generate movie after simulation
 

Hi all,

I would like to know whether it is possible to generate movie (or series of jpegs) once the simulation is done.

to be more precise, I have data files and frequency of data written is 0.1 seconds.
I have to read all these data files
and generate a movie out of it.

Regards
Raghu

The primary way I know of creating animations (with jpegs or hmfs, or ppms etc.) is to write them for each time step.

So create an hmf file for every time step. The hmf (hoops metafile) will allow you to store data from Fluent. In effect, you can create your hmf files, record your animation after setting view, lights, etc., and then you can change the view of your model and record your animation AGAIN from a different view. It's a neat tool. That's why I like hmfs.

You can also create the jpegs or tiffs or ppms and then obtain a 3rd party processor to compile the frames into an animation. I would go the hmf route because you can create the animations in Fluent and not have to use the 3rd party software.

You cannot do it now, you will have to re-run your solution and record an hmf or other file type for each time step.

Check the Fluent help files for this, it's a neat process to learn.

I have a suggestion.
Reread the data files in turn and save a hard copy of the graph for each with the view fixed, then use third party software to compile the pictures into a animated gif pic. Or if you move the camera around the target every time you display the field variable, you even can get a time-freezed animation.

Thanks for your reply..

My situation is bit different now. Already I have simulation results stored quite frequently (.data files) and I have to utilize these data files to generate movie.. without running the simulation again.

Is it possible to utilize these data files .. without running the simulation..?

Reading individual data files.
 

Yes, I think this is the only possible option.
to read all the data files and use thirdparty tool to create animation. (Though it is cumbersome to read each and everydata file)

Is there any way (like scripting) to automate this process ?
i.e.

1. File > Read data > *.dat
2. File > save picture as > *.jpg

for each *.data files

Regards
Raghu

You can record a journal file, and then edit it and 'save as' for each data file to use.

Try using Tecplot..... There you can load multiple pairs case-data files from your calculation and then to generate animation file of different format (avi, flash and more).... Personally, I do not recommend to use Fluent itself for animation.... with Tecplot it is easy

(Tecplot is not the only one solution but is what I can work with and it works)

It's also easy in Fluent. The quality may not be as good as Tecplot, however.

Fluent is having option to animate the simulation, using Display->Scene Animation (or) Scene. and it is having read option too. if you little bit go through the user guide you can find.

CFD post
 

probably better option could be
to load dat files in CFD post and create animation
another option could be ..paraview (recent version) had fluent input files but never tried till now.

i use ffmpeg for combining pictures into movie. free, command line and millions of codecs you can use.