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How to best use Views in COMSOL?

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The "Views" feature has been bugging me because I feel like I must not be utilizing it correctly. One thing I'd often like to do is save and lock a particular view in which a select group of domains are hidden. That way, I can quickly revert to that view of a particular subset of my geometry without having to reset the entire view each time and then hide each surrounding domain.

I can create such a view by right-clicking "Definitions", creating a new "View", right-clicking that new view, adding "Hide Geometric Entities", and then selecting the entities I want hidden. Unfortunately, I see no option to lock the settings of this saved view once I create it. I can be working on my geometry and switch over to this view to try and analyze a particular subset of my geometry, but then the second I hide another object or reset the view, those changes are automatically propagated to that view I had created, making that saved view entirely useless to me.

In the end, I typically give up and don't use additional views at all.

Does anyone have tips for getting the most out of "Views" in COMSOL?


11 Replies Last Post 12.07.2017, 03:53 GMT-4
Frank van Gool COMSOL Employee

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Posted: 1 decade ago 18.08.2014, 08:10 GMT-4
Hi KG,

That sounds like a good use of the views indeed. But you might want to take a look at the "lock camera" checkbox in the view. This will keep all the settings fixed.
I hope that helps in your case.

Regards,
Frank
Hi KG, That sounds like a good use of the views indeed. But you might want to take a look at the "lock camera" checkbox in the view. This will keep all the settings fixed. I hope that helps in your case. Regards, Frank

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Posted: 1 decade ago 18.08.2014, 11:42 GMT-4
Thank you for the reply, Frank, but I don't think "Lock Camera" does what I want. That feature only seems to lock where the camera is located (and maybe the lighting effects?). It does not lock the "Hide Geometry Objects/Entities". The items I care about locking are those "Hide Geometry Objects/Entities".
Thank you for the reply, Frank, but I don't think "Lock Camera" does what I want. That feature only seems to lock where the camera is located (and maybe the lighting effects?). It does not lock the "Hide Geometry Objects/Entities". The items I care about locking are those "Hide Geometry Objects/Entities".

Ivar KJELBERG COMSOL Multiphysics(r) fan, retired, former "Senior Expert" at CSEM SA (CH)

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Posted: 1 decade ago 19.08.2014, 03:35 GMT-4
Hi

I agree I find too that the View Hide Entity/Objects is somewhat disturbing, you must SELECT the view (get the green box around it) and then dig down to UPDATE the view to make it active.

You have also the buttons in the Geometry window, but these might overwrite/change your Hide Entity

Thereafter in the Results section by default they use the current "Active View" (Automatic), but you can also select a specific view. Then there is the View node in the Results, that have additional View settings specifically for i.e. 3D views of a Revoved 2D Axi-symmetric Data Set, where you have also settings to change/adapt

--
Good luck
Ivar
Hi I agree I find too that the View Hide Entity/Objects is somewhat disturbing, you must SELECT the view (get the green box around it) and then dig down to UPDATE the view to make it active. You have also the buttons in the Geometry window, but these might overwrite/change your Hide Entity Thereafter in the Results section by default they use the current "Active View" (Automatic), but you can also select a specific view. Then there is the View node in the Results, that have additional View settings specifically for i.e. 3D views of a Revoved 2D Axi-symmetric Data Set, where you have also settings to change/adapt -- Good luck Ivar

Frank van Gool COMSOL Employee

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Posted: 1 decade ago 19.08.2014, 05:03 GMT-4
Hi,

It is working, but not completely as expected. If you open the attached model, there are two blocks, and two views.
If I switch view, the hidden state is kept, but after switching to "Hidden" view and back to "normal view" it is updated correctly.
You are correct that locking the camera is not needed now, although that helps in keeping the view fixed.

Best regards,
Frank
Hi, It is working, but not completely as expected. If you open the attached model, there are two blocks, and two views. If I switch view, the hidden state is kept, but after switching to "Hidden" view and back to "normal view" it is updated correctly. You are correct that locking the camera is not needed now, although that helps in keeping the view fixed. Best regards, Frank


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Posted: 1 decade ago 19.08.2014, 12:17 GMT-4
I see how toggling between "View Unhidden" and "View Hidden Only" can help refresh the view when it isn't updating, but I'm not sure how this changes anything for my original question.

Suppose I carefully hide 20 obscuring geometry objects in order to view a specific sub-domain, and I save that configuration as a new View (let's call it, "View A"). I then want to swap over to View A frequently because observing that sub-domain is often necessary. Then one time, while in View A, I become interested in temporarily hiding or un-hiding a few more geometry objects, but I can't actually do that without messing up View A for future use. What's particularly dangerous is if I forget I'm in View A and happen to hit the "Reset Hiding" button in the graphics window -- then View A is completely ruined and I need to make it again from scratch.

I guess the current approach to this issue is to create multiple saved views and toggle frequently between those saved views, being careful never to make changes in the graphics window while the views you care about are active.

I may just continue to not use views at all for this issue of remembering hidden objects. Views are still very useful when it comes time to make a report by remembering a consistent camera position for printing images.
I see how toggling between "View Unhidden" and "View Hidden Only" can help refresh the view when it isn't updating, but I'm not sure how this changes anything for my original question. Suppose I carefully hide 20 obscuring geometry objects in order to view a specific sub-domain, and I save that configuration as a new View (let's call it, "View A"). I then want to swap over to View A frequently because observing that sub-domain is often necessary. Then one time, while in View A, I become interested in temporarily hiding or un-hiding a few more geometry objects, but I can't actually do that without messing up View A for future use. What's particularly dangerous is if I forget I'm in View A and happen to hit the "Reset Hiding" button in the graphics window -- then View A is completely ruined and I need to make it again from scratch. I guess the current approach to this issue is to create multiple saved views and toggle frequently between those saved views, being careful never to make changes in the graphics window while the views you care about are active. I may just continue to not use views at all for this issue of remembering hidden objects. Views are still very useful when it comes time to make a report by remembering a consistent camera position for printing images.

