Tecplot

Introducing Tecplot 360

What is Tecplot 360?

Tecplot 360 is CFD & Numerical Simulation Visualization Software. It combines vital engineering plotting with advanced data visualization in one tool.

With one tool you can:

• Analyze and explore complex datasets
• Arrange multiple XY, 2- and 3-D plots
• Create animations
• Communicate your results with brilliant, high-quality output.

Unlike our competition, Tecplot 360's full range of XY, 2-D, and 3-D capabilities, multi-frame workspace, and high-quality output gives you total control to get all the types of plots you want for effective analysis, presentation, and publication.

Tecplot 360 is Designed for Speed

It’s faster: Load on Demand and Parallel Processing
Smarter loading of data results in faster time to first image and ability to open files that were previously not possible. Load on demand loads just the data you are actively using. For example, a Temperature contour plot only loads X, Y, Z and Temperature. When you switch to a new variable to contour (i.e., Pressure), Tecplot loads Pressure and unloads Temperature if needed (assuming it is not being used for anything else). With previous versions, all data needed to be loaded into available memory.

Dual processor Linux and Windows boxes are becoming a standard for desktop engineering workstations. Prior to Tecplot 360, Tecplot was single-threaded and not able to exploit a systems maximum resources since all computations were performed by a single CPU. With Tecplot 360 intensive computing operations are spread across all available CPU's leading to faster streamtraces, slices, and iso-surfaces.

Here are some performance test numbers on a 32-bit Windows XP desktop. When working with transient data, throughput increases ranged from 105% (PLOT3D) to 280% (FLUENT). On steady-state examples, throughput increased 71%. In addition, Tecplot 360 can load solutions that Tecplot 10 simply could not load. For example, the 28-million element Space Shuttle case we showed at the AIAA Aerospace Sciences meeting earlier this year took 4.6 seconds to load with Tecplot 360. See below.

Incredible new performance enhancements save you time and get you answers fast.

Load and Animate Transient Solutions

Support for time-dependent solutions
Tecplot 360 loads unsteady data and displays only the first time step. Style changes applied to a given time step are propagated to the entire solution. Coupled with load on demand, time to first image is much faster. Previous versions loaded and displayed all time steps which impacted performance.

One-click animation controls
Creating animations can be a tedious task. Reducing the number of mouse-clicks to make animations saves time. With the "DVD" like controls on the sidebar you can quickly step through your solution.

• Animate iso-surfaces with new DVD control options like forward, backward, loop, bounce and throttle control.
• Animate slices with new DVD control options like forward, backward, loop, bounce and throttle control.
• Animate over time

New Interface and Visualization Tools to Get the Most from your Data

One click exploration tools
The important 3D features (slices, stream lines, iso-surfaces) and animation controls are on the sidebar. Double-clicking on any of the 3-D feature icons acts as a shortcut to that tool’s details menu.

New Plotting Tools

• Multiple iso-surface groups - assign and control up to 4 iso-surfaces
• Multiple slice groups - assign and control up to 4 sets of cut planes
• Multiple color maps - assign and use up to 4 different color maps
• Stream trace seeding plane - quickly seed streamtraces with the new seeding tool
• Surface streamtraces on a no-slip wall - generate streamtraces on a zero-velocity wall
• Edge plots – detect and draw creases based on user-defined angle
• Opt-in value blanking - selectively value blank per zone

CFD Analysis Tools
CFD Analyzer has been rolled into Tecplot 360 and is no longer a seperate product Saves time finding, extracting and processing the critical information in CFD results. Analyzer tools help users examine grid quality, perform spatial integrations, generate particle trajectories, extract flow features, and estimate numerical errors.

• New toolbar and sidebar - important features are easier to access
• Show first time step for transient data
• Style changes applied across time
• Style-dependent probing (pick or probe what you see)
• Defaults based on user feedback (e.g. for iso-surfaces, Gouraud shading vs paneled)
• Smart auto contour level spacing (Calculate value of contours across multiple zones)

Structural analysis visualization tools
Perform basic structural analysis post processing in Tecplot 360 with the expanded data loaders and plot options. In addition, load structural analysis and CFD solutions together same time for fluid structure interaction (FSI) visualization, enabling you to see the material deformation and fluid flow changes in one plot.

This provides a cost effective and easy-to-use visualization tool to explore and analyze results generated from the major structural analysis code vendors.

• Animate displacements
• Derive Von Mises Stress/Strain, Principal Stresses/Strains, Vector Magnitude
• Plot the geometry with deformations applied, and optionally exaggerated

New/Enhanced Data Loaders

Updates:

• PLOT3D - read boundary and name files
• CGNS – read and apply PartID information. (We will soon add import w/o interpolation), time aware
• EnSight - Load EnSight 6 and EnSight Gold files

FEA Loaders:

• ANSYS input (CDWRITE) file
• ANSYS .rst, .rth and .rfl results files
• ESI/PAM-CRASH DAISY files
• FIDAP Neutral file
• ABAQUS input file
• ABAQUS .fil data file
• ABAQUS .odb output data base (Windows)
• LSTC/DYNA input file
• LSTC/DYNA Taurus state databases
• MSC/NASTRAN bulk data input file
• MSC/NASTRAN OUTPUT2 output file
• MSC/Patran neutral files
• PTC/Mechanical design study
• SDRC/IDEAS universal file
• 3D Systems/STL ASCII text and binary file

Save Time, Discover More "With early screening using Tecplot, we can then reduce the number of things we need to test in the wind tunnel, so we can cut down on the cost and time involved." - Craig Hunter, SOLUS "Tecplot has provided an incredible boost to our productivity in terms of our research output and the insights we are able to obtain." - Rajat Mittal, George Washington University "We have seen a major reduction in CFD post-processing time. This means that more resources can be devoted to running CFD simulations and analysis rather than struggling with data plotting issues." - Mehul P. Patel, Orbital Research Inc.

• Click here for full details of Tecplot 360's feature set
• Click here for Tecplot 360 FAQs
• Click here for Tecplot case studies, plot gallery and plotting tips
• Click here for Tecplot 360 system requirements

To order Tecplot 360, click here or contact your local Adept Scientific office.

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