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Data Collector Surface Visualization

 

Contact Us: fredsupport@photonengr.com

 

 

 

Description


Using the Data Collector Surface Visualization analysis, specific surfaces in the model can be instructed to collect ray data during the raytrace in order to display and/or export the irradiance (and the related quantities used to calculate it) across the surface.  This tool complements the Irradiance analysis capability supported using Analysis Surfaces or Detector Entities by allowing Irradiance to be calculated on surfaces with arbitrary shapes described using the Faceted Surface type.

 

Objects that are defined using the Faceted Surface type can approximate any arbitrary geometry shape as a collection triangle patches.  For example, as seen in the illustration below, an annular surface (left) is approximated by a triangle mesh (middle and right) using triangle patches with varying areas. 

 

 

In the graphic below (cutaway view), the Data Collector Surface Visualization analysis was used to configure the annular geometry above (as well as a few other objects) to collect and display irradiance data in the 3D view.  For clarity, the optical elements inside of the housing are not drawn.  Direct illumination from the source, specular reflections within and between the optical elements, and scattering from within the assembly all contribute to the irradiance distribution on the housing components seen below.

 

 

The Power and Irradiance values collected as part of this analysis type are only accurate for incoherent, geometric rays.  No coherent attributes of the rays are considered during the data collection during the raytrace.

 

Note: the data collector surfaces must be drawn in either Flat or Smooth shading mode in order for the facet data to be displayed in the 3D view.  The drawing mode for objects can be set using the Visualization Attributes control.

 

 

Navigation


This feature can be accessed in the following ways:

Analyses > Data Collector Surface Visualization

Using the toolbar button:

 

 

Controls


 

Control

Inputs / Description

Defaults

Data Display

DrawDataFacets

Indicates whether the quantity indicated by DisplayDataType should be displayed in the 3D visualization view if available.

False

DisplayDataType

Indicates the quantity that can be displayed in the 3D visualization view for each triangle facet.  There is no need to perform a new raytrace when switching the displayed data type.  Options are:

Facet Area

Incident Power

Absorbed Power

Incident Ray Count

Absorbed Ray Count

Irradiance

Absorbed Irradiance

Incident Ray Density

Absorbed Ray Density

Incident Facet Area

Absorbed Facet Area

 

Absorbed quantities are calculated from the difference between the power incident on a facet and the power leaving a facet.

 

Ray Density is calculated as the ray counts per area for each facet.

Irradiance

Normalize

Indicates whether the displayed data should be normalized to a maximum value of 1 prior to filtering, scaling and display.

False

AmbientFraction

Fraction of ambient light as a value between 0 and 1.  Providing ambient light prevents obscuration of the data in the visualization view due to shadowing.

0.4

Data Filter

UseFilter

Indicates whether data display filtering is active.  When True, the DisplayDataType quantity will only be displayed for triangle facets whose FilterDataType value meets the requirements specified by FilterCriterion and CriterionValue.

False

FilterDataType

Indicates the quantity being used in the filtering operation.  FilterDataType does not have to be the same as DisplayDataType.

Irradiance

FilterCriterion

Specifies the logical operation applied during filtering.  Options are:

 > (greater than)

>= (greater than or equal to)

< (less than)

<= (less than or equal to)

= (equal to)

!= (not equal to)

> (greater than)

FilterValue

Value against which the FilterDataType for each triangle facet is compared against using FilterCriterion.

0

Palette

Name

Named color palette to be used for displaying color levels.  See Palette list below.

Spectrum2

Levels

Specifies the number of color levels to be used.

0 (continuous)

Reverse

Indicates that the order of the colors in the palette should be reversed.

False

AutoRange

Indicates whether the Min/Max color display range should be auto determined.

True

DataRange

If AutoRange is False, this specifies a custom data range over which the color palette is applied.

0,1

DataScalingType

Specifies whether the color scaling is linear or log10.

Linear

Legend

ShowLegend

Specifies whether a legend using the Palette defined in the section above should be displayed in the 3D visualization view.

False

Location

Specifies the location in the 3D visualization view where the legend should be displayed if ShowLegend is True.