Ivar KJELBERG COMSOL Multiphysics(r) fan, retired, former "Senior Expert" at CSEM SA (CH)

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Posted: 1 decade ago 21.08.2014, 02:10 GMT-4
Hi

I fully agree, I have to fight this issue often too (that I need to redefine my view after having "scratched" it from the geometry icon).
Today I systematically go into the Definition View, get down in the sub-nodes, click the update plot in the View and then find my way back down in the model tree to where I wanted to see the plot (mostly in the results section

It would be nicer to have these View settings also under the post-processing/Results view nodes and have some tick marks or icon buttons higher up in the View node structure

The Geometry icon buttons are handy for simple (COMSOL demo) models, which is seldom the case for true Engineering models, mostly I have 10-50 Entities to hide per view, nothing you can easily click through regularly ...

COMSOL GUI developers, this is something to chew on ;)
--
Good luck
Ivar
Hi I fully agree, I have to fight this issue often too (that I need to redefine my view after having "scratched" it from the geometry icon). Today I systematically go into the Definition View, get down in the sub-nodes, click the update plot in the View and then find my way back down in the model tree to where I wanted to see the plot (mostly in the results section It would be nicer to have these View settings also under the post-processing/Results view nodes and have some tick marks or icon buttons higher up in the View node structure The Geometry icon buttons are handy for simple (COMSOL demo) models, which is seldom the case for true Engineering models, mostly I have 10-50 Entities to hide per view, nothing you can easily click through regularly ... COMSOL GUI developers, this is something to chew on ;) -- Good luck Ivar

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Posted: 9 years ago 24.05.2016, 10:53 GMT-4
Hallo,

I was wondering if it were possible to set a view in one Simulation and then use the same view in other models?
This can be quite usefull when you have several Versions of a model and want to Image them in exactly the same view.

Thanks,
Henrieke Meijer
Hallo, I was wondering if it were possible to set a view in one Simulation and then use the same view in other models? This can be quite usefull when you have several Versions of a model and want to Image them in exactly the same view. Thanks, Henrieke Meijer

Frank van Gool COMSOL Employee

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Posted: 9 years ago 25.05.2016, 03:00 GMT-4
Dear Henrieke,

This blog gives more information on the view node in COMSOL:
www.comsol.com/blogs/the-graphics-window-effective-beautiful-postprocessing/

To get the same view in different models, just copy the camera settings (and make the screenshot on the same resolution).

Best regards,
Frank
Dear Henrieke, This blog gives more information on the view node in COMSOL: https://www.comsol.com/blogs/the-graphics-window-effective-beautiful-postprocessing/ To get the same view in different models, just copy the camera settings (and make the screenshot on the same resolution). Best regards, Frank

Jeff Hiller COMSOL Employee

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Posted: 9 years ago 25.05.2016, 11:52 GMT-4
Hello Henrieke,
Besides the approach mentioned above by my colleague Frank, in some cases it may be expedient to simply "save as" the existing file and delete everything but the views. That gives you a new blank model with the same views as in the old file.
Jeff
Hello Henrieke, Besides the approach mentioned above by my colleague Frank, in some cases it may be expedient to simply "save as" the existing file and delete everything but the views. That gives you a new blank model with the same views as in the old file. Jeff

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Posted: 7 years ago 11.07.2017, 20:44 GMT-4
Hello Ivar:

I have tried to define a "local coordinate system" with x- axis rotated by 30 degrees in a work plane (please see the attached screenshot) . I intend to create a cylinder in this local coordinate system. Unfortunately, I am unable to locate an option to select this local coordinate system in the "axis type" drop-down menu.

I tried to change the "View"; however, there is only one option available here, which is the default view available with COMSOL (please see the attached screenshot).

I am not sure what I am missing here and I would appreciate if you could suggest a way to create a geometry using the local coordinate systems as I have defined in my problem.

Thanks,
Shashank
Hello Ivar: I have tried to define a "local coordinate system" with x- axis rotated by 30 degrees in a work plane (please see the attached screenshot) . I intend to create a cylinder in this local coordinate system. Unfortunately, I am unable to locate an option to select this local coordinate system in the "axis type" drop-down menu. I tried to change the "View"; however, there is only one option available here, which is the default view available with COMSOL (please see the attached screenshot). I am not sure what I am missing here and I would appreciate if you could suggest a way to create a geometry using the local coordinate systems as I have defined in my problem. Thanks, Shashank


Magnus Ringh COMSOL Employee

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Posted: 7 years ago 12.07.2017, 03:53 GMT-4
Hello Shashank,

This question is not related to views.

In the current version of COMSOL Multiphysics (5.3), you can choose the work plane as the coordinate system in the Settings window for a Cylinder feature.

In earlier version, you can create a cylinder in the work plane's local coordinate system by first adding a circle in the Plane Geometry under the Work Plane. Then, from the Work Plane's context menu, choose Extrude to extrude the circle into a cylinder.

Best regards,
Magnus Ringh, COMSOL


Hello Shashank, This question is not related to views. In the current version of COMSOL Multiphysics (5.3), you can choose the work plane as the coordinate system in the Settings window for a Cylinder feature. In earlier version, you can create a cylinder in the work plane's local coordinate system by first adding a circle in the Plane Geometry under the Work Plane. Then, from the Work Plane's context menu, choose Extrude to extrude the circle into a cylinder. Best regards, Magnus Ringh, COMSOL

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