FLOWCast UNIT 11: The Display Tab

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The Display Tab gives you even more control of the visual screen during a simulation run. The Display Tab has the following options:

Cutting plane

Display Range Min-Max

Temperature Scale Range

Point values

These options are described in the rest of this unit.

Cutting Plane

This function is used to create a 2D plot on a moveable plane cut through the casting model.

The default setting for this function is XYZ, which disables the 2D cut and displays the full 3D model. You can choose a cut plane in the Y-Z, X-Z or X-Y planes, which will display results at a constant X, Y or Z value, respectively.

Once you select a plane the slider bar becomes active, and you can use the mouse to drag the plane to any location in the model.

If you check the button labeled Display Mold with Temperature, the system will display the temperature of mold nodes as well as casting nodes. This selection also has the effect of extending the temperature scale to include the minimum mold temperature.

The following figures show the selection of Y-Z, X-Z and X-Y planes:

If you check the button labeled Display Veloc Vectors on Plane, then the system will display a set of velocity vectors on the plane, showing the relative speed and direction of the metal movement at that point. If Velocity Vectors are active, you will also have an active Veloc Vectors Scale slider bar. This bar varies from one to ten, and changes how long the vectors are on the cut plane.


The following figures show an XYZ display of metal velocity, and velocity vectors displayed on the X-Y plane:

Display Range Min-Max


When a simulation is running, the palette of plotting colors remains constant, but the range of data plotted may change, to show the full range of data at that point in the simulation. For example, if the display is showing temperature, as the casting cools during pouring, the range of temperatures will normally get larger.

You have the option of only showing a portion of the full range of data. This is adjusted by moving the Display Range Min-Max slider bars in the center of the Display Tab.

The example shown below shows the full range of temperature on the left, and only the upper half range on the right. Each shot was taken at the same time during the simulation.

Temperature Scale Range

When working with a temperature scale, many times it is more convenient to use a fixed scale range during the simulation or during movie creation. You have the following three options:




Min-Max is a variable display setup, where the values change as the range itself changes. Liq-Max is a fixed display, where the displayed range is from the Maximum temperature to the Liquidus temperature. This is the system default. Sol-Max is a fixed display, where the displayed range is from the Maximum temperature to the Solidus temperature.

By selecting a specific range, colors represent the same temperatures throughout the simulation/movie, and one screen can be directly compared with another.

Point values


The Point values function allows you to see all the data at a particular point in a model, simply by placing the cursor over a point in the model and clicking the left mouse button. The Point values window will then fill with the data for the current location, including X, Y, Z location, Temperature, X, Y and Z velocity components and Pressure. An example of this output is shown here:

 Simulation data for a given location is shown via the Point values function.