Right

UseCustomTitle

Specifies whether the CustomTitleText should be displayed with the legend in the 3D visualization view if ShowLegend is True.

False

CustomTitleText

Custom text to be displayed with the legend if UseCustomTitle is True.

Blank

Data Collector Surfaces

This section of the dialog will display one row for each of the Faceted Surface objects defined in the model.  If no Faceted Surface constructs exist in the model, then this section of the dialog will be empty.

 

If one or more Faceted Surface constructs exist in the model, each row will contain the following columns:

 

Node

Displays the node number of the Faceted Surface object.

Active

Indicates whether the Faceted Surface object is Active for data collection and display.  The Active flag only applies to Data Collector Surface Visualization and has no effect on the Faceted Surface's participation and optical impact in the raytrace.

DataMin

If a raytrace has been performed with the Active flag toggled, then DatMin displays the minimum value of the DisplayDataType selection from the most recent raytrace.

DataMax

If a raytrace has been performed with the Active flag toggled, then DatMax displays the maximum value of the DisplayDataType selection from the most recent raytrace.

Surface

Lists the full hierarchical name of the Faceted Surface object.

 

Multiple rows can be selected in the dialog by using SHIFT+MouseClick for contiguous rows or CTRL+MouseClick for non-contiguous rows.  The following options are available by right mouse clicking in the Data Collector Surfaces portion of the dialog:

 

Set All Active

Makes all rows active.

Set All Not Active

Makes all rows inactive.

Toggle All Active State

Changes the active state of all rows to the opposite of its current setting.

Set All Highlighted To Active

Makes all highlighted rows active.

Set All Highlighted to Not Active

Makes all highlighted rows inactive.

Toggle the Active State of All Highlighted

Changes the active state of all highlighted rows to the opposite of its current setting.

 

 

OK

Applies the settings in the dialog and closes the dialog

 

Cancel

Close the dialog box.

 

Apply

Applies the settings in the dialog and leaves the dialog open.

 

Help

Access this Help page.

 

 

 

Palette List

Spectrum1

RedRamp

BlueRamp

CyanWhite

Spectrum2

OrangeRamp

VioletRamp

BlueWhite

Spectrum3

YellowRamp

RedWhite

VioletWhite

Spectrum4

GreenRamp

GrayRamp

PurpleYellow

Spectrum5

CyanRamp

GreenWhite

ColorWheel

BlueWhiteRed

BlackWhiteRed

BrownWhiteAqua

GreenWhitePurple

BlueYellowRed

GreenYellowRed

YellowPurpleGreen

BlueRedYellow

Ocean

YellowWhite

BlackBody

GrayWhiteSpectrum

RedWhiteYellow

BlueWhiteCyan

Turbo

 

 

 

Application Notes


Importing and Exporting Data Collector Results

Data Collector Surface data can be imported and exported into/from a FRED model by opening a Faceted Surface dialog, right mouse clicking (bottom section of the dialog), and selecting one of the following options:

Write collected data to CSV file

Read collected data from CSV file

The data in the CSV file is constructed such that each row corresponds to one triangle patch of the Faceted Surface, with the facet being identified through the facet number given in the first column of the CSV file.  The facet numbers have no physical significance to the user in their interpretation and are provided so that FRED can re-import the data into the same facets later using the "Read collected data from CSV file" option.

 

WARNING: The ability to read collected data back into a Faceted Surface object is provided to ensure that the user has a means for saving data and then re-displaying it again at a later date using the same FRED model.  However, in order to keep the file read process simple and not place overly restrictive requirements on the relationship between the CSV file and the FRED file, the user bears the responsibility to make sure the data file being read corresponds to the same Faceted Surface that collected the original dataset.  CSV data can be read into any Faceted Surface, with no validation that the surface be the same object that generated the data.  In such cases, where the CSV data does not correspond to the destination Faceted Surface, the data from the CSV file will be mapped into the same facet number of the destination surface.

 

 

 

Related Topics


Faceted Surface

Export Selection as Faceted Geometry

 

 

 

 

 

 

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