[OpenFOAM] OpenFOAM binary

tj22 · June 28, 2006, 14:18

I am pretty sure I read that open foam support has a binary format. Is this the case? If so can someone provide me a binary dataset so I can add binary support to my reader?

Thanks.

hemph · June 29, 2006, 02:55

Hi Terry,
just change

writeFormat ascii;
to
writeFormat binary;

in system/controlDict in any of the tutorials and you will get binary output.

tj22 · June 29, 2006, 14:06

Thanks.

tj22 · July 5, 2006, 12:59

Question:

When I run the simulation in binary mode the meshes are all binary including constant. The problem is it seems as if the time data that exists at 0 (I think this data seeds the simulation) is in ascii. Should this be so? Also is this always the case, do you always have ascii data at t=0?

Thanks.

mattijs · July 5, 2006, 14:48

No, the files that get read (restart files) can be either binary or ascii. This is decided from the header.

The restart files are quite often in the 0/ time directory (depending on what the controlDict says)

Files that get written get done so according to the settings in the controlDict.

tj22 · July 6, 2006, 10:10

Two questions:
1) "This is decided from the header" What are you referring to by "header"?

2) Should the restart files be part of the visualization?

Thanks.

mattijs · July 6, 2006, 15:25

1) header: the 'foamFile' part of the file. One of the keywords in there is ascii or binary.

2) yes they are. Restart files are no different from files written during the simulation.

maka · July 7, 2006, 09:22

Hi!

I always run in binary but some times I need to check some numbers inside the binary file. Is there a utility that can convert binary to ascii and reverse.

Thanks,
Maka

tj22 · July 11, 2006, 12:22

"2) yes they are. Restart files are no different from files written during the simulation."

except that the all seem to be ascii to me regardless of what is specified in the controlDict

mattijs · July 11, 2006, 12:44

That is probably because they were written from the FoamX GUI. This is an exception and ignores the controlDict setting.

braennstroem · August 21, 2008, 03:02

Hi Maka,

did you find a simple way to switch the format? One way could be to run one time step with a different format, but that's not very comfortable... Did you find a better way?

Fabian

mattijs · August 21, 2008, 16:15

foamFormatConvert reads (some) files and writes them out in the specified (system/controlDict) format.

braennstroem · August 22, 2008, 13:03

Thanks!

June 28, 2006, 14:18	OpenFOAM binary	#1
tj22 Member Terry Jordan Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 95 Rep Power: 17	I am pretty sure I read that open foam support has a binary format. Is this the case? If so can someone provide me a binary dataset so I can add binary support to my reader? Thanks.

June 29, 2006, 02:55	Hi Terry, just change wri	#2
hemph Senior Member Rasmus Hemph Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Sweden Posts: 108 Rep Power: 17	Hi Terry, just change writeFormat ascii; to writeFormat binary; in system/controlDict in any of the tutorials and you will get binary output.

June 29, 2006, 14:06	Thanks.	#3
tj22 Member Terry Jordan Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 95 Rep Power: 17	Thanks.

July 5, 2006, 12:59	Question: When I run the si	#4
tj22 Member Terry Jordan Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 95 Rep Power: 17	Question: When I run the simulation in binary mode the meshes are all binary including constant. The problem is it seems as if the time data that exists at 0 (I think this data seeds the simulation) is in ascii. Should this be so? Also is this always the case, do you always have ascii data at t=0? Thanks.

July 5, 2006, 14:48	No, the files that get read (r	#5
mattijs Senior Member Mattijs Janssens Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 1,419 Rep Power: 26	No, the files that get read (restart files) can be either binary or ascii. This is decided from the header. The restart files are quite often in the 0/ time directory (depending on what the controlDict says) Files that get written get done so according to the settings in the controlDict.

July 6, 2006, 10:10	Two questions: 1) "This is de	#6
tj22 Member Terry Jordan Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 95 Rep Power: 17	Two questions: 1) "This is decided from the header" What are you referring to by "header"? 2) Should the restart files be part of the visualization? Thanks.

July 6, 2006, 15:25	1) header: the 'foamFile' part	#7
mattijs Senior Member Mattijs Janssens Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 1,419 Rep Power: 26	1) header: the 'foamFile' part of the file. One of the keywords in there is ascii or binary. 2) yes they are. Restart files are no different from files written during the simulation.

July 7, 2006, 09:22	Hi! I always run in binary	#8
maka Senior Member Maka Mohu Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 305 Rep Power: 18	Hi! I always run in binary but some times I need to check some numbers inside the binary file. Is there a utility that can convert binary to ascii and reverse. Thanks, Maka

July 11, 2006, 12:22	"2) yes they are. Restart file	#9
tj22 Member Terry Jordan Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 95 Rep Power: 17	"2) yes they are. Restart files are no different from files written during the simulation." except that the all seem to be ascii to me regardless of what is specified in the controlDict

July 11, 2006, 12:44	That is probably because they	#10
mattijs Senior Member Mattijs Janssens Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 1,419 Rep Power: 26	That is probably because they were written from the FoamX GUI. This is an exception and ignores the controlDict setting.

August 21, 2008, 03:02	Hi Maka, did you find a sim	#11
braennstroem Senior Member Fabian Braennstroem Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 407 Rep Power: 19	Hi Maka, did you find a simple way to switch the format? One way could be to run one time step with a different format, but that's not very comfortable... Did you find a better way? Fabian

August 21, 2008, 16:15	foamFormatConvert reads (some)	#12
mattijs Senior Member Mattijs Janssens Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 1,419 Rep Power: 26	foamFormatConvert reads (some) files and writes them out in the specified (system/controlDict) format. aerospaceman, amolrajan and Stan Zhou like this.

August 22, 2008, 13:03	Thanks!	#13
braennstroem Senior Member Fabian Braennstroem Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 407 Rep Power: 19	Thanks!

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