Mechanical APDL Basic Analysis Guide - Ansys

Chapter 10: Getting Started with Graphics
10.2.1.1. X11 and X11C
Graphics Device Name = X11: The X11 graphics driver incorporates X - a distributed windowing system developed
at Massachusetts Institute of Technology that a variety of platforms support. It provides 2-D
graphics capability. The ANSYS program currently supports Version 11 (thus, "X11") Release 6 of the X-Window
system.
X separates the functionality of traditional graphics systems into two parts: the X server and the X client.
The server is the part of the system that controls the physical display device. A client is a piece of application
software, such as the ANSYS or DISPLAY programs. A single server may respond to multiple clients. The
server and client may reside on different machines connected to a network. X transparently handles all
communication between server and client.
Graphics Device Name = X11C: On 2-D display devices that have more than 16 colors (more than four
graphics bit planes; usually eight), the ANSYS program displays the model using light-source shading. Lightsource
shading means that when the model is viewed obliquely, the display appears to be 3-D. You can
activate the extra colors using the NCPL field on the /SHOW command (Utility Menu> PlotCtrls> Device
Options).
These devices also offer a 128-contour color option ("C-option"). This option allows contour displays to use
the extra colors by adding more colors with a single intensity each. By default, the extra colors are used to
display nine contour colors with varying intensities that simulate light-source shading. You activate the 128contour
color option by using X11C for the graphics device name on the /SHOW command.
Individual items can also be selected and displayed with varying degrees of translucency on 2-D devices.
Translucent items will show black on the initial replot, since the 2-D driver generates only the visible face.
The /SHRINK command (Utility Menu> PlotCtrls> Style> Translucency) will force the hardware to plot all
of the faces and provide the desired translucent effect.
10.2.1.2. 3D
Graphics Device Name = 3D: If you have a 3-D graphics device, you should specify 3D as the graphics device
name. A 2-D device contains a "flat" 2-D projection of your model (image manipulation is performed in
software), but a 3-D device contains a 3-D model in its local memory (image manipulation is performed by
the display hardware). As a result, 3-D devices perform certain graphics functions in ANSYS more efficiently,
and 2-D devices do not support certain functions. The 3-D functions in ANSYS include "real-time" dynamic
transformation (rotation, translation, etc.) of your actual model, translucency, and control of various lighting
options, including reflectance, intensity, light direction, and shading. If you are using a 3-D device, you can
set certain display option modes using the /DV3D command (Utility Menu> PlotCtrls> Device Options).
10.2.2. Graphics Drivers and Capabilities Supported on UNIX Systems
Table 10.1: ANSYS-Supported 3-D Drivers and Capabilities for UNIX (p. 218) lists the capabilities that ANSYS
supports in various UNIX environments. The supported capabilities are noted with a Y in the driver column:
Table 10.1 ANSYS-Supported 3-D Drivers and Capabilities for UNIX
Window Device
Hot Keyboard/Mouse
3-Button Mouse
218
DEC
OpenGL
Y
Y
Y
HP
OpenGL
Y
Y
Y
IBM
OpenGL
Y
Y
Y
SGI
OpenGL
Y
Y
Y
Sun
OpenGL
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of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.
Y
Y
Y