at Once with a Macro

Problem: I have many files that need to be loaded into Tecplot but loading them all is tedious. I want to load multiple files at once without having to select each individual file. Solution: For files that only differ by a constant, PyTecplot or macro scripts can be configured to load your datasets quickly and accurately. For example, if you have a directory containing many files: file001.plt file002.plt etc. You […]

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How do I create radial and theta slices?

Radial slices Compute the equation: {R} = sqrt(X**2 + Y**2) in the Data -> Alter -> Specify Equations dialog.  Turn on iso-surfaces in the Plot Sidebar. Then display an iso-surface of constant R. Theta slices Compute the equation: {Theta} = atan2(X,Y) in the Data -> Alter -> Specify Equations dialog. Then display an iso-surface of constant Theta.  Note that due to a singularity at the origin you may get some strange shapes […]

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Calculating a New Variable

Creating a new variable or referencing a variable by name requires surrounding it in curly braces. Variables on the right side of equations may be referenced by two other methods:  First, by the variable index. Second is to use variable assignment letter codes. In this example, we’re using ‘u’ and ‘v’ which represent the variables assigned to the U and V vector components in Plot -> Vector -> Variables dialog.  […]

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How do I Install PyTecplot?

First off, PyTecplot requires an installation of Tecplot 360 2017 R1 or later. PyTecplot is also hosted on PyPI so you simply need to run ‘pip install pytecplot’ from a command prompt. Easy as Py! PyTecplot is also included in the Tecplot 360 installation so you can install from there if you have an overzealous firewall or want to ensure the PyTecplot version you’re installing is guaranteed to be compatible […]

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Calculating Aerodynamic Forces and Moments

The most accurate forces and moments are normally those output by your flow solver, which knows details of your solution’s boundary conditions and can use modeling such as turbulent wall functions that Tecplot cannot. If your solver’s calculations are not available, you can use Tecplot’s Analyze/Perform Integration… option with the Forces and Moments integration type. There are cases where you want more control over the calculation, however, so this document […]

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Tecplot 360 Will Not Open OneDrive Files

Problem: OneDrive has introduced a new capability called “Files On-Demand” which allows files to be downloaded on-demand. These files are not recognized by the Tecplot file dialog. If you are opening files from a OneDrive folder and receiving an error from the File Dialog, try one of the following workarounds. Solution: Upgrade to Tecplot 360 2017 R3 build 3.1 or later » Turn off Files On-Demand Right-click on the OneDrive […]

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Using Multiple Graphics Devices

Using the best of multiple graphics devices available on your system. Multiple Graphics Devices: We have noted that a laptop may show multiple devices with dxdiag report, and that FieldView may run with Intel HD Graphics when (for instance) a better NVIDIA device is available. We know that for NVIDIA, you can use NVIDIA’s “Manage 3D Settings” to have FieldView (or XDBView) use the NVIDIA device. (You may need to […]

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Which Graphics Cards are Best for FieldView?

FieldView has been designed to run well using any of a wide range of graphic configurations, and uses the standard OpenGL libraries. We have a good partnership with both Nvidia and AMD (formerly ATI), who both offer very good graphic cards. (Note that those from the Nvidia ‘Quadro’ line support FieldView Stereo display modes.) Special optional settings can be made by the user to allow FieldView to run quite well […]

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FieldView Client Unable to Find Saved Restarts

After moving to a different workstation, I can connect via client-server to the system where I was previously doing my post processing, but the FieldView Client is unable to find the restarts I saved while working on that system. How can I use those restarts? While working in client-server mode, the FieldView Client can only find restarts located on the client computer’s filesystem, and this may not be the same […]

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Determining number of Cells in an Unblanked region

To determine the number of cells in an unblanked region, follow these steps: Define your region of interest by selecting Plot > Blanking > Value Blanking… to bring up the Value Blanking dialog to set your criteria. Anything that is blanked will be excluded in the following calculation. Once you have set your blanking criteria accordingly, generate the variable Cell Volume via the Analyze>Calculate Variables… menu and selecting it from […]

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