3. Use PostPDS to visualize a simulation

The identification tag for this tutorial is PDS-AAC.

3.1. Tutorial overview

This tutorial covers:

• Load data into PostPDS
• Visualize simulation results
• PostPDS camera controls

3.2. Opening simulation data in PostPDS

• In PST, click the button PostPDS.
• As an alternative, use Windows Explorer to navigate to the Results subfolder of your project and double click on the Results.pdso file contained within.
• The Specify Load Options window will automatically appear that allows the user to specify the range of simulated time to load, minimum visual cable diameter, and other properties. Leave the default options and click OK to continue.

The simulation will load and the visualization window will show the simulation at the earliest time point requested.

3.3. Navigating the visualization window

The camera is centered on the global reference frame initially but can be freely moved around the environment.

• Click and hold down the right mouse button on the visualization window and move the mouse to pan the camera.
• Click and hold down the mouse scroll button on the visualization window and move the mouse to rotate the camera.
• Use the scroll wheel to zoom in and out.
• The heading, pitch, and zoom of the camera can be seen in the top left of the Home tab. These values will change by rotating and zooming the camera. These values can also be manually changed.

The camera will rotate around and zoom in to a center of rotation, which can be seen under the Home tab. In order to change the center of rotation, pan the camera with the right mouse button or use the keyboard keys W, A, S, and D to move the center of rotation forward, left, backwards, and right. Values for a center of rotation can also be changed manually.

3.4. DObject and Environment lists

To get a better view of a specific DObject in the simulation, it may be necessary to rotate or zoom in on the DObject of interest. Any DObject in the simulation can be selected from the object tree on the left side panel.

• Double click on a DObject to move the camera’s center of rotation onto that DObject frame. If the DObject is a cable, the camera will center onto Node 0.
• Right click on a DObject name to show options for that particular object.
• Toggle the checkbox next to a specific DObject name in the DObject list to hide or show it in the visualization window.
• Toggle the checkbox next to the water or sea floor in the Environment list to hide or show them in the visualization window.

3.5. Simulation playback

• Begin simulation playback visualization by clicking on the play icon at the top of the screen under the Home tab.

As the simulation plays, the time slider will progress along the bottom of the screen in increments of $IntervalOutput. PostPDS attempts to playback the simulation results as close to real time as possible.

• Click and drag the slider to manually select any point in time in the simulation history.

The buttons on either side of play move the simulation playback one data point in either direction in time. The lower buttons in the playback section move the simulation time to the start or the end. The circular button on the right of the playback section loops playback